Gebirgs Panzer!

[stonemint]

Yup, they did exist--I wonder how many Eidelweisses we will now see on Pz visors thanks to this pic:

[panzerr]

WOW that's new for me , can someone explain

[Kreager]

Very interesting photo.

[Z19]

WOW that's new for me , can someone explain

Yeah, kinda' throws that "textbook" word eveyone likes to use out the window doesn't it?? Alex

[stevezz1]

I am reading 'SS Panzergrenadier' by Hans Schmidt at the moment and he mentions going to dances, etc. in uniform but with one addition, an eidelweiss on the side of his cap. Why? Because it was a girl magnate......

Steve.

[Luca Ongaro]

Is not the first time I see PZ headgears with edelweisses, hope to find pictures in my database to show you.
Luca

[madandi]

In the past i have seen a StuG-Wrapper with sleeveedelweiß.

[PANZERPIONIERE]

Excellent, I saw that on EBAY, but did not bid, did you get it?
Steve

Looking for anything pertaining to Pi.Btl.16 or Pz.Pi.Btl.16

[Simon O.]

In the past i have seen a StuG-Wrapper with sleeveedelweiß.

They were used by III./GJR136 for field trials, the 1 Skijäger Brigade (many ex-gebirgsjäger continued to wear their edelweiss) and of course those Gebirgs divisionen that received a kompanie of stugs or hetzers in their panzerjäger abteilungen.


That photo really has me wondering. I can just about think of a few instances where a soldier might wear the black panzer uniform and the edelweiss but there were no actual gebirgs panzer units. The panzer-späh zug of the 20 Gebirgs Armee springs to mind for example.

Is the guy listed on the volksbund database? Also, can you make out the cypher on the strap?

[gijoe002us]

Perhaps he was Gebirgs prior to entering the Panzer service. One other thought, Prinz Eugen although ss had a small allotment of armoured vehicles, mostly captured French models, Either way they were a Gebirgs division and therefore entitled to the edelweiss. Also If attached temporarily to a Gebirgs division for any period of time, one might consider that "earning the badge". Not sure of the entire Mountain arm history but have seen on a localized basis depending on the type of operation, supporting elements were attached depending on need and availability. Also doesnt really matter whether or not regulation permits the wearing of the edelweiss, on a localized basis lots of units did pretty much what they wanted, example Luft flak units stationed either with Gebirgs units or just in higher elevations sometimes wore the edelweiss against regs.

Nice pic!

Joe

[joelhall]

gebirgs AND panzer????

anyone mind if i drool over it haha

perhaps stationed in scandinavia or around the alps and had to do mountain training? im thinking maybe seconded to a gebirgsdivision for armoured support?

[joelhall]

did a google search and found this...

http://www.rktraeger.de/Gliederungen...Gliederung.htm

does make one wonder though, if there were mountain tank busters then surely there would be tanks in the mountains??!! panzer units hidden in passes borders etc? anyone else been able to find much?

just a thought.

[Simon O.]

Joe

first thing is to forget any notion that mountain infantry fought only in the mountains, Most didn't and all mountain divisions had an anti-tank battalion as well as each GJ regiment having an anti-tank company.

Part of the 44 type gebirgs division included a stug or hetzer armed company of 10 or 14 vehicles. As the panzerjäger were regarded as panzertruppe that could account for the photo above.

As far as panzers in Scandinavia are concerned there were 2 units, Pz.abt. zbv.40 and pz.abt.211. although i've seen evidence of the bergmütze being worn i've not seen anything to suggest the wearing of an edelweiss.

The wearing of the edelweiss by units not authorised to do so did happen and i've seen orders clamping down on the practice.

Try not to get too focused on division level, there were mountain corps as well as the 20 Gebirgs Armee which included gebirgs heerestruppen ie. mountain units not attached to a division but independent and operating at corps or army level. Gebirgs Nebelwerfer abteilung 10 is one example.

[LRRPS]

At the very end of the war, members of Scwere Panzer-Abt. 508 (Kompani Meyer) came upon a mountain-artillery battalion, demobilizing itself. Since the company was without tanks, they decided to change brances and took over the artillery pieces.

Renamed themselves into Panzer-Gebirgs-Abteilung, and outfitted themselves with an Edelweiss on the upper sleve.

All this according to "Combat history of Scwere Panzer-Abteilung 508". No pics of this in the book, but the information about this comes from the company commander, Hans-Gert Meyer.

[BergführerKiser]

Grüß Di' Gebirgspanzermanner!

When was this guy's death? Could help explain which unit he was with. During the French Campaign, the 1. Gebirgsdivision had a special unit within the Gebirgspionierbataillon 54. It was the Gepanzerter-Floßsackzug which used turretless Pz. 1's to pull trailers with rafts. The men of this unit wore the black Panzer uniform.

Another possibility is that this guy could be from Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 243 which was attached to the 1. Gebirgsdivision during the drive across Ukraine. StuG.Abt. 243 painted the Edelweiss emblem on the sides of their StuG III's.

Gebirgspanzers vor!