The 24th Panzer Division was formed in 1942 from the 1st Cavalry Division

1st Cavalry Division (Germany)

The 1st Cavalry Division was formed in October 1939. It fought in Holland, Belgium, France and on the Eastern Front. It was officially transformed into the 24th Panzer Division in late 1941.- Formation :...

 based at Königsberg

Königsberg

Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...

.

Service

It served under the Fourth Panzer Army in Army Group South of the Eastern Front. In late December 1942 it was encircled in 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...

 and destroyed. It was reformed in March 1943 and served in Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 and then went back to the Eastern Front where it suffered heavy casualties around 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....

 and the Dnepr Bend

Dnieper River

The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...

. During spring-1944 it took part in the Battles of Târgu Frumos, part of the First Jassy-Kishinev Offensive

First Jassy-Kishinev Offensive

The First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive, named after the two major cities in the area, was fought between 8 April and 6 June 1944 by the Soviets and Axis powers of World War II...

. Near the end of the war it saw action in Poland

Poland

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...

, 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...

 and Slovakia

Slovakia

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

 before it surrendered to the British in May 1945.

In keeping with the Division's mounted origins, the 24th Panzer's tank crewmen wore the golden-yellow Waffenfarbe

Waffenfarbe

Waffenfarbe is a means the German military uses to distinguish between different corps or troop functions in its armed services...

of the cavalry rather than Panzer pink.

Legacy

The insignia of the 24th Panzer division was adopted in 1956 by the PzAufklBtl.3 of the newly created Bundeswehr.

Commanders

• General of the Cavalry
  General (Germany)
  General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
  
   (General der Kavallerie) Kurt Feldt
  Kurt Feldt
  Kurt Feldt was a highly decorated General der Kavallerie 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...
  
   - From 28 November 1941 to 15 April 1942
• General of the Tank Troops
  General (Germany)
  General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
  
   (General der Panzertruppen) Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild
  Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild
  Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild , born Bruno Hauenschild, was a general in the German Army.Hauenschild was born in Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria. He died in the Bavarian capital, Munich.-World War I:...
  
   - From 15 April 1942 to 12 September 1942
• General-Leutnant (Generalleutnant) Arno von Lenski
  Arno von Lenski
  Arno Ernst Max von Lenski was a German military officer and general who served in the Imperial German army, the Wehrmacht, and after the war in the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic, where he was also a politician.-Early career:Lenski was born in the East Prussian village of...
  
   - From 12 September 1942 to 31 January 1943
• General of the Tank Troops (General der Panzertruppen) Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Edelsheim - From 1 March 1943 to 1 August 1944
• Major-General (Generalmajor) Gustav-Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz - From 1 August 1944 to 25 March 1945
• Major
  Major
  Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
  
  Rudolf von Knebel-Döberitz - From 25 March 1945 to 8 May 1945