The Division was formed in December 1942 at Grossborn Germany as Luftwaffe Feld Division 16 with the following units assigned, 31. Jager Regiment,32. Jager Regiment, 46. Jager Regiment, 16. Fusilier Battalion, 16. Panzerjager Battalion, 16. Artillery Regiment, 16. Pioneer Battalion, 16. Signals Battalion, 16. Feldersatz Battalion, Supply Troops. The Division was moved to Holland for Occupation Duty in February 1943. While in Holland the Division underwent Infantry Training and Specialized Training geared toward defense against invasion by sea and airborne. In November 1943 it was taken over by the German Army and redesinated as 16 . Feld Division (Luftwaffe), where it remained until the Allied Invasion of Normandy, June 1944. The Division moved to Normandy on 16-24 June 1944 and prepared to meet the Allied Advance. The first major action the division participated in was the British and Canadian operation to take Caen. The British and Canadian efforts to seize Caen bogged down in the first week of July 1944 in the face of tough German opposition. The Allies planned to smash the Germans with a combined artillery and aerial bombardment, followed by an infantry and armor assault. The assault began on the evening of 7 July 1944, when shells from a British warship from a range of 25,000 yards rained down on the sector controlled by 16.FD(L). Later that evening 450 bombers dropped 2,300 tons of high explosives on the German defenses near Caen, and at 11 p.m. artillery from 2 British Corps opened fire. The shelling continued until morning when the British launched the assault against 16.FD(L). The Division suffered heavy losses after the bombardment and assaults made by the British, and it was forced to retreat. The remnants of the Division retreated across the Orne River and encamped with the 21. Panzer Division. On 18 July 1944 the British continued their attempted to clear the Caen area, once again the division was in the middle of the main assault. the division was very nearly wiped out by the overwhelming British and Canadian Forces. The Division never again entered combat against the Allies as a single unit; some soldiers continued to serve with 21.PD or 346.ID after Caen. The Headquarters of 16.FD(L) consolidated with the 158. Reserve Division to form 16. Infantry Division, and later engaged American forces in the Loire Valley. The 16.ID continued a fighting retreat across France back towards Germany where it had fierce skirmishes with French Forces. In September 1944, the 16.ID was trapped west of the Moselle River by the US 3rd and 7th Armies and was smashed. Only 1000 of its strength of 7000 soldiers managed to escape, and were subsequently used to form the cadre of a newly designated 16.Volksgrenadier Division in October 1944. The 16.Volksgrenadier Division never got beyond Kampfgruppe status, but was nevertheless committed to the line in Alsace near Strasboug during the negligible January 1945 German counter-offensive known as “Nordwind”. Here it suffered crippling losses. Retreating into southern Germany. What was left of the unit surrendered to the Allies in Bravaria at the cease of hostilities in May 1945.