in the defence of the Northern Route to Messina. Thereafter it fought in Italy at Salerno, Anzio, and San Pietro and was destroyed by the British in northern Italy just before the end of the war. In the final days of the war, on 29 April 1945, the division was involved in the San Martino di Lupari massacre, where it used Italian civilians as human shields against partisan attacks and eventually executed 125 hostages. Organization Structure of the division in 1944: Headquarters 29th Panzer Battalion 15th Grenadier Regiment 71st Grenadier Regiment 29th Motorized Artillery Regiment 129th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 29th Tank Destroyer Battalion 29th Motorized Engineer Battalion 29th Motorized Signal Battalion 313th Army Anti-Aircraft Battalion 29th Field Replacement Battalion 29th Panzergrenadier Division Supply Group Commanding officers Generalleutnant Gustav Anton von Wietersheim, 1 October 1936 – 1 March 1938 Generalleutnant Joachim Lemelsen, 1 March 1938 – 7 May 1940 Generalmajor Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp, 7 May 1940 – 7 September 1940 Generalmajor Walter von Boltenstern, September 1940 – September 1941 General Max Fremerey, September 1941 – September 1942 General Hans-Georg Leyser, September 1942 – February 1943 General der Panzertruppe Walter Fries, 1 March 1943 – 5 March 1943 Oberst Dr. Hans Boelsen 5 March 1943 – 20 March 1943 General der Panzertruppe Walter Fries 20 March 1943 – 31 August 1944 Generalleutnant Dr. Fritz Polack, 24 August 1944 – 24 April 1945 References Bibliography 0*029 Military units and formations established in 1936 German units at the Battle of Stalingrad Military units and formations disestablished in 1945