4th Panzerdivision

The 4th Panzerdivision is one of the armor-plated division S of the German army (Wehrmacht) during the Second world war.

Creation

November 10th 1938: Creation of the 4th Panzerdivision ( armor-plated Division ).

Divisional emblems

History of division

4th Panzerdivision has its origins with the 7th Panzer-Brigade with Würzburg the November 10th 1935, like first unit of the second series of units fast German. The October 10th 1938, it is reinforced and becomes a division.

During the crisis of Munich and Anschluss of the Czechoslovakia, it is used E as screen at the border with the Poland in the event of a preventive attack by the Allies. In August 1939, it was attached to the XVI Panzer-Body of the 10th army of the General Walther von Reichenau.

Countryside of Poland

At the beginning of the invasion of Poland in September 1939, division was one of the first to cross the border of Poland in the zone of operations of the Groupe of southern armies. Equipped with approximately 341 tanks, including 183 Panzer I, 130 Panzer II, 12 Panzer IV and 16 tanks of commands, division missed units of infantry and antichar.
Immediately after its entry on the Polish territory, the September 1st, division is stopped by the Brigade of Polish cavalry Volhynian under colonel Julian Filipowicz and is committed in violent one engagements in the battle of Mokra. The German tanks proved insufficiently armor-plated and the Poles inflicted heavy losses with the German unit and pushed back the majority of its units, which lost nearly 160 armored vehicles of combat in the battle (between 70 and 100 of them being tanks), mainly caused by anti-tank guns AT Bofors 37 mm of Polish origin and anti-tank rifles KB ppanc wz.35 .

With the support of the 1e Panzerdivision, it succeeds in crossing the Polish lines close to Kłobuck, and three days later, 4th Panzerdivision continues its walk towards Warsaw. It arrives in the Polish capital the September 8th and tries to take the city by surprise. Around 5 p.m., the forces of 4th Panzerdivision tries an attack in the west of Warsaw in the district of Ochota. The attack is pushed back and the German forces undergo heavy losses. The following day, division is reinforced with artillery and with a unit of infantry motorized of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, and begins another attack towards Wola and Ochota. The barricades set up by Polish on the principal streets make it possible to push back this attaque.
On several occasions the lack of armament on the Polish side is compensated by the ingeniousness of the combatants. One of the streets carrying out towards the center of the city was covered with Térébenthine of a close factory. When the German tanks approached, the liquid was ignited and the tanks were destroyed without only one shot not being drawn. The German forces undergo heavy losses and must be withdrawn. 4th Panzerdivision loses with it-only approximately 80 tanks and there remain only approximately 220 apparatuses still in a state of fonctionnement.
After the various unfruitful attacks, the 4th division is withdrawn with the back of the face, and takes share with the battle of Bzura, where it supports the German counter-attack. Then it is withdrawn on banks of the the Rhine to receive reinforcements.

Countryside of France

During the Bataille of France of May 1940 division is attached to XVI Panzer Corps of the General Erich Hoepner, itself belonging to the Groupe of armies B of Fedor von Bock of the 6th army under the command of Walther von Reichenau.
After a lightning war thanks to the surprised attack of Liege and Charleroi, it arrives in the sector of Béthune, where it fights against the British Task force in what is known under the name of the Bataille of Dunkirk. However, because of orders of Adolf Hitler, it does not succeed in capturing Dunkerque.
At the beginning of June 1940, division is again transferred in first line and in a few days, it succeeds in crossing most of the France. At the time when the armistice is signed, it is close to Grenoble.
After several months of occupation in France, at the end of November, the 4th Division turns over in its barracks to Würzburg, where it is reorganized and reinforced. The Panzer-Regiment 36 is assigned to the news 14th Panzerdivision, while the Artillery-Regiment 103 is seen reinforcing by a third battalion.

Face of the East

Then division is transferred in Eastern Prussia, in the zone of Brześć Litewski in occupied Poland, where it was affected with the XXIV Panzer Corps under the command of Geyr von Schweppenburg.
The June 22nd 1941, it participeé with the first combat of the Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion on the Soviet Union. During the first day of the operation, division succeeded in boring the Soviet positions and reaching Kobryń some 65 kilometers behind the lines. Then, division operates to form one of the grips making it possible to encircle and destroy most of the Soviet army in the battle of Minsk, where the German army makes approximately 300.000 prisoners. After the battle of Homel, she arrives to Kiev, where she fights the pockets of resistance.

In September, division moves close to Moscow, and attached to the Groupe of armies centers, prepares to take part in the Bataille of Moscow. After the beginning of the attack the September 30th 1941, 4th Panzerdivision reaches Mtsensk and the south of Tula and begins the surrounding of the Soviet capital. However, the Germans are practically paralyzed when the rains of autumn fall down on the country, transforming the only road towards Tula into a mud section. The enlized German tanks become an easy target for the Russian bombers. When freezing is fixed at the beginning of November, German can again use the roads, but runs up against the problem not to be equipped to fight against the hard Russian winter, since Hitler had envisaged a fast victory in summer. And white for the camouflage cruelly the men miss warm clothing, and more and more of tanks and other vehicles are immobilized by temperatures worthy of a freezer.

December 5th, the unit is withdrawn and received the order to defend a section of the frontline close to Moscow against the Soviet winter counter-offensive. Undergoing heavy combat, division moves back and loses the near total of its tanks and a month later, it has nothing any more but only 25 apparatuses still in a position to function. It is withdrawn in the zone of Orel, where the thaw stops the Soviet counter-offensive and which the unit can be partially renforcée.
Throughout the year 1942, it fights in the long battle of Orel, a series of fixings, offensives and counter-offensives resembling the attacks of the First World War. The first battalion of the Panzer-Regiment 35 east dissolves and the other tanks are attached to the only battalion of tanks restant.
In July 1943, it takes share with the Bataille of Koursk in a role of support. After the failure of this battle, it is withdrawn in the zone along the Desna river and the marshes of Pripjet. After a series of offensive attacks Soviet, the frontline is established close to Bobruysk, where division spends the winter 1943-1944.

In spring 1944, it moves in the zone of Kowel in occupied Poland, where it supports with difficulty the Groupe of armies centers during the Opération Bagration, the Soviet offensive of spring, which began the June 22nd 1944 directed against the Groupe of armies centers forcing division to withdraw itself, just as the whole of the army allemande.
Attached to the XXXIX Panzer Body under the command of the General Karl Decker, 4th Panzerdivision is withdrawn in the zone of Warsaw, where the Soviets put an end to their offensives because of the beginning of the Insurrection of Warsaw. In the battle of Wołomin, the 4th Division succeeds in inflicting losses with the 3rd Soviet armor-plated body.

Puiis it is transferred in north from the Lithuania in support from the northern Groupe from armies while being attached to the 3rd army from Panzer . However, the Soviet advance divides the German army in two, division must give up Lithuania and the Latvia and is found dispersed. Some of its units were cut remainder of the territory held by their army, as well as 16th and 18th Armies in Livonie. Then it is committed in the pocket of Courlande. Some of its units are attached to others smaller to form impromptu units.

The remainder of the unit is destroyed by the Soviet offensives from April at May 1945 and finish by rendre.
Certain members of division will take share to the Bataille of Berlin before disappearing.

War crimes

Part of division was responsible for a certain number of war crimes during the invasion of Poland in 1939. The first incident occurred the September 1st 1939, when division used civilians as human shields during the battle of Mokra.

September 3rd, when a Polish plane was cut down and that its crew makes captive, one of its passengers, brutally was questioned and tortured (the German soldiers cut its nose, its ears and its language to him), then carried out.
September 6th, another Prisoner of war Polish was carried out in the village of Czermno. eleven prisoners of war Polish (8 in uniform and 3 as a civilian) were killed by balls with the sight of the public by the soldiers of division. and in the the Vistula 252 prisoners of war and 106 civilians noyent cut down, of which some were previously used like shields human S.

Commanders of 4th Panzerdivision

Battle order

In November 1938 composition

Schützen-Brigade 4

Schützen-Regiment 12

Panzer-Brigade 5

Panzer-Regiment 35
Panzer-Regiment 36

Kradschutze-Bataillion 7
Panzerjäger-Abwehr 49
Pioneer-Abteilung 79
Artillery-Regiment 103

Artillery-Abteilung I
Artillery-Abteilung II

Naschr-Abteilung 79
Versorgungsdienste 84

In November 1943 composition

Panzer-Pomegranate-Regiment 12
Panzer-Pomegranate-Regiment 33
Panzer-Regiment 35
Panzer-Aufklarung Abteilung 4
Panzerjäger-Abwehr 49
Pioneer-Abteilung 79
Artillery-Regiment 103

Artillery-Abteilung I
Artillery-Abteilung II
Artillery-Abteilung III

Flak-Regiment 290
Naschr-Abteilung 79
Feldersatz-Abteilung 103
Versorgungsdienste 84

Theaters of operations

September 1939

Countryside of Poland

May 1940

Countryside of France

1941

Operation Barbarossa
Minsk, Briansk

1942-1943

Front of Is
Moscow, Bataille of Koursk, Gomel

1944

Bobruisk, Kovel, Courlande

1945

Eastern Prussia

Rewards

70 members of 4th Panzerdivision are made Chevalier of the iron Cross.
10 members receive the Croix of Knight of the iron Cross with sheets of oak.
1 member receives the Croix of Knight of the Cross of iron with sheets of oak and swords, the Generalleutnant Dietrich von Saucken, ordering division the January 31st 1944 (n°46).

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