116th Panzer Division (Germany)

The 116th Panzer Division, also known as the "Greyhound 'Windhund' Division", was a German panzer division that saw combat during World War II. It was reconstituted in the Rhineland and Westphalia areas of western Germany in March 1944 from the remnants of the 16th Panzergrenadier Division, and the 179th Reserve Panzer Division. The 16th Panzergrenadier Division had been badly mauled after combat on the Eastern Front near Stalingrad, and the 179th Reserve Panzer Division was a second-line unit that had been on occupational duty in France since 1943.

In 1944, it participated in opposing the Normandy Landings and was trapped in the Falaise Pocket following Operation Cobra. Along with the 2nd SS Panzer Division, it was responsible for holding the pocket open to allow German Troops to escape. It managed to escape, although with only 600 infantry and 12 tanks intact. In October, it fought against American forces in the Battle of Aachen, with the town falling on the 21st of the same month. It was moved to Holland for refitting and soon found itself involved in the Market Garden Offensive, helping the 10th SS Stop the British Advance. On 8 November, the division repulsed an attack from the U.S. 28th Infantry Division in the Hürtgen Forest during the larger Battle of Hürtgen Forest, recapturing the town of Schmidt, thus providing the name to the 28th Infantry Division as the "Bloody Bucket Division".

The 'Greyhound Division' then participated in the failed "Wacht am Rhein" Operation in the Ardennes, where it participated in the middle spearhead and later held the Allies at bay for other units to retreat, before being withdrawn over the Rhine in March. It then opposed the 9th Army's advance across the Rhine, thus stopping the planned Allied Breakthrough as well as opposing Operation Varsity's airborne landings. With 2800 men and 10 tanks against 50,000 allied troops and supporting tanks, the division held off the 30th Infantry Division, the 35th Infantry Division, the 84th Infantry Division, the 4th Canadian Infantry Division and 8th Armored Division. On 18 April 1945, the majority of the division was forced to surrender to the 9th U.S. Army, having been trapped in the Ruhr Pocket. It was described by the Commander of the 9th Army to New York Times reporter John MacCormac, in March 1945, as 'the famed and Best German Panzer Division', and was listed as same in article of 27-28 of march. Remnants of the Division continued to fight in the Harz Mountains until April 30, surrendering after all of their resources had been exhausted. The 116.Panzer Division participated in the following battles: Normandy, Arnhem, Aachen, the Hurtgen Forest, the Ardennes Offensive, the Reichswald and the Ruhr Pocket.^[1]

Commanding officers

• Generalmajor Gerhard Müller, creation – 30 April 1944
• General der Panzertruppe Gerhard Graf von Schwerin, 1 May 1944 – 31 August 1944
• Oberst Heinrich Voigtsberger (deputy), 1 September 1944 – 13 September 1944
• Generalmajor Siegfried von Waldenburg, 14 September 1944 – German surrender

References

The Essential Tank Identification Guide---Wehrmacht Panzer Divisions 1939- 1945 Authors: Jorge Rosado and Chris Bishop Published by Amber books Ltd. ISBN 1-904687-46-6