Panzer Division Clausewitz
Encyclopedia
Panzer-Division Clausewitz was a German
panzer division
during World War II
, named for Carl von Clausewitz
.
It was formed in central Germany area at the beginning of April 1945 under the command of Martin Unrein
, from the 233rd Panzergrenadier Division and also drawing Panzergrenadier
troops from the 233rd Reserve Panzer Division
and vehicles from the Panzer training school at Putlos. Other elements came from the reserve brigade of the Großdeutschland division
, the remnants of the Holstein panzer division
, the Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle, and units drawn from Army Group Blumentritt.
The general quality of the men was high, as most of the infantry were front-line veterans who had been posted to reserve divisions after recovering from injuries, and the tank crews were mostly composed of instructors. However, they were heavily deficient in equipment - overall, only around 20% of the assigned vehicles were available. The equipment they possessed was often outdated - several of their tanks were Panzer III
s or Panzer IV
s - and in a bad state of repair. Individual units were equipped with a variety of vehicles, making maintenance difficult, and ammunition was in short supply. There were no artillery pieces, very little signals equipment, and no supply troops.
It first saw action in the northern front, fighting British armoured units from the 10th to the 12th, before being assigned to the XXXIX Corps. The XXXIX Corps was ordered to push south to cut the supply lines of the leading American divisions, which had now reached as far as the Elbe river, and attempt to link up with the 11th SS Panzer Army
, which was fighting in the Harz mountains. Most of the strength of the division was expended in this push, and by the 20th it had split into small disorganised groups. On the 24th, the divisional commander was captured by American troops.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
panzer division
Panzer Division
A 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....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, named for Carl von Clausewitz
Carl von Clausewitz
Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz was a Prussian soldier and German military theorist who stressed the moral and political aspects of war...
.
It was formed in central Germany area at the beginning of April 1945 under the command of Martin Unrein
Martin Unrein
Generalleutnant Martin Unrein was a general officer of the German Army during the Second World War.-Early career:...
, from the 233rd Panzergrenadier Division and also drawing Panzergrenadier
Panzergrenadier
is a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
troops from the 233rd Reserve Panzer Division
233rd Reserve Panzer Division
The 233rd Reserve Panzer Division was a German panzer division during World War II which was mainly deployed in Denmark.The 233rd Panzer Division was redesignated the 233rd Reserve Panzer Division on the 8th of August 1943 under the command of Kurt Cuno,and was posted to central Jutland in Denmark...
and vehicles from the Panzer training school at Putlos. Other elements came from the reserve brigade of the Großdeutschland division
Großdeutschland Division
The Großdeutschland Division was an elite Heer combat unit of the Wehrmacht. The Großdeutschland was considered to be the premier unit of the German Army and as such it was one of best-equipped unit of the German Armed Forces, receiving equipment before all other units.- Early history -...
, the remnants of the Holstein panzer division
233rd Reserve Panzer Division
The 233rd Reserve Panzer Division was a German panzer division during World War II which was mainly deployed in Denmark.The 233rd Panzer Division was redesignated the 233rd Reserve Panzer Division on the 8th of August 1943 under the command of Kurt Cuno,and was posted to central Jutland in Denmark...
, the Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle, and units drawn from Army Group Blumentritt.
The general quality of the men was high, as most of the infantry were front-line veterans who had been posted to reserve divisions after recovering from injuries, and the tank crews were mostly composed of instructors. However, they were heavily deficient in equipment - overall, only around 20% of the assigned vehicles were available. The equipment they possessed was often outdated - several of their tanks were Panzer III
Panzer III
Panzer III was the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the 1930s by Germany and was used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III translating as "armoured battle vehicle". It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and...
s or 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...
s - and in a bad state of repair. Individual units were equipped with a variety of vehicles, making maintenance difficult, and ammunition was in short supply. There were no artillery pieces, very little signals equipment, and no supply troops.
It first saw action in the northern front, fighting British armoured units from the 10th to the 12th, before being assigned to the XXXIX Corps. The XXXIX Corps was ordered to push south to cut the supply lines of the leading American divisions, which had now reached as far as the Elbe river, and attempt to link up with the 11th SS Panzer Army
11th SS Panzer Army
The 11th SS Panzer Army was not much more than a paper army formed between November 1944 and February 1945 by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler while he was commander of Army Group Vistula....
, which was fighting in the Harz mountains. Most of the strength of the division was expended in this push, and by the 20th it had split into small disorganised groups. On the 24th, the divisional commander was captured by American troops.
Further reading
- Clausewitz Panzer Division, by S. Emmett. CP Models. [PDF]