11th Field Division (L)

11th Field Division (L)

11. Feld-Division (L)

History

Formed as 11th Luftwaffe Field Division (11. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division) in October 1942 from Flieger-Regiment 31. Division was transferred to Greece in January 1943. On 1 November 1943 it was transferred to the regular army and re-designated 11th Field Division (L) losing its anti-aircraft artillery battalion, over 700 officers and soldiers who volunteered for paratroop service. Further 400 men remained under air force control because of their specialized training, instead division was reinforced with 1250 fresh recruits mostly of older age with little training. 2nd Battalion of 22nd Regiment was used in capture of Leros.

On 24 November 1944 division was pulled out from Kraljevo sector and sent to hold bridgeheads over Drina river at Ljubovije and Zvornik to keep open escape routes for Army Group E. It was reinforced with 967th Fortress Brigade, 58th Anti-Aircraft Regiment and 639th Independent Fortress Battalion. Also present were some parts of 117th Jager and 7th SS division which was spread from PoÅ¾ega to Ljubovije.

Yugoslav Partisan intelligence also gather intelligence that division had around 9000 soldiers out of which only 30% where Germans from Reich and rest come from other occupied European countries.

First attack on positions around Ljubovije come on 11 December carried out by 23rd Serbian Division expecting only light resistance from such mixed division attack quickly bogged down. It was only on 15 December that 11th Field Division was pushed back from line VraÄ - ErakoviÄ‡i - NemiÄ‡-kamen and battle for Ljubovije itself begun. Around 16 division retreated across Drina river blowing up iron bridge behind it.

Most of the division then moved to BrÄko then using railroad through Vinkovci arrived at Osijek taking defensive positions along Drava from Osijek to Valpovo towards Drava. Parts of the division arrived at Privlaka-Otok and deployed along Daunbe around Vukovar. Battle Group Fischer made of 68th Reconnaissance Battalion, several police companies and one battalion from 11th Division stayed at BrÄko and Bijeljina bridgehead to secure withdrawal of other units before withdrawing and rejoining division in mid January 1945.

In early 1945 division fought saw combat at Virovitica bridgehead against 6th Slavonian and 12th Vojvodina Corps. Followed by Operation WALDTEUFEL with 1st Cossack Cavalry Division.

After retreat from Bolman bridgehead it was reinforced with 606th Security Regiment and given a task of organizing river defense from Vukovar on Danube to Donji Miholjac on Drava. This line was attacked on 12 April and division begun its retreat through Podravina pursued by divisions of the Yugoslav 3rd Army.
On 17 April division was located in area Äelkovci - MikleuÅ¡a and on 26 April in Bilogora in area Gradina - Zrinska. Here together with 22nd Infantry Division it launched counterattack in front of Bjelovar and remained there from 29 April to 3 May. On 7 May division begun its retreat to Slovenia through VaraÅ¾din.

11th Field Division surrendered and was disarmed on 12 May 1945 near Vojnik - Slovenske Konjice.

Commanders

Alexander Bourquin

Wilhelm KÃ¶hler

Gerhard Henke

Battles & Campaigns

Operation TAIFUN

Operation WALDTEUFEL

References

Luftwaffe Field Divisions 1941â€“45, Men-at-Arms 229