10th Panzer Division (Bundeswehr)
The 10th Panzer Division (German: 10. Panzerdivision) is an armoured division of the German Army, part of the Bundeswehr.[1] Its staff is based at Veitshöchheim. The division is a unit of the German Army's stabilization forces and specializes in conflicts of low intensity.
10th Panzer Division | |
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10. Panzerdivision | |
10th Panzer Division Shoulder Insignia | |
Active | 1 April 1959–present |
Country | Germany |
Branch | Army |
Type | Division |
Role | Conventional warfare, asymmetric warfare |
Size | ~ 12,100 soldiers |
Part of | German Army |
Garrison/HQ | Veitshöchheim |
Nickname(s) | Lion's division Löwendivision |
Motto(s) | Reliable, mobile, quick! Zuverlässig - beweglich - schnell! |
March | Fridericus-Rex-Grenadiermarsch |
Anniversaries | 1 April 1959 |
Engagements | War in Bosnia Civil war in Albania Kosovo War War in Afghanistan |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Major General Harald Gante |
Notable commanders | Lieutenant General Leo Hepp General Johann Adolf Graf von Kielmansegg |
History
This division was founded as the 10. Panzerdivision of the new German Army in 1959. Originally only consisting of armoured units, it now also commands Germany's last mountain warfare unit. For this reason the Edelweiss badge has become another commonly used insignia to denote allegiance to this formation. The 10th Panzer Division is a part of Germany's permanent contribution to Eurocorps, the other being the German contribution to the Franco-German Brigade which was subordinate to the division until 2006.
After 1993 troops of this division participated in numerous overseas deployments. Among them were the first out-of-area land deployment operations for the Bundeswehr (in fact of any German military unit after World War II). Troops were deployed to Somalia (UNOSOM II) from 1993 to 1994 and to Bosnia and Herzegovina (IFOR) from 1995 to 1996 and stayed in this country until 1998 (SFOR). Soldiers of the 10th Panzer Division's SFOR contingent were also involved in the Bundeswehr's first combat operation in 1997 (Operation Libelle). In 2000, the 10th Panzer Division deployed more than 8,000 personnel to the Balkans. Between 2002 and 2003, it deployed to various operations in the Balkans and in Afghanistan.
In 2017, the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade of the Czech Land Forces started to ″work closely″ with the division.[2][3][4]
Structure May 2020
10th Panzer Division (10. Panzerdivision), in Veitshöchheim Staff and Signal Company 10th Panzer Division, in Veitshöchheim 12th Panzer Brigade (Panzerbrigade 12), in Cham 23rd Gebirgsjäger Brigade (Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23), in Bad Reichenhall 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade (Panzergrenadierbrigade 37), in Frankenberg Franco-German Brigade (Deutsch-Französische Brigade), in Müllheim (administrative control of the brigade's German units) 131st Artillery Battalion (Artilleriebataillon 131), in Weiden in der Oberpfalz 345th Artillery Demonstration Battalion (Artillerielehrbataillon 345), in Idar-Oberstein 905th Engineer Battalion (Pionierbataillon 905), in Ingolstadt (Reserve unit)
Geographic Distribution
104 Panzer
See also
References
- "10. Panzerdivision". Heer. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
- "Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic deepen defence ties". NATO. NATO. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- Wirnitzer, Jan (22 February 2017). "Češi čelí ruské propagandě o předání 4. brigády Němcům. Ukázali dohodu" [The Czechs face Russian propaganda about handing over the 4th Brigade to the Germans. They showed an agreement]. iDNES.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 25 May 2017.
- Stropnický, Martin. "Ministr Stropnický: Spolupráce armád je základem naší obranyschopnosti" [Minister Stropnicky: Cooperation between the [Czech and German] armed forces is the foundation of our defence]. army.cz. Ministerstvo obrany České republiky. Retrieved 25 May 2017.