12th Panzer Brigade
| 12th Panzer Brigade | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panzerbrigade 12 | |||||
.svg) Coat of Arms | |||||
| Active | 1 July 1956 – Present | ||||
| Country |  West Germany (1956-1990) Germany (1990-Present) | ||||
| Branch | German Army | ||||
| Type | Mechanized brigade | ||||
| Size | 5,000 troops[1] | ||||
| Part of | .svg){kind=small} 4th Panzergrenadier Division (1956-1994).svg){kind=small} 13th Panzergrenadier Division (2001-2006).svg){kind=small} 10th Panzer Division (2006-Present) | ||||
| Garrison/HQ | Cham, Germany | ||||
| Nickname | Upper Palatinate | ||||
| Engagements | Kosovo War War in Afghanistan | ||||
| Website | https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/heer/organisation/10-panzerdivision/panzerbrigade-12 | ||||
| Commanders | |||||
| Current commander | Brigadier General Axel Hardt[3] | ||||
| Notable commanders | Fritz von Korff | ||||
| Insignia | |||||
| NATO Map Symbol |
| ||||
-_Armour_(NATO_APP-6).svg){kind=small}
The 12th Panzer Brigade, also known as 12th Panzer Brigade "Upper Palatinate" is a Mechanized brigade of the German Army.[4]
History
[edit]Cold War
[edit]The 12th Panzer Brigade was formed on 1 July 1956 in Amberg. It was attached to the 4th Panzergrenadier Division.
After German reunification
[edit]In 1993, the German Federal Minister of Defense awarded the brigade the nickname "Upper Palatinate." On 6 November 2023, the 122nd Panzergrenadier Battalion was transferred to Lithuania in preparation for the formation of the 45th Panzer Brigade.[5] On 11 September 2024, the 131st Panzer Artillery Battalion was transferred to the 12th Panzer Brigade
Organization
[edit]As of 2026, 12th Panzer Brigade's current structure is as follows:[6]
Panzer Brigade 12 (Panzerbrigade 12), in Cham[7]
Staff and Support Company Panzer Brigade 12 (Stabs- und Unterstützungskompanie Panzerbrigade 12), in Cham
Reconnaissance Battalion 8 (Aufklärungsbataillon 8), in Freyung with Fennek reconnaissance vehicles and KZO drones
Mountain Panzer Battalion 8 (Gebirgspanzerbataillon 8), in Pfreimd (Reserve unit, 1 of 3 tank companies active in peacetime and assigned to Panzer Battalion 104)
Panzer Battalion 104 (Panzerbataillon 104), in Pfreimd with 44x Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks
Panzer Battalion 363 (Panzerbataillon 363), in Hardheim with 44x Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks[8]
Panzergrenadier Battalion 112 (Panzergrenadierbataillon 112), in Regen with 44x Puma Infantry fighting vehicles
Panzer Artillery Battalion 131 (Panzerartilleriebataillon 131), in Weiden in der Oberpfalz with 16x PzH 2000 155mm self-propelled howitzers, 8x M270 MLRS multiple rocket launch systems, KZO drones and 2x Euro-Art COBRA counter-battery radars — will move to Oberviechtach in 2027
Panzer Engineer Battalion 8 (Panzerpionierbataillon 8), in Ingolstadt
Supply Battalion 4 (Versorgungsbataillon 4), in Roding- Signal Company Panzer Brigade 12 (Fernmeldekompanie Panzerbrigade 12), in Cham
.png){kind=small}
References
[edit]- ↑ "Panzerbrigade 12". Bundeswehr (in German). Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ↑ "CRISIS IN THE BALKANS: THE PEACEKEEPERS; Germans Plan Curfew as Crime Rises in a City". The New York Times. 28 June 1999. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ↑ "Kommandoübergabe im Februar: Brigadegeneral Andreas Kühne verlässt Cham". Mittelbayerische (in German). 11 January 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ↑ "Gewässerübergang Panzerbrigade 12 in Luhe". Mediathek (in German). 8 October 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ↑ "Entscheidungen zur Brigade Litauen". Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (in German). 6 November 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ↑ https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/heer/organisation/10-panzerdivision/panzerbrigade-12
- ↑ "Panzerbrigade 12 - Organisation". Deutsches Heer. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
- ↑ "Ein traditionsreicher Panzerstandort wird wiederbelebt". Deutsches Heer. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
Active combat brigades in the German Army of the Bundeswehr | ||
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| Infantry |  | |
| Panzergrenadier | ||
| Panzer | ||
Active and former combat brigades in the German Army of the Bundeswehr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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