2nd Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)

2nd Panzer Division

Unit insignia
Active 15 October 1935 – 8 May 1945
Country  Germany
Allegiance Wehrmacht
Branch Heer
Type Panzer
Role Armoured warfare
Size Division
Engagements World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Heinz Guderian
Rudolf Veiel
Hans-Karl Freiherr v. Esebeck
Arno von Lenski
Vollrath Lübbe
Heinrich von Lüttwitz
Franz Westhoven
Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz
Henning Schönfeld
Meinrad von Lauchert
Oskar Munzel
Carl Stollbrock
Insignia
1939–1940
1940–1945 (variant)
1940–1944
1944–1945

The 2nd Panzer Division (2. Panzer-Division) was a German armored division. Created in 1935, it was stationed in Austria after the Anschluss and then participated in the campaigns in Poland (1939) and France (1940)[1] before it returned to Poland for occupation duties (1940–1941). It took part in the Balkans campaign (1941) and then transferred to the Eastern Front in September 1941. It fought with Army Group Center in the battles of Moscow (1941) and Kursk (1943). After heavy losses on the Eastern Front it was sent to France for rehabilitation (1944). It fought in Normandy and was almost completely destroyed in the Falaise Pocket (1944). It was rebuilt once more and fought in the Battle of the Bulge (1944) and in the defense of the Rhine (1945), surrendering to the Americans at war's end.

Battle of the Bulge

Image of troops from the United States Army during the Battle of the Bulge which shows the weather conditions in which the two armies fought, including the 2nd Panzer Division.

The division was sent to the Western Front and attached to XLVII Panzer Corps, 5th Panzer Army which was preparing an offensive in the area of the Ardennes, Belgium. By the start of the battle, it was well equipped, with 103 tanks and assault guns. During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 - January 1945, the 2nd Panzer Division attacked towards the crucial road junction of Bastogne. However, the town's defences was quickly reinforced by the veteran 101st Airborne Division. Attacks against the town failed. When it was diverted to the Meuse on December 18, in accordance with the original plan, the division was unable to break reach the river. American reinforcements to the area threatened its flanks and to cut it off from its supply line. Eventually, the vanguard of the division came to reach within 4 km the Meuse River where on the 24 December they were stopped by the British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment. It was forced to retreat by fierce counterattacks conducted by American forces as well as the lack of gasoline for the German mechanized forces.[2]

The division surrendered to the American forces on 7 May 1945.

Commanders

References

  1. ↑ During the French campaign, this division was the first German division to reach the English channel on May 20, 1940. See "The History of World War II", edited by Peter Young, Orbis Publication,1983, vol. 2, p.156.
  2. ↑ Battle of the Bulge 1944 2: Bastogne Steven J. Zaloga p81-84

Sources

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