Kruk Marek - 9th Panzer Division : 1940-1943

Published in Poland in 2011
by STRATUS s.c.
Po. Box 123,
27-600 Sandomierz 1, Poland
e-mail: office@mmpbooks.biz
for
Mushroom Model Publications,
3 Gloucester Close,
Petersfield,
Hampshire GU32 3AX
e-mail: rogerw@mmpbooks.biz

2011 Mushroom Model Publications.
http://www.mmpbooks.biz

All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission. All enquiries should be addressed to the publisher.

ISBN
978-83-61421-29-0

Editor in chief
Roger Wallsgrove

Editorial Team
Bartomiej Belcarz
Robert Pczkowski
Artur Juszczak

Scale plans &
Color profiles
Thierry Vallet

Maps
Radosaw Szewczyk
Robert Panek

Organisation Charts
Radosaw Szewczyk
Dariusz Karnas

DTP
Bartomiej Belcarz
Artur Juszczak

Translation:
Artur Przczek

Printed by
Drukarnia Diecezjalna,
ul. eromskiego 4,
27-600 Sandomierz
tel. +48 (15) 644 04 00
www.wds.pl
marketing@wds.pl

PRINTED IN POLAND

Table of contents

Appendices

Picture Credits

Photographs: from the authors collection.

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Sylwester and Sawomir Grojca, as well as Artur Majewski, for their extensive help in obtaining some of the photographs used in this publication; and to Pawe Piotrowski for his most valuable consultation and assistance during the research conducted in his vast library; and last but not least, to Krzysztof for providing a valuable expertise in German translations.

G LOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT:

Abt. / Abteilung - a military unit equivalent in strength to a battalion; a military detachment.

AK / Armeekorps - army Corps.

AOK / Armee Oberkommando - army command.

Aufkl. Abt. / Aufklrungs Abteilung - reconnaissance battalion.

Art.Rgt. / Artillerie-Regiment - artillery regiment.

Aufkl.Rgt / Aufklrungs Regiment - reconnaissance regiment.

Ausf. / Ausfhrung - model designation.

BEF - British Expeditionary Force.

Beob.Bttr. / Beobachtungs Batterie - observation (spotting) battery.

Bttr. / Batterie - battery.

Fahr-Schw. - horse drawn squadron.

Fgst. / Fahrgestell - chassis or undercarriage.

gep. / gepanzerte - armoured.

gep. Pi.-Wagen - armoured pioneer (technical support) vehicle.

H.Flakart.Abt. / Heeres-Flakartillerie-Abteilung - army anti-aircraft detachment.

HG / Heeres Gruppe - army (commanding several armies) group.

Inf. Div. / Infanterie Division - infantry division.

Inf. Rgt. / Infanterie Regiment - infantry regiment.

Koluft / Kommandeur der Luftwaffe Armme-Oberkommando - Commander of Luftwaffe units attached to an Army High Command (responsible for the air reconnaissance squadrons assigned to the Army, and for coordination of Luftwaffe-Army logistics arrangements; Koluft commanded Luftwaffe flak units attached to the army for air defence at the battlefront).

Kp. / Kompanie - company.

Kradsch.Btl. / Kradschtzen-Bataillon - battalion of motorcycle rifles.

KStN / Kriegsstrkenachwelsungen - wartime organization table (military organizational standard).

KTB des OKW / Kriegstagesbuch des Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - Combat Journal of the High Command of the Armed Forces.

LSSAH - Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler - Adolf Hitler Guards (regiment).

le. / leichte - light.

Le.Div. / Leichte-Division - light (motorized) division.

leichte Flak-Abt. / leichte Flak-Abteilung - light anti-aircraft detachment.

lePz.Aufk.Kp. / leichte Panzer Aufklrungs Kompanie - light armoured reconnaissance company.

Oberstlt. / Oberstleutnant - lieutenant colonel.

OKH / Oberkommando des Heeres - Army High Command.

OKW / Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - High Command of the Armed Forces.

mPak / mittlere Panzerabwehrkanone - medium anti-tank gun.

Pi.Btl. / Pionier-Bataillon - pioneer (engineering) battalion.

Pz AOK / Panzer Armee - tank (armoured) army.

Pz.Art.Rgt. / Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment - armoured artillery regiment.

Pz.Beob.Bttr. / Panzer-Beobachtungs-Batterie - armoured observation (spotting) battery.

Pz.Div. / Panzer-Division tank / armoured division.

Pz.Div. Nachschubfhrer / Panzer-Division Nachschubfhrer armoured division supply command.

Pz.Gr. / Panzergruppe armoured group command, higher than a corps but lower than an army.

Pz.Gren.Rgt. / Panzergrenadier-Regiment armoured grenadier (motorized infantry) regiment.

Pz.Jg.Abt. / Panzerjger-Abteilung - anti-tank battalion, self-propelled tank destroyer battalion.

PzBfWg / Panzerbefehlswagen - armored command vehicle (command tank).

PzK / Panzerkorps - tank (armoured) Corps.

Pz.Kpfw. / Panzerkampfwagen - armoured fighting vehicle, usually in reference to a tank.

Pz.Lehr.Abt. / Panzer Lehr Abteilung - training (instructional) tank battalion.

Pz.Nachr.Abt. / Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung - armoured signal battalion.

Pz.Pi.Btl. / Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon - armoured pioneer battalion.

Pz.Rgt. - Panzer-Regiment - tank (armoured) regiment.

Pz.Spah / Panzer-Sphwagen - armoured reconnaissance vehicle.

Pz.Spah.Kp. / Panzer-Sphwagen-Kompanie - armoured reconnaissance vehicle company.

RAD / Reichs Arbeits Dienst - National Labour Service.

RTR Royal Tank Regiment.

Schtzen-Brig. / Schtzen-Brigade - infantry (rifle) brigade.

Schtzen-Rgt. / Schtzen-Regiment - infantry regiment.

SPW / Schtzenpanzerwagen - armoured half-track vehicle.

Sd.Kfz./ Sonder Kraftfahrzeuge - special-purpose motor vehicle, ordinance inventory numbering.

s.I.G.Kp. (mot S) / schwere Infanterie Geschtz Kompanie (mot S) - heavy field artillery company, motorized, self-propelled.

STAVKA Supreme High Command (Soviet Army).

StuG.Abt. / Sturmgeschtz Abteilung - assault gun battalion.

WK / Wehrkreis - military, mobilization district.

G ERMAN MILITARY RANKS.

Schtze - private.

Oberfunkmeister - Senior Radio-communication Specialist.

Feldwebel - Sergeant.

Oberfeldwebel - Sergeant Major.

Fahnenjunker - an officer cadet.

Unteroffizier - non-commissioned officer

Leutnant - Lieutenant.

Oberleutnant - First Lieutenant.

Hauptmann - Captain.

Oberstleutnant - Lieutenant Colonel.

Oberst - Colonel.

Generalmajor - Brigadier or Major General.

Generalleutnant - Lieutenant General.

General von Infanterie - General of infantry.

General der Panzertruppe - General of armoured troops.

Generaloberst - Colonel General.

Generalfeldmarschall - Field Marshal.

Introduction

The purpose of this publication is to present a chronicle of the German Armys 9 th Armoured Division ( 9. Panzer-division) in the years between 1940 and 1943. This particular unit was never distinguished by a sobriquet or an alias. It did not have a coat of arms, so no sophisticated emblems were displayed on its vehicles. Yet noteworthy are the number of military decorations awarded to the personnel of this armoured division. During the Second World War 56 soldiers were honoured with one of the highest military decorations of the Third Reich, the Knights Cross rank of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Einsernen Kreuzes). This number is undoubtedly a testimonial to the high effectiveness of this unit. Among all the recipients of the Knights Iron Cross. Significantly, 56 also exceeds the number of equivalent medals received by the much glorified 1 st Panzer Division of the SS Adolf Hitler Guards (SS-Panzer-Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler), which earned 54 Knights Iron Crosses.