Storming Eagles: German Airborne Forces in WW2 - James Lucas

[FIRE]

I readed the Cassell Military Paperback version of Storming Eagles (ISBN 0-304-35854-1, 185 pag, around 10 Euro). Author James Lucas tells the story of the German airborne force in WW2: the FallschirmJaeger.
The book starts with the history of airborne troops and the foundation of the precurser of the Fallschirmjager, "Police Group Wecke" by Hermann Goering in 1933. After that all the major operations in which the Fallschirmjager were involved are described. Like Belgium/Holland, Crete, North Africa, Eastern front, etcerera. Lucas has written down also eye witness reports of former members of the Fallschirmjaeger.

Conclusion: The book is written in an easy to read language and each operation is well told. I think it's a good buy!

[Rotary Booty]

Thanks for that FIRE

My brother-in-law, Jim Kirsch (formerly Kirschtowski), is the son of a German Paratrooper who was captured at Crete, and who then met and married an English girl when he was a POW in England.
Jim is fluent in German, and currently trying to get his father's war records from the German authorities, but it isn't proving to be very easy.

I'll let him know about James Lucas' book.

[FIRE]

They were very good soldiers. Author James Lucas, who fought against them in N. Africa, writes with respect about them.

[chunky from york]

Fire,

Crete is an intersting study. Hitler looked at the aftermath of Crete, where so many German paras died and decided that the victory was too costly and the Fallschirmjaeger never did another mass drop.
However Churchill looked at the result and ordered the formation of two Divisions of Airborne forces for D Day, Market Garden and the Rhine Crossing (op Varsity).

[FIRE]

One of the problems of operation Mercury was the lack of Junkers to transport the men to Crete. The result of this was that the Jaeger were dropped in 2 waves.
The 7th Divison brought in around 22,000 men, more than 3000 were killed and another 3000 were wounded.

Storming Eagles spends 20 pages on the assault on Crete. There are more books about the Fallschirmjaeger, look for example at Amazon.

[Paulpp]

If you are still in contact with this Forum I think I may have some info re the PoW camp in Guildford.
My father and Horst were friends there

[Rotary Booty]

Thanks Paul

E-mail on the way.

[harry hackedoff]

Horst?
Who the flock is Horst?
Op Mercure dangled by a thread untill the 5th Mountain Div crash landed into Malleme and Von Ringel(ringbolt?) saved the day. The famous sonnenblum(sun flower) cap badge was still popular with four five in the eighties.
Once again, airborne troops were saved by the timely intervention of m and aw

[Greenronnie]

Or on the other hand, the (German) Reg kick the fook out of vastly superior numbers of Harries!

[harry hackedoff]

Who said that

They were brilliant as were the glider-borne lads who took Eben E-mail. A heavilly defended fort with a garrison of twelve hundred taken by seventy-five using primitive shaped charges. One of the lads was called Johnston and I`ve always wondered what his story was.

[harry hackedoff]

Two French paratroopers were seconded to the SAS for special training.
After the first day they met up in the bar.


'Ah, Pierre ,' asks one, ' 'ow 'av you been doing?'
'Merde!' answers Pierre . 'I 'av 'ad a mos' terrible day. Terrible!
At seex zis morning I was woken by zis beeg 'airy sergeant. 'E dragged me out of bed and on to ze parade ground.'


'And zen what 'appened?' inquires his mate.
'I weel tell you what 'appened! 'E made me climb urp zis silly leetle platform five feet off ze ground and zen 'e said 'Jurmp!'.'
''And did you jurmp?' asks his mate.
'I did not. I told 'im - 'I am a French paratrooper. I do not jurmp five feet. It is beneass my dignity.'


'And zen what 'appened?' asks his mate.
'Zen 'e made me climb up zis silly leetle platform ten feet off ze ground, and 'e said 'Jurmp!'.'
'And did you jurmp?' asks his mate.
'I did not. I told 'im - 'I am a French paratrooper. It is beneass my dignity to jurmp ten feet.'


'What 'appened zen?' asks his mate.
'Zen 'e made me climb urp zis rickety platform a 'undred feet above ze parade ground. 'E undid 'is trousers, took out zis enormous willy, and 'e said: 'If you do not jurmp, I am going to stick zis right urp your burm.'.'
'Ooooh!' says his mate. 'And did you jurmp?'


'A leetle, at ze beginning."

[Rotary Booty]

Harry

Zis is Horst!




ERB

[London Boy]

The book starts with the history of airborne troops and the foundation of the precurser of the Fallschirmjager, "Police Group Wecke" by Hermann Goering in 1933.

I know this is now an old thread, but it's the first time I've read it.

Anyway, to say that Special Police Battalion Wecke was the precurssor to the Luftwaffe's Fallschirmjäger is incorrect in that they were nothing of the sort, they were a Nazi poltical police unit, doing Nazi police enforcement work on civilians, they were nowhere near being soldiers. That statement also jumps over several stages in the estalbishmnet of the Fallschirmjäger. And to say that Special Police Battalion Wecke was created by Göring is a direct slap in the face for it's commander and true creator Walther Wecke.

Göring simply authorised its creation.

Bascially when Göring was put in command of the Luftwaffe he simply took the Special Police Battalion Wecke with him and renamed the unit Regiment General Göring.

And so he was then able to do what he wanted with his own regiment so he sent them off for military and then para training and re-equipped them as soldiers and only then were they designated a parachute regiment.

For the record, for those not aware, but I'm sure most of us are Fallschirmjäger directly translated means parachute ranger, in Sweden they shorten it to Para Ranger.

In Sweden we have a Fallskärmsjägerkåren, and in English they call themselves the Parachute Rangers Training Regiment.

Unlike the UK there is no standing deployable Para Regt in Sweden.

A few years ago I did a study on WWII & post WWII infantry & airborne units belonging to airforces around the world. Being an ex-Rockape of
course!
And thats why I know quite a lot about the history of the Luftwaffe's paras.

Talking of which I noticed the other day we had an RAAF Airbase Ranger on here -very close in training and role to the RAF Regt.

[just_me]

For the record, for those not aware, but I'm sure most of us are Fallschirmjäger directly translated means parachute ranger, in Sweden they shorten it to Para Ranger.

In Sweden we have a Fallskärmsjägerkåren, and in English they call themselves the Parachute Rangers Training Regiment.

I thought 'jager' meant 'hunter', in German anyway
*can't get the umlout from my keyboard

[London Boy]

I thought 'jager' meant 'hunter', in German anyway
*can't get the umlout from my keyboard

It does mate, when you're talking about hunters in civilian terms i.e. deer hunters.

But in military terms jäger (in all the Germanic languages that use it. German,Swedish etc) means and refers to ranger/commando units.

Here's a quick guide to how some of the Swedish "jäger" titles for individuals are translated

Kustjägare = Coastal ranger (approx. SBS)

Flygbasjägare = Airbase ranger (approx. RAF Regt)

Fallskärmsjägare = Para [chute] ranger (approx any British officer that has done para training and then returend to his own regiment -No standing para regt in Sweden)

Fjälljägare = Mountain commando (approx RM Artic & Mountain Warfare Cadre)