NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Airborne infantry

U.S. paratroopers jump into Australia on a military training exercise.

Airborne Singleton, Australia—Parachutes paint the sky as more than 270 U.S. soldiers jumped out of four C-141 Starlifters onto the rolling hills of Singleton Drop Zone on May 5. ... Singleton, Australia—Parachutes paint the sky as more than 270 U.S. soldiers jumped out of four C-141 Starlifters onto the rolling hills of Singleton Drop Zone on May 5. ...

Military parachuting form of insertion.

Purpose

Delivering personnel, equipment, or supplies.

Origins

Attributed to Italian troops on November 1927.

Basic Parachutist Badge given by the United States Army to those who complete Airborne School.

Airborne forces are military units set up to be moved by aircraft and dropped into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning. The formations are limited only by the number and size of their aircraft, so given enough capacity a huge force can appear "out of nowhere" in minutes, an action referred to as vertical envelopment. Basic parachutist badge given by the United States Army to those who complete Airborne School. ... Basic parachutist badge given by the United States Army to those who complete Airborne School. ... The Parachutist Badge is a military badge awarded by the Armed Forces of most countries in the world to soldiers who receive the proper parachute training and accomplish the required number of jumps. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ...

Conversely, airborne forces typically lack the supplies and equipment for prolonged combat operations, and are therefore more suited for spearhead operations than long-term occupation; furthermore, parachute operations are particularly sensitive to adverse weather conditions. Advances in helicopter technology since World War II have brought increased flexibility to the scope of airborne operations, and helicopters have largely replaced large-scale parachute operations. Paratroopers are nonetheless retained by many armies. A spearhead is the head of a spear. ... A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air. ... The Apollo 15 capsule landed safely despite a parachute failure. ... An American Paratrooper using a T-10C series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and formed into an airborne force. ...

General information

The basic premise of the Airborne is that they can arrive with such speed that a coherent defence cannot be mounted against them for some time. It is assumed that this tactical advantage cannot be sustained for very long, so effective Airborne missions require the rapid advance of ground based troops in support. An American Paratrooper using a T-10C series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and formed into an airborne force. ... Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. ... Air assault (or air mobile) is a military term used to describe the movement of friendly assault forces by rotary-wing aircraft to engage and destroy enemy forces or to seize and hold key terrain. ... Air assault (or air mobile) is a military term used to describe the movement of friendly assault forces by rotary-wing aircraft to engage and destroy enemy forces or to seize and hold key terrain. ...

History

The idea of "Sky Soliders" is by no means a recent thought; The great Doctor Benjamin Franklin envisioned a time when soldiers would be delivered from the sky, with a crude, rudimentary understanding of parachutes. The first modern consideration of the use of what we now call a paratroop force dates back to 1918. Towards the end of World War I, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell suggested dropping elements of the United States 1st Infantry Division behind German lines near Metz. Fortunately, the war ended before such an attack could be seriously planned. It's somewhat unclear how this was to be achieved given the state of development of both the parachute and aircraft at the time. Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Baptiste Greuze 1777 For the former mayor of Nepean, see Ben Franklin (politician) Dr. Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was an American printer, journalist, publisher, author, philanthropist, abolitionist, public servant, scientist, librarian, diplomat, and inventor. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... William L. (Billy) Mitchell (December 28, 1879–February 19, 1936) was an American general who is regarded as the father of the U.S. Air Force. ... The 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army —nicknamed the Big Red One after its shoulder patch—is the oldest continuously serving division in the American Army. ... Location within France Rhine watershed Metz is a city in the North-East of France, capital of the Lorraine région and of the département of Moselle (57). ...

The first true paratroop drop was carried out by Italy in November 1927. Within a few years several battalions had been raised and were eventually formed into the two elite Folgore and Nembo divisions. Although these would go on to fight with distinction in World War II, they were never used in a parachute drop. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air. ...

At about the same time the Soviet Union was also experimenting with the idea, planning to eventually drop entire units complete with vehicles. To train enough experienced jumpers, parachute clubs were set up all over Russia with the aim of being able to transfer skilled members (or at least the men) into the armed forces if needed. The plan had progressed to the point that their large drops were demonstrated to foreign observers in 1936. 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

One of the observing parties, Germany, was particularly interested. In 1936, Major Immanns was ordered to set up a parachute school and was given a number of Junkers Ju 52 aircraft to train on. The military had already purchased large numbers of Junkers Ju 52 aircraft which were now modified (slightly) for use as paratroop transports in addition to their other duties. 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Junkers Ju 52 nicknamed Tante Ju (Auntie Ju) and Iron Annie was a civilian airliner and military transport aircraft and bomber manufactured between 1932 and 1945 by Junkers. ...

World War II

German operations

Several groups within the German armed forces attempted to raise their own paratroop formations and there was some confusion all around. This changed when the Luftwaffe General Kurt Student was put in command of the effort, and the true power of the Fallschirmjäger finally started to take form. Several operations were carried out during the war of which the best known are mentioned below. The Luftwaffe (literally, air weapon, pronounced looft-vaaf-feh) is the air force of Germany. ... Kurt Student Kurt Student (May 12, 1890-July 1, 1978) was a German Luftwaffe General who fought as a pilot on the Eastern Front during the First World War and as the commander of the German parachute troops during the Second World War. ... Categories: Military stubs | German airborne units | Airborne | Infantry ...

During the invasion of Norway in Operation Weserübung the Luftwaffe then flew in a company of paratroopers to seize Oslo's undefended airstrip. Over the course of the morning and early afternoon of April 9, 1940, the Germans flew in sufficient reinforcements to move into the capital in the afternoon, but by that time the Norwegian government had fled. Operation Weserübung was the German codename for Nazi Germanys assault on Scandinavia during World War II. The name translates as Weser Exercise, the Weser being a German river. ... The Luftwaffe (literally, air weapon, pronounced looft-vaaf-feh) is the air force of Germany. ... April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In the Battle of France, members of the Brandenburg Regiment were dropped by Fieseler Fi 156 Storch light reconnaissance planes on the bridges immediately to the south of the 10th Panzer Division's route of march through the southern Ardennes. In Belgium a small group of German glider-borne troops landed on top of the Belgian fortress of Eben Emael on the morning of May 10, 1940 and it was captured in a matter of hours. This opened up Belgium to attack by the German Army Group B. Two simultaneous airborne operations were made during the invasion of Holland. German paratroopers landed at an airport near The Hague, hoping to seize the Dutch government. But they were driven out of the airport before they were reinforced by troops brought in by Ju-52s. This has been one of the few occasions where an airfield captured by paratroops has been recaptured. Simultaneously the Germans dropped small packets of paratroopers to seize the crucial bridges that led directly across Holland and into the heart of the country. They opened the way for the 10th Panzer Division. Within a day the Dutch position was hopeless. Nevertheless, Dutch forces afflicted a high loss of transportation aircraft to the Germans. In World War II, Battle of France or Case Yellow (Fall Gelb in German) was the France and the Low Countries, executed 10 May 1940 which ended the Phony War. ... For other uses of the word Brandenburg see Brandenburg (disambiguation) Cufftitle of Division Brandenburg. ... The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (stork) was a small liaison aircraft built by Fieseler during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market. ... Panzer Division is the German term for armored division. ... The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests and rolling hill country (its highest point is under 700 m), primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes département and the Champagne-Ardenne région) and Germany, where this range is known as... ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Holland is the common name in English referring to the Kingdom of the Netherlands (or exclusively its European part)--although this is incorrect from a Dutch perspective. ... Arms of The Hague The Hague (with capital T; Dutch: Den Haag, or officially s-Gravenhage) is the administrative capital of the Netherlands, located in the west of the country, in the province South Holland of which it is also the capital. ... The Junkers Ju 52 nicknamed Tante Ju (Auntie Ju) and Iron Annie was a civilian airliner and military transport aircraft and bomber manufactured between 1932 and 1945 by Junkers. ...

The Fallschirmjäger's greatest victory and greatest losses were suffered during the Battle of Crete. The losses were so great that Hitler forbade their use in such operations in the future. He felt that the main power of the paratroop was novelty, and now that the British had clearly figured out how to defend against them, there was no real point to using them any more. To lose Crete because we had not sufficient bulk of forces there would be a crime. ... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ...

There was one notable exception to this and that was the use of airborne forces in special operations. On September 12, 1943, Otto Skorzeny led a daring glider-based assault on the Gran Sasso Hotel, high in the Apennines mountains, and rescued Benito Mussolini from house arrest with very few shots being fired. September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Otto Skorzeny Otto Skorzeny (June 12, 1908 - July 5, 1975) was a colonel in the German Waffen-SS during World War II. He is best-known as the commando leader who rescued Benito Mussolini from imprisonment after his overthrow. ... Gran Sasso (Italian for great stone), a massif located in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, is the highest of the Apennines and the centerpiece of a national park (established 1991). ... This is about the terrestrial mountain range. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ...

Allied operations

The Battle of Crete convinced allied forces of the power of airborne assaults and spurred the organization of allied airborne forces.

Operation Colossus: the raid on the Tragino Aqueduct

Britain’s first airborne assault took place on February 10, 1941, when No. 2 Commando introduced themselves to the enemy by jumping into Italy and blowing up an aqueduct in a daring raid named Operation Colossus. February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The British Commandos were first formed by the Army in June 1940 during World War II as a well-armed but unregimented raider force employing unconventional and irregular tactics to assault, disrupt and reconnoitre the enemy in mainland Europe and Scandinavia. ... During World War II, Operation Colossus was an experimental raid by thirty-eight of the five hundred men of No. ...

In some official circles Commandos were termed Special Service troops, and for this raid the men of No.2 Commando were termed "II Special Air Service", (the 'II' being the Roman numeral for '2' though generally thereafter corrupted to be 'eleven') This was the first time the term 'SAS' was used and when it was soon realised that far more than 500 paratroops were needed, the men of No.2 Commando became the foundation of the Parachute Regiment. Official Unit Names 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists Rifles) 22 Special Air Service Regiment 23 Special Air Service Regiment Nicknames The Regiment 21SAS, 22SAS, 23SAS The SAS The sass Them Mottos Who Dares Wins (official) Speed Aggression Surprise (unofficial) Description Britains elite Special Forces unit. ... The Parachute Regiments display team, the Red Devils at an American airshow The Parachute Regiment is the main body of elite airborne troops of the British Army. ...

Operation Biting: The Bruneval raid

A Wuerzburg radar on the coast of France was attacked by British Paratroopers in Operation Biting on February 27, 1942. The electronics of the system were brought back to Britain for examination so that counter measures could be devised. Wuerzburg radar was deployed by Germany during World War II. It took its name from the city of Würzburg for no other reason than the project leader liked geographical names. ... During World War II, Operation Biting was a Combined Operations raid to capture components of a German Wurzburg radar set at Bruneval, France, on 27/28 February, 1942. ...

North Africa

Operation Husky Sicily

As part of Operation Husky four airborne operations were carried out, landing during the night of the 9/10 July; two were British and two American. The American troops were the 82nd Airborne division, making their first combat parachute jump. The strong winds blew the dropping aircraft off course and scattered them widely; the result was that around half the US paratroops failed to make it to their rallying points. British glider-landed troops fared little better; only 12 out of 144 gliders landing on target, many landing in the sea. Nevertheless the scattered airborne troops maximised their opportunities, attacking patrols and creating confusion wherever possible. Husky was also the codename of Australian military support to Sierra Leone ending in February 2003. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was formed originally as the 82nd Infantry Division on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... The Apollo 15 capsule landed safely despite a parachute failure. ... Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. ...

The First Air Landing Brigade captured the Ponte Grande Bridge and before the Germans counter attack, the beach landings took place unopposed and the First Air Landing Brigade were relieved by the 8th Army as it swept inland and north towards Catania and Messina. For more details on this action see the article on The Staffordshire Regiment. History The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales) or Staffords was formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of The South Staffordshire Regiment and the North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales). The Staffords can trace their history back to 1705 when a regiment known as the 38th Foot was raised at Lichfield...

On July 13, 1943, more than 112 aircraft and 16 gliders carrying 1,856 men, took off from North Africa. Their initial target was to capture the Primosole bridge and the high ground around it, providing a pathway for the 8th Army, but heavy anti-aircraft fire shot down many of the Dakotas before they reached their target. Only 295 officers and men were dropped close enough to carry out the assault on the bridge. They captured the bridge but the German 4th Parachute Brigade recaptured it. They held the high ground until relived by the 8th army, but the mission had been a failure. July 13th is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ...

Italy

During the Allied invasion of Italy American and British Airborne forces were used in amphibious landings. During the main invasion on 9 September 1943, the US 82nd Airborne Division helped to seize the port of Salerno in Operation Baytown. The British 1st Airborne Division was landed by sea near the port of Taranto in the 'heel' of Italy (Operation Slapstick). Their task was to capture the port and several nearby airfields and link with the British Eighth Army before pressing north to join the US Fifth Army near Foggia. This article covers the invasion of mainland Italy by the World War II Allies in September 1943 during the Italian Campaign. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was formed originally as the 82nd Infantry Division on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... Map of Italy showing Salerrno southeast of Naples Salerno is a town and a province in Campania, Italy. ... This article covers the invasion of mainland Italy by the World War II Allies in September 1943 during the Italian Campaign. ... The British 1st Airborne Division was a military unit that fought in World War II. It suffered terrible casualties, especially in Operation Market Garden. ... Operation Slapstick was a part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II on 9 September 1943. ... The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the campaigns in North Africa and Italy. ... The US Fifth Army was one of the principal formations of the US Army in the Mediterranean during World War II. It was activated on 4 January 1943 and made responsible for the defence of Algeria and Morocco. ...

Operation Overlord: D-Day

There were many separate Airborne operations during Operation Overlord on D-Day June 6 1944. But broadly the task of the airborn forces secured the flanks of the landing beaches in Normandy. The British secured the Eastern flank in Operation Tonga of which Pegasus Bridge is the best rembered objective. The Americans secured the western flank in Operation Chicago and Operation Detroit. There were other operatoins designed to take out specific hardend targets notably the huge guns of the Merville gun battery. Buried under 12ft-thick concrete, the four 75mm guns, just miles from the beaches of Sword, Juno and Gold, had the capability to engage warships out at sea and sink landing craft heading for the beaches. The task of putting them out of action fell to the ninth parachute brigade which they succeeded in doing for 36 hours by killing all but a handful of the gunners. The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... During World War II, Operation Tonga was part of the British airborne landings on the night of 5 June 1944 in support of the invasion of northern France (Operation Overlord). ... Pegasus Bridge before its replacement Pegasus was the codename given to a bridge over the Caen canal, near the town of Ouistreham. ... During World War II, Operation Chicago was carried out by the Allies in 1944. ... During World War II, Operation Detroit was the parachute insertion of the Allied 82nd Airborne Division into Normandy on the night of 5 June 1944 as part of Operation Overlord. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

Southern France

On August 15, 1944, parachute units, which included the 4th, 5th and 6th Para battalions and lst Indian Army Pathfinders, dropped into Southern France between Frejus and Cannes as part of Operation Dragoon. Their objective was to capture the area, destroy all enemy positions and hold the ground until the US Seventh Army came ashore. Once they had captured their initial targets, they were reinforced by three thousand soldiers and critical equipment carried in over three hundred gliders in an operation code named Dove. The drop was almost unopposed and within days the British parachute group was withdrawn by sea to Italy in readiness for future operations. August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Indian Army in the time of the British Raj (1857–1947) See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post-partition) army of the Republic of India. ... Pathfinder can have several meanings: The hero of a book of the same name, written by James Fenimore Cooper in his series, the Leatherstocking Tales Special forces of the United States (see Pathfinders (US army) and Pathfinder Badge) Elite squadrons of RAF Bomber Command during World War II (see Pathfinder... Roman ruins, aquaduct Fréjus is a French city, in the Var département. ... The seaside town of Cannes, in southern France, as seen from a ferry speeding towards lîle Saint Honorat Cannes (Canas in Provençal) (pronounced ) is a city and commune in southern France, located on the French Riviera, in the Alpes-Maritimes département. ... Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France, on 15 August 1944, as part of World War 2. ... The Seventh United States Army, also known as USAREUR, is the main American force in Europe. ... In World War II, Operation Dove (Allies, 1944) was the glider-borne assault conducted as part of the invasion of southern France (Operation Dragoon) on 15 August 1944. ...

Operation Market Garden: a bridge too far

Perhaps the most famous airborne operation of history is Operation Market Garden of September 1944, in which 35,000 troops were dropped 100 miles behind the German front lines in an attempt to capture a bridge over the Rhine at Arnhem. Three complete airborne divisions, the British 1st Airborne Division, and the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, and the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade were dropped at various points along Highway 69 in order to create a "carpet" over which the British XXX Corps could rapidly advance. German opposition was some three times that expected, including two under-strength but very experienced panzer divisions, and in the end the British 1st Airborne division was all but destroyed and the bridge remained in German hands. Operation Market-Garden was an Allied military operation in World War II, which took place in September 1944. ... The British 1st Airborne Division was a military unit that fought in World War II. It suffered terrible casualties, especially in Operation Market Garden. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was formed originally as the 82nd Infantry Division on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles. ... Official force name 1 Samodzielna Brygada Spadochronowa Other names 1st Independent Para Brigade 1 SBS Branch Polish Army Chain of Command Directly subordinate to Polish Government in Exile In 1944 transferred under British command Description Airborne force, rapidly deployable aeromobile infantry force. ... Tiger II, perhaps the most advanced Panzer Panzer is an abbreviation of Panzerkampfwagen, a German compound noun which translates as Armoured Combat Vehicle. It became synonymous with German tanks during the 1930s, and is usually shortened to become PzKpfw. ...

Operation Varsity: the Rhine Crossing

Operation Varsity - The Rhine Crossing was the biggest and most successful airborne operation in history and it marked the beginning of the end for Germany. Operation Varsity was an airborne operation towards the end of World War II, intended to gain a foothold across the River Rhine. ...

Post World War II

Operation Musketeer: Suez crisis

During the Suez Crisis, Operation Musketeer needed the element of total surprise to succeed, and all 660 men had to be on the ground at El Gamil airfield and ready for action within four and a half minutes. At 04.15 hours on November 5, 1956, 3 Para jumped in and although opposition was heavy, casualties were few. HM Ships Eagle, Bulwark, and Albion of the British Royal Navy. ... Military history records no less than three plans, all called Operation Musketeer: 1. ...

Vietnam War

The use of helicopter-borne airmobile troops by the United States in Vietnam was widespread, and became an iconic image featuring in newsreels and movies about the conflict. In Feburary of 1967 Operation Junction City was launched, it would be the largest Operation the Coalition Force would assemble. 845 members of the 2nd battalion, 503rd PIR, 319th Artillery and elements of H&H company 173rd Airborne made the only combat jump in Vietnam. The Vietnam War was fought from 1957 to 1975 between Vietnamese nationalist and communist forces and an array of Western and pro-Western forces, most notably the United States. ...

Recent times

In recent times the Mil 24 Hind, H-3 Sea King/Commando, H-46 Sea Knight, CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Blackhawk and H-53 Jolly Green Giant (or Sea Stallion) medium-lift helicopters have all been used to deploy soldiers or marines rapidly across battlefields (eg. in Vietnam, Afghanistan, the Falkland Islands/Malvinas, Iraq and Sierra Leone.) The CH-47 Chinook is a highly versatile, twin engine, twin rotor heavy-lift helicopter. ... The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium-lift utility or assault helicopter used by over 20 nations. ... A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ...