Who led the 7th Panzer Division?
Major General Erwin Rommel
Major General Erwin Rommel, commander of the 7th Panzer Division during the German invasion of the Low Counties and France in 1940. The 7th Panzer Division was part of the 15th Panzer Corps, which was positioned in the central sector for the German invasion of Western Europe, which commenced on 10 May 1940.
Who led the ghost division?
Erwin Rommel
The appointment of Erwin Rommel as commander of the 7th Panzer Division (nicknamed the “Ghost Division”) in February 1940 seems, in the light of his many triumphs in France and North Africa, an unremarkable and perfectly natural choice.
How many Panzer Divisions did Germany have?
By the start of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the 21 panzer divisions had undergone further reorganisation to now consist of one tank regiment (of two or three battalions) and two motorised regiments (of two battalions each).
What was the 7th Panzer Division?
The 7th Panzer Division’s first foray into the war would be the German invasion of France. Codenamed Fall Gelb, the Nazis assembled 135 divisions, including their 10 panzer units. Rommel’s served as the center of the XV Panzer Corps, commanded by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge. German tanks waiting to cross the Meuse River.
How did the 5th Panzer Division get to Arras?
On 20 May, the division reached Arras. General Hermann Hoth received orders that the town should be bypassed and its British garrison thus isolated. He ordered the 5th Panzer Division to move to the west and the division to the east, flanked by the SS Division Totenkopf.
What happened to the 2nd Panzer Grenadier Division?
In May 1942, the division was withdrawn from the Soviet Union and rebuilt and reorganized in France. The Panzer Regiment now consisted of two battalions equipped with German tanks. The infantry regiments were now renamed Panzer Grenadiers, with II / Panzer Grenadier Regiment 6 equipped with armored half tracks.
What is the best book on the panzer divisions?
Fire Brigades: The Panzer Divisions 1943–1945. Winnipeg, Manitoba: J.J. Fedorowicz. ISBN 978-0-921991-92-2. Mitcham, Samuel (2001). The Panzer Legions: A Guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of World War II and their Commanders. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.