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Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Afrika
Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke
Luftwaffenwaffen-Jäger-Brigade 1

The Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke was a elite German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-527-2348-21, Kreta, Fallschirmj?ger vor Start mit Ju 52.jpg are Germany paratroopers. Fallschirmj?ger of Germany in World War II were the first to be committed in large-scale airborne operations....
 Brigade
Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
 which saw action in the Mediterranean Theatre during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
.

History
Following the costly success of Operation Mercury, the airborne assault on Crete
Crete

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and the List of islands in the Mediterranean largest island in the Mediterranean Sea at 8,336 km? ....
 in 1941, several elite Fallschirmjäger units were formed into an ad-hoc brigade under the command of veteran commander Oberst Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke
Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke

Hermann-Bernhard "Gerhard" Ramcke was a Germany general. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, one of only 27 people in the German military so decorated....
.






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Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Afrika
Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke
Luftwaffenwaffen-Jäger-Brigade 1

The Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke was a elite German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-527-2348-21, Kreta, Fallschirmj?ger vor Start mit Ju 52.jpg are Germany paratroopers. Fallschirmj?ger of Germany in World War II were the first to be committed in large-scale airborne operations....
 Brigade
Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
 which saw action in the Mediterranean Theatre during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
.

History


Following the costly success of Operation Mercury, the airborne assault on Crete
Crete

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and the List of islands in the Mediterranean largest island in the Mediterranean Sea at 8,336 km? ....
 in 1941, several elite Fallschirmjäger units were formed into an ad-hoc brigade under the command of veteran commander Oberst Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke
Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke

Hermann-Bernhard "Gerhard" Ramcke was a Germany general. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, one of only 27 people in the German military so decorated....
. The brigade was slated to take part in Operation Hercules, the planned invasion of Malta
Malta

Malta , officially the Republic of Malta , is a densely populated developed country European microstates microstate in the European Union....
.

When the attack was cancelled, the Brigade, now named Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Afrika, was sent to join Rommel's
Erwin Rommel

Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , was perhaps the most famous Germany Generalfeldmarschall of World War II. He was the commander of the Afrika Korps and became known for the skillful military campaigns he waged on behalf of the Wehrmacht in North Africa....
 Deutsches Afrika Korps in North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
.

In April 1942, the brigade was renamed Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke. After arriving in North Africa in July 1942, the brigade performed excellently, providing a counter to Stirling's
David Stirling

Colonel Sir Archibald David Stirling Distinguished Service Order Order of the British Empire was a Scottish laird, mountaineer, World War II British Army officer, and the founder of the Special Air Service....
 Special Air Service
Special Air Service

The Special Air Service is a special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model for the special forces of other countries....
, which had been wreaking havoc with the Axis command, control and logistical system. Ramcke's unit next formed a part of the spearhead during the DAK's assault towards the Suez Canal
Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is a canal in Egypt. Opened in November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa or carrying goods overland between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea....
, fighting alongside the Italian 25th Infantry Division Bologna
Italian 25 Infantry Division Bologna

The 25th "Bologna" Division was raised as an infantry division. It was stationed in Tripolitania and was sent to Libya for the invasion of Egypt. It fought in North Africa until it was destroyed in El Alamein....
 before British opposition solidified near the town of El Alamein
El Alamein

El Alamein is a town in northern Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea coast in Matruh Governorate. It is west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo....
.

The brigade was then heavily engaged in the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein

The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The battle lasted from 23 October to 5 November 1942....
. During the German withdrawal, the brigade was cut off behind enemy lines and written off as lost by Rommel. Despite this, on 3 November 1942, the brigade began marching west to rejoin the retreating Axis forces. On the night of 6/7 November, the brigade came upon a British 8th Army supply convoy, consisting of a large number of British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 transport vehicles. Without firing a shot, the brigade hijacked the column. Now fully motorised
Motorised infantry

Motorised infantry is infantry which is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured half-tracks or armoured personnel carriers....
, the brigade continued moving west. The transport unit which they had hijacked happened to be the entire supply convoy for an allied Armoured division, and besides the trucks themselves, Ramcke's men had captured quantities of fuel, water, food and cigarettes. By the time the brigade reached friendly forces, it had travelled over 200 miles. Following this feat, the brigade was sent back to Tunisia
Tunisia

Tunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast....
 for rest.

The brigade was now renamed Luftwaffenwaffen-Jäger-Brigade 1, and after a brief period of rest was thrown back into the lines against the advancing allied forces in Tunisia. Ramcke was transferred back to Europe, and command passed to Major Hans Kroh
Hans Kroh

Hans Kroh was a highly decorated German Fallschirmj?ger and general in the Bundeswehr....
, one of the battalion
Battalion

A battalion is a military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven company and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel....
 commanders. The brigade was involved in heavy fighting against the British in the mountainous terrain of southern Tunisia. The brigade kept fighting until the capitulation of Panzer-Armee Afrika in May 1943, when the survivors surrendered to the Western Allies.

Ramcke Brigade veteran Frederich-August von der Heydte went on to command Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 near Carentan
Carentan

Carentan is a Communes of France in the Manche Departments of France in Normandy in northwestern France.It is likely the site of ancient Crociatonum....
 in the 1944 Normandy campaign
Normandy Campaign

The Normandy Campaign can refer to:* Operation Overlord - The Western Allied campaign in France from June 6 - August 25, 1944* The Invasion of Normandy - The initial part of Overlord, from June 6 - mid-July, 1944...
. Ramcke himself was placed in command of the defence of Brest
Brest, France

Brest is a city in the Finist?re Departments of France in Bretagne in northwestern France.Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Brittany peninsula, Brest is an important port and naval base....
, which he held until 20 September 1944, and was responsible for the evacuation of over 40,000 civilians.

Commanders


  • General der Fallschirmtruppen Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke
    Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke

    Hermann-Bernhard "Gerhard" Ramcke was a Germany general. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, one of only 27 people in the German military so decorated....
     (1 Apr 1942 - 18 Nov 1942)
  • Oberstleutnant Hans Kroh
    Hans Kroh

    Hans Kroh was a highly decorated German Fallschirmj?ger and general in the Bundeswehr....
     (18 Nov 1942 - 18 Feb 1943)


Order Of Battle - July 1942


  • Brigadestab
  • I./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2 - Major Kroh
  • I./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3 - Major von der Heydte
  • II./Fallschirmjäger-Battalion 5 - Major Hubner
  • Fallschirmjäger-Lehr-Battalion/ XI.Flieger-Korps - Major Burckhardt
  • II./Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment
  • Pionier-Kompanie - Dr. Cord Tietjen
  • Panzerjäger-Kompanie (12x 3.7cm PaK 35/36)


See also


  • Second Battle of El Alamein
    Second Battle of El Alamein

    The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The battle lasted from 23 October to 5 November 1942....
    , North African Campaign
    North African campaign

    During World War II, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 16 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libya and Egypt deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia ....
  • Fallschirmjäger
    Fallschirmjäger

    File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-527-2348-21, Kreta, Fallschirmj?ger vor Start mit Ju 52.jpg are Germany paratroopers. Fallschirmj?ger of Germany in World War II were the first to be committed in large-scale airborne operations....
    , Airborne forces
    Airborne forces

    Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning....
  • Brigade
    Brigade

    A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
    , Battalion
    Battalion

    A battalion is a military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven company and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel....
    , Military unit
  • Luftwaffe
    Luftwaffe

    is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
    , Wehrmacht
    Wehrmacht

    Wehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....