| 277th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| 277. Infanterie-Division | |
 277. Infanterie Division Vehicle Insignia | |
| Active | 22 May 1940 – 1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | World War II |
A first277th Infantry Division (German:277. Infanterie-Division) was ordered to form on May 22, 1940, as part of the 10thmobilisation wave (10. Welle), but this order was rescinded afterthe French Surrender. A new 277th Infantry Division was formed inCroatia on November 17, 1943, as part of the 22nd mobilisation wave (22. Welle), the division was destroyed in theBattle of Normandy in August 1944. A third,277th Volksgrenadier Division (277. Volksgrenadier-Division) was formed on September 4, 1944, in Hungary by redesignation of the newly formed574th Volksgrenadier Division (574. Volksgrenadier-Division) of the 32nd mobilisation wave (32. Welle). In 1945 the division enteredU.S. captivity in theRuhr Pocket.
The 277th Infantry Division was assigned to2nd Panzer Army from early December 1943 until late January 1944, having been placed there after pressure byOberbefehlshaber Südost onOKW to strengthen the 2nd Panzer Army with additional forces. The addition of forces was intended to reverse gains made by theNational Liberation Army since the announcement of theArmistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943, after which theRoyal Italian Army had largely ceased fighting against the Yugoslav partisans.[1]: 1026
After its time in Croatia and Hungary, the 277th Infantry Division spent its entire operation history on theWestern front. The division took part in theBattles of Normandy (where it was practically destroyed), and after reconstitution, the Lorraine campaign underArmy Group G, beginning in November 1944. It then participated in the Ardennes campaign. It fought alongside the 12th VG Division in the effort to takeRocherath-Krinkelt and Elsenborn.