13th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)
| 13th Panzer Division | |
|---|---|
| 13. Panzer-Division | |
Unit insignia (1934–1945)
13th Panzer Division in Poland, 1941
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|
| Active | 11 October 1940 — January 1945 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Wehrkreis XI: Magdeburg |
| Engagements | |
| German 13th Infantry Division 13. Infanterie-Division German 13th Motorized Infantry Division 13. Infanterie-Division (mot.) |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1 October 1934 – 11 October 1940 |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Magdeburg |
The 13th Panzer Division (English: 13th Tank Division) was an armoured division in the German Army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II, established in 1940.
The division was originally formed as an infantry division in 1934. In 1937 it was motorized and named the 13th Motorized Infantry Division which participated in the campaigns against Poland (1939) and western Europe (1940). Following the Fall of France in June 1940, the division was reorganized as the 13th Panzer Division. It participated in Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of the USSR) in 1941 and the advance on the Caucasus in 1942. The division suffered heavy losses in the retreats of 1943 and 1944. It was partially refitted in Hungary, where it was encircled and destroyed by Allied forces in the winter of 1944-1945. The formation was reformed as Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle in the spring of 1945 and surrendered in May 1945.
During the invasion of Poland, the troops of the division committed war crimes, including reprisal killings, using civilians as human shields and destroying a medical column.
The 13th Motorized Infantry Division participated in the invasion of Poland, as part of the southern thrust, and the Battle of France, advancing through Belgium towards Calais and on to Lyon.
The 13th Panzer Division was formed in Vienna in October 1940 from the 13th Motorized Infantry Division and was immediately sent to Romania but was not part of the Balkan campaign. It served in Operation Barbarossa as part of Panzer Group 1 (Army Group South), and it contributed to the successful encirclements of the Soviet forces at Kiev. At the end of 1941, it was positioned at Rostov; however, it was forced to retreat due to fierce Soviet counter-attacks.
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