4th Mountain Division (Wehrmacht)
War against the Soviet Union 1941-1945
The 4th Mountain Division was a major unit of the mountain troops of the Army of the German Wehrmacht in World War II.
History
The Division was established on 23 October 1940 to mid- March 1941, mainly through donations from the 25th and the 27th Infantry Division on the military training area Heuberg. In the same year, the association was moved to Bulgaria and from there took part in the Balkans campaign in 1941. The Division went in Serbia towards Pirot and followed advance battles over Knjaževac on Kruševac and use as an occupation force in the area southeast of Belgrade.
After the Balkan campaign, the division was transferred to the Eastern Front. She pushed through Lviv, the room Brzezany, on the Seret River through the Stalin Line at Derashnje and was used in the taking of Vinnitsa. More battles were taking part in the Battle of Uman in the room Podwyssokoje, the advance to the Dnepr and persecution fighting east of the Dnieper, defensive battle in Malaya Belosjorka, on the Azov Sea in the room Mogila - Tokmak, taking Stalino, tracking over the Mius.
In 1942, defensive battles in the Donets space in the Mius position breakthrough on the Mius and Battle of Rostov - Bataisk, follow-up battles followed the Kuban and foray into the high passes of the Caucasus, changing offensive and defensive battles in the high - and West Caucasus ( on 21 August. conquered parts of the division with high mountain troops of the 1st Mountain Division, the 5,642 m high Mount Elbrus ). 1943 began the retreat to the Kuban, it changed offensive and defensive battles in the beachhead south of Novorossiysk, west of Melitopol and in Kherson bridgehead. The next year, followed by offensive and defensive battles in space Vinnitsa, relief efforts for the boiler of Cherkassy, defensive battles in the area north of Uman, retreat to the Dniester, defensive fighting east of Kishinev, offensive and defensive fighting in the Carpathians. Subsequently, the Division moved out of the Székely tip back into the room Ungvar. In December participation in the defensive battle in space Pelsöc / Rosenau. Now, weakened by losses Division was out in the overviews of the OKH only as a " battle group ". This was followed by defensive battles in the High Tatras and the retreat to Upper Silesia, on 12 April 1945 beginning, the Battle of Opava. Then the Division withdrew fighting back beyond March northeastward Brno. After successful escape from the Soviet tank in Olomouc, failed the further settling over the area occupied by the Americans Moldova. With the surrender of the bulk of the division fell into Soviet captivity.
Commanders
- Lieutenant General Karl Eglseer - OCTOBER 23, 1940 to October 1, 1941
- Colonel Karl Winter Gerst - 1 October to November 1941 ( with deputy leadership commissioned )
- Lieutenant General Karl Eglseer - November 1941 to October 22, 1942
- Lieutenant General Hermann Kress - OCTOBER 23, 1942 to August 12, 1943
- Lieutenant General Julius Brown - August 13, 1943 to June 6, 1944
- Colonel Karl Jank - June 6 bis July 1, 1944 ( with deputy leadership commissioned )
- Lieutenant General Frederick Breith - July 1, 1944 to February 23, 1945
- Colonel Robert Bader - February 23 bis April 6, 1945 ( with deputy leadership commissioned )
- Lieutenant General Frederick Breith - April 6, 1945 until the surrender
Structure
- Mountain Infantry Regiment 13
- Mountain Infantry Regiment 91
- Mountain Artillery Regiment 94
- Mountain Tank Destroyer Division 94
- Mountain Engineer Battalion 94
- Reconnaissance Battalion 94
- Mountain news department 94
- Mountaineer Battalion 94
- Divisional units 94
Replacement troops for the division headquarters was the mountain infantry replacement battalion II./98 in Mittenwald.