replaced: Division → division (2)
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The ”’716th Static Infantry Division”’ (German: ”716. Infanterie-Division”) was a [[World War II]], [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German Army]] infantry division. It was raised on May 2, 1941, and sent to [[German-occupied France]] in June 1941. Many of the division’s troops were elderly Germans and [[Conscription in Germany|conscripts]] from other German-occupied countries, especially [[Ukrainians]]. The
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The ”’716th Static Infantry Division”’ (German: ”716. Infanterie-Division”) was a [[World War II]], [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German Army]] infantry division. It was raised on May 2, 1941, and sent to [[German-occupied France]] in June 1941. Many of the division’s troops were elderly Germans and [[Conscription in Germany|conscripts]] from other German-occupied countries, especially [[Ukrainians]]. The division also had some young German conscripts as well. As a ”bodenständig” (Static Unit) it was not equipped with the standard configuration of vehicles and heavy weapons. Much of the division’s artillery and anti-tank guns were from captured armaments.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5wrfBQAAQBAJ&q=716th+Static+Infantry+Division+captured&pg=PT18|title=D-Day: Omaha and Utah: The First 24 Hours|last=Fowler|first=Will|date=2014-06-02|publisher=Amber Books Ltd|isbn=9781909160521|language=en}}</ref>
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== Divisional history ==
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== Divisional history ==
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The 716.Infanterie-Divisionen was mobilized for occupation duties in the 15.Welle (Wave) [[Replacement Army]] on 2 May 1941, at [[Military district (Germany)|WKr VI.]] Munster. After formation in [[Bielefeld]], and transfer to Occupied France, it was assigned to AOK 15 in June 1941 and employed at Saint-Lo and Soissons. It was transferred to AOK 7 in June 1942 and relocated to [[Normandy]], with duties including coastal defence, air raid protection and defensive fortification construction. After short movements to [[Amiens]] and [[Brussels]] it returned to the divisions in Normandy. The Inf-Div 716 had no combat experience, and was one of the weakest divisions in the area.<ref>Feldgrau.com, German Armed Forces Research 1918-1945, German Army Infantry Divisions – Heer Infanterie-Divisionen: 716.Infanterie-Division. See: https://www.feldgrau.com/WW2-German-716th-Infantry-Division Accessed 22.02.2K18</ref>
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The 716.Infanterie-Divisionen was mobilized for occupation duties in the 15.Welle (Wave) [[Replacement Army]] on 2 May 1941, at [[Military district (Germany)|WKr VI.]] Munster. After formation in [[Bielefeld]], and transfer to Occupied France, it was assigned to AOK 15 in June 1941 and employed at Saint-Lo and Soissons. It was transferred to AOK 7 in June 1942 and relocated to [[Normandy]], with duties including coastal defence, air raid protection and defensive fortification construction. After short movements to [[Amiens]] and [[Brussels]] it returned to the divisions in Normandy. The Inf-Div 716 had no combat experience, and was one of the weakest divisions in the area.<ref>Feldgrau.com, German Armed Forces Research 1918-1945, German Army Infantry Divisions – Heer Infanterie-Divisionen: 716.Infanterie-Division. See: https://www.feldgrau.com/WW2-German-716th-Infantry-Division Accessed 22.02.2K18</ref>
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On [[D-Day]], The
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On [[D-Day]], The division was responsible for Küsten Verteidigung Abschnitt – Divisional Coastal Defensive Section: [[Juno Beach order of battle#German forces|7 KVA ‘H1’ – KVA Caen.]]<ref>LXXXIV Armee-Korps on the Cotentin Peninsula – 6th to 9th June 1944. See: https://chefdesstabes.wordpress.com/the-response-of-lxxxiv-armee-korps-to-the-allied-amphibious-landings-at-7-armee-kva-kusten-verteidigung-abschnitt-divisional-costal-defensive-section-j1-utah/ Accessed 20.02.2K18</ref> Having the task of defeating landings it manned an extended line of defensible posts, along its assigned 47 km of Normandy Coast, and deployed all other unit resources then available above the Basse Normandie: Calvados-Baie de Seine Coastal Plain.<ref>The Battle of the 716th Infantry Division in Normandy, Wilhelm Richter, 1947. US Army Europe MS #B-621 / Guide to Foreign Military Studies: NARA M1035. Pg8.Para1. See: https://www.fold3.com/image/153801358 Accessed 03.08.2K16</ref> Fighting with additionally allocated LXXXIV Korps resources, the tactical situation and the terrain saw the Division ‘split’ across two Regimental Coastal Defensive Sections: Küsten Verteidigungs Gruppe Courseulles and Küsten Verteidigungs Gruppe Riva-Bella.<ref>Capt. A.G. Steiger, Report No. 41 – Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. Para 15.– Page 5. Dated 20 Jul 51</ref><ref>Stewart Bryant, Jewish Virtual Library, History – World War Two D-Day – German Infantry at Omaha. See: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/ww2/germandef.html Accessed 22.05.2016</ref> To the west, K.V.-Gruppe Courseulles commanded all Divisional troops from Asnelles to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, seeing it attempt to defeat landings at [[Gold Beach]] and [[Juno Beach]].<ref>Capt. A.G. Steiger, Report No. 41 – Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. Dated 20 Jul 51</ref> In the east up to the AOK 7 / AOK 15 Boundary, K.V.-Gruppe Riva-Bella commanded the tactical situation from Langrune-sur-Mer to Le Home Varaville, becoming responsible to defeat landings at [[Sword Beach]] and by the [[6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|British 6th Airborne Division]]; astride the River Orne.<ref>Capt. A.G. Steiger, Report No. 41 – Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. Dated 20 Jul 51</ref>
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During the fighting after D-Day, the division fought defensively around Caen and [[Villers-Bocage, Calvados|Villers-Bocage]]. According to the commanding officer, ”Generalleutnant” Wilhelm Richter, ””My division had been defeated and badly beaten up in Normandy””.{{Citation needed|reason=where’s this quote from?|date=January 2014}} The division was removed from frontline duty on July 10, 1944, and was able to avoid the carnage of the [[Falaise Pocket]]. Redeployed to [[southern France]], the division took up coastal security positions in the region of Salses-Perpignan-Elne, close to the [[France–Spain border|Spanish border]]. Thereafter, the division was ordered to withdraw on August 19, 1944, and retreated through [[Languedoc]] to the region around [[Lyon]]. After this movement the division was engaged by the [[French resistance]] before later arriving in the area of [[Sélestat]] in [[Alsace]].
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During the fighting after D-Day, the division fought defensively around Caen and [[Villers-Bocage, Calvados|Villers-Bocage]]. According to the commanding officer, ”Generalleutnant” Wilhelm Richter, ””My division had been defeated and badly beaten up in Normandy””.{{Citation needed|reason=where’s this quote from?|date=January 2014}} The division was removed from frontline duty on July 10, 1944, and was able to avoid the carnage of the [[Falaise Pocket]]. Redeployed to [[southern France]], the division took up coastal security positions in the region of Salses-Perpignan-Elne, close to the [[France–Spain border|Spanish border]]. Thereafter, the division was ordered to withdraw on August 19, 1944, and retreated through [[Languedoc]] to the region around [[Lyon]]. After this movement the division was engaged by the [[French resistance]] before later arriving in the area of [[Sélestat]] in [[Alsace]].
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