5. Panzer-Division was formed Nov 1938 in Oppeln. It fought in Poland and France before supplying Panzer Regiment 15 to the forming 11. Panzer-Division.

It took part in the campaign in the Balkans before transferring to the Eastern front where it fought on the central sector. It took part in the drive against Moscow and later fought at Kursk before being pushed back into Latvia, Kurland and finally East Prussia where it surrendered to the Red Army Apr 1945 near Danzig.

Following the Balkan campaign the 5. Kompanie of Panzer-Regiment 31 with 5 Panzer II and 17 Panzer III was detached from the division to be used in the invasion of Crete where it was used to form Panzer-Kompanie Kreta. Two Panzer II from this kompanie were transfered to Crete by a small harbor tug under the command of Oberleutnant-zur-See Albert Oesterlin following urgent requests from the airborne troops fighting on the island.

Kradschützen-Bataillon 55 were also sent to Crete to take part in the invasion. 2./ KSB 55 and 5./ KSB 55 to be transferred by boat but convoy was attacked and largely destroyed by the Royal Navy. 3./KSB 55 were transferred by Ju 52 aircraft 26 May and was soon followed by the other elemets of the battalion. Under the command of Oberstleutnant Schacke they fought to help break the encirclement around the fallschirmjäger, engage the retreating Allied forces and establish the liaison with the Italian forces landing in the east of the island.
In the following days it advanced east in pursuit of the Allies, at Rethimnon some 400 Greek soldiers were taken prisoner on 29 May and on the 30th it took part in the attack on the Australian forces near Rethimnon capturing some 1.500 Australian soldiers and freeing 300 German POWs.

Holders of high awards
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (4)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (1)
  Meißner, [first name not listed], 01.05.1944 (485), Leutnant, Stab/Pz.Gren.Rgt. 14
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (24)
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (128)
Holders of the German Cross in Silver (2)
  Hartmann, Martin, 27.09.1944, Heeres-Hauptwerkmeister, Versorgungs-Kp II./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 13
  Moolen van der, Heinrich, 30.11.1944, Heeres-Werkmeister d.R., Werkstatt.Kp. 2./85
Holders of the Knight's Cross (57)
Holders of the Knight's Cross to the War Merit Cross (1)
  Benoit, Wilhelm 13.09.1943 Heeres-Hauptwerkmeister Pz.Inst.Kp/Pz.Rgt.31
 

Order of battle (Sep 1939)

HQ

   85. Motorcycle Messenger Platoon

   85. Mapping Detachment (mot)

5. Schützen Brigade

   2 x Regiment

   Light Infantry Column (mot)

8. Panzer Brigade

   2 x Regiment

8. Reconnaissance Battalion

   Signals Platoon (mot)

   2 x Armored Car Platoon

   Motorcycle Company

   Heavy Company (mot)

   Light Reconnaissance Supply Column (mot)

116. Artillery Regiment

   Signals Platoon (mot)

   Weather Detachment (mot)

   2 x Battalion (mot)

53. Panzerabwehr Battalion

   Signals Platoon (mot)

   3 x Battery (mot)

77. Panzer Signals Battalion

   Panzer Signals Company

   Panzer Radio Company

   Panzer Signals Supply Column

89. Pioneer Battalion

   2 x Pioneer Company (mot)

   Brüko H (mot)

   Light Pioneer Supply Column (mot)

Support & Supply Units

Order of battle (1943)

HQ

   Divisional Staff

   85. Mapping Detachment (mot)

31. Panzer Regiment

   Battalion

14. Panzergrenadier Regiment

   Regimental Staff

   Regimental Staff Company (mot)

   Battalion (half-track)

   Battalion (mot)

   Infantry Gun Company (self-propelled)

13. Panzergrenadier Regiment

   Regimental Staff

   Regimental Staff Company (mot)

   2 x Battalion (mot)

   Infantry Gun Company (self-propelled)

53. Panzerjäger Battalion

   Panzerjäger Company (mot)

   Panzerjäger Company (self-propleed)

2. Reconnaissance Battalion

   Armored Car Company

   3 x Motorcycle Company

   Heavy Reconnaissance Company (mot)

   Light Reconnaissance Supply Column (mot)

116. Panzer Artillery Regiment

   Regimental Staff

   2 x Battalion

   Battalion (self-propelled)

   Battalion (mot)

   Observation Battery (mot)

288. Army Flak Battalion

   Staff & Staff Battery

   2 x Heavy Flak Battery

   Light Flak Battery

   Flak Battery (self-propelled)

   Light Flak Supply Column (mot)

39. Panzer Pioneer Battalion

   Staff

   Pioneer Company (half-track)

   2 x Pioneer Company (mot)

   Brüko K Bridging Column

   Light Pioneer Supply Column (mot)

77. Panzer Signals Battalion

   Panzer Telephone Company

   Panzer Radio Company

   Light Signals Supply Column (mot)

85. Feldersatz Battalion

   4 x Company

Supply & Support Units

Notable members
Rolf Lippert (Gold medal winner in the Team eventing in the 1936 Olympics)

Panzer IV Ausf D of 5. Panzer-Division in France 1940

(Courtesy of Magnus) 

15 cm sIG 33 auf Panzer I in Greece 1941

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Footnotes
1. Generalmajor Lippert became ill on 10 Feb, was evacuated to Germany and died on 1 April, 1945.

Sources used

Microfilm Publication A-3356, German Officer Personnel files, NARA

RKT & DKiGT karteikarten, BA/MA

Walter Ansel - Hitler and the Middle Sea

Dermot Bradley, Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Markus Rövekamp - Die Generale des Heeres 1921-1945

Wolf Keilig - Die Generale des Heeres

Andris Kursietis - Die Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945

François de Lannoy & Josef Charita - Panzertruppen: German armored troops 1935-1945

Kurt Mehner - Die Deutsche Wehrmacht 1939-1945: Führung und Truppe

Samuel W. Mitcham Jr - The Panzer Legions: A guide to the German Army Tank Divisions of WWII and Their Commanders

Peter Schenk - Kampf um die Ägäis

Peter Schmitz, Klaus-Jürgen Thies, Günter Wegmann & Christian Zweng - Die deutschen Divisionen 1939-1945 (4 Vol)

Günther Wegmann - Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht, Teil VIII a: Panzertruppe, Band 1

Günter Wegmann & Christian Zweng - Formationsgeschichte u. Stellenbesetzung der deutschen Streitkräfte, 1815-1990, Teile IV, Abt. 1:  Die Dienststellen, Kommandobehörden u. Truppenteile des Heeres, Oct.35-May.45

Reference material on this unit

Anton D von Plato - 5. Panzer-Division 1938-1945