The 2nd Light Division created on 10 November 1938 from the region of Thuringia.[1] The light divisions were created under the instigation of the cavalry arm of the German Army, who feared their scouting and screening roles were being taken over by the Panzerwaffe. The division was designed to provide mobility and some armoured protection to its forces, and was composed of the 6th and 7th Mechanized Cavalry Regiments, the 7th Reconnaissance Regiment, and the 66th Panzer Battalion.