The 305. Infanterie-Division was formed in December 1940 near Ravensburg as part of the 13. Welle (wave) from elements of 78. Infanterie-Division and 296. Infanterie-Division. It was destroyed at Stalingrad in January 1943.

It was reformed in Britanny in March 1943. It surrendered to US forces in Italy in May 1945.

Commanders

Generalleutnant Kurt Pflugradt (15 Dec 1940 - 12 Apr 1942)
Generalleutnant Kurt Oppenländer (12 Apr 1942 - 1 Nov 1942)
Generalleutnant Bernhard Steinmetz (1 Nov 1942 - 31 Jan 1943)
General der Artillerie Friedrich-Wilhelm Hauck (5 Mar 1943 - ? Dec 1944)
Oberst Friedrich Trumpeter (? Dec 1944 - 29 Dec 1944)
Generalmajor Friedrich von Schellwitz (29 Dec 1944 - 8 May 1945)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberstleutnant Franz von Bierbauer zu Bernstein (Dec 1940-Mar 1941)
Major Max Freiherr von Schade (Mar 1941-Dec 1941)
Oberstleutnant Kuhn (?-14 Mar 1942)
Oberstleutnant Rudolf Paltzo (1942-2 Feb 1943) (POW)
Oberstleutnant Ludwig-Philipp Graf von Ingelheim
genannt Echter von und zu Mespelbrunn (15 Mar 1943-1 Mar 1944)
Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Schuster (1 Mar 1944-1 Apr 1945)
Major Wolfgang Lambrecht genannt Spieth (1 Apr 1945-May 1945)

Area of operations

Germany (Dec 1940 - July 1941)
France (July 1941 - May 1942)
Eastern front, southern sector (May 1942 - Oct 1942)
Stalingrad (Oct 1942 - Jan 1943)
France (Mar 1943 - Aug 1943)
Italy (Aug 1943 - May 1945)

Nicknames

Bodensee-Division (Lake Bodensee Division)
Fels im Meer (Rock in the ocean)

Order of battle (1942)

Infanterie-Regiment 576
Infanterie-Regiment 577
Infanterie-Regiment 578
Artillerie-Regiment 305
Pionier-Bataillon 305
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 305
Nachrichten-Abteilung 305
Versorgungseinheiten 305

Order of battle (1944)

Grenadier-Regiment 576
Grenadier-Regiment 577
Grenadier-Regiment 578
Füsilier-Bataillon 305
Artillerie-Regiment 305
Pionier-Bataillon 305
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 305
Nachrichten-Abteilung 305
Feldersatz-Bataillon 305
Versorgungseinheiten 305  

Sources used

Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

Friedrich Hauck - Eine Deutche Division in Russland: 305 Infanteriedivision