The 30. Infanterie-Division was formed 1 October 1936 in Lübeck. It was mobilized in August 1939 as part of the 1. Welle (wave).

Known war crimes

On 9 September 1939 during the invasion of Poland a large number of civilians were forced into a barn at Swoboda that was set on fire and those trying to escape were killed. This atrocity happened in the area controlled by the 30. Infanterie-Division. (2)

Commanders

General der Infanterie Kurt von Briesen (13 Feb 1938 - 25 Nov 1940)
General der Infanterie Kurt von Tippelskirch (5 Jan 1941 - 5 June 1942)
General der Infanterie Thomas-Emil von Wickede (5 June 1942 - 29 Oct 1943)
Generalmajor Gerhard Henke (29 Oct 1943 - ? Sep 1943)
Generalleutnant Paul Winter (? Sep 1943 - 5 Nov 1943)
General der Infanterie Wilhelm Hasse (5 Nov 1943 - 15 Mar 1944)
Generalleutnant Hans von Basse (15 Mar 1944 - 15 Aug 1944)
Generalmajor Otto Barth (15 Aug 1944 - 30 Jan 1945)
Generalleutnant Albert Henze (30 Jan 1945 - 8 May 1945)

Area of operations

Poland (Sep 1939 - May 1940)
Belgium, Netherlands & France (May 1940 - June 1941)
Eastern front, northern sector (June 1941 - May 1945)

Nicknames and Honor titles

Briesen-Division (named for Kurt von Briesen, the first divisional commander to be awarded the Knights' Cross)

Infanterie-Regiment 6 was given the title Infanterie-Regiment Lübeck 1 October 1934 but was redesignated 15 October 1935.
Infanterie-Regiment 26 was given the title Infanterie-Regiment Flensburg 1 October 1934 but was redesignated 15 October 1935.
Infanterie-Regiment 46 was given the title Infanterie-Regiment Neumünster 1 October 1934 but was redesignated 15 October 1935.

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold (4)
- Busse, Heinrich, 30.12.1944, Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel, Fhr. 2./Gren.Rgt. 6
- Laubner, Gotthard, 22.01.1945, Unteroffizier, Gruppenführer i. d. 3./Füs.Rgt. 26
- Peters, Otto, 11.02.1945, Unteroffizier, Gruppenführer i. d. 2./Füs.Btl. 30
- Tiedemann, Reinhard, 05.03.1945, Unteroffizier, Gruppenführer i. d. 6./Füs.Rgt. 26
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (5)
- Kracht, Ernst August, 07.05.1943 (1808), Oberleutnant, Chef 1./Gren.Rgt. 46
- Kühl, Klaus, 07.09.1943 (2049), Obergefreiter, Geschützführer i. d. 14./Gren.Rgt. 6
- Nickel, Hans-Walter, 18.04.1942 (905), Unteroffizier, 2./Art.Rgt. 30
- Seifried, Walter, 21.06.1942 (1045), Oberfeldwebel, Zugführer i. d. 10./Inf.Rgt. 26
- Winzer, [first name not listed], 18.03.1942 (831), Oberleutnant, Chef 1./Pz.Jäg.Abt. 30
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (101)
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (37)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (43)
Unit-Level Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (4)
- III./Artillerie-Regiment 30
-- Date/Place of Downing: 06.09.1941 bei Griwka
-- Award Date: 07.11.1941 (23)
- Trosskp. Konow/Infanterie-Regiment 46
-- Date/Place of Downing: 04.02.1942 bei Bjeli Bor
-- Award Date: 16.05.1942 (93)
- 11./Infanterie-Regiment 6
-- Date/Place of Downing: 22.01.1942 bei Wyssotschek
-- Award Date: 16.05.1942 (101)
- I./Infanterie-Regiment 6
-- Date/Place of Downing: 22.01.1942 bei Knewizy
-- Award Date: 16.05.1942 (102)

Order of battle (1939)

Infanterie-Regiment 6
Infanterie-Regiment 26
Infanterie-Regiment 46
Radfahr-Schwadron 30
Artillerie-Regiment 30
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 66
Beobachtungs-Abteilung 30 (1)
Pionier-Bataillon 30
Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 30
Nachrichten-Abteilung 30
Feldersatz-Bataillon 30
Versorgungseinheiten 30

Order of battle (1942)

Grenadier-Regiment 6
Füsilier-Regiment 26
Grenadier-Regiment 46
Radfahr-Abteilung 30
Artillerie-Regiment 30
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 66
Pionier-Bataillon 30
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 30
Nachrichten-Abteilung 30
Feldersatz-Bataillon 30
Versorgungseinheiten 30

Order of battle (1943-1945)

Grenadier-Regiment 6
Füsilier-Regiment 26
Grenadier-Regiment 46
Füsilier-Bataillon 30
Artillerie-Regiment 30
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 66
Pionier-Bataillon 30
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 30
Nachrichten-Abteilung 30
Feldersatz-Bataillon 30
Versorgungseinheiten 30

Notable members

Moritz Basler (Generalmajor in the Austrian Bundesheer before the Anschluss)
Kurt von Briesen (The first divisional commander to be awarded the Knights' Cross)
Franz Böhme (Generalmajor in the Austrian Bundesheer before the Anschluss)

Propaganda & Culture

Lyrics to the "Die Division von Briesen".

Soldiers from 30. Infanterie-Division on parade on Avenue Foch in Paris on 14 June 1940 passing General der Infanterie Kurt von Briesen

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

Footnotes

1. Released from the division in December 1939 and designated Heerestruppe.  
2. "Hitler strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology and atrocity" by Alexander B. Rossino, page 169.

Sources used

Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr - German Order of Battle, Vol 1
Alexander B. Rossino - Hitler strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology and atrocity
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Unit insignia illustration courtesy of Wikimedia

Reference material on this unit

Hans Breithaupt - Die Geschichte der 30. Infanterie Division 1939-1945