German 2nd Panzer Division
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Panzer Division (2. Panzer-Division) was created in 1935, and stationed in Austria
after the Anschluss
. It participated in the campaigns in Poland
(1939) and France
(1940), and then returned to Poland for occupation duties (1940–1941). It took part in the Balkans
campaign (1941) and then transferred to the Russian Front in September 1941. It fought with Army Group Center in the battles of Moscow
(1941) and Kursk
(1943). After heavy losses on the Russian Front it was sent to France for rehabilitation (1944). It fought in Normandy
and was almost completely destroyed in the Falaise Pocket
(1944). It was rebuilt once more and fought in the Battle of the Bulge
(1944) and in the defense of the Rhine (1945), surrendering to the Americans at war's end.
in the city of Würzburg
on the 15th October 1935 from two armoured regiments, the 3rd Panzer Regiment and the 4th Panzer Regiment under the control of Oberst
Heinz Guderian
.
During the Anschluss
of Austria
by the Third Reich, assisted by Nazi elements within Austria, the division was sent to form a part of the garrison in the Austrian capital of Vienna
. At the outbreak of the Second World War the division was bolstered by a contingent of local Austrians, up to the point where the division was nicknamed the Vienna Division.
In early September 1939, at the beginning of the war, the 2nd Panzer Division took part in the invasion of Poland as a part of the XII Panzer Corps, of the 14th Army (Germany), Army Group South
. Based in newly formed Slovakia
, the objectives of the division initially were the taking of the city of Krakow
, where it came against the 10th Mechanized Division (Poland) and the 10th Armoured Brigade (Poland). Troughout the campaign it suffered heavy losses, particularly on the 18th September in a bitter tank battle.
On the other hand, during the campaign, soldiers of the 2nd Panzer Division committed atrocities against prisoners of the Polish Army. On the 5th September, some Polish soldiers who were apprehended near Toporzysko-Bystra were removed from their unit and executed under the assumption that they were attempting to flee.
In January of 1940, the 2nd Division was reassigned to the Western front, around the area of Eifel
. When May came of that same year, the unit took part in the Battle of France
, as a part of the XIX Army Corps (Germany) under the command of Heinz Guderian, their former commander. The kampfgruppe
of which the division formed a part was under the command of Ewald von Kleist
. The division helped the push through the Ardennes
and was involved in fighting in Belgium
and the Mosel River valley. On the 17th May, along with the 1st Panzer Division they managed to hold the banks of the River Oise, spearheaded an attack Moy, and took the town of Peronne
in the Somme
on the 19th of May; arriving in the town of Abbeville
on the 20th. Later they would form the armoured element which flanked the British Expeditionary Army
and forced their extraction from the European Continent in Dunkirk, while engaging the French 2nd Armoured Division led by General
Charles de Gaulle
who would carry on to lead the Free French forces. The invasion was typical of newly developed Blitzkrieg
tactics used by the German army which utilised armoured elements under the support of the Luftwaffe
.
After a rest of a week to conduct repairs and to regroup the unit, the 2nd Panzer division advanced along the River Aisne into the interior of France. At the end of the campaign in the last months of 1940, the Division lost its 4th Panzer Regiment which was used as the basis for the soon to be formed 13th Panzer Division.
, with the mission of protecting the country, and perhaps more importantly the resources from Ploesti, keeping it from Soviet influence and sidestepping the Romanian authorities, all the time positioning for a possible invasion by Germany into the Soviet Union
. Meanwhile an alliance was formed with Bulgaria
and this assured southern protection for Romania.
The division was reassigned to the XVIII Mountain Corps (Germany) of the 12th Army (Germany) on the 6th April 1940 to play a role in Operation Marita, which was the invasion of Greece. The German army pushed through the south of Yugoslavia
, taking the important city of Strumica
and then carrying on southward towards the Grecian border, where they made contact with the 19th Motorised Infantry (Greece) in the area of Lake Dojran and on the 9th April the Division took the city of Salonika. Eventually on the same day they forced the surrender of the 2nd Greek Army which was on the east of the River Vardar
.
The Division, together with the 5th Mountain Division, the 6th Mountain Division and the 72nd Infantary Division
formed an attack group with the mission of securing the advance into the south of Greece. After the 6th Division had taken Verroia and formed a Spearhead, on the other side of the River Haliacmon
, the 2nd Panzer Division crossed the river, taking Katerini
on the 14th April. During the attack on the 15th April the area around Mount Olympus
was taken, and on the 16th New Zealand Troops acting as a part of the Anzac force were attacked in the Platamon Valley
. Finally, after strong resistance, they broke through British troops sent to the assistance of Greece, taking Larissa
on the 19th April, and secured a significant British Supply Dump, which the 2nd Panzer Division used to push the attack without waiting for resupply.
After the final resistance was beaten in the Valley of Thermopalyae
, the 2nd Panzer Division entered Athens together with the 6th Mountain Division. In September 1941 the Division lost some of its comprising units, and was reassigned the 22nd Panzer Division.
Before the campaign, the Division had to recover from losses suffered from wear, as well as their heavy weapons, which had been sunk in the Mediterranean by Allied submarines; it was shipped by sea to Italy
, to be redirected from there by heavy railway to the east. After they had recovered, in October 1941, 2nd Panzer Division was sent to the Eastern Front
, reinforcing Army Group Centre in their progress towards Moscow. They became an active component of the XL Panzer Corps of the 4th Panzer Army. During the Battle of Moscow
, vanguard elements of the Division reached the outskirts of the city reaching 9 km from the centre of Moscow; some of its units even claimed to have sighted the domes of the Kremlin
in the distance.
After being on the defensive, the Division was forced to withdraw following a counterattack of the Red Army
in the winter of 1941, taking part in various battles defensive as a component in the 9th German Army during the first months of 1942 .
In 1943 the 2nd Panzer Division took part in Operation Citadel, fitted in the XLVII Panzer Corps
of the 9th German Army of Army Group Centre. The German offensive was stopped as it was discovered that the Western Allies had began landing for operations in North Africa ( Operation Torch
). They began a fighting retreat where they suffered heavy losses.
in the Somme, for its restructuring and reorganization. It remained in the area to deal with a hypothetical invasion of France by Allies.
However, when there was the invasion of Normandy by the Allies on June 6 of 1944, the 2nd Panzer Division was not sent immediately to Normandy but remained in the Somme due to the erroneous assumption that there was to be a second Allied landing in the region of Calais; an idea fostered by the British through their use of double agents for exactly this purpose. Due to this, to damage and delays caused by the action of groups of partisans and allied air raids, the Division did not reach the front in Normandy until July. When it arrived, it clashed with British troops of the 50th Infantry Division and the 7th Armoured Division. Having participated in various battles and confrontations, it took part with its last 25 tanks in the failed counterattack
at Mortain
. It was later enclosed in the Falaise pocket
, but managed to escape at a high cost in material and human casualties. However, the defense of the position was crucial in not allowing the Allies to close the pocket until a high number of German soldiers had escaped.
in Germany to be reorganized again, absorbing the few remnants of the 352. Infantry Division. Due to the shortage in material resources which afflicted the Third Reich , was significantly reduced its complement of tanks, some of their companies with only assault guns. although a battalion
received Panzer V Panther tanks.
in December 1944 - January 1945, the 2nd Panzer Division attacked towards the crucial road junction of Bastogne
. However, the town's defences was quickly reinforced by the veteran 101st Airborne Division
. Various attacks directed against the town failed, and the 2nd Panzer Division had lost precious time in trying to take down Bastogne
's defenders. When it was diverted to the Meuse on December 18, in accordance with the original plan, the division was unable to break through the stubborn American resistance. Eventually, the vanguard of the division came to reach within 4 km the Meuse River, but were forced to retreat by fierce counterattacks conducted by American forces as well as the lack of gasoline for the German mechanized forces.
Finally, most of the 2nd Panzer Division was surrounded by the U.S. 2nd Armored Division on Christmas Day, with very few tanks of the Division able to escape back to German lines. Strikes by ground-attack aircraft hindered attempts by the 2nd Panzer Division to retreat back to friendly lines in large formations.
. 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.
The final fate of the unit was to defend the city of Fulda
in April 1945, along with the rest of the XII Army Corps of the same 7th Army, and surrendered to the American forces on the 7th May.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
after the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
. It participated in the campaigns in Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
(1939) and 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...
(1940), and then returned to Poland for occupation duties (1940–1941). It took part in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
campaign (1941) and then transferred to the Russian Front in September 1941. It fought with Army Group Center in the battles of 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...
(1941) and Kursk
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
(1943). After heavy losses on the Russian Front it was sent to France for rehabilitation (1944). It fought in Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
and was almost completely destroyed in the Falaise Pocket
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
(1944). It was rebuilt once more and fought in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
(1944) and in the defense of the Rhine (1945), surrendering to the Americans at war's end.
Construction
The 2nd Panzer Division was created by the WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in the city of Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
on the 15th October 1935 from two armoured regiments, the 3rd Panzer Regiment and the 4th Panzer Regiment under the control of Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
Heinz Guderian
Heinz Guderian
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German general during World War II. He was a pioneer in the development of armored warfare, and was the leading proponent of tanks and mechanization in the Wehrmacht . Germany's panzer forces were raised and organized under his direction as Chief of Mobile Forces...
.
During the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
by the Third Reich, assisted by Nazi elements within Austria, the division was sent to form a part of the garrison in the Austrian capital of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. At the outbreak of the Second World War the division was bolstered by a contingent of local Austrians, up to the point where the division was nicknamed the Vienna Division.
Invasion of Poland
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...
. Based in newly formed Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, the objectives of the division initially were the taking of the city of Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, where it came against the 10th Mechanized Division (Poland) and the 10th Armoured Brigade (Poland). Troughout the campaign it suffered heavy losses, particularly on the 18th September in a bitter tank battle.
On the other hand, during the campaign, soldiers of the 2nd Panzer Division committed atrocities against prisoners of the Polish Army. On the 5th September, some Polish soldiers who were apprehended near Toporzysko-Bystra were removed from their unit and executed under the assumption that they were attempting to flee.
Battle of France (Fall Gelb and Fall Rot)
Eifel
The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the south of the German-speaking Community of Belgium....
. When May came of that same year, the unit took part in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, as a part of the XIX Army Corps (Germany) under the command of Heinz Guderian, their former commander. The kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
of which the division formed a part was under the command of Ewald von Kleist
Ewald von Kleist
Ewald von Kleist is the name of:*Ewald Jürgen Georg von Kleist , co-inventor of the Leyden jar*Ewald Christian von Kleist , German poet and soldier*Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist , German Field Marshal...
. The division helped the push through 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...
and was involved in fighting in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the Mosel River valley. On the 17th May, along with the 1st Panzer Division they managed to hold the banks of the River Oise, spearheaded an attack Moy, and took the town of Peronne
Péronne
Péronne is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Péronne, Saône-et-Loire, in the Saône-et-Loire département* Péronne, Somme, in the Somme département* Péronne-en-Mélantois, in the Nord département...
in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
on the 19th of May; arriving in the town of Abbeville
Abbeville
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
on the 20th. Later they would form the armoured element which flanked the British Expeditionary Army
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
and forced their extraction from the European Continent in Dunkirk, while engaging the French 2nd Armoured Division led by General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
who would carry on to lead the Free French forces. The invasion was typical of newly developed Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
tactics used by the German army which utilised armoured elements under the support of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
.
After a rest of a week to conduct repairs and to regroup the unit, the 2nd Panzer division advanced along the River Aisne into the interior of France. At the end of the campaign in the last months of 1940, the Division lost its 4th Panzer Regiment which was used as the basis for the soon to be formed 13th Panzer Division.
Romanian Garrison and Operation Marita
In April 1941 the 2nd Panzer division was send to RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, with the mission of protecting the country, and perhaps more importantly the resources from Ploesti, keeping it from Soviet influence and sidestepping the Romanian authorities, all the time positioning for a possible invasion by Germany into the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Meanwhile an alliance was formed with 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...
and this assured southern protection for Romania.
The division was reassigned to the XVIII Mountain Corps (Germany) of the 12th Army (Germany) on the 6th April 1940 to play a role in Operation Marita, which was the invasion of Greece. The German army pushed through the south of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, taking the important city of Strumica
Strumica
Strumica is the largest city in eastern Macedonia, near the Novo Selo-Petrich border crossing with Bulgaria. About 100,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. The city is named after the Strumica River which runs through it...
and then carrying on southward towards the Grecian border, where they made contact with the 19th Motorised Infantry (Greece) in the area of Lake Dojran and on the 9th April the Division took the city of Salonika. Eventually on the same day they forced the surrender of the 2nd Greek Army which was on the east of the River Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
.
The Division, together with the 5th Mountain Division, the 6th Mountain Division and the 72nd Infantary Division
72nd Infantry Division (Germany)
The 72nd Infantry Division was created on 19 September 1939 in Trier from Grenz-Division Trier, which was a border security unit. It was destroyed on the Eastern front 25 March 1944 and reformed June 1944.-Commanding officers:...
formed an attack group with the mission of securing the advance into the south of Greece. After the 6th Division had taken Verroia and formed a Spearhead, on the other side of the River Haliacmon
Haliacmon
The Haliacmon is the longest river in Greece, with a total length of . Haliacmon is the traditional English name for the river, but many sources cite the formerly official Katharevousa version of the name, Aliákmon...
, the 2nd Panzer Division crossed the river, taking Katerini
Katerini
Katerini is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece, the capital of Pieria regional unit. It lies on the Pierian plain, between Mt. Olympus and the Thermaikos Gulf, at an altitude of 14 m. The town, which is one of the newest in Greece, has a population of 83,764...
on the 14th April. During the attack on the 15th April the area around Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
was taken, and on the 16th New Zealand Troops acting as a part of the Anzac force were attacked in the Platamon Valley
Platamon
Platamon , also spelled as Platamonas, is a town and sea-side resort in south Pieria prefecture, Central Macedonia, Greece. Platamon has a population of about 2,200 permanent inhabitants....
. Finally, after strong resistance, they broke through British troops sent to the assistance of Greece, taking Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
on the 19th April, and secured a significant British Supply Dump, which the 2nd Panzer Division used to push the attack without waiting for resupply.
After the final resistance was beaten in the Valley of Thermopalyae
Thermopylae
Thermopylae is a location in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity. It derives its name from its hot sulphur springs. "Hot gates" is also "the place of hot springs and cavernous entrances to Hades"....
, the 2nd Panzer Division entered Athens together with the 6th Mountain Division. In September 1941 the Division lost some of its comprising units, and was reassigned the 22nd Panzer Division.
Russian Front (Operation Barbarossa)
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, to be redirected from there by heavy railway to the east. After they had recovered, in October 1941, 2nd Panzer Division was sent to the Eastern 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...
, reinforcing Army Group Centre in their progress towards Moscow. They became an active component of the XL Panzer Corps of the 4th Panzer Army. During the Battle of 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...
, vanguard elements of the Division reached the outskirts of the city reaching 9 km from the centre of Moscow; some of its units even claimed to have sighted the domes of the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
in the distance.
After being on the defensive, the Division was forced to withdraw following a counterattack of 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 winter of 1941, taking part in various battles defensive as a component in the 9th German Army during the first months of 1942 .
In 1943 the 2nd Panzer Division took part in Operation Citadel, fitted in the XLVII Panzer Corps
XLVII Panzer Corps (Germany)
The XLVII Panzer Corps was a Panzer Corps formed by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge during the Battle for Normandy, and for Operation Lüttich...
of the 9th German Army of Army Group Centre. The German offensive was stopped as it was discovered that the Western Allies had began landing for operations in North Africa ( Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
). They began a fighting retreat where they suffered heavy losses.
France and the Battle of Normandy
As a result of combat fatigue and wear, the Division was sent in late 1943 to France, specifically to AmiensAmiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
in the Somme, for its restructuring and reorganization. It remained in the area to deal with a hypothetical invasion of France by Allies.
However, when there was the invasion of Normandy by the Allies on June 6 of 1944, the 2nd Panzer Division was not sent immediately to Normandy but remained in the Somme due to the erroneous assumption that there was to be a second Allied landing in the region of Calais; an idea fostered by the British through their use of double agents for exactly this purpose. Due to this, to damage and delays caused by the action of groups of partisans and allied air raids, the Division did not reach the front in Normandy until July. When it arrived, it clashed with British troops of the 50th Infantry Division and the 7th Armoured Division. Having participated in various battles and confrontations, it took part with its last 25 tanks in the failed counterattack
Operation Lüttich
Operation Lüttich was a codename given to a German counterattack during the Battle of Normandy, which took place around the American positions near Mortain from 7 August to 13 August 1944...
at Mortain
Mortain
Mortain is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-Geography:Mortain is situated on a rocky hill rising above the gorge of the Cance, a tributary of the Sélune.-Administration:Mortain is the seat of a canton...
. It was later enclosed in the Falaise pocket
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
, but managed to escape at a high cost in material and human casualties. However, the defense of the position was crucial in not allowing the Allies to close the pocket until a high number of German soldiers had escaped.
Germany
Completely dismantled, the Division was sent to BitburgBitburg
Bitburg It is situated approx. 25 km north-west of Trier, and 50 km north-east of Luxembourg . One American airbase, Spangdahlem Air Base, is located nearby.-History:...
in Germany to be reorganized again, absorbing the few remnants of the 352. Infantry Division. Due to the shortage in material resources which afflicted the Third Reich , was significantly reduced its complement of tanks, some of their companies with only assault guns. although a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
received Panzer V Panther tanks.
Battle of the Bulge
After the rest period the Division was sent again to the Western Front, being attached to the 5th Panzer Army which was preparing an offensive in the area of the Ardennes, Belgium. During the Battle of the BulgeBattle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
in December 1944 - January 1945, the 2nd Panzer Division attacked towards the crucial road junction of Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
. However, the town's defences was quickly reinforced by the veteran 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
. Various attacks directed against the town failed, and the 2nd Panzer Division had lost precious time in trying to take down Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
's defenders. When it was diverted to the Meuse on December 18, in accordance with the original plan, the division was unable to break through the stubborn American resistance. Eventually, the vanguard of the division came to reach within 4 km the Meuse River, but were forced to retreat by fierce counterattacks conducted by American forces as well as the lack of gasoline for the German mechanized forces.
Finally, most of the 2nd Panzer Division was surrounded by the U.S. 2nd Armored Division on Christmas Day, with very few tanks of the Division able to escape back to German lines. Strikes by ground-attack aircraft hindered attempts by the 2nd Panzer Division to retreat back to friendly lines in large formations.
Battle of the Rhine
Now operating at an extremely reduced effectivness, the 2nd Panzer Division took part in the Spring of 1945 in the Battle of the RhineBattle of the Rhineland
The Battle of the Rhineland was a series of military operations completed by the 21st Army Group in February and March, 1945. Overall, it consisted of a pincer operation by the Canadian 1st Army moving south eastwards from Nijmegen and the US 9th Army from the Roer.The Canadian thrust was completed...
. 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.
The final fate of the unit was to defend the city of Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
in April 1945, along with the rest of the XII Army Corps of the same 7th Army, and surrendered to the American forces on the 7th May.
Commanders
- Oberst Heinz GuderianHeinz GuderianHeinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German general during World War II. He was a pioneer in the development of armored warfare, and was the leading proponent of tanks and mechanization in the Wehrmacht . Germany's panzer forces were raised and organized under his direction as Chief of Mobile Forces...
(Creation - 31 January 1938) - Generalleutnant Rudolf VeielRudolf VeielRudolf Veiel was a German General of the Panzertruppe during World War II.Veiel's first army service was noted as a Fahnenjunker in the Ulanen-Regiment 19 in April 1904. On 18 August 1905, he became a leutnant.At the beginning of World War I, Veiel was a commander of the Squadron in the...
(1 February 1938 - 17 February 1942) - Generalleutnant 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....
(17 February 1942 - 31 May 1942) (Vacation) - Generalmajor Arno von LenskiArno von LenskiArno Ernst Max von Lenski was a German military officer and general who served in the Imperial German army, the Wehrmacht, and after the war in the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic, where he was also a politician.-Early career:Lenski was born in the East Prussian village of...
(1 June 1942 - 30 June 1942) - Generalleutnant 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....
(1 July 1942 - 10 August 1942) (Wounded) - Oberst Karl Fabiunke (5 September 1942 - 30 September 1942)
- Generalleutnant Vollrath LübbeVollrath LübbeVollrath Lübbe 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...
(1 October 1942 - 31 January 1944) - Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr von LüttwitzHeinrich Freiherr von LüttwitzHeinrich Diepold Georg Freiherr von Lüttwitz was a German general of the Panzer troops, serving during World War II...
(1 February 1944 - 4 May 1944) (Vacation) - Generalleutnant Franz WesthovenFranz WesthovenFranz Westhoven 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...
(5 May 1944 - 26 May 1944) - Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr von LüttwitzHeinrich Freiherr von LüttwitzHeinrich Diepold Georg Freiherr von Lüttwitz was a German general of the Panzer troops, serving during World War II...
(27 May 1944 - 31 August 1944) - Oberst Eberhard von Nostitz (1 September 1944 - 4 September 1944)
- Generalmajor Henning SchönfeldHenning SchönfeldHenning Schönfeld was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded 2. Panzer-Division. 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...
(5 September 1944 - 14 December 1944) - Generalmajor Meinrad von LauchertMeinrad von LauchertMeinrad von Lauchert was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(15 December 1944 - 19 March 1945) - Generalmajor Oskar MunzelOskar MunzelOskar Munzel was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II and a General der Kampftruppen in the Bundeswehr who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(20 March 1945 - 3 April 1945) - Major i.G. Waldemar von GazenWaldemar von GazenWaldemar von Gazen called Waldemar von Gaza was an Officer in the German Wehrmacht and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II...
(3 April 1945 - 4 April 1945) - Oberst Karl Stollbrock (4 April 1945 - 8 May 1945)
See also
- PanzerPanzerA 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 :...
, Panzer DivisionPanzer DivisionA panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II.... - Division (military)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...
, Military unit - HeerGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, List of German divisions in WWII