Original German WWII 137th Mountain Hunters Regiment Ice Axe by STUBAI Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent condition World War Two “Aschenbrenner” ice axe. The STUBAI logo on the axe is a pre-war or wartime logo. STUBAI stands for Stubai-Aschenbrenner Führerpickel, Ges. Gesch. “Himalaya” Peter Aschenbrenner was a famous Austrian mountaineer of the time and this ice axe was named after him.  While technically this was a civilian ice axe, Aschenbrenner was a Heeresbergführer with the Gebirgsjägers during the war and this model ice axe is documented as having been used by the Gebirgsjägers.

This ice axe is offered in excellent condition. It measures 31″ in overall length with a 12″ head. The metal ring and cloth wrist strap are original and complete (so often missing). The STUBAI logo is clearly marked on the head. The haft itself is also marked:

This marking stands for Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 137. The 137th Mountain Hunters Regiment was a former regiment of the Wehrmacht that was part of the 2nd Mountain Division. The 137th Mountain Regiment were formed on the 1 August 1938 in the Wehrkreis XVIII. The regiment was the result of the merger between the 12th Infantry Regiment, 1st Carinthian Alpine Hunters Battalion and 3rd Austrian Alpine Hunters Battalion from the former Bundesheer. The regimental headquarters were stationed in Lienz in Wehrkreis XVIII, the 1st battalion was in Salzburg and the 2nd Battalion was in Spittal. Upon formation the regiment was subordinated to the new formed 2nd Mountain Division. Along with the movement a supplementary reserve battalion (replacement battalion) was formed known in Saalfeden.

Just after the German Mobilization in 1939 the regiment participated in the Polish Campaign. By the end of the year the regiment was stationed in the Lower Rhine Area. In 1940 the regiment was relocated along with the division to Norway where it would remain until the end of the war. Between 1941 and 1944 the regiment along with members of the Finnish Army fought against the Soviets in the Lapland War. In early 1945 the regiment moved to their home in Saarpfalz where it remained until the end of the war fighting off the Allies. Finally, In February 1945 the 201st Army Mountaineer Battalion was incorporated into the regiment.

By the end of the war each regiment was assigned a replacement battalion. The 137th Regiment had the Gebirgsjäger-Ersatz-Bataillon I./137 assigned to them.

Battles:
– Invasion of Poland
– Invasion of Norway
– Battle of Narvik
– Lapland War
– Operation Silver Fox
– Battle of Saar-Moselle Triangle