31 images of Fallschirmjägers – Some May Be New For You!

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The German Paratroopers or Fallschirmjäger were perceived as the elite infantry units of the German military and became known as the “green devils” by the Allied forces.

On a personal note, my grandfather who was a Marine was captured at Crete by the Fallschirmjäger. He didn’t enjoy that.

All images courtesy of the German Federal Archives / Bundesarchiv.

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Paratroopers of the 7th German Airborne Division (7. Flieger-Division) at positions near the Neva River.5e6091102c3a3c5073999635d9408f34Camouflaged German paratrooper with Panzerfaust, France, Jun-Jul 1944

152fb2a29ed4ee9e85bf3307e9a92697German  paratroopers who have just overtaken the Eben-Emael fortress in Belgium

54053d25f9a5ed17f170d6976e36ca2cTHE BATTLE OF MONTE CASSINO On January 17, 1944

b690a57338e9f80993920d46a3d6cc04Two German paratroopers fighting among the ruins of the Monastery of Monte Cassino, Italy, 1944.c0be9fd9ab325422e90546c590a60cf5Paratroopers of the 6. Fallschirmjäger Division march toward the disarmament area in Soest, Holland. Up to this point, the Division was still well equipped. Note several of the men carrying a Panzerfaust and the growing pile of German equipment lining the road – 10 May 1945

d5656eaf658c307f3c66d029122cdaa2Paratroops used as infantry on the Eastern Front

483fa6c6d7784d720fb5f3c9f0bf9071German paratroopers, Fallschirmjäger, take shelter next to a knocked out M4 Sherman while cautiously peering for another target. In the distance a Sherman is stalking them.

51350dcebbb973500e13f3e047f320e8The 7 Fallschirmjäger Division in October 1942 conducted numerous missions behind enemy lines probe to recognize the amount of Soviet forces they would face, holding small actions against the Russian positions. These actions were successful because the Soviets decided not to attack in their industry, choosing other sectors weakly defended by German forces. Apparently the Fallschirmjäger would spend another harsh winter on the Eastern Front.718107e9cb9b35279eef5660a6902516

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c49a0c57e86ce9ae3fd2d264f3ea8d96Battle of Crete in May 1941. German paratroopers sustained almost 7,000 casualties, meeting fierce resistance from the Cretan locals and as a result, Adolf Hitler forbade further large-scale airborne operations. During the occupation, German firing squads were routinely used to execute male civilians, who were randomly gathered at local villages, in reprisal for the death of German soldiers, such as at Kondomari.

c0651a59049e740555b9adc6ed4eba2cGerman paratroopers from the 13th Parachute Regiment captured in the vicinity of Saint-Lô, France.f6e43bc35dcc37cf2cf673d7457955b6Fallschirmjaeger( German Paratroopers) Ardennes Dec.16th-Jan,25 ,1945, Belgium WWII

3f3bcb6f7a854042a1ec8c6d0e4efed4Fallschirmjäger Hauptmann (Paratroop Captain) Walter Gericke (smoking) was originally a policeman who transferred to the Luftwaffe and became one of the first battalion commanders of the Parachute Division.He fought in the Battle of Crete (1941) and won the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.He also fought in Italy and by the war’s end was a lt colonel. Postwar, he was POW of the British.He returned to service in the 50s and commanded

1.Airborne Division 1962-65.He retired a major general.

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 Based on the beards and the stare, these men had been in some deep stuff. 6051765c28ae4db93287adc74111922f

Young German paratrooper with rifle, pistol, stick grenade and ammunition belt in Tunisia, near the Algerian border. Tunisia, 1943. d8238ae8d9057f41fef151c32f3cb2bcFallschirmjagers on a Kingtiger, Ardennes Dec 44f4ed4bd47f2fa05ae32e4e6058bb7f9f German paratroopers. France, Normandy 1944tumblr_n42f21mMNw1r0mxzeo1_500Erwin Seeger, a fallschirmjäger kriegsberichter (XI.Flieger-Korps), posing on the bomber seat of an Heinkel He-111. The plane is flying a transfer flight from Sicily to Tunisia, carrying Gotha Go-242 gliders. 1942.

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German Paratroopers from Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5/Division Hermann Göring during the march on the Italian front on 1 October 1943. Some were carrying MG 42. They were the few remnants from the Tunisian campaign, during their short stay in Italy before leaving for the eastern front in early November 1943. 7c9daf643edeb33578c50552942c7359

German paratroopers firing a small mortar. France June 1944

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Troops of II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 (Kommandeur: Leutnant Renisch) advance from Palazzo Sivlestri towards Casa del Fascio. ad73b5a71e6bdc8a9e3e7734bab1d586

BRITISH ARMY ITALY 1944 (NA 12912) Captured German parachute troops file past a Sherman tank of the New Zealand 4th Armoured Brigade at Cassino, 16 March 1944. b63688e047bdd2e77baa113c38cff68b

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Wounded Parastumblr_mmnggoYXBB1rxn2lko1_1280Smoke break

7ec8244865d94e66631f9a6b3faf06fcMussolini’s liberation. German paratrooper smoking. Gran Sasso mountain ,Abruzzi , Italy 1943