German Mountain Infantry 1939-1945
The History of the Regiment during World War II
The EDELWEISS is a flower that grows only in the high alpine regions of Continental Europe. The Edelweiss Insignia was first used by Austrian mountain soldiers as a symbol of prestige during the First World War. German soldiers, who had been assigned to a joint German-Austrian Mountain Corps during the fighting in Italy and the Balkans, adopted the symbol in honor of their Austrian comrades and as a headpiece insignia on their caps to signify their service in the Mountain Corps. During the between-war period of the German Weimar Republic, a mountain brigade was formed in the German Army (Reichsheer) using veteran soldiers with specialized skills in mountain warfare.
4th. Kompanie Gebirgsjäger Regiment Nr. 98
SERVICE DURING THE EARLY WAR YEARS 1939-1940
The 98th Mountain Infantry (Gebirgsjäger) Regiment was part of a three regiment Gebirgsjäger Brigade and garrisoned in Bad Reichenhall, Mittenwald, Germany. Formed from remnants of the Great War’s Bavarian Alpenkorps, the cadres of mountain trained infantry were expanded by the introduction of general conscription in March of 1935 and by the induction of large numbers of mountain trained Bavarian state policemen. April, 1938 saw the 98th united with the 99th and 100th Gebirgsjäger regiments to form the 1st Gebirgsjäger Division under Major General Kübler, mobilizing for the invasion of Poland on 26, August, 1939. Combining with the 2nd and 3rd Gebirgsjäger divisions to form the 18th Gebirgs Corps, its first war time mission was to cross the High Tatra Mountains from Slovakia and take the Polish plain. The war started for the 98th Gebirgsjäger Regiment (GJR) on 4, September, 1939 as it crossed over the border into Poland and struck east into the area of Dukla Pass, combating elements of the Polish 1st and 2nd Alpine Brigades. Upon reaching the Polish plain the 98th GJR endured an eight day, forced dawn to dusk, 400 km march through hostile territory, to capture the Polish transportation hub of Lemburg, thus cutting off retreating Polish forces. A fierce battle for the city erupted as the Gebirgsjäger, up to 120 km in front of the main German lines, were hit from all sides by retreating Polish military units trying to break through and defend the city. On 21, September, 1939 the campaign ended for the 1st Gebirgsjäger Division when, as the Red Army invaded from the East, the Polish emissary insisted that he would only surrender to the 1st Gebirgs-Div., which had just fought and held out against assaults from every direction. Ironically, the city was turned over to the Russians and had to be retaken by the 1st Gebirgs-Div. two years later during Operation Barbarossa.
With the conclusion of the Polish campaign, the 1st Gebirgsjäger Division returned to Germany spending the winter of 1939 - 40 training in the Eifel Hills. When the war in the west opened on 10, May, 1940, the Gebirgsjäger began marching west through France not making contact with the enemy until May 18th at the Oisne-Aisne Canal. The French 87th Colonial Division held the south bank in strength and put up a determined resistance with everything they had, including heavy artillery. This one day battle cost the 1st Gebirgsjäger Division 139 men dead and 430 wounded. Fresh orders advanced the Division to Soissons, then across the Marne River.
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