5.Panzer-Armee
Panzergruppe West
Panzergruppe Eberbach
5.Panzer-Armee

The 5.Panzer-Armee was a German panzer army which saw action in the Western and North African Fronts. The remnants of the army surrendered in the Ruhr pocket in 1945. PzKpfw V-D, a Panther tank   Panzer? is German for armour. ... A nations army is its military, or more specifically, all of its land forces. ... During World War II, the Western Front was the theater of fighting west of Germany, encompassing France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemberg, and Denmark. ... The Mediterranean region. ... The Ruhr Pocket was an area of Germany formed in April of 1945 during World War II. The pocket was the result of the U.S. Army trapping numerous Wehrmacht forces in the Ruhr industrial region. ...

History

North Africa

The 5.Panzer-Armee was created on 8 December 1942 as a command formation for armoured units forming to defend Tunisia against Allied attacks which threatened after the success of the Allied Operation Torch landings in Algeria and Morocco. The army fought alongside the Italian First Army as a part of Heeresgruppe Afrika. The army capitulated on 13 May 1943, along with it's commander Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von Arnim. The army was officially disbanded on 30 June 1943. Operation Torch was the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started November 8, 1942. ... The Italian First Army was an Italian field army of World War II that fought on the North African Front. ... Army Group Afrika (German: Heeresgruppe Afrika) was the headquarters controlling all Axis forces in Tunisia during the final stages of the North African Campaign of World War II. It was created in February of 1943 by redesignating Erwin Rommels German-Italian Panzer Army headquarters as an Army Group and... Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (1889-1962), was a German Colonel-General of Cavalry, serving during World War II. Von Arnim was commander of the V Panzer Army from 1942 and fought in North Africa in the Afrika Korps. ...

Normandy

The army was reformed on 24 January 1944 as Panzergruppe West, the armoured reserve for OB West. The new army was placed under the command of General der Panzertruppen Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg. The method of employment of Panzergruppe West in the event of an allied invasion was the subject of much controversy, with both OB WEST Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt and Army Group B commander Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel favouring different methods. Hitler refused to allow his commanders to commit the Panzergruppe without his explicit authorisation, and so when the Allied Invasion began on 6 June 1944, the Panzergruppe remained immobile. Two days after the invasion, Schweppenburg was replaced by General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Eberbach. Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (December 12, 1875 - February 24, 1953) was a Field Marshal of the German Army during World War II. He remains known as one of Germanys best generals, as well as for being apolitical throughout his career. ... Field Marshal Erwin Rommel Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (   listen?) (November 15, 1891 – October 14, 1944) was one of the most distinguished German Field Marshals and commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps in World War II. He is also known by his nickname The Desert Fox (Wüstenfuchs,   listen?), for the... The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allied forces as part of the larger conflict of World War II. Sixty years later, the Normandy invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, remains the largest sea borne invasion in history, involving almost three... Heinrich Eberbach (1895 in Stuttgart, Germany - 1993) was a noted General der Panzertruppen (Tanks) in the German Army of World War II. World War I During late 1914 he fought in France as a corporal, but by February 1915 he was promoted to Lieutenant. ...

The Panzergruppe fought against the allied forces in Normandy, suffering heavy losses and eventually finding many of it's divisions trapped in the Falaise Pocket. After the shattered remnants of the Panzergruppe escaped from Falaise, the Panzergruppe began a retreat towards the German border. Mont Saint Michel is a historic pilgrimage site and a symbol of Normandy Normandy is a geographical region in northern France. ... During World War II, the Falaise pocket (also known as the Chambois pocket, Chambois-Montcormel pocket, Falaise-Chambois pocket) was the area between the four cities of Trun-Argentan-Vimoutiers-Chambois near Falaise, France, in which Allied forces tried to encircle and destroy the German Seventh Army and Fifth Panzer... Falaise is the name of several communes in France: Falaise, in the Ardennes département Falaise, in the Calvados département This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Retreat - Ardennes

In August, elements of Panzergruppe West were ordered to reform as 5.Panzer-Armee, with a combat formation remaining in action under the title Panzergruppe Eberbach. After a brief period under SS-Oberstgruppenführer Josef Dietrich, command of the army passed to General der Panzertruppen Hasso-Eccard von Manteuffel. The army saw heavy combat on the German border against Allied forces, the panzer divisions suffering heavily from the allied Jabos. General Sepp Dietrich Josef Sepp Dietrich (May 28, 1892–April 21/22, 1966) was a German Waffen-SS general, an SS-Oberstgruppenführer, and one of the closest men to Hitler. ... A ground attack aircraft is an aircraft that is designed to operate very close to the ground, supporting infantry and tanks directly in battle. ...

In November, the 5.Panzer-Armee began forming up in the Ardennes, alongside the newly formed 6.SS-Panzer-Armee under Dietrich. Both formations took part in Operation Wacht Am Rhein, the 5th suffering heavy losses in battles around Bastogne and in the armour battles around Celles and Dinant. After the offensive was cancelled, the 5.Panzer-Armee continued it's fighting withdrawal to the German border. In March, it was involved in efforts to eliminate the American bridgehead over the Rhine at Remagen. For the film based on this event, see Battle of the Bulge. ... Bastogne (Bastenaken) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. ... Celles is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. ... Main church of Dinant at the Meuse river, picture taken from the citadel Dinant is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Namur, in Wallonia. ... The Rhine canyon (Ruinaulta) in Graubünden in Switzerland Length 1,320 km Elevation of the source Vorderrhein: approx. ... Remagen is a city in Germany in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate in the south of Bonn at the Rhine river. ...

The army was encircled and trapped in the Ruhr Pocket, and surrendered on 17 April 1945. The Ruhr Pocket was an area of Germany formed in April of 1945 during World War II. The pocket was the result of the U.S. Army trapping numerous Wehrmacht forces in the Ruhr industrial region. ...

Commanders

5.Panzer-Armee (North Africa)

• General der Artillerie Heinz Ziegler (3 Dec 1942 - 20 Feb 1943)
• Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (20 Feb 1943 - 28 Feb 1943)
• General der Panzertruppen Gustav von Värst (28 Feb 1943 - 9 May 1943)

Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (1889-1962), was a German Colonel-General of Cavalry, serving during World War II. Von Arnim was commander of the V Panzer Army from 1942 and fought in North Africa in the Afrika Korps. ...

Panzergruppe West

• General der Panzertruppen Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (? Feb 1944 - 8 June 1944)
• General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Eberbach (8 June 1944 - 9 Aug 1944)

Heinrich Eberbach (1895 in Stuttgart, Germany - 1993) was a noted General der Panzertruppen (Tanks) in the German Army of World War II. World War I During late 1914 he fought in France as a corporal, but by February 1915 he was promoted to Lieutenant. ...

Panzergruppe Eberbach

• General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Eberbach (10 Aug 1944 - 21 Aug 1944)

5. Panzerarmee (France)

• General der Panzertruppen Heinrich Eberbach (2 July 1944 - 9 Aug 1944)
• SS-Oberstgruppenführer Josef Dietrich (9 Aug 1944 - 9 Sept 1944)
• General der Panzertruppen Hasso-Eccard von Manteuffel (9 Sept 1944 - 8 Mar 1945)
• Generaloberst Josef Harpe (8 Mar 1945 - 17 Apr 1945)

General Sepp Dietrich Josef Sepp Dietrich (May 28, 1892–April 21/22, 1966) was a German Waffen-SS general, an SS-Oberstgruppenführer, and one of the closest men to Hitler. ...

References

• Pipes, Jason. "5.Panzer-Armee".
• Wendel, Markus (2004). "5. Panzer-Armee".
• "Panzergruppe West / 5. Panzerarmee". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved May 12, 2005.