The 24. Panzer-Division was formed in November 1941 from 1. Kavallerie-Division in East Prussia. It was transferred to France in April 1942 and to the southern sector of the Eastern front in June 1942 where it remained until most of it was destroyed in Stalingrad.

The remaining elements was sent to France and it was reformed there in March 1943. It was transferred to Italy in August following the Italian surrender. It was sent to the Eastern front in October and withdrew through the Ukraine suffering heavy losses. It fought in Hungary and Slovakia before being transferred to East Prussia and it surrendered to the Soviet Red Army at the end of the war.

Commanders

Generalleutnant Kurt Feldt (28 Nov 1941 - 21 Apr 1942)
Generalmajor Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild (21 Apr 1942 - 08 Sep 1942) (1)
Generalmajor Arno von Lenski (12 Sep 1942 - 14 Nov 1942) m.d.F.b.
Generalleutnant Arno von Lenski (15 Nov 1942 - 02 Feb 1943) (2)
[Reformed]
Oberst Maximilian Freiherr von Edelsheim (01 Mar 1943 - 31 May 1943) m.d.F.b.
Generalleutnant Maximilian Freiherr von Edelsheim (01 Jun 1943 - 1 Aug 1944)
Generalmajor Gustav-Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz (1 Aug 1944 - 25 Mar 1945) (3)
Major Rudolf von Knebel-Döberitz (26 Mar 1945 - 8 May 1945)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Major Otto-Wilhelm von Menges (28 Nov 1941-2 Feb 1943) (KIA)
[Reformed]
Oberstleutnant Friedrich Freiherr von Ohlen und Adlerscron (1 Mar 1943-1 Nov 1943)
Major Hans-Henning von Christen (1 Nov 1943-30 Aug 1944)
Major Hans-Georg Krebs (30 Aug 1944-15 Sep 1944)
Major Rudolf von Knebel-Doeberitz (15 Sep 1944-May 1945)

Area of operations

East Prussia (Nov 1941 - Apr 1942)
France (Apr 1942 - June 1942)
Eastern front, southern sector (June 1942 - Nov 1942)
Stalingrad (Nov 1942 - Nov 1942)
[Reformed]
France (Mar 1943 - Aug 1943)
Italy (Aug 1943 - Oct 1943)
Eastern front, southern sector (Oct 1943 - Aug 1944)
Poland & Hungary (Aug 1944 - Jan 1945)
East Prussia (Jan 1945 - Apr 1945)
North-western Germany (Apr 1945 - May 1945)

Nicknames

Der springende Reiter (The leaping horseman)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold (13)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (14)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (3)
- Hirschmann, Leopold, 31.05.1944 [Date of Action] (555), Obergefreiter, 8./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 26
- Huber, [first name not listed], 01.08.1944 (514), Obergefreiter, 2./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 26
- Platz, Hubert, 01.02.1944 (445), Major, III./Pz.Art.Rgt. 89
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (135)
Holders of the German Cross in Silver (2)
- Arrenbrecht, Ludwig, 04.04.1945, Techn.Insp. (K) d.R., Werkst.Kp. 3/40
- Riederich, Johannes, 30.08.1944, Heeres-Hauptwerkmeister (K) d.R., III./Pz.Art.Rgt. 89
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (39)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (47, including 6 unofficial/unconfirmed)
Holders of the Romanian Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd Class (1)
- Edelsheim Freiherr von, Maximilian, Königlichen Dekrets Nr. 1072 / 30.05.1944, Generalleutnant, Kdr. 24. Pz.Div.

Order of battle (February 1943)

Staff
- Staff
- 40. Mapping Detachment (mot)
24. Panzer Regiment
- Staff
- Signals Platoon
- Regimental Band
- 2 x Battalion
-- Staff
-- Staff Company
-- 4 x Panzer Company
- Panzer Maintenance Company
- Battalion
-- Staff
-- Staff Company
-- 3 x Panzer Company
-- Panzer Maintenance Company
21. Panzergrenadier Regiment
- Staff
- Regimental Band
- Staff Company (mot)
-- Signals Platoon
-- Panzerjäger Platoon
-- Motorcycle Platoon
- Battalion (half-track)
-- 3 x Company
-- Heavy Company
--- Pioneer Platoon
--- Panzerjäger Platoon
--- Infantry Gun Platoon
--- Gun Platoon
- Battalion (mot)
-- 3 x Company
--- Pioneer Platoon
--- Panzerjäger Platoon
--- Infantry Gun Platoon
--- Mortar Platoon
- Flak Company (self-propelled)
- Infantry Gun Company (self-propelled)
26. Panzergrenadier Regiment
- Staff
- Regimental Band
- Staff Company (mot)
-- Signals Platoon
-- Panzerjäger Platoon
-- Motorcycle Platoon
- 2 x Battalion (mot)
-- 3 x Company
--- Pioneer Platoon
--- Panzerjäger Platoon
--- Infantry Gun Platoon
--- Mortar Platoon
- Flak Company (self-propelled)
- Infantry Gun Company (self-propelled)
89. Panzer Artillery Regiment
- Staff
- Staff Battery
- Staff Flak Battery
- Observation Battery (mot)
- Battalion
-- Staff
-- Staff Battery
-- 3 x Battery (self-propelled)
- 2 x Battalion
-- Staff
-- Staff Battery
-- 3 x Battery (mot)
24. Reconnaissance Battalion
- Armored Car Company
-- 4 x Platoon
- Armored Car Platoon (half-track)
- 2 x Reconnaissance Company (half-track)
- Heavy Reconnaissance Company (mot)
-- Pioneer Platoon
-- Infantry Gun Section
-- Panzerjäger Platoon
-- Gun Platoon
- Light Reconnaissance Supply Column
283. Army Flak Battalion
- Staff
- Staff Battery (mot)
- 2 x Heavy Flak Battery
- Medium Flak Battery
- Light Flak Supply Column
Sturmgeschütz Battalion
- Staff
- Staff Battery
- 3 x Battery
40. Panzer Pioneer Batalion
- Staff
- Reconnaissance Platoon (mot)
- Pioneer Company (half-track)
- 2 x Pioneer Company (mot)
- Brüko K Bridging Column
- Light Pioneer Supply Column
86. Panzer Signals Battalion
- Telephone Company (mot)
- Panzer Radio Company
- Light Signals Supply Column (mot)
Supply & Support Units

Notable members

Arno von Lenski (German Cross in Gold holder and post-war a general in the Nationale Volksarmee of the German Democratic Republic)
Paul Markgraf (Knight's Cross holder, post-war an Oberst in the Nationale Volksarmee of the German Democratic Republic)
Horst Niemack (Post-war Brigadegeneral d.R. in the West German Bundeswehr, chairman of the German Olympic Committee, part of the German equestrian Olypmics team four times post-war)
Prince Heinrich IV of Reuß (Oberleutnant, 1./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 26)

Insignia

To commemorate the unit‘s lineal descent from the 1. Kavallerie-Division, Panzer personnel of the 24. Panzer-Division wore the cavalry’s golden-yellow Waffenfarbe, instead of the rose-pink of the Panzertruppe, on all uniform and insignia piping.

SdKfz 251 halftrack with Wurfrahmen 40 "Stuka zu Fuss" rocket launchers 1942

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

Panzer III near Stalingrad 1942

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

Motorcycle from 24. Panzer-Division near Stalingrad June 1942

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

Marder III from 24. Panzer-Division near Stalingrad June 1942

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

Footnotes

1. GM Bruno Ritter von Hauenschild wounded by artillery near Stalingrad.
2. Surrendered in Stalingrad.
3. GM Gustav-Adolf von Nostitz-Wallwitz wounded by artillery near Pillau.

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
Klaus Froh & Rüdiger Wenzke - Die Generale und Admirale der NVA: Ein biographisches handbuch
Wolf Keilig - Die Generale des Heeres
Andris Kursietis - Die Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945
Peter Joachim Lapp - Ulbrichts Helfer: Wehrmachtsoffiziere im Dienste der DDR
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
Gordon Williamson - German Army Elite Units, 1939-45

Reference material on this unit

Armin Böttger - Im Panzer: Ich habe überlebt, Stationen und Impressionen des Lebensweges eines Panzersoldaten der deutschen Wehrmacht
Günter K. Koschorrek - Vergiss die Zeit der Dornen nicht: Ein Soldat der 24. Panzerdivision erlebt die sowjetische Front und den Kampf um Stalingrad
Dietrich Kuehn - Geschichte des Reiter-Regiment 1 - Panzergrenadier-Regiment 21 Teil 3: 1942-45
Franz Kurowski - Major Georg Michael: Als Kämpfer an den Brennpunkten der Ostfront
Jason D. Mark - Death of the Leaping Horseman: 24. Panzer-Division in Stalingrad
Ernst Panse - Das war Stalingrad! ein Überlebender erinnert sich
Ernst Panse - Iron Horsemen
F.M. von Senger und Etterlin Jr. - Die 24. Panzer-Division vormals 1. Kavallerie-Division 1939-1945
Hans-Ludwig von Stockhausen - Ritter, Reiter, Russen