The 340. Infanterie-Division was formed in November 1940 from elements of 68. Infanterie-Division, 170. Infanterie-Division and 290. Infanterie-Division as part of the 14. Welle (wave). It was strengthened by the addition of Divisions-Gruppe 327 from 327. Infanterie-Division in November 1943. The division was destroyed during the Soviet breakthrough at Brody in July 1944 and disbanded in August 1944.

Commanders

Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Neumann (15 Nov 1940 - 1 Mar 1942)
Generalleutnant Viktor Koch (1 Mar 1942 - 1 Nov 1942)
Generalleutnant Otto Butze (1 Nov 1942 - 24 Feb 1943)
Generalleutnant Josef Prinner (24 Feb 1943 - 25 Oct 1943)
Generalleutnant Werner Ehrig (25 Oct 1943 - 16 June 1944)
Generalmajor Otto Beutler (16 June 1944 - 21 July 1944) (KIA) (1)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberstleutnant Ernst Ebeling (Nov 1940 - Apr 1941)
Major von Sybel (Apr 1941 - ?)
Oberst Günther Preusse (July 1943 - ?)
Oberstleutnant Karl Redmer (15 Dec 1943 - 15 Feb 1944)
Unknown (15 Feb 1944 - July 1944)

Area of operations

Germany (Nov 1940 - June 1941)
France (June 1941 - May 1942)
Eastern front, southern sector (May 1942 - July 1944)

Order of battle (1941)

Infanterie-Regiment 694
Infanterie-Regiment 695
Infanterie-Regiment 696
Artillerie-Regiment 340
Pionier-Bataillon 340
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 340
Nachrichten-Kompanie 340
Versorgungseinheiten 340

Order of battle (1943-1944)

Grenadier-Regiment 694 (2)
Grenadier-Regiment 695
Grenadier-Regiment 696 (3)
Grenadier-Regiment 769 (4)
Füsilier-Bataillon 340 (5)
Divisions-Gruppe 327 (6)
- Stab der Gruppe
- Regiments-Gruppe 595
- Regiments-Gruppe 596
Artillerie-Regiment 340 (7)
Pionier-Bataillon 340
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 340
Nachrichten-Abteilung 340
Feldersatz-Bataillon 340
Versorgungseinheiten 340

Footnotes

1. Generalmajor Beutler was killed 21 July 1944 at Brody.
2. Dissolved on 2 November 1943. Reformed on 19 May 1944 from Divisions-Gruppe 327.
3. Dissolved on 2 November 1943.
4. Grenadier-Regiment 769 was built from the remnants of its original parent formation, the 377. Infanterie-Division, which was virtually destroyed at Voronezh, and assigned to the 340. Infanterie-Division in March 1943.
5. Formed on 2 November 1943.
6. Assigned to the division on 1 Nov 1943, Divisions-Gruppe 327 was dissolved 19 May 1944 to reform Grenadier-Regiment 694.
7. Artillerie-Regiment 340 was dissolved on 1 November 1943 and replaced by Artillerie-Regiment 327. It was redesignated Artillerie-Regiment 340 on 22 July 1944.

Sources used

French MacLean - Quiet Flows the Rhine: German General Officer Casualties in World War II
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -