281st Security Division (281. Sicherungs-Division) was a rear-security division in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany. Established in 1941, the unit was deployed in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union, in the Army Group North Rear Area. The unit was converted to an infantry division in 1945, while stationed in Courland.
| 281st Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | March 1941 – May 1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Army (Wehrmacht) |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Rear-security division |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | Eastern Front Bandenbekämpfung |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Theodor Scherer |
Operational history
editFormed in March 1941, the 281st Security Division served in Army Group North Rear Area, in Northern Russia. In early 1942, commanded by General Theodor Scherer, elements of the division were encircled by the Soviet forces at Kholm in what became known as the Kholm Pocket. The pocket was relieved after four months.[1] For the next two years, it was stationed in the northern sector and engaged in rear-area security and anti-partisan operations, although elements of the division saw action at the front line. One of the major anti-partisan operations it engaged in was Operation Frühjahrsbestellung in April 1943.[2] It was destroyed in mid-1944.[1]
It was reconstituted in Courland in January 1945 as the 281st Infantry Division. It retreated to the Oder River, where in May it surrendered with the rest of the 3rd Panzer Army.[1]
Commanders
edit- Generalleutnant Friedrich Bayer: March - October 1941
- Generalmajor Theodor Scherer: October 1941 - June 1942
- Generalmajor Wilhelm-Hunold von Stockhausen: June - December 1942
- Generalmajor Bruno Scultetus: December 1942 - May 1943
- Generalleutnant Wilhelm-Hunold von Stockhausen: May 1943 - July 1944
- Generalmajor Bruno Ortner: July 1944
- Generalmajor Alois Windisch: July - September 1944
- Generalmajor Bruno Ortner: September 1944 - April 1945
- Oberst Schmidt: April - May 1945
Notes
editReferences
edit- Alexander Hill (2019). Soviet Partisan versus German Security Soldier. Oxford; United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1472825667.
- Samuel W. Mitcham (2007). German Order of Battle. Volume One: 1st – 290th Infantry Divisions in WWII. PA; United States of America: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3416-5.