The 549th Grenadier Division was formed at
Schwerin from replacement troops in
Wehrkreis II on 11 July 1944. The division was commanded by
Oberst Karl Jank, previously with
4th Mountain Division, destroyed during the Soviet
Crimean Offensive. The division was composed of the 1097th, 1098th, and 1099th Grenadier Regiments and the 1549th Artillery Regiment, in addition to smaller support units. As a volksgrenadier division, manpower shortages meant its infantry regiments contained two battalions, rather than the standard three. The battalions were meant to be used as defensive units that could be formed and trained quickly, with a reduced complement of artillery and an increased number of
submachine guns and
anti-tank rockets. Composed largely of men previously considered unfit for military service due to age or medical conditions, it lacked a core of veterans who could impart combat experience. The division was sent to the front in August, fighting in Lithuania with
XXVI Army Corps, part of the
3rd Panzer Army, an element of
Army Group Centre. On 16 August,
Operation Doppelkopf began, an armored counterattack attempting to reunite
Army Group North, and Army Group Centre. The 549th and
561st Volksgrenadier Division were tasked with the defence of XXVI Army Corps' line on the southern flank of the army. Holding positions on the flank of
6th Panzer Division, both were forced to retreat by attacks made by elements of the Soviet
11th Guards,
33rd, and
5th Armies. As a result, the
1st Infantry Division had to be diverted to support XXVI Army Corps, instead of participating in
Doppelkopf. In September, the corps was transferred to the
4th Army, where it served with
XXVII Army Corps. The Soviet
Memel Offensive left Army Group North trapped in the
Courland Pocket, and forced the 549th to retreat into
East Prussia, after very heavy losses. On 9 October, the division was redesignated 549th Volksgrenadier Division, part of the 32nd wave of infantry divisions formed during the war. Their stubborn defence during the retreat, and Jank's performance led to his promotion as
Generalmajor on 10 October. On 16 October, the Red Army launched its first attack on East Prussia, the
Gumbinnen Operation, the 549th defending positions north of
Eydtkau. It was gradually pushed back by the 11th Guards Army, but prevented a breakthrough; 11th Guards captured Eydtkau the next day, exposing the southern flank of the 549th. Elements of the division retreated west to
Ebenrode, where the reserve
103rd Panzer Brigade launched a counterattack that halted the Soviet advance, which was shifted south towards
Nemmersdorf due to boggy ground. For the next several days the division held on between Ebenrode and
Schlossberg with the support of the
276th Assault Gun Brigade, as the Soviet offensive came to an end. In October, it returned to XXVI Army Corps, still part of 3rd Panzer Army. When the Soviet
East Prussian Offensive began on 12 January 1945, the division held positions northeast of
Gumbinnen. Attacks by the Soviet
3rd Guards Rifle Corps broke through its defenses, exposing the northern flank of the neighbouring
61st Infantry Division. Its losses meant the 549th transferred responsibility for part of its sector to
5th Panzer Division on 15 January. Over the next two days, the division continued to be the target of Soviet attacks, repulsed with support from 5th Panzer. They were finally over-run on 19 January by 11th Guards and
2nd Guards Tank Corps; on 20th, the survivors established new defensive positions in the Eichwald forest, east of the
Inster valley, together with the
349th Volksgrenadier Division. Its remains and XXVI Army Corps were assigned to 4th Army as part of Army Group North later in January, and in February they became part of the reserve of
2nd Army of
Army Group Vistula, fighting in
West Prussia. The division was rebuilt with II. and III. Pommern Regt. 4, Volkssturm battalions 26/11, 26/29 and 26/70, a Marine Alarm Battalion, a HJ Battalion, part of recce battalion of 4th Polizei Division, a battalion of 5th Jäger Division. After being rebuilt at
Pasewalk in March 1945, a
kampfgruppe formed from the division joined
XXXII Army Corps of the 3rd Panzer Army later that month, fighting on the
Stettin front. Colonel Kraus became acting commander of the division in April. As late as 20 April, the division still numbered roughly 6,200 personnel, and was equipped with 32 mortars, 76 guns, and 12 assault guns. It was thrown into the fighting east of the
Randow river on 25 April, suffering heavy casualties. The 549th surrendered to American troops in
Mecklenburg on 8 May 1945. == References ==