EXTREMELY RARE WW2 German 116th PANZER TANK Div. " WINDHUND " INSIGNIA
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:498899 |
EXTREMELY RARE WW2 Original German "HEER" 116th PANZER TANK Div. "WINDHUND" Greyhound DIVISION Officers Hat INSIGNIA Device
( From a Panzer Collectors Estate and Recovered Aachen Battle Area )Here is a spectacular offering for sale. A very rare Panzer Division Hat Insignia of the "WINDHUND" Division of the 116th Panzer Division. This Insignia is extremely rare and was sewn to the side of the cap as seen in the photos. The 116th Panzer Division was deployed in March 1944 in Fra...nce from the remnants of the 16th Panzer Grenadier Division and the 179th Reserve Panzer Division . After being almost completely destroyed on the invasion front, the division fought in loss-making retreat battles in France and Belgium and reached Aachen on September 12, 1944, which had already been evacuated at that time. Aachen was between the first and second defensive position of the west wall and was the first German city that was attacked by the Allies. The 116th Panzer Division was tasked with defending the city. Following the division was to Arnhemlaid. Then she took part in the fighting around Aachen , in the Hürtgenwald , on the Battle of the Bulge and at the Battle of the Reichswald .The bulk of the division capitulated on April 14, 1945 before US troops in the Ruhrkessel . Parts of the 116th Panzer Division, which had not been included in the Ruhrkessel, fought until April 21, 1945 in the Harz Mountains.The 116th Division was constituted 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 had suffered heavy casualties in combat on the Eastern Front near Stalingrad, and the 179th was a second-line formation that had been on occupation duty in France since 1943.
In 1944, it participated in opposing the Normandy landings, the Battle of Normandy, and was later trapped in the Falaise Pocket. The 116th then participated in the failed "Wacht am Rhein" Operation in the Ardennes. On December 10, before the offensive, it was partly refitted, with 26 Panzer IV and 43 Panther tanks and 25 Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers (of which 13 were combat ready). However, it was still missing much of its organic transport. Initially stalled by resistance and then poor bridges in attacks to cross the Our River at Luetzkampen and Ouren, it back-tracked to march through Belgium from Dasburg to Houffalize. The division then fought its way as the middle spearhead of the advance on the Meuse from Samree to La Roche then heavy fighting at Hotton and Verdenne where it was turned back at its furthest advance in the Ardennes. 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 to the Americans on 21 October. It was moved to Düsseldorf for refitting. 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 of the "Bloody Bucket Division".
It later held the Allies at bay for other units to retreat, before being withdrawn over the Rhine in March. It then opposed the U.S. Ninth Army's advance across the Rhine, thus stopping the planned Allied breakthrough as well as opposing Operation Varsity's airborne landings. With 2, 800 men and 10 tanks against 50, 000 Allied troops and supporting tanks, the division faced the U.S. 30th, the U.S. 35th, the U.S. 84th, the 4th Canadian and the U.S. 8th Armored Divisions. On 18 April 1945, the majority of the division was forced to surrender to the U.S. Ninth Army, having been trapped in the Ruhr Pocket. Remnants of the division continued to fight in the Harz mountains until 30 April, only surrendering after all of their resources had been exhausted.
( From a Panzer Collectors Estate and Recovered Aachen Battle Area )Here is a spectacular offering for sale. A very rare Panzer Division Hat Insignia of the "WINDHUND" Division of the 116th Panzer Division. This Insignia is extremely rare and was sewn to the side of the cap as seen in the photos. The 116th Panzer Division was deployed in March 1944 in Fra...nce from the remnants of the 16th Panzer Grenadier Division and the 179th Reserve Panzer Division . After being almost completely destroyed on the invasion front, the division fought in loss-making retreat battles in France and Belgium and reached Aachen on September 12, 1944, which had already been evacuated at that time. Aachen was between the first and second defensive position of the west wall and was the first German city that was attacked by the Allies. The 116th Panzer Division was tasked with defending the city. Following the division was to Arnhemlaid. Then she took part in the fighting around Aachen , in the Hürtgenwald , on the Battle of the Bulge and at the Battle of the Reichswald .The bulk of the division capitulated on April 14, 1945 before US troops in the Ruhrkessel . Parts of the 116th Panzer Division, which had not been included in the Ruhrkessel, fought until April 21, 1945 in the Harz Mountains.The 116th Division was constituted 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 had suffered heavy casualties in combat on the Eastern Front near Stalingrad, and the 179th was a second-line formation that had been on occupation duty in France since 1943.
In 1944, it participated in opposing the Normandy landings, the Battle of Normandy, and was later trapped in the Falaise Pocket. The 116th then participated in the failed "Wacht am Rhein" Operation in the Ardennes. On December 10, before the offensive, it was partly refitted, with 26 Panzer IV and 43 Panther tanks and 25 Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers (of which 13 were combat ready). However, it was still missing much of its organic transport. Initially stalled by resistance and then poor bridges in attacks to cross the Our River at Luetzkampen and Ouren, it back-tracked to march through Belgium from Dasburg to Houffalize. The division then fought its way as the middle spearhead of the advance on the Meuse from Samree to La Roche then heavy fighting at Hotton and Verdenne where it was turned back at its furthest advance in the Ardennes. 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 to the Americans on 21 October. It was moved to Düsseldorf for refitting. 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 of the "Bloody Bucket Division".
It later held the Allies at bay for other units to retreat, before being withdrawn over the Rhine in March. It then opposed the U.S. Ninth Army's advance across the Rhine, thus stopping the planned Allied breakthrough as well as opposing Operation Varsity's airborne landings. With 2, 800 men and 10 tanks against 50, 000 Allied troops and supporting tanks, the division faced the U.S. 30th, the U.S. 35th, the U.S. 84th, the 4th Canadian and the U.S. 8th Armored Divisions. On 18 April 1945, the majority of the division was forced to surrender to the U.S. Ninth Army, having been trapped in the Ruhr Pocket. Remnants of the division continued to fight in the Harz mountains until 30 April, only surrendering after all of their resources had been exhausted.
