Jäger Divisions 1942-43

Iron Cross Jäger Divisions 1942-43
by Phil Yates

Late in 1941 the German Army created a series of leichte Infanterie Divisionen (light infantry divisions) for service in hilly and mountainous areas and in the Pripet marshes but not requiring the full capabilities of a mountain division.
 
These divisions were smaller than normal with a lighter artillery regiment equipped in part with 7.5cm and 10.5cm mountain guns. Their artillery and supply services were fully motorised making them better suited to combat in areas where there is only one road to supply the entire formation. In the middle of 1942 the light divisions were renamed Jägerdivisionen (Jäger means hunter or light infantry).
 
Their organisation remained the same however.
Jägerdivision Organisation

In essence a Jägerdivision is a normal Infanteriedivision (infantry division) with only two infantry regiments instead of three. Although each Jägerregiment had about the same number and type of weapons as a well-equipped infantry regiment, the heavy weapons were more decentralised.
Jäger Arm Patches introduced in 1942
Pewter Jäger hat badge The battalion heavy company had three machine-gun platoons rather than two, but no mortar platoon. Instead this platoon moved to a fifth company containing the mortar platoon, a pioneer platoon, and a light infantry gun platoon (leaving only the two 15cm infantry guns, the anti-tank gun company, and the scout platoon at the regimental level.

In Flames Of War

You can use the Grenadier Company in Iron Cross combined with Jäger Company to field your Jägerkompanie.

5. Jägerdivision Divisional Histories

5. Jägerdivision

5. Jägerdivision was nicknamed ‘Ulmer Münster’, Elm Cathedral, after the divisional symbol. It was formed in France in December 1941 from the survivors of 5. Infanteriedivision, which had been mauled in Russia. In February 1942 it returned to the Eastern Front as part of Army Group North where it served until February 1944.
It retreated back into Germany with Army Group Centre in September 1944 and fought there until the end of the war.

The division had 56. and 75. Jägerregimenter. All other parts of the division were numbered 5.
8. Jägerdivision

8. Jägerdivision was nicknamed the ‘Schlesische Division’, the Silesian Division, after its home area, Silesia in Prussia. Like 5. Jägerdivision, this division was formed in France in December 1941 from the survivors of 8. Infanteriedivision, which had been mauled in Russia.
8. Jägerdivision
In April 1942 it returned to the Eastern Front as part of Army Group North where it served until March 1944. It then moved to the southern part of the front, where it fought until the end of the war.

The division had 28. and 38. Jägerregimenter. All other parts of the division were numbered 8.
28. Jägerdivision 28. Jägerdivision

28. Jägerdivision was nicknamed the ‘Eisernes Kreuz Schlesische Division’, the Iron Cross Silesian Division, after its home area, Silesia in Prussia. Once again, this division was formed in France in October 1941 from the survivors of 28. Infanteriedivision, which had been mauled in Russia.
In July 1942 it returned to the Eastern Front as part of Army Group South where it took part in the final assault on Sebastopol in October. It then transferred to Army Group North where it fought for Demyansk and around Lake Ladoga between Moscow and Leningrad. It fought in the central sector in 1944, before retreating to East Prussia in the last months of the war.

The division had 49. and 83. Jägerregimenter. All other parts of the division were numbered 28.
97. Jägerdivision

97. Jägerdivision was nicknamed the ‘Spielhahn Division’, the Gamecock Division, after its divisional symbol. This division was formed as a light division in December 1940. It fought in Army Group South during Operation Barbarossa, then in Kursk, before retreating through the Ukraine to Slovakia where it ended the war.
97. Jägerdivision
99. Jägerdivision

99. Jägerdivision fought in Army Group South during Operation Barbarossa before converting to 7. Gebirgsjägerdivision in November 1941.
100. Jägerdivision 100. Jägerdivision

100. Jägerdivision was formed as a light division in December 1940. It fought in Army Group South during Operation Barbarossa and the advance across the Don, the drive to the Volga and the street fighting in Stalingrad where it was destroyed. In January 1943. Unusually, this division had the 369th Croatian Regiment attached for the Stalingrad campaign.
It was reformed in Belgrade in April 1943 and returned to the Eastern Front in March 1944. It fought its way back to Hungary before ending the war in Silesia.

The division had 54. and 227. Jägerregimenter and 83. Artillerieregiment. All other parts of the division were numbered 100.
101. Jägerdivision

101. Jägerdivision was formed as a light division in December 1940. It fought in Army Group South during Operation Barbarossa and fought in the East throughout the war ending up in Austria.
101. Jägerdivision
42. Jäger Division symbol The division had 228. and 229. Jägerregimenter and 85. Artillerieregiment. All other parts of the division were numbered 101.

Other Jägerdivisionen

There were 5 more Jäger divisions numbered 42, 104, 114, 117, and 118. These divisions served in the Balkans.
Jäger Collar Tab Modelling Jäger Troops

These troops were uniformed and equipped like normal infantry, with the exception of their shoulder straps that had green borders rather than the white of normal infantry! So, unless you are a master painter, there is no difference at all!

~Phil.


Last Updated On Monday, January 10, 2022 by Wayne at Battlefront