305th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)


The 305th Infantry Division was a German Army unit that saw extensive, front-line action during World War II. This division was present at the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Monte Cassino, and surrendered to U.S. Army's 88th Infantry Division in Northern Italy near Trento in late April 1945.

Formation

The 305th Infantry Division was part of the 13th wave of Wehrmacht mobilizations October through November 1940. As of December 1940, the 305th Infantry Division was based out of Ravensburg, Upper Swabia on the Bodensee.

Division history

Battle of Stalingrad

The 305 Infantry Division was under the command of Lieutenant General Kurt Oppenländer during the Battle of Stalingrad.
Infanterie-Regiment 578 was disbanded on 21 December, due to the Divisions inability to maintain three line regiments, and its constituent Bataillone were redistributed to the Divisions remaining Infanterie Regiments. The remnants of the Division surrendered in the northern kessel on 2 February 1943.
Under Construction

Chronology

The division has been implicated in a number of war crimes in Italy between October 1943 and April 1945, with up to twelve civilians executed in each incident.

Commanding officers

1942


Josef Bruetsch
Kurt Oppenländer

German

English