2nd Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)
[3] Under the command of Heinz Guderian the division participated in the Anschluss of Austria in 1938, covering 680 kilometres (420 mi) in 48 hours but in the process losing 30 percent of its tanks to accidents and mechanical failures.[4] In early September 1939, the 2nd Panzer Division took part in the invasion of Poland, crossing the Polish-Slowak border and advancing towards Kraków.[4][5][7] The division was reassigned to the XVIII Mountain Corps of the 12th Army on 6 April 1941 to play a role in Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece.On 9 April the division took the city of Salonika and forced the surrender of the Greek Eastern Macedonia Army Section.[5][7] In October 1941, the 2nd Panzer Division was sent to the Eastern Front, reinforcing Army Group Centre in their push towards Moscow, Operation Typhoon.The division retreated, suffering heavy losses, having also lost two of its three tank battalions earlier in 1942 when they were sent to the southern sector of the front to assist with the German push towards the Volga and Caucasus.From June 6 until mid July the division stood in the Caumont area engaged in daily skirmishes with British units.The Kampfgruppe took St. Martin, destroying The Black Watch in the process and got involved in street fighting in St. Andre sur Orne.Nevertheless due to the efforts of the 2nd Panzer Division other German units, notably the 10th and the 12th SS, were able to cross the bridge over the Dives and escape eastwards.Its vanguard got within 4 km from the Meuse, where on 24 December they were stopped by the U.S. 2nd Armored Division and the British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment.
2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich2nd Panzergrenadier Division (Bundeswehr)Nazi GermanyGerman ArmyPanzerArmoured warfareDivisionWehrkreis XIIIWürzburgWehrkreis XVIIIViennaWorld War IIInvasion of PolandBattle of FranceBattle of GreeceOperation BarbarossaBattle of KurskInvasion of NormandyBattle of the BulgeHeinz GuderianAustriaAnschlussPolandFranceBalkans campaignEastern FrontArmy Group CentreMoscowNormandyFalaise PocketBavaria3rd Panzer DivisionTreaty of Versaillestank schoolKrakówArdennesXIX Army CorpsBelgiumMosel RiverAbbevilleBoulogneBritish Expeditionary Forceevacuation from DunkirkRiver Aisne13th Panzer DivisionXVIII Mountain Corps12th ArmyOperation MaritaYugoslavia19th Greek Mechanized DivisionLake DojranSalonika5th Mountain Division6th Mountain Division72nd Infantry DivisionVerroiaRiver HaliacmonKateriniBattle of ThermopylaeHMS AbdielOperation TyphoonXL Panzer CorpsV Army Corps4th Panzer ArmyBattle of MoscowPanfilov's Twenty-Eight GuardsmenRed Army9th German ArmyOperation CitadelXLVII Panzer CorpsOperation KutuzovPanther tanks50th Infantry Division7th Armoured DivisionOperation Epsom326th Infantry DivisionVerrières ridgeOperation Spring272nd Infantry divisionThe Black Watch9th SS Panzer DivisionOperation CobraUS 2nd ArmoredOperation Luttich12th SS352nd Infantry Divisionassault guns5th Panzer ArmyPanzer IVsPanthersStuG IIIBastogne101st Airborne DivisionU.S. 2nd Armored Division3rd Royal Tank RegimentBattle of the RhinelandSaxonyRudolf VeielHans-Karl Freiherr von EsebeckArno von LenskiVollrath LübbeHeinrich Freiherr von LüttwitzFranz WesthovenHenning SchönfeldMeinrad von LauchertOskar MunzelWaldemar von GazenFrench campaignYoung, PeterOrbis PublishingUnited States Army Command and General Staff CollegeZaloga, Steven J.Beevor, AntonyCole, Hugh M.Mitcham, Samuel W.MechanicsburgStackpole BooksBad NauheimDatner, SzymonPanzer divisionsClausewitzFeldherrnhalle 1Feldherrnhalle 2HolsteinJüterbogPanzer Lehr