60th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)


The 60th Infantry Division was formed in late 1939, from Gruppe Eberhardt, a collection of SA units that had been engaged in the capture of Danzig during the Invasion of Poland. This division was unusual in that its manpower was largely drawn from the SA and the police.

History

This division participated in the invasion of France as part of the 1st Army, and was in July 1940 transferred back to Poland where it was upgraded to 60th Infantry Division. During this upgrading it was reduced to two regiments and the other regiment was reassigned.
In January 1941 the division was moved to Romania and in April took part in the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece.
This division participated in Operation Barbarossa, advancing through Uman and across the Dnieper River as part of the 1st Panzergruppe. It took part in the attack and occupation of Rostov until it was pulled back along with other German troops to the Mius River. In a series of defensive battles during the winter of 1941–42 it managed to hold its position and then in March 1942 took part in the battles of Kharkov. Later in 1942 the division took part in the drive on Stalingrad. During the latter part of 1942 it was involved in the bitter battles for this city, and then in early 1943 was encircled at Stalingrad, and destroyed.
In mid-1943, the division was reformed as a panzergrenadier formation called Panzer-Grenadier-Division Feldherrnhalle, as a part of the Feldherrnhalle organisation. For more information, see also Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle.

Commanders

60. Infanterie-Division, May 1940 - Battle of France