Josef Allerberger

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 take place decades later in the year 2007 and span 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 the years of 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 to include 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 it's commanders during the Second World War indicates that the progression of the fictitious 144th Mountain Infantry Regiment coincides accurately with the factitious 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment.
In the story, Josef Allerberger is born the son of a carpenter in September 1924 and grows up in the Salzburgerland. He enters basic training in the autumn of 1942 and at age 18 in February 1943 is called to serve in the Gebirgsjager (mountain troops), based at Kufstein in the Tyrol. During 6 months of infantry combat training Josef Allerberger graduates as a machine gunner, operating the MG42.
Not until he is wounded fighting at Stavropol in 1943 does 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 begins to train with a captured Soviet sniper rifle, a Moisin 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 cuts his teeth and discovers that he is quite naturally inclined to be proficient with the rifle. And this is also witnessed by his superiors and he is subsequently ordered to attend a Sniper School in Seetaleralpe in the year of 1943. While there, he is trained on and issued a Karbiner 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 Karbiner 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 Easter Front" which is titled "Im Auge Des Jagers", Der Wehrmachts-Scharfshutze (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
ï¿½After the war Josef Allerberger worked as a carpenter and died on March 1, 2010 in Wals-Siezenheim.
Contained in the book "Im Auge Des Jagers" on page 7 is the German text which literally translated to English reads:
"Josef Allerberger carpenters i.R. Member of the Gebirgsjager Rainer federal and the tradition Club of Bing born in September 1924, he is asleep peacefully Year of life on Monday, March 1, 2010, in the 86th. After one carried the district for Josef Allerberger live as it should be not forgotten many participants of the second world war, has himself in March 2010 closed, by his Gyming he left surrounded us in the high age. The encounters with Josef "Sepp" Allerberger and the trusted conversations with him were very age of impression experiences, which I liked not miss and that I always like to remember will. " It seemed impressive that that despite his heavy wartime experiences he had to 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 of the Eastern front of the second world war German soldiers like few others. He was not only one of the best and only one of the few survive - with its history has left also a unique historical Vermachtnis Josef Allerberger. Darfur is in a special way to thank him.
Farewell - Sepp Allerberger you we not forget 2010 Munster, 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, Wehkreis XVIII
ï¿½This unit was formed on April 1, 1938, from the 5th an 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 Artic 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 Artic 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 Monch (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.

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