[67] Panzer Lehr's armored reconnaissance battalion raced ahead, attacking towards Wiltz before rejoining the division on the route to Bastogne. All contents copyright © Christian Ankerstjerne 2001-2020, unless otherwise stated. I. Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 6/Panzer-Lehr-Division. [90] Panzer Lehr was then involved in the unsuccessful operations to close the corridor,[91] and finally the exhausted division was pulled out of the battle. Although the design and color were practical characteristics, the origins of these characteristics may have been influenced by the Imperial German Death's Head Hussar uniforms. Funklenk-Panzerkompanie (abbreviated 1./s.Pz. As all Lehr infantry were mounted in the SPW ( very rare to have 251 issued on that scale) they were officially entitled to wear the 1940 special uniform. [14] Orders received on 6 March 1944 made it clear that the unit was to first be transported to the Vienna area. [61] Both of its panzergrenadier regiments were at 80 percent of its authorized strength. 130 [28][29] The ensuing Battle of Villers-Bocage saw the British withdraw to their start lines after two days of inconclusive fighting. Panzer-Lehr-Division: Panzer-Lehr-Regiment 130: 1944–1945: Westfront: Nancy, Verdun: Divisionen der Waffen-SS mit Panzerverbänden. On several occasions it fought almost to destruction, in particular during Operation Cobra,[9] and by the end of the war in Europe bore little resemblance to the unit that had originally been activated. [2][34] On 7 July, the division was ordered to pull out of Tilly-sur-Seules and head west to provide support to the divisions resisting the American advance near Saint-Lô. Panzer Lehr, also known as the 130th Panzer Lehr Division, was possibly one of the most lavishly equipped elite units in the German army. [60] On 15 December, the day before the offensive began, Panzer Lehr was still severely understrength, with only one of its two tank battalions ready for action, the other restored to its parent unit, the 3rd Panzer Division. 'Funklenk' 316) ("316th Remote Control Panzer company")[note 1] attached while in Normandy; this company was originally equipped with ten Tiger I tanks, and was allocated the first five of the new Tiger II tanks that are not used in Normandy since it broke down en route[20] and been replaced by 9 Sturmgeschütz self-propelled guns, which fought at Tilly and St. Stab II. [14] On 19 March 1944, Panzer Lehr division took part in the German occupation of Hungary codenamed Operation Margarethe, as well to continue its training. For a complete picture, it is advised to read the articles in the order they are listed in the table of contents. [72] After the taking of Mageret, a local informed Bayerlein, the division's commander, that a column of about 50 American tanks and infantry was seen moving to Longvilly. [66], On 18 December, the assault got back underway. Kp. The characteristics included the double-breasted style which provided extra protection from weather and the black color was adopted so that oil and gasoline spills on the uniform didn't show as bad as on the gray-green. Panzer-Artillerie-Lehr-Regiment 130 [48] On the same day, Bayerlein reported that Panzer Lehr was "finally annihilated. These were black, double-breasted tunics with the death's head emblem. I could not find a picture of camouflage tunic, smocks or trousers. 902 [8] It was the only Wehrmacht Panzer division to be fully equipped with tanks and with halftracks to transport its mechanized infantry. [23] It also had 31 Jagdpanzer IV in its Panzerjäger battalion. Elements of Panzer Lehr, the 2nd Panzer Division, and the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion were committed to defeating the British penetration. [73] By the time that Panzer Lehr moved out again and reached the town of Bastogne, the US 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles) had already secured it. In violation of the Versailles Treaty of 1919, in 1934 German industry began manufacturing armored vehicles and tanks and the German Army began to build tank formations. In 1942, when Infantry Regiments were renamed as Grenadier Regiments by Hitler as a historical homage … [24], When the Western Allies launched the amphibious invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, Panzer Lehr, as a part of the strategic armored reserve (Panzer Group West), was held back from the fighting during the crucial first days. A SS panzer grenadier Lehr regiment presumably would have some special task and not be just another regiment to put more men in the line. For example, the Panzer Lehr division was raised from panzer training school staff with a bias on anti-invasion duties for which they presumably trained and developed tactics. [98][99] Engaged in a fighting retreat across northwestern Germany, the division was trapped in the Ruhr Pocket and the remnants of the once powerful division were taken prisoner by the US 99th Infantry Division on 15 April. 902 [18][1] This is in contrast to ordinary Wehrmacht panzer divisions, where only the first battalion in the first panzergrenadier regiment was equipped with halftracks, with the remaining battalions equipped with trucks. Panzer Lehr began forming on 30 December 1943[10] and moved to the Nancy–Verdun area in January 1944 to complete the process. As the remainder of the division sped east, it enjoyed some minor successes, including the capture of a large American convoy,[76] but it was brought to a halt by fierce resistance near St. Hubert, and was soon drawn into heavy fighting south of Bastogne. I. Battalion, PzGr-Lehr-Rgt. [59] During the run up to the offensive, Panzer Lehr was kept in reserve, along with the Führer Begleit Brigade. These include the Army (Heer), Air Force (Luftwaffe - primarily the Hermann Göring Panzer Division) and the Waffen-SS and Police. [note 2][32] By the end of June, the division's armoured component was severely depleted. Panzergrenadier-Lehr-Regiment 902 [77] On the 21st, Manteuffel pulled Panzer Lehr out of the fight for Bastogne and grouped it with the 2nd Panzer Division and 116th Panzer Division Windhund for an assault on Dinant and the Meuse. [85] Panzer Lehr began to move into its new positions,[88] after US 4th Armored Division, the spearhead of George Patton's US Third Army, began its attack to relieve Bastogne[89] and a corridor to the surrounded 101st Airborne was created. By Willi Schumacher. These training and demonstration units were some of the most experienced and highly trained troops in the Panzerwaffe, with almost all having seen combat in the Eas… [16] These units could be released only with Adolf Hitler's personal authorization. Zij werd midden december 1944 naar het oostfront gestuurd, naar Hongarije. Most of the division's original cadre was drawn from Panzertruppenschule I and Panzertruppenschule II, the Panzerwaffe's major training units. Los orígenes. The division's engineer and reconnaissance formations were also equipped with armored vehicles,[18] the armored reconnaissance battalion having a company of the new Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma armored cars. [26] It was placed in the front line adjacent to the 12th SS Hitlerjugend Division, where it defended Caen and fought several British offensives to a standstill. [37] The bocage made it extremely difficult for armor to maneuver and provided superb defensive positions to the infantry on both sides of the battle. Panzergrenadier-Lehr-Regiment 901 [38], On 10 July, Panzer-Lehr launched a counterattack against elements of the American 9th and 30th infantry divisions around the village of Le Dézert. Het eerste bataljon van het Panzer-Lehr-Regiment 130 kreeg in november 1944 60 nieuwe Panzer V "Panther" tanks. Panzerjäger-Abteilung 130, II. Infantry in panzer divisions from 1937 onwards were known as Schützen Regiments; they wore the same rose pink piping on their uniforms as the tank crews (with an "S" cypher that distinguished the Schützen from the tank and anti-tank units that also wore that colour). [86] The Meuse would not be reached; Wacht Am Rhein had failed. El núcleo originario de la División, el Panzer-Lehr-Regiment, quedó formado el 1 de octubre de 1937 por un batallón de tanques y uno de cañones antitanque. [citation needed], After the failure of the Ardennes offensive, Panzer Lehr was refitted once again, though not to anywhere near the lavish standard of its earlier incarnations. [62][65] The situation worsened over the next two days, with the 901st Panzergrenadier Regiment being halted by the Americans along the road to Wiltz, and the 902nd encountering heavy resistance in the town of Hosingen. Please feel free to browse the site through the menu to the left. Re: Panzer Lehr Uniform Post by andy d » Mon Apr 19, 2010 6:13 pm Fritz bayerlein wrote: Trouble with Panzer lehr is that it consisted of many thousands of members and not many pictures, most of the pictures in books are posed showing them in the familiar stug wrap, but I have seen them wearing m36/40/43 tunics as well as HBT. Panzer-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 311 II. Many references indicate that during the Normandy campaign, Panzer Lehr soldiers wore Sturmartillerie (StuG) Field Blouse. By the end of 1940, however, the service dress uniform was no longer issued to the panzer crews, with exception of the field-gray greatcoat, and so the black panzer uniform was to be worn on all occasions. [41] Six days later, the Americans launched Operation Cobra, their breakout from the Normandy lodgment. Initially these uniforms were to be worn only when the crew was with the tank or armored vehicle (HM 40, No. [92], The division was moved north, into the Rhineland, where it was engaged fighting Bernard Montgomery's Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group again during Operation Veritable, serving under the First Parachute Army. I. Battalion, PzGr-Lehr-Rgt. [82] Panzer Lehr made two rescue attempts to save 2nd Panzer[83] and succeeded in retaking Humain, but unable to go any further. Nor was the advance to become any easier thereafter. The color and Totenköpfe (skulls) were chosen due to their similarity to the uniforms of August von Mackensen's Blac… These quality reproductions of the WWII originals include the panzer black, field grey and camouflage wraps and trousers. (Dienstrock) BACKGROUND: The Officer’s service tunic followed the basic design of the EM/NCO’s field blouse with the most readily visible difference, besides the insignia, being the turned up French cuffs. One of the Reich's most elite Panzer divisions, Panzer-Lehr was the best equipped one, even possessing its own Tiger & Tiger II tanks. See more ideas about lehr, division, german uniforms. 902 [46] Despite strong initial resistance,[47] by 27 July the German defenses has been penetrated. 6 Panzer Lehr began forming at Potsdam in November 1943 and moved to the Nancy–Verdun area in January 1944 to complete the process. Battalion, PzGr-Lehr-Rgt. It was formed in 1943 onwards from training and demonstration troops (Lehr = "teach") stationed in Germany, to provide additional armored strength for the anticipated Allied invasion of western Europe. Introduction to Heer Panzer Crew Uniforms, Shoulder Boards, Shoulder Strap Ciphers, and Miscellaneous Insignia, Introduction to Luftwaffe Panzer Crew Uniforms, Introduction to Waffen-SS Panzer Crew Uniforms, Introduction to Polizei Panzer Crew Uniforms. Panzerdivision” on April 4th, 1944, it never stuck and the unit was always referred to, even in official documents, as Panzer-Lehr Division. [23] Another unique feature of this formation was that its panzergrenadiers were, for a large part, dressed in the double-breasted Sturmgeschütz jacket, instead of the standard field blouse worn by other German Army (Heer) units. [51], Within seven months of its formation, the division was reduced to a combat-ineffective unit with only 20 remaining tanks. The British had adopted a similar tanker's uniform but changed it after the outbreak of World War II because the similarities caused confusion between them and the German tank forces. Officer’s were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and were allotted a clothing allowance. In violation of the Versailles Treaty of 1919, in 1934 German industry began manufacturing armored vehicles and tanks and the German Army began to build tank formations. Some panzergrenadiere wore Heer splinter helmet covers. Panzerjäger-Abteilung 130 Kompanie 4. [64], Wacht am Rhein opened on 16 December 1944, and Panzer Lehr moved out from the start positions in the center of the German line. About and contact. [58], The time spent refitting Panzer Lehr and several other units which had been committed prematurely meant that the operation had to be delayed. [70] After initial success, Panzer Lehr's follow up attack resulted in heavy casualties. 901 [78], After a day spent on reorganising the attack, Panzer Lehr finally got underway. Privacy policy. Soldiers in special Motorized Infantry units wore the standard white piping of the Infantry. [13], In early 1944, Panzer Lehr division was to be prepared for training to take place in Southern France. Panzergrenadier-Lehr-Regiment 901 (SS-Oberst Georg Scholze, 1944 – 19 juillet 1944 ; SS-Oberst Freiherr von Hauser, 19 juillet 1944 – Capitulation) Regimentsstab. The scenarios are based on actions of the Panzer Lehr Division on the Western Front between June and November 1944. [100], The 316th Radio Control Panzer Company was originally equipped with a mix of. Abteilung, Pz.-Lehr-Rgt. Stab I. Reformée, elle prit part à l'offensive des Ardennes où elle subit à nouveau de lourdes pertes, avant de disparaître dans la poche de la Ruhr en avril 1945. sfn error: no target: CITEREFRitgen1995 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFBlumenson1961 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFHarrison2002 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFZetteling2000 (, Panzer Lehr Division 1944-45 Helion WWII German Military Studies Volume 1: Steinhard, sfn error: no target: CITEREFBatistelli2013 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFRitgen2001 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFMacDonald1963 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFClarke1993 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFCopp_&_Vogel1988 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFMacDonald1973 (, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen, "German Military Organization, Combat Power and Organizational Effectiveness", "Organizational History of the German Armored Formations 1939-1945", "German Army, Battle of the Bulge, 15 December 1944", The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge (Publication 7-8), The Cross Channel Attack (Publication 7-4), The Siegfried Line Campaign (Publication 7-7), Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, Rape during the Soviet occupation of Poland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Panzer_Lehr_Division&oldid=992789004, Military units and formations established in 1943, Military units and formations disestablished in 1945, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 December 2020, at 02:50. [35][36] The area around Saint-Lô consists of small fields with high ancient hedgerows and sunken lanes, known as bocage. Panzer Lehr had once again been virtually annihilated. Home page for UK based Re-enactment Society that portray World War 2 German panzergrenadiers from the Elite Panzer Lehr Division. [12] At one point, in September, it consisted only of a panzer grenadier battalion of company strength, an engineer company, six 105mm howitzers, five tanks, a reconnaissance platoon, and an Alarmbataillon (emergency alert battalion) of about 200 men recruited from stragglers and soldiers on furlough in Trier. Lo until destroyed, at which point the 316th Company was disbanded. [62] It had only 57 tanks (30 Panthers and 27 Panzer IV) and 20 Jagdpanzer IV/70's by the time the attack jumped off. Van het Panzer-Lehr-Regiment 130 nam alleen het tweede bataljon aan het Ardennenoffensief deel. 250/1 Ausf. 316. loadout, senior NCO France'44 precisely, and i got some questions about the uniform. Except for the elite Panzer-Lehr-Division, which field-tested the new uniform in summer 1944 before its approval for general issue, the M44 was usually seen at the front only in the war's last months and generally on the greenest of troops: new replacements, teenage Flakhelfer, and Hitlerjugend and Volkssturm militia. Many of the veterans were dead, and the Panzer Lehr of early 1945 bore little resemblance to that of June 1944. [27], On 13 June 1944, an attack by the 22nd Armoured brigade group of the British 7th Armoured Division outflanked Panzer Lehr's defences around Tilly-sur-Seulles and cut through the German lines, taking the village of Villers-Bocage and threatening Panzer Lehr's rear. The 26th Volksgrenadier Division had secured the bridge over the Clerf River, opening the way to the road and rail-hub of Bastogne. [11] Moreover, all the battalions in both panzergrenadier regiments were transported by tracked, armored vehicles, such as the Sd.Kfz. 250/251 (half-track). In the Ardennes they would be in the same winter gear everyone else was issued, so would be hard to distinguish from other units by uniform alone (which is nice because you can use them for pretty much any Heer unit in winter gear). Re-Enactment Society page for UK based Re-enactment Society, it is advised to the. To a combat-ineffective unit with only 20 remaining tanks about Lehr, the division armoured. ) Panzergrenadier-Lehr-Regiment 901 I. battalion, PzGr-Lehr-Rgt the scenarios are based on actions of the veterans dead. Normandy campaign, Panzer Lehr was kept in reserve, along with the Führer Begleit.! 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