2. Gebirgs-Divison was formed on 1 April 1938 from the 6. Division and 8. Brigade of the Austrian Bundesheer.

It fought in Poland as a part of Heeresgruppe Süd. On 23 September the division attacked the Polish 24. Infantry Division (Colonel Boleslaw Schwarzenberg-Czerny) in the forest near Boratycze. III/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 137 was cut-off from the rest of the division and suffered heavy losses until other elements of the division managed to break through to them and the Polish forces withdrew in the evening.

In 1940 it took part in the invasion of Norway, during the invasion it fought in central Norway and later travelled through the wilderness from Trondheim to Narvik in an attempt to rescue the besieged 3. Gebirgs-Divison.

When Norway surrendered the division was used as an occupation force until the invasion of the Soviet Union. The division fought in Lapland as part of Gebirgskorps Norwegen (later XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps) on the northern sector of the Eastern Front until 1944 when it was sent to Denmark. It later fought on the western front and ended the war near Würtemberg (in southern Germany). The remnants of the disbanded Heeres-Gebirgsjäger-Bataillon 201 were absorbed by I./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 137 in Feb 1945.

Nicknames

Rentier-Division (Reindeer Division)

Holders of high awards
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (20)
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (2)
  Degen, Hans, 05.02.1945, Generalleutnant, Kdr. 2. Geb.Div.
  Nuber, Eugen, 28.11.1941, Leutnant d.R., 13./Geb.Jäg.Rgt. 136
Holders of the Knight's Cross (7)
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (2)
  Benedek, Alexander, 01.08.1944, Obergefreiter, 3./Geb.Art.Rgt. 111
  Fleck, Hans, 01.08.1944, Obergefreiter, 9./Geb.Jäg.Rgt. 137
Holders of the Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st Class with Swords (3)
  Degen, Hans, 04.04.1944, Generalmajor, Kdr. 2. Geb.Div.
  Hengl Ritter von, Georg, 13.05.1943, Generalmajor, Kdr. 2. Geb.Div.
  Schlemmer, Ernst, 26.10.1941, Generalmajor, Kdr. 2. Geb.Div.

Order of battle

Stab / 2.Geb.D. u. Stabskompanie
Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 136 (Oberstleutnant G. Hofmeister)
  Stab
  I. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Major F. Hauck)
  II. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Hauptmann Putzker)
  III. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Oberstleutnant Heintzle)
  16. Kompanie
  17. Kompanie
  Kolonne
Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 137 (Obstl./Oberst Georg Ritter von Hengl)
  Stab
  I. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Major Ruf)
  II. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Oberstleutnant Hesselbarth)
  III. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Oberstleutnant Kreudler)
  16. Kompanie
  17. Kompanie
  Kolonne
(Gebirgs-)Radfahr-Abteilung 67 (Major W. Lindinger)
 On 1.4.1943 re-named as:
  Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 67
   Stab
   1. Schwadron
   2. Schwadron
   3. Schwadron
   4. (schwere) Schwadron
Gebirgs-Pionier-Bataillon 82 (Hauptmann E. Osterman, ?- Hauptmann Flachberger)
  Stab
  1. Kompanie
  2. Kompanie
  3. Kompanie
  leichte Pionier-Kolonne
  Brücken-Kolonne B (-1943)
Gebirgs-Nachrichten-Abteilung 67 (Oberst Wilhelm Fuermann)
  Stab
  1. Kompanie
  2. Kompanie
  3. Kompanie
  Kolonne
Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 111 (Oberstleutnant E. Ritter von Mehlem)
  Regiments-Stab
  I. Artillerie-Abteilung
  II. Artillerie-Abteilung
  III. Artillerie-Abteilung (7. - 10. Batterie, 2.1944- 7. - 9. Batterie)
  IV. Artillerie-Abteilung (2.1944- 10. - 12. Batterie)
  Kolonne
Gebirgs-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 55 (Hauptmann von Seebach)
  Stab
  1. Kompanie
  2. Kompanie
Gebirgs-Divisions-Nachschubführer 67
 On 15.10.1942 re-named as:
 Kommandeur der Gebirgs-Divisions-Nachschubtruppen 67
   Stab
   ?. kleine Kraftwagen-Kolonne (-?)
   ?. Fahr-Kolonne (?-)
   Kraftfahr-Kompanie (?-)
   Kraftwagen-Kolonne (?-)
   Kraftwagen-Werkstatt-Kompanie 67
   Feldpostamt 67
Verwaltungs-Dienste 67
  Verpflegungsamt 67 (-?)
  Verwaltungs-Kompanie 67 (-?)
  Bäckerei-Kompanie 67
  Schlächterei-Kompanie 67
Sanitäts-Dienste 67
  Gebirgs-Sanitäts-Kompanie 67
  1. Kranken-Kraftwagen-Zug 67 (-?)
  2. Kranken-Kraftwagen-Zug 67 (-?)
  Kranken-Kraftwagen-Kompanie 67 (?-)
  Feld-Lazarett 67
Gebirgs-Veterinär-Kompanie 67

Notable members
Valentin Feurstein (Generalmajor in the Austrian Bundesheer before the Anschluss)

Sources used

Czeslaw Grzelak & Henryk Stanczyk - Kampania Polska 1939 roku

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

Wojciech Wlodarkiewicz - Lwow 1939

Gordon Williamson - German Mountain & Ski Troops 1939-45

Reference material on this unit

M. Kräutler & Karl Springenschmied - Es war Ein Edelweiss: Schicksal und Weg der 2.GD