352nd Infantry Division

352nd Infantry Division
Unit name	352nd Infantry Division
Native name	352. Infanterie-Division
Dates	1942–1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Wehrmacht
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Notable commanders	Dietrich Kraiss; Heinrich Henke
Engagements	World War II, Operation Overlord, Battle of Normandy, Battle of Cherbourg, Western Front (World War II)

352nd Infantry Division

The 352nd Infantry Division was a German Wehrmacht formation formed in 1942 that became notable for its defensive role in the Battle of Normandy during World War II. Raised from cadres of other formations and mobilized in the German-occupied Europe system, the division served on the Western Front (World War II) and participated in engagements including the defense against Operation Overlord and the subsequent fighting around Cherbourg and the Falaise Pocket. Its operational history reflects interactions with formations such as the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, the Panzer Lehr Division, and Allied formations including the United States Army, the British Army, and the Canadian Army.

Formation and Organization

The division was established in late 1942 as part of the German Army’s 22nd wave of mobilization, formed at the Rouen and Le Havre training areas with personnel drawn from replacement units and remnants of earlier divisions such as the 214th Infantry Division and the 7th Infantry Division. Initial organization followed the standard triangular infantry division model of the period, comprising three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, reconnaissance, engineer, anti-tank and signals battalions, and support elements modeled on directives from the OKH and influenced by lessons from the Eastern Front (World War II). Equipment shortages and transfers to other fronts affected its early complement of weapons and transport, resulting in adaptations in its logistics and structure as reflected in German mobilization policies negotiated at Army Group B level and supervised by commands such as Heeresgruppe D.

Operational History

After formation the division was deployed to the Atlantic Wall sectors in Normandy under Wehrmachtbefehlshaber West supervision. In early 1944 it manned fortifications and conducted counter-reconnaissance against British Special Air Service and French Résistance activities. During Operation Overlord the division was among the formations ordered to counter the Allied landings; elements engaged American units landing at Omaha Beach and British and Canadian units in the Gold Beach and Juno Beach sectors, linking with neighboring formations such as the 91st Infantry Division (United States) and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Under pressure from the United States First Army and British Second Army, the division fought delaying actions, fighting in bocage country, and attempted withdrawals toward Bayeux and Cherbourg.

In the summer offensive phase the division was involved in the defense of the approaches to Cherbourg, where German forces attempted to hold port facilities against attacks by the United States VII Corps and elements of Free French Forces. After sustaining heavy casualties, it took part in the fighting retreat through Normandy, eventually becoming encircled in parts during the Falaise Pocket operations where units attempted breakout operations against advancing formations including the Polish 1st Armoured Division. Surviving elements were reconstituted and later participated in rear-guard actions on the Western Front (1944–45), encountering formations such as the Soviet Red Army only in later stages of the war along distinct sectors.

Commanders

The division's command cadre included officers promoted from regimental commands and staff positions. Prominent commanders included Dietrich Kraiss, who commanded during critical phases in 1944, and later commanders such as Heinrich Henke. Division leadership often coordinated with corps and army group commanders including figures associated with Army Group B and responded to directives from the Oberkommando des Heeres in attempting to integrate artillery, engineer and anti-tank assets in defensive operations.

Order of Battle and Equipment

The division's canonical order of battle comprised three infantry regiments (designated in the German system as Grenadier regiments), an artillery regiment, a reconnaissance battalion (Aufklärungs), an engineer (Pionier) battalion, an anti-tank (Panzerjäger) detachment, a signals (Nachrichten) unit, and logistical support elements. Equipment reflected standard German issue: Mauser Karabiner rifles, MP40 submachine guns, MG34 and MG42 machine guns, 7.5 cm Pak anti-tank guns, 10.5 cm leFH 18 field howitzers in the artillery regiment, and limited motor transport managed under Wehrmacht logistics doctrines. As pressure from Allied interdiction mounted, shortages led to increased reliance on captured materiel, horse-drawn transport, and improvised anti-tank weapons, consistent with supply issues experienced by units across the Western Front (World War II).

War Crimes and Civilian Impact

The division operated in contested areas where occupation policies by German forces intersected with French Resistance activity, Allied bombing, and civilian displacement. Reports and historical inquiries into conduct by Wehrmacht units in Normandy have examined incidents involving reprisals, treatment of prisoners and interactions with civilians. Historiography of the period situates such incidents within broader debates involving the Nazi occupation of France, Wehrmacht compliance with orders, and postwar legal examinations conducted by Allied military tribunals and national inquiries in France and Germany.

Postwar Legacy and Commemoration

Postwar memory of the division is embedded in wider commemorations of the Battle of Normandy and the liberation of Western Europe, featuring in battlefield studies, unit histories, and memorialization at sites such as the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, the Bayeux War Cemetery, and regional museums in Normandy. Veterans’ accounts, military historians, and documentary archives held by institutions such as the Imperial War Museums and the Bundesarchiv contribute to ongoing research, reassessment, and public debate about the division’s role, operational decisions, and the human cost of the 1944 campaigns. Category:Infantry divisions of Germany (Wehrmacht)