91st Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

The91st Air Landing Division(German91. Luftlande-Infanterie-Division) was aGerman Armyinfantry division inWorld War II.

91st Infantry Division 91st Air Landing Division
91. Infanterie-Division 91. Luftlande-Division
Active	15 January 1944 – 10 August 1944
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Air Landing
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II Operation Overlord
Commanders
Notable commanders	GeneralleutnantWilhelm Falley

History

The division was originally formed as an air landing division (Luftlandedivision) trained and equipped to be transported by aircraft (i.e. having only light artillery and few heavy support weapons) to take part inOperation Tanne Ost,an aborted airborne operation in Scandinavia. Despite its name, the 91st in practice was a regularHeerunit and spent its entire existence as a conventional infantry division.

Formed in theBaumholderarea from replacement center personnel in January 1944 under the command ofGeneralleutnantBruno Ortner, its command was transferred toGeneralleutnantWilhelm Falleyand moved to theCotentinpeninsula withvon der Heydte's6th Parachute Regiment and 100th Panzer Replacement and Training Battalion, armed with capturedFrenchlight tanks, attached as part of theGerman 7th Army.

Located within thelanding zonesof both the U.S.82ndand101st Airborne Divisions,it saw heavy fighting around Sainte-Mere-Eglise and Neuville-au-Plain. Falley, the divisional commander, was killed when he drove into an ambush.

On June 7, 1944, D-Day + 1, the German 1058th Grenadier regiment of the 91st Luftlande Division, which was tasked with seizing the area of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, launched a fierce counterattack from the north towards Sainte-Mere-Eglise, which were defended by the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The Germans attacked with intense mortar fire and StuGIII assault guns, and came very close to entering the town, before they were pushed back, and at least two assault guns were knocked out on the northern road just outside of the town.

Placed under the temporary command ofGeneralmajorBernard Klosterkemper,It attempted to block theU.S. 4th Infantry Division's advance offUtah Beach.After the second week of theAlliedinvasion of Normandythe 91st had suffered so many casualties it was no longer considered combat effective as a unit.

Now at battle group strength, it was attached to the77th Infantry Divisionthen to the243rd Infantry Divisionin Corps von Schlieban defendingCherbourgwhere most of its remaining forces were captured by the Americans. Remnants of the division under the command of Colonel Eugen Konig escaped to the south. Despite recommendation the unit be dissolved the Army High Command (Oberkommando des Heer,OKH) chose to rebuild it adding replacement battalions and sending it back to the front in early August.

DefendingRennesfromLieutenant GeneralGeorge S. Patton'sU.S. Third Army,it again suffered heavy casualties and was reduced to battle group strength. It followed the German retreat to theSiegfried Lineand was later consolidated with the remains of the 275th and 344th Infantry Divisions to form the 344thVolksgrenadierDivision.

Commanders

• GeneralleutnantBruno Ortner(10 February 1944 – 25 April 1944)
• GeneralleutnantWilhelm Falley(25 April 1944 – 6 June 1944) KIA
• GeneralmajorBernhard Klosterkemper(6 June 1944 – 10 June 1944)
• GeneralleutnantEugen König(10 June 1944 – 10 August 1944)

Order of battle (June 1944)

• Command
• 1057th Grenadier Regiment
• 1058th Grenadier Regiment
• 191st Mountain Artillery Regiment
• 191st Engineer Battalion
• 191st Anti-tank Company
• 191st Field Replacement Battalion
• 191st Anti-aircraft Company
• 191st Signals Battalion
• 6th Parachute Regiment (attached from the2nd Parachute Division)
• 100th Panzer Replacement and Training Battalion (attached)

References

• Zaloga, Steven (2004).D-Day (2) Utah Beach & the US Airborne Landings.Osprey Publishing.ISBN1-84176-365-9.
• Pipes, Jason. "91.Infanterie-Division".
• Wendel, Marcus (2004). "91. Luftlande Infanterie-Division".
• "91. Infanterie-Division / 91. (LL) Infanterie-Division".German language article at lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved 7 April 2005.
• Mitcham, Samuel (1985). Hitlers Legions The German Army Order of Battle