WWII German Paratroopers Airfix A02712V 1/32 Scale Model Kit 14 Parts included Fallschirmjäger is a collective term for German airborne units of the interwar period and World War II. The first parachute group was organized in Nazi Germany in 1936 - possibly as a result of observations made during Soviet maneuvers the previous year. The first airborne unit was created at the initiative of Hermann Göring and was assigned to the Luftwaffe. A year later (1937), the first part of this type was subordinated to the Wehrmacht, or rather to the ground forces. In 1938, these units were combined and expanded into the 7th Aviation Division under the command of General Kurt Student. It consisted of paratroopers, troops trained to transport gliders, and infantry transported to the battlefield by aircraft. During the Second World War, more Fallschirmjäger units were created, including in 1943, the 1st and 2nd Parachute Divisions were created on the basis of the 7th Aviation Division. In the period 1939-1941, the German Fallschirmjäger were used as intended (for example, during the fighting in Western Europe in 1940), but after the heavy losses suffered during the fighting in Crete in 1941, the German parachute troops began to use mainly as elite infantry units, they proved very successful in this role, earning them the nickname "Green Devils" among the Allies.
