La 33ª División de Infantería (luego 15ª División Panzer y 15ª Panzergrenadier Division) fue una unidad del Ejército alemán durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Contenido 1 Historia 2 Comandantes 3 Organización 4 Enlaces internos 5 Referencias

Historia

Esta unidad se crea como '33ª División de Infantería en 1936 y es movilizada en 1939, pero sin tomar parte en la invasión de Polonia. En 1940 participa en las invasiones de Bélgica y Francia. Será reorganizada como 15ª División Panzer en agosto de 1940 en Darmstadt y Landau, incorporando al 8º Regimiento Panzer de la 10ª División Panzer y recibiendo al 110º Regimiento de Infantería de la 112ª División de Infantería.

En abril de 1941, la división comienza a ser transportada a Libia, uniéndose al General Erwin Rommel en su Afrika Korps (DAK) con la 21ª División Panzer y la 90ª División Ligera. Hacia el 15 de junio pasa a la reserva al sur de Bardia, y defiende con éxito durante la Halfaya.

El 18 de noviembre fuerzas británicas comienzan la Tobruk. The 15th was situated to the east of Tobruk, and by 20 de noviembre they joined the 21st Panzer Division to battle the armored forces of the British XXX Corps.

With the XXX Corps situated on the approaches to Tobruk, Erwin Rommel sent his panzer divisions on a rapid advance to the east, threatening the British rear. However the British continued to advance on Tobruk and by 27 de noviembre they had linked up with the fortress. The Axis forces were forced to withdraw.

Hacia el 31 de diciembre de 1941, Rommel's forces halted at the line at El Agheila for refitting his depleted forces. By January 21 he was ready to advance again, and the DAK and Italian forces began another march to the east.

The British Eighth Army had drawn up in mine-fortified positions on the coastal town of Gazala, to the west of Tobruk. The 15th Panzer was deployed with the other Axis armor on their southern flank, with infantry divisions holding the northern part of the line.

The Axis began their attack on 26 de mayo, with the DAK sweeping around the southern end of the British line. They were met by the armoured forces of the British, and took losses in tanks. Without a supply line, the Germans had to withdraw into a "Cauldron" position along the front until supplies could be moved through the minefields.

El 11 de junio they began their breakout, advancing to the east and threatening to encircle the British. The Eighth Army was forced to withdraw, leaving Tobruk once more encircled. This time, however, the Tobruk fortifications were weaker, and an attack on 20 de junio, which included 15th Panzer, captured the town and the garrison.

The Axis forces now began a rapid advance to the east. Much of XXX Corps' armour had been destroyed at Gazala, so a stand at Mersa Matruh on 26 de junio was quickly broken. In this battle the 15th Panzer was held up by the British 1st Armoured Division, but the remainder of the DAK broke through to the north.

At the beginning of julio the Eighth Army had reached their final defensive position before Alexandria at the railroad junction of El Alamein. The DAK was understrength from its recent battles, but Rommel attempted an attack along Ruweisat with the 15th Panzer and the remainder of the corps. Only minor progress was made, and British counterattacks and mounting losses caused Rommel to call off the attack on July 22.

Another attack was attempted by Rommel on 30 de agosto, with his armoured forces attacking the southern flank. The 15th Panzer Division reached as far as the Alam Halfa ridge on September 1, but failed to break through the British defenses.

At this point Rommel went on to the defensive and began to build a deep defensive position with deep minefields. The 15th Panzer Division formed the reserve in the northern part of the front, and the 21st Panzer in the south.

With the able General Bernard Montgomery taking charge of the Allied forces, the Eighth Army now underwent a long, steady buildup that the Axis forces couldn't, or wouldn't, match. By 23 de octubre, Monty's forces were ready and they began a breakthrough attack in the northern front. Counterattacks by 15th Panzer failed to halt the advance, and by 4 de noviembre the British tanks achieved a breakout.

Now began a period of steady British advance to the west, combined with Allied landings in French North Africa on 8 de noviembre. The remains of the 15th Panzer Division, and the remainder of the Axis forces, were continually forced to withdraw. The British XXX Corps reached and flanked the line at El Agheila on 17 de diciembre, then took Tripoli on 23 de enero de 1943.

Hacia el 18 de febrero 18 XXX Corps reached the defensive line at Mareth in Tunisia, and were forced to halt. The 21st Panzer Division was drawn away to the Kasserine Pass operation on 22 de febrero, so the 15th Panzer held the Mareth Line with the remaining Italian forces.

El 6 de marzo, with the 21st Panzer having returned, the DAK counterattacked the Eighth Army at Medenine, but were repulsed. On the 20th, the British 50th Infantry Division breached the defensive position, but they were contained by the 15th Panzer Division. However the Axis position was flanked in the west, and by March 27th they were forced to withdraw northward.

The Axis forces in North Africa were now forced back to their final defensive position in north Tunisia. Hitler chose this time to heavily reinforce his forces in this theater; forces that would have been far more beneficial a year earlier. But by now it was too late, and the US First and British Eighth Armies now relentlessly ground through the enemy defenses.

Hacia el 12 de mayo de 1943, todas las fuerzas alemanas e italianas en Túnez se rinden, incluyendo la 15ª Panzer Division.

En julio de 1943 una nueva 15ª Panzergrenadier Division se crea por rediseño de la División Sicilia e incorporando remanantes de la 15ª Panzer Division. La 15ª Panzergrenadier peleó el resto de la guerra en Italia y en el Frente Occidental, rindiéndose a los británicos al finalizar la guerra.

Comandantes

Fecha	Comandante
1 de noviembre de 1940	General Friedrich Kühn
22 de marzo de 1941	Tte. General Heinrich von Prittwitz und Gaffron
13 de abril de 1941	General Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck
26 de mayo de 1941	Tte. General Walter Neumann-Silkow
6 de diciembre de 1941	Tte. General Erwin Menny
9 de diciembre de 1941	General Gustav von Vaerst
26 de mayo de 1941	Tte. General Eduard Crasemann
15 de julio de 1942	Tte. General Heinz von Randow
25 de agosto de 1942	General Gustav von Vaerst
11 de noviembre de 1942	Tte. General Willibald Borowitz
1 de julio de 1943	Tte. General Eberhard Rodt
Octubre de 1943	Tte. General Ernst-Günther Baade
20 de noviembre de 1943	Tte. General Rudolf Sperl
5 de septiembre de 1944	Coronel Karl-Theodor Simon
9 de octubre de 1944	General Mayor Hans-Joachim Deckert
28 de enero de 1945	Coronel Wolfgang Maucke

Organización

1940

• 15º Panzer Division
  • 8º Regimiento Panzer
  • 104º Regimiento Panzergrenadier
  • 115º Regimiento Panzergrenadier
  • 33º Regimiento de Artillería
  • 15º Batallón de Motociclistas
  • 115º Batallón de Reconocimiento
  • 33º Batallón de Ingenieros
  • 33º Batallón antitanques

Enlaces internos

• 15th Infantry Division (an unrelated unit with a confusingly similar name)
• Deutsches Afrikakorps, Western Desert Campaign, North Africa Campaign
• Panzergrenadier, Panzer, Panzer Division
• Division (military), Military unit
• Wehrmacht, List of German divisions in WWII

Referencias

• von Mellenthin, Major General F. W. (1971). Panzer Battles: A Study of the Employment of Armor in the Second World War, First Ballantine Books Edition edición, New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-24440-0.
• Wendel, Marcus (2004). "15. Panzer-Division". Visto 2 de abril de 2005.
• Wendel, Marcus (2004). "15. Panzergrenadier-Division". Visto 2 de abril de 2005.