The 1st Gebirgsjager (Mountain) Division was formed in the 1930s, and consisted mainly of Bavarians and Austrians. The 1st Mountain Division was a rifle infantry Division nicknamed the Edelweiss Division. The Edelweiss is an alpine flower tough enough to grow and survive at altitudes of 1700 to 2700 meters (5600 to 8900 feet) in the Austrian mountains and became the insignia of the Wehrmacht Mountain Divisions. The Edelweiss is a symbol of noble purity and obtaining an Edelweiss is said to be proof of a man’s unusual daring. A patch (top image) was affixed to the sleeve of members of the Division and a pin was affixed to the cap (second image). The Edelweiss remains the symbol of German Mountain troops to this day. No shrinking violets, during WWII the 1st Mountain Division was composed of ruthless, tough and well-trained troops. In fact, the Division was accused of, and found to have perpetrated numerous war crimes.
In 1939, the 1st Gebirgsjager Division took part in the Campaign in Poland as part of XIV Army Group South capturing the Dukla Pass in the Carpathian mountains and saw action in operations in Southern Poland, forcing the surrender of the Polish city of Lemberg.
After the Campaign in Poland, the Division was transferred to the Western Front to take part in the attack on France and the Low countries in 1940. In France, the 1st Gebirgsjager distinguished itself in the crossings of the Maas and Loire Rivers. After the Campaign in France, the Division was posted to take part in the planned invasion of Great Britain, and then for the planned invasion of Gibraltar, but in both cases, the planned operations were canceled.
After training for the above two invasions, the Division was transferred to Austria to take part in operations in Yugoslavia. After the Campaigns in Yugoslavia, the Division took part in the Invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa). The below photos are from the German Invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941:
In the East, the 1st Mountain Division continued its advance into the Soviet Union, participating in the breakthrough of the Stalin Line and the advance to the Dniepr and Mius rivers. In May 1942, the division fought in the Second Battle of Kharkov and then participated in the offensive through southern Russia and into the Caucasus (Operation Edelweiss) until it was withdrawn into Greece 1943. There, Generalleutant Walter Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen (pictured below), who commanded the 1st Mountain Division from December 1942 through October 1944, was held as part of Oberkommando der Wehrmacht's strategic reserve, spending its time engaged in anti-partisan duties until April 1944, when it was dispatched to Hungary.
In December, 1944 the Division was again moved to Hungary where it took part in offensives against the Red Army. It was renamed 1stVolks-Gebirgs-Division and was then moved to the south-eastern part of Austria where in 1945 it surrendered to the Soviets in May. Its personnel went into Soviet captivity, and many never returned.
Last edited:
