12th Panzer Brigade (Bundeswehr)

12th Panzer Brigade
Panzerbrigade 12
Coat of Arms
Active	1 July 1956 – Present
Country	West Germany (1956-1990)   Germany (1990-Present)
Branch	German Army
Type	Mechanized brigade
Size	5,000 troops [1]
Part of	4th Panzergrenadier Division (1956-1994) 13th Panzergrenadier Division (2001-2006) 10th Panzer Division (2006-Present)
Garrison/HQ	Cham, Germany
Nickname(s)	Upper Palatinate
Engagements	Kosovo War Prizren incident [2] War in Afghanistan
Website	https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/heer/organisation/10-panzerdivision/panzerbrigade-12
Commanders
Current commander	Brigadier General Axel Hardt  [ de ] [3]
Notable commanders	Fritz von Korff  [ de ]
Insignia
NATO Map Symbol	12 10

The 12th Panzer Brigade, also known as 12th Panzer Brigade "Upper Palatinate" is a Mechanized brigade of the German Army. ^[4]

History

Cold War

The 12th Panzer Brigade was formed on 1 July 1956 in Amberg. It was attached to the 4th Panzergrenadier Division.

After German reunification

In 1993, the German Federal Minister of Defense awarded the brigade the nickname "Upper Palatinate." On 6 November 2023, the 122nd Panzergrenadier Battalion was transferred to Lithuania in preparation for the formation of the 45th Panzer Brigade. ^[5] On 11 September 2024, the 131st Panzer Artillery Battalion was transferred to the 12th Panzer Brigade

Organization

As of 2025, 12th Panzer Brigade's current structure is as follows: ^[6]

• 12th Panzer Brigade
  • 4th Supply Battalion
  • 8th Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 8th Mountain Panzer Battalion
  • 8th Panzer Engineer Battalion
  • 104th Panzer Battalion
  • 112th Panzergrenadier Battalion
  • 131st Panzer Artillery Battalion
  • 363rd Panzer Battalion

References

1. "Panzerbrigade 12". Bundeswehr (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
2. "CRISIS IN THE BALKANS: THE PEACEKEEPERS; Germans Plan Curfew as Crime Rises in a City". The New York Times . 28 June 1999. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
3. "Kommandoübergabe im Februar: Brigadegeneral Andreas Kühne verlässt Cham". Mittelbayerische (in German). 11 January 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
4. "Gewässerübergang Panzerbrigade 12 in Luhe". Mediathek (in German). 8 October 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
5. "Entscheidungen zur Brigade Litauen". Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (in German). 6 November 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
6. https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/heer/organisation/10-panzerdivision/panzerbrigade-12