The 57. Infanterie-Division was formed in August 1939 as part of the 2. Welle (wave). After breaking out of the Cherkassy pocket in February 1944, it was withdrawn to Poland and refitted with elements of Korps-Abteilung B. The division returned to the front and was destroyed east of Minsk in July 1944 during the Soviet summer offensive. The remnants formed Divisions-Gruppe 57 which was assigned to Korps-Abteilung G.

See also Operations of Encircled Forces: German Experiences in Russia.

Commanders

Generalleutnant Oskar Blümm (1 Sep 1939 - 26 Sep 1941)
General der Infanterie Anton Dostler (26 Sep 1941 - 10 Apr 1942)
Generalleutnant Oskar Blümm (10 Apr 1942 - 10 Oct 1942)
General der Infanterie Friedrich Siebert (10 Oct 1942 - 20 Feb 1943)
Generalleutnant Otto Fretter-Pico (20 Feb 1943 - 1 Sep 1943)
Generalleutnant Vincenz Müller (1 Sep 1943 - 19 Sep 1943)
Generalmajor Adolf Trowitz (19 Sep 1943 - 7 July 1944) (POW)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberstleutnant Hans Schmidt (1 Sep 1939 - 1 July 1942)
Oberst Otto Eckstein (1 July 1942 - 1 May 1943)
Oberstleutnant Hans Heidenreich (1 May 1943 - 20 Mar 1944)
Oberstleutnant Hans Sapauschke (20 Mar 1944 - 10 July 1944)

Area of operations

Poland (Sep 1939 - May 1940)
France (May 1940 - June 1941)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - Feb 1944)
Eastern front, central sector (Feb 1944 - July 1944)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold (2)
- Gößmann, Franz, 01.02.1945, Oberfeldwebel, Zugführer i. d. 2./Gren.Rgt. 199 “List”
- Kaiser, Andreas, 01.02.1945, Unteroffizier, Gruppenführer i. d. 8./Gren.Rgt. 199 “List”
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (8)
- Blümm, Oskar, 22.09.1941 (356), Generalleutnant, Kdr. 57. Inf.Div.
- Braun, Hans, 05.09.1942 (1218), Unteroffizier, 1./Pz.Jäg.Abt. 157
- Denzlinger, Siegfried, 17.05.1944 (3275), Hauptmann, Btl.Fhr. II./Gren.Rgt. 217
- Dews, Siegfried, 17.05.1944 (3275), Hauptmann, Btl.Fhr. II./Gren.Rgt. 217
- Glock, Friedrich, 07.11.1943 (2424), Hauptmann, Btl.Fhr. II./Gren.Rgt. 217
- Rieger, [first name not listed], 01.03.1942 (754), Leutnant, Kp.Fhr. 2./Inf.Rgt. 199 "List"
- Schmidt, Josef, 01.03.1942 (753), Major, Kdr. I./Inf.Rgt. 199 "List"
- Vogelsang, Karl, 27.01.1944 (2803), Hauptmann, Kdr. II./Art.Rgt. 157
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (1)
- Hengge, [first name not listed], 01.11.1941 (11), Obergefreiter, 3./Art.Rgt. 157
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (62)
Holders of the German Cross in Silver (1)
- Czermak, Dr. Josef, 02.06.1944, Stabsarzt, Gren.Rgt. 217
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (10)
- Altmann, Hans, 17.01.1944, Hauptmann, Div.Füs.Btl. (AA) 57
- Fleeth, Hans-Joachim, 07.06.1943, Hauptmann, III./Gren.Rgt. 199 “List”
- Heß, Ludwig, 17.01.1945, Hauptmann, I./Art.Rgt. 157
- Kirchdörfer, Karl, 17.11.1943, Leutnant, 10./Gren.Rgt. 217
- Kloyer, Christoph, 17.02.1944, Oberleutnant, 6./Gren.Rgt. 217
- Rahm, Hans, 27.11.1944, Leutnant d.R., 3./Gren.Rgt. 199 “List”
- Schmidt, Josef, 01.03.1942, Major, Kdr. I./Inf.Rgt. 199 "List"
- Weber, Emil, 27.05.1943, Hauptmann, I./Gren.Rgt. 199 “List”
- Wiertz, Josef, 07.06.1943, Leutnant d.R., Stab I./Gren.Rgt. 164
- Zimmermann, Manfred, 05.10.1943, Hauptmann, 1./Gren.Rgt. 199 “List"
Holders of the Knight's Cross (20) (17 RK + 2 EL + 1 SW)

Order of battle (1939)

Infanterie-Regiment 179
Infanterie-Regiment 199 “List”
Infanterie-Regiment 217
Aufklärungs-Abteilung 157
Artillerie-Regiment 157
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- IV. Abteilung
Pionier-Bataillon 157
Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 157
Nachrichten-Abteilung 157
Versorgungseinheiten 157

Order of battle (1942)

Grenadier-Regiment 164 (1)
Grenadier-Regiment 199 “List”
Grenadier-Regiment 219
Radfahr-Abteilung 157
Artillerie-Regiment 157
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- IV. Abteilung
Pionier-Bataillon 157
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 157
Nachrichten-Abteilung 157
Feldersatz-Bataillon 157
Versorgungseinheiten 157

Order of battle (1943-1944)

Grenadier-Regiment 164 (2)
Grenadier-Regiment 199 “List”
Grenadier-Regiment 219
Grenadier-Regiment 676 (3)
Füsilier-Bataillon 57
Artillerie-Regiment 157
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- IV. Abteilung
Pionier-Bataillon 157
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 157
Nachrichten-Abteilung 157
Feldersatz-Bataillon 157
Versorgungseinheiten 157

Insignia

The "Infanterie-Regiment List" cuff title was authorized for 199. Infanterie Regiment 12 November 1943. After Grenadier-Regiment 199 was destroyed, the tradition name "Infanterie-Regiment List" was bestowed on Grenadier-Regiment 19 of the 7. Infanterie-Division on 31 August 1944.
Adolf Hitler served in Königlich Bayerisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 16, named "List" after its commander Oberst Julius List, of 6. Königlich Bayerische Reserve-Division during the First World War.

Photo © Black Cross Militaria

Notable members

Vincenz Müller (Knight's Cross and German Cross in Gold holder and post-war a general in the Nationale Volksarmee of the German Democratic Republic)

Soldiers from Infanterie-Regiment 199 “List” entering Kharkov on horses in October 1941

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

Footnotes

1. In February 1942, the 57. Infanterie-Division and the 62. Infanterie-Division exchanged infantry regiments: Infanterie-Regiment 164 went to the former and Infanterie-Regiment 179 went to the latter.
2. Grenadier-Regiment 164 was disbanded on 1 November 1943. It was reformed on 20 April 1944 by the redesignation of Grenadier-Regiment 676.
3. Transferred to the 57. Infanterie-Division on 18 August 1943 from the disbanded 332. Infanterie-Division. It was redesignated Grenadier-Regiment 164 on 20 April 1944.  

Sources used

Klaus Froh & Rüdiger Wenzke - Die Generale und Admirale der NVA: Ein biographisches handbuch
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Gordon Williamson - German Army Elite Units, 1939-45

Reference material on this unit

Hans Schmidt - Die 57. Infanterie Division im Osten
Adolf Trowitz - Der letzte Kampf der 57. Infanterie Division