Alpine Miniatures B004 Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1/16

Fallschirmjäger is the collective term for German airborne units of the interwar period and World War II. The first parachute unit was organized in Nazi Germany in 1936, perhaps as a result of observations made during Soviet maneuvers the previous year. The first parachute squadron was created on the initiative of Herman Göring and was assigned to the Luftwaffe. A year later (1937), the first unit of this type became subordinate to the Wehrmacht, or rather to the ground forces. In 1938, these units were combined and expanded to form the 7th Aviation Division under the command of General Kurt Student. It consisted of parachute infantry, troops trained to transport gliders, and infantry transported to the battlefield in airplanes. During World War II further Fallschirmjäger units were created, incl. In 1943, on the basis of the 7th Aviation Division, the 1st and 2nd Parachute Divisions were created. In the period 1939-1941, the German Fallschirmjäger was used for its intended purpose (e.g. during fighting in Western Europe in 1940), but after heavy losses suffered during fighting in Crete in 1941, German parachute troops began to be used primarily as elite infantry units, in which role they proved very successful, earning the nickname "Green Devils" among the Allies.