91st and 709th

These were both Units in charge of the Defense around Omaha and Utah Beach on D-Day, but i have had very hard times finding much information about them.

As far as i know, the 91st was a luftlande division, or somesort of breakoff from the Luftwaffe...

The 709th I believe was taken from the russian front after heavy casualties and then taken off the Western Front and reconstituted as a new division and later served...

I dont know if any of you will have extensive information on these specific units, but if you know anything about them, please let me know

 

<o></o>
709th Static Infantry Division was raised in May 1941 and used for occupation duties during the German occupation of France in World War II until the Allied invasion. It was on the <st1:state><st1>Normandy</st1></st1:state> coast when the invasion fell, and thus fought in the Battle of Normandy. The division was trapped in the <st1><st1>Cotentin</st1><st1> Peninsula</st1></st1> and destroyed in the defense of <st1:city><st1>Cherbourg</st1></st1:city><o>
</o>
709. Infanterie-Division was captured at <st1:city><st1>Cherbourg</st1></st1:city> June 1944.<!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><!--[endif]--><o></o>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Commanders<o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Generalmajor Arnold von Beßel <o></o>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (3 May 1941 - <st1:date year="1942" day="15" month="7">15 July 1942</st1:date>) <o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Generalleutnant Albin Nake <o></o>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (<st1:date year="1942" day="15" month="7">15 July 1942</st1:date> - <st1:date year="1943" day="15" month="3">15 Mar 1943</st1:date>) <o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> General der Artillerie Curt Jahn <o></o>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (<st1:date year="1943" day="15" month="3">15 Mar 1943</st1:date> - <st1:date year="1943" day="1" month="7">1 July 1943</st1:date>) <o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Generalmajor Eckkard von Geyso <o></o>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (<st1:date year="1943" day="1" month="7">1 July 1943</st1:date> - <st1:date year="1943" day="12" month="12">12 Dec 1943</st1:date>) <o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben <o></o>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (<st1:date year="1943" day="12" month="12">12 Dec 1943</st1:date> - <st1:date year="1944" day="23" month="6">23 June 1944</st1:date>) <o></o>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table><!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<table class="MsoNormalTable" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Area of operations<o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> <st1:country-region><st1>Germany</st1></st1:country-region>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (May 1941 - June 1941) <o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> <st1:country-region><st1>France</st1></st1:country-region>>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (June 1941 - June 1944) <o></o>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table><!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><o></o>Order of battle<o></o>
729. Grenadier Regiment <o></o>
739. Grenadier Regiment <o></o>
919. Grenadier Regiment <o></o>
1079. Artillery Regiment <o></o>
1. Battalion <o></o>
2. Battalion <o></o>
3. Battalion <o></o>
709. Panzerjäger Battalion <o></o>
709. Signals Battalion <o></o>
709. Pioneer Battalion <o></o>
Supply Troops <o></o>
<o></o>
91st Infantry Division
91st Air Landing Division<o></o>
The 91st Infantry Division was created in early 1944, and converted reorganized as the 91st Air Landing Division (German luftlande) in the spring. It was stationed in the Cotentin Peninsula when the Allies invaded in June, and was lost in the fall of <st1:city><st1>Cherbourg</st1></st1:city>. It was partially reconstituted in November, and then used to reconstitute the 344th Infantry Division.
<o></o>
91. Luftlande Infanterie-Division was disbanded Aug 1944.<!--[endif]--> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]--><o></o>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Commanders<o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Generalleutnant Bruno Ortner <o></o>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (<st1:date year="1944" day="10" month="2">10 Feb 1944</st1:date> - <st1:date year="1944" day="25" month="4">25 Apr 1944</st1:date>) <o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Generalleutnant Wilhelm Falley <o></o>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (<st1:date year="1944" day="25" month="4">25 Apr 1944</st1:date> - <st1:date year="1944" day="6" month="6">6 June 1944</st1:date>) <o>></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Generalmajor Bernhard Klosterkemper <o></o>>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (<st1:date year="1944" day="6" month="6">6 June 1944</st1:date> - <st1:date year="1944" day="10" month="6">10 June 1944</st1:date>) <o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Generalleutnant Eugen König <o></o>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (<st1:date year="1944" day="10" month="6">10 June 1944</st1:date> - <st1:date year="1944" day="10" month="8">10 Aug 1944</st1:date>) <o></o>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" style="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> Area of operations<o></o>
</td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> <st1:country-region><st1>France</st1></st1:country-region>
</td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"> (Feb 1944 - Aug 1944) <o></o>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
<!--[endif]--><o></o>Nicknames<o></o>
Haudegen-Division <o></o>
<o></o>
Order of battle<o></o>
1057. Grenadier Regiment <o></o>
1058. Grenadier Regiment <o></o>
191. Artillery Regiment <o></o>
1. Battalion <o></o>
2. Battalion <o></o>
3. Battalion <o></o>
91. Fusilier Battalion <o></o>
<st1><st1>191.</st1> <st1>Mountain</st1> </st1> Flak Battalion <o></o>
191. Panzerjäger Battalion <o></o>
191. Panzerjäger Battalion <o></o>
191. Signals Battalion <o></o>
191. Pioneer Battalion <o></o>
Supply Troops <o></o>
<o></o>
<o></o>http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=864

<o></o>

 

ah thanks a bunch. I had looked these up for an online experiment, but could not get any info on them

 

The 709 I.D. was a Bodenständige Division.
This meant it had limited mobility and more artillery.
It only had two infantry regiments instead of the normal three for an German Infantry Division.
There were more diferences but these are the major ones.
JK

 

According to Zetterling in Normandy 1944, the 91st was formed in Baumholder in Jan 1944 then moved to Rheims to train for air landing operations. It moved to Normandy in May 1944 in 32 trains which suggests a strength of C7-8000 men. FJR Regiment No 6 was attached to the Division. It had two Regiments (1057 and 1058) @ three battalions

There may not have been either a fusilier battalion or a field replacement battalion for ID no 91. Two of its three artillery battalions were equipped with the 10.5 cm mountain howitzer which used a different ammunition system to the standard 10.5 cm howitzer.

I don't agree that ID No 709 had only two Regiments. Zetterling in Normandy 1944 gives a detailed order of battle for 1st May 1944. This includes three Infantry Regiments 729, 739 and 919. General Lt von Schlieben mentioned these Regiments in his debriefing by the US Army Ref (B-845).

The short answer is that "its complicated". Although the Germans had standard organisations for Divisions, they didn't always follow them. ID 709 was a static division which meant it didn't even have horse transport. It had been on the channel front since 1941 and in Normandy since late 1942. It was a 15th wave division with a high proportion of elderly and volkliste III recruits - ethnic Germans with a tenuous connection to Germany. It had two "Eastern battalions from Red Army PW and two Georgian Battalions. It had a strength of 10,356 Germans and 1,784 "Eastern" as well as 333 foreign volunteer helpers (non combatants.)

IR No 739 had only two battalions, neither IR 729 or 739 had established anti tank companies nor did the division have an anti tank battalion. The anti tank guns were manned by detachments from the grenadiers. The artillery Regiment had a mix of Czech, Russian and French artillery of four different calibres

 

I believe that the Bodenständige divisionen got a third regiment, this happend when the bodenständige divisions were not used as that they were intended for (guarding rear and invasion zones).
But when in their intentional use they only had two regiments.
JK