Panzer Regiment 7

**Douglas** · 08-17-2023, 05:46 PM

Reichswehr buckle with tab from Panzer Regiment 7 (10th Panzer Division)
Buckle tab marked:

II./Pz.R.7 (2nd Battalon, Panzer Regiment 7)

OVERHOFF
1935
LUDENSCHEID

Panzer Regiment 7 formed 6 Oct 1936 after the unmasking and was initially assigned to the 1st Panzer Division. On 1 Sep 1939, ready for action at the Polish border, the Regiment was reassigned to Panzer Division Kempf 1 Sep 1939, also known as Panzerverband "Ostpreußen") under Major General Kempf.

The PR 7 selected the bison as its unit emblem.

The Regiment with Panzer Division Kempf began the invasion of Poland. With the surrender of the Moldin fortress, the Polish campaign ended Sep 28 1939.

The Regiment was reassigned to 10. Panzer-Division 10 Oct 1939. In the last days of November 1939, the regiment was transferred by rail to the area around Limburg an der Lahn and thus pushed closer to the border with France.

On the morning of 10 May 1943 the Regiment entered France, broke through the Maginot Line on 14 May and continued the French campaign. On June 25, 1940, hostilities in France came to an end and the regiment focused on repairs, reorganization and re-equipping.

On June 25, 1940 the attack on France was completed. The Division remained in France for repairs and reorganization followed by settling in for the winter.

In the first days of March 1941, the regiment and the division moved to Silesia in preparation for the Russian campaign. The Regiment was equipped with 175 tanks; The departmental staffs each had one large command tank, two small command tanks and five Panzer IIs . In addition, the regiment had 6 light companies, each with 17 Panzer III and 5 Panzer II , as well as two medium companies, each with a large command tank and 10 Panzer IV . There were also 2 Panzer IIIs at the disposal of the regiment.

In June 1941, the Regiment was deployed to the Eastern front to participate in Operation Barbarossa, followed by the Battle of Bialystok-Minsk, the Battle of Moscow and the Soviet winter offensive.

On the 14.07.1941 Major Gerhardt led his Abteilung in a rampage against Soviet columns in and around Mstislawl. Along with the weak Kradschützen units operating in conjunction with him he blocked the roads leading from the west and south, and also captured the crossing over the Wjechra. He held these newly won positions with his weak forces for hours against strong hostile attacks, using the firepower of his Panzers to best effect. Through this action he was able to secure the vital crossroads in the town at an unexpectedly early time, and he was awarded the Knight’s Cross in recognition of this feat.

In April 1942 the whole division was pulled out of the front and transferred to France by rail transport. Here, the regiment was completely equipped with Panzer III long and Panzer IV long when it was re-established.

In December 1942, the regiment then moved to North Africa together with the 10th Panzer Division as part of the 5th Panzer Army.

Here the Regiment participated in the Battle of Kasserine Pass as well as other early battles. They also took part in the failed Operation Ochsenkopf ( Operation Ox Head) .

The final fighting for Tunisia took place in 23 Apr-12 May. When the Axis line collapsed in May 1943, the 7th Panzer Regiment, 10th Panzer Division was trapped. It surrendered in Tunisia on 12 May and was never rebuilt.

Pz.II - Panzer-Regiment 7 10.Panzer Division - France 1940

Panzer_III_Panzer-Regiment_7

Panzer_III_number_621

10th Panzer Division

Panzer Regiment 7

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 08-17-2023 05:46 PM

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**kabl** · 08-18-2023, 03:31 PM

Hello,

by Douglas

Buckle tab marked:

II./Pz.R.7 (2nd Battalon, Panzer Regiment 7)

Hello,
II. Has nothing to do with Battalion...
It is the second (2nd) set of buckles for the wearer....
The german soldier in the Wehrmacht / Reichswehr had 3 sets (pieces) of buckles, which are/were marked with roman numerals.
Pz. R. 7 = Panzer Regiment 7 is correct then
Regards
The kabl

**Douglas** · 08-20-2023, 12:49 AM

Hello Kabl,

That is not the case. The first number is the is the battalion, troop, batterie etc. Here are examples I have and examples from the Military Intelligence Service of the War Department book "German Military Abbreviations.

Regards,
Doug