| 5th Mountain Division | |
|---|---|
| German:5. Gebirgs-Division | |
 Unit insignia | |
| Active | 1940–45 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  German Army |
| Type | Mountain infantry (Gebirgsjäger) |
| Role | Anti-tank warfare Armoured reconnaissance Armoured warfare Artillery observer Bayonet charge Bomb disposal Close-quarters battle Cold-weather warfare Combined arms Counter-battery fire HUMINT Indirect fire Intelligence assessment Military engineering Military intelligence Mountain warfare Patrolling Raiding Reconnaissance Trench warfare Urban warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Salzburg |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | GeneralJulius Ringel |
The5th Mountain Division (German:5. Gebirgs-Division) was a mountain infantry (Gebirgsjäger) formation of theGermanWehrmacht duringWorld War II. It was established in the Wehrkreis XVIII in October 1940, out of units taken from the1st Mountain Division and the10th Infantry Division. The unit surrendered to the U.S. Army nearTurin in May 1945.
Following months of inactivity in Germany, the unit formedXVIII Mountain Corps[1] with the6th Mountain Division, and in spring 1941 was designated to take part inOperation Marita, the invasion of Greece, as part of theBalkans Campaign.
The unit then took part in the invasion of Crete, codenamedOperation Merkur. Here the unit was used in an air-landing role where it fought against British forces which had retreated from Greece. The units role in securing the islands was significant, and in November 1941, the unit returned to Germany for refitting.[2]
In March 1942 it was deployed to theEastern Front, where it joinedArmy Group North on theVolkhov Front, and took part in operations against the city ofLeningrad. The unit remained on theEastern Front until November 1943, during which time it was used primarily forfirefighting for the18th Armee in operations nearMga,Shlisselburg, andKolpino.[3]
Following its year on theEastern Front the unit was redeployed to theGustav Line in December 1943, arriving nearCassino. The unit fought out the remainder of the war in Italy and theWestern Alps before surrendering to American forces nearTurin in May 1945.[4]
The division was implicated in theGrugliasco massacre,Piedmont, alongside the34th Infantry Division, where, on 30 April 1945, 67 civilians were executed.[5][6] Shortly after the division was also implicated in another massacre in the town ofSanthià, on the way toMilan, resulting in 48 deaths.[7]
Source:[8]
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