The 2nd Panzer Division (2. Panzer-Division) was created in 1935, and stationed in Austria after the Anschluss. It participated in the campaigns in Poland (1939) and France (1940), and then returned to Poland for occupation duties (1940-1941). It participated in the Balkans campaign (1941) and then transferred to the Russian Front, though it missed participating in Operation Barbarossa because most of its tanks and other heavy equipment were lost when the transport ships carrying them were sunk by British mines or submarines (1941). It fought with Army Group Center in the battles of Moscow (1941) and Kursk (1943). After heavy losses on the Russian Front it was sent to France for rehabilitation (1944). It fought in Normandy and was almost completely destroyed in the Falaise Pocket (1944). It was rebuilt once more and fought in the Battle of the Bulge (1944) and in the defense of the Rhine (1945), surrendering to the Americans at war's end. German troops march into Austria on 12 March 1938. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ... The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ... Polish wz. ... Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ... Army Group Centre (Heeresgruppe Mitte in German) was one of three German army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, code-named Operation Barbarossa. ... Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Fedor von Bock, Heinz Guderian Georgy Zhukov, Aleksandr Vasilevsky Strength As of October 1: 1,000,000 men, 1,700 tanks, 14,000 guns, 950 planes[1] As of October 1: 1,250,000 men, 1,000 tanks, 7,600 guns, 677 planes[2... Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein Hans von Kluge Hermann Hoth Walther Model Georgiy Zhukov Konstantin Rokossovskiy Nikolay Vatutin Ivan Konyev Strength 2,700 tanks 800,000 infantry, 2,000 aircraft 3,600 tanks 1,300,000 infantry, 2,400 aircraft Casualties German Kursk : 50,000 dead... It has been suggested that Northern France Campaign (1944) be merged into this article or section. ... Combatants North: United Kingdom Canada Polish Army in the West South: United States Free French Forces Nazi Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Omar Bradley Guy Simonds George Patton Günther von Kluge Walter Model Strength unknown 150,000 Casualties Canadian: 18,500 Polish: 2,300 U.S and French: unknown 10... Combatants United States United Kingdom Germany Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower Bernard Montgomery Omar N. Bradley George S. Patton, Jr. ... The Rhine (German: ; Dutch: ; French: ; Italian: ; Romansh: ) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe at 1,320 kilometres (820 miles), with an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second. ...

War crimes

During the September Campaign in Poland soldiers from the division took part in atrocities against Polish citizens. On the 5th of September 1939 near the village of Toporzysko-Bystra a Polish soldier surrendered after becoming separated from his unit. Soldiers from the 2nd Panzer Division ordered him to run, then shot him under the pretext of "attempted escape".^[1]

See also

• Panzer, Panzer Division
• Division (military), Military unit
• Heer, Wehrmacht, List of German divisions in WWII

Panzer IV Ausf. ... Panzer Division is the German term for armored division. ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to twenty thousand soldiers. ... A military unit is an organisation within an armed force. ... The German Army (German: Heer, [IPA: heɐ]  ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... Wehrmacht   (armed forces, literally defence force(s)) was the name of the armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. ... This is a list of German divisions in WWII. Only ground units are covered; divisions of aircraft are not. ...

References

1. ^ Zbrodnie Wehrmachtu na jeńcach wojennych w II Wojnie Światowej Szymon Datner Warszawa 1961

• Pipes, Jason. "2.Panzer-Division". Retrieved April 2, 2005.
• Wendel, Marcus (2004). "2. Panzer-Division". Retrieved April 2, 2005.
• "2. Panzer-Division". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de, with photos. Retrieved April 2, 2005.
• "Unteroffizer Franz Eschner". English language autobiographical notes from a veteran of 2nd Panzer Division, with photos. Retrieved April 2, 2005.
• Szymon Datner (1974). Zbrodnie Wehrmachtu (Crimes of the Wehrmacht)