| 15th Panzer Division | |
|---|---|
| 15. Panzer-Division | |
 15th Panzer Division Unit insignia | |
| Active | 1940–43 |
| Country |  Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Part of | Afrika Korps |
| Garrison/HQ | Wehrkreis XII:Landau |
| Equipment | Panzer II[a] |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Walter Neumann-Silkow Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck Eduard Crasemann Gustav von Vaerst |
The15th Panzer Division (German:15. Panzer-Division) was anarmoured division in theGerman Army, theWehrmacht, duringWorld War II, established in 1940.
The division, formed from the33rd Infantry Division, fought exclusively in North Africa from 1941 to 1943, eventually ceasing to exist after surrendering in Tunisia in May 1943.
The 33rd Infantry Division, forerunner of the 15th Panzer Division, was formed in April 1936 and part of the German defences in theSaarland during the early month of the war. It participated in the invasion of France and remained there after the French surrender as an occupation force. It returned to Germany in September 1940 to be converted to a tank division.[2]
The division was transported toLibya in April 1941, joining GeneralErwin Rommel'sDeutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) as one of two German tank divisions in North Africa at the time, the other having been the21st Panzer Division.[3] However, theRoyal Navy intercepted and sank the ships carrying the division's Signal Reserve Battalion.[4]
The division took part in all majorGerman operations in North Africa except the first, for which it arrived too late. It was part of the successful German defence against British attempts to relieve Tobruk,Operation Brevity andOperation Battleaxe. On 18 November British forces beganOperation Crusader with the objective of relieving the besieged forces atTobruk. The 15th Panzer Division was situated to the east of Tobruk, suffered severe losses and was forced to retreat west.[5]
The 15th Panzer Division was part of the German offensive in January 1942 that retook Benghazi. It participated in thebattle of Gazala, the capture of Tobruk and the German invasion of Egypt which came to a stand-still atEl Alamein. The division suffered severe loses at theSecond battle of El Alamein in November 1942 and was forced to retreat along with the rest of the Afrikakorps.[5]
After the retreat of the Axis forces to Tunisia the 15th Panzer Division was part of thebattle of Kasserine Pass against inexperienced US forces in February 1943. The division eventually surrendered alongside other Axis forces in Tunisia in May 1943 and was not reestablished.[5]
Survivors of the division who escaped the North African surrender by being in hospitals in Europe became part of the new15th Panzergrenadier Division.[5]
The commanders of the division:[6]
The organisation of the division in March 1941:[7][8]