16th Infantry Division (Belgium) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 16th Infantry Division
16 ème Infanteriedivisie
Active	25 August 1939 - 28 May 1940
Country	Belgium
Branch	Belgian Land Component
Type	Infantry Division
Role	Infantry
Size	Division
Part of	General Reserve
Garrison/HQ	Ghent
Engagements	Second World War Battle of Belgium
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lieutenant General, Georges Van Egroo

The 16th Infantry Division (Dutch: 16 ème Infanteriedivisie) was a group of soldiers from the Belgian Army. They fought in the Battle of Belgium during the Second World War. This division was made up of foot soldiers, known as infantry.

The 16th Division's Story

The 16th Infantry Division was formed in late 1939. It became part of the army's main reserve group. Many of its soldiers were new recruits. They were sent to Beverlo Camp to get ready for battle. Like some other divisions, they used weapons that were updated from World War I.

Starting the Battle

When the fighting began in May 1940, the 16th Infantry Division was located near Ghent. They were behind the main battle lines. On May 13, the division had to give up its bicycle units. This was a problem because the German forces had already broken through a defense line. This meant the Germans could soon reach them.

On May 16, the Allied forces had to suddenly move back. This meant the Belgian army also had to retreat. Airfields in the area were destroyed to prevent enemies from using them. The 16th Infantry Division then became an active fighting unit.

Facing the Enemy

The 16th Infantry Division joined the Iste Army Corps. They moved north and took positions near Melle. All the troops at Melle knew the Germans planned to attack there. So, they made their defenses stronger.

The German attack happened the next day. But the German forces struggled to break through. Small fights continued for a few days. By May 22, the army leaders ordered the front line to move back to Lye. Even though they got more support, many soldiers started to leave.

Retreat and Challenges

Things got worse for the 16th Division. The Germans found out that the Ghent defense point was empty. They quickly broke through the new defense lines. The pressure on the Belgian forces grew. This was especially true after Allied forces, including the Belgians, were surrounded in Flanders.

The remaining bicycle units were sent to Sint-Pieters. They tried to stop the German advance along railway lines. However, there were not enough foot soldiers to follow up and hold the Germans back.

Final Days

The 16th Infantry Division needed to be reorganized. Most of the division was moved to another group called VII Corp. The 16th Division was placed near Arsele. It was joined by parts of other divisions. Still, the Germans managed to defeat the 16th Infantry Division.

Tielt was captured, and the Germans made a large breakthrough. The Germans had gathered many forces for another attack. The 16th Infantry Division tried to build new defenses quickly. They struggled to stay connected with other divisions.

By May 28, it was hard to get orders because communication was a big problem. It became clear that the Battle of Belgium was lost. The remaining Belgian Divisions either gave up or surrendered.

Division Structure

Before the Battle of Belgium began, the 16th Infantry Division was organized like this:

• 16th Infantry Division
  • Divisional Headquarters (the main command center)
  • 37th Infantry Regiment
    • Regimental Headquarters
    • Staff Company (a group of support staff)
    • Medical Company (a group of medics)
    • Scout Platoon (a small group for finding out about the enemy)
  • 41st Infantry Regiment
    • Regimental Headquarters
    • Staff Company
    • Medical Company
    • Scout Platoon
  • 44th Infantry Regiment
    • Regimental Headquarters
    • Staff Company
    • Medical Company
    • Scout Platoon
  • 24th Artillery Regiment
    • Regimental Headquarters
    • Staff Battery (a group of artillery support staff)
    • 1st Artillery Battalion (a large group of artillery guns)
    • 2nd Artillery Battalion
• 16th Signals Battalion (a group for communication)
• 18th Engineer Battalion (a group for building and destroying things)

See also

• Army Group B
• 11th Infantry Division
• 18th Infantry Division
• K-W line