The Infanterie-Division Großdeutschland (mot) was formed from Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Großdeutschland in April 1942 and was redesignated Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland in May 1943.

Commanders

General der Infanterie Walter Hörnlein (1 Apr 1942 - 4 Mar 1943)
General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck (4 Mar 1943 - 19 May 1943)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Major Cord von Hobe (1 Apr 1942-15 Dec 1942)
Oberstleutnant Oldwig von Natzmer (15 Dec 1942-19 May 1943)

Area of operations

Germany (Apr 1942 - June 1942)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1942 - Sep 1942)
Eastern front, central sector (Sep 1942 - Dec 1942)
Eastern front, southern sector (Dec 1942 - May 1943)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (2)
- Hückel, Ernst-Albrecht (mit seiner Kompanie), 15.11.1942 (1399), Oberleutnant, Chef 3./Pi.Btl. “GD”
- Trinkerl, Xaver, 05.09.1942 (1191), Oberfeldwebel, Zugführer i. d. 12./Inf.Rgt. (mot) “GD”
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (1)
- Klar, Hans, 16.08.1943 (333), Unteroffizier, 4.kl.Kraftwg.Kol./Div.Nachsch.Fhr. “GD”
- Lange, Herbert, 24.09.1942 (239), Gefreiter, Stabsbatt./Art.Rgt. “GD”
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (51)
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (11)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (14) (11 RK + 2 EL + 1 Sw)

Order of battle (May 1942)

Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland 1
Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland 2
Panzer-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Kradschützen-Bataillon Großdeutschland
Panzerjäger-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Artillerie-Regiment Großdeutschland
Heeres-Flakartillerie-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Pionier-Bataillon Großdeutschland
Nachrichten-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Versorgungstruppen Großdeutschland

Order of battle (Janary 1943)

Grenadier-Regiment Großdeutschland
Füsilier-Regiment Großdeutschland
Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland
Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Panzerjäger-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Artillerie-Regiment Großdeutschland
Heeres-Flakartillerie-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Pionier-Bataillon Großdeutschland
Nachrichten-Abteilung Großdeutschland
Versorgungstruppen Großdeutschland

Notable members

Hermann Balck (Holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds)
Karl Hetz (Deputy president of the Soviet-controlled Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland, NKFD, after his capture at Stalingrad)
Otto Ernst Remer (as commander of Wachbattalion Großdeutschland he played an important part in preventing the men behind the July 20 1944 attempt on Hitlers life from taking control of key buildings in Berlin, post-war he founded the neo-nazi Sozialistische Reichspartei (SRP) which was banned in 1952)

Insignia

The “GD” monogram was authorized for wear on the shoulder boards of all ranks of this unit: gold metal for officers, white metal for senior NCOs, and for ranks up to Unteroffizier the monogram was embroidered directly onto the strap in appropriate Waffenfarbe.


The “Großdeutschland” cuff title was authorized for this unit.

Flag of the divisional commander

(Courtesy of Wikimedia)

In fiction

The 1993 board game "GD'42" designed by Dean Essig, Lee Forester & Wig Graves and published by Multi-Man Publishing (MMP) focused on the fighting in November 1942.

The 2011 board game "Fighting Formations: Grossdeutschland Motorized Infantry Division" by Chad Jensen covers the actions of the division.

StuG of Infanterie-Division Großdeutschland (mot) on parade in April 1943

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

Panzer IV of GD crossing a bridge

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

Vehicles from Infanterie-Division GD

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

Sources used

Gregory Douglas - Special uniform & cuff titles from "Grossdeutschland" units (in The Military Advisor, Vol 6 No 2)
Friedrich P. Martin - SED-Funktionäre in Offiziersuniform: Wer befiehlt in der "Nationalen Volksarmee"?
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

Hans-Joachim Jung - Panzer Soldiers for God, Honor and Fatherland: The History of Panzerregiment Großdeutschland
James Lucas - Panzer Elite: The Story of Nazi Germany's Crack Grossdeutschland Corps
Johann Pütz, Helmuth Spaeter & Alfred Wiesemann - Die Chronik der Panzeraufklärungsabteilung Großdeutschland Band I & II
Tim Ripley - Grossdeutschland: Guderian's Eastern Front Elite
Jacek Solarz - Grossdeutschland (2 vol)
Helmuth Spaeter - The History of the Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland Vol 1-3
Helmuth Spaeter - Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland: A Pictorial History