77. Infanterie Division

The division was raised in January 1944 and soon sent to the 7. Armee in Normandy to continue forming.¹

Of all German infantry divisions few had as weak organization as the 77. Inf.Div.²:

The weak organization was also reflected in its manpower strength, which stood at 8 508 on 1 March 1944.³ One month later it was reported that the division was 588 men over its authorized strength⁴ and on 1 May it had 8 686 officers and men⁵.

All infantry battalions in 1050. Inf.Rgt. had 40 machine guns and seven 8,1 cm mortars each. The battalions in 1049. Inf.Rgt. also had 40 machine guns, but the number of 8,1 cm mortars was eight.⁶

In each regiment the 14. Kp was equipped with three heavy AT guns, while the 13./Inf.Rgt. 1049 had six russian infantry guns and 13./Inf.Rgt. 1050 had only two russian infantry guns.⁷

The Artillery regiment was very weak. The I. and II. battalions had two batteries each, with four 10,5 cm howitzers per battery. The III. battalion had three batteries, each with four towed 8,8 cm Pak 43/41 AT guns. The latter battalion was motorized, the former two were not motorized.⁸

Equipment for the Pz.Jäg.Abt. included one company with twelve 5 cm AT guns and one company with twelve 7,5 cm AT guns. Six of the lighter guns and all the heavy guns were motorized. The remaining six 5 cm guns were static and did most likely not follow the division to Normandy.⁹

The division possessed no field replacement battalion and its engineer battalion had only one of its companies equipped with heavy weapons.¹⁰

On D-Day the division was lcated near St. Malo¹¹ and the following day it was decided to send 77. Inf.Div. to Normandy as soon as it could be relieved by 5. Fallsch.Div¹². Motorized parts of the division had reached a position east of Granville 8 June¹³ and two days later elements of the division had reached Valognes, being comitted on both sides of the Merderet, while most of the division was in the area north of Coutances¹⁴.

Sometimes it has been assumed that the 77. Inf.Div. was largely cut off when US forces reached the western coast of the Cotentin peninsula and that small elements of the 77. Inf.Div. succeed to break out southwards.

Actually only parts of the division were ever comitted that far north. Two battalions were comitted north of Utah area, while one battalion was sent to the fortress area around Cherbourg.¹⁵ Two of these batallions were subsequently transferred to St. Sauveur.¹⁶ About 1 200 men that were cut of by the American advance broke out to the south, led by the commander of Inf.Rgt. 1049.¹⁷ Another 70 men remained in the Cherbourg area.¹⁸

One battalion, the I./Gren.Rgt. 1050, remained in St. Malo and was later sent to join the division. On 17 June it had passed Avranches.¹⁹

Until 24 June losses amounted to (excluding parts in Cherbourg)²⁰:

34 % of infantry
20 % of artillery personell
22 % of engineer personell
23 % of antitank personell

Given these percentages it seems that the division had lost 1 800 - 2 000 men 6 - 24 June.

On 10 July the division was reported to have a "Kampfstärke" (‰ Trench Strength) of 1 840.²¹ Its artillery still comprised two battalions with 10,5 cm howitzers and one battalion with 8,8 cm guns, though only six 8,8 cm guns remained.²²

The division remained close to the coast during July and at the beginning of August most of it retreated into St. Malo, where it went into captivity when the town fell in mid-August. Probably elements of the division never went to St. Malo, since according to a OKH document dated 16 October 1944, the division was estimated to have a strength of 3 000 on 1 September.²³ Nevertheless it was disbanded on 15 September.²⁴

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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	Kriegsgliederung 77. I.D., Stand 1.5.44, T312, R1566, F000223.
3	Kriegsgliederungen AOK 7, T312, R1566, F000198.
4	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.
5	Kriegsgliederung 77. I.D., Stand 1.5.44, T312, R1566, F000223.
6	Ibid.
7	Ibid.
8	Ibid and see also Taktische Reserven panzerbrechende Waffen innerhalb der Divisionen, Stand vom 1.5.44, T312, R1568, F000718.
9	Kriegsgliederung 77. I.D., Stand 1.5.44, T312, R1566, F000223.
10	Ibid.
11	Lagekarte AOK 7 5.6.44, BA-MA RH 20-7/138K.
12	KTB AOK 7 Ia 6 Jun 1944 - 16 Aug 1944, entry 7.6.44, T312, R1569, F000009f.
13	OB West Ia 4432/44 g.Kdos., 8.6.44, T311, R25, F7029387.
14	KTB AOK 7 Ia 6 Jun 1944 - 16 Aug 1944, entry 10.6.44, T312, R1568, F000743 and OB West Ia 4517/44 g.Kdos, 12.6.44, T311, R25, F7029487.
15	HGr B Ia Nr. 3848/44 g.Kdos, 22.6.44, T311, R3, F7002297ff.
16	Ibid.
17	Ibid.
18	Ibid.
19	OB West Ia Nr. (unreadable)/44 g.Kdos, 17.6.44, T311, R25, F7029619.
20	AOK 7 Ia Nr. 3454/44 g.Kdos 27.6.44, T312, R1565, F001381.
21	KTB AOK 7 Ia, entry 10.7.44, T312, R1569, F000140.
22	Bericht über die Frontreise des Generalfeldmarschall von Kluge am 4. und 5.7.44 zum Gen.Kdo. LXXXIV. A.K. und II. Fs.Korps, T311, R28, F7034225.
23	OKH Org.Abt. I Nr. I/19995/44 g.Kdos., 16.10.44, T78, R432, F6403685. This document lists the strength of all the divisions in the west on 1 September 1944. However, it is explicitly stated that much of the data are estimates. In some cases it has been possible to check these figures against reliable data, and it is clear that the estimates given in the docuemnt are generally too low.
24	Tessin, op.cit.