Thursday, August 6, 2015

Panzer IVs in Southern Russia, Summer 1942

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F2 75 mm (2.95 in) KwK 40 L/43 tanks (Turmnummer 424 and 431) with a ball shaped muzzle brake from 4.Kompanie / II.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 36 / 14.Panzer-Division advance through an unidentified village in Don-Kuban area (Eastern Ukraine), summer 1942. 14. Panzer Division was unusual in the German Army for not forming in sequential order. It was formed in August 1940, while 12th Panzer and 13th Panzer were not formed until October 1940. The 14. Panzer Division was established using veteran units from 4. Infantry Division and 4. Panzer Division as a basis for its structure. 4. Infantry Division provided both Divisional Organisation and the infantry components, while 4. Panzer Division provided the tank element by transferring the 36. Panzer Regiment to the new 14. Panzer Division. In April 1941, the Division took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia, reaching Sarajevo on 15 April. Soon after, it returned to Germany in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. In June 1941, now as part of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South), the Division took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union. It was involved almost continuously in offensive and defensive engagements throughout 1941, including the first winter on the Eastern Front. In the spring of 1942, 14. Panzer took part in the German summer offensives as . Heeresgruppe Süd raced through the Kharkov and Don regions.The Division was transferred to Friedrich Paulus' 6. Armee, which was encircled at Stalingrad soon after. By February 1943, the Division was considered utterly obliterated in the fighting at the Battle of Stalingrad.

Source :
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_169-0084,_Russland,_Panzer_IV.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Panzer_Division_%28Wehrmacht%29

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