oung German soldiers captured near the town of Le Gast during the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. / Photo by Frank Scherschel
Most likely, these guys are from the 156th Panzergrenadier Regiment of the 116th Panzer Division "Der Windhund".
The 116th
Panzer Division, also known as the "Windhund (Greyhound) Division", was a
German armoured formation that saw combat during
World War II.
History:
The 116th Division was constituted in the
Rhineland and
Westphaliaareas of western Germany in March 1944 from the remnants of the
16th Panzergrenadier Division, and the
179th Reserve Panzer Division. The 16th had suffered heavy casualties in combat on the
Eastern Front near Stalingrad, and the 179th was a second-line formation that had been on occupation duty in France since 1943.
Western Front:
In 1944, it participated in opposing the
Normandy landings, the
Battle of Normandy, and was later trapped in the
Falaise Pocketfollowing Operation
Cobra.
Along with the
2nd SS Panzer Division, it was responsible for holding the pocket open to allow German troops to escape. It managed to escape, although with only 600 infantry and 12 tanks intact. In October, it fought against American forces in the
Battle of Aachen, with the town falling to the Americans on 21 October. It was moved to Düsseldorf for refitting. On 8 November, the division repulsed an attack from the
U.S. 28th Infantry Division in the
Hürtgen Forest during the larger
Battle of Hürtgen Forest, recapturing the town of Schmidt, thus providing the name to the 28th of the "Bloody Bucket Division".
The 116th then participated in the failed
"Wacht am Rhein" Operation in the Ardennes. On 10 December, before the offensive, it was partly refitted, with 26
Panzer IV and 43
Panther tanks and 25
Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers (of which 13 were combat ready). However, it was still missing much of its organic transport. Initially stalled by the resistance and then poor bridges in attacks to cross the
Our River at
Luetzkampen and
Ouren, it back-tracked to march through
Belgium from
Dasburg to
Houffalize. The division then fought its way as the middle spearhead of the advance on the Meuse from Samree to
La Roche. It was then involved in heavy fighting at
Hotton and
Verdenne, where it was turned back at its furthest advance in the Ardennes.
At later delayed
Allied forces allowing other German units to retreat, before being withdrawn over the
Rhine in March. It then opposed the
U.S. Ninth Army's advance across the Rhine, thus stopping the planned Allied breakthrough as well as opposing Operation
Varsity's airborne landings. With 2,800 men and 10 tanks against 50,000 Allied troops and supporting tanks, the division faced the
U.S. 30th, the
U.S. 35th, the
U.S. 84th, the
4th Canadian and the
U.S. 8th Armored Divisions. On 16 April 1945, the majority of the division was forced to surrender to the U.S. Ninth Army, having been trapped in the
Ruhr Pocket. Remnants of the division continued to fight in the
Harz mountains until 30 April, surrendering only after all of their resources had been exhausted.