The 254. Infanterie-Division was formed on 26 August 1939 as part of the 4. Welle (wave). It was strengthened by the addition of Divisions-Gruppe 82 formed from elements of the destroyed 82. Infanterie-Division in May 1944. The division surrendered in May 1945 to the Red Army near Deutsch Brod.

Commanders

Generalleutnant z.V. Fritz (Friedrich) Koch (26 Aug 1939 - 30 Apr 1940)
Generalleutnant Walter Behschnitt (30 Apr 1940 - 22 Mar 1942)
General der Infanterie Friedrich Köchling (22 Mar 1942 - 5 Sep 1942)
Generalmajor Hellmuth Reymann (5 Sep 1942 - 19 Nov 1942)
General der Infanterie Friedrich Köchling (19 Nov 1942 - 16 Aug 1943)
Generalleutnant Alfred Thielmann (16 Aug 1943 - 20 Mar 1944)
Generalmajor Richard Schmidt (31 Dec 1944 - 8 May 1945)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Major Ludwig Zoller (1939-Sep 1940)
Major Gerhard Wagner (Sep 1940-Aug 1942)
Oberstleutnant Hans-Jürgen Freiherr von Ledebur (Aug 1942-Jun 1943)
Oberstleutnant Otto Walter (Jun 1943-20 May 1944)
Oberstleutnant Wolfgang Oldenburg (20 May 1944-May 1945)

Area of operations

Germany (Sep 1939 - May 1940)
Netherlands, Belgium & France (May 1940 - June 1941)
Eastern front, northern sector (June 1941 - Feb 1944)
Eastern front, southern sector (Feb 1944 - Feb 1945)
Czechoslovakia (Feb 1945 - May 1945)

Nicknames

Springendes Pferd (Jumping Horse)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold (2)
- Albohm, Wilhelm, 01.12.1944, Wachtmeister d.R., Zugführer i. d. 1./Div.Füs.Btl. (AA) 254
- Roth, Adolf, 00.00.0000, Unteroffizier, Gruppenführer i. d. 3./Pi.Btl. 254
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (5)
- Geilhausen, Walter, 07.01.1945 (5109), Hauptmann, Btl.Fhr. II./Gren.Rgt. 454
- Hardt, Detmar, 05.06.1944 (3416), Hauptmann, Rgt.Adj. Gren.Rgt. 484
- Keller, Hans-Josef, 27.05.1944 (3387), Leutnant, Kp.Fhr. i. d. II./Gren.Rgt. 158
- Lux, Franz, 05.06.1944 (3411), Hauptmann, Btl.Fhr. I./Gren.Rgt. 158
- Potratz, Erwin, 27.06.1944 (3492), Hauptmann, Btl.Fhr. II./Gren.Rgt. 484
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (1)
- Hampel, Jakob, 20.09.1944 [Date of Action] (539), Obergefreiter, 8./Art.Rgt. 254
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (68)
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (23)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (8)
- Anders, Carl 04.05.1944 Oberst Kdr Gren.Rgt 484
- Coracino, Nikolaus 02.09.1944 Oberleutnant d.R. Chef Stug.Begl.Kp 254 der 254. Inf.Div
- Feldmann, Alfred 20.08.1942 Hauptmann Führer I./Inf.Rgt 454
- Glaeser, Erich 20.08.1942 Major Kdr II./Inf.Rgt 484
- Köchling, Friedrich 31.07.1942 Generalmajor Kdr 254. Inf.Div
- Otto, Ernst 10.02.1943 Hauptmann Führer II./Gren.Rgt 454
- Quassowski, Joachim 18.10.1943 Hauptmann Kdr II./Gren.Rgt 484 [spelling of the name appears also : Personalakte: Quaskowski ; Ranglisten: Quashowski]
- Risse, Walther 22.09.1941 Oberst Kdr Inf.Rgt 474
Unit-Level Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (2)
- 4./Artillerie-Regiment 254
-- Date/Place of Downing: 15.09.1944 bei Nowosiolki
-- Award Date: 00.00.0000 (532)
- 4./Artillerie-Regiment 254
-- Date/Place of Downing: 15.07.1944 bei Buczacz
-- Award Date: 00.00.0000 (567)

Order of battle (1939)

Infanterie-Regiment 454
Infanterie-Regiment 474
Infanterie-Regiment 484
Aufklärungs-Abteilung 254
Artillerie-Regiment 254
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- IV. Abteilung
Pionier-Bataillon 254
Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 254
Nachrichten-Abteilung 254
Versorgungseinheiten 254

The Aufklärungs-Abteilung included a armored car unit, equipped in part with Swedish made Landsverk L-180 armored cards that had been captured in the Netherlands and in part with DAF armored cars.

Order of battle (1942)

Grenadier-Regiment 454
Grenadier-Regiment 474
Grenadier-Regiment 484
Schnelle Abteilung 254
Artillerie-Regiment 254
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 52 (1)
Pionier-Bataillon 254
Nachrichten-Abteilung 254
Versorgungseinheiten 254

Order of battle (1943-1945)

Grenadier-Regiment 454
Grenadier-Regiment 474 (2)
Grenadier-Regiment 484
Divisions-Gruppe 82 (3)
- Stab der Gruppe
- Regiments-Gruppe 158
- Regiments-Gruppe 166
Füsilier-Bataillon 254
Artillerie-Regiment 254
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 52
Pionier-Bataillon 254
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 254
Nachrichten-Abteilung 254
Feldersatz-Bataillon 254
Versorgungseinheiten 254

Notable members

Alfred Thielmann (recipient of the German Cross in both Gold and Silver)

Footnotes

1. Assigned on 7 September 1940 (transferred to Artillerie-Regiment 254 from Artillerie-Regiment 16 of the 16. Infanterie-Division upon conversion to the 16. Panzer-Division).
2. Disbanded on 10 May 1944; reformed on 4 July 1944 by redesignation of Divisions-Gruppe 82; disbanded again in April 1945 and replaced by Grenadier- (Fahnenjunker) Regiment 1238.
3. Assigned to the division from 10 May 1944 to 4 July 1944; redesignated Grenadier-Regiment 474 on 4 July 1944.

Sources used

Thorleif Olsson - AB Landsverks pansarbilar i Holland, del 2 (in Pansar, No 4, 2005)
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

Clemens Frhr. von Boenninghausen - 254. (rheinisch westfälische) Infanterie Div. im Osten 1941-45