346. Infanterie Division

Raised in Bad Hersfeld, Germany, in September 1942 as a static division, it was moved to France within a month.1 For most of 1943 it was deployed in Brittany, but in December 1943 it was withdrawn to be restructured as a more mobile unit and was positioned near Le Havre at the end of January 1944.2

The I. Btl. of the 857. Rgt. left the division on 20 March to form the Füs.Btl of 326. Inf.Div.3, but from 19 April 1944 Ost.Btl. 630 was assigned to the division to serve as I./857.4

The division had an authorized strength of 9 816 men on 1 May 1944. Actual strength was 9 534 men. Average age of the men was 32 - 33 years, while officers on average were 37 years old.5

On 1 June 1944 the structure of the division looked like this6:

The Panzerjäger Abteilung had fourteen 7,5 cm PAK 40 (Sf) in 1. Kompanie on 1 June, while 3. Kompanie had twelve 2 cm Flak 38.7 The 2. Kompanie had not yet received any assault guns8, but ten StuG III were despatched to the division on 19 May.9 These probably arrived during the first week of June. The manpower strength of the battalion was 502 men.10

As was the case with many other units, the artillery of the division consisted entirely of captured weapons. The artillery regiment had the following equipment11:

I. Abteilung three batteries with four 7,62 cm guns (r) each

II. Abteilung three batteries with four 10,5 cm howitzers (f) each

III. Abteilung three batteries with four 12,2 cm howitzers (r) each

The artillery was not motorized.12 Other combat elements had been made more mobile by requisition of buses and other vehicles or by the use of bicycles.13

On 6 June the 346. Inf.Div. was ordered to bring Gren.Rgt. 857 (except I. Btl. and 1 platoon of 13. Kp.), 1 Pi.Kp. and one artillery battery across the Seine as soon as possible.15 One battalion of Gren.Rgt. 858 was to occupy the positions evacuated by II./G.R. 857.15

The 857. Inf.Rgt. attacked the British positions in the Bavent - Breville area on 7 June.16 Two days later the first elements of 858. Inf.Rgt.17 On 10 June most of the division was comitted against the British bridghead over the Orne.18

Casualties up to 10 June, 24.00, amounted to19:

Unit

KIA

Wounded

Missing

857. Inf.Rgt.

36

161

49

858. Inf.Rgt.

64

205

401

346. Art.Rgt.

2

8

0

346. Pi.Btl.

0

1

0

Also one man was wounded in the signals battalion.

The division had the following strength of its combat formations on 14 June20:

Unit

Ration Strength

Combat strength

857. Inf.Rgt.

1280

1010

858. Inf.Rgt.

1030

875

346. Art.Rgt.

1570

1015

346. Pi.Btl.

385

310

346. Pz.Jäg.Abt.

456

265

From 19 June the situation was relatively calm east of the Orne until mid July.21 After the British Charnwood operation the 346. Div. took over part of the sector held by 16. LW. Div.22 Between 10 and 17 July, minor British attacks were launched against 346. Div.23 During these attacks, soldiers belonging to the category "Volksliste 3"24 proved unreliable and deserted.25

The left wing of the division was subjected to the intensive aerial bombardment preceding operation Goodwood on 18 July.26 The division successfully defended Troarn during the ground attack that followed the initial air attack.27

After operation Goodwood, the division had about 50 % of its original infantry strength, while the corresponding figure for AT components was 60 %. The strength of the artillery was about 70 %.28 Fortunately for the division, the period following this British operation was quite calm. It was not until 9 August, when the Allied forces were pushing towards Falaise that the 346. Inf.Div. was engaged more actively. It was however located on the eastern flank of the British attack.29

The 346. Inf.Div. was not among the units encircled south-east of Falaise. Rather it succeded in withdrawing over the area around Lisieux, towards the Seine.30

According to the estimates of the chief of staff of the division its strength after crossing the Seine was31:

Infantry Regiments: personnel 50 %, heavy weapons 35 %
Artillery Regiment: personnel 75 %, guns 20 %
AT battalion: 3 Assault Guns, 4 towed AT guns
Vehicles: 35 %

Either the chief of staff was too pessimistic in his estimates, or the Seine crossing resulted significant losses, particularly of heavy weapons. On 25 August it was reported that the division had 32 combat ready artillery pieces32, or nearly 90 % of its original strength.

If these estimates are used, it can be concluded that the division must have had around 6 300 men.33 Given its original strength, it probably suffered around 3 000 to 3 500 casualties from D-Day to 22 August.

Assault Gun strength of 346. Inf.Div.

Date

Combat
Ready

Short
Term
Repair

Long
Term
Repair

18 June34

1

9

0

19 June35

4

6

0

1 July36

9

0

1

15 July37

8

?

?

19 July38

8

?

?

29 July39

7

?

?

6 August40

7

?

?

 

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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

Paul Frank, Einsatz der 346. Infanterie Division an der Invasionsfront (6.6.1944 bis 24.7.1944), MS # B-008, p. 1.

3

AOK 15 Ia Nr. 2773/44 g.Kdos., 20.3.44, T312, R516, F8114464.

4

Tessin, op. cit.

5

Gen.Kdo. LXXXI. A.K. IIb Nr. 398/44 geh, T314, R1590, F000849.

6

Frank, op. cit, Anlagen and Stoart AOK 15 Nr. 629/44 g.Kdos, Art.Gliederung der 15. Armee, Stand vom 1.6.44, T312, R516, F8115287ff.

7

Report to the Inspector-General of Panzer Troops, 1.6.1944, BA-MA RH 10/242.

8

Ibid.

9

Lieferungen der Pz.-Fahrz., Bd. ab Mai 1943, BA-MA RH 10/349.

10

Report to the Inspector-General of Panzer Troops, 1.6.1944, BA-MA RH 10/242. Strength refer to Iststärke.

11

Stoart AOK 15 Nr. 629/44 g.Kdos, Art.Gliederung der 15. Armee, Stand vom 1.6.44, T312, R516, F8115287ff.

12

Ibid.

13

Frank, op. cit. p. 2f.

14

Gen.Kdo. LXXXI. A.K. Ia Nr. 1891/44, 6.6.44, T314, R1590, F000163.

15

Ibid.

16

Lagekarten LXXXI. A.K., Kampfverlauf 7.6.44, T314, R1590, 000280.

17

Lagekarten LXXXI. A.K., Lage 9.6.44, 13.00, T314, R1590, 000284.

18

Lagekarten LXXXI. A.K., Lage 10.6.44, 15.00, T314, R1590, 000286.

19

KTB Anlagen LXXXI. A.K. Ia, Gefechtsbericht v. 10.6.44, 346. I.D. Ia, 14.6.44, T314, R1590, F000417.

20

Gen.Kdo. LXXXI. A.K. Ia Nr. 2031/44 geh., 15.6.44, T314, R1590, F000504.

21

Frank, op. cit., pp 15-18.

22

Ibid, p. 18.

23

Ibid, p. 18f.

24

Volksliste III included men that were considered to be of "German race" but living in areas occupied by Germany after the outbreak of the war. See W. V. Madej, Hitler's Dying Ground: Description and Destruction of the German Army (Game Publishing, Allentown 1985) p. 74.

25

Frank, op.cit., p. 19.

26

Ibid, p. 21.

27

Ibid, p. 22.

28

P. Frank, Die Kämpfe der 346. Inf.Div. (24.7.44 &endash; 15.9.44), MS # B-532, p. 3.

29

Ibid, p. 6f.

30

Ibid, pp. 8-16.

31

Ibid, p. 24.

32

Anlage 1 zum Gen der Art beim Chef Ge,St.d.Heeres Ib Nr. 2610/44 g.Kdos, 27.8.44, BA-MA RH 11 II/v. 4.

33

Unit

Initial Strength

Final Strength

Inf.Rgt. 857

2000

1000

Inf.Rgt. 858

2000

1000

Art.Rgt. 346

1600

1200

Pi. Btl. 346

400

250

Pz.Jäg.Abt. 346

500

250

Füs.Btl. 346

800

400

Other Parts

2200

2000

Total

T9500

6300

34

Gen.Kdo. 81. A.K. Ia, Tagesmedlung 18.6.44, T314, R1590, F000516.

35

Gen.Kdo. 81. A.K. Ia, 19.6.44, T314, R1590, F000513.

36

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 41/44 g.Kdos, 1.7.44, T313, R420, F8713783.

37

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 388/44 g.Kdos 16.7.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 15.7, T313, R420, F8713920.

38

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 476/44 g.Kdos, 20.7.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 19.7, T313, R420, F8713961.

39

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 647/44 g.Kdos, 30.7.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 29.7, T313, R420, F8714042.

40

Pz.Gr. West Ia Nr. 846/44 g.Kdos, 9.8.44, Nachtrag zur Tagesmeldung 8.8, T313, R420, F8714117.