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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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
Generalmajor Heinrich-Walter Bronsart von Schellendorff (1906-1944) was born on 21 September 1906 in Neustrelitz into an old Prussian noble and officer family and entered military service in 1924 as Fahnenjunker in the 6. (Preußisches) Reiter-Regiment of the Reichswehr at Pasewalk, where he completed cavalry officer training and later composed the Schwedter Reiterlied for the unit; he was commissioned Leutnant, advanced to Oberleutnant and then Rittmeister by 1935 when taken into the Wehrmacht while remaining with Kavallerie-Regiment 6 until 1939. At the outbreak of the Second World War he served with Aufklärungs-Abteilung 179 of the 79. Infanterie-Division before becoming Kommandeur of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 36 in November 1939, leading it through the campaign in France and later operations in the Baltic and northern Russia; promoted Major, he commanded Kradschützen-Abteilung 36 of the 36. Infanterie-Division and received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 24 May 1942 for distinguished service. On 1 November 1942 he assumed command of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 13 of the 5. Panzer-Division, was promoted Oberstleutnant early in 1943 and Oberst by June, and temporarily led the division itself for a month at the end of 1943. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 10 September 1943 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 13 for outstanding leadership during the fighting in the Orel salient, specifically distinguishing himself on 16 July 1943 west of Brussny, on 22 July near Kzyn, and on 23 July northwest of Katunowka where he and his regimental staff successfully engaged a Soviet battalion before launching a decisive counterattack along the Katunowka-Inschinskaja road. The Eichenlaub (394th award) followed on 12 February 1944 as Oberst still commanding the same regiment within LVI. Panzer-Korps of 2. Armee for his critical actions in January 1944 during the defence of the Pripyat bridgehead west of Gomel north of Kalinkowitschi; facing overwhelming Soviet forces intent on crushing the bridgehead and severing the German retreat, his weak units deployed on a broad front in difficult terrain were repeatedly pushed back or bypassed, yet through resolute operational decisions he repeatedly restored the front and kept the withdrawal route open until all formations could evacuate according to plan, later assembling a mixed force from divisional staff elements, the Nachrichten-Abteilung and self-propelled guns from the workshops to personally lead the clearing of a blocked retreat road and enable the division’s escape. After general staff training and staff service with 8. Armee he took command of the newly formed Panzer-Brigade 111 in early September 1944 on the Western Front; he was killed in action on 12 September 1944 near Château-Salins in Lorraine while leading the brigade and was posthumously promoted Generalmajor. His decorations also included the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (11 May 1940) and I. Klasse (21 June 1940), the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz, the Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 and the Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen.
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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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