5. Panzerarmee was formed 8 Dec 1942 in North Africa through the restructuring of the LXXXX. Armeekorps. It surrendered in Tunisia on 9 May 1943.

See also Operations of the 5th Panzer Army in Tunisia written by General der Panzertruppe Gustav von Vaerst in 1947.

5. Panzerarmee was reformed 5 Aug 1944 by the redesignation of Panzergruppe West. It fought in Normandy and narrowly escaped being destroyed in the Falaise Pocket. In September 1944, the 5. Panzerarmee launched an unsuccessful counterattack against the U.S. Third Army in Lorraine before withdrawing to the German border. It took part in the failed Ardennes offensive in December 1944 and later fought at the Remagen bridgehead before being destroyed in the Ruhr Pocket on 17 Apr 1945.

Under the German deception maneuver preparatory to the Ardennes Offensive, the 25. Armee was given the cover name 15. Armee during the period 16 Nov 1944-16 Dec 1944. Concurrently, the actual 15. Armee, which had transferred from the Netherlands and taken over the Aachen sector from the 5. Panzerarmee, was given the cover name Armeegruppe von Manteuffel. The 5. Panzerarmee, transferred east of the Roer, adopted the cover name Feldjägerkommando z.b.V.

Order of battle (17 Dec 1942)
Stab der Panzerarmee
10. Panzer-Division
Division von Broich
20. Flak-Division (Luftwaffe)
I. / Flak-Regiment 54 (Luftwaffe)
II. / Flak-Regiment 54 (Luftwaffe)
Abwehrgruppe 210
Propaganda-Zug Tunis
Armee Reserve
Panzer-Abteilung 190
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501
Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 190
Division Imperiali (Italian)

Order of battle (1 Jan 1943)
10. Panzer-Division (in transit)
Division “Hermann Göring” (in transit)
334. Infanterie-Division (in transit)
Grenadier-Regiment 47 (LL) (in transit)

Order of battle (9 Apr 1943)
Division “Hermann Göring” (part)
334. Infanterie-Division
Italian 1a Divisione di Fanteria “Superga”

Order of battle (15 Aug 1944)
LXVII. Armeekorps
  348. Infanterie-Division
  245. Infanterie-Division
  226. Infanterie-Division
  Sicherungs-Regiment 5
LXXXVI. Armeekorps
  711. Infanterie-Division
  346. Infanterie-Division
  272. Infanterie-Division
  710. Infanterie-Division (part)
I. SS-Panzerkorps
  85. Infanterie-Division
  12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitler Jugend”
  89. Infanterie-Division
LXXIV. Armeekorps
  271. Infanterie-Division
  277. Infanterie-Division
  276. Infanterie-Division
  21. Panzer-Division (part)
  326. Infanterie-Division
II. SS-Panzerkorps
  21. Panzer-Division (most)
  9. SS-Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen”
  3. Fallschirmjäger-Division

Order of battle (31 Aug 1944)
At the disposal of the 5. Panzerarmee
  275. Infanterie-Division
LXXXVI. Armeekorps
  711. Infanterie-Division
  346. Infanterie-Division
LXXIV. Armeekorps
  331. Infanterie-Division
  344. Infanterie-Division
  271. Infanterie-Division
LXXXI. Armeekorps
  353. Infanterie-Division
  49. Infanterie-Division
  85. Infanterie-Division
I. SS-Panzerkorps
  18. Feld-Division (L)
  Kampfgruppe 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division
LVIII. Panzerkorps
  47. Infanterie-Division
  Panzer-Lehr-Division (part)
  348. Infanterie-Division
  48. Infanterie-Division
II. SS-Panzerkorps
  9. Panzer-Division
  116. Panzer-Division
  2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”
  9. SS-Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen”

Order of battle (16 Sep 1944)
XXXXVII. Panzerkorps
  21. Panzer-Division (most)
  Panzer-Brigade 111
  Panzer-Brigade 112
  Panzer-Brigade 113

Order of battle (28 Sep 1944)
LVIII. Panzerkorps
  11. Panzer-Division
XXXXVII. Panzerkorps
  15. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
  21. Panzer-Division

Order of battle (13 Oct 1944)
LVIII. Panzerkorps
  11. Panzer-Division
  15. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
XXXXVII. Panzerkorps
  21. Panzer-Division
  16. Volks-Grenadier-Division

Order of battle (5 Nov 1944)
At the disposal of the 5. Panzerarmee
  Division Nr. 526
LXXXVI. Armeekorps
  Fallschirmjäger-Division Erdmann (Panzer-Brigade 107)
  180. Infanterie-Division
  Kampfgruppe 344. Infanterie-Division
XII. SS-Armeekorps
  176. Infanterie-Division
  183. Volks-Grenadier-Division
LXXXI. Armeekorps
  246. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  3. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
  12. Volks-Grenadier-Division

Order of battle (26 Nov 1944)
At the disposal of the 5. Panzerarmee
  246. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  Division Nr. 526
  10. SS-Panzer-Division “Frundsberg”
XII. SS-Armeekorps
  176. Infanterie-Division
XXXXVII. Panzerkorps (subordinated to the XII. SS-Armeekorps)
  15. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
  183. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  9. Panzer-Division
LXXXI. Armeekorps
  340. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  3. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
  12. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  47. Volks-Grenadier-Division

Order of battle (31 Dec 1944)
At the disposal of the 5. Panzerarmee
  340. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  I. SS-Panzerkorps
  12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitler Jugend”
LVIII. Panzerkorps
  116. Panzer-Division
  9. Panzer-Division
  2. Panzer-Division
XXXXVII. Panzerkorps
  Panzer-Lehr-Division
  Führer-Begleit-Brigade
  15. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
XXXIX. Panzerkorps
  3. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
  26. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  1. SS-Panzer-Division “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler”

Order of battle (26 Jan 1945)
At the disposal of the 5. Panzerarmee
  167. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  3. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
LXVII. Armeekorps
  277. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  3. Fallschirmjäger-Division
  89. Infanterie-Division
  246. Volks-Grenadier-Division
XIII. Armeekorps
  18. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  326. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  9. Panzer-Division
LXVI. Armeekorps
  560. Volks-Grenadier-Division (remnants)
  15. Panzer-Grenadier-Division
  26. Volks-Grenadier-Division

Order of battle (1 Mar 1945)
LXXIV. Armeekorps
  3. Fallschirmjäger-Division + 85. Infanterie-Division
  272. Volks-Grenadier-Division
LXVII. Armeekorps
  89. Infanterie-Division
  277. Volks-Grenadier-Division
Korpsgruppe Botsch
  18. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  26. Volks-Grenadier-Division
LXVI. Armeekorps
  5. Fallschirmjäger-Division

Order of battle (12 Apr 1945)
XII. SS-Armeekorps
  363. Infanterie-Division
  Stab Oberst Witte
  Kampfgruppe 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division
  59. Infanterie-Division
LVIII. Panzerkorps
  183. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  9. Panzer-Division (most)
  12. Volks-Grenadier-Division
  353. Infanterie-Division
  62. Volks-Grenadier-Division

Notable members
Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (Member of the Reichstag, Holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds)

Hasso von Manteuffel (Holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, post-war a member of the Bundestag 1953-1957 for the liberal Freie Demokratische Partei, FDP)

In fiction

The 2008 board game "Panzer Grenadier: Elsenborn Ridge" designed by Michael Bennighof and published by Avalanche Press focused on the fighting during the Battle of the Bulge between the US First Army and the 6. SS-Panzerarmee and 5 Panzerarmee.

Sources used

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

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

Reference material on this unit

Bruce Quarrie - The Ardennes Offensive V Panzer Armee: Central Sector