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| 129th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| 129. Infanterie-Division | |
 Divisional insignia | |
| Active | 1941–45 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Heribert von Larisch |
The129th Infantry Division (German: Hessen-Thuerinische 129. Infanterie-Division) was an InfantryDivision of theGerman Army duringWorld War II.
The 129th Infantry Division was formed inHanau, inWehrkreis XI on 20 October 1940 as Division 11 and incorporated personnel fromHessen andThuringia.[1] Elements of9th,33rd and251st Infantry Divisions formed approximately 30% of the division.[1]
After the training of the division ended in April 1941, it was sent toEast Prussia and took part inOperation Barbarossa.[1] As part ofArmy Group Center, the division fought in several battles of the central sector of theEastern Front, such as those inBiałystok,Smolensk andVyazma.[1] In October–November 1941 the division suffered heavy casualties defending the Kalinin Bridgehead and on 25 December it absorbed the 326th and 369th Regiments of the destroyed162nd Infantry Division. The 236th Artillery Regiment of 162nd Infantry Division was incorporated into the 129th Artillery Regiment of the division as well. The following year it took part in theheavy fighting near Rzhev, where it remained from November 1941 to early March 1943.[2]
After the retreat from Rzhev, the division fought inBryansk,Mogilev andVitebsk,[2] while it was reinforced with the 566th Grenadier Regiment of the390th Field Training Division.[1] Due to the high losses suffered in centralBelorussia, namely inBobruisk andBaranavichy, it was reorganised in July 1944.[2] In January 1944, the division was still fighting near Narew, inRóżan, but was soon forced to retreat.[1] The 129th Infantry Division was eventually destroyed in East Prussia and disbanded around February. The surviving elements were transferred into the4th Army and fought in the last battles in East Prussia. The Headquarters of the division served as theKommandatur ofFrisches Haff.[3]