The ''Fallschirmjäger'' () were the
paratrooper
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...
branch of the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
before and during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. They were the first German paratroopers to be committed in large-scale
airborne
Airborne or Airborn may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films
* ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis
* ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film
* ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...
operations. Throughout World War II, the commander of the branch was
Kurt Student
Kurt Arthur Benno Student (12 May 1890 – 1 July 1978) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II. An early pioneer of airborne forces, Student was in overall command of developing a paratrooper force to be known as the '' Fallsch ...
.
Pre-war history
During the interwar years the rapid development of aircraft and aviation technology drew the attention of imaginative military planners. The idea of aerially inserting a large body of troops inside enemy territory was first proposed during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
by
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Billy Mitchell
William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force.
Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...
, commander of the
U.S. Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
in France.
[Ailsby, Christopher: ''Hitler's Sky Warriors: German Paratroopers in Action, 1939-1945'', page 12. Spellmount Limited, 2000.] However, the Allied High Command was forced to abandon the idea, as it was unprepared for such an undertaking, both logistically and in materiel.
Among the first to recognize the potential of airborne forces were
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
[Ailsby, 16] The first effective means of supporting massed infantry airborne operations came with the development of the
static-line parachute in Italy in the 1920s, whereby parachutes are attached to the inside of the aircraft and deployed automatically upon departure.
This technique used in the German Rückfallschirm, Zwangablösung (backpack parachute, static line) rig allowed jumps at lower altitudes, limiting exposure to enemy fire and providing a tighter drop zone grouping than individually deployed rip-cord type parachutes.
The word ''Fallschirmjäger'' is from the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
''Fallschirm'' "parachute" and ''
Jäger'' "hunter", the light infantry of the
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.
The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...
.
The Soviets were the first to demonstrate the military possibilities of airborne infantry in the 1930s with a series of maneuvers held in 1935 and 1936.
Though somewhat crude (the Soviet paratroopers had to exit their slow-moving
Tupolev TB-3
The Tupolev TB-3 (russian: Тяжёлый Бомбардировщик, Tyazhyolyy Bombardirovshchik, Heavy Bomber, civilian designation ANT-6) was a monoplane heavy bomber deployed by the Soviet Air Force in the 1930s and used during the early ...
transporters through a hatch in the roof and then, crawling along the wire, position themselves along the wings and top of the fuselage, and jump together when ordered), the exercise managed to land 1,000 troops through air-drops followed by another 2,500 soldiers with heavy equipment delivered via airlandings. The gathered forces proceeded to carry out conventional
light infantry
Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
attacks with the support of
heavy machine gun
A heavy machine gun (HMG) is significantly larger than light machine gun, light, medium machine gun, medium or general-purpose machine guns. HMGs are typically too heavy to be man-portable (carried by one person) and require weapon mount, mountin ...
s and light
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
.
[Ailsby, 18] Among the foreign observers present was
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...
.
Impressed, Göring became personally committed to the creation of Germany's airborne arm in the 1930s.
[Ailsby, 21] As the Prussian Prime Minister of the Interior, he had ordered the formation of a specialist police unit in 1933, the ''Polizeiabteilung Wecke'', devoted to protecting
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
Party officials. The organization of this unit was entrusted to ''Polizeimajor'' Walther Wecke of the Prussian Police Force, who had assembled a special detachment of 14 officers and 400 men within just two days.
On 17 July, the detachment was officially renamed ''Landespolizeigruppe Wecke''.
[Ailsby, 22] On 22 December 1933, the unit was again retitled, becoming the ''Landespolizeigruppe General Göring''. The unit carried out conventional police duties for the next two years under the command of Göring's ministerial adjutant Friedrich Jakoby,
but it was Göring's intention to ultimately produce a unit that would match the ''
Reichswehr
''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
''.
In March–April 1935, Göring transformed the ''Landespolizei General Göring'' into Germany's first dedicated airborne regiment, giving it the military designation ''Regiment General Göring'' (RGG) on 1 April 1935 (after
Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
introduced
conscription
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
on 16 March 1935).
The unit was incorporated into the newly formed Luftwaffe on 1 October of the same year and training commenced at Altengrabow. Göring also ordered that a group of volunteers be drawn for parachute training. These volunteers would form a core ''Fallschirmschützen Bataillon'' ("parachute soldiers battalion"), a
cadre
Cadre may refer to:
*Cadre (military), a group of officers or NCOs around whom a unit is formed, or a training staff
*Cadre (politics), a politically controlled appointment to an institution in order to circumvent the state and bring control to th ...
for future ''Fallschirmtruppe'' ("parachute troops").
In January 1936, 600 men and officers formed the 1st ''Jäger'' Battalion/RGG, commanded by Bruno Bräuer, and the 15th Engineer Company/RGG and were transferred to training area
Döberitz for jump training while the rest of the regiment was sent to Altengrabow.
[Ailsby, 23] Germany's parachute arm was officially inaugurated on 29 January 1936
[Ailsby, 26] with an Order of the Day calling for recruits for parachute training at the Stendal Parachute Training School located west of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. The school was activated several months after the first parachute units were established in January 1936 and was open to active and reserve Luftwaffe personnel. NCOs, officers and other ranks of the Luftwaffe were required to successfully complete six jumps in order to receive the
Luftwaffe Parachutist's Badge (instituted on 5 November 1936).
Formation
The
1st Parachute Division was originally formed in 1938, when it was designated as the 7th Air Division. It carried out airborne operations in the early stages of the war, including the successful
capture of Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium. It later fought in the
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...
but its heavy losses there saw Hitler refuse to consider using his troops in a significant airborne role again. It became the 1st Parachute Division in 1942, when it was reformed in Russia. The division existed as a fighting unit until the German surrender in Italy of 2 May 1945, one week before the end of World War II in Europe.
The
2nd Parachute Division was formed in France under the command of
Generalleutnant
is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.
Austria
Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of O ...
Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke
Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (24 January 1889 – 4 July 1968) was a German general of paratroop forces during World War II. He led units in Crete, North Africa, Italy, the Soviet Union and France, and was captured by American forces at the concl ...
in early 1943, based on the 2nd Parachute Brigade that had fought in North Africa. Sent to Rome as part of the occupation force when the Italian government began to reconsider its war effort, it later fought in the Ukraine and in western France. The majority of the division was cut off and surrounded in
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
during the German retreat from France, resulting in the
Battle for Brest
The Battle for Brest was fought in August and September 1944 on the Western Front during World War II. Part of the overall Battle for Brittany and the Allied plan for the invasion of mainland Europe called for the capture of port facilities, ...
, that lasted until September 1944. A new 2nd Parachute Division was formed in November 1944 and the following year was involved in fighting in Arnhem, during the Rhine crossings and in the
Ruhr Pocket with
Army Group B
Army Group B (German: ') was the title of three German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.
Operational history
Army Group B first took part in the Battle of France in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The second formation of Ar ...
.
The
3rd
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
and
4th Parachute divisions were formed in 1943. The 4th also contained Italian paratroopers drawn from the
184th Airborne Division Nembo and
185th Paratroopers Division Folgore 185th may refer to:
*185th (2/1st West Riding) Brigade, formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army
*185th Air Refueling Squadron flies the KC-135 Stratotanker
*185th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), unit located at Sioux Gateway Airport, Iowa
...
. The 3rd fought during the
Normandy Campaign
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
; it was largely destroyed in the
Falaise Pocket in August 1944. It was then reformed and took part in the
Battle of the Ardennes
The Battle of the Ardennes took place during the First World War fought on the frontiers of France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg from 21 to 23 August 1914. The German armies defeated the French and forced their retreat. The battle was part of ...
, and ended the war in the Ruhr Pocket where it surrendered to US troops in April 1945. The 4th fought exclusively on the
Italian front including the
Battle of Anzio,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and on the
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...
. It surrendered to Allied forces in April 1945.
The
5th Parachute Division was formed in France in 1943. It was involved in the fighting in Normandy after D-Day and most of its personnel were killed or captured in the Falaise Pocket. It was reformed in the Netherlands but with Luftwaffe ground crew. It fought in the Ardennes offensive and along the Rhine before its survivors surrendered at the end of the war. The
6th and
7th
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...
Parachute divisions were formed in 1944 in France and Germany respectively and fought on the western front as regular infantry. Both divisions surrendered at the end of May.
The
8th
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
,
9th
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
and
10th were ''Fallschirmjäger'' by name only, as they were hastily formed in late 1944–early 1945 from a disparate collection of Luftwaffe units, including ground crews. Furthermore, they never reached divisional strength and under-trained and mostly ill-prepared for combat. The 8th fought in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
before being destroyed in the Ruhr Pocket while the 9th and 10th fought on the rapidly collapsing
Eastern Front, including within Germany. The 9th fought in the
Battle of the Seelow Heights
The Battle of the Seelow Heights (german: Schlacht um die Seelower Höhen) was part of the Berlin Offensive, Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation (16 April–2 May 1945). A pitched battle, it was one of the last assaults on large Field entrenchm ...
and in the
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II.
After the Vistula– ...
before being destroyed in April 1945; the 10th surrendered to Soviet army forces in May 1945.
World War II
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-166-0527-04, Kreta, Kondomari, Erschießung von Zivilisten](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-166-0527-04%2C_Kreta%2C_Kondomari%2C_Erschie%C3%9Fung_von_Zivilisten.jpg)
During the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 the ''Fallschirmjäger'' were sent to occupy several airfields between the Vistula and Bug rivers.
The first opposed airborne attacks occurred during the
Norwegian Campaign, first during the initial invasion when ''Fallschirmjäger'' captured the defended air base of
Sola
Sola is a municipality and a Seaside resort in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Jæren. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Solakrossen. Other villages include Tananger, Hålandsm ...
, near
Stavanger
Stavanger (, , American English, US usually , ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the fourth largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the a ...
. The ''Fallschirmjäger'' also had their first defeat in Norway, when a company was dropped on the village and railroad junction of
Dombås
is a village or small town in Dovre Municipality in northern Innlandet county, Norway. The village serves as the commercial centre for the upper Gudbrandsdalen valley. It lies at an important junction of roads with the European route E6 highway ...
on 14 April 1940 and was destroyed by the
Norwegian Army
The Norwegian Army ( no, Hæren) is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway ...
in
a five-day battle.
[Bjørn Jervaas]
The Fallschirmjäger Battle at Dombaas
On 10 May 1940, the ''Fallschirmjäger'' performed a
successful raid on the powerful fortification known as
Eben Emael
Fort Eben-Emael (french: Fort d'Ében-Émael, ) is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, outside the village of Ében-Émael. It was designed to defend Belgi ...
.
[McNab P.4] Eben Emael consisted of multiple gun emplacements and was defended by 1,200 Belgian troops.
There are few better representations by elite troops and everything was cutting edge at the time, from tactics to method of deployment.
The airborne troops attacked the artillery casements and pillboxes with flame throwers, demolition charges, and hollow charge grenades.
[McNab P.49] The mission was accomplished by ''Sturmgruppe Granit'' (Assault Group Granite), which consisted of only 85 soldiers.
Despite being at both a numerical and firepower disadvantage, the airborne troops took control of the fort after a few hours of fighting.
During the
invasion of the Netherlands over 2,000 troops of the
7th Air Division
The 7th Air Division (7 AD) served the United States Air Force with distinction from early 1944 through early 1992, earning an outstanding unit decoration and a service streamer along the way.
History
Hawaii
As the 7th Fighter Wing, the divis ...
were deployed, while approximately 12,000 troops of the
22nd Airlanding Division also participated.
[McNab P.50] The ''Fallschirmjäger'' successfully captured bridges at Moerdijk and Dordrecht.
The airborne troops suffered heavy casualties while taking Dordrecht.
[McNab P.52] The paratroopers were able to capture airfields at Valkenburg, Ockenburg, Waalhaven, and Ypenburg.
Yet, the Germans failed to capture
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
and force the Dutch to surrender. Therefore, the performance of the paratroopers in the Netherlands was mixed as far as efficiency and results was concerned. The 22nd Airlanding Division was forced to land many of its aircraft on exposed motorways because the 7th Air Division had failed to secure designated airfields. Most aircraft ended up being shot up by Dutch infantry and artillery fire.
[McNab P.55] The airborne troops were able to cause disruption behind Dutch lines.
During the Greece campaign, the German airborne forces would perform their last strategic parachute and glider performances of the war.
[McNab P.57] The airborne troops captured a critical bridge that crossed the canal in the Isthmus of Corinth so German forces could pursue Allied forces further in the Greek mainland.
[McNab P.59] The operation did not go smoothly due in part to heavy enemy ground fire.
Demolition charges were also accidentally detonated, due to carelessness, leading to damage to the bridge and heavy casualties.
One group of paratroopers was accidentally dropped into the sea where they all drowned.
The airborne forces did manage to capture British anti-aircraft positions, which forced the surrender of the local town.
12,000 Commonwealth and Greek troops were also captured. The German airborne forces suffered 63 killed and 174 wounded.
The final major offensive German action of the Greece campaign was the German invasion of Crete, in May 1941. The ''Fallschirmjäger'' would suffer further heavy losses during the
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...
especially during Operation Merkur which would be the end of large scale airborne and glider operations for the Fallschirmjäger.
[McNab P.72] The Battle for Crete would see the Germans lose approx 3,800 dead and 2,600 wounded. The Allies’ losses were approximately 1,700 dead and 15,000 captured.
During the 1941
invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...
the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 1st Parachute Regiment and the 2nd Battalion of the Luftlande-Sturmregiment (Airlanding Assault Regiment) were assigned to the
Army Group North
Army Group North (german: Heeresgruppe Nord) was a German strategic formation, commanding a grouping of field armies during World War II. The German Army Group was subordinated to the ''Oberkommando des Heeres'' (OKH), the German army high comma ...
's 18th Army where they would conduct operations in the
Leningrad
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
area.
[Ailsby P.66] The Fallschirmjäger were specifically deployed to the east of Leningrad on the River Neva to confront a
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
effort to relieve the city.
In October 1941, the German paratroopers were involved in heavy fighting against the Soviets and were successful in holding off Soviet attacks.
From late October 1941 until 4 July 1942, the
22nd Airlanding Division participated in the
Siege of Sevastopol. The Fallschirmjäger overran most of the
Soviet 79th Naval Infantry Brigade during combat operations. The Soviet unit tried counterattacking on 10 June, but was repulsed. The Soviet formation was effectively destroyed, with the support of the Luftwaffe, which used anti-personnel bombs against Soviet infantry caught in the open.
In July 1942, the Ramcke Parachute Brigade was deployed to North Africa to assist the Axis war effort there. In late October the Brigade participated in the 2nd Battle of El Alamein.
[Ailsby P.87] The Brigade successfully captured a British supply column which provided it with some trucks and much needed supplies for the retreat westwards.
Between November and December 1942, the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 5th Parachute Regiment were flown into Tunisia to protect its airfields and take up defensive positions around the city of Koch during the Allied Operation Torch. It was followed closely by the 11th Parachute Pioneer Battalion under the command of Major Rudolf Witzig. It had the strength of 716 men. It took up defensive positions west of Tunis where it had a series of battles with the advance guard of the Allied spearhead.
[Ailsby P.90] Parts of the unit had received special training in reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.
This intelligence led to the last parachute drop in North Africa.
The operation ended up a major failure due to mostly inexperienced and poorly trained pilots.
The Fallschirmjäger were dropped too far from their targets. The paras never made it to their targets because many were captured by British patrols as they landed.
[Ailsby P.91]
On 26 December 1942, the men of Parachute Company of the
Brandenburg Regiment were transported by gliders in an operation to destroy bridges and supply routes used by the British.
It too was a disaster.
Some of the gliders were shot down while flying over enemy lines while others were destroyed while approaching their targets.
Most of the paras were killed in the operation.
The 2nd Parachute Regiment, an Assault Regiment Battalion, and Antitank and Machine Gun Battalions were sent to conduct operations in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
.
[Ailsby P.67] They would be assigned to
Army Group South
Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group Sou ...
. This force would be known as Kampfgruppe Sturm commanded by Oberst
Alfred Sturm __NOTOC__
Alfred Sturm (23 August 1888 – 8 March 1962) was a German general during World War II.
During the Battle of Crete, Sturm (then an ''Oberst'') was commander of the 2nd Parachute Rifle Regiment. On 20 May 1941, he jumped from an aircra ...
.
The Fallschirmjäger suffered heavy casualties while defending a sector along the River Mius around the town of Charzysk during the winter of 1941 and into early 1942.
In March 1943, the Fallschirmjäger of the 3rd Battalion of the 4th Regiment, 7th Airborne Division defended a hill at Lushi on the Eastern Front.
[Sutherland & Canwell P.128] They were reinforced by paras from 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment. Between 20–27 March these two battalions held off two complete Soviet divisions.
In May 1943, what was left of Fallschirmjäger units in North Africa had been captured by Allied forces.
[Ailsby P.93] The Fallschirmjäger commanders were flown out of North Africa and managed to escape captivity.
On 12 September 1943, the Fallschirmjäger conducted a successful rescue mission of Italian Prime minister
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
at the Gran Sasso. It is known as the
Gran Sasso raid
During World War II, the Gran Sasso raid (codenamed ''Unternehmen Eiche'', , literally "Operation Oak", by the German military) on 12 September 1943 was a successful operation by German paratroopers and ''Waffen-SS'' commandos to rescue the dep ...
. The operation received wide acclaim despite there being very little enemy resistance during the operation. Only two enemy soldiers died during the operation. The primary unit responsible for the success of the mission was Fallschirmjäger Lehr Batallion.
[Lopez P.6] It was considered elite of the elite and named for security reasons 1./FJR7.
It was under the command of Major
Harald Mors
Harald-Otto Mors (18 November 1910 – 11 February 2001) was a Wehrmacht officer (1934–1945) during the Second World War. In the summer of 1943 he commanded a battalion of ''Fallschirmjäger'' and planned and led the Gran Sasso raid to rescue Ben ...
.
General Kurt Student played a major role in the planning of the operation. The operation ended up being controversial due to Waffen SS legend
Otto Skorzeny
Otto Johann Anton Skorzeny (12 June 1908 – 5 July 1975) was an Austrian-born German SS-''Obersturmbannführer'' (lieutenant colonel) in the Waffen-SS during World War II. During the war, he was involved in a number of operations, including th ...
also participating in the operation. Skorzeny and his participating 26
Waffen SS
The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands.
The grew from th ...
troops managed to take much of the credit for the success of the operation despite the fact the 82 Fallschirmjäger soldiers played a more significant role during the operation. Skorzeny received a promotion to
Sturmbannführer
__NOTOC__
''Sturmbannführer'' (; ) was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank equivalent to major that was used in several Nazi organizations, such as the SA, SS, and the NSFK. The rank originated from German shock troop units of the First World War ...
, the award of the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.
The Knight' ...
and fame that led to his "most dangerous man in Europe" image.
During 26 September 1943 to 16 November 1943, the Fallschirmjäger participated in the
Battle of Leros
The Battle of Leros was the central event of the Dodecanese campaign of the Second World War, and is widely used as an alternate name for the whole campaign. After the Armistice of Cassibile the Italian garrison on the Greek island Leros was str ...
.
In October 1943, the Fallschirmjäger
22nd Airlanding Division participated in the
Battle of Kos
The Battle of Kos ( el, Μάχη της Κω) was a brief battle in World War II between British/Italian and German forces for control of the Greek island of Kos, in the then Italian-held Dodecanese Islands of the Aegean Sea. The battle was pr ...
.
In November 1943, the
2nd Parachute Division was ordered to the Eastern Front where it took up position near the Russian held town of Zhitomir.
[Ailsby P.74] The Red Army was to seize a communication centre there and destroy the entire German Southern wing.
The Red Army's primary aim was also to take
Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
.
By December the Red Army had massed a large force northeast of the city. The Fallschirmjäger managed to assist other German forces in plugging the gaps created by the Soviet advance.
On 15 December 1943, the 2nd Parachute Division was airlifted to
Kirovograd Kirovograd (russian: Кировогра́д) or Kirovohrad ( uk, Кіровогра́д) may refer to:
*Kropyvnytskyi, a city in Ukraine formerly named Kirovohrad
**Kirovohrad Oblast, of which Kropyvnytskyi is the administrative center
*Ganja, Azerb ...
and put on the front at
Klintsy
Klintsy (russian: Клинцы́) is a town in Bryansk Oblast, Russia,located on the Turosna River, southwest of Bryansk. Population: 60,000 (1972).
Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Kl ...
.
It was supported by the
11th Panzer Division and the 286th Self Propelled Artillery Brigade.
The Fallschirmjäger participated in fierce fighting around
Novgorodka.
[Ailsby P.75] By 23 December the paratroopers stabilized the front but suffered heavy casualties.
During 17 January – 18 May 1944, the Fallschirmjäger participated in the
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino, was a series of four assaults made by the Allies against German forces in Italy during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The ultimate objective was ...
. Allied Forces' aim was a breakthrough to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. At the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans holding the
Rapido-Gari,
Liri
The Liri (Latin Liris or Lyris, previously, Clanis; Greek: ) is one of the principal rivers of central Italy, flowing into the Tyrrhenian Sea a little below Minturno under the name Garigliano.
Source and route
The Liri's source is in the Mon ...
and
Garigliano
The Garigliano () is a river in central Italy.
It forms at the confluence of the rivers Gari (also known as the Rapido) and Liri. Garigliano is actually a deformation of "Gari-Lirano" (which in Italian means something like "Gari from the Liri") ...
valleys and some of the surrounding peaks and ridges. Together, these features formed the
Gustav Line
The Winter Line was a series of German and Italian military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt and commanded by Albert Kesselring. The series of three lines was designed to defend a western section ...
.
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first h ...
, a historic hilltop abbey founded in
AD 529 by
Benedict of Nursia
Benedict of Nursia ( la, Benedictus Nursiae; it, Benedetto da Norcia; 2 March AD 480 – 21 March AD 548) was an Italian Christian monk, writer, and theologian who is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Orient ...
, dominated the nearby town of
Cassino
Cassino () is a ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Southern Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio, the last city of the Latin Valley.
Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Gari and Liri rive ...
and the entrances to the Liri and Rapido valleys. Lying in a protected historic zone, it had been left unoccupied by the Germans. They had defended some positions set into the steep slopes below the abbey's walls.
Repeated pinpoint artillery attacks on Allied assault troops caused their leaders to conclude the abbey was being used by the Germans as an observation post, at the least. Fears escalated along with casualties and in spite of a lack of clear evidence, it was marked for destruction. On 15 February American bombers dropped 1,400 tons of high explosives, creating widespread damage. The raid failed to achieve its objective, as the Fallschirmjäger occupied the rubble and established excellent defensive positions amid the ruins.
Between 17 January and 18 May, Monte Cassino and the Gustav defences were assaulted four times by Allied troops, the last involving twenty
divisions attacking along a twenty-mile front. The German defenders were finally driven from their positions, but at a high cost. The capture of Monte Cassino resulted in 55,000 Allied casualties, with German losses being far fewer, estimated at around 20,000 killed and wounded.
In early January 1944, the Red Army conducted a new offensive against the 2nd Parachute Division.
The Fallschirmjäger suffered heavy casualties. The 2nd Battalion of the 5th Regiment was destroyed.
By 6 January 1944 The 7th, 5th, and 2nd Regiments had been forced to retreat from Novgorodka due to the efforts of the Red Army.
The Paras dug in around Kirovograd. In March the Red Army once again resumed operations against the 2nd Parachute Division.
By the last week of the month the Red Army had forced the paras across the
Southern Bug River
, ''Pivdennyi Buh''
, name_etymology =
, image = Sunset S Bug Vinnitsa 2007 G1.jpg
, image_size = 270
, image_caption = Southern Bug River in the vicinity of Vinnytsia, Ukraine
, map = PietinisBug ...
where they would establish defensive positions on the opposite bank.
By May the Red Army forced the Fallschirmjäger back to the river of
Dniester
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
.
The Fallschirmjäger had been decimated by the fighting and by the end of the month the division was transferred back to Germany for refitting.
[Ailsby P.78]
On 3 July 1944 the 2nd Parachute Corps battled the U.S. 1st Army at Coutances-Marigny-St. Lo. The Fallschirmjäger utilized the terrain of the so-called Bocage and the hedgerows to their advantage to negate American superiority in both firepower and quantity of troops. The Fallschirmjäger inflicted heavy casualties on American forces due mostly to tactical superiority and the terrain preventing the Americans from utilizing their armored forces.
On 11 July 1944 the 1st Battalion, 9th Parachute Regiment executed a successful attack on the U.S. 1st Battalion,
115th Infantry Regiment
The 115th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard was an infantry regiment of the United States Army. It traced its roots back to the American Revolutionary War, although its official U.S. Army lineage begins in 1881. The units to which ...
.
[Ailsby P.143] Initially, the Americans would suffer the loss of their outposts mostly due to German artillery and mortar fire.
The Americans held due to their artillery and air support, and the paras eventually were forced to retreat.
On 11 July 1944 the 3rd Parachute Division suffered heavy casualties while attempting to prevent American forces from capturing the city of St. Lo. The German 12th Parachute Gun Brigade, 3rd Parachute Reconnaissance Company, and 3rd Engineer Battalion all suffered heavy casualties mostly due to outstanding American artillery fire. The Paras would hold out until 27 July due to their great effort. German forces managed to inflict 11,000 casualties on its American opponents.
On 25 July 1944, the 21st Parachute Pioneer Battalion was positioned on the road between Dunaburg and Kovno in Lithuania.
The Red Army attacked the Battalion the following day.
The Battalion would be encircled and eventually destroyed.
The unit would be disbanded and sent to other Fallschirmjäger units.
On 25 July 1944, the 2nd Parachute Division was involved in the defense of
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
against the American 7th Corps. American forces suffered 4,000 casualties in its effort to invest the port.
[Ailsby P.146] Other elements of the 2nd Parachute Division were destroyed by American armored forces while on their way to assist the 5th Parachute Division at St. Malo.
American forces captured Brest on 20 September 1944.
What was left of the 2nd Parachute Corps was sent to Cologne after Falaise for rest and refitting.
Heydte's 6th Parachute Regiment went to Guestrow-Mecklenburg to form the foundation of a new regiment.
In September 1944, the 1st Parachute Corps fought in the Allied Offensive in Italy known as
Operation Olive
The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...
.
In September 1944, the 4th Parachute Division was defending positions at the Futa and 2 Giogo Passes when the U.S. 91st and 85th divisions mounted an attack.
[Ailsby P.128] This was followed by six days of intense fighting.
American forces succeeded in capturing the 2nd Giogo Pass, Monticelli Ridge, and Monte Altuzzo, in Italy, mostly due to the overwhelming firepower of American forces.
On 21 September 1944, British and Canadian forces were successful in overcoming defensive positions occupied by the 1st Parachute Corps to capture Rimini.
On 13 October 1944, Axis forces which included the 4th Parachute Division manage to halt an Allied 2nd Corps' advance south of Bologna, Italy.
In April 1945, the 9th Parachute Division would be destroyed while trying to contain a Russian bridgehead on the west bank of the River Oder.
[Ailsby P.79] What remained of the unit would be destroyed while trying to defend Berlin from the Red Army.
In April 1945, the 10th Parachute Division would be destroyed by the Red Army in Austria.
The division's artillery battalion was destroyed in Feldbach by the Red Army.
What remained of the unit would be destroyed north of Bruenn.
On 15 April 1945, 760 Allied bombers pounded the positions of 1st Parachute Corps and other Axis units in the Argenta Gap, Italy.
The paratroopers continued to fight but by 18 April, the Axis forces wavered to the massive Allied ground and aerial onslaught.
In May 1945, the remaining paratroopers of the 1st and 4th Parachute Divisions surrendered in Italy along with the remaining Axis Forces.
[Ailsby P.129] The Allied Forces had succeeded in driving Axis forces into the open where massive air support inflicted heavy casualties and material losses.
The Axis campaign in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
had ended in defeat.
Casualties
According to the
General Staff of the Wehrmacht
The German General Staff, originally the Prussian General Staff and officially the Great General Staff (german: Großer Generalstab), was a full-time body at the head of the Prussian Army and later, the Imperial German Army, German Army, respons ...
the Fallschirmjäger had suffered the following losses by February 1945:
[Hahn, Fritz. Waffen und Geheimwaffen des deutschen Heeres 1933—1945. Band I. Infanteriewaffen, Pionierwaffen, Artilleriewaffen, Pulver, Spreng- und Kampfstoffe — Koblenz: Bernard & Graefe Verlag, 1986 — ]
*21,309 enlisted men and 732 officers killed
*56,388 enlisted men and 1,206 officers wounded
*43,896 enlisted men and 889 officers missing
Total: 121,593 enlisted men and 2,827 officers.
List of units
After mid-1944, ''Fallschirmjäger'' were no longer trained as paratroops due to Nazi Germany's deteriorating strategic situation and fought as infantrymen. Near the end of the war, the series of new ''Fallschirmjäger'' divisions extended to thirteen on paper; the last three divisions to be created (11th, 20th and 21st) were never fully formed and saw no combat.
;Army
*
1st Parachute Army
;Corps
*
I Parachute Corps
*
II Parachute Corps
;Fallschirmjäger Divisions
*
1st Parachute Division
*
2nd Parachute Division
*
3rd Parachute Division
*
4th Parachute Division – included volunteers from the Italian
184th and
185th parachute divisions
*
5th Parachute Division – last division to receive near full Fallschirmjäger training
*
6th Parachute Division
*
7th Parachute Division – previously ''Group
Erdmann'', an ''ad hoc'' collection of ''Luftwaffe'' assets on the Western Front
;Infantry divisions with fallschirmjäger in title only
*
8th Parachute Division
*
9th Parachute Division
*
10th Parachute Division
*
11th Parachute Division – partially formed
*
20th Parachute Division – partially formed, did not see combat
*
21st Parachute Division – partially formed, did not see combat
;Independent Regiments and brigades
*
Ramcke Parachute Brigade
The Ramcke Parachute Brigade was a Luftwaffe paratroop (''Fallschirmjäger'') brigade which saw action in the Mediterranean Theatre during World War II.
Operational history
The brigade was formed in 1942 and sent to join the Afrika Korps in ...
*
Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment
*
Fallschirmjäger-Regiment Hübner
Regiment Hübner (or Kampfgruppe Hübner) was formed as a reserve unit in August 1944, attached to 7th Parachute Division in September 1944, and operated as an independent Battle Group from November 1944 until March 1945, when it was formally d ...
, subordinated to the
8. Fallschirmjäger Division.
;Other parachute units
;Waffen-SS
*
500th SS Parachute Battalion
The 500th SS-Parachute Battalion (german: SS-Fallschirmjägerbataillon 500) was the parachute unit of the ''Waffen-SS''. The idea to form a paratrooper unit within the ''Waffen-SS'' allegedly came directly from ''Reichsführer-SS'' Heinrich Himml ...
*
600th SS Parachute Battalion
* SS-Jagdverbände
;Army
*
Brandenburger Regiment
** Fallschirmjäger-Bataillon Brandenburg
*
22nd Air Landing Division
*
91st Air Landing Division
War crimes
During the
German invasion of Crete, the Allied forces and Cretan irregulars inflicted heavy losses on the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
. A reprisal was ordered to send a message to the Cretan population to not resist German occupation of the island. A select group of Fallschirmjäger were chosen to carry out the civilian reprisal which was composed of four trucks full of German paratroopers from the III Battalion of Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1 commanded by Oberleutnant
Horst Trebes __NOTOC__
Horst Trebes (22 October 1916 – 29 July 1944) was a ''Hauptmann'' in the ''Fallschirmjäger'' of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Trebes participated in the Massacre of Kondom ...
. On 2 June 1941, the paratroopers arrived at the village of
Kondomari and rounded up the male villagers and chose their victims. Between twenty-three to sixty men were killed in a
firing squad
Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are us ...
while the women and children of the village watched as witnesses to the
mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. The United States Congress defines mass killings as the killings of three or more pe ...
which came to be known as the
Massacre of Kondomari
The Massacre of Kondomari ( el, Σφαγή στο Κοντομαρί) was the execution of male civilians from the village of Kondomari in Crete by an ad hoc firing squad consisting of German paratroopers on 2 June 1941 during World War II.Heato ...
. As a further reprisal against the Cretans the following day, the 1st Air Landing Assault Regiment of the Fallschirmjäger killed one hundred eighty inhabitants in the village of
Kandanos
Kandanos or Kantanos ( el, Κάνδανος or Κάντανος), also Candanos, is a town and former municipality in the Chania regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kantanos-Selino, ...
and
razed the village to the ground.
See also
*
Rapid Forces Division
The ''Division Schnelle Kräfte'' (Rapid Forces Division) formerly ''Division Spezielle Operationen'' (Special Operations Division) is an airborne division of the German Army. Its headquarters staff is based at Stadtallendorf. It was created as 1s ...
*
Teishin Shudan
was a Japanese special forces/ airborne unit during World War II. The unit was a division-level force, and was part of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF). The ''Teishin'' units were therefore distinct from the marine parachute units o ...
*''
Giretsu Kuteitai''
*
Japanese marine paratroopers of World War II
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese dia ...
*
Paratrooper
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...
*
Airborne forces
Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in ai ...
*
List of paratrooper forces
*
Commando
Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
*
Maquis du Vercors
The Battle of Vercors in July and August 1944 was between a rural group of the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) maquis''] and the armed forces of Nazi Germany which had occupied France since 1940 in the Second World War. The maquis used the pro ...
*
FG-42, Fallschirmjägergewehr 42
References
Sources
*.
* .
*
* Hodgin, John, E.''German Paratroops in North Africa''.
* Lopez, Oscar Gonzalez. ''Fallschirmjager at the Gran Sasso: The Liberation of Mussolini by the German parachutist on 12 September 1943''.
* .
* McNab, Chris. ''The Fall of Eben Emael Belgium 1940''.
* McNab, Chris. ''German Paratroopers''.
* Sutherland, Jon & Canwell, Diane.
Fallschirmjager: Elite German Paratroops in World War Two'.
Pen & Sword Military
Pen and Sword Books, also stylised as Pen & Sword, is a British publisher which specialises in printing and distributing books in both hardback and softback on military history, militaria and other niche subjects; factual non-fiction, primarily ...
. .
Further reading
How Effective Were the German Paratroopers in World War Two
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fallschirmjager
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German World War II special forces
Paratroopers
Luftwaffe
Airborne units and formations of Germany
Military parachuting
Infantry
Military units and formations established in 1935
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945