4th Panzer Army
|
4.Panzer-Armee 4th Panzer Army |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 15 Feb 1941 – 8 May 1945 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Branch |
 Wehrmacht
|
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Army |
| Engagements | |
The 4th Panzer Army (German: 4. Panzerarmee) was, before being designated a full army, the Panzer Group 4 (Panzergruppe 4), a German panzer army during World War II. Its units played a part in the invasion of France, and then on the Eastern Front.
The 4th Panzer Group's predecessor was the XVI Army Corps formed in Berlin in February 1938. It fought in Poland and in the campaign in the West. In February 1941, 4th Panzer Group was created, taking over the activities of XVI Corps and placed under Army Group North.
The Group was composed of:
On commencement of Operation Barbarossa, the group was a part of Army Group North, and consisted of the XLI Panzer and LVI Army (motorized) Corps which comprised three panzer and two motorized infantry divisions respectively, altogether equipped with 631 tanks.
Acting as the armored spearhead for Army Group North in the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, it crossed the Neman River, where the XLI Panzer Corps was counter-attacked by 300 Soviet tanks near Raseiniai. In a four-day battle, the Germans encircled and destroyed the Soviet armor. The LVI Panzer Corps seized the Daugava bridges and began its advance towards Leningrad.
The Soviets fought a bitter defense around Leningrad and Hitler reinforced 4th Panzer Army with the 3rd Panzer Army and it crept up to within 11 kilometres of the city. However, Hitler withdrew both panzer armies and transferred them to Army Group Center for an all-out offensive against Moscow.
The operation called for the 3rd and 4th Panzer Army to attack Moscow from the north. The 4th Panzer Army would attack through the center and 2nd Panzer Army from the south. But due to the cold weather, deteriorating supply situation and strong Soviet resistance, only the 4th Panzer Army made any headway against the Soviets and closed to 24 kilometres of Moscow. Exhausted, it was halted and then pushed back 320 kilometres with heavy casualties by the Soviet counter offensive launched in December 1941.
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