by John Mulholland

WEHRKREIS VIII – HQ: Breslau.

Divisions Affiliated with Wkr.VIII:
1 Ski Jag, 5 Pz, 8 Jag, 11 Pz, 16, 18 PzGR, 28 Jag, 62, 81, 102, 148, 158 Res, 168, 213 Sec, 221 Sec, 226, 230, 252, 286 Sec, 298, 320, 332, 358, 370, 432 Rep, 422 Sec, 454 Sec, 544 VG, 573 VG, 708

Kommandeur der Ersatztruppen VIII (Commander of Replacement Troops, Wkr.VIII.)
- Aug.1939: Formed in Liegnitz.
Div.Nr.158 (158.Replacement and Training Division)
Home Station: Liegnitz.
- Nov.1939: Formed as 158.Division from the staff of Kommandeur der Ersatztruppen VIII.
- 06 Jan.1940: Renamed Div.Nr.158, controlling Replacement and Training units in Silesia.
- Feb.1941: Stationed in Strasbourg, Alsace.
- Sep.1942: Returned to Wkr.VIII.
- 01 Oct.1942: Restructured as the 158.Res.Div. while its Replacement elements returned to Silesia and were allotted to other divisions.
- Summer 1944: The 158th, combined with remnants of the 16.Luft.Fld.Div, formed the 16.Infanteriedivision.
Order of Battle – Mar 1940 :
Inf.Ers.Reg.18 (Inf.Ers.Btl.51, 83, 318)
Inf.Ers.Reg.62 (Inf.Ers.Btl.30, 190, 406)
Inf.Ers.Reg.213 (Inf.Ers.Btl.54, 354, 472)
Inf.Ers.Reg.221 (Inf.Ers.Btl.49, 360, 375)

Div.Nr.148 (148.Replacement and Training Division)
Home Station: Liegnitz.
- 10 Jan.1940: Formed as Div.Nr.148 in Gleiwitz, Wkr.VIII.
- Nov.1940: Transferred, along with its subordinate units, to Metz, in the Lorraine region of France.
- 01 Oct.1942: Restructured as the 148.Res.Div., while still in Metz, and handed over its Replacement duties to Div.Nr.408.
- May 1943: Posted to Toulouse, France.
- Nov.1943: Transferred. This time to Nice.
- Jul.1944: Reassigned to the Feldheer (Field Army) and, thus, lost its Ersatz-Training functions.
- Sep.1944: Upgraded to 148.Infanteriedivision.
Order of Battle – Mar 1940 :
Inf.Ers.Reg.8 (Inf.Ers.Btl.28, 84, 164)
Inf.Ers.Reg.28 (Inf.Ers.Btl.7, 350, 461)
Inf.Ers.Reg.239 (Inf.Ers.Btl.327, 372, 452)
Inf.Ers.Reg.252 (Inf.Ers.Btl.38, 183, 444)

Div.Nr.178 (mot.) (178.Motorized Replacement and Training Division)
Home Station: Liegnitz.
- 15 Dec.1940: Formed as Div.Nr.178 to control miscellaneous Replacement units remaining in Silesia.
- 20 Apr.1942: The division was motorized, becoming Div.Nr.178 (mot.), and took over the responsibility of Replacement and Training for the Schnelletruppen in Wkr.VIII.
- 05 Apr.1943: Renamed Pz.Div.Nr.178 (178.Panzer Replacement and Training Division).
- Apr.1945: The division was dissolved after being destroyed when the Russians overran Silesia.
Order of Battle – Apr.1942 :
Schtz.Ers.Reg.85 (Schtz.Ers.Btl.13, 110, Kradschtz.Ers.Btl.55)
Pz.Ers.Abt.15   
Inf.Ers.Btl.30 (mot.)   
Inf.Ers.Btl.51 (mot.)   

Div.Nr.408 (408.Replacement and Training Division)
Home Station: Breslau.
- 24 Oct.1939: Formed as Div.Stb.z.b.V.408, in Breslau, to control the operations of the Wkr.VIII Landeschützen (Militia) units.
- 01 Oct.1942: Upgraded to Div.Nr.408, it took control of the Replacement units returning from the upgraded 148.Res.Div., stationed in the Lorraine area of France.
- Summer 1944: The division, like most of the other 400 series at this point in the war, expanded its Replacement duties to include Training functions as well.
Div.Stb.z.b.V.408
Order of Battle - Arp.1940:
Ldschtz.Btl.553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 559, 561
Div.Nr.408
Order of Battle – Dec.1943 :
Gren.Ers.Reg.352 (Gren.Ers.Btl.54, 190, 354, 360, 375)
Gren.Ers.Reg.518 (Gren.Ers.Btl.7, 49, 83, 318, 406, 472)

Div.Nr.432 (432.Replacement and Training Division)
Home Station: Kattowitz.
- 24 Oct.1939: Formed, in Oppeln, as Div.Stb.z.b.V.432 to control the operations of the Landeschützen (Militia).
- 01 Oct.1942: Div.Stb.z.b.V.432 was upgraded to Div.Nr.432 to take control of some of the remaining Replacement units of the restructured 148.Res.Div. and 158.Res.Div.
Div.Stb.z.b.V.432
Order of Battle - Mar.1940:
Ldschtz.Reg.41 (Ldschtz.Btl.560, 563, 707, 752)
Ldschtz.Reg.84 (Ldschtz.Btl.370, 413, 514, 515)
Div.Nr.432
Order of Battle – Dec.1943 :
Gren.Ers.Reg.370 (Gren.Ers.Btl.84, 164, 183, 350, 444, 452)
Gren.Ers.Reg.528 (Gren.Ers.Btl.28, 58, 327, 372, 461)


OTHER ERSATZHEER UNITS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WEHRKREIS:

Div.Stb.z.b.V.607 (Special Administrative Division Staff)
- 13 Nov.1944: Formed from Stab “Maeder” of Heeresgruppe Mitte (Army Group Centre).
- Feb.1945: Used to form Festungs-Kommandeur Pillau.

158. Feldausbildungsdivision (158.Field Training Division)
- Mar.1945: Formed in Wkr.VIII to supply Training functions for Heeresgruppe Mitte (Army Group Centre).
Order of Battle:
Jäger-Feldausbildungs-Regiment 1316
Grenadier-Feldausbildungs-Regiment 1317
Grenadier-Feldausbildungs-Regiment 1318
Divisionseinheiten 1458