Army Regiment Lapel Badge 76 I.D. (76. Infanterie Division). Maker Günter Ott Berlin, 835 Silver.

Real silver based and in a very good, slightly worn condition.
Marked on the reverse with the maker „Günter Ott Berlin“ and the silver hallmark „835“.
Difficult to find regiment Badge in nice condition.

The 76th Infantry Division (76th I.D.) was raised in Potsdam on August 26, 1939. At the beginning of the western campaign on May 10, 1940, the division broke through the Luxembourg and French border fortifications and marched into the area southeast of Sedan, where it took up flank positions for the German units in northern France. During the second phase of the campaign, the „Battle of France“, the division endured heavy fighting on the west bank of the Meuse. The division then marched past Verdun to Toul. The division remained here after the French surrender.

It was then moved to Poland in September 1940. In March 1941 the division came to Romania as a training unit. From here it took part in the Russian campaign from July 2, 1941. North of Stefanesti, the division crossed the Prut, then marched fighting to the Dniester to Mogilev-Podolsk and from there across the southwestern Bug to the Kremenchug area. The division then took part in the Battle of Kiev and then forced the Dnieper crossing at Deriyevka. The division advanced into the Belgorod area via Poltava and Kharkov. From October 1941 the division fought in the Artemovsk area, where it stood until July 1942. The division took part in the summer offensive to the Don and Volga. The division fought its way through Lissitschansk and south of Millerovo to the Don near Akimovsky. Here the division crossed the river and reached the heights of Kotluban. The division met the Russian counteroffensive to encircle the German 6th Army in Stalingrad. The 76th Infantry Division was pushed back into the city area and destroyed here by February 1943.

Re-established on February 17, 1943 at the Ob. West by adding the reinforced Grenadier Regiments 876 and 877. In August 1943, the division moved to Savonna in Italy and disarmed the Italian units in its area in September. In December 1943 the unit was urgently relocated to Russia to the Krivoy Rog area. During the relocation, the I. / GR 178, the III. / GR 230, the III. / AR 176 and the Reconnaissance unit 176 returned to Italy and joined the 334th, 361st and 376th Infantry Divisions. The divisions deployment lasted until February 1944, when it moved to the Nikolayev area. The division suffered heavy losses in the fighting for Tiraspol, so that its strength shrank to combat group size. On May 13, 1944, the combat group of the 5th Field Division (L) was taken over and used for replacements. Further defensive battles followed in the Vultur-Letcani area northwest of Jassy. Once again the division was badly hit and almost completely wiped out. The retreat then began over the Silistea Mountain and the Bahluiu River to Transylvania up to the Szekler tip. New difficult defensive battles developed at Cik Sereda, Klausenburg and Thorenburg. For a brief refreshment, the division then came to Margitta, northeast of Oradea, and then deployed again on the Tisza south of Oradea. In December 1944 the withdrawal through Hungary to Slovakia began. In May 1945 the division was taken prisoner near Zillein.