563rd Volksgrenadier Division

The 563rd Volksgrenadier Division was a volksgrenadier division of the German Army during the Second World War, active from 1944 to 1945.

563rd Volksgrenadier Division
Kurland cuff
Active	1944-1945
Disbanded	1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Commanders
Notable commanders	Ferdinand Brühl Werner Neumann

The division was formed in October 1944 in Norway, by redesignating the 563rd Grenadier Division, under the command of Ferdinand Brühl. It contained the 1147th, 1148th and 1149th Grenadier Regiments, and the 1563rd Artillery Regiment.^[1]

The division was caught in the Kurland Pocket, and fought there until the end of the war,^[1] surrendering along with its II Army Corps sister 263rd Infantry Division to 16th Rifle Division.^[2]

On 1st April 1945 the division was formed by:

• 1148th Volksgrenadier Regiment (I. & II. battalions + 13. company)
• 1149th Volksgrenadier Regiment (I. & II. battalions + 13. company)
• 1563rd Artillery Regiment (I. (1 battery 7,5 cm & 2 batteries 10,5 cm), II. (1 battery 15 cm & 2 batteries 10,5 cm) & III. (1 battery 7,5 cm & 2 batteries 10,5 cm) battalions)
• Antitank Battalion
• Pionier Battalion (2 companies)
• Division Combat School (1 company)

Notes

1. Axis History Factbook
2. Petrenko 2010, p. 222.

References

• "563. Volksgrenadier-Division". Axis History Factbook. 17 July 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-18.

• Petrenko, Andrey I. (2010), Stalin's Baltic Divisions, 1418 Days of the Great War, Moscow: Veche (in Russian)(Петренко А.И. Прибалтийские дивизии Сталина. М.: Вече, 2010. Серия «1418 дней Великой Войны»).