GERMAN PARATROOPERS

As early as 1935 there was a German paratroop unit in existence. And a parachute training school was in opertion at Stendal, and from the begining German airborne operations were planned for each year of World War II.

Interestingly, the German paratroops played a key role in their jump at Arnhem to kick-off the invasion of Holland early in the war. At the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939, the Netherlands intended to remain neutral but was forced into the war on the night of May 10th. 1940, when the country was invaded by paratroop assault. Amongst other targets captured in the early hours of that day, were the airfields at Ypenburg, Ockenburg and Wakenburg, all near the Hague.

And again, it was the success of the Fallschirm-Armee (The German 1st Parachute Army) that defeated the Allies in the largest airborne attack in history, the famous Battle of Arnhem late in the war.

Click on Titles under the icons below to learn the mission,history, and training of the German paratroopers.

The paratrooper fellowship Kaiserslautern	Evolution of German Parachuting	East German Paratroopers Web Site
Germany's Paratroop World War II Operations	Germany's First Paratroop Army	Ground Tactics of German Paratroops

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German Influence
on U.S. Airborne

Good reading for the paratrooper professional

Heaven and Hell; The War Diary of a German Paratrooper

German para captain, commander of a unit receiving weapons qualification training from Capain Holeman in 1999