The 9. Infanterie-Division was formed in Gießen from the cover name Infanterieführer V. The infantry regiments were formed from 15. Infanterie-Regiment of 5. Division of the Reichwehr. It was mobilized in August 1939 as part of the 1. Welle (wave).
The division was destroyed in August 1944 at Chişinau, Romania. The remnants were used to form the 9. Volksgrenadier-Division.

Known war crimes

On 9 June 1940 the division captured the French village of Angivillers, capturing hundred of soldiers from the 24th RTS (Régiment de Tirailleurs Sénégalais), a colonial unit recruited from Senegal. The commander of the regiment, Amandée Fabre, later reported that the prisoners were mistreated and several died due to this. "After capturing us, the Germans treated the Senegalese with unprecedented brutality. They stabbed them with their bayonets and beat them with belt buckles." A protest from Fabre to a German officer was rejected with the comment "They are just savages" though another German officer did put a stop to the abuse. (3)

Commanders

Generalleutnant Erich Lüdke (15 Oct 1935 - 7 Mar 1936)
Generalleutnant Erwin Oßwald (7 Mar 1936 - 4 Nov 1938)
Generalleutnant Georg von Apell (1 Dec 1938 - 1 Aug 1940)
Generalleutnant Erwin Vierow (1 Aug 1940 - 1 Jan 1941)
Generalleutnant Siegmund Freiherr von Schleinitz (1 Jan 1941 - 20 Aug 1943)
Generalleutnant Friedrich Hofmann (20 Aug 1943 - May 1944)
Oberst Otto-Hermann Brücker (May 1944)
Generalleutnant Friedrich Hofmann (May 1944 - 16 June 1944)
Generalmajor Werner Gebb (16 June 1944 - 29 Aug 1944) (POW)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberstleutnant Julius Lynker (1939 - July 1940)
Major Hans-Georg von Tempelhoff (10 July 1940 - 5 July 1942)
Oberstleutnant Leo Hepp (5 July 1942 - 1 May 1943)
Major Arnold Tamm (1 May 1943 - 1 Mar 1944)
Major Helmut Schwenninger (1 Mar 1944 - Aug 1944)

Area of operations

West wall (Sep 1939 - May 1940)
France (May 1940 - June 1941)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - Aug 1944)

Nicknames and Honor titles

Infanterie-Regiment 36 was given the title Infanterie-Regiment Gießen 1 October 1934 but was redesignated 15 October 1935.

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (14)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (3)
- Blinn, Willi, 01.11.1943 (431), Gefreiter, 10./Gren.Rgt. 116
- Lichtenthäler, Heinrich, 01.02.1944 (447), Gefreiter, 7./Art.Rgt. 9
- Siegmann, [first name not listed], 14.10.1943 (382), Obergefreiter, Bandenjagdkdo./9. Inf.Div.
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (91)
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (21)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (18) (17 RK + 1 EL)
Holders of the Romanian Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd Class (Orden “Michael der Tapfere” III. Klasse) (2)
- Krauß, Helmut, Königlichen Dekrets Nr. 299 / 14.02.1944, Major, Inf.Rgt. 116
- Schleinitz Freiherr von, Siegmund, Königlichen Dekrets Nr. 399 / 18.02.1943, Generalleutnant, Kdr. 9. Inf.Div.
Unit-Level Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (5)
- Stabskompanie/Infanterie-Regiment 36
-- Date/Place of Downing: 14.01.1942 bei Wysskriwa
-- Award Date: 16.05.1942 (129)
- II./Infanterie-Regiment 57
-- Date/Place of Downing: 15.02.1942 bei Fedorowka
-- Award Date: 19.06.1942 (150)
- 9./Grenadier-Regiment 57
-- Date/Place of Downing: 08.05.1943 bei Moldawanskoje
-- Award Date: 14.10.1943 (389)
- 9./Grenadier-Regiment 116
-- Date/Place of Downing: 22.07.1943 bei Werch. Adagum
-- Award Date: 01.11.1943 (432)
- Infanterie-Reiterzug/Grenadier-Regiment 116
-- Date/Place of Downing: 27.11.1943 bei Jekaterinowka
-- Award Date: 01.02.1944 (465)

Order of battle (1939)

Infanterie-Regiment 36
Infanterie-Regiment 57
Infanterie-Regiment 116
Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9
Artillerie-Regiment 9
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 45
Beobachtungs-Abteilung 9 (1)
Pionier-Bataillon 9
Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 9
Nachrichten-Abteilung 9
Feldersatz-Bataillon 9
Versorgungseinheiten 9

Order of battle (1942)

Grenadier-Regiment 36
Grenadier-Regiment 57
Grenadier-Regiment 116
Radfahr-Abteilung 9
Artillerie-Regiment 9
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 45 (2)
Pionier-Bataillon 9
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 9
Nachrichten-Abteilung 9
Feldersatz-Bataillon 9
Versorgungseinheiten 9

Order of battle (1943-1944)

Grenadier-Regiment 36
Grenadier-Regiment 57
Grenadier-Regiment 116
Füsilier-Bataillon 9
Artillerie-Regiment 9
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- IV. Abteilung
Pionier-Bataillon 9
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 9
Nachrichten-Abteilung 9
Feldersatz-Bataillon 9
Versorgungseinheiten 9

Footnotes

1. Released from the division in December 1939 and designated Heerestruppe.
2. Redesignated IV./Artillerie-Regiment 9 on 19 May 1942.
3. "Hitler's African Victims: The German Army Massacres of Black French Soldiers in 1940" by Raffael Scheck, page 29.

Sources used

Raffael Scheck - Hitler's African Victims: The German Army Massacres of Black French Soldiers in 1940
Georg Tessin - Deutsche Verbände und Truppen 1918-1939

Reference material on this unit

Hans Reimer - Errinerungen an das Infanterieregiment 36