It was rebuilt once more and fought in the Battle of the Bulge (1944) and in the defence of the Rhine (1945), surrendering to US forces at war's end.
[3] Under the command of Heinz Guderian the division participated in the Anschluss of Austria in 1938, covering 680 kilometres (420 mi) in 48 hours but in the process losing 30 percent of its tanks to accidents and mechanical failures.
[4] In early September 1939, the 2nd Panzer Division took part in the invasion of Poland, crossing the Polish-Slowak border and advancing towards Kraków.
[citation needed] The division advanced on Boulogne and was involved in a battle with the under-equipped French 48th Regiment on 22 May.
[4][5][7] The division was reassigned to the XVIII Mountain Corps of the 12th Army on 6 April 1941 to play a role in Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece.
On 9 April the division took the city of Salonika and forced the surrender of the Greek Eastern Macedonia Army Section.
[5][7] In October 1941, the 2nd Panzer Division was sent to the Eastern Front, reinforcing Army Group Centre in their push towards Moscow, Operation Typhoon.
The division retreated, suffering heavy losses, having also lost two of its three tank battalions earlier in 1942 when they were sent to the southern sector of the front to assist with the German push towards the Volga and Caucasus.
From June 6 until mid July the division stood in the Caumont area engaged in daily skirmishes with British units.
The Kampfgruppe took St. Martin, destroying The Black Watch in the process and got involved in street fighting in St. Andre sur Orne.
Nevertheless due to the efforts of the 2nd Panzer Division other German units, notably the 10th and the 12th SS, were able to cross the bridge over the Dives and escape eastwards.
Its vanguard got within 4 km from the Meuse, where on 24 December they were stopped by the U.S. 2nd Armored Division and the British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment.
[13] Now operating at an extremely reduced effectiveness, in the spring of 1945 the 2nd Panzer Division took part in the Battle of the Rhineland.