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104th Jäger Division

Field	Value
unit_name	704th Infantry Division
104th Jäger Division
native_name

image	704th Infantry Division Logo.svg
image_size	125px
caption	Divisional insignia
dates	1941 – 1945
country	Nazi Germany
allegiance	Adolf Hitler
branch	Infantry
size	Division
equipment
ceremonial_chief
notable_commanders
identification_symbol_2
battles	World War II

104th Jäger Division was an infantry division of the Germany Army in World War II. It was formed in April 1943, by the redesignation of the 704th Infantry Division, which was itself formed in April 1941. The division served in German-occupied Yugoslavia in May 1941 where it took part in anti-partisan and security operations in the Independent State of Croatia. In April 1943, it was reorganized and redesignated the 104th Jäger Division and took part in the Battle of the Sutjeska in June 1943. Following the Italian surrender, elements from the division took part in the murder of thousands of Italians from the 33 Infantry Division Acqui in September 1943, on the Greek island of Cefalonia in one of the largest-scale German atrocities to be committed by German Army troops instead of the Waffen SS.

The division surrendered to the Yugoslav Army at Celje in Slovenia in May 1945. Many of the division's survivors, including the commander General Friedrich Stephan, were executed by the Yugoslavs after they had surrendered.

Background

The main purpose of the German jäger divisions was to fight in adverse terrain where smaller, coordinated formations were more facilely combat capable than the brute force offered by the standard infantry divisions. The jäger divisions were more heavily equipped than the mountain divisions, but not as well armed as larger infantry formations. In the early stages of the war, they were the interface divisions fighting in rough terrain and foothills as well as urban areas, between the mountains and the plains. The jägers (it means hunters in German), relied on a high degree of training and slightly superior communications, as well as their not inconsiderable artillery support. In the middle stages of the war, as the standard infantry divisions were downsized, the Jäger structure of divisions, with two infantry regiments, became the standard table of organization.

Commanders

Generalmajor Heinrich Borowski (22 April 1941 – 15 August 1942)
Generalleutnant Hans Juppe (15 August 1942 – 20 February 1943)
Generalleutnant Hartwig von Ludwiger (20 February – 30 April 1943)
Oberst Ludwig Steyrer (May 1943)
General der Infanterie Hartwig von Ludwiger (May 1943 – 29 April 1945)
Generalleutnant Friedrich Stephan (29 April – 8 May 1945)

Area of operations

Germany (April 1941 – May 1941)
Yugoslavia (May 1941 – June 1943)
Greece (June 1943 – September 1944)
Yugoslavia (September 1944 – May 1945)

Order of battle

Jäger Regiment 724
Jäger Regiment 734
Reconnaissance Battalion 104
Artillery Regiment 654
Pionier Battalion 104
Panzerjäger Battalion 104
Signals Battalion 104
Reserve Battalion 104
Versorgungseinheiten 104

References

Notes

Bibliography

References

"Massacres and atrocities of WWII".
(2000-09-03). "Rizospastis".
"Mörder unterm Edelweiß – noch immer unter uns ("Murderers under the Edelweiss – still among us")".
Wendal, Marcus. "104 Jager Division". Axis History.
Mitchum, p. 251
Mcoy, Breaker. (2009). "German Army 101st Light Division, 101st Jager Division 1941 – 42".

Info: Wikipedia Source

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