LIST OF GERMAN DIVISIONS IN WORLD WAR II

This is a list of 'German divisions in WWII'. Only ground units are covered; "divisions" of aircraft are not.
Upgrades and reorganizations are shown only to identify the variant names for what is notionally a single unit; other upgrades and reorganizations are deferred to the individual articles. Due to the scope of this list pre-war changes are not shown, nor are upgrades from units smaller than a division.

Name elements not usually translated

;''Grenadier'': A traditional term for heavy infantry. (Translated "Infantryman")
;''Jäger'': A traditional term for light infantry (Translated "Hunter").
;''Lehr'': A demonstration unit (Translated "Teach").
;''Nummer'': "Number" (See description in Infantry Series Divisions, below).
;''Panzer'': Armored (Translated "Tank").
;''Sturm'': "Storm" or "Assault" (Translated "Storm").
;''Volks'': "of the People" (Translated "People").
;''zbV'': Abbreviation for "zur besonderen Verwendung" Meaning "Special Purpose" (Translated "For Special Use").
''Volks'', ''Sturm'', and ''Grenadier'' were sometimes used simply as morale-building adjectives, often without any significance to a unit's organization or capabilities.
==Army==

Panzer divisions

:''see also Panzer Division

Numbered panzer divisions

★ 1st Panzer Division

★ 2nd Panzer Division

★ 3rd Panzer Division

★ 4th Panzer Division

★ 5th Panzer Division

★ 6th Panzer Division (previously 1st Light Division)

★ 7th Panzer Division (previously 2nd Light Division)

★ 8th Panzer Division (previously 3rd Light Division)

★ 9th Panzer Division (previously 4th Light Division)

★ 10th Panzer Division

★ 11th Panzer Division

★ 12th Panzer Division (previously 2nd Motorized Infantry Division)

★ 13th Panzer Division (previously 13th Infantry Division, 13th Motorized Infantry Division; later Panzer Division ''Feldherrnhalle'' 2)

★ 14th Panzer Division (previously 4th Infantry Division)

★ 15th Panzer Division (previously 33rd Infantry Division; later 15th Panzergrenadier Division)

★ 16th Panzer Division (previously 16th Infantry Division)

★ 17th Panzer Division (previously 27th Infantry Division)

★ 18th Panzer Division (later 18th Artillery Division)

★ 19th Panzer Division (previously 19th Infantry Division)

★ 20th Panzer Division

★ 21st Panzer Division (previously 5th Light Division)

★ 22nd Panzer Division

★ 23rd Panzer Division

★ 24th Panzer Division (previously 1st Cavalry Division)

★ 25th Panzer Division

★ 26th Panzer Division (formerly 23rd Infantry Division)

★ 27th Panzer Division

★ 116th Panzer Division ''Windhund'' (previously 16th Infantry Division, 16th Motorized Infantry Division, and 16th Panzergrenadier Division)

★ 155th Reserve Panzer Division (previously Division Nr. 155, Division Nr. 155 (mot.), Panzer Division Nr. 155)

★ Panzer Division Nr. 178 (previously Division Nr. 178)

★ 179th Reserve Panzer Division (previously Division Nr. 179, Division Nr. 179 (mot.), and Panzer Division Nr. 179)

★ 232nd Panzer Division (previously Panzer Division ''Tatra'', Panzer Training Division ''Tatra'')

★ 233rd Reserve Panzer Division (previously Division Nr. 233 (mot.), Panzergrenadier Division Nr. 233, and Panzer Division Nr. 233; later Panzer Division ''Clausewitz'')

★ 273rd Reserve Panzer Division

Named panzer divisions

★ Panzer Division ''Clausewitz'' (previously Division Nr. 233 (mot.), Panzergrenadier Division Nr. 233, and Panzer Division Nr. 233, Reserve Panzer Division 233)

★
★ ''Döberitz'', ''Schlesien'', and ''Holstein'' are approximately synonymous with ''Clausewitz''.

★ Panzer Division ''Feldherrnhalle 1'' (previously 60th Infantry Division, 60th Motorized Infantry Division, and Panzergrenadier Division ''Feldherrnhalle'')

★ Panzer Division ''Feldherrnhalle 2'' (previously 13th Infantry Division, 13th Motorized Infantry Division, and 13th Panzer Division)

★ Panzer Division ''Jüterbog''

★ Panzer Division ''Kempf'' (part ''Heer'', part ''Waffen-SS'')

★ Panzer Division ''Kurmark''

★ Panzer ''Lehr'' Division (sometimes identified as 130th Panzer Division)

★ Panzer Division ''Müncheberg''

★ Panzer Division ''Tatra'' (later Panzer Training Division ''Tatra'', 232nd Panzer Division)

Light divisions

The designation "Light" (''leichte'') had various meanings in the German Army of World War II. There was a series of 5 Light divisions; the first four were pre-war mechanized formations organized for use as mechanized cavalry, and the fifth was an ''ad hoc'' collection of mechanized elements rushed to Africa to bail the Italians out and organized into a division once there. All five were eventually converted to ordinary Panzer divisions.

★ 1st Light Division (later 6th Panzer Division)

★ 2nd Light Division (later 7th Panzer Division)

★ 3rd Light Division (later 8th Panzer Division)

★ 4th Light Division (later 9th Panzer Division)

★ 5th Light Afrika Division (later 21st Panzer Division)
Various other divisions were dubbed "Light" for other reasons, and are listed among the Infantry Series Divisions.

Infantry series divisions

Types of division in the series

German infantry divisions had a variety of designations and specializations, though numbered in a single series. The major variations are as follows:
;Fortress (''Festung''): Divisions of non-standard organization used to garrison critical sites. The smaller ones might consist of only two or three battalions.
;''Grenadier'': A morale-building honorific usually indicative of reduced strength when used alone.
;Light, ''Jäger'': Provided with partial horse or motor transport and usually lighter artillery, and reduced in size compared to an ordinary infantry division. Some of these were essentially identical to mountain divisions, and were sometimes referred to as ''Gebirgsjäger'' ("Mountain Light Infantry") divisions.

★ This description does not apply to the ''Light'' divisions in Africa (5th, 90th, 164th, 999th), nor to the five ''Light'' mechanized divisions listed in their own subsection.
;Motorized: Provided with full motor transport for all infantry and weapons systems. Usually reduced in size compared to an ordinary infantry division.
;''Division Nummer'': A sort of placeholder division, with a number (''Nummer'') and staff but few if any combat assets. These divisions started out without any type in their name (e.g., ''Division Nr. 179''), though some acquired a type later on (e.g, ''Panzer Division Nr. 179'').
;''Panzergrenadier'': As motorized, but with more self-propelled weapons and an added battalion of tanks or fully armored assault guns.
;Static (''bodenständige''): Deficient in transport, even enough to move its own artillery. Many of these were divisions that had been mauled on the Russian Front and were sent west to serve as coastal defense garrisons until sufficient resources were available to rehabilitate them.
;''Volksgrenadier'': A late-war reorganization with reduced size and increased short-range firepower. Many previously destroyed or badly mauled infantry divisions were reconstituted as ''Volksgrenadier'' divisions, and new ones were raised as well. Its fighting capability was equivalent to a US-style National Guard formation.
;''zbV'': An ''ad hoc'' division created to meet a special requirement. (E.g., Division zbV ''Afrika'')
Most of the size reductions listed above were by about a third, either by the removal of an infantry regiment or the removal of one infantry battalion from each of the three regiments.
Infantry divisions were raised in ''waves'', sets of divisions with a standardized table of organization and equipment. In general the later waves (i.e., the higher-numbered divisions) were of lower quality than the earlier ones.

Numbered divisions

1st to 99th

100th to 199th

★ 100th Light Infantry Division (later 100th Jäger Division)

★ 101st Light Infantry Division (later 101st Jäger Division)

★ 102nd Infantry Division

★ 104th Jäger Division

★ 106th Infantry Division

★ 110th Infantry Division

★ 114th Jäger Division

★ 117th Jäger Division

★ 118th Jäger Division

★ 121st Infantry Division

★ 133rd Fortress Division

★ Division zbV 140 (also 9th Mountain Division)

★ 141st Reserve Division

★ 143rd Reserve Division

★ 147th Reserve Division

★ 148th Reserve Division

★ 149th Field Training Division

★ 150th Field Training Division

★ Division Nr. 151 (later 151st Reserve Division)

★ Division Nr. 152

★ Division Nr. 153 (later 153rd Reserve Division, 153rd Field Training Division, 153rd Grenadier Division)

★ Division Nr. 154 (later 154th Reserve Division, 154th Field Training Division, 154th Infantry Division)

★ Division Nr. 155 (later Division Nr. 155 (mot.), Panzer Division Nr. 155, 155th Reserve Panzer Division)

★ 155th Field Training Division (later 155th Infantry Division)

★
★ Not related to Division Nr. 155.

★ Division Nr. 156 (later 156th Reserve Division, 47th Infantry Division, 47th Volksgrenadier Division)

★ 156th Field Replacement Division (later 156th Infantry Division)

★ Division Nr. 157 (later 157th Reserve Division, 157th Mountain Division, 8th Mountain Division)

★ Division Nr. 158 (later 158th Reserve Division)

★ Division Nr. 159 (later 159th Reserve Division, 159th Infantry Division)

★ Division Nr. 160 (later 160th Reserve Division, 160th Infantry Division)

★ 162nd Infantry Division (later 162nd Infantry Division ''Turkestan'', with foreign troops)

★ 163rd Infantry Division

★ 164th Infantry Division (later Fortress Division ''Kreta'', which split into – )

★
★ Fortress Brigade ''Kreta''

★
★ 164th Light ''Afrika'' Division

★ 165th Reserve Division

★ 166th Reserve Division

★ 167th Volksgrenadier Division

★ 169th Infantry Division

★ 170th Infantry Division

★ 171st Reserve Division

★ 172nd Reserve Division

★ 173rd Reserve Division

★ 174th Reserve Division

★ 181st Infantry Division

★ 182nd Reserve Division

★ 183rd Volksgrenadier Division

★ 187th Reserve Division (later 42nd Jäger Division)

★ Division Nr. 188 (later 188th Reserve Mountain Division, 188th Mountain Division)

★ 189th Reserve Division

★ 191st Reserve Division

★ 196th Infantry Division

★ 198th Infantry Division

★ 199th Infantry Division

201st to 999th

Named divisions

★ ''Führer Begleit'' Division Escort Battalion formed to protect Hitler's Eastern Front Headquarters.

★ ''Führer Grenadier'' Division
----

★ Panzergrenadier Division ''Brandenburg''

★ Panzergrenadier Division ''Feldherrnhalle'' (previously 60th Infantry Division, 60th Motorized Infantry Division; later Panzer Division ''Feldherrnhalle 1'')

★ Panzergrenadier Division ''Großdeutschland''
----

★ Grenadier Division ''Lehr''

★
★ Not related to ''Panzer Lehr''.
----

★ Jäger Division ''Alpen''

Mountain divisions

★ 1st Mountain Division (later 1st ''Volksgebirgs'' Division)

★ 2nd Mountain Division

★ 3rd Mountain Division

★ 4th Mountain Division

★ 5th Mountain Division

★ 6th Mountain Division

★ 7th Mountain Division (previously 99th Light Infantry Division)

★ 8th Mountain Division (previously Division Nr. 157, 157th Reserve Division, 157th Mountain Division)

★ 9th Mountain Division (previously Shadow Division ''Steiermark'' and Division zbV 140)

★ 188th Mountain Division (previously Division Nr. 188, 188th Reserve Mountain Division)

Ski division

★ 1st Ski Division

Cavalry divisions

According to Davies, the ''Cavalry'' divisions were mounted infantry and the ''Cossack'' divisions were "true cavalry", modelled on the Russian cavalry divisions.

★ 1st Cavalry Division (later 24th Panzer Division)

★ 3rd Cavalry Division

★ 4th Cavalry Division

★ Cossack Cavalry
Division(This unit was transferred to the Waffen-SS, where it was split to form the 1st & 2nd Cossack Cavalry Divisions.)

Hermann Göring divisions

The Hermann Göring formations grew from a single police detachment to an entire armored corps over the course of the war. The later epithet ''Fallschirm'' ("parachute") was purely honorific.

★ Hermann Göring Division (later Panzer Division ''Hermann Göring'', Parachute Panzer Division ''1 Hermann Göring'')

★ Parachute Panzergrenadier Division ''2 Hermann Göring''

Airborne divisions

In order to keep its existence secret, the first German airborne division was named as if a ''Flieger'' ("flier") division in the series of ''Luftwaffe'' divisions that controlled air assets rather than ground troops:

★ 7th ''Flieger'' Division (often translated ''7th Air Division'')
----
The division was later reorganized to start a series of nominally airborne divisions. Though named ''Fallschirmjäger'' ("paratrooper") divisions, most were not actually trained for airdrops, and in practice most operated as ordinary infantry throughout their existence. The lower-numbered ones earned and maintaned an élite status, but quality generally declined among the higher-numbered ones.

★ 1st Parachute Division (april 1943 ''7th Flieger'' becomes 1st Fallschirmjager)

★ 2nd Parachute Division

★ 3rd Parachute Division

★ 4th Parachute Division

★ 5th Parachute Division

★ 6th Parachute Division

★ 7th Parachute Division (previously ''Group Erdmann'', an ''ad hoc'' collection of ''Luftwaffe'' assets on the western front)

★ 8th Parachute Division

★ 9th Parachute Division

★ 10th Parachute Division

★ 11th Parachute Division(started to be formed march 1945. fought as battle groups only)

★ 20th Parachute Division

★ 21st Parachute Division

Field divisions

Luftwaffe Field Divisions were ordinary infantry divisions organized from ''Luftwaffe'' personnel made available after mid-war due to the manpower crunch. They were originally ''Luftwaffe'' units but were later handed over to the ''Heer'', retaining their numbering but with ''Luftwaffe'' attached to distinguish them from similarly numbered divisions already existing in the ''Heer''.

★ 1st Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 2nd Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 3rd Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 4th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 5th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 6th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 7th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 8th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 9th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 10th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 11th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 12th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 13th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 14th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 15th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 16th Luftwaffe Field Division

★
★ Eventually transferred to the ''Heer'' as 16th ''Luftwaffe'' Infantry Division (later 16th Volksgrenadier Division)

★ 17th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 18th Luftwaffe Field Division

★ 19th Luftwaffe Field Division (later 19th Luftwaffe ''Sturm'' Division)

★
★ Eventually transferred to the ''Heer'' as 19th Grenadier Division (later 19th Volksgrenadier Division)

★ 20th Luftwaffe Field Division (later 20th Luftwaffe ''Sturm'' Division)

★ 21st Luftwaffe Field Division (previously the ''Meindl'' Division, an ''ad hoc'' collection of Luftwaffe resources)

★ 22nd Luftwaffe Field Division Not actually formed, its sub-units were attached to other divisions as needed.

Training divisions

★ German 1st Luftwaffe Training Division

★ German Parachute Training and Replacement Division

Anti-Aircraft divisions

These were headquarters for controlling aggregates of ''flak'' ("anti-aircraft artillery") assets rather than ordinary combined arms divisions organized for ground combat.

★ 1st Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 3rd Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 4th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 5th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 6th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 7th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 8th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 9th Anti-Aircraft Division (lost entirely at the Battle of Stalingrad) ★ 10th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 11th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 12th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 13th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 14th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 15th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 16th Anti-Aircraft Division	★ 17th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 18th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 19th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 20th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 21st Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 22nd Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 23rd Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 24th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 25th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 26th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 27th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 28th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 29th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 30th Anti-Aircraft Division ★ 31st Anti-Aircraft Division

Waffen-SS divisions

Main articles: Waffen-SS divisions

All divisions in the ''Waffen-SS'' were ordered in a single series up to 38th, regardless of type. Those tagged with nationalities were at least nominally recruited from those nationalities. Many of the higher-numbered units were small battlegroups (Kampfgruppen), i.e. divisions in name only.
Also Panzer Division ''Kempf'', a temporary unit of mixed ''Heer'' and ''Waffen-SS'' components.

References

★ Astel, John; Goodwin, A. E.; Long, Jason, Bengtsson, Sven Ake; & Parmenter, James D. (1998). "Orders of Battle". Data booklet from the ''Europa'' game ''Storm Over Scandinavia''. Grinnel, Iowa: Game Research/Design. ISBN 1-86010-091-0.

★ German Army Handbook 1939-1945, Davies, W.J.K., , , Arco Publishing, 1981, ISBN 0-668-04291-5

★ Parada, George (2004). "Panzer Divisions 1940-1945". Retrieved April 1, 2005.

★ Yeide, Harry;(2004). The Tank Killers, A History of America's World War II Tank Destroyer Force. (pg. 209). Casemate Publishers, Havertown, PA. ISBN 1-932033-26-2.

Photo Galleries »

Visiting Polar Bears in Churchill Manitoba

TripAtlas.com on Facebook

List of German divisions in World War II Travel Deals

West Africa From Desert To Ocean By

	Vision 2000 Travel Group, Vancouver
	Entrance Travel
	Hotel Valley Ho (Cafe ZuZu, VH Spa)
	Century 21 Beltair Associates
	Scottsdale CVB
	Interpro Travel Services Inc.
	traverse jamaica
	Pelican Executive Suites
	Travelonly - Dave Corless
	Time Out for Touring Inc.

LIST OF GERMAN DIVISIONS IN WORLD WAR II

Name elements not usually translated

Panzer divisions

Numbered panzer divisions

Named panzer divisions

Light divisions

Infantry series divisions

Types of division in the series

Numbered divisions

1st to 99th

100th to 199th

201st to 999th

Named divisions

Mountain divisions

Ski division

Cavalry divisions

Landwehr divisions

Artillery divisions

Named fortress divisions

Named training divisions

Field replacement divisions

Naval infantry divisions

Hermann Göring divisions

Airborne divisions

Field divisions

Training divisions

Anti-Aircraft divisions

Waffen-SS divisions

See also

References

Further reading

Photo Galleries »

Customer Service

Most Popular

Useful

Find