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13th Panzer Division (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The 13th Panzer Division was originally created in 1934 under the cover name Infanterieführer IV; it was unveiled as the 13th Infantry Division in 1935 when the creation of the Wehrmacht
was announced. In 1937 it was motorized and subsequently renamed as the 13th Motorized Infantry Division, as which it participated in the campaigns against Poland
(1939) and western Europe (1940). Following the Fall of France in June 1940, the division was reorganized as 13th Panzer Division. It participated in Operation Barbarossa
in 1941 and the advance on the Caucasus
in 1942. The division suffered heavy losses in the withdrawal of 1943 and subsequent defensive actions in the south through 1944. It was partially refitted in Hungary
, where it was encircled and destroyed by Allied forces
in the winter of 1944-1945; fighting occurred primarily in Budapest
. The unit was re-created as Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 2
in the spring of 1945, before surrendering in Austria
at the end of the war.
in October 1940 from the German 13th Motorized Infantry Division and was immediately sent to Romania
for training. It serviced in Operation Barbarossa
as part of Panzer Group 1 (Army Group South
), and it contributed to the successful encirclements of the Soviet forces at Lublin
and Kiev
. At the end of 1941, it was positioned at Rostov
; however, it was forced to retreat due to fierce Soviet counterattacks.
); it was involved in the battles for the Caucasus
oil fields and in the desperate defense of the Kuban
Peninsula after the Battle of Stalingrad
. In the autumn of 1943, it was withdrawn to Western Ukraine, where it fought defensive battles near the river Dniepr.
pushed the Germans to their starting positions of June 1941. The 13th Panzer Division was attached to Army Group South Ukraine
, which had orders to stop the Soviets from capturing the Romanian oil fields. The Red Army offensive of August 1944 resulted in the deaths or imprisonment of most of the division.
G tank and the Jagdpanzer IV
Tank Destroyer
. In the Battle of Debrecen
, the division helped to annihilate three Soviet tank corps; however, it was encircled in Budapest
at the end of 1944 and destroyed in January 1945.
. The last engagements with the Soviets were fought at the Austro-Hungarian border. The 13th Panzer Division surrendered in Austria
in May 1945.
, soldiers from the division took part in massacres in the village of Drzewica on September 8 and 9 . Medical columns marked with Red Cross signs were also attacked . Soldiers from the division used civilians as human shield
s.
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
was announced. In 1937 it was motorized and subsequently renamed as the 13th Motorized Infantry Division, as which it participated in the campaigns against Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
(1939) and western Europe (1940). Following the Fall of France in June 1940, the division was reorganized as 13th Panzer Division. It participated in Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
in 1941 and the advance on the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
in 1942. The division suffered heavy losses in the withdrawal of 1943 and subsequent defensive actions in the south through 1944. It was partially refitted in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, where it was encircled and destroyed by Allied forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
in the winter of 1944-1945; fighting occurred primarily in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. The unit was re-created as Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 2
Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle
The Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle was a German panzer corps formed in October 1944 from the remaining troops of the IV. Armeekorps, the Storm Division Rhodos and Panzer-Grenadier-Brigade 17 formed mostly of SA recruits....
in the spring of 1945, before surrendering in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
at the end of the war.
Highlights
- 1940 Training in Romania
- 1941 Eastern Front: Lublin, Kiev, Rostov
- 1942 Eastern Front: Mius, Kaucasus
- 1943 Kuban, Kriwoi-Rog
- 1944 Romania (destroyed), Hungary, Budapest (destroyed)
- 1945 Western Hungary, Austria
Barbarossa
The 13th Panzer Division was formed in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in October 1940 from the German 13th Motorized Infantry Division and was immediately sent to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
for training. It serviced in Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
as part of Panzer Group 1 (Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
), and it contributed to the successful encirclements of the Soviet forces at Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
and Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. At the end of 1941, it was positioned at Rostov
Rostov
Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:...
; however, it was forced to retreat due to fierce Soviet counterattacks.
Caucasus and Kuban
In 1942 and 1943, the division formed part of the First Panzer Army (Army Group AArmy Group A
Army Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.-Western Front, 1940:During the German invasion of the Low Countries and France Army Group A was under the command of General Gerd von Rundstedt, and was responsible for the break-out through the Ardennes...
); it was involved in the battles for the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
oil fields and in the desperate defense of the Kuban
Kuban
Kuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
Peninsula after the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
. In the autumn of 1943, it was withdrawn to Western Ukraine, where it fought defensive battles near the river Dniepr.
Romania
The offensive of the Soviet ArmySoviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
pushed the Germans to their starting positions of June 1941. The 13th Panzer Division was attached to Army Group South Ukraine
Army Group South Ukraine
Army Group South Ukraine was a German army group on the Eastern Front during World War II.Army Group South Ukraine was created on 31 March 1944...
, which had orders to stop the Soviets from capturing the Romanian oil fields. The Red Army offensive of August 1944 resulted in the deaths or imprisonment of most of the division.
First reforming and the battles for Hungary
The division was reformed in July and it received modern equipment, including the Mark V PantherPanther tank
Panther is the common name of a medium tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was intended as a counter to the T-34, and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV; while never replacing the latter, it served alongside it as...
G tank and the Jagdpanzer IV
Jagdpanzer IV
The Jagdpanzer IV, Sd.Kfz. 162, was a tank destroyer based on the Panzer IV chassis built in three main variants. As one of the casemate-style turretless Jagdpanzer designs, it was developed against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the Panzertruppen, as a replacement for the...
Tank Destroyer
Tank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
. In the Battle of Debrecen
Battle of Debrecen
The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the Eastern Front of World War II...
, the division helped to annihilate three Soviet tank corps; however, it was encircled in Budapest
Battle of Budapest
The Siege of Budapest centered on the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. It was fought towards the end of World War II in Europe, during the Soviet Budapest Offensive. The siege started when Budapest, defended by Hungarian and German troops, was first encircled on 29 December 1944 by the Red Army...
at the end of 1944 and destroyed in January 1945.
End of war
In the spring of 1945, the division was reformed under the name Feldherrnhalle 2Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 2
Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 2, commanded by Dr. Franz Bake, was a late World War II Wehrmacht armoured division. It was formed in March 1945 of the remnants of other divisions and stationed with a home base at Wehrkreis XX. It was moved to Slovakia in 1945 where it fought its only battles...
. The last engagements with the Soviets were fought at the Austro-Hungarian border. The 13th Panzer Division surrendered in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in May 1945.
War Crimes
During the invasion of PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, soldiers from the division took part in massacres in the village of Drzewica on September 8 and 9 . Medical columns marked with Red Cross signs were also attacked . Soldiers from the division used civilians as human shield
Human shield
Human shield is a military and political term describing the deliberate placement of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets. It may also refer to the use of civilians to literally shield combatants during attacks, by forcing the civilians to march in...
s.
Order of Battle, October 1944
- Panzer-Regiment 4
- Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 66
- Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 93
- Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 13
- Feldersatz-Battalion 13
- Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 13
- Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 271
- Panzerjäger-Abteilung 13
- Panzer-Pionier-Battalion 4
- Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 13
- Panzer-Versorgungstruppen 13
Commanders
- Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm von Rothkirch und PanthenFriedrich-Wilhelm von Rothkirch und PanthenFriedrich-Wilhelm Oskar Sigismund Deodat von Rothkirch und Panthen was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield...
(11 October 1940 – 25 June 1941 - Generalleutnant Walter DüvertWalter DüvertWalter Düvert was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
(25 June 1941 – 30 November 1941) - General der Panzertruppen Traugott HerrTraugott HerrTraugott Herr was a German general of Panzer troops who served during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(1 December 1941 – 1 November 1942) - Generalleutnant Hellmut von der ChevallerieHellmut von der ChevallerieHellmut von der Chevallerie was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 13. Panzer-Division. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield...
(1 November 1942 – 1 December 1942) - Generalmajor Wilhelm CrisolliWilhelm CrisolliWilhelm Crisolli was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful...
(1 December 1942 – 15 May 1943) - Generalleutnant Hellmut von der Chevallerie (15 May 1943 – 1 September 1943)
- Generalleutnant Eduard HauserEduard Hauser (soldier)Eduard Hauser was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 13. Panzer-Division. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(1 September 1943 – 26 December 1943) - Generalleutnant Hans MikoschHans MikoschHans Mikosch was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(26 December 1943 – 18 May 1944) - Oberst Friedrich von Hake (18 May 1944 – 25 May 1944)
- Generalleutnant Hans TrögerHans TrögerHans Tröger was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several panzer divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful...
(25 May 1944 – 9 September 1944) - Generalmajor Gerhard SchmidhuberGerhard SchmidhuberGerhard Schmidhuber was a German major general. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(9 September 1944 – 11 February 1945)
See also
- Battle of DebrecenBattle of DebrecenThe Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the Debrecen Offensive Operation, was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front on the Eastern Front of World War II...
- Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 1 (sibling unit)
- Franz BäkeFranz BäkeGeneralmajor der Reserve Dr. med. dent. Franz BäkeIn German a Doctor of Medical Dentistry is abbreviated as Dr. med. dent. . was a German Army officer and panzer ace. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(last commander of the division) - FeldherrnhalleFeldherrnhalleThe Feldherrnhalle is a monumental loggia in Munich, Germany. It was built between 1841 and 1844 at the southern end of Munich's Ludwigstrasse next to the Palais Preysing and east of the Hofgarten. Previously the Gothic Schwabinger Tor occupied that place...
(the monument) - List of German divisions in WWII