Leutnant Wilhelm Walther (Zugführer in Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 / 2.Panzer-Division) in front of Valtice Castle in present-day Czech Republic. The picture was taken during Sudetenland Crisis in October 1938. The 2nd Panzer Division played a prominent role in Germany’s military preparations for the occupation of the Sudeten border regions of Czechoslovakia following the Munich Agreement. Commanded by Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel and forming part of the rapidly expanding Panzerwaffe, the division was among the armored formations assembled to demonstrate German military strength and readiness should diplomatic efforts fail. As tensions reached their peak in September 1938, the division concentrated near the Czech frontier, conducting mobilization exercises and preparing for a potential invasion under the plans developed by the Oberkommando des Heeres. When the Munich Agreement granted Germany control of the Sudetenland without armed resistance, 2. Panzer-Division advanced into the newly acquired territories as part of the occupation forces beginning on 1 October 1938. The operation provided the division with valuable experience in large-scale motorized movement, logistics, and coordination with infantry and reconnaissance units, while also serving as a propaganda showcase for the effectiveness of Germany’s armored forces. Although no significant combat occurred during the occupation, the deployment represented an important milestone in the development of German armored doctrine, and the division’s successful participation foreshadowed the prominent role it would later play in the campaigns in Poland, France, and the Soviet Union during the Second World War.
Source :
"Brandenburger: Wartime Photographs of Wilhelm Walther" by Anthony Rogers
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