The 5. Leichte-Division was formed around a cadre from 3. Panzer-Division with additional manpower from Sperrverband Libyen in January 1941 and was soon transferred to Africa with the first troops arriving in Tripoli on 14 February. It had 25 Panzer Ib, 45 Panzer II, 75 Panzer III and 20 Panzer IV when it arrived on African soil.

It was formed into 21. Panzer-Division on 1 August 1941 with some elements being transferred to 15. Panzer-Division.

Commanders

General der Panzertruppen Hans Freiherr von Funck (1 Jan 1941 - 7 Feb 1941)
Generalleutnant Johannes Streich (7 Feb 1941 - 16 May 1941)
Generalleutnant Karl Böttcher (16 May 1941 - 1 Aug 1941)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Major Wolf-Rüdiger Hauser (18 Feb 1941 - 1 Aug 1941)

Area of operations

Germany (Jan 1941 - Feb 1941)
North Africa (Feb 1941 - Aug 1941)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer(1)
- Schunck, Walther, 09.09.1941, Major, Pi.Btl. zbV 200
Holders of the Knight's Cross (12)

Order of battle

Stab
Stab zbv 200
Panzer-Regiment 5
1. / Panzerjäger-Abteilung (mot) 33
Panzerjäger-Abteilung (mot) 36
Machinengewehr-Bataillon (mot) 2
Machinengewehr-Bataillon (mot) 8
I. / Artillerei-Regiment (mot) 75
Flak-Abteilung (mot) 605
Flak-Abteilung (mot) 606
Aufklärungsstab 2 / 14. Panzer-Division
Aufklärungsstab (mot) 3
Feldsprech-Kompanie / Nachrichten-Abteilung Libyen
Kompanie / Pioneier-Bataillon (mot) 39
Nachschubstab zbV (mot) 668
Nachschub-Bataillon (mot) 532
Nachschub-Bataillon (mot) 533
3. / Nachschub-Bataillon (mot) 39
Nachschub-Bataillon (mot)
Wasserkolonne (mot) 797
Wasserkolonne (mot) 801
Wasserkolonne (mot) 803
Wasserkolonne (mot) 822
Wasserkolonne (mot)
Filterkolonne (mot) 800
Filterkolonne (mot) 804
Grosse Wasserkolonne (mot) 641
Grosse Wasserkolonne (mot) 645
Reifenstaffel (mot) 13
Reifenstaffel (mot) 210
Kraftwagenwerkstatt-Kompanie (mot) 122
Kraftwagenwerkstatt-Kompanie (mot) 129
1. / Sanitäts-Kompanie (mot) 83
4. / Kriegslazarett (mot) 572
Krankenkraftwagen-Zug (mot) 631
Krankenkraftwagen-Zug (mot) 633
Bäckerei-Kompanie (mot) 531
Feldgendarmerie-Trupp (mot) 309
Feldpostamt zbV (mot) 735

Panzer III of Panzer-Regiment 5 in Tripoli, it is still displaying the markings of 3. Panzer-Division

(Courtesy of John)

Panzer III of 5. Leichte-Division (still displaying the markings of 3. Panzer-Division) passing through the Arco dei Fileni (Marble Arch)

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Sources used

Pier Paolo Battistelli - Rommel's Afrika Korps: Tobruk to El Alamein
François de Lannoy & Josef Charita - Panzertruppen: German armored troops 1935-1945
Chris Ellis - 21st Panzer Division: Rommel's Africa Korps Spearhead
George F. Nafziger - The Afrika Korps: An organizational history 1941-1943
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

Heinz-Dietrich Aberger - Die 5. (lei.)/21. Panzer-Division in Nordafrika
Chris Ellis - 21st Panzer Division: Rommel's Africa Korps Spearhead