4th Panzergrenadier Division (Bundeswehr)

The 4th Panzergrenadier Division (4. Panzergrenadierdivision) was a West German mechanized infantry formation. It was part of the II Corps of the Bundeswehr, which also incorporated in 1979 the 1st Mountain Division and 1st Airborne Division, and the 10th Panzer Division.[1] II Corps was part of NATO's Central Army Group (CENTAG), along with the Bundeswehr's III Corps and the American V and VII Corps. In the wake of military restructuring brought about by the end of the Cold War, the 4th Panzergrenadier Division was disbanded in 1994 with some of its forces being used to form the Airmobile Forces Command /4th Division.

4th Panzergrenadier Division
4th Panzergrenadier Division insignia
ActiveJuly 1956 - 31 March 1994
CountryFederal Republic of Germany
RoleMechanized infantry
Part ofGerman II Corps
Garrison/HQRegensburg

The division was constituted from federal border police troops in July 1956 as the 4th Grenadier Division as part of the II Corps (then called "Army Staff II") of the Bundeswehr. At that time, it commanded the "A4" and "B4" battle-groups. In 1958 it received a third battle-group, "C4". The battle-groups later became the 12th Panzer, 11th Panzergrenadier, and 10th Panzergrenadier Brigades. From 1958 to 1959, the 30th Panzer Brigade was part of the division before it was subordinated to the 10th Panzergrenadier (later Panzer) Division. As part of an army reorganization in 1959, the division was renamed the 4th Panzergrenadier Division. Division headquarters was quartered at Regensburg.

In 1970, the division was renamed the 4th Jäger (light infantry) Division. The division once again became the 4th Panzergrenadier Division in 1980. Following the end of the Cold War, elements of the 4th Panzergrenadier and 1st Airborne Divisions were combined and designated Airmobile Forces Command /4th Division.

Commanders
Nr. Name Start of command End of command
14 Generalmajor Jürgen Reichardt 1989 1994
13 Generalmajor Kurt Barthel 1985 1989
12 Generalmajor Wolfgang Odendahl 1982 1985
11 Generalmajor Gerhard Wachter 1980 1982
10 Generalmajor Gert Kohlmann 1974 1980
9 Generalmajor Rüdiger von Reichert 1971 1974
8 Brigadegeneral Joachim-Frithjof Lindner 1970 1971
7 Generalmajor Helmut Schönefeld 1968 1970
6 Generalmajor Helmut Grashey 1966 1968
5 Generalmajor Johannes Härtel 1964 1966
4 Generalmajor Friedrich Alfred Übelhack 1959 1964
3 Generalmajor Hellmuth Laegeler 1957 1959
2 Generalmajor Kurt Spitzer 1956 1957
1 Brigadegeneral Hans Höffner 1956 1956

References
  1. Keegan, World Armies, p. 248
  • John Keegan, World Armies, New York: Facts on File, 1979, ISBN 0-87196-407-4.

49.005871°N 12.114093°E / 49.005871; 12.114093

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