The 1st Ski Division (
German: 1. Skijäger-Division) was a mountain infantry unit of the German
Waffen-SS/
Army trained to use
skis for movement during winter. It was created on the
Eastern Front in the autumn of 1943 in preparation for 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
Army Group Centre, including an approach to the
Vistula river and during the retreat into
Slovakia, southern
Poland and the
Czech lands (now the
Czech Republic), where it surrendered to the
Red Army in May 1945.
History
The American writer and publisher
George Nafziger states that the 1st Skijäger Division was formed on 2 June 1944 by expanding the
1st Skijäger Brigade, which had been initially formed in September 1943. As was 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 Panzergrenadier Brigade, the 65th Heavy Artillery Regiment, the 152nd Panzerjäger Battalion and the 18th Werfer (Rocket) Battalion with the 615th Flak (anti-aircraft) Battalion which was used to expand the brigade into a division.
^Lakowski, Richard (2008). "Der Zusammenbruch der deutschen Verteidigung zwischen Ostsee und Karpaten". In Müller, Rolf-Dieter (ed.). Die Militärische Niederwerfung der Wehrmacht. Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg (in German). Vol. 10/1. München: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt. pp. 491–681.
ISBN9783421062376.
^German Order of Battle, 291st–999th Infantry Division, named infantry divisions, and special divisions in World War II. p. 151.
Sources
Anderson, Thomas, Skijäger: une "nouvelle race" de guerriers, Batailles & Blindés n°40, décembre 2010–janvier 2011, éditions Caraktère.
Georg Gunter: Die deutschen Skijäger bis 1945. Podzun-Pallas, Friedberg 2005,
ISBN978-3-8955-5334-9.
Gustav Fochler-Hauke: Schi-Jäger am Feind. Kurt Vowinckel Verlag, Heidelberg u. a. 1943,
DNB-IDN576010898.
Mitcham, Samuel W. Jr. (2007). German Order of Battle. Volume Two: 291st – 999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry Divisions, and Special Divisions in WWII. PA; United States of America: Stackpole Books. S. 237+238,
ISBN978-0-8117-3437-0.
Georg Tessin: Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945, Band 2, Frankfurt/Main und Osnabrück, 1966, Seite 25 ff.
Gordon Williamson: German Mountain & Ski Troops 1939–45. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012.
H.Dv. 374/2 Ausbildungsvorschrift für die Gebirgstruppen (A.V.G.) – Heft 2: Der militärische Schilauf (Schivorschrift) – 1938,
ISBN978-3-7519-9969-4.
Merkblatt Nr. 25b/31 Hinweise für den winterbeweglichen Einsatz der Infanterie – 1943,
ISBN978-3-7534-9569-9.