German 2nd Parachute Division
Encyclopedia
The German 2nd Parachute Division was an elite military parachute-landing Division that fought during World War II
. In German
, a division of paratrooper
s was termed a Fallschirmjäger
Division.
(OKW), or Supreme Command of the Armed Forces, decided to raise a second élite parachute division. The formation 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
in France
. There it became 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 carried out coast-guard duties near the Tiber estuary. The men moved to Rome
in the evening of September 8 and participated in a subsequent operation to disarm the surrendering Italian army. Within two days 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 was then still occupied by italian forces supplemented by british units following the surrender of Italy. By November 16 the battle was won and the island retaken by German forces.
. By November 27 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 23 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 Soviet offensive around Kirovograd. The Russian advance resumed in March and the Division was forced to withdraw 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 By the end of the month the Division had withdrawn behind the Bug River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 weakened division was pulled from the line and returned to Germany
for some much-needed recuperation.
area of the Cotentin Peninsula
, near the US 101st Airborne Division
's drop zones. The regiment was heavily engaged in the subsequent battles, including defending Saint-Lô
.
On June 13 the remainder of the Division departed from the Cologne
area for Brest
in western France. It 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 19, but did not complete their concentration before July.
In July the surviving elements 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.
, 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.
May 1944
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...
. In German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, a division of paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
s was termed a Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger
are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
Division.
The beginning
In January 1943 the Oberkommando der WehrmachtOberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
(OKW), or Supreme Command of the Armed Forces, decided to raise a second élite parachute division. The formation 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
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. There it became 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
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...
.
When the Italian government started to crumble in September, the 2nd Parachute Division was dispatched to Italy. It carried out coast-guard duties near the Tiber estuary. The men moved to 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...
in the evening of September 8 and participated in a subsequent operation to disarm the surrendering Italian army. Within two days 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
Leros
Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 km from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 11-hour ferry ride . Leros is part of the Kalymnos peripheral unit...
Island in the Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
. The island was then still occupied by italian forces supplemented by british units following the surrender of Italy. By November 16 the battle was won and the island retaken by German forces.
The Soviet Union
Meanwhile, in October, the 2nd Parachute Division was deployed to the eastern front in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. By November 27 the division came under the command of the German 42nd Corps, west of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, 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
Kirovgrad
Kirovgrad is a town in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. Population: -History:The settlement Kalatay was, according to various sources, founded in 1661, 1663, or 1675...
to contain another Russian breakout. A German counter-attack then commenced against heavy opposition. By December 23 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 Soviet offensive around Kirovograd. The Russian advance resumed in March and the Division was forced to withdraw by an armored flanking attack. By the end of the month the Division had withdrawn behind the Bug River
Bug River
The Bug River is a left tributary of the Narew river flows from central Ukraine to the west, passing along the Ukraine-Polish and Polish-Belarusian border and into Poland, where it empties into the Narew river near Serock. The part between the lake and the Vistula River is sometimes referred to as...
.
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 weakened division was pulled from the line and returned to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for some much-needed recuperation.
France
During the allied D-Day landing on June 6, 1944, the 6th Regiment was stationed in the CarentanCarentan
Carentan is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France near the port city of Cherbourg-Octeville. Carentan has a population somewhat over 6,000 and is now administratively organized as a commune in the Manche department...
area of the Cotentin Peninsula
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy, forming part of the north-western coast of France. It juts out north-westwards into the English Channel, towards Great Britain...
, near the US 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
's drop zones. The regiment was heavily engaged in the subsequent battles, including defending Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
.
On June 13 the remainder of the Division departed from the Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
area for Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
in western France. It had not fully recovered its strength from the battles in the east, but the situation could not wait. They began to arrive in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
on June 19, but did not complete their concentration before July.
In July the surviving elements 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.
The last few months
A new division began forming in AmersfoortAmersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
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
| Date | Commander |
|---|---|
| February 2, 1943 | General-Major Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke Hermann-Bernhard "Gerhard" Ramcke was a German general. He was a recipient of the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Swords, Oak Leaves, and Diamonds, one of only 27 people in the German military so decorated... |
| September 13, 1943 | General-Major Walter Barenthin |
| November 14, 1943 | General-Leutnant Gustav Wilke |
| March 17, 1944 | General-Major Hans Kroh Hans Kroh Hans Kroh was a German Fallschirmjäger and general in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords... |
| June 1, 1944 | General Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke |
| August 11, 1944 | General-Major Hans Kroh Hans Kroh Hans Kroh was a German Fallschirmjäger and general in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords... |
| November 15, 1944 | General-Leutnant Walter Lackner |
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 (This was detached from parent unit and attached to different formations on several occasions)
- 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