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Result
Grossmann (unequivical) The result of the battle. Russian lost: 380,000 killed and wounded, 13,770 prisoners, 2,956 tanks (destroyed or damaged), 45 guns, 101 anti-tank and anti-aircraft cannon, 227 mortars, 781 machine gun and 870 aircraft, including 59 shot down infantry.

Isaev limited success (for Russian) (Russian did learn some lessons)

Ziemke Army Group Centre had held its own through the summer - barely

Svetlana Gerasimova To paraphrase 'difficult to say'

Quoted in 'Through the mealstrom' a quote from Stalin 'Comrade Antonov' asked the supreme Commander, 'have you ever wondered why many of our offensive operation in 1942 were not completed?,' Take for example the Rzhev Viazma operation of two fronts... How do you explain these failures'

Participants, such as Boris Gorbachevsky in Thrugh the Mealstom and Petr Mikhin in Guns against the Riech both analyse the battle and come up with it was a tragic and costly failure.

Given the above Grossman seems correct in that Russia Lost, therefore I guess the result must be a Victory for Germany, even if it was a qualified one. What do you suggest, revert to Tactical German Victory?

Some Rzhev sources
Some of the best free sources are online, and can be easily translated now with your Chrome Browser Vladimir Beshanov, is a Russian auther who writes on the history of the 1941-45 conflict mainly, you can see his biog here https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%92%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 The relevant chapter in his book 1942 is availiable online here http://militera.lib.ru/research/beshanov_vv/20.html

Alexey V. Isaev, is another Russian auther and historian, you can find his chapter here http://militera.lib.ru/h/isaev_av6/04.html, the book is called something like 'When the surprise was gone. History of the Second World War, we did not know'

LM Sandalov's 20th army study is fantastic account of what went on in the Soviet side you can find it here http://www.1942.ru/book/20A_pogorel.htm

http://www.soldat.ru/news/920.html is a good article with detail of Russian units and problems faced.

Russian wikipedia Article is worth a read http://rshew-42.narod.ru/ is a good source of articles, many of these are backed up by quoted documentation

This site is I think in Dutch and Germanan contains much information. I don't think I used it as a source as its not documented where its info comes from, but I believe much of it would be collaborated by other sources and its good background. http://home.kabelfoon.nl/~oswald/tweedezomerslagduits.html

The best book in English is listed in the sources The heavy load of reliably sourced content for me came from the The Rzhev Slaughterhouse, by Svetlana Gerasimova, its rather disjointed and misses out details of much of the actual fighting, but all based on her solid research and is about a good a source as you will get comming out of Russia. Some of here materiel can be found online here http://www.e-reading.club/chapter.php/1009463/6/Gerasimova_-_Rzhevskaya_boynya.html

Ziemke,s book, Moscow to Stalingrad, is an excellent view of the battle at German army level and uses official soviet histories to give both sides. Its electronic Kindle edition is only £1.58.

Rzhev links
https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D1%96%D1%8F_%C2%AB%D0%97%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%96%D1%86%C2%BB

Commanding Officers

 * General der Artillerie Ernst-Eberhard Hell, 1. September 1939 – 12. August 1940
 * Generalleutnant Wolfgang Edler Herr und Freiherr von Plotho, 12. August 1940 – 31. March 1941
 * General der Infanterie	 Ernst von Leyser, 1 April 1941 – 31 August 1942
 * Generalleutnant Kurt Badinski, 1. September 1942 – 24 November 1943
 * Generalleutnant Hans Wagner 25. Nov. 1943 – 8 May 1945

prelude to summer
In June Army Group South conducted two operations intended to be quick, cheep victories that would cut into Soviet strength whilst boosting the moral of the German solider. Undertaken by Army Group South whilst it waited for Gerneral von Mainstein's assult on Sebastaple to finnish and release the additional air support it needed to launch the main event, operation Blue, the summer offensive. The 44th Infantry Division would play a roll in both, first on 10th - 15th June with Wilhelm folling in the wake of III Pz Korps conducted small operations while the main event 'Blue' waited for the action in the Crimea to finish so that additional air support to arrive Operation Wilhelm 10 15 June 1942 Following the mobile unit of III Pz Korps mauled Southwest Fronts 28th Arrmy

Fridericus II LI Army Korps of 1st Pz Army, 44th Inf & 3 other inf divs 297 71 62

Attacking across the Rapido, infantry from the 34 US division, 133 Infantry Regiment found the river in its upper reaches fordable, but the flooded banks, compounded by German minefields caused its armoured support to bog down. The infantry that managed to get across were met by accurate artillery and heavy wepons fire from German 132 IR units, who protected by deep bunkers, had been sheilded from the US artillery preparation, so that they were forced back to their starting positions. The next night the 34 division tried again but with the same result.

For the first 4 days the American attack stalled at the river line, the infantry unable to capitalise on their gains until 29 January the US 168 Infantry regiment units, found a week spot, managed to get tanks accross in greater numbers. Working in tandem the American tanks suppressed the German bunkers allowing the infantry to over run the German positions in the valley and pushed onto to the low hills, taking the village of Ciaro, and capturing the staff of 1 battalion 131 infantry regiment

On 1 February the Italian Barracks at the base of the hills, still in the hands of the 44 Division was stormed by troops of US 133 infantry Regiment assaulted and the area was finally captured the following day after fierce fighting.

So at the beginning of February the positions of the 132 Infantry Regiments in the Rapido were mostly over run and its battalions decimated, It was clear to von Senger, the Korps commander that the 44 Division could not hold on its own. Its Divisional reserves had already been committed against the French, so that fresh forces would be needed to bolster its sector around Cassino. These fresh forces were soon to arrive, the 211 Infantry Regiment went into Cassino town, and the first 2 battalions of 90 Panzer Grenadier Division arrived shortly after, followed by the first of the Parachute units that would become synonymous with the Cassino defence. On 2 February General Baade, commander of the 90 Panzer Grenadiers took over the vital Cassino sector and the 132 Regiment was withdrawn to rebuild.

Italy
On 25th July 1943 Mussolini was removed from Office by King Victor Emmanuel and replaced as Prime Minister by  Marchal Badoglio The Same day Marshall Badoglio called the German ambassador in Rome and informed him of Mussolini resignation. Although the Marshall publicly declared a continuation of the war and the pact with Germany Hitler immediately suspected that Badoglio would seek to make peace with the Allies. The German military forces in Italy remained week, most combat capable combat units were fighting in Sisily, with very little on the mainland, capable of dealing with a swift Italian defection.

Hitler recalled Rommel to Berlin ordered him to take on the problem of securing German Iinterests in Northern Italy and to use his newly set up Army Group B headquarters to control the new forces that would soon be moved into the area. Orders for these troop movements soon began to be issued, but to get the troops into the theatre, first the vital communications rout through the mountains had to be secured. On 26th July, Field Marshal von Rundstedt, at OB West Headquarters was ordered to move 2 divisions immediately to secure the Alpine passes, the 305th went towards Nice and the 44th towards the Brenner pass. Divisional units of the 44th began arriving in Innsbruck, Austria on the 27th July, and by the months end the 44th was on the boarder at the Brenner pass, but its admission into Italy proper now became a matter of political debate between the higher political and military establishments of Italy and Germany.

The Italians did not want more German units to enter the country, as they saw, rightly, that this would enable the Germans to take control. However, the they were not ready to openly oppose the Germans at this time and they could not deny the logic of the German argument, that more military units would be needed to repel the Allied armies, so even though at first the local Italian commander was instructed to refuse the division entry, permission was eventually granted. The 44th quickly took control of the rail line as far as Bolzano, and by the next day infiltration of Army group B units was in full swing.

On 8th September Badoglio announced an armistice between the Italian Forces and the Allies on Radio Rome

The Italian defection was long forseen by Hitler who had instucted the OKW to develop contingency plans to deal with it. Operation Achse would see the disarming and disbanding of the miletary of the former German ally. The Italian Armed forces, lacking any clear leadership bagan to disolve and capitulation unsued. The 44th Division, still in the south Tyrol, quickly seized the Italian XXXV Corps Headquarters in Bolzano, and a hudge haul of prisoners, including 1783 offisers, amounst which were 18 Generals, and 50,000 men.

With the Italian Miletary no loner policing its territory, Yugoslavian partisan activity flared up in Istria and Carniola. This area had mixed populations of Italians, Slovaks and Croations, and Carniola, part of Yugoslavia in 1939, had only recently been annexed by Italy in 1941. OKW ordered Army Group B to safeguard vital interestes and communications routs in the area, and Romel dutifully complied. Tasking II SS Panzer Corps to lead, and utalising the considarable forces at the disposal of Army Group B,several sweeps were conducted from late September to mid November, claiming success and the killing or capturing of thousands of partisans and capturing of much materiel.

section
In the beginning of Novemer 1943, Kesselring authorised the release of the 44th Infantry Division and gave it to 10th Army. Lemelsen the 10th Army commander from northern Italy for use in the front. The division travelled by train to the Cassino area, where the battalions moved forward to tghe positions of the 'Reinhart line' The dividion entrained in Northen Italy The 44th releived the 26th Panzer Division

The whole of the division was slow to arrive, with elements still being shown in transit as late as 6th december

The division soon saw action and had to give ground, before von Senger, the Corps commander allowed HuD to pull back faster that the general withdrawal rate to give it a little time to settle into the defenses of the |Gustav line. and the 44th took over a vital sector just to the north of the town of Cassino and the monestory on Monte.

The Gustav line defenses in its sector made use of the swampy valley through which flowed the river Rapido.

With the 8th Army approaching from the south, and the Salerno counter attacked failed to eliminate the beachhead, the Germand comander decided to withdraw to defensive lines further to the north. The allied armies pushed

^ Neither fear nor hope, p187

Commitment to combat
In November 1943 Kesselring saw Hitler in Berlin. He told the German leader that he believed the Allies could be held south of Rome at the winter line for sixmonths. Shortly after Kesselring was given overall command of the armies in Italy, and Rommel relinquished his command of Army Group B and transferred to France to build the Atlantic wall Now with access to an extra eight and a half divisions, including the 44th Infantry Division, Kesselring had the additional forces he needed to attempt to fulfil his promise to Hitler. He wanted to releave his mobile divisions to rebuild their strength and use them as a mobile reserve against likely landings behind the German line

The American led 5th Army had broken out of the Salerno beachhead, joined with the British 8th, that had entered the boot of Italy from Sicily and were pushing German forces northward as they fought delaying actions through successive defensive lines. Kesselring wanted to delay their advance as long as possible to gain time to build up the defences of the Gustav line.

He qiuickly dispatched units from the North, and the 44th HuD was sent by train bla bla The division joined the 10th army xxx copps under xxx, which was conducting a gradual withdrawl under pressure The division was slow to arrive in its entiriety with elements still arriving into early December nevertherless it had releaved the 26th Panzer division and had serveal battaliuons in action in the Bernhardt Line The allies attcks from the heavy rains and the mountainus terrain and poor communications were lost momentum, halted in mid November but after resghuffling their forces Part of the renewed Allied drive was conducted by the VI corps in mountainus terrain agaist 44th division position the 44th was not used to mountain warfare, nor was its inexperienced troops used to full scale combat

The germans decided to delay the allies at the Bernhardt Line for as long as possible before the reached the main winter line at Cassino immediatly dispatched force from the northan Italy to the main defensive lines south of Rome. In the beginning of Novemer 1943, Kesselring authorised the release of the 44th Infantry Division and gave it to 10th Army. Lemelsen the 10th Army commander from northern Italy for use in the front.

The division travelled to the Cassino area, where the battalions de-trained moved forward to the positions of the 'Reinhart line' where it was to releave 26th Panzer Division.

The whole of the division was slow to arrive, with elements still being shown in transit as late as 6th december [5]

Lagon
At the End of November 1943, 44th HuD units began to arrive and the most advanced battalions were sent forward to relieve units of the 26th Panzer Division, which was to be shifted elsewhere. The division took over a serious of high peaks dominating the road to St Elia, occupying numerous protected shelters, pill boxes, and mortar positions on the reverse slopes, as well as the village of Lagon, whose sturdy houses had been fortified. Its new positions were soon under attack as the US VI Corps, which, having recently reshuffled its forces, pushed its units into the mountains, attempting to draw German reserves away from the main effort that was to occur further to the south.

The US 45th Division objectives was the village of Lagon and several peaks that dominated the village and the road to St Elia, especially peak 769. Several days of combat around peak 769 followed, between elements of the 179th US Infantry Regiment and 2 Kompanie 131 Regiment, with attack followed by counter attck, and the summit changing hands. Finally the Americans secured the summit for good and the 2/131 withdrew from its last positions on the reverse slopes with only 12 men and one officer remaining in the company. On the 9th December the US Division managed to get troops into Lagon but after house to house fighting, failed to dislodge the defenders from I/134, and the village remained in German hands.

On 29th November the US 45th Division attacked 44th Division's positions in the mountains, the 1st Battalion, 134th Grenadiers resisted stubbornly in village of Lagone whose sturdy houses had been the fortified and the US division made little progress with the nearby hights seeing attack and counter attack for several days. The Germans had contructed numeroius protected shelters, pill boxes and gun positions on the reverse slopes of from which they launched counter attacks on US attempts to capture the summits.

By 9th December Lagone was the scene of house to house fighting but would remain in German succeeding in fending off the American attack. despite its inexperience in major combat and mountain warfare, the 44th Division first engagements against the ALLIED ARMIES WERE SUCCESSFUL, AND THE 45TH us DIVISION HAD MADE LITTLE PROGRESS IN 2 weeks fighting.

On 15th Dec the Americans tried again. This time managed to out flank Lagone and the division withdrew

For now the american advance had been held off.

The division soon saw action and had to give ground, before von Senger, the Corps commander allowed HuD to pull back faster that the general withdrawal rate to give it a little time to settle into the defenses of the |Gustav line.[7] and the 44th took over a vital sector just to the north of the town of Cassino and the monestory on Monte. The Gustav line defenses in its sector made use of the swampy valley through which flowed the river Rapido.

Cassino
The swampy ground had been laid with minefields and rows of barbed wire had been laid in the marshes and on the gently rising ground at the base of the mountains. Backed by machine gun bunker positions, and some portable steel pillboxes, half-buried in the ground,

. Artillery and Nebelwerfer positions had been built through out with particular care to protect them from observation and counter battery fire.

After failing in its 1st? attempt the US attack found a blind spot in the defence, slogged through the marchy valley terain and secured a toehold in the foothills

With its infantry battalions being steadily pushed back it was becoming increasingly obvious that the division could not hold much longer with out reinforcements

it's left had been ejected from the village of Cairo by a drive from US inf reg xxx and was in Danger of being outflanked by the Frewnce xxx In the Center the us xx reg had captured the southern slopes of monte xxx and then veered left along the ridge lines aiming at a group of summits with no names, but know by their height references. Just behind these summits, on the other side of a ravine, was the dominant feature of Monte Cassino. To capture this would grant the attacker an overview of the entire Luri valley, and render the German defense there untenable. On the valley floor the american 135th Regiment had overrun the divisions defenses and advanced along the base of the hills to the outskirts of Cassino proper, which as being defended by xxx

xxx, the division commander reported that the 44th could hold the allies no longer with out help, but help would be forthcoming, and arrive shortly in the shape of units from 90 Pz Gren division and 1st Falshirmjager. The parashooters, now sinominus with the battle took over positions in and around monestry hill

^ KESSELRING: AN ANALYSIS OF THE GERMAN COMMANDER AT ANZIO, p40 ^ See situation map ^ FIFTH ARMY AT THE WINTER LINE p2 ^ Die 44. Infanterie-Division 1938-1945 p ^ See situation map ^ FIFTH ARMY AT THE WINTER LINE p33 for full account od this action ^ Neither fear nor hope, p187

Нагороджені дивізії

 * High awards
 * Нагороджені Сертифікатом Пошани Головнокомандувача Сухопутних військ (5)

Mit der Bezeichnung Aufstellungswelle unterschied man verschiedenartige Divisionstypen mit unterschiedlicher Gliederung und Waffenausstattung innerhalb des Heeres der Wehrmacht.

Im Kriege war es aufgrund der wechselnden Personal-, Material- und Ausbildungslage nicht möglich, alle Divisionen gleichmäßig zu gliedern und auszustatten. Die Divisionen einer Aufstellungswelle wurden im gleichen Zeitraum aufgestellt und hatten die gleiche Gliederung und Ausrüstung. Maßgebend dafür war der Kriegsstärkenachweis auf dem personellen und der Kriegsausrüstungsnachweis auf dem materiellen Sektor. Ab 1944 waren teilweise auch Divisionen innerhalb einer Aufstellungswelle uneinheitlich gegliedert.

Aufstellungswellen
From 1934 to 1945 a total of 35 Mobilisation waves zur Durchführung. Alle Divisionen die vor der Mobilmachung am 26. August 1939 aufgestellt wurden, gehörten zur 1. Aufstellungswelle. Die 35. Aufstellungswelle rief das OKW am 30. März 1945 auf.

Ausstattung
Anmerkungen 

Einzelnachweise
Category:Wehrmacht Category:Liste (Militär)