20th Panzer Division

German 20th Panzer Division
Unit insignia
Active	15 October 1940 – 8 May 1945
Country	Germany
Allegiance	Wehrmacht
Branch	Heer
Type	Panzer
Role	Armoured warfare
Size	Division
Garrison/HQ	Erfurt
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski

The 20th Panzer Division was formed on 15 October 1940 in Erfurt, Germany. As part of Adolf Hitler's plans to double the number of Panzer Divisions, the 19th Infantry Division and a number of other units were cannibalized for men and material, and then restructured into the 20th Panzer Division. Their home station was in Gotha; it was primarily made up of Hessians. It fought exclusively against the Soviet Union between June 1941 and May 1945.

The division's first combat action was in Army Group Center where it participated in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa and remained in the front echelon of attack during the series of advances on Minsk, Smolensk and took part in Operation Typhoon, (the failed attack on Moscow). From there, it remained on the central front until July 1943. As part of the northern spearhead commanded by Walter Model during the battle of Kursk, men from the 20th were involved with clearing anti-tank mines on the night of 4 and 5 July, as well as being part of the first wave of attack the following morning. The rest of 1943 was spent in a long retreat between Orel, Gomel, Orsha, and Vitebsk.

At the beginning of 1944, along with the rest of German forces on the Eastern Front, the 20th Panzer Division spent a hard winter of defensive fighting in the Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Bobruisk areas. In May, it was rushed to the southern sector of the front to participate in operations in the area around Cholm. Having suffered heavy losses during the Red Army's Operation Bagration, the division was sent to Romania for refitting in August 1944. In October, the division was sent to East Prussia, then Hungary in December. It then made a fighting withdrawal through Breslau, Schweinitz and Neisse in Silesia (now part of Poland). The division was transferred to Görlitz (east of Dresden on the German frontier with Poland). On 19 April 1945, the division was involved in a counteroffensive west of Görlitz in the direction of Niesky, but disengaged three days later and retreated west. It counterattacked again in the Bautzen area, succeeding in relieving the local garrison at heavy cost to Soviet forces. By 26 April 1945, the division was situated northwest of Dresden, however by 6 May it was forced to retreat south across the Czechoslovakian border. Some divisional elements surrendered to the Soviets near Teplice-Sanov (northwest of Prague), whilst the rest, including elements of Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 20. managed to surrender to the Americans at Rokycany, (between Prague and Plzeň); but they were soon handed over to the Soviets. 27 soldiers of the 20th Panzer Division were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Major Combat Units

Panzer Regiment 21; Panzer Grenadier Regiments 59, 112; Panzer Flak Battalion 20; Panzer Artillery Regiment 92

1941

• Schützen-Brigade 20
  • Schützen-Regiment 59
    • Schützen-Battalion I
    • Schützen-Battalion II
  • Schützen-Regiment 112
    • Schützen-Battalion I
    • Schützen-Battalion II
  • Kradschützen-Battalion 20
• Panzer-Regiment 21
  • Panzer-Abteilung I
  • Panzer-Abteilung II
  • Panzer-Abteilung III
• Artillerie-Regiment 92
  • Artillerie-Abteilung I
  • Artillerie-Abteilung II
  • Artillerie-Abteilung III
• Aufklärungs-Abteilung 20
• Panzerjäger-Abteilung 92
• Pionier-Battalion 92
• Nachrichten-Abteilung 92

1942

• Panzergrenadier-Regiment 59
  • Panzergrenadier-Battalion I
  • Panzergrenadier-Battalion II
• Panzergrenadier-Regiment 112
  • Panzergrenadier-Battalion I
  • Panzergrenadier-Battalion II
• Panzer-Regiment 21
  • Panzer-Abteilung I
  • Panzer-Abteilung II
• Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 92
  • Panzer-Artillerie-Abteilung I
  • Panzer-Artillerie-Abteilung II
  • Panzer-Artillerie-Abteilung III
• Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 20
• Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 295
• Panzerjäger-Abteilung 92
• Panzer-Pionier-Battalion 92
• Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 92

Commanding officers

• Generalleutnant Horst Stumpff, 13 November 1940 – 10 September 1941
• Oberst Georg von Bismarck, 10 September 1941 – 13 October 1941 (acting)
• Generalmajor Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma, 14 October 1941 – 30 June 1942
• Generalmajor Walter Düvert, 1 July 1942 – 10 October 1942
• Oberst Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz, 10 October 1942 – 30 November 1942 (acting)
• Generalmajor Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz, 1 December 1942 – 11 May 1943
• Generalleutnant Mortimer von Kessel, 12 May 1943 – 1 January 1944
• Oberst Werner Marcks, 1 January 1944 – 1 February 1944 (acting)
• Generalleutnant Mortimer von Kessel, 2 February 1944 – 5 November 1944
• Oberst Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski, 6 November 1944 – 31 December 1944 (acting)
• Generalmajor Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski, 1 January 1945 – 8 May 1945

See also

• Division (military)
• Eastern Front (World War II)
• List of German divisions in World War II
• Military unit
• Panzer
• Panzer Division
• Wehrmacht

References

• Williamson, Gordon. "Panzer Crewman: 1939-45", Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2002, ISBN 1-84176-328-4
• Windrow, Martin. "The Panzer Divisions", Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1982, ISBN 0-85045-434-4
• Cornish, Nik. "Images of Kursk", Brassey's, 2002, ISBN 1-57488-576-6