Josef Allerberger

Josef Allerberger
Nickname(s)	Sepp
Born	(1924-12-26)26 December 1924 Wals-Siezenheim, Austria
Died	2 March 2010(2010-03-02) (aged 85) Wals-Siezenheim, Austria
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Years of service	1942–1945
Rank	Obergefreiter
Unit	3rd Mountain Division
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front

Josef "Sepp" Allerberger is the name of the main character of the book titled Sniper on the Eastern Front. In the book, Josef Allerberger recalls his experiences in an interview with the author of the book, Albrecht Wacker, describing in vivid detail the most traumatic memories of his service during the Second World War as a Wehrmacht sniper serving on the Eastern Front. The interviews took place decades later in the year 2007 and spanned the course of several months. According to the author, Albrecht Wacker, the content of the story is based upon the regimental history of the 3rd Mountain Division, and centers around the events which took place involving the 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment on the Eastern Front between 1943 and 1945. Albrecht Wacker inserts the emotional recollections of Josef Allerberger into the factual regimental history of the 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment in order to deliver to the reader the devastating psychological impacts of the war.

In this story, Josef Allerberger fights for Nazi Germany against the Soviets on the Eastern Front in the 3rd Mountain Division, 144th Mountain Infantry Regiment, II Battalion. However, it should be noted that no such regiment as the 144th Mountain Infantry Regiment officially exists in the 3rd Mountain Division, nor does it exist in any other Mountain Divisions, including the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 157th Reserve Mountain Division. Furthermore, only once in the book "Sniper on the Eastern Front" is it stated that Josef Allerberger served in the 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment. Even so, simple examination of the regimental history of the 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment and its commanders during the Second World War indicates that the progression of the fictitious 144th Mountain Infantry Regiment coincides accurately with the factual 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment.

In the story, Josef Allerberger is born the son of a carpenter in September 1924 and grew up in the Salzburgerland. He entered basic training in the autumn of 1942 and at age 18, in February 1943, was called to serve in the Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops), based at Kufstein in the Tyrol. During six months of infantry combat training, Josef Allerberger graduated as a machine gunner, operating the MG42.

Not until he was wounded fighting at Stavropol in 1943 did he realize the almost suicidal role of the infantry machine gunner on the Eastern Front, who are consistently the target of mortars, artillery, snipers, and general enemy fire. With the will to live, he began to train with a captured Soviet sniper rifle, a Mosin-Nagant 91/30. Motivated and intent on becoming a sniper in order to survive and thus avoid further serving as an infantry MG42 operator, Josef Allerberger first cut his teeth and discovered that he was quite naturally inclined to be proficient with the rifle. This was also witnessed by his superiors, and he was subsequently ordered to attend a Sniper School in Seetaleralpe in 1943. While there, he was trained on and issued a Karabiner 98k sniper variant rifle. It should be noted that during the course of the war, it is likely that Josef Allerberger used many different weapons common to the disposal of an infantry soldier during that area and era, but along with the Karabiner 98k, he specifically references use of the Gewehr 43 and MP40.

According to Josef Allerberger, he was awarded the following medals; photos and the accompanying paperwork can be viewed in the original unabridged German version of "Sniper on the Eastern Front," which is titled "Im Auge Des Jägers," Der Wehrmachts-Scharfschütze (Eine biographische Studie) by Dr. Albrecht Wacker:

• Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Silver Wound Badge
• Sniper Badge in Gold
• Knights Cross of the Iron Cross

After the war, Josef Allerberger worked as a carpenter and died on March 2, 2010, in Wals-Siezenheim.

Contained in the book "Im Auge Des Jägers" on page 7 is the German text which literally translated to English reads: "Josef Allerberger, carpenter i.R., member of the Gebirgsjäger Rainer federal and the tradition Club of Bing, born in September 1924, he is peacefully asleep. Year of life: Monday, March 1, 2010, in his 86th year. After having carried the district for Josef Allerberger, life as it should be, not forgotten by many participants of the Second World War, has closed itself in March 2010; by his passing, he left us surrounded in high age. The encounters with Josef "Sepp" Allerberger and the trusting conversations with him were very impressive experiences, which I liked not to miss and that I will always like to remember. It seemed impressive that despite his heavy wartime experiences he had found a contented civil life. While his wife, Hedwig, was for him an important support.

So went a witness from us, which allowed a realistic look at the everyday life of the Eastern Front of the Second World War German soldiers like few others. He was not only one of the best and one of the few to survive—with his history, he has also left a unique historical legacy, Josef Allerberger. Therefore, it is in a special way to thank him.

Farewell—Sepp Allerberger, we will not forget you. 2010 Münster, in December, Dr. Albrecht WACKER ..."

The composition of the 3rd Mountain Division is as follows:

• 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment
• 139th Mountain Infantry Regiment
• 112th Mountain Artillery Regiment
• 68th Bicycle Battalion
• 12th (later the 112th) Reconnaissance Battalion
• 48th Anti-Tank (later 95th Tank Destroyer) Battalion
• 83rd Mountain Engineer Battalion
• 68th Mountain Signal Battalion
• 68th Mountain Field Replacement Battalion
• 68th Mountain Divisional Supply Troops

Home Station: Graz, later Leoben, Wehrkreis XVIII This unit was formed on April 1, 1938, from the 5th and 7th Divisions of the Austrian Army after that country was annexed by Germany on March 11–12, 1938. It was almost constantly engaged throughout World War II, except for a period of occupation duty in Norway in 1940–41. It first saw action in the invasion of Poland, where it formed part of the 14th Army, Army Group South. The next year, 1940, the division performed its greatest feat of arms when its 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment took Trondheim and the rest of the division seized Narvik, the strategically vital port in Northern Norway. A British Expeditionary Force, hoping to deprive Hitler of his strategic iron ore, which had to be shipped to Germany via Narvik, counterattacked the isolated division and at one point succeeded in retaking the city in heavy fighting. The battle lasted from April 9 until mid-June, but was finally won by the mountaineers, but not before the divisional commander seriously discussed marching his troops into internment in Sweden.

From Narvik, the division marched into northern Finland, took part in the invasion of Russia in June 1941, and advanced on Murmansk, the strategic port on the Arctic Ocean. Finally repulsed by fierce Soviet counterattacks and virtually impassable terrain, the 3rd Mountain Division was engaged in prolonged skirmishing and patrolling north of the Arctic Circle for more than a year. Sent to Army Group North in August 1942, the division fought at Reval and in the siege of Leningrad. In November 1942, it was sent to the southern sector of the Eastern Front, which was threatening to collapse following the disaster on the Volga. It took part in the effort to relieve Stalingrad but failed. Later, the 3rd Mountain suffered heavy casualties on the southern sector of the Eastern Front in 1943 and 1944, fighting in the Donetz, on the Mius, at Melitopol, and in the Nikopol Bridgehead. In August 1944, it was part of the Romanian debacle, where it was attacked by Russians in the front and by Romanians from behind. After suffering heavy casualties, the remnants of the division escaped to the eastern Carpathians. Later, the 3rd Mountain Division fought in Hungary and Slovakia, and was still fighting the Soviets in Upper Silesia when the war ended. Along with most of the 1st Panzer Army, it surrendered to the Red Army at Deutsch-Brod, in the present-day Czech Republic, in May 1945.

Its commanders included Major General/Lieutenant General Eduard Dietl (April 1938), Major General Julius Ringel (June 14, 1940), Major General/Lieutenant General Hans Kreysing (October 23, 1940), Colonel Hans Mönch (August 8, 1942), Major General Egbert Picker (August 10, 1942), Colonel Siegfried Raps (August 26, 1943), Picker (returned September 10, 1943), Major General/Lieutenant General August Wittmann (October 1, 1943), Colonel Hans Kreppel (May 28, 1944), and Major General/Lieutenant General Paul Klatt (July 3, 1944).

Dietl, Kreysing, Wittmann, and Klatt were promoted to lieutenant general on April 1, 1940, July 1, 1942, April 1, 1944, and December 1, 1944, respectively. Klatt was a Soviet POW until 1955.

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
• Doctor Albrecht Wacker (2005,2006), Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, Knight's Cross. ISBN 1-84415-317-7 Pen & Sword Military.
• Doctor Albrecht Wacker (2000), Im Auge des Jägers, Der Wehrmachts-Scharfschütze Franz Karner (Eine biographische Studie) ISBN 3-932077-12-1

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