72nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
| 72nd Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| 72. Infanterie-Division | |
Divisional insignia | |
| Active | 19 September 1939 – 8 May 1945 |
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | Yellow Cross |
| Engagements | World War II |
The 72nd Infantry Division (German: 72. Infanterie-Division) was formed on 19 September 1939 in Trier from Grenz-Division Trier, a border security unit.
It was later refitted in Poland in March 1944 as part of the 24th wave (Aufstellungswelle).
On 1 January 1945, the division, then under command of the 4th Panzer Army of Army Group A, had a strength of 10,493 men.: 504
The division surrendered to the Red Army in May 1945, after which Generalmajor Karl Arning was convicted of war crimes in the Soviet Union.