APPENDIX F

18. Panzer-Division Order of Battle

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.

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