326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

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Tom from Cornwall
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326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#1

Post by Tom from Cornwall » 22 Apr 2020, 19:17

Hi,

Does anyone know of an accounts of the fighting by 326. Infanterie-Division during the Normandy campaign. I've got Zetterling's book Normandy 1944 so I know the order of battle of the division, but I'm interested to see if their are any accounts of it in action especially against the British in Operation BLUECOAT and subsequently.

Regards

Tom

Simon Trew 1
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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#2

Post by Simon Trew 1 » 23 Apr 2020, 08:01

Hello Tom,

Like most German infantry divisions that fought in Normandy, 326 ID is not well served in the campaign literature. There are several books about Operation Bluecoat (e.g. Ian Daglish's two books and Stephane Jacquet's two French-language volumes), and since it was in this battle that the division suffered its heaviest casualties (including the divisional commander KIA) it would be worth seeing those. There is also one of the BAOR 'battlefield tour' volumes (make sure you track down the directing staff edition if you can, it contains more material than the spectator's edition) that covers the opening stages of Bluecoat. But like Daglish, Jacquet and the numerous other secondary sources and regimental histories, it sees the battle mostly from the British perspective.

Useful insights can be derived from British intelligence summaries. XXX Corps' ISUMs contain a very granular list of prisoner captures from 326 ID for each day of action - i.e. they don't just say how many prisoners were captured from 326 ID, but go right down to battalion (or even company) level. The first ISUM to contain information is No.465, issued 3 August (WO 171/340). If you add up the detailed data, that tells you that passing into XXX Corps' cage between 0930 hrs on 30 July and 0930 hrs on 2 August were zero officers and 107 Other Ranks from 751st GR, zero officers and 22 ORs from 752nd GR, two officers and 180 ORs from 753rd GR and one officer and 82 ORs from the divisional fusilier battalion. One can follow each day's losses in successive ISUMs, although you should add somewhere between 10 and 15% additional prisoners who were processed through medical channels (for the obvious reason that they were wounded). No doubt, if you burrow down into ISUMs produced by the participating British divisions (which I haven't yet done), you'd get even more granular information and the whole picture would allow you to marry British unit accounts and war diaries with the German data to get a pretty sound idea of which German sub-unit was fighting who at what time and place.

I'm reproducing below an extract from my forthcoming source guide to the Germans in Normandy. The section is unfinished, which explains why I haven't yet included information to be derived from 5th Panzer Army's war diary and anlagen (available online via a link at Sturmpanzer.com). Nor does it include other 5th Panzer Army or corps-level material, as these things (e.g. FMS manuscripts) are described in chapters that relate to those levels of command. In short, it is a bit of a mess and still needs a lot of work. But it may be of some use, so have it for what it's worth.

2.18. 326th Infantry Division (326. Infanterie-Division):

The 326th Infantry Division was sent to Normandy by Fifteenth Army in mid-July. It bore the brunt of the British ‘Bluecoat’ offensive at the end of the month and its commander was killed in action. The division retreated and its survivors broke out of the ‘Falaise Pocket’ in August. The formation suffered very heavy casualties but was rebuilt as a Volksgrenadier division in the autumn. It fought on the Western Front until April 1945.

2.18a. Primary sources:

According to the Guides to German Records Microfilmed at Alexandria (Number 65, 292nd – 327th Divisions, Part XII), the war diary of 326th Infantry Division’s intelligence officer for July and August 1944 survives and can be found in US National Archives Record Group 242, Publication T-315, microfilm roll 2040. This document is also preserved in the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv, reference RH 26-326.

The 326th Infantry Division reached Normandy by travelling through LXXXI Corps’ area of responsibility in mid-July. Its movements are recorded in the corps’ war diary for that period. See IWM Duxford archive, box E 494, folder AL 1537/1 for details.

Material found in Allied intelligence sources includes:

A copy of a captured map, showing the route taken by 326th Infantry Division from the River Seine to the battle area in mid-July, is in Appendix A to Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary Number 58, issued 2 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).

A translation of 751st Grenadier Regiment’s war diary for the period 15-27 July is in Appendix A to the British 7th Armoured Division’s Intelligence Summary Number 59, issued 8 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/000). The document casts light on the regiment’s move to Normandy and especially the process by which it took over a sector of 2nd Panzer Division’s front on 20-1 July. Part of the same document is in Appendix E to Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary (ISUM) No.69, issued 13 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222). The rest is in Appendix A to Part II of Second Army’s ISUM No.70, issued the following day (also in WO 171/222).

A translation of an order issued by 751st Grenadier Regiment’s commanding officer on 23 July. It contains instructions that whenever Allied aircraft are overhead, troops should hide themselves in order to prevent the enemy from establishing the location of headquarters and other vital facilities. See British 50th Division’s Intelligence Summary No.45, issued 4 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/514).

A translation of a document produced by the Intelligence section of 326th Division’s headquarters on 24 July, which provides direction on the handling of prisoners and captured documents during the forthcoming fighting, is in Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.64, issued 8 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).

A translation of part of 326th Infantry Division’s first daily intelligence digest issued in Normandy (25 July 1944) is in Appendix C to Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.62, issued 6 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222). The document includes interesting comments on Allied fighting methods, as they were perceived by the Germans.

A translation of a report by the commanding officer of 752nd Grenadier Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, dated 29 July 1944, is in Appendix C to Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.61, issued 5 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222). In his report, the officer comments on the morale and fighting condition of his men and concludes that the battalion is fully capable of carrying out its defensive mission.

A table showing the personnel and weapons strength of II Battalion, 752nd Grenadier Regiment on 30 July (from a captured document) is in Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary Number 58, issued on 2 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).


2.18b. Divisional histories and order of battle:

2.18b.(i). Gliederungen:

An early gliederung for 326th Infantry Division, dated 4 January 1944, can be found in Fifteenth Army’s records. See IWM Duxford archive, box E 492, folder AL 1535/9.

A gliederung showing the organisation of the division’s artillery on 1 June 1944 can be found in Fifteenth Army’s records; see IWM Duxford archive, box E 491, folder AL 1535/6.

See also section 2.18b.(iii) below.

2.18b.(ii). Divisional history:

No history of 326th Infantry Division ever appears to have been published.

2.18b.(iii). Other sources:

‘Identifications and org of 326 Div’. This report provides information about the division’s organisation, based on captured code lists and prisoner interrogations. See Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.58, issued 2 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).

‘Notes on 326 Div’. This report provides further information about 326th Infantry Division’s structure, as well as details of its losses in heavy fighting on 30 July. There is also a list of divisional staff officers. See Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.59, issued 3 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).

Verwicht, Alain: “Etude des unités de l’Oberbefehlshaber West, Juin-Décembre 1944 (suite): La 326. Infanterie-Division”, in Panzer Voran! Number 31, 2006, pp.18-23. This French-language article contains a gliederung dated 1 May 1944 and useful information about the division’s weapons and equipment.

‘326 Arty Regt’. This report describes the organisation and equipment of 326th Infantry Division’s artillery regiment. It is in Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.63, issued 7 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222). See also this chapter, section 1.2.3., entry under ‘Artillery Tactics’.

For further information about 326th Infantry Division and its major components, see http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /326ID.htm.

2.18c. Foreign Military Studies (FMS) manuscripts and interrogation reports:

2.18c.(i). FMS manuscripts:

Nettmann, Wilhelm: ‘Geschichte der 326.ID, August – September 1944’ (67pp., maps; FMS P-179). This German-language report was written in 1954 by a former staff officer who served in 326th Infantry Division’s headquarters during the Normandy campaign. After a section in which the author describes the division’s formation and its move to Normandy in July 1944, pages 9-51 cover its experiences during the British ‘Bluecoat’ offensive in early August and its subsequent withdrawal from the ‘Falaise Pocket’ to the River Seine. There is also a short section about the reforming of the division in autumn 1944, a divisional gliederung and a list of the formation’s senior officers. The report is accompanied by fourteen sketch maps that illustrate the division’s movements during the 1944 campaign.

2.18c.(ii). Interrogation reports:

There are about twenty interrogation reports of members of 326th Infantry Division in the UK National Archives. Many are of multiple individuals. Most major components of the division are represented. Taken together, the reports provide a considerable amount of information about the division’s organisation and equipment, names of its officers and its movement to Normandy. The documents also cast light on the division’s experience of Allied bombing at the start of Operation ‘Bluecoat’. See WO 208/3595 (SIR 705), WO 208/3596 (SIR 720, 749 and 757), WO 208/3625 (KP/221, 223, 224 and 260), WO 208/3634 (LF/448, 453, 466, 469, 472, 475 and 482), WO 208/3635 (LF/507 and 526), WO 208/3636 (LF/640), WO 208/3637 (LF/646), and WO 208/3647 (LDC/254).

2.18d. Unit histories, biographies, memoirs:

2.18d.(i). Unit histories:

There do not appear to be any published sources about units that belonged to 326th Infantry Division.

2.18d.(ii). Biographical information, personal accounts:

No publication that obviously belongs under this heading had appeared at the time this bibliography was completed.

2.18e. Battle accounts and other sources:

No publication that pays focused attention to 326th Infantry Division’s battle experiences seems to exist. There are some quite detailed published accounts of Operation ‘Bluecoat’ and subsequent British offensive operations (see Chapter X, section 0.0.0.). However, these tend to describe events mainly from the British point of view.

‘Cycle convoys’. This account of 751st Grenadier Regiment’s journey to Normandy is based on the interrogation of one of the unit’s personnel. He describes the regiment’s use of bicycle convoys, travelling only at night, to get to the battle area. See Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.56, issued 31 July 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/221).

‘326 Inf Div’. This report describes 326th Infantry Division’s journey to the battle area in July. The information was provided by deserters who crossed the front line almost as soon as their unit arrived in Normandy. See Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.52, issued 27 July 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/221).

‘Carpet bombing in Caumont area, 30 July 1944’. This description of the heavy bombing raid with which the British began their ‘Bluecoat’ offensive is based on the interrogation of members of 326th Infantry Division captured soon afterwards. The report casts considerable light on the physical and psychological effects of the raid, and the duration of its impact. See Part II of British Second Army’s Intelligence Summary No.72, issued 16 August 1944 (UK National Archives, WO 171/222).

Hope this helps.

best wishes,

Simon


Tom from Cornwall
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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#3

Post by Tom from Cornwall » 23 Apr 2020, 08:51

Simon,

Thank you so much for posting that all up. Not only fantastic information in itself but the primary source references alone have made my day. Now, if only I could get back to Kew I would be very, very happy.

Regards

Tom

Tom from Cornwall
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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#4

Post by Tom from Cornwall » 23 Apr 2020, 08:54

Simon,

I don't know if you are considering including IWM film extracts in your source guide but I found this clip which shows some of the prisoners from 326 Infantry Division taken by the British 43rd Division on 30 July 44 right at the start of BLUECOAT.

https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/2569

Regards

Tom

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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#5

Post by Simon Trew 1 » 23 Apr 2020, 10:08

Tom, glad I could help. Thanks also for the link to the film clip - I hadn't watched that before. I'm unsure about what film material I should include (if any) in the bibliography. I watch quite a lot of the archive film on Youtube but without a commentary or quick access to the original dope sheets it's difficult to be precise about what exactly it shows and inevitably most of it is of Allied origin and the Germans are either dead or prisoners.

Having said that, I will probably include a few things - for example, some of the specialist documentaries that have reasonably high production values and which put the Germans more centre-stage. I have on my list of things to do watching the Pen & Sword Tim Saunders DVDs about 1st and 12th SS Pz Divs - no idea yet if they are worth including - and I have already inserted entries for a couple of other things (e.g. a half-hour documentary about the Longues Battery that I bought in France years ago).

Good luck when you get back to Kew. I'm itching to go back myself, but I guess we probably have a month or two to wait, possible longer.

Best,

Simon

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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#6

Post by Andy H » 23 Apr 2020, 16:38

Hi Tom

The NA are giving free access to its digital collections which I believe includes Army/Divisional histories, due to the Covid19 pandemic
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/abo ... downloads/

Regards

Andy H

Tom from Cornwall
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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#7

Post by Tom from Cornwall » 23 Apr 2020, 20:24

Andy,
Andy H wrote:
23 Apr 2020, 16:38
The NA are giving free access to its digital collections which I believe includes Army/Divisional histories, due to the Covid19 pandemic
Thanks, though I think the WW2 on-line files are pretty limited - mainly RAF ORBs and some Cabinet Papers, but I'll certainly check it out. :thumbsup:

Regards

Tom

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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#8

Post by Mori » 24 Apr 2020, 11:27

Andy H wrote:
23 Apr 2020, 16:38
The NA are giving free access to its digital collections which I believe includes Army/Divisional histories, due to the Covid19 pandemic
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/abo ... downloads/
Since they limit number of downloads to 10 per user, we're better off coordinating the effort not to download the same thing.

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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#9

Post by EKB » 18 May 2020, 11:32

The focal point for Operation BLUECOAT did not make sense. I don’t understand why Montgomery agreed to launch a major attack through La Suisse Normande. This is the worst ground in the region to force a corridor. And the only place on the Allied front where the Germans had just installed a fresh division, and was close to full strength.

It was no secret that the war south of Caumont was quiet because of poor prospects for mobile operations. Thick hedge-rows, sunken lanes, dead end service trails. Steep hills, ridges, gorges and the highest peak in Normandy. Going off road was extremely difficult without the benefit of hedge cutters and sapper teams to blow holes in thick vegetation.

The Germans were obviously aware that slow-going Allied attacks through heavy bocage and mine belts would buy time to move reserves if there was a breakthrough. Indeed this is one reason why 2. Panzer Division was replaced by 326. Infanterie-Division.

It’s not easy to find details about British battle drills to overcome hedge-lined obstacles. Generals Bucknall and Erskine were sacked during BLUECOAT, possibly for having to learn the same lessons that American officers did earlier.

As an aside, ORS Report No. 7 shows that accuracy of RAF and USAAF bombing in support of BLUECOAT was somewhat worse than the description in the Wiki article. Of the eleven areas on the target list, only three were rated as bombed accurately.

Bomb aiming by area was described thus:
- Accurate: A1, A2, E2
- Fair: D1, D2
- Scattered: B, C
- Practically no bombfall: E1, F2
- No bombfall: F1, G

Tom from Cornwall
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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#10

Post by Tom from Cornwall » 18 May 2020, 20:31

EKB wrote:
18 May 2020, 11:32
The focal point for Operation BLUECOAT did not make sense. I don’t understand why Montgomery agreed to launch a major attack through La Suisse Normande. This is the worst ground in the region to force a corridor. And the only place on the Allied front where the Germans had just installed a fresh division, and was close to full strength.
Hi,

Well, BLUECOAT was designed to support COBRA by trying to prevent German armour moving across quickly from the CAEN sector.

326 Infantry Division might have been fresh, but it was certainly given a hard pounding by BLUECOAT and 8 Corps in particular made considerable ground and sucked in a considerable quantity of German armour - COBRA was a huge success already, but every little helps!

SPRING showed what would happen when you attacked German armour without a "Colossal Crack" to provide support (and TOTALISE and TRACTABLE showed what happened even with massive support). In contrast, many of the units that took part in BLUECOAT were hustled in at very short notice and there was very little time for recce and co-ordination.
EKB wrote:
18 May 2020, 11:32
It’s not easy to find details about British battle drills to overcome hedge-lined obstacles.
Perhaps not in the secondary sources, but actually it is remarkably easy to find details about British 'Bocage' drills in British primary sources, I think it's just that many critical historians couldn't be bothered to do the hard yards in the archives. Perhaps they only sought evidence that backed up their prejudices.

We could look in the war diaries of the infantry battalions of the lorried infantry brigade of 7th Armoured Division, for example.

In the war diary of 1/5 Queen's, it shows that during the first couple of weeks in July there was a considerable amount of Tank-Inf co-operation training and even a Memo on what to do and how to do it produced on 14 Jul 44 which starts:
1/5 Queen’s Trg Instr No.1.

Inf and Tk Co-operation.

1. General.
The method by which Tks of Armd Regts and Inf can co-operate to the mutual advantage of each is laid down in succeeding paragraphs, and that system has been evolved to deal with the enemy in enclosed country, and in particular, the “Bocage” country of NORMANDY. The objects of this method are:-

(a) To use Tks to deal with enemy Spandau posns in order to enable the Inf to adv, and
(b) To use Inf to deal with enemy A.Tk weapons, and to point out to the tks (and if possible to destroy) enemy SP guns in order that they can be dealt with effectively and quickly.
Why did they only start training in July? Because they were holding the line before then.

Thanks for the interesting details on bombing accuracy, I hadn't seen that.

Regards

Tom

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EKB
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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#11

Post by EKB » 20 May 2020, 09:18

Tom from Cornwall wrote:
18 May 2020, 20:31
EKB wrote:
18 May 2020, 11:32
It’s not easy to find details about British battle drills to overcome hedge-lined obstacles.
Perhaps not in the secondary sources, but actually it is remarkably easy to find details about British 'Bocage' drills in British primary sources, I think it's just that many critical historians couldn't be bothered to do the hard yards in the archives. Perhaps they only sought evidence that backed up their prejudices.

We could look in the war diaries of the infantry battalions of the lorried infantry brigade of 7th Armoured Division, for example.

In the war diary of 1/5 Queen's, it shows that during the first couple of weeks in July there was a considerable amount of Tank-Inf co-operation training and even a Memo on what to do and how to do it produced on 14 Jul 44 which starts:
1/5 Queen’s Trg Instr No.1.

Inf and Tk Co-operation.

1. General.
The method by which Tks of Armd Regts and Inf can co-operate to the mutual advantage of each is laid down in succeeding paragraphs, and that system has been evolved to deal with the enemy in enclosed country, and in particular, the “Bocage” country of NORMANDY. The objects of this method are:-

(a) To use Tks to deal with enemy Spandau posns in order to enable the Inf to adv, and
(b) To use Inf to deal with enemy A.Tk weapons, and to point out to the tks (and if possible to destroy) enemy SP guns in order that they can be dealt with effectively and quickly.
Why did they only start training in July? Because they were holding the line before then.

Thanks for the interesting details on bombing accuracy, I hadn't seen that.

Regards

Tom

That’s a start, but does not explain typical or experimental tactics used to breach hedge-lines that allowed vehicles and troops to pass through. Roads were usually blocked with mines and gunfire, so the attackers had to practice some form of siegecraft off road until there was a breakthrough of defensive belts.

Sometimes it was possible to drive un-modified tanks through or over the top of hedges, depending on height of the earth banks and outgrowth of trees and scrub. But climbing over exposed the less protected underside of the tank, which was not desirable. Another nuisance was that French farmers often dug irrigation ditches in front of the dirt parapet.

For some reason Wiki is sticky about the losses of XXX Corps during BLUECOAT.

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Re: 326. Infanterie-Division - Normandy Jul - Aug 1944

#12

Post by Tom from Cornwall » 20 May 2020, 20:40

EKB wrote:
20 May 2020, 09:18

That’s a start, but does not explain typical or experimental tactics used to breach hedge-lines that allowed vehicles and troops to pass through. Roads were usually blocked with mines and gunfire, so the attackers had to practice some form of siegecraft off road until there was a breakthrough of defensive belts.
Thanks.

Probably better to take a discussion about British tank-infantry co-operation during BLUECOAT off to it's own thread though.

It's worth noting that 43rd Division and 8th Armoured Brigade had only a very short period of introduction before BLUECOAT started as early as possible even at the expense of recce and liaison as it was felt so important to provide as much support to COBRA as possible given it's evident and thankful success. :D

Regards

Tom

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