Following the
Anschluss annexation of
Austria in 1938, the 4th Light Division was formed in
Vienna after converting a mobile division of the
Bundesheer (the Austrian Army) in April of that year. It initially consisted of the 33rd Panzer Battalion, the 102nd Motorized Artillery Regiment, and the 10th and 11th Motorized Cavalry Regiments. In 1939, it fought in the
Invasion of Poland, on the right flank of
Army Group South, attacking out of
Slovakia, pushing over the
San River on 10 September and capturing
Krakowiec on 12 September. It then moved to establish a
bridgehead over the
Bug River at
Krylow on 14 September. The division then turned west, blocking the escape of several units of the
Polish Army. In the process the division took tens of thousands of prisoners. On 24 October, the division departed
Salzberg, returning to Vienna by train. Parts of 9th Panzer Division, along with
SS Leibstandarte, were tasked by
Adolf Hitler to conduct an improvised triumphal march through the streets of
Amsterdam to underscore the German victory over the Netherlands. Following the
evacuation of Dunkirk, 9th Panzer Division was assigned to
Panzer Group Guderian and participated in the
Battle of France. During this stage it was under the command of
XXXIX Motorized Corps. It pushed through the
Weygand Line towards Paris, crossing the
Oise River,
Aisne River,
Marne River and
Loire River, taking thousands of prisoners in the process.
Operation Barbarossa Once Operation Barbarossa was launched, the 9th Panzer Division, part of
XIV Panzer Corps of the Army Group South, pushed through
Ukraine on 28 June, heading to
Kiev after the
Battle of Brody (1941). The division broke through the
Stalin Line on 7 July, took part in the encirclement of
Uman, and captured
Krivoy Rog and
Nikopol on 17 August. The 9th Panzer Division then captured the
Dnieper River Dam at
Zaporizhia on 25 August. From there, it was made the spearhead of
Panzer Group Kleist, driving to Kiev from the south while
Panzer Group Guderian drove behind the city from the north. The two groups linked up on 15 September, encircling five
field armies of the
Soviet Army. The division was part of the force that captured 667,000 Soviet prisoners and 900 tanks in the city.
Operation Mars The 9th Panzer Division, commanded by General Walter Scheller, fought in the Second Rzhev-Sychyovka Offensive Operation also referred to as Operation Mars. After the initial Soviet breakthrough by the Soviet 20th Army on November 26, the 9th Panzer Division was ordered to form two kampfgruppen to attack up the Rzhev-Sychevka road to stem the advance of Soviet 20th Army to the west.
Operation Citadel During a lull in hostilities in early 1943, the division was again reorganized and reequipped, sent to
Orel and transferred to
Army Group Center, where it participated in
Operation Citadel and the Battle of Kursk in the summer of that year as a part of
XLVII Panzer Corps,
9th Army. Fighting alongside the
2nd,
4th and
20th Panzer divisions and the
6th Infantry Division, it tried unsuccessfully to break through the Soviet defensive belt. The division fought on the front for an extended period of time, suffering heavy casualties. In one engagement, the division lost 70 tanks to Soviet
Ilyushin Il-2 aircraft in just 20 minutes. After an advance of only 15 km and suffering heavy casualties, it abandoned its attempt to reach Kursk.) and substantially under-strength infantry and artillery formations. It continued a slow retreat across the
Ingulez and the
Ingul, until it was pulled out of the fighting in April. On 1 May 1944, it absorbed men and tanks of the
155th Reserve Panzer Division to return to its full strength. During this absorption it received 31
Panzer IIIs, 74
Panzer IVs, 20 assault guns, 15
Panther tanks and 200 other vehicles. Following the
D-Day landings conducted by the
Allies, the division was rushed to northern France to participate in the Battle of Normandy. At this time, its strength was up to 150 tanks and assault guns and 12,768 men. The division was sent to
Avignon, before being sent to support the collapsing
7th Army in Normandy. The division arrived just as the army was encircled by American, French, British, and Canadian forces at
Falaise. In the subsequent furious battle, the division was almost completely destroyed escaping the
Falaise Pocket. By late August, its strength was at around 1,500 organized in one infantry battalion, one artillery battalion, and 5 tanks. The 9th Panzer Division was returned to the line around
Geilenkirchen and Aachen, where it launched a spoiling attack against US forces in the
Peel Marshes in November, but only succeeded in losing 30 tanks in the process. It then reassembled west of the
Rur River with a strength of 10,000 men, 28 Panther tanks and 14 Panzer IV tanks. Along with elements of the
15th Panzer Grenadier Division, 9th Panzer fought a bitter six-day battle with the
U.S. 2nd Armored Division in the Puffendorf-
Immendorf sector, knocking out 76 tanks and inflicting 1,300 casualties. In early 1945, the division engaged the Allied in fighting around the
Eifel mountain range. It also participated in fighting around the
Erft River in February, where its armored force was reduced to 29 tanks and 16 assault guns. Late in the month, it launched an attack on the Allied
Remagen Bridgehead over the
Rhine River, which failed to reach the
Remagen Bridge. By the end of this fight, the division consisted of only 600 men and 15 tanks. The division attempted to defend the town from attack, but was unable to make progress against American forces. After its unsuccessful attack, the shattered 9th Panzer Division was
counterattacked by strong Allied forces. The division engaged the Americans in the city center of Cologne, but were quickly pushed back, and the divisional commander was killed. Remnants of the division attempted to flee across the Rhine River. In the fighting that followed, the weak formation finally collapsed. Most of the remains of the division were forced into the
Ruhr Pocket, continuing to suffer staggering losses while holding lines on the south flank of Army Group B until they surrendered to American forces in April 1945. By this time, the demoralized soldiers of the division were entirely out of ammunition and gasoline, and remaining troops surrendering without a fight. The division continued to exist briefly afterward; Major Halle, the division's
adjutant, escaped the Ruhr encirclement with a small battle group, and joined the
11th Army in the
Harz Mountains. There, on 26 April 1945, German commanders of
OB West disbanded the 9th Panzer Division, absorbing its survivors into other units. ==Commanding officers==