Based at Innsbruck, part of Wehrkreis XVIII, most of its men were from the Salzburg and Tyrol region of Austria.

It carried out a cross country march to rescue the 3rd Mountain Division, which was under siege from British forces during the Battles of Narvik.

It continued to serve in the Arctic region until late 1944, when the Finns negotiated the Moscow Armistice with the Soviet Union.

[1] In 1945, the division was transferred to the Western Front, where it fought in the Saar-Moselle Triangle against US troops.

While earlier in the war it was considered an elite unit, the 2nd Mountain Division was well below strength and combat effectiveness.