Obscure Axis combat units of WW2

[sturmvogel]

Best source in English that I've found is Antonio Munoz's Forgotten Legions. It has a couple of chapters on their history.

Jason

[Dan E. Moe]

Obscure enough??


Gebirgsjäger-Kompanie 190 of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division


SS-Panzergrenadier-Bataillon 506 of the 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division „Nord“

MfG Michi

I think the real designation were the "SS-Polizei-Grenadier-Bataillon 506" and it was the SS-Schijägerbataillon "Norge" which was designated this after they returned to Norway.

[Troy Tempest]

Here is something I found on SS-Skijäger Kompanie Norge:

Another unit was the SS-Skijäger Kompanie Norge, formed in 1943 by Danish-born Gust Jonassen, who was the leader of the sports section of the NSUF, the NS (Nasjional Samling, or National Unity Party) equivalent of the Hitler Jugend. A keen skier, he had fostered the sport within his organization. The 6th SS-Gevirgsdivision Nord, fighnting in central Finland, had a reqirement for a specialised ski company, and Jonassen proposed the formation of a Norwegian ski unit which would be used for reconnaissance and long-range patrolling. Jonassen was sent on an officer training course at the SS officer school at Bad Tolz, and began to recruit 120 skiers from the NSUF. Late in the spring of 1943, the unit joined Nord. Jonassen was killed soon afterwards when he stepped on a mine, but the ski company had proved its worth, and it was decided to expand it to battalion size. Unlike other volunteer units, the ski battalion had no difficulty in finding volunteers. Most of the Norwegians in the Waffen-SS had originally expected to serve in Finland, and a number transferred from the Norge Battalion and from the Luftwaffe. In October 1943 it was joined by a company raised from the Norwegian police. The ski battalion distinguished itself in the fighting against the Soviets over the next tow years. On 4.9.1944 Finland signed an armistice with the Russians, and the Norwegians retreated through Finnish Lappland towards Norway, often providing the rearguard for the 20th Gebirgsarmee. They reached Narvik by mid-December, where the battalion was reformed into a security police unit, in which form it fought until the end of the war.

Troy

[Simon Orchard]

Obscure enough??


Gebirgsjäger-Kompanie 190 of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division


SS-Panzergrenadier-Bataillon 506 of the 6. SS-Gebirgs-Division „Nord“

MfG Michi

I think the real designation were the "SS-Polizei-Grenadier-Bataillon 506" and it was the SS-Schijägerbataillon "Norge" which was designated this after they returned to Norway.

That's incorrect

SS-Pz.Gren.Btl.506 was the renaming of SS Schützen Btl. (mot.) 6
SS-skijäger Btl. "Norge" is named as SS-Pol.Jg.Btl.506 on a copy of an original German map i have from May 1945, though it could also be SS Polizei Skijäger Btl.506 as the tactical symbol used is that of a ski Btl.



A few other obscure units from Norway for you.

Gebirgs Nebelwerfer abteilung 10.
Gebirgsjäger bataillon "Allgau"
Eisenbahn Pionier Kompanie 619 (mot.) Nothing to do with railways but a unit that built and operated and aerial tramway to supply troops in mountainous areas where transport was otherwise difficult.
Panzer zug of the 199, 230 and 270 Inf.Div. each equipped with 1 Somua 35 and 3 Hothkiss H39
Pionier Schären Btl. 761 and 762. Pionier units operating small boats and assault craft in the Norwegian fjords.
The various Schneeräum units of kompanie or bataillon size that operated the snowploughs and snowblowers that kept the roads open during the long winters.

[Michkhine]

]Apparently the Germans were the only army to use these special, temporary, mission specific units during the war[/qute]
the French army har SOUS GROUPEMENTS TACTIQUES and GROUPEMENT TACTIQUES in 1944. These elements were the counterparts of the american combat command and task forces

[Spiny Norman]

Hello!
I've been researching the Siege of Budapest in 1945 and have been having an interesting time tracking down the various units that made up the city's garrison. In Ungvary's book ('Battle for Budapest - 100 days in WWII') he mentions a unit called the 'Europa Battalion' with a strength of about 300 men. I've searched this forum and the rest of the internet as well and have found nothing further - does anyone have any more information about this unit?
Thanks,
SN

[Fallschirmjäger]

One i read of in my FJ book was albert kesselrings own bodyguard unit being sent to bolster the forces in tunisia when they needed soldiers to hold the bridgehead against the allies.Like would have to look at the info again,but think it was not a large unit of course and then also what happened to it,stayed there and fought with other luft units like the FJ and HGPD and surrendered there or got out some way?.

[Timothy H. Barnes]

Hi! In the Scandinavian region, it seems to me that there was a small contretemps between Brits and Germans for a few years in Northeastern Greenland, which area was of some strategic importance for weather and other information in a pre-satellite era.

Vaguely I recall reading about the British North-East Greenland Sledge Patrol, which was finally victorious over the small German garrison. The German commander was taken prisoner.

Anybody else heard about these groups? Any Danes out there?

Best wishes,

Tim
Toronto

[RFPB]

Dirlewanger.

[Bjarne Böttcher]

In 1943 on the Northcoast of Greenland, the Germans landed by ship a group of soldiers - they was trying to build a weather station - but You can read all about It in the book " traces in the snow" by David Howarth.

[Bjarne Böttcher]

And It was not a British sledge patr. but 15 Danes with there leader Eske Brun - now known as the Sirius sledge patrol -

[jerimiah]

kampfgruppen i thought they were only under direct control of hitler.is this true

[jerimiah]

kampfgruppen i thought they were only under direct control of hitler.is this true

[Mikhasto]

There was an air support detachment called Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey wich flew and fought
hard above Finnish Karelian front during Tali-Ihantala battle. It flew thousands of missions
and destroyed over 100 enemy planes and some 200 enemy AFV`s. Bommed tens of bridges
and destroyed many support columns. It lost 23 pilots dead and 24 wounded. This was critcal help to Finns and helped them maintain air superiority during those critical days.
Information about this unit is kept bit obscured for reasons unknown. Finnish forces are mainly credited for halting the Russian forces on Tali-Ihantala front but the truth is that without this support it would have been much worse.

And there was one of the most insane combat unit called SS-Sonderkommando Dirlewanger wich was an anti-partisan unit and it was even more hated than Piper`s
"blow torch battalion"

[Endzeit Jan]

SS-Kampfgruppe "Gommern"
April 1945, 12.Armee (Armee Wenck)

Jan