APPENDIX F
ACTIVATION
The 18. Panzer-Division was activated on 26 October 1940, with its headquarters in Chemnitz. Its cadre was taken from elements of the 4. Infanterie-Division and the 14. Infanterie-Division. The division completed its activation on 1 May 1941.
COMMANDERS
25 October 1940: General der Panzertruppen Walther K. Nehring
26 January 1942: Generalleutnant Karl Freiherr von Thüngen
25 April 1942: General der Nachrichtentruppen Albert Praun
May 1942: Generalleutnant Karl Freiherr von Thüngen
15 August 1942: General der Nachrichtentruppen Albert Praun
21 August 1942: Oberst Walter Gleininger
15 September 1942: Generalleutnant Erwin Menny
25 December 1942: Generalleutnant Karl Freiherr von Thüngen
1 April 1943: Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben
ORGANIZATION FOR BATTLE
Motorized/Mechanized Infantry
• 18. Schützen-Brigade. Formed on 26 October 1940 as the headquarters for the two motorized rifle regiments of the division. On 5 July 1942, the brigade was redesignated as the 18. Panzergrenadier-Brigade. The brigade was dissolved in 1944 and became Radfahrjäger-Brigade 10.
• Schützen-Regiment 52. Formed on 15 October 1940 by reorganizing and redesignating Infanterie-Regiment 52 of the 4. Infanterie-Division. On 5 July 1942, redesignated as Panzergrenadier-Regiment 52. Dissolved on 4 January 1943 and never reformed.
• Schützen-Regiment 101. Formed on 15 October 1940 by reorganizing and redesignated Infanterie-Regiment 101 of the 14. Infanterie-Division. On 5 July 1942, redesignated as Panzergrenadier-Regiment 101. When the division was dissolved on 29 September 1943, the regimental headquarters and the 1st Battalion were used to form the II./Grenadier-Regiment 101 of the 14. Infanterie-Division.
Armor
• Panzer-Brigade 18. Formed on 15 May 1942 out of the headquarters of Panzer-Regiment 18. Dissolved on 4 January 1943.
• Panzer-Regiment 18. Formed on 6 December 1940 from Panzer-Abteilung A and Panzer-Abteilung B. Dissolved on 15 May 1942 to form the brigade headquarters (see above).
• Panzer-Regiment 28. Formed on 6 December 1940 from Panzer-Abteilung C and Panzer-Abteilung D. Dissolved on 1 March 1941. The 2nd Battalion was used to form the III./Panzer-Regiment 18.
• Panzer-Abteilung 18. Formed on 15 May 1942 from the headquarters of the
III./Panzer-Regiment 18 and its 6th, 7th, and 11th Companies. In December 1943, the battalion was used to form schwere Panzer-Abteilung 504 (Tiger).
Reconnaissance
• Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 88. Formed on 15 October 1940 from Aufklärungs-Abteilung Werder (which, in turn, had been formed on 30 August 1940 from the Kavallerie-Lehr- und Ersatz-Abteilung of the Cavalry School in Potsdam-Krampnitz). On 10 November 1991, it was consolidated with Kradschützen-Bataillon 18 to form the reinforced Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 88. Barely six weeks later, on 21 December 1941, the formation was redesignated again as Kradschützen-Bataillon 18.
• Kradschützen-Bataillon 18. Formed on 15 October 1940 from the I./Infanterie-Regiment 52 (mot) of the 14. Panzer-Division. On 10 November 1991, it was consolidated with Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 88 and then redesignated as Kradschützen-Bataillon 18 again on 21 December 1941 (see above).
• Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 18. Formed on 1 April 1943. When the division was disbanded, the battalion was consolidated with Schützen-Regiment 88 of the 18. Artillerie-Division.
Artillery
• Artillerie-Regiment (mot) 88. Formed on 15 October 1940 from the headquarters of Artillerie-Regiment 209. The regiment was redesignated as Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 88 on 18 May 1942 and redesignated again on 16 October 1943 as Artillerie-Regiment 88 (mot). After the 18. Artillerie-Division was disbanded on 25 July 1944, the regiment was redesignated as Heeres-Artillerie-Regiment 88 (mot) (reinforced by elements of Artillerie-Abteilung 854).
Air Defense Artillery
• Heeres-Flak-Artillerie-Abteilung 292. Formed on 1 November 1942.
Antitank
• Panzerjäger-Abteilung 88. Formed on 29 October 1940 from cadre from Panzerjäger-Ersatz-Abteilung 4 in Borna. When the division was disbanded, the battalion became a separate formation and was redesignated as schwere Heeres-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 88 and equipped with theNashorn self-propelled antitank gun.
Combat Engineers
• Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 98. Formed on 15 October 1940 from elements of Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 24 in Riesa. Disbanded in October 1943 after the division was reorganized as an artillery division.
Divisional Troops
• Nachrichten-Abteilung 88. Formed on 15 October 1940 as the divisional signals battalion from Infanterie-Division-Nachrichten-Abteilung 209. Reorganized and redesignated as Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung (mot) 88 of the 18. Artillerie-Division when the division was disbanded. Completely disbanded on 22 October 1944.
• Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 88. Formed for the division in Freiburg on 18 April 1941. Formed the cadre for the II./Schützen-Regiment 52 on 23 January 1942 and the reformed. Disbanded with the division in the fall of 1942.
• Panzer-Division-Nachschubführer 88. The division support command. Divisional support elements not designated otherwise were given the numerical designator of 88.