21. Panzer Division Wehrmacht
5. Light Division from 2/41-8/41

1941: 21. Panzer Division was a reorganization of the 5. Light Divison which had been initial elements of the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK). 5. Light Division was
formed from the 5th Panzer Regiment which was previously part of the 3rd Panzer Division.
February/March; 5. Light Division arrived at Tripoli. General Rommel immediately sent the reconnaissance forward to probe British defenses at El Agheila.
Tank Strength: 25 PzKw I, 45 PzKw II, 71 PzKw III, 20 PzKw IV, 7 Pz,Bef,
April; 5. Light Division and the Italian 4th Division routed the British Forces out of Libya except for Fortress Tobruk. DAK was reinforced by the 15. Panzer
Division and the 90. Light Infantry Division.
May-November; DAK operations involved multiple attempted assaults on Tobruk and defeating British attempts to relieve Tobruk. In August, 5. Light Division
was redesignated 21. Panzer Division.
December: Operation Crusader, a British Offensive aimed at Tobruk managed to defeat Rommel and put the DAK and the Italians into retreat back West of El
Agheila once again.
1942: A pivotal year as Rommel would regain the initiative pushing the British back toward Tobruk and then shattering the British defenses at Gazala in May
sending them in disarray only to rally at El Alamein. In July, Rommel was poised to take Cairo, the Suez and advance into the middle east. But it was not
to be.
February-April; With the British transferring troops and equipment to fight the Japanese, Rommel manage to push the Allies to a point just West of Tobruk
known as Gazala.
Tank Strength: 29 PzKw II, 134 PzKw III (3 were L/60 long barrel armed), 22 PzKw IV
May/June; The Gazala Line was a series of fortified boxes with the southern end in open desert. In late May, the 21. and 15. Panzer Divisions
made a southern hook movement into the rear of the British line. The Italians were assaulting headlong into the line to link up but this was not
immediately successful. Tactically, the British had Rommel right where they wanted him. Armored cars were interdicting his supplies and a concerted
British attack with 2 Armored divisions could finish him off. What ensued was anything but that. The Tank Regiments made a series of separate attacks
which were easily held off Rommel's anti-tank guns. The British were taking huge losses and when the Italians linked up Rommel advanced Eastward
into the British rear and the Gazala line crumbled into headlong flight all the way towards Cairo.
July-October; Stalemate at El Alamein. After 2 major assaults, Rommel was forced to take a defensive stance as his supply situation became critical.
14 PzKw II, 87 PzKw III (44 were L/60 long barrel armed), 18 PzKw IV, 2 Pz.Bef.
November;The British went over to the Offensive in late October assaulting the Axis lines for several days before breaking the line and putting Rommel
into retreat. The division had been reduced to 7 tanks by 7 November.
November/December; DAK continued to retreat toward Tripoli intending to link up with Panzer Armee Afrika now establishing defensive lines in Tunisia.
1943: February; 21. Panzer Division attacked American forces at Kasserine Pass.
March; fought the Mareth Line Battle against Mongomery. The British broke the Mareth Line and Rommel joined up with Panzer Armee Afrika in Tunis.
April/May; The Final battles in North Africa centered around the Allies closing the ring around Tunisian Ports of Tunis and Bizerta. For the Germans
there was no resupply, and no escape as Allied air and sea blockade had them trapped. 21. Panzer Division fought until it was out of ammunition
and surrendered on 13 May.
July; A new 21. Panzer Division was formed from the Snelle Brigade West, a highly mobile unit intended for rapid response to invasion sites. The division was
initially garrisoned at Caen.
1944: January; Garrisoned at Paris.
6 June; 21. Panzer was the only Panzer Division to reach the invasion zone on D-Day. Tank Strength: 4 PzKw III, 117 PzKw IV, 12 Flak.Pz., 10 StuG, 2 Pz.Bef
June-August; Due to naval artillery, field artillery, and constant air attacks, most of the divisions Panzers were destroyed in the first few days of the invasion.
The Grenadiers and assault guns fought British/Commonwealth forces in the Caen Area and ended up trapped in the Falaise Pocket in August. What
personnel escaped did so without heavy weapons.
November; 21. Panzer was partially reformed and fought in the French Saar and Alsace Regions. Tank Strength: 34 PzKw IV, 38 PzKw V, 8 Flak.Pz.
1945: January; 21. Panzer fought in the Rittershoffen area during Operation Nordwind. Tank Strength: 72 PzKw IV, 38 PzKw V, 8 Flak.Pz.
February-April; Tank Strength: 1 StuG, 31 PzKw IV, 16 Pz IV (70), 33 PzKw V, 4 Flak.Pz. 21. Panzer transfered to the Eastern Front. The final months were spent
fighting Soviets on the Oder Front and surrendering in April 1945.

Components: North Africa 1941-43
31941- 5. Light Division
5. Panzer Regiment
200. Motorized Infantry Regiment
75. Motorized Artillery Regiment
3. Panzer Aufklärungs Abteilung
39. Motorized Anti-tank Battalion
200. Motorized Combat Engineer Battalion
200. Panzer Signal Battalion
606. Light Flak Battalion
33. Flak Regiment (Luftwaffe)

5/1942- 21. Panzer
5. Panzer Regiment
104. Motorized Infantry Regiment
155. Motorized Artillery Regiment
3. Panzer Aufklärungs Abteilung
39. Motorized Anti-tank Battalion

Sources: Wehrmacht Panzer Divisions 1939-1945 Rosado/Bishop
Wikipedia