APPENDIX C
ACTIVATION
The division was formed through the redesignation and reorganization of the 4. leichte Division on 3 January 1940. The division fought in Poland and France and then on the Eastern Front until 1944, when it was pulled out of the line for reconstitution, which took place in southern France. It then fought on the Western Front until the end of the war. Panzer-Brigade 105 was consolidated with the division in September 1944. The division surrendered to U.S. forces in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945.
COMMANDERS (SCHMITZ)
1 September 1939: Generalleutnant Dr. Alfred Ritter von Hubicki (also commanded the 4. leichte Division)
14 April 1942: Generalleutnant Johannes Baeßler
25 July 1942: Generalmajor Heinrich-Hermann von Hülsen
4 August 1942: Generalleutnant Walter Scheller
22 July 1943: Generalleutnant Erwin Jollasse
1 October 1943: Generalmajor Dr. Johannes Schulz
1 December 1943: Bömers
January 1944: Generalleutnant Erwin Jollasse
20 March 1944: Generalleutnant Clemens Betzel
15 August 1944: Oberst Max Sperling
2 September 1944: Generalmajor Gerhard Müller
6 September 1944: Generalleutnant Harald Freiherr von Everfeldt
6 March 1945: Oberst Helmut Zollenkopf
COMMANDERS (LEXIKON)1
Generalleutnant Alfred Ritter von Hubicki—until 14 April 1942
Generalleutnant Johannes Baeßler—15 April 1942
Generalmajor Heinrich-Hermann von Hülsen—27 July 1942
Generalleutnant Walter Scheller—4 August 1942
Generalleutnant Erwin Jollasse—22 July 1943
Generalmajor Dr. Johannes Schulz—20 October 1943
Oberst Max Sperling—27 November 1943
Generalleutnant Erwin Jollasse—28 November 1943
Oberst Max Sperling—10 August 1944
Generalmajor Gerhard Müller—3 September 1944
Generalleutnant Harald Freiherr von Everfeldt—16 September 1944
Generalleutnant Friedrich Wilhelm von Mellenthin—28 December 1944
Generalleutnant Harald Freiherr von Everfeldt—February 1945
Oberst Helmut Zollenkopf—6 March 1945.
ORGANIZATION FOR BATTLE
Motorized/Mechanized Infantry
• 9. Schützen-Brigade. Formed on 16 February 1940 as the headquarters for the division’s two motorized rifle regiments. Redesignated as the 9. Panzergrenadier-Brigade on 5 July 1942. Disbanded on 15 December 1942.
• Kavallerie-Schützen-Regiment 10. Formed on 1 August 1938 from the former Austrian Army Kraftfahrjäger-Bataillon 3 “Kopal” and Infanterie-Regiment 6. Redesignated as Schützen-Regiment 10 on 18 March 1940 and further redesignated as Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 on 7 May 1942. Reconstituted in France in June 1944, with personnel and cadre coming from Reserve-Grenadier-Regiment 5, along with Panzergrenadier-Regiment 56 and Reserve-Grenadier-Bataillon (mot) 35 (155. Reserve-Division).
• Kavallerie-Schützen-Regiment 11. Formed on 1 August 1938 from the former Austrian Army Kraftfahrjäger-Bataillon 2 “Feldmarschall Radetzky” and Feldjäger-Bataillon 2. Redesignated as Schützen-Regiment 11 on 19 March 1940 and further redesignated as Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 on 7 May 1942. Reconstituted in France in June 1944, with personnel and cadre coming from Reserve-Grenadier-Regiment 25, along with Reserve-Panzergrenadier-Bataillon 25 and Reserve-Grenadier-Bataillon (mot) 119 (155. Reserve-Division).
Reconnaissance
• Aufklärungs-Regiment 9. Formed on 1 August 1938 from the former Austrian Army Kraftfahrjäger-Bataillon 4. Disbanded on 1 August 1940, with the first battalion used to form Kradschützen-Bataillon 59 and the second battalion for Auf -klärungs-Abteilung 9.
• Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot) 9. Activated on 1 August 1940 from the II./Auf -klärungs-Regiment 9 (see above). Disbanded on 14 March 1942 and consolidated with Kradschützen-Bataillon 59, retaining the later designation.
• Kradschützen-Bataillon 59. Formed on 1 August 1940 from the I./Aufklärungs-Regiment 9 (see above). Consolidated with Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9 on 14 March 1942, retaining the original designation. Reorganized and redesignated as Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9 on 13 April 1943 (with an effective date of 17 March 1943).
• Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9. Formed by the reorganization and redesignation of Kradschützen-Bataillon 59 (see above). Reconstituted in France in June 1944, using assets from Reserve-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9 (Krems).
Armor
• Panzer-Abteilung 33. Formed on 1 July 1938 from the former Austrian Army Panzerwagen-Abteilung. On 2 February 1940, it became the II./Panzer-Regiment 33.
• Panzer-Regiment 33. Formed on 2 February 1940 from the headquarters of Panzer-Regiment Conze (Panzer-Lehr-Regiment), the reinforced Panzer-Lehr-Abteilung and Panzer-Abteilung 33 (see above). Reconstituted in southern France in June 1944; received a battlefield reconstitution in October 1944 near Arnheim.
Artillery
• Artillerie-Regiment 102. Formed on 1 September 1938 from the former Austrian Army Artillerie-Regiment 9 and the II./leichte Artillerie-Regiment 1. Redesignated as Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 102 on 12 December 1942. Reconstituted in southern France in April 1944, using assets fromReserve-Artillerie-Abteilung (mot) 260 of the 155. Reserve-Panzer-Division.
Air Defense Artillery
• Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 287. Formed on 16 March 1942 (effective 7 February 1942), using assets from the 1./Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 277. On 2 June 1942, it was consolidated with the divisional artillery, receiving the designation IV./Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 192. On 1 May 1943, it was released from assignment and reconstituted as Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 287.
Antitank
• Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 50. Formed on 1 August 1938 from the former Austrian Army Infanterie-Kanonen-Abteilung 3. Redesignated as Panzerjäger-Abteilung 50 on 1 January 1940. Reconstituted in southern France in early 1944 from assets of Reserve-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 5.
Combat Engineers
• Pionier-Bataillon 86. Formed on 10 November 1938; redesignated as Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 86 on 22 April 1940. Reconstituted in France in April 1944.
Divisional Troops
• Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 85. Formed on 15 February 1940.
• Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 60. Formed for the division in the spring of 1940. Redesignated as Feldersatz-Bataillon 102 on 1 September 1943.
• Panzer-Divisions-Nachschubführer 60. The division support command. Divisional support elements not designated otherwise were given the numerical designator of 60.
Footnote
1 Translator’s Note. Since there is considerable disparity between Schmitz and the Lexikon concerning dates and commanders, both are given here.