302nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

The 302nd Infantry Division (German: 302. Infanteriedivision) was a German Army infantry division in World War II.

History
The 302nd Infantry Division was raised in November 1940 from men in Military District 3 and was used mostly as a French-occupying force, with some elements remaining in Germany. Its first combat situation was Luis Mountbatten's Dieppe Raid of 1942. The 302nd's actions during the raid led to it being nicknamed the "Dieppe division".

Actions in the Eastern front
In January 1943, the division was sent to the Eastern Front to aid in the Kharkov offencive, where it fought in Luhansk (then known as Voroshilovgrad). Between April and September the division switched to defensive tactics along the Mius-Front. It defended the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia between October and December before withdrawing to the Nikopol bridgehead, where Lieutenant General Rüdiger was wounded-in-action. The division retreating west to the Dnieper in April. Rüdiger's replacement, Lieutenant General Bogen was captured by Soviet troops in July. Colonel Fischer, the 302nd Artillery Regiment's commander, took his place. The division met its end on August 25 when the Soviets succeeded in encircling it during its withdrawal from the Dniper. During the encirclement Fischer was wounded and soon after captured.

Aftermath
Decimated during the Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive, the division was disbanded and those few survivors were transferred to the 15th and 75th Infantry Divisions.

Elements

 * 1940
 * 570th Infantry Regiment
 * 571st Infantry Regiment
 * 572nd Infantry Regiment
 * 302nd Artillery Regiment
 * 302nd Anti-tank Battalion
 * 302nd Reconnaissance Battalion
 * 302nd Engineer Battalion
 * 302nd Supply Battalion
 * 302nd Divisional Supply detachment


 * 1943
 * 570th Infantry Regiment
 * 571st Infantry Regiment
 * 572nd Infantry Regiment
 * 302nd Artillery Regiment
 * 302nd Mobile Battalion
 * 302nd Bicycle unit
 * 302nd Engineer Battalion
 * 302nd Intelligence Department
 * 302nd Infantry Division supply troops
 * 302nd Medical Company
 * 302nd Ambulance Train


 * 1944
 * 570th Grenadier Regiment
 * 572nd Grenadier Regiment
 * Division Group 125
 * Regiment Group 420
 * Regiment Group 421
 * 302nd Divisional fusilier battalion
 * 302nd Artillery Regiment
 * 302nd Mobile Battalion
 * 302nd Engineer Battalion
 * 302nd Field Replacement Battalion
 * 302nd Intelligence Department
 * 302nd Infantry Division Supply Troops
 * 302nd Medical Company
 * 302nd Ambulance train