German 1st Mountain Division
Encyclopedia
The 1st Mountain Division was an elite formation of the German
Wehrmacht
during World War II
.
It was created on 9 April 1938 in Garmisch Partenkirchen from the Mountain Brigade which was itself formed on 1 June 1935. The division consisted mainly of Bavaria
ns and some Austrians
.
as a part of Army Group South
and distinguished itself during fighting
in the Carpathian
s .
It subsequently took part in the Battle of France
and was selected to take part in the planned operations against the United Kingdom
(Operation Sea Lion) and Gibraltar
(Operation Felix
) but both operations were cancelled. With Felix cancelled, the division took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia
in April 1941 as part of the 2nd Army.
The 1st Mountain Division participated in Operation Barbarossa
, (the invasion of the Soviet Union). On 30 June, the division captured Lvov. There, the Germans discovered several thousand bodies of prisoners who had been executed by the NKVD
, as they could not be evacuated. As the news spread, a large-scale anti-Jewish pogrom
broke out, in which the town's Ukrainian population participated, stirred up in part by German and 'Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists' (OUN
) posters and proclamations calling for revenge against the "Jewish Bolshevik
murders".
The 1st Mountain Division continued its advance into the Soviet Union, participating in the breakthrough of the Stalin Line
and the advance to the Dniepr and Mius
rivers. In May 1942, the division fought in the Second Battle of Kharkov
and then participated in the offensive through southern Russia and into the Caucasus
(Operation Edelweiss
).
In a symbolic propaganda
move, the division sent a detachment to raise the German flag on Mount Elbrus
on 21 August. Although the feat was widely publicized by Goebbels
, Hitler was furious at this. After the Caucasus campaign the division was posted to Greece
and later Serbia
where it took part in anti- partisan
operations.
But by late 1944 the division, as part of Army Group E
, had been withdrawn to Hungary from the Balkans.
It was renamed 1. Volks-Gebirgs-Division in March 1945. Its final major operations were near Lake Balaton
(Operation Spring Awakening) against the 3rd Ukrainian Front
. Two months later the shattered division surrendered to the Americans in Austria
.
, soldiers from the division assisted in the round-up of Jewish
civilians from Przemyśl
for forced labour. This event was documented in the divisional photographic album. Picture captions demonstrate strong anti-semitism
by the authors. Photos 7 and 8
themselves.
On 25 July 1943, soldiers from the division attacked the village of Mousiotitsas in Greece
following the discovery of a cache of weapons nearby, killing 153 civilians. On 16 August 1943, the village of Kommeno
was attacked at the order of Oberstleutnant
Josef Salminger, the commander of GebirgsJäger Regiment 98, a total of 317 civilians were killed. Elements from the division took part in the murder of thousands of Italians
from the 33 Acqui Infantry Division in September 1943 on the Greek island of Cefalonia following the Italian surrender. Soldiers from the division took part in the murder of 32 officers and an estimated 100 soldiers from the Italian 151st Perugia Infantry Division
in Albania
after the Italian surrender.
Following the killing of Oberstleutnant Josef Salminger by Greek partisans, the commander of XXII Gebirgs-Armeekorps General der Gebirgstruppe Hubert Lanz
issued an order of the day on 1 October 1943 calling for a “ruthless retaliatory action” in a 20 km area around the place were Salminger had been attacked. In the village of Lingiades 87 civilians were killed, a total of at least 200 civilians died.
The Division's war crimes are described in H. F. Meyer's book Bloodstained Edelweiss: The 1st Mountain Division in the Second World War.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
It was created on 9 April 1938 in Garmisch Partenkirchen from the Mountain Brigade which was itself formed on 1 June 1935. The division consisted mainly of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
ns and some Austrians
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
.
Poland and France
The 1st Mountain Division fought in the Invasion of PolandInvasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
as a part of Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
and distinguished itself during fighting
Military history of Carpathian Ruthenia during World War II
Military history of Carpathian Ruthenia during World War II. Carpathian Ruthenia was a region in the easternmost part of Czechoslovakia that became autonomous within that country in September 1938, declared its independence as the "Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine”in March 1939, was immediately...
in the Carpathian
Carpathian
Carpathian may refer to:*Carpathian Mountains of Central and Eastern Europe*Carpathian Convention on sustainable development in that region*Carpathian Shepherd Dog, a Romanian sheep dog*Subcarpathian Voivodeship, an administrative division of Poland...
s .
It subsequently took part in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and was selected to take part in the planned operations against the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(Operation Sea Lion) and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
(Operation Felix
Operation Felix
Operation Felix was the codename for a proposed German seizure of Gibraltar during World War II. It never got beyond the staff study stage, even though planning continued into 1944, primarily because of Francisco Franco's reluctance to commit Spain to enter the war on the Axis...
) but both operations were cancelled. With Felix cancelled, the division took part in the Invasion of Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
in April 1941 as part of the 2nd Army.
Eastern Front
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, (the invasion of the Soviet Union). On 30 June, the division captured Lvov. There, the Germans discovered several thousand bodies of prisoners who had been executed by the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
, as they could not be evacuated. As the news spread, a large-scale anti-Jewish pogrom
Lviv pogroms
The Lviv pogroms were two massacres of Jews living in and near in the city of Lwów, the occupied Republic of Poland , that took place from 30 June to 2 July and 25–29 July 1941 during World War II. 700 Jews were killed in the rioting by some Ukrainian nationalists and Ukrainian militia and further...
broke out, in which the town's Ukrainian population participated, stirred up in part by German and 'Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists' (OUN
Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists
The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists is a Ukrainian political organization which as a movement originally was created in 1929 in Western Ukraine . The OUN accepted violence as an acceptable tool in the fight against foreign and domestic enemies particularly Poland and Russia...
) posters and proclamations calling for revenge against the "Jewish Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
murders".
The 1st Mountain Division continued its advance into the Soviet Union, participating in the breakthrough of the Stalin Line
Stalin Line
The Stalin Line was a line of fortifications along the western border of the Soviet Union. Work began on the system in the 1920s to protect the USSR against attacks from the West. The line was made up of concrete bunkers and gun emplacements, somewhat similar but less elaborate than the Maginot...
and the advance to the Dniepr and Mius
Mius River
Mius is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Russia. It starts in the Donets Range of Donetsk Oblast and flows through Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine and Rostov Oblast, Russia into the Mius Firth of the Sea of Azov, west of Taganrog...
rivers. In May 1942, the division fought in the Second Battle of Kharkov
Second Battle of Kharkov
The Second Battle of Kharkov, so named by Wilhelm Keitel, was an Axis counter-offensive against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive conducted from 12 May to 28 May 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. Its objective was to eliminate the Izium bridgehead over Seversky Donets, or the...
and then participated in the offensive through southern Russia and into the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
(Operation Edelweiss
Operation Edelweiss
Operation Edelweiss , named after the mountain flower, was a German plan to gain control over the Caucasus and capture the oil fields of Baku during the Soviet-German War. The operation was authorised by Hitler on 23 July 1942...
).
In a symbolic propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
move, the division sent a detachment to raise the German flag on Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus is an inactive volcano located in the western Caucasus mountain range, in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, near the border of Georgia. Mt. Elbrus's peak is the highest in the Caucasus, in Russia...
on 21 August. Although the feat was widely publicized by Goebbels
Goebbels
Goebbels, alternatively Göbbels, is a common surname in the western areas of Germany. It is probably derived from the Old Low German word gibbler, meaning brewer...
, Hitler was furious at this. After the Caucasus campaign the division was posted to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and later Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
where it took part in anti- partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
operations.
But by late 1944 the division, as part of Army Group E
Army Group E
Army Group E was a German Army Group active during World War II.Army Group E was created on 1 January 1943 from the 12th Army...
, had been withdrawn to Hungary from the Balkans.
It was renamed 1. Volks-Gebirgs-Division in March 1945. Its final major operations were near Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked , Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"...
(Operation Spring Awakening) against the 3rd Ukrainian Front
3rd Ukrainian Front
3rd Ukrainian Front was a Front of the Red Army during World War II.It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwestern Front. It included 1st Guards Army, 8th Guards Army, 6th, 12th, and 46th Armies and 17th Air Army...
. Two months later the shattered division surrendered to the Americans in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
War crimes
During the Invasion of PolandInvasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, soldiers from the division assisted in the round-up of Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
civilians from Przemyśl
Przemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
for forced labour. This event was documented in the divisional photographic album. Picture captions demonstrate strong anti-semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
by the authors. Photos 7 and 8
themselves.
On 25 July 1943, soldiers from the division attacked the village of Mousiotitsas in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
following the discovery of a cache of weapons nearby, killing 153 civilians. On 16 August 1943, the village of Kommeno
Kommeno
Kommeno is a village and a former community in the Arta peripheral unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nikolaos Skoufas, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 835 . During the Axis Occupation of Greece in World War II, the village was...
was attacked at the order of Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant
Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant...
Josef Salminger, the commander of GebirgsJäger Regiment 98, a total of 317 civilians were killed. Elements from the division took part in the murder of thousands of Italians
Massacre of the Acqui Division
The Massacre of the Acqui Division , also known as the Cephalonia Massacre , was the mass execution of the men of the Italian 33rd Acqui Infantry Division by the Germans on the island of Kefalonia, Greece, in September 1943, following the Italian armistice during the Second World War. About 5000...
from the 33 Acqui Infantry Division in September 1943 on the Greek island of Cefalonia following the Italian surrender. Soldiers from the division took part in the murder of 32 officers and an estimated 100 soldiers from the Italian 151st Perugia Infantry Division
151 Infantry Division Perugia
The 151 Infantry Division Perugia was an infantry division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Perugia Division was formed in August 1941 as a garrison division. It was sent on operations to Yugoslavia in December 1941. It was part of the Italian forces committed to the Battle of the...
in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
after the Italian surrender.
Following the killing of Oberstleutnant Josef Salminger by Greek partisans, the commander of XXII Gebirgs-Armeekorps General der Gebirgstruppe Hubert Lanz
Hubert Lanz
Karl Hubert Lanz was a German Army officer who rose to the rank of General der Gebirgstruppe during the Second World War, in which he led units in the Eastern Front and in the Balkans. After the war, he was tried and convicted for several atrocities committed by units under his command in the...
issued an order of the day on 1 October 1943 calling for a “ruthless retaliatory action” in a 20 km area around the place were Salminger had been attacked. In the village of Lingiades 87 civilians were killed, a total of at least 200 civilians died.
The Division's war crimes are described in H. F. Meyer's book Bloodstained Edelweiss: The 1st Mountain Division in the Second World War.
Commanders
- General der Gebirgstruppen Ludwig KüblerLudwig KüblerGeneral Ludwig Kübler was a German General of the Mountain Troops during World War II who was executed as a war criminal in Yugoslavia.- Early life :...
(1 Sep 1939 – 25 Oct 1940) - General der Gebirgstruppen Hubert LanzHubert LanzKarl Hubert Lanz was a German Army officer who rose to the rank of General der Gebirgstruppe during the Second World War, in which he led units in the Eastern Front and in the Balkans. After the war, he was tried and convicted for several atrocities committed by units under his command in the...
(25 Oct 1940 – 1 Jan 1942) - General der Artillerie Robert MartinekRobert MartinekRobert Martinek was an artillery officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I, the Austrian Bundesheer and, during World War II, in the Wehrmacht Heer, who came to be regarded as one of the most skilled artillerymen of his generation.-Military service:Martinek was born on 2 February...
(1 Jan 1942 – 1 Dec 1942) - Generalleutnant Walter Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen (1 Dec 1942 – 10 Oct 1944)
- Generalleutnant Josef Kübler (10 Oct 1944 – 10 Mar 1945)
- Generalleutnant August Wittmann (10 Mar 1945 – 8 May 1945)
1939
- 98. Mountain Infantry Regiment
- 3 X Battalions
- 99. Mountain Infantry Regiment
- 3 x Battalions
- 100. Mountain Infantry Regiment
- 3 x Battalions
- 4. Panzerabwehr (anti-tank) Battalion
- 79. Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 4 x Battalions
- 54. Signals Battalion
- 54. Pioneer Battalion
- 54. Supply Troops
- Service Troops
1941
- 98. Mountain Infantry Regiment
- 3 x Battalions
- 99. Mountain Infantry Regiment
- 3 x Battalions
- 54. Field Medical Battalion
- 44. Panzerabwehr Battalion
- 79. Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 4 x Battalions
- 54. Signals Battalion
- 54. Pioneer Battalion
- 54. Supply Troops
- Service Troops
1943
- 98. Mountain Infantry Regiment
- 3 x Battalions
- 99. Mountain Infantry Regiment
- 3 x Battalions
- 44. PanzerjägerPanzerjägerPanzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Battalion
- 79. Mountain Artillery Regiment
- 4 x Battalions
- 54. Mountain Jäger Battalion
- 54. Reconnaissance Battalion
- 54. Mountain Signals Battalion
- 79. Mountain Field Medical Battalion
- 54. Mountain Pioneer Battalion
- 54. Mountain Pack Mule Battalion
- 54. Supply Troops
- Service Troops
Notable members
- Ferdinand SchörnerFerdinand SchörnerFerdinand Schörner was a General and later Field Marshal in the German Army during World War II.-Early life:Schörner was born in Munich, Bavaria...
The last living German Field Marshal, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds - Wego Chiang son of the Chinese leader General Chiang Kai Shek served in I./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98 in 1937 – 1939, reaching the rank of Leutnant before returning to ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
at the outbreak of war.
See also
- Division (military)Division (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
, Military unit, List of German divisions in WWII - HeerGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
Further reading
- Pipes, Jason. "1.Gebirgs-Division". Retrieved April 12, 2005.
- Wendel, Marcus (2004). "1. Gebirgs-Division". Retrieved April 12, 2005.
- "1. Gebirgs-Division". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved April 12, 2005.