163 Infanterie Division

[tomsalub]

Hello my name is Tom.
I was wondering if anyone could help me. My Dad who is still alive and going very well he was in the German Army from 1939 to 1944 then a POW in Russia till 1949. He tells me he was with the 310th Infantry Regiment of the 163 Infantrie Division and spent a bit of time at Ladoga.
I remmeber talking to Dad about his time in the army which is a rare for Dad to talk about (maybe the 13 years I spent Australian Army helped him to talk) he mentioned to me that he had worn a Edelwiess hat badge. When I showed Dad a book of German Mountain Troops he smiled and pointed to a photo of General Dietl and said that was my General.
I have tried to link the 310th Infantry with the Edelwiess hat badge but can't find any link so if anyone could help me with this or any other infomation about the 310th Infantry I would be very greatfull.
I have a photo of my Dad in uniform taken June 1943 but havent worked out how to attach it yet.

[Ian Jewison]

Welcome Tom,

I'm not sure about wearing the Edelweis, maybe a local thing for troops in Norway? but 163 Infanterie Division was part of the occupation troops in Norway until July 1941 then transferred to Finland.
General Dietl commanded the troops in Norway so maybe thats the connection?

/Ian

[Simon O.]

Hi Tom
I can't say that i've heard of members of the 163 ID being allowed to wear the edelweiss however the division was, for the bulk of the war part of the XXXVI Gebirgs-Korps under the 20 Gebirgs Armee. The reason your father picked out Dietl was because he was commander of the 20 Gebirgs Armee (he was never commander of the troops in Norway, he went from commander of the 3 Geb. Div., to commander of Gebirgs Korps Norwegen and finally on to command the 20 Gebirgs Armee until his death in June 1944).
If you use google, you'll gather a little information about the division but by far the best would be to try and track down the 3 volumes of the division's history, i know i see various volumes for sale here and there from time to time.

Von Potsdam zum Polarkreis und zurück. Der Weg der 163. Infanterie-Division I. Teil: Norwegen 1940
Hilmar Potente, Selbstverlag, 1982
Von Potsdam zum Polarkreis und zurück. Der Weg der 163. Infanterie-Division II. Teil: Finnland
Schlüfter/Aussner, 1990
Von Potsdam zum Polarkreis und zurück. Der Weg der 163. Infanterie-Division III. Teil: Ostfront 1945
Erich Gliesche, Selbstverlag, 1998


Ask your father about the mosquitos! I've heard that they were so much of a problem for many of the Germans who weren't used to them that some even died due to being bitten thousands of times.


Regards

Simon

[Luka1504]

Hi kamerades I need Where the 163.ID was fight of beginning of 1945 ??? I hear of they're fight on Pommernstellung... It is true ???

[Rami Soininen]

Hi,

Luka: Yes, the 163.Inf.Div was at the pommern front in early 1945.

As Simon pointed well 163.Inf.Div was in Finland 1941-1944. First in 1941 it was planned to be used at Hanko-front, but eventually in 1941 it was under finnish command at Ladoga-front. 1942 it was tranferred more up north and begin to be part of 20.Gebirgs Armee. Like Simon told us. Division stayed there until 1944, when German troops retreated from Finland.

Officially men of 163.Inf.Div were not allowed to wear edelweiss badge on their cap´s.

Rami

[Luka1504]

Rami, maybe you know anything about fights 163.Inf.Div. of Pommernstellung?

[Rami Soininen]

Hi Luka,

I checked this Pommern connection of 163.Inf.div. From History book of division this was: Der weg der 163.Infanterie-division: von potsdam zum polarkreis und zuruck. I bought mine from berliner zinnfiguren when visited it couple of years ago. Check from there for instance. Otherwise I don´t know more about division´s battles in Pommern.

Book has photo´s and map´s. My advice is that get that book and it will help you more.

Rami

[Luka1504]

Thanks Rami
Cheers, Luka

[Ian Jewison]

Incidentally Rami,

Is there anything in the books about the Fallschirmspringer Bataillon der 163 Inf.Div.?

I have this already but know little about the above.

Wach-Bataillon z. b. V. Oslo

Aufstellung 14.7.1940 in Oslo bei Gruppe XXI aus dem am 22.6. 1940 gebildeten Fallschirmspringer-Bataillon der 163. ID (3 Kompanien). Dieses war aus Freiwilligen der Division aufgestellt worden, sie hatten in Wittstock eine 9-tägige Fallschirmspringerausbildung erhalten;
Schützen-Bataillon Oslo seit 1.11.1940, verstärkt durch die 1./388 (214. ID) und 10./236 (69. ID) als 4. und 5. Kompanie;
Schützen-Verband Oslo seit 15.5.1941 unter Verstärkung auf 2 Bataillone (8 Kompanien) aus Abgaben;
Schützen-Regiment Oslo seit 25.2.1942 unter Verstärkung durch ein aus Abgaben errichtetes III. (Kradschützen-)Bataillon; wurde 19.5.1942 in Schützen-Regiment 146 umbenannt.

Schützen Regiment 146

Aufstellung 19.5.1942 in Oslo durch Umbenennung des Schützenregiments Oslo;
Panzergrenadier-Regiment 146 seit 5.7.1942; am 20.10.1942 wurde das III. (Kradschützen) Bataillon in Kradschützen-Bataillon
87 umgegliedert; dafür am 10.12.1942 das bisher selbständige 11./Grenadier-Regiment 193 (früher 69. Infanterie-Division) zum Regiment, jedoch am 1.5.1943 als I. an das Schwester-Regiment 147 abgegeben. Das Regiment wurde Februar 1944 in der Nordukraine bis auf Reste vernichtet: Stab I. wurde Feldersatz-Bataillon 87. Wiederaufstellung in Dänemark: I. aus II. (Reste der ganzen
Division), II. aus III./Panzergrenadier-Regiment Norwegen.

Cheers!
Ian

[Rami Soininen]

Hi Ian,

I took quick look at the book and unfortunately could not find any mention about Fallschirmspringer unit of 163.Div. Interesting unit.

163.Inf.div had some special unit´s like "S-battallion". S means Sumpf = marsh. Unit was used in combat in marsh areas (Finland has plenty of those areas).

If I remember correctly, 163.Inf.div was planned to attack Estonian island, Saarenmaa, by special made sturmboot´s. I saw plans for these boat´s in Finnish National archive´s microfilm collection when I did my little search about Wehrmacht´s ammunition storages in Finland 1941-1944.

So, it seems that 163.Inf.Division was an some kind of "test and research division".

Regards Rami S

[Ian Jewison]

Thanks Rami,

Saves me buying the books then if there is no information.
As mentioned, the only info I have found, above, is in Tessin....there must be some other reference somewhere.

Regards,
Ian

[Rami Soininen]

Hi Ian,

Book what I am referring is Der weg der 163.Infanterie-division: von potsdam zum polarkreis und zuruck. This book is photobook with some unit history. I don´t know is there more in book´s which Simon mentioned earlier.

I hope you find information about Fallschirmspringer unit of 163.div. Unit is very interesting.

Regards Rami S