24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS

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24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS
24divss.gif
Insignia of 24th Waffen Gebirgs Division der SS
Active 1944 - 1945
Country Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Allegiance Adolf Hitler
Branch Flag Schutzstaffel.svg Waffen SS
Type Mountain
Size Division
Nickname Corn Division
Because of mountainous terrain, the Karstwehr Battalion relied on horses to carry light artillery and other supplies.

The 24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS (Karstjäger) was the temporary designation of a military unit of Nazi Germany during World War II. The unit was previously known as the Karstwehr Battalion. In August 1944 it was upgraded to divisional size, but this new strength was never more than theoretical and the division was later reduced to the Waffen Gebirgs Brigade der SS.[1] Whatever its designation, the unit was primarily involved in fighting partisans in the Kras (German:Karst) region of the Alps on the frontiers of Slovenia, Italy, and Austria; the mountainous terrain requiring specialized mountain troops and equipment. Founded in 1942, the unit consisted mainly of ethnic German volunteers from Italy and also volunteers from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and the Ukraine. Although primarily focused on anti-partisan activities, it also saw action in the wake of the Italian surrender when it moved to disarm Italian troops in Tarvisio and protect ethnic German communities in Italy. In addition, at the end of the war it successfully fought to keep passes into Austria open, allowing German units to escape the Balkans and subsequently surrender to British forces. The remains of the unit finally surrendered to the British 6th Armoured Division on 9 May 1945, one of the last German formations to lay down its arms.[2]

[edit] Commanders

[edit] Order of battle

  • Waffen-Gebirgsjäger Regiment der SS 59
  • Waffen-Gebirgsjäger Regiment der SS 60 (serbische nr.1)
  • Waffen-Gebirgs Artillery Regiment 24
  • SS Gebirgs Reconnaissance Battalion 24
  • SS Gebirgs Panzerjager Battalion 24
  • SS Gebirgs Medical Company 24
  • SS Gebirgs Signal Battalion 24
  • SS Gebirgs Pionier Battalion 24
  • SS Gebirgs Flak Battalion 24
  • SS Gebirgs Supply Battalion 24
  • SS Gebirgs Field Replacement Battalion 24 [3]

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Williamson, Gordon and Stephan Andrew. The Waffen-SS (1). Osprey Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-84176-592-9. p.4
  2. ^ Williamson & Andrew p.5
  3. ^ Mitcham, Samuel W. Jr. German Order of Battle Volume 3. p.176
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=24th_Waffen_Mountain_Division_of_the_SS&oldid=476245470"
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