The 18th Panzer Division (german: 18. Panzer-Division) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
armoured
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
that fought on the
Eastern Front from 1941 until its disbandment in 1943.
Formation
The 18th Panzer Division was formed on 26 October 1940 at
Chemnitz from parts of the
4th Infantry Division,
14th Infantry Division, and four battalions of
submersible tanks. They had originally been intended for
Operation Sea Lion
Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (german: Unternehmen Seelöwe), was Nazi Germany's code name for the plan for an invasion of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. Following the Battle o ...
(''Seelöwe''), the planned German invasion of United Kingdom. Of these four tank battalions, two formed the 18th Panzer Regiment and the other two the 28th Panzer Regiment of the 18th Panzer Division. In March 1941 the 18th Panzer Division was reorganized, the 28th Panzer Regiment was disbanded, one of its battalions became the third battalion of the 18th Panzer Regiment, the other battalion was transferred to the
3rd Panzer Division.
Service
The 18th Panzer Division first saw action during the German invasion of the Soviet Union,
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, on 22 June 1941. The 18th Panzer Division fought as part of
XLVII Panzer Corps
XLVII Panzer Corps (also: 47th Panzer Corps or XXXXVII. ''Panzerkorps'' or XXXXVII Panzer Corps) was a panzer corps of the German Army in World War II that was formerly designated as XLVII Corps. Various formations of the corps fought in the Fren ...
, and over the next six months was involved in seizing
Smolensk
Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...
,
Bryansk
Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population:
Geography Urban la ...
and the assault on
Tula. The division suffered heavy losses in the first month of the war, losing half its tanks and a third of its manpower in June and July. With the start of the Soviet counter offensive in December 1941 the 18th Panzer Division was driven back to
Oryol with heavy losses.
In the summer of 1942, the 18th Panzer Division took part in the initial drive on
Stalingrad, but was soon transferred to the central section of the front. The 18th Panzer Division took part in
security warfare in the spring of 1943. In the summer of 1943, the division fought in the
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history ...
, and suffered heavy losses. After Kursk the 18th Panzer-Division suffered from poor morale and frequent desertions and was disbanded, with the division's personnel being used to build the
18th Artillery Division.
War crimes
According to
Omer Bartov
Omer Bartov (Hebrew: עֹמֶר בַּרְטוֹב; pronounced .html" ;"title="oˈmer ˈbartov/nowiki>">oˈmer ˈbartov/nowiki>; born 1954) is the John P. Birkelund Distinguished Professor of European History and Professor of History and Profe ...
, the 18th Panzer Division was heavily engaged in the looting of food from Soviet civilians to the point that the latter starved to death. At the beginning of the invasion orders were given to execute wounded Soviet soldiers as these were seen as an unnecessary burden. In
"bandit-fighting" operations, the division command gave out orders to shoot anybody suspected of supporting alleged partisans. Within the division, harsh measures were employed against any soldier found guilty of dissent or reluctant to fight, leading to a number of executions.
Organization
Organization of the division:
* Headquarters
* 18th Panzer Regiment
* 52nd Panzergrenadier Regiment
* 101st Panzergrenadier Regiment
* 88th Panzer Artillery Regiment
* 18th Motorcycle Battalion
* 88th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
* 88th Tank Destroyer Battalion
* 209th Panzer Engineer Battalion
* 88th Panzer Signal Battalion
* 88th Panzer Divisional Supply Group
Commanding officers
The commander of the division:
[Mitcham, p. 146–148]
*''
General der Panzertruppe
General der Panzertruppe () was a General of the branch OF8 rank of the German Army, introduced in 1935. A ''General der Panzertruppe'' was a Lieutenant General, above Major General (Generalleutnant), commanding a Panzer corps.
Rank and ran ...
n''
Walther Nehring
Walther Nehring (15 August 1892 – 20 April 1983) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the Afrika Korps.
Early life
Nehring was born on 15 August 1892 in Stretzin, West Prussia. Nehring was the descendant of a ...
, 26 October 1940
*''
Generalleutnant
is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.
Austria
Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...
''
Karl Freiherr von Thüngen, 26 January 1942
*''
General der Nachrichtentruppe
General der Nachrichtentruppe (Literally: General of the Communications Troops) was a General of the branch OF8-rank of German Army, introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1940.
The rank was equivalent to the long established ''General der Kavalle ...
n''
Albert Praun __NOTOC__
Albert Praun (11 December 1894, Bad Staffelstein – 3 March 1975) was a German general who became the Chief Signals Officer of the Wehrmacht during World War II.
Biography
Praun served during World War I. He was retained in the Reichsw ...
, July 1942
*''Generalleutnant'' Karl Freiherr von Thüngen, 24 August 1942
*''Generalleutnant''
Erwin Menny
Erwin Menny (18 August 1893 – 6 December 1949) was a German general (Generalleutnant) in the Heer during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
He was taken p ...
, 15 September 1942
*''Generalleutnant'' Karl Freiherr von Thüngen, February 1943
*''Generalleutnant''
Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben
__NOTOC__
Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben (30 October 1894 – 18 June 1964) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II.
Biography
Schlieben joined the Prussian Army in August 1914 and served during World War I. He served as a regimen ...
, 1 April 1943
References
Bibliography
* Rosado, J. and Bishop, C. ''German Wehrmacht Panzer Divisions, 1939–45''. Amber Books Ltd., 2005
*
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Military units and formations established in 1940
Military units and formations disestablished in 1943