266. Infanterie Division

 

The division was formed in May 1943. Two months later it was sent to Brittany in France.¹ The organization was²:

Main equipment of the artillery regiment was³:

1./Art.Rgt. 266 four 7,62 cm guns
2./Art.Rgt. 266 four 7,62 cm guns
3./Art.Rgt. 266 four 15,5 cm howitzers
4./Art.Rgt. 266 four 15,5 cm howitzers
5./Art.Rgt. 266 four 12,2 cm howitzers
6./Art.Rgt. 266 four 12,2 cm howitzers
7./Art.Rgt. 266 four 7,62 cm guns
8./Art.Rgt. 266 four 15,5 cm howitzers
9./Art.Rgt. 266 three 12,2 cm howitzers
10./Art.Rgt. 266 four 15,5 cm howitzers

On 1 March the division had 8 852 men.⁴ Probably its strength remained close to that figure. It had 5 730 rifles on 1 March and 5 877 two months later.⁵ This does not indicate a major change of manpower strength. Also it was reported on 1 April that the division was short of 159 men only.⁶ Given the fact that it had no anti-tank battalion, no Füs.Btl., only two companies each in the engineer and field replacement battalions, a greater strength is not to be expected.

Both infantry regiments had similar support units: 13. Kp. with infantry howitzers, 14. Kp. and 15. Kp. with AT guns. Most of the AT guns lacked towing vehicles.⁷

A mobile Kampfgruppe was formed and sent to Normandy. It consisted of the staff of Gren.Rgt. 897, I./Gren.Rgt. 897, II./Gren.Rgt. 897, an IG company and a platoon with 7,5 cm AT guns. Also an artillery battalion was formed, consisting of 3./Art.Rgt. 266, 8./Art.Rgt. 266 and 9./Art.Rgt. 266.⁸

The Kampfgruppe was not sent to Normandy immediately after D-Day. On 14 June it was reported that it had reached Jugon on the Brittany⁹, which was close to its original location. It did not move quickly, six days later it was near Avranches.¹⁰ Three days later it had reached the combat zone.¹¹

Most of the time in Normandy it was employed with the 352. Inf.Div.¹² Probably the remnants of the Kampfgruppe were absorbed by the 352. Inf.Div. at the beginning of August.

Probably 5 000 - 6 000 men remained with the division in Brittany after the departure of the Kampfgruppe. The Kampfgruppe brought with it all transportation means.¹³ When US forces entered Brittany elements of the 266. Inf.Div. tried to escape into the ports of the peninsula. Some of them were eventually destroyed at St. Malo, other elements made it to ports that held out for the rest of the war.¹⁴

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Notes:

1	G. Tessin, Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS (Mittler & Sohn, Frankfurt am Main and Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1966-1975).
2	Gliederungen AOK 7, BA-MA RH 20-7/136.
3	Ibid.
4	Ibid.
5	Ibid.
6	WFST/Op. (H)/West Nr.004662/44 g.Kdos, den 3. Mai 1944, Fehlstellen der Divisionen im Bereich OB West, Stand 1.4.44, T77, R1421, F000237f.
7	Gliederungen AOK 7, BA-MA RH 20-7/136.
8	OB West Ia Nr. 4797/44 g.Kdos, 20.6.44, T311, R25, F7029700.
9	HGr B Ia Nr 3489/44 g.Kdos, Tagesmeldung 14.6.44, T311, R3, F7002389f.
10	OB West Ia Nr. 4784/44 g.Kdos, 20.6.44, T311, R25, F7029690.
11	OB West Ia Nr. 4952/44 g.Kdos., 24.6.44, T311, R25, F7029824.
12	See the manuscripts by Ziegelmann, MS # B-439, B-455, B-489.
13	HGr B Ia Nr. 4943/44 g.Kdos, 18.7.44, T311, R4, F7003813ff.
14	Tessin, op. cit.