The Alpenkorps was a provisional mountain formation of division size formed by the Imperial German Army during World War I. It was considered by the Allies to be one of the best in the German Army.
Formation
After experiencing considerable difficulties in fighting the French Chasseurs Alpins in the Vosges Mountains during the Battle of the Frontiers, the German Army determined to create its own specialized mountain units. The Royal Bavarian 1st and 2nd Snowshoe Battalions (Kgl. Bayerisches Schneeschuhbataillon I & II) were formed in Munich, Bavaria on November 21, 1914. A third battalion was formed in April 1915 from the 4th, 5th and 6th companies of the second battalion. In May 1915, the three battalions were brought together with a fourth (formed from troops of the other battalions and Bavarian Landwehr troops) to form the 3rd Jäger Regiment (Jäger Regiment Nr. 3). In October 1915, the designation Schneeschuhbataillon was eliminated.
Also in May 1915, the previously separate Bavarian 1st, 2nd and 2nd Reserve Jäger Battalions were joined to form the Royal Bavarian 1st Jäger Regiment (Kgl. Bayer. Jäger Regiment Nr. 1). The Prussian 10th, 10th Reserve and 14th Reserve Jäger Battalions were also joined, forming the 2nd Jäger Regiment (Jäger Regiment Nr. 2).
These units, along with the elite Royal Bavarian Infantry Lifeguards Regiment (Infanterie-Leib-Regiment), the Bavarian Army bodyguard regiment, became the core of the Alpenkorps, and were complemented with additional artillery, machinegun and other support units. The Alpenkorps was officially founded on May 18, 1915, with Bavarian Generalleutnant Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen as its commander, and Bavarian Generalmajor Ludwig Ritter von Tutschek and Prussian Generalmajor Ernst von Below as his brigade commanders.
Order of battle
May 27, 1915
Kgl. Bayerische Jäger-Brigade 1: Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Jäger-Regiment 1. Kgl. Bayerisches Jäger-Bataillon König 2. Kgl. Bayerisches Jäger-Bataillon Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 2 Kgl. Bayerisches Infanterie-Leib-Regiment Kgl. Bayerische Jäger-Brigade 2: Jäger-Regiment Nr. 2 Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 10 Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 10 Reserve-Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14 Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 I./Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 (Kgl. Bayerisches Schneeschuhbataillon I) II./Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 (Schneeschuhbataillon II) III./Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 (Schneeschuhbataillon III) IV./Jäger-Regiment Nr. 3 (Kgl. Bayerisches Schneeschuhbataillon IV) Gebirgs-MG-Abteilungen Nr. 201-210 (206-209 were Bavarian) Reserve-MG-Abteilung Nr. 4 3.Eskadron/Kgl. Bayerisches 4. Chevauleger-Regiment König Gebirgs-Artillerie-Abteilung Nr. 1 Kgl. Bayerische Gebirgs-Artillerie-Abteilung Nr. 2 Feldartillerie-Abteilung Nr. 203 Feldartillerie-Abteilung Nr. 204 Fußartillerie-Batterie Nr. 101 Fußartillerie-Batterie Nr. 102 Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 101 Kgl. Bayerische Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 102 Kgl. Bayerische Gebirgs-Minenwerfer-Abteilung Nr. 269 Gebirgs-Minenwerfer-Abteilung Nr. 270
August 17, 1918
1. Kgl. Bayerische Jäger-Brigade: Kgl. Bayerisches Infanterie-Leibregiment Kgl. Bayerisches 1. Jäger-Regiment Jäger-Regiment Nr. 2 MG-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 24 Gebirgs-MG-Abteilung Nr. 204 Gebirgs-MG-Abteilung Nr. 205 3.Eskadron/Kgl. Bayerisches 4. Chevauleger-Regiment König Kgl. Bayerischer Artillerie-Kommandeur 7: Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 204 Gebirgs-Artillerie-Abteilung Nr. 6 I./Kgl. Bayerisches Reserve-Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 1 Stab Kgl. Bayerisches 9. Pionier-Bataillon: Kgl. Bayerische Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 102 Pionier-Kompanie Nr. 283 Gebirgs-Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 175 Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 622
Operations
First campaigns in the Dolomites and France
Although Germany and Italy were not at war until 1916, the Alpenkorps was immediately dispatched to reinforce the thinly occupied front line in the Dolomite mountains. It did not undertake offensive actions, but defended the front against repeated attacks by the Italian Alpini until Austria-Hungary was able to extract enough forces from the eastern war theatre and relocate them to the new front. The unit had an air arm, which was FFA 9, flying Pfalz Parasol aircraft. After four months, the Alpenkorps returned briefly to the Western Front, as now the Austro-Hungarian defenders were sufficient in numbers and entrenched enough to hold the front on their own. The Austro-Hungarian Kaiserschützen honored the men of the Alpenkorps by awarding them their unit insignia: the Edelweiss.
Serbia
After only a week in France and the Dolomites, the Alpenkorps was sent to fight in the Serbian Campaign.