20th Panzer Division (Germany)

20th Panzer Division (Germany)

The 20th Panzer Division was formed on October 15, 1940 in Erfurt, Germany. As part of Hitler's plans to double the number of Panzer Divisions the 19th Infantry Division and a number of other units were canibalized for men and material, and then restructured into the 20th Panzer Division. Their home station was in Gotha, and was comprised primarily of Hessians. It fought exclusively against the Soviet Union between June 1941 and May 1945.

The division's first combat action was in Army Group Center where it participated in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa and remained in the front echelon of attack during the series of advances on Minsk, Smolensk, and up until Operation Typhoon and the failed attack on Moscow. From there, it remained on the central front until July, 1943. As part of the northern spearhead commanded by Walter Model during the battle of Kursk, men from the 20th were involved with clearing anti-tank mines on the night of July 4-5, as well as being part of the first wave of attack the following morning. The rest of 1943 was spent in a long retreat between Orel, Gomel, Orsha, and Vitebsk.

At the beginning of 1944, along with the entirety of forces on the Eastern front, the 20th Panzer Division spent a hard winter of defensive fighting in the Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Bobrusik areas. In May of that year, it was rushed to the southern sector of the front to participate in operations inside the area around Cholm. Having suffered heavy losses during the Soviet's Operation Bagration, the division was sent to Romania for refitting in August, 1944. In October, the division was sent to East Prussia, and then Hungary the following December. Finally, it retreated through Breslau, Schweinitz, Neisse, and Görlitz. The remainder of the division was overrun and destroyed by Soviet forces in May, 1945. 27 soldiers of the 20th Panzer Division were awarded the Knight's Cross.

Major Combat Units

Panzer Regiment 21; Panzer Grenadier Regiments 59, 112; Panzer Flak Battalion 20; Panzer Artillery Reigment 92

1941

* Schützen-Brigade 20
** Schützen-Regiment 59
*** Schützen-Bataillon I
*** Schützen-Bataillon II
** Schützen-Regiment 112
*** Schützen-Bataillon I
*** Schützen-Bataillon II
** Kradschützen-Bataillon 20
* Panzer-Regiment 21
** Panzer-Abteilung I
** Panzer-Abteilung II
** Panzer-Abteilung III
* Artillerie-Regiment 92
** Artillerie-Abteilung I
** Artillerie-Abteilung II
** Artillerie-Abteilung III
* Aufklürungs-Abteilung 20
* Panzerjüger-Abteilung 92
* Pionier-Bataillon 92
* Nachrichten-Abteilung 92

1942

* Panzergrenadier-Regiment 59
** Panzergrenadier-Bataillon I
** Panzergrenadier-Bataillon II
* Panzergrenadier-Regiment 112
** Panzergrenadier-Bataillon I
** Panzergrenadier-Bataillon II
* Panzer-Regiment 21
** Panzer-Abteilung I
** Panzer-Abteilung II
* Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 92
** Panzer-Artillerie-Abteilung I
** Panzer-Artillerie-Abteilung II
** Panzer-Artillerie-Abteilung III
* Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 20
* Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 295
* Panzerjäger-Abteilung 92
* Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 92
* Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 92

Noted commanders

*General Major Ritter von Thoma: October 1940- June 1942
*General Major Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski: November 1944- May 1945

See also

*Division (military)
*Eastern Front (World War II)
*List of German divisions in WWII
*Military unit
*Panzer
*Panzer Division
*Wehrmacht

References

*Williamson, Gordon. "Panzer Crewman: 1939-45", Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2002, ISBN 1-84176-328-4
*Windrow, Martin. "The Panzer Divisions", Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1982, ISBN 0-85045-434-4
*Cornish, Nik. "Images of Kursk", Brassey's, 2002, ISBN 1-57488-576-6
*Pipes, Jason. " [http://www.feldgrau.com/PzDiv.php?ID=20 20th Panzer Division] " Retrieved December 7, 2005.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • 20th Infantry Division (Germany) — 20th Infantry Division 20th Motorized Infantry Division 20th Panzergrenadier DivisionThe German 20th Infantry Division was established in 1934 under the cover name Reichswehrdienststelle Hamburg , and did not assume its bona fide designation… …   Wikipedia

  • 9th Panzer Division (Germany) — The German 9th Panzer Division ( Neunte Panzerdivision ) came into existence after 4th Light Division was reorganized in January 1940.The 4th Light Division (sometimes described as Light Mechanized or Light Panzer to distinguish it from the later …   Wikipedia

  • 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, drawing Panzergrenadier troops from the 223rd Reserve Panzer… …   Wikipedia

  • XXXIX Panzer Corps (Germany) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=XXXIX. Panzerkorps dates=June 1940 March 1945 country=Germany allegiance= branch=Heer type=Army Corps role= size= command structure= current commander= garrison= ceremonial chief= colonel of the regiment= nickname …   Wikipedia

  • 33rd Infantry Division (Germany) — The 33rd Infantry Division (later 15th Panzer Division and 15th Panzergrenadier Division) was a unit in the German Army during World War II.HistoryThis unit was created as the 33rd Infantry Division in 1936, and mobilized in 1939, but it did not… …   Wikipedia

  • 2nd Panzer Group (Germany) — Panzergruppe 2 ( 2nd Panzer Group ) was formed in November 1940 from the Panzergruppe Guderian and it was called by its commander general Heinz Guderian until October 1941, when it was renamed the 2nd Panzer Army. Panzergruppe 2 played a… …   Wikipedia

  • 20th Division — In military terms, 20th Division or 20th Infantry Division may mean:; Infantry divisions :* 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) (Germany) * 20th Infantry Division (Germany) * 20th Division (German Empire) * 20th Infantry… …   Wikipedia

  • 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) — Infobox Military Unit unit name= 20th Waffen SS Grenadier Division caption= Divisional insignia of 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) dates= February 1944 8 May 1945 country=Nazi Germany allegiance=Nazi Germany branch=Waffen… …   Wikipedia

  • 20th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom) — Infobox Military Unit unit name= 20th Armoured Brigade (The Iron Fist) abbreviation= 20 Armd Bde caption=British 20th Armoured Brigade Formation Symbol dates= 2 September 1939 country= Great Britain allegiance= branch= British Army type= Armoured …   Wikipedia

  • 20th Guards Army (Russia) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=4th Tank Army (1942 45) 4th Guards Tank Army (1945 46) 4th Guards Mechanised Army (1946 60) 20th Guards Army (1960 present) caption= country=Soviet Union/Russian Federation type= Armour branch=Red Army, Soviet Army …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”