defeated and badly beaten up in Normandy". The division was removed from frontline duty on July 10, 1944, and was able to avoid the carnage of the Falaise Pocket. Redeployed to southern France, the division took up coastal security positions in the region of Salses-Perpignan-Elne, close to the Spanish border. Thereafter, the division was ordered to withdraw on August 19, 1944, and retreated through Languedoc to the region around Lyon. After this movement the division was engaged by the French resistance before later arriving in the area of Sélestat in Alsace. In October 1944, the 716th Infantry Division was in the region of Oberrhein (near Colmar) where it fought at Neunkirch-Obenhein and was nearly wiped out in heavy fighting in January 1945. The remains of the division was reconstituted as the 716th Volksgrenadier Division in April 1945 before surrendering to American troops at Kempten in May 1945. Order of battle The 716th's complement when raised in 1941 was: Divisional Staff 726 Infantry Regiment 736 Infantry Regiment 716 Artillery Regiment 716 Panzerjäger Company 716 Pioneer Battalion 716 Signals Battalion 716 Supply Troops Administration Platoon The 716th's complement during the June 1944 Normandy Campaign consisted of: Command 726th Grenadier Regiment (439th Ost Battalion) 736th Grenadier Regiment (642nd Ost Battalion) 1716th Artillery Battalion 716th Antitank Battalion 716th Engineer Battalion 716th Signals Battalion 716th Fusilier Battalion 441st Ost Battalion Commanders Oberst Otto Matterstock: 1941 to April 1943 Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter: April 1943 to May 1944 Generalmajor Ludwig Krug (1894–1972): May 1944 Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter: June 1944 to August 1944 Generalmajor Otto Schiel (1895–1990): August 1944 to September 1944 Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter: September 1944 Oberst Ernst von Bauer (1896–1945): September 1944 to December 1944 Generalmajor Wolf Ewert (1905–1994): December 1944 to April 1945 Oberst Friedrich Trompeter: April 1945 References Zetterling, Niklas (2005). "German Order of Battle in Normandy". Retrieved July 25, 2008 German units in Normandy Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Infantry divisions of Germany during World War II