The 2. Gebirgs-Division was formed on 1 April 1938 from the 6. Division and 8. Brigade of the Austrian Bundesheer.
It fought in Poland as a part of Heeresgruppe Süd. On 23 September the division attacked the Polish 24. Infantry Division (Colonel Boleslaw Schwarzenberg-Czerny) in the forest near Boratycze. III/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 137 was cut-off from the rest of the division and suffered heavy losses until other elements of the division managed to break through to them and the Polish forces withdrew in the evening.
In 1940 it took part in the invasion of Norway, during the invasion it fought in central Norway and later travelled through the wilderness from Trondheim to Narvik in an attempt to rescue the besieged 3. Gebirgs-Division.

When Norway surrendered the division was used as an occupation force until the invasion of the Soviet Union. The division fought in Lapland as part of Gebirgskorps Norwegen (later XIX. Gebirgs-Armeekorps) on the northern sector of the Eastern Front until 1944 when it was sent to Denmark.

In September 1943 replacement troops from the division searched for partisans in the area between Kirkenes and Grense Jacobselv in Operation Seeadler (Sea Eagle) together with troops from 210. Infanterie-Division but no partisans were captured.

It later fought on the western front and ended the war near Würtemberg (in southern Germany). The remnants of the disbanded Heeres-Gebirgsjäger-Bataillon 201 were absorbed by I./Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 137 in February 1945.

Commanders

General der Gebirgstruppen Valentin Feurstein (1 Sep 1939 - 4 Mar 1941)
Generalleutnant Ernst Schlemmer (8 Mar 1941 - 1 Jan 1942)
General der Gebirgstruppen Georg Ritter von Hengl (1 Jan 1942 - 1 Oct 1943)
Generalleutnant Hans Degen (1 Oct 1943 - 6 Feb 1945)
Generalleutnant Willibald Utz (6 Feb 1945 - 8 May 1945)

Operations Officers (Ia)

Oberstleutnant Hans Degen (10 Nov 1938 - 15 Oct 1939)
Oberst Eduard Zorn (15 Oct 1939 - 8 Jan 1943)
Oberstleutnant Erwin Fußenegger (8 Jan 1943 - 14 Oct 1943)
Major Franz Steinhart-Hantken (14 Oct 1943 - 1 Jan 1944)
Oberstleutnant Hans Roschmann (1 Jan 1944 - 15 Feb 1945)
Major Claus Becker (15 Feb 1945 - Mar 1945)
Major Hermann Conrad (Mar 1945 - May 1945)

Nicknames

Rentier-Division (Reindeer Division)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the German Cross in Gold (20)
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (2)
- Degen, Hans, 05.02.1945, Generalleutnant, Kdr. 2. Geb.Div.
- Nuber, Eugen, 28.11.1941, Leutnant d.R., 13./Geb.Jäg.Rgt. 136
Holders of the Knight's Cross (7)
- Degen, Hans 11.03.1945 Generalleutnant Kdr 2. Geb.Div
- Düwell, Klaus 19.11.1941 Oberleutnant Chef 12./Geb.Jäg.Rgt 137
- Ebner, Adam 19.11.1941 Oberfeldwebel Zugführer i. d. 3./Geb.Jäg.Rgt 137
- Hengl Ritter von, Georg 25.08.1941 Oberstleutnant Kdr Geb.Jäg.Rgt 137
- Sorko, August 20.06.1940 Oberstleutnant Kdr II./Geb.Jäg.Rgt 137
- Stampfer, Otto 23.07.1942 Hauptmann Führer III./Geb.Jäg.Rgt 136
- Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz, Ernst 26.11.1944 Hauptmann Führer II./Geb.Jäg.Rgt 137
Holders of the Commendation Certificate of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army for Shooting Down Aircraft (2)
- Benedek, Alexander, 01.08.1944, Obergefreiter, 3./Geb.Art.Rgt. 111
- Fleck, Hans, 01.08.1944, Obergefreiter, 9./Geb.Jäg.Rgt. 137
Holders of the Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st Class with Swords (3)
- Degen, Hans, 04.04.1944, Generalmajor, Kdr. 2. Geb.Div.
- Hengl Ritter von, Georg, 13.05.1943, Generalmajor, Kdr. 2. Geb.Div.
- Schlemmer, Ernst, 26.10.1941, Generalmajor, Kdr. 2. Geb.Div.

Order of battle

Stab / 2.Geb.D. u. Stabskompanie
Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 136 (Oberstleutnant G. Hofmeister)
- Stab
- I. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Major F. Hauck)
- II. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Hauptmann Putzker)
- III. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Oberstleutnant Heintzle)
- 16. Kompanie
- 17. Kompanie
- Kolonne
Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 137 (Obstl./Oberst Georg Ritter von Hengl)
- Stab
- I. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Major Ruf)
- II. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Oberstleutnant Hesselbarth)
- III. Gebirgs-Jäger-Bataillon (Oberstleutnant Kreudler)
- 16. Kompanie
- 17. Kompanie
- Kolonne
(Gebirgs-)Radfahr-Abteilung 67 (Major W. Lindinger)
On 1.4.1943 re-named as:
- Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 67
-  Stab
-  1. Schwadron
-  2. Schwadron
-  3. Schwadron
-  4. (schwere) Schwadron
Gebirgs-Pionier-Bataillon 82 (Hauptmann E. Osterman, ?- Hauptmann Flachberger)
- Stab
- 1. Kompanie
- 2. Kompanie
- 3. Kompanie
- leichte Pionier-Kolonne
- Brücken-Kolonne B (-1943)
Gebirgs-Nachrichten-Abteilung 67 (Oberst Wilhelm Fuermann)
- Stab
- 1. Kompanie
- 2. Kompanie
- 3. Kompanie
- Kolonne
Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 111 (Oberstleutnant E. Ritter von Mehlem)
- Regiments-Stab
- I. Artillerie-Abteilung
- II. Artillerie-Abteilung
- III. Artillerie-Abteilung (7. - 10. Batterie, 2.1944- 7. - 9. Batterie)
- IV. Artillerie-Abteilung (2.1944- 10. - 12. Batterie)
- Kolonne
Gebirgs-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 55 (Hauptmann von Seebach)
- Stab
- 1. Kompanie
- 2. Kompanie
Gebirgs-Divisions-Nachschubführer 67
- (On 15.10.1942 re-named as Kommandeur der Gebirgs-Divisions-Nachschubtruppen 67)
-  Stab
-  ?. kleine Kraftwagen-Kolonne (-?)
-  ?. Fahr-Kolonne (?-)
-  Kraftfahr-Kompanie (?-)
-  Kraftwagen-Kolonne (?-)
-  Kraftwagen-Werkstatt-Kompanie 67
-  Feldpostamt 67
Verwaltungs-Dienste 67
- Verpflegungsamt 67 (-?)
- Verwaltungs-Kompanie 67 (-?)
- Bäckerei-Kompanie 67
- Schlächterei-Kompanie 67
Sanitäts-Dienste 67
- Gebirgs-Sanitäts-Kompanie 67
- 1. Kranken-Kraftwagen-Zug 67 (-?)
- 2. Kranken-Kraftwagen-Zug 67 (-?)
- Kranken-Kraftwagen-Kompanie 67 (?-)
- Feld-Lazarett 67
Gebirgs-Veterinär-Kompanie 67

Notable members

Valentin Feurstein (Generalmajor in the Austrian Bundesheer before the Anschluss)

Sources used

Czeslaw Grzelak & Henryk Stanczyk - Kampania Polska 1939 roku
Alf R. Jacobsen - Blodröd augusti: Historien om de norska partisanerna
James Lucas - Hitler's Mountain Troops: Fighting at the extremes
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945
Wojciech Wlodarkiewicz - Lwow 1939
Gordon Williamson - German Mountain & Ski Troops 1939-45

Reference material on this unit

M. Kräutler & Karl Springenschmied - Es war Ein Edelweiss: Schicksal und Weg der 2.GD