999th Light Afrika Division (Wehrmacht)

The 999th Afrika Brigade was a German Army unit created in October 1942 as a penal military unit. It was later expanded into the 999th Light Afrika Division (999. leichte Afrika-Division) and began deploying to Tunisia in early 1943. However, this was interrupted by the surrender of Axis forces in that theater. Those elements that made it to Africa before the collapse fought as independent units rather than as a division, and were lost in the general collapse. The remainder were sent to Greece for garrison duties and to conduct security warfare,[1] where a number of those forced into service because of their anti-Nazi activities continued them, such as Falk Harnack, who deserted and formed the Anti-Fascist Committee for a Free Germany[2] with other soldiers. Another notable member was August Landmesser, who was said to be the man who refused to make the Nazi salute in a now well known famous photograph.[3] During the only combat engagement, many of the political prisoners in the division went over to the U.S. troops or retreated, the U.S. Army took their previously held positions without any heavy fighting.

999th Afrika Division
Afrika-Division 999
Active6 October 1942
Disbanded15 May 1943
Country Nazi Germany
BranchWehrmacht (Army)
TypeInfantry
RolePenal military unit
Nazi security warfare
Garrison/HQHeuberg

Commanders

Commanders were:[4]

  • Oberst Heinz Karl von Rinkleff – October 1942 to 2 February 1943 (transferred to Russian front after the surrender at Stalingrad)
  • Generalleutnant Kurt Thomas (general) – 2 February 1943 to 1 April 1943) (KIA 1 April 1943 when his plane was shot down en route to Tunis.)
  • Generalmajor Ernst-Günther Baade – 2 April 1943 to 13 May 1943)

Organization

Order of battle of Afrika-Brigade 999[4]

  • Afrika-Schützen-Regiment (Infantry) 961
  • Afrika-Schützen-Regiment 962
  • Nachrichten-Kompanie (Communications) 999

Order of battle of 999 Afrika Division[4]

  • Stab
  • Divisions-Kartenstelle (Maps) 999
  • Afrika-Schützen-Regiment 961
  • Afrika-Schützen-Regiment 962
  • Afrika-Schützen-Regiment 963
  • Panzerjäger-Abteilung 999
  • Artillerie-Regiment (Artillery) 999
  • Pionier-Bataillon (Engineers) 999
  • Aufklärungs-Abteilung (Reconnaissance) 999
  • Astronomischer Messtrupp (Navigation) 999
  • Werkstatt-Kompanie (Laboratory) 999
  • Werkstatt-Kompanie 999
  • Entgiftungs-Batterie (Detoxification) 999
  • Nachschub-Bataillon (Supply) 999
  • Schlächterei-Kompanie (Butchers) 999
  • Bäckerei-Kompanie (Bakers) 999
  • Divisions-Verpflegungsamt (Rations) 999
  • Sanitäts-Kompanie (Medical) 999
  • Krankenkraftwagen-Zug (Ambulance) 999
  • Veterinär-Kompanie (Veterinary) 999
  • Feldgendarmerie-Trupp (Military police) 999
  • Feldpostamt (Postal) 999

See also
Stolperstein for Hans Klapper, a victim from the "Strafdivision 999"

References
  1. Mark Mazower (1993). Inside Hitler's Greece: The Experience of Occupation, 1941-44. Yale University Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-300-06552-7.
  2. Gottfried Hamacher, Andre Lohmar, Herbert Mayer and Günter Wehner, Gegen Hitler: Deutsche in der Resistance, in den Streitkräften der Antihitlerkoalition und der Bewegung "Freies Deutschland" Dietz, Berlin (March 2005), p. 76. ISBN 3-320-02941-X (in German)
  3. Bartrop, Paul R. (2016). Resisting the Holocaust: Upstanders, Partisans, and Survivors. ABC-CLIO. p. 152. ISBN 9781610698795.
  4. George F. Nafziger – The Afrika Korps: An organizational history 1941–1943
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