- Ski warfare
Ski warfare, the use of ski-equipped troops in
war , is first recorded by the Danish historianSaxo Grammaticus in the13th century . The speed and distance that ski troops are able to cover is comparable to that of lightcavalry .History
Napoleonic Wars
Denmark-Norway (though mostly Norwegian) ski troops were used againstSweden during the 1807-1814Napoleonic Wars .World War I
During WWI the
Italian Army raised 88Alpini Battalions. Their purpose was to fight summer and winter in the highest regions of the Alpine Arch. Most of the battalions were dissolved after WWI. Only 9Alpini regiments remain in service today, and only three train every soldier in ski warfare: the 4° Alpini Paracadutisti, 5° Alpini and 6° Alpini regiments.The Winter War (1939-40), The Continuation War (1941-44) and the Lapland War (1944-45)
Ski troops played a key role in maintaining Finnish independence from
The Soviet Union during theWinter War (1939). Forested, rural terrain with no roads and with Finnish ski troops was virtually a death-trap for the advancing mechanized Soviet troops. InBattle of Suomussalmi , two Soviet mechanized divisions (45000 men) were annihilated by three Finnish regiments (11000 men).World War II
Perhaps learning from the Finns, the
Soviet Union deployed several skibattalion s duringWorld War II , notably in their 1941 counter attack in theBattle of Moscow . The most common transportation for Norwegian soldiers during theNorwegian Campaign in 1940 was using skis and sled, and in "Operation Gunnerside ", Norwegiancommando s dropped by parachute skied long distances in order to reach and destroy aheavy water plantVemork atRjukan inTelemark ,Norway , which was being used by the Germans as part of their nuclear research programme. Also during WWII, theUnited States Army 10th Mountain Division was activated and trained for ski combat. They were deployed inItaly .Today's situation
Finnish defence forces use skis normally in cross country skiing but also by pulling squads of soldiers with tracked transport vehicles. Two ropes hang from the end of a vehicle and troops hold the rope with their hands. This is especially difficult if one is carrying the normal heavy-backpack.
Other information
The Norwegian military have held skiing competitions since the
1670s . The sport ofBiathlon was developed from military skiing patrols.The United States ski patrol plays a vital role in the plot to the book
A Separate Peace .Many nations train troops in skiing and winter warfare, including:
*Austrian Army — Certain soldiers are trained in ski combat.
*Estonian Army — Conscripts routinely receive training in skiing and other winter warfare skills.
*Finnish Army — majority of soldiers are trained in ski combat, and skiing is a part of standard required training for all conscripts.
*French Army 27th "Chasseurs Alpins " Brigade
*GermanBundeswehr "Gebirgsjäger "
*Indian Army which trains some of its soldiers for high altitude warfare also trains them in ski combat.
* Israeli Defense Forces' has one ski unit onMount Hermon .
*Italian Army 4°, 5°, 6°Alpini Regiments
*Norwegian Army , every soldier is trained in ski combat.
*Polish Army 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade and elements of the 6th Air Assault Brigade.
*Romanian Land Forces - "Vânători de Munte " (Mountain Hunters), every soldier is trained in ski combat.
*Spain - "Brigada de Cazadores de Montaña Aragón I" (Mountain Light Infantry Brigade Aragón I), in Jaca (Huesca) with a specialized section "Compañía de Esquiadores-Escaladores" (Skiing-Climbing Company), in Jaca (Huesca). [http://www.ejercito.mde.es/organizacion/brczm/Entrada.htm#]
*Sweden Majority of soldiers are trained in ski combat
* Switzerland's "3rd Mountain Army Corps (Corps d’armée de montagne 3)"
*United States - the United States Army 10th Mountain Division and theNorthern Warfare Training Center as well as theUnited States Marine Corps through theMarine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center [http://www.mwtc.usmc.mil/] just north of Bridgeport, CAAlso theUnited Kingdom /Netherlands Landing Force consisting of:* Britain's - "
3 Commando Brigade "Royal Marines
*Netherlands ' - "Royal Netherlands Marine Corps "- annual exercises taking place in the interior ofNorthern Norway See also
* Skiing and skiing topics
*History of skiing
*Aerosan
*Biathlon
*Winter warfare External links
* [http://www.mil.fi/maavoimat/kalustoesittely/00098_en.dsp Finnish Tracked transport vehicle, SISU NA 110]
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