Original Item: Only One Available. This summer uniform tunic and garrison cover belonged to a Lieutenant who served with the 227th Jäger Regiment of the 100th Jäger Division. Unfortunately there isn’t a name attributed to this uniform.
 
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 their standard infantry counterparts. The Jäger divisions were more heavily equipped than the mountain Gebirgsjäger equivalents, but not as well armed as a larger infantry division. In the early stages of the war, it was the interface divisions fighting in rough terrain and foothills as well as urban areas, between the mountains and the plains. The Jägers (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.
 
In 1944, AH declared that all infantry divisions were now Volksgrenadier Divisions except for his elite Jäger and Mountain Jäger divisions.
 
This tunic, which we believe is to have been a private purchase, features a set of officer’s collar tabs, each constructed of forest green wool with buckram cores, bearing dual machine-embroidered silver aluminum wire tresses bisected by light green threaded bands. Some oxidation evident to the wire, in overall good condition. The shoulders bear a set of Leutnant shoulder boards, each constructed of cardboard-reinforced light green wool and bearing four bands of silver aluminum wire piping, the reverse of each with an integrated wool strap, both unmarked and in condition. Each shoulder board has the number “227” indicating the regiment. The right breast eagle is of silver bullion style on a dark green background, which matches the collar. The wool has some mothing marks and the silver piping shows signs of oxidation. On the right sleeve is a very beautiful Jäger troops sleeve badge in very good condition. The overall condition of the unit is good and does show signs of being heavily worn. There were decorations and medals on the uniform but sadly they are no longer present. All buttons are present and still retain almost all of the original paint. There is no extensive damage to the tunic.
 
The Overseas/Garrison cover is in near mint condition. This example is constructed of the typical green wool gabardine wool exterior. It features a fine machine embroidered eagle, with white thread on a forest green base, the standard colors. There is a very nice Hellgrün (Light Green) V-shaped soutache, which is the Waffenfarbe (Corps Color) for Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops ), Skijäger (ski troops), and Jäger (light infantry troops). Inside of this is a bullion National Tri-Color Cockade. The inside of the cap has a nice tan canvas lining, however there are no markings visible at all. Size looks to be around a 56cm.
 
This is a very nice example of a service worn tunic and almost mint overseas cap. You do not want to pass up the chance to add these to your mountain troops collections!
 
Measurements:
Collar to Shoulder: 9”
Shoulder to Sleeve: 23”
Shoulder to Shoulder: 15”
Chest Width: 14”
Waist Width: 15”
Hip Width: 19”
Front Length: 28”
 
Gebirgsjäger are the light infantry part of the alpine or mountain troops (Gebirgstruppe) of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The word Jäger (meaning "hunter" or "huntsman") is a characteristic term used for light infantry in German speaking countries.
The mountain infantry of Austria have their roots in the three Landesschützen regiments of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The mountain infantry of modern Germany carry on certain traditions of the German Alpenkorps (Alpine corps) of World War I. Both countries' mountain infantry share the Edelweiß insignia, established in 1907 as a symbol of the Austro-Hungarian Landesschützen regiments by Emperor Franz Joseph I. These troops wore the edelweiss on the uniform collar. When the Alpenkorps served alongside the Landesschützen on Austria's southern frontier against Italian forces from May 1915, the Landesschützen honoured the men of the Alpenkorps by awarding them their own insignia: the edelweiss.
During World War II the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS raised a number of mountain infantry units, identified by the edelweiss insignia worn on their sleeves and caps.
These divisions were lightly equipped, with much of the transport provided by mules. They were equipped with fewer automatic weapons than regular infantry, however the MG 34 or MG 42 machine gunners were provided with more ammunition than their regular infantry counterparts. Special equipment was made for them including the G33/40 mauser rifle based on the VZ.33 rifle.
Mountain infantry participated in many campaigns, including Operations Weserübung, Silver Fox, Platinum Fox, Arctic Fox and Northern Lights. They also served in the Caucasus, the invasion of Crete, the Balkans, the Gothic Line, and the battles in the Vosges region of France.