The 82th Infanterie-Division (5. Welle) was formed from reservists in Kassel, Wehrkreis IX, on December 1, 1939, and was transferred in January 1940 to the Wildflecken area for training. On May 5, 1940, the division was moved by train to the Bitburg area and marched to Charlesville via Vianden, Hompre, Wiltz and Neufchateâu. On May 31 it began offensive operations from Charleville to Gray via Rethel, Chalons, Touls and Langres. The division returned to the Wildflecken area in July. On Feb. 15, 1941, it was transferred to the Breda, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Utrecht and Haarlem areas to relieve the 197. Infanterie Division and took over the functions of the Kommandeur der Truppen des Heeres in den Niederlanden from Höheres Kommando z.b.V. XXXVII on March 14, 1941, when it assumed custody of certain records which the 197. Inf. Div. (items 11462/1-3, 5-15 and 17) administered in connection with the occupation of the Netherlands. Höheres Kommando, z.b.V. XXXVII was transferred to Belgium and northern France and the 197.

Inf. Div. to Poland. On Aug. 25, 1941, the division was assigned to the Alkmaar, Groningen, Velsen, Leiden and Den Helder areas for training and coastal defense. The 82. Infanterie Division remained as the Kommandeur der Truppen des Heeres in den Niederlanden until April 30, 1942, when it was relieved of its command by the 167. Inf. Div. In May 1942 the division was sent to the Kursk assembly area on the eastern front. It took part in offensives in the Tim river sector near Volovchik and advanced to the area north of Kastornoye, then participated in defensive operations in the Kastornoye area from July 1942 to January 1943. It withdrew to the area north of Rylsk in the latter part of March and defended this area until the summer of 1943. Although no records of the division dated later than June 1943 are available, situation maps of Heeresgruppe Süd show that it participated in position defense in the Rylsk area until Aug. 1943 and in defensive actions east of Glukhov in August and September, in the Kiev area from October to December 1943, and in the Gaisin and Kamenets Podolski areas from Jan. to March 1944. The division was encircled and presumably captured in the Bershchev-Chortkev area during April 1944.