The 319. Infanterie-Division was formed in November 1940 as part of the 13. Welle (wave). On 30 April 1941, it replaced the 216. Infanterie-Division as the main occupation force on the British Channel Islands under the Befehlshaber Kanalinseln, redesignated the Wehrmachtbefehlshaber Kanalinseln in October 1944, where it remained for the rest of the war.

Commanders

Generalleutnant Erich Müller (19 Nov 1940 - 1 Sep 1943)
Generalleutnant Rudolf Graf von Schmettow (1 Sep 1943 - 27 Feb 1945)
Generalmajor Rudolf Wulf (27 Feb 1945 - 8 May 1945)

Area of operations

Germany (Nov 1940 - May 1941)
Channel Islands (May 1941 - May 1945)

Nicknames

Kanada-Division (name given as the unit was seen as sure to go into the Canadian prisoner-of-war camps)

Order of battle (1943-1945)

Stab der Division (Headquarters in Guernsey)
Grenadier-Regiment 582 (Regiment based in Jersey) (1)
Grenadier-Regiment 583 (Regiment based in Guernsey) (2)
Grenadier-Regiment 584 (Regiment based in Guernsey)
Artillerie-Regiment 319 (Regiment headquarters in Jersey; I. and II./AR 319 based in Jersey; III. and IV./AR 319 based in Guernsey; 11./AR 319 based in Alderney)
Pionier-Bataillon 319
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 319 (11 x 4.7cm Pak (t) auf Geschützwagen R-35 (f); based in Jersey)
Schnellen Abteilung 450 (11 x 4.7cm Pak (t) auf Geschützwagen R-35 (f); based in Guernsey)
Nachrichten-Abteilung 319
Versorgungseinheiten 319

Attached units:
MG-Bataillon 16 (based in Jersey)
Panzer-Abteilung 213 (Abteilung headquarters in Guernsey with 2 x Renault Char B1 bis command tanks; 2. Kompanie with 12 x Renault Char B1 bis tanks and 5 x Renault Char B1 bis flame throwing tanks in Jersey; 1. Kompanie with 12 x Renault Char B1 bis tanks and 5 x Renault Char B1 bis flame throwing tanks in Guernsey)

German soldiers in King Street, Saint Helier, Jersey in August 1941

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Footnotes

1. Ost-Bataillon 643 incorporated as IV. Bataillon on 19 April 1944.
2. Georgisches Infanterie-Bataillon 823 incorporated as IV. Bataillon on 19 April 1944.

Sources used

George Forty – Channel Islands at War: A German Perspective
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -