8th Wave Infantry Division

[Ratzki]

I was working on an 8th Wave infantry division for a scenario and I thought that others may be able to correct any information that I am mistaken on or have made a typo with. It may be of some use to others who are building scenarios for CMBB. It is only showing combat troops and there is a small section at the end with what information I could find off the net and other places.

290th Infantry Division

501st Regiment
502nd Regiment
503rd Regiment
290th Artillery Regiment
290th Antitank Battalion
290th Pioneer Battalion

501st Regiment

3x Infantry Battalions
9x Infantry Company/Batt.
3x Infantry Platoon/Co.
4x Infantry Squad/Plt.
1x 50mm Mortar Team/Plt.
1x Heavy Weapons Company/Batt.
3x Machinegun Platoon/Co.
4x MG34 HMG Team/Plt.
1x Mortar Battery/Co.
6x 81mm Mortar Team/Battery

1x Motorized Pioneer Platoon
6x Motorized Pioneer Squads/Plt.
3x Flame Thrower Team/Plt.

1x Antitank Gun Company
4x Antitank Gun Platoon/Co.
3x 37mm Pak36 Gun/Plt.
1x MG34 LMG Team/Plt

1x Infantry Gun Company
3x Infantry Gun Platoon/Co.
2x 75mm 1918 Gun/Plt.
1x Heavy Infantry Gun Platoon/Co.
2x 150mm Infantry Gun/Plt.

1x Bicycle Platoon
3x Aufklarungs Recon 41 Squad/Plt.


1x Infantry Mounted Recon Platoon
3x Aufklarungs Recon 41 Squad/Plt.
1x 50mm Mortar Team/Plt.


502nd Regiment

3x Infantry Battalions
9x Infantry Company/Batt.
3x Infantry Platoon/Co.
4x Infantry Squad/Plt.
1x 50mm Mortar Team/Plt.
1x Heavy Weapons Company/Batt.
3x Machinegun Platoon/Co.
4x MG34 HMG Team/Plt.
1x Mortar Battery/Co.
6x 81mm Mortar Team/Battery

1x Motorized Pioneer Platoon
6x Motorized Pioneer Squads/Plt.
3x Flame Thrower Team/Plt.

1x Antitank Gun Company
4x Antitank Gun Platoon/Co.
3x 37mm Pak36 Gun/Plt.
1x MG34 LMG Team/Plt

1x Infantry Gun Company
3x Infantry Gun Platoon/Co.
2x 75mm 1918 Gun/Plt.
1x Heavy Infantry Gun Platoon/Co.
2x 150mm Infantry Gun/Plt.

1x Bicycle Platoon
3x Aufklarungs Recon 41 Squad/Plt.


1x Infantry Mounted Recon Platoon
3x Aufklarungs Recon 41 Squad/Plt.
1x 50mm Mortar Team/Plt.


503rd Regiment

3x Infantry Battalions
9x Infantry Company/Batt.
3x Infantry Platoon/Co.
4x Infantry Squad/Plt.
1x 50mm Mortar Team/Plt.
1x Heavy Weapons Company/Batt.
3x Machinegun Platoon/Co.
4x MG34 HMG Team/Plt.
1x Mortar Battery/Co.
6x 81mm Mortar Team/Battery

1x Motorized Pioneer Platoon
6x Motorized Pioneer Squads/Plt.
3x Flame Thrower Team/Plt.

1x Antitank Gun Company
4x Antitank Gun Platoon/Co.
3x 37mm Pak36 Gun/Plt.
1x MG34 LMG Team/Plt

1x Infantry Gun Company
3x Infantry Gun Platoon/Co.
2x 75mm 1918 Gun/Plt.
1x Heavy Infantry Gun Platoon/Co.
2x 150mm Infantry Gun/Plt.

1x Bicycle Platoon
3x Aufklarungs Recon 41 Squad/Plt.


1x Infantry Mounted Recon Platoon
3x Aufklarungs Recon 41 Squad/Plt.
1x 50mm Mortar Team/Plt.






290th Artillery Regiment

3x Medium Artillery Battalion (horse)
3x Medium Artillery Battery/Batt.
4x 105mm Gun/Battery
2x MG34 LMG Team/Battery
1x Heavy Howitzer Battalion
3x Heavy Howitzer Battery/Batt.
4x 150mm Howitzer/Battery
2x MG34 LMG Team/Battery

290th Anti-Tank Battalion

1x Mixed Antitank Gun Company (truck)
6x MG34 LMG Team/Co.
4x Antitank Gun Platoon/Co.
2x 37mm Pak36 Gun/Plt.
2x Antitank Rifle Platoon/Co.
2x 28mm Heavy Antitank Rifle/Plt.
2x Antitank Gun Company (truck)
6x MG34 LMG Team/Co.
4x Antitank Gun Platoon/Co.
3x 37mm Pak36 Gun/Plt.
1x Cavalry Bicycle Recon Company
3x Aufklarungs Recon 41 Platoon/Co.
3x Aufklarungs Recon 41 Squad/Plt.
1x 50mm Mortar Team/Plt.
1x Heavy Weapons Section/Co.
2x MG34 HMG Team/Section

290th Engineer Battalion

1x Motorized Pioneer Company/Batt.
3x Motorized Pioneer Platoon/Co.
6x Motorized Pioneer Squads/Plt.
3x Flame Thrower Team/Plt.
2x Pioneer Company/Batt.
3x Pioneer Platoon/Co.
6x Motorized Pioneer Squads/Plt.
3x Flame Thrower Team/Plt.

Notes

1.8th wave division.
2.Completed training at the end of April 1940.
3.Very small role in France.
4.Attached to the LVI Pz Corps in Army Group North in time to invade Russia.
5.Fought 1st battle of Lake Ilmen.
6.January '42 was part of forces surrounded in Demyansk Pocket.
7.Fought at Dno.
8.Fought at Lake Ladoga.
9.Took part in Battle of Nevel.
10.October '43 was reduced to just six(6) Infantry Battalions. Recon Battalion and Anti-Tank Battalion combined to form a small Rapid Deployment Battalion. Seems like a rather common thing to do.
11.Isolated in Courland Pocket in January '44 and took heavy losses.
12.By fall '44, 503rd Infantry Regiment was disbanded. Division was down to four(4) Infantry Battalions and had just three(3) Artillery Battalions.
13.Evacuated by ship from Courland Pocket in March '45.
14.Fought in East Prussia until March '45, when it surrendered to the Russians after having taken severe casualties.

It appears the division performed quite well through the war, probably maintaining Veteran/Regular status throughout. In Oct. '43 was down to 60%-70% strength, one year later was down to under 50% strength and had probably lost most of it's heavy weapons.