Dear fellow forum members, can someone tell me in which region of the Ardennes the 246<SUP> </SUP>Volks Grenadier Division was active?, would like to know more about the divisions role in the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ because I possess a soldbuch, ID disk and documents from a man who served with this division from November ’44 until the end of the war, he served in Grenadier Ersatz und Ausbildung Bataillon 78, from October ’44 this battalion was part of the 49<SUP> </SUP>Infanterie Division who merged in the 246<SUP> </SUP>Volks Grenadier Division late 1944, any information and links are more then welcome, thanks in advance.
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246 Volks Grenadier Division,
No one who can provide more information regarding this division and its role in the Ardennes offensive?, any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance. -
Herr Ostfries: I am terribly sorry to learn that there apparently are no libraries in your local area and that you have no access to the Google search engine. Here is a brief summary of the Division. As you will note, it apparently did not fight in the Ardennes Offensive, but was further to the north. There are many books about the fighting in the Huertgen Forest and Aachen area, both in German and in English. If you are unable to search for them from your computer, perhaps one of our members will assist you.
[From: Axis History Factbook seb site http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=822]:
246. Volksgrenadier-Division was formed Sep 1944 from the partially formed 565. Volksgrenadier-Division. It relieved 116. Panzer-Division at Aachen 7 Oct and was forced to surrender two weeks later.
It was reformed Nov and absorbed elements of the disbanded 49. Infanterie-Division. It returned to the Aachen area before the heavy fighting in the Huertgen forest where it suffered heavy losses. It continued fighting the US Army until the end of the war when it surrendered near Frankfurt am Main.
Commanders
Oberst Gerhard Wilck (? Sep 1944 - 21 Oct 1944)
Generalmajor Peter Körte (? Nov 1944 - 1 Jan 1945)
Oberst List (1 Jan 1945)
Generalmajor Dr. Walter Kühn (1 Jan 1945 - 8 May 1945)
Area of operations
France & Western Germany (Sep 1944 - May 1945)
Order of battle
352. Grenadier Regiment
404. Grenadier Regiment
689. Grenadier Regiment
246. Artillery Regiment
1. Battalion
2. Battalion
3. Battalion
4. Battalion
246. Fusilier Battalion
Supply Troops
Published sources used:
Andris J. Kursietis - The Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945
Samuel W. Mitcham Jr - Hitler's Legions: The German Army Order of Battle World War II
George F. Nafziger - The German Order of Battle: Infantry in World War II
Reference material on this unit:
Wilck: Die 246. Volksgrenadier Division in der Zeit von Sept. bis Nov. 1944. (Unpublished manuscript).
--BHS1956Comment
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simple,
If it was as simple as that I wouldn’t have started a thread, thanks for the information.Comment
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Herr BHS,
Maybe I must burn all those bad books that are written about the Ardennes Offensive.
As part of Sixth Panzer Army, the 246.VGD fought at the Northern shoulder of the offensive.
16.12 - The 246.VGD., supposed to come south of from the Jülich sector, had been held there by American attacks.
17.12 - The LXVII Army Corps with 326 and 246 VGD had opened the road Monschau-Mützenich, and the Corps had to open the road Katerherberg - Elsenborn.
21.12 - The LXVII Army Corps was regrouped for the attack against Elsenborn.
The troops were to attack Weywertz as follows: Parts of 246.VGD. past Kaltherberg, the 3.Pz.Gren.Div. and the 277.VGD. across the road Foersterei Wahlerscheid, Rocherath, the 12.VDG. and parts of the 3.Para.Div. past Bütgenbach.
28.12 - Finally, on 28 Dec., Hitzfeld was ready, but his assault force now only represented only parts of two divisions, the 12.VGD., and the 246.VGD. Early that morning two battalions of the 352d Rgt - 246.VGD. moved out of the woords near Rocherath against the forward lines of the 99th US Infantry Division on the Elsenborn Ridge. This attack was blown to pieces by accurate shelling from the batteries on the rigde.
Sixt Panzer Army:
- I SS Panzer Corps: 1.SS.Pz.Div., 12.SS.Pz.Div., 3rd.Para.Div., 12.VGD., 277.VGD.
- II SS Panzer Corps: 2.SS.Pz.Div., 9.SS.Pz.Div.
- LXVII Army Corps: 326.VGD., 246.VGD.
There are enough books available that shows that the 246.VGD fought during the Ardennes Offensive.
I always thought that the three books by Danny S. Parker and the book by Hugh M. Cole "European Theater of Operations - The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge" were good books that were able to give one a good overview of the order of battle........sad to hear that they are wrong.
By the way the entire book by Hugh M. Cole is also available on the internet, you don't have to buy it, you can read it there.
Will see if my german books give another information on these unit !
yours friendly
Eric-Jan BakkerComment
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Eric-Jan Bakker -
Thank you for coming forward with some information on the Division for Herr Ostfries. It was his second attempt to get some details, and I had nothing to go with apart from that incomplete and evidently misleading summary from Marcus Wendel's Axis History Factbook site. Ground operations in the West are not my forté as I only have the older general references with almost nothing covering the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge).
Cheers,
--BHS1956
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detailed information!,
Thanks Eric for this detailed additional information and all the information you provided me by e-mail
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