German Mountain Troops in World War II

Book excerpt: Under the emblem of the Edelweis, the soldiers of the German mountain corps fought on every front in the Second World War - in the tundra of Lapland, in the gorges of the Balkans, on Crete, in the High Caucasus, at Monte Cassino and finally in Upper Italy and the Western Alps, at the Semmering, in Bavaria and Tyrol. Mountain troops even formed part of Rommel's famed Afrikakorps. During the war, the army alone formed a total of eleven mountain divisions, plus independent battalions and units. The accomplishments of the "Men of the Edelweis" are still held in high regard by historians and military experts. Armed forces and special units worldwide use their alpine and combat abilities as an example, for in mountain fighting the weather and the terrain often caused more casualties than the enemy. Through impressive photographs and brief, insightful text, this chronicle offers the reader and extraordinary view into the world of these elite troops, who were always committed where the outcome hung in the balance.