History
The 11th Panzer Division was formed on August 1, 1940 from 11. Schützen-Brigade and the Pz.Rgt. 15, removed from the 5th Panzer Division and elements of the 231st Infantry Division, 311th Infantry Division and 209th Infantry Division. Most of its members were from the region of Silesia.
In the fall of 1942, the general staff of 11th infantry Brigade was fired. The 11th Panzer Division saw action for the first time in Yugoslavia in April 1941 along with the XIV Corps (mot.) of Pz.Gr. 1. Leaving Bulgaria, arriving at Belgrade and helped in the capture of that city.
The division was then sent to the Russian Front where it was part of XXXXVIII Corps (mot.) under the command of General Kempf (1 Pz.Gr., Army Group South). The division fought with distinction in the battle of Kiev and later took part in the march toward Moscow as part of XXXXVI Panzer Corps (Pz.Gr. 4, Army Group Centre).
In June 1942, along with the 4th Panzer Army, the division fought in the major offensive in the Volga and Don, since it was not serving at Stalingrad. The division fought in the Don and Donets with the 2nd Panzer Army, part of Army Group Don it suffered substantial losses during the winter of 1942-43.
It faced difficult challenges and engaged in heavy fighting trying to stop the Red Army in the sector of Rostov. In July 1943, it participated in Operation Zitadelle "as part of XXXXVIII Panzer Corps (4th Panzer Army, Army Group South).
It was again severely tested during the Battle of Krivoi Rog in late 1943. In February 1944, being one of the divisions surrounded in Cherkassy, it struggled to get out of the siege, so much that when it got out, it had lost nearly all its vehicles. To continue fighting, the division was reinforced by the remnants of the 123rd Infantry Division, for this to happen, it was removed from the front and sent to Bordeaux, France after receiving 273 personnel drawn from the Reserve Panzer Division.
After being stationed in the area of Toulouse, it was moved to the section of the Rhône in July 1944. it was forced to retreat by the Rhône corridor, reaching Besançon. Later entering combat in Alsace and helped in the defense of the Belfort Gap after going back to Saar. In December 1944, it fought in the Ardennes XIII. SS-K. (1st Army, Army Group G).
At the beginning of that battle, the division had 3.500 personnel, including 800 infantry. The 11th Panzer Division entered combat in Saarland and Moselle and the sector after dark as part of 7th Army (January 1945). It fought at Remagen with 4,000 soldiers, 25 tanks and 18 guns that still remained, but was expelled from the region by the advancing enemy.
Despite the large losses suffered, it was still regarded as one of the strongest divisions of the Western Front. In March 1944, it joined the LXXXI Corps (15th Army, Army Group B).
Later it was shifted to the southern sector of the front, with its forces stationed in and encircled in the Ruhr. The 11th Panzer Division fought until May 1945 when it was part of the LXXXV Corps (7th Army, Army Group G). On May 4, 1945, Wend von Wietersheim surrendered the unit in Czechoslovakia to the 90th Infantry Division. On May 6, 1945, the remainder under command of Horst Freiherr Treusch und Buttlar-Brandenfels surrendered to the 26th Infantry Division.
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