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| 16.Panzer-Division by Jason Pipes | ||||||
Unit Emblems  Lineage Traditions Absorbed Mobilized Campaigns Notable Points Fate History The 16.Panzer-Division was formed in August of 1940 from portions of the 16.Infanterie-Division. Those portions not used to help form the 16.Panzer-Division were used in the formation of the 16.Infanterie-Division (mot). After its initial training, the 16.Panzer-Division was sent to Rumania for use as a training unit for the Rumanian Armed Forces, being code named "Lehrstab-R II" while still being under the control of the German Mission in Rumania. The 16.Panzer-Division was held in Reserve during the Balkan Campaign, but took part in the Invasion of the Soviet Union in June, 1941, being used in the southern sector of the Front. During the fighting against the Soviet Uniont the 16.Panzer-Division advancing to Stalingrad via Lvov, Pervomaisk, Zaporozhe, Taganrog, Makeevka and Artemorsk. It was destroyed in the Stalingrad Pocket in early 1943. The 16.Panzer-Division was reformed in March, 1943 in France. After reformation the 16.Panzer-Division was sent to Italy where it was heavily engaged in the battles for Salerno after the Allied landings, and later in the struggle for Naples. The 16.Panzer-Division was transfered to the Eastern Front in November-December, 1943, arriving in Bobruisk on December 13th where it took part in defensive operations before seeing action in the massive counterattacks for Kiev. These actions heavily weakened the 16.Panzer-Division once more and it was forced to withdraw to the the Baranow area on the Vistula River. During the summer of 1944 the 16.Panzer-Division was pulled back into Poland where it was refit. It was then transfered to the Baranow region once more in January, 1945 where it took part in defensive operations until being pushed back to the areas of Lauban and Brno in March-April, 1945. Portions of the the 16.Panzer surrendered to the Soviets and others to the Americans. Organization
Commanders Knights Cross Holders | ||||||