71st Infantry Division | |
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71. Infanterie-Division | |
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Active | 26 August 1939 – May 1945 |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Nickname(s) | Lucky one Cloverleaf Division |
Engagements | World War II |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Karl Weisenberger Alexander von Hartmann |
The 71st Infantry Division Kleeblatt ("Cloverleaf Division", "Lucky One")[1] (German: 71. Infanterie-Division) was an infantry division of the German Army, raised on 26 August 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II, as a division of the 2nd wave of deployment by Infantry Commander 19 (Infanterie-Kommandeur 19) in Hildesheim. It fought in Verdun, Stalingrad and Monte Cassino, among others.
The division's symbol was the four-leaf clover and after congratulations on the victory in Verdun in June 1940, the division was henceforth called the "lucky one".[1] The same action also earning Generalleutnant Karl Weisenberger the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 June 1940 by Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch.[2]