3.

Fallschirm Jger Division

It was formed in October 1943 and sent to Brittany in February 1944. Being part of II. Fs. Korps it continued to train and form its component units.1 The manpower strength of the division stood at 15 075 on 1 March 1944. Twelve weeks later, on 22 May, the division had a ration strength of 17 420.2 The structure of the division looked like this on 22 May3:

The artillery regiment had only one battalion. It was equipped with four 10,5 cm le.F.H. 18 howitzers and three 10,5 cm recoilless in each of the three batteries.5 They were not motorized.6 The II. and III. Abteilungen were still forming in Germany, they did not see any action in Normandy.7 Probably the I. Abteilung had quite recently received its guns since it was reported that the division had no artillery pieces on 1 May.8 The equipment of the infantry regiments was9: I./5 39 MG, 16 Mtr II./5 31 MG, 13 Mtr III./5 47 MG, 12 Mtr I./8 42 MG, 13 Mtr II./8 42 MG, 12 Mtr III./8 41 MG, 18 Mtr I./9 35 MG, 13 Mtr II./9 26 MG, 12 Mtr III./9 29 MG, 13 Mtr 13./5 10 cm LG, number of guns unreadable 14./5 Two 7,5 cm AT guns 15./5 4 MG, 4 Flamethowers 13./8 Three MG, two 10 cm mortars 14./8 Nine 4,2 cm AT guns 15./8 3 MG, 9 Flamethowers 13./9 had no heavy weapons 14./9 Two 7,5 cm AT guns 15./9 7 MG, 5 Flamethowers

The engineer battalion had 33 machine guns and 22 flamethrowers.10 Equipment of the Panzer Jger Abteilung was mixed, though the three companies were similarly equipped. It seems that each company had three 7,5 cm Pak 40, one medium AT gun and four light AT guns.11 A Flak battalion was part of the division, but it seems that it had no guns.12 Probably it did not receive any before or during its comittment in Normandy, since the 2. Flak.Abt. from 2. Fs.Div. was subordinated to the 3. Fs.Div.13 Even though the division was nominally motorized, the shortage of vehicles made it only partially motorized, despite commandeering. Its motorization only stood at 45 % according to a report dated 22 May 1944.14 According to the postwar estimate of the division commander, the division had no more than about 40% of its authorized vehicles.15 Accordingly, when the division was sent to Normandy, it could motorize only one battalion in each parachute regiment.16 Of the other components of the division only about one third could be motorized.17

Shortly after the allied landings, the 3. Fs.Div. was sent to Normandy. On 10 June a combat group had reached Brecey-Villedieu18 and two days later the main part of the division had assembled in the St. L area.19 The entire division had arrived by 22 June.20 Until 12 July the division suffered 4 064 casualties.21 By 29 July the infantry battalions subordinated to the division were estimated to have the following combat values22: 1 stark, 2 mittelstark, 7 durchschnittlich, 1 abgekpft, 2 schwach As the reader can see, this amounts to thirteen battalions, or four more than the division actually possessed. It was quite common that battalions were temporarily subordinated to other units than their parent division. The kind of reports used in this case did not always make any distinction between organic battalions or temporarily subordinated. Similarly, the division had nine light artillery batteries and fourteen heavy anti-tank guns.23 The mobility still stood at 100% for the heavy weapons, but only 25 % for the infantry units.24 The explanation for the lack of mobility for the infantry is that the infantry had departed without their supply components.25 Many German divisions fighting in Normandy have been described as being destroyed after the battle. Often these statements are quite exaggerated. For this division, the word destroyed might however be more appropriate. As indicated above, the divisions casualties from 6 June - 12 July amounted to 4 064. During the period 1 July - 4 September, the losses were 2 561 killed in action, 7 248 wounded and 16 370 missing.26 According to Meindl, the division was destroyed at the Mons pocket 3 - 4 September, which may explain the very high casualties during the period given above.27 Since these casualties exceed the strength of the division, it can be concluded that either the division received replacements during the battle, or casualties suffered by temporarily subordinated units are included in the total for the division. Whatever the explanation, clearly the division suffered very serious casualties during the battle in Normandy and the subsequent retreat in northern France. Notes:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

G. Tessin, Verbnde und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS (Mittler & Sohn, Frankfurt am Main and Biblio Verlag, Osnabrck 1966-1975).
Kriegsgliederungen AOK 7, T312, R1566, F000144. Gliederung 3. Fs.Div. 22.5.44. BA-MA RH 20-7/136. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. On 7 August it was reported that these battalions were in Ldenscheid in Germany, wouthout any weapons. See bersicht ber den Stand der Art.Einh., Anlage 33 zum KTB des hheren Artilleriekommandeurs der Fallschirmtruppe (BA-MA RL 33/3). bersicht der Ksten- u. Eingreifdivisionen mit Panzerbrechenden Waffen, Stand vom 1.5.44, T312, R1568, F000718. Gliederung 3. Fs.Div. 22.5.44. BA-MA RH 20-7/136. Gliederung 3. Fs.Div. 22.5.44. BA-MA RH 20-7/136. This source is not entirely clear about the numbers of each category of AT guns and the information given in the text is also based on bersicht der Ksten- u. Eingreifdivisionen mit Panzerbrechenden Waffen, Stand vom 1.5.44, T312, R1568, F000718 and Taktische Reserven panzerbrechende Waffen innerhalb der Divisionen, Stand vom 1.5.44, T312, R1568, F000695.

10 Ibid. 11

12 Gliederung 3. Fs.Div. 22.5.44. BA-MA RH 20-7/136. 13 Anlage I zu Korpsarzt II. Fallsch.Korps B Nr. 65050/45 g.Kdos vom 27.1.45, Berichtzeit 1.7 - 4.9.44, BA-MA RL 33/5. 14 OB West Ia Anlagen, Anruf OKW/WFst Gen.Major Frhr.v.Buttlar bei OB West vom 22.5.44, T311, R24, F7028756. 15 R. Schimpf, Die Kmpfe der 3. Fallschirmjger-Division bei der Invasioin in Frankreich Juni/August 1944, MS # B-020, p. 4f. 16 Ibid, p. 6. 17 Ibid. 18 OB West Ia 4463/44 g.Kdos., den 10.6.44., T 311, R25, F7029425. 19 OB West Ia 4517/44 g.Kdos, 12.6.44, T311, R25, F7029487. 20 KTB AOK 7 Ia, entry 22 June 1944, T312, R 1568, F000790. 21 Anlage zu O.B.der H.Gr.B "Betrachtungen zur Lage" vom 16.7. T311, R3, F7002245. 22 AOK 7 Ia Nr. 4174/44 g.Kdos. den 2.8.44, T312, R1569, F000358.

23 Ibid. 24 Ibid. 25 Ibid. 26 Anlage I zu Korpsarzt II. Fallsch.Korps B Nr. 65050/45 g.Kdos vom 27.1.45, Berichtzeit 1.7 - 4.9.44, BA-MA RL 33/5. 27 Meindl, II. Fallschirmkorps (21 August - 3 September 1944), MS # A-859, p. 1.