| Unit Name: | 2nd Marine Division |
| Native Name: | German: 2. Marine-Infanterie-Division |
| Dates: | March–May 1945 |
| Branch: | Kriegsmarine |
| Type: | Marine |
| Role: | Amphibious warfare |
| Size: | Division of approx. 13,000 personnel |
| Garrison: | Glückstadt |
| Garrison Label: | Home Station |
| Battles: | Defence of the Homeland |
The 2nd Marine Division was a military formation of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) under control of the German Army (Heer) during the later part of the Second World War.
In March 1945, the 2nd Marine Division was formed in Schleswig-Holstein with its home station in Glückstadt from excess naval personnel. The division also had a significant amount of personnel from the Hitler Youth, a battalion of the Waffen-SS, and Hungarian units.[1]
At the beginning of April 1945, the division was declared ready for action and, although poorly trained and equipped, relocated to the zone south of Bremen on the Weser River. From 5 April the division was part of Luftwaffe General Kurt Student's Army Group and moved in to defend the Weser-Aller line. On 10 April the division moved under the Blumentritt Army Group, and fought defensive battles on the Aller between Verden an der Aller and Rethem and from the Essel-Schwarmstedt bridgehead. From 15 April further actions occurred at Kirchboitzen, Kirchlinteln, Visselhövede, Neunkirchen am Potzberg, and Jeddingen. All guns of the two anti-aircraft batteries were lost on the Aller and Weser.
The remnants of the division were on 20 April in the area south of Bremen. Of the original almost 13,000 men, only 3,000 remained on 21 April after two weeks of heavy fighting. On 23 April, the remnants of the division settled in the Cuxhaven area, where they were used again against the 21st Army Group. On 28 April 1945, the remnants were returned to Meldorf an der Elbe, while the approximately 750 men were withdrawn behind the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal and were used as an alarm unit in the Albersdorf and Hemmingstedt area. At the end of the war, the remains of the division were at Bunsoh where it surrendered to the British.[2]
The division's target structure was that of the
The organisation of the division was as follows (with German title in parentheses, those in italics were never fully formed):
The divisional commanders included:[3]