Description
Unser Alpenkorps – Number 6, June 1940
Scanned pages: 16 | Instant PDF download
Historical German Wehrmacht newsletter of the XVIII Army Corps (Alpenkorps), digitized.
Cover
The Graz clock tower (Uhrturm) framed by spring blossoms, captioned “Frühling in der Heimat”. Photo: Jäger K. N. Kempter. No war correspondent credited.
Main Articles
“Die Helden von Narvik”
The OKW announcement of 10 June 1940 on the victory at Narvik, followed by an account of the two-month defence of Narvik by Generalleutnant Dietl’s Austrian mountain troops and the destroyer crews under Kommodore Bonte.
No author credited (OKW/DNB communiqué, Führerhauptquartier). Photo: Scherl-Bilderdienst (portrait of Generalleutnant Dietl).
“Unsere Landung in Norwegen”
A field-post letter (“Feldpostbrief eines Steirers”) describing a Styrian soldier’s sea voyage to Norway, air attacks, the sinking of an English destroyer and the landing in a fjord.
Author: Roman R. Photos: Schenck-Scherl-Bilderdienst (Am Sogne-Fjord); PK-Bölz-Scherl-Bilderdienst (troop transports in a Norwegian harbour).
“Unser Siegeszug im Westen”
A photo feature on the western campaign showing mountain troops marching through Belgium, a destroyed Maginot Line bunker, a wrecked French tank and the burning oil tanks of Antwerp.
Photos: Ehlert-Scherl-Bilderdienst (2); PK-Stift-Weltbild; PK-Schmidt-Scherl-Bilderdienst.
“Unsere Pioniere im norwegischen Feldzug”
A report on the work of field, mountain and railway pioneers in Norway, bridging rivers, clearing demolitions and restoring railways to keep the advance moving.
Author: PK-Kriegsberichter Kiekheben-Schmidt. Photo: PK-Busch-Scherl-Bilderdienst (mountain guns loaded as supplies for Norway).
“Kletterfahrt in den steirischen Alpen”
A soldier’s account of a weekend climb from the Leoben garrison up the north ridge of the Rauchkoppe in the Eisenerz Alps.
Author: Gefr. Heribert Luef. Photos (3): Archiv XVIII. A.K.
“Einsatz für Deutschland”
A former party speaker describes his call-up and training as a new mountain infantryman in Wörgl.
Author: Jäger Karl Ernst Zwanzig. Photos (2): Nordhaus (including Generalleutnant v. Hößlin instructing an officers’ course).
“Brause, Motor, singe dein Lied”
A driver’s account of training at the Gebirgs-Motor-Sportschule “General Ritter von Epp” in Kochel, including a convoy drive to the Chiemsee.
Author: Kraftfahrer Friedrich Hornof. Photo: Nordhaus.
“Die ältesten Kasernen”
A historical survey of the oldest barracks in Innsbruck (Klosterkaserne), Graz (Dominikanerkaserne), Salzburg (Türnitz/Grieskaserne) and Klagenfurt (Jesuitenkaserne).
Authors: Major a. D. Lothar Semper (Innsbruck); Dr. Karl Sammer (Graz); Salzburg and Klagenfurt sections uncredited. Photos: A. Künz, E. Figlhuber and H. Klein (Archiv XVIII. A.K.).
“Jugend im Krieg”
An essay on the wartime service of the Hitler Youth in Styria, contrasted with British youth, accompanied by a photo of the Reichskriegsflagge raised on the Großglockner on 12 May 1940.
Author: Oberstammführer Dr. Gewolf, Graz. Photo: Archiv XVIII. A.K. (Glockner party: Leutnant d. R. Steinklauber, Unterarzt Dr. Kindermann, Kradschütze Trost, Sanitätssoldat Linß).
“Unsere Liederecke”
A song page with sheet music and lyrics for “Flieger und Maschinen” and “Wir tragen stolz das Edelweiß”.
“Flieger und Maschinen”: music by Paul Möller, text by Segelflieger Haun. “Wir tragen stolz das Edelweiß”: music by Lt. d. R. Hans Weiß, words by Uffz. Sepp Dirnegger.
Pilot named: Segelflieger Haun (glider pilot, lyricist).
Artists Mentioned
- No illustrators or artists are credited for artwork in this issue.
War Correspondents (Kriegsberichter) Named
- PK-Kriegsberichter Kiekheben-Schmidt – author of “Unsere Pioniere im norwegischen Feldzug”.
- PK-Bölz – photographer, “Unsere Landung in Norwegen”.
- PK-Stift – photographer (Weltbild), “Unser Siegeszug im Westen”.
- PK-Schmidt – photographer (Scherl-Bilderdienst), “Unser Siegeszug im Westen”.
- PK-Busch – photographer (Scherl-Bilderdienst), “Unsere Pioniere im norwegischen Feldzug”.