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The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941 to 1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK).
Four months later the forming unit was enlarged and organised into a standard panzer division, and was given the designation of the 21st Panzer Division. The original 21st Panzer Division had been part of the Afrika Korps and was reduced in the battles of North Africa. The bulk of the remainder fell into captivity at Tunisia.
Rommel launches Panzer attacks on the British XXX Corps but faces resistance from SA, NZ and British forces; British and NZ forces withdraw towards Bir el Gubi; 25 November: Panzer attack on Indian forces at Sidi Omar is repulsed; In the second attack in the evening, Indian forces destroy the 5th Panzer Regiment of the 21st Panzer Division
The 21st Panzer Division at Sbeitla was ordered to attack northward through the pass east of Kasserine which led to Sbiba and Ksour. The Kampfgruppe von Broich, the battlegroup released by Arnim from 10th Panzer Division, was ordered to concentrate at Sbeitla, where it would be ready to exploit success in either pass. [30]
8th Panzer Regiment (2 bns) 1st Battalion, 115th Infantry Regiment; 2nd Machine Gun Battalion; 3rd Engineers Battalion; 33rd Recon Battalion; 33rd Anti-tank Battalion; 33rd Artillery Regiment; 21st Panzer Division (Generalmajor Johann von Ravenstein until 29 November (prisoner of war), then Generalmajor Karl Böttcher) 5th Panzer Regiment (2 bns)
Johann "Hans" Theodor von Ravenstein (1 January 1889 – 26 March 1962) was a German general (generalleutnant) in the Wehrmacht during World War II.He commanded the 21st Panzer Division from May 1941 until being made a prisoner of war in late November 1941.
The German blocking force, commanded by Rommel, at first consisted of a force based only on Panzer Regiment 5, which was put together from the second regiment of the 3rd Panzer Division. These elements were organized into the 5th Light Division when they arrived in Africa from 10 February – 12 March 1941.
South of the border, Panzer Regiment 5, 21st Panzer Division, attacked the 7th Indian Brigade at Sidi Omar but was repulsed by the 1st Field Regiment RA firing over open sights. A second attack left Panzer Regiment 5 with few operational tanks. [46] The rest of 21st Panzer Division had headed north-east, south of the border, to Halfaya. [47]