The 3rd Panzer Division () was an armoured division in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II.

The division was one of the original three tank divisions established by Germany in 1935. The division participated in the Invasions of Poland, Belgium, France and the Soviet Union. From 1941 to 1945 it continuously fought on the Eastern Front.

History

Before World War II

The 3rd Panzer Division was formed on 15 October 1935 from elements of the 1st and 3rd Cavalry Division as well as a variety of other military and police units, and was headquartered in the German capital Berlin. It was one of three tank divisions created at the time, the other two being the 1st and 2nd Panzer Division. Germany had renounced the Treaty of Versailles earlier in the year which had forbidden the country, among other things, from having tank forces, a treaty Germany had violated almost from the start by secretly developing tanks and operating a covert tank school in the Soviet Union.

Members of the divisions tank regiment participated in the Spanish Civil War on the Nationalist side as part of the German Legion Condor. The division also took part in the annexation of Austria in March 1938, the so-called Anschluss. It was engaged in the northern sector, operating from Pomerania, and advancing via Toruń to Brest-Litovsk.

The Division was ordered to prepare for service in Libya, North Africa that same year to help support the Italian efforts there. The deployment was cancelled by Hitler due to the invasion of Greece on 28 October 1940. The Division was instead diverted to Operation Felix though the operation was never initiated.

The 3rd Panzer Division was part of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, which began on 22 June 1941. Initially it was engaged in the central sector of the advance but was then redirected south to participate in the Battle of Kiev. From there it participated in the Battle of Moscow, advancing towards Tula. With the Soviet counterattacks in the winter of 1941–42 the division acted as a stand-by emergency force and, in March 1942, participated in the defense of Kharkov. The division participated in the Case Blue, the German attack in the southern sector of the Eastern Front in June 1942, in which the 3rd Panzer Division advanced towards the Caucasus. Initially successful the operation was ultimately a failure, with the division suffering heavy casualties in the process, especially in the fighting around Mozdok. It narrowly escaped encirclement on its retreat by crossing the frozen Sea of Azov near Rostov.

Commanders

The commanders of the division:

  • Generalmajor Ernst Fessmann (15. October 1935 – 30 September 1937)
  • Generalleutnant Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (1 October 1937 – 7 October 1939)
  • Generalleutnant Horst Stumpff (7 October 1939 – September 1940)
  • Generalleutnant Friedrich Kühn (September 1940 – 4 October 1940)
  • Generalleutnant Horst Stumpff (4 October 1940 – 13 November 1940)
  • Generalleutnant Walter Model (13 November 1940 – 1 October 1941)
  • Generalleutnant Hermann Breith (1 October 1941 – 1 October 1942)
  • Generalleutnant Franz Westhoven (1 October 1942 – 25 October 1943)
  • Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein (25 October 1943 – 5 January 1944)
  • Oberst Rudolf Lang (5 January 1944 – 25 May 1944)
  • Generalleutnant Wilhelm Philipps (25 May 1944 – 1 January 1945)
  • Generalmajor Wilhelm Söth (1 January 1945 – 19 April 1945)
  • Oberst Volkmar Schöne (19 April 1945 – 8 May 1945)

Organisation

The organisation of the division:

{| class="wikitable"

! 1939 – Poland

! 1943 – Eastern Front

|-

| width=50% |

  • Panzer-Brigade 3
  • Panzer-Regiment 5
  • Panzer-Regiment 6

|

  • Panzer-Regiment 6

|-

|

  • Schützen-Brigade 3
  • Schützen-Regiment 3
  • Kradschützen-Bataillon 3

|

  • Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 3
  • Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 394

|-

|

  • Artillerie-Regiment 75

|

  • Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 75

|-

|

|

  • Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 314

|-

|

  • Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3

|

  • Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3

|-

|

  • Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 39

|

  • Panzerjäger-Abteilung 543

|-

|

  • Pionier-Bataillon 39

|

  • Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 39

|-

|

  • Nachrichten-Abteilung 39

|

  • Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 39

|-

|

  • Nachschubtruppen 83

|

  • Nachschubtruppen 83

|}

See also

  • List of German divisions in World War II
  • Organisation of a SS Panzer Division
  • Panzer division

References

Bibliography

  • David M. Glantz."The Battle of Kursk"