The 5. Panzer-Division, formed on 15 November 1938 in Oppeln (now Opole) as part of the second wave of German armored units with personnel primarily drawn from Silesians and Sudeten Germans, emerged as one of the Wehrmacht's reliable panzer formations throughout World War II, initially equipped with two panzer regiments (Panzer-Regiment 15 and 31) alongside supporting Schützen-Brigade 5, reconnaissance, artillery, and pioneer elements that evolved over time into a more streamlined structure centered on Panzer-Regiment 31 by 1943. It saw limited action in the 1939 invasion of Poland as part of the southern thrust toward Lwów during the Battle of Lwów, but played a prominent role in the 1940 Western campaign, advancing through Belgium toward Lille, participating in the Battle of Dunkirk, pushing south to capture Brest on 19 June, and reaching near the French-Spanish border before occupying France until early 1941, during which it contributed one regiment to form the 11. Panzer-Division. Transferred to the Balkans in 1941, the division advanced through southern Yugoslavia into Greece, engaging in heavy combat against the 2nd New Zealand Division, before redeploying northward for Operation Barbarossa as part of Army Group Centre, where it spearheaded the drive on Moscow, advancing to within 34 km of the city only to be halted and forced into retreat by the Soviet winter counteroffensive of December 1941, thereafter holding defensive lines through the harsh winter of 1941-42. Remaining with Army Group Centre and avoiding the southern thrust of Case Blue, it endured grueling defensive battles around Rzhev, participated indirectly in the post-Kursk withdrawals without leading the offensive itself, and continued retreating through Poland amid Operation Bagration in 1944, which devastated much of its parent formations, before shifting briefly to Courland and East Prussia. Trapped on the Samland peninsula in April 1945, elements were evacuated by the German Navy to surrender to Western Allies, while the remainder capitulated to Soviet forces in the final days of the war on 8 May 1945, having earned a reputation among Soviet opponents as one of the most formidable German units to avoid direct engagement when possible until the collapse of Army Group Centre. Under successive commanders including Heinrich von Vietinghoff, Joachim Lemelsen, Gustav Fehn, and Karl Decker, the 5. Panzer-Division exemplified the blend of offensive élan in early blitzkrieg victories and resilient defensive tenacity on the Eastern Front, reflecting the broader trajectory of Germany's armored forces from rapid conquests to protracted attrition.
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RITTERKREUZTRÄGER
General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (1892-1964), born on 7 May 1892 in Pirmasens and died on 3 September 1964 in Pech district of Wachtberg, was a German officer who rose to the rank of General der Panzertruppe in the Wehrmacht during World War II, commanding key armored formations including the 5. Panzer-Brigade, the 3. Panzer-Division, and ultimately the III. Panzerkorps. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 3 June 1940 as Oberst and Kommandeur of the 5. Panzer-Brigade within the 5. Panzer-Division for his leadership in the campaign in the West, where near Merdorp on 13 May 1940 his brigade bloodily repelled the first major French armored formation encountered, destroying over thirty enemy tanks amid heavy defensive fire through exemplary attacking spirit and personal example despite being wounded himself. Breith received the 69th Eichenlaub on 31 January 1942 as Generalmajor and Kommandeur of the 3. Panzer-Division for decisively eliminating a Soviet penetration north of Kursk near Butyrki—Judinka—Stakanowo, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy and forcing their withdrawal across the Tim river during intense defensive fighting on the Eastern Front. Finally, the 48th Schwerter were awarded to him on 21 February 1944 as General der Panzertruppe and Kommandierender General of the III. Panzerkorps for his outstanding command during the relief operation of the Cherkassy pocket, where his corps—comprising several Heer divisions and one Waffen-SS formation—fought through successive enemy positions to reach just west of the encircled Kampfgruppe Stemmermann, drawing the bulk of Soviet forces onto itself while Breith repeatedly demonstrated personal bravery by intervening at critical combat hotspots from the foremost lines, showcasing skillful leadership that enabled the breakthrough under extreme pressure. Throughout his career, which began in 1910 and spanned both world wars, Breith exemplified the aggressive yet adaptive tactics of the Panzertruppe, contributing significantly to major operations before his capture by American forces in May 1945 and subsequent release in 1947.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Panzer_Division_(Wehrmacht)
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