11. Panzer-Division was formed Aug 1940 and fought in the Balkans campaign. It fought on the southern sector of the Eastern front June - Oct 1941 when it was transferred to the central sector where it remained until June 1942 when it returned south. It fought at Belgorod, Kursk, Krivoj Rog and suffered heavy losses when it was encircled at Kresun, south of Kiev.

It was transferred to France for refitting June 1944 where it absorbed 273. Reserve-Panzer-Division. It fought the allied landings in southern France before withdrawing through France and into Germany. It fought in the Ardennes and later near Trier and Remagen before surrendering to the US Army at the end of the war.

Known war crimes
During the recapture of the village of Mouleydier in France in June 1944 from partisans and the following burning of the village a total of 75 French were killed according to post-war French investigations and the village was granted the status of "Village Martyr". However a post-war trial against the commanding German officer found no evidence of a massacre of civilians.

Nicknames

Gespenster-Division (Ghost-Division)

Holders of high awards
Holders of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold (28)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army  (8)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (3)
  Broll, Heinz, 01.05.1944] (482), Unteroffizier, I./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 110
  Kaden, Siegfried, 28.08.1944 [Date of Action] (547), Obergefreiter, 3./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 111
  Reiter, Max, 28.08.1944 [Date of Action] (546), Obergefreiter, 3./Pz.Gren.Rgt. 111
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (140)
Holders of the German Cross in Silver (6)
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (20)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (52, including one unofficial/unconfirmed)
Holders of the Knight's Cross to the War Merit Cross (1)
  Reuschel, Kurt 08.12.1944 Oberfeldwebel 7./Pz.Rgt 15

Order of battle (Apr 1941)

HQ

   Divisional Staff

   Motorcycle Platoon

   Mapping Detachment (mot)

33. Panzer Regiment

   Panzer Signals Platoon

   Light Panzer Platoon

   2 x Battalion

   Panzer Maintenace Company

11. Schützen Brigade

   2 x Schützen Regiment

61. Motorcycle Battalion

   3 x Motorcycle Company

   Heavy Machine Gun Company (mot)

   Reconnaissance Company

61. Panzerjäger Battalion

   Signals Platoon (mot)

   3 x Panzerjäger Company (mot)

   Battery / 608. Heavy Machine Gun Battalion (self-propelled)

231. Reconnaissance Battalion

   Signals Platoon (mot)

   Armored Car Company

   Motorcycle Company

   Heavy Reconnaissance Company (mot)

   Reconnaissance Supply Column (mot)

119. Artillery Regiment

   Support Detachment (mot)

   3 x Battalion (mot)

85. Signals Battalion

   Panzer Telephone Company

   Panzer Radio Company

   Light Signals Supply Column (mot)

86. Pioneer Battalion

   3 x Pioneer Company (mot)

   Brüko B (mot)

   Brüko K (mot)

   Light Pioneer Supply Column (mot)

71. Flak Battalion (attached)

2 / 21. Pz. Luftwaffe Observation Staffel (attached)

Supply & Support Units

Order of battle (Summer 1943)

HQ

   Divisional Staff

   Mapping Detachment (mot)

15. Panzer Regiment

   Regimental Staff & Band

   Signals Platoon

   2 x Battalion

110. Panzergrenadier Regiment

   Regimental Staff

   Regimental Band

   Regimental Staff Company (mot)

   Battalion (half-track)

   Battalion (mot)

   Infantry Gun Company (self-propelled)

   Flak Company (self-propelled)

4. Panzergrenadier Regiment

   Regimental Staff

   Regimental Band

   Regimental Staff Company (mot)

   2 x Battalion (mot)

   Infantry Gun Company (self-propelled)

   Flak Company (self-propelled)

61. Panzerjäger Battalion

   Panzerjäger Company (mot)

   Panzerjäger Company (self-propelled)

11. Reconnaissance Battalion

   Armored Car Company

   Armored Car Company (half-track)

   Motorcycle COmpany

   Heavy Reconnaissance Company (half-track)

   Light Reconnaissance Supply Column (mot)

76. Panzer Artillery Regiment

   Regimental Staff

   Staff Battery

   2 x Battalion

   Battalion (mot)

   Battalion (half-track)

   Observation Battery (mot)

277. Army Flak Battalion

   Staff & Staff Battery (mot)

   2 x Heavy Flak Battery (mot)

   Light Flak Battery (mot)

   Flak Battery (self-propelled)

   Light Flak Supply Column (mot)

209. Panzer Pioneer Battalion

   Staff

   Pioneer Company (half-track)

   2 x Pioneer Company (mot)

   Brüko K Bridging Column

   Light Pioneer Supply Column (mot)

89. Panzer Signals Battalion

   Panzer Telephone Company

   Panzer Radio Company

   Light Signals Supply Column (mot)

61. Feldersatz Battalion

   6 x Company

Supply & Support Units

Notable members

Hermann Balck (Holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds)

Hans-Karl Freiherr von Esebeck (Active in the resistance against Hitler)

Heinrich-Georg Hax (Silver medal winner in the rapid fire pistol event in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics)

Troops of 11. Panzer-Division in the winter on the Eastern Front

(Courtesy of Chris)

Panzer IV in Yugoslavia 1941

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

Sources used

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

RKT & DKiGT karteikarten, BA/MA

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

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

Sarah Farmer - Martyred Village: Commemorating the 1944 Massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane

Wolf Keilig - Die Generale des Heeres

Andris Kursietis - Die Wehrmacht at War 1939-1945

Peter Lieb  - Konventioneller Krieg oder NS-Weltanschauungskrieg?: Kriegführung und Partisanenbekämpfung in Frankreich 1943/44

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 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 J. Donnhauser & Werner Drews - Der Weg der 11. Panzer-Division
Gustav W. Schrodek - Die 11. Panzerdivision 'Gespensterdivision': Bilddokumente 1940-1945
Gustav W. Schrodek - Ihr Glaube galt dem Vaterland, Die Geschichte des Panzer Regiments 15