German 5th Panzer Division
Encyclopedia
The 5th Panzer Division was a formation title used by the Wehrmacht
from 1938 to 1945 and by the German Bundeswehr
from 1956 to 2001 (see: 5th Armoured Division (Germany)
).
The 5th Panzer Division is one of the few units that survived the end of World War II. The division was reconstituted on October 1, 1956 as part of the 3rd Corps of the Bundeswehr (the Army FRG). In 1985, the Corps also received the 2nd Panzergrenadier Division and 12th Panzer Division, also remnants of World War II. Subordinated to Army Group Center (percentage) of NATO, the 3rd Corps of the German Army defended the "zone of vital defense" of NATO, the side of the 2nd Corps of the German Army and the 5th and 7th Army Corps Americans. When the USSR disbanded, Americans and Germans joined their UGs and as part of the arrangement, the 5th Panzer was administratively subordinated to the 5th Corps of America, while American divisions would fight under the command of the 2nd and 3rd Corps Germans. The 5th Panzer sent some of their units to Yugoslavia in 1990. German budget constraints meant that the 5th Panzer Division had to be indefinitely disbanded on June 30, 2001. Throughout the history of the 5th Panzer division, it was commanded by the following major-generals: von Behr, Pape, Schnez, Hükelheim, von Loringhoven, von Hopffgarten, Lemm, von der Osten, Wenner, Heyd, Mayer, Uhle-Wettler, Jacoby, Rohde, Stockmann, von Heimendahl (the only brigadier to command it), Göttelmann, Frühhaber, Widder, Kammerhoff and Burgener.
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:...
from 1938 to 1945 and by the German Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
from 1956 to 2001 (see: 5th Armoured Division (Germany)
5th Armoured Division (Germany)
The 5th Armoured Division was a West German armored formation. It was part of the III Corps of the Bundeswehr, which also incorporated in 1985 the 2nd Panzergrenadier Division and 12th Panzer Division. III Corps was part of NATO's Central Army Group , along with the Bundeswehr's II Corps and the...
).
History
The 5th Panzer Division of the German Army was formed on November 24, 1938 and dissolved on May 8, 1945. It fought in Poland, France, the Balkans and in Russia; first as part of Army Group Center (1941–44) and then Army Group North. The division surrendered to the Russians in Danzig. During the period of World War II, it was led by the following commanders: von Vietinghoff, von Hartlieb-Walsporn, Lemelsen, Fehn, Metz, Nedtwig, Fäckenstedt, Decker, Lippert, Hoffmann-Schönborn e Herzog.The 5th Panzer Division is one of the few units that survived the end of World War II. The division was reconstituted on October 1, 1956 as part of the 3rd Corps of the Bundeswehr (the Army FRG). In 1985, the Corps also received the 2nd Panzergrenadier Division and 12th Panzer Division, also remnants of World War II. Subordinated to Army Group Center (percentage) of NATO, the 3rd Corps of the German Army defended the "zone of vital defense" of NATO, the side of the 2nd Corps of the German Army and the 5th and 7th Army Corps Americans. When the USSR disbanded, Americans and Germans joined their UGs and as part of the arrangement, the 5th Panzer was administratively subordinated to the 5th Corps of America, while American divisions would fight under the command of the 2nd and 3rd Corps Germans. The 5th Panzer sent some of their units to Yugoslavia in 1990. German budget constraints meant that the 5th Panzer Division had to be indefinitely disbanded on June 30, 2001. Throughout the history of the 5th Panzer division, it was commanded by the following major-generals: von Behr, Pape, Schnez, Hükelheim, von Loringhoven, von Hopffgarten, Lemm, von der Osten, Wenner, Heyd, Mayer, Uhle-Wettler, Jacoby, Rohde, Stockmann, von Heimendahl (the only brigadier to command it), Göttelmann, Frühhaber, Widder, Kammerhoff and Burgener.
Commanding officers
- Generaloberst Heinrich von VietinghoffHeinrich von VietinghoffHeinrich Gottfried Otto Richard von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel was a German Colonel-General of the German Army during the Second World War....
-Scheel (2 September 1939 - 8 October 1939) - Generalleutnant Max von Hartlieb-WalspornMax von Hartlieb-WalspornMax von Hartlieb-Walsporn was a German general during World War II. He commanded the 5th Panzer Brigade in the early fall of 1939, then took charge of the 5th Panzer Division on 8 October 1939. As commander of this division, he participated in the 1940 Battle of France...
(8 October 1939 - 29 May 1940) - General der Panzertruppen Joachim LemelsenJoachim LemelsenJoachim Hermann August Lemelsen was a German general during the Second World War. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(29 May 1940 - 25 November 1940) - General der Panzertruppen Gustav Fehn (25 November 1940 - 10 August 1942)
- Generalleutnant Eduard Metz (10 August 1942 - 1 February 1943)
- Generalmajor Johannes Nedtwig (1 February 1943 - 20 June 1943)
- Generalleutnant Ernst Felix Fäckenstedt (20 June 1943 - 7 September 1943)
- General der Panzertruppen Karl DeckerKarl DeckerKarl Gustav Adolf Decker was a German general in the infantry, serving during World War II. Trapped in the Ruhr Pocket, Decker committed suicide on 21 April 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(7 September 1943 - 16 October 1944) - Generalmajor Rolf Lippert (16 October 1944 - 5 February 1945)
- Generalmajor Günther Hoffmann-SchönbornGünther Hoffmann-SchönbornGünther Hoffmann-Schönborn was an Officer in the German Wehrmacht and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II...
(5 February 1945 - April 1945) - Oberst der Reserve Hans-Georg HerzogHans-Georg HerzogHans-Georg Herzog was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant der Reserve in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 5th Panzer Division. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(April 1945)