German 5th Mountain Division
Encyclopedia
The German 5th Mountain Division (5th Gebirgs Division) was established in the Austria
n Tirol
in October 1940, out of regiment
s taken from the 1. Gebirgs-Division
and the 10. Infanterie Division
. Its first action was in the 1941 Balkans Campaign, when it took part in Operations Marita and Merkur ; in the latter it was used in an air-landing role. In November
, it returned to Germany
for rehabilitation, and in April 1942 it was deployed to the Eastern Front, where it joined Army Group North
on the Volkhov Front
. In April 1943 it was redeployed to Italy
. It fought out the remainder of the war in Italy
and the Western Alps
, and surrendered to the American
s near Turin
in May 1945.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Tirol
German Tyrol
German Tyrol is a historical region in the Alps now divided between Austria and Italy. It includes largely ethnic German areas of historical County of Tyrol: the Austrian state of Tyrol and the province of South Tyrol but not the largely Italian-speaking province of Trentino .-History:German...
in October 1940, out of regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s taken from the 1. Gebirgs-Division
German 1st Mountain Division
The 1st Mountain Division was an elite formation of the German Wehrmacht during World War II.It was created on 9 April 1938 in Garmisch Partenkirchen from the Mountain Brigade which was itself formed on 1 June 1935...
and the 10. Infanterie Division
German 10th Infantry Division
The German 10th Infantry Division was created in October 1934 under the cover name Wehrgauleitung Regensburg to hide its violation of the Treaty of Versailles...
. Its first action was in the 1941 Balkans Campaign, when it took part in Operations Marita and Merkur ; in the latter it was used in an air-landing role. In November
November
November is the 11th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with the length of 30 days. November was the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar...
, it returned to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for rehabilitation, and in April 1942 it was deployed to the Eastern Front, where it joined Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
on the Volkhov Front
Volkhov Front
The Front was reformed on the 9 June 1942 from the Volkhov Operational Group of the Leningrad Front and served until 15 February 1944, participating in the relief of the Siege of Leningrad and taking part in other operations including:-Campaigns:...
. In April 1943 it was redeployed to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It fought out the remainder of the war in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Western Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, and surrendered to the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
s near Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in May 1945.
Units
- 85. Gebirgsjäger-Regiment
- 100. Gebirgsjäger-Regiment
- 95. Aufklärungs-Battalion
- 95. Panzerjäger-Battalion
- 73. leichte Flak Batterie (Luftwaffe)
- 95. Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment; I. - IV. Abteilung
- 95. Gebirgs-Pionier-Battalion
- 95. Nachrichten-Battalion
- 95. Nachschubtruppen
Commanders
- General der GebirgstruppeGeneral der GebirgstruppeGeneral der Gerbirgstruppe was a rank of German Army General introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1940....
Julius RingelJulius RingelJulius Alfred "Papa" Ringel was an Austrian-born German General of Mountain Troops . He commanded the 3. Gebirgs-Division, 5. Gebirgs-Division, LXIX Armeekorps, Wehrkreis XI and the Korps Ringel...
(November 1, 1940 - February 10, 1944) - Generalleutnant Max SchrankMax-Günther SchrankMax Schrank was German Generalleutnant who commanded the 5. Gebirgs-Division in World War II. He was also a recipient of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes.-Notable decorations:...
(February 10, 1944 - January 18, 1945) - Generalmajor Hans Steets (January 18, 1945 - May 8, 1945)
See also
- Division (military)Division (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
, Military unit, List of German divisions in WWII - HeerGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...