The 197. Infanterie-Division was formed in December 1939 as part of the 7. Welle (wave). It was strengthened by the addition of the remnants of 52. Infanterie-Division as the Divisions-Gruppe 52 in November 1943. The division was destroyed at Vitebsk in June 1944. The division staff formed the staff of Korps-Abteilung H, which also included Divisions-Gruppe 197 formed from the division’s surviving elements.

Commanders

Generalleutnant Hermann Meyer-Rabingen (1 Dec 1939 - 1 Apr 1942)
General der Infanterie Ehrenfried Böge (1 Apr 1942 - 5 Nov 1943)
Generalleutnant Eugen Wößner (5 Nov 1943 - 14 Mar 1944)
Generalmajor Hans Hahne (14 Mar 1944 - 24 June 1944)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Rittmeister Friedrich-Wilhelm von Mellenthin (5 Jan 1940-1 Aug 1940)
Oberstleutnant Otto Zeltmann (1 Aug 1940-Oct 1940)
Oberstleutnant Georg von Wuehlisch (Oct 1940-Mar 1941)
Oberstleutnant Bolko von der Heyde (1 Apr 1941-1 Feb 1943)
Major Helmuth Hasbach (Feb 1943-Oct 1943)
Oberstleutnant Metzel (Oct 1943-10 Dec 1943)
Major Hans-Joachim Graupe (?-Apr 1944)
Major Gerhard Wilhelm von Malluseck (Apr 1944-1944)

Area of operations

Germany (Dec 1939 - June 1941)
Eastern front, central sector (June 1941 - June 1944)

Order of battle (1940)

Infanterie-Regiment 321
Infanterie-Regiment 332
Infanterie-Regiment 347 (formerly Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 183)
Artillerie-Regiment 229
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
Pionier-Bataillon 229
Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 229
Nachrichten-Abteilung 229
Versorgungseinheiten 229

Order of battle (1942)

Grenadier-Regiment 321
Grenadier-Regiment 332
Grenadier-Regiment 347
Artillerie-Regiment 229
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 58 (1)
Pionier-Bataillon 229
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 229
Nachrichten-Abteilung 229
Feldersatz-Bataillon 229
Versorgungseinheiten 229

Order of battle (1943-1944)

Grenadier-Regiment 321 (2)
Grenadier-Regiment 332
Grenadier-Regiment 347
Divisions-Gruppe 52 (3)
- Stab der Gruppe
- Regiments-Gruppe 163
- Regiments-Gruppe 181
Divisions-Bataillon 229 (4)
Artillerie-Regiment 229
- I. Abteilung
- II. Abteilung
- III. Abteilung (5)
- I./Artillerie-Regiment 58
Pionier-Bataillon 229
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 229 (6)
Nachrichten-Abteilung 229
Feldersatz-Bataillon 229
Versorgungseinheiten 229

Joseph Goebbels talking with Oberleutnant d.R. Georg "Geo" Müller who received the Knight's Cross after the fighting at Svestopol

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

Footnotes

1. Assigned in July 1942; transferred from Artillerie-Regiment 22 of the 22. Infanterie-Division.
2. Disbanded on 30 April 1943.
3. Assigned to the division from 1 November 1943 to June 1944.
4. Formed on 1 May 1943; redesignated Füsilier-Bataillon 229 on 26 June 1943 and Füsilier-Bataillon 197 on 1 September 1943.
5. Disbanded on 2 November 1943 and replaced by III./Artillerie-Regiment 152.
6. Redesignated Panzerjäger-Abteilung 197 on 9 May 1944.  

Sources used

Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

F.W. Küppers - Taten und Schicksal der mittelrheinischen, rheinhessischen, saarpfälzischen 197. Infanterie Division
Willi Nickel - Unser Einsatz in West und Ost 1939-1945: 197. Infanterie Division
Willi Nickel - Vom Kampfverband zur Trad.Gem. 50 Jahre: 197. Infanterie Division