The Second World War was known for innovative tactics, perhaps the most iconic being that of paratroopers, men who jumped from aircraft deep behind enemy lines to disrupt communications, capture strategic objectives, and cause havoc in the enemy’s rear areas. Since airborne forces were a new and experimental branch of service, with no long standing traditions, each nation that deployed them developed doctrines and practices from whole cloth.
Regardless of their nation, paratroopers were light infantrymen, fast moving troops who could strike unexpectedly, relying on mobility and surprise rather than raw firepower.
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Further Reading:
Fallschrimjager, (World War II). Military-history.fandom.com. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Fallschirmj%C3%A4ger_(World_War_II)
Rule, Richard. Fallschrimjagers: The German Paratrooper Corps. Warfarehistorynetwork.com. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/fallschirmjagers-the-german-paratrooper-corps/
Uniforms and Equipment of the Fallschrimjagers. BattleFrontMalta.com. https://battlefrontmalta.com/the-origins-of-the-fallschirmjager/uniforms-and-equipment-of-the-fallschirmjager/
Welsh, William E. British Paratrooper, 1st Airborne Division, Arnhem, 1944. Warfarehistorynetwork.com. 2022. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/british-paratrooper-1st-airborne-division-arnhem-1944/
Clough, Malcolm. The Arms and Equipment of British Airborne Forces. d-daytoursnormandy.com https://www.d-daytoursnormandy.com/arms-equipment-airborne-forces/
US Army Parachute Rifle Company (1941-1948). Battleorder.org. https://www.battleorder.org/us-airborne-ww2
Credit:
Simple History Creator: Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Video Directors: Lav Velimirovic, Ognjen Jovic
Script: Robert De Graaf
Script Review: Peter Turner
Narrator: Chris Kane (https://vocalforge.com)
Artists: Fiona Phan, Selma Belegic
Animators: Nancy Bhalla, Krishna, Guillermo G. Caasi. Jr, Ravina Bheda, Rommel Ponferrada
Editor: Artem Dobrohodov, James Dowse
Thumbnails: Fiona Phan
Senior Production Manager: Umar Ijaz
Simple History Channel Manager: James Dowse
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Which paratrooper do YOU think was the most effective in WWII – the American, the British, or the German? Let us know why!
I love the jumping jinkies. But the only three fully successful airborne ops in WW II all went in in gliders.😊
Crazier more anti hero type.
I had to give this video a thumbs DOWN – Purely based upon the RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF ANNOYING ADVERTS.
This animated presentation omitted the paratroop units of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Like German paratroop units, Japanese paratroops collected their weapons from separately dropped capsules. Japanese paratroops were effective during the early days of the Pacific War.
Correction: Perhaps the most iconic was special forces SAS.
Russkis paratroopers? Japanese paratroopers?
AIRBORNE!
9:13 as a life long paratrooper, I would beg to differ that Airborne Operations are an outdated concept “now that helicopters are available.” The threat of 100 planes headed his direction altered the head of Haiti’s thinking. There is no more effective way of putting 1-5,000 armed, trained and grumpy soldiers on a specific spot on planet earth in 18 hrs than by means of an airborne assault. There is a reason that one of the “minimum” requirements for a Special Forces candidate is for them to be airborne qualified. There is a reason I remember 21 & 24 January 1985. My first jump and my 5th jump that earned me my coveted paratrooper wings. Oddly enough, I have a greater affinity for my airborne wings than for my combat infantryman’s badge.
It would be very cool to see also the comparison to the USSR because they had the first paratroopers
Why do you say that Paratroopers became outdated? They are in use till today, because they can be deploeyed more rapidly and in greater scales than helicopter transported units. And they are more protected against AA.
My dad was a corporal in the parachute regiment during WW2. As a youngster I was always asking him about it but he rarely spoke on the subject. I'm guessing it was something he wanted to forget about.
The British camouflage smock and red beret cannot be beaten. Iconic uniform .
0:05 A Ju 52/3m with retractable undercarriage, wow 😲
Very interesting that the Ukrainians deployed paratroopers recently on the front with Russia, must be the first actual combat jump in Europe since WW2?
What you have to remember is that the U.S.A. joined WWII a full 2 years, 3 months, and 10 days after it began. This gave them plenty of time to gather quality advice, especially from the British, who joined the war just 2 days after it started.
What wasn’t sadly mentioned in this Video,is that the German Fallschirmjäger were a part of the Luftwaffe and not a part of the Infantery
The UK still has Paratroop Regiments !
Russian, Japanese were also there REspect
You missed out the British airborne iconic maroon beret and how they refer to non airborne troops as Far Hate (or just Hats)
Rhodesian paratroopers jumped out of C47s at less the 500ft. Sometimes 300ft
A modern version of this would be cool
Anti Ju had a fixed undercarriage 😀
The Soviets pioneered parachute troops and then trained Geman units which is why they both exited head first
"Legs" also has the acronym "low energy ground soldier"
British paras didn't have special boots.
🎶Gruun ist unsere fallschirm🎶
"Causing havoc in enemy rear areas" 😂😂😂
Got my vodka in ma locka…
Really cool video.
82nd…