The 711. Infanterie-Division was formed in May 1941 as part of the 15. Welle (wave). It was transferred to France in June 1941 where it served on occupation, security and coastal defense duties. After suffering heavy losses in Normandy, it was refitted in the Netherlands south of Rotterdam. Transferred to Hungary in December 1944, the division fought on the Eastern Front for the rest of the war. It surrendered in May 1945 to the Red Army near Deutsch Brod.

Known war crimes

A Hauptfeldwebel of Grenadier-Regiment 744 shot eight British paratrooper POWs during the night 5-6 June 1944 near Dives-sur-Mer. (1)

Commanders

Generalmajor Dietrich von Reinersdorff-Paczensky und Tenczin (28 Apr 1941 - 1 Apr 1942)
Generalmajor Wilhelm Haverkamp (1 Apr 1942 - 15 July 1942)
Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Deutsch (15 July 1942 - 1 Apr 1943)
Generalleutnant Josef Reichert (1 Mar 1943 - 14 Apr 1945)
Oberst von Watzdorf (? Apr 1945)
Oberst Jobst von Bosse (? Apr 1945)

Area of operations

Germany (May 1941 - Aug 1941)
France (Aug 1941 - Sep 1941)
Netherlands (Sep 1941 - Dec 1944)
Hungary & Czechoslovakia (Dec 1944 - May 1945)

Order of battle (1941)

Infanterie-Regiment 731
Infanterie-Regiment 744
Artillerie-Abteilung 651
Pionier-Kompanie 711
Nachrichten-Kompanie 711
Versorgungseinheiten 711

Order of battle (1943)

Grenadier-Regiment 731
Grenadier-Regiment 744
Artillerie-Regiment 651
Pionier-Bataillon 711
Panzerjäger-Kompanie 711
Nachrichten-Abteilung 711
Feldersatz-Bataillon 711
Versorgungseinheiten 711

Order of battle (1945)

Grenadier-Regiment 731
Grenadier-Regiment 744
Grenadier-Regiment 763
Füsilier-Bataillon 1711
Artillerie-Regiment 1711
Pionier-Bataillon 711
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 711
Nachrichten-Abteilung 711
Feldersatz-Bataillon 1711
Versorgungseinheiten 711

Footnotes

1. "Konventioneller Krieg oder NS-Weltanschauungskrieg?: Kriegführung und Partisanenbekämpfung in Frankreich 1943/44" by Peter Lieb.

Sources used

Peter Lieb - Konventioneller Krieg oder NS-Weltanschauungskrieg?: Kriegführung und Partisanenbekämpfung in Frankreich 1943/44
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -