German 3rd Panzer Division
Encyclopedia
The German 3rd Panzer Division (3. Panzer-Division) was established in 1935 under the command of Generalleutnant Ernst Feßmann
. It later participated in the 1939 invasion of Poland (where it was the most numerically powerful Panzer Division in the campaign, with 391 tanks), the 1940 invasion of France
, and the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union
. One light company from the 5th Panzer Regiment of the 3rd Panzer Division participated in the Invasion of Norway
. On the Eastern Front it participated in the 1942 drive on the Caucasus. It participated in the Battle of Kursk
as part of the 48th Panzer Corps, fighting alongside the 11th Panzer division, the 167th Infantry division and the elite Panzergrenadier division Grossdeutschland. During the battle, the 3rd Panzer was used to achieve the initial breakthrough and inflicted heavy damage to the Soviet forces. It was then used to protect the flanks of the 48th Panzer Corps. After the Soviet counter-attack at Kursk, in which the 3rd Panzer division tried unsuccessfully to defend Kharkov, it retreated as the Germans were driven back westward. In early 1945 it was transferred from Poland
to Hungary
, and in the spring it was transferred to Austria
, where it surrendered to the USs at the end of the war.
Its insignia was the Berlin Bear.
Ernst Feßmann
General Ernst Feßmann was a Cavalry General in the German army who was notable for commanding one of the first Panzer Divisions....
. It later participated in the 1939 invasion of Poland (where it was the most numerically powerful Panzer Division in the campaign, with 391 tanks), the 1940 invasion 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...
, and the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
. One light company from the 5th Panzer Regiment of the 3rd Panzer Division participated in the Invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
. On the Eastern Front it participated in the 1942 drive on the Caucasus. It participated in the Battle of 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,...
as part of the 48th Panzer Corps, fighting alongside the 11th Panzer division, the 167th Infantry division and the elite Panzergrenadier division Grossdeutschland. During the battle, the 3rd Panzer was used to achieve the initial breakthrough and inflicted heavy damage to the Soviet forces. It was then used to protect the flanks of the 48th Panzer Corps. After the Soviet counter-attack at Kursk, in which the 3rd Panzer division tried unsuccessfully to defend Kharkov, it retreated as the Germans were driven back westward. In early 1945 it was transferred from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and in the spring it was transferred to 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...
, where it surrendered to the USs at the end of the war.
Its insignia was the Berlin Bear.
Commanders
- Generalmajor Ernst Fessmann (Creation – 1 September 1939)
- Generalleutnant Leo Geyr von SchweppenburgLeo Geyr von SchweppenburgLeo Dietrich Franz Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg was a German cavalry officer in World War I and a general during World War II. He was particularly noted for his expertise in armoured warfare and his command of Panzer Group West during the Invasion of Normandy.- Biography :Geyr was born in...
(1 September 1939 – 7 October 1939) - Generalleutnant Horst StumpffHorst StumpffHorst Stumpff was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II.He joined the Imperial German Army as an officer cadet in 1907 and was commissioned as a leutnant in the 7th Pomeranian Infantry Regiment "von der Goltz" on 18 August 1908...
(7 October 1939 – September 1940) - Generalleutnant Friedrich KühnFriedrich Kühn (general)General Friedrich Kühn was an Panzer General in the German army during World War II who was the chief of Wehrmacht Motor Transport and mechanization....
(September 1940 – 4 October 1940) - Generalleutnant Horst StumpffHorst StumpffHorst Stumpff was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II.He joined the Imperial German Army as an officer cadet in 1907 and was commissioned as a leutnant in the 7th Pomeranian Infantry Regiment "von der Goltz" on 18 August 1908...
(4 October 1940 – 13 November 1940) - Generalleutnant Walter ModelWalter ModelOtto Moritz Walter Model was a German general and later field marshal during World War II. He is noted for his defensive battles in the latter half of the war, mostly on the Eastern Front but also in the west, and for his close association with Adolf Hitler and Nazism...
(13 November 1940 – 1 October 1941) - Generalleutnant Hermann BreithHermann BreithHermann Albert Breith was a German general of the Panzertruppe, serving during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme...
(1 October 1941 – 1 October 1942) - 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...
(1 October 1942 – 25 October 1943) - Generalleutnant Fritz BayerleinFritz BayerleinFritz Bayerlein was a German panzer general during the Second World War.Fritz Bayerlein was born in Würzburg, Franconia, Germany. During the First World War, Bayerlein was drafted into the 9th Bavarian Infantry in 1917 and fought on the Western front. He was wounded and received an Iron Cross when...
(25 October 1943 – 5 January 1944) - Oberst Rudolf Lang (5 January 1944 – 25 May 1944)
- Generalleutnant Wilhelm PhilippsWilhelm PhilippsDipl.-Ing. Wilhelm PhilippsIn German an engineer's degree is called Diplom-Ingenieur was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(25 May 1944 – 1 January 1945) - Generalmajor Wilhelm Söth (1 January 1945 – 19 April 1945)
- Oberst Volkmar Schöne (19 April 1945 – 8 May 1945)
See also
- 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...
- List of German divisions in WWII
- 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....
- 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:...