1939 - The Campaign into Poland
1. Gebirgs-Division, 2. Gebirgs-Division
and 3. Gebirgs-Division had been put into position in Northern Slovakia
during the second half of August 1939. The objective of 1. Gebirgs-Division
was Lemberg in Poland. The Divisions regiments crossed the Polish border
on the 5th of September and despite heavy Polish resistance, on the 15th
of September Lemberg was encircled by the 1. Gebirgs-Division and on the
21st of September the Polish defenders of Lemberg surrended to the 1. Gebirgs-Division.
The Deutsche Wehrmacht and the Gebirgs-
Division had paided their first bloody toll in war that would rage another
five years. More than 10,000 German soldiers had been killed, more than
30,000 had been wounded and about 3,500 were missing in action. The even
greater number of Polish casualties had never been counted.
After this first Blitzkrieg the 1. Gebirgs-Division
was moved hurriedly to the west.
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