“If I had not seen all this with my own eyes, I would never have believed that this was even possible,” said British Army officer Archibald Wavely in his report. He prepared the report after he visited a major exercise of the Red Army in the fall of 1935, at which - according to the approved scenario - a simply gigantic airborne operation for those times was carried out: a parachute landing of about 1000 people was dropped, and another 2500 paratroopers and heavy the weapons were landed by landing, using gliders.
AS A RESULT of the offensive that followed the landing, the conditional enemy was conditionally destroyed. Not only had nothing like this been carried out in the West at that time, then there was actually no one to carry out such operations. However, for a number of reasons, the airborne troops of Nazi Germany gained great popularity during the Second World War.
Norway, Belgium and Holland, Crete - these names are firmly associated with the German paratroopers, and the operations carried out there were closely studied by military experts in academies in many countries around the world and have already been described in detail in books and articles, documentaries and feature films have been made on them. However, there are pages in this type of German Armed Forces that are little known to the general public. For example, the activities of a unit that wore not only the sign of the Luftwaffe flying eagle, but also the SS “zig runes”.
500th SS Parachute Battalion (500. SS-Fallschirmjgärbatallion; then reorganized into the 600th SS Airborne Battalion) - this was the name of this unit, which was subordinate not to Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, like all other paratroopers, but to Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler and was distinguished at first by the fact that it was formed largely from military personnel convicted in the SS for various crimes. Something like a “parachute landing penal battalion” with a rather interesting history.
Break Goering's monopoly
Western military historians have their own interpretation of why this unit was formed. So, in their opinion, the battalion owes its birth to purely “the unbridled desire of Himmler to establish control over all spheres of life in the Thousand-Year Reich.” Including in the sphere of the military organization of the state. And in the fall of 1943, supposedly, the turn came to Goering’s patrimony, or rather, to the airborne troops. The Reichsmarshal was then in disgrace with Hitler, including for the recent failure of an operation to organize an air bridge to supply Paulus’s army surrounded in Stalingrad. So the Reichsführer CC decided, they say, to “take control of the sky.” And if earlier Goering’s words: “Everything that flies in the skies of Germany is under my control” were tantamount to a taboo, now “black Heinrich” decided to break it.
There is, however, another version of why a parachute battalion was formed as part of the SS. A number of historians argue that Himmler did this for a slightly different reason. The fact is that on September 12, 1943, a very bold operation “Oak” (Unternehmen Eiche) was successfully carried out, the purpose of which was the release of their former “dearly beloved” head of state Benito Mussolini, who had been overthrown by the Italians who had gone over to the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition and who had been overthrown by the Italians who had gone over to the side of the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition. . A close friend of Hitler, the former dictator was kept under the guard of Italian soldiers at the Campo Imperatore Hotel in Gran Sasso, one of Italy's most famous ski resorts, located in the Apennine Mountains, about 110 km from Rome. The operation, planned and carried out with the active participation of the “chief saboteur of the Third Reich” Otto Skorzeny and a special forces unit selected by the “man with the scar” from among the SS soldiers (units of the German airborne troops, pilots and several Italian officers were also involved in the operation), turned out to be very successful - during a short battle, the resistance of the Italian garrison was broken, Mussolini was freed and triumphantly delivered to Adolf Hitler. It was then, according to a number of foreign historians, that Heinrich Himmler had the idea of creating separate airborne units within the SS organization subordinate to him, and, they say, the moment with Goering’s disgrace was just a lucky coincidence and a favorable combination of circumstances , which contributed to the speedy implementation of the Reichsfuehrer SS's plan.
Whether this is true or not is not the topic of our material; we will consider only the history of the formation of this battalion and briefly outline its short “combat chronicle”, which, however, contains many interesting episodes.
Redeem with blood
The order to form a special 500th SS parachute battalion subordinate to the Reichsführer SS came directly from Hitler's headquarters. The main purpose of the new unit was to carry out special operations and related actions. At the same time, most of the battalion’s personnel were to be volunteers. The remaining candidates were to be recruited from SS servicemen convicted of various crimes and misdemeanors by military tribunals. Such convicts in the SS were given the code name “Bewahrungs-Soldaten” - these were not some hardened criminals, murderers or the like, mainly this category included those who “offended” the Reich: those who fell asleep at their post or failed to carry out the order given to them , as well as other military personnel who committed offenses by coincidence, and did not deliberately commit a crime. They were thus given the opportunity to “atone for their guilt with blood” by serving in the ranks of the SS parachute battalion.
It is interesting that at that time there was a 500th disciplinary battalion in the SS - SS-Bewührungsbataillon 500 - part of the personnel of which probably ended up in the new unit. On the other hand, it gave food for thought to those historians who claim that the formation of the 500th SS battalion was carried out in such strict secrecy that the unit itself was legendary as the 500th SS Penal Battalion. However, this version is still adhered to by a small number of historians, and most, relying on available captured documents, are confident that the 500th SS Parachute Battalion was nevertheless formed according to the principle: 50% were volunteers, and 50% were “guilty” "from the SS penal units.
When selecting for the 500th SS battalion, preference was given to those who had already undergone parachute and other special training. However, then the entire battalion had to improve parachute training at the base airborne school in Kraljevo (also Kraljevo), a city in Serbia on the Ibar River. It should be noted here that the first attempt to organize a parachute training course for personnel of a number of SS units was made long before the start of the war: in 1937, a group of SS volunteers was sent to the parachute training center in the city of Stendal, but they never completed the training course. were not completed (the main reason is the death of one of the volunteers during training). This suggests that Himmler could even at that time be planning the creation of airborne troops within the SS. After Kraljevo - and the formation of the battalion began in the area of the Czechoslovakian, now Czech, city of Chlum - followed the 3rd Luftwaffe Airborne Training School in the Madanruska Banja area, near Sarajevo, and then training center and a training ground near Papa, Hungary, and by early 1944 the 500th SS Parachute Battalion was ready for battle. The first commander of the battalion was SS Sturmbannführer Herbert Gilhofer, who had previously served in the 21st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment of the 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg".
Before we move on to the combat path of the battalion, it seems interesting to briefly consider its organization - as of the beginning of 1944, that is, the moment of completion of combat training and combat coordination divisions.
The 500th SS Parachute Battalion included:
– headquarters and headquarters company (communications, logistics, motorcycle, economic, propaganda and war correspondents platoons, as well as a platoon of parachute handlers);
- three parachute companies, each of which included three parachute platoons and a platoon, although more precisely, a communications department (in turn, each parachute platoon had three “rifle” squads, three squads machine gunners and one mortar squad);
- a reinforcement company, or, as it is also called, a “heavy weapons company”, which included four platoons - machine gun, mortar, anti-tank - with four 75-mm Leichtgeschätz LG40 recoilless guns (since 1942, the Luftwaffe airborne troops have already 105-mm versions of this recoilless rifle were received, but, as stated, the SS battalion had guns of 75 mm caliber), as well as a platoon of flamethrowers.
The total strength of the battalion was, according to various sources, from 800 to 1000 people. The unit's personnel wore the traditional Luftwaffe airborne troops uniform and equipment - with the exception of the addition of insignia and special SS awards (although the SS paratroopers had the traditional Luftwaffe eagle on the chest of their overalls). The battalion used standard parachutes and weapons, its tactics were typical of the parachute units of the German airborne forces of the time. It is not known for certain whether a special sleeve patch was installed for SS paratroopers, but in the archives there is at least one photo where such a patch is present on the uniform of a soldier of the battalion in question - however, it could have been homemade.
Baptism of fire of "Himmler's eagles"
The 500th battalion was thrown into battle shortly after the completion of its combat coordination - at the beginning of 1944. However, the task his commander received was not particularly special and should not have required his subordinates to have parachute jumping skills. On the contrary, the task seemed trivial for the SS - the battalion had to fight the partisans, first in Yugoslavia, and then in Greece and Albania. This went on for several months, it seemed that no one would remember about the “special purpose” of the created unit, but that was not the case...
In April 1944, SS Hauptsturmführer Kurt Rybka was appointed battalion commander instead of SS Sturmbannführer Herbert Gilhofer, who commanded the 500th SS Parachute Battalion until June 26, 1944. It was SS Hauptsturmführer K. Rybka who had the opportunity to receive a secret and very promising - from the point of view of glory and honors - task, more “interesting” than performing ordinary security and police functions: the battalion commander received an order to land by parachute and landing - using landing gliders - methods on a small mountain plateau near the Yugoslav city of Drvar, Dinara mountain system, where, according to German intelligence, the headquarters of the leader of the Yugoslav liberation movement, Marshal Josip Broz Tito, was now located.
According to the plan developed by the German command, the first group - a parachute landing - was supposed to land in the first echelon, capture the area and prepare a site for receiving the main group, which was supposed to land with the help of landing gliders, along with heavy weapons, ammunition and the necessary equipment and food. The main goal of the operation was Marshal Tito himself - the paratroopers needed to capture the “partisan commander”; in extreme cases, his physical liquidation was allowed. After solving the main task of the operation, the paratroopers had to hold their positions and repel the attacks of the Yugoslav partisans until the combat group of the 373rd Infantry Division approached and rescued them from the encirclement.
It seems to be an understandable and not so difficult task. However - only at first glance. After all, what happened: a parachute battalion of less than a thousand people had to land under the very nose of Marshal Tito’s headquarters, in the very center of a mountainous region occupied by a huge partisan army, which at that time numbered in its ranks more than 10 thousand soldiers and commanders, and even quite well armed and equipped. Of course, not all of this army was concentrated near the area of operation, but Tito’s headquarters was guarded very well. And under these conditions, the German paratroopers needed to capture the leader of the partisan movement, and then also hold their positions for an unknown amount of time - until the main forces of the 373rd division arrived. Moreover, it must be taken into account that the year was 1944 - this is no longer 1939-1941, when the German army was considered invincible and instilled fear in its opponents. By 1944, the Nazi military machine had already become worn out, suffered a number of serious defeats and began to experience problems due to the lack of well-trained personnel, weapons, military and special equipment, as well as various equipment.
Even more remarkable was the fact that, due to the lack of a sufficient number of transport aircraft and landing gliders, the SS men had to land - as already indicated above - in two passes, with a large interval and, as it turned out during further more detailed planning, without heavy weapons and with a minimum of ammunition, equipment and food. The first group - 314 paratroopers - needed to reach the target exactly at 7 o'clock in the morning, and only by noon the second group - about 400 people on DFS 230 landing gliders - should have arrived to their aid. The only positive thing was that the Luftwaffe was still maintained air superiority over Yugoslavia and could thus provide the necessary support for the landing.
In such conditions, the 500th SS battalion had to enter into battle with the selected units of the Yugoslav partisan army of Marshal Tito. To say it is a utopia means to say nothing. A military adventure of a man who has lost hope and is grasping at any straw. However, this could have been a well-calculated plan by a military genius, although it did not end triumphantly. Although this was a rather unique operation for those times, and therefore it was brief history was nevertheless awarded the attention of German propaganda - the raid was written about in the daily news release of the German armed forces "Wehrmachtbericht" on June 6, 1944.
"Knight's move"
The operation to capture Marshal Josip Broz Tito received the code name “Unternehmen Rösselsprung”, or, translated from German, Operation “Knight’s Move”. Indeed, its successful outcome would have allowed the German command to delay defeat in the Balkans - the decapitated army of Yugoslav partisans could well have fallen apart, like a house of cards, into separate parts that would no longer pose such a serious danger to the German military. Understanding the importance of this operation, the SS command also involved a special SS unit in it - “Sonderverband z. b.V. Friedenthal" - created and headed by Otto Skorzeny, "Himmler's special forces", which in the spring of 1944 was transformed into the 502nd SS Jaeger Battalion (SS-Jäger-Bataillon 502). True, Skorzeny himself, who commanded the 502nd SS battalion, refused to take command of the operation - having visited Zagreb, he came to the conclusion that the enemy was already aware of its preparations and it would be almost impossible to achieve the factor of surprise. Moreover, the “chief saboteur of the Third Reich” began to actively speak out against the operation in general. However, they did not listen to him - the temptation to destroy the Yugoslav partisan army with one blow was too great. But in vain...
The area where Marshal Tito's headquarters was located was located near the city of Drvar and was covered with numerous caves. Marshal Tito and his entourage settled in one of them - the headquarters was evacuated there as a result of the next, already seventh, German counter-partisan offensive against the Yugoslav partisans. Before this, the headquarters was located in the area of the city of Jajce - about 80 km east of Drvar, and in total during 1942-1943, due to ongoing German operations, Tito was forced to repeatedly change the location of his headquarters. It was here - into this stone bag - that the 500th SS infantry battalion was thrown. It is interesting that at the time of Operation Knight’s Move, representatives of the Allied command were at the headquarters of Marshal Tito, including Randolph Churchill, the son of Winston Churchill, as well as Soviet and American military missions.
To ensure a positive outcome of the operation, the 15th Wehrmacht Mountain Corps, created in 1943 in Croatia and stationed there throughout the war, received an order to take positions along the perimeter of the Drvar region, cut key communications and drive the partisans from the dominant heights, preventing them from thus, the opportunity to transfer reinforcements or escape from attack. The group included: from the Wehrmacht - a regimental combat group and a reinforced reconnaissance battalion of the 373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division (PD), nicknamed the “Tiger Division”; reinforced reconnaissance battalion of the 369th (Croatian) Infantry Division, nicknamed the "Devil's Division"; 1st Regiment - without 3rd Battalion - and a platoon combat group from the Brandenburg Special Forces Division; 92nd Grenadier Regiment; 54th Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion and 2nd Motorized Assault Battalion; from the SS - the 500th SS infantry battalion, which was temporarily assigned the battle group of the 1st Parachute Regiment of the 1st Airborne Division of the Luftwaffe and the Sonderkommando Zawadil; regimental combat group, 13th SS Volunteer Mountain Regiment "Arthur Fleps" and 7th Motorized Volunteer Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion from the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division "Prince Eugene"; 105th SS Reconnaissance Battalion; from the Luftwaffe - in addition to the previously mentioned units of the airborne troops, Goering allocated up to 100 aircraft for various purposes; from the German satellites - the 1st Self-Defense Regiment from the 2nd Jaeger Self-Defense Brigade of Independent Croatia (a pro-German state on the territory of the Croatian part of Yugoslavia), as well as Bosnian and Dinaric “Chetnik” detachments.
Fiasco
The operation to capture Marshal Tito was scheduled for May 25, 1944, and in this unique way the German command decided to “congratulate” the partisan marshal on his birthday. Just a few minutes after 7 a.m. that day - after a bomb attack by Luftwaffe aircraft - 314 paratroopers of the first group of the 500th SS battalion poured out of the sky onto the city of Drvar. The battalion commander himself, SS Hauptsturmführer Kurt Rybka, landed in the first wave, as part of the “red” group - one of the three groups into which the parachute landing was divided.
The paratroopers, who suffered quite significant losses (the partisans managed to shoot more than one parachutist while still in the air), nevertheless quickly captured the city and the area designated for receiving the second landing group, which almost died out: as Otto Skorzeny predicted, the partisan command learned about the impending operation and managed to organize evacuation and resistance in advance, concentrating additional forces south of Drvar. Nevertheless, Kurt Rybka organized additional reconnaissance of the area, identified the main targets for the subsequent assault and began to wait for reinforcements.
At the appointed time, the second landing group arrived in the area: the gliders delivered, according to various sources, from 320 to 400 soldiers and officers (most likely, from the 500th SS infantry battalion there were only 320 people, and the rest belonged to other units - the Brandenburg division "and communications and air control units of the Luftwaffe), divided into six detachments, each of which received its own specific task. The largest of the detachments, called “Panther” (“Panther”, 110 people on six gliders), was supposed to join the “red” group led by the battalion commander and attack directly the “Citadel”, that is, the headquarters of Marshal Tito hidden in the mountains, and carry out capture of the latter, or his physical liquidation. They did not yet know that in the headquarters area there was already only one security company left, and Tito himself and his entourage were safely evacuated on a train that was waiting for them to the area of the city of Jajce.
The remaining units had the following goals: "Greifer" ("Invaders") - the capture of the British military mission, "Sturmer" ("Rebels") - the capture of the Soviet military mission, "Brecher" ("Wave" or, technically, "Crusher") - capture of the American military mission, "Draufgänger" ("Daredevils") - an intelligence group and "Beisser" (there are several translations of this word, including "biter", "mocker", "tooth" and - a derivative of the Austrian word - “daredevil”, but what exactly is meant in this case is unknown to the author of the material) - radio communication group.
The glider pilots of the main strike detachment landed the devices not far from the headquarters cave and almost immediately they were approached by a “red” group led by SS Hauptsturmführer Rybka (one of the British sources indicates that Kurt Rybka had already been promoted to the rank of Sturmbannführer by that time SS). Seeing how close the Panther group landed, the battalion commander decided that the job was almost done, all that remained was to quickly rush into the cave and capture the partisan “leader”. However, after a few minutes everything changed - hell literally set in for the paratroopers.
The remaining partisan security company opened heavy fire on the grounded gliders, and German losses began to grow rapidly. Rybka gave a red rocket - a signal to the other groups and detachments to regroup and attack the main target, the cave with Tito’s headquarters. But the position of the 500th SS battalion became very unenviable: the partisans, as it turned out, were already bringing up reinforcements, and if initially only a guard company and personnel from the school of partisan army commanders were located near Drvar, and several small detachments, then soon in the battle area after a forced On the march, detachments of the 1st Partisan Brigade and the 6th Partisan Division, who had extensive experience in fighting the Nazi invaders, had already arrived. As a result, the defenders found themselves in much greater numbers than the attacking SS paratroopers, and had more powerful weapons, including artillery.
Having regrouped, the German paratroopers rushed to attack again. However, by lunchtime it became clear that the “move” had failed: having burst into one of the caves, the Germans managed to capture... only the marshal’s jacket, which was later demonstrated in Vienna, but then partisan reinforcements arrived in time, knocked the paratroopers out of the cave and threw them towards the city, more open area. For battalion commander Kurt Rybka, the time has come to seriously think about retreat. And towards evening he decided that it was time to evacuate the battalion while there was still at least something left of it. But only late at night the remnants of the landing force, retreating under continuous enemy fire, were able to concentrate in shelter - behind the stone wall of the city cemetery. But you couldn’t count on quick help from the combat group of the 373rd Infantry Division - it was unable to get into the given area.
The partisans fired almost continuously all night at the remnants of the SS battalion and repeatedly launched attacks. The ranks of the paratroopers melted right before our eyes, but the 500th SS Infantry Division did not stop resisting. And almost at dawn, salvation finally came - in the form of the battle group of the 13th SS Volunteer Mountain Regiment "Arthur Phleps" from the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division "Prince Eugene", which managed to break through the defenses of the Yugoslav partisans surrounding the city of Drvar. The operation ended - it ended in complete failure, unless, of course, you count the jacket “stolen” from Marshal Tito on his birthday.
As a result of this operation, German units, according to combat reports, collectively lost 213 people killed, 881 wounded and 51 missing. As for the 500th SS infantry brigade itself, its losses turned out to be the most serious - more than 500 people were killed and wounded, including the battalion commander Kurt Rybka who was wounded. The German command was presented with a report claiming that the partisans lost about 6,000 people killed on May 25–26, which, of course, is very, very exaggerated. In reality, the losses of the Yugoslav partisans amounted to about 500 people killed and a little more than 1000 wounded, most of them as a result of a strong bombing attack by Luftwaffe aircraft. But the commanders of the partisan detachments reported to Tito that in the area of the city of Drvar, German paratroopers and other units killed more than 2000 civilians. However, the partisans themselves reported that by the morning of May 26, no more than 20–25 German paratroopers remained alive at the Drvara cemetery, or rather, they were firing, which, therefore, allows us to speak of the almost complete destruction of the 500th SS infantry battalion - those killed were probably there were by no means 213 people, but no less than 600–650 soldiers and officers.
Reformation and captivity
SS paratroopers who survived the “Knight's March”, as well as battalion servicemen who did not directly participate in the battle total number about 200 people were first sent to Petrovac (a settlement in present-day Montenegro, about 17 km from Budva), then to Ljubljana (the capital of modern Slovenia), and at the end of June 1944 the remnants of the battalion were transferred to Gotenhafen (the current Polish city of Gdynia) , in West Prussia, where they were supposed to join a military group assembled to capture the Åland Islands in the Baltic, which were under the control of Finnish troops, but the operation was cancelled. In June 1944, SS-Hauptsturmführer Siegfried Milius was appointed battalion commander, who commanded the battalion until the end of the war and was later promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer.
After the cancellation of the operation to capture the Åland Islands, the 500th SS Infantry Division was sent to the 3rd SS Panzer Corps near Narva, but on July 9 it received a new order - to proceed to the Kaunas area, where it, together with the 1st Tank Regiment of the Great Panzer Division, Germany" of the Wehrmacht became part of Theodor Tolsdorf's battle group, which received orders to ensure the exit of German troops and refugees from the encircled Vilnius. Then new missions followed - the paratroopers held back a tank breakthrough of Soviet troops to Vilnius from the southeast, took part in battles near the town of Raseiniai, north-west of Kaunas, and in battles near the Memel River (in the Kaunas area), so that in the end, by August 20 In 1944, only 90 people remained in the 500th SS Infantry Brigade. But even they could not be brought out for replenishment and reorganization - the situation on the Soviet-German front was so tense, the Soviet troops were advancing so rapidly. Sometimes French military historians claim that the 500th SS Infantry Brigade was involved in July 1944 in carrying out punitive actions against the French Resistance in the French Alps region, but this, as most American, British and German historians claim, is a complete fiction, since the battalion’s personnel I have never taken part in this kind of operation. But German troops in the area of the area fortified by French partisans on the Vercors plateau actually carried out such an operation - but a special unit from the second squadron of the top secret 200th squadron (II./Kampfgeschwader 200) took part there. This squadron included a special forces detachment, which took part in the action against the French Resistance.
But the SS paratroopers took part in another interesting operation: on October 15, 1944, part of the personnel of the not yet reformed 500th SS Infantry Division joined the group under the command of Otto Skorzeny, which took part in Operation Panzerfaust, as a result of which the Hungarian regent Admiral M. Horthy was deposed and Hungary thus remained an ally of the Third Reich until the end of World War II.
Finally, at the end of October 1944, the battalion was nevertheless withdrawn to the rear - to the town of Zichenau in East Prussia, and then its remnants were sent to Deutsch-Wagram, in Austria, after which a new unit was formed on its base - the 600th SS Infantry Division. The formation of the new battalion was finally completed in the city of Neustrelitz, and the command this time decided to refuse to send penal prisoners to the battalion and formed the unit entirely on a voluntary basis. On November 9, 1944, a new unit with the number “600” appeared in the SS. Former penalty soldiers, who atoned for their misdeeds with blood and were enrolled in the 600th SS Infantry Division, had their ranks returned and were allowed to wear “zig runes” on their buttonholes again from now on. The battalion's strength was again about 1,000 men; its composition was probably the same as its predecessor.
For the remaining six months, the “black” paratroopers had to fight in different sectors of the front, sometimes solving special problems, but for the most part they simply plugged holes - the battalion became, as they often say, a “fire brigade.” One of the most famous and interesting combat episodes of the 600th SS Infantry Division was its participation in the German counter-offensive in the Ardennes - SS paratroopers of two companies of the battalion were part of the so-called 150th Tank Brigade, a special sabotage unit of about 3000 people, formed by Otto Skorzeny . The soldiers of this brigade were dressed in American army uniforms and had the task of posing as a “retreating part of the allied forces,” to sow panic and destruction behind enemy lines, disrupt lines of communication and control, and carry out other acts of sabotage.
After this offensive operation of the German armed forces also failed, the 600th SS Infantry Division was transferred to the Eastern Front, where the winter offensive of the Soviet troops was unfolding. The battalion was part of a task force formed to defend the approaches to an important bridge near the city of Schwedt, northeast of Berlin, on the west bank of the Oder River. The paratroopers took up positions on the opposite, eastern, bank of the Oder, and only on April 1, 1945, the remnants of the battalion were withdrawn to the rear for rest and to receive reinforcements, which were volunteers from SS training schools and recovering military personnel. Although even before the battalion was completely restored, it was again thrown towards the Soviet troops - the paratroopers took part in the counterattack on Bernau, very close to Berlin, and after the unit received reinforcements and was restored in numbers almost to the original level, it took part in the defense of the city of Neuruppin, northwest of Berlin, ensuring the withdrawal of its troops. It was here that the 600th SS Infantry Division almost ceased to exist for the third time - as a result of a strong attack, it was practically crushed by Soviet tanks, with no more than 10% of the original unit surviving.
Already at the very end of the war, some of the battalion’s military personnel were involved in training personnel of sabotage detachments within the framework of the Zeppelin project, some fought and died in Berlin, and some - led by the last battalion commander, SS Sturmbannführer Siegfried Milius - ended up in the area of the city of Hagenau, on western Germany, where she safely surrendered to American troops, and Z. Milius himself subsequently moved to live in the USA and settled quite well there, maintaining “mentoring” ties with a group of Americans who created the military-historical, uniform club “500/600th Parachute - SS airborne battalion."
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Formation of parachute parts
The German military department was interested in the possibility of combat use of airborne troops from the mid-30s. The driving force behind the implementation of plans for their creation was the commander of the Luftwaffe and Minister of Aviation, Reichsmarschall Goering himself. The capabilities inherent in the new type of troops were perfectly suited to the concept of blitzkrieg: carrying out lightning-fast deep offensive operations with a breakthrough into the depths of the enemy’s powerful tank wedges. The parachute troops (Fallschirmtruppen - FST) were called upon to pave the way for them in accordance with this doctrine. Their task was to quickly capture strategic objects - bridges over which columns of tanks and motorized infantry would pass, fortified areas, communications centers, etc. The famous Kyiv exercises of 1935, which were attended by several German military observers, clearly illustrated the theoretical calculations of army specialists and served as an additional impetus for the beginning of the formation of their own airborne forces. Let us add that the leadership of the Wehrmacht, forced to recreate it practically from scratch, was largely free from the rigid ideas about the conduct of modern warfare that prevailed in the military circles of other countries.The formation of parachute units began almost simultaneously in ground forces oh, and in the German Air Force. On October 1, 1935, the police detachment of the personal guard of General G. Goering (Landespolizeigruppe General Goering), who, among other ranks and titles, was the chief of police of the state of Prussia, was transferred to the Luftwaffe as a separate regiment “General Goering”. Around the same time, volunteers from its composition are sent to the town of Altengrabov, where the Air Force parachute rifle regiment is being formed, to undergo special training. During the first demonstration jump in front of the regiment's personnel, the parachutist performing it unexpectedly received a serious injury upon landing and was carried off the field on a stretcher. Despite this incident, about 600 soldiers and officers of this elite military unit immediately volunteered to undergo parachute training. Thus, as part of the General Goering regiment, the 1st Rifle (Parachute) Battalion (Jagerbataillon, then Fallschirmjagerbataillon) was formed, deployed by the end of the 30s into a regiment, which in turn was called the 1st Parachute Battalion (Fallschirmjagerregiment 1) . It was headed by Major Bruno Brauer, who later rose to the rank of colonel. A significant number of the fighters of the new unit were military personnel who had undergone serious combat training during the bloody war in Spain as part of the famous Legion Condor. The selection conditions for the battalion were extremely strict - almost 2/3 of the initial candidates were rejected, and the same percentage of dropouts of volunteers who did not meet the requirements of the Airborne Forces command remained until 1940.
Great importance was attached to training German paratroopers in parachute jumping skills. Insufficiently developed and primitive equipment for jumping made particularly careful training of personnel necessary. The basic techniques used when making a jump, especially landing, were practiced during long-term sports training. These trainings, together with the study of the parachute, amounted to initial stage training of a paratrooper, after which a course of studying materiel and training in stowage began. Subsequently, the soldier began training in improving jumps from a mock-up aircraft, and also studied foreign (captured) samples of the equipment. By the time parachute training was completed, the cadets were required to fully master the skills of handling a parachute - in the future, all jumps were performed only with their own landing gear.
General sports and military training were also extremely rigorous, and at first officers and soldiers trained using identical methods and standards, and later the classes for officers were significantly more complicated. Much attention was paid to instilling initiative among personnel - it was assumed that in the future paratroopers would operate in small combat groups, and the failure of officers and non-commissioned officers was not excluded. Under these conditions, each soldier had to actively act at his own discretion, without waiting for the command of a senior officer.
Before the war, a central parachute school was established in Stendhal. A paratrooper entitled to wear a special badge (Fallschirmschutzenabzeichen) was considered a soldier who had completed a special training course and completed at least six qualifying jumps. The first of them was made alone from a height of 180 meters. Others were grouped and were produced from lower and lower altitudes. The special training course was crowned by a jump of a platoon of paratroopers (36 people) from three aircraft and from a height of less than 120 meters. Upon completion of the landing, the unit immediately began performing a tactical training mission. To confirm the qualifications obtained, annual recertification was required. But by 1944, due to a sharp increase in the number of airborne troops, a change in the nature of their combat missions and the lack of the possibility of long-term training of personnel, such qualifications began to be assigned to all soldiers and officers, as well as representatives of the medical, legal and administrative personnel of the Air Force, who have made at least one leap in life.
Weapons and equipment
The German Airborne Forces used parachutes of a very simple design. The development of domestic models, launched in the early 30s by Professors Hoff and Madelung, was successfully continued by the technical equipment department of the Imperial Ministry of Aviation. Work on the creation and testing of new systems was carried out in four experimental centers in Berlin, Rechlin, Darmstadt and Stuttgart. The test cycle made it possible to successfully fine-tune the new parachute and soon mass production of the first landing model with forced deployment began - Rueckenpackung Zwangsausloesung I (RZ 1).
At the beginning of 1940, the improved model RZ 16 was adopted by the Airborne Forces: the reason for this was regular reports of excessive swinging of the first model in the air and problems in the forced deployment system leading to tragedy. The modified RZ 16 was widely used, and the last mass-produced model of the landing parachute was the RZ 20, which appeared in 1941, and was used until the end of the war as a standard one.
The culture of making parachute in Germany was not as high as in the USA or Great Britain, so their primitive design did not allow confident control of the canopy in the air. In combat conditions, when pilots often carried out drops by eye, dodging anti-aircraft fire, this factor led to heavy losses among paratroopers who landed in unsuitable places. In addition, the high landing speed, which threatens injury, forced paratroopers to use protective elbow pads and knee pads.
The RZ 16 white silk dome with pole opening was 8.5 meters in diameter and consisted of 28 panels. From the moment they landed on Crete, the Germans began to use domes that had camouflage colors.
The Germans jumped with one parachute, located at the level of the waist in a square backpack. There were two slightly different models of parachute packs. An early version, known from pre-war photos, was intended for the first model of the German airborne parachute - RZ 1. The backpack for the RZ 16 appeared in 1940, for the RZ 20 - the following year; For both of these systems, as a rule, modified backpacks of the second model were used. The design of the straps of the suspension system, sewn from strips of durable quilted fabric of light gray color, was practically the same for all three samples.
The folded canopy was placed in a fabric bag; its top was connected to the neck of the bag with a special strap. The bag itself was rigidly connected to a halyard - a piece of thick braided cable with a massive carabiner at the opposite end. The folded canopy and the slings neatly rolled into a spiral bay were packed into a strong fabric “envelope” that was fastened to the back wall of the backpack. Two sections of thick double halyards emerged from the slots at its corners - the free ends of the suspension system. The latter came from the connection point of the parachute lines and were attached with carabiners to the D-rings on the waist bridge of the circular strap.
Before the landing began, 12-18 soldiers sat facing each other on jump seats inside the cargo cabin of the transport aircraft. The release was carried out in next order: when approaching the designated area, the releaser (Absetzer) gave the command to stand up and line up in a column along the compartment. At the same time, each parachutist clamped the carabiner of the lanyard in his teeth so that his hands remained free. After the order, the paratroopers snapped the hooks of the carbines onto a cable or longitudinal beam running along the fuselage to the hatch. Approaching it, the parachutist spread his legs wide, grabbed the handrails on the sides of the opening with both hands and sharply threw himself out, falling head down (this maneuver was constantly practiced in training). The halyard rolled into a coil began to unwind immediately after leaving the plane, and when it was etched to its full length (9 meters), the weight of the soldier and the impulse created by the opposite movement of the machine forced the halyard to pull the contents of the backpack out, opening the folded neck valves. As the soldier continued to fall, the bag with the parachute canopy popped out: at this time, the small clasp that held the “package” with the parachute closed opened and the bag was torn off the canopy. The halyard along with the empty bag remained hanging in the plane's hatch, and the spirally coiled lines continued to unfold for some time even after the canopy was completely filled with air. All this time, the paratrooper was falling head down and only the straightened lines sharply “pulled” him into a normal position, which was accompanied by a very sensitive jerk.
This method of deploying a parachute was very different from that accepted in most countries of the world and was considered by the allies to be quite primitive (especially if you take into account the force of the dynamic impact when the canopy and lines are fully deployed in the Anglo-American-Soviet and German models). However, the German technique also had a number of advantages, including when landing from low altitudes. The unpleasant sensations during the jerk in this case were more than compensated for by the short period of time until the dome was completely filled with air, and, consequently, by the opportunity to make a drop from heights much lower than, for example, the British could afford on their Hotspurs. In cases where a paratrooper came under fire from the ground, dangling helplessly under the canopy, this advantage was difficult to overestimate. In the German Airborne Forces, the normal drop height was considered to be 110 - 120 meters, however, in conditions of strong opposition from air defense forces (for example, in Crete), paratroopers were dropped from 75 meters. In this case, the canopy effectively slowed down the parachutist's fall no more than 35 meters from the ground.
The main drawback of the RZ system parachutes was their suspension system: the presence of so many design flaws is difficult to explain, given the traditionally high quality of all items of German military equipment. The harness system was standard for all countries and was a classic “Irwin” design - an early version included a wide circular strap running along the sides and under the buttocks and crossing the free ends behind the back in the area of the shoulder blades. Above the intersection point, one D-shaped ring was sewn onto each end of the strap for attaching the carabiners of the parachute pack. Pre-war samples of knapsacks were distinguished by a halyard bay fixed in a vertical position (placed on the front surface of the knapsack on its right side) with a white check label holding the skeins in the bay and secured on the left side surface or left edge of the front side. In front there were chest and waist straps with fasteners, and below there were two leg loops.
Late model satchels were distinguished by the presence of a wide fabric collar that integrated the ends of a circular strap. The exhaust halyard, as a rule, was wound in a horizontal plane and placed in the upper part of the backpack, partially covering it with side flaps. The free ends of the suspension system from carbines fastened to the side D-rings were passed vertically upward and hidden under the valves of the backpack in its upper corners. These modifications were caused by frequent accidents associated with the unreliable design of previous parachute stowages.
The halves of the narrow chest strap were fastened with a drawstring buckle; the left, longer end was wrapped around the strap to prevent it from dangling. A wider waist bridge was connected in a similar way. The ends of the leg loops were fastened with carabiners to the D-rings on the circular strap.
In 1941, a simplified model of the suspension system was developed. Instead of inconvenient-to-handle D-rings and carabiners on the chest and waist straps, as well as on the leg loops, a system of massive single-prong latches was introduced, held in the sockets by elastic retaining plates. This made it possible to quickly release the straps after landing, and yet the time spent on the entire operation remained significant.
The main difference between the German harness system and the American, English or Soviet one was that on the RZ the free ends of the harness did not pass behind the shoulders, like other systems, but according to the scheme adopted in the old Italian Salvatore parachute: all the lines converged at one point, located behind the paratrooper's back higher level shoulders The slings were connected to the suspension system only by two halyards of the riser ends, passing from their bundle to the D-shaped rings on the waist bridge.
There were several direct consequences of such a constructive decision, and all of them were inherently negative. Firstly, the above-described “dive” of the paratrooper upside down after leaving the plane was not an indicator of bravado, but an urgent necessity: if at the moment the canopy opened the fighter was in a horizontal position, the jerk in the lumbar region would be so strong that it could break the parachutist’s body into a head-to-toe position with very painful sensations and a serious risk of injury. If at that time the paratrooper was falling down like a “soldier,” the dynamic jerk would easily turn him upside down with a good chance of getting his foot tangled in the lines or wrapping them around himself.
Secondly, while descending to the ground, the parachutist had no way to control the canopy by pulling the free ends of the harness. In the hitherto generally accepted “Irwin” scheme, pulling up one of the four groups of lines causes a change in the air flow around the corresponding side of the canopy and forces the parachute to perform a maneuver. For example, imparting rotation to the system by jerking one of the free ends gives stability to a paratrooper caught in a gust of wind, and also allows him to inspect the landing area. Turning into the wind before landing provides the parachutist with additional softening and significantly reduces the duration of the possible “drift” on the ground before the canopy can be extinguished. The German paratroopers were completely deprived of the opportunity to perform any maneuvers - after leaving the plane, they became a submissive toy of the winds, not being able to control either the landing site, or its speed, or the position in which they would find themselves.
The lack of ability to control the landing speed is especially acute during landing. In order to somehow reduce the level of risk, paratroopers were trained to land in the “forward tilt” position: in the last seconds before touching the ground, the paratrooper could try to turn in the wind, making convulsive “floating” movements with his arms and legs. After this, he was faced with the need to land with a fall on his side and a rapid roll forward. This, by the way, explains the presence in the equipment of the German Airborne Forces of massive shock-absorber shields on the knees and elbows, completely unknown to the paratroopers of the Allied armies. Despite these protective "devices", injuries and fractures during jumping were very common (landing speed of a soldier with an RZ parachute was 3.5 - 6.5 m/s even in calm weather).
Finally, the last unpleasant factor inherent in the German harness was the lack of ability for the paratrooper to quickly free himself from its straps after landing. As described above, the German system was connected by four rather inconvenient latches on the carbines, while the British from the very beginning used a “quick-release” lock (the Luftwaffe pilots’ parachutes were equipped with just such a “central” lock, but for some reason the Germans skimped on the paratroopers ). Extinguishing the canopy after landing was also extremely difficult - the lines ended at a fairly large distance from the paratrooper’s back and in many cases it was very difficult to reach them with your hands. In a strong wind, during this time the parachutist could easily be dragged into a pond or hit some rock. For this reason, a special technique in the group training of German paratroopers was the practice of extinguishing the dome of a comrade in arms (they threw their whole body at it with a flourish).
The most paradoxical thing is the fact that all these inexplicable shortcomings coexisted with the presence of parachutes among Air Force pilots of a completely normal design. It is known that the Germans tried to solve these problems: in mid-1943 they developed the RZ 36 parachute with a triangular canopy and improved maneuverability, but it never appeared in combat units of the Airborne Forces.
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As mentioned above, in addition to internal shock absorber pads, German paratroopers wore special shields on their knees (special loops were often placed under the knees of both trouser legs to secure them firmly).The shields were made of kapok or thick porous rubber with a black leather covering and stitched with thick rollers. They were secured on the legs with intersecting, long strips of elastic tape with buckles on the outside.
A special steel helmet was introduced for paratroopers. Over the short history of the existence of the Reich Airborne Forces, several types of helmets have changed.
At first, the Airborne Forces used ordinary M35 army steel helmets (old M17 helmets from the First World War, modified with improved liners and shock absorbers, were also tested). Since the heavy weight of these samples did not satisfy the Air Force command, the paratroopers soon received lightweight samples of shallow helmets with narrow brims. Options I and II differed from each other in the design of the chin straps and ventilation holes.
Option I, used in the parachute battalion of the ground forces, was an M35 army helmet with completely cut off brims (visor and backplate). Externally, it could easily be distinguished from its aviation counterpart by the presence of a small horizontal slot above each temple - an element for fastening the liner.
The ground model was painted in feldgrau color, while version II, developed for the Air Force, was painted blue-gray. On the right side of the helmet, a three-color black-white-red shield was stenciled, and on the left - a white image of an eagle (“Wehrmacht” - in a black shield for the army, aviation with “wavy” wings - for Luftwaffe paratroopers). The Y-shaped chin strap had a sliding buckle. All these experimental models, together with standard M35 infantry helmets, due to the lack of new models, were widely used back in the Norwegian campaign.
In 1938, the M38 steel helmet, designed by engineer Heissler, with almost completely cut off brims, was adopted. Strap Y-shaped; Additional fixing straps went behind the ears and were attached to the back of the helmet - this fastening ensured a tighter fit of the helmet on the head during a parachute jump. The strap had a two-layer design: the outer layer was made of dark brown thick leather, the inner layer was made of soft camel suede. If desired, the straps could be moved along the sides of the helmet.
Instead of the army balaclava, which consisted of perforated leather petals, tied in the center with a cord, a reinforced example appeared for the first time. A cork-leather cap with twelve large holes was pulled onto the steel frame, which was screwed to the dome of the helmet with three hollow bolts (on the temporal and occipital parts), which also served as fan nuts. The cap was sewn from two halves of pig or lamb skin.
Later samples of steel helmets began to be stamped from thicker metal than in infantry (fortunately, the smaller dimensions of the helmet left a reserve of weight). The alloyed carbon steel of the helmet sides with the addition of manganese and chromium had a thickness of 1.15 mm and withstood a pressure of 220 kg per square millimeter.
The 1942 model helmet had a flanged edge rather than a rolled one. The straps began to be made thicker and wider, and the buckle located on the left received a more reliable lock with a locking hook. The design of the helmet liner also changed: instead of cork, sponge rubber was used as a shock absorber (seven rubber parts of varying thicknesses were attached to an aluminum or cast iron ring, which in turn was stamped to the inner surface of the helmet with four bolts.
At the beginning of the war, helmets were painted blue-gray and decorated on the right side with a national tricolor shield, and on the left side with an image of a flying Air Force eagle (head in the direction of movement). Subsequently, the unmasking emblems disappeared: already in 1940 in Norway, paratroopers often painted over the bright shield (the eagle in this case could remain visible). In 1943 - 1944, the color of the helmets was changed to a protective color, mainly sandy yellow, gray or olive green (in the Russian winter or in the North African heat, helmets were often painted with white; in the first case for camouflage, in the second - for less heating by the sun). Sand-colored helmets could already be found in Crete. In the Mediterranean, more complex camouflage patterns were used: for example, spray-painted spots of sand or dark gray over a base green. Sand was often added to the sandy, pinkish-tinged “African” paint to prevent a glossy shine.
There were also non-statutory versions of emblems: for example, in the 1st battalion of the 1st parachute regiment in North Africa and Italy, on the left side of the helmet they wore the unit’s emblem - a colored image of a comet, the colors of which varied among companies. For example, in the headquarters company the comet was white with a cornflower blue border, and in the 1st company it was black and white. This emblem was subsequently adopted by the 4th Parachute Division and was applied to various divisional equipment until the very end of the war.
The M38 and its variants were used to the end and served as a model for the creation of a British analogue. When paratroopers were forced to switch to performing the functions of elite infantry, a large number of combined arms items of equipment appeared in their units, including ordinary infantry helmets, which provided much better ballistic protection for the head.
At the beginning of the war, only a quarter of the Airborne Forces personnel (mainly untsr officers and officers) were armed with submachine guns.
The parachute units, as well as other special-purpose formations, were supplied in small quantities with MP 40/11 (Geraet 3004) submachine guns, developed on the basis of the standard one, but equipped with double magazines. The latter were placed in pouches of increased capacity vertically attached to the belt.
For all military personnel of parachute units, it was mandatory to carry a pistol P 08 (for soldiers and non-commissioned officers) or P 38 (for officers). The weapon was worn in the belt on the right. The Parabellum was worn in a black wedge-shaped leather holster with a deep stamped lid, fastened with an oblique strap with a buckle. On the front edge of the holster there was a pocket for a spare magazine. The officer's holster for the P 38 was similar in design, but was slightly smaller in size and had a slightly modified shape and design. It was made of brown leather.
Such a high saturation of the Airborne Forces with pistols was explained by the fact that when performing a parachute jump, according to the regulations, each paratrooper had with him only a pistol and a knife: all other small arms, as well as entrenching tools, walkie-talkies, dressings, raincoats, bowler hats, flasks, etc. . items were dropped in coffin-shaped metal containers (Waffenhalter) by parachute simultaneously with the landing. This concept was based on the desire to prevent incomplete deployment of the canopy due to the lines getting caught on protruding items of equipment, and also to reduce total weight paratrooper.
After landing, the paratrooper had to quickly find the first container he came across, open it and arm himself with a rifle, machine gun or machine gun. Since the containers were scattered over a fairly large area, and their rapid detection was a matter of life and death, their surfaces were painted in white with a wide red transverse stripe. In addition to container labeling general purpose, special coloring was also used: for example, radio equipment was indicated by the dark “lightning” of the signal troops along the white hull of the Waffenhalter. Medical cargo was distinguished by the image of a red cross in a white circle (on all sides of the container).
In 1941, three main types of Waffenhalters were used. Small containers were used for loading heavy compact cargo (for example, ammunition), larger containers were used for bulky but light cargo (medical equipment). Taking into account the experience of Crete, the German Air Force adopted a single model of a cargo container, square in cross-section, with rounded corners and several handles for carrying, into service with the paratroopers. The length of the body was 1.5 meters, the length of the side was about 40 centimeters. A pair of small rubber-coated wheels and a T-shaped handle on the opposite end made it possible to use the container as a cart when unloading and transporting various equipment to the Fall-Zone. The weight of a fully equipped container was approximately 105 kilograms, and 14 such units were required to provide weapons and equipment for a rifle platoon of 43 people. A crushable, corrugated metal shock absorber of a cylindrical shape was installed on the lower end of the body, and the parachute was attached to the upper. Typically, containers were delivered to their destination inside cargo bays Ju 52, mounted in special trestles. However, they were often transported on external underwing hardpoints (on Junkers and other types of aircraft, including He 111).
The imperfection of this delivery system caused the death of many German paratroopers in Crete, where they literally landed on the heads of the British and, not having time to grab their rifles and machine guns, were destroyed in hand-to-hand combat.
For this reason, paratroopers often resorted to all sorts of tricks: for example, from fabric gas mask bags they often made a case for the MP 40 submachine gun. The case was fastened with a long zipper, and the machine gun was placed in it with the shoulder rest folded and the magazine open. The entire structure was tucked into the waist strap of the harness, just as the Americans did. A machine gun without a case could also be hung on its side, with its strap thrown around the neck “dragoon style.” However, for the Germans, this method of landing turned out to be very dangerous: with the powerful jerk that accompanied the opening of the RZ 16 dome, the paratrooper, bent in half, could cause serious injuries to himself with the barrel of the weapon. For this reason, such methods did not take root, although the depravity of the concept of delivering small arms in group containers by 1941 became clear to all combatant commanders of the Airborne Forces.
Most likely, the Germans never developed official standards for landing with personal weapons: in this case, the risk of injury sharply increased when performing a forward roll at the landing point. In the 1930s, Stendhal's parachute school tried to develop a technique for jumping with a rifle held in arms extended forward and upward. It remains unknown whether this method was recommended to the soldiers of parachute units and whether it was used in combat operations: the risk of injuring oneself or damaging the weapon in this case remained too great.
In addition to the pistol, each paratrooper during the jump had with him a special parachute knife, which was also intended for the crews of combat aircraft (Flieger-Kappmesser or Fallschirmjaeger-Schwerkftmesser). This knife, which turned out to be very successful, was created in Solingen by the beginning of 1936 according to the technical specifications of the Airborne Forces command. Like other examples of similar equipment, it was intended for quick disentanglement from parachute lines in an emergency.
The concept of the knife included the ability to instantly open it with one hand. When the hand was suddenly shaken downward and the locking lever was released, the blade jumped out of the handle under its own weight and became locked. Vigorously raising the knife up and pressing the lever again made it possible to retract the blade. This manipulation had a significant visual and psychological effect on the enemy, since the weapon resembled a spring knife.
The Kappmesser had a simple, massive blade with a single-sided sharpening, placed in a steel frame of the handle. The blades of all knives supplied to the Airborne Forces and Air Force were magnetized. There was a cutout on the butt of the blade, which was fixed by the tooth of the stop lever. The latter was supported by a flat spring, which was the weakest element of the structure: during operation it was often damaged or broken. The handles, connected by steel bridges, were made of dark walnut wood (handles with beech cheeks were found in small quantities). At the end there is a movable stirrup for attaching a safety sling, as well as a folding awl used for untangling knots. After the knife was put into service, it became clear that the awl can be successfully used as a probe for searching for mines.
The total length of the opened weapon was 27.8, the length of the blade was 10.7 centimeters, and the thickness of the butt was 4.2 mm. The weight was about 500 grams.
In 1936 - 1945, weapons were manufactured by various companies. Most surviving examples have the inscriptions on the heel of the blade “SMF - STOCKER COMPANIE (SOLINGEN MEALLFABRIK)”, “PAUL WEYERSBER - SOLINGEN” or the alphanumeric code “R. V. Nr..." - abbreviation for the term "Reichsbetriebes Nummer" (code designation of a state plant). In addition, a stamp indicating acceptance of the shipment by the Ordnance Department was often placed on the butt of the awl, usually in the form of a state eagle, usually with the number “5.” Knives from different editions differ greatly in the way they are finished. There are specimens with metal parts oxidized in blue, nickel plated, made of stainless steel or (produced at the end of the war) with a body made of ordinary steel, with the exception of the oxidized blade.
The battles in Crete showed that the combined arms small arms used by paratroopers do not always meet the requirements for specific use in the Airborne Forces. The need described above for landing rifles and machine guns in group containers made platoons of paratroopers practically defenseless at first after landing. After the Cretan operation, company, platoon and squad commanders armed with submachine guns, as well as their deputies, despite the risk of injury, began to jump with personal weapons.
However, the short sighting range of the MP 38/40 (only about 100 meters) made this weapon practically useless in the fight against the enemy, who was firing effective rifle and machine gun fire at the landing paratroopers from a distance several times greater than that indicated.
Due to the noted weakness of the pistol cartridge, German paratroopers demanded the development of a compact weapon with a long sighting range. The Army Weapons Office (Heereswaffenamt), responsible for the development of small arms, nevertheless rejected the application, citing the fact that the Airborne Forces were organizationally subordinate to the Luftwaffe command. This decision was also influenced by the inflated tactical and technical requirements that the paratroopers made for the model being created (especially since at the same time the Air Force ignored the work carried out by the army to create an automatic rifle chambered for a lightweight cartridge, more promising than the weapon ordered by the paratroopers): this the model was supposed to be universal, capable of replacing both submachine guns and, to some extent, single MG 34/42 machine guns. On the one hand, the new weapon had to maintain the sighting range and shooting accuracy characteristic of self-loading and magazine rifles, on the other hand, it had to ensure the rate of fire of automatic weapons. Among other things, its dimensions and weight could not exceed similar characteristics of existing small arms and had to ensure a landing speed not exceeding an acceptable figure. At the same time, the development of new parachutes was underway, providing the ability to parachute a soldier with a personal weapon.
The new weapon was supposed to fire single shots with the bolt closed and bursts with the bolt open, in order to avoid spontaneous ignition of the powder charge in the cartridge when the structure was overheated. The rifle was to be designed for the standard Mauser 7.92x57 carbine cartridge, which would be fed from box magazines with a capacity of 10 - 20 rounds. The task included the possibility of installing an optical sight, a bayonet, and in place of the flame arrester - an attachment for firing rifle grenades or a silent firing device. The length of the rifle should not exceed 1000 mm, and the weight without a magazine with cartridges should not exceed 4 kg. The survivability of the barrel was calculated for at least 2000 shots, but in general, metal alloys (without the use of high-quality steel), as well as simplified production technologies, were to be used as much as possible in the design of the weapon.
Lack of interest on the part of the Armament Directorate led to the fact that work on the creation of new weapons began to be supervised by one of the divisions of the Ministry of Aviation - Dienststelle GLG-6 Abt. Bordwaffe. In the process of searching for a promising developer, the aviators sent out draft tactical and technical specifications to all German design bureaus. The answer came from the companies Groessfuss, Gustloff Werke, Krieghoff, Mauser Werke, as well as Rheinmetall, but after reviewing the proposed projects, only the last three companies were allowed to participate in the competition. Mauser proposed a version of the MG 81 aircraft machine gun, which, in principle, met all the requirements of paratroopers, with the exception of the weight of 6.5 kg. By the spring of 1942, two other companies presented designs for completely new weapons. The winner was the project developed by the famous engineer, creator of the famous MG 34 machine gun, Louise Stange from the Rheinmetall design bureau in the Thuringian town of Semmerda.
Thus, in 1942, the paratroopers received a weapon that was very original for those times, called the FG 42 automatic rifle (Fallschirmgewehr - paratrooper rifle of the 1942 model). In fact, this model, equipped with a folding bipod and firing a powerful rifle cartridge, was very close to light machine guns.
In June 1942, the Air Force completed testing of prototype rifles, which had been ongoing since April, as well as work on preparing its serial production. The new weapon was also transferred to the Armament Directorate, which continued testing it at the Kummersdorf training ground for several months. In order to identify and eliminate design flaws, the rifles were subjected to such intensive tests that in the end they were almost completely destroyed. Until the end
In 1943, serial production of rifles in the full sense of the word could not be established: only small experimental series were produced, sent for military testing in the Airborne Forces. Thus, three batches of all three versions of the rifle came into service with the “green devils”, of which only the last was considered suitable for large-scale adoption (it is interesting that in most front-line photographs there are mainly series I rifles, which gives most authors reason to claim , that this is the main later version of the weapon).
The use of a powerful rifle cartridge with a relatively light design and barrel length led to the fact that Series I rifles were distinguished by strong and unpleasant recoil, a powerful flash that significantly exceeded the usual sound of a shot. The first of these features made it almost impossible to fire in long bursts. Tests showed that the design of the pistol grip, which was unusually beveled back, was not entirely successful. According to the designer, this profile of the fire control handle was supposed to allow the paratrooper to fire downwards during a parachute descent. However, practical tests have shown that even the first bursts cause the paratrooper to rotate in a circular motion in the air, which (combined with the impossibility of simultaneously firing and controlling the parachute) could have unsafe consequences. In addition, the large angle of inclination of the handle did not provide stable holding of the weapon when firing under normal conditions.
The second model had a pistol grip of a more classical design, in a shape reminiscent of revolver grips. The shoulder rest, previously made in the form of stamping from thin steel sheet, has also undergone changes. At low temperatures pressing his cheek against it risked frostbite, which prevented the soldier from effectively using the butt when aiming. In the new version, the metal stock was replaced with a wooden one. To obtain higher performance characteristics, the safety device against accidental discharge and the fire selector were separated. Initially, a flag was placed above the pistol grip, rotating 180 degrees and occupying three fixed positions: F (safety setting), D (automatic fire) and E (single fire). After changes were made to the design, two flags began to be installed on the left side of the receiver. The larger one served as a fire translator (the flag in the forward position corresponds to the letter E, facing back - D). Immediately behind the fire translator, a slightly smaller safety box was placed, occupying the lower (letter F, the weapon is ready to fire) and upper (S, the trigger lever is locked) position. The letters S and F are marked at the back of the trigger box.
In the second model, the design of the flame arrester was also changed, which reduced the sound and flame of the shot to an acceptable degree, but did not significantly affect the reduction in recoil. Only in the third and final model of the weapon was recoil reduced by lengthening the recoil spring; this was achieved at the cost of slightly increasing the barrel length. In addition, the designers increased the mass of the bolt and its stroke: thanks to this, the rate of fire dropped from 900 to 600 - 700 rpm. Both of these improvements caused an increase in the overall weight and length of the weapon, but this price turned out to be quite acceptable, especially if we take into account the previously noted poor behavior of the rifle when firing in bursts.
Other changes were of a secondary nature. Thus, the attachment point for a bipod stamped from metal, previously located in front of the end of the wooden fore-end, was moved to the muzzle area, and therefore in the third model they folded under the barrel not forward, but backward. The extraction window, provided on the right side of the receiver, began to be equipped with a cover that protects the internal mechanisms of the rifle from contamination; in addition, a special protrusion was provided that directed the ejection of cartridges forward, away from the shooter. The neck for attaching the magazine was also equipped with a lid, and changes were also made to the shape of the charging handle. Finally, Louise Stange developed a belt-fed version of the rifle, but the latter remained in a single model.
At the end of 1942, the latest version of the FG 42 was recognized as completed and suitable for adoption. During comparative tests with the Mauser 98k carbine, the G 41 self-loading rifle and the MP 43 assault rifle, the new weapon showed greater accuracy when firing single shots (accurate shooting in long bursts with rifle cartridges from weapons weighing less than 5 kg was completely impossible, even taking into account the presence of a bipod ) and made a generally good impression, although the recoil was still excessive, and the mass was approaching the maximum permissible. Despite its designation, the FG 42 was put into mass production only in the winter of 1943/1944, and then after the personal intervention of Reichsmarschall Goering and Hitler himself. By speeding up the deployment of the rifle for the needs of the Airborne Forces, Goering even appealed to the Fuhrer’s well-known hostility towards the program to provide the army with small arms chambered for an intermediate cartridge.
The first order of the Luftwaffe for the production of 100,000 units of FG 42 turned out to be absolutely unrealistic: the Rheinmetall factories at that time were not even ready to begin mass production of the rifle, which is why the Heinrich Krieghoff company from the Saxon city of Suhl, and the manufacturer especially committed to using the cheapest materials and technologies possible. There are currently no reliable data on the number of FG 42s produced during the Second World War. Some sources indicate that their total number did not even reach 1,500 units; according to other sources, the production of rifles ceased at 7,000 units due to the approaching end of the war or after a number of unsuccessful attempts to improve the not entirely reliable shutter mechanisms, which often failed in field conditions .
The FG 42 never became the main individual weapon of soldiers, even in the airborne forces that grew significantly towards the end of hostilities. However, rifles were used sporadically by Green Devil units, particularly during the operation to liberate Mussolini and the battles in Italy, Normandy and Germany itself.
The rifles of the first model had the following performance characteristics: length without bayonet 940 mm; barrel length 502 mm; weight without magazine 4.15 kg (weight of magazine with cartridges - about 0.8 kg); rate of fire 900 rpm; initial bullet speed 685 - 720 m/s. Characteristics of the third model: total length and barrel length 975 and 500 mm, respectively; weight without magazine 4.98 kg; rate of fire 600 rpm.
The FG 42 consists of the following main parts and mechanisms: a barrel with a gas chamber and a flash suppressor, a receiver, a butt, a bipod, a bayonet, a bolt frame with a bolt and two springs (combat and return), trigger and impact mechanisms and a sighting device.
The rifle operates on the principle of removal of powder gases through a transverse hole in the lower wall of the barrel (approximately half its length). Under the barrel there is a gas chamber in which a piston moves, combined with a pusher that drives the shutter mechanisms. The design of the pusher and bolt is borrowed from the famous American Lewis light machine gun. On the upper surface of the pusher (the rear part of the gas piston) there is mounted a combat cylinder of the bolt, into which the firing pin is immersed. The bolt with two symmetrical lugs in the front part is superimposed on the bolt frame, passing through a curved groove in its frame. As the frame moves back and forth, the interaction of this groove with the beveled planes on its stand causes the bolt to rotate around the longitudinal axis and lock or unlock the barrel.
The trigger mechanism is mounted in the trigger box, which has a fire control handle with bakelite cheeks.
Striker-type impact mechanism. As mentioned above, the FG 42 fired single fire when the bolt was closed, and automatic fire when it was open. This type of automatic weapon design is extremely rare: in addition to the German rifle, it is used in the American Johnson M1941 light machine gun and in modern Spanish rifles of the CETME family.
In the FG 42 design, this effect was achieved thanks to two holes in the gas piston rod, into one of which, depending on the position of the fire switch, a disconnector rod connected to the trigger lever entered, holding the bolt mechanism in the rear position (when firing automatic fire) or leaving it at each shot, the shutter is in the forward, locked position (fire with single shots). In the latter case, the return spring stretched to its full length, and since the system did not have a trigger that would be released by the trigger lever and set the firing pin in motion, the design had to include a mainspring that would operate after the trigger was pressed. The head of the disconnector, interacting with the bevel of the bolt frame, can rotate to the right and left, as a result of which the disconnector is torn off the trigger.
The firing pin is connected to the bolt carrier post and breaks the primer using the energy of both springs (return spring when the bolt is open and combat spring when the bolt is closed). The trigger mechanism allows for single and automatic fire. It consists of a trigger, a trigger lever with a disconnector, a trigger lever spring with a guide rod, a trigger lever insert and a fire selector.
As mentioned above, the fire translator is a flag type, with a flag lock. When the translator flag is turned forward (toward the letter “E”), the disconnector with the trigger lever rotates on the insert to the right, which ensures a single fire. When the flag is turned back (towards the letter “D”), the disconnector turns to the left, providing greater engagement with the trigger, which allows automatic fire.
The gas chamber is a closed type, located in the middle of the barrel and equipped at the end with a regulator with four holes of different diameters. Each hole corresponds to a recess on the regulator head. Rearranging the regulator to increase or decrease the amount of discharged powder gases is done by turning it using a screwdriver until any recess on the regulator head aligns with a recess on the gas chamber. This device was introduced to prevent delays due to varying degrees of contamination of the internal mechanisms of the rifle. The shooter's hands were protected from contact with the hot barrel and gas chamber by a wooden stock placed on the body of the weapon from the trigger guard to the front end of the gas chamber. The charging handle moved in a cutout on its right side.
When firing, the cartridges are fed from a box-shaped attached magazine, in which 20 cartridges are arranged in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. The store is adjacent horizontally to the left. Since the gas mechanism was mounted in the lower part of the bolt box, and the design of the rifle included the possibility of installing an optical sight, the magazine socket could not be placed in the lower or upper part of the weapon. The Germans had to choose a method for lateral attachment of the magazine at the height of the upper cut of the pistol grip. By the way, the FG 42, with a certain stretch, can be considered the forerunner of modern weapons made according to the “bullpup” design, that is, with a magazine located behind the fire control handle and trigger mechanism. In addition, like bullpup rifles, in the design of the FG 42, perhaps for the first time in world practice, the barrel, bolt and butt are on the same axis, which significantly reduces recoil, but requires the installation of high-mounted sighting devices (located high on the barrel and the cover of the bolt box, the front sight and sight are made folding for greater compactness). The sight is diopter, rotating type. Sighting range - 1200 meters.
The excessive recoil force was partially compensated by a shock absorber placed in the butt plate and a device mounted at the muzzle, equipped with 10 thin external ribs. The latter served as a flame arrester, partially as a muffler, and also as a muzzle brake (compensator).
The rifle is equipped with a bayonet of a completely unconventional type for German small arms. A needle-shaped tetrahedral bayonet, reminiscent of that used in the design of the French MAS 36 rifle, could be installed in two positions: traveling and combat. In the first case, it rested in a special under-barrel nest, hidden under a folded bipod, and was turned with its tip in the direction opposite to the muzzle. If necessary, it had to be removed and secured in the reverse position. The FG 42 also used the ZF 42 optical sight and a rarely used attachment for firing rifle grenades (equipped with its own sight).
During the summer of 1938, the regiment reached the peak of its training. It was many times superior to the rest of the infantry, which strengthened the sense of duty and personal responsibility among those who served in it. We were fully aware that we had done everything in our power to form airborne units.
We were taught to land on airfields, on beet fields, on meadows, always at the location of a fictitious enemy, usually represented by real soldiers.
Thus we trained our men to repel an attack from the moment they landed; always provided the most unfavorable conditions, training mines were often placed at the landing site to acclimate soldiers to this possibility.
We made multiple group parachute jumps, the goal of which was to land in a relatively small area and immediately attack the enemy.
In case of mobilization, we had to absorb the best fighters from previous conscriptions. This is what happened when we were sent to Silesia, from where the campaign to Czechoslovakia was supposed to begin.The line of Czech fortifications was modeled after the Maginot Line. Powerful and reliable underground structures occupied tactically important positions and alternated with bunkers.
These bunkers were placed in such a way that they could continue to fight, being isolated, if we managed to make breakthroughs to the left and right of them.
The big drawback of these powerful fortifications, partially carved out of the rocks, was the small number of artillery and machine-gun towers, as well as a weak connection with the dominant heights, since it is these elements that ensure the stability of the defense.
The existing towers were installed so that they could fire along the front, along the flanks and even to the rear. The main disadvantage of this fortification system, like the Maginot Line, was its shallow depth - the fortifications were built in only one line.
Of great interest to me were the hateful graffiti found on the walls of the bunkers. They revealed with amazing clarity the full extent of the despair of the Czechoslovak army, which, without the slightest resistance, abandoned positions considered practically impregnable.
For the first time, I clearly realized what kind of internal conflict an army could become a victim of, which, against its will, had become an instrument of a policy that it wanted to end. The Czechoslovak army, which left the Sudetenland, was internally broken by the policies of its own government.Poland.
The time between the Czechoslovak events and the invasion of Poland was well spent. We improved our training, trying to keep our units in excellent condition.
Other regiments of the 22nd Division also began landing training. Needless to say, we often put our soldiers on leave to give them a chance to relax.
The course of military operations in Poland did not seem to provide any opportunities for the use of airborne units, and our regiment already thought that it would not have the chance to take part in the Polish campaign, when suddenly, on the morning of September 12, we received the order to march.
The task was set: transport aircraft were assembled at an altitude of 300 meters above the cloud layer, three kilometers west of the airfield. Dispatching the units took quite a long time, since I personally gave orders to each plane that took away our groups.
We first flew in the direction of Posen (Poznan), then turned southeast towards Lodz. A crisis situation had developed at the front, and we had to plug the gap, prevent the Poles from breaking out of the encirclement in the direction of Lodz and calm the agitated population.
Without the slightest interference from the enemy, we landed behind our positions, on a compressed field already held by German troops, and, after a short preparation, took up positions between the Bavarian and Saxon divisions, which were faced with the task of crossing the small river Bzura.The task was completed. This was not a major operation; In talking about these battles, I am only trying to emphasize the level of training and the remarkable fighting spirit of our people.
I had to give the captain of my battalion a clear order to stop, if necessary even by force, to slow down the unstoppable impulse of our people, who, not caring about support on the left and right, forgetting about caution, attacked without orders and did much more than the assigned tasks required of them.
To curb such ardor in the future, after the battle I made a long and detailed report on this topic. And yet the regiment received a baptism of fire; The training acquired in peacetime has shown its effectiveness. We suffered minor losses and won a great tactical victory.Holland.
On the eve of the start of the offensive, I had a conversation with the battalion commander of one parachute regiment, which I would like to present here, since it very clearly characterizes the mental attitude of the majority of young officers.Having discussed the last technical details of the joint operation, I asked him the following question: “Well, buddy, are you happy to do this?”
He: “Yes, I do this out of deep conviction.”
Me: “Doesn’t it bother you that our goal is a small neutral country?”
He: “What do you want? She occupies an important position for the security of our homeland.”
Me: “My young friend, how I envy your faith, which I would like to share with you.”
He again tried to convince me, but I patted him on the shoulder and, although with a heavy heart, but with a smile, said: “Let’s stop there today, buddy, and see you tomorrow in Waalhaven.”
And so it happened.Waalhaven Airport presented us with a spectacle of terrible destruction. The Dutch commander, who was responsible for the reserves for the counterattack, made an unfortunate decision: in order to shelter his battalion from bad weather, he placed it all in hangars.
During the air attack, the battalion suffered such losses that it was unable to complete the task assigned to it. Together with the rest of the troops, he was able to enter the battle only on the outskirts of the city.In great haste, fighting hard and carrying big losses, we managed to connect with our comrades from Schrader’s 11th company, which just at that time landed from seaplanes, and together we made our way towards the northern bridgehead.
During short reconnaissance raids there were small skirmishes, then the real battle began, and we felt the response of a brave and determined enemy.
The following hours were marked by extreme tension, requiring nerves of steel. Dutch gunboats fired at us. Armored vehicles, which clearly had orders to blow up the bridge, tried to approach it from the north. Infantry and marine units united to defend the sacred soil of the homeland (“det helige Vaderland”).Our other battalions, which had meanwhile landed at the Waalhaven airfield, which had meanwhile been attacked by British aircraft, assisted us. They entered their assigned operational sector, 13 kilometers wide and 25 kilometers deep with a circumference of about 80 kilometers.
Concentration of forces, communications, deep defense - previously these factors were valuable. Now we held the defense in small dispersed groups, each of which received a section of the front, to hold which in normal conditions at least a regiment was required.We, who were in front, near the enemy's advanced positions, were happy when we finally heard the shots of two infantry guns and a battery of mountain artillery placed at our disposal. As soon as the weather and the general situation permitted, German aviation groups arrived.
This is how our battle developed behind enemy lines when I received a message that did not bode well. It said that the landing at "Fortress Holland" north of Rotterdam had been less successful, and we should not expect any help from there.
At the same time, we had to admit that with each passing hour the Dutch command realized more and more clearly the value of the bridge, which opened the way for our tank units, ready to attack, and we could be sure that they would use all the forces at their disposal to protect the entrance to the fortress.
My headquarters was put out of action, my young adjutant, a very intelligent young man, was mortally wounded; paralyzed, he lay in a Dutch hospital, and when a few days later this wonderful young man died, he was in a dying delirium in last time stood up with the words: “The task is completed!”As a result of the negotiations that led to the surrender, it was agreed that the Dutch troops would leave their positions at 3 o'clock local time and begin to surrender their weapons.
We had to set an earlier time because we feared that we would not be able to reach our objective - the enemy headquarters - before dark, and we also expected difficulties in moving through the city engulfed in fire.Our troops formed a column as quickly as possible. One young paratrooper took the flag that his comrades had unfurled on the roof of the tallest building as an identification mark for German aircraft.
As if in a dream, he moved forward, followed by the soldiers holding the forward bridgehead.Many were missing; the clothes of the living were dirty and torn; some were unarmed or had only grenades stuffed in their pockets.
In this form, at about 7 p.m., we entered the burning city. Groups of armed Dutch soldiers were moving towards our units, heading to their assigned collection points. We marched in front of headquarters, where General Student, commander of the 7th Airborne Division, handed over to me the post of commandant of the city of Rotterdam.At this time, the reinforced motorized SS regiment "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" received an order to move to the northern outskirts of Rotterdam and be ready to storm the "Fortress Holland".
At 20 o'clock the tanks of the 9th Panzer Division, which included the Leibstandarte regiment operating here, moved forward through the burning streets. The SS men (and others) did not know the real situation and the fact that the surrender had already been signed; Seeing a group of armed Dutchmen, they decided that they must suppress this imaginary center of resistance, and opened fire on them with machine guns and turret guns.
When, surprised, I looked out the window of the headquarters, General Student, who was standing next to me, suddenly collapsed, having received a bullet in the head, and, falling, carried me along with him, while the German and Dutch officers sought shelter together.
The general was bleeding heavily, and when a few minutes later I ran out to my soldiers who remained below in the square, I myself was covered in blood.
Hundreds of Dutchmen gathered in front of the headquarters, awaiting the command to begin handing over their weapons. I slipped behind them through their ranks and was horrified to see that my men were ready to open fire on them with machine guns, because in the confusion they decided that they were under enemy attack.
I rushed forward with my hand raised, shouting at them to put down their weapons. My blood-splattered form added to their excitement as they assumed I was wounded.At this dramatic moment, the Dutch admiral appeared in front of me. I asked him to stand to the right of the Dutch soldiers, to which he replied that he had not done anything worthy of being shot.
Only at that moment did I realize the terrible seriousness of the situation and its possible consequences. By chance my gaze fell on the corner of the church building. Obeying a sudden intuition, I ordered the Dutch to go there at a calm pace and take refuge in it. When the last soldier entered the church, I felt great relief, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from my soul.Looking back, I often bless the chance that brought me to the right place at the right time. If I had been wounded or if I had been delayed for a few minutes, the shooting would have started.
Some of the soldiers would have managed to escape, but the Dutch would have every right to claim that the agreement on their surrender was violated by us. Resistance would be renewed, just as a fire flares up again at the source of a fire that was considered extinguished, and since we held the city with very limited forces, the fight for Rotterdam would have to begin again.All this can serve as an example of how carefully laid plans are disrupted, many circumstances can radically change due to the mistakes of individuals, and it is in vain to look for those personally responsible for them.
Belgium.
During the subsequent occupation of Belgium, our regiment was used in various airborne operations, which we carried out without damaging Belgian agriculture in the area north of the city of Antwerp. We often had the opportunity to go to Rotterdam to visit the graves of our soldiers, buried next to the soldiers of the Dutch army.At that time I was appointed commander of the regiment, and I was lucky enough to keep my soldiers under my command. As battalion commander, I was replaced by an officer called up from the reserves, who was ten years older than me; With a calm soul I entrusted this unit, which I valued so much, into his hands, and I never regretted it, and my trust was not betrayed.
The colonel who held the position of regimental commander before me enjoyed the highest respect and, as a reward for his service, received a Jaeger division under his command." - from the memoirs of the commander of the 3rd battalion of the 16th Infantry Regiment in 1939-40, Dietrich von Choltitz.
On the Eastern Front, German airborne forces were used to strengthen weak areas of the front. Like most of the dead Wehrmacht soldiers, the USSR became the grave for the military elite of the Third Reich.
So, in October 1943, the entire 1st Airborne Division - 6,000 soldiers with weapons, equipment and equipment - was redeployed to Russia on 75 trains. On June 1, 1944, the remnants of the once formidable formation, together with the reinforcements received already at the front, returned back to the Reich on 2 trains.During the war, the Wehrmacht's mobile special forces grew to 50 thousand soldiers, united in 2 corps and 5 airborne divisions. The more difficult it became for the Germans to fight, the more paratroopers fought as infantry. For example, the famous 6th infantry regiment (3,500 bayonets) fought in Normandy without heavy weapons and vehicles.
Losses grew, training battalions and parachute schools did not supply enough shifts, training courses were shortened, and younger and younger recruits were drafted into the army.
To replenish combat units, headquarters, directorates, and support services were combed.Elderly soldiers, holding only a rifle in their hands, were faced with a choice: to join the paratroopers or to one of the field divisions. 16-year-old boys received an additional ration - half a liter of milk a day, because they were still growing; the majority had no parachute training; entire regiments were airborne in name only.
Since the summer of 1944, a company of paratroopers with 30 bayonets was considered fully combat-ready, and the regiments often did not have even 200 fighters. The troops were losing the quality of the elite; they included only a few old-timers, the “green devils” themselves, while the bulk were now fanatics from the Hitler Youth.But even in 1945 they fought, not sparing themselves, making self-sacrifice. There was an attempt to use this mental state (kamikaze) for a massive assault on American Air Force bases in northern Italy, from where the carpet bombing of the Reich took place (Operation "Beehive"), but there was no time for this.
The landing units began to fight their way to the west, into American captivity. The Hermann Goering Corps, the elite of elites, a kind of SS Luftwaffe, failed. Near Dresden he was surrounded and surrendered to the Russians.
Film "Green Devils" of Monte Cassino.
Based on the true story of the evacuation of the cultural property of the Monte Cassino Abbey by Lieutenant Colonel of the Hermann Goering division Julius Schlegel in October 1943. The first shots show the rest and training of German paratroopers in Avignon, but their stay in this paradise turns out to be short-lived: the unit is transferred to Monte Cassino.IN ancient monastery masterpieces of world culture are stored - paintings by Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and Raphael, ancient manuscripts from the era of the Roman Empire and other valuables. The German command, wanting to protect Monte Cassino from destruction, orders paratroopers to take the defense line below the monastery walls and at the same time take the masterpieces to the Vatican for salvation.
Italian partisans, suspecting the Germans of plundering the property of the republic, organize an attack on the column... The film skillfully incorporates episodes of German war chronicles; The everyday life of war with its everyday tragedies and small joys of life is shown in a good and detailed manner.
Like, for example, the episode with a pig confiscated for the Christmas table, which our heroes laid on a stretcher, covered with a raincoat and carried past the general under the guise of a dead cameraman. The touched general was about to salute, but suddenly he saw a pig's tail...
The airborne troops of the Wehrmacht, more than other military structures of Hitler's Germany, are shrouded in myths. Airborne assaults on the Eastern Front are mentioned in both fiction and popular science books. In films about the Great Patriotic War, massive German parachute landings are repeatedly shown.
And although nowadays there are enough sources to find out about the real activities of Wehrmacht paratroopers, myths about an entire airborne armada in the German army are still widespread among a wide audience.
Germany carried out a major airborne operation only once in World War II. In 1941 in Crete. Before this, there were several more operations in Norway, Belgium, and Greece. According to early Soviet sources, three divisions landed on Crete by parachute and two divisions by landing. But in fact, the entire operation was carried out by the forces of a single German 7th Air Division. The division had three parachute regiments, and Soviet historians may have simply confused regiments with divisions. Moreover, it was also planned to land on Crete by the 5th Mountain Infantry Division, which had two regiments.
The Wehrmacht airborne troops consisted of one division for parachute landing - it was the 7th Airborne, and one division for landing by landing - the 22nd Airborne. The 22nd Division differed from conventional infantry units in that its personnel were trained to quickly abandon transport aircraft after landing. And when the 22nd Division was unable to take part in the landing on Crete, it was easily replaced by another that happened to be nearby.
An assault landing regiment was formed especially for the Cretan operation, whose personnel were to land from gliders. After Crete, the regiment fought as ordinary infantry. For the planned capture of the island of Malta in 1942, the 1st Parachute Brigade was formed, but it had to fight in North Africa as an ordinary infantry brigade.
Airborne assaults were never used on the Soviet-German front. The 7th Air Division was indeed sent to the Eastern Front after recovering from losses in Crete, but it also fought as regular infantry.
The history of the German parachute troops does not end there. Since 1943, eleven parachute divisions were formed, fighting on all fronts.
But the peculiarity of all these units, formations and even associations was that no one planned to land them. Their appearance was due to the presence of a large number of unused personnel in the German air force, due to huge losses in aircraft. And at the front they needed infantry, which was in short supply. It would be reasonable to transfer the freed people to the ground forces, but the Luftwaffe commander Goering wanted to have his own ground army.
First, airfield divisions were formed from airfield technicians, signalmen, security guards, and anti-aircraft gunners, which turned out to be completely uncombat-ready. But the negative experience with the avifield divisions did not cancel Goering’s idea, and the formation of new formations began, which were called parachute, or rather parachute-jaeger. This name did not indicate the possibility of landing, but that they were organizationally part of the Luftwaffe. They did not limit themselves to infantry, and even parachute-tank and parachute-motorized divisions were formed.
The first divisions were formed on the basis of already existing ones: the 7th division, the 1st parachute brigade, the assault regiment and other individual units, and could be considered elite formations. At the front, these divisions performed well, which was also appreciated by the enemy. The rest of the formations were formed from a very different contingent and did not belong to the elite in terms of their level.
In 1944, a parachute army was formed, which fought in Western Front. But, unlike the Anglo-American 1st Airborne Army, which carried out strategic airborne landing operations, the German Fallschirm-Armee fought only on the ground. And this army included the most different connections and units of both parachute and conventional field troops.
In World War II, the Wehrmacht formally created parachute troops, second only to the Soviet ones in numbers. But they had nothing to do with real airborne troops. They did not have any special equipment or weapons, there were no military transport aircraft, and there were not even parachutes.
The very concept of an airborne operation is always associated with German paratroopers, the first units of which arose in 1935, when a special unit of the Prussian police (Landespolizeigruppe Hermann Goering) became the core of future airborne divisions. But the German airborne forces themselves, which made such a noticeable contribution to the 1939-1945 campaign, appeared only on April 26, 1936, when a parachute school was established in the small town of Stendal, from the 600 cadets of the first graduating class of which the 1st Airborne Force was formed. Luftwaffe battalion (Air Force). Around the same time, the Wehrmacht (German army) did not fail to establish its own airborne company, which in November 1938 became the 2nd Airborne Battalion and also became subordinate to the Luftwaffe. In 1939, the battalions were converted into regiments, united into the 7th Airborne Division under the command of General Student.The German airborne assault (Fallschirmjager) did not take part in the Polish campaign, but already in April 1940 it was sent over Denmark and Norway to capture and protect the airstrips. But at that time the world had not yet properly appreciated the effectiveness of the new troop role. This happened a little later, after one of the most stunning operations, when 85 German paratroopers on gliders captured the Belgian fort of Eben-Emael, which was considered completely impregnable.
On May 20, 1940, one of the largest airborne operations of World War II began, during which more than 8,000 German paratroopers of the 7th Airborne Division landed on the fortified and defended island of Crete. The island was captured, but the price of victory was terrifying - 4,500 dead paratroopers. General Student, who commanded the operation, called Crete “a mass grave of German paratroopers.”
In the winter of 1941, the 7th Airborne Division was deployed to the Leningrad Front, and it was here that the last of the heroes of Crete were lost in the bloody mess. In the spring of 1942, after reorganization, the unit became known as the 1st Airborne Division and came under the control of the high command; its 3rd and 4th regiments, transferred to Sicily to prevent the landing of allied troops there, fought on the Salerno bridgehead. The 2nd Division, hastily formed in March 1943 in Reims, then went to Italy under the command of General Student. On September 11, one of the companies of her training battalion, together with Skorzeny's commando detachment, freed Mussolini from imprisonment in the San Grasso Hotel.
The 1st Airborne Division, remaining from the battles of Salerno in Italy, deployed to the Gustav Line. Having lost up to nine-fifths of their strength in battles and bombings, the paratroopers held the Cassino monastery until May 17, where they received orders to retreat following the remnants of other units. On June 6, 1944, when the Allies landed in Normandy, the 3rd and 5th Airborne Divisions were abandoned in France, where the 3rd took up positions near Saint-Lo and the 5th between Mortagne and Argentan. By June 11, the 2nd Airborne Division was also brought up from Russia to strengthen the defense of Brest. Reformed after the Normandy battles, it ended up in the Ruhr pocket, where it fought until Germany surrendered in May 1945.
In December 1944, the 3rd and 5th Divisions took part in Hitler's final Ardennes offensive against their American counterparts in the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne. Another similar combat contact occurred when German paratroopers were dropped over Germany to thwart Allied plans to cross the Rhine.
In the post-war years, German airborne units began to be recreated only in 1956, a year after the revival of the German army, first in the form of a brigade, which soon grew to the size of a division. In 1958, this division took its place in NATO structures. Currently the division consists of the 25th, 26th and 27th brigades plus one reserve. Each brigade consists of four battalions, a battalion - of five companies. The division also includes three specialized companies, almost identical to similar formations of the American Rangers and with the same functions. During the Cold War, the airborne assault force (“Luftlande”) was assigned purely defensive tasks. In the event of the outbreak of war, German paratroopers were supposed to delay the advance of the Warsaw Pact divisions deep into the territory of NATO countries. Other Luftwaffe employees and combat divers of the German Navy also have airborne training.
Armament of German paratroopers during the Second World War
In any army in the world, parachute units or airborne troops are the elite of the armed forces. An aura of invincibility and courage is created around them. These units are formed mainly from volunteers who pass through a sieve of the most severe selection for their physical and psychological conditions. The elite nature of the paratroopers is emphasized literally in everything: in special equipment, in weapons, in the name, finally.
German paratroopers underwent serious and quite versatile training. Only after completing six jumps was the paratrooper given a badge, symbolizing his belonging to the elite of the German army - the parachute units.
There were even more differences in the equipment of paratroopers from ordinary infantrymen than in their weapons. First of all, this concerns the helmet. When developing the parachute steel helmet, data obtained from the development of the 1935 steel helmet and tests codenamed “Vulcanfiber”, which took place in 1933-34, were used.
The first model of a parachute helmet was made by cutting off the brim of an M35 helmet. It had additional slots for a quick-release chin strap, which was used when wearing a helmet in the field. This helmet model began production in 1936. It was painted gray and had two decals on the sides. On the left side it was a flying condor holding a swastika (Luftwaffe emblem), and on the right was the German tricolor - black, white, red. The helmets of the army parachute units that appeared in 1937 were marked with an emblem in the form of an army eagle.
However, the paratroopers were not satisfied with the reliability of fastening the liner (the liner model 1931 was used), which was fixed in the helmet using three buttons. There have been cases when, during a jump, the air flow simply tore the helmet off the parachutist’s head and he, losing his helmet, landed in only a liner. This forced the Germans to modernize both the helmet and the liner in 1937. The slot for wearing in the field was removed from the helmet, instead of three push-button fasteners for the liner, four holes for bolts were introduced, and there were ventilation holes in the bolts themselves. Over time, the mounting bolts have changed. On the very first samples of helmets, the bolts were made of copper; later they began to be made of steel; for convenience, a slot appeared on the head of the bolt. After some time the bolt became aluminum. At the end of the war, the ventilation hole in the bolt disappeared. The helmet straps were adjustable in length, and a layer of porous rubber appeared in the helmet liner.
After the appearance of the second model of the paratrooper's helmet, the first model was either withdrawn from the troops, or a modernized liner was installed in it, which was fastened with bolts. Interestingly, according to the Luftwaffe instructions dated March 15, 1938, the service life of the helmet was limited to 15 years. Today, the first model has enormous collectible value. The price of such helmets in catalogs reaches several thousand dollars. The second model of a helmet with an army decal (a sitting eagle with lowered wings) is also quite rare, since only one battalion was equipped with such helmets, and by June 1, 1938, the new addition to the battalion already had the “Luftwaffe” decal on the helmet, and from 1 January 1939, the army parachute battalion was included in the Luftwaffe.
In 1940, changes affected the design of the leather balaclava, which was made from whole piece sheep leather. Now they began to cut it from two parts, and it became possible to use pigskin as a material.
The fighting in Holland and Belgium showed the need to change the color of the helmets. A wet helmet gave an easily noticeable glare, so in accordance with the order of June 12, 1940, steel helmets began to be painted blue-gray, while the paint mixed with sand and the surface of the helmet became rough. The same order canceled the tricolor decal and introduced a camouflage fabric cover with six hooks for attaching to a helmet.
To prevent the parachute lines from clinging to their equipment during landing, paratroopers wore jumpsuits before the jump. The parachute jumpsuit was made of durable cotton fabric. The first example of a jumpsuit for ground forces paratroopers was green. It did not have a turn-down collar and was fastened with two detachable zippers that ran parallel along the chest. An eagle was sewn on the right side of the chest - the emblem of the ground forces. Paratroopers called this suit a “bag of bones.”
The Air Force parachute jumpsuit was distinguished by the presence of a turn-down collar and short legs. Instead of pockets, there were slits through which one could get into the trouser pockets. The Air Force emblem (diving condor) was embroidered on the chest. After 1940, different pocket options appeared on overalls (before that there were none at all). Most overalls had one chest pocket. And, for example, during the operation in Crete, paratroopers were dressed in overalls that had four pockets: two chest and two hip.
The paratroopers' trousers were gray-green in color and had two side and two hip patch pockets. The trousers were worn with a regular waist belt with a Luftwaffe buckle. There were slots under the knees for fixing knee pads. On the right leg below the knee there was a pocket for a sling cutter.
The parachutist's equipment included special jumping boots with thick rubber soles. On the first models, the lacing was with outside boots, and after 1940 boots began to be produced that were laced in the usual way - in the front. The boots themselves were black, but later turned brown.
Paratroopers parachuted in gloves and elbow pads. The paratroopers' gloves were made of black leather and had long elastic cuffs, into which steel springs were sewn for secure fixation on the wrists. The use of knee pads and elbow pads was due to the characteristics of the parachute, which provided a high rate of descent, and the suspension system was designed in such a way that the parachutist, after opening the canopy, did not occupy a vertical position, but was tilted forward. Therefore, when landing, the paratrooper hit the ground with his knees and elbows. Apparently, this position of the parachutist was necessary to reduce his projection visible from the ground, which made it difficult to hit him. The high rate of descent was supposed to reduce the time the parachutist spent in the air and thereby reduce the likelihood of his being killed. The canopy of the parachute was pulled out by a halyard (there was no pilot chute). The use of a halyard reduced the time the parachute opened and made it possible to jump from minimal heights (from 60 meters).
Under the parachutist's overalls there were special pouches that were thrown over the neck and attached to the waist belt with the lower ends. They could accommodate 20 rifle clips (100 rounds) in 12 pockets. Pouches for the FG42 parachute rifle were practically no different in design from rifle pouches, but had 8 pockets for magazines for the FG42. MP40 pouches were designed for 3 magazines. A rubberized bag containing a gas mask was hung around the neck. In addition, two fabric covers for M24 grenades were hung crosswise on the parachutist’s chest. Each of them held 3 grenades. Skydivers jokingly called the covers “life jackets.”
There was a pistol holster on the waist belt. Later, due to the fact that immediately after landing the pistol was very difficult to get out from under the overalls, the holster began to be sewn to the overalls. A flask, a cracker and a bayonet with a sapper shovel were hung on the back of the waist belt. IN winter time Quilted suits and knitted balaclavas were used. The suit was light gray (the reverse side was white) and was worn under a jumpsuit.
The attitude of the paratroopers towards their uniform was extremely respectful. Emphasizing their exclusivity, belonging to the elite of the armed forces, the paratroopers did not take off their jumpsuits either in parades, or during exercises, or at the front. It happened that even paratroopers received awards in overalls. In addition, the paratroopers sewed commemorative sleeve ribbons onto their jumpsuits, which, according to the regulations, had to be worn on their jackets. The German command did not interfere with this, since all this increased the prestige of the landing troops.
Information from here.
