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Panzergruppe West Panzergruppe Eberbach 5.Panzer-Armee The 5.Panzer-Armee was a German Panzer Army which saw action in the Western and North African Fronts . The remnants of the army surrendered in the Ruhr Pocket in 1945. HISTORY North Africa The 5.Panzer-Armee was created on 8 December 1942 as a command formation for armoured units forming to defend Tunisia against Allied attacks which threatened after the success of the Allied Operation Torch landings in Algeria and Morocco . The army fought alongside the Italian First Army as a part of Heeresgruppe ''Afrika'' . The army capitulated on 13 May 1943, along with its commander ''Generaloberst'' Hans-Jürgen Von Arnim . The army was officially disbanded on 30 June 1943. Normandy The army was reformed on 24 January 1944 as Panzergruppe West, the armoured reserve for OB West . The new army was placed under the command of ''General der Panzertruppen'' Leo Geyr Von Schweppenburg . The method of employment of Panzergruppe West in the event of an allied invasion was the subject of much controversy, with both OB WEST ''Generalfeldmarschall'' Gerd Von Rundstedt and Army Group B commander ''Generalfeldmarschall'' Erwin Rommel favouring different methods. Hitler refused to allow his commanders to commit the Panzergruppe without his explicit authorisation, and so when the Allied Invasion began on 6 June 1944, the Panzergruppe remained immobile. Two days after the invasion, Schweppenburg was replaced by ''General der Panzertruppen'' Heinrich Eberbach . The Panzergruppe fought against the allied forces in Normandy , suffering heavy losses and eventually finding many of its divisions trapped in the Falaise Pocket . After the shattered remnants of the Panzergruppe escaped from Falaise , the Panzergruppe began a retreat towards the German border. Retreat - Ardennes In August, elements of Panzergruppe West were ordered to reform as 5.Panzer-Armee, with a combat formation remaining in action under the title '''Panzergruppe Eberbach'''. After a brief period under SS-Oberstgruppenführer Josef Dietrich , command of the army passed to ''General der Panzertruppen'' Hasso-Eccard Von Manteuffel . The army saw heavy combat on the German border against Allied forces, the panzer divisions suffering heavily from the allied Jabos . In November, the 5.Panzer-Armee began forming up in the Ardennes, alongside the newly formed 6.SS-Panzer-Armee under Dietrich. Both formations took part in Operation Wacht Am Rhein , the 5th suffering heavy losses in battles around Bastogne and in the armour battles around Celles and Dinant . After the offensive was cancelled, the 5.Panzer-Armee continued its fighting withdrawal to the German border. In March, it was involved in efforts to eliminate the American bridgehead over the Rhine at Remagen . The army was encircled and trapped in the Ruhr Pocket , and surrendered on 17 April 1945. COMMANDERS 5.Panzer-Armee (North Africa)
Panzergruppe West
Panzergruppe Eberbach
5. Panzerarmee (France)
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