Sd.Kfz.222 of 2. Panzer-Division during Balkanfeldzug

 

 

 

An Sd.Kfz.222 from Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 of 2. Panzer-Division is seen with its crew in Balkan during Balkanfeldzug, spring 1941. Later after the campaign, surviving armored vehicles of 1.Schwadron were lost in the sinking of"Marburg" and "Kybfels" by the sea mines.

Some unit names were used by different organizations during the war. Names of Aufklärungs-Abteilungen are good examples. One must be careful when reading and writing about these units! Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 was a unit of 5.Infanterie-Division (later 5. Jäger-Division) since August 1939. It was renamed to Radfahr-Abteilung 5 in May 1942, but renamed back to its original name in1943. Confusing enough another "Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5" was in existence since October 1935, which later in March 1940 renamed to Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 until it was disbanded in August 1941. This unit was organic to 2.Panzer-Division. The name was succeeded by the new Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5 in 1943, renamed from Kradschützen-Bataillon 55. This unit was organic to 5.Panzer-Division.

Source :
Akira Takiguchi photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222748315769985&set=gm.1642065522645531

Member of 9. Panzer-Division Playing with Donkey

Tanks of Panzer-Regiment 33 / 9.Panzer-Division during the Balkans campaign. A few weeks later the unit was sent to fight in the Soviet Union. At the time, it was equipped with 11 PzKpfw III Ausf Es armed with the 3.7cm KwK L/45 which, like the PzKpfw II, could defeat earlier Soviet tank types.

Source :
Book "Panther" by Thomas Anderson

German Victory Parade in Belgrade

House of the National Assembly in Belgrade – then and now. After nine SS men from the "Reich" Division used the general confusion and formally captured the Yugoslav capital on 12 April 1941, a victory parade of the true conqueror of the city, the 1st Armoured Group, was held on 13 April at noon. In the (old) photo, tanks of the "Ghost Division" (11th Armoured Division) parade in front of their commanders: standing in the centre is Generaloberst Ewald von Kleist (commander of the armoured group), to his right is Generalmajor Ludwig Crüwell (divisional commander), and on the left, in black uniform, is Oberstleutnant Gustav-Adolf Riebel (commander of the division's Armoured Regiment). The defeat of Belgrade was also celebrated in the "Song of Armoured Group Kleist": "We were the victors of Belgrade; we defeated all resistance, and broke up with a false state!" Crüwell later fought under Rommel and after the war became chairman of the Africa Corps Veterans Association; Riebel was killed in 1942 at Stalingrad – and von Kleist ended his life in Soviet captivity, as a war criminal, in 1954. At the spot from which these three officers once proudly watched their rolling tanks – today stand the civilians, waiting for a bus.

Source :
http://bandenkampf.blogspot.co.id/2015/12/bk0120.html

Stug III in the Balkan Campaign

During the early stages of the Balkan Campaign in April 1941, this Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B was photographed in or near Thessaloniki, Greece. The Geschütz "A" belongs to the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190. Note the grey-colored panzer berets worn by the Sturmartillisten (Assault artillery men). Also note the 38 cm tracks and closed gunsight slot.

Source :
Achtung Panzer magazine No.5 - Stug III, Stug IV and SIG.33

German Panzers in the Balkan Campaign

These Panzerkampfwagen IIs (Ausf.A, B or C) have all of the designated retro-fitted items. These include a circular commander's cupola with periscope vision blocks; additional armor on the turret front, superstructure front and hull front; and, fender-mounted Notek black-out driving head-lamp. Lengths of spare track links that are stowed liberally on the glacis, superstructure front and sides, indicate that the veteran crew is expecting to encounter enemy action in the near future. It appears that the divisional sign for the 5. Panzer-Division (an inverted "Y" with a single dot) is on the superstructure armor, while no other markings are visible. The vehicle should be painted in the monotone dunkelgrau RAL 7021 scheme, while its configuration and the locale possibly place it in the Balkans or in Greece during April of 1941.

Source :
Book "Panzer Vor: German Armor At War 1939-45" by Frank V. De Sisto