1. Gebirgs-Division consisted mainly of Bavarians and some Austrians and was formed on 9 April 1938 in Garmisch Partenkirchen from the Gebirgs-Brigade.

It fought in the Polish campaign as a part of Heeresgruppe Süd and distinguished itself during the fighting in the Carpathians.

It later took part in the French campaign and was then posted to take part in the planned operations against United Kingdom and Gibraltar but both operations were cancelled.

After taking part in the invasion of Yugoslavia the division crossed the Soviet border. It fought at Kiev, Stalino, the Dnieper crossings and Kharkov. After the Caucasus campaign the division was posted in Greece and later Serbia were it took part in antipartisan operations.

In 1944 it fought in Hungary agaist the Soviets and ended the war in Austria. It was renamed 1. Volks-Gebirgs-Division 12 March 1945.

This unit took part in anti-partisan operations in Croatia.

Known war crimes

On July 6 1943 a German column entering Albania was ambushed by the partisan battalion Tomori at the Barmash pass in southeastern Albania near Ersekë (Erseka) and suffered heavy losses. In reprisal the villages of Borovë (Borova) and Barmash were attacked, in Borovë all the houses were burned down and 107 civilians killed.

On 25 July 1943 soldiers from the division attacked the village of Mousiotitsas in Greece following the discovery of a cache of weapons nearby killing 153 civilians.

On 16 August 1943 the village of Kommeno was attacked at the order of Oberstleutnant Josef Salminger, the commander of GebirgsJäger-Regiment 98, a total of 317 civilians were killed.

Soldiers from this division together with Cham Albanian militia killed 201 civilians in the Paramythia of Greece 19-29 September 1943 in reprisal to the killing of German soldiers by Greek partisans.

Elements from this division took part in the murder of thousands of Italians from the Italian 33. Infantry Division Acqui September 1943 on the Greek island of Cefalonia following the Italian surrender, for more info see the XXII Gebirgs-Armeekorps.

Soldiers from the division took part in the murder of 32 officers and an estimated 100 soldiers from the Italian 151. Infantry Division Perugia in Albania following the Italian surrender.

Following the killing of Oberstleutnant Josef Salminger by Greek partisans, the commander of XXII Gebirgs-Armeekorps General der Gebirgstruppe Hubert Lanz issued an order of the day on 1 October 1943 calling for a “ruthless retaliatory action” in a 20km area around the place were Salminger had been attacked. In the village of Lingiades 87 civilians were killed and in total at least 200 civlians were killed.

Nicknames

Edelweiß

Holders of high awards
Holders of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold (4)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (7)
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (85)
Holders of the German Cross in Silver (1)
  Hofmann, Dr. Hans Otto, 18.01.1943, Oberstleutnant d.R., Div.Nachsch.Tr. 54
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (25)
Holders of the Knight's Cross (35, including five unofficial/unconfirmed)
Unit-Level Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (1)
  1. Gebirgs-Division und 3. Gebirgs-Division
  Date/Place of Action: 21.08.1942 Besteigung des Elbrus-Gipfels
  Award Date: 14.12.1942 / Vorschlagsbuch (1423)
Holders of the Romanian Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd Class (Orden “Michael der Tapfere” III. Klasse) (1)
  Dietz, Rudolf, Königlichen Dekrets Nr. 907 / 31.03.1943, Leutnant, Art.Rgt. 79 (mot)

Order of battle (Sep 1939)

98. Mountain Infantry Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

99. Mountain Infantry Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

100. Mountain Infantry Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

44. Panzerabwehr Battalion

79. Mountain Artillery Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

   4. Battalion

54. Signals Battalion

54. Pioneer Battalion

54. Supply Troops

54. Mountain Supply Troops

Service Troops

Order of battle (Apr 1941)

98. Mountain Infantry Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

99. Mountain Infantry Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

   54. Feldersatz Battalion

44. Panzerabwehr Battalion

79. Mountain Artillery Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

   4. Battalion

54. Signals Battalion

54. Pioneer Battalion

54. Supply Troops

Service Troops

Order of battle (Nov 1943)

98. Mountain Infantry Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

99. Mountain Infantry Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

44. Panzerjäger Battalion

79. Mountain Artillery Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

   4. Battalion

54. Mountain Jäger Battalion

54. Reconnaissance Battalion

54. Mountain Signals Battalion

79. Mountain Feldersatz Battalion

54. Mountain Pioneer Battalion

54. Mountain Pack Mule Battalion

54. Supply Troops

Service Troops

Notable members

Alfred Leeb (son of GFM Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb was KIA on 19 Sept 1939 near Holosko/Poland as a Leutnant and Fhr. Pi.Zug 10./GJR 99)

Ferdinand Schörner (The last living German Field Marshal, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds)

Wego Chiang (son of the Chinese leader General Chiang Kai-Chek served in I./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 98 in 1937 - 1939, reaching the rank of Leutnant before returning to China at the outbreak of war.)

Generalleutnant Walter Stettner Ritter von Grabenhofen during anti-partisan operations in Montenegro June 1943

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Sources used

Rudy D'Angelo - Cefalonia 1943: Massacre of the Royal Italian Acqui Division (in The Military Advisor, Vol 8 No 2)

Colin Heaton - German Anti-Partisan Warfare in Europe 1939-1945

James Lucas - Hitler's Mountain Troops: Fighting at the extremes

Hermann Frank Meyer - Blutiges Edelweiß: Die 1. Gebirgsdivision im Zweiten Weltkrieg

Charles T. O'Reilly - Forgotten Battles: Italy's War of Liberation, 1943-1945

Owen Pearson - Albania in the Twentieth Century, A History: Volume II: Albania in Occupation and War 1939-45

Gerhard Schreiber - Deutsche Kriegsverbrechen in Italien: Tater, Opfer, Strafverfolgung

Gerhard Schreiber - Die italienischen Militarinternierten im deutschen Machtbereich, 1943 bis 1945: Verraten, verachtet, vergessen

Miranda Vickers - The Albanians: A Modern History

Gordon Williamson - German Mountain & Ski Troops 1939-45

Reference material on this unit

Hubert Lanz - Gebirgsjäger: Die 1. gebirgs-Division 1935-1945

Hermann Frank Meyer - Blutiges Edelweiß: Die 1. Gebirgsdivision im Zweiten Weltkrieg

Hermann Frank Meyer - Kommeno: Erzählende Rekonstruktion eines Wehrmachtsverbrechens in Griechenland