4th Mountain Division (Wehrmacht)

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4th Mountain Division

VerbAbz4GebDiv.jpg

Troop identification: a yellow gentian
active October 23, 1940 to May 1945 (surrender)
Country Flag of Germany (1935–1945) .svg German Empire
Armed forces Wehrmacht
Armed forces army
Branch of service Mountain troop
Type Mountain Division
structure structure
garrison Großer Heuberg , Hohenzollerische Lande
Second World War Balkan campaign
war against the Soviet Union 1941–1945
Edelweiss company
Dnepr-Carpathian operation
commander
list of Commanders
Memorial stone for the fallen of the 4th Mountain Division on the Lochenhörnle (2019)

The 4th Mountain Division was a major unit of mountain troops of the Army of the German Wehrmacht in World War II .

history

The division was set up at the Heuberg military training area from October 23, 1940 to mid-March 1941, mainly through levies from the 25th and 27th Infantry Divisions . In the same year the association was relocated to Bulgaria and from there participated in the Balkan campaign in 1941 . The division advanced in Serbia in the direction of Pirot and this was followed by advancing battles via Knjaževac to Kruševac and a deployment as an occupation force in the area southeast of Belgrade .

After the Balkan campaign, the division was transferred to the Eastern Front. It pushed over Lemberg , the Brzezany area , over the Sereth through the Stalin line at Derashnje and was used in the capture of Vinnitsa . Other skirmishes included participation in the Uman Battle in the Podwyssokoje area, the advance to the Dnieper and pursuit battles east of the Dnieper, defensive battle near Malaya-Belosjorka, on the Sea of ​​Azov in the Mogila- Tokmak area , capture of Stalino , and the pursuit over the Mius .

In 1942 defensive battles followed in the Donets area, in the Mius position, breakthrough on the Mius and battle of Rostov - Bataisk , pursuit battles to the Kuban and advance on the high passes of the Caucasus , alternating offensive and defensive battles in the High and West Caucasus (on 21 August, parts of the division with high mountain fighters of the 1st Mountain Division captured the 5,642 m high Elbrus ). In 1943 the retreat to the Kuban began, attacking and defensive battles alternated in the landing head south of Novorossiysk , west of Melitopol and in the Kherson bridgehead. The next year there followed offensive and defensive battles in the Vinnitsa area, relief attacks for the Cherkassy pocket , defensive battles in the area north of Uman, retreat to the Dniester , defensive battles east of Kishinew, offensive and defensive battles in the Forest Carpathians . Then the division withdrew from the Szekler tip to the Ungvar area. In December, participation in the defensive battle in the Pelsöc / Rosenau area .

Now the division, weakened by losses, was only listed as a "combat group" in the OKH's overviews . Defensive battles followed in the High Tatras and the retreat to Upper Silesia , beginning on April 12, 1945, the Battle of Opava . Then the division withdrew fighting to the north-east of Brno behind the March . After the successful breakout from the Soviet pocket near Olomouc , the further withdrawal via the American-occupied Vltava failed . At the surrender, the bulk of the division was taken prisoner by the Soviets.

Commanders

  • Lieutenant General Karl Eglseer - October 23, 1940 to October 1, 1941
  • Colonel Karl Wintergerst - October 1 to November 1941 (assigned with deputy leadership)
  • Lieutenant General Karl Eglseer - November 1941 to October 22, 1942
  • Lieutenant General Hermann Kreß - October 23, 1942 to August 12, 1943
  • Lieutenant General Julius Braun - August 13, 1943 to June 6, 1944
  • Colonel Karl Jank - June 6 to July 1, 1944 (in charge of deputy leadership)
  • Lieutenant General Friedrich Breith - July 1, 1944 to February 23, 1945
  • Colonel Robert Bader - February 23 to April 6, 1945 (assigned as deputy leadership)
  • Lieutenant General Friedrich Breith - April 6, 1945 until surrender

structure

  • Mountain Infantry Regiment 13
  • Mountain Infantry Regiment 91
  • Mountain Artillery Regiment 94
  • Mountain tank destroyer division 94
  • Mountain Pioneer Battalion 94
  • Reconnaissance Division 94
  • Mountain News Division 94
  • Mountain Hunter Battalion 94
  • Division Units 94

Replacement troops for the divisional headquarters were the Gebirgsjäger-Ersatz-Bataillon II./98 in Mittenwald .

Well-known members of the division

Memorials

In the Meßstetten on the Hörnle a rock of the dead is remembered. The memorial on the Hochalbpfad is maintained by the Kohlraisle Heimatverein.

Muli ways

In 1940/41, the privately quartered mountain hunters built narrow paths on the eaves to get the pack animals used to the height. In order to offer half-day tourists an attractive destination, hiking trails were signposted and advertised based on these paths. In the Zollernalbkreis and the Obere Donau Nature Park , there is a synchronized offer in rail transport on all routes on weekends . Railcars operated by the Hohenzollerische Landesbahn run here on Sundays and public holidays in order to make the local recreation area more attractive for tourism via Lautlinger Bahnhof.

literature

  • Julius Braun: Gentian and Edelweiss. The 4th Mountain Division 1940–1945. Podzun, Bad Nauheim 1955 ( The German Divisions 1939–1945 ).
  • Alex Buchner: From the Arctic Ocean to the Caucasus. The German mountain troops in World War II, 1941/42. Podzun, Friedberg 2001, ISBN 3-7909-0329-9 .
  • Roland Kaltenegger : The German mountain troops. 1935-1945. Revised and expanded new edition. Universitas Verlag, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-8004-1196-2 .
  • Roland Kaltenegger: Edelweiss and Gentian. The war history of the 4th Mountain Division 1940–1945 . Österreichischer Miliz -Verlag, Salzburg 2006, ISBN 3-901185-27-5 ( Österreichischer Milizverlag 27).
  • Georg Tessin : Associations and troops of the German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS in World War II 1939–1945. Volume 2. The Land Forces 1–5 . 2nd Edition. Biblio-Verlag, Bissendorf 1973, ISBN 3-7648-0871-3 .

Lectures

Volker Strölin Hossingen: Gebirgsjäger-Artellerieregiment 94, stationed in Meßstetten, Hossingen, Oberdigisheim. Hobby historian Volker Strölin provides information in words and pictures about the period of training from October 1940 to March 1941 and weddings after 1945.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. memorial stone
  2. Muliweg
  3. Traufweg to Gräblesberg expanded in 1940/41
  4. Jens Ebert: 60 years ago: Establishment of the 4th Enzian Mountain Division in the Balingenl Albstadt area . Heimatkundliche Blätter November 30, 2001. Ed .: Heimatkundliche Vereinigung. Balingen.
  5. Schwäbischer Albverein Hossingen: Official Gazette of the city of Meßstetten 58th year / no. 8 . Hossingen. Ed .: City of Meßstetten. Meßstetten, S. 20 .