Gebirgsjäger: German Mountain Troops, 1935–1945

Jean-Denis Lepage

Sept. 2023 · Pen and Sword Military

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A concise history of the Gebirgsjäger’s employment, which saw them in action on every front, from Lapland in the North to Tunisia in the south, and throught the war, from the invasion of Poland to the final defense of Germany.

The Gebirgsjäger were officially formed in 1935 following Hitler’s rejection of the Treaty of Versailles, although the required skills had been fostered in preparation through civilian climbing clubs. They were recruited predominantly from the southern mountainous parts of Germany – Wurtemburg and Bavaria – and from Austria, where Alpinism and mountain warfare had a long tradition. Rigorously trained in skiing, climbing and other demanding skills of mountain survival and combat, they formed an elite within the German army, distinguished by the distinctive Eidelweiss cap badge adopted in 1939.

Jean-Denis Lepage gives a concise history of the Gebirgsjäger’s employment, which saw them in action on every front, from Lapland in the North to Tunisia in the south, and throught the war, from the invasion of Poland to the final defense of Germany. He then gives a detailed description of their uniforms and insignia, equipment, organization, training and tactics. The book is clearly illustrated throughout with over 170 of the author’s own line drawings.

Autoren-Profil

Jean-Denis Lepage was born in 1952 at Meaux (France) near Paris. After studying English at the University of Angers (Maine-et-Loire), Jean-Denis worked in the UK before moving to Groningen in The Netherlands. He now works as a free-lance translator, illustrator and author. He has published several books with the accent on fortifications and WW 2.