Does anyone knows which parachute unit was used for the German offensive against the Plateau du Vercors in July 1944?
Thanks in advance for your help
C.G.
Vercors July 1944, Luftlandetruppen
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Mitch Williamson
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Fallschirmbataillon "Jungwirth"
Fallschirmbataillon "Jungwirth" which was attached to KG200 at the time.
Bataillon Jungwirth and II/KG200 were stationed in Dedelstorf. Between 18th and 20th July, 2 companies of Bataillon Jungwirth were transported to Lyon.
“Die deutschen Lastensegler-Verbände 1937-1945” Georg Schlaug, Motorbuch Verlag 1985.
Bataillon Jungwirth and II/KG200 were stationed in Dedelstorf. Between 18th and 20th July, 2 companies of Bataillon Jungwirth were transported to Lyon.
“Die deutschen Lastensegler-Verbände 1937-1945” Georg Schlaug, Motorbuch Verlag 1985.
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Jason Pipes
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This is a peice I have sitting here in my files culled from numerous sources, online message threads, some side research, etc. Hope it proves to be of some use!
The predominant theme found in almost every account that relates to the battle of the Vercors plateau, and the airlanding drop at Vassieux is that of the participation of "SS Airborne troops" or "SS troops" in general. This assumption is incorrect. Through some basic research of information and a bit of simple time/place deduction, one can only relate that neither "SS-Fallschirmjaeger" troops, nor any sort of "SS Commando" units were involved in the Vercvors/Vassieux battle of July 21, 1944. In fact, the ONLY airborne-airlanded drop undertaken by "SS-Fallschirmjaeger" troops during the entire war was launched on May 25, 1944 at Drvar, in Yugoslavia against Josef Brosz Tito's Partisan Army Headquarters, in an attempt to capture the brilliantly elusive Guerilla leader. The 1000 man SS-FJ Battalion 500, which included a "Bewaehrungs" or probationary section, was practically decimated in this abortive assault and by late June of 1944 was reduced to a mere 292 combat fit soliders. On June 29, 1944 the "SS-Fallschirmjaeger-Battailon 500" was transferred to Gotenhafen in East Prussiaand swiftly on to Kaunas, Lithuania for participation in the hard fought retreat battles alongside 3.Panzerarmee in the Baltics - (where they were thusly employed well into August of 1944.) The sister unit of "SS-FJB 500" was "SS-FJB 600" which was forming up during this time frame, and not considered combat ready until an influx of a combat hardened cadre from the remains of "SS-FJB 500" upon it's return from the Eastern front to Vienna in Sept. 1944. The "SS-Fallschirmjaeger-Battailon 600" would see it's first combat deployment in Budapest, Hungary during Skorzeny's "Unternehmen Panzerfaust" in October 1944. The only other "Waffen-SS" unit minimally equipped or capable of the airlanding operation at Vassieux on July 21,1944 was Skorzeny's own "SS-Jaeger-Bataillon 502" (formerly known as "SS-Sonderverband Friedenthal zbV.") This was Skorzeny's mirror-formation of the OKH-Abwehr "Brandenburg" assault-infiltration organization. These "SS Commando" troops of SS-JB-502 were moved to the Reichshauptstadt from their camp at Friedenthal in the direct aftermath of the Coup attempt on July 21, 1944 and so were not available for the Vercors assault.
Something important to note as well when considering the participation of "SS" troops involved in the airlanding operation at Vassieux-en-Vercors [as so many accounts do], is the fact that "SS-Fallschirmjaeger" tended to wear basic Luftwaffe Fallschirmjaeger kit; cammo and helmets. All photographic evidence I have seen of the SS-FJ from Drvar, Estonia, and even Budapest show them wearing LW pattern "splinter-camouflage" and jump-helmets without SS insignia. It wasn't until late 1944 that limited supplies of SS-dot-patterned cammo jump-smocks became available to these particular troops. Considering this, how were the defending "Maquisard" at Vassieux able to tell the difference and report it afterward? *[1]
So, now that we can be reasonably assured that "SS troops" did not fall from the sky and land at Vassieux from Do17 towed DFS230 gliders on July 21, 1944, and can thereby discount (at least on this basic point) quite a few of the English and French language accounts of the battle mentioned heretofore - what are we to think? Primarily, that the authors of the main histories of this battle have been somewhat lazy researchers, and have passed along the same misconceptions concerning the German forces which participated in the battle right up to the present day.
That being said, who were the actual participants?
A) Two Ostlegionnaire-Kompanien (Russian, Ukrainian and Caucasian) from the Brandenburg "Legionnaire Lehr Bataillon" *[2] airlanded at Vassieux-en-Vercors in DFS-230 gliders on July 21, 1944. Further research has turned up that this glider-borne unit was known as "Fallschirm-Bataillon Jungwirth", and was airlifted from Lyon by I/1.Luftlandegeschwader to Vassieux. Once the FFI constructed airstrip was secured by "Fallschirm-Bataillon Jungwirth", the I/1.LLG transported the remaining troops of the Brandenburg-Lehr composite combat unit from Valence to Vassieux by air landed-transport from 7.22 to 7.23.44. These "Ostlegionnaire" troops landed near the centre of the FFI's main resistance, and won hard fought combat to secure the crudely constructed airstrip and badly bombed village. Losses were heavy on both sides.
From "Die Deutschen Lastenseglerverbande 1937-45" by Georg Schlaug:
Between 18.7 and 20.7 1944, 2 staffeln of I./LLG1 arrived in Lyon with 20 Do17/DFS230 and was to transport Fallschirm-Bataillon Jungwirth to Vassieux. The Bataillon was an ad-hoc formation with 2 companies and had just been formed under II./KG200 based in Dedelstorf. The two staffeln left Lyon for Vassieux on 21.7.44. On 23.7.44 I./LLG1 left Valence with 20 DFS 230 + 2 Go 242 from I./LLG2,and this time dropped a company of Ostlegionnaire and 50 Fallschirmjaeger at Vassieux. The following units were already in the Vassieux area on 21.7.44: 2 Grenadier-Bataillone and 2 Pionier-Kompanien of 157.Inf Res.-Div., Polizei Rgt.19, parts of Sicherungs-Rgt.200 and 3 Ostbataillone. (Lastenseglerverbande = Glider units.)
II./KG200 = This is the Luftwaffe unit which worked almost exclusively with the Abwehr and Brandenburg units on pathfinder, insertion, and "special operations", such as the hastily launched Vassieux air-landing operation. The involvment of this unit pretty much guarantees Brandenburg participation. As of 4.12.44 the Brandenburg Division had 4 full Fallschirmja(e)ger Kompanies in its order of battle.
B) Beginning on July 18, 1944, elements of the 157.Reserve (Gebirgs)Division, along with selected mobile units of the 9.Panzer-Division began their move, encircling the plateau. These troops (probably the most numerous of the entire operation) under the command of Generalleutnant Pflaum, moved from Grenoble-St.Nizier in the north and kept pressure from the east and west flanks, as well as from the south (9.Pz.Div), in a concerted sweep movement to envelop and reduce the 20 x 30km FFI salient on the "Vercors Masif." As they advanced the Police troops moved in to mop-up in their wake. In many instances the more heavily armed units of the "Garde Mobile" (see below), and Milice forces worked shoulder to shoulder with the German Army forces in direct combat with the FFI. *[3]
C) The third element of the Vercors Operation consisted of the SD and Sipo )Sicherheitspolizei) controlled Police elements following in the wake of the combat troops.
These elements included the combined Vichy French para-military police force known as the "Milice Francaise", whose sub-sections were known as the "Franc Garde Permanente" [regulars], Non-Permanente [volunteer irregulars]; and an elite sub-section of the Vichy "Police Nationale" known as the "Garde Mobile de Reserve"(GMR) which had the specific task of actively combating known terrorist organizations; they were one of the most brutal nemeses of the "Maquisards" of the FFI, working enthusiastically alongside the SD, and Ordnungspolizei to infiltrate and mercilessly root out opposition to the Vichy regime.
Notes:
*[1] - A.Munoz "Forgotten Legions: Obscure Units of the Waffen-SS." - (A complete OB of SS-Fallschirmjaeger Bataillon 500/600 is included in this seminal work.)
*[2] - Ibid.& OB Named German Formations,G.Nafziger.
*[3] "Resistance Warfare 1940-45" by Carlos Caballero Jurado.
The predominant theme found in almost every account that relates to the battle of the Vercors plateau, and the airlanding drop at Vassieux is that of the participation of "SS Airborne troops" or "SS troops" in general. This assumption is incorrect. Through some basic research of information and a bit of simple time/place deduction, one can only relate that neither "SS-Fallschirmjaeger" troops, nor any sort of "SS Commando" units were involved in the Vercvors/Vassieux battle of July 21, 1944. In fact, the ONLY airborne-airlanded drop undertaken by "SS-Fallschirmjaeger" troops during the entire war was launched on May 25, 1944 at Drvar, in Yugoslavia against Josef Brosz Tito's Partisan Army Headquarters, in an attempt to capture the brilliantly elusive Guerilla leader. The 1000 man SS-FJ Battalion 500, which included a "Bewaehrungs" or probationary section, was practically decimated in this abortive assault and by late June of 1944 was reduced to a mere 292 combat fit soliders. On June 29, 1944 the "SS-Fallschirmjaeger-Battailon 500" was transferred to Gotenhafen in East Prussiaand swiftly on to Kaunas, Lithuania for participation in the hard fought retreat battles alongside 3.Panzerarmee in the Baltics - (where they were thusly employed well into August of 1944.) The sister unit of "SS-FJB 500" was "SS-FJB 600" which was forming up during this time frame, and not considered combat ready until an influx of a combat hardened cadre from the remains of "SS-FJB 500" upon it's return from the Eastern front to Vienna in Sept. 1944. The "SS-Fallschirmjaeger-Battailon 600" would see it's first combat deployment in Budapest, Hungary during Skorzeny's "Unternehmen Panzerfaust" in October 1944. The only other "Waffen-SS" unit minimally equipped or capable of the airlanding operation at Vassieux on July 21,1944 was Skorzeny's own "SS-Jaeger-Bataillon 502" (formerly known as "SS-Sonderverband Friedenthal zbV.") This was Skorzeny's mirror-formation of the OKH-Abwehr "Brandenburg" assault-infiltration organization. These "SS Commando" troops of SS-JB-502 were moved to the Reichshauptstadt from their camp at Friedenthal in the direct aftermath of the Coup attempt on July 21, 1944 and so were not available for the Vercors assault.
Something important to note as well when considering the participation of "SS" troops involved in the airlanding operation at Vassieux-en-Vercors [as so many accounts do], is the fact that "SS-Fallschirmjaeger" tended to wear basic Luftwaffe Fallschirmjaeger kit; cammo and helmets. All photographic evidence I have seen of the SS-FJ from Drvar, Estonia, and even Budapest show them wearing LW pattern "splinter-camouflage" and jump-helmets without SS insignia. It wasn't until late 1944 that limited supplies of SS-dot-patterned cammo jump-smocks became available to these particular troops. Considering this, how were the defending "Maquisard" at Vassieux able to tell the difference and report it afterward? *[1]
So, now that we can be reasonably assured that "SS troops" did not fall from the sky and land at Vassieux from Do17 towed DFS230 gliders on July 21, 1944, and can thereby discount (at least on this basic point) quite a few of the English and French language accounts of the battle mentioned heretofore - what are we to think? Primarily, that the authors of the main histories of this battle have been somewhat lazy researchers, and have passed along the same misconceptions concerning the German forces which participated in the battle right up to the present day.
That being said, who were the actual participants?
A) Two Ostlegionnaire-Kompanien (Russian, Ukrainian and Caucasian) from the Brandenburg "Legionnaire Lehr Bataillon" *[2] airlanded at Vassieux-en-Vercors in DFS-230 gliders on July 21, 1944. Further research has turned up that this glider-borne unit was known as "Fallschirm-Bataillon Jungwirth", and was airlifted from Lyon by I/1.Luftlandegeschwader to Vassieux. Once the FFI constructed airstrip was secured by "Fallschirm-Bataillon Jungwirth", the I/1.LLG transported the remaining troops of the Brandenburg-Lehr composite combat unit from Valence to Vassieux by air landed-transport from 7.22 to 7.23.44. These "Ostlegionnaire" troops landed near the centre of the FFI's main resistance, and won hard fought combat to secure the crudely constructed airstrip and badly bombed village. Losses were heavy on both sides.
From "Die Deutschen Lastenseglerverbande 1937-45" by Georg Schlaug:
Between 18.7 and 20.7 1944, 2 staffeln of I./LLG1 arrived in Lyon with 20 Do17/DFS230 and was to transport Fallschirm-Bataillon Jungwirth to Vassieux. The Bataillon was an ad-hoc formation with 2 companies and had just been formed under II./KG200 based in Dedelstorf. The two staffeln left Lyon for Vassieux on 21.7.44. On 23.7.44 I./LLG1 left Valence with 20 DFS 230 + 2 Go 242 from I./LLG2,and this time dropped a company of Ostlegionnaire and 50 Fallschirmjaeger at Vassieux. The following units were already in the Vassieux area on 21.7.44: 2 Grenadier-Bataillone and 2 Pionier-Kompanien of 157.Inf Res.-Div., Polizei Rgt.19, parts of Sicherungs-Rgt.200 and 3 Ostbataillone. (Lastenseglerverbande = Glider units.)
II./KG200 = This is the Luftwaffe unit which worked almost exclusively with the Abwehr and Brandenburg units on pathfinder, insertion, and "special operations", such as the hastily launched Vassieux air-landing operation. The involvment of this unit pretty much guarantees Brandenburg participation. As of 4.12.44 the Brandenburg Division had 4 full Fallschirmja(e)ger Kompanies in its order of battle.
B) Beginning on July 18, 1944, elements of the 157.Reserve (Gebirgs)Division, along with selected mobile units of the 9.Panzer-Division began their move, encircling the plateau. These troops (probably the most numerous of the entire operation) under the command of Generalleutnant Pflaum, moved from Grenoble-St.Nizier in the north and kept pressure from the east and west flanks, as well as from the south (9.Pz.Div), in a concerted sweep movement to envelop and reduce the 20 x 30km FFI salient on the "Vercors Masif." As they advanced the Police troops moved in to mop-up in their wake. In many instances the more heavily armed units of the "Garde Mobile" (see below), and Milice forces worked shoulder to shoulder with the German Army forces in direct combat with the FFI. *[3]
C) The third element of the Vercors Operation consisted of the SD and Sipo )Sicherheitspolizei) controlled Police elements following in the wake of the combat troops.
These elements included the combined Vichy French para-military police force known as the "Milice Francaise", whose sub-sections were known as the "Franc Garde Permanente" [regulars], Non-Permanente [volunteer irregulars]; and an elite sub-section of the Vichy "Police Nationale" known as the "Garde Mobile de Reserve"(GMR) which had the specific task of actively combating known terrorist organizations; they were one of the most brutal nemeses of the "Maquisards" of the FFI, working enthusiastically alongside the SD, and Ordnungspolizei to infiltrate and mercilessly root out opposition to the Vichy regime.
Notes:
*[1] - A.Munoz "Forgotten Legions: Obscure Units of the Waffen-SS." - (A complete OB of SS-Fallschirmjaeger Bataillon 500/600 is included in this seminal work.)
*[2] - Ibid.& OB Named German Formations,G.Nafziger.
*[3] "Resistance Warfare 1940-45" by Carlos Caballero Jurado.
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sid guttridge
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Hi Guys,
Thanks to Jason for that synthesis.
This operation was one of four the French formally raised at Nurenburg because of the large numbers of civilians killed during it by German forces. Because the other three massacres were definitely committed by the Waffen-SS there is a slack assumption in most French writing on the Vercors disaster that the killing of several dozen civilians at Vassieux and a second massacre of maquis wounded at a cave several days later were also committed by the Waffen-SS.
However, in neither case does the Waffen-SS or any other section of the wider SS appear to have been involved. Both main massacres during the Vercors operation were committed by the unit that was air-landed at Vassieux. As Jason rightly points out, this was not part of the Waffen-SS.
As he also points out, the only Waffen-SS unit apparently trained and available for such an operation was then near Berlin with Skorzeny. The day after the Vassieux descent he and it were caught napping by the Bomb Plotters coup in Berlin and took some eight hours to move just 30 miles into the centre of the capital, only to arrive just as the army was concluding its suppression of the coup - an embarrassing lapse that doesn't seem to be widely noted by devotees of the Skorzeny legend or, indeed, by Skorzeny himself.
Good thread. Thanks.
Sid.
Thanks to Jason for that synthesis.
This operation was one of four the French formally raised at Nurenburg because of the large numbers of civilians killed during it by German forces. Because the other three massacres were definitely committed by the Waffen-SS there is a slack assumption in most French writing on the Vercors disaster that the killing of several dozen civilians at Vassieux and a second massacre of maquis wounded at a cave several days later were also committed by the Waffen-SS.
However, in neither case does the Waffen-SS or any other section of the wider SS appear to have been involved. Both main massacres during the Vercors operation were committed by the unit that was air-landed at Vassieux. As Jason rightly points out, this was not part of the Waffen-SS.
As he also points out, the only Waffen-SS unit apparently trained and available for such an operation was then near Berlin with Skorzeny. The day after the Vassieux descent he and it were caught napping by the Bomb Plotters coup in Berlin and took some eight hours to move just 30 miles into the centre of the capital, only to arrive just as the army was concluding its suppression of the coup - an embarrassing lapse that doesn't seem to be widely noted by devotees of the Skorzeny legend or, indeed, by Skorzeny himself.
Good thread. Thanks.
Sid.
Massacres de Vassieux-Vercors
Until now french historians have discussed mainly the french side of the Vercors battle. Why, how, on whose orders, why no help from Algiers.
And factual timing of evenements.
But they are beginning to broaden their scope, and begin to put in doubt some accounts presented by witnesses. Particularly in the identification of german units. The presence of SS on the plateau seems now unlikely, the local people calling SS any unit not typically WH, like Osttruppen, Jaeger, Fallschirm and even airforce.
It is proven that the massacres, in town and at the hospital-cave, where made by troops having landed from gliders. However the real nature of these troops remains to be defined, and they were probably regulars, and not SS.
And factual timing of evenements.
But they are beginning to broaden their scope, and begin to put in doubt some accounts presented by witnesses. Particularly in the identification of german units. The presence of SS on the plateau seems now unlikely, the local people calling SS any unit not typically WH, like Osttruppen, Jaeger, Fallschirm and even airforce.
It is proven that the massacres, in town and at the hospital-cave, where made by troops having landed from gliders. However the real nature of these troops remains to be defined, and they were probably regulars, and not SS.
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sid guttridge
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Hi Alsaco,
Thanks for that.
Can you clarify something for me?
There is often confusion about how many Maquis there were on the Vercors plateau. This seems to arise because the total Drome maquis is sometimes included in the Vercors figure.
Am I right in thinking that the number of maquis on the Vercors plateau itself were only about 1,000 and that the figures of 3,000+ sometimes quoted actually refer to the whole Drome maquis, most of whom were in the lower country to the south of the Vercors plateau? (The figures I give are vague because I am operating from memory).
Cheers,
Sid.
Thanks for that.
Can you clarify something for me?
There is often confusion about how many Maquis there were on the Vercors plateau. This seems to arise because the total Drome maquis is sometimes included in the Vercors figure.
Am I right in thinking that the number of maquis on the Vercors plateau itself were only about 1,000 and that the figures of 3,000+ sometimes quoted actually refer to the whole Drome maquis, most of whom were in the lower country to the south of the Vercors plateau? (The figures I give are vague because I am operating from memory).
Cheers,
Sid.
I do not have my documentation here, but I feel you are right in counting only 1000 people active on the plateau.
In fact the essential limitation was arms. Many more people could have been called to join, but lack of equipment made that many groups having voluntered were send back home
If you wish to obtain better indications, there is a site on the war in this region at
http://www.chronicus.com
were you can found articles and comments with a specialised historical forum.
The webmaster would certainly be happy to help, and translate into french any querries, but english can be understood by the specialists, mainly professors in history in local colleges, participating in the discussions
In fact the essential limitation was arms. Many more people could have been called to join, but lack of equipment made that many groups having voluntered were send back home
If you wish to obtain better indications, there is a site on the war in this region at
http://www.chronicus.com
were you can found articles and comments with a specialised historical forum.
The webmaster would certainly be happy to help, and translate into french any querries, but english can be understood by the specialists, mainly professors in history in local colleges, participating in the discussions
-
sid guttridge
- on "time out"
- Posts: 8055
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 4:54 am
Re: Vercors July 1944, Luftlandetruppen
I hate to open up a dead thread but I was just curious. Its funny that Jason cited Munoz's Forgotten Legions book because in his section on SS jagdverband Sudwest he claims it was the Brandenburg's Streifkorps Sudenfrank that conducted the glider landings at Vassieux, but shows little concrete evidence to back it up, other than the fact that the French thought they heard an Eastern Euopean or Russian dialect. If this is wrong, does this put some of the other claims of his book under question as well?