12th Panzer Division (Bundeswehr)

The 12th Panzer Division (German: 12. Panzerdivision) was a West German armoured formation. It was part of the III Corps of the Bundeswehr, which also incorporated in 1985 the 5th Panzer Division and 2nd Panzergrenadier Division.[1] III Corps was part of NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG), along with the Bundeswehr's II Corps and the American V and VII Corps. In the wake of military restructuring brought about by the end of the Cold War, the 12th Panzer Division was disbanded in 1994.

Not to be confused with 12th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht).
12th Panzer Division
12. Panzerdivision
Schützenpanzer SPz 11-2 Kurz of Armoured recce troops of the 35th Panzergrenadier Brigade in 1967
Active1 January 1961 - 31 March 1994
Country Federal Republic of Germany
RoleArmoured warfare
SizeDivision
Part ofGerman III Corps
Nickname(s)Fränkische Division
Zwölfte
Insignia
12th Panzer Division insignia

The division was constituted as the 12th Panzergrenadier Division in Tauberbischofsheim on January 1, 1961, as part of the II Corps of the Bundeswehr. At that time, it commanded the 35th Panzergrenadier Brigade, and in 1963 the 36th Panzer Brigade was also subordinated to the division. Subsequently, the 12th was re-designated a panzer (armoured) division. In 1970, the division was relieved from assignment to the II Corps and assigned to the III Corps. A third active brigade was not authorized for the division until 1975 during the "Heeresstruktur III" reforms. By 1977, the division's main components were the 14th Panzer, the 35th Panzergrenadier, and the 36th Panzer Brigades. In 1981, the 14th Panzer Brigade became the 34th Panzer Brigade.

Following the end of the Cold War, the 12th Panzer Division was disbanded in 1994.

Commanders
Nr. Name Start of command End of command
14 Generalmajor Manfred Eisele 1992 1994
13 Generalmajor Hartmut Bagger 1990 1992
12 Generalmajor Hartmut Foertsch 1989 1990
11 Generalmajor Gert Verstl 1986 1989
10 Generalmajor Siegfried Storbeck 1984 1986
9 Generalmajor Lutz Moek 1982 1984
8 Generalmajor Gerd-Helmut Komossa 1980 1982
7 Generalmajor Gert Bastian 1976 1980
6 Generalmajor Paul-Georg Kleffel 1973 1976
5 Generalmajor Hans Teusen 1971 1973
4 Generalmajor Gerd Kobe 1967 1971
3 Generalmajor Peter von Butler 1964 1967
2 Brigadegeneral Kurt von Einem 1962 1964
1 Brigadegeneral Artur Weber 1961 1962

References
  1. Isby and Kamps, Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985, p.196

49.825719°N 9.901128°E / 49.825719; 9.901128

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