High mountain fighters
Hochgebirgsjägerzüge are special trains of the German Mountain Hunter Battalions 231 ( Bad Reichenhall ), 232 ( Berchtesgaden ), 233 ( Mittenwald ) and - until their dissolution in 1992 and 2008 - 234 (Mittenwald) and 571 Schneeberg . High mountain hunters qualify through high physical fitness, endurance, and alpine and skiing skills. Their range of tasks goes far beyond the usual units of the mountain troops .
The high mountain reconnaissance platoon of the 3rd Company , the light reconnaissance company of the Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion 230 ( Füssen ), which primarily carries out reconnaissance missions in the high mountains, in the most difficult terrain and in almost all climatic zones, must be distinguished from this.
education
The candidates for the high mountain hunters' marches must undergo a strict two-day entrance test, which includes a fitness test (750 meters in altitude per hour), a skiing test and a climbing test . The 5th degree UIAA must be mastered. Increased demands are also made on mental fitness. Through this selection process, "high-migrants" - as they are called among the mountain hunters - represent a highly qualified and homogeneous troop of mountain soldiers.
As special units, high mountain fighters are subject to special training: In addition to military training, they are trained in makeshift and planned mountain rescue, orientation in the field and survival in the field. In addition, alpine skills are constantly trained. Regular mountain runs and marches are an important part of everyday work to improve fitness.
Another important part and the actual tools of the high mountain fighter platoon is the combat service in the high mountains with attack and defense as well as reconnaissance and special combat actions such as coup d'état and ambush in hunting combat .
construction
In peacetime, the high mountain fighter platoon is part of the 1st headquarters and supply company of the mountain fighter battalions.
In the event of a defense, he is directly under the orders of the battalion commander .
Platoon and group leaders are army mountain leaders , the platoon is divided into three groups and platoon troops like an infantry platoon.
tasks
Areas of application of the high mountain fighter platoon are military combat (both summer and winter combat in extreme, impassable and steep terrain, usually in high mountains ), the production of rope safety systems for following troops, as well as scheduled and makeshift mountain rescue. In the event of a disaster, the high mountain ranges support civil mountain rescue .
equipment
The high mountain fighter trains can fall back on a wide range of modern equipment to fulfill their special tasks. In addition to the standard G36 weapon , the equipment also includes a full range of climbing, ski touring and ice climbing equipment, which is therefore much more special and extensive than the usual mountain hunters. The high mountain hunter train also has special mountain rescue equipment such as avalanche probes , makeshift ski screw connections, avalanche shovels, various Akias (e.g. UT2000). The Unimog 406 , the Hägglund BV 206 and the Wolf serve as transport vehicles .
Camaraderie
Soldiers of the high mountain ranges encounter the special dangers of the mountains during their training. They learn to perceive and assess these risks carefully and together learn to avoid them or to reduce them to a calculable residual risk through considerations, preparations and safeguarding measures. This requires an intensive mental and physical examination of the individual with the dangerous environment and a very well coordinated approach in the respective group. For this reason, a particularly intense camaraderie often develops in the high mountain ranges , which can be seen both in dealings between superiors and subordinates and in close ties after active service in the Bundeswehr.
Competitions
The high mountain ranges regularly take part in national and international military competitions for the Bundeswehr. Overall victories in the military patrol of the Italian Ski Championships of the mountain troops in 2013 and 2014 as well as successes in the Edelweiß Raid in 2013, 2015 and 2017 and the military patrols of the International Divisional Ski Championships (IDSM) were achieved by high mountain fighters of Mountain Brigade 23.
Image in the media
One became known in February 2010, the Defense Commissioner of the Bundestag , Reinhold Robbe , received a complaint from a former member of the Mittenwalder high Mountaineer train in Shooting rituals and an internal hierarchy within the Team service grade was reported ensured a negative image of high Mountaineer train in media and Population . A description of these rituals, including a. eating raw pork liver, yeast wrapped in rollmops, and consuming alcohol to the point of vomiting led to internal investigations. This resulted in the temporary dissolution of the Mittenwald high mountain fighters and the disciplinary appreciation of the soldiers involved. The train was repositioned on October 1, 2010.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The mountain troops. In: magazine of the comrades circle of the mountain troops. Issue 4 2016, p. 67.
- ↑ CaSTA 2014 ( memento of September 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), results of the train competition, patrol.
- ↑ Edelweiß Raid 2013 , press report.
- ↑ "Edelweiss Raid" 2017 - the toughest military mountain competition in the world . In: bundesheer.at , March 8, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ↑ IDSM