Help needed!rkiezenbrink wrote:If you look on http://www.ww2.dk you'll find a lot of info about the fallschirmjäger
I've researched a bit the FJ contribution to the planned 1942 invasion of Malta (my private obsession). The core would have been provided by the renowned Ramcke Brigade (DAK afterwards). However - according to the site above - a few additional battalions might have been available during summer 1942 (I./FJR 5, III./FJR 5, I./LLStR), while the remaining FJ troops were acting as foot infantry on the Eastern Front (and by now had probably lost their former jump capability).
However, in the book "Le Direttive Tecnico-Operative di Superaereo" [Superaereo Techno-Operative Orders, a collection of letters and papers relating to the Regia Aeronautica HQ during 1940-43, published by the Ufficio Storico Aeronautica Militare, four volumes] I've found a document which seems very interesting:
As Allegate 3 to the letter 7140/42 (31 May 42), from Kesselring (Der Oberbefehlshaber Süd) to Cavallero (Comando Supremo), title "Studio sulla preparazione ed esecuzione dell'operazione C.3 (Herkules)" [A Study about preparation and esecution of C.3] there is the OOB of German Para forces, which "...starting to be embarked in France on day X-30 or so, will be sent to the zone of gathering, to be ready on day X-2..."
From the site above, it seems that just a handful of battalions would have been available. So, it was really surprising to find in this allegate (being, I say again, a German - although translated in Italian - official document sent by Kesselring to Cavallero) the OOB of a complete division with 12 infantry battalions plus a boatload of supporting units! At first sight, it seems more or less the FJ OOB for Merkur, by now one year old. I've pasted the OOB here (unsure about max size allowed, maybe it's a bit unreadable but I was afraid to paste a file too large).
From the above, you can derive one (and only one) of the following two conclusions:
A) All books, articles and sources about Ramcke Brigade (including the site above) need a drastic revision! The Germans had a complete Para division up their sleeves during summer 1942, totally jump-capable (i.e., not stuck in the Russian mud, but actively training in Western Europe) and were ready to use it at short notice.
B) Kesselring was plainly kidding, and sent to Cavallero an OOB out of touch with 1942 reality (maybe he happened to have only an old Merkur OOB, and sent it just the same). Of course I assume that Kesselring should have known the exact German availability... should he?. So, it was just a bluff, a joke, a tall story, a humbug. (But, of course, we Italians are the ones betraying our ally... )
I stress this point because any single book I've read repeat the same old story: Kesselring wanted Malta very strongly - Rommel didn't want it - Kesselring was beaten - Rommel won. But, if Kesselring had plainly lied to his Italian friends, and wasn't really interested in Malta at all... maybe some part of the old story might need a revision!!!
Comments, Corrections, Observations, Ideas?
Davide
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