The 7th Infantry Division (7. Infanterie-Division) was a formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. It was formed 1 October 1934 in Munich from the Artillerieführer VII staff and renamed 7. Infanterie-Division with the disclosure of German rearmament on 15 October 1935. In preparation of the Invasion of Poland, the division was transferred to Slovak Republik on 1 August 1939. The division surrendered to Soviet forces near Stutthof after the unconditional surrender of 8 May 1945.
Order of Battle
7th Infantry Division
Mobilized on 26 August 1939 with:
1/, 2/, 3/19th Infantry Regiment
1/, 2/5 3/61st Infantry Regiment
1/, 2/5 3/62nd Infantry Regiment
1/, 2/5 3/7th Artillery Regiment
1/43rd Artillery Regiment
7th Divisional Support Units
In late summer 1939, immediately before the invasion of Poland, the division was organized and equipped as follows:
7th Infantry Division
7th (mot) Mapping Detachment 7th (mot) Motorcycle Messenger Platoon
19th Infantry Regiment
1 Signals Platoon 3 Battalions, each with 3 Rifle Companies (9 LMGs, 2 HMGs and 3 50mm mortars ea)
1 Heavy Company (8 HMGs and 6 80mm mortars)
1 (mot) Panzerabwehr Company (12 37mm PAK 36 and 4 LMGs)
1 Infantry Support Gun Company (2 150mm sIG and 6 75mm leIG)
1 Cavalry Reconnaissance Platoon
1 Light Infantry Supply Column
61st Infantry Regiment
same as 19th Infantry Regiment
62nd Infantry Regiment
same as 19th Infantry Regiment
7th (mot) Panzerabwehr Battalion
1 (mot) Signals Platoon
3 (mot) Panzerabwehr Companies (12 37mm PAK 36 and 6 LMGs ea) 4/56th (mot)
Heavy Machine Gun Battalion (12 20mm guns)
7th Reconnaissance Battalion
1 (mot) Signals Platoon
1 Cavalry Squadron (2 HMGs and 9 LMGs)
1 Bicycle Squadron (3 50mm mortars, 2 HMGs and 9 LMGs)
1 (mot) Reconnaissance Squadron
1 Infantry Gun Section (2 75mm leIG)
1 Armored Car Section (2 armored cars)
1 Panzerabwehr Platoon (3 37mm PAK 36 and 1 LMG)
7th Artillery Regiment
1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions, each with
3 Batteries (4 105mm leFH and 2 LMGs ea)
1/43rd Artillery Regiment
3 Batteries (4 150mm sFH and 2 LMGs ea)
7th Artillery Observation Battalion
7th Feldersatz Battalion
3 Companies (9 LMGs, 2 HMGs and 3 50mm mortars ea)
7th Signals Battalion
1 (mot) Radio Company
1 (tmot) Telephone Company
1 (mot) Signals Supply Column
7th Pioneer Battalion
2 Pioneer Companies (9 LMGs ea)
1 (mot) Pioneer Company (9 LMGs)
1 (mot) Bridging Train
1 (mot) Engineer Supply Column
7th Divisional Supply Troops
1-8/7th (mot) Light Supply Columns
9/7th (mot) Light Fuel Column
7th (mot) Maintenance Platoon
7th (mot) Supply Company
7th Divisional Administration
7th (mot) Field Bakery
7th (mot) Butcher Detachment
1/7th Medical Company
2/7th (mot) Medical Company
7th (mot) Field Hospital
1/, 2/7th Ambulance Companies
7th Veterinary Company
7th (mot) Military Police Troop
7th (mot) Field Post Office
In January 1940 the 7th Feldersatz Battalion became 1 2/339th Infantry Regiment (167th Infantry Division -Wave). In February 1940 the 2/19th was assigned to the 527th Infantry Regiment (298th Infantry Division) of the 8th Wave. It also transferred the 2nd Battery, the 7th Artillery Regiment and a few other small detachments.
On 1 April 1940 some of the supply and support troops of the division had their numbers changed, as follows: the 4/ and 6/7th Light Supply Columns became the II and 2/7th Light Supply Columns; the 6/269th and 1/ and 2/620th Supply Columns became the 4/, 5/ and 6/7th Supply Columns; and the 9/7th Fuel Column became the 7/7th Fuel Column.
In December 1940 a third of the division was detached to the 97th Light Infantry Division (Staff/, 3/19th, 3/61st and 3/62nd Infantry Regiments) and was never replaced.
By June 1941 the infantry battalions had been reorganized with three rifle companies (twelve LMGs and three 50mm mortars) and a machine gun company (twelve HMGs and six 80mm mortars). The infantry regimental Panzerjager companies had been re-equipped with nine 37mm PAK 36, two 50mm PAK 38 and four LMGs. However, the Panzerjager battalion still had each company with twelve 37mm guns.The 4/56th (mot) Heavy Machine Gun Battalion had been detached. The 7th Reconnaissance Battalion had a (tmot) signals platoon, two bicycle companies (nine LMGs, two HMGs and three 50mm mortars each), a (mot) infantry gun section (two 75mm leIG) and a (mot) Panzerjager platoon (three 37mm PAK 36 and 1 LMG). The supply troops were reorganized with the I/, 2/ and 3/7th :mot) Light Columns, the 4/, 5/, 6/, 7/, 8/ and 9/7th (horse-drawn) Columns, the 10/7th (mot) Light Fuel Column, the 7th (mot) Maintenance Company and the 7th (mot) Supply Company. Otherwise, the division was unchanged.
OKW records for 15 March 1941 indicate that the division was organized and equipped as follows:
7th Infantry Division
7th (mot) Mapping Detachment
19th Infantry Regiment
1 Signals Platoon
1 Pioneer Platoon (3 LMGs)
3 Battalions, each with 3 Rifle Companies (12 LMGs and 3 50mm mortars ea)
1 Heavy Company (12 HMGs and 6 80mm mortars)
1 (mot) Panzerabwehr Company (9 37mm PAK 36, 2 50mm PAK 38 and 4 LMGs)
1 Infantry Support Gun Company (2 150mm sIG and 6 75mm leIG)
1 Cavalry Reconnaissance Platoon
1 Light Infantry Supply Column
61st Infantry Regiment
same as 19th Infantry Regiment
62nd Infantry Regiment
same as 19th Infantry Regiment
7th (mot) Panzerjager Battalion
1 (mot) Signals Platoon
3 (mot) Panzerjager Companies (12 37mm PAK 36 and 6 LMGs ea) 7th Reconnaissance Battalion
1 (mot) Signals Platoon
2 Bicycle Squadrons (3 50mm mortars, 2 HMGs and 9 LMGs ea)
1 Infantry Gun Section (2 75mm leIG)
1 Panzerjager Platoon (3 37mm PAK 36 and 1 LMG)
7th Artillery Regiment
1 Signals Platoon
1 (mot) Weather Platoon
1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions, each with
1 Signals Platoon
1 Calibration Detachment
3 Batteries (4 105mm leFH and 2 LMGs ea)
1/43rd Artillery Regiment
1 Signals Platoon
1 Calibration Detachment
3 Batteries (4 150mm sFH and 2 LMGs ea)
7th Feldersatz Battalion
3 Companies
7th Signals Battalion
1 (mot) Radio Company
1 (tmot) Telephone Company
1 (mot) Signals Supply Column
7th Pioneer Battalion
1 Pioneer Company (9 LMGs ea)
1 (bicycle) Pioneer Company (9 LMGs ea)
1 (mot) Pioneer Company (9 LMGs)
1 (mot) Engineer Supply Column
7th Divisional Supply Troops
1-3/7th (mot) Light Supply Columns
4/, 5/, 6/7th Supply Columns
7/, 8/, 9/7th Light Supply Columns
10/7th (mot) Fuel Column
7th (mot) Maintenance Platoon
7th (mot) Supply Company
7th Divisional Administration
7th (mot) Field Bakery
7th (mot) Butcher Detachment
1/7th Medical Company
2/7th (mot) Medical Company
7th (mot) Field Hospital
1/, 2/7th Ambulance Companies
7th Veterinary Company
7th (mot) Military Police Troop
7th (mot) Field Post Office
The division is shown as having 4,174 pistols, 223 MP38, 437 MP40, 14,636 carbines, 460 LMG 34, 23 MG 13, 25 MG 08/15, 112 sMG34, 87 50mm mortars IGrW 36, 54 80mm mortars sGrW34, twenty 75mm leIG 18,33 150mm sIG 33, six PzBu 38, 75 PzBu 39, 66 37mm PAK 36 and six 50mm PAK 38.
The division was reorganized as a Type 44 division by disbanding the 2/19, 2/61st and 3/62nd Grenadiers and changing the reconnaissance battalion into a fusilier battalion (AA).The division was reorganized by the order of 2 October 1943 and now had:
1/, 3/19th Grenadier Regiment "List"
1/, 3/61st Grenadier Regiment
1/, 2/62nd Grenadier Regiment
7th Division Fusilier Battalion (AA)
1/, 2/, 3/7th Artillery Regiment
1/43rd Artillery Regiment
7th Divisional Support Units
In 1942/1943 the division had the 3rd Sound Ranging Troop assigned. The Panzerjager battalion contained an addidonal Sturmgeschutz company and a self-propeller 37mm Flak company.The Feldersatz battalion contained three companies.
In September 1943 the division was organized like the 1st Infantry Division, except that the Panzerjager battalion had a self-propelled Flak battery with nine 37mm guns and 4LMGs In addition, the machine gun companies had six 80mm mortars instead of 120mm mortars. Otherwise organization was unchanged (see 1st Division).The division was overrun on the East Prussian border, the remnants being taken into Russian captivity at the end of the war.
Commanders
Ÿ Franz Halder 1 October 1934 - 12 November 1936
Ÿ Otto Hartmann 12 November 1936 - 31 July 1939
Ÿ Eugen Ott 1 August 1939 - 30 September 1939
Ÿ ??? 30 September 1939 - 1. December 1939
Ÿ Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz 1 December 1939 - 13 December 1941
Ÿ Hans Jordan 13 December 1941 - 1 November 1942
Ÿ Fritz-Georg von Rappard 1 November 1942 - 2 October 1943
Ÿ Carl Andre 2 October 1943 - 30 November 1943
Ÿ Gustav Gihr 30 November 1943 - 8 December 1943
Ÿ Fritz-Georg von Rappard 8 December 1943
Ÿ Alois Weber August 1944 - May 1945