APPENDIX D
ACTIVATION
The division was activated on 1 August 1940 by reorganizing and redesignating the
11. Schützen-Brigade, which had been formed on 1 December 1939. The division fought primarily on the Eastern Front until the beginning of 1944, when it was pulled out of the line to be reconstituted, primarily through cadre and equipment of the 273. Reserve-Panzer-Division. It then fought in the west for the remainder of the war, surrendering to U.S. forces in the Bavarian Woods in 1945.
COMMANDERS
1 August 1940: General der Panzertruppen Ludwig Crüwell
15 August 1940: Generalleutnant Günther Angern
20 August 1940: General der Panzertruppen Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck
20 October 1940: Generalleutnant Walter Scheller
16 May 1942: General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck
5 March 1943: General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz
15 May 1943: Generalleutnant Johannes Mickl
10 August 1943: Generalleutnant Wend von Wietersheim
7 May 1944: von Hake
1 January 1945: Generalmajor Horst Freiherr Treusch von Buttlar-Brandenfels
3 May 1945: Generalleutnant Wend von Wietersheim
ORGANIZATION FOR BATTLE
Motorized/Mechanized Infantry
• 11. Schützen-Brigade. Formed on 8 December 1939 as a separate motorized rifle brigade with Schützen-Regiment 110 and Schützen-Regiment 111. Cornerstone for the formation of the division. Redesignated as the 11. Panzergrenadier-Brigade on 5 July 1942. Disbanded sometime in 1943.
• Schützen-Regiment 110. Formed on 7 December 1939, with cadre for the headquarters coming from Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment (mot) 20. Redesignated as Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110 on 7 May 1942. Reconstituted in France in May 1944, with personnel and cadre coming from Reserve-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 92, along with Reserve-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 12 and Reserve-Grenadier-Bataillon (mot) 20.
• Schützen-Regiment 111. Formed on 7 December 1939, with cadre coming from Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 29 and Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 2. Redesignated as Panzergrenadier-Regiment 111 on 7 May 1942. Reconstituted in France in May 1944, with personnel and cadre coming fromReserve-Grenadier-Regiment (mot) 73, along with Reserve-Panzergrenadier-Bataillon 40 and Reserve-Grenadier-Bataillon (mot) 41.
• Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2111. Formed on 4 September 1944 as a Valkyrie unit.1 The regiment was intended for incorporation into the 15. Panzer-Grenadier-Division, but it was diverted to the 11. Panzer-Division by orders dated 25 September 1944.2
Armor
• Panzer-Regiment 15. Formed on 12 October 1937. The regiment was employed as a field army asset in Poland and then attached to the 5. Panzer-Division for the campaign in France. In September 1940, it was ordered to the 11. Panzer-Division as the divisional armor regiment. In May 1944, replacement personnel and equipment for the reconstitution came from Reserve-Panzer-Abteilung 25 and Reserve-Panzer-Abteilung 35.
• Panzer-Abteilung 52. Formed on 15 March 1943 as a Panther battalion from personnel detachments from the I./Panzer-Regiment 15. On 21 August 1943, it reverted to its original designation and rejoined Panzer-Regiment 15.
Reconnaissance
• Aufklärungs-Abteilung 231. Formed on 26 August 1939 in Bamberg and attached to the division on 1 August 1940. On 5 September 1940, it was redesignated as Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 231. On 1 December 1941, it was consolidated into Kradschützen-Bataillon 61.
• Kradschützen-Bataillon 61. Formed on 6 August 1940 from assets supplied by Schützen-Regiment 110 and Schützen-Regiment 111. On 1 December 1941, it was consolidated with Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 231, retaining its original designation (see above). On 27 April 1943, it was reorganized and redesignated as Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11 (see below).
• Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11. Formed by the reorganization and redesignation of Kradschützen-Bataillon 61 (see above). Reconstituted in France in May 1944, using assets from Reserve-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 7 (Munich).
Artillery
• Artillerie-Regiment 231. Formed on 14 May 1940 for the 231. Division, with assets (headquarters and 1st and 2nd Battalions) coming from Artillerie-Regiment 746. Disbanded as a regiment on 1 August 1940, being redesignated as Artillerie-Regiment 119 on 10 October 1940. Redesignated as Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 119 in May 1942. Reconstituted in France in May 1944, with assets coming from Reserve-Artillerie-Abteilung 167.
Air Defense Artillery
• Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung (mot) 277. Formed on 22 February 1941. Reformed in Munich on 18 March 1942. Temporarily designated as the IV. (Flak)/Artillerie-Regiment 119 on 24 June 1942. Reverted to original designation on 1 May 1943. On 8 June 1944, reconstituted with three batteries.
Antitank
• Panzerjäger-Abteilung 61. Formed on 1 August 1940, with assets coming from the headquarters and 1st Company of Panzerjäger-Abteilung 222. Reconstituted in France in May 1944, with assets coming from Reserve-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 10.
Combat Engineers
• Pionier-Bataillon 209. Formed on 26 August 1939; redesignated as Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 209 on 8 August 1940. Reconstituted in France on 12 May 1944, with assets from Reserve-Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 19.
Divisional Troops
• Nachrichten-Abteilung 341. Formed on 8 March 1940. Redesignated as Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 341 on 1 August 1940 and further redesignated as Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 89 on 1 June 1943. Reconstituted in France in May 1944.
• Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 61. Formed for the division in the spring of 1941. Disbanded that winter and reformed in the summer of 1942. Redesignated as Feldersatz-Bataillon 119 on 1 September 1943.
• Panzer-Divisions-Nachschubführer 61. The division support command. Divisional support elements not designated otherwise were given the numerical designator of 61.
Footnotes
1 Translator’s Note. Despite extensive research, the exact meaning is unclear in force-structure terms, although it has nothing to do with the attempted assassination attempt on Hitler.
2 Translator’s Note. The Lexikon mentions nothing about this regiment.