: Unit formation and composition of the 25th Panzergrenadier Division, October 1943:
The 25th Infanterie-Division (mot.) was renamed and reorganized as the 25th Panzergrenadier Division on June 23rd 1943. This was done according to the standard type 1943 Panzergrenadier Division, and took place in the occupied Kirejkowo region. The attached Panzer Abteilung 5 was established from the Panzer Ersatz Abteilung 5, which was commanded by Captain Rettemeier in the region of Neuruppin in September of 1943. The Panzer Abteilung had one HQ Company, four tank companies which comprised of Panzer IV’s and assault guns, and one Supply Company.

The mass of the officers, NCOs, panzer commanders, and functional personnel had proven themselves during bitter fighting while in Africa. This Panzer Abteilung joined Army Group Center in mid-October and met up with the 4th Panzer Armee on October 20th near Dubrowno. The 5th Panzer Abteilung finally joined up with the newly formed 25th Panzergrenadier Division near the end of October.

The Panzer Aufklärungs-Abteilung 125 was established from the remnants of Kradschützen-Bataillon 25 in the spring of 1943. The Kradschützen-Bataillon 25 had already absorbed Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot.) 25 into its ranks early in May of 1942.

Artillerie-Regiment (mot.) 25 received a 10th Flak battery in October 1942, and Flak-Artillerie Abteilung 292 joined the division in the end of 1944.

At the end of October 1943 the division comprised of:

• Grenadier-Regiment (mot.) 35 with three motorized grenadier battalions
• Grenadier-Regiment (mot.) 119 with three motorized grenadier battalions
• Panzer-Abteilung 5 with four tank/assault gun companies
• Panzer Aufklärungs-Abteilung 125 with four reconnaissance companies
• Artillerie-Regiment (mot.) 25 with three motorized artillery battalions

: Russian Front Action during 1943-1944 :
The 25th Panzergrenadier Division defended along the front in the area of Kireykovo/Annina, north of Orel and on both sides of Bolkhov, until the end of July 1943. They were then ordered to withdraw out of the “Orel-bend”. While defending the Nugr section of the front, the division was further reinforced by Panzer-Abteilung 18, which stayed with them until the end of July 1943. The soldiers of the 25th Panzergrenadier Division then moved through Paramonovo, to their position at Kashinka, where they defended the important strong point of Khotynets, some 45 km east of Karachev until 9 August 1943. From there they moved on to Karachev before they then marched over 250 km to northwest of AOK 4 to the area of Yartsevo-Dukhovshchina, northeast of Smolensk. There the division received much needed replacements from replacement marching companies.

They were then ordered to defend positions around the Zarewitsch River, northeast of Bryansk. The now-reinforced Grenadier-Regiment (mot.) 119 defended the area around Maleyevka (buffalo position) in the section northeast of Dukhovshchina from 18 August 1943 to mid September. After that they withdrew to “Panther position (east)”, which was some 25-30 km west from Smolensk, until 28 September. Here they defended the Werja-Rossasna section from 28 September to 28 October 1943. After falling back from the Werja-Rossasna position, they defended the “Panther position 2” in the section northeast of Dubrovno, between Dnieper-north shore and freeway, until June 1944.

The division expanded the area they were defending to an area to south of Dnieper in the “Panther position 3” after the fourth and fifth “freeway battle” which took place west of Smolensk. After receiving new weapons and equipment in April of 1944, the division was again up to strength and was withdrawn to the area east of Minsk.

On the 6th July 1944 the division was shattered by severe Soviet attacks. Only remnants of the newly refitted 25th Panzergrenadier Division returned to the main battle line of 4th Armee where they gathered in Grodno, under the leadership of Generalmajor Schürmann. In mid August, "Kampfgruppe Grimminger" was formed from returned vacationers, displaced troops and lightly wounded soldiers. They were put under control of the 5th Panzer-Division until the end of July. After July, the battle group returned to Mielau and gathered with other remnants of the division for refitting.

: Reorganization during Autumn 1944 :
The smashed divisions of Army Group Central were used to form new formations during the early autumn of 1944. In the Mielau troop training camp of (WK-I) in August 1944 the newly created Panzer-Brigade 107 absorbed all remnants of the 25th Panzergrenadier-Division and all young replacements. The brigade was transferred to the West Front and put under control of Army Group B until November 1944. After severe fighting the remnants of the Panzer-Brigade 107 were transferred to the Grafenwöhr troop training camp in September. There, “Kampfgruppe 25th Panzergrenadier Division” was formed on 20 September 1944. This battle group was then transferred to the Baumholder troop training camp where the remnants of Panzer-Brigade 107 and Kampfgruppe 25th Panzergrenadier Division re-merged at the end of October.

Main combat unit strength as of November 23rd 1944

• HQ/Kampfgruppe 25th Panzergrenadier-Division
• Panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot.) 35: two battalions. The first battalion relied on trucks and cars for transport. The third battalion relied on bicycles and trucks for transport.
• Panzergrenadier-Regiment (tgp.) 119: only one battalion. The first battalion was transferred from previous Panzergrenadier-Battalion 2107 of Panzer-Brigade 107 with full equipment of SPW.
• Panzer-Abteilung 5: only one company with 14 Panther tanks. The battalion was transferred from previous Panzer-Abteilung 2107 of Panzer-Brigade 107.
• Panzer Aufklärung-Abteilung 125: only one company with few PSW.
• Panzerjäger-Abteilung 25: three companies. The first two companies had 17 assault guns. The third company had 4 motorized anti-tank guns.
• Artillerie-Regiment (mot.) 25: only one battalion. The battalion had two motorized light howitzer batteries with 9 artillery pieces.
• Pionier-Bataillon (mot.) 25: two companies. The first company had 18 SPW. The second company had trucks.

: West Front, autumn 1944 :
The battle group launched counterattacks against bridgeheads of the US 3rd Army east of Diedenhofen, in the area west of Merzig, over the Moselle River as well as near Metzerwiesen on Diesdorf-Bertrange (12-25 November). After these actions, the battle group was ordered to defend the area around Waldwiesen-Burg Esch (Saarhöhen-position). After a short time, they were ordered to march to the area around Saarunion. There the battle group counterattacked towards south of Saarunion under the command of the 13th SS-Armee Korps. After these actions the battle group went on the defensive and moved in the area of Domfessel-Bitsch until mid December.

While the battle group rested near front, they were refitted with two heavy howitzer batteries (motorized), the second battalion of Panzergrenadier-Regiment (tgp.) 119 and the new third battalion of Panzergrenadier-Regiment (mot.) 35 as well as Heeres Flak-Abteilung (mot.) 292. They also received pioneer and tank hunter reinforcements in January 1945. The battle group was again regained 25th Panzergrenadier-Division at the same time. From there the division continued action in Nordelsaß, in the area of Bitsch-Rittershofen and at last in Hagenau an der Moder until 26 January 1945. The division was released after gathering in Germersheim and then transferred back to the East front by train.

: East Front, winter/spring 1945 :
After disembarking, the division defended the area around Küstrin until 31 January after which they moved to an area southwest of Küstrin (along Reichsstraße 1). They stayed there until February and moved west and northwest of Küstrin around Genschmar where they stayed until mid March. From there, the division was ordered to launch counterattacks to rescue the garrisons of Küstrin on 22/23 and 27 March. These both proved to be unsuccessful. The division rested near the front in Wriezen until 15 April 1945. There the division put up a staunch defense around the area of Wriezen against the Russian final attack for Berlin during 17/18 April 1945. They then withdrew from battle, over Brunow-Kruge during 19/21 April using a bridgehead held by Panzer-Armee Korps 3 around Eberswalde/Finow-canal. The division then counterattacked, with “Gruppe Steiner”, in the area south of Leibenwalde on the 24th of April and again at the Ruppiner-canal on the 25/26th of April where they gained a bridgehead in Oranienburg. The division defended in Oranienburg until the 27th of April where they were forced to withdraw through Mecklenburg, over the Gevezin-at Malchiner Lake on the 29/30th of April and arrived on the south edge of the Schweriner Lake, in the area of Plate-Kladow on May 2nd 1945. The division ended the war in US war captivity in Radelübbe.