1st Ski Division (Wehrmacht)

1st Ski Division (Wehrmacht)
The 1st Ski Division was a mountain infantry unit of the German Waffen-SS/Army trained to use skis for movement during winter. It was created on the Eastern Front in the autumn of 1943 in preparation for upcoming winter operations. It was enlarged into a full division in the summer of 1944. The division fought exclusively on the Eastern Front as part of Army Group Centre, including an approach to the Vistula river and during the retreat into Slovakia, southern Poland and the Czech lands (now the Czech Republic), where it surrendered to the Red Army in May 1945.
History
The American writer and publisher George Nafziger states that the 1st Skijäger Division was formed on 2 June 1944 by expanding the 1st Skijäger Brigade, which had been initially formed in September 1943. As was usual for German formations at this point in the war, the division was formed around existing units which were strengthened with new recruits. Elements of the 19th Brigade, the 65th Heavy Artillery Regiment, the 152nd Panzerjäger Battalion and the 18th Werfer (Rocket) Battalion with the 615th Flak (anti-aircraft) Battalion which was used to expand the brigade into a division.
On 1 January 1945, the 1st Ski Division (then under Army Group Heinrici of Army Group A) had a strength of 12,014 men.
Structure
Structure of the division:
Division Headquarters
1st Ski Jäger Regiment
2nd Ski Jäger Regiment
1st Heavy Ski Battalion
152nd Artillery Regiment (eventually included the 18th Panzerwerfer Battalion)
1st Ski Fusilier Battalion
152nd Ski Tank Destroyer Battalion
270th Assault Gun Battalion
85th Ski Engineer Battalion
152nd Ski Signal Battalion
152nd Ski Field Replacement Battalion
152nd Ski Division Supply Group
Commanding officers
Günther von Manteuffel, 1 April 1943 – September 1943
Martin Berg, 13 May 1944 – 2 August 1944
Gustav Hundt, 3 October 1944 – 15 November 1944
Emmanuel von Kiliani, 15 November – 7 December 1944
Gustav Hundt, 8 December 1944 January 1945
Hans Steets, January – February 1945
Gustav Hundt, February – April 1945
Bruno Weiler, April – May 1945
References
Sources
Anderson, Thomas, Skijäger: une "nouvelle race" de guerriers, Batailles & Blindés n°40, décembre 2010–janvier 2011, éditions Caraktère.
Georg Gunter: Die deutschen Skijäger bis 1945. Podzun-Pallas, Friedberg 2005, .
Gustav Fochler-Hauke: Schi-Jäger am Feind. Kurt Vowinckel Verlag, Heidelberg u. a. 1943, .
Mitcham, Samuel W. Jr. (2007). German Order of Battle. Volume Two: 291st – 999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. PA; United States of America: Stackpole Books. S. 237+238, .
Georg Tessin: Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945, Band 2, Frankfurt/Main und Osnabrück, 1966, Seite 25 ff.
Gordon Williamson: German Mountain & Ski Troops 1939–45. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012.
H.Dv. 374/2 Ausbildungsvorschrift für die Gebirgstruppen (A.V.G.) – Heft 2: Der militärische Schilauf (Schivorschrift) – 1938, .
Merkblatt Nr. 25b/31 Hinweise für den winterbeweglichen Einsatz der Infanterie – 1943, .
Military units and formations established in 1943
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Military units and formations disestablished in 1945