an initial strength of over 12,000. General Schlieben surrendered ‘Fortress’ Cherbourg to the Americans on 29 June 1944. Commanders Generalmajor Arnold von Beßel (3 May 1941 – 15 July 1942) Generalleutnant Albin Nake (15 July 1942 – 15 March 1943) General der Artillerie Curt Jahn (15 March 1943 – 1 July 1943) Generalmajor Eckkard von Geyso (1 July 1943 – 12 December 1943) Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben (12 December 1943 – 23 June 1944) Organization (June 1944) Command 729th Fortress Grenadier Regiment (with the 649th Ost Battalion attached) 739th Fortress Grenadier Regiment (with the 561st and 795th Georgian Battalions attached) 919th Grenadier Regiment (transferred from the 242nd Infantry Division in October 1943) 1709th Artillery Regiment 709th Antitank Battalion 709th Engineer Battalion 709th Signals Battalion Ost-Bataillon 635 (Russian) (CP: Donville-les-Bains) Ost-Bataillon 795 (Georgian) (Hauptmann Stiller – CP: Turqueville) Ost-Bataillon 797 (Georgian) (Hauptmann Peter Massberg – CP: Gouville) References "709. Infanterie-Division on D-Day". Retrieved August 3, 2009. Pipes, Jason. "709.Infanterie-Division". Retrieved April 7, 2005. Wendel, Marcus (2004). "709. Infanterie-Division". Retrieved April 7, 2005. "709. Infanterie-Division". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved April 7, 2005. The German Army at D-Day-Edited by David C. Isby 1: U.S. War Department 1945, Handbook on German Military Forces. German units in Normandy Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Infantry divisions of Germany during World War II