Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 2, commanded by Dr. Franz Bake, was a late World War II Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

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:...

 armoured division

Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

. It was formed in March 1945 of the remnants of other divisions and stationed with a home base at Wehrkreis XX. It was moved to 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...

 in 1945 where it fought its only battles (Slovakia and the upper Danube). It was later disbanded.

History

The Panzer

Panzer

A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...

 Division Feldherrnhalle 2 was formed in March 1945 from the Replacement and Training Brigade Feldherrnhalle, which had been forced out of Danzig

Gdansk

Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...

 early that year. The new division was sent to join the 8th Army which was located in Slovakia at the time. In April 1945 the division fought its only battles, in Slovakia and on the upper Danube

Danube

The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

.

On May 8, 1945, the division was given the order to surrender. The commanding officer, Major General Butler, from an American unit was contacted about accepting the surrender of the division. The Americans desired to hand the German troops over to the Soviets in the area, however the Germans fooled the Butler by taking him to see a HQ which the Germans placed forward of their main lines. This allowed the German unit to move into the captivity of the Americans as they headed in the opposite direction.

Composition

The Division was composed of many units. Despite the amount of units, or remainder of units, the division was barely at regimental strength.

Units

Panzer Regiment Felderrnhalle 2; Panzer Grenadier Regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

 Felderrnhalle 2; Panzer 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...

 Regiment Feldnerrnhalle 2; 13th Panzer Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

 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...

; Tank Destroyer Battalion Felderrnhalle 2; Motorized Engineer Battalion Felderrnhalle 2; Motorized Signal Battalion Felderrnhalle 2; Army Flak Artillery Battalion Felderrnhalle

Statistics

These are only approximate numbers. The numbers given are the amount of manpower that made up a division and regiment under ideal conditions. As you can see the huge gap in the amount of manpower a division is supposed to have and the amount of manpower the Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 2 had.

Divisional Statistics

• Officers 400
• Officials 100
• Non-Commissioned Officers 2000
• Enlisted Men/Crews 9300
• Total Strength 11800
• Machine Guns 220
• Mortars 50
• Infantry Guns 10
• 37mm Pak Guns 50
• Howitzers & Cannons 28
• 20mm Flak guns 12
• Armored Scout Cars 100
• Tanks 324
• Trucks 1400
• Passenger Cars 560
• Motorcycles 1300
• Sidecars 700

Commander

Dr. Franz Bake's

Franz Bäke

Generalmajor der Reserve Dr. med. dent. Franz BäkeIn German a Doctor of Medical Dentistry is abbreviated as Dr. med. dent. . was a German Army officer and panzer ace. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...

 (1898-1978) profession was dentistry

Dentistry

Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...

. He joined the German army

German Army

The 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...

 in 1915, his unit was the 53rd Infantry Regiment. By the time he was discharged, 1919, he had risen to the rank of sergeant. In 1937 he was recalled and was promoted several times until the end of World War II.. Was considered a very brave officer having, himself, knocked out at least three Soviet tanks in battle.

Military Awards

Held the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...

, the second most prestigious award in the German military.

• The Knight's Cross was a medal awarded to soldiers in all branches of the German military. It was awarded for bravery in combat. The Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was the second level of this award and was awarded for further acts of bravery. The third stage of this award, which Dr. Franz Bake held, was the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. It was also awarded for even further acts of bravery. This is award is the second most prestigious award in the German military. The highest is the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. Only 27 people were awarded with this prestigious award. There was another higher award known the Knight's Cross with Gold Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. There was to be twelve of these awards given to the bravest of the Germans after a victory, but only one was awarded.

Promotions

• 1937 recalled as second lieutenant of reserves
• 1939 promoted to lieutenant of reserves
• 1941 promoted to captain of reserves
• 1942 promoted to major of reserves
• 1943 promoted to lieutenant colonel of reserves
• 1944 promoted to colonel of reserves
• 1945 promoted to major general of reserves

Posts Held

• 1940-1941 commander of 1st company, 6th Reconnaissance Battalion
• 1941-1942 1a of 11th Panzer Regiment
• 1941-1942 commander of I/11th Panzer Regiment
• 1942-1943 commander of II/11th Panzer Regiment
• 1944 commander of 106th Panzer Brigade Feldherrnhalle
• Was not formally assigned commander of the 13th Panzer Division
  13th Panzer Division (Germany)
  The 13th Panzer Division was originally created in 1934 under the cover name Infanterieführer IV; it was unveiled as the 13th Infantry Division in 1935 when the creation of the Wehrmacht was announced...
  
  until March 9, 1945