German 7th Panzer Division
Encyclopedia
The 7th Panzer
Division was a German elite armored formation which participated in the Battle of France
. General Erwin Rommel
commanded the division, which was nicknamed the "Ghost Division" because of its speed and independent movement, which even the German High Command had difficulty following. After service in France, the division served mainly on the Eastern Front, ending its days in the defense of Germany and surrendering to the British army northwest of Berlin
in 1945.
, Hitler
allowed Erwin Rommel
to choose whatever unit he would like to command. Although Rommel had no practical experience in tank
warfare, he asked for a Panzer division and on 15 February 1940 he received command of the 7th Panzer Division. In preparation for the invasion of the low countries, the 7th Panzer Division became part of the 15th Panzer Corps under the command of General Hoth
.
and covered vast distances. During the Battle of France
, the 7th Panzer Division earned the name of the Ghost Division (German:"Gespensterdivision") because its rapid movements led to few knowing exactly where the Division was, including the German High Command. Rommel had a "lead from the front" attitude and often commanded from the turret of a tank, thus becoming a mere company commander, rather than a division commander issuing orders from his headquarters. He expected all his commanders to lead from the front as well. In addition, he would sometimes deliberately 'lose' communications with the High Command if he felt it necessary. His fearless command of the 7th Panzer Division showed his confidence and understanding of blitzkrieg
concepts. The success they experienced and his favor with Hitler prevented any repercussions from the High Command, some of whom criticized Rommel for being difficult to contact and locate. Rommel described the French Campaign in his letters to his wife as "a lightning Tour de France
".
, units of 7th Panzer Division were able to penetrate to within sight of the towers of St Basil's Cathedral
next to the Kremlin
in the center of Moscow
group Sabaton
have a song on their 2008 album The Art of War
titled "Ghost Division", which is about the 7th Panzer Division's advance into France 1940.
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
Division was a German elite armored formation which participated in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. General Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
commanded the division, which was nicknamed the "Ghost Division" because of its speed and independent movement, which even the German High Command had difficulty following. After service in France, the division served mainly on the Eastern Front, ending its days in the defense of Germany and surrendering to the British army northwest of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1945.
The 7th Panzer Division in France
After the successful completion of the invasion of PolandInvasion 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...
, Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
allowed Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
to choose whatever unit he would like to command. Although Rommel had no practical experience in tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
warfare, he asked for a Panzer division and on 15 February 1940 he received command of the 7th Panzer Division. In preparation for the invasion of the low countries, the 7th Panzer Division became part of the 15th Panzer Corps under the command of General Hoth
Hermann Hoth
Hermann "Papa" Hoth was an officer in the German military from 1903 to 1945. He attained the rank of Generaloberst during World War II. He fought in France, but is most noted for his later exploits as a panzer commander on the Eastern Front...
.
"Ghost Division" / "Phantom Division" under Erwin Rommel
The 7th Panzer Division moved with great speed through FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and covered vast distances. During the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, the 7th Panzer Division earned the name of the Ghost Division (German:"Gespensterdivision") because its rapid movements led to few knowing exactly where the Division was, including the German High Command. Rommel had a "lead from the front" attitude and often commanded from the turret of a tank, thus becoming a mere company commander, rather than a division commander issuing orders from his headquarters. He expected all his commanders to lead from the front as well. In addition, he would sometimes deliberately 'lose' communications with the High Command if he felt it necessary. His fearless command of the 7th Panzer Division showed his confidence and understanding of blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
concepts. The success they experienced and his favor with Hitler prevented any repercussions from the High Command, some of whom criticized Rommel for being difficult to contact and locate. Rommel described the French Campaign in his letters to his wife as "a lightning Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
".
Timeline - 7th Panzer Division in Belgium and France
- 12 May 1940 - 7th Panzer Division reaches DinantDinantDinant is a Walloon city and municipality located on the River Meuse in the Belgian province of Namur, Belgium. The Dinant municipality includes the old communes of Anseremme, Bouvignes-sur-Meuse, Dréhance, Falmagne, Falmignoul, Foy-Notre-Dame, Furfooz, Lisogne, Sorinnes, and Thynes.-Origins to...
. - 13 May 1940 - Crosses River Meuse after heavy fighting.
- 15 May 1940 - Reaches PhilippevillePhilippevillePhilippeville is a Walloon municipality located in Belgium in the province of Namur. The Philippeville municipality includes the old communes of Fagnolle, Franchimont, Jamagne, Jamiolle, Merlemont, Neuville, Omezée, Roly, Romedenne, Samart, Sart-en-Fagne, Sautour, Surice , Villers-en-Fagne,...
and continues Westward passing AvesnesAvesnes-sur-HelpeAvesnes-sur-Helpe is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department Nord-Pas Calais. Avesnes-sur-Helpe is known as "the little Switzerland of the north." This region is filled with spacious country parks areas and leisure facilities, including Val...
and Le CateauLe Cateau-CambrésisLe Cateau-Cambrésis is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.The term Cambrésis indicates that it lies in the county of that name which fell to the Prince-Bishop of Cambrai.-History:...
. - 21 May 1940 - Reaches ArrasArrasArras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
where counter attacked by 2 BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Tank Regiments. British tank advance stopped by feared Flak 88 "Tank Killers". - 5 June 1940 - Positioned near AbbevilleAbbevilleAbbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
. - 8 June 1940 - Reaches outskirts of RouenRouenRouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. - 10 June 1940 - Reaches English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
West of DieppeDieppe, Seine-MaritimeDieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
. - 17 June 1940 - Reaches Southern outskirts of Cherbourg.
- 19 June 1940 - Garrison of Cherbourg surrenders to Rommel.
- 25 June 1940 - Fighting ends for 7th Panzer Division in France.
Organization / Order of Battle
1940
- 25 Panzer Regiment
- I.Battalion
- II.Battalion
- 66 Panzer Battalion
- 7 Motorcycle Battalion
- 6 Motorized Infantry Regiment
- I.Battalion
- II.Battalion
- 7 Motorized Infantry Regiment
- I.Battalion
- II.Battalion
- 37 Reconnaissance Battalion
- 78 Motorized Artillery Regiment
- I.Battalion
- II.Battalion
- 58 Motorized Combat Engineer Battalion
- 42 Antitank Battalion
7th Panzer Division on the Eastern Front - Feb 1941 to May 1942
During Operation BarbarossaOperation 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...
, units of 7th Panzer Division were able to penetrate to within sight of the towers of St Basil's Cathedral
Saint Basil's Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat , popularly known as Saint Basil's Cathedral , is a Russian Orthodox church erected on the Red Square in Moscow in 1555–61. Built on the order of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan, it marks the...
next to the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
in the center of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
Commanding officers
- Generalmajor Georg StummeGeorg StummeGeorg Stumme was a World War II German general most notable for his brief command of the Axis forces at the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein.-Biography:...
(18 October 1939 – 5 February 1940) - Generalmajor Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
(5 February 1940 – 14 February 1941) - Generalmajor Hans Freiherr von FunckHans Freiherr von FunckGeneral Hans Emil Richard Freiherr von Funck was a highly decorated Panzer General in the German army during World War II.-Biography:...
(15 February 1941 – 17 August 1943) - Oberst Wolfgang Gläsemer (17 August 1943 – 20 August 1943)
- Generalmajor Hasso von ManteuffelHasso von ManteuffelHasso-Eccard Freiherr von Manteuffel was a German soldier and liberal politician of the 20th century.He served in both world wars, and during World War II was a distinguished general...
(20 August 1943 – 1 January 1944) - Generalmajor Adelbert SchulzAdelbert SchulzAdelbert Schulz was a Generalmajor and division commander in the German Wehrmacht during World War II...
(1 January 1944 – 28 January 1944) - Oberst Wolfgang Gläsemer (28 January 1944 – 30 January 1944)
- Generalmajor Dr. Karl MaussKarl MaussDr. med. dent. Karl MaussIn German a Doctor of Medical Dentistry is abbreviated as Dr. med. dent. . was one of the most distinguished tank commanders of the Wehrmacht during World War II...
(30 January 1944 – 2 May 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...
(2 May 1944 – 9 September 1944) - Generalmajor Dr. Karl Mauss (9 September 1944 – 31 October 1944)
- Generalmajor Hellmuth MäderHellmuth MäderHellmuth Mäder was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(31 October 1944 – 30 November 1944) - Generalmajor Dr. Karl Mauss (30 November 1944 – 5 January 1945)
- Generalmajor Max LemkeMax LemkeMax Lemke was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(5 January 1945 – 23 January 1945) - Generalmajor Dr. Karl Mauss (23 January 1945 – 25 March 1945)
- Oberst Hans ChristernHans ChristernHans Christern was a highly decorated Oberst 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...
(26 March 1945 – 8 May 1945)
Popular culture
Swedish Power MetalPower metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
group Sabaton
Sabaton (band)
Sabaton is a Grammis-nominated power metal band from Falun, Sweden formed in 1999. The band's main lyrical themes are those of historical wars. This is heard in albums Primo Victoria, Attero Dominatus and Coat of Arms where all of the songs, except final tracks, take inspiration from historical...
have a song on their 2008 album The Art of War
The Art of War (Sabaton album)
The Art of War is the fifth album by Swedish power metal band Sabaton.The lyrics of the songs are about famous battles or war, mostly based on the battles of World War II or based on the The Art of War by Sun Tzu, for which the album is named....
titled "Ghost Division", which is about the 7th Panzer Division's advance into France 1940.
External links
- http://www.achtungpanzer.com/gen1.htm (Achtung Panzer)
- http://members.aol.com/kmitch87/rommel.htm