The 707. Infanterie-Division was formed on 2 May 1941 as part of the 15. Welle (wave). It was transferred to the Eastern front in August 1941 where it served mainly on security and anti-partisan operations in the rear area of Heeresgruppe Mitte. The division was destroyed near Bobruysk in June 1944 during the Soviet summer offensive. It was formally disbanded on 3 August 1944.

Known war crimes

This division was involved in the murder of 10.000 Belorussian Jews in the fall and winter 1941/42, it is the only Wehrmacht division known to have been involved in the Holocaust to such an extent. (2)

Soldiers of Infanterie-Regiment 727 took part in the killing of at least 12 Soviet civilians captured near the village of Gololobowo in September 1942. (2)

Commanders

Generalmajor Gustav Freiherr von Mauchenheim gennant von Bechtolsheim (3 May 1941 - 22 Feb 1943)
Generalleutnant Hans Freiherr von Falkenstein (22 Feb 1943 - 25 Apr 1943)
Generalleutnant Wilhelm Rußwurm (25 Apr 1943 - 1 June 1943)
Generalleutnant Rudolf Busich (1 June 1943 - 3 Dec 1943)
Generalmajor Alexander Conrady (3 Dec 1943 - 12 Jan 1944)
Generalleutnant Rudolf Busich (12 Jan 1944 - 15 May 1944)
Generalmajor Gustav Gihr (15 May 1944 - 27 June 1944) (POW)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberstleutnant Fritz-Wedig von der Osten (May 1941 - May 1943)
Oberstleutnant Edmund Graf von Boullion (May 1943 - Feb 1944)
Major Klaus Mayer (Feb 1944 - June 1944)

Area of operations

Germany (May 1941 – Aug 1941)
Eastern Front, central sector (Aug 1941 – June 1944)

Nicknames

Gamsbock-Division (Chamois Division)

Order of battle

Grenadier-Regiment 727
Grenadier-Regiment 747
Artillerie-Abteilung 657
Feldersatz-Bataillon 707 (1)
Nachrichten-Kompanie (later, Abteilung) 707
Pionier-Kompanie 707
Versorgungstruppen 707

Footnotes

1. Feldersatz-Bataillon 707 was redesignated Feldersatz-Bataillon 657 on 1 September 1943.
2. "Justiz und NS-Verbrechen" by C.F. Rüter & D.W. de Mildt, "Extreme Normalität: Generalmajor Gustav Freiherr von Mauchenheim gen. Bechtolsheim. Umfeld, Motive und Entschlussbildung eines Holocaust-Täters" by Hannes Heer and "Täter aus Überzeugung? Oberst Carl von Andrian und die Judenmorde der 707. Infanteriedivision 1941/42" by Peter Lieb.
3. "Justiz und NS-Verbrechen" by C.F. Rüter & D.W. de Mildt

Sources used

Hannes Heer - Extreme Normalität: Generalmajor Gustav Freiherr von Mauchenheim gen. Bechtolsheim. Umfeld, Motive und Entschlussbildung eines Holocaust-Täters
Peter Lieb - Täter aus Überzeugung? Oberst Carl von Andrian und die Judenmorde der 707. Infanteriedivision 1941/42
C.F. Rüter & D.W. de Mildt - Justiz und NS-Verbrechen
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -