Did the Germans have any ski battalion during WW2?

Answer 1

E fn W has already mentioned the only Ski unit in the Heer (regular Wehrmacht), 1.Skijäger-Division. I'm including a link to a webpage with a brief history of that unit at [1] below.

But the SS also had one small (battalion size) ski unit, operating in the far north of the Russian Front. This was Waffen-SS Ski-Jäger-Battalion Norge. See link [2] below for a full history of that unit.

Answer 2

The German 1st Ski Brigade was created on the Eastern Front in the fall of 1943, and strengthened to a full division in the summer of 1944. It fought exclusively on the Eastern Front, and surrendered to the Soviets at the end of the war.

Answer 3

The German 1st Ski Brigade was created on the Eastern Front in the fall of 1943, and strengthened to a full division in the summer of 1944. It fought exclusively on the Eastern Front, and surrendered to the Soviets at the end of the war.

George Nafziger states that the 1st Skijager Division was formed on 2 June 1944 by expanding the 1st Skijager Brigade,initially formed in September 1943. As usual for German formations at this point in the war, the division was formed around existing units which were strengthened with new recruits. Elements of the 19th Panzergreandier Brigade, 65th Heavy Artillery Regiment, 152nd Panzerjager Battalion, and 18th Werfer (Rocket) Battalion, 615th Flak Battalion were used to expand the Brigade into a division.

In January 1945, the division was organized as follows: 1st Skijager Division
Divisional Staff
152nd motorized mapping detachment
152nd motorized military police detachment

1st Skijager Regiment and 2nd Skijager Regiment, each with

Headquarters Staff with an engineer platoon, a signals detachment, and a panzerjager detachment of two heavy anti-tank guns.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Skijager Battalions, each consisting of
Headquarters
3 Companies with 9 light manchine guns and 2 Sturm platoons (armed with SturmGewehr)
1 Heavy Company with 8 heavy machine guns, 1 light machine gun, (4) 75 mm guns and (6) 80 mm
mortars.

The 13th motorized support company had a platoon of 8 self-propelled 20 mm Flak guns, a platoon of six heavy machine guns, and a panzerjager platoon of (6) 75 mm Pak, (18) anti-tank rifles, and one light machine gun.

The 'Ski Fuslier Battalion' had four Fusilier Companies (with 9 light machine guns and 2 Sturm platoons each) and a Heavy Company (see above).

The '152nd Panzerjager Battalion'had two Sturmgeschutz batteries of 10 Stug III, (self-propelled, armored artillery mounting a 75 mm gun and a machine gun on an obsolete Panxer III chassis).

The '1st Heavy Ski Battalion' was probably one of the heaviest battalions in the Wehrmacht, with: One company of 12 Motorized Heavy Anti-Tank guns + 12 machine guns; One company of self-propelled 150 mm howitzers + 7 MG; One company of self-propelled 37 mm Flak guns; and the 4th Armored Company with 22 captured Russian T-34 tanks (most likely armed with the 76.2 mm gun and three 7.62 mm machine guns).

The artillery regiment had four battalions, with a total of (24) 105 mm howitzers, (12) 120 mm mortars, (12) 150 mm howitzers, and 59 machine guns.

The division also had the 85th Ski Pioneer (Engineer) battalion, the 152nd Ski Signals Troops, and a Ski Feldersatz (Replacement) Battalion.

Answer 4

Yes. It was called the Alpen Korps (not certain of the spelling). They wore all white; everything was covered in white, esp. their guns!