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27-656: Near the summit of the Dreiländereck (1,508 m) is the tripoint of the three countries: Austria, Italy and Slovenia. The Karawanks form the continuation of the Carnic Alps east of the Slizza stream near the tripoint of Austria, Slovenia and Italy at Arnoldstein . They are confined by the Drava Valley in the north (called Rosental/Rož ) and the Sava in the south, separating it from

54-662: Is rocky and precipitous while the Slovenian side is less steep, covered with spruce forests and low bushy pine at lower elevations with grass higher up. The Karawanks were settled already in the Stone Age , as indicated particularly by findings from Potok Cave . In Roman times, they represented the southern border of the Noricum province, and later, of the Slavic principality of Carantania . The ancient geographer Claudius Ptolemy mentioned

81-662: Is the tripoint of the countries of Austria , Italy , and Slovenia . It thus is also the meeting point of three linguistic regions, German , Italian , and Slovene . The height of the summit is 1,508  m (AA) . The municipalities which meet at the tripoint are Arnoldstein ( Villach Land ) in the Austrian state of Carinthia , Kronau or Kranjska Gora (part of Ratschach or Rateče ) in Slovenia, and Tarvis or Tarvisio ( Friuli-Venezia Giulia ) in Italy. The German word Ofen and

108-693: The Battle of Kasserine Pass . After two days of advances through the American defences, the Afrika Korps and the Italians had suffered few casualties, while the American forces lost 16,000 men and two-thirds of their tanks. During the battle the Italian 131st Centauro Armoured Division captured more than 3,000 American soldiers. On the night of 21 February 1943, the 6th Armoured and 46th Infantry Divisions , arrived to bolster

135-671: The Habsburg monarchy from 1526 up to World War I . The northern slopes of the Karawanks had been historically settled by Carinthian Slovenes , nevertheless in October 1920, the Carinthian Plebiscite decided that the crest was the border between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia ); only the municipality of Jezersko had already passed from Carinthia to Yugoslavia. In

162-620: The Karwankas mountains about 150 AD. The name probably is derived from Celtic karv ' deer ', a connection that has survived in the Košuta (Slovene for 'hind') massif. From the first half of the 11th century, the Karawanks formed the border between the territory of the Duchy of Carinthia and the adjacent March of Carniola in the south. After Carniola had been elevated to a duchy in 1364, both lands became part of Inner Austria and were crown lands of

189-739: The Stilfser Joch . The mountain has been developed into a skiing area with eight lifts and 17 km of piste served by the Dreiländereck Lift System ( Dreiländereck Bergbahnen ). 6th Armoured Division (United Kingdom) The 6th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army , created in September 1940 during the Second World War and re-formed in May 1951 in

216-739: The 2nd Lothians and Border Horse, were supplied with Matilda MkI.I tanks, then in May 1942 Crusader MkII tanks, in August 1942 Valentine Mk.V tanks and in October Crusader MKIIIs . Subsequently the M4A2 Sherman medium tank was added to their inventory by March 1943. In November/December 1942 The division participated in the Operation Torch assault landings in Bone, closest to the Axis Forces in all

243-590: The American defence, having been pulled from the British lines facing the Germans at Sbiba. Counter-attacks by Italian troops were also ordered on the British and Americans. Two battalions of experienced Bersaglieri soldiers are recorded by the 23rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery as having made a daylight counter-attack through the Ousseltia Plain, which was repelled. Next day opened with another German counter-attack against

270-709: The Americans, until the arrival of four US artillery battalions made offensive operations difficult. Faced with stiffening defences and the news that the Eighth Army had reached Medenine , only a few kilometres from the Mareth Line , Rommel decided to call off the attack and withdraw on the night of 22 February 1943 to support the Mareth defences, hoping that the Kasserine attack had caused enough damage to deter any offensive action from

297-817: The British Eighth Army and ended the war in Austria, again under the command of V Corps. On 30 January 1943, the German 21st Panzer Division (veterans of the Afrika Korps under Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel ) and three Italian divisions met elements of the French forces near Faïd, the main pass from the eastern arm of the mountains into the coastal plains. The French were overrun and two US units near them were surrounded. On 19 February 1943, Rommel launched what would become

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324-550: The Fifth Army advancing north from west of Bologna, to complete the encirclement of the German divisions defending Bologna. On all fronts the German defence continued to be determined and effective but Bondeno was captured on 23 April. The 6th Armoured Division linked with the 10th Mountain Division (US IV Corps ) the next day at Finale. The IV Corps had broken through onto the plains on 19 April, bypassing Bologna on their right. Bologna

351-552: The Slovenisan word peč , German loanword Pötsche , both mean 'rock' or 'cave' in this context, although the word also means 'oven'. The Italian name is the literal translation ( forno 'oven'). Dreiländereck (German for "three-land corner" -- i.e. , "tripoint") is a modern creation. Because three linguistic regions meet here, the mountain is comparable to the Dreisprachenspitze (German for "three-language peak") on

378-708: The Torch landings that stretched from Morocco to the Tunisian border. In November 1942 they saw their first action as part of V Corps of the British First Army , First Allied Army in the Tunisia Campaign . In March 1943, around the same time when most of the units had been supplied with American M4A2 Shermans, the 6th Division came under IX Corps. After Tunisia, the Division participated in the Italian Campaign as part of

405-565: The UK. The division was formed in the United Kingdom under Northern Command on 12 September 1940, commanded by Major-General John Crocker , an officer of the Royal Tank Regiment who had recently fought in the Battle of France . The division initially had the 20th and 26th Armoured Brigades under command, as well as the 6th Support Group . In late April 1942, the 20th Armoured Brigade

432-724: The Western Karawanks connecting it with the Slovenian A2 motorway at Jesenice . A parallel railway line crosses the range through the Karawanks railway tunnel . The Karawanks are a popular mountaineering area with numerous mountain huts . Many of the peaks offer a good view of the Klagenfurt basin on the Austrian side and the Ljubljana basin on the Slovene side. The northern Austrian side

459-593: The adjacent Julian Alps . In the east, they border on the Kamnik–Savinja Alps and Pohorje ranges. A number of mountain passes on important trade routes cross the range, like Wurzen ( Koreno ), Loibl ( Ljubelj ) or Seeberg ( Jezero ), which have been used since prehistory . Nowadays the Austrian Karawanken Autobahn (A11) runs from Villach to the Karavanke motorway tunnel , which traverses

486-554: The final stages of the Second World War during the fighting retreat of the German forces in Italy. The 6th Armoured Division captured the San Godenzo Pass on Route 67 to Forlì on 18 September. By 19 April, the Argenta Gap had been forced and 6th Armoured was released through the left wing of the advancing 78th Infantry Division , to swing left to race north west along the line of the river Reno to Bondeno and link up with units of

513-548: The final weeks of the Second World War the Karawanks passes witnessed intense fighting. The 24th SS Kampfgruppe (battlegroup) commanded by SS- Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen -SS (Brigadier) Heinz Harmel was ordered to keep the Karawanken passes open between Yugoslavia and Austria. This task was critical in allowing German forces to withdraw from Yugoslavia in order to surrender to British rather than Yugoslav forces. The Kampfgruppe succeeded in its final task, and

540-703: The infantry as the Allies came across defensive line after defensive line. The 6th Armoured Division, now under Major General Gerald Templer (replaced by Major General Horatius Murray after Templer was injured in early August), was now part of XIII Corps, which had been assigned to the US Fifth Army ( Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark ) to form its right flank and fight in the high Apennine Mountains during Operation Olive in August and September 1944. The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring 's last major line of defence in

567-469: The two countries started to aim for an economic integration of their border areas. The place names have German as well as Slovenian names, and today the peaks along the main chain of the Karawanks are usually displayed in Slovene and German on hiking maps: Dreil%C3%A4ndereck The Dreiländereck (also Ofen ; Slovene : Peč ; Italian : Monte Forno ) is a mountain in the Karavanks whose summit

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594-535: The west for the moment. The Axis forces from Kasserine reached the Mareth line on 25 February. It was after the battle of Kasserine Pass that the 6th Armoured Division was reorganised and equipped with the M4 Sherman tank. In March 1943 the division was assigned to the recently arrived IX Corps (Lieutenant-General John Crocker) the former first GOC of the division, who was later wounded in a training accident and replaced by Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks . The division

621-993: Was disbanded in September 1947. A new 6th Armoured Division was formed in May 1951 in the UK and later assigned to the British Army of the Rhine in Germany. It consisted of the 20th Armoured Brigade and 61st Lorried Infantry Brigade. It was disbanded in June 1958. Commanders included: 6th Armoured Division was constituted as follows during the war: 20th Armoured Brigade ( from 16 October 1940, left 23 April 1942 ) 26th Armoured Brigade ( from 9 November 1940 ) 6th Support Group ( from 1 November 1940, disbanded 1 June 1942 ) 38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade ( from 9 June 1942, left 16 February 1943 ) 1st Guards Brigade ( from 24 March 1943, left 29 May 1944 ) 61st Infantry Brigade ( from 29 May 1944 ) Divisional Troops The following brigades were, at various points in time, attached to

648-572: Was entered by the Poles advancing up the line of Route 9 on 21 April, followed two hours later by the US II Corps from the south. The division moved to the Trieste area, at the time within the boundary of the Kingdom of Italy . In July 1946, the division was redesignated as the 1st Armoured Division and the mailed fist was retained. During 1947, the now 1st Armoured Division was transferred to Palestine and

675-550: Was one of the last German units to surrender, when it encountered the British 6th Armoured Division on 9 May 1945. After World War II the Karawanks remained the border between Austria and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia , and finally the independent Slovenia from 1991. Since the entry of Slovenia to the Schengen Area in 2007, a free movement of people and goods across the Karawanks has been allowed, and

702-553: Was the spearhead of the final assault by the First Army in May 1943, breaking through to Tunis. The 6th Armoured Division went on to take the surrender of the famous 90th Light Division and participated in the round up and capitulation of all Axis forces in North Africa in May 1943. Italy was to prove different from North Africa. There was no more mobile warfare in wide open spaces. The division would spend much of its time supporting

729-399: Was transferred from the division and replaced by the 38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade and the 6th Support Group was disbanded in June. The 6th Armoured Division, now commanded by Major General Charles Keightley , taking over from Major General Charles Gairdner , soon began intensive training in preparation for service overseas. In October 1940, armoured regiments within the Division, such as

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