2nd Parachute Division (Germany)

2nd Parachute Division (Germany)

The German 2nd Parachute Division is a German military parachute-landing Division that fought during World War II. In German, a division of paratroopers was termed a Fallschirmjäger Division.

History

In January 1943 the OKW decided to raise a second "élite" German parachute division. The formation commenced inMarch and would include the veteran 2nd Parachute Regiment, recently detached from the 1st Parachute division. The division would also incorporate troops from the remnants of several other airborne units that had suffered heavy losses in recent battles.

By May the division was still being raised when it was dispatched to Avignon France. There it become part of the XI Flieger Corps along with the 1st Parachute Division. This Corps was to serve as the reserve for the German Tenth Army in Italy.

When the Italian government started to crumble in September, the 2nd Parachute Division was dispatched to Italy. It took coast guard duties near the Tiber estuary. They moved to Rome on September 9th and participated in a subsequent operation to disarm the surrendering Italian army. Within a day the city was under control and the Division quickly quelled the burgeoning resistance.

The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Parachute Regiment participated in the recapture of Leros Island in the Dodecanese. The island had recently been taken by the British following the surrender of Italy. By November 16th the battle was won and the island retaken by German forces.

Meanwhile, in October, the 2nd Parachute Division was deployed to the eastern front in Russia. By November 27th the division came under the command of the German 42nd Corps, west of Kiev, and joined the effort to stem the tide of the Soviet advance. The division fought a succession of intense battles before the advance was finally halted. On December 15 the division was airlifted south toward Kirovgrad to contain another Russian breakout. A German counter-attack then commenced against heavy opposition. By December 23rd the attack had been stymied and the Division returned to the defensive.

In January 1944, the 2nd Parachute Division remained on the eastern front, fighting defensive actions against the Russian offensive around Kirovograd. The Russian advance resumed in March and the Division was forced into withdrawal by an armored flanking attack. By the end of the month the Division had withdrawn behind the Bug river.

The Division fought its last actions on the eastern front in May during a counterattack against a Russian bridgehead across the Dniestr river. At the end of May the much-weakened division was pulled from the line and returned to Germany for some much-needed recuperation.

During the allied D-Day landing on June 6th, 1944, the 6th Regiment was stationed in the Carentan area of the Cotentin Peninsula, near the drop zones of the US 101st Airborne Division. The regiment was heavily engaged in the subsequent battles, including defending Saint-Lô.

On June 13th the remainder of the Division departed from the Cologne area for Brest in western France. The division had not fully recovered its strength from the battles in the east, but the situation could not wait. They began to arrive in Brittany on June 19th, but did not complete their concentration before July.

In July the surviving remnants of the 6th regiment were caught in the Falaise pocket and destroyed during the allied advance. By August 9 the remainder of the 2nd Parachute division was driven back and cut off in the city of Brest. There they remained until they surrendered on September 20. This ended the history of the original division. Only a few remnants survived to withdraw toward Germany.

A new division began forming in Amersfoort, the Netherlands by September, and by December it was combat ready. The new division consisted of the 2nd, 7th, and 23rd Parachute Regiments. It fought in the defense of Germany in January 1945 and ended the war in the Ruhr pocket in April.

Commanders

Organization

May 1943
*2nd Parachute Division
**2nd Parachute Rifle Regiment
**6th Parachute Rifle Regiment
**7th Parachute Rifle Regiment
**2nd Parachute Artillery Regiment
**2nd Parachute Anti-Tank Battalion
**2nd Parachute Engineer Battalion
**2nd Parachute Signals Battalion
**2nd Parachute Medical Battalion

May 1944
*2nd Parachute Division
**2nd Parachute Rifle Regiment
**6th Parachute Rifle Regiment
**7th Parachute Rifle Regiment
**2nd Parachute Artillery Regiment
**2nd Parachute Anti-Tank Battalion
**2nd Parachute Machine-gun Battalion
**2nd Parachute Grenade Launcher Battalion
**2nd Parachute Anti-Aircraft Battalion
**2nd Parachute Engineer Battalion
**2nd Parachute Signals Battalion
**2nd Parachute Medical Battalion

ee also

*Airborne forces

References

*Lucas, James. Storming Eagles: German Airborne Forces in World War Two. Arms and Armour Press, 1988.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • 1st Parachute Division (Germany) — The German 1st Parachute Division was a German military parachute landing Division that fought during World War II. A division of paratroopers was termed a Fallschirmjäger Division. It was originally raised as the 7th Flieger , or Air Division,… …   Wikipedia

  • 1st Parachute Army (Germany) — The German 1st Parachute Army was formed in September 1944 to consolidate the various Luftwaffe Fallschirmjäger Units and the Luftwaffe Field Division. It was tasked to defend the a 60 mile stretch of the Low Countries between Antwerp and… …   Wikipedia

  • Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) — For a list of parachute regiments from other countries, see Parachute Regiment (disambiguation). The Parachute Regiment Cap Badge of the Parachute Regiment Active …   Wikipedia

  • 2nd Canadian Infantry Division — Infobox Military Unit unit name= 2nd Canadian Infantry Division caption=2nd Canadian Infantry Division Formation Patch dates= 1939 ndash;1945 country= Canada allegiance= branch= Canadian Army type=Infantry role= size= command structure= garrison …   Wikipedia

  • 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team — Infobox Military Unit unit name=517 Parachute Regimental Combat Team caption=517th PIR Coat of Arms nickname= Battling Buzzards motto= Attack colors= march= ceremonial chief= type= Parachute infantry branch= United States Army dates= 1943–1945… …   Wikipedia

  • 11th Airborne Division (United States) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=11th Airborne Division caption=11th Airborne Division shoulder sleeve insignia nickname=The Angels motto= themesong= colors= march= ceremonial chief= nickname=Angels type=Airborne Infantry Air Assault branch=United …   Wikipedia

  • 1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) — 1st Airborne Division …   Wikipedia

  • 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division — Infobox Military Unit unit name=50th (Northumbrian) Division caption=Insignia of the 50th Division dates=World War II country=United Kingdom allegiance= branch=British Army type=Infantry role= size= Approximately 18,000 men command structure= XXX …   Wikipedia

  • Western Allied invasion of Germany — Infobox Military Conflict conflict= Invasion of Germany partof= Western Front, World War II caption= date= March 22 – May 11 1945 place= Germany result= Allied victory, unconditional German surrender combatant1=flag|United States|1912 flag|United …   Wikipedia

  • 1st Independent Parachute Brigade (Poland) — Infobox Military Unit unit name=1. Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa 1st Independent Parachute Brigade caption=Parachutist Badge. countryPoland allegiance=Polish Government in Exile type=Brigade branch=Polish Army dates=September 23, 1941… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”