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[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-586-2221-14, Frankreich, Normandie, Fallschirmjäger.jpg|thumb|right|A heavily armed ''Fallschirmjäger'' carrying a [[Panzerfaust]] and sporting the characteristic ''[[Splittermuster#Luftwaffe-Splittermuster 41|Splittermuster 41]]'' "splinter" camouflage.]]
[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-586-2221-14, Frankreich, Normandie, Fallschirmjäger.jpg|thumb|right|A heavily armed ''Fallschirmjäger'' carrying a [[Panzerfaust]] and sporting the characteristic ''[[Splittermuster#Luftwaffe-Splittermuster 41|Splittermuster 41]]'' "splinter" camouflage.]]


''Fallschirmjäger'' participated in many of the famous battles of World War II, including the skilful airborne seizure of [[Fort Eben-Emael]] allowing for the early capture of [[Belgium]], major airdrops in [[Operation Weserübung|Norway and Denmark]] in 1940. The bloody [[Battle of Monte Cassino]] in 1943 and in the defence of [[Battle of Carentan|Carentan]], as depicted in ''[[Band of Brothers]]'', during the [[Operation Overlord|Battle of Normandy]] in 1944.
''Fallschirmjäger'' participated in many of the famous battles of World War II, including the skilful airborne seizure of [[Fort Eben-Emael]] allowing for the early capture of [[Belgium]] and major airdrops in [[Operation Weserübung|Norway and Denmark]] in 1940. The bloody [[Battle of Monte Cassino]] in 1943 and in the defence of [[Battle of Carentan|Carentan]], as depicted in ''[[Band of Brothers]]'', during the [[Operation Overlord|Battle of Normandy]] in 1944.


Their most famous airdrop was in the [[Battle of Crete]] in 1941, where the entire 7th Air Division was deployed, with the [[German 5th Mountain Division]] as the follow-up. Crete was captured, but the high casualties among the ''Fallschirmjäger'' convinced Hitler that such mass airdrops were no longer feasible—though surprise was lost even before the drops started, and the battle might have caused fewer German casualties otherwise. The Allies would come to a similar conclusion near the end of the war, as each successive large-scale airdrop resulted in higher and higher casualties.
Their most famous airdrop was in the [[Battle of Crete]] in 1941, where the entire 7th Air Division was deployed, with the [[German 5th Mountain Division]] as the follow-up. Crete was captured, but the high casualties among the ''Fallschirmjäger'' convinced Hitler that such mass airdrops were no longer feasible—though surprise was lost even before the drops started, and the battle might have caused fewer German casualties otherwise. The Allies would come to a similar conclusion near the end of the war, as each successive large-scale airdrop resulted in higher and higher casualties.

Revision as of 12:30, 17 May 2009

Fallschirmjäger board transport aircraft for the invasion of Crete.

Template:Foreignchar Fallschirmjägerⓘ (often rendered Fallschirmjager in English; from the German Fallschirm "parachute" and Jäger, "hunter; huntsman" a term for light infantry) are German paratroopers. Fallschirmjäger (falling-leaf soldiers) of Germany in World War II were the first to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. They came to be known as the Green Devils by the Allied forces they fought against [1]. During the entirety of World War II, the Fallschirmjäger commander was Kurt Student.

History

Fallschirmjäger with the MG 42 deployed in Italy, 1943.
A Fallschirmjäger mortar crew firing the 8 cm Granatwerfer 34.

During World War II, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) raised a variety of airborne light infantry (Fallschirmjäger) units. Unlike the United Kingdom, the British Commonwealth, and the USA, the German paratroopers were part of the German Air Force rather than the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer). Starting from a small collection of Fallschirmjäger battalions at the beginning of the war, the Luftwaffe built up a division-sized unit of three Fallschirmjäger regiments plus supporting arms and air assets, known as the 7th Flieger Division (7th Air Division).

Fallschirmjäger units made the first airborne invasion when invading Denmark on the 9 April 1940. In the early morning hours of Operation Weserübung, they attacked and took control of Aalborg Air Base which played a key role acting as a refuel station for the Luftwaffe in the subsequent invasion of Norway. In the same assault the bridges around Aalborg were taken. Other airborne attacks during the Battle of Denmark were also carried out, including one on a fort on the island Masnedø.

The first opposed airborne attacks occurred during the Norwegian Campaign, first during the initial invasion when Fallschirmjägers captured the defended air base of Sola, near Stavanger. The Fallschirmjäger also had their first defeat in Norway, when a company was dropped on the village and railroad junction of Dombås on 14 April 1940 and was destroyed by the Norwegian Army in a five day battle.[2]

Later in the war, the 7th Air Division's Fallschirmjäger assets were re-organised and used as the core of a new series of elite Luftwaffe Infantry divisions, numbered in a series beginning with the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division. These formations were organized and equipped as motorized infantry divisions, and often played a "fire brigade" role on the western front. Their constituents were often encountered on the battlefield as ad hoc battle groups (Kampfgruppen) detached from a division or organized from miscellaneous available assets. In accord with standard German practice, these were called by their commander's name, such as Group Erdmann in France and the Ramcke Parachute Brigade in North Africa.

After mid-1944, Fallschirmjäger were no longer trained as paratroops due to the realities of the strategic situation, but retained the Fallschirmjäger honorific. Near the end of the war, the series of new Fallschirmjäger divisions extended to over a dozen, with a concomitant reduction in quality in the higher-numbered units of the series. Among these divisions was the 9th Fallschirmjäger Division, which was the final parachute division to be raised by Germany during World War II. The division was destroyed during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945. (These divisions should not be confused with the Luftwaffe Field Divisions, a poorly organised and managed series of light infantry divisions raised from excess Luftwaffe personnel early in the war.)

Over 54,449 paratroops were killed in action and over 8,000 are still listed as missing in action. [citation needed]

Fallschirmjäger were awarded a total of 134 Knight's Cross of the Iron Crosses between the years 1940–1945. Twenty-four KC were awarded in the west and 27 were awarded after Crete. Out of the 134 KC, 15 were with oak leaves, five with oak leaves and swords, and one with oak leaves, swords and diamonds.

Operations

Fallschirmjäger landing on Crete.
A heavily armed Fallschirmjäger carrying a Panzerfaust and sporting the characteristic Splittermuster 41 "splinter" camouflage.

Fallschirmjäger participated in many of the famous battles of World War II, including the skilful airborne seizure of Fort Eben-Emael allowing for the early capture of Belgium and major airdrops in Norway and Denmark in 1940. The bloody Battle of Monte Cassino in 1943 and in the defence of Carentan, as depicted in Band of Brothers, during the Battle of Normandy in 1944.

Their most famous airdrop was in the Battle of Crete in 1941, where the entire 7th Air Division was deployed, with the German 5th Mountain Division as the follow-up. Crete was captured, but the high casualties among the Fallschirmjäger convinced Hitler that such mass airdrops were no longer feasible—though surprise was lost even before the drops started, and the battle might have caused fewer German casualties otherwise. The Allies would come to a similar conclusion near the end of the war, as each successive large-scale airdrop resulted in higher and higher casualties.

The 3rd battalion, 3rd Regt, 1st Fallschirmjäger Division fought against elements of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade during the Battle of Ortona, Italy, from December 20, 1943 to December 28, 1943. The battle was dubbed "Little Stalingrad"[3] for the deadliness of its close-quarters combat.

Prior to the Battle of Monte Cassino the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division held the ground near the Monastery of Monte Cassino but did not occupy the building itself. The historical significance of the Benedictine monastery caused the German commander-in-chief in Italy, Field Marshall Albert Kesselring, to order German units not to include the monastery in German defensive positions and informed the Allies accordingly[4][5]. The Allied high command refused to believe that the German forces would not use such a enviable position in their defences and orders were duly given for the 1500 year old building to be bombed to rubble. After the bombing, the Germans moved into positions amongst the bricks, remnants of walls and still intact cellars which provided excellent protection for the troops. This enabled the Fallschirmjäger to hold out for months against repeated assaults and heavy bombardment. Here they gained the nickname of the "Green Devils" from the Allied forces for their distinctive 3/4-length splinter pattern camoflage jackets and the tenacious defence of the ruined town and monastery on the mountain above against far superior numbers. They only finally retreated from their positions to stave off being outflanked, and Polish, Gurkha, Senegalese and Moroccan forces finally occupied the ruins of the monastery.

Uniforms and Equipment

A concealed paratrooper looking down the sights of his FG42 automatic rifle.
Live fire exercises with recoilless rifles.

Fallschirmjager would be awarded the Fallschirmschützenabzeichen, a Paratrooper Insignia featuring a diving gold eagle gripping a swastika.

Fallschirmjäger units were usually very well equipped; they had access to the best weapons of the German military. They were among the first combat units to use assault rifles and recoilless rifles in warfare.

A special version of the German armed forces' (Wehrmacht's ) modernized steel helmet (stahlhelm), the M1935, called the Fallschirmhelm, was designed and issued to Fallschirmjäger units. It did away with the projecting visor and deep, flared rim of the standard-issue helmet, and added further improvements. The modified shell incorporated a completely different and more substantial leather liner and chinstrap design that provided far more protection for German airborne troops; this model was known as the M1938.

The style of parachute harness used by the Fallschirmjäger, however, is generally considered inferior to those used by the war's British and American paratroopers. Unlike the British and American models, which connected the chute at each shoulder, the German design connected the parachute to the trooper's body via a single strap in the center of the back, an Irving-type harness. Paratroopers had to throw themselves bodily forwards out of the aeroplane, and in the resulting face-down position when the chute opened, control was nearly impossible. The necessity of landing on knees and elbows reduced the amount of equipment the trooper could carry and, even with pads, significantly increased the chance of injury. As such they jumped armed only with a holstered pistol and a small "gravity knife". Rifles and other weapons were dropped in separate containers and, until these were recovered, the troopers would be poorly armed (By comparison, Allied paratroopers were dropped armed with rifles or submachine guns). The Japanese copied the German system.

A universal weapon was developed for the paratroopers that could replace rifles, submachine guns and light machineguns but was also light enough to be carried during a jump. This resulted in the FG42 automatic rifle. This was built and deployed in small numbers from 1943 until the end of the war. Though an extremely advanced weapon[6][7], the design had flaws. The lightweight frame was subject to considerable muzzle rise when in automatic fire and had to be fired prone to guarantee accuracy. This meant that the FG42 was not entirely compatible with the more universal role it was supposed to play, as both a light machine gun (LMG) and assault rifle, and was frequently used more as a support weapon.

The Parachutist's "Ten Commandments"

A revealing document captured from a German paratrooper who was taken prisoner in Greece reveals much of the Fallschirmjägers elite attitude. Titled the Ten Commandments[8] it listed the following instructions:

  • 1. You are the elite of the German Army. For you, combat shall be fulfillment. You shall seek it out and train yourself to stand any test.
  • 2. Cultivate true comradeship, for together with your comrades you will triumph or die.
  • 3. Be shy of speech and incorruptible. Men act, women chatter; chatter will bring you to the grave.
  • 4. Calm and caution, vigor and determination, valor and a fanatical offensive spirit will make you superior in attack.
  • 5. In facing the foe, ammunition is the most precious thing. He who shoots uselessly, merely to reassure himself, is a man without guts. He is a weakling and does not deserve the title of parachutist.
  • 6. Never surrender. Your honor lies in Victory or Death.
  • 7. Only with good weapons can you have success. So look after them on the principle—First my weapons, then myself.
  • 8. You must grasp the full meaning of an operation so that, should your leader fall by the way, you can carry it out with coolness and caution.
  • 9. Fight chivalrously against an honest foe; armed irregulars deserve no quarter.
  • 10. With your eyes open, keyed up to top pitch, agile as a greyhound, tough as leather, hard as Krupp steel, you will be the embodiment of a German warrior.

Luftwaffe parachute units

Larger units

Fallschirmjägerdivisionen

Regiments and Brigades

Other parachute units

Bundeswehr Fallschirmjäger

Fallschirmjäger of 26th Air Assault Bde marching in Paris

In the modern German Bundeswehr, Fallschirmjäger form the core of the Special Operations Division with two brigade equivalents and several independent companies and battalions. All in all in 2010 about 10,000 troops will serve in that division which will have the following structure:

  • Special Operations Division
    • Headquarters Company (stationed in Stadtallendorf)
    • Airborne Signal Battalion (Stadtallendorf)
    • Airborne Air Defence Missile Battery 100 (Seedorf)
    • Long Range Reconnaissance Training Company 200 (Pfullendorf)
    • Army Band 300 (Koblenz)
    • Airborne Brigade 26 (Saarlouis)
      • Headquarters Company (Saarlouis)
      • Airborne Reconnaissance Company 260 (Zweibrücken)
      • Airborne Engineer Company 260 (Saarlouis)
      • Fallschirmjäger Battalion 261 (Lebach)
      • Airborne Support Battalion 262 (Merzig)
      • Fallschirmjäger Battalion 263 (Zweibrücken)
    • Airborne Brigade 31 (Oldenburg)
      • Headquarters Company (Oldenburg)
      • Airborne Reconnaissance Company 310 (Seedorf)
      • Airborne Engineer Company 270 (Seedorf)
      • Fallschirmjager Battalion 313 (Seedorf)
      • Fallschirmjager Battalion 373 (Seedorf)
      • Airborne Support Battalion 272 (Oldenburg, Seedorf)
    • Special Forces Command (KSK) (Calw)

The vast majority of division members is deployable by parachute, while all of it is at least air mobile. In addition to the Special Operations Division Germany is also setting up an air mobile or air assault unit of (German) regiment size.

National People's Army

In the Jack Higgins book and movie adaption The Eagle Has Landed, a group of Fallschirmjäger are featured in a fictional covert operation where they are secretly land on the English coast in an attempt to kidnap Winston Churchill. Within the book and movie, the Fallschirmjäger are among the few German characters in fiction to be portrayed as professional soldiers and even heroic as one sacrifices his life to save a British girl, and the commanding officer throws his career away in a attempt to save a Jewish girl from fellow Germans.

In the video game Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, the main attack force in the initial Nazi invasion of New York city, are Fallschirmjäger troops. They are first seen when they land on the skyscraper the player character is working on.

In the massively multiplayer online game World War II Online, it is possible for Axis players to play as Fallschirmjäger. Parachute drops are possible.

In the WW2 real-time strategy game Company of Heroes, Fallschirmjager are portrayed as stealthy units, able to hide in cover and infiltrate the battlefield unseen, and as extremely lethal to enemy infantry when equipped with their FG42. They are not seen actually fulfilling their namesake as paratroopers, but instead summoned from any building around the battlefield, having infiltrated it beforehand.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fallschirmjäger.

Notes

  1. ^ Green Devils: German Paratroopers 1939-1945 By Jean-Yves Nasse, W. Muhlberger, G. Schubert, Jean-Pierre Villaume,
  2. ^ Bjørn Jervaas: The Fallschirmjäger Battle at Dombaas Template:En icon
  3. ^ Ortona By Mark Zuehlke # Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre (May 2004)Language EnglishISBN-10: 1550545574 ISBN-13: 978-1550545579
  4. ^ Time, The Bombing of Monte Cassino
  5. ^ [Monte Cassinoby David Hapgood (Author), David Richardson]
  6. ^ Senich, Peter: The German Assault Rifle: 1935–1945, page 239. Paladin Press, 1987.
  7. ^ Miller, David: Fighting Men of World War II: Axis Forces : Uniforms, Equipment and Weapons, page 104. Stackpole Books, 2007.
  8. ^ U.S. World War II intelligence report on Fallschirmjäger
  9. ^ Battaglione Paracadutisti Nembo
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