Wehrmacht

Heer officer service blouse for a Leutnant in Aufklärungs Abteilung 7 which served under the 7. Infanterie Division. The blouse is in nice, lightly worn condition with all of its original insignia.

Short unit history;

The 7th Infantry Division (7. ID) was formed on October 1, 1934, in Munich as part of the expansion of the Reichswehr and initially operated under the codename Artillerieführer VII until its official unveiling in 1935. By August 1939, the division had been mobilized in Slovakia, where it participated in the invasion of Poland starting on September 1, 1939. Assigned to the 14th Army, the division advanced through the Jablunka Pass and Zwardoń Saddle, pushing Polish forces back and eventually entering Przemyśl.

Following the Polish campaign, the 7th ID was stationed on the western border of Germany and participated in the early stages of the Western Campaign in May 1940. As part of the 6th Army, the division advanced through Belgium, capturing the Scheldt region, and then continued to fight around Lille. After the fall of France, it was stationed as an occupation force in northern France.

In 1941, the division was transferred east to take part in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. It played a significant role in the encirclement of Soviet forces during the Battle of Minsk, advancing through Białystok, Minsk, and Mogilev, and participating in the fighting at Smolensk. As the German offensive stalled near Moscow in the winter of 1941, the division fought in defensive actions around Schelkowka and Dorochowo, retreating as Soviet forces mounted a successful counteroffensive.

By early 1942, the division had withdrawn to defensive positions along the Nara and Gshatsk rivers, where it remained for much of the year. In the spring of 1943, the division was moved to the Spass-Dmensk area, where it was involved in Operation Zigeunerbaron against Soviet partisans south of Bryansk. This brutal operation resulted in significant casualties on both sides but was largely ineffective against the elusive partisan forces.

From June to August 1943, the division fought in the Battle of Kursk, where it operated on the right wing of the 9th Army during Operation Citadel. Despite initial successes, the division was forced into retreat after Soviet counterattacks during the Oryol Operation. By the end of the year, the division had withdrawn westward, suffering heavy losses.

In 1944, the division was caught in the wake of the Soviet Operation Bagration, which pushed the German forces back from the Pripet Marshes. It fought a series of rear-guard actions through Pinsk, Bielsk Podlaski, and along the Bug River. In the autumn of 1944, the division was pushed further west, fighting around Włodawa and Węgrów. By January 1945, the division was forced to retreat from the area around Zichenau, Thorn, and Graudenz, eventually reaching Danzig, where it continued to hold defensive positions until the final stages of the war.