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Ski warfare, the use of ski-equipped troops in war, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century. The speed and distance that ski troops are able to cover is comparable to that of light cavalry.
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History
Napoleonic Wars
Denmark-Norway (though mostly Norwegian) ski troops were used against Sweden during the 1807-1814 Napoleonic Wars.
World War I
During WWI the Italian Army raised 88 Alpini 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 9 Alpini regiments remain in service today, and only three train every soldier in ski warfare: the 4° Alpini Paracadutisti, 5° Alpini and 6° Alpini regiments.
World War II
Ski troops played a key role in the successes of the Finnish war effort against the Soviet Union during the Winter War in 1939. Forested, rural terrain with no roads was used by Finnish ski troops with great success against the advancing mechanized Soviet troops. Most notably, in Battle of Suomussalmi, two Soviet mechanized divisions (45000 men) were annihilated by three Finnish regiments (11000 men).
Perhaps learning from the Finns, the Soviet Union deployed several ski battalions during World War II, notably in their 1941 counter attack in the Battle of Moscow.
The most common transportation for Norwegian soldiers during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940 was skis and sleds, and in Operation Gunnerside, paradropped Norwegian commandos covered a large distance using skis in order to reach and destroy a heavy water plant Vemork at Rjukan in Telemark, Norway, which was being used by the Germans as part of their nuclear research programme.
Also during WWII, the United States Army 10th Mountain Division was established and trained for ski combat. They were deployed in Italy.
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 of Biathlon 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
- German Bundeswehr 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 on Mount 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).[1]
Muscovite campaign against the Lithuanians, a painting by Sergei Ivanov (1903).
- 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 the Northern Warfare Training Center as well as the United States Marine Corps through the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center [2] just north of Bridgeport, CA
Also the United Kingdom/Netherlands Landing Force consisting of:
- annual exercises taking place in the interior of Northern Norway
See also
External links
