1st Panzer Division (Bundeswehr)

Not to be confused with 1st Panzer Division (Wehrmacht).
Intervention Force Division / 1st Panzer Division
1. Panzerdivision

1st Armoured Division insignia
Active 1956–present
Country Germany
Branch Army
Type Division
Role Conventional warfare, peacekeeping
Size 18,000 soldiers (+3000 dutch soldiers form 2019)
Part of German Army
Garrison/HQ Oldenburg (Oldenburg)
Nickname(s) The first one
Die Erste
Motto(s) Roughly: Go! Let's tackle it!
Man drup - man to! (Low German)
Anniversaries July 1st 1956
Engagements Kosovo War
War in Afghanistan
Commanders
Current
commander		 Major General Johann Langenegger
Notable
commanders		 General Henning von Ondarza, COMAFCENT 1991–1994
General Helge Hansen, COMAFCENT 1994–1996
General Wolf-Dieter Langheld, COMJFC-B 2010–2012

The 1st Panzer Division (German: 1. Panzerdivision) is an armoured division of the German Army. It also bears the designation Intervention Force Division (Division Eingreifkräfte). Its staff is based at Hanover. In the course of the current reorganisation of the Bundeswehr it will become the backbone of Germany's newly formed intervention forces which will have a manpower of 35,000 soldiers in total. This division is equipped and trained for high intensity combat operations against militarily organized enemies as well as peacekeeping missions. The majority of all German troops assigned to EU-Battlegroups and Nato Response Forces will come from this division. It also represents Germany's permanent contribution to the binational I. German/Dutch Corps.

The Dutch 43rd Mechanized Brigade. will be integrated into the 1st Panzer Division, and will be operational from 2019.

Intervention Force Division / 1st Panzer Division is Germany's last full-scale conventional division.

History

This division was formed on July 1, 1956, the day of the official inauguration of the Bundeswehr. It was the first fully operational unit of the new German Army. At first referred to as 1st Grenadier Division, it was reorganized in the 1980s and made fully armoured in 1981. During this period it was part of I Corps of the Bundeswehr Heer, in turn part of NATO's Northern Army Group, Allied Forces Central Europe.

1st Panzer Division has deployed to the Balkans, Afghanistan and to several peacekeeping operations. Troops of this division were also deployed to the support of civilian agencies during large natural disasters such as the Hamburg Floods of 1962, disastrous wild fires in Northern Germany in the 1970s and the 2002 Floods in Eastern Germany.

The division cultivates a partnership with the United States Army 28th Infantry Division.

Organisation

1 Panzer Division
325 Artillery Btn
Locations of 1st Panzer Division units

External links

New organisation of the Army Air Defence Troops

References

    Coordinates: 52°22′11.31″N 9°46′11.77″E / 52.3698083°N 9.7699361°E / 52.3698083; 9.7699361

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