6th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
1934-1945 combat formation of the German Army
The 6th Infantry Division (6. Infanterie-Division) was a unit of the German Army during World War II.
History
6th Infantry Division
Formed in October 1934 from the cover formation "Infanterieführer VI" in Bielefeld, the 6th Infantry Division was mobilized on 26 August 1939 for the upcoming Invasion of Poland. The division consisted of three infantry regiments (18 (Bielefeld), 37 (Osnabrück), 58 (Herford)), Artillery Regiment 6 (further supported by I./42 Artillery Detachment) and Division Units 6.
In January 1940, the division's field replacement battalion became I./362 of 196th Infantry Division, followed by the exit in February 1940 of II./37 battalion to become III./5033 of 290th Infantry Division. II./37 was subsequently replenished and the 6th Division brought back up to strength.
In December 1940, a third of the division was transferred away: the 18th Regiment staff and the battalions III./18, III./37, III./58 joined the 106th Infantry Division.
Following a directive by OKH on 15 October 1942, every single infantry regiment in the German army was redesignated as a "Grenadier Regiment". The three regiments of the 6th Infantry Division were renamed accordingly (although all divisions' names remained unchanged). As a result, the division was subsequently equipped with Grenadier Regiment 18, Grenadier Regiment 37 and Grenadier Regiment 58, but no functional change in organization had taken place compared to the earlier "Infantry Regiments".
On 2 October 1943, the division was reformed into an Infanterie-Division neuer Art-style division, leading to a reduction in size for each regiment to account for wartime losses.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “6th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)” is 1934-1945 combat formation of the German Army. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Infantry, Division and Wehrmacht, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “1934-1945 combat formation of the German Army” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
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 17, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q218989. VIAF identifies the subject as 240120543. Authority coordinates are 52.017, 8.525. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1934, 1939, 1940 and 1942.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. 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.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “6th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow 6th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) primary sources, 6th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) archive and Infantry research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “6th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “6th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)” 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.