7th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)
7th Panzer Division | |
---|---|
7. Panzer-Division | |
Panzer | |
Role | Armoured warfare |
Size | Division |
Part of | Wehrmacht |
Garrison/HQ | Saalfeld, Thuringia |
Nickname(s) | Gespensterdivision (Ghost Division) |
Engagements | World War II |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Georg Stumme Erwin Rommel Hasso von Manteuffel |
Insignia | |
1940 | |
1941–1945 | |
at Kursk |
The 7th Panzer Division was an
The division met with great success in
Through 1944 and 1945, the division was markedly understrength and continuously engaged in a series of defensive battles across the eastern front. It was twice evacuated by sea, leaving what was left of its heavy equipment behind each time. After fighting defensively across Prussia and Northern Germany, the surviving men escaped into the forest and surrendered to the British Army northwest of Berlin in May 1945.
Formation
Following the completion of the
Newly promoted General Erwin Rommel, who had served on Hitler's staff during the Invasion of Poland, was able to, with an intervention from Hitler, obtain the command of the division.[6] Upon taking command on 10 February 1940, Rommel quickly set his unit to practicing the maneuvers they would need in the upcoming campaign.[7][8]
Operational history
Invasion of France and Belgium
The invasion began on 10 May 1940. By the third day, the 7th Panzer Division under Rommel's command, along with three panzer divisions commanded by General
On 20 May, the division reached
On 24 May, Hitler issued a halt order. The reason for this decision is still a matter of debate. He may have overestimated the size of the British forces in the area, or he may have wished to reserve the bulk of the armour for the drive on Paris.[14][15] The halt order was lifted on 26 May.[15] 7th Panzer continued its advance, reaching Lille on 27 May. For the assault, Hoth placed the 5th Panzer Division under Rommel's command. The Siege of Lille continued until 31 May, when the French garrison of 40,000 men surrendered. The evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk concluded on 4 June; over 338,000 Allied troops had been evacuated across the Channel, though they had to leave behind all their heavy equipment and vehicles.[16]
The division, resuming its advance on 5 June, drove for the
After the
Eastern Front
Operation Barbarossa began at 03:05 on 22 June 1941. Resistance at the border was weaker than expected and brushed aside, the tanks of the division raced forward, covering the 60 km to reach the
The 5th Tank Division was well equipped with 300 tanks, of which 55 were of the new
Having lost 80 of its tanks in its probing attacks against the bridgeheads, the 5th Tank Division withdrew in the night to the north-east.[29] The path now clear, the division advanced another 100 km to the outskirts of Vilnius. Its motorcycle battalion captured the city the following day.[28] Consolidating its position in and around Vilnius, the division then handed responsibility for the city over to the 20th Motorized Division and resumed its advance east. Unlike previous campaigns, when the Red Army positions were outflanked and cut off, the Soviet defenders frequently continued to fight rather than surrender, even though their situation was hopeless. The stubbornness of the Soviet defenders cost more time and casualties, frustrating the German command. Though creating pockets of resistance, the Soviet command was unable to mount a linear defense, and the vital road and rail communications north east of Minsk were cut on 26 June, only four days into Operation Barbarossa. The following day, the division linked up with 18th Panzer Division from Panzer Group 2, trapping the bulk of three Soviet Armies, the 3rd, 10th and 13th, in a vast pocket west of Minsk.[30]
In a three-day dash, the division reached the town of Yartsevo, outflanking Soviet positions around Smolensk and threatening the Soviet 20th Army with encirclement. Meanwhile, the 29th Motorized Division had captured the city of Smolensk from the south, but with substantial elements tied down at Yelnya, 2nd Panzer Group lacked the strength to link up again with 7th Panzer positions.[31] The gap between the two groups remained open, and the Soviet command was able to move forces both ways through the corridor. On 26 July, together with 20th Motorized Division, the division lunged southwards another 20 kilometers,[31] but still could not entirely close the encirclement. In another week, however, pressure from all sides had squeezed the pocket out of existence and the division was finally relieved by infantry units, and taken out of line for refitting and rest.[31]
The division started the campaign with 400 officers and 14,000 men.
France
In mid-May, the division was transported by rail to southern France, where it was assigned to coastal protection duties with the
Hitler had been concerned about the possibility of an
Afterwards, the division was stationed in a region between Marseille and Avignon. It remained there until January 1943, when the deterioration of the German front in southern Soviet Union necessitated its return to the Eastern Front.[35]
Eastern Front
On transfer to
Following the end of the German offensive at Kursk, the division was transferred to the
The German front west of
Personnel losses in August for the division were even higher than in July. The replacement battalion was disbanded as all capable leaders were needed at the front. Losses in heavy infantry weapons and motor vehicles reduced the division's combat value. Remaining operational tanks were amalgamated into a single company.[37] The battered division withdrew to the Dnieper position, crossing the river at Kremenchug.
The division then fought in the defensive Battle of Kiev and the German counterattack at Zhitomir. During these battles, the division was twice cited for distinguished conduct.[35] After this, the division fought in a series of heavy defensive battles during the long retreat across the Ukraine.
On 20 November 1943, 7th Panzer Division possessed 47 tanks, of which only 16 were operational.[38]
Courland Pocket
In July 1944, the division was transferred north to the
Germany
In January 1945, the Soviet
Allegations of war crimes
Historian Raffael Scheck says, "Although there is no evidence incriminating Rommel himself, his unit did fight in areas where German massacres of French prisoners of war were extremely common in June 1940."[39][40]
According to some authors, during the fighting in France, the division, alongside troops from 5th Panzer Division, committed numerous atrocities against French troops, including the murder of 50 surrendering officers and men at Quesnoy and the nearby Airaines.[N 3][N 4][43][44] After the war a memorial was erected to the commanding French officer Charles N'Tchoréré, who was allegedly executed by soldiers under Rommel's command. The division is considered by Raffael Scheck to have been "likely" responsible for the execution of POWs in Hangest-sur-Somme,[N 5] while Scheck believes they were too far away to have been involved in the massacres at Airaines and nearby villages. French historian Dominique Lormier states the number of victims of the division in Airaines at 109, mostly French-African soldiers from Senegal.[46] Historian Daniel Butler agrees that it was possible the massacre at Le Quesnoy happened given the existence of Nazis like Karl Hanke in the division, while stating that in comparison with other German units, few sources regarding such actions of the men of the division exist (Butler believes that "it's almost impossible to imagine" Rommel authorizing or countenancing such actions, in either case[47]). Showalter claims that there was no massacre at Le Quesnoy.[48][page needed] Claus Telp comments that Airaines was not in the sector of the division, however, at Hangest and Martainville, elements of the division might have shot some prisoners and used British Colonel Broomhall as a human shield. Telp is of the opinion that it was unlikely Rommel approved or even knew about these two incidents.[49]
Commanding officers
- Generalmajor Georg Stumme (18 October 1939 – 5 February 1940)
- Generalmajor Erwin Rommel (5 February 1940 – 14 February 1941)
- Generalmajor Hans Freiherr von Funck(15 February 1941 – 17 August 1943)
- Oberst Wolfgang Gläsemer (17 August 1943 – 20 August 1943)
- Generalmajor Hasso von Manteuffel (20 August 1943 – 1 January 1944)
- Generalmajor Adelbert Schulz (1 January 1944 – 28 January 1944), KIA
- Oberst Wolfgang Gläsemer (28 January 1944 – 30 January 1944)
- Generalmajor Dr. Karl Mauss (30 January 1944 – 2 May 1944)
- Generalmajor Gerhard Schmidhuber (2 May 1944 – 9 September 1944)
- Generalmajor Dr. Karl Mauss (9 September 1944 – 31 October 1944)
- Generalmajor Hellmuth Mäder (31 October 1944 – 30 November 1944)
- Generalmajor Dr. Karl Mauss (30 November 1944 – 5 January 1945)
- Generalmajor Max Lemke (5 January 1945 – 23 January 1945)
- Generalmajor Dr. Karl Mauss (23 January 1945 – 25 March 1945)
- Oberst Hans Christern (26 March 1945 – 8 May 1945)
Organization / Order of Battle
May 1940
The organisation structure of the 7th Panzer Division of the German Heer (May 10, 1940), in preparation to the Battle of France was as follows:[50]
- 25th Panzer Regiment (under command of Oberst Karl Rothenburg) / German: Panzerregiment 25 (PzRgt 25)
- I Panzer Battalion (Schmidt) / I. Panzerabteilung (I. PzAbtg)
- II Panzer Battalion (Ilgen) / II. PzAbtg
- III (66th) Panzer Battalion (Major Rudolf Sieckenius) / III. PzAbt (PzAbt 66)
- 7th Rifle Brigade (Oberst Fürst) / 7. Schützenbrigade (7. SchtzBrig)
- 6th Rifle Regiment (Oberst Erich von Unger) / Schützenregiment 6 (SchtzRgt 6)
- 7th Rifle Regiment (Oberst Georg von Bismarck) / SchtzRgt 7
- 705th heavy Infantry Artillery Company, 15 cm / schwere Infanterie-Geschütz-Kompanie (s InfGeschKomp 705)
- 78th Artillery Regiment, 10.5 cm (Oberst Frölich) / Artillerieregiment 78 (ArtRgt 78)
- I Battalion (Kessler) / I. Abteilung (I. Abtg)
- II Battalion (Crasemann) / II. Abtg
- III battalion from June 6, 1940 (von Kronhelm) / III. Abtg
- 7th Motorcycle Battalion (Major Friedrich-Carl von Steinkeller) / Kraftradschützenbataillon 7 (KradSchtzBat 7)
- 37th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion (Major Erdmann, KIA 28 May) / Panzeraufklärungsabteilung 37 (PzAufklAbt 37)
- 42nd Antitank Battalion (Oberstleutnant Johann Mickl / Panzerjägerabteilung 42 (PzJgAbt 42)
- 58th Combat Engineer Battalion, motorized (Major Binkau, KIA 13 May) / Pionierbataillon 58 (PiBtl 58)
- 58th Supply Battalion (t.b.d.) / Nachschubbataillon 58
- 83rd Communications Battalion (Müller) / Nachrichtenabteilung 83 (NachrichtenAbt 83)
- 59th light Anti-aircraft Battalion (Major Schrader) / leichte Flakabteilung 59 (le FlakAbt 59)
- subordinated enforcement units:
- 86th anti-aircraft battalion / FlakAbt 86
- 1st battery, 23rd anti-aircraft battalion / 1. Batterie, FlakAbt 23
- 1st detachment, reconnaissance group (Heer) 11 / 1. Staffel, Aufklärungsgruppe (Heer) 11
- Equipment:
The divisional artillery consisted at this time of 24 towed 105 mm LeFH (light field howitzers). The divisional anti-tank battalion and the infantry anti-tank platoons all fielded towed 37mm PAK 36. The infantry traveled by truck or by motorcycle.[51] Both Panzer Regiment 25, and Panzer Battalion 66 had gone into action in Poland with only Pz I and Pz II light tanks. On assignment to 7th Panzer Division, these units were to adopt the Czechoslovakian tank LT vz. 38 as the main battle tank in their light companies, along with the Pz IV in the medium companies.[52] However, this process was not complete by the start of the battle with France and the division went into action in May 1940 with 225 tanks (34 Pz I, 68 Pz II, 91 Pz 38(t), 24 Pz IV and eight command variants).[53][54]
July 1941
- 25th Panzer Regiment (I, II & III Battalions)
- 7th Infantry Brigade
- 6th Motorized Rifle Regiment (I & II Battalions)
- 7th Motorized Rifle Regiment (I & II Battalions)
- 7th Motorcycle Battalion
- 37th Reconnaissance Battalion
- 78th Motorized Artillery Regiment (I, II & III Battalions)
- 58th Motorized Combat Engineer Battalion
- 42nd Antitank Battalion
- 58th Field replacement battalion
- Divisional services
The 25th Panzer Regiment had absorbed the 66th Panzer Battalion, which had been the panzer force of the original 2nd Light Division. By 1941, this unit had become the 3rd Battalion of the 25th Panzer Regiment. In the eve of Operation Barbarossa, the tank strength of the division had risen to 53 Pz II, 167 Pz 38(t), 30 Pz IV, and 15 French Char B, for a total of 265 tanks. The artillery regiment had added a 3rd battalion of heavy guns, with two batteries of 150 mm sFH, and a battery of 100 mm guns.
Each panzer battalion comprised four companies instead of three, and a third company had been added to the antitank battalion. A field replacement battalion of three companies had also been added.[56] The division totaled 400 officers leading 14,000 men at the start of Barbarossa.[57][page needed]
June 1943
In May 1942, the division was withdrawn from the Soviet Union and rebuilt and reorganized in France. The Panzer Regiment now consisted of two battalions equipped with German tanks. The infantry regiments were now renamed Panzer Grenadiers, with II / Panzer Grenadier Regiment 6 equipped with armored half tracks. The motorcycle battalion was merged into the reconnaissance battalion and contained an armored car company, a half track company, two motorcycle companies, and a heavy company.
On its return to Russia in December 1942, the Panzer Regiment was now equipped with 21 Pz II, 91 Pz III (50mm long), 14 Pz III (75mm), 2 Pz IV (75mm), 18 Pz IV (75mm long), 9 Befehl (command), a total of 155 tanks.[58]
- 25th Panzer Regiment
- 6th Panzer Grenadier Regiment
- 7th Panzer Grenadier Regiment
- 7th Reconnaissance Battalion
- 78th Motorized Artillery Regiment
- 58th Armoured Combat Engineer Battalion
- 42nd Antitank Battalion
- 296th Anti-aircraft Battalion (attached Army troops)
- 58th Field replacement battalion
- Divisional services
See also
- SS Panzer Division order of battle
- Panzer division
Notes
- ^ The losses for July were 3,231, and in August almost as many 3,035.[4]
- ^ The tanks of the Panzer Regiment literally raced each other during the first days advance.[25]
- ^ "Indeed, the soldiers of the 'Ghost Division' and its partner in crime, 5th Panzer Division, committed numerous atrocities against French colonial troops in 1940, murdering fifty surrendered non-commissioned officers and men at Airaines"[41]
- ^ "On 7 June, a number of soldiers of 53eme Regiment d'Infanterie Coloniale were shot, probably by troops of the 5th Panzer Division, following their surrender after a spirited defense in the area of Airaines, near Le Quesnoy. Similar acts had also been perpetrated by soldiers of Rommel's 7th Panzer Division on 5 June against the defenders of Le Quesnoy. Rommel noted in his own account that "any enemy troops were either wiped out or forced to withdraw"; at the same time he also provided the disparaging (but possibly somewhat contradictory in light of his first note) observation that "many of the prisoners taken were hopelessly drunk."[42]
- ^ In Hangest-sur-Somme, some captured tirailleurs and a French second lieutenant were shot by Germans in black uniforms, most likely members of Rommel's 7th Panzer Division.[45]
References
Citations
- ISBN 978-1-857533781.
- ^ Hogg 1975, p. D29, Excerpt reads: Fought in Poland and with outstanding dash in France, where it was mainly responsible for the successful advance to Le Harve.
- ^ Glantz 1991, chptr 4, Operation Star.
- ^ Nevenkin 2008, p. 233.
- ^ Fraser 1993, pp. 156–157.
- ^ Butler 2015, p. 151.
- ^ Fraser 1993, pp. 151, 161.
- ^ Mitcham 2001, p. 80.
- ^ Butler 2015, pp. 154–155.
- ^ Butler 2015, pp. 160–161.
- ^ Butler 2015, p. 164.
- ^ Fraser 1993, p. 183.
- ^ Butler 2015, pp. 165–166.
- ^ Butler 2015, p. 166.
- ^ a b Hoffmann 2004, p. 24.
- ^ Butler 2015, pp. 169–171.
- ^ Butler 2015, pp. 172, 174.
- ^ "France 1940: British forces south of the river Somme". British Military History. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ "Fact File : Battle for St Valéry-en-Caux 4 to 12 June 1940". WW2 People's War. BBC. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ Fraser 1993, pp. 204–206.
- ^ Fraser 1993, pp. 191–192.
- ^ Butler 2015, p. 177.
- ^ Hoffmann 2004, p. 26.
- ^ Stolfi 1991, p. 46.
- ^ Glantz 1991, p. 173.
- ISBN 978-0-711027343. (Kindle Location 2054).
- ^ Glantz 1991, p. 35.
- ^ a b Stolfi 1991, p. 52.
- ^ von Manteuffel, Hasso (1965). Die 7. Panzer-Division im Zweiten Weltkrieg: Einsatz und Kampf der "Gespenster-Division" 1939-1945 [The 7th Panzer Division in the Second World War: Operations and Combat of the "Ghost Division" 1939-1945] (in German). Köln: Traditionsverband ehem. 7. Panzer-Division-Kameradenhilfe e.V. pp. 135–136.
- ^ Glantz 1991, p. 179.
- ^ a b c Glantz 1993, pp. 389–392.
- ^ a b c Mitcham 2001, p. 81.
- ^ Jentz 1996, p. 219.
- ^ Deist & Maier 1990, p. 827.
- ^ a b c Mitcham 2001, p. 82.
- ^ Glantz 1991, pp. 350–360.
- ^ Nevenkin 2008, p. 216.
- ISBN 3421064997.
- ^ Scheck, Raffael (30 September 2010). "Mythos Rommel". Perspectivia.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ Scheck 2006, p. 28.
- ^ Alexander 2012, p. 332.
- ^ Stone 2009, p. 109.
- ^ Laboulet, André (1972). Les Combats d'Airaines et environs, juin 1940 [The Battles of Airaines and surroundings, June 1940] (in French). impr. Lafosse. p. 21.
- ^ "Charles N'Tchoréré, ce héros français d'Airaines venu du Gabon" [Charles N'Tchoréré, this French hero of Airaines from Gabon]. Le Point Afrique (in French). 19 August 2014.
- ^ Scheck 2006, p. 26.
- ISBN 978-2-749129983.
- ^ Butler 2015, p. 173–174.
- ISBN 978-0-425193464.
In fact, the garrison of Le Quesnoy, most of them Senegalese, took heavy toll of the German infantry in house-to-house fighting. Unlike other occasions in 1940, when Germans and Africans met, there was no deliberate massacre of survivors.
- ^ Beckett 2013, p. 52.
- ISBN 3-486-56201-0.
- ^ Nafziger 1999, pp. 64–69.
- ^ Jentz 1996, p. 106.
- ^ Jentz 1996, p. 120.
- ^ Niehorster, Leo (8 November 2008). "German Army Fielded Tank Strengths, 10.05.1940". World War II Armed Forces - Orders of Battle and Organizations. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- ^ Niehorster, Leo (23 March 2002). "7. Panzer-Division, German Army, 22.06.1941". World War II Armed Forces - Orders of Battle and Organizations.
- ^ Nafziger 1999, pp. 64–69, 216.
- ^ Mitcham 2001.
- ^ Jentz 1996, p. 32.
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