Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 25

[Nicodemus]

Hi everyone,

This my first post on the Feldgrau forum, but I'm already a member of three other WW2 fora, including the AHF.

My question(s) concern FJR25. This unit was formed in early 1945 from Stab & III./FJR z.b.V., the Fallschirm-Batallion Brandenburg & Fallschirm-Batallion Hermann, under the command of Major Gerhard Schacht.

Question 1: Was FJB Brandenburg the Para Battalion of the Brandenburg Division? If so, the men would be highly experienced paratroopers and saboteurs.

In the night of 28 February 1945, II./FJR25 was flown into Breslau, followed by III./FJR26 a few nights later.

Question 2: Which aircraft were used? Were the Fallschirmjäger airlifted into the city with ordinary Junkers, or were gliders or even parachutes used (the Brandenburgers should be able to perform such a jump under favorable conditions)?

Thanks in advance,

Nick

[Lorenz]

Hi everyone,
This my first post on the Feldgrau forum, but I'm already a member of three other WW2 fora, including the AHF.
My question(s) concern FJR25. This unit was formed in early 1945 from Stab & III./FJR z.b.V., the Fallschirm-Batallion Brandenburg & Fallschirm-Batallion Hermann, under the command of Major Gerhard Schacht.
Question 1: Was FJB Brandenburg the Para Battalion of the Brandenburg Division? If so, the men would be highly experienced paratroopers and saboteurs.
In the night of 28 February 1945, II./FJR25 was flown into Breslau, followed by III./FJR26 a few nights later.
Question 2: Which aircraft were used? Were the Fallschirmjäger airlifted into the city with ordinary Junkers, or were gliders or even parachutes used (the Brandenburgers should be able to perform such a jump under favorable conditions)?
Thanks in advance,
Nick

To #1: almost certainly, although I can't confirm it; you will need someone who has one of the several unit histories of the Brandenburgers.

To #2: most troops and supplies were flown to Breslau-Gandau, the only useable airfield within the surrounded area, by Ju 52s from I. and II./TG 3. I. Gruppe was based at Senftenberg-Buchwalde. II. Gruppe's after-action report included the following about Breslau:

Feb 45: from around 7 February through April the Gruppe flew 566 air supply flights to the fortress city of Breslau, transporting in 3,770 troops and 657 tons of supplies and evacuating 3,282 wounded at a cost of 52 Ju 52s. Air crew losses for the Gruppe were 21 KIA, 84 MIA and 23 WIA. While the Gruppe was nominally based at Berlin-Werder for the operation, most of the flights to Breslau-Gandau were staged through Dresden-Klotzsche and Jüterbog.

The approaches to Breslau-Gandau were infested with Soviet AA and searchlight batteries and landing there and taking off was nearly suicidal. It became so dangerous that beginning on 7 March the city's Kaiserstraße was widened for use as an emergency airstrip should Gandau no longer be capable of any further use. However, during the night of 28 February, even before this widening process was started, a Fallschirmjäger battalion was flown to the Kaiserstraße by Go 242 and DFS 230 gliders towed by He 111s and Do 17s from Schleppgruppe 1, which was subordinate to the Fallschirm-AOK at that time. The gliders were released by the tow-aircraft at an altitude of 6,560 to 7,200 feet over Breslau, some of them landing at the Friesenwiese and the rest in the Kaiserstraße. The gliders and the tow-aircraft were picked up by the Russian searchlights and came under heavy antiaircraft fire. The second battalion of Fallschirmjäger was flown to Breslau-Gandau by Ju 52 a few night later.

It should be noted that these transport and air supply operations to Glogau and Breslau from January to April 1945 cost the Luftwaffe 165 Ju 52s and nearly all of its remaining Go and DFS gliders.

[Sources: Schlaug, Georg - “Eine Einheit, die kaum jemand kennt: Über die Einsätze der Fallschirmkampfbeobachter-Staffel 1944/45”, Jet & Prop magazine, 2/2000: 57-65; Morzik, Fritz - Die deutschen Transportflieger im Zweiten Weltkrieg (Frankfurt/Main, 1966), in English as German Air Force Airlift Operations. USAF Historical Studies: No. 167 (New York, 1968), pp.273-80].

--Lorenz

[Nicodemus]

That is some very useful info Lorenz, thanks a lot!

[Paddy Keating]

II./FJR 25 was certainly formed from the survivors of Fallschirmjäger-Btl "Brandenburg", along with recruits with no jump training. FJB Brandenburg had lost half its strength in the ill-fated 'Relief of Bucharest" in August 1945 and suffered subsequent losses when used as a 'fire brigade' unit on the Eastern Front. However, after they were airlifted into Breslau late in February 1945, they were redesignated Fallschirmjäger-Bataillon 67 on 15.3.1945.

PK

[panzerschreck1]

PK wrote:

'Relief of Bucharest" in August 1945

I hope you mean december, januari 44/45.....

[Nicodemus]

Thanks for the info Paddy! Fsch.Jg.Bat. Brandenburg didn't execute any airborne operations during that period (Bucharest, East Prussia) did they?

PK wrote:

'Relief of Bucharest" in August 1945

I hope you mean december, januari 44/45.....

That depends whether it is Budapest, Hungary or Bucharest, Romania. As far is I know the Brandenburg Division wasn't involved in Konrad or the fightin in Hungary in Winter 1944-45. The battle for Romania and it's capital Bucharest raged in August 1944, so I think that's what Paddy means .

[Paddy Keating]

As Nick says, I certainly meant August 1944. Here's an extract from an article I wrote a couple of years back.

In August, two companies of FJ-Btl "Brandenburg", formed into a kampfgruppe with two companies of the Brandenburg’s 3rd Regiment, took part in the ill-fated “Relief of Bucharest”. The aim was to rescue two generals - and their troops - whose HQ was encircled by pro-Soviet Romanian forces. A company-strength force of Brandenburg paras seized Bucharest’s Otopeni Airport at midday on August 24th and held it until 1900 hrs, when their comrades began arriving in Me323 Gigants. Meanwhile, other aircraft, including Gigants, were landing and taking off with German evacuees.

The Brandenburg paratroopers also moved to reinforce German defensive positions at the Targsorul-Nou airfield and around Waldlager 1 and 2, encircled by an estimated six-thousand enemy soldiers. By 2100 hrs, the airport and encircled German HQ areas were under German control. However, it became too dangerous to fly into the aerodromes so German commanders planned a withdrawal by land.

Negotiations with the Romanians, some of whom still professed loyalty to their German allies, secured promises that German forces in and around Bucharest would have safe passage to the Yugoslav border. However, all pretence of any cooperation ended on September 1st. As the German column was leaving Bucharest, protected by Brandenburgers, the Romanians turned them over to the Soviets. Few if any of the Brandenburgers survived Soviet captivity. The ORBAT of FJ-Btl Brandenburg was reduced by half as a result of the Bucharest mission.

[Doktor Krollspell]

Hello Gentlemen!

Don't forget about the Arab volunteers in the FJR 25...

http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17790


Regards,

Krollspell

[Jan-Hendrik]

That reminds me that I still wanted to "organize" the history of 9th FJD ...

Jan-Hendrik