German 11th Panzer Division
Encyclopedia
The 11.Panzer Division was a German
Panzer
division
which saw action on the Eastern
and Western Fronts during the Second World War. The unit emblem of the 11'th Panzer was a ghost (this must not be confused with the famed Gespenster Division, which was the 7th Panzer Division). The 11th didn't take part in the western campaign, or see any action before Serbia
.
.
In the fall of 1942, the general staff of 11th infantry Brigade was fired. The 11th Panzer Division saw action for the first time in Yugoslavia
in April 1941 along with the XIV Corps (mot.) of Pz.Gr. 1. Leaving Bulgaria
, arriving at Belgrade
and helped in the capture of that city.
The division was then sent to the Russian Front
where it was part of XXXXVIII Corps (mot.) under the command of General Kempf (1 Pz.Gr., Army Group South
). The division fought with distinction in the battle of Kiev
and later took part in the march toward Moscow
as part of XXXXVI Panzer Corps (Pz.Gr. 4, Army Group Centre
).
In June 1942, along with the 4th Panzer Army, the division fought in the major offensive in the Volga and Don
, since it was not serving at Stalingrad. The division fought in the Don and Donets with the 2nd Panzer Army, part of Army Group Don
it suffered substantial losses during the winter of 1942-43.
It faced difficult challenges and engaged in heavy fighting trying to stop the Red Army
in the sector of Rostov
. In July 1943, it participated in Operation Zitadelle "as part of XXXXVIII Panzer Corps (4th Panzer Army, Army Group South).
It was again severely tested during the Battle of Krivoi Rog in late 1943. In February 1944, being one of the divisions surrounded in Cherkassy, it struggled to get out of the siege, so much that when it got out, it had lost nearly all its vehicles. To continue fighting, the division was reinforced by the remnants of the 123rd Infantry Division, for this to happen, it was removed from the front and sent to Bordeaux
, France
after receiving 273 personnel drawn from the Reserve Panzer Division.
After being stationed in the area of Toulouse
, it was moved to the section of the Rhône
in July 1944. it was forced to retreat by the Rhône corridor, reaching Besançon
. Later entering combat in Alsace
and helped in the defense of the Belfort Gap
after going back to Saar. In December 1944, it fought in the Ardennes
XIII. SS-K. (1st Army, Army Group G
).
At the beginning of that battle, the division had 3.500 personnel, including 800 infantry. The 11th Panzer Division entered combat in Saarland
and Moselle
and the sector after dark as part of 7th Army (January 1945). It fought at Remagen
with 4,000 soldiers, 25 tanks and 18 guns that still remained, but was expelled from the region by the advancing enemy.
Despite the large losses suffered, it was still regarded as one of the strongest divisions of the Western Front
. In March 1944, it joined the LXXXI Corps (15th Army, Army Group B
).
Later it was shifted to the southern sector of the front, with its forces stationed in and encircled in the Ruhr
. The 11th Panzer Division fought until May 1945 when it was part of the LXXXV Corps (7th Army, Army Group G). Its last survivors were captured on May 4, 1945 in the Harz Mountains
region by the 3rd U.S. Army
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
which saw action on the Eastern
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
and Western Fronts during the Second World War. The unit emblem of the 11'th Panzer was a ghost (this must not be confused with the famed Gespenster Division, which was the 7th Panzer Division). The 11th didn't take part in the western campaign, or see any action before Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
.
History
The 11th Panzer Division was formed on August 1, 1940 from 11. Schützen-Brigade and the Pz.Rgt. 15, removed from the 5th Panzer Division and elements of the 231st Infantry Division, 311th Infantry Division and 209th Infantry Division. Most of its members were from the region of SilesiaSilesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
.
In the fall of 1942, the general staff of 11th infantry Brigade was fired. The 11th Panzer Division saw action for the first time in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in April 1941 along with the XIV Corps (mot.) of Pz.Gr. 1. Leaving Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, arriving at Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
and helped in the capture of that city.
The division was then sent to the Russian Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
where it was part of XXXXVIII Corps (mot.) under the command of General Kempf (1 Pz.Gr., Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
). The division fought with distinction in the battle of Kiev
Battle of Kiev (1941)
The Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a very large encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II. It is considered the largest encirclement of troops in history. The operation ran from 23 August – 26 September 1941 as part of Operation...
and later took part in the march toward Moscow
Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of...
as part of XXXXVI Panzer Corps (Pz.Gr. 4, Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
).
In June 1942, along with the 4th Panzer Army, the division fought in the major offensive in the Volga and Don
Don River (Russia)
The Don River is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast of Moscow, and flows for a distance of about 1,950 kilometres to the Sea of Azov....
, since it was not serving at Stalingrad. The division fought in the Don and Donets with the 2nd Panzer Army, part of Army Group Don
Army Group Don
Army Group Don was a short-lived German army group during World War II.Army Group Don was created from the headquarters of the Eleventh Army in the southern sector of the Eastern Front on 22 November 1942. The army group only lasted until February 1943 when it was combined with Army Group B and...
it suffered substantial losses during the winter of 1942-43.
It faced difficult challenges and engaged in heavy fighting trying to stop the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in the sector of Rostov
Rostov
Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:...
. In July 1943, it participated in Operation Zitadelle "as part of XXXXVIII Panzer Corps (4th Panzer Army, Army Group South).
It was again severely tested during the Battle of Krivoi Rog in late 1943. In February 1944, being one of the divisions surrounded in Cherkassy, it struggled to get out of the siege, so much that when it got out, it had lost nearly all its vehicles. To continue fighting, the division was reinforced by the remnants of the 123rd Infantry Division, for this to happen, it was removed from the front and sent to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
after receiving 273 personnel drawn from the Reserve Panzer Division.
After being stationed in the area of Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, it was moved to the section of the Rhône
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
in July 1944. it was forced to retreat by the Rhône corridor, reaching Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
. Later entering combat in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and helped in the defense of the Belfort Gap
Belfort Gap
The Belfort Gap is a plateau located between the northern end of the Jura Mountains and the southernmost part of the Vosges mountains. Its altitude varies between 345 meters at its lowest and a little more than 400 meters in the area of the watershed between the catchment areas of the Rhine and...
after going back to Saar. In December 1944, it fought in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
XIII. SS-K. (1st Army, Army Group G
Army Group G
The German Army Group G fought on the Western Front of World War II and was a component of OB West.When the Allied invasion of Southern France took place, Army Group G had eleven divisions with which to hold France south of the Loire...
).
At the beginning of that battle, the division had 3.500 personnel, including 800 infantry. The 11th Panzer Division entered combat in Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
and Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
and the sector after dark as part of 7th Army (January 1945). It fought at Remagen
Remagen
Remagen is a town in Germany in Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler. It is about a one hour drive from Cologne , just south of Bonn, the former West German capital. It is situated on the River Rhine. There is a ferry across the Rhine from Remagen every 10–15 minutes in the summer...
with 4,000 soldiers, 25 tanks and 18 guns that still remained, but was expelled from the region by the advancing enemy.
Despite the large losses suffered, it was still regarded as one of the strongest divisions of the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
. In March 1944, it joined the LXXXI Corps (15th Army, Army Group B
Army Group B
Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.-Battle for France:The first was involved in the Western Campaign in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands which was to be aimed to conquer the Maas bridges after the German airborne actions in Rotterdam...
).
Later it was shifted to the southern sector of the front, with its forces stationed in and encircled in the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
. The 11th Panzer Division fought until May 1945 when it was part of the LXXXV Corps (7th Army, Army Group G). Its last survivors were captured on May 4, 1945 in the Harz Mountains
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
region by the 3rd U.S. Army
United States Army Central
United States Army Central is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and is also dual-hatted as the "United States Third Army". It is the Army Component of U.S...
.
Commanders
- General der Panzertruppen Ludwig CrüwellLudwig CrüwellLudwig Crüwell , was a German general known for his involvement with the Afrika Korps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
(1 August 1940 – 15 August 1941) - Generalleutnant Günther AngernGünther AngernGünther Angern was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several panzer divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
(15 August 1941 – 24 August 1941) - General der Panzertruppen Hans-Karl Freiherr von EsebeckHans-Karl Freiherr von EsebeckHans-Karl Asmus Werner Freiherr von Esebeck was a German General who commanded the 15th Panzer Division in the Afrika Korps. He was also a conspirator against Adolf Hitler....
(24 August 1941 – 20 October 1941) - Generalleutnant Walter SchellerWalter SchellerWalter Scheller was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful...
(20 October 1941 – 16 May 1942) - General der Panzertruppen Hermann BalckHermann BalckHermann Balck was a career German army officer who served in both World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of General der Panzertruppe. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds...
(16 May 1942 – 4 March 1943) - General der Infanterie Dietrich von CholtitzDietrich von CholtitzGeneral der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz was the German military governor of Paris during the closing days of the German occupation of that city during World War II...
(4 March 1943 – 15 May 1943) - Generalleutnant Johann MicklJohann MicklJohann Mickl was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Born in Zenkovci in prekmurian-German family...
(15 May 1943 – 10 August 1943) - Generalleutnant Wend von WietersheimWend von WietersheimWend von Wietersheim was a German general of Infantry, serving during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(10 August 1943 – 10 April 1945) - Generalmajor Horst Freiherr Treusch und Buttlar-BrandenfelsHorst Freiherr Treusch und Buttlar-BrandenfelsHorst Julius Freiherr Treusch von Buttlar-Brandenfels was a German general and recipient of the Pour le Mérite on 9 April 1918 as Commander of Zeppelin L-54...
(10 April 1945)
11.Panzer-Division, June 1941
- Divisionstab
- 33.Panzer-Regiment
- 11.Schützen-Brigade
- 61.Kradschützen-Battalion
- 61.Panzerjäger-Abteilung
- 231.Aufklärungs-Abteilung
- 119.Artillerie Regiment
- 85.Nachrichten-Battalion
- 86.Pionier-Battalion
- 71.Flak-Battalion (attached)
- 2 / 21.Panzer Luftwaffe Observation Staffel (attached)
11.Panzer-Division, July 1943
- Divisionstab
- 15.Panzer-Regiment
- 110.Panzergrenadier-Regiment
- 4.-Panzergrenadier-Regiment
- 61.Panzerjäger-Abteilung
- 11.Aufklärungs-Abteilung
- 76.Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment
- 277.Heeres-Flak-Battalion
- 209.Panzer-Pioneer-Battalion
- 89.Panzer-Nachrichten-Battalion
- 61.Feldersatz-Battalion