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 DOI: 10.1515/kbo-2017-0051 © 2017. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License. 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,