Panzer-Regiment 11 Celebrates its First Birthday

Image size: 1600 x 1068 pixel. 396 KB
Date: Wednesday, 12 October 1938
Place: Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia
Photographer: Unknown

Panzer-Regiment 11 celebrates its first birthday, 12 October 1938, in the recently-occupied Sudetenland. Oberst Dipl.-Ing. Wilhelm Philipps (Regimentskommandeur) stands in his m.gl.Pkw. (mittlerer geländegängiger Personenkraftwagen) a.k.a. Kfz.12, flanked by Panzerkampfwagen II tanks, behind the two battalion's standards. Philipps (29 July 1894 - 13 February 1971) was the first Commandeur of the regiment (12 October 1937 - 1 January 1940), and the two Abteilung (Detachment) commander at the time are Major Friedrich Stephan (I.Abteilung) and Major Richard Koll (II.Abteilung). Panzer-regiment 11 Formed on 12 October 1937 with two Abteilung of three Kompanie each as independent Heerestruppen. The regiment was expanded to eight Kompanie on 10 November 1938. Mobilized with two Abteilung each with two light and one medical Kompanie and assigned to 1. leichte-Division on 1 August 1939. Assigned to 6. Panzer-Division on 18 October 1939. 4. And 8. Kompanie formed from elements of the disbanded Panzer-Abteilung 65 on 3 June 1942. I. Abteilung converted to Panther Abteilung with four Kompanie on 5 May 1943. I. Abteilung was sent to Eastern Front as an independent unit in 1944 and initially attached to 8. Panzer-Division. I. Abteilung returned to the regiment on 15 December 1944.

Source:

Helmut Ritgen photo collection

Book "The 6th Panzer Division: 1937-45" by Oberst a.D. Helmut Ritgen