The decisive influence on the shaping of the organization and tactics of the German infantry before the outbreak of World War II was, on the one hand, the experience of the previous World War, but also theoretical works created in the 1920s and 1930s, which often emphasized the need to perceive the German infantry as a tool waging an offensive war. This affected both the equipment and the organization of the German infantry division, which during the September campaign of 1939 consisted of 3 infantry regiments, each of which was divided into 3 infantry battalions, an artillery company and an anti-tank company. In addition, there were numerous support units, including: an artillery regiment with 4 artillery squadrons (including one heavy), an anti-tank battalion, a sapper battalion and a communications battalion. In total, the so-called infantry division In the first mobilization wave, there were approximately 17,700 people and had a significant artillery component, but also was abundantly equipped with machine guns. It also had modern and efficient - for those times - means of communication and command. In the course of the war, infantry divisions underwent transformation - in 1943 some of them were transformed into armored grenadier divisions. However, from 1943, the standard division of the "traditional" infantry consisted of approx. 12,500 men (and not approx. 17,700 as in 1939), and its artillery component - especially heavy artillery - was also reduced in it, while its anti-tank defense was significantly improved. It is assumed that during the entire Second World War, about 350 infantry divisions served in the Wehrmacht.
352nd Infantry Division (Ger. 352. Infanterie-Division ) was formed in November 1943 in occupied France. In September 1944, it was transformed into the 352nd People's Grenadier Division (German 352. Volksgrenadier- Division). The unit was formed to compensate for the losses suffered by the Wehrmacht during the fighting on the Eastern Front in 1943. It was assumed that the unit would be fully operational in May 1944. It was originally assumed that the division would be relocated to the Eastern Front, but with the increasing threat of an Allied invasion in France, it was decided that the unit would remain in the country of its formation and fight the Allies based on the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall. For this reason The 352nd Infantry Division was relatively poorly equipped with artillery or machine guns. The unit faced the Allied invasion on June 6, 1944, but suffered enormous losses over the next several hours. The remnants of the division took part in the fighting in Normandy in June-July 1944, suffering further serious losses. The remnants of the 352nd Infantry Division were transformed in September 1944 into the 352nd People's Grenadier Division, which took part in the Ardennes offensive in 1944-1945. In the course of these fights, it again suffered serious losses, and the remains of the division capitulated to the Allied forces in April 1945.
