Concord - Armor At War 7033 - Robert Michulec - Panzer-Division 1935 - 1945 (1); The Early Years 1935-1941 (2000).jpg

This is the first volume of a 3-volume series on the German Panzer-Divisions, that follows their creation in 1935 up until end of 1941, after the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa.

The first Panzer-Divisions were formed in 1935, men were drawn from the Kavallerie-Divisions. At the outbreak of WWII, each Panzer-Division averaged 350 tanks and no less than 12000 men. The Germans fielded 2511 tanks during the invasion of Poland, and the blitzkrieg tactics owed much to the speed of the Panzer-Divisions. Thereafter, the Panzer-Divisions bore the blunt of the heavy fighting at all fronts.

This book starts with the training of the armored forces and journeys into Poland, Norway, France, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, and finally Soviet Union with the Panzer-Divisions. The author has collected many unpublished photos from Eastern Europe and private collection, and there are lots of interesting and rare vehicles from the German armor arsenal featured in this book.


The first Panzer training unit. Kraftfahrlehrkommando Zossen. was formed on November I. 1933. Two years later, in August 1935. trial exercises for the first Panzer-Division were conducted in the German Army. At this time, based on theory, strength of the Division was 12.953 men with 4.025 wheeled and 4X1 tracked vehieles. This look plaee only five years after the development Kleintraktor. forerunner Of the P/.Kpfw.l. which was to become the first mass produced tank for the German Army. It would be important to stress, however, that German doctrine w as based on the concepts of armored warfare then being promoted by pioneers such as J.F.C. Fuller of Great Britain and Charles de Gaulle of France. In his memoirs. Guderian also credits the work of Ludwig von Eimannsberger, a leading Austrian tank expert, published in 1934.
Formation of the next two Pan/er-Pivisions followed quickly after, on October 15. 1935. Initially, men lor these units came from tile Kavallerie-Divisions. The choice of these divisions and not the Infanierie-Divisions. was logical and obvious. The new Panzer-Divisions were to act with speed, thus the cadres would best be formed with Kavallerie officers and NCOs. who were alrcad) trained to employ the same type of tactics. Meanwhile, in other armies, tanks would continue to be developed to support ir.fantrv as mobile artillery.