Description
Unser Alpenkorps – Number 7, July 1940
Scanned pages: 16 | Instant PDF download
Historical German Wehrmacht newsletter of the XVIII Army Corps (Alpenkorps), digitized.
Cover
Mountain troops crossing the Aisne on a pontoon footbridge, captioned “Gebirgsjäger überschreiten die Aisne”. Photo: PK-Rumpf-Scherl-Bilderdienst (war correspondent PK-Rumpf).
Main Articles
“Nur kein Schema!”
An interview with Generalleutnant Dietl, taken from the “Deutsche Zeitung in Norwegen”, on the two-month defence of Narvik and the role of his mountain troops and sailors.
No author credited. Photo: PK-Lange-Weltbild (troops at the Polar Circle marker).
“Mit unsern Gebirgsjägern nach Norwegen”
A detailed account of Tyrolean and Vorarlberg mountain troops travelling from the West via Denmark to Oslo and then marching north through Dombås, Drontheim, Mosjøen and Mo to Fauske in May 1940.
Author: Hauptmann Wolfmayer. Photos: PK-Winkelmann-Scherl-Bilderdienst; Scherl-Bilderdienst (3) (PK-Winkelmann, Habedank, Eitel Lange).
“Hakenkreuz am Polarkreis”
A report on the advance of Austrian mountain troops and pioneers along Norway’s Straße 50 from Mo i Rana, across the Polar Circle, to Rognan.
Author: PK-Kriegsberichter F. Ehrhardt. Photos (2): Weltbild (PK-Winkelmann and Böttger), including a naval seaplane and paratroops at Narvik.
“Gebirgsjäger im Westen – Vorwärts!”
A lieutenant’s minute-by-minute account of his anti-tank platoon’s baptism of fire against French tanks near Laon on 20 May 1940.
Author: Ltn. Benk. Photo: PK-Reichelt-Scherl-Bilderdienst.
“Ostmärker an der Aisne”
A report on Austrian troops on the Aisne, including a lieutenant and sergeant who swam the river to capture French soldiers and were decorated with the Iron Cross.
Author: PK-Kriegsberichter Kettlein. Photos: PK-Krasemann-Scherl-Bilderdienst; PK-Gutjahr-Weltbild.
“Grazer Wachtmeister macht 22 Gefangene”
An account of Wachtmeister Ebner from Graz capturing 22 English soldiers in a motorboat and fishing hut near Cap Gris Nez on 26 May.
Author: PK-Kriegsberichter Kayser.
“Schwere Artillerie schießt im Gebirge”
A report on a heavy motorised howitzer replacement battery’s live-fire training on the Turracher Höhe in Carinthia, visited by Generalleutnant Schaller-Kalide.
Author: Oberleutnant Mäser.
“Wenn die Lawinen donnern!”
An account (subtitled “Einsatz einer Gebirgs-Sanitätsersatzabteilung”) of a mountain medical replacement unit’s rescue operation after an avalanche buried three people near Zell am See.
Author: Sanitätssoldat Rinnerhofer. Photo: Archiv XVIII. A.K.
“Kameradschaftsabend in Hopfgarten”
A report on the 7th Company’s exercise and comradeship evening with the townspeople of Hopfgarten.
Author: Jg. Helmut Pokorny. Photo: Scherl-Bilderdienst.
“Sie wollen einmal Gebirgsjäger werden”
A report (subtitled “Hitlerjungen erproben ihre Kletterkunst”) on a Carinthian Hitler Youth mountaineering group’s first climbing trip to the Reißkofel.
No author credited. Photo: Schröder.
“Die Nachbarschaftshilfe auf dem Dorfe”
A piece on Alpine farming villages helping families whose men are at the front to bring in the harvest.
No author credited. Photo: Wurm (Landesbauernschaft).
“Marschmusik verdoppelt eine Armee”
A historical overview of German military marches from Frederick the Great to Richard Strauss.
Author: Dr. Alfred Möller.
“Bücherschau”
A review of the humorous book “Da lachen unsere Gebirgsjäger” (NS-Gauverlag Tirol, Innsbruck), devised by Ufa director Gösta Nordhaus with caricatures by Hauptmann Albert Hohenester.
No reviewer credited. Illustrations: Hauptmann Albert Hohenester.
“Unsere Liederecke”
A song page with sheet music and lyrics for “England, gib acht!” and “Lied der 7. Kompanie”.
“England, gib acht!”: text and melody by Gebirgsjäger Edi Tenschert. “Lied der 7. Kompanie”: text by Jäger Mandl, melody by Jäger Gustav Behrendt.
Artists Mentioned
- Hauptmann Albert Hohenester – caricature drawings for the book “Da lachen unsere Gebirgsjäger” (NS-Gauverlag Tirol), reproduced in the Bücherschau and the book advertisement, after an idea by Gösta Nordhaus.
War Correspondents (Kriegsberichter) Named
- PK-Rumpf – photographer, cover.
- PK-Lange (Eitel Lange) – photographer, “Nur kein Schema!” and “Mit unsern Gebirgsjägern nach Norwegen”.
- PK-Winkelmann – photographer, “Mit unsern Gebirgsjägern nach Norwegen” and “Hakenkreuz am Polarkreis”.
- Habedank – photographer (Scherl-Bilderdienst), “Mit unsern Gebirgsjägern nach Norwegen”.
- Böttger – photographer (Weltbild), “Hakenkreuz am Polarkreis”.
- PK-Kriegsberichter F. Ehrhardt – author of “Hakenkreuz am Polarkreis”.
- PK-Reichelt – photographer, “Gebirgsjäger im Westen – Vorwärts!”.
- PK-Kriegsberichter Kettlein – author of “Ostmärker an der Aisne”.
- PK-Krasemann – photographer, “Ostmärker an der Aisne”.
- PK-Gutjahr – photographer (Weltbild), “Ostmärker an der Aisne”.
- PK-Kriegsberichter Kayser – author of “Grazer Wachtmeister macht 22 Gefangene”.