International Conference KNOWLEDGE-BASED ORGANIZATION Vol

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International Conference KNOWLEDGE-BASED ORGANIZATION Vol. XXIII No 1 2017

PARATROOPERS IN THE INTELLIGENCE CONFRONTATIONS DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Mircea TĂNASE

Ministry of National Defense, Bucharest, Romania [email protected]

Abstract: Characterised by the capability to rapidly penetrate the enemy disposition, at long distance, by air, using transport aircraft, by parachuting or landing, as well as by own combat capacity, airborne troops could successfully execute a wide range of specific missions, either independently or in cooperation with other units or large units in the land, air or naval forces, to meet the operational and strategic goals. Mention should be made that almost all belligerents in the Second World War successfully employed groups of well-trained fighters, parachuted behind the enemy disposition, to execute intelligence missions: information collection, “commando”-type diversionary actions, as well as supply of weapons for local partisans and resistance formations.

KEYWORDS: airborne troops, paratroopers, intelligence, commando, partisans

1. Introduction aerodrome and communication lines etc., as In the major airborne operations of the well as arming local partisan elements. Second World War intelligence has played For the Soviets, at least, we can say that a decisive role in gaining success or diversion operations have been more compromising this, if we talk only about successful than actual airborne operations, the Allied landings in Normandy representing an outstanding adjuvant in the (Operation Overlord in June 1944), when successful guerrilla war in 1943 and 1944, the intelligence built a spectacular surprise but these will be the subject for other that supported success of the action and article. airborne operation in Holland (operation Market Garden in September 1944), when 2. Airborne and special German actions the lack or ignoring the information made Germany created the first battalion of as a renowned historian concluded, "to be paratroopers from January 29, 1936, at the written an odyssey and a tragedy to be initiative of Colonel (later General) Kurt played "[1]. Student, supported by Herman Göring, head Along with these airborne operations, of the Luftwaffe, prestigious aviator of the fighter paratroopers were used in the broad World War I, and after 1920 representative spectrum of the intelligence community, we firms parachutes "Heinecke" and could define the active side, with direct "Thörnbland"- who convinced Hitler of the actions specific for that period, when need to create this elite corps of the German technical means had not reached the army. On April 1, 1938, the battalion of possibilities we know - or just we suppose - paratroopers became 1st Paratroopers today, research assignments and diversion Regiment, part of the 7th Airborne type "commando" attack and neutralize Division/7 Fliegerdivision, founded in the enemy vital centers of major commands, summer of that year, whose commanding

311 officer was General Student. In the same leaving any reaction time for the Dutch. year, 1938, there were established the Meanwhile, a group of paratroopers, who feared "Brandenburg" detachments, landed on a stadium, on the southern side of comprising excellent trained volunteers, the bridge, supported their colleagues that fluent in several languages, trained for were parachuted from the seaplanes, and missions by parachute into the enemy lines. during all this time they commandeered On September 1, 1939, a group of 80 several trams. Paratroopers of Captain Karl- soldiers from the elite corps, led by Lothar Schultz were dropped east of the Lieutenant Gräbert acted in triage Katowice Waalhaven airfield, drawing into battle the in Poland, opening the series of hostilities Dutch forces that were trying to defend it, of the Second World War [2], where the in order for a battalion from the 16th German Airborne troops will be both Airborne Infantry Regiment to land without winning and losing during all this war.For any difficulties and in a short period of time the occupation of Denmark and Norway in conquered the airfield. In the Hague, April 1940, nearly 500 transport aicraft, German paratroopers in Dutch uniforms three-engined Junkers Ju-52, heavy Junkers managed to confuse the local people, being Ju-90 and Focke-Wulf FW-200 transported confused with the Dutch army. At 15th by air paratroopers and airborne units. May 1940, 9.30 a.m., "The Netherlands Liddell Hart stated that "it was also used a surrenders. General Henri Winkelman battalion of paratroopers - to capture the orders the cessation of hostilities. The airports in Oslo and Stavanger. It was for Hague surrenders without fighting.[…]In the first time in the war when airborne Belgium, nazi paratroopers conquer the troops were used, their contribution proving bridges in the area of Maastricht- to be extremely important [...]. The mission Veldmezelt and Vroenhoven on the Albert to capture Oslo was assigned to Canal. Paratroopers of Lieutenant Colonel paratroopers, who landed on Fornebu Mikosch reach the front of the fortress airport; in the evening, this symbolic force Eben-Emael" [5]. marched through the city, in what was For the assault of this fortress, ranked as the supposed to intimidate the Norwegians" [3]. most modern in the world, and designed to For Operation Gelb - the German Offensive protect the three bridges, nine of Lieutenant against Netherlands, Belgium and France, a Witzig's gliders landed on her "Panzerdivision" should have been attacked superstructure, German pioneers managing the central part of the Netherlands, and to neutralize artillery sites and observation another division, the southern part of the posts. Almost 1,000 Belgian soldiers were country and then to move forward to taken prisoner and their surprise was greater Belgium. The airborne corps, under the when they saw the small number of German command of Lieutenant-General Kurt paratroopers who had occupied the fort. On Student, had to conquer the vital points to May 27, 1940 the Belgian King Leopold ensure the advance of the armored troops surrendered. At June 21, 1940, France, who and to interconnect with them. "Airborne was also defeated, was forced to sign an troops get in action. They are launched on armistice [6]. Vaalhaven airfield, near Rotterdam, on the In anticipation of the operation Mercury - Hague and on Dordrecht island, near the big the conquest of Crete in May 1941 - port of Moerdik. In the Netherlands, the Germans launched several airborne main airfields and communication nodes formations in the islands of Limnos, Thasos are intercepted" [4]. and Samothrace, in northeast Aegean Sea, 12 Heinkel-59 seaplanes landed paratroopers between April 24 to 29, 1941, and captured from the detachment commanded by on 26 April 1941 the metallic bridge over Lieutenant Schrader, who went up to the the Corinth canal in to cut the withdrawal double bridge over the Meuse, without means through Peloponnesus for the British

312 troops and the Commonwealth ones. The first step, a commando company whose element of surprise was represented by people speak English, and entered with 40 sappers-paratroopers, carried by three jeeps into the alloy when the front was gliders DFS-230, which landed precisely pierced. Their mission was to disrupt phone and smoothly at both ends of the bridge, lines, to redirect traffic signs and neutralizing guard and devices to destroy it suggestions to the roads are blocked. before the defenders to react, 200 aircraft Confusion among Americans was able to Junkers -52 have dropped by a battalion of lead them to take the most severe measures paratroopers on each side of the channel. clamping teams walked freely to the rear, The British managed to destroy anti-aircraft with the first resulting in a huge traffic jam Bofors gun using the bridge, which hit a for search saboteurs. Panic created by the bunch of explosives disconnected. assumption that many of these gangs On September 12, 1943, a company of operate freely and rumor that tasked paratroopers under the command of Otto assassinate Eisenhower and other senior Skorzeny, landed gliders near the hotel military commanders allies have imposed "Campo Imperatore" in Gran Sasso, their taking precautions exaggerated and Abruzzi Mountains, at over 2,200 m embarrassing, they have hampered altitude, where Benitto Mussolini was considerably freedom of action over almost arrested by their compatriots and without ten days [9]. encountering any resistance from Italian guard, "Il Duce" was on board a glider and 3. Allied paratroopers in airborne transported to the German base "practice di operations and special missions. Mare" near Rome, and from there to Vienna In 1940 England created the first battalion [7]. Battalion 500th SS, created in the same of paratroopers and on September 1, 1941 period of Skorzeny, the SS officers and was established 1st Aerotransport Brigade, volunteers, as well as rehabilitation of which soon will increase herds and become prisoners eager, was tasked with other First Airborne Division [10]. In 1942 it was special missions. Trying to capture created the 6th Airborne Division and the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito, in June two structures together with bands like the 1944, it resulted however in failure after US, particularly Divisions 82nd and 101st three days of fighting with paratroopers Airborne, created in mid-August 1942, Germans he managed to escape through a were covered with glory in major airborne secret exit of the cave that is his point of operations allied in the second part of the order. The same SS battalion in October Second World War. Simultaneously, small 1944, imposed a new pro-german groups of paratroopers behind enemy government in Budapest, baffling Admiral launched, would it create its Horthy's intention to conclude a separate unpleasantness, some of the most peace with the Soviets. spectacular consequences. During the riposte in Ardennes, in In France, on February 27, 1942, he was December 1944, through which the executed a raid to destroy airborne Germans hoped to conquer again the (removal) radar station at Bruneval near Le strategic advantage in Western Europe Havre, which was part of the coastal which can be a model in terms of creating network installed by the Germans to rein in diversion by misinformation to the effect aviation English. Operation entrusted Major exceeded the expectations of its initiators Frost and Company "C" of the 2nd [8]. Otto Skorzeny, now commander of the Battalion Parachute English, recently 150th Brigade Commando, sent his men to established, was the launch of three groups the rear allied team uniforms American to of paratroopers, after previously had been occupy the bridges of the Meuse and to executed an airstrike. The first group cause confusion among allied troops. In a neutralized German defenses at Bruneval

313 second blocked a nearby German position, mountains Abruzzi in southern Italy, which where there were over 100 people, and the supplied drinking water ports serving the third took radar station itself and foundation German-Italian North Africa. dismantled it. Upon successful completion Unfortunately detachment could not be of the mission, 119 British paratroopers recovered with a submarine the next were boarded ships were waiting for them morning and was fully captured. with the most important parts of the radar In June 1940, Major David Stirling, from station. Their losses amounted to three the Scottish Guard, established a Special dead, seven wounded and six missing [11]. Forces unit called Detachment L/SAS In Norway, the plant in Vemork, located a Brigade, to refuel existing rumors about the few kilometers from Rjukan, in a presence of a parachute brigade in North mountainous region, the Germans were Africa. The unit was to be transported to the producing heavy water needed for making target group Deep Desert Journey/Long atomic bomb. For destruction of the plant - Range Desert Group/LRDG and would Operation Freshman - on November 19, perform strategic missions deep 1942, a detachment English be among underground to destroy German airfields paratroopers Companies 9 and 267 troops and installations in the Middle East. genius, under Lieutenant Allen and After the first operation failed - Crusader, Matthew, was embarked in two gliders attacking an airfield German assaulting Horsa, towed aircraft Halifax at based on airborne - due to loss/capture of 42 of the Skitten, Scotland. One of them was broken 61 officers and soldiers who landed in a glider towing cable and was struck by wrong area during one of the biggest storms mountains, its survivors being trapped and of the past 30 years groups commando executed. No other crew had a better fate made up of four people, continued to be and thus the operation failed. On February launched at 10 to 12 miles of enemy 27, 1943, a detachment of Norwegian airfields, after executing reconnaissance research has managed to destroy the plant over 100 enemy planes were destroyed on in Vemork [12]. the ground with fire bombs, plastic In many of their actions in Europe, and explosives delayed, inserted into the especially in France, paratroopers allies reservoir. Meanwhile, terrestrial nocturnal have supported cooperation with the raids into enemy ports and airports, where resistance elements, especially the French planting bombs and incendiary devices Resistance who were asked to mark areas have been very successful (Lewes bomb, where he would parachute research groups the first portable explosive and incendiary and later if permitted land, jeeps armament invented by Jock Lewes). At their turn necessary. In France they were created over American Jeeps, which have mounted 43 bases action and small groups consisting machine guns, proved very suitable harsh usually of four people, which included desert conditions. In August 1942 these often and French or Belgian trained in groups were the 1st Regiment SAS England for such missions were launched in commando, composed of four British German bullying communication lines. squadrons, one French and one Greek and a In June 1940, when the British founded the special boat squadron. first school of paratroopers, a first subunit - Diversionary raid on the port of Benghazi Commando 2 - was transformed into a body (Operation Bigamy) led directly by Stirling, dedicated to particular tasks by parachute was not as successful as expected because under the name Battalion 11 SAS (Special of the presence of English in the early Air Service). On February 10, 1941, a morning. Following actions on Jalo oasis detachment under the command of Major (Operation Nicety) and aerodrome BARC Pritchard, 7 officers and 31 paratroopers (Operation Caravan), where British destroyed aqueduct from Tragino in the commandos destroyed 16 aircraft and

314 damaged many others and the main In Italy, SAS fighters were engaged in the barracks aerodrome. It is supposed that, in operation Begonia, airborne component in reality, the operations had other codenames, the Jonquil operation (2 to 6 October 1943), which are still kept secret. when 61 people were parachuted from In Tunisia, after the battle of El Alamein, Ancona and Pescara, with the mission to along the 900 km of coastal road linking recover the prisoners of war allies. Also on Marbl Arsh with Tripoli, SAS groups October 27, 1943, two SAS Regiment executed several night raids on columns executed an airborne raid - operation German, forcing them to move on and Candytuft - on the east coast of Italy British aviation expose bombing. between Ancona and Pescara, with a Stirling himself personally led most of mission to destroy the railway bridges. these actions like hit and run, which gave SAS, since the beginning tried to supply him notoriety, but he was captured by the and train the French Resistance units, which Germans at the beginning of 1943 by a sometimes caused them considerable losses special German anti-SAS unit. He spent the due to the hard strikes by the German rest of the war as a prisoner, escaping many occupiers, but this support it was best seen times until he was moved in Colditz Castle. during landings in Normandy - Operation Under his command, in the 15 months of Overlord in June 1944 - when elements of activity before being captured, SAS the SAS brigade were launched behind managed to destroy more than 250 aircraft German lines in support of the French on the ground, dozens of deposits, hundreds resistance. Thus, 144 people from 1st SAS of vehicles, railways and telecommunications. Regiment took part in the operation Field marshal Montgomery described the Houndsworth between June and September Stirling him as "mad, quite mad", but 1944, in areas Lyon, Chalon-sur-Saône, admitted that it took people like him during Dijon, Le Creusot and Paris, while 56 the war. people participated in the operation 1st SAS Regiment continued commando Bulbasket , near Poitiers. Perhaps betrayed, action in Sicily and southern Italy, before these were surrounded by an impressive being brought to England, and in April German force and 32 of them were captured 1943 was reorganized as Squadron Special and executed. raids and Special Boat Squadron [13]. The In mid-June, 150 people in the French SAS second unit has operated in the Aegean and Regiments and 3,000 members of the the Balkans by the end of the war, was French Resistance took part in the operation disbanded in 1945. Dingson. During the same period, SAS The second SAS regiment was created in French fighters were engaged in the Algeria in May 1943, under the command operations Cooney, Samwest and Lost. of Lieutenant Colonel William (Bill) In August 1944, during Operation Loyton, Stirling's brother David, and will play an 91 people from 1st Regiment SAS were important role in Europe's future launched in the Vosges, but the bad weather actions.Operation Husky - Allied invasion prevented their supply by air, and of Sicily in July 1943 - was supported by surrounded by Germans, 31 of them were Special Raids Squadron /1st SAS Regiment captured and executed. Instead, the fighters and 2nd SAS Regiment: operation of the 2nd Regiment SAS were supplied Narcissus (a raid carried out 40 fighters on from the air and led successful actions in a lighthouse on the south-eastern Sicily) cooperation with the French resistance in and operation Chestnut (two teams of 10 the forests of Rennes and the Loire, in the people in northern parachuted in the night woods of Darney to Belfort of July 12, 1943, with a mission to disrupt Towards the end of 1944, elements of the enemy communications path). 2nd Regiment SAS were parachuted in Italy in support of resistance Italian in Operation

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Tombola, acting alongside guerrillas Italian In turn, SAS lost 330 people. In September and Russian prisoners of war escaped 1945, Brigade SAS was disbanded by behind German lines to destroy airfields, passing the 5th SAS Belgian Regiment to attack convoys and the trains. In early 1945, the new Belgian army starting from 1 a detachment of two SAS Regiment, under October. Also, the 3rd and 4th French the command of Major Roy Farran, raided Regiments to were assigned to the French the German Corps Command located in Army, and at October 8, 1945, the 1st and Valley Pro, finished killing the chief of 2nd British SAS regiments were disbanded. staff of the body. In March 1945 the SAS Brigade command 4. Conclusions was appointed Brigadier Mike Calvert, Allies and Axis countries have successfully former commander of Chindits/Indian used groups of well-trained fighters, start Special Forces. by parachute behind the enemy lines, At the end of the Second World War, the throughout the war, and after, in what balance of SAS was 7733 enemies killed or would be called the Cold War. wounded and more than 23,000 prisoners.

References [1] Popişteanu, Cristian,Prefaţă la Cornelius Ryan, Un pod prea îndepărtat, Bucureşti, Editura Politică, 1977, p.9. [2] Soare, Vasile, Forţele speciale-comadouri aeropurtate în acţiune, Bucureşti, Editura Ziua, 2002, pp.69-75. [3] Hart, Liddel, Istoria celui de-al doilea război mondial, Bucureşti, Editura Orizonturi, Editura Lider, vol.1, f.a., pp. 87-89. [4] Loghin, Leonida, Al doilea război mondial (cronologie), Bucureşti, Editura Politică, 1984, p.33. [5] Loghin, Leonida, Al doilea război mondial (cronologie), Bucureşti, Editura Politică, 1984, p. 35. [6] Loghin, Leonida, Al doilea război mondial (cronologie), Bucureşti, Editura Politică, 1984, Op. cit., pp.39, 47. [7] Loghin, Leonida, Al doilea război mondial (cronologie), Bucureşti, Editura Politică, 1984, p.300. [8] Loghin, Leonida, Loghin, Leonida, Al doilea război mondial (cronologie), Bucureşti, Editura Politică, 1984, p. 419. [9] Hart, Liddell, Istoria celui de-al doilea război mondial, Bucureşti, Editura Orizonturi, Editura Lider, vol. 2, pp. 347-349. [10] Soare, Vasile, Forţele speciale-comadouri aeropurtate în acţiune, Bucureşti, Editura Ziua, 2002, p.101. [11] ***Histoire des opérations aéroportèes, Bruxelles, Elsevier Sequoi, 1979, ediţie franceză, tradusă şi adaptată după Airborne Operations, London, Salamander Books Ltd., 1978, p. 77. [12] ***Histoire des opérations aéroportèes, Bruxelles, Elsevier Sequoi, 1979, ediţie franceză, tradusă şi adaptată după Airborne Operations, London, Salamander Books Ltd., 1978, p. 78. [13] Hedny, Philippe, Malcros, Christian (coord.), Histoire mondiale des parachutistes, Société de Production Littéraire, Paris, 1974, p.71.

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