Buy Now! Home Gross Deutschland Panzer: Origins & Combat History n general, in the early and mid- with the arrival of Hitler, the unit was An Analysis of Hitler’s Elite 1930s the German military was continually expanded throughout the I divided into two groups. The first rest of the decade. By January 1939 it was a false front of units that repre- was renamed Infantry Regiment Gross sented the forces allowed post World Deutschland (Greater Germany). It By Roger Mason War I treaties. The second group was was by then a stand-alone regiment made up of the ever more powerful and with a full complement of support and numerous sea, air and ground forces administrative units. The soldiers of the being developed behind the scenes. regiment were allowed to wear green More particularly, Berlin was a center and silver cuff and shoulder tabs bearing of international attention as Hitler their unit’s name and initials as evidence gained and consolidated power, and of their elite status. The unit was also the face of the German Army there was unique in that, even as it expanded, the Wachtruppe Berlin (Berlin Guard it was allowed to continue to draw Troop). Drawn from regiments across from the pick of recruits from all over the country on a rotating basis, that Germany, while the other formations in unit provided ceremonial and military the army were territorially recruited. security in the capital city. Starting 6 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 7 After the surrender of France the back north to take part in the renewed By the end of June the division was regiment prepared to take part in the drive on Moscow. By mid-October it in pursuit of the Soviet units retreating invasion of England. When that opera- had reached the city of Tula, south of into Voronezh, while much of the rest tion was cancelled, it was transferred Moscow. Tula was an important rail and of Army Group South moved across the to a camp at Le Valdahon on the Swiss road junction, and its capture was criti- Donets River and then toward Stalingrad border. There the mission was to train cal to the final assault on Moscow. The and the Caucasus. During August the for Operation Felix, a projected attack regiment took part in repeated attempts division was withdrawn and sent north on Gibraltar. That was cancelled when to capture the city, but the overall to Rzhev to reinforce Army Group Center. Hitler decided to invade the Balkans. offensive ground to a halt with the onset The Soviets began putting pressure In early April 1941 the regiment of winter weather and Tula remained on Rzhev to prevent the establishment was moved by rail first to Vienna, then in Soviet hands. That period was of a German base for a new assault to Budapest, and then to Szegedin in significant because it marked the first on Moscow. In that sector the division Romania. On 11 April it participated in time a major portion of the unit had to became part of XXVII Army (Infantry) the invasion of Yugoslavia. Resistance be replaced due to deaths and injuries. Corps. After a month of inconclusive was light and Gross Deutschland moved fighting, the division was again pulled quickly, seizing the town of Pancevo 1942 back to rest and refit. Parts of it were sent on the Danube. Its battalions were Fighting continued with the regiment to reinforce several infantry divisions An officer of the II Panzer Regiment detailed to provide security during on the defensive, which further reduced that had been mauled in the fighting. “Grossdeutschland” sporting the the initial occupation of Belgrade. its strength until, by the end of February, In November the Soviets launched Grossdeutschland cuff title. On 15 June the regiment was moved it was spent. The 2nd Battalion was a major offensive in which the 86th to Warsaw. There it was assigned to disbanded and the two remaining bat- Infantry Division was crushed. The France & the Balkans the reserve of 2nd Panzer Army. talions were reformed into a single unit. only unit close enough to intervene Though the regiment didn’t take part By the end of that month the last assault was 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier in the 1939 Polish campaign, by the next Barbarossa gun in the regiment had been destroyed. Regiment of Gross Deutschland. Bitter year the high command determined it On 27 June 1941 the regiment The regiment was then pulled fighting occurred in the Lutchessa was ready for more than ceremonial and crossed into Russia as part of Army out of the line and reorganized, and River valley, lasting nearly a month, security duties. Hitler was also interested Group Center. After heavy fighting a decision was made to upgrade it to with the panzer grenadiers suffering in seeing his favorite units received a around Minsk the unit crossed the divisional strength. Tanks, artillery, serious losses. The division was mixture of combat and parade ground upper Dnepr River, advancing as far flak, engineers and support staff were withdrawn once again to rest and refit. experience. The regiment was therefore as the town of Yelnya, where a large- added. It was redesignated Motorized attached to Panzer Group Kleist. scale Soviet counterattack stymied Infantry Division Gross Deutschland. 1943 That larger formation spearheaded further German movement east toward The various new components were The division moved to Smolensk and the invasion of the West and crossed Moscow. Fighting continued through the brought together, and in the first week then railed to Volchansk, near Belgorod. the Meuse River to participate in the summer, including a deflection to the of June the division joined XXIV Panzer By February the Gross Deutschland was decisive flanking maneuver beyond south to take part in the Kiev encircle- Corps as part of Army Group South. back on the attack between Belgorod the north end of the Maginot Line. ment. The regiment was then ordered and Kharkov. At that time the division received its first Tiger tanks and an additional artillery battalion, just in time for the new German offensive to retake Belgorod and Kharkov. The Germans recaptured those places, thereby achiev- ing their last major victory in Russia. From mid-March to the end of June the division was refitted and reinforced, with the infantry given greater numbers of halftracks to improve cross-country mobility. The Gross Deutschland was also redesignated Panzer Grenadier Division Gross Deutschland, and it was moved to positions north of Tomarovka in preparation for Operation Citadel. The panzer regiment received new Mark V Panther tanks. Operation Citadel was intended to reduce the Kursk salient, which posed a threat along the boundary line between Army Groups Center and South. The plan for the offensive was to pinch off the salient from the north and south, thereby destroying the forces the Soviets would need for their next winter offensive. The Gross Deutschland was selected as the spearhead of the Men of the panzer regiment check their equipment. southern attack. The division moved GD grenadiers moving cross-country on foot. 8 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 WORLD at WAR 20 | OCT–NOV 2011 9 Organization & Equipment The Mark VI Tiger was a heavy tank was a small tank destroyer, based on of the Panzer Grenadiers weighing 62 tons and armed with an 88mm captured Czech chasses, which was also used cannon. The division’s panzer regiment had successfully as an infantry-support assault The purpose of the panzer grenadier divi- four companies of Mark IVs and Vs and two gun. The Hetzer carried a 76mm gun. sions was to provide a mobile combined-arms companies of Mark VIs. Tigers assigned The artillery regiment was equipped with force that could fight in concert with armored directly to a division were rare, because most both towed and self-propelled artillery (SPA). divisions as well as on their own. Army plan- of them were deployed in separate battalions The regiment had two batteries of SdKfz ners originally intended those divisions would that were kept under direct control of army or 124 Wespes and one battery of SdKfz 165 be fully equipped with mechanized infantry army group commanders (for commitment at Hummels. The Wespe was based on a Mark II transport as well as tanks; however, in 1939 the decisive times and places within larger battles). Panzer chassis and armed with a 105mm how- mechanization process remained far from com- The grenadier regiment had its troops itzer. The Hummel was based on both Mark III plete. The Polish campaign included everything mounted in SdKfz. 251 Hanomag halftracks. and IV chassis and carried a 150mm howitzer. from fully mechanized divisions to others exclu- Those vehicles were lightly armored and could The Hummels were often accompanied by sively using horses pulling wagons for their carry 12 infantrymen. The grenadier units were Munitionstrager, which were gunless models transport. For average units that kind of mix also supplied with trucks and other prime used to carry extra ammunition. Those ammuni- didn’t change throughout the course of the war. movers. The prime mover was the SdKfz. 9 tion carriers could be converted by giving Panzer grenadier divisions were intended Famo heavy halftrack. They could pull artillery, them guns retrieved from disabled Hummels. to provide a force that could operate at the supply wagons or even tow disabled tanks. The division was further strengthened same speed as tanks; so elite divisions such Unlike the Hanomag, it had no side armor and by an assault gun brigade comprised of three as Gross Deutschland were well equipped was equipped with three open bench seats for batteries of Sturmgeschutz IIIs.