Post
by bradhunter » Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:37 am
I found my notes on this unit:
This unit was formed in France on 07/01/41 with French beute-panzer. With the deterioration of the situation in Russia, the unit was quickly re-equipped with German tanks and rushed to AGN, arriving southwest of Leningrad on 12/17/41. At the end of 1941, the regiment formed the only 18th Armee reserve, operating in the I.Armee-Korps area of operations as a “fire brigade.” In March, 1942, the Regiment was operating in the X.Armee-Korps area of the 16th Armee in the same capacity.
Without this unit, AGN would have been hard pressed to stem the tide of the Soviet 1941 winter offensive.
The regiment figured prominently in “Unternehmen Winkelried,” the relief of the Demyansk Pocket, from 09/27/42 to 10/11/42. The regiment was withdrawn from the front on 12/02/42, and sent to Breslau (Wehrkries VIII) for rest and refitting. It was decided to disband the regiment, with the regimental HQ, and the II. Panzer-Abteilung being used to form the II. Panzer-Abteilung of the Panzer-Regiment “Grossdeutschland.” The 3. Panzer-Kompanie of the I. Panzer-Abteilung was used to form the Grossdeutschland’s Tiger company. The bulk of the I. Panzer-Abteilung was incorporated into the I. Panzer-Abteilung of the 1. Panzer-Regiment (1.Panzer-Division) then refitting in France.
Dates: 12/17/41 to 12/02/42