The 14. Panzer-Division was formed in August 1940 from 4. Infanterie-Division. It was transferred to Hungary in March 1941 for the Balkans campaign and returned to Germany after that campaign. It took part in the invasion of the USSR and fought on the southern sector until January 1943 when it was destroyed at Stalingrad.

It was reformed in Brittany, France, in April 1943 and was sent to the southern sector of the Eastern front in October 1943 where it remained until July 1944 when it was withdrawn for refitting. It was transferred from the Ukraine to Kurland in August and it surrendered there to the Red Army in April 1945.

Commanders

General der Infanterie Erik Hansen (15 Aug 1940 - 30 Sep 1940)
Generalmajor Heinrich von Prittwitz und Gaffron (01 Oct 1940 - 21 Mar 1941)
Generalmajor Friedrich Kühn (22 Mar 1941 - 30 Jun 1942)
Generalmajor Ferdinand Heim (01 July 1942 - 01 Nov 1942)
Oberst Hans Freiherr von Falkenstein (01 Oct 1942 - 01 Nov 1942) m.d.st.F.b.
Generalmajor Johannes Baeßler (01 Nov 1942 - 26 Nov 1942)
Oberst Martin Lattmann (26 Nov 1942 - 31 Dec 1942).m.d.F.b.
Generalmajor Martin Lattmann (01 Jan 1943 - ?? Jan 1943)
Oberst Günther Ludwig (?? Jan 1943 - 30 Jan 1943) m.d.F.b.
Oberst Friedrich Sieberg (01 Apr 1943 - 31 May 1943) m.d.F.b.
Generalmajor Friedrich Sieberg (01 Jun 1943 - 29 Oct 1943) (1)
Oberst Karl-Max Grässel (29 Oct 1943 - 31 Oct 1943) m.d.F.b.
Oberst Martin Unrein (01 Nov 1943 - 31 Dec 1943) m.d.F.b.
Generalmajor Martin Unrein (01 Jan 1944 - 31 Aug 1944)
Oberst Karl-Max Grässel (25 Mar 1944 - 06 May 1944) m.d.F.b.
Generalleutnant Martin Unrein (07 May 1944 - 31 Aug 1944)
Oberst d.R. Werner Mummert (01 Sep 1944 - 04 Sep 1944) m.d.F.b.
Oberst Oskar Munzel (05 Sep 1944 - 24 Nov 1944) m.d.F.b.
Generalleutnant Martin Unrein (25 Nov 1944 - 31 Jan 1945)
Oberst Friedrich-Wilhelm Jürgens (01 Feb 1945 - 23 Feb 1945) m.d.F.b.
Oberst Karl Grässel (24 Feb 1945 - 19 Mar 1945) m.d.F.b.
Oberst Walter Palm (20 Mar - 1945 - End) m.d.F.b.

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberstleutnant Raimund Hörst (15 Aug 1940-Aug 1942)
Oberstleutnant Bernd von Pezold (Aug 1942-31 Jan 1943) (POW)
Oberstleutnant Ferdinand Edler von der Planitz (10 Mar 1943-15 Nov 1943)
Major/Oberstleutnant Peter von Butlar (15 Nov 1943-1 Sep 1944)
Major Fritz von Bomhard (5 Oct 1944-1945)

Area of operations

Germany (Aug 1940 - Mar 1941)
Hungary (Mar 1941 - Apr 1941)
Yugoslavia (Apr 1941 - May 1941)
Germany (May 1941 - June 1941)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - Jan 1943)
France (Apr 1943 - Oct 1943)
Eastern front, southern sector (Oct 1943 - July 1944)
Withdrawn for refitting (July 1944 - Sep 1944)
Eastern front, northern sector (Sep 1944 - Apr 1945)

Nicknames

Kleist-Division

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold (5)
- Bormann, Kurt, 05.09.1944, Obergefreiter, 1./Pz.Pi.Btl. 13
- Grunau, Ernst, 09.02.1945, Oberleutnant, Chef Div.Begleit-Kp der 14. Pz.Div
- Hofmeier, Walter, 30.04.1944, Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier, Zugführer i. d. 4./Pz.Aufkl.Abt. 14
- Schindler, Martin, 22.12.1944, Stabsgefreiter, Melder i. d. 6./Pz.Gren.Rgt 103
- Staffen, Robert, 24.01.1945, Unteroffizier d.R., Gruppenführer i. d. 3./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 108
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (16)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (1)
- Tannhäuser, [first name not listed], 16.05.1942 (132), Unteroffizier, 2./Art.Rgt. (mot) 4
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (149)
Holders of the German Cross in Silver (8)
- Hofmann, Oswald, 21.04.1944, Heeres-Hauptwerkmeister, Werkst.Kp. 3/4 14. Pz.Div.
- Korte, Hermann, 09.09.1944, Oberstabsintendant, 14. Pz.Div.
- Minnhaar, Johannes, 29.04.1945, Oberleutnant d.R., Kp.Chef b. Kdr. Pz.Div.Nachsch.Tr. 4
- Rittberg Graf von, Jürgen, 30.03.1944, Hauptmann, Div.Adj. Stab/14. Pz.Div.
- Runte, Josef, 30.11.1944, Major, Div.Ing. 14. Pz.Div.
- Wagner, Kurt, 08.02.1945, Stabsfeldwebel, 8./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 103
- Wagner, Richard, 22.07.1944, Oberleutnant d.R., Pz.Div.Nachsch.Tr. 4
- Weißbach, Alfred, 08.02.1945, H.Werkm., 5.(Vers.)/Pz.Aufkl.Abt. 14
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (44)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (54)
Holders of the Knight’s Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords  (2)
- Korte, Hermann, 31.12..1944, Oberstabsintendant, 14. Pz.Div.
- Waßner, Wilhelm, 20.01.1945, Oberfeldwebel, Führer-Panzer-Bergezug/Pz.Rgt. 36
Holders of the Romanian Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd Class (Orden “Michael der Tapfere” III. Klasse (1)
- Sauvant, Bernhard, Königlichen Dekrets Nr. 1615 / 15.06.1943, Major, Kdr. I./Pz.Rgt. 36
Unit-Level Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (6)
- 5./Artillerie-Regiment (mot) 4
-- Date/Place of Downing: 12.09.1941 bei Kalushino
-- Award Date: 16.10.1941 (4)
- 1./Artillerie-Regiment (mot) 4
-- Date/Place of Downing: 22.09.1941 bei Bakaloff
-- Award Date: 16.10.1941 (5)
- 1./Artillerie-Regiment (mot) 4
-- Date/Place of Downing: 01.10.1941 bei Kamenowatja
-- Award Date: 16.05.1942 (78)
- 8./Schützen-Regiment 103
-- Date/Place of Downing: 19.05.1942 bei Gruschewacha
-- Award Date: 10.08.1942 (203)
- III. Zug/7./Schützen-Regiment 103
-- Date/Place of Downing: 20.05.1942 bei Wolwenkowo
-- Award Date: 10.08.1942 (204)
- III. Zug/7./Schützen-Regiment 103
-- Date/Place of Downing: 23.05.1942 bei Gussarowka
-- Award Date: 10.08.1942 (205)

Order of battle (August 1943)

HQ
- Divisional Staff
- Mapping Detachment (mot)
- Escort Company (mot)
36. Panzer Regiment
- Regimental Staff
- Signals Platoon
- Regimental Band
- Battalion (two until 18 July 1943)
- Assault Gun Battalion (until 18 March 1943)
- Panzer Maintenance Company
103. Panzergrenadier Regiment
- Regimental Staff
- Regimental Band
- Regimental Staff Company (mot)
- Battalion (half-track)
- Battalion (mot)
- Flak Company (self-propelled)
- Infantry Gun Company (self-propelled)
103. Panzergrenadier Regiment
- Regimental Staff
- Regimental Band
- Regimental Staff Company (mot)
- 2 x Battalion (mot)
- Flak Company (self-propelled)
- Infantry Gun Company (self-propelled)
14. Reconnaissance Battalion
- Armored Car Company
- Armored Car Platoon
- Armored Car Company (half-track)
- 2 x Reconnaissance Company (half-track)
- Heavy Reconnaissance Company (mot)
- Light Armored Car Supply Column
4. Panzer Artillery Regiment
- Regimental Staff
- Staff Battery
- Observation Battery (mot)
- Flak Battery (self-propelled)
- 2 x Battalion
- Battalion (mot)
276. Army Flak Battalion
- Staff & Staff Battery (mot)
- 2 x Heavy Flak Battery
- Light Flak Battery
- Light Flak Supply Column
15. Panzer Pioneer Battalion
- Staff
- Reconnaissance Platoon (mot)
- Pioneer Company (half-track)
- 2 x Pioneer Company (mot)
- Brüko K Bridging Column
- Light Pioneer Supply Column (mot)
4. Panzer Signals Battalion
- Telephone Company (mot)
- Panzer Radio Company
- Light Signals Supply Column (mot)
Supply & Support Units

Notable members

Herbert Zimmermann (post-war a famous football commentator on the German radio)

Panzer III of the 14. Panzer-Division on the Eastern Front 1941
(in some sources incorrectly identified as showing tanks of 23. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nederland in 1945)

(Courtesy of Chris)

Panzer IV on the Eastern Front 1941

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

Panzer II on the Eastern Front in June 1942

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

Tank crew of Panzer III in a village on the Eastern Front 1942

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

Sd.Kfz 250 of 14. Panzer-Division

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

Footnotes

1. GM Friedrich Sieberg was badly wounded near Krivoi Rog, he died 3 Nov 1943.

Sources used

Microfilm Publication A-3356, German Officer Personnel files, NARA
RKT & DKiGT karteikarten, BA/MA
Dermot Bradley, Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Markus Rövekamp - Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945
François de Lannoy & Josef Charita - Panzertruppen: German armored troops 1935-1945
Wolf Keilig - Die Generale des Heeres
Andris Kursietis - Die Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945
Kurt Mehner - Die Deutsche Wehrmacht 1939-1945: Führung und Truppe
Samuel W. Mitcham Jr - The Panzer Legions: A guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of WWII and Their Commanders
Peter Schmitz, Klaus-Jürgen Thies, Günter Wegmann & Christian Zweng - Die deutschen Divisionen 1939-1945 (4 Vol)
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Günther Wegmann - Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht, Teil VIII a: Panzertruppe, Band 1
Günter Wegmann & Christian Zweng - Formationsgeschichte u. Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Streitkräfte, 1815-1990, Teile IV, Abt. 1:  Die Dienststellen, Kommandobehörden u. Truppenteile des Heeres, Oct.35-May.45

Reference material on this unit

R W Byrd - Once I had a Comrade: Karl Roth and the Combat History of the 36th Panzer Regiment 1939-45
Rolf Grams - Die 14.Panzer: Division 1940-1945
Joachim Stempel - Diesen Weg sind wir gegangen
Joachim Stempel - The Road to Stalingrad: Nemesis on the Volga
Joachim Stempel - Wir müssen ran wir greifen an
Rudolf Witzel - Mit Mörsern, Haubitzen und Kanonen: Als Artillerieoffizier im Frieden und Krieg 1936-1945