101st Jäger Division
Encyclopedia
The 101st Jäger Division was a German Infantry
Division
of World War II
. It was formed in July 1942 by the redesignation of the 101st Light Infantry Division, which was itself formed in December 1940. It took part in the Battle of Kharkov
, then the Caucasus
campaign and the retreat into the Kuban
, where it suffered heavy losses fighting both the Red Army
and partisans
. The division was then involved in the battles around the Kerch Strait
, before being evacuated. The 101st was subsequently transferred to the lower Dnieper River
in late 1943. It was part of the 1st Panzer Army that was surrounded in March 1944, it formed the rear guard for the XLVI Panzer Corps during the breakout. The division then retreated across the Ukraine
. In October 1944, it was moved to Slovakia
and took part in the Battle of the Dukla Pass
.
During the last year of the war it fought in Hungary
and Austria
, by the end of the war it had been reduced to the size of a Kampfgruppe
.
The Jägers – which means hunters in German – relied on a high degree of training and somewhat superior communications, as well as their not inconsiderable artillery support. In the middle stages of the war, as the standard infantry divisions were downsized, the Jäger model with two infantry regiments, came to dominate the standard tables of organization.
Adolf Hitler
declared in 1943, that all infantry divisions, except for his elite Jäger and Mountain Jaeger formations, were now Grenadier Divisions.
As 101 Jager Division
, author of The Willing Flesh
, which was turned into the movie The Cross of Iron, served as a company officer in Jäger Regiment 228.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was formed in July 1942 by the redesignation of the 101st Light Infantry Division, which was itself formed in December 1940. It took part in the Battle of Kharkov
First Battle of Kharkov
The 1st Battle of Kharkov so named by Wilhelm Keitel was the 1941 tactical Wehrmacht battle for the city of Kharkiv during the final phase of Operation Barbarossa by the German 6th Army of the Army Group South on 20 October 1941...
, then the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
campaign and the retreat into the Kuban
Kuban
Kuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
, where it suffered heavy losses fighting both the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and partisans
Soviet partisans
The Soviet partisans were members of a resistance movement which fought a guerrilla war against the Axis occupation of the Soviet Union during World War II....
. The division was then involved in the battles around the Kerch Strait
Strait of Kerch
The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula in the west from the Taman Peninsula in the east. The strait is to wide and up to deep....
, before being evacuated. The 101st was subsequently transferred to the lower Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
in late 1943. It was part of the 1st Panzer Army that was surrounded in March 1944, it formed the rear guard for the XLVI Panzer Corps during the breakout. The division then retreated across the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. In October 1944, it was moved to Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and took part in the Battle of the Dukla Pass
Battle of the Dukla Pass
Battle of the Dukla Pass, also known as the Dukla / Carpatho-Dukla / Rzeszów-Dukla / Dukla-Prešov Offensive was the scene of bitterly contested battle for the Dukla Pass on the Eastern Front of World War II between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in September-October 1944. German resistance was...
.
During the last year of the war it fought in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, by the end of the war it had been reduced to the size of a Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
.
Background
The main purpose of the German Jäger Divisions was to fight in adverse terrain where smaller, coordinated units were more combat effective than the brute force offered by the standard infantry divisions. The Jäger divisions were more heavily equipped than mountain divisions, but not as well armed as a regular infantry division. In the early stages of the war, they were the interface divisions fighting in rough terrain and foothills as well as urban areas between the mountains and the plains.The Jägers – which means hunters in German – relied on a high degree of training and somewhat superior communications, as well as their not inconsiderable artillery support. In the middle stages of the war, as the standard infantry divisions were downsized, the Jäger model with two infantry regiments, came to dominate the standard tables of organization.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
declared in 1943, that all infantry divisions, except for his elite Jäger and Mountain Jaeger formations, were now Grenadier Divisions.
Commanders
- GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
der Artillerie Erich MarcksErich MarcksErich Marcks was a German general of artillery in World War II.-Biography:Born in Schöneberg, Marcks was the son of the German historian Erich Marcks. He began advanced studies in philosophy in Freiburg in 1909. He broke off his studies after only three semesters and became a career officer of...
(10 December 1940 - 26 June 1941) - Generalleutnant Brauner von Haydringen (26 June 1941 - 11 April 1942)
- Generalleutnant Erich DiestelErich DiestelErich Diestel was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
(11 April 1942 - 1 September 1942) - General der Gebirgstruppen Emil VogelEmil VogelEmil Wilhelm Vogel was a highly decorated General der Gebirgstruppe in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the XXXVI. Gebirgskorps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
(1 September 1942 - 12 July 1944) - Generalleutnant Dr. Walter AssmannWalter AssmannDr. med. dent. Walter Karl Friedrich AssmannIn German a Doctor of Medical Dentistry is abbreviated as Dr. med. dent. . was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the 101. Jäger Division. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(12 July 1944 - 8 May 1945)
Area of operations
As 101 Light Infantry Division- Germany (Dec 1940 - June 1941)
- Eastern front, southern sector (June 1941 - July 1942)
As 101 Jager Division
- Eastern front, southern sector (July 1942 - Oct 1944)
- Slovakia, Hungary & Austria (Oct 1944 - May 1945)
Order of battle
- Jäger Regiment 228
- Jäger Regiment 229
- Radfahr Battalion 101
- Artillerie Regiment 85
- Pionier Battalion 101
- PanzerjägerPanzerjägerPanzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Battalion 101 - Signals Battalion 101
- Reserve Battalion 101
- Versorgungseinheiten 101
Notable members
Willi HeinrichWilli Heinrich
-Biography:Willi Heinrich was born in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, and during the Second World War he fought the Russians in the Eastern Front with the 1st Battalion 228th Jäger Regiment of the 101st Jäger Division, the infantry unit of the characters of Das Geduldige Fleisch , his most famous...
, author of The Willing Flesh
The Willing Flesh
The Willing Flesh is a novel by Willi Heinrich, chronicling the Eastern Front combat experiences of a depleted infantry platoon during the 1943 German retreat from the Taman Peninsula in the Caucasian coast of Russia....
, which was turned into the movie The Cross of Iron, served as a company officer in Jäger Regiment 228.