Special forces of the armies of the world. Cretan operation. Successful use of airborne assault! (photo story)
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
Armament
The armament of the German parachute troops differs little from the armament of the infantry of the Wehrmacht. Skydivers used all standard types of lung small arms, machine guns, mortars, grenade launchers and flamethrowers adopted by the German army. Starting from 1942, with the transition to the use parachute units in ground operations, field, medium, anti-tank, anti-aircraft, self-propelled and assault artillery began to be used. Due to lack of space, we will not dwell in detail on the types of weapons that were widely used in other German troops.
Aviation General Student (right) with paratrooper officers, probably during exercises in northwestern Europe (captain of a lieutenant in the center with a white ribbon of an intermediary on maneuvers). 1944 (544/585/31).
In addition to the standard Kar 98K Mauser carbine, paratroopers used a limited number of shortened, folding or "breaking" rifles. Notable among these are the Kar 98/42 and the Brunn Gew 33/40, both in 7.92mm with five-shot magazines. In addition to the 33/40 rifle with a folding butt, there was another version - a shortened one, intended for both parachute and mountain rifle troops. The eight-shot automatic pistol Sauer 38 (H) was popular in the Luftwaffe. The most specific weapon for the paratroopers was the FG42 7.92mm automatic rifle with a magazine with a capacity of 20 rounds, a bipod and a bayonet located horizontally on the left. Unlike the “assault rifle” MP43 / 44 (SG43) introduced later in the Wehrmacht and parts of the Luftwaffe, the FG42 had a higher muzzle velocity and a greater firing distance.
Parachute units needed light artillery pieces to accompany the first wave of landings, which could be transported by gliders and dropped with parachutes. In 1941, the Panzerbuche 41 28 mm anti-tank gun was specially developed on a light carriage with very good characteristics for a weapon of such a small caliber. This gun (in the German classification - an anti-tank gun) was designed for shells with tungsten cores, but already in 1941, tungsten stock was so scarce that the weapon was practically out of use.
Specific for parachute artillery units were light recoilless guns. Their recoil was almost completely absent, so it was possible to do without a heavy carriage and install the barrel on a light metal chassis. Even before the war, the Krupp factories developed the 75 mm LG1 gun with a range of 6500 m and the ability to hit armored targets. After Rheinmetall created a new carriage for it, the gun was put into service under the designation LG40. These guns were already used in the fighting in Crete. Used in small numbers since 1941, the 105 mm versions LG40/1 and LG40/2 differed only in the structural elements of the gun carriage. From 1942 they were replaced by the 150 mm LG42. The production of recoilless rifles in Germany continued until 1944. Then the abandonment of large-scale airborne operations made them practically useless.
From anti-aircraft guns mention should be made of the 20 mm Flak38 automatic cannon, which was produced in a variant for parachute troops, which was distinguished by a light folding gun carriage. It allowed the use of the weapon to combat both air and ground targets. The 20mm MG 151/20 was modified in a similar way. The developed light infantry gun lelG 18F did not go beyond the prototype. Of the reactive infantry weapons, it should be said about the 150-mm Do-Gerat - this rocket-propelled grenade launcher was used in limited quantities by paratroopers already in 1941. In 1944, a single-shot flamethrower "Einstossflammenwerfer 46" was developed specifically for the paratroopers. It provided the ejection of a jet of flame at a distance of up to 27 meters for 0.5 seconds.
Parachutes
AT prewar years Responsibility for the development of parachutes was assigned to the technical equipment department of the Imperial Air Ministry, which was headed by Professors Hoff and Madelung. The work was carried out at four test stations in Berlin, Rechlin, Darmstadt and Stuttgart. Experiments using theodolites made it possible to establish the required parameters; in accordance with them, the Ruckenpackung Zwangauslosung (RZ1) backpack parachute was developed. On trial and entry practical application its serious shortcomings were noted - excessive swaying during descent and failures of the automatic deployment system. In early 1940, it was replaced by the RZ16, and already in 1941, the RZ20 replaced it, which remained the main parachute of the Luftwaffe until the end of the war.
The round dome of the parachute with a diameter of 8.5 m was sewn from 28 silk wedges. The color of the dome was most often white, but sometimes (in particular, during Operation Mercury) parachutes with camouflage domes were used. The folded RZ20 canopy was packed in a cloth bag. A thin cord connected the upper point of the folded dome with the neck of the bag, and the bag itself was firmly connected to an exhaust device - a piece of powerful sling with a carabiner at the end. The folded canopy with slings was packed into a “package”, which was fastened on the back of the parachutist to two shoulder half-rings of the harness. From the corners of the "package" two slings descended to the D-rings of the waist part of the harness, which served as the main fixator of the parachute. The nine-meter cord of the exhaust device was laid under the upper corners of the "package".
The delivery of paratroopers to the drop site was carried out by vulnerable but reliable three-engine transport aircraft Junkers Ju.52 / 3m, which, depending on the layout, could accommodate from 12 to 18 people. Paratroopers sat on benches placed along the fuselage. When the plane reached the drop zone, the airman (Absetzer) gave the command “Stand up”, and the paratroopers lined up in one line, clutching a retractable sling in their teeth next to the hook of the carbine. At the next command, they “fastened” - they attached a hook to a thick cable fixed along the fuselage wall, along which the hook slid as the paratrooper moved to the door. Having reached the door, the parachutist stopped in the opening with his legs apart and slightly bent at the knees, his hands on the handrails on both sides of the opening. When leaving the plane, it was supposed to push off the handrails with your hands and fall forward - due to the design features of the harness to confuse the jerk when opening the parachute, the paratrooper had to “lie on his stomach”. This cunning maneuver was carefully practiced by young soldiers in training. After the sling of the exhaust device was completely straightened out, due to the jerk of the falling body, the valves of the parachute package swung open and the folded canopy was pulled out. The parachute bag remained hanging overboard the aircraft at the lower end of the exhaust device, and the thin cord connecting the bag and the parachute panel extended the canopy to its full length and unhooked. The parachute canopy opened with a noticeable jerk with a stream of air, and the paratrooper began a free descent.
The design of German parachutes was very different from those adopted in other countries, in particular, British ones. Because of design features The lines and packing characteristics of the RZ parachutes provided a strong pull when deployed. But they made it possible to jump from relatively low heights - a significant plus for a person who had to hang under the dome for several minutes, expecting that the enemy was about to open fire from the ground. Usually landing was carried out from a height of 110-120 m, and one of the groups of paratroopers in Crete was successfully thrown from a height of only 75 m. For full deployment of the RZ20, a height of about 40 m was required.
The RZ16 and RZ20 parachute harness was Irwin's classic chest harness with a harness. The main loops covered chest, lower back and thighs and were connected by vertical ligaments that ran from both sides of the body and crossed on the back (see color illustrations). The big drawback of the RZ series parachutes, however, was the system for attaching lines to the harness. It is even surprising that the Germans, military equipment which, as a rule, was of very high quality, and "did not finish" the development of this most important technical issue. D-shaped half rings on the lumbar loop were intended for attaching parachute lines assembled in two bundles in the form of an inverted letter V. Such a mount repeated the old Italian Salvatore system (the British, for example, abandoned it) and retained its main drawback: during the descent, the paratrooper simply “hung” in the harness and could not change the volume and inclination of the dome.
This had several consequences, all of which were negative. First of all, the famous "dive" of the German paratrooper from the door of the aircraft was caused by technical necessity, and not by bravado: at the moment of opening the dome, the paratrooper's body had to be in a horizontal position, otherwise a sharp and painful jerk could bend the body in half. If the parachutist were in a vertical position, the jerk during the opening of the canopy would fall too low, and the paratrooper could simply turn over - too dangerous a situation, especially when dropped from a low altitude.
Secondly, after being thrown out of the plane, the paratrooper could not control the descent by adjusting the tension of the lines, and was completely dependent on the direction of the wind. Moreover, the German paratroopers did not have the opportunity to turn around when landing facing the wind - as a result, they could not at the last moment reduce the rate of descent and, accordingly, the force of impact upon landing.
Due to the low attachment of the lines to the harness, the German paratroopers descended, keeping their body tilted forward at an angle of almost 45 °. Just before landing, making swimming movements with his arms and legs, the parachutist could try to turn his face in the direction of the wind, so that immediately after landing he would not be rolled over onto his back. If this was possible, it was possible to extinguish the force of the blow by making a somersault forward, but even in this case, when landing, the toes of the boots, knees and hands of the paratrooper touched the ground almost simultaneously. That is why paratroopers gave such great importance protecting the ankles, knees and wrists - something that the Americans, the British or the Russians almost never had to do. To imagine all this, the reader must forget the familiar pictures of the landing of modern paratroopers: vertical landing with precise control of the parachute was not available to the German paratroopers of the Second World War. A forward somersault landing of a man equipped with heavy ammunition and weapons on an RZ20 parachute at a rate of descent from 3.5 to 5.5 m / s, even in the absence of horizontal wind, was a risky undertaking; landing fractures were common.
One way or another, immediately after landing, the paratrooper had to free himself from the harness as soon as possible (by the way, for this the German paratrooper needed to unfasten four buckles, while the English one only needed one). The inability to “extinguish” the parachute canopy on the ground by adjusting the length of the lines represented the last of the dangers. With a strong side wind, the inflated dome could drag the paratrooper for a long time; there are many cases when, just after landing, paratroopers were blown into the sea or smashed to death on stones.
Recall once again: all these dangers that the German paratroopers were exposed to were the result of a specific (very low) fastening of the parachute lines to the harness. This is especially surprising when you consider that the Luftwaffe pilots were supplied with parachutes with Irvine harness with a shoulder, high line attachment! It is known that in the middle of 1943 the Germans developed a triangular parachute with more successful characteristics, which made it possible to control the descent conditions to a certain extent, but this RZ36 never entered the troops.
The parachute training of the German paratroopers was carried out very carefully. During the training, young fighters were instilled with skills that were supposed to reduce the risk of injury due to imperfect equipment. Initially, the basic landing techniques were practiced in the gym. At the same time, the soldiers got acquainted with the device of parachutes, learned how to pack them (later on, paratroopers packed only the pull cord on their own). Then came the turn of imitation jumps from the fuselage mock-up and learning how to handle the harness. After comprehending the basics, they moved on to real jumps. In the course of training, it was supposed to make six training jumps, with the first being made individually from a height of about 200 m, and the rest - in a group, with various conditions flight and from lower and lower altitudes. The last jump was performed simultaneously by 36 paratroopers, who jumped from three aircraft from a height of about 120 m, and after landing immediately proceeded to perform a tactical training task on the ground. Volunteers who successfully completed the training course received the coveted parachutist badge (Fallschirmschutzenabzeichen).
Containers
Unlike their opponents - the paratroopers of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition - the German paratroopers could not carry heavy equipment. The British and Americans, for example, put everything they needed in rather heavy bags, fastened with straps to the harness; these bags, hanging down, at the last moment somewhat dampened the landing speed, ending up on the ground before their owner. The German paratrooper could take with him only the lightest equipment and personal weapons. Weapon containers (Waffenhalter) were used to drop the main weapons, ammunition, food, medicines, communications equipment and everything else that might be needed on the ground and in battle. Due to the inevitable dispersion during release, the containers always ended up at a greater or lesser distance from the landing paratroopers. Their search and transportation could become a matter of life and death: in Crete, for example, due to the need to get to the containers under enemy fire, many German paratroopers died.
During Operation Mercury, at least three different sizes of containers were used. The smaller ones were used to drop the heaviest loads, such as ammunition, while the larger ones were used for bulky but relatively light ones (medicines in particular).
The shape and design of the containers remained unchanged throughout the war. However, after the operation to capture Crete, instead of the three original sizes, only one was left: 150 cm long, 40 cm high and wide. The containers were equipped with stiffeners, several canvas handles, some with a pair of small rubberized wheels and a metal T-shaped folding handle. The mass of the packed container was about 100 kg, 14 containers were supposed to be per platoon (43 fighters). On the end wall, opposite the parachute straps, there was a metal crushable shock-absorbing system in the form of a thin-walled corrugated pipe. The containers, as a rule, were placed on special frames in the cargo compartments of the Ju.52, but could also be attached under the wings of the transport Junkers or other aircraft - for example, He.111.
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The air force at that time was an integral part of the army. The coming to power of the Nazis, and further militaristic plans. demanded a restructuring of the troops. To ensure greater efficiency, so dynamically developing, they singled out a separate branch of the armed forces. On the different stages development included
- seven air fleets
- air defense (radar, searchlight and anti-aircraft batteries), the largest part of the Air Force over a million people
- airborne units Fliegerdivision
- air field divisions of the Luftwaffen Feld Division (they suffered the biggest losses, some formations were completely destroyed)
It is believed that Germany was the inventor of the parachute and glider units in. Actually it is not. Back in 1931, the USSR became the owner of the airborne troops.
Taking as a basis the unit (Fallschirmjager) of the parachute rifle battalion, on its own initiative, it formed the 7th airborne division (Fliegerdivision) from it in 1936. According to its organization and purpose, the former first in the world structure of the Airborne Forces.
Ground forces of the German Luftwaffe paratroopers
Almost all serious participants in the Second World War also had their own airborne units in the armed forces.
Germany, unlike other participants in the Second World War, the airborne units were subordinate to the command of the Air Force. In other countries participating in the war, the paratrooper units were subordinate to the ground forces. What later happened in Germany as well. Air field divisions, not to be confused with them with paratroopers, were recruited from among volunteers serving in the Luftwaffe. After the defeat at Stalingrad, they were nevertheless reassigned to the Wehrmacht.
The paratroopers performed well during the invasion of Norway in 1940, Belgium and Holland. The most famous and successful operation, against the fortress of Eben-Emael. It was captured in the early morning by glider pilots (the landing was carried out from gliders) with little or no resistance from the Belgian army.
Pay attention to the difference, the SS paratroopers and the Brandenburg 800 unit were awarded the second.
Luftwaffe paratrooper badge on the left, Wehrmacht paratrooper qualification badge on the right
On the crest of the success of the use of paratroopers in 1940-1941. Germany's allies, taking as a model ground troops Luftwaffe their elite component of the paratroopers. Created their own airborne units.
German paratroopers wore boots with high rubber soles and special zip-up overalls. In 1942 there was a change in the small arms of the parachute troops. The main personal weapon was the powerful FG-42 automatic assault rifle.
Well-armed paratroopers
Initially, landing operations were on a small scale. As the number increased, for the first time in world practice, in combat conditions, mass landing was carried out during the capture of Crete in May 1941. From that day on, mass landings were put to rest. The landing operation ended with the loss of 4,000 paratroopers and more than 2,000 wounded. Likewise during landing operation 220 aircraft were lost.
Hitler bluntly declared, "the day of the paratroopers is over." Once the elite troops, they began to be used as light infantry. Therefore, there were no landings in operations for Malta and Cyprus.
elite ground unit of the Luftwaffe presumably Italy
Another elite ground unit of the Luftwaffe is the Hermann Göring Panzer Division.
In 1933 it was established as a police unit. At the request of Hermann Goering, she was transferred in 1935 to the Luftwaffe. Gradually enlarging, by the beginning of the military campaign on the Eastern Front, it has a brigade staff.
After the defeat in Tunisia in 1943, the brigade was transformed into tank division"Hermann Göring". Transferred to Poland in 1944, it rose in October of that year to a tank corps.
Luftwaffe paratroopers calculation Mg 34 the beginning of the war
The division "Hermann Göring" and the airborne units of the Fliegerdivision constituted the elite of the Luftwaffe.
As planned by Goering, when he decided to create his own army, in the likeness of the "SS". Having recruited volunteers serving in other structures of the Luftwaffe, they formed air field divisions.
12 air field division Russia 1943
Received a complete antipode to the elite. Poorly armed, poorly organized and had weak commanders. And unsuccessfully introduced in time, into the arena of hostilities. We fell under the blow of our armies, forming a cauldron around Stalingrad. Where almost all were destroyed, some within a few days. Other formations of air field divisions experienced powerful pressure from our armies trying to cut off the Rzhev ledge, and also completely lost their combat effectiveness. As a result, the biggest losses in the Luftwaffe, and sent to fight the partisans.
Later we will analyze each branch of the German air force in more detail.
Speaking about the landings of the Second World War, the townsfolk usually recall Crete - a demonstrative flogging of the British, who relied too much on the power of their fleet.
According to the liberal version of history, the victory of the German paratroopers was pyrrhic. Hitler, having learned about the losses, was horrified and henceforth did not use large airborne assault forces in the war.
However, a comparison of the irretrievable losses of the British and their allies with the losses of the Germans does not give grounds to believe in this version.
German paratroopers in Crete pass by the bodies of dead British soldiers...
Even if you believe Wikipedia, then the irretrievable losses of the Germans are 3 thousand 986 people, and the irretrievable losses of the British and their allies are 21 thousand 80 people.
The loss of the Germans is less than seven times!
German paratroopers carry containers in Crete
In fact, the absence of large German airborne assaults in subsequent years is simply explained: the main military events took place on the eastern front.
The meaning of the airborne assault is to overcome the enemy's line of defense by air, which is otherwise impossible or too costly to overcome. So, the Germans had almost no fleet for landing on Crete, so they moved by air.
On the eastern front, with its scale and speed of troop movements, the Germans did not need airborne assaults.
The Red Army, the enemy, airborne assaults actively used in the battle near Moscow.
Soviet paratroopers at the TB-3 aircraft
During the counteroffensive, the bet was made not on one concentrated blow, but on many small ones. In the conditions of an advancing enemy not ready for winter, such an operational method turned out to be relatively effective.
And airborne assaults played an important role in this counteroffensive.
The Dnieper airborne operation in 1943 also played an important role. The task was set for the paratroopers the same - to intercept the rear communications of the enemy. However, poor reconnaissance played a negative role - the landing force was landed in a sector abounding in troops and heavy weapons of the enemy. And in this case, as in the Vyazma airborne operation, the paratroopers had to fight in encirclement for a long time until they managed to connect with the main forces.
However, the most unlucky paratroopers should be considered the paratroopers of our allies. Their airborne assaults were much more numerous than the Soviet and German ones. So, during the time, under the cover of massive air strikes, the Allies landed a parachute assault: northeast of Caen, the 6th British airborne division, and north of Carentan, two American (82nd and 101st) divisions.
As a result, German troops were concentrated away from the landing site. Therefore, airborne assaults are almost without difficulty.
Allied 1st Air Force paratroopers boarding a C-47 Skytrain prior to Operation Market Garden.
Encouraged by the Norman "freebie" Anglo-Americans. However, this time the German generals, frightened by the trials and executions of the conspirators, did not “play along” with the Anglo-Americans.
The landing of paratroopers of the US 82nd Airborne Division from C-47 Skytrain aircraft during Operation Market Garden.
In total, 34876 soldiers and officers, 568 artillery pieces, 1926 units of vehicles from the 1st Airborne Army were landed behind German lines.
Unsuccessful landing of an American paratrooper. The Allied 1st Airborne Army is landing during Operation Market Garden.
I’ll digress a little and explain to those who are poorly versed in the number of armies, corps, divisions different countries of that period. The Soviet airborne corps of that period consisted of brigades and corresponded in size to approximately a German or American division.
Therefore, evaluate the scale: Soviet landings were on the scale of brigades, German - as part of divisions, allied landing - this is the landing of an entire army !!!
The German generals, contrary to the expectations of the allied command, did not open the road to Berlin, the allied landing was defeated and Berlin stood until May 1945!
Perhaps the most effective airborne landings of the Second World War should be called the landings of Soviet troops in Manchuria.
At the end of the Second World War, more than 20 airborne assault forces, numbering 17 thousand people, were landed in the central cities of Manchuria, on the Liaodong Peninsula and in North Korea, on the South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Most landings were landing.
These landings disarmed the garrisons without a fight and even captured the Japanese puppet of the Chinese Emperor Pu Yi.
HIGH combat effectiveness The air infantry of the Third Reich was the result not of the "unique qualities of the German soldier," as Goebbels claimed, but of the susceptibility of the German military to new technological advances.
They were greatly impressed by the Kyiv maneuvers of the Red Army in 1935 with the parachute and glider landing of thousands of soldiers. The head of the delegation, Colonel Kurt Student, saw in this an unheard of opportunity for effective action at strategically important points and immediately reported this to the chief of the Luftwaffe Goering. He watched with concern the strengthening of his rival Himmler with his elite guard - the SS troops. The Reichsmarschall needed such an elite unit.
General Student
But most importantly: the mobility of the Airborne Forces ideally corresponded to the nature of the conceived new type of war - the blitzkrieg. Of course, at first there were doubts about the effectiveness of the "vertical envelopment of the enemy": whether they could easily armed soldiers hold out against machine guns, artillery and enemy tanks? Will they have enough ammunition in a real battle before reinforcements arrive? But in Germany of those years, ideas were quickly embodied in action, and the Germans began to create landing troops. The engine of the case was Goering, who received the consent of the Fuhrer. Parachute schools arose in Stendal, Wittstock, Gardelegen, Braunschweig, later 2 schools in France were added to them.
The germ of the Airborne Forces of the Luftwaffe was the Hermann Goering regiment, in which the same rules were applied as in the SS. The selection was extremely tough; only quick-witted, physically well-trained volunteers who proved themselves to be outstanding infantrymen were allowed to the screening tests; preference was given former soldiers Legion "Condor" with experience of the war in Spain. The most important candidates were aggressiveness, initiative, self-confidence.
Two of the three could not withstand the load and returned to their former units, but still there was no end to those who wanted to. In the Third Reich, everything related to military affairs was valued (as in the USSR: “First of all, first of all, airplanes”), and this was a real business for brave guys, who attracted extraordinary people to the troops, predisposed precisely to such activities. The military-technical organization National Socialist Flight Corps, an analogue of the Soviet Osoaviakhim, also took care of replenishing the ranks of the Airborne Forces.
Selected soldiers of the Wehrmacht
REGIMENT "Hermann Goering" became the 1st airborne regiment. A unit appeared under the code designation "7th Aviation Division". In 1941, it consisted of three infantry regiments, one armored personnel carrier and auxiliary units; later it became known as the 1st Airborne Division, followed by the 2nd Airborne Division, then more and more formations.
AT ground forces 22nd infantry division was re-equipped and trained in landing from aircraft or gliders in order to follow the paratroopers as a second wave; other similar divisions arose.
From the very beginning, elitist thinking was instilled in the paratroopers. There were no traditions of their own yet, and in future battles they had to prove that they were worthy of their symbol (attacking eagle) - the personification of courage and nobility. To develop a focus on success in soldiers, General Student practiced an atypical german army(with her respect for rank and obedience) leadership style: "Develop pride in the paratroopers ... more mutual trust than discipline and obedience ... turn the paratroopers into a big family."
He endowed his fighters with the “Ten commandments of a hero”: “You are the chosen soldiers of the Wehrmacht; your calling is combat. Build a partnership; be laconic and incorruptible, calm and prudent, strong and resolute. Do not surrender to captivity, it's your honor - victory or death. Understand the meaning of the military operation so that everyone can replace the commander. Be noble with the enemy, ruthless with partisans. Be swift as hounds, tough as tanned leather, hard as Krupp steel.” This attitude greatly contributed to the combat successes of the German paratroopers. The joint hardships and hardships engendered a spirit of camaraderie, well conveyed in the words of the song "The sun shines red", which became the anthem of the paratroopers of the Third Reich.
Rigorous tactical training instilled in them best qualities German infantry. Physical training was very tough, with an emphasis on parachute jumps, landing landings, endurance development, body control, forced marches, hand-to-hand combat, light and weightlifting. At first, the training was the same, later the training of officers became much more complicated. Frequent cases of death during parachute jumps only strengthened the morale of the cadets.
Much attention was paid to uniforms, taking into account the specifics of jumps. The standard German helmet had the edge removed, which could catch the parachute lines; introduced short lace-up boots with thick rubber soles, harem pants, a loose wide jacket, leather gloves, a special-shaped gas mask, and protective knee pads. Compared to the strict and formidable form of the SS, the uniform of the paratroopers looked careless. Very different from other Wehrmacht soldiers in appearance, they were nicknamed "green devils" due to the camouflage colors of their overalls. The command used them both as saboteurs and as a strike force on the fronts.
muscle test
The operation described was conceived as early as October 1939. At a secret meeting in a narrow circle, the Fuhrer proposed using paratroopers at the point of attack on Western Europe. They were assigned the task of eliminating the core of the Belgian defense - Fort Eben-Emael, as well as capturing 3 bridges across the Albert Canal.
Airborne soldier after the release of Mussolini. In the background DFS 230
The generals, considering this plan an "acrobatic stunt", insisted on a 4-week siege of the fort, while Hitler allocated 1 hour to the paratroopers! His conviction in their ability to accomplish the impossible is evidenced by the fact that the general offensive was to begin only 60 minutes after their estimated landing on the fort. Fate strategic operation(capturing half of the continent) depended on the success or failure of one company of saboteurs!
A test of the strengthened muscles of the Reich - the occupation of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia - took place without the use of military force. The paratroopers were also disappointed by the Polish campaign: the stupid resistance of the Poles was easily broken even without knockout air strikes.
The first combat experience for the German Airborne Forces was the operation against Denmark and Norway in April 1940, with the capture of important bridges and airfields. What also happened, which will be repeated many times later: the company of Herbert Schmidt landed in the middle of the Norwegian positions, used up ammunition, suffered heavy losses and surrendered. But in general, the value of the paratroopers for the blitzkrieg strategy was confirmed. German plans almost collapsed in Narvik, from where iron ore, the “bread” of the military industry, went to the Reich: the British fleet sank all 10 destroyers involved in the operation, and the Anglo-French invasion became a trap for the Germans. The case was saved by the landing of Goering's paratroopers: the surrounded (2000 mountain shooters and 2500 "dismounted" sailors) recovered, put up effective resistance and held out until the enemy withdrew his troops due to the start of the German offensive on Europe.
Armament of the Airborne Forces
Until 1942, the main weapons of the German airborne forces were the Mauser 98k carbine and the Czech carbine 33/40 with a folding wooden butt; only 25% personnel(mostly commanders) had an MP 38/40 submachine gun.
The trouble was that almost everything - carbines, machine guns, group weapons, ammunition, food - was dumped in containers separately from the soldiers. The design of the parachute did not allow taking long-barreled weapons with you, it was believed that this was fraught with serious injuries; they left the plane with a Luger 08 pistol with two magazines, hand grenades and a knife, only occasionally MP, the weapon was not at all long-range.
Having landed, it was necessary to find a container under fire (the standard is 80 seconds!), unpack it, and only then join the battle. The lack of firepower after landing was the cause of high casualties from the very first landing, and the soldiers went to any tricks, just not to jump unarmed. Says a former teacher of Stendhal training center Kurt Kraft: “Having learned about the Cretan massacre, my comrade began to jump in an embrace with his MG 34, securing it with a halyard on his belt and releasing it before touching the ground. The weapon was there a second before him, allowing him to tumble after landing. Having unfastened the parachute, he was lying down pulling the MG to him - and he was ready for battle.
Options have been developed various kinds packing and fastening weapons directly on the paratroopers, and soon they could jump in full combat equipment, after landing they were quickly prepared for battle.
The gunsmiths of the Reich tried to help the cause by creating new weapons with the qualities of a rifle, submachine gun and machine gun. The terms of reference were as follows: it should be compact (100 cm), have a carbine mass of 98k (4 kg), automatic / single fire mode, a folding bipod, a massive stock for stability when firing bursts; comfortable in hand-to-hand combat, resistant to impact, insensitive to heavy contamination, capable of firing rifle grenades; when equipped with optics, perform sniper tasks.
In addition, it was supposed to use the standard 7.92 57 Mauser rifle cartridge. The experience of Crete showed the weakness of the caliber 9 19 Parabelum submachine guns: the enemy, using .303 rifles and Bren machine guns, inflicted heavy losses on the Germans at a distance of up to 1.5 km, but they could not reach him.
The result was the "FG 42 paratrooper rifle" designed by Louis Stange, 0.98 m long, weighing 4.2 kg, fed from a 20-round box magazine on the left, with a needle bayonet and a bipod in the middle of the barrel. In fact, it was easy light machine gun. Acceptable stability when firing was provided by a muzzle brake and a shock-absorbing device in the butt, a strong deviation of the pistol grip prevented the parachute lines from being captured by the weapon.
In April 1942, Rheinmetall-Borsig issued the first prototype, but intrigues within the military department hampered the release. The FG 42 was made in batches, despite the fact that in comparative tests it fired better than the 98k carbine, the Walther G-41 self-loading rifle and the Mkb-42 automatic carbine. Only at the beginning of 1944, after Hitler's personal intervention, the weapon went into series, but until the end of the war no more than 7000 FG 42 pieces were produced, it was never able to replace the MG 34/42 machine guns. The paratroopers failed at the hands of their own bureaucrats.
The FG 42 was used mainly against the Western Allies, it was armed with the best shooters and senior officers. A number of improvements led to the appearance of the model II weighing 4.8 kg (photo 9). The heavy bolt reduced the rate of fire to 650 rounds per minute, the bipod was attached to the front of the barrel, the tin butt was replaced by a wooden one, protection against dirt improved, and the muzzle brake changed. A 30-mm grenade launcher was specially designed for firing fragmentation and cumulative grenades at a distance of up to 250 m. In the summer of 1944, a model III appeared with an improved flame arrester. True, the production of the FG 42 was technically complex and expensive; the cartridge turned out to be too powerful for a relatively short barrel, the weapon quickly overheated, the barrel flame blinded the shooter, the recoil was strong, the muzzle velocity was only 760 m / s. But in general, the idea of the FG 42 was good, and the Americans used it 20 years later in their M60 7.62 mm machine gun. 
heavy weaponry
The sabotage units were few in number, but their firepower was impressive.
Thus, the Granit group carried the following arsenal with them to the operation: 56 cumulative devices, Bangalore torpedoes for making passages in barbed wire, 4 Flammwerfer 40 flamethrowers, 6 MG 34 machine guns, Polish anti-tank rifles UR, carbines, submachine guns, pistols, hand grenades; one explosive was 2.5 tons. And with this load it was necessary to quickly land and work under enemy fire.
But the Achilles' heel of the front landing units there was their insufficient firepower, they needed fire support equipment suitable for parachute landing. They were a 75-mm mountain howitzer, a 20-mm mountain anti-aircraft gun, a 37-mm anti-tank cannon pak 36/37, 28mm heavy anti-tank gun sPzB 41 (since 1943 they were replaced by 75 mm / 105 mm recoilless rifles, partly made of light alloys and firing HEAT grenades). 
An effective anti-tank weapon was the RPzB 54 "Panzershrek" grenade launcher ("Horror for the tank"), aka "Ofenror". This weapon of 88 mm caliber, 1.64 m long and weighing 9.5 kg was developed in 1943 on the basis of the American Bazooka grenade launcher captured in Tunisia, significantly redesigned and improved: with the same firing range, armor penetration doubled.
Unlike the disposable Panzerfaust (faustpatron), the RPzB 54 was a purely reactive reusable weapon; a grenade weighing 3.25 kg flew at a speed of 105 m / s and pierced 160 mm armor at a distance of 150 m.
The novelty appeared at the right time: on the Eastern Front, the T-34 tank was a big problem. A more powerful weapon was needed to “effectively counter all types of Russian armored vehicles” and replace the 30, 60, 100 and 150 mm faust cartridges (however, they were also left in service to defeat the weak armor of the Anglo-Saxons).
While the faustpatron could be used by any soldier, incl. a poorly trained Volkssturm (teenagers, pensioners), the RPzB 54 was a weapon of specialists and was serviced by a shooter and loader, an experienced calculation ensured a high rate of fire. True, the soldiers themselves were afraid of the RPzB 54: unlike the captured prototype, the propelling charge burned even after the grenade exited the pipe, causing dangerous burns at a distance of up to 2.5 m, so the shooter had to protect himself with a fireproof cape and gas mask. A jet of hot toxic gases and smoke escaped from the breech at 4 m, visible to the enemy (hence the “Ofenrohr” = “chimney”); this excluded the use of weapons from premises, bunkers, etc.
In the production of RPzB 54, it cost only 70 Reichsmarks, and during the 2 years of the war, 315 thousand of them were produced, plus 2 million 220 thousand grenades!
Improved options were a shortened RPzB 54/1 with a protective shield (length 1.35 m, weight 11.3 kg) and RPzB 54/100 mm (2 m, 13.6 kg) for installation on armored personnel carriers and other equipment of anti-tank squads, mainly on the Eastern Front.
The paratroopers had mortars in their arsenal, for example, the light leGrW 36 (“potato gun”). 
Methods for landing artillery were developed in 1938 by the experimental department of Bruno Schram; using containers, pallets and multi-dome systems, it could be dropped from all types of German aircraft.
A cargo glider was adopted GO 242 for transporting heavy weapons. Innovations were tested in Crete, where everything was dropped after the soldiers, with the exception of howitzers delivered to the island by transport "Junkers".
On the battlefield, the paratroopers chronically lacked transport, so they used captured vehicles, which had been studied even before the war. To increase their mobility, Scar's department had to work hard. Attempts to use teams of dogs (Rottweilers), horses, trained circus ponies as a draft force failed, because the animals did not tolerate transportation by aircraft.
The department began to be called the "Scar Circus Troupe", but he found a completely successful solution to the problem: the Luftwaffe airfield tractor - a half-track motorcycle SdKfz 2 with a power of 26-36 hp. .
To break into enemy armor and concrete, Goering's "green devils" had 2 types of cumulative mine weapons: a 12.5-kg bell-shaped device carried and used by one fighter, and a two-block 50-kg charge, which was assembled and installed immediately before use. explosion point 2 soldiers.
In addition to transport aircraft, the German Airborne Forces used cargo gliders for their operations, which gave them tactical advantages. 
Adopted before the start of the war DFS 230 flew over a distance of 60 km, delivering 1 ton of cargo exactly to the target. With the help of brake rockets, special anchors, or simply wound barbed wire on the runners, the stopping distance was reduced to 20 m! True, the paratroopers rejected the DFS 230 on psychological grounds, and it was replaced by a Gotha glider with a loading ramp, which already took on board vehicles and heavy weapons.
Very reliable automatic parachutes RZ ("back with forced opening") made it possible to jump from heights up to 80 m, so a reserve parachute was not included. However, the RZ was difficult to control, for a turn it was necessary to “row” with arms and legs, but often the soldier landed far from both his comrades and the saving containers with weapons.
Losses
FIGHTING at the forefront of the Wehrmacht's blows, fighting most often successfully, the German airborne forces suffered extremely high losses. If during the assault on Fort Eben-Emael in the Granite group there were only 6 killed and 20 wounded (for 58 killed and 300 wounded Belgians), then during the landing in Norway, out of 70 paratroopers, 28 already died, and 32 were captured by the British. In the operation against Holland, under fire from anti-aircraft guns and fighter units, the 7th and 22nd divisions suffered monstrous losses: in 8 days - 3,700 dead and 2,500 wounded.
An erroneous landing directly over enemy positions, an unsuccessful wind direction, enemy fire while searching for containers with weapons - the life of a German paratrooper was short. The landing on Crete became a bloody massacre: in 2 weeks, out of 15 thousand paratroopers, a quarter died, and all the rest were wounded. afraid anti-aircraft fire, pilots dropped them from a great height, and they were shot while still in the air; companies dropped over the sea and the reservoir drowned in full force. However, this operation deserves separate consideration.
On the Eastern Front, the German Airborne Forces were used to reinforce weak sections of the front. Like most of the dead soldiers of the Wehrmacht, the USSR became a grave for the military elite of the Third Reich. So, in October 43, 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 replenishment received already at the front, returned back to the Reich in 2 trains!
But heavy losses did not harm the reputation of the German Airborne Forces. The psychological effect of their actions was very great, and in their opponents they brought up a persistent "airborne fear". During the Ardennes operation, the mere rumor of a German landing in an unknown quantity threw the Anglo-Saxons into a panic. The Americans sent 2 divisions to defend their headquarters, other divisions combed the entire surrounding area.
a swan song
IN THE WAR MOBILE special forces Wehrmacht grew to 50 thousand soldiers, united in 2 corps and 5 airborne divisions.
The harder it became for the Germans to fight, the more paratroopers fought as infantry. For example, the famous 6th infantry regiment (3,500 infantry) fought in Normandy without heavy weapons and vehicles.
The military leadership of the Reich, which fell into a quiet panic from the feeling of an imminent defeat (the people continued to whip up the hysteria of “inevitable victory”), feverishly shuffled the cards of the still available forces, trying to increase the number of trump cards. Parts were reduced to corps, disbanded, reorganized, renamed, reassigned.
By 1944, by order of the Fuhrer, the number of airborne divisions was increased to 25, only in the Luftwaffe there were 11 of them. only from regular soldiers. This increase in combat strength on paper reflected the ultimate loss of reality in Hitler's bunker. And he demanded from one airborne battalion the striking force of three full infantry battalions and victories, victories, victories! 
But from the rearrangement of the places of the terms, the sum of forces did not change. Moreover, there were fewer of them: losses grew, training battalions and parachute schools did not supply enough shifts, the training course was reduced, more and more young recruits were called up for the army. Headquarters, directorates, and support services were combed to replenish combat units. Elderly soldiers, holding only a rifle in their hands, were faced with a choice: to paratroopers or to one of the field divisions. 16-year-old boys received extra rations - half a liter of milk a day, because they were still growing; most had no parachute training, entire regiments were paratroopers in name only.
Since the summer of 1944, a company of 30 bayonets was considered fully combat-ready, and often 200 fighters were not recruited in the regiments. The troops lost the quality of the elite, they included only a few old-timers, actually "green devils", while the bulk were now made up of fanatics from the Hitler Youth. But even in 1945 they fought without 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 Reich was carpet bombed (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 Göring Corps, the elite of the elites, a kind of Luftwaffe SS troops, did not succeed. Near Dresden, he was surrounded and surrendered to the Russians.