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385th Infantry Division

division

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionOct 21, 2024
Entity authorityQ228337 ↗
Source-derived summary

The 385th Infantry Division, (German: 385. Infanterie-Division) also known as a "Rheingold" Division, was created on 10 January 1942 in Fallingbostel. The division was composed of replacement troops from military districts VI, X and XI. From April 16, 1942, the 385th Infantry Division moved to the Roslavl area and fought in the front lines at the Fomino area.

The division was annihilated near the Don River during the Battle of Stalingrad in early 1943 while subordinated to the 8th Italian Army. It had previously fallen under heavy frontal attack during the Ostrogozhsk–Rossosh offensive by the 12th Tank Corps and 15th Tank Corps.

The 385th Infantry Division was trapped as part of the encirclement between 15 and 26 January 1943 (along with 387th Infantry, Tridentina, Julia, Cuneense and Vicenza divisions), when Soviet troops encircled XXIV Panzer Corps and the Italian Alpini Corps.

The division was disbanded in the period from February to March 1943 and its survivors joined the 387th Infantry Division.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “385th Infantry Division” as division. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1942, 1943—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1942. The account is most persuasive where 385th, Infantry and Division can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as division. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 21, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q228337. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1942 and 1943.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
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Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “385th Infantry Division”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow 385th Infantry Division primary sources, 385th Infantry Division archive and 385th research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “385th Infantry Division” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.