101st Jäger Division
| 101st Jäger Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1945 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Erich Marcks |
The 101st Jäger Division was a light infantry Division of the German Army in World War II. It was formed in July 1942 by the redesignation of the 101st Light Infantry Division, which was itself formed in December 1940. The Walloon Legion was briefly attached to this division from December 1941 to January 1942.[1] The Division took part in the Battle of Kharkov, the Battle of the Caucasus, and the retreat into the Kuban, where it suffered heavy losses fighting both the Red Army and partisans. The division was then involved in the battles in the Kuban bridgehead before being evacuated.[2] The 101st was subsequently transferred to the lower Dnieper River in late 1943. It was part of the 1st Panzer Army that was surrounded in March 1944; it formed the rear guard for the XLVI Panzer Corps during the breakout of the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket. The division then retreated across Ukraine. In October 1944, it was moved to Slovakia and took part in the Battle of the Dukla Pass.
During the last year of the war, it fought in Hungary and Austria; by the end of the war, it had been reduced to the size of a Kampfgruppe.
Background
The main purpose of the German Jäger Divisions was to fight in adverse terrain where smaller, coordinated units were more combat effective than the brute force offered by the standard infantry divisions. The Jäger divisions were more heavily equipped than mountain divisions, but not as well armed as a regular infantry division. In the early stages of the war, they were the interface divisions fighting in rough terrain and foothills as well as urban areas between the mountains and the plains.
The Jägers—which means hunters in German—relied on a high degree of training and somewhat superior communications, as well as their not inconsiderable artillery support. In the middle stages of the war, as the standard infantry divisions were downsized, the Jäger structure of divisions with two infantry regiments, became the standard table of organization.[3]
Adolf Hitler declared in 1943 that all infantry divisions except for his elite Jäger and Mountain Jaeger formations were now Grenadier Divisions.[3]
Commanders
- General der Artillerie Erich Marcks (10 December 1940 - 26 June 1941)
- Generalleutnant Brauner von Haydringen (26 June 1941 - 11 April 1942)
- Generalleutnant Erich Diestel (11 April 1942 - 1 September 1942)
- General der Gebirgstruppen Emil Vogel (1 September 1942 - 12 July 1944)
- Generalleutnant Dr. Walter Assmann (12 July 1944 - 8 May 1945)
Area of operations
- As 101 Light Infantry Division
- Germany (Dec 1940 - June 1941)
- Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - July 1942)
- As 101 Jager Division
- Eastern front, southern sector (July 1942 - Oct 1944)
- Slovakia, Hungary & Austria (Oct 1944 - May 1945)
Order of battle
The order of battle of the division was as follows:[4]
- 228th Jäger Regiment
- 229th Jäger Regiment
- 85th Artillery Regiment
- 101st Reconnaissance Battalion
- 101th Engineer Battalion
- 101st Panzerjäger (Anti-tank) Battalion
- 101st Signals Battalion
- 101st Field Replacement Battalion
- 101st Divisional Supply Troops
- 101st Pack Mule Battalion
Notable members
- Willi Heinrich, author of The Willing Flesh, which was turned into the movie The Cross of Iron, served as a company officer in Jäger Regiment 228.
- Hans Liebherr, founder of the Liebherr Group.
Footnotes
- ^ De Bruyne, Eddy. For Rex and for Belgium: Leon Degrelle and Walloon Political & Military Collaboration 1940-45.
- ^ Command Magazine, Hitler's Army: The Evolution and Structure of German Forces, Da Capo Press (2003), ISBN 0-306-81260-6, ISBN 978-0-306-81260-6, p. 264
- ^ a b Mcoy, Breaker (2009). German Army 101st Light Division, 101st Jager Division 1941 - 42. Archived from the original on 2009-06-29. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
- ^ Mitcham 2007, pp. 157–158.
References
- Mitcham, Samuel (2007). German Order of Battle: 291st-999th Infantry Divisions, Named Infantry divisions, and Special Divisions in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3437-4.
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