| 23rd Panzer Division | |
|---|---|
| 23. Panzer-Division | |
 Unit insignia | |
| Active | 1942–1945 |
| Country |  Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Wehrkreis V: Ludwigsburg |
| Engagements | |
The 23rd Panzer Division (English: 23rd Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II. Formed in France in late 1941, the division spent its entire combat history on the Eastern Front.
The 23rd Panzer Division was established on the 21st of September 1941 in France. It was built around the 101st Panzer Brigade and two infantry regiments and initially equipped with "booty tanks" which were soon after exchanged for German tanks. [1]
In March 1942, the division went to the Eastern Front near Kharkov as a subdivision of the German Sixth Army. It was to remain within the Army Group South for the major part of its service. [2] The division took part in the German advance to the Caucasus, but was subsequently sent north to Stalingrad. It escaped encirclement when the 6th Army was trapped there, and took part in the subsequent failed relief attempt. At the end of its first year on the Eastern Front the 23rd Panzer Division had lost 90 percent of its tanks. [3]
On 20 November 1943, 23rd Panzer Division possessed 27 tanks, of which 16 were operational. [4]
The 23rd Panzer Division was part of the German defence and retreat in the southern Ukraine, frequently being moved between crisis points. Between April and July 1944 it was a part of the 8th Army within the Army Group South Ukraine defending the area to the north of Jassy. [5] [3]
After being sent to Poland in mid-1944, the division returned to the southern sector during the collapse of the German frontline in Romania. After the retreat into Hungary the division fought in defensive battles there. The majority of the division was trapped and destroyed in Székesfehérvár in March 1945. The remainder of the division surrendered to British forces in May 1945. [6]
The commanders of the division: [7]
The 5th Panzer Division was an armoured division of the German Army during World War II, established in 1938.
The 1st Panzer-Division was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II.
The German 23rd Infantry Division, later the 26th Panzer Division, was a military unit operational during World War II. It was organized along standard lines for a German infantry division. It was non-motorised and relied on horse-drawn wagons for its mobility. The unit carried the nickname Grenadierkopf.
The 13th Panzer Division was a unit of the German Army during World War II, established in 1940.
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.
The 2nd Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Heer, during World War II.
The 8th Panzer Division was a formation of the WehrmachtHeer. The division was formed by reorganising the 3rd Light Division in October 1939. It was transferred to the west and fought in the Battle of France, in May 1940, and the German invasion of the Balkans in April 1941. Soon after the division advanced towards Leningrad under Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa, and would remain on the eastern front for the remainder of the war. Staying on defensive fronts, it saw action in the relief of Kholm in 1942, Orel and the withdrawals of Army Group Centre in 1943, until transferred to Army group South. The division then fought in a series of retrograde movements, back through Ukraine, into Hungary and finally into Silesia and surrender in May 1945.
The 6th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Heer, during World War II, established in October 1939.
The 4th Panzer Division was an armored division in the Army of Nazi Germany.
The 3rd Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II.
The 11th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army during World War II, established in 1940.
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.
The 25th Panzer Division was a tank formation of the German Army during World War II. It was one of several understrength Panzer divisions formed during the last years of the war.
The 24th Panzer Division was formed in late 1941 from the 1st Cavalry Division based at Königsberg.
The 19th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II. It was created from the 19th Infantry Division.
Otto von Knobelsdorff was a German general during World War II who led the 19th Panzer Division and then held a series of higher commands. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.
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.
The 45th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the army of Nazi Germany during World War II. Towards the end of the war, the division was reassembled into a second iteration, the 45th Volksgrenadier Division
Hans von Boineburg-Lengsfeld was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany who commanded the 4th and 23rd Panzer Divisions during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
The 15th Panzer Division was an armoured division in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II, established in 1940.
| Authority control databases: National |
|---|
