A second command staff for
Wehrkreis XII (
Wiesbaden), designated
Kommandeur der Ersatztruppen XII/II, was formed on 20 October 1939. This staff was redesignated
182. Division on 7 November 1939, then located in
Litzmannstadt, and renamed again to become
Division Nr. 182 on 23 December 1939. The division's initial commander was
Friedrich Bayer, appointed on 19 October 1939.
Division Nr. 182 The division consisted of the following elements in March 1940: 110, 437, 438),
Senlis. • Reserve Grenadier Regiment 263 (Battalions: 463, 483, 485),
Gisors. • Reserve Grenadier Regiment 342 (Battalions: 321, 697, 698),
Mantes-Gassicourt. • Reserve Artillery Regiment 34 (Detachments: 70, 105, 179),
Meaux. • Reserve Machine Gun Battalion 14,
Langres. • Reserve Division Supply Commander 1082, Gisors. On 20 January 1944, Reserve Grenadier Regiment 263 was disbanded and its three battalions were used for formations of various new units. Battalion 463 joined the 988th Regiment under the
276th Infantry Division, whereas Battalions 483 and 485 joined Regiments 981 and 982 respectively, both of which were part of the
272nd Infantry Division. Furthermore, Battalions 226 and 697 were taken out of Regiments 79 and 342 to be used for the formation of
Division Wahn following an order of 28 January 1944. On 23 January 1944, the 182nd Reserve Division was moved to the
Pas-de-Calais area, with new headquarters set up at
Helfaut. The division was taken out of the army group reserves and given to the reserves of the 15th Army instead. On 25 March 1944,
Richard Baltzer took command of the division, a post he would hold until the end of the war. The 182nd Reserve Division consisted of the following elements on 1 March 1944: • Reserve Grenadier Regiment 79 (Battalions: 208, 212),
Bailleul. • Reserve Grenadier Regiment 112 (Battalions: 110, 437, 438),
Pihen-lès-Guînes. • Reserve Grenadier Regiment 342 (Battalions: 321, 698),
Wizernes. • Cossack Battalion 570,
Saint-Venant. • Reserve Artillery Regiment 34 (Detachments: 70, 105, 179), Chateau d'Alenthun. • Reserve Machine Gun Battalion 14,
Cassel. • Reserve Division Supply Commander 1082,
Arques. Following an order from 30 July 1944 (in response to
Operation Overlord), the 182nd Reserve Division was mobilized into the field army and subsequently destroyed by Allied forces in the
Caen area. A reorganization into a
Shadow Division of the 24th
Aufstellungswelle that was ordered by
Oberbefehlshaber West did not come to pass. Another planned reorganization into a 182nd Field Training Division, ordered by
OKH on 20 August 1944, also failed to materialize. A full redeployment of the 182nd Division was scheduled to be conducted in Wehrkreis X (
Hamburg) starting in October 1944, but the division was called to
Slovakia ahead of the deployment's completion on 20 November 1944. Here, the division was to complete deployment in the
Nitra area in Wehrkreis XVII (
Vienna), using recruits from Wehrkreis XII (Wiesbaden). The division's structure in late 1944 was as follows: • 182nd Division HQ, Nitra. • Reserve Grenadier Regiment 79 (Battalions: 208, 212),
Topoľčany • Reserve Grenadier Regiment 112 (Battalions: 110, 438),
Banská Štiavnica. • Reserve Grenadier Regiment 342 (Battalions: 321, 698), Pritwitz. • Reserve Artillery Detachment 1082 (three batteries),
Nitrianske Pravno. • Reserve Pioneer Company 1082, Heiligenkreuz. • Commander Division Supply Troops 1082, Nitra.
182nd Infantry Division On 1 April 1945, just over a month before
German surrender, the 182nd Reserve Division became the 182nd Infantry Division. The Reserve Grenadier Regiments 79, 112, and 342 became the Grenadier Regiments 663, 664, and 665, respectively. Each of these regiments retained the strength of two battalions each. The Reserve Artillery Regiment 1082, at only one battalion, became the Artillery Regiment 1082. The division was in Slovakia when the war ended, under the command of
LXXII Army Corps of the
8th Army under
Army Group South. Baltzer was still divisional commander. == Noteworthy individuals ==