BRD Kameradschaft mitgliedsabzeichen 12. Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung (gepanzert)

In a very good condition a comradeship stickpin from the Panzer Reconnaissance Department 12 (armored)

History of the Panzer Reconnaissance Department 12 (armored)

The 12th Panzer Reconnaissance Department was formed on April 20, 1943. The department was created by renaming the Kradschützen Battalion 22 with five companies. After the formation, the department was assigned to the 12th Panzer Division. The department had suffered heavy losses in the winter of 1942/43 and was in the process of being refreshed and preparing for the upcoming offensive at Kursk at the time of the renaming. In July 1943, the department took part in the "Zitadelle" enterprise. After its termination, heavy defensive fighting followed in the Orel area and from November 1943 to January 1944 defensive fighting in the "Wet Triangle" east of Kalinkovichi - Mosyr - north-eastern edge of Pripet. In February 1944, the 12th Panzer Division was transferred to Army Group North and took part in the fighting on the Luga in the Pleskau area. From here it was moved to the Wildflecken military training area for refreshment and reorganization. On April 17, 1944, the department was reduced to a Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12 (armoured) with four companies. The department was then divided into a 1st tank reconnaissance company, 2nd and 3rd tank reconnaissance companies (armoured), 4th tank reconnaissance company (motorcycles). In July 1944 the department was transferred by rail to the central section of the Eastern Front. After fighting in the Bialystok area, the department was transferred to Kurland at the end of August 1944, where it was deployed in the area west of Riga and in November 1944 in Latvia. Subsequently, the detachment fought in Kurland until the end of the war.

Initially, the 24th Tank Reconnaissance, Replacement and Training Department was responsible for providing the department with replacements. From April 1, 1944, the Tank Reconnaissance Replacement and Training Department 3 took over this task.

Code: 50874