The History of Infanterie-Regiment & Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland 

Introduction

The Großdeutschland unit was one of the most famous and heavily equipped formations of the German Army during World War II. Unlike most regiments, which drew their men from a single German state, Großdeutschland recruited soldiers from across the nation. Over the course of the war, it grew from a small guard regiment in Berlin into a full mechanized division, seeing action on nearly every major front in the East.

Formation and Early Years (1939–1940)

• Origins: The unit began as Wachregiment Berlin, a ceremonial guard formation in the capital. In 1939, it was renamed Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland (“Greater Germany”).
  
  

• Unique Feature: Unlike other regiments tied to regional recruiting grounds, Großdeutschland accepted volunteers from all parts of Germany, making it a symbol of the Reich as a whole.
  
  

• First Campaign: During the 1940 Battle of France, the regiment saw limited action. It was mostly held in reserve, but gained its first combat experience in mop-up operations following the main offensive.

The Eastern Front Begins (1941–1942)

• Balkans (1941): In April, the regiment joined the invasion of Yugoslavia.
  
  

• Operation Barbarossa (1941): By June, it was assigned to Army Group Center for the invasion of the Soviet Union. The regiment advanced deep into Russia, fighting at Minsk, Smolensk, and later in the drive toward Moscow.
  
  

• Winter of 1941–42: Großdeutschland suffered heavy casualties in the freezing battles around Tula and during the Soviet counteroffensive outside Moscow.
  
  

• Rzhev (1942): The regiment fought in the deadly Rzhev Salient battles, which earned a reputation as some of the bloodiest campaigns of the entire war.

Transformation into a Division (1943)

• In early 1943, the regiment expanded into the Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland.
  
  

• Structure: This new division included:
  
  

  • A Panzer regiment (with tanks)
    
    

  • Panzergrenadier regiments (armored infantry in half-tracks)
    
    

  • Artillery, engineers, reconnaissance, and support units
    
    

• Battle of Kursk (July 1943): Großdeutschland took part in Operation Citadel, the largest tank battle in history. It fought alongside the SS Panzer divisions in the southern sector. The division advanced but suffered devastating losses, and Kursk marked the turning point of the war on the Eastern Front.

Fighting Withdrawal (1943–1944)

• After Kursk: The division was forced into defensive battles across Ukraine.
  
  

• Kharkov (1943): Großdeutschland fought in the Third Battle of Kharkov, temporarily halting the Soviet advance.
  
  

• Ukraine & Romania (1944): The division engaged in desperate defensive actions along the Dnieper and later in Romania. Constant fighting drained its strength, and replacements often lacked the training of earlier veterans.
  
  

• East Prussia: By late 1944, Großdeutschland was stationed in East Prussia, defending the borders of Germany itself.

Final Battles and Collapse (1945)

• In the last months of the war, Großdeutschland was broken into smaller Kampfgruppen (battle groups).
  
  

• It fought in East Prussia, the Baltics, and Poland, trying to hold back the Soviet advance.
  
  

• The division suffered catastrophic losses and was gradually destroyed. Survivors retreated westward, with some surrendering to Soviet forces and others to the Americans.

Legacy

• Elite Status: Großdeutschland was one of the German Army’s most elite units, rivaling even the Waffen-SS in reputation.
  
  

• Heavy Losses: Because it was often sent to the hardest sectors, it suffered enormous casualties. Very few of its original 1939 members survived until 1945.
  
  

• Symbol of the Reich: Its name and recruitment policy made it a showcase unit, representing “all of Germany” rather than one region.

Conclusion

From its beginnings as a ceremonial guard in Berlin to its destruction in the final days of the Reich, Großdeutschland’s story reflects the rise and fall of Nazi Germany’s military power. It fought in nearly every major Eastern Front campaign, transforming from a regiment into a powerful mechanized division, and finally being ground down in the endless battles against the Red Army.

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