Fourth Panzer Army (Germany)
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The German Fourth Panzer Army (German: 4.Panzer-Armee) was a German panzer army that saw action during World War II. It played a part in the invasion of France and then on the Eastern front, the 4th Panzer Army and Guderian's 1st Army encircled army after army until it came to a stand still just outside Moscow. In 1942 it was part of Army Group B of Army Group South and some of its divisions, ie the German 24th panzer division, were encircled and destroyed in Stalingrad. Hoth's army almost succeeded in breaking the Kessel in Operation Wintergewitter, however they did not succeed and withdrew, allowing the abliteration of the surrounded troops. The army was the southern spearhead in the battle of Kursk, 5 July 1943.
Before being designated a full army the formation was called Panzer Group 4 (Panzergruppe 4).
[edit] Commanders
- Generaloberst Erich Höpner (15 Feb 1941 - 7 Jan 1942)
- Generaloberst Richard Ruoff (8 Jan 1942 - 31 May 1942)
- Generaloberst Hermann Hoth (31 May 1942 - 26 Nov 1943)
- Generaloberst Erhard Raus (26 Nov 1943 - 18 May 1944)
- Generaloberst Josef Harpe (18 May 1944 - 28 June 1944)
- General der Panzertruppen Walther Nehring (28 June 1944 - 5 Aug 1944)
- General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck (5 Aug 1944 - 21 Sep 1944)
- General der Panzertruppen Fritz-Hubert Gräser (21 Sep 1944 - 8 May 1945)
[edit] See also
- List of German military units of World War II
- Army Group Centre
- Operation Barbarossa, Fall Blau
- Battle of Kursk
- Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive
- Start of the Battle of Berlin
- Battle of Halbe only the V Corps, which was transferred from the Fourth Panzer to Ninth Army just before the battle.
- Prague Offensive
[edit] References
- Wendel, Marcus. <http://www.axishistory.com/>.
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