Bruce Quarrie - Böcker

Following the pyrrhic victory of Crete in May 1941, Hitler refused to countenance any further large-scale airborne operations, and the Fallschirmjager took up a new role as elite 'line' infantry. It was in this capacity that they served in the Mediterranean from 1942 to 1945. They reinforced their reputation as some of the toughest troops of World War II through their performance in such battles as EI Alamein and Monte Cassino. This title explains how Germany's airborne forces were developed following the battle for Crete and how their changing was reflected in different organisational structures, training and doctrine.

The Fallschirmjager divisions were solely used in airborne assault role, small units capturing local objectives ahead of traditional forces. Apart from the prestige of belonging to an elite, two reasons why infantrymen transferred to the paratroopers were for the higher pay and chances of more rapid promotion. It was this shared motivation which fostered rapid group "bonding" despite diverse social backgrounds. This title looks at the life and experiences of the average Fallschirmjager, and includes first-hand accounts from different theatres and periods of the war, including Holland/Belgium 1940, Kampfgruppe "Ramcke" in North Africa, Cassino, Leningrad, Normandy and Arnhem. As the war progressed, the parachute corps suffered a decline, and the soldiers were used as elite line infantry. Although several new Fallschirm "divisions" were created, most of their men never made a single drop.

Airborne operations have often been called a vertical envelopment, and therein lies one of the best descriptions of their value.The essence of an envelopment is to pin the enemy in place so that it can be destroyed. A strong enemy force to one's rear disrupts supplies and communications and makes one more vulnerable to an attack from the front. It also has a major psychological impact. To an aggressor the value of airborne troops, used properly, far outweighs their numerical strength.Bruce Quarrie's engaging text tells the story of the German airborne troops of the Second World War.

The German Army was the first to fully realize the benefits of using airborne troops alongside armoured formations, and the first action most of these airborne elements saw was in May 1940, at the historic Eban Emael raid. Airborne forces were an essential part of these Blitzkrieg operations during 1940 and 41. They provided the essential elements of surprise, speed and shock that make up "lightning war". In this book, Bruce Quarrie looks at the creation, evolution and eventual disbandment of the German Airborne Divisions, through highly detailed orders of battle, TOEs and examinations of crucial aspects such as doctrine, training and the concept of vertical envelopment.