Paratrooper

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Paratrooper
File:AB.gif
Placement
Faction American
Doctrine Airborne
Tree Any
Price
Manpower 300
Ammunition 0
Fuel 0
Population 6
Attributes
Squad Size 6
Health 420
Squad Slots 5
Targeting
Target Type infantry_airborne
Vision
Sight 35
Detection 7/0
Suppression
Suppression Threshold .2
Pinned Threshold .6
Recovery Rate .008
Upgrades
Mk2 Grenades
M18 57mm Recoilless Rifle
Satchel Charge
Abilities
Fire Up
Throw Satchel Charge
Throw Mk2 Grenade
Weapons
M1 Carbine
Mk2 Grenade
Recoilless Rifle
Satchel Charge

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. The formations are limited only by the number and size of their aircraft, so given enough capacity a huge force can appear "out of nowhere" in minutes, an action referred to as vertical envelopment.

Waves of Paratroops during Operation Market Garden.

History

The first modern consideration of the use of what we now call a paratroop force dates back to 1918. Towards the end of World War I, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell suggested dropping elements of the United States 1st Infantry Division behind German lines near Metz. The operation was planned for February 1919 but the war ended before such an attack could be seriously planned. Mitchell conceived that US troops could be rapidly trained to utilize parachutes and drop from converted bombers and land near Metz thus causing disruption behind the enemy's lines in synchronization with a planned infantry offensive.

Tactics

  • Keep them on the move. Airborne have the equivalent of Ranger armor when on the move and their M1 Carbines suffer low accuracy penalties.
  • Paratroopers can be dropped anywhere on the battle field so they can be used to raid enemy sectors. However, be conscious of their increased deployment time and spread.
  • Paratroopers are very vulnerable to anti-air weapons while dropping. Under no circumstances should you drop paratroopers in the immediate proximity of a Wirbelwind, Ostwind, SdKfz 222 Armored Car, or SdKfz 234/1.
  • Fire up can be used to overcome suppression, flank machine guns, or to escape sticky situations. Once their Fire Up ability is used, Paratroopers suffer from temporary exhaustion, making them highly vulnerable.
  • Recoilless rifles are accurate anti-tank weapons with high penetration against most tanks and vehicles. The have a markedly lessen effect against vehicles with side skirts.
  • Recoilless rifles have a very low scatter angle, making them highly accurate when firing from smoke. Conversely, this makes them highly inaccurate against vehicles with phase armor, such as Pumas and Armored Cars.
  • Satchel charges make short work of garrisoned structures and support weapons, but their 5 second fuse gives an alert enemy plenty of time to withdraw or retreat.
  • Keep an eye on your Paratroopers, they are better suited to skirmishing than extended fighting.
  • Build a triage center to keep Paratroopers alive.
  • A good Airborne Doctrine player stands out using his paratroopers to attack high priority targets, such as mortars, Nebelwerfers, snipers and Hummels.
  • Due to their high manpower cost, paratroopers are best not used as mainline infantry. Try to evade fights with low cost units, such as Volksgrenadiers.

See Also

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