The 72. Infanterie-Division was formed on 19 September 1939 from Grenz-Division Trier. After breaking out of the Cherkassy pocket in February 1944, it was withdrawn to Poland. It was refitted there in March 1944 as part of the 24. Welle from Schatten-Division Generalgouvernement. Reformed again after suffering heavy losses at the Baronow bridgehead on the Vistula, the division surrendered to the Red Army in May 1945 in the Erzgebirge region of Czechoslovakia.
Area of operations
West wall (Sep 1939 - May 1940)
France (May 1940 - Apr 1941)
Balkans (Apr 1941 - July 1941)
Eastern front, southern sector (July 1941 - Sep 1942)
Eastern front, central sector (Sep 1942 - Dec 1943)
Eastern front, southern sector (Dec 1943 - Mar 1944)
Poland (June 1944 - Mar 1945)
Czechoslovakia (Mar 1945 - May 1945)
The 71. Infanterie-Division was formed on 26 August 1939 as part of the 2. Welle (wave). It was destroyed at Stalingrad in Janury 1943.
It was reformed 17 Februry 1943 in Denmark. Transferred to Italy in September 1943, the division was virtually destroyed at Monte Cassino in May 1944. The remnants of the division surrendered to the British at St. Veit, Austria in May 1945.
Area of operations
West wall (Sep 1939 - May 1940)
France (May 1940 - June 1941)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - Oct 1941)
France (Oct 1941 - Apr 1942)
Eastern front, southern sector (Apr 1942 - Oct 1942)
Stalingrad (Oct 1942 - Jan 1943)
Denmark (Mar 1943 - Aug 1943)
Slovenia (Aug 1943 - Sep 1943)
Italy (Sep 1943 - Dec 1944)
Hungary & Austria (Dec 1944 - May 1945)
The 70. Infanterie-Division was largely made up of soldiers with stomach problems who required a special diet, hence the nickname "White Bread Division", around a cadre from 165. Reserve Division.
It was stationed on Walcheren Island, the Netherlands, and was attacked by the 1st Canadian Army in November 1944. The soldiers of the division fought surprisingly well in the Battle of the Scheldt but after nine days of fighting they were forced to surrender.
Area of operations
Netherlands (May 1944 - Nov 1944)
The 69. Infanterie-Division was formed on 26 August 1939 as part of the 2. Welle (wave) from elements of 16. Infanterie-Division and 26. Infanterie-Division. During the invasion of Norway elements of it took part in the Airborne assault on Sola Airfield in 1940. It formed two kampfgruppen during the advance from eastern Norway towards Bergen in western Norway, Gruppe Adlhoch (under Xaver Adlhoch) and Gruppe Daubert (under Major Daubert). It saw heavy fighting against the Norwegian Valdresgruppen (consisting of 4. Brigade and parts of Infantry Regiment 6) under Colonel Gudbrand Østby between 14 April and 2 May.
The division was destroyed on the River Inster in East Prussia; the remnants surrendered to the Red Army upon the fall of Königsberg on 10 April 1945.
The 68. Infanterie-Division was formed in August 1939 as part of the 2. Welle (wave) from 3. Infanterie-Division. After suffering heavy losses at Zhitomir, it was was withdrawn to Poland. It was refitted there in February 1944 as part of the 24. Welle from Schatten-Division Demba. The division surrendered to the Red Army in May 1945 at Jägerndorf in the Sudetenland.
Area of operations
Poland (Sep 1939 - May 1940)
France (May 1940 - June 1941)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - Sep 1944)
Slovakia & Poland (Sep 1944 - Jan 1945)
Silesia (Jan 1945 - May 1945)
The 65. Infanterie-Division was formed in July 1942 as a “Walküre-II”-Division under the 20. Welle (wave). After suffering heavy losses fighting at the Anzio bridgehead, it was refitted in July 1944 as part of the 26. Welle (wave) from Schatten-Division Ostpreußen. The division surrendered in Italy on 22 April 1945.
Area of operations
Netherlands (July 1942 - Aug 1943)
Italy (Aug 1943 - Apr 1945)
The 64. Infanterie-Division was formed in June 1944 at Truppenübungsplatz Wahn. It saw action at the Scheldt in October and was disbanded in November.
Area of operations
France & Belgium (July 1944 - Nov 1944)
