1.Fallschirm-Armee
| The 1.Fallschrim-Armee was formed between 11.05.43 and 4.01.44, in Nancy.It became operational in June 1944 under the command ofGeneraloberst Kurt Student. It was based on XI.Fliegerkorps which had beenformed in 1940 to control 7.Flieger-Division and the 22.Landungs-Divisionfor the 1940 campaign in Belgium and Holland. In 1941, the IX.Fliegerkorpcontrolled troops for the Invasion of Crete. From 1942 through early 1943,the XI.Fliegerkorps was involved in training and development of airbornewarfare as well as planning for a projected airborne attack on Malta. The Korps wasresponsible for 2.Fallschirm-Jäger-Division and the German takeover ofRome after Italy capitulated to the Allies in 1943. In 1944 it was reformedinto the 1.Fallschirm-Armee. Initially, the 1.Fallschirm-Amree was used as a training command attached toHeeresgruppe D in France. When the allies landed in France in June of 1944,the Armee came under the direct control of OKW, while continuing itstraining duties. The Amree went into combat for the first time on the 4th ofSeptember, 1944, at the Lower Rhein while attached to Heeresgruppe B. Following the Allied breakthrough in France, the 1.Fallschirm-Armee tookcontrol of the defensive lines in Belgium and eastern Holland. Organicelements of the Armee included armored units and heavy artillery, aparachute assault Battalion (under Hauptman Edurd Georg Huebner), and theFallschirm-Aufklärung-Bataillon 12. The Armee controlled the Gen.Kdo. II.Fallschirmkorp as well as other regularHeer Korps, along with several other fragments of units. Later, Kurt Studentbecame commander of Armeegruppe H and was replaced by Generaloberst AlfredSchlemm. The 1.Fallschirm-Armee strongly contested the Allied Market-Garden operation in September1944, and contributed to the ultimate failure of the operation. FromDecember 1944, the Armee was under Heeresgruppe H and from April 1945,directly under Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest. During November 1944 the unitwas known as Armeegruppe Student with 15th Army attached. In late 1944 andearly 1945, the Armee continued its defense of Holland and theapproaches to the Rhine river. Later, it defended the east bank of theRhine. The 1.Fallschirm-Armee surrendered in the Oldenburg area in April1945. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Organization | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Armee controlled the following units
* the 15th Army consisted of the following units on 5.11.44: LXXXVIII. AK: 59. ID, 712. ID, 256. ID | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commanders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GenOb Kurt Student 5.01.44 – 11.17.44 GenOb Alfred Schlemm 11.18.44 – 3.19.45 GenOb Günther Blumentritt (Heer), 3.20.45 – 4.09.45 GenOb Kurt Student 4.10.45 – 4.27.45 GenOb Erich Straube (Heer), 4.28.45 – 5.08.45 |