298th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

The 298th Infantry Division (German: 298. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German Heer during World War II.

History
Walther Graeßner, divisional commander of the 298th Infantry Division between 6 February 1940 and 1 January 1942.

The 298th Infantry Division was formed as a division of the eighth Aufstellungswelle at Neuhammer military base on 6 February 1940. Initially headquartered at Breslau, the 298th Infantry Division was made of up three infantry regiments numbered 525 through 527, the Artillery Regiment 298, as well as the Division Units 298, comprising various support formations.[1] The division was built around battalion-sized cadres supplied by the 7th, 8th, 28th, 62nd, 252nd, and 253rd Infantry Divisions, as well as recruits from the Silesia region. The initial divisional commander was Walther Graeßner, appointed on 6 February 1940.[2]

On 6 November 1940, the division passed a third of its strength to the 335th Infantry Division of the fourteenth Aufstellungswelle. The transferred forces, which included the first battalions of each of the infantry regiments, were later replaced with fresh recruits.[1]

In June 1941, the 298th Infantry Division saw its first combat on the Eastern Front.[2]

On 1 January 1942, Arnold Szelinski took command of the division.[2]

Over the course of 1942, three battalions (1st Bn 525th Rgt, 2nd Bn 526th Rgt, 3rd Bn 527th Rgt) were dissolved due to casualties.[1]

Between October 1942 and January 1943, while under the supervision of the 8th Italian Army, the division suffered crushing casualties, rendering it ineffective as a fighting formation.[1]

On 27 December 1942, Herbert Michaelis replaced Szelinski as divisional commander.[2]

Subsequently, a military directive of 30 March 1943 instructed the merger of the remnants of the battered 298th, 385th, and 387th Infantry Divisions to a new 387th Infantry Division. For that purpose, three battalions of the 298th Infantry Division (Staff 525th Rgt, 1st Bn 527th Rgt, 2nd Bn 525th Rgt, 3rd Bn 526th Rgt) were merged into a new Grenadier Regiment 525, and the strength of the Artillery Regiment 298 was reformed into the 1st and 4th batteries of the new Artillery Regiment 387. The staff of the 298th Infantry Division became the staff of the new 389th "Rheingold" Infantry Division.[1]

Superior formations
Organizational chart of the 298th Infantry Division[1]
Year Month Army Corps Army Army Group Area
1940 June Army reserves 12th Army Army Group A Aisne
July – August XVII Army Corps 18th Army None Poland
September – December 12th Army Army Group B
1941 January – April 17th Army
May 6th Army Army Group A
June – October Army Group South Hrubieszów

Kiev

Donetsk

November – December LII Army Corps 17th Army Izium
1942 January XXXXIV Army Corps
February – May XI Army Corps Group Kleist Lozova
June XIV Army Corps Army Group reserves Kharkiv
July Corps Förster Army Wietersheim Don bow
August 1st Romanian Corps 17th Army Army Group A
September Army Group reserves Army Group B Don steppes
October Army reserves 8th Italian Army
November 2nd Italian Corps Bogachyovo
December XXXV Army Corps
1943 January Army reserves Chertkovo
February Army Lanz
March Merged into 387th Infantry Division

Noteworthy individuals
  • Walther Graeßner, divisional commander of the 298th Infantry Division between 6 February 1940 and 1 January 1942.
  • Arnold Szelinski, divisional commander of the 298th Infantry Division between 1 January 1942 and 27 December 1942.
  • Herbert Michaelis, divisional commander of the 298th Infantry Division between 27 December 1942 and 30 March 1943.
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References
  1. Tessin, Georg (1974). "298". Die Landstreitkräfte 281–370. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 (in German). 9. Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag. pp. 59–61. ISBN 3764808721.
  2. Mitcham, Samuel W. (2007). German Order of Battle. Volume Two: 291st-999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. Stackpole Books. pp. 25–26. ISBN 9780811734165.
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