The 353rd Infantry Division was assembled as an infantry division of the 21st deployment wave on 5 November 1943. The division was initially deployed under supervision of the German
7th Army, which also became the division's superior formation for most of its history. The 353rd Infantry Division was assembled from elements of the
328th Infantry Division, which had previously served with the
1st Panzer Army in southern Russia on the
Eastern Front. There, the 328th Infantry Division had taken heavy casualties over the course of the year 1943, was subsequently downsized to the smaller "Division Group 328" before eventually being dissolved altogether. The 353rd Infantry Division consisted initially of Grenadier Regiment 941, Grenadier Regiment 942, Grenadier Regiment 943, Division Fusilier Battalion 353, Artillery Regiment 353 and Division Units 353. Each of the grenadier regiments initially consisted of two battalions, bringing the division to a total strength of six grenadier battalions. The grenadier regiments from which the initial battalions were assembled were the Grenadier Regiments 548 and 569 (previously 328th Infantry Division), 754 and 755 (previously
334th Infantry Division), 581 (previously
306th Infantry Division) and 671 (previously
371st Infantry Division). After June 1944 (
Operation Overlord), the 353rd Infantry Division was engaged on the newly reopened
Western Front. The division was briefly commanded by a colonel named Thieme in early August, before Paul Mahlmann returned to command later the same month. The 353rd Infantry Division was eventually trapped in the
Ruhr Cauldron, where it went into American captivity around April 1945. The division's final commander was Colonel Kurt Hummel, who assumed command on 15 February 1945. == Order of battle ==