Gebirgsjäger
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Gebirgsjäger, often referred to as Gebirgsjager or Gebirgsjaeger in English, is the German word for mountain infantry (Gebirge meaning "mountain range", and Jäger meaning "hunter" or "ranger"). The word Jäger is the traditional German term for light infantry. The place of the Gebirgsjäger in German military tradition predates World War I and they are considered somewhat of an elite corps.
During World War II the Heer and Waffen-SS raised a number of Gebirgsjäger units. The quality of these divisions varied greatly, with the 1.Gebirgs-Division being classed as elite, and the 13.Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS Handschar (kroatische nr.1) as unreliable in combat.
The Gebirgsjäger arm of the Heer was already well advanced by 1941, with an entire Gebirgskorps being formed in Norway. The Divisions were lightly equipped, with much of the transport provided by pack animals. The Gebirgsjäger units were equipped with fewer automatic weapons than regular infantry divisions, however the machine gunners were provided with more ammunition than their infantry counterparts. Gebirgsjäger were identified by the edelweiss insignia worn on their sleeves and their caps.
Gebirgsjäger participated in many famous battles, including Operation Weserübung, Operations Silberfuchs, Platinfuchs and Polarfuchs, the Operations in the Caucasus, the Gothic Line, the invasion of Crete and the battles in the Vosges region of France.
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[edit] Gebirgsjäger in the modern German forces
Honouring tradition, upon the creation of the Bundeswehr in 1956, the Gebirgsjäger returned as a distinctive arm of the Heer. Until 2001 the Gebirgsjäger-units were organized in the 1. Gebirgsdivision, but this division was eventually disbanded in the run of the general reform of the German forces. The successive unit is the Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23 with its headquarter in Bad Reichenhall (Bavaria). All battalions of the Gebirgsjäger are deployed in southern Bavaria.
List of all active Gebirgsjäger-units in the Bundeswehr as of 2006:
- Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23
- Stab und Stabskompanie (HQ & HQ Company)
- Ausbildungszentrum für Gebirgstragtierwesen 230 (company-sized training center for transport mules)
- Gebirgsfernmeldebataillon 210 (Signal bataillon)
- Gebirgsaufklärungsbataillon 230 (Reconnaissance bataillon)
- Gebirgsjägerbataillon 231 (Mountain infantry)
- Gebirgsjägerbataillon 232 (Mountain infantry)
- Gebirgsjägerbataillon 233 (Mountain infantry)
- Gebirgspionierbataillon 8 (Combat engineer bataillon)
- Gebirgslogistikbataillon 8 (Logistic bataillon)
- Gebirgs- und Winterkampfschule (international training center for mountain area and winter warfare)
- Gebirgsmusikkorps (Mountain troops military band)
The Gebirgsmusikkorps from Garmisch-Partenkirchen belongs to the Wehrbereichskommando IV, the southern military district of Germany, of the Streitkräftebasis. It is one of the most popular military bands in Germany and fulfills an important mission for the public relations effort of the Bundeswehr. The Gebirgsmusikkorps became famous for its performance for the ISAF in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2002.
[edit] Former units
The out of service Gebirgsjägerbataillon 571 (Mountain infantry) (in Saxony) belonged to the Jägerbrigade 37.
The Gebirgsartilleriebataillon 210 (Mountain Artillery), which was part of the Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23, will be disbanded.
[edit] Traditions
The soldiers of the Gebirgsjäger wear a grey cap (which is called “Bergmütze”) with an edelweiss on its left side. This special kind of cap separates them from all other German soldiers who are wearing berets. The formal uniform, which is based on traditional skiing outfits, is also different from the standard German military uniform, and consists of ski jacket, stretch trousers, and ski boots.
The “Kaiserjägermarsch” (March of the Kaiserjäger) from 1914 is the traditional military march of the German and Austrian Gebirgsjäger.
[edit] See also
- Strzelcy podhalańscy, the Podhale rifles of Poland
- Alpini of Italy
