| German 20th Panzer Division |
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Information AboutGerman 20th Panzer Division |
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The division's first combat action was in Army Group Center where it participated in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa and remained in the front echelon of attack during the series of advances on Minsk, Smolensk, and up until Operation Typhoon and the failed attack on Moscow. From there, it remained on the central front until July, 1943. As part of the northern spearhead commanded by Walther Model during the Battle Of Kursk , men from the 20th were involved with clearing anti-tank mines on the night of July 4-5, as well as being part of the first wave of attack the following morning. The rest of 1943 was spent in a long retreat between Orel, Gomel, Orsha, and Vitebsk. At the beginning of 1944, along with the entirity of forces on the Eastern Front , the 20th Panzer Division spent a hard winter of defensive fighting in the Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Bobrusik areas. In May of that year, it was rushed to the southern sector of the front to participate in operations inside the area around Cholm. Having suffered heavy losses during the Soviet's Operation Bagration , the division was sent to Rumania for refitting in August, 1944. In October, the division was sent to East Prussia, and then Hungary the following December. Finally, it retreated through Breslau, Schweinitz, Neisse, and Görlitz. The remainder of the division was overrun and destroyed by Soviet forces in May, 1945. 27 soldiers of the 20th Panzer Division were awarded the Knight's Cross . MAJOR COMBAT UNITS Panzer Regiment 21; Panzer Grenadier Regiments 59, 112; Panzer Flak Battalion 20; Panzer Artillery Reigment 92 1941
1942
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