Panzer IV Ausf. B of the 21 Panzer Division (21st Armoured Division – Wehrmacht), France Spring 1944
The 21st Panzer Division had a storied and complex history, beginning with its formation in February 1941 from the 5th Light Motorised Division and cadres of the 3rd Panzer Division. Its legacy includes significant campaigns in North Africa, Normandy, and later battles on both the Western and Eastern fronts.
North African Campaign (1941-1943)
The 21st Panzer Division was sent to Libya as part of the Afrika Korps in February 1941 and participated in many of the key battles of the North African campaign. The division fought from the early stages of the war in the desert, involved in offensives and defensive operations across the North African littoral.
- The division was heavily engaged during Operation Crusader (1941), the Gazala battles (1942), and the famous Second Battle of El Alamein (October-November 1942), which marked a turning point in the North African campaign. Following this battle, the division became part of the rear-guard during the Axis retreat to Tripoli and Tunisia.
- In May 1943, the division surrendered along with the rest of the Axis forces in Tunisia.
Initial Structure in North Africa
- Panzer Regiment 5 (initially) and later Panzer Regiment 22 (two battalions).
- Rifle Regiment 125 (two battalions).
- Rifle Regiment 192 (two battalions).
- Motorcycle Battalion 21.
- Aufklärung Abteilung 200 (Reconnaissance).
- Artillerie Regiment 155 (three battalions).
- Other divisional units numbered 200 (support units).
- Pioniere Battalion 220 (Engineers).
Reformation in Normandy (1943)
After the division’s destruction in North Africa, it was re-formed in July 1943 in Normandy, France, from occupation troops and the remnants of the Schnelle Brigade 931.
The newly re-formed division had the following structure:
- Panzer Aufklärung Abteilung 21 (Reconnaissance).
- Panzer Regiment 22 (two battalions).
- Panzergrenadier Regiment 125 (two battalions).
- Panzergrenadier Regiment 192 (two battalions).
- Panzer Artillerie Regiment 155 (three battalions).
- Panzerjäger Abteilung 200 (Anti-Tank).
- Nachrichten Abteilung 200 (Signals).
- Panzer Pioniere Battalion 220 (Engineers).
- Heeres Flak Abteilung 305 (Anti-Aircraft) was added later.
The division had been scheduled for deployment to the Eastern Front, but those orders were canceled. Instead, it remained in France and was positioned in Normandy when the Allied invasion (D-Day) took place in June 1944.
Normandy Campaign (1944)
The 21st Panzer Division was one of the few armored divisions in Normandy on D-Day and was quickly mobilized to counter the Allied landings. It fought a crucial role in the early stages of the battle but was eventually encircled and defeated during the Falaise Pocket in August 1944.
In September 1944, the division was re-formed again, this time in Lorraine, through the redesignation of Panzer Brigade 112. The brigade’s Panzer Abteilung 2112 and Panzergrenadier Regiment 2112 were integrated into the new formation, eventually growing into a full division once more.
Late War Actions (1944-1945)
After re-fitting in Germany, the division was sent back to the Western Front in September 1944, fighting in the Saar and northern Alsace regions. However, in January 1945, it was transferred to the Eastern Front. By the war’s end in May 1945, the division had been overrun by Soviet forces in the central sector of the Eastern Front, effectively ceasing to exist as a combat unit.
Final Establishment (Post-1943)
- Panzer Regiment 22 (two battalions).
- Panzergrenadier Regiment 125 (two battalions).
- Panzergrenadier Regiment 192 (two battalions).
- Panzer Artillerie Regiment 155 (three battalions).
- Panzerjäger Abteilung 200 (Anti-Tank).
- Nachrichten Abteilung 200 (Signals).
- Panzer Pioniere Battalion 220 (Engineers).
- Heeres Flak Abteilung 305 (Anti-Aircraft).
Notable Changes and Events:
- August 1944: The infantry units of the 16th Luftwaffe Field Division were distributed among the Panzergrenadier regiments of the 21st Panzer Division.
- Falaise Pocket: The division was largely destroyed in this encirclement in Normandy.
- Reformation in September 1944: In Lorraine, the division was reconstituted from Panzer Brigade 112. The new Panzer Regiment received the number 22.
Throughout its service, the 21st Panzer Division was notable for its early motorized operations, desert warfare, and eventual deployment on both Western and Eastern fronts in the closing phases of World War II.