German 4th Panzer Division
Encyclopedia
The German 4th Panzer Division (4. Panzer-Division) was established in 1938. It participated in the 1939 invasion of Poland, the 1940 invasion of France
, and the 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union
. It remained on the Eastern Front, mainly under Army Group Centre
, until it was trapped on the coast at Courland
in the summer of 1944. It was evacuated by sea and returned to the main front in West Prussia
in January 1945. It surrendered to the Soviets there at the end of the war. During the Polish campaign the division engaged in a series of massacres against the civilian population and POW's.
Division was formed as 7th Panzer Brigade in Würzburg
on 10 November 1935, as the first unit of the second series of German fast units. On 10 October 1938, it was upgraded to full divisional status. During the Munich Crisis and the subsequent Anschluss of Czechoslovakia
it was screening the border with Poland in case of a pre-emptive strike
by the Allies
. In August, 1939, it was attached to the XVI Panzer Corps of the 10th Army under Gen. Walther von Reichenau
.
(1939), the division was one of the first to cross the border in the operational area of Army Group South
. Equipped with roughly 341 tanks, including 183 Panzer I
, 130 Panzer II
, 12 Panzer IV
and 16 PzBef. The division lacked some infantry and anti-tank units. Polish historian Mieczysław Bielski wrote that immediately after entering Polish territory, on 1 September, the division used civilians as human shield
s during the battle of Mokra
. During that battle the division was fighting the Polish Volhynian Cavalry Brigade under Colonel Julian Filipowicz. Their tanks proved to be inadequately armoured and the Poles inflicted heavy casualties on the German formation and repulsed most of its units, which lost roughly 160 vehicles in the battle (between 70 and 100 of them, tanks), mostly to Polish-made Bofors 37 mm
anti-tank guns and Kb ppanc wz.35
anti-tank rifle
s.
According to the Polish historians Kazimierz Leszczyński and Janusz Gumkowski, a Polish aircraft was shot down on 3 September and its crew taken prisoner. One of its passengers was brutally interrogated, tortured (German soldiers cut off his nose, ears and tongue) and then executed by personnel of the 4th Division.
After supporting 1st Panzer
, the division took part in the break-through of the Polish lines near Kłobuck, the Poles withdrew. Three days later, the 4th Panzer Division continued its move towards Warsaw
. It reached the Polish capital on 8 September and tried to take the city by surprise. At 17.00, the forces of the 4th Panzer Division attempted an assault on Warsaw's western borough of Ochota
. The assault was repulsed and the German forces suffered heavy casualties. The following day the division was reinforced with artillery
and the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler motorised infantry
regiment, and began another assault towards Ochota and Wola
. Well-placed Polish anti-tank guns and barricades erected on main streets repulsed this assault. On several occasions the lack of armament on the Polish side was made up for by ingenuity. One of the streets leading towards the city centre was covered with turpentine from a nearby factory. When German tanks approached, the liquid was set on fire, and the tanks were destroyed without a shot being fired. The German forces suffered heavy casualties and had to retreat. The 4th Panzer Division lost approximately 81 tanks out of 220 during the battle. After the failed assault on Warsaw, 4th Panzer Division was withdrawn westward and took part in the Battle of the Bzura
, where it supported a German counter-attack.
Polish-Jewish historian, Szymon Datner
, stated that on 18 September, in the village of Śladów, units of the 4th Panzer Division shot or drowned 252 prisoners of war and 106 civilians in the Vistula
.
After that it was withdrawn to the Niederrhein
.
in 1940, the division came under the command of Erich Hoepner
's XVI Panzer Corps, part of von Kleist
's Panzer Group in the 6th Army commanded by Walther von Reichenau
. After a blitzkrieg
assault through Liege and Charleroi
, it reached the area of Bethune
, where it fought against the British Expeditionary Force
in what became known as the battle of Dunkirk
. However, due to Adolf Hitler
's orders, it did not manage to capture Dunkirk itself. In early June 1940, the division managed to cross a large part of France in several days. By the time the cease fire was signed it had reached Grenoble
almost unopposed. After several months of occupation duty in France, in late November the 4th Division was again withdrawn to Würzburg, where it was reorganized and reinforced. The 36th Panzer Regiment was detached and assigned to the newly-formed 14th Panzer Division, while the 103rd Artillery Regiment was reinforced with a third battalion.
and then to the area of Brześć Litewski in occupied Poland, where it was assigned to the XXIV Panzer Corps under Geyr von Schweppenburg. On 22 June 1941, it took part in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union
. During the first day, the division managed to drive a wedge into the Soviet positions and reached Kobryń
some 65 kilometres behind the lines. The division then spearheaded one of the pincer moves to surround and destroy a large Soviet force in the battle of Minsk, where the German army took approximately 300,000 prisoners. After the battle of Homel it reached Kiev
, where it fought against another pocket of resistance
.
In September 1941, the division was attached to Army Group Centre
, which was preparing to take part in the battle of Moscow
. The assault started on 30 September 1941, the division reached Mtsensk
and Tula
as the southern arm of a pincer which tried to surround the Soviet capital. However, the Germans had been almost paralysed when the autumn rains set in, turning the only road to Tula into a stretch of mud. Bogged down German tanks proved an easy target for Russian bombers. With the onset of frost in early November, the Germans could use the roads again, but faced the problem of not being equipped for winter warfare, as Hitler had anticipated a quick victory in the summer. Warm clothing and white camouflage suits were lacking, and more and more tanks and other vehicles were immobilised as temperatures dropped below freezing.
area, where the thaw halted the Soviet counter-offensive and the unit could be partially reinforced. Throughout 1942 it fought in the battle of Orel
, a series of almost World War I
-like skirmishes, assaults and counter-assaults. The first battalion of the 35th Regiment was disbanded and the remaining tanks were transferred to the surviving tank battalions. It took part in the failed battle of Kursk
, after which it withdrew to the area along the Desna River
. After a series of Soviet tactical pushes, the front line was finally stabilized near Bobruysk, where the division spent the winter of 1943–1944.
during the expected Soviet spring offensive. However, Operation Bagration, (started on 22 June 1944), was aimed at Army Group Centre
and the division was forced to withdraw, along with the rest of the German army. Assigned to the XXXIX Panzer Corps
under Gen. Karl Decker
, the division withdrew to the area of Warsaw
, where the Soviets halted their offensive due to the Warsaw Uprising
. During the battle of Wołomin, 4th Division even managed to inflict some casualties on the Soviet III Tank Corps.
The division was then transported to northern Lithuania
, where it was to support Army Group North
. It was attached to the 3rd Panzer Army. However, the Soviet advance cut the German army group in two and the division was mostly dispersed. Some of its sub-units were cut off from the rest of German-held territory together with the 16th and 18th Armies in Livonia
, where they supported the defence until the end of the war. Other units were attached to smaller, often improvised formations. They were destroyed by the Soviet offensive of April–May 1945.
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...
. It remained on the Eastern Front, mainly under 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...
, until it was trapped on the coast at Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
in the summer of 1944. It was evacuated by sea and returned to the main front in West Prussia
West Prussia
West Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773–1824 and 1878–1919/20 which was created out of the earlier Polish province of Royal Prussia...
in January 1945. It surrendered to the Soviets there at the end of the war. During the Polish campaign the division engaged in a series of massacres against the civilian population and POW's.
Creation
The 4th PanzerPanzer
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 was formed as 7th Panzer Brigade in 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 10 November 1935, as the first unit of the second series of German fast units. On 10 October 1938, it was upgraded to full divisional status. During the Munich Crisis and the subsequent Anschluss of Czechoslovakia
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
it was screening the border with Poland in case of a pre-emptive strike
Pre-Emptive Strike
Pre-Emptive Strike is the first release by Five Finger Death Punch on July 10, 2007. It was only released as a digital download to the American iTunes Music Store. The live version of "The Devil's Own" was recorded at a performance in Las Vegas, Nevada....
by the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
. In August, 1939, it was attached to the XVI Panzer Corps of the 10th Army under Gen. Walther von Reichenau
Walther von Reichenau
Walter von Reichenau was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II.-History:Reichenau was born in Karlsruhe to a Prussian general and joined the German Army in 1903. During World War I he served on the Western Front...
.
Polish Campaign
At the beginning of the Invasion of PolandInvasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
(1939), the division was one of the first to cross the border in the operational area of 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...
. Equipped with roughly 341 tanks, including 183 Panzer I
Panzer I
The Panzer I was a light tank produced in Germany in the 1930s. The name is short for the German ' , abbreviated . The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was SdKfz 101 .Design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and mass production in 1934...
, 130 Panzer II
Panzer II
The Panzer II was the common name for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen II...
, 12 Panzer IV
Panzer IV
The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...
and 16 PzBef. The division lacked some infantry and anti-tank units. Polish historian Mieczysław Bielski wrote that immediately after entering Polish territory, on 1 September, the division used civilians as human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
s during the battle of Mokra
Battle of Mokra
The Battle of Mokra took place on September 1, 1939 near the village of Mokra, 5 km north from Kłobuck, 23 km north-west from Częstochowa, Poland...
. During that battle the division was fighting the Polish Volhynian Cavalry Brigade under Colonel Julian Filipowicz. Their tanks proved to be inadequately armoured and the Poles inflicted heavy casualties on the German formation and repulsed most of its units, which lost roughly 160 vehicles in the battle (between 70 and 100 of them, tanks), mostly to Polish-made Bofors 37 mm
Bofors 37 mm
The Bofors 37 mm gun was an anti-tank gun designed by Swedish manufacturer Bofors in the early 1930s. Licensed copies were produced in a number of countries. The gun was used by some European armies during World War II, mainly at the early stage of the war.-Development history:The gun was...
anti-tank guns and Kb ppanc wz.35
Kb ppanc wz.35
Karabin przeciwpancerny wzór 35 , also Uruguay, was a Polish 7.9 mm anti-tank rifle used by the Polish Army during the Invasion of Poland of 1939...
anti-tank rifle
Anti-tank rifle
An anti-tank rifle is a rifle designed to penetrate the armour of vehicles, particularly tanks. The usefulness of rifles for this purpose ran from the introduction of tanks in World War I and until the Korean War...
s.
According to the Polish historians Kazimierz Leszczyński and Janusz Gumkowski, a Polish aircraft was shot down on 3 September and its crew taken prisoner. One of its passengers was brutally interrogated, tortured (German soldiers cut off his nose, ears and tongue) and then executed by personnel of the 4th Division.
After supporting 1st Panzer
German 1st Panzer Division
The German 1st Panzer Division was an elite armoured division in the German Army during World War II. Its divisional insignia was a white oakleaf emblem.-History:...
, the division took part in the break-through of the Polish lines near Kłobuck, the Poles withdrew. Three days later, the 4th Panzer Division continued its move towards Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. It reached the Polish capital on 8 September and tried to take the city by surprise. At 17.00, the forces of the 4th Panzer Division attempted an assault on Warsaw's western borough of Ochota
Ochota
Ochota is a district of Warsaw, Poland, located in the central part of the Polish capital city's urban agglomeration.The biggest housing estates of Ochota are:* Kolonia Lubeckiego* Kolonia Staszica* Filtry* Rakowiec* Szosa Krakowska* Szczęśliwice...
. The assault was repulsed and the German forces suffered heavy casualties. The following day the division was reinforced with artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler motorised infantry
Motorised infantry
In NATO and most other western countries, motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, or infantry fighting vehicles...
regiment, and began another assault towards Ochota and Wola
Wola
Wola is a district in western Warsaw, Poland, formerly the village of Wielka Wola, incorporated into Warsaw in 1916. An industrial area with traditions reaching back to the early 19th century, it is slowly changing into an office and residential district...
. Well-placed Polish anti-tank guns and barricades erected on main streets repulsed this assault. On several occasions the lack of armament on the Polish side was made up for by ingenuity. One of the streets leading towards the city centre was covered with turpentine from a nearby factory. When German tanks approached, the liquid was set on fire, and the tanks were destroyed without a shot being fired. The German forces suffered heavy casualties and had to retreat. The 4th Panzer Division lost approximately 81 tanks out of 220 during the battle. After the failed assault on Warsaw, 4th Panzer Division was withdrawn westward and took part in the Battle of the Bzura
Battle of the Bzura
The Battle of the Bzura was a battle in the opening campaign of World War II during the 1939 German invasion of Poland, fought between 9 and 19 September, 1939, between Polish and German forces...
, where it supported a German counter-attack.
Polish-Jewish historian, Szymon Datner
Szymon Datner
Szymon Datner was a Polish historian of Jewish descent, best known for his studies of Nazi war crimes committed against the Jewish population of the Białystok area after the German attack on the Soviet Union in June 1941.Datner settled into Białystok in 1928...
, stated that on 18 September, in the village of Śladów, units of the 4th Panzer Division shot or drowned 252 prisoners of war and 106 civilians in the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
.
After that it was withdrawn to the Niederrhein
Niederrhein
Niederrhein could refer to:* The northernmost German section of the river Rhine, see: Lower Rhine * The Lower Rhine region* Airport Weeze, also known as Airport Niederrhein*Niederrhein , a song by Austrian musician Herwig Mitteregger...
.
French Campaign
During the Battle of FranceBattle 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...
in 1940, the division came under the command of Erich Hoepner
Erich Hoepner
Erich Hoepner was a German general in World War II. A successful panzer leader, Hoepner was executed after the failed 20 July Plot in 1944.- Life :Hoepner was born in Frankfurt an der Oder, Brandenburg...
's XVI Panzer Corps, part of von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was a leading German field marshal during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
's Panzer Group in the 6th Army commanded by Walther von Reichenau
Walther von Reichenau
Walter von Reichenau was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II.-History:Reichenau was born in Karlsruhe to a Prussian general and joined the German Army in 1903. During World War I he served on the Western Front...
. After a 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,...
assault through Liege and Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
, it reached the area of Bethune
Béthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
, where it fought against the British Expeditionary Force
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....
in what became known as the battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
. However, due to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's orders, it did not manage to capture Dunkirk itself. In early June 1940, the division managed to cross a large part of France in several days. By the time the cease fire was signed it had reached Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
almost unopposed. After several months of occupation duty in France, in late November the 4th Division was again withdrawn to Würzburg, where it was reorganized and reinforced. The 36th Panzer Regiment was detached and assigned to the newly-formed 14th Panzer Division, while the 103rd Artillery Regiment was reinforced with a third battalion.
Barbarossa
The division was moved to East PrussiaEast Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
and then to the area of Brześć Litewski in occupied Poland, where it was assigned to the XXIV Panzer Corps under Geyr von Schweppenburg. On 22 June 1941, it took part in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa
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...
, the German invasion of 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....
. During the first day, the division managed to drive a wedge into the Soviet positions and reached Kobryń
Kobryn
Kobryn or Kobrin is a city in the Brest voblast of Belarus and the center of the Kobryn Raion. The city is located in the southwestern corner of Belarus where the Mukhavets River and Dnepr-Bug Canal meet. The city lies about 52 km east of the city of Brest. Kobryn is located at Latitude...
some 65 kilometres behind the lines. The division then spearheaded one of the pincer moves to surround and destroy a large Soviet force in the battle of Minsk, where the German army took approximately 300,000 prisoners. After the battle of Homel it reached Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, where it fought against another pocket of resistance
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...
.
In September 1941, the division was attached to 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...
, which was preparing to take part in 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...
. The assault started on 30 September 1941, the division reached Mtsensk
Mtsensk
Mtsensk is a town in Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Zusha River northeast of Oryol. It stands on the Moscow–Simferopol highway. Population: 28,000 ....
and Tula
Tula, Russia
Tula is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: -History:...
as the southern arm of a pincer which tried to surround the Soviet capital. However, the Germans had been almost paralysed when the autumn rains set in, turning the only road to Tula into a stretch of mud. Bogged down German tanks proved an easy target for Russian bombers. With the onset of frost in early November, the Germans could use the roads again, but faced the problem of not being equipped for winter warfare, as Hitler had anticipated a quick victory in the summer. Warm clothing and white camouflage suits were lacking, and more and more tanks and other vehicles were immobilised as temperatures dropped below freezing.
Reserve unit, 1942–1943
On 5 December, the division was withdrawn and ordered to defend a stretch of front near Moscow against a Soviet winter counter-offensive. In a series of retreats, the division lost almost all of its tanks. A month later it had only 25 machines still operational. It withdrew to the OrelOryol
Oryol or Orel is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow...
area, where the thaw halted the Soviet counter-offensive and the unit could be partially reinforced. Throughout 1942 it fought in the battle of Orel
Battle of Orel
The Battle of Orel was an engagement during the Russian Civil War, between the Communist Red Forces, and the Anti Communist White Russian Forces....
, a series of almost World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
-like skirmishes, assaults and counter-assaults. The first battalion of the 35th Regiment was disbanded and the remaining tanks were transferred to the surviving tank battalions. It took part in the failed 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,...
, after which it withdrew to the area along the Desna River
Desna River
Desna is a river in Russia and Ukraine, left tributary of the Dnieper. The word means "right hand" in the Old East Slavic language. Its length is , and its drainage basin covers ....
. After a series of Soviet tactical pushes, the front line was finally stabilized near Bobruysk, where the division spent the winter of 1943–1944.
Defensive operations on the Eastern Front, 1943–1945
In the spring of 1944, the division moved to the area of Kowel in occupied Poland, where it was to support Army Group SouthArmy 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...
during the expected Soviet spring offensive. However, Operation Bagration, (started on 22 June 1944), was aimed at 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...
and the division was forced to withdraw, along with the rest of the German army. Assigned to the XXXIX Panzer Corps
German XXXIX Panzer Corps
The XXXIX Panzer Corps ) was a German panzer corps which saw action on the Western and Eastern Fronts during World War II.-1940:The Corps was formed The XXXIX Panzer Corps ) was a German panzer corps which saw action on the Western and Eastern Fronts during World War II.-1940:The Corps (whose home...
under Gen. Karl Decker
Karl Decker
Karl Gustav Adolf Decker was a German general in the infantry, serving during World War II. Trapped in the Ruhr Pocket, Decker committed suicide on 21 April 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, the division withdrew to the area of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, where the Soviets halted their offensive due to the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
. During the battle of Wołomin, 4th Division even managed to inflict some casualties on the Soviet III Tank Corps.
The division was then transported to northern Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, where it was to support Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
. It was attached to the 3rd Panzer Army. However, the Soviet advance cut the German army group in two and the division was mostly dispersed. Some of its sub-units were cut off from the rest of German-held territory together with the 16th and 18th Armies in Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
, where they supported the defence until the end of the war. Other units were attached to smaller, often improvised formations. They were destroyed by the Soviet offensive of April–May 1945.
Commanders
- Generaloberst Georg-Hans ReinhardtGeorg-Hans ReinhardtGeorg-Hans Reinhardt was a German general of World War II. He commanded Third Panzer Army from 1941 to 1944, and Army Group Centre in 1944 and 1945. His highest rank was Generaloberst . He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(1 September 1939 – 5 February 1940) - Generalleutnant Ludwig Ritter von Radlmeier (5 February 1940 – 8 June 1940)
- Generalleutnant Johann Joachim Stever (8 June 1940 – 24 July 1940)
- Generalleutnant Hans Reichsfreiherr von Boineburg-LengsfeldHans Reichsfreiherr von Boineburg-LengsfeldWilhelm Georg Gustav Botho Rudolf Hans Reichsfreiherr von Boineburg-Lengsfeld was a German general who commanded several panzer divisions during World War II. 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...
(24 July 1940 – 8 September 1940) - General der Panzertruppen Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und ErlencampWillibald Freiherr von Langermann und ErlencampGeneral Willibald Karl Moritz Robert Rudolf Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(8 September 1940 – 27 December 1941) - General der Panzertruppen Dietrich von SauckenDietrich von SauckenFriedrich Wilhelm Eduard Kasimir Dietrich von Saucken was a general in the German army, the Wehrmacht Heer, during World War II...
(27 December 1941 – 2 January 1942) - General der Panzertruppen Willibald Freiherr von Langermann und Erlencamp (2 January 1942 – 6 January 1942)
- General der Panzertruppen Heinrich EberbachHeinrich EberbachHeinrich Kurt Alfons Willy Eberbach was a German General der Panzertruppen in the German Army of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(6 January 1942 – 2 March 1942) - Generalleutnant Otto HeidkämperOtto HeidkämperOtto Heidkämper 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...
(2 March 1942 – 4 April 1942) - General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Eberbach (4 April 1942 – 14 November 1942)
- Generalleutnant Erich SchneiderErich SchneiderDipl.-Ing. Erich SchneiderIn 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 with Oak Leaves...
(14 November 1942 – 31 May 1943) - General der Panzertruppen Dietrich von Saucken (31 May 1943 – ? January 1944)
- Generalleutnant Hans Junck (21 January 1944 – 7 February 1944)
- General der Panzertruppen Dietrich von Saucken (? February 1944 – 1 May 1944)
- Generalleutnant Clemens BetzelClemens BetzelClemens Betzel was a German general who commanded the 4. Panzer-Division during World War II. 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...
(1 May 1944 – 27 March 1945) - Oberst Ernst-Wilhelm HoffmannErnst-Wilhelm HoffmannErnst-Wilhelm Hoffmann was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II who was the last commander of the 4. Panzer-Division. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(27 March 1945 – 8 May 1945)
Fall Weiß, invasion of Poland 1939
- Divisionstab
- 4. Schützen-Brigade
- Schützen-Regiment 12
- 5. Panzer-Brigade
- Panzer-Regiment 35
- Panzer-Regiment 36
- Artillerie-Regiment 103
- Aufklärungs-Abteilung 7
- Panzerabwehr-Battalion 49
- Pionier-Battalion 79
- Nachrichten-Abteilung 79
Operation Citadel, Orel 1943
(German: Unternehmen Zitadelle)- Divisionstab
- Panzergrenadier-Regiment 12
- Panzergrenadier-Regiment 33
- II./Panzer-Regiment 35
- Artillerie-Regiment 103
- Panzerjäger-Abteilung 49
- Feldersatz-Battalion 103
- Panzer-Pionier-Battalion 79
- Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 79
- Heeres-Flak-Abteilung 290
- 84.Versorgungstruppen