2nd Mountain Division (Wehrmacht)
| 2. Gebirgs-Division (English: 2nd Mountain Division) | |
|---|---|
|
Unit insignia | |
| Active | October 1938 – 8 May 1945 |
| Country |
.svg.png){kind=small} Germany |
| Allegiance | Adolf Hitler |
| Branch | Heer |
| Type | Gebirgsjäger |
| Role | Mountain warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | World War II |
The 2nd Mountain Division (German: 2. Gebirgs Division) was raised in 1938 from the former 6th Division and German mountain troops. It fought as part of Army Group South during the Invasion of Poland (1939, attacking from the territory of Slovak State), then took part in the invasion of Norway in 1940, and attempted to relieve the beleaguered 3rd Mountain Division at Narvik. In 1941 it moved into Lapland to participate in Operation Silberfuchs, the attack on the Soviet Arctic as part of Operation Barbarossa. In late 1944 it withdrew to Norway and then transferred to Denmark. In 1945, it fought on the Western Front, where it was engaged in heavy combat near Trier.
The Allies destroyed much of the division near Württemberg towards the end of the war, with survivors surrendering to the Americans.
Commanding officers
- Generalleutnant Valentin Feurstein (1 April 1938 - 4 March 1941)
- Generalleutnant Ernst Schlemmer (4 March 1941 - 2 March 1942)
- Generalleutnant Georg Ritter von Hengl (2 March 1942 - 23 October 1943)
- Generalleutnant Hans Degen (1 November 1943 - 6 February 1945)
- Oberst Hans Roschmann, (6 February 1945 - 9 February 1945)
- Generalleutnant Willibald Utz, (9 February 1945 - German capitulation)
References
- Pipes, Jason. "2nd Gebirgsjager Division". Retrieved April 8, 2005.
- Wendel, Marcus (2004). "2. Gebirgs-Division". Retrieved April 8, 2005.
- "2. Gebirgs-Division". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved April 8, 2005.
External links
- Photo album of a mountain trooper in 2. Gebirgs-Division Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 136 in 1942-1944 at the Eastern Front.
