1st Ski Division (Germany)

The German 1st Ski Division ( _de. Skijäger division 1.) was an infantry unit trained to use skis for movement during winter, and was created on the Eastern Front in the autumn of 1943 in preparation for the upcoming winter operations. It was enlarged into a full division in the summer of 1944. The division fought exclusively on the Eastern Front as part of the Army Group Centre, including on approaches to the Vistula river, and later during the retreat into Slovakia, southern Poland and Czechia when it surrendered to the Red Army in May 1945. [p.35, Merriam]

George Nafziger states that the 1st Skijager Division was formed on 2 June 1944 by expanding the 1st Skijager Brigade,initially formed in September 1943. As usual for German formations at this point in the war, the division was formed around existing units which were strengthened with new recruits. Elements of the 19th Panzergreandier Brigade, 65th Heavy Artillery Regiment, 152nd Panzerjager Battalion, and 18th Werfer (Rocket) Battalion, 615th Flak Battalion were used to expand the Brigade into a division.

In January 1945, the division included the following subunits:1st Skijager Division:Divisional Staff::152nd motorized mapping detachment::152nd motorized military police detachment1st Skijager Regiment and 2nd Skijager Regiment, each with a headquarters staff, three ski infantry battalions, an engineer platoon, a signals detachment, and a panzerjager detachment of two heavy anti-tank guns.

Each of the three Skijager Battalions included: :Headquarters:3 Companies with 9 light manchine guns and 2 Sturm platoons (armed with SturmGewehr):1 Heavy Company with 8 heavy machine guns, 1 light machine gun, (4) 75 mm guns and (6) 80 mm mortars.

Regimental 13th motorized support company had a platoon of 8 self-propelled 20 mm Flak guns, a platoon of six heavy machine guns, and a panzerjager platoon of (6) 75 mm Pak, (18) anti-tank rifles, and one light machine gun.

The 152nd artillery regiment had four battalions, with a total of (24) 105 mm howitzers, (12) 120 mm mortars, (12) 150 mm howitzers, and 59 machine guns.

The 1st Ski Fuslier Battalion had four Fusilier Companies (with 9 light machine guns and 2 Sturm platoons each) and a Heavy Company (see above).

The 1st Heavy Ski Battalion was probably one of the heaviest battalions in the Wehrmacht, with::One company of 12 Motorized Heavy Anti-Tank guns + 12 machine guns;:One company of self-propelled 150 mm howitzers + 7 MG;:One company of self-propelled 37 mm Flak guns;:4th Armored Company with 22 captured Russian T-34 tanks (most likely armed with the 76.2 mm gun and three 7.62 mm machine guns).

The 152nd Panzerjager Battalion had two Sturmgeschutz batteries of 10 Stug III, (self-propelled, armored artillery mounting a 75 mm gun and a machine gun on an obsolete Panzer III chassis).

The division other units were the 85th Ski Pioneer battalion, the 152nd Ski Signals Troops, and the 152nd Ski Feldersatz (Replacement) Battalion.

See also

* Division (military), Military unit, List of German divisions in WWII
* Heer, Wehrmacht

References

Sources

* " [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Skidivisionen/SkiDiv1.htm 1. Skijäger-Brigade /1. Skijäger-Division] ". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved April 12, 2005.
* Merriam, Ray, Gebirgsjaeger: Germany's Mountain Troops, Merriam Press, 1999 ISBN 1576381633