999th Light Afrika Division (Wehrmacht)

999th Afrika Division
Afrika-Division 999
Active 6 October 1942
Country  Nazi Germany
Branch Army
Type Infantry
Role Penal military unit
Garrison/HQ Heuberg
Disbanded 15 May 1943

The 999th Afrika Brigade was a German Army unit created in October 1942 as a penal military unit. It was later expanded into the 999th Light Afrika Division and began deploying to Tunisia in early 1943. However, this was interrupted by the surrender of Axis forces in that theater. Those elements that made it to Africa before the collapse fought as independent units rather than as a division, and were lost in the general collapse. The remainder were sent to Greece for garrison and anti-partisan duty,[1] where a number of those forced into service because of their anti-Nazi activities continued them, such as Falk Harnack, who deserted and formed the Anti-Fascist Committee for a Free Germany[2] with other soldiers. During the only fight many of the political prisoners in the division went over to the US troops or retreated, the US Army taking their positions without any heavy fighting.

Commanders

Commanders were:[3]

Organization

Order of battle of Afrika-Brigade 999[3]

Order of battle of 999 Afrika Division[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mark Mazower (1993). Inside Hitler's Greece: The Experience of Occupation, 1941-44. Yale University Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-300-06552-7.
  2. ↑ Gottfried Hamacher, Andre Lohmar, Herbert Mayer and Günter Wehner, Gegen Hitler: Deutsche in der Resistance, in den Streitkräften der Antihitlerkoalition und der Bewegung "Freies Deutschland" Dietz, Berlin (March 2005), p. 76. ISBN 3-320-02941-X (in German)
  3. 1 2 3 George F. Nafziger – The Afrika Korps: An organizational history 1941–1943

Bibliography

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