The 29. Infanterie-Division in Erfurt in October 1936. It was reorganized as a motorized division in the fall of 1937 and redesignated 29. Infanterie-Division (mot). It was destroyed at Stalingrad in January 1943. The surviving elements were used to form 29. Panzergrenadier-Division.

Known war crimes

On 8 September 1939 soldiers from Infanterie-Regiment 15 under the command of Oberstleutnant Walter Wessel executed approximately 300 prisoners from the Polish 74th Infantry Regiment as partisans at Ciepielów. (1)
Walter Wessel was killed in an accident on 20 July 1943. In 1971 legal proceedings were begun against members of the unit but were dropped due to lack of evidence.

Commanders

General der Panzertruppen Joachim Lemelsen (1 Sep 1939 - 7 May 1940)
General der Panzertruppen Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp (7 May 1940 - 7 Sep 1940)
Generalleutnant Walter von Boltenstern (7 Sep 1940 - 20 Sep 1941)
Generalleutnant Max Fremerey (20 Sep 1941 - 28 Sep 1942)
Generalmajor Hans-Georg Leyser (28 Sep 1942 - 31 Jan 1943)

Area of operations

Poland (Sep 1939 - May 1940)
France (May 1940 - June 1941)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - Oct 1942)
Stalingrad (Oct 1942 - Jan 1943)

Nicknames and Honor titles

Falke Division (Falcon Division)

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

Holders of high awards

See 29. Panzergrenadier-Division

Order of battle (1936)

Infanterie-Regiment 15
Infanterie-Regiment 71
Infanterie-Regiment 86
Artillerie-Regiment 29
Pionier-Bataillon 29
Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 29
Infanterie-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 29
Kraftfahr-Abteilung 9

Order of battle (1939)

Infanterie-Regiment (mot) 15
Infanterie-Regiment (mot) 71
Infanterie-Regiment (mot) 86
Artillerie-Regiment (mot) 29
Pionier-Bataillon (mot) 29
Feldersatz-Bataillon 29
Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 29
Aufklärungs-Abteilung 29
Infanterie-Divisions-Nachschubführer (mot) 29
Infanterie-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung (mot) 29

Soldiers of Nachrichten-Abteilung 29 with a Bussing-NAG G31 truck during a military exercise in 1937

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Footnotes

1. "Auftakt zum Vernichtungskrieg: Die Wehrmacht in Polen 1939" by Jochen Böhler, . "Hitler strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology and atrocity" by Alexander B. Rossino, page 183-184.

Sources used

Jochen Böhler - Auftakt zum Vernichtungskrieg: Die Wehrmacht in Polen 1939
Alexander B. Rossino - Hitler strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology and atrocity
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

Franz Götte & Herbert Peiler - Die 29. Falke Division 1936-1945: 29. Infanterie Division, 29. Infanterie Division (mot.), 29. Panzergrenadier Division
Joachim Lemelsen & Juliuz Schmidt - 29. Division, 29. Infanterie Division (mot.), 29. Panzergrenadier Division