These first
panzer divisions (
1st through
5th) were composed of two tank regiments, one motorised infantry regiment of two battalions each, and supporting troops. After the
invasion of Poland in 1939, the old divisions were partially reorganised (adding a third battalion to some infantry regiments or alternatively adding a second regiment of two battalions). Around this time, the newly organised divisions (
6th through
10th) diverged in organisation, each on average with one tank regiment, one separate tank battalion, one or two infantry regiments (three to four battalions per division). By the start of
Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the
Soviet Union in 1941, the 21
panzer divisions had undergone further reorganisation to now consist of one tank regiment (of two or three battalions) and two motorised regiments (of two battalions each). Until the winter of 1941/42, the organic component of these divisions consisted of a motorised artillery regiment (of one heavy and two light battalions) and the following battalions: reconnaissance, motorcycle, anti-tank,
pioneer,
field replacement, and communications. The number of tanks in the 1941-style divisions was relatively small, compared to their predecessors' composition. All other units in these formations were fully motorised (trucks,
half-tracks, specialized combat vehicles) to match the speed of the tanks. During the winter of 1941/42, the divisions underwent another reorganisation, with a tank regiment comprising from one to three battalions, depending on location (generally three for
Army Group South, one for
Army Group Centre, other commands usually two battalions). Throughout 1942, the reconnaissance battalions were merged into the motorcycle battalions. By the summer of 1943, the
Luftwaffe and
Waffen-SS also had
panzer divisions. A renewed standardization of the tank regiments was attempted. Each was now supposed to consist of two battalions, one with
Panzer IV and one with
Panther (Panzer V). In reality, the organization continued to vary from division to division. The first infantry battalion of the first infantry regiment of each panzer division was now supposed to be fully mechanised (mounted on armoured half-tracks (
Sd.Kfz. 251). The first battalion of the artillery regiment replaced its former towed light howitzers with a mix of heavy and light self-propelled artillery (the
Hummel with a
15 cm sFH 18/1 L/30 gun and the standard
105mm howitzer-equipped
Wespe). The anti-tank battalion now included assault guns, tank destroyers (
Panzerjaeger/
Jadgpanzer), and towed anti-tank guns. Generally, the mechanization of these divisions increased compared to their previous organization. Since the
Heer and the SS used their own ordinal systems, there were duplicate numbers (i.e. there was both a
9th Panzerdivision and a
9th SS-Panzerdivision).
Heer Numbered •
1st Panzer Division •
2nd Panzer Division •
3rd Panzer Division •
4th Panzer Division •
5th Panzer Division •
6th Panzer Division (previously 1st Light Division) •
7th Panzer Division (previously 2nd Light Division) •
8th Panzer Division (previously 3rd Light Division) •
9th Panzer Division (previously 4th Light Division) •
10th Panzer Division •
11th Panzer Division •
12th Panzer Division •
13th Panzer Division (previously 13th Infantry Division, 13th Motorized Infantry Division; later Panzer Division
Feldherrnhalle 2) •
14th Panzer Division (previously 4th Infantry Division) •
15th Panzer Division (previously 33rd Infantry Division; later 15th Division) •
16th Panzer Division (previously 16th Infantry Division) •
17th Panzer Division (previously 27th Infantry Division) •
18th Panzer Division (later 18th Artillery Division) •
19th Panzer Division (previously 19th Infantry Division) •
20th Panzer Division •
21st Panzer Division (previously 5th Light Division) •
22nd Panzer Division •
23rd Panzer Division •
24th Panzer Division (previously 1st Cavalry Division) •
25th Panzer Division (previously armoured division "Norway". •
26th Panzer Division (formerly 23rd Infantry Division) •
27th Panzer Division •
116th Panzer Division Windhund (previously 16th Infantry Division, 16th Motorized Infantry Division, and 16th Division) •
155th Reserve Panzer Division (previously Division Nr. 155, Division Nr. 155 (motorized), Panzer Division Nr. 155) • Panzer Division Nr. 178 (previously Division Nr. 178) •
179th Reserve Panzer Division (previously Division Nr. 179, Division Nr. 179 (mot.), and Panzer Division Nr. 179) •
232nd Panzer Division (previously Panzer Division
Tatra, Panzer Training Division
Tatra) •
233rd Reserve Panzer Division (previously Division Nr. 233 (mot.), Division Nr. 233, and Panzer Division Nr. 233; later Panzer Division
Clausewitz) •
273rd Reserve Panzer Division Named •
Panzer Division Clausewitz (previously Division Nr. 233 (motorized), Division Nr. 233, and Panzer Division Nr. 233, Reserve Panzer Division 233) •
Döberitz,
Schlesien, and
Holstein are approximately synonymous with
Clausewitz. •
Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 1 (previously 60th Infantry Division, 60th Motorized Infantry Division, and Division
Feldherrnhalle) •
Panzer Division Feldherrnhalle 2 (previously 13th Infantry Division, 13th Motorized Infantry Division, and 13th Panzer Division) •
Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring •
Panzer Division Jüterbog •
Panzer Division Kempf (part
Heer, part
Waffen-SS) •
Panzer Division Kurmark •
Panzer Lehr Division (sometimes identified as 130th Panzer-Lehr-Division) •
Panzer Division Müncheberg •
Panzer Division Tatra (later Panzer Training Division
Tatra, 232nd Panzer Division) == Tank complement ==