Panzer Divisions 1944-45

Following the failure of the Kursk offensive, the German Army fought on the defensive, first on the Eastern Front, then in Italy and on the Western Front. The nature of warfare had changed again after the victorious years, and the German Army adapted to meet the new requirements. Even the Panzerwaffe, the German armoured force that once spearheaded the blitzkrieg campaigns, changed its methods of operation. In turn, the role of the Panzer Divisions changed, as they found themselves called upon to fight defensive battles. No longer were there armoured thrusts into enemy territory; those that did happen served only to relieve encircled units and allow them to escape. Tank battles were now mainly fought to prevent the enemy from breaking through the German defence lines. Furthermore, since late 1943 the Panzer Divisions of the Heer (Army) no longer represented the sole component of the Panzerwaffe; new Waffen-SS Panzer Divisions were upgraded or raised, while small armoured units, like the heavy Tiger tank battalions, acquired greater importance.