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Interesting new information about Fallschirmjäger ToE in the field in Normandy


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Our researcher over at FH2 recently dug up two interesting documents. These are US intelligence reports based on captured documents of the 2nd and 3rd FJG divisions in Normandy, showing their squad loadouts, which differ quite a bit. One little thing of interest: In both divisions, some assistant platoon leaders and one rifleman in (basically) each squad is carrying a "French rifle". I believe that this is a translation error: The Germans sometimes referred to the FG42 as "F-Gewehr" in their reports and I think the Americans, not knowing this obscure gun, mistranslated it.

I don't think I have ever seen the original docs th

is was translated from and was never sure about how FG42s were issued. It seems like the FJG squad of the time had only 1 lmg instead of the 2 the standard ToE assumes, but one was replaced by an FG42. There also was one in the platoon and company HQ. In addition to that, 3rd FJG apparently reported quite a few MP43s even in Normandy.

 

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Edited by Ts4EVER
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  • Ts4EVER changed the title to Interesting new information about Fallschirmjäger ToE in the field in Normandy
  • 5 months later...

For the 2 FJD on the 1st of July there is no mention of the FG42, the following weapons are listed:

Karabiner 98 k. 6441

Zielfehrnrohrgewehre. 286

Gewehr 41. 142

Pistolen 1817

M.P.  640

At the time it had only 5 battalions available.

So as you note, a very large amount of MP with 3 FJD, the number of one FG42 per squad is also plausible given 181 in total in the division.

 

 

Edited by Panserjeger
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A "status report" likely wouldn't be used for determining what's needed in terms of resupply.

Considering that the Wehrmacht was fielding quite the diverse "international" arsenal at this point of the war (without the issues seen in regards to logistics in the last few months of WW2), I'd assume that they had a decent system in place.

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