16th. Panzer Division

Commanders

Gerhard Glokke
Gotthard Heinrici
Hans Valentin Hube
Gunther Angern
Burkhart Muller-Hildenbrand
Rudolf Sieckenius
Hans-Ulrich Back
Dietrich von Muller
Kurt Treuhaupt

Composition

16^th. Panzer when formed:
64^th. Schutzen-Regiment
79^th. Schutzen-Regiment
16^th. Kradschutzen-Battalion
2^nd. Panzer-Regiment
16^th. Artillerie-Regiment
16^th. Panzerjager-Battalion
16^th. Pioneer-Battalion
16^th. Nachrichten-Battalion
16^th. Divisional Support Units


16^th. Panzer in 1942:
64^th. Panzergrenadier-Regiment
79^th. Panzergrenadier-Regiment
16^th. Kradschutzen-Battalion
2^th. Panzer-Regiment
16^th. Artillerie-Regiment
16^th. Panzerjager-Battalion
16^th. Pioneer-Battalion
16^th. Nachrichten-Battalion
16^th. Divisional Support Units

Reformed 16^th. Panzer in 1943:
64^th. Panzergrenadier-Regiment
79^th. Panzergrenadier-Regiment
16^th. Kradschutzen-Battalion
2^nd. Panzer-Regiment
16^th. Artillerie-Regiment
16^th.  Divisional Support Units

History

Formed from portions of the 16.Infanterie-Division when in August, 1940, the 16^th. Infanterie-Division was split up, with other portions being used in the formation of the 16^th. Infanterie-Division (motorized; i.e., Panzergrenadier).

After its initial training, the 16^th. Panzer was sent to Rumania for use as a training unit for the Rumanian Armed Forces, being code named "Lehrstab-R II" while still being under the control of the German Mission in Rumania.

The 16^th. Panzer was held in Reserve during the Balkan Campaign, but took part in the Invasion of the Soviet Union in June, 1941, being used in the southern sector of the Front, advancing to Stalingrad via Lvov, Pervomaisk, Zaporozhe, Taganrog, Makeevka and Artemorsk. 16^th. Panzer was destroyed in the Stalingrad Pocket in early 1943. The first elements of the 6th.Army reached the Volga river at around 1600 hrs on Sunday, 23-Aug-1942 local time. These were units of the 16th. Panzer Division, 60th.Infantry Division (Motorized), and the 3rd.Infantry Division (Motorized). They dug in along the railroad tracks and waited for reinforcements. In Stalingrad itself, city authorities begin evacuating civilians not working in the war industries.

The 16.Panzer-Division was then reformed in March, 1943 in France. After reformation, the 16.Panzer was sent to Italy. The 16^th.Panzer was heavily engaged in the battles for Salerno after the Allied landings in that region, and then in the struggle for Naples.

The 16^th. Panzer was then transferred to the Eastern Front in November and December, 1943, arriving in Bobruisk on December 13th where it took part in defensive operations before seeing action in the massive counter-attacks for Kiev. These actions heavily weakened the 16.Panzer again, and it was forced to withdraw to the the Baranow area on the Vistula River.

During the summer of 1944, the 16^th. was pulled back into Poland where it was refitted. It was then transferred back to the Baranow region in January, 1945. the 16^th. took part in defensive operations here until being pushed back to the areas of Lauban and Brno in March and April, 1945. Portions of the 16^th. Panzer surrendered to the Soviets and others to the Americans.