276. Infanterie Division
The division was raised in southwestern France in November 1943.1 Probably the structure of the division was:
At the beginning of June the division had manpower strength of 11 658 plus 1 704 HiWi.2
On 14 June the division received orders to transfer to Normandy.3 Six days later one train had reached Le Mans and four had reached Tours.4 On 23 June 23 trains had unloaded at Angers and those elements of the division that had not yet unloaded were on the way towards Domfront - Flers. The most advanced units had reach a point 20 km east of Mayenne.5 One day later it was reported that the Füs.Btl., Pi.Btl. and Nachr.Btl. had reached the assembly area.6
It was reported on 26 June that 37 trains had unloaded in the Le Mans - Angers area and a further eight were between Angers and Angouleme.7 Two days later the Füs.Btl. and the Pi.Btl. had reached Villers-Bocage.8 On 1 July the Gren.Rgt. 986, Füs.Btl. 276 and I./Art.Rgt. 276 were committed on the right wing of the Pz.Lehr division.9 Five days later most of the division had arrived.10
Until 16 July the division had suffered about 1 000 casualties.11 During July it fought south-west of Caen.
The division was surrounded in the Falaise pocket, but large parts of the division managed to escape. Already on 14 August the division commander ordered all rear services, artillery batteries without ammunition, superfluous staffs, baggage sections and other elements not immediately indispensable to retreat out of the threatening salient.12 Probably at least 4 000 men escaped due to these orders. Thus it seems that the division may have lost at most about 6 000 men during the battle in Normandy.
Notes:
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1 |
G. Tessin, Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS (Mittler & Sohn, Frankfurt am Main and Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1966-1975). |
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2 |
OB West Ia Nr. 4352/44 g.Kdos, 4.6.44, T311, R24, F7029124. |
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3 |
Badinski, Bericht über Kampfeinsatz der 276. Infanterie-Division 20.6.44 - 20.8.44, MS # B-007, p. 6. |
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4 |
OB West Ia Nr. 4784/44 g.Kdos, 20.6.44, T311, R25, F7029690. |
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5 |
OB West Ia Nr. 4879/44 g.Kdos. 23.6.44, T311, R25, F7029779. |
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6 |
HGr B Ia Nr.3978/44 g.Kdos, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 24.6.44, T311, R3, F7002432. |
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7 |
OB West Ia Nr. 5027/44 g.Kdos, 26.6.44, T311, R25, F7029913. |
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8 |
OB West Ia, Nr. 5113/44 g.Kdos, 28.6.44, T311, R25, F7029978. |
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9 |
OB West Ia Nr. 5230/44 g.Kdos, 3.7.44, T311, R28, F7034151f. |
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10 |
Ob West Ia Nr. 5323/44 g.Kdos, 6.7.44, T311, R28, F7034234. |
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11 |
Ob West Ia Nr. 5779/44 g.Kdos, 18.7.44, T311, R28, F7034577. |
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12 |
Badinski, op.cit. p. 32. |