44th Infantry Division "Hoch Und Deutschmeister"

Made up of the following units (1945):

131st Grenadier Regiment, 132nd Fusilier Grenadier Regt, 134th Gren Regt, 95th Artillery Regt, 44th Fusilier Battalion, 46th Anti-Tank Battalion, 80th Engineer Btn, 64th Signals Bth.

It's Homestation was: Vienna, in Wehrkries 17.

Formed in Vienna in 1938 from soldiers in the former Austrian Army, the 44th was created by the expansion of the 4th Viennese Regiment "Hoch und Deutschmeister." It crossed into Poland in 1939, participated in the attack of Kracow, and later in the crossing of the Vistula River. It was part of the 6th Army in France and did not do so well. Later on, it formed part of the III Motorized Corps of the 1st Panzer Group (later Army) in the initial advance into Southern Russia.

This division fought in the Ukraine, the Donets, and in the initial advace towards the Caucasus, until it was attached to the 11th corps of the 6th Army for the drive on the Volga. In mid November 1942, the remnants of the virtaully destroyed 534th, 535th, and 536th Infantry Rgmts of the recently dissolved 384th I.D were attached to the 44th Division, which was cut off at Stalingrad w/ Paulus's army soon after.The original 44th ceased to exist when the city fell in early Feb 1943.

A second 44th I.D. was recruited in Austria, in 1943, to replace the division destroyed at Stalingrad. It was given the honorary title: "Reichsgrenadier Division Hoch und Deutschmeister." After aperiod of training, it was sent to Northern Italy in Aug 1943, where it formed part of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's ad hoc Army Group B.

In Dec it was sent into action on the Italian Front south of Rome and remained on the front line for more than a year. It fought in the battles of the Gothic Line and launched a counterattack at Monte Battaglia in Sept. 1944, which was described as "terrific" by the American Commander. By all accounts an excellent fighting unit, the 44th was sent to the Hungarian sector of the Eastern Front in Feb. 1945 and remained on the southern sector of the Eastern Front until the end of the war.

Commanders: GenLt. Albrecht Schubert(1930-40), Friedrich Siebert (1941-late 1942), GenLt. Heinrich Deboi (late 1942-43), GenLt. Dr. Franz Bayer (1943-44), and GenLt. von Rost (1945)

The original Div. consisted of the 131st, 132nd, and 134th Inf. Regts. The supporting units, are the same as listed above.

This info comes directly from Hitler';s Legions by: Samuel W. Mitcham Jr. Other sources are of course mentioned in the book.

Anyway, if anyone is interested, I can get you some good "stuff."

__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.