3. Panzer Division (Wehrmacht)
Armored Bears

Formed on 15 October 1937, one of the first 3 Panzer Divisions created at that time, 3, Panzer Division would serve throughout WWII.

Composition: 3. Panzer Brigade. (1937-10/1940-disbanded)
5. Panzer Regiment (1937-10/1940-transferred)
6. Panzer Regiment (1937-1945)
3. Schutzen Brigade (motorized infantry), replaced by 3. Panzer Grenadier Brigade (armored Infantry) 10/1940
75. Artillery Regiment (later 75. Panzer Artillery)
314 Flak Battalion (anti-aircraft)
3. Aufklarungs Ableitung (Reconnaissance Battalion) (later 3. Panzer Aufklarungs Ableitung) Armored Reconnaissance
543. Panzerjager Ableitung (Anti-Tank Battalion)
39. Pioneer Ableitung (Engineer Battalion)
misc. communications, supply and medical services.

Actions
1939 - Poland, fought on the Northern front (Pomerania) via Torun and to Brest-Litovsk.
1940 - Belgium, France. Attacked across the Albert Canal to Brussells and then advanced to France.
1941 - Barbarosa, initially as part of Army Group Center (Guderian) but was shifted South to Kiev. From there they advanced toward Moscow
ending up in the Tula area.
1942 - The Soviet Winter Offensive forced the 3. Panzer back to Kharkov. In June the Division took part in the advance into the Caucasus
Mountains to seize Oil Fields and cut off lend lease supplies coming through Iran. The effort ran out of steam as more and more units
were shifted to Stalingrad. A general retreat found the division in the Rostov area.
1943 - 3. PD refitted in the Spring and took part in the Summer Offensive at Kursk attacking toward Belgorod on the southern end of the Salient.
After the Kursk Offensive was cancelled, the rest of 1943 was a series a defensive battles as the Soviets drove the Germans continuously
Westward through Ukraine.
1944- The Soviet juggernaut continued to push the Germans Westward. 3. PD fought mobile defense through Ukraine, Romainia, Poland and into
Hungary.
1945 - Fought in Hungary and eventually retreated to Austria. The Division managed to evade the Soviets and surrendered to US Troops on 8
May 1945.