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{{Beta2}}
[[Category:Units]]
[[Category:Panzer Elite]]
{{Infobox  
| Image = Falls.gif | 64px
| Faction = Panzer Elite
| Doctrine = [[Luftwaffe Doctrine|Luftwaffe]]
| Item = Unit
| Size = 4
| Health = 240
| CrewHealth = 
| Slots =
| Target = infantry_soldier
| CrewCover =  
| CrewTarget =  
| Critical = infantry
| RearArmor =
| Sight = 35
| Detection = 7/0
| Suppressed = .2
| Pinned = .65
| Rate = .007
| MaxSpeed = 
| Acceleration = 
| Deceleration = 
| Rotation = 
| CrushMode = 
| CrushHuman =
| Ability1 = Fallschirmjager Camouflage
| Ability2 = Sprint
| Ability2Pic = [[File:Ability pnze sprint.png|20px]]
| Ability3 = Anti Building Incendiary Device
| Ability3Pic = [[File:Ability pnze anti building grenade.png|20px]]
| Ability4 = Fire Panzerfaust
| Ability4Pic = [[File:Ability axis fire panzerfaust.png|20px]]
| Upgrade1 = FG42 Assault Rifle
| Upgrade1Pic = [[File:Icon upgrade pnze fg42.png|20px]]
| Weapon1 = Panzer Elite Kar98K
| Weapon2 = Panzer Elite Kar98K Leader
| Weapon3 = FG42
| Weapon4 = Panzerfaust
| Weapon5 = Anti Building Incendiary Device
|-
}}
{{Veteran
| Link = http://coh-stats.com/Infantry:Fallschirmjager
| Faction = Panzer Elite
}}
{{UnitID
| Screen = [[Image:RelicCOH 2009-07-20 12-59-28-37.jpg|200px|thumb|center|]] {{+}}{{+}} [[Image:RelicCOH 2009-07-20 12-59-45-21.jpg|200px|thumb|center|]]
| Faction = Panzer Elite
}}
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallschirmj%C3%A4ger Fallschirmjäger] (often rendered Fallschirmjager in English; from the [[German]] Fallschirm "parachute" and Jäger, "hunter; huntsman" a term for light [[infantry]]) are German [[paratroopers]]. Fallschirmjäger of Germany in [[World War II]] were the first to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. During the entirety of World War II, the Fallschirmjäger commander was Kurt Student.
[[Image:Italien, Monte Cassino.jpg|600px|thumb|left|Fallschirmjager at Monte Cassino firing a [[MG42]]]]

== History ==
During World War II, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) raised a variety of airborne light infantry (Fallschirmjäger) units. Unlike [[Great Britain]], the British Commonwealth, and the [[USA]], the German paratroopers were part of the German Air Force rather than the German Army ([[Wehrmacht]] Heer). Starting from a small collection of Fallschirmjäger battalions at the beginning of the war, the Luftwaffe built up a division-sized unit of three Fallschirmjäger regiments plus supporting arms and air assets, known as the 7th Flieger Division (7th Air Division).

Fallschirmjäger units made the first airborne assault when invading Denmark on the 9 April 1940. However, one of their most important victories took place in defeat of the Belgian fort Eben Emael, which was regarded as impregnable at the time. With only 56 well trained men (and 7 month of preparation), they destroyed all main weapons and cupolas after a successful glider landing on the roof of the fort. The garrison of 1,200 men quickly surrendered to the mysterious airborne attackers. It remained a mystery throughout the war how the fallschirmjägers achieved this because of explicit secrecy about the circumstances. 

The biggest fallschirmjäger operation was the attack on Crete on May 20th 1941. During the next 2 weeks some 15,000 fallschirmjäger and 14,000 gebirgsjäger (air transport troops) fought the Commonwealth forces, which had around 40.000 men on the island. Even though they managed to conquer the island, the operation was generally seen as a failure because of heavy losses of elite fallschirmjäger troops. This was mainly because the German administration expected far fewer forces on the island (about 15,000 troops were expected instead of the over 40,000 actually there). Allied command was also informed about the invasion plans through their radio decryption and espionage.

Later in the war, the fallschirmjäger assets were re-organized and used as the core of a new series of elite Luftwaffe Infantry divisions, numbered in a series beginning with the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division. These formations were organized and equipped as motorized infantry divisions, and often played a "fire brigade" role on the western front. Their were often encountered on the battlefield as ad hoc battle groups (Kampfgruppen) detached from a division or organized from miscellaneous available assets. In accord with standard German practice, these were called by their commander's name, such as Group Erdmann in France, and the Ramcke Parachute Brigade in North Africa.

After mid-1944, fallschirmjäger were no longer trained as paratroops due to the realities of the strategic situation, but retained the fallschirmjäger honorific. Near the end of the war, the series of new fallschirmjäger divisions extended to over a dozen, with a concomitant reduction in quality in the higher-numbered units of the series. Among these divisions was the 9th Fallschirmjäger Division, which was the final parachute division to be raised by Germany during World War II. The division was destroyed during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945.

== Tactics & Tips ==
* Fallschirmjagers are lethal, but fragile.  When equipped with the FG42, they are best used ambushing from cover.
* Fallschirmjagers deploy via airdrop much like American paratroopers.
* When equipped with panzerfausts, Fallshirmjagers can quickly destroy light armor.  This is best done ambushing from cover, in order to minimize casualties.

== See Also ==
* [[#Category: Fallschirmjager Photographs | Fallschirmjager Photographs]]

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