Formation The division was formed in 1934 from
Pomerania's
Mecklenburger population, with its home station being in
Schwerin. In order to hide Germany's remilitarisation – a breaking of the terms of the
Treaty of Versailles – the unit was codenamed
Infanterieführer II to disguise its size. It did not assume its bona-fide designation until the creation of the
Wehrmacht was announced in October 1935, where it was redesignated as the
12th Infantry Division. Alongside the name change,
Lieutenant General Wilhelm Ulex was placed in charge of the division, before being replaced by
Major General Albrecht Schubert the following October. Schubert was promoted to
Lieutenant General in March 1938. In November, the command over the 89th Infantry Regiment's 1st Battalion was given to
Helmuth Beukemann. In July 1939, the division was moved to
Königsberg, East Prussia as Germany prepared for the upcoming
invasion of Poland, ordered into the
1st Army's I Army Corps. The second group, 1st Battalion, Fusilier Regiment 27. commanded by Major
Heinz-Georg Lemm would break through Russian lines 3 kilometers west of Mogilev and from there they would move north of Berezino where they would cross the Berezina river.
Re-activation The division was re-activated in September 1944, where it was sent to the newly created Western Front. Again placed under the command of
Colonel Gerhard Engel, the division – at some point being redesignated the "12th
Volksgrenadier Division" (German:
12. Volksgrenadier-division) – was at a strength of some 12,800 men. With Allied forces approaching the
Siegfried Line, the division was made a line division against the Siegfried Line near
Aachen. On September 15, elements of the division arrived at the command post of LXXXI Corps where; in the evening they were given orders by the
7th Army to continue the defence of Aachen and to launch a counterattack on the building Allied forces crossing the
Ruhr, by first staging near
Eschweiler. The following day, elements of the
9th Panzer Division were added to the 12th Volksgrenadier, which was now well-equipped – at least in comparison to other, starving divisions. It then proceeded to take command of the immediate area around
Düren. A meeting between chiefs of staff of the 12th Volksgrenadier and the 9th Panzer Divisions took place on the evening to decide on how to plan their joint-attack on the
river Mausbach set for the following day. The division continued to see action on the Western Front in the Ardennes as part of the
6th Panzer Army's I SS-Panzer Corps during the
Battle of the Bulge. On January 1,
Lieutenant General Engel was seriously wounded by Allied forces, and
Colonel Rudolf Langhaeuser assumed temporary command until Engel's return in February. When the offensive failed, the 6th Panzer Army left for Hungary, leaving the division behind to fight off the approaching Americans. The division was encircled near
Wuppertal with
Army Group B within the
Ruhr Pocket. On April 12,
Major General Koenig assumed command of the division, having also assumed command of the
272nd Volksgrenadier Division. As the Pocket collapsed, Koenig was captured at
Wuppertal on April 18. ==Commanders==