The father of the German tank force,
Colonel 'Fast Heinz' Guderian was the
first commander of 2.Panzer
At Heidelberg barracks, 1st Kompanie of Pz. Rgt. 3.
Colonel Balck was in charge of the Pz Rgt 3
from June 1941 to July, 1942
Fording the river Semois, France, 1940.
2. Pz. crossing the River Pinios, during the Balkans campaign, 1941.
Panzer 3 tanks with Russian POW's.
Men of 2nd Panzer enjoying food from the field kitchen.
2nd Panzer bivouacs near the Struma River, Russia.
A heavy SFH 15 cm field howitzer in winter camouflage.
German soldaten of 2nd Panzer outside winter bunkers.
Lieutenant-General Lubbe.
Some recreation in the morning.
2nd Panzer's a/a artillery.
Lieutenant-General v. Luttwitz.
Panzer IV's moving to the front.
Motorcycle recon moves out.
The memorial to Pz.Jag.Abtl. 38 in Schweinfurt.
The modern 2nd Panzer Division bivouacs in much the same way, using zeltbahn tents made from the 'zeltbahnen' (a combination rain poncho/ground cloth) of four soldiers.
This Marder tank hunter belongs to the 3rd Panzerjager Abteilung 38. The modern 2nd Panzer Pz. Jager Abt 38 uses the Hetzer tank destroyer based on the same chassis as this Marder.
The troops are taking a rare opportunity to catch some sunshine on the fridgid Russian front.
He took over the division on October 1, 1942 and held command until January, 1944.
Still on the Ostfront (Eastern Front). Despite enduring hardships from cold, lack of supplies including proper winter clothing, the German soldier maintained connections to his homeland through important holidays like Christmas.
Winter of 1942/43. Colonel-General Model, C in C of the 9th Army and his Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Krebs engage 2nd Panzer officers in a snowball fight during an inspection.
The efficient 8.8 dual-purpose gun became more and molre important as the Luftwaffe strugled to maintain air supremacy against the burgeoning Red Air Force. Spring has come and the men are preparing for 'Operation Zitadelle', now known as the battle of Kursk.
The new Panzer 'Panther model 'D' was thrown into battle with great hope. Here the repair units are hard at work replacing roadwheel tires.
REORGANIZATION
The Division Composition by 1943 was:
3rd Panzer Regiment
2. Panzer Grenadier Regiment
304th Panzer Grenadier Regiment
74th Panzer Artillery Regiment
2. Motorcycle Battalion
5. Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
38th Anti-Tank Battalion
38th Panzer Engineer Battalion
38th Panzer Signal Batalion
He commanded the division from February to September 14, 1944.
After Operation Zitadelle, the 2nd Panzer Division was used as a Fire-Brigade in a series of defensive actions for the duration of 1943.
In mid-December 1943 the division was finally withdrawn and moved to Northern France for rest and refitting.
After refitting in the Aras-Canbrais area of France, the division moved into action to counter the D-Day invasion. These brand-new Panzer IV tanks are zeroing in the guns on the firing range.
After the invasion in Normandy, the 2nd Panzer Division finally received her orders three days later. She participated in the heavy defensive battles against the invasion forces. Although the division inflicted heavy casualties against the allies forces, theAllies' superiority in numbers, air and naval power made it a war of attrition which the German's could not hope to win.
The division took part in the unsuccessful counterattack in Mortain in August and with only 25 tanks left, was surrounded in Falaise in August. Breaking out with heavy losses, it was reformed at Wittlich in the Eifel area of western Germany, where it temporarily absorbed the remnants of the 352nd Infantry Division.
Here, a Panzer IV with 'schurtzen' armor passes an Opel Blitz truck. All vehicles at this time were heavily camouflaged due to almost total Allied dominance of the air.
Every German soldier kept an eye to the sky for the dreaded 'Jabos' or 'Fliegern', Alied fighters and fighter-bombers. Even rest time was a nerve-wracking evet.
An impromptu conference beneath a shelter. Nearby is the carriage of an 8.8cm anti-tank gun.
A Panther 'A' model counterattacks in the French Bocage. The Panther was an extremely potent tank killer and arguably the best tank of the war.
Movement by day was extremely hazardous.
2nd Panzer was once again rebuilt and refitted.Here is one of the new Panzerjager IV tank hunters, known fondly as 'Guderian's Duck. Although nose-heavy, it was also a ruthless tank killer with its low silhouette, high-velocity gun and sloped armor. This vehicle is from Pz.Jg.Abt. 38.
2nd Panzer was thrown into battle once again in the 'Ardennenoffensive', the Battle of the Bulge.Soldiers of 2nd Panzer were the only ones to regain and even set over the River Meuse again near Dinant on December 24, 1944. When the Allied offensive was resumed in January 1945, the 2nd Panzer Division had to give up her gains again and performed a fighting withdrawl.
In the last campaign the 2nd. Panzer Division was fighting against the Americans in 1945 and was down to only four tanks, three assault guns and 200 men. The survivors of the old division were grouped with Panzer Brigade Thuringia and ended the war defending Fulda in April, 1945.
The 2nd Panzer veterans organization has been very active over the years. Here is a division reunion in Bad Kissingen in 1969. Though ranks are thinned, the vets still maintain a presence and keep in touch.
