The 1st Cavalry Division (german: 1. Kavallerie-Division) was formed in October 1939. It fought in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and on the
Eastern Front. It was officially transformed into the
24th Panzer Division in late 1941.
Formation
The division was formed on 25 October from the ''1. Kavallerie-Brigade'' and expanded on 20 November with the addition of ''Reiter-Regiments 21'' and ''22''. It was reconstituted in February 1940 when ''II\Reiter-Regiment 21'' was disbanded and distributed to other regiments.
Operational history
The campaign in Western Europe began in the Netherlands before it was assigned to the
4th Army and sent to France. The division crossed the Somme on 7 June and fought near
Meulen. On 18–19 June, it fought around
Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
and attempted to capture a bridge across the Loire, but the attack failed when it was blown up with a patrol still on it. The division reached
La Rochelle
La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With ...
when the fighting in France ended.
After the French capitulation the division was stationed in France on occupation duties until the early summer of 1941 when it was moved east in preparation for the attack on the Soviet Union. It was assigned to the
XXIV Army Corps in the opening stages of
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 ...
, the invasion of the Soviet Union. The division fought in the southern sector of the front, seeing action around the
Berezina
The Berezina or Biarezina ( be, Бярэ́зіна; ) is a river in Belarus and a right tributary of the Dnieper. The river starts in the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. The length of the Berezina is 613 km. The width of the river is 15-20 m, the ...
and
Dniepr
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and ...
rivers, especially in efforts to clear the
Pripet Marshes
__NOTOC__
The Pinsk Marshes ( be, Пінскія балоты, ''Pinskiya baloty''), also known as the Pripet Marshes ( be, Прыпяцкія балоты, ''Prypiackija baloty''), the Polesie Marshes, and the Rokitno Marshes, are a vast natural ...
of by-passed
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
units.
It was withdrawn to France in November 1941 and its 17,000 horses were handed over to infantry divisions. The “''Schlußappell''”, the last divisional parade, was held on 5 November at Gomel before it was finally disbanded and reformed as the
''24.Panzer-Division''.
Commanders
*''General der Kavallerie''
Kurt Feldt
__NOTOC__
Kurt Feldt (22 November 1897 – 11 March 1970) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was the German commander in the Battle of the Afsluitdi ...
(25 October 1939 – 28 November 1941)
Area of operations
*The Netherlands and France (May 1940-Jun 1941)
*Eastern front, southern sector (Jun 1941-Nov 1941)
Order of battle
* Headquarters
* Kavalleriebrigade 1 ''(1st Cavalry Brigade)''
** Kavallerieregiment 1 ''(1st Cavalry Regiment)''
** Kavallerieregiment 2 ''(2nd Cavalry Regiment)''
* Kavalleriebrigade 2 ''(2nd Cavalry Brigade)''
** Kavallerieregiment 21 ''(21st Cavalry Regiment)''
** Kavallerieregiment 22 ''(22nd Cavalry Regiment)''
* Reitendes Artillerieregiment 1 ''(1st Mounted Artillery Regiment)''
** I. Abteilung ''(1st Battalion)''
** II. Abteilung ''(2nd Battalion)''
* Radfahrabteilung 1 ''(1st Bicycle Battalion)''
* Panzerjägerkompanie 40 ''(40th Tank Destroyer Company)''
* Pionierbataillon 40 ''(40th Engineer Battalion)''
* Nachrichtenabteilung 86 ''(86th Signal Battalion)''
* 40. Divisional Supply Group
Literature
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Cavalry Division (Wehrmacht)
Military units and formations established in 1939
Cavalry divisions of Germany in World War II
1939 establishments in Germany
Military units and formations disestablished in 1941