2nd Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)

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Not to be confused with 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.
2nd Panzer Division
2. Panzer-Division
Wehrkreis XVIII: Vienna (1938–45)
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Heinz Guderian
Insignia
1939–1940
1940–1945 (variant)
1940–1944
1944–1945

The 2nd Panzer Division (English: 2nd Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army, the Heer, during World War II.

Created as one of the original three German tank divisions in 1935, it was stationed in

Eastern Front
in September 1941.

The division fought with

Falaise Pocket (1944). It was rebuilt once more and fought in the Battle of the Bulge (1944) and in the defence of the Rhine
(1945), surrendering to US forces at war's end.

History

Formation

The 2nd Panzer Division was formed on 15 October 1935 and was headquartered in Würzburg, Bavaria. It was one of three tank divisions created at the time, the other two having been the 1st and 3rd Panzer Division.[2] Germany had renounced the Treaty of Versailles earlier in the year which had forbidden the country, among other things, from having tank forces, a treaty Germany had violated almost from the start by secretly developing tanks and operating a covert tank school in the Soviet Union.[3]

Under the command of Heinz Guderian the division participated in the Anschluss of Austria in 1938, covering 680 kilometres (420 mi) in 48 hours but in the process losing 30 percent of its tanks to accidents and mechanical failures. It formed part of the garrison in Vienna, Austria's capital with most of its personnel now recruited from former Austria.[4]

Invasion of Poland

The deployment and planned advances for the invasion of Poland with 2nd Panzer Division moving towards the northeast from Slovakia, to take Kraków and continue to Warsaw through the Vistula valley.

In early September 1939, the 2nd Panzer Division took part in the invasion of Poland, crossing the Polish-Slowak border and advancing towards Kraków. The division suffered heavy losses while fighting in central Poland.[4][5]

Battle of France

German armoured advance (including 2nd Panzer Division) through the Ardennes between 10 and 16 May 1940, as part of the Battle of France

In May 1940, the unit took part in the

Mosel River valley. It arrived in the town of Abbeville on the 20th.[citation needed
]

The division advanced on

13th Panzer Division.[4][5][7]

Invasion of Greece

The division was reassigned to the

Salonika and forced the surrender of the Greek Eastern Macedonia Army Section.[5][7]

The division, together with the

Verroia and formed a river crossing beachhead on the other side of the River Haliacmon, the 2nd Panzer Division crossed, taking Katerini on 14 April. After the Battle of Thermopylae, the 2nd Panzer Division entered Athens together with the 6th Mountain Division.[5][7]

At the end of the campaign the 2nd Panzer Division returned to Vienna for refitting, with parts of the division transported by sea and suffering heavy losses when the transport ships Marburg and Kybfels hits mines (laid by HMS Abdiel) and sank.[5][7]

Invasion of the Soviet Union

In October 1941, the 2nd Panzer Division was sent to the

XLVII Panzer Corps of the 9th German Army of Army Group Centre. Following the operation's failure, the Red Army launched Operation Kutuzov in Army Group's Center's sector. The division retreated, suffering heavy losses, having also lost two of its three tank battalions earlier in 1942 when they were sent to the southern sector of the front to assist with the German push towards the Volga and Caucasus.[7][9]

Battle of Normandy

In late 1943 the 2nd Panzer Division was sent to France for refitting after the heavy losses it suffered on the Eastern Front. The division was equipped with

Operation Luttich, the failed German counterattack at Mortain. It was later encircled in the Falaise pocket, but broke out with heavy losses in materiel and troops. At Falaise it was responsible for taking and holding St-Lambert-sur-Dive but was only able to take one part of the village. Nevertheless due to the efforts of the 2nd Panzer Division other German units, notably the 10th and the 12th SS, were able to cross the bridge over the Dives and escape eastwards. The division was reorganised in Germany, absorbing the depleted 352nd Infantry Division. Due to the shortage in materiel, the division's complement of tanks was significantly reduced. Some tank companies only had assault guns, although one battalion received Panther tanks.[7][10]

Battle of the Bulge

The division was sent to the Western Front and attached to XLVII Panzer Corps, 5th Panzer Army which was preparing for the German offensive in the Ardennes region of Belgium (the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944). On the eve of battle, 2nd Panzer was about full strength, with 27 Panzer IVs, 58 Panthers, and 48 StuG III assault guns in the division tank parks.[11] During the attack, 2nd Panzer drove towards the crucial road junction of Bastogne. However, Bastogne was quickly reinforced by the veteran 101st Airborne Division. Attacks against the town failed. On 18 December, in accordance with the original plan, 2nd Panzer was directed toward the Meuse River, but was unable to reach the Meuse, as American reinforcements threatened its flanks and supply line. Its vanguard got within 4 km from the Meuse, where on 24 December they were stopped by the U.S. 2nd Armored Division and the British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment.[12] 2nd Panzer was forced to retreat by fierce American counterattacks and lack of petrol.[13]

Battle of the Rhine

Now operating at an extremely reduced effectiveness, in the spring of 1945 the 2nd Panzer Division took part in the

Battle of the Rhineland. In this, the Wehrmacht tried to halt the passage of the Allies across the River Rhine, and the division assisted as a component of the XIII Army Corps, of the 7th German Army, Heeresgruppe B.[10]

The final engagement of the unit was at the city of Fulda in April 1945. The division surrendered in Saxony and north-western Czechoslovakia to the US forces on 7 May 1945.[10]

Commanders

The commanders of the division:[14]

Organisation

The organisation of the division:[2]

1939 – Poland 1943 – Eastern Front
  • Panzer-Brigade 2
    • Panzer-Regiment 3
    • Panzer-Regiment 4
  • Panzer-Regiment 3
  • Schützen-Brigade 2
    • Schützen-Regiment 2
    • Kradschützen-Bataillon 2
  • Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 2
  • Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 304
  • Artillerie-Regiment 74
  • Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 74
  • Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 273
  • Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5
  • Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2
  • Panzerjäger-Abteilung 38
  • Panzerjäger-Abteilung 38
  • Pionier-Bataillon 38
  • Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 38
  • Nachrichten-Abteilung 38
  • Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 38
  • Nachschubtruppen 82
  • Panzer-Versorgungstruppen 82

References

  1. ^ During the French campaign, this division was the first German division to reach the English channel on 20 May 1940. See Bauer, Eddy (1983). Young, Peter (ed.). The History of World War II. London, UK: Orbis Publishing. p. 156.
  2. ^ a b "Organizational History of the German Armored Formation 1939-1945" (PDF). United States Army Command and General Staff College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-12-08. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  3. ^ Mitcham, p. 3–9.
  4. ^ a b c Mitcham, p. 46.
  5. ^ a b c d e Stoves, p. 19.
  6. ^ Beevor, p. 105.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Mitcham, p. 47.
  8. S2CID 159645921. Archived from the original
    on 2015-11-16.
  9. ^ Stoves, p. 20.
  10. ^ a b c Mitcham, p. 48.
  11. ^ Cole 1965, p. 178.
  12. ^ Military Channel, Program "Tank Overhaul" ca 22:51, Wednesday 13 August 2008 (UTC) "18:00–19:00 hrs EDST", mixed documentary featuring M18 Hellcat refurbishment with interviews of WWII veterans and expert commentary by WWII historians.
  13. ISBN 978-1-84176-810-6
    .
  14. ^ Mitcham, p. 48–52.

Bibliography

Books
Websites
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