11th Panzer Division
| 11th Panzer Division | |
|---|---|
| 11. Panzer-Division | |
Unit insignia
|
|
| Active | 1 August 1940 – 8 May 1945 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Wehrkreis VIII: Sagan |
| Engagements | |
| Insignia | |
| 1940 | |
| at Kursk |  |
| Ghost |  |
The 11th Panzer Division (English: 11th Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II, established in 1940.
The division saw action on the Eastern and Western Fronts during the Second World War. The 11th Panzer Division did not participate in the war until the invasion of Yugoslavia, fought in the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944 and, in the last year of the war, in southern France and Germany. The formation's emblem was a ghost.
The 11th Panzer Division was formed on 1 August 1940 from the 11th Schützen-Brigade and the Panzer Regiment 15 removed from the 5th Panzer Division and elements of the 231st Infantry Division, 311th Infantry Division and 209th Infantry Division. Most of its members were from Silesia.
The 11th Panzer Division saw action for the first time in the invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, passing through Bulgaria, it arrived in Belgrade and assisted in the capture of that city.
The division was then sent to the Eastern Front where it was part of the Army Group South. It participated in the battle of Kiev and later took part in the Battle of Moscow. At the Battle of Moscow the 11th Panzer Division had its legendary encounter with Panfilov's Twenty-Eight Guardsmen. The division was engaged in retreat and defensive operations after the Soviet counter offensive in December 1941. The 11th Panzer Division's advance finally came to a cease due to the strong resistance of the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Division and the 78th Rifle Division. Harsh weather conditions were also a factor. It was finally The 11th Panzer Division was part of Case Blue from June 1942 onward, participating in the capture of Voronesh and the drive towards Stalingrad. It avoided being entrapped with the 6th Army in the city but suffered substantial losses during the winter of 1942-43.
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