The 4th Parachute Division, (or in German 4 Fallschirmjäger Division), was a formation in the Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. It was formed in Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, in November 1943, from elements of 2 Fallschirmjäger Division and volunteers from the Italian 184

184 Airborne Division Nembo

184 Airborne Division Nembo or 184 Divisione Paracadutisti Nembo was an Airborne Division of the Italian Army during World War II....

 and 185 Airborne Division Folgore

185 Airborne Division Folgore

185. Airborne Division Folgore or 185. Divisione Paracadutisti Folgore was an Parachute Division of the Italian Army during World War II.-History:It was formed in September 1941, as the 1 Division Paracadutisti...

 parachute divisions.

Its first combat action was against the Allied landings at Anzio

Anzio

Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...

 (Operation Shingle

Operation Shingle

Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...

) as part of the I. Fallschirm Korps in January 1944.

After Anzio, the Division fought a rear guard action in front of Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

, and was the last German unit to leave the city on 4 June; it withdrew towards Viterbo

Viterbo

See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...

 Siena

Siena

Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...

 Firenze

Firenze

Firenze is the Italian name for the city of Florence.Firenze may also refer to:* Andrea da Firenze, an Italian composer* Lorenzo da Firenze, an Italian composer and music teacher of the trecento...

 and then managed to halt the Allies at the Futa pass

Futa Pass

The Futa Pass or La Futa Pass is a pass in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, at an elevation of . It is located in the comune of Firenzuola, in the province of Florence. It separated the valleys of Mugello and of the Santerno River....

.

In the Winter of 1944/1945 it was positioned on the Gothic Line

Gothic Line

The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...

. In March 1945, the Division had to send the II Battalion, 12 Fallschirmjäger Regiment and the 2nd Company from the Pionier Batallion to the new 10 Fallschirmjager Division, which was being formed in Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

.

It then fought at Nettuno

Nettuno

Nettuno is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, 60 kilometers south of Rome. It is named in honour of the Roman god Neptune...

, Florence

Florence

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....

, Rimini

Rimini

Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...

 and Bologna

Bologna

Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...

 and surrendered to the Allies in April 1945.

Order of battle

• Division staff
  • Motorcycle Company
  • Military Police Troop (mot)
• 10 Fallschirmjäger
  Fallschirmjäger
  are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
  
   Regiment
  • Regimental Staff
  • Signals Platoon
  • Bicycle Reconnaissance Company
  • 3 x Battalions (mot)
    • Battalion Staff
    • Signals Platoon
    • 3 x Companies
    • Heavy Company
  • Mortar Company (mot)
  • Panzerjäger
    Panzerjäger
    Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
    
     Kompanie (mot)
  • Pionier Kompanie (mot)
• 11 Fallschirmjäger Regiment
  • As 10 Fallschirmjager Regiment
• 12 Fallschirmjäger Regiment
  • As 10 Fallschirmjager Regiment
• 4 Fallschirmjäger Mortar Battalion
  • Battalion Staff
  • Staff Company (mot)
  • 3 x Companies
• 4 Fallschirmjäger Panzerjäger
  Panzerjäger
  Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
  
   Battalion
  • Battalion Staff
  • Signals Platoon
  • 3 x Companies (mot)
• 4 Fallschirmjäger Artillerie Regiment
  • Regiment Staff
    • 3 x Battalions
      • Battalion Staff
      • Staff Battery (mot)
      • 3 x Batteries
• 4 Fallschirmjäger Flak Battalion
  • Battalion Staff
  • Heavy Supply Column
  • 3 x Batteries (mot)
  • 2 x Batteries (self propelled)
• 4 Fallschirmjäger Pionier Batallion
  • Battalion Staff
  • Signals Platoon (mot)
  • 4 x Pioneer Companies
• 4 Fallschirmjäger Signals Battalion
  • Signals Company (mot)
  • Radio Company (mot)
  • Supply Column (mot)