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47th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

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47th Infantry Division
German: 47. Infanterie-Division
Active1 February 1944 – September 1944
Country Germany
Branch Heer (Wehrmacht)
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
Military unit

The 47th Infantry Division (German: 47. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II. It was formed in February 1944 and was destroyed by the forces of the Western Allies in the Mons cauldron in September 1944. The division was then reassembled as the 47th Volksgrenadier Division and operated until 1945.

Operational history

The 47th Infantry Division was raised on 1 February 1944 near Calais in German-occupied France from the 156th Reserve Division. The process of reclassification of the 156th Reserve Division had started on 23 November 1943. Subsequently, the 47th Infantry Division was assigned to coastal defense duty against the possibility of a naval invasion by the Western Allies. When this invasion became reality as Operation Overlord, was launched starting with the D-day landings on 6 June 1944, the 47th Infantry Division under command of Otto Elfeldt, was assigned to 5th Panzer Army. The German units were unable to hold their grounds against the Allied forces, were pushed past Paris towards Mons in Belgium. There, the unit was trapped by Allied forces in a cauldron battle in September 1944 and destroyed.

In 1944, the 47th Infantry Division was redeployed as the 47th Volksgrenadier Division.

References

  1. ^ Tessin, Georg (1977). "47. Infanterie-Division". Die Landstreitkräfte 31-70. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 5. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 142–144. ISBN 3764810971.
  2. Tessin, Georg (1977). "156. Reserve-Division". Die Landstreitkräfte 131-200. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). Vol. 7. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 97–98. ISBN 3764810971.
Numbered infantry divisions of the German Army (1935–1945)
1st – 99th
1st – 9th
10th – 19th
20th – 29th
30th – 39th
40th – 49th
50th – 59th
60th – 69th
70th – 79th
80th – 89th
90th – 99th
100th – 199th
100th – 119th
121st – 129th
130th – 149th
150th – 159th
160th – 169th
170th – 189th
190th – 199th
200th – 299th
200th – 209th
210th – 219th
220th – 229th
230th – 239th
240th – 249th
250th – 259th
260th – 269th
270th – 279th
280th – 289th
290th – 299th
300th – 399th
300th – 309th
310th – 329th
330th – 339th
340th – 349th
350th – 359th
360th – 369th
370th – 379th
380th – 389th
390th – 399th
400th – 719th
400th – 499th
500th – 599th
600th – 699th
700th – 709th
710th – 719th
See also: List of German divisions in World War II, Aufstellungswelle
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