15th Panzer Division

Last updated
15th Panzer Division
15. Panzer-Division
15th Panzer Division logo 1.svg
15th Panzer Division Unit insignia
Active1940–43
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Germany
Branch Army
Type Panzer
Role Armoured warfare
Size Division
Part of Afrika Korps
Garrison/HQ Wehrkreis XII: Landau
Equipment Panzer II [lower-alpha 1]
Engagements World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Walter Neumann-Silkow
Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck
Eduard Crasemann
Gustav von Vaerst

The 15th Panzer Division (German : 15. Panzer-Division) was an armoured division in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II, established in 1940.

Contents

The division, formed from the 33rd Infantry Division, fought exclusively in North Africa from 1941 to 1943, eventually ceasing to exist after surrendering in Tunisia in May 1943.

History

The 33rd Infantry Division, forerunner of the 15th Panzer Division, was formed in April 1936 and part of the German defences in the Saarland during the early month of the war. It participated in the invasion of France and remained there after the French surrender as an occupation force. It returned to Germany in September 1940 to be converted to a tank division. [2]

A Panzer II of the 15th Panzer Division. Note the faded insignia on the front, left of the handle and just below the turret. Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-783-0110-12, Nordafrika, Panzer II, Kraftfahrzeuge.jpg
A Panzer II of the 15th Panzer Division. Note the faded insignia on the front, left of the handle and just below the turret.
Second Battle of El Alamein: 1st Armoured Division is counter-attacked by Littorio Armoured Division and 15th Panzer Division 2 Battle of El Alamein 005.png
Second Battle of El Alamein: 1st Armoured Division is counter-attacked by Littorio Armoured Division and 15th Panzer Division

The division was transported to Libya in April 1941, joining General Erwin Rommel's Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) as one of two German tank divisions in North Africa at the time, the other having been the 21st Panzer Division. [3] However, the Royal Navy intercepted and sank the ships carrying the division's Signal Reserve Battalion. [4]

The division took part in all major German operations in North Africa except the first, for which it arrived too late. It was part of the successful German defence against British attempts to relieve Tobruk, Operation Brevity and Operation Battleaxe. On 18 November British forces began Operation Crusader with the objective of relieving the besieged forces at Tobruk. The 15th Panzer Division was situated to the east of Tobruk, suffered severe losses and was forced to retreat west. [5]

The 15th Panzer Division was part of the German offensive in January 1942 that retook Benghazi. It participated in the battle of Gazala, the capture of Tobruk and the German invasion of Egypt which came to a stand-still at El Alamein. The division suffered severe loses at the Second battle of El Alamein in November 1942 and was forced to retreat along with the rest of the Afrikakorps. [5]

After the retreat of the Axis forces to Tunisia the 15th Panzer Division was part of the battle of Kasserine Pass against inexperienced US forces in February 1943. The division eventually surrendered alongside other Axis forces in Tunisia in May 1943 and was not reestablished. [5]

Survivors of the division who escaped the North African surrender by being in hospitals in Europe became part of the new 15th Panzergrenadier Division. [5]

Commanding officers

The commanders of the division: [6]

Organisation

The organisation of the division in March 1941: [7] [8]

Notes

  1. See the picture below

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)</span> German army division during World War II

The 1st Panzer-Division was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">13th Panzer Division</span> German army division during World War II

The 13th Panzer Division was a unit of the German Army during World War II, established in 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Infantry division of the Nazi German Army

The 16th Infantry Division of the German Army was formed in 1934. On 26 August 1939 the division was mobilized for the invasion of Poland (1939). It participated in the Battle of France in August 1940. The division was then split, resulting in two independent units: The 16th Panzer Division and the 16th Motorized Infantry Division. Then later, from 1944 onward, combined with other non 16th elements, was known as the 116th Panzer Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)</span> German army division during World War II

The 2nd Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Heer, during World War II.

The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941 to 1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK). It was first formed as the 5th Light Division in early 1941.

The 164th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during World War II. Formed in November 1939, the division took part in the invasion of Greece in April 1941. In January 1942, consolidating the Axis seizure of the island during the Battle of Crete, the 164th was reorganized as Fortress Division Kreta (FDK). In mid-1942 the division was transferred to North Africa and re-designated as 164th Light Africa Division, also alternatively spelt 164th Light Afrika Division in some anglophone literature. It surrendered in May 1943 in Tunisia at the end of the North African Campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">29th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 29th Infantry Division was a unit of the German army created in the fall of 1936. It was based on the old Reichswehr 15th Infantry Regiment and drew its initial recruits from Thuringia. It was upgraded to 29th Motorized Infantry Division in the fall of 1937. The division was also known as the Falke-Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Panzer Division</span> German army division during World War II

The 6th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Heer, during World War II, established in October 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army that fought in World War II. The division was established under the cover name Wehrgauleitung Frankfurt in 1934 by expanding the 3rd Division of the Reichswehr. It was redesignated Kommandant von Frankfurt shortly afterward, and took on its bona fide name when the formation of the Wehrmacht was announced in October 1935. In March 1939 the division took part in the invasion and occupation of Czechoslovakia.

The 3rd Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20th Panzer Division</span> German army division during World War II

The 20th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II. It was created from parts of the 19th Infantry Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">101st Motorized Division "Trieste"</span> Motorized Division of the Royal Italian Army

101st Motorized Division "Trieste" was a motorized infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Trieste was formed in 1939 and named for the city of Trieste. The division and its infantry and artillery regiments were based in Piacenza, while the 9th Bersaglieri Regiment was based until 1940 in Treviso and then moved to Cremona to be closer to the division. In September 1941 the Trieste was transferred to Libya for the Western Desert Campaign. The division was decimated in the Second Battle of El Alamein, but was rebuilt with the survivors of destroyed divisions. The Trieste then participated in the Tunisian Campaign until Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered to allied forces on 13 May 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Panzer Division</span> German army division during World War II

The 14th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II. It was created in 1940 by the conversion of the 4th Infantry Division.

Division von Broich was a German provisional infantry division active in 1942–43 in North Africa. It was created in November 1942 and named after its notable commander Friedrich von Broich. In February 1943, the division was renamed Division von Manteuffel after its new commander, Generalmajor Hasso von Manteuffel. Despite its makeshift nature, the unit proved itself as a capable force, taking part in numerous actions until forced to capitulate with the rest of Army Group Africa in May 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 15th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during the interwar period and World War II, active from 1934 to 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduard Crasemann</span> German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II

Eduard Crasemann was a German General der Artillerie in the Wehrmacht and convicted war criminal who commanded several Panzer divisions during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johannes Streich</span>

Johannes Streich was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 5th Light Division during the early stages of the North African Campaign. Sacked for his poor performance during the Siege of Tobruk, he later briefly commanded the 16th Motorised Infantry Division during the advance on Moscow. A veteran of World War I, he was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">31st Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 31st Infantry Division was a German infantry division of the Army during World War II. It participated in the invasion of Poland in 1939 then the invasion of France and the Low Countries in 1940. As part of Panzergruppe 2. of Army Group Centre, it was involved in the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. After hard fighting throughout 1941 and 1942 it joined the 9th Army and fought in the Battle of Kursk in July and August 1943. Along with the rest of the 9th Army, the division conducted a fighting withdrawal for the remainder of 1943, during which it sustained heavy casualties. In the early stages of the Soviet Operation Bagration of June to August 1944, the 31st Infantry Division was destroyed, a fate which subsequently befell most of Army Group Centre. The division was officially disbanded on 18 July 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">342nd Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)</span> Military unit

The 342nd Infantry Division was a formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II. Established on 19 November 1940, it was formed from elements of two existing divisions. It first served as part of the occupation forces in France between June and September 1941 and was then largely responsible for the brutal repression of resistance in eastern parts of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia between September 1941 and February 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">376th Infantry Division</span> Military unit

The 376th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the German Army during World War II, active from 1942 to 1944 in two separate instances.

References

  1. The hutchinson atlas of World war II battle plans, page 107
  2. Mitcham, p. 124
  3. Mitcham, p. 151
  4. Macksey, M.C., K. J. (1972). Afrika Korps. London: Pan/Ballantine. p. 24.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Mitcham, p. 125
  6. Mitcham, p. 126–128
  7. "Organizational History of the German Armored Formation 1939-1945" (PDF). cgsc.edu. United States Army Command and General Staff College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  8. George F. Nafziger, The German Order of Battle: Panzers and Artillery in World War II, p 97-112

Bibliography