Alpenkorps (German Empire)

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Alpenkorps (German Empire)

The Alpenkorps was a provisional mountain unit of division
Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or Formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps....
size formed by the Imperial German Army
German Army (German Empire)

The German Army was the name given the combined armed forces of the German Empire, also known as the Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr....
during World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
. It was considered by the Allies to be one of the best units of the German Army.

Formation
After experiencing heavy difficulties in fighting the French Chasseurs Alpins
Chasseurs alpins

The Chasseurs Alpins are the elite mountain infantry of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare....
in the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains

For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany....
during the Battle of the Frontiers
Battle of the Frontiers

The Battle of the Frontiers was a series of battles fought along the eastern frontier of France and in southern Belgium shortly after the outbreak of World War I....
, the German Army determined to create its own specialized mountain units
Mountain warfare

Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains....
. The Royal Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
n I. Snowshoe
Snowshoe

Snowshoes, sometimes colloquially referred to as webs, are footwear for walking over snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot doesn't sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
Battalion (Kgl.

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Encyclopedia

The Alpenkorps was a provisional mountain unit of division
Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or Formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps....
size formed by the Imperial German Army
German Army (German Empire)

The German Army was the name given the combined armed forces of the German Empire, also known as the Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr....
during World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
. It was considered by the Allies to be one of the best units of the German Army.

Formation

After experiencing heavy difficulties in fighting the French Chasseurs Alpins
Chasseurs alpins

The Chasseurs Alpins are the elite mountain infantry of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare....
in the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains

For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany....
during the Battle of the Frontiers
Battle of the Frontiers

The Battle of the Frontiers was a series of battles fought along the eastern frontier of France and in southern Belgium shortly after the outbreak of World War I....
, the German Army determined to create its own specialized mountain units
Mountain warfare

Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains....
. The Royal Bavaria
Bavaria

Bavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is a region located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest States of Germany of Germany by area....
n I. Snowshoe
Snowshoe

Snowshoes, sometimes colloquially referred to as webs, are footwear for walking over snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot doesn't sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
Battalion (Kgl. Bayerisches Schneeschuhbataillon I) and Schneeschuhbataillon II were formed in Munich
Munich

Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Northern Limestone Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg....
, Bavaria on November 21, 1914. Schneeschuhbataillon III was formed in April 1915 from the 4th through 6th companies of Schneeschuhbataillon II. In May 1915, the three battalions were brought together with a fourth formed from troops of the other battalions and Bavarian Landwehr
Landwehr

Landwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German language term used in referring to certain national army, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe....
troops to form the 3rd Jäger
Jäger (military)

J?ger Literally, J?ger is a German language word for "hunter". In English language it is often written with the plural J?gers, or as jaeger or incorrectly jager to avoid the Umlaut ....
Regiment (Jäger Regiment Nr. 3). In October 1915, the designation Schneeschuhbataillon was eliminated.

Also in May 1915, the previously separate Bavarian 1st, 2nd and 2nd Reserve Jäger Battalions were joined to form the Royal Bavarian 1st Jäger Regiment (Kgl. Bayer. Jäger Regiment Nr. 1). The Prussian 10th, 10th Reserve and 14th Reserve Jäger Battalions were also joined together to form the 2nd Jäger Regiment (Jäger Regiment Nr. 2).

These units, along with the elite Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment
Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment

The Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment was a Household Division-bodyguard regiment of the kingdom of Bavaria from the end of the Napoleonic Wars until the fall of the House of Wittelsbach monarchy and the related resolution of the Bavarian army....
(Infanterie-Leib-Regiment), the Bavarian Army bodyguard regiment, became the core of the Alpenkorps, and were complemented with additional artillery, machinegun and other support units. The Alpenkorps was officially founded on May 18, 1915 with Bavarian Generalleutnant Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen
Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen

Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen was a Bavarian Army general in World War I. He served as Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Bavarian Army before World War I and commanded the elite Alpenkorps , the German Army mountain division formed in 1915....
as its commander, and Bavarian Generalmajor Ludwig Ritter von Tutschek and Prussian Generalmajor Ernst von Below as his brigade commanders.

Order of battle on May 27, 1915

Kgl. Bayerische Jäger-Brigade 1:
Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Jäger-Regiment
Kgl. Bayerisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 1 König
Kgl. Bayerisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 2
Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 2
Kgl. Bayerisches Infanterie-Leib-Regiment
Kgl. Bayerische Jäger-Brigade 2:
Jäger-Regiment Nr. 2
Kgl. Bayerisches Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 10
Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 10
Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14
Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3
I./Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 (Kgl. Bayerisches Schneeschuhbataillon I)
II./Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 (Schneeschuhbataillon II)
III./Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 (Schneeschuhbataillon III)
IV./Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 (Kgl. Bayerisches Schneeschuhbataillon IV)
Gebirgs-MG-Abteilungen Nr. 201-210 (206-209 were Bavarian)
Reserve-MG-Abteilung Nr. 4
3.Eskadron/Kgl. Bayerisches 4. Chevauleger-Regiment König
Gebirgs-Artillerie-Abteilung Nr. 1
Kgl. Bayerische Gebirgs-Artillerie-Abteilung Nr. 2
Feldartillerie-Abteilung Nr. 203
Feldartillerie-Abteilung Nr. 204
Fußartillerie-Batterie Nr. 101
Fußartillerie-Batterie Nr. 102
Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 101
Kgl. Bayerische Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 102
Kgl. Bayerische Gebirgs-Minenwerfer-Abteilung Nr. 269
Gebirgs-Minenwerfer-Abteilung Nr. 270

Order of battle on August 17, 1918

1. Kgl. Bayerische Jäger-Brigade:
Kgl. Bayerisches Infanterie-Leibregiment
Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Jäger-Regiment
Jäger-Regiment Nr. 2
MG-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 24
Gebirgs-MG-Abteilung Nr. 204
Gebirgs-MG-Abteilung Nr. 205
3.Eskadron/Kgl. Bayerisches 4. Chevauleger-Regiment König
Kgl. Bayerischer Artillerie-Kommandeur 7:
Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 204
Gebirgs-Artillerie-Abteilung Nr. 6
I./Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Reserve-Fußartillerie-Regiment
Stab Kgl. Bayerisches 9. Pionier-Bataillon:
Kgl. Bayerische 102. Pionier-Kompanie
Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 283
Gebirgs-Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 175
Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 622

First campaigns in the Dolomites and France

Although Germany and Italy were not at war until 1916, the Alpenkorps was immediately dispatched to reinforce the thinly occupied front line in the Dolomite
Dolomites

The Dolomites are a section of the Alps. They are located for the most part in the province of Province of Belluno, the rest in the provinces of Province of Bolzano-Bozen and Province of Trento ....
mountains. It did not undertake offensive actions, but defended the front against repeated attacks by the Italian Alpini
Alpini

The Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command....
until Austria was able to extract enough forces from the eastern war theatre
Eastern Front (World War I)

The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central Europe and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front ....
and relocate them to the new front. After four months the Alpenkorps returned briefly to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)

Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Empire army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France....
, as now the Austrian defenders were sufficient in numbers and entrenched enough to hold the front on their own. The Austrian Kaiserschützen
Kaiserschützen

The Kaisersch?tzen were three regiments of Austro-Hungarian mountain infantry during the K.U.K. Monarchy....
honored the men of the Alpenkorps by awarding them their unit insignia: the Edelweiss
Edelweiss

Edelweiss , is one of the best-known European alpine plants, belonging to the sunflower family . The name comes from German language edel and wei? ....
.

Serbia

After only a week in France and the Dolomites the Alpenkorps was sent to fight in the Serbian Campaign
Serbian Campaign (World War I)

The Serbian Campaign was fought from August 1914, when Austria-Hungary invaded Kingdom of Serbia at the outset of World War I, until the end of the war in 1918....
.

Verdun

The Alpenkorps returned to France in March 1916. After a short respite, it entered into the Battle of Verdun
Battle of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun was one of the most critical List of World War I Battles in World War I on the Western Front . It was fought between the German Army and France armies, from 21 February to 15 December 1916, on hilly terrain north of the city of Verdun in northeastern France....
in June 1916. The regiments of the Alpenkorps lost over 70% of their strength in the fighting around Fort Vaux
Fort Vaux

Fort Vaux, located in Vaux-Devant-Damloup, Meuse, France, became the second Fort to fall in the Battle of Verdun. The first fort to fall had been Fort Douaumont....
and Fleury
Fleury-devant-Douaumont

Fleury-devant-Douaumont is a Communes of France in the Meuse Departments of France in Lorraine in northeastern France.Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, when it had been captured and recaptured by the Germans and French 16 times, it has been unoccupied along with Bezonvaux, Beaumont-en-Verdunois, Haumont-pr?s-Samogneux, Louvem...
. After leaving the line, the regiments were reconstituted, and in mid-July 1916 the 3rd Jäger Regiment was transferred from the division. The 2nd Brigade headquarters was eliminated and the Alpenkorps became a triangular division
Triangular division

A triangular division is a designation given to the way division are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements....
with 1st Brigade controlling the other two Jäger regiments and the Infanterie-Leib-Regiment.

Romania

Romania entered the war on the side of the Entente
Entente

Entente, meaning a diplomatic "understanding," may refer to a number of agreements:* The Entente Cordiale, 1904 between France and the United Kingdom....
on August 27, 1916. In September, the Alpenkorps was dispatched to fight in the Romanian Campaign
Romanian Campaign (World War I)

The Romanian Campaign was a campaign in the Balkans Campaign of World War I, with Kingdom of Romania and Russian Empire allied against the armies of the Central Powers....
. The Infanterie-Leib-Regiment suffered a number of losses in the mountain fighting in Romania, including one of its most prominent members, Prince Heinrich of Bavaria, a major and battalion commander. The Alpenkorps remained in Romania until April 1917 and then again returned to the Western Front. In August 1917, the Alpenkorps returned to Romania and participated in the final battles there in the wake of the Kerensky Offensive
Kerensky Offensive

The Kerensky Offensive was the last Russian Empire offensive in World War I. It took place in July 1917....
.

Caporetto

In September 1917 the Alpenkorps was sent once more to the Italian Front to reinforce the Austrian Army for the upcoming 12th Battle of the Isonzo
Battle of Caporetto

The Battle of Caporetto , took place from 24 October to 9 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid , on the Italian Campaign of World War I. The battle was named after the Italian name of the town of Kobarid ....
. By this point, the Württemberg
Württemberg

W?rttemberg [], formerly known as Wirtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
mountain battalion had been attached to the division, and one of its members, the later-Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall

Generalfeldmarschall was a rank in the armies of several Germany states, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Austrian Empire. The rank was the equivalent to a Grand Admiral in the German Navy....
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel

Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , was perhaps the most famous Germany Generalfeldmarschall of World War II. He was the commander of the Afrika Korps and became known for the skillful military campaigns he waged on behalf of the Wehrmacht in North Africa....
, would distinguish himself at Caporetto in November. Another company commander who distinguished himself at Caporetto, the Infanterie-Leib-Regiment's Ferdinand Schörner
Ferdinand Schörner

Ferdinand Sch?rner was a General and later Field Marshal in the Germany Army during World War II....
, would also rise to Field Marshal in World War II.

France

The Alpenkorps returned to the Western Front in 1918. It participated in the Battle of the Lys
Battle of the Lys

The Battle of the Lys was part of the 1918 Germany offensive in Flanders during the World War I , originally planned by General Erich Ludendorff as Operation George but scaled back to become Operation Georgette, with the objective of capturing Ypres....
in April and fought in the Battle of Picardy in the Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive

The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of World War I, where the Allies of World War I launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August 1918 to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens....
. In October it returned to the Balkans, where it was at the time of the Armistice
Armistice

An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace....
.

Traditions

The Alpenkorps was dissolved after the end of hostilities but the traditions of its constituent regular units were carried on in the Reichswehr
Reichswehr

The Reichswehr formed the armed forces of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht .At the end of World War I, the forces of the German Empire had mostly disintegrated, the men making their way home individually or in small groups....
and then the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
. The Edelweiss became the symbol of the German Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger

Gebirgsj?ger, in English Mountain Huntsmen , is the German designation for Mountain warfare. The word Huntsman is the traditional German term for light infantry....
. Although the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr is the name of the unified armed forces of the Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the Constitution determines that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility of the Federal government....
does not formally carry the traditions of any pre-1945 units, the Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger

Gebirgsj?ger, in English Mountain Huntsmen , is the German designation for Mountain warfare. The word Huntsman is the traditional German term for light infantry....
continued to wear the Edelweiss cap badge and informally maintain the traditions of the Alpenkorps.

Notable members of the Alpenkorps

Ernst von Below
Franz Ritter von Epp
Franz Ritter von Epp

Franz Ritter von Epp was a regular officer in the German Army of the early part of the 20th century, who rose to the office of Reichsstatthalter of Bavaria, a position of dictatorial power, under the Nazis....
Heinrich, Prince of Bavaria
Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen
Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen

Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen was a Bavarian Army general in World War I. He served as Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Bavarian Army before World War I and commanded the elite Alpenkorps , the German Army mountain division formed in 1915....
Erich Löwenhardt
Erich Löwenhardt

Erich Loewenhardt was the 3rd highest Germany flying ace with 54 victories during the World War I, behind only Manfred von Richthofen and Ernst Udet....
Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Paulus

Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus was an Officer in the Germany military from 1910 to 1943, attaining the Military rank of Generalfeldmarschall during World War II....
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel

Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , was perhaps the most famous Germany Generalfeldmarschall of World War II. He was the commander of the Afrika Korps and became known for the skillful military campaigns he waged on behalf of the Wehrmacht in North Africa....
Ferdinand Schörner
Ferdinand Schörner

Ferdinand Sch?rner was a General and later Field Marshal in the Germany Army during World War II....
Ludwig Ritter von Tutschek