Description
Unser Alpenkorps – Number 8, August 1940
Scanned pages: 16 | Instant PDF download
Historical German Wehrmacht newsletter of the XVIII Army Corps (Alpenkorps), digitized.
Cover
A mountain soldier at the wheel of a motor tug on a Norwegian fjord, captioned “Gebirgsjäger am Steuer eines Motorschleppers in Norwegen”. Photo: PK-Eitel-Lange-Scherl (war correspondent PK-Eitel Lange).
Main Articles
“General der Infanterie Beyer †”
An obituary of General der Infanterie Eugen Beyer, commanding general of the XVIII Army Corps, who died in Salzburg on 25 July 1940, with a summary of his military career.
No author credited.
“Der Heldentod des Generalleutnants Ritter von Speck”
An account of the death of the acting corps commander, Generalleutnant Ritter von Speck, shot at the Pont-sur-Yonne bridgehead on 15 June 1940 after a reconnaissance flight in a Fieseler Storch.
Author: PK-Kriegsberichter Kurt Günther. Photos (2): Scherl-Bilderdienst.
“Der Führer ehrt die Helden von Narvik”
A report on the award of the Knight’s Cross to six officers of Gruppe Narvik, with brief citations of their deeds.
No author credited. Photos: Archiv XVIII. A.K. (Oberst Windisch, Oberstleutnant Sorko, Major v. Schleebrügge, Major Stautner, Hauptmann Schönbeck; no photo of Leutnant Rohr available).
“Kämpfe um die Erzbahn”
An account of Carinthian mountain troops and naval personnel fighting Norwegian forces for the Narvik ore railway up to the Swedish border at Björnefjell, where Oberjäger Johann Jeličić fell.
Author: Feldw. Walter Wrann. Photo: Presse-Hoffmann (Hitler presenting the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross to General der Infanterie Dietl).
“Lieber Onkel Poldi!”
A field-post letter from northern Norway, dated 18 June, describing ten weeks of fighting around Narvik and the sinking of a Polish destroyer by a German bomber.
Author: Gefreiter Sepp Schneeweiß.
“Liebe Eltern!”
A letter dated Narvik, 14 June 1940, from a member of the “Rainer” radio troop of the 6th Company recounting the landing, the fighting on the ore railway and the recapture of Narvik.
No author named.
“Mit dem Kommandierenden General unterwegs”
A dispatch rider’s diary of accompanying the commanding general on 9 June 1940, including the raising of the Reichskriegsflagge on Soissons cathedral and Iron Cross awards at the front.
Author: Uffz. Josef Salzberger. Photos (2): Scherl-Bilderdienst (PK-Schlickum and Pardun).
“Gebirgsjäger in den Vogesen”
A report on Austrian mountain troops breaking French resistance on the heights near La Salcée in the Vosges, including the poem “Steirer auf Nachtwache”.
Author: PK-Kriegsberichter Dr. Otto Steuer. Poem uncredited.
“Eine Beobachtungsabteilung verfolgt das Marnewunder 1940”
A mountain observation unit’s account of the crossing of the Marne at Chézy in June 1940.
Author: Soldat Alfred Michelitsch. Photo: PK-Schlickum-Scherl-Bilderdienst.
“Artillerieschießen auf der Turracher Höhe”
An account of an artillery replacement battalion’s march from Feldkirchen and live-fire exercise on the Turracher Höhe.
Author: Kanonier Otto Polley. Photos (2): Kanonier Tollinger.
“Es geht ins Gebirge”
A short description (subtitled “Kleine Schilderung einer Gebirgsübung in den Tiroler Bergen”) of a mountain artillery battery’s exercise on the Bettelwurf.
Author: Unteroffizier T. Schuster. Photo: PK-Böttger-Presse-Hoffmann (Narvik veterans assembled for the journey home).
“Marsch in den Morgen”
A replacement battery in southern Carinthia marks the French armistice of 25 June 1940 with a night alarm and dawn march.
Author: Kanonier Otto Polley.
“Der Standort Villach berichtet”
A report on the swearing-in of recruits in Villach on 7 June and a KdF Carinthian home evening with humorist Bucher.
No author credited. Photos (3): Archiv XVIII. A.K.
“Großgeländespiel im Sommerlager”
An account of a Hitler Youth (Pimpfe) war game between two groups of 350 boys at a summer camp near Innsbruck.
Author: O. S.
“Unsere Liederecke – Lied der Kf. 18”
A song page with sheet music and lyrics for the marching song of Kraftfahr-Abteilung 18.
Music by Artur Kanetscheider, words by Franz Trettnig.
Artists Mentioned
- No illustrators or artists are credited for artwork in this issue.
War Correspondents (Kriegsberichter) Named
- PK-Eitel Lange – photographer, cover.
- PK-Kriegsberichter Kurt Günther – author of “Der Heldentod des Generalleutnants Ritter von Speck”.
- PK-Schlickum – photographer, “Mit dem Kommandierenden General unterwegs” and “Eine Beobachtungsabteilung verfolgt das Marnewunder 1940”.
- PK-Pardun – photographer, “Mit dem Kommandierenden General unterwegs”.
- PK-Kriegsberichter Dr. Otto Steuer – author of “Gebirgsjäger in den Vogesen”.
- PK-Böttger – photographer (Presse-Hoffmann), “Es geht ins Gebirge”.