14th Infantry Division (Belgium) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 14th Infantry Division |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1940 |
| Country |  Belgium |
| Branch | Belgian Army |
| Type | Infantry Division |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Part of | Cavalry Corps (Belgium) |
| Garrison/HQ | Herk-de-Stad |
| Engagements | |
| Disbanded | 28 May 1940 |
The 14th Infantry Division was a group of soldiers in the Belgian Army. They fought against the German army (called the Wehrmacht) during the Battle of Belgium in World War II.
Contents
The 14th Division in World War II
The 14th Infantry Division was a 'reserve' group, meaning they weren't the main fighting force. They had older weapons from World War I. They also lacked special equipment to fight tanks or airplanes. Because of this, they relied on the 1st Infantry Division for help against tanks.
Even with older gear, the 14th Division had a special group of bicycle riders for scouting. This group stayed with them even when the fighting started, which was different from other divisions.
Fighting at the Albert Canal
The 14th Infantry Division was positioned along the Albert Canal. Their job was to make sure the bridges over the canal were destroyed to slow down the Germans. However, the German army kept attacking them.
At one point, the Germans broke through the defenses held by the 7th Infantry Division. This forced the entire Belgian front line to fall back to a new defense line called the K-W Line.
Retreat and Challenges
Many Belgian divisions planned their retreat to the K-W Line carefully. But for the 14th Infantry Division, their retreat was not well-organized and was quite slow.
As the German army kept pushing forward, the soldiers of the 14th Infantry Division became very tired and discouraged. Some parts of the division struggled to keep their order. The Germans eventually caught up with them, and the 14th Division was heavily damaged. Two of their main regiments were almost completely wiped out. The remaining soldiers were not able to fight anymore.
After this, the 14th Infantry Division was no longer able to fight. They were moved to the coastal areas near Zeeland. They did not fight against the Germans again. The 14th Infantry Division only fought for six days. They were officially disbanded on May 28, 1940, when Belgium surrendered.
Division Structure in 1940
Here is how the 14th Infantry Division was organized just before the Battle of Belgium:
- Headquarters: Located in Herk-de-Stad
- Commanding General: Lieutenant-General Armand Massart
- Soldier Groups:
- 35th Line Regiment
- 36th Line Regiment
- 38th Line Regiment
- Support Groups:
- 22nd Artillery Regiment (for big guns)
- 13th Engineer Battalion (for building and destroying things)
- 14th Company of Transmission Troops (for communication)
- Cyclist Group 14ID (for scouting on bicycles)
See also
- Battle of Belgium
- Army Group B
- 1st Infantry Division
- 7th Infantry Division
- Zeelandic Flanders (the coastal area where the 14th Infantry Division was stationed)
