| 268th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| 268. Infanterie-Division | |
 Division insignia | |
| Active | 1939–1943 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Allegiance | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Erich Straube Heinz Greiner |
The268th Infantry Division (German:268. Infanterie-Division) was aGerman Army division active and operating during theSecond World War.
The division was raised in August 1939 as part of the fourth mobilisation wave, consisting of Bavarian soldiers fromWehkreis VII. It was placed under the command ofMajor GeneralErich Straube. Although formed during the preparation for the upcominginvasion of Poland, the 268th was initially stationed in theSaarland - the Franco-German border. During theBattle of France, the division was stationed withLieutenant GeneralGotthard Heinrici's XII Corps, of the1st Army. It was later moved to Poland in September 1940. In January 1940, portions of theofficer complements were moved to the newly activated297th Infantry Division. In June of the same year, further significant portions of the 268th'sofficer complements were moved, this time to the132nd Infantry Division.[1][2][3]
On 1 June 1941 its commanding officer, Straube, was promoted toLieutenant General, as German forces prepared forOperation Barbarossa, which the division was to take part in. It was made a component ofGeneral of the ArtilleryWilhelm Fahrmbacher'sVII Army Corps, itself part ofArmy Group Centre'sSecond Army.[4] The division took part in successful actions in the opening weeks, with theBrest Fortressbeing stormed and large portions of theSoviet Western Front being encircled at theBattle of Białystok–Minsk.[2]
The 268th was present on 23 July as German forces attacked theSmolensk Pocket. As Soviet Field MarshalSemyon Timoshenko began to assemble forces for a counter-offensive, this put strain on bothHeinz Guderian's2nd andHermann Hoth's3rd Panzer Groups. As such, Field MarshalFedor von Bock, commanding officer of Army Group Centre, had the division transferred under Guderian's command as part of XX Corps. The Corps' duty was to take control of the El'nia sector, which was to capture a bridgehead nearby.[4]
On 26 July a number of 2nd Army Group divisions were moved northward to reinforce Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group as it prepared to seal Soviet troops in Smolensk within a pocket - the106th and 268th divisions arrived by 3 August, with another three arriving over the next three days.[4] The Yelnya bridgehead was captured by August 8 and defended by XX Army Corps, relieving the 10th Panzer and the2nd-SS Panzer Divisions, as the Soviets attempted another attack. In the following week, more than 2500 men in the Corps were killed, many of whom being of the division's battalion-level line officers.[4]
The 268th's participated in actionnear Yelnya at the end of August, leading to a (though minor) German withdrawal.[2] As German forces attempted to attackMoscow withOperation Typhoon, the Red Army began to attack nearRzhev and Vyazma in November. In December it was assigned toXXIV Corps in the2nd Panzer Army, and in January 1942 toXIII Corps in the 4th Army.[citation needed]
In January 1942,Lieutenant General Straube was replaced as commanding officer byMajor General Heinrich Greiner.[2] In February 1942 it was assigned toXII Corps, with which it served until August 1943.[citation needed] In January 1943, Greiner was promoted to the rank ofLieutenant General. The division sustained heavy losses during theBattle of Kursk, pulling back at diminished size to Bryansk and later Mogilev. It was after this that the division, reduced to a regimental-strength, was formerly disbanded as a division, after having been renamed "Division Group 268" and placed within the 36th Motorized Division. The divisional staff had already been moved to the newly formed362nd Infantry Division.[2][3]