kk mountain troop

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The year 1906 was the founding year of the kk mountain troops , which were part of the kk landwehr of the cisleithan half of the empire. That is why the abbreviation "imperial-royal | kk" (for imperial Austrian, royal Bohemian) is used and not the term "imperial and royal | kuk", which would include the Hungarian part of the empire.

Inspired by a memorandum of Conrad von Hötzendorf , the War Ministry in Vienna convened a meeting in February 1906 on the subject of high-alpine border security. The later field marshal lieutenant Eduard Edler von Tunk presented a concept in agreement with him, the main features of which were then implemented.

The existing Kk state rifle regiments were to be trained as mountain troops and, together with the Landsturm border protection companies and the gendarmerie assistants (departments), should form the backbone of a local defense system on the Tyrolean border .

The commander in chief from 1916
Emperor Karl I.

Deployment and deployment on August 1, 1914

On May 1, 1906, the two state rifle regiments stationed with staff in Bolzano and Trient and the Landwehr infantry regiment "Klagenfurt" No. 4 were designated as high mountain troops and in 1909 supplemented by a third state rifle regiment stationed with staff in Innichen . In 1911, the kk Landwehr infantry regiment "Laibach" No. 27 followed as the fifth regiment.

The area of ​​the Carnic Ridge in Carinthia and the Julian Alps was assigned to the Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 4 Klagenfurt and the Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 27 Laibach . These two previously normal infantry regiments also received the new uniform of the mountain troops. From April 11, 1917, they were called Mountain Rifle Regiment No. 1 and No. 2.

Imperial and Royal Rifle Regiment "Trient" No. I

  • Commander: Colonel Adolf Sloninka von Holodów
  • Staff / 1st Battalion in Trento
  • 2nd battalion in Strigno
  • III. Battalion in Ala
  • IV Battalion in Rovereto
Mountain infantryman in marching adjustment 1906–1908

Imperial and Royal State Rifle Regiment "Bozen" No. II

  • Commanding officer: Colonel Karl Josef Stiller
  • Staff / 2nd Battalion in Bolzano
  • 1st battalion in Merano
  • III. Battalion in Riva del Garda

Imperial and Royal Rifle Regiment "Innichen" No. III

  • Commanding officer: Colonel Hugo Schönherr / Colonel Josef Hadaszczok
  • Staff in Innichen
  • 1st battalion in Primör
  • II battalion in Predazzo
  • III. Battalion in Ampezzo

Riding Tyrolean Rifle Division

  • Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Moritz Srnka
  • Trent
  • Landwehr Infantry Regiment "Klagenfurt" No. 4
44th Infantry Brigade - 22nd Infantry Troop Division - III. Army Corps
Commanding officer: Colonel Friedrich Eckhardt von Eckhardtsburg
Established: 1889
Staff / III. Baon in Klagenfurt
I. / II. Baon in Hermagor
Nationalities: 79% German - 21% other
Supplementary district: Klagenfurt
  • Landwehr Infantry Regiment "Laibach" No. 27
44th Infantry Brigade - 22nd Infantry Troop Division - III. Army Corps
Commanding officer: Colonel Karl Zahradniczek
Established: 1901
Staff / I. and III. Baon in Laibach
II. Baon in Gorizia
Nationalities: 86% Slovenes - 14% other
Supplementary district: Laibach

The regiments began with high alpine training and moved into the so-called summer stations in mountain inns, Alpine club huts and tent camps, from where intensive training activities were carried out. The winter stations were naturally in the valleys, but this did not rule out an extensive program of winter exercises, alpine courses and skiing exercises on the heights.

Adjustment and equipment

In 1907, the game cock thrust made of white and black feathers was reintroduced until 1887 by the state riflemen on the cap . Together with the edelweiss on the collar, it formed the emblem of the kk mountain troops. Otherwise the outfit was like that of the hunters' troops. The pike- gray mountain adjustment was new : mountain boots, mountain stockings, breeches, jacket, cap, coat, cape . Officers as individuals (not in troops) continued to wear the previous Landwehr uniform to parade and reporting.

Cap badge for officers after 1916
State rifleman in mountain adjustment after 1908

Battalions and companies received pack animals . The rifle was replaced by the (shorter) 8 mm Mannlicher M 95 socket . There was additional equipment that was adapted to the requirements of combat in the mountains. Skis, ropes, crampons, ice axes, etc. were handed out. The regiments were each reinforced by a mountain machine gun division to four machine guns , which could be brought to the highest positions by improving mobility, on pack animals or as crew loads. The same applied to the collapsible mountain guns . Transportable swarm ovens (swarm = group) and heatable tents made it possible to stay in inhospitable regions.

In skiing, the two-level technique had replaced the one-level technique. With the bilgeri binding , a touring binding was available that could be used with normal mountain boots.

  • Excerpt from the leaflet "Mountain War in Winter"
Created by the Austro-Hungarian National Defense Command in Tyrol o. J.
Alpine equipment as follows:
A. General mountain equipment to be assigned to each soldier in the fighting force; it consists of:
1 backpack with 2 breast pockets
1 mountain stick
1 pair of snow tires
1 snow goggles
1 pair of four-pointed crampons
B. Equipment of the high alpine departments: the above equipment and also:
1 pair of ten-point crampons with straps
1 complete ski suit
1 pair of avalanche cords
1 pair of shoe covers
1 pair of over mittens
1 anorak
1 wind pants
1 snowsuit (in an emergency also a snow coat)
for four men each:
1 ice ax with an ice ax loop
1 can of glacier ointment
1 spirit stove with container
Complete ski suit consisting of:
1 pair of skis with bindings
1 pair of double sticks
1 pair of harness and fur set
1 pair of crampons
Ski wax
A pair of skis with bindings consists of:
1 pair of ski rails
1 pair of bindings with keys and fastening screws
1 pair of sole plates
1 set of ski straps

With regard to the equipment and fittings, one had to comply with the available options. The avalanche cord was prescribed as early as 1915 . Instead of the coat, an impregnated anorak protected against wind and moisture. Patrols (Austrian. Patrols ) conducted yet altimeter , thermometer , electric. Flashlights, spare ski tips, repair kit, alcohol stove, a portable pharmacy, maps and binoculars with you. The white snow coat was worn as camouflage. The cruet consisted of canned and dry food. Due to the general shortage of supplies , however, only the mountain guide departments, high mountain companies and alpine detachments could be supplied as sufficiently as possible. The majority of the troops deployed in the mountains received only what could otherwise be dispensed with.

Use in the east

During the First World War , the mountain infantry regiments were initially withdrawn from their original task and thrown against the Russian attack on Galicia , although according to the law, at least as far as the Imperial and Royal Landesschützen were concerned, this was actually not permitted, as they could only be used to defend the borders of Tyrol . In the vast expanses of Galicia, on the San , near Lelechowka, near Limanowa-Lapanow , in the Carpathians and in Serbia , the best-trained troops of the Austro-Hungarian Army, the XIV. Corps , were almost destroyed.

Use in Tyrol

When the Kingdom of Italy believed in 1915 that it could seize the opportunity, on May 23, 1915, it declared war on its former allies Austria-Hungary . After the actually completely unprotected border against Italy had been secured to some extent with hastily gathered Landsturm and convalescent units, a few active troops, as well as the Tyrolean and Vorarlberg Standschützen , the voluntary riflemen of Carinthia, Salzburg and Styria, the relocations of the meanwhile began in the summer of 1915 mountain troops were added to their actual areas of responsibility. Together with the four Tyrolean Jägerregiments as well as Feldjäger battalions (e.g. No. 8 and No. 9) and various normal infantry regiments (e.g. No. 59 and No. 14) they accomplished what nobody would have thought possible Defense of the border of Austria against up to eight times the superiority.

Defense Sections

Rayon of the State Rifle Regiment II

Section from the Stilfser Joch to Lake Garda

Intended positions in the mountain range: Monpitschen (Taufers), Urtirola, Taufers / Münster , Ciavaltasch, Furkelspitz, Stilfser Joch , Madatschspitze, Kristallspitze, Thurwieser , Königspitze , Cevedale .
  • 2nd battalion with companies in Peio , Pizzano and Fucine (all Val di Sole )
Planned positions in the mountain range: Cevedale, Monte Vioz , Punta San Matteo , Corno dei Tre Signori , Punta Albiolo, Tonale, Cima Presena
Intended positions in the mountain range: Cima Presena, Monte Mandrone, Dosson di Genova, Monte Rossola, Cima di Seroten, Cima delle Cornelle, Cima di Corsine, Cima del Palu, Lake Garda

Rayon of the State Rifle Regiment I

Section from Lake Garda to the Dolomites

Intended positions in the mountain range: Lake Garda, Monte Baldo , Borghetto, Corno di Aquiglio, Monte Tomba, Passo della Lora, Pasubio , Monte Maggio
Intended positions in the mountain course: Monte Maggio, Laste alte, Noselari, Cassotto, Cima Mandriolo
Intended positions in the mountain range: Cima Mandriolo, Cima Dodici , Cima Maora, Frizzone, Cima di Campo, Colle Cocogna, Monte Cappolo

Rayon of the Landessschützenregiment III

Section from the Dolomites to the Carnic Ridge

Intended positions in the mountain range: Monte Coppolo, Monte Croce, Le Vette, Monte Colsento, Sasso di Muro, Cima di Fradusta, Cimon della Pala
  • 2nd battalion with companies in Piani di Cason, San Pellegrino , Penia
Intended positions in the mountain range: Cimon della Pala, Cima Predazza, Cima di Valfredda, Marmolata , Monte Padon
Intended positions in the mountain range: Monte Padon, Caprile, Nuvolau , La Rocchetta, Sorapiss , Monte Cristallo
Intended positions in the mountain range: Monte Cristallo, Monte Piano , Drei Zinnen , Paternkofel , Zwölferkofel , Elferkofel , Kreuzberg , Wildkarleck, Tilliacher Joch, Hochspitz

Rayon of the kk Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 4

Group of the kk Landwehr Regiment 4 from Laibach in 1917 on the Bojiscu

Carnic Comb section

  • 1st battalion with companies in Hollbruck, Gentschach, Goderschach
Intended positions in the mountain course: Hochspitz, Hohe Warte , Plöckenpass , Hoher Trieb
Intended positions in the mountain range: Hoher Trieb, Hochwipfel, Trogkofel, Nassfeldpass , Malborghet
  • III. Battalion with companies in Dellacher Alm, Tarvisio , Riofreddo
Intended positions in the mountain range: Malborghet, Sella di Sepdogna, Predilsattel

Rayon of the kk Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 27

Section Julian Alps , from the Predilsattel over the Flitscher Klause and the Krn to Gradisca

Museum reception

Alpine equipment of the Imperial and Royal Mountain Troops from 1910 is on display in the Vienna Army History Museum . It consists u. a. made of skis, nailed mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axes, mountaineering sticks, climbing ropes and snow tires. There are also memorabilia on Lieutenant Theodor von Lerch, who was invited to Japan in 1911 to teach Japanese soldiers how to ski in the mountains. A social and mass sport developed from this in Japan.

Others

After Italy declared war, the German Alpine Corps was immediately commanded into the Dolomite front to support the front. For this help, the soldiers of the Alpine Corps were given the right to wear the edelweiss of the state riflemen (from January 1917 Kaiserschützen ) or the mountain riflemen. This edelweiss can still be found on the hat of the mountain troops of the German Armed Forces .

The edelweiss is still managed today by the Austrian mountain troops and the Polish Podhale riflemen .

Distinction badge of the kk mountain troops

  • Hunter

  • Patrol leader

  • Subjugator

  • Platoon leader

  • Oberjäger

  • Cadet Sergeant
    from 1908 Cadet

  • Chief of Staff until 1914

  • Chief of Staff after 1914

  • Deputy Officer (from 1915)

  • Deputy Cadet Officer (until 1908)

  • Ensign (from 1908)

  • lieutenant

  • First lieutenant

  • Captain

  • major

  • Lieutenant colonel

  • Colonel

The officers' distinction stars and edelweiss were made of metal web. The stars of the teams were made of celluloid, the edelweiss of metal. From 1914 onwards, cadets and chief officers wore stars made of white silk.

The stars always appeared in the button color (i.e. silver) - for staff officers who wore a border on the collar, this was in the button color, the stars then the opposite. So the color of the stars has nothing to do with rank.

Since the mountain troops had no conventional peace uniforms since 1908, but always appeared in field uniform (except for officers and only for individual reports), the collars were only equipped with parolis and not with surrounding colored strips of fabric.

See also

literature

  • Hubert Fankhauser: Volunteers on Carinthia's borders. The regimental history of the KK Carinthian volunteer shooters 1915 to 1918. Vehling Verlag. ISBN 978-3-85333-150-7
  • Allmayer-Beck , Lessing : The K. (below) K. Army. 1848-1914 . Bertelsmann, Munich et al. 1974, ISBN 3-570-07287-8 .
  • Austrian State Archives / War Archives . Vienna.
  • Heinz von Lichem: Spielhahnstoke and edelweiss . Leopold Stocker Verlag , Graz 1977.
  • Heinz von Lichem : The Tyrolean High Mountain War 1915-1918. Steiger Verlag, Berwang (Tyrol) 1985.
  • Count Bossi Fedregotti: Kaiserjäger . Stocker Verlag, Graz 1977.
  • Carl von Bardolff: Soldier in ancient Austria . Diederichs Verlag, Jena 1938.
  • Rest- Ortner -Ilming: The emperor's rock in the 1st World War . Militaria Publishing House, Vienna 2002.
  • Michael Wachtler and Günther Obwegs: War in the mountains - Dolomites . Athesia Bozen 2003.
  • von Lemprü : Ortlerkampf 1915-1918 . Book Service South Tyrol 2005.
  • Herman Hinterstoisser, M.Christian Ortner, Erwin A. Schmidl The kk Landwehr mountain troops . Vienna 2006, ISBN 3-902526-02-5 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Spelling of the kuk military administration until 1918, however, since the spelling reform of 1996 referred to as field marshal lieutenant
  2. ↑ The Landwehr infantry regiments had the seat of the regimental staff as part of their name
  3. ↑ At first only the III. Regiment four battalions. This was handed over to Regiment No. I before 1914 and moved from Innichen to Rovereto
  4. ^ Manfried Rauchsteiner , Manfred Litscher (Ed.): The Army History Museum in Vienna. Graz, Vienna 2000 p. 62.

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