Recommendation:"La longue marche de la Division 157"

[Sid Guttridge]

This is a French-language history of the German 157th Reserve Division throughout the war.

Its author is a Swiss Army colonel. He took 157th Reserve Division as his subject as it was the German formation that operated most closely to the Swiss border. It was raised in Bavaria, served for two years in the French Alps and the last year in the Italian Alps. It was retreating to the Austrian border when it had to surrender in 1945. Its career therefore nearly circled Switzerland.

The interest of this book is that its subject is not one of the front line Feldheer infantry divisions, of which there are numerous histories, but of an Ersatzheer formation that was heavily engaged in anti-guerrilla operations behind the front lines.

The book charts the operations and organisational development of 157th Reserve Division - a partly mountain formation - throughout the war and includes numerous maps, organisational charts and facsimiles of original documents. It has 12 pages of photos and it gives a reasonable account of the division's opponents as well.

My copy is in French, but it is possible that, as with many Swiss French-language books, it has also been published in German as well.

I would definitely recommend this book as it covers a major, but hitherto relatively obscure, subject well. It certainly filled a gap on my groaning bookshelves.

"La longue marche de la Division 157" by Christian Wyler. Published by Grancher, Paris, October, 2004. (ISBN 2-7339-0892-8).

Cheers,

Sid.

[USAF1986]

Sid,

Is there any mention of a Ski-Bataillon 157 being a component of the 157. Reserve-Division? This officer received the German Cross in Gold while assigned to the battalion in question. His higher headquarters unit of assignment has been a mystery to Bernd and me on the Axis Biographical Research board.

Riechert, Heini, 29.05.1943, Oberleutnant, Ski-Btl. 157

Thanks for any help.

Best regards,
Shawn

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Shawn,

I will check.

Can you confirm what the date "29.05.1943" refers to?

If it is the date of the action he won his award for, can you confirm that it was 1943 and not 1944.

157th Reserve Division was heavily involved in anti-Maquis actions in the first half of 1944 (Glieres, Vercors), but I don't, from memory, recall much going on a year earlier.

Cheers,

Sid.

[USAF1986]

Sid,

Thanks for taking a look. "29.05.1943" is the award date for Riechert's German Cross in Gold. We've not been able to determine if Ski-Bataillon 157 was assigned to the 157. Res.Div., 57. Inf.Div. or if it was an independent Heerestruppen unit.

Best regards,
Shawn

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Shawn,

I can find no trace of either Reichert or Ski-Bataillon 157 in the book.

Divisional units were initially numbered "7" and later "1057", but apparently never "157".

Initially there was a 157th Infantry Regiment under the division, but this was apparently no longer part of the division by 1943. It was not a mountain unit.

Photos in the book make clear that 157th Reserve Division did have skiers, but I can find no reference to a specific ski-unit. They were probably part of 98th, 99th or 100th Reserve Mountain Battalions which supplied new mountain troops to the mountain regiments with the same numbers in 1st Mountqain Divisionj.

My guess (and it is only a guess) is that Ski-Bataillon 157 may have been composite battalion of skiers from 157th Reserve Division that may have got involved in action en route to 1st Mountain Division in the Caucasus or Balkans.

Cheers,

A not very helpful Sid.

[USAF1986]

Sid,

Thanks so much for taking the time to research my question. Every little bit helps!

Best regards,
Shawn

[Chambellan]

Can you tell me if this book refers to the capture of American commandos in the village of Centron on 16 August 1944?

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Chambellan,

Sorry, the book is in storage at present, so I cannot tell you.

Sid.