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3,000 man Brandenburg Para Battalion in Roma??????

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New Connaught Ranger

Posted: December 06, 2011 01:44 pm

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I have been re-reading "The Last Year Of The German Army, May 1944 - May 1945" by James Lucas ISBN 1-85409-334-7. Published in 1994.

In Chapter 6 "Theaters Of War: The Eastern Front, page 186: The Loss of the "Brandenburg Parachute Battalion in Romania" he writes:-

QUOTE

Let us go back to the Eastern Front and to the attempts made by the Third Reich to keep her Allies in the war on her side in the final months of 1944. Even before the Red Army drove into Romania, King Michael and his advisers sought to change sides. To prevent the loss of Romania's vital oil supplies, Hitler was prepared to commit every available unit. The most formidable division on the German Army's establishment was 'Brandenburg', and from that elite formation the unit immediately available for operational duties was the parachute battalion. When Hitler was told of Romania's intention to defect from the Axis camp and to enter that of the Soviets, he ordered the 'Brandenburg' para battalion to seize and to hold the Romanian capital Bucharest. The most casual consideration of the Führer's order would have shown that a thousand men, undoubtedly skilled but lacking heavy equipment, could not capture and hold a major European city. Nevertheless, the Führer had issued the order and it had to be obeyed.

There were initial difficulties to contend with. The battalion could not be lifted in a single operation because there were insufficient transport aircraft and political events had changed the situation. The battalion's initial task was to land and seize both the airfield and town of Otopeni some eight miles (12km) north of the capital, after which the main body of the battalion would be air-landed during the 24/25 August and go on to capture Bucharest. The battalions advance guard, a squad of twelve men landed and captured the airstrip against minimal opposition from the Romanians, who seemed to be confused by the turn of events.

To the surprise of the para group, they were attacked from the air by Fiesler Storch light aircraft whose crews showered hand grenades down upon them, clearly believing them to be Romanians. The twelve men took shelter in a couple of dug outs and were further surprised when a telephone rang. It was a German military post reporting in. The advance guard commander then stole an Opel and set out to find the military post described as Forest Camp No. 1, which was located some 1 1/2 miles (2.5km) distant. There was yet another surprise awaiting the major and his two-man team when they found the camp. He and his men were dusty and disheveled but at the camp's main gate stood a smartly turned out double guard who presented arms as if they were on the parade ground. The commander of Forest Camp No. 1, had made no preparations to defend it, although he knew of the seriousness of the situation.

The para officer, now acting commander of Otopeni airfield, took stock of the situation which faced him. The garrison of the Forest Camp were untrained office clerks, who, even if they had been skilled soldiers, might have been thought too few in number to attempt the capture of Bucharest. The major however considered it an enterprise worth attempting. Stuka's were ordered to support the ground attack, which was to go in at 1900 hours. Before the ground troops moved off a transport bought in sixty more paras, and following the Stuka bombardment two more transport machines touched down carrying a total of 120 men. Between the 25th and 29th two thousand paras were landed at Otopeni, but shortly after one para group deplaned U.S. Flying Fortresses bombed the airfield and cratered the runways.

During the day patrols reported in with the news that every German unit in and around Bucharest was ringed by Romanian troops. Then the Forest Camp came under artillery and tank-gun fire, after which a delegation of Romanian officers drove up, demanding that the Germans leave the country immediately; if that demand was accepted, they then would be allowed to keep their weapons and (be) escorted to the Yugoslavian frontier. The offer was accepted and on the 1 September, with the Brandenburg paras in the van, the Germans set out.

En-route to Yugoslavia the group was halted by a new Romanian delegation, whose officers demanded that the two generals riding with the column accompany them to Russian headquarters for further talks. The Red Army commanders has not agreed to the Romanian offer and the Soviet officers were insisting that the column personnel were now prisoners of war. The Romanians, keen to appease their new Russian allies, then took up attack positions around the column. Any attempts to breakout so as to reach Yugoslavia was out of the question.

One can only speculate what the outcome of such a surrender demand would have been had it been in the days when the German army was triumphant. As it was, in September 1944 nearly 3,000 qualified paratroops, each man a specialist and skilled fighter, surrendered to Romanian troops who were not their equal. Truly a case of sic transit gloria . . .

Just a couple of comments, the author refers to a "para battalion" and then gives a figure of nearly 3,000 men????

Did the actions as described by him occur as simply as he states?

Kevin in Deva.

Cantacuzino

Posted: December 06, 2011 03:19 pm

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QUOTE

Just a couple of comments, the author refers to a "para battalion" and then gives a figure of nearly 3,000 men????

I believe the figure of nearly 3000 men from para battalion is exagerate. More apropiate figure is up to 1000 men.

At least 10 Me 323 Gigant ( with para Brandenburg unit) were lost between 23-27 august 44.
One Me 323 Gigant could carry 80 to 120 equiped men.
See also the link below.

http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=2336&hl=me 323 gigant&st=0

Alanmccoubrey	Posted: December 06, 2011 03:50 pm
Soldat Group: Members Posts: 38 Member No.: 1520 Joined: July 28, 2007	Kevin, I believe that the entire column which was handed over to the Soviets totalled 3,000 men(I have seen only 2,000 as the strength as well). However since the Brandenburgers were only part of that column I think that Lucas has just gotten mixed up here. Also not all of the Branderburger wer from the FJ Btln, men from either the III or IV Btln had been draughted in to bring up their strength. http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php...t=7554&start=15

Petre	Posted: December 06, 2011 04:13 pm
Locotenent colonel Group: Members Posts: 894 Member No.: 2434 Joined: March 24, 2009	http://www.germanmilitaryhistory.com/blog/...urg-paratroops/ http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=27474 http://webspace.webring.com/people/ks/stre...aratroopBtn.htm

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