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2nd Panzer Regiment

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2nd Panzer Regiment
2. Panzer-Regiment
Active20 October 1935 – 4 May 1945
Country Germany
BranchArmy
TypePanzer
RoleArmoured warfare
SizeRegiment
Garrison/HQWehrkreis IX: Eisenach[1]
EngagementsWorld War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Heinrich von Prittwitz und Gaffron

The 2nd Panzer Regiment (English: 2nd Tank Regiment) was an armoured regiment in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II.

History[edit]

The 2nd Panzer Regiment was formed under the 1st Panzer Division in October 1935, and on October 20 of that year, occupied it's new garrison at Eisenach.[2]

The regiment took part in the German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland in October 1938.[2]

At the beginning of the Polish campaign, the regiment consisted of two medium and four light panzer companies with a total of 54 Panzer I, 62 Panzer II, 6 Panzer III, 28 Panzer IV and 6 Panzerbefehlswagen, and crossed the Polish border 1 September 1939 at Grundsruh.[2] At the conclusion of the regiment's involvement in the Polish Campaign on 6 October, the regiment set off to return to Eisenach, which it reached on October 12.[2][3]

At the beginning of the Western campaign, the regiment consisted of two medium and four light panzer companies with a total of 26 Panzer I, 49 Panzer II, 30 Panzer III, 20 Panzer IV and 4 command armored cars.[2] The regiment crossed border of Luxembourg at 06:00 on 10 May 1940, subsequently crossed the Belgian border, and at dawn on 12 May 1940, the French border was crossed.[2] After a series of battles, the regiment reached the channel coast before halting under Hitler's orders on 24 May.[2] The Germans renewed their offensive on 5 June, and the regiment fought against a renewed French army until 16 June, before eventually returning to Eisenach in mid-October.[2][3]

With the formation of 16th Panzer Division, the regiment was transferred to this division on 20 October 1940.[4]

On Christmas Eve of 1940, the regiment headed for Romania, and during April 1941, the regiment's 2nd battalion crossed into Bulgaria, while the detached 1st battalion joined the advance on Belgrade although it did not see any action.[2] The regiment then returned to Temeschburg, Romania late in April, and then back to Germany by the end of May.[2]

On 22 June 1941, at the beginning of the Russian campaign, the regiment consisted of two medium and four light companies with a total of 45 Panzer II, 23 Panzer III with 3.7-cm KwK, 48 Panzer III with 5-cm KwK, 20 Panzer IV and 10 Panzerbefehlswagen.[2] The regiment fought their way eastward with Army Group South with their advance grinding to a halt in November across southern Ukraine, and eventually settled into defensive and static positions for the winter. In May 1942, the regiment participated in the Second Battle of Kharkov and following this, the German summer offensive, Case Blue.[2][4][5] At the beginning of the summer offensive on 8 July 1942, the regiment had 13 Panzer II , 47 Panzer III , 27 Panzer IV and 4 commando armored cars.[2]

The regiment was part of the offensive toward Stalingrad, and reached the Volga River north of the city on 23 August 1942[6][7]. On 17 November, the regiment commenced it's withdrawal from the Stalingrad front, however, on 19 November, the great Russian winter offensive, Operation Uranus began.[2] A large portion of the regiment was trapped within the Stalingrad pocket and eventually surrendered. Elements of the regiment outside of the pocket were evacuated westward on 22 February 1943 bound for France and eventual refitting.[2]

The refitted regiment made it's way into Italy during the summer of 1943, eventually finding it's way to the Salerno area in August.[2] The regiment opposed the Allied landings at Salerno in September, and then took part in the German retreat and defensive operations in Italy until November.[7] Starting on 20 November, the regiment began withdrawing from the front lines bound for Vienna for rest and refitting.[2]

On 5 December 1943, the regiment departed Vienna, headed east by train, arriving around Bobruisk by 10 December.[2] After several sharp battles in the area, the regiment was transported to Ukraine to aid in repelling the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive. In January 1944, the regiment participated in the relief of German forces trapped in the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket. The regiment itself was trapped in the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket, but managed to break out with the main body of the 1st Panzer Army in April 1944. During May and June 1944, as the army retreated through western Ukraine, the regiment participated in several defensive battles, before opposing the Russian Summer Offensive in July. As German units continued their westward retreat, the regiment fought defensive battles in Poland during August. At the end of August, after the hard and varied summer battles, there was not much left of a deployable panzer regiment, with only a few Panzer IV and V's still operational.[2][8]

Throughout the rest of 1944, the regiment trained, refitted and prepared defenses near the Vistula in Poland. On 12 January 1945, the Russian great winter offensive began. While suffering heavy losses, the regiment was driven back into western Poland by the end of the month, followed by fighting defensive battles in March and April 1945 across Silesia and Czechoslovakia. With the German surrender in May 1945, the regiment attempted to reach American lines, with some parts succeeding in doing so, but mostly being handed back to Soviet forces.[2][8]

Commanders[edit]

The commanders of the regiment:[2]

  • 20 October 1935 – 10 November 1938: Oberstleutnant (later Oberst) Heinrich von Prittwitz und Gaffron (to 2nd Panzer Brigade)
  • 10 November 1938 – February 1940: Oberstleutnant Karl Keltsch (to 1st Panzer Brigade)
  • February 1940 - May 1941: Oberst Hero Breusing
  • May 1941 - 19 March 1943: Oberst Rudolf Sieckenius (flown out of Stalingrad pocket 19 Jan 43)
  • 19 March 1943 - 31 March 1943: Oberst Hecker
  • 1 April 1943 - 22 September 1943: Oberstleutnant Baron von Holtey
  • 23 September 1943 - 9 December 1943: Oberstleutnant Stenkhoff
  • 10 December 1943 - 24 March 1945: Major (later Oberst) Ernst Collin (DOW 28 Mar 45)
  • 25 March 1945 - 15 April 1945: Oberstleutnant Karl Ferdinand Edler von der Planitz (KIA 15 Apr 45)
  • April 1945 - May 1945 Major Gehrke

Sources[edit]

  • Mitcham, Samuel W. (2000). The Panzer Legions. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3353-3. Search this book on
  • Glantz, David M. (2009). "To The Gates of Stalingrad: Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942". University Press of Kansas.

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Mitcham, p. 9
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 "Panzer Regiment 2" [Panzer Regiment 2] (in German). Retrieved 29 November 2018.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Mitcham, p. 38
  4. 4.0 4.1 "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 29 November 2018. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  5. Mitcham, p. 130
  6. Glantz, p. 334
  7. 7.0 7.1 Mitcham, p. 131
  8. 8.0 8.1 Mitcham, p. 132

2nd Panzer Regiment[edit]


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