SS-Fallschirmjager Battalion

Himmler supposedly got the idea to form an SS-Fallschirmjger batallion in September 1943
(eidence suggests that SS troops !ere underta"ing parachute training as early as 193#$% after
&peration &a" ('nternehmen (iche$) &peration &a" !as launched on 1* September and
included an airborne raid on the +ampo ,mperatore Hotel at -ran Sasso) .he operation !as
planned by /urt Student and lead by &tto S"or0eny by command of -erman dictator 1dolf
Hitler) 2uring this raid% a group of -erman parachutists aided by a daring glider-based assault
freed deposed ,talian dictator 3enito 4ussolini !ithout firing a single shot)

An SS Airborne Formation is Born

,n &ctober 1943% orders !ere gien by F5hrer H6 to raise an SS airborne formation) .his unit
!as often inaccurately referred to as a penal unit but !as in fact made up of both regular
olunteers and SS military prisoners classified under the SS military code as 73e!ahrungs-
Soldaten7 or 7b-soldaten)7 .his classification meant they commited iolations such as sleeping
on !atch% failure to obey an order etc)% rather than outright criminal acts such as murder% rape%
larceny% etc) 2ishonoured men of all ran"s of the SS !ho olunteered !ere thouroughly
screened by recruiters and those deemed !orthy and rehabilitable could redeem themseles
in this 3atallion) .he 3atallion8s number designation% 9::% stood for probationary unit%
although more than half of the 3atallion !as made up from regular olunteers)

SS Fallschirmjger 3atallion 9:: under the command of SS Sturmbannf5hrer Herbert
-ilhofer carried out jump training at the /ralyeo parachute school in ;ugoslaia during
<oember 1943% training !as completed in Hungary% early in 1944)

,n February 1944 the 3atallion !as gien its first operation% not an airborne assault but rather
an anti partisan s!eep in ;ugoslaia) 3y 1pril 1944 the 3atallion had returned to its base
and !as gien orders to prepare for another mission (this time it !as an airborne operation$
and command of the 3atallion !as handed oer to SS Hauptsturmf5hrer /urt =yb"a)

The Raid on Tito's HQ

'nternehmen =>sselsprung ("nights moe$ !as the name gien to the operation !hich had
the objectie of capturing .ito% at his ?artisan H6 in the mountains surrounding the to!n of
2rar in 3osnia) .hey !ere also tas"ed !ith destroying allied military missions in the area as
!ell as capturing the allied military liaison officers)

2ue to a shortage of aircraft% the SS F@ 3tl 9:: !ould be dropped in t!o !aes% one at #am
and one at midday) &ther forces inoled in the operation !ere the #th SS -ebirgs 2iision
A 1st -ebirgs 2iision !ho !ere to surround the to!n itself% as !ell as members of
;ugoslaian anti-.ito factions and the 3#3rd ,nfantry 2iision (croatian$) .he paras !ould be
accompanied by 3randenburgers and a Buft!affe signals unit% for intelligence purposes)

1t #am on the *9th 4ay 1944 (.ito7s birthday$% Hauptsturmf5hrer =yb"a and 313 F@s (in 3
groups$ jumped from their transport aircraft oer the to!n of 2rar) .hey met no resistance
and !ithin minutes they had secured their landing 0one)

<eCt came the gliders) .hey carried 3*: men !ho !ere organi0ed into D gruppen% each
assigned an objectieE ?anther (to capture .ito$% -riefer (3ritish military mission$% Sturmer
(Soiet military mission$% 3recher ('S military mission$% 2raufganger (intelligence group$
and 3eisser (radio station$) =yb"a !as to attach himself to -ruppe ?anther) .he D gliders of
-ruppe ?anther had landed on target but met heay resistance from .ito7s men firing do!n
from the mountainside)

=yb"a signalled the para7s in the to!n and !ith these men attempted to ta"e the mountain
stronghold) He directed seeral attac"s !hich collapsed under heay partisan fire from !ell
prepared defensie positions) 4ean!hile the partisans !ere being reinforced and launched
their o!n counter attac" ta"ing bac" ground !on by the SS F@s) Bittle did =yb"a "no! that
.ito and his entourage had already escaped by rail!ay and !ere heading to the coast)
1t midday% as planned% the second !ae dropped into the battle 0one% suffering heay
casualties to fierce partisan 4- fire) 'ltimately% lin"-up bet!een the initial assault forces and
their reinforcements !as conducted and the combined force tried once again to ta"e the
stronghold) 3y late afternoon% after repeated attempts to secure the mountain% =yb"a decided
that his position !as becoming untenable and decided to !ithdra! his forces bac" into the
best defensible position aailable% the to!n cemetery)

1ll through the night of 4ay *9thF*Dth% the F@s fought off repeated partisan attac"s) .he men
!ere eChausted% many !ere !ounded including =yb"a) 3y daybrea" on the *Dth% a
reconnaisance unit of the #th SS -ebirgs 2iision G?rin0 (ugenG managed to brea" through
the encirclement to reliee them)

After the Raid

.his battle !as oer for the suriors of SS Fallschirmjger 3atallion 9::% and of the nearly
1::: F@8s that entered the fray% only *:: remained un!ounded at the end of it)

.here !as no rest for the suriors% they !ere sent to carry out other anti partisan operations
else!here in ;ugoslaia) ,t !as not until early @une 1944 that the 3atallion% no! under the
command of SS Hauptsturmf5hrer Siegfried 4ilius% !as sent for rest and refitting)

1t the end of @une the 3atallion !as again mobili0ed and sent to the (astern Front% its
depleted ran"s bolstered by olunteers) .he F@s eentually headed to (stonia from !here they
!ere airlifted to Bithuania)

&n 1: @uly 1944% the 3atallion along !ith a regiment from the -roHdeutschland 2iision !as
sent to reliee -erman forces trapped in Iilnius% Bithuania) .his /ampfgruppe parried a
Soiet armoured thrust on the city and stalled the =ussian adance for oer t!o !ee"s%
allo!ing the eacuation of the !ounded and the re-supply of the Iilnius defenders) .he
3atallion !as finally !ithdra!n and sent to support other sectors)

<o! numbering approCimately 9: men% the 3atallion !as used as a JFire 3rigadeK being
rushed to hot spots all oer the northern area of the &stfront) 2espite their heay losses% the
F@s remained in combat for the neCt seeral months as the -ermans !ere desperate to stae
off the Soiet offensie)

.he SS-F@s !ere finally relieed in late &ctober and !ere flo!n to 2eutsch-Lagram% 1ustria
!here after a !ee"7s rest% they !ere incorporated into the SS-Fallschirmjger 3atallion D::)

The Newly Formed SS-Fallschirmjer Batallion !""

.he SS F@ 3tl D:: !as formally mustered on <oember 9th 1944 in <eu-Strelit0% their
garrison to!n) 1s part of the formation of the D:: 3atallion% soldiers of the 9::th !ere gien
bac" their preious ran"s and the right to !ear the siegrunen)

.he renamed 3atallion !ould neCt see action in the 1rdennes &ffensie (3attle of the 3ulge$
!hen * /ompanies attached as part of &tto S"or0eny7s 19:th ?an0er 3rigade) 1fter this
operation% the remainder of the 3atallion !as rushed to the &der front to ta"e up positions on
the eastern ban" of the rier to help stem the flo! of Soiet forces) .he 3atallion stayed on
the eastern ban" until the 1pril 1% 1949 !hen it !as forced to !ithdra! under heay =ussian
pressure)

.he seriously depleted battalion continued to fight as a fire brigade north east of 3erlin and at
the end of 1pril 1949 proided the rearguard for -erman forces pulling bac" from the &der
front)
1s the end of the !ar approached% SS Fallschirmjger 3atallion D:: found itself fighting
many rearguard actions before finally being isolated in one of the many poc"ets in <orthern
-ermany) 1fter being irtually !iped out three times in its eighteen-month eCistence% the
unit surrendered to 'S forces in early 4ay 1949 near the to!n of Hageno!% -ermany
httpMFF!!!)ssfallschirmjager)comF
Although SS-Fj.Btl.-500 is commonly referred to as a penal unit, there is a pejorative nuance to the term
in english (ie. punishment !hich the "ermans disdained to use outright for this type of unit. SS-
Fj.Btl.500 !as a 500 series Be!#hrungs or pro$ationary unit in !hich an enlisted soldier, %&', or 'fficer
!ho had dishonored himself $y minor infractions of the military code could $e given the chance to, in the
!ords of a (.).*+)( ,itler- decree- ...an der Front $e!#hren, und eine Amnestie verdienen /0nnten..
(ie. ....prove oneself $y service at the Front, and there$y earn an amnesty... 1n other !ords, it !as a
unit !here officers and men convicted $y courts-martial of minor infractions and currently in disciplinary
straits could redeem their soldierly honour $y participation in ha2ardous duties and operations.
3he 500 series num$ering system !as also shared $y the ,eer, $ut should not to $e confused !ith the
post-*+)0 500 series designated divisional units, !hich !ere also to $e found resurrected in the 4uly-
August *+)) ,eer (5th, (+th and 6*st mo$ili2ation !aves of "renadier and 7ol8sgrenadier formations.
Some $attalion si2ed unit num$ers of the 599 series had also $een former Be!#rungs units (2.$.7.- 2ur
$esondern 7er!endung - for special employment of the ,eer (also, :affen-SS and ;oli2ei employed on
the <astern Front and integrated into ne! "renadier formations in the course of, in this case, the 4uly-
August *+)) reorgani2ation of the Feldheer.
1n the case of the :affen-SS men $eing recruited for the SS-Fj.Btl.500, it !ould have pro$a$ly $een at
one of the harsh SS-Strafanstalten, such as that of the notoriously $rutal SS-military prison at =an2ig-
>at28au, or the punishment- section for SS personnel at =achau. ;risons for :ehrmacht personnel
directed $y the '/: also e9isted at the Alte-Festung "emmersheim, and after *+)0 at 1ngolstadt, and at
Fort Alvensle$en in >et2, among other places. 3he ?uft!affe also had a disciplinary section at
;r@fungslager (testing center ?eip2ig- Sch@nau, and later at =edelsdorf in /reis "ifhorn. 3he
/riegsmarine esta$lished a special section for their disciplinary cases at ,ela on the Baltic. 3he
/riegsmarine also had specific $attalion si2ed units for its disciplnary cases, the first $eing the
Sondera$teilung der /riegsmarine (%aval =isciplinary Anit !hich after ::11 $egan !as renamed the
/riegsondera$teilung (:artime %aval =isciplinary Anit. Another such unit !as formed later in ::11
named /riegsondera$teilung 'st. Also during the :ar the 60.Schiffstamma$teilung and
6*.Schiffstamma$teilung (60th and 6*st Ship &adre Battaions !ere formed, the 60. for use in the %orth
Sea area, and the 6*. in the Baltic Sea area. 1nterestingly enough, if .further education. !as not li8ely,
pro$lem men !ere transfered into a naval company of the ,eer Field =isciplinary Battlion.
Besides the 500 series units for pro$ation, the ,eer also e9clusively employed $oth 600 series .2.$.7.
units, and +++ series designations for Be!BamlChrungstruppenC though the latter units !ere considered
soldaten D!eite- /lasse (second-class soldiers, composed of more hardened disciplinary cases that the
500 series !ould normally not consider for reha$ilitation. 3hese prisoners !ere, $y their criminal nature,
generally more treated to Strafvoll2ug, or harsher disciplinary conditioning, than of redemptive
pro$ation, that is, activities leading to restoration of ran8 and placement !ithin their former units. 3hey
!ere, $y sentence, those soldiers !ho had refused direct orders, had assaulted superiors, or !ere
generally serving long terms in military gaol for presuma$ly non-military criminal or political offenses,
such as rape or $lac8-mar8eteering, or active resistance to the %S regime.
3he +++ series units are most popularly 8no!n to history $y !ay of the +++.?eichte Afri8a =ivision. 3his
unit !as formed in :ehr8reis 7 in 'cto$er *+)( as Afri8a Brigade +++. 1t consisted of the +E*.Afri8a-
Sch@t2en-Fegiment, +E(.Afri8a-Sch@t2en-Fegiment, and +E6.Afri8a-Sch@t2en-Fegiment, all made up of
the .verlorener haufe. (lost souls dredged from the $ottom of the >ilit#r-Strafgef#ngnisse (military
prisons throughout the Feich - men stripped of ran8, decorations and dignity. 3he +++.?eichte.Afri8a
=ivision fought !ell and honora$ly in 3unisa, and surrendered !ith the remnants of the =A/ in >ay
*+)6. 1tGs +E6.Afri8a-Sch@t2en-Fegiment !as transferred to "reece from Sicily $efore ever reaching
%orth Afri8a. 3his unit !ent on to $ecome the nucleus of Sturm-=ivision Fhodos (a8a ))0.Sturm-
=iv.Fhodos in >ay *+)6, !ith the accompanying +++. unit designations intact. After the surrender of
the +++.?eicth-Afri8a-=ivision, the =ivisional replacement <rsat2 u.Aus$ildungs organi2ation located at its
home station of ,eu$erg, continued to process potentially redeema$le criminal and political prisoners
from the various :ehrmachtstrafslager for replacement positions !ithin other ,eer units.
3he $rea8do!n of the various types of Be!#hrungs troops can $e more clearly esta$lished in the
follo!ing order-
*.7er$#nde 2ur $esonderen 7er!endung (2.$.7. - Anits for special employment-
A- 500er u.a. Bataillone 2.$.7. der ,eerestruppe - series 500 and other $attalions for special
employment under command of '/:. B- Sondersta$ F und 6E*er Afri8asch@t2en - Special Staff F and
6E*-num$ered rifle, or $asic infantry units deployed in %orth Africa. &- Feld$ataillone 2.$.7. der
?uft!affe - ?uft!affe special employment $attalions made up of minor disciplinary cases. =- SS-Sonder
und St@rmtruppen - SS Special and Assault troops created from punishment companies
(. Formationen f@r Soldaten D!eiter /lasse- - Formations composed of (nd class soldiers-
A- +++er Afri8a und Festungstruppe -+++ num$ered units deployed to Africa, and Fortress units. B-
Be!#hrungseinrichtung der 'rg.3odt - ;ro$ationary hard la$or cases assigned to 'rgani2tion 3odt
construction details at the front
3he (nd class soldiers !ere stripped of ran8, decorations and honor, and considered .un-:ehr!urding.,
or .un!orthy of $earing arms. in the defense of "ermany (An important distinction to consider $et!een
the types of Straf- or punishment units !hich only gradually shifted, and !as only some!hat rela9ed, as
the tide of !ar turned against the Feich.
;erhaps the most luc8less of all "erman military prisoners of this type relegated to
:ehrmachtstrafgefangenlager (Armed Forces ;unishment camps !ere to $e found in the <msland
camps of %: "ermany at <ster!egen and B0rgermoor near ;apen$urg. 3hese !ere only t!o of fifteen
notoriously $lea8 camps situated in the dan8 peat-$og marshes surrounding the <ms river, near the
=utch $order. From their inception in *+66 as SA-manned detention centers for enemies of the ne!
regime, these camps later !ent on to hold /;= and Socialist ;olitical prisoners, ha$itual criminals, 4e!s,
religious o$jectors, military-offenders, and after *+6+, Allied prisoners of !ar. 3his !as perhaps the
lo!est rung on the military-prison hierarchy to $e found in the :ehrmacht prison system, !here soldiers
convicted of military, political, and civil crimes !ere purposely sent to $e ultimately $ro8en. 1n fact, once
a soldier-prisoner !as relegated to <ster!egen camp $y the military authority, the imagined $enefits of a
harsh-$ut-fair rule of military justice evaporated, as <ster!egen and itGs ancilliary camps !ere
administered $y the Feichsjusti2ministerium, !hich made it a virtual .Duchthaus. (civil penitentiaray
type esta$lishment su$ject to all the grim $rutalities and deficiencies inherent in an institution ultimately
under command of FFSS- ,einrich ,immler as Feichsminister des 1nnen.
1n the harsh disciplinary milieu (<iserne =is2iplin der 3ruppe of the :affen-SS specifically, and the
"erman :ehrmacht in general, there !as a Huite profound difference $et!een the punishments
accorded to the general classifications of .delinHuenten., and that of .ver$recher.C (ie. delinHuents and
criminals. =elinHuenten !ere minor disciplinary cases scared into discipline $y the harshness of their
sentence and surroundings, !hile ver$recher !ere hard-core cases (recall (nd class soldiers upon !hom
presuma$ly the harshest of sentences had little affect.
1n a num$er of cases, front line commands disregarded official formalities in sending soldiers to the far-
rear for proper military-judicial discipline, and simply put disciplinary cases in pre-designated
Feldstrafgefangena$teilungen (Fstr"A$t. and Be!#hrungsa$teilungen (Field-punishment and
pro$ationary detachments !hich performed dangerous engineer and assault functions at the $lunt edge
of attac8s, and anti-partisan operations - ie. the dirty !or8 of clearing mines, fighting partisans, and
other so-called himmelsfahrt8ommando type duties. (?iterally translated, ,immelfahrts /ommando
means .4ourney-to- heaven-mission. and desci$es any operation !ith e9tremely high ris8, although not
nesseccarily suicidal. 3his colloHuialisme is sometimes used in civil connotation also, li8e for mine or
$om$ clearing. 3he term is in reference to a specific type of mission, and not a unit type, such as penal
$attlion, although mem$ers of penal units !ere often sent on these types of missions. "enerally, in the
ran8s of the :ehrmacht, this $lac8-humor term !as understood to mean a mission !here the chances of
survival !ere practically nil. <9amples !ere rearguard actions of small groups to cover the retreat of a
larger unit $y holding a position and delaying the enemy as long as possi$le until it usually !as too late
for their o!n !ithdra!al, or reconnaissance and commando raids far $ehind enemy lines. 3hat is not to
say that these local punishments !ere officially any $etter or !orse than soldiers in a rear-area
punishment camps, digging trenches or peat-$ogs, cutting !ood, or doing the dog construction !or8 of
the 'rgani2ation 3odt la$or details. 1t can $e concieva$ly stated that life in the dangerous environment
of the front only e9acer$ated the punishment. =epending on the severity of the individual cases, and at
the discretion of the &ommanding officer, these hapless men !ould $e stripped of ran8 and decorations,
$e refused mail and pac8ages from home, and also the a$ility to !rite home and to ta8e leave. Another
aspect of the duty in these Army, &orps, and divisional Strafa$teilungen or penal-detachments is that
depending on the gravity of the offense, the individual soldiers pay$oo8 (Sold$uch !as usually stamped
.no decorations, a!ards, or promotion allo!ed.. A good e9ample of frontline punishment for disciplinary
infractions from early on in the Fussian campaign, is that of the (0."e$irgsarmee (fighting in the far
north of Finland, the /ola, and /arelia setting up three notorious camps 8no!n as Feldstraflager 1-111,
!hose harsh !intertime conditions can only $e imagined to have some!hat increased the severity of
sentence in one of the luc8less punishment details.
'nly a$out half of the initial inta8e of recruits to SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500 in 'cto$er and %ovem$er
*+)6 !ere $e!#hrungs-soldaten (disciplinary cases. <ven then, the unit refused serious cases, hence
veteran SS paratroopersG tendency to $ristle !ith indignation !hen the unit is descri$ed as penalI >ost of
the offences involved !ere Huite minor infractions of the draconian :affen-SS code of conduct. ,o!ever,
there !as a former ?A, officer $ro8en in the ran8s and set to !or8 $rea8ing roc8s for $eing homose9ual.
Another case !as a young %or!egian from the %orge Fegiment sentenced to ten yearsG hard la$our for
shooting himself in the hand to get out of the front line. But they !ere hardly hardened criminalsI
3he rest !ere officers, %&'s and men !ho just !anted a change, although it must $e said that !here
many of them !ere concerned, their units !ere happy to see the $ac8 of them and the feeling !as
reciprocated. A typical case !as :alter Scheu !ho served !ith the :i8ingGs prestigious reconnaissance
detachment throughout Bar$arossa and up to early *+)) !ithout advancing further than corporal even
though he !as a party mem$er and a $rave soldier !ith the </( and %/S in Bron2e. Scheu !as not
scared to e9press his opinion and had scant regard for red tape and he upset the !rong people. Jet as
soon as he put in for a transfer to SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500 in >arch *+)), after Budapest, he !as
commissioned and ended up as a company commander in SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl E00.
3he SS-Fallschirmj#ger never fought in France. 1t is sometimes stated in histories of the French
Fesistance that SS paratroopers carried out a parachute assault in 4uly *+)) against French partisan
forces on the 7ercors plateau in the French Alps !here hundreds of partisans had created a stronghold
from !hich they !ere mounting operations against the "erman occupiers. ,o!ever, they !ere not
:affen-SS $ut ?uft!affe special forces from the secretive /ampfgesch!ader (00. 3hese para-trained
commandos of 11.K/" (00 remain a little-8no!n arm of "ermanyGs ::( parachute forces and !ere listed
on 11.K/" (00Gs 'FBA3 as the 6rd Staffel.
;laces in !hich SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500 fought include Jugoslavia, Al$ania, ?ithuania, &ourland and
>emel. 3heir most famous action !as the parachute and glider assault on 3itoGs ,L on >ay *5th *+)).
3he 500 !as slated to jump on the Baltic island of Aaland at the end of 4une *+)) !ith Fallschirm
Bataillon .Branden$urg. $ut the mission !as cancelled. 3here !ere also t!o missions in Budapest, one in
>arch *+)) and the other in 'cto$er *+)) $y !hich time the surviving mem$ers of SS-Fallschirmj#ger-
Btl 500 had learned that they !ere to $e part of the ne! SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl E00. So !hile the second
Budapest mission, 'peration ;an2erfaust, involved men of the 500, it can $e said to have $een, officially,
the E00Gs first mission although the ne! $attalion !as not formally mustered until %ovem$er +th *+)) in
%eu-Strelit2, their garrison to!n. 3he B-Soldaten of the 500 !ho survived long enough to see the
formation of the E00 !ere also given $ac8 their previous ran8s and the right to !ear the sigrunen on
%ovem$er +th *+)).
3!o companies of the ne!ly forming SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl E00 !ere then attached to 'tto S8or2enyGs
;an2er$rigade *50 in =ecem$er *+)) for the Ardennes. 1t !as the only occasion on !hich SS
paratroopers faced the :estern Allies until, fleeing the Soviets, they surrendered to AS forces early in
>ay *+)5. After the Ardennes, the E00 fought heroically on the 'der Front in the Sch!edt and Dehden
$ridgeheads and in various epic rearguard actions across %orthern "ermany at the very end of the !ar.
3he $attalion !as virtually !iped out three times in its eighteen month e9istence.
3he SS-Fallschirmj#ger never fought in France. 1t is sometimes stated in histories of the French
Fesistance that SS paratroopers carried out a parachute assault in 4uly *+)) against French partisan
forces on the 7ercors plateau in the French Alps !here hundreds of partisans had created a stronghold
from !hich they !ere mounting operations against the "erman occupiers. ,o!ever, they !ere not
:affen-SS $ut ?uft!affe special forces from the secretive /ampfgesch!ader (00. 3hese para-trained
commandos of 11.K/" (00 remain a little-8no!n arm of "ermanyGs ::( parachute forces and !ere listed
on 11.K/" (00Gs 'FBA3 as the 6rd Staffel.
&A"*)M - can you su$stantiate this claimN 1 spent a year on attachment in the area and visited the site
(and paraded at the annual memorial service. <very account 1 sa! at the time claimed that the
paratroopers !ere :affen SS...
3he SS-Fallschirmj#ger never fought in France. 1t is sometimes stated in histories of the French
Fesistance that SS paratroopers carried out a parachute assault in 4uly *+)) against French partisan
forces on the 7ercors plateau in the French Alps !here hundreds of partisans had created a stronghold
from !hich they !ere mounting operations against the "erman occupiers. ,o!ever, they !ere not
:affen-SS $ut ?uft!affe special forces from the secretive /ampfgesch!ader (00. 3hese para-trained
commandos of 11.K/" (00 remain a little-8no!n arm of "ermanyGs ::( parachute forces and !ere listed
on 11.K/" (00Gs 'FBA3 as the 6rd Staffel.
&A"*)M - can you su$stantiate this claimN 1 spent a year on attachment in the area and visited the site
(and paraded at the annual memorial service. <very account 1 sa! at the time claimed that the
paratroopers !ere :affen SS...
Anfortunately 1 cannot. 1 Huoted one "erman historian. 1 have called my friend recently, !ho is .a :-SS
e9pert. and he !ould supports your point of vie!, although he is not *00O sure. 1 !ill !or8 on it ... and
may$e someone else contri$ute to this Huestion ...
1n 4une *+)) ),000 maHuis mem$ers concentrated on the 7ercors plateau in the foolish aim to held it
li8e a fortified area. First a "erman "e$irgsdivision couldnGt defeat them $ut then, end of 4uly another
assault !ith a$out *5,000 men, artillery support and the landing of gliders !ith soldiers from the
Branden$urg divisionP defeated the defenders !ho had no supply and no support.
3he French resistants had lost the desperate $attle $ut mo$ili2ed important "erman forces. >ore than
E00 French !ere 8illed and a little more than *00 "ermans too. 1n reprisal, several villages (5M6 houses
have $een $urned, (00 civilians 8illed and )0 deported.
P 1n *+)6, *50 French men formed the 5th company of the 6rd Fegiment of the Branden$urg division.
'ften <ngaged in Southern France, imitating resistants (!ith captured radios they captured many
eHuipmentsK!eapons deliveries and proceeded to many arrests.
3his company has also $een engaged against the resistance in the 7ercors $attle. 3hey organi2ed the
glider attac8 usually said as $eing a :affen-SS attac8 $ut the French !itnesses have pro$a$ly ta8en the
.Branden$urg. arm patch for a SS mar8ing.
SS-FallshirmjBaumlCger-Bataillon-500
3he first attempt to form an SS air$orne unit !as in *+6M !hen a small group of volunteers from the
"ermania Fegt. of the SS-7erfBuumlCgungstruppe (later :affen-SS gathered at the Fallschirmschule at
Stendal $et!een (6.>ay and *M 4uly for jump training. ,o!ever, the idea suffered cri$-death in itGs
infancy, and the troops !ere returned to their regular units. :hen the order came do!n from F,Lu. to
SS-F,A in late *+)6 (post-S8or2eny-"ran-Sasso to form an SS-FallshirmjBaumlCger-Bataillon, it !as
decided that there !ould $e an eHual percentage of volunteers from $oth e9isting :affen-SS units, and
more specifically, for opportunities for officially disgraced officers and enlisted men !ishing to redeem
themselves from minor disciplinary sentences to do so under fire. >ost such cases !ere at the time
imprisoned at the Strafvoll2ugslager der :affen-SS und ;oli2ei in places li8e SS-Straflager =achau, and
at =an2ig->at28au. 3he former military prisoners !ere restored their ran8 and standing, and integrated
throughout the ne! unit, !hile $eing overseen $y a special pro$ationary staff attached to the Battalion
,L, 8no!n as Section 111 (A$t.111, !hich included an SS ?a!yer, and a num$er of cler8s to 8eep trac8 of
the records concerning the disciplinary cases in the unit.
Although SS-Fj.Btl.-500 is commonly referred to as a penal unit, there is a pejorative nuance to the term
in english (ie. punishment !hich the "ermans disdained to use outright for this type of unit. SS-
Fj.Btl.500 !as a 500 series Be!BaumlChrungs or pro$ationary unit in !hich (as mentioned a$ove an
enlisted soldier, %&', or 'fficer !ho had dishonored himself $y minor infractions of the military code
could $e given the chance to, in the !ords of a (.).*+)( ,itler-decree- ...an der Front $e!BaumlChren,
und eine Amnestie verdienen /BoumlCnnten.. (ie. ....prove oneself $y service at the Front, and there$y
earn an amnesty... 1n other !ords, it !as a unit !here officers and men convicted $y courts-martial of
minor infractions and currently in disciplinary straits could redeem their soldierly honour $y participation
in ha2ardous duties and operations.
3he 500 series num$ering system !as also shared $y the ,eer, $ut should not to $e confused !ith the
post-*+)0 500 series designated divisional units, !hich !ere also to $e found resurrected in the 4uly-
August *+)) ,eer (5th, (+th and 6*st mo$ili2ation !aves of "renadier and 7ol8sgrenadier formations.
Some $attalion si2ed unit num$ers of the 599 series had also $een former Be!BaumlCrungs units (2.$.7.-
2ur $esondern 7er!endung - for special employment of the ,eer (also, :affen-SS and ;oli2ei
employed on the <astern Front and integrated into ne! "renadier formations in the course of, in this
case, the 4uly-August *+)) reorgani2ation of the Feldheer.
1n the case of the :affen-SS men $eing recruited for the SS-Fj.Btl.500, it !ould have pro$a$ly $een at
one of the harsh SS-Strafanstalten, such as that of the notoriously $rutal SS-military prison at =an2ig-
>at28au, or the punishment-section for SS personnel at =achau. ;risons for :ehrmacht personnel
directed $y the '/: also e9isted at the Alte-Festung "emmersheim, and after *+)0 at 1ngolstadt, and at
Fort Alvensle$en in >et2, among other places. 3he ?uft!affe also had a disciplinary section at
;rBuumlCfungslager (testing center ?eip2ig-SchBuumlCnau, and later at =edelsdorf in /reis "ifhorn. 3he
/riegsmarine esta$lished a special section for their disciplinary cases at ,ela on the Baltic. 3he
/riegsmarine also had specific $attalion si2ed units for its disciplnary cases, the first $eing the
Sondera$teilung der /riegsmarine (%aval =isciplinary Anit !hich after ::11 $egan !as renamed the
/riegsondera$teilung (:artime %aval =isciplinary Anit. Another such unit !as formed later in ::11
named /riegsondera$teilung 'st. Also during the :ar the 60.Schiffstamma$teilung and
6*.Schiffstamma$teilung (60th and 6*st Ship &adre Battaions !ere formed, the 60. for use in the %orth
Sea area, and the 6*. in the Baltic Sea area. 1nterestingly enough, if .further education. !as not li8ely,
pro$lem men !ere transfered into a naval company of the ,eer Field =isciplinary Battlion.
Besides the 500 series units for pro$ation, the ,eer also e9clusively employed $oth 600 series .2.$.7.
units, and +++ series designations for Be!BamlChrungstruppenC though the latter units !ere considered
soldaten D!eite-/lasse (second-class soldiers, composed of more hardened disciplinary cases that the
500 series !ould normally not consider for reha$ilitation. 3hese prisoners !ere, $y their criminal nature,
generally more treated to Strafvoll2ug, or harsher disciplinary conditioning, than of redemptive
pro$ation, that is, activities leading to restoration of ran8 and placement !ithin their former units. 3hey
!ere, $y sentence, those soldiers !ho had refused direct orders, had assaulted superiors, or !ere
generally serving long terms in military gaol for presuma$ly non-military criminal or political offenses,
such as rape or $lac8-mar8eteering, or active resistance to the %S regime.
3he +++ series units are most popularly 8no!n to history $y !ay of the +++.?eichte Afri8a =ivision. 3his
unit !as formed in :ehr8reis 7 in 'cto$er *+)( as Afri8a Brigade +++. 1t consisted of the +E*.Afri8a-
SchBuumlCt2en-Fegiment, +E(.Afri8a-SchBuumlCt2en-Fegiment, and +E6.Afri8a-SchBuumlCt2en-
Fegiment, all made up of the .verlorener haufe. (lost souls dredged from the $ottom of the
>ilitBaumlCr-StrafgefBaumlCngnisse (military prisons throughout the Feich - men stripped of ran8,
decorations and dignity. 3he +++.?eichte.Afri8a =ivision fought !ell and honora$ly in 3unisa, and
surrendered !ith the remnants of the =A/ in >ay *+)6. 1tGs +E6.Afri8a-SchBuumlCt2en-Fegiment !as
transferred to "reece from Sicily $efore ever reaching %orth Afri8a. 3his unit !ent on to $ecome the
nucleus of Sturm-=ivision Fhodos (a8a ))0.Sturm-=iv.Fhodos in >ay *+)6, !ith the accompanying
+++. unit designations intact. After the surrender of the +++.?eicth-Afri8a-=ivision, the =ivisional
replacement <rsat2 u.Aus$ildungs organi2ation located at its home station of ,eu$erg, continued to
process potentially redeema$le criminal and political prisoners from the various :ehrmachtstrafslager for
replacement positions !ithin other ,eer units.
3he $rea8do!n of the various types of Be!BaumlChrungs troops can $e more clearly esta$lished in the
follo!ing order-
*.7er$BaumlCnde 2ur $esonderen 7er!endung (2.$.7. - Anits for special employment-
a. 500er u.a. Bataillone 2.$.7. der ,eerestruppe - series 500 and other $attalions for special employment
under command of '/:
$. Sondersta$ F und 6E*er Afri8aschBuumlCt2en - Special Staff F and 6E*-num$ered rifle, or $asic
infantry units deployed in %orth Africa
c. Feld$ataillone 2.$.7. der ?uft!affe - ?uft!affe special employment $attalions made up of minor
disciplinary cases
d. SS-Sonder - und StBuumlCrmtruppen - SS Special and Assault troops created from punishment
companies
(. Formationen fBuumlCr Soldaten D!eiter /lasse- - Formations composed of (nd class soldiers-
a. +++er Afri8a und Festungstruppe -+++ num$ered units deployed to Africa, and Fortress units
$. Be!BaumlChrungseinrichtung der 'rg.3odt - ;ro$ationary hard la$or cases assigned to 'rgani2tion
3odt construction details at the front
3he (nd class soldiers !ere stripped of ran8, decorations and honor, and considered .un-:ehr!urding.,
or .un!orthy of $earing arms. in the defense of "ermany (An important distinction to consider $et!een
the types of Straf- or punishment units !hich only gradually shifted, and !as only some!hat rela9ed, as
the tide of !ar turned against the Feich.
;erhaps the most luc8less of all "erman military prisoners of this type relegated to
:ehrmachtstrafgefangenlager (Armed Forces ;unishment camps !ere to $e found in the <msland
camps of %: "ermany at <ster!egen and BBoumlCrgermoor near ;apen$urg. 3hese !ere only t!o of
fifteen notoriously $lea8 camps situated in the dan8 peat-$og marshes surrounding the <ms river, near
the =utch $order. From their inception in *+66 as SA-manned detention centers for enemies of the ne!
regime, these camps later !ent on to hold /;= and Socialist ;olitical prisoners, ha$itual criminals, 4e!s,
religious o$jectors, military-offenders, and after *+6+, Allied prisoners of !ar. 3his !as perhaps the
lo!est rung on the military-prison hierarchy to $e found in the :ehrmacht prison system, !here soldiers
convicted of military, political, and civil crimes !ere purposely sent to $e ultimately $ro8en. 1n fact, once
a soldier-prisoner !as relegated to <ster!egen camp $y the military authority, the imagined $enefits of a
harsh-$ut-fair rule of military justice evaporated, as <ster!egen and itGs ancilliary camps !ere
administered $y the Feichsjusti2ministerium, !hich made it a virtual .Duchthaus. (civil penitentiaray
type esta$lishment su$ject to all the grim $rutalities and deficiencies inherent in an institution ultimately
under command of FFSS-,einrich ,immler as Feichsminister des 1nnen.
1n the harsh disciplinary milieu (<iserne =is2iplin der 3ruppe of the :affen-SS specifically, and the
"erman :ehrmacht in general, there !as a Huite profound difference $et!een the punishments
accorded to the general classifications of .delinHuenten., and that of .ver$recher.C (ie. delinHuents and
criminals. =elinHuenten !ere minor disciplinary cases scared into discipline $y the harshness of their
sentence and surroundings, !hile ver$recher !ere hard-core cases (recall (nd class soldiers upon !hom
presuma$ly the harshest of sentences had little affect.
1n a num$er of cases, front line commands disregarded official formalities in sending soldiers to the far-
rear for proper military-judicial discipline, and simply put disciplinary cases in pre-designated
Feldstrafgefangena$teilungen (Fstr"A$t. and Be!BaumlChrungsa$teilungen (Field-punishment and
pro$ationary detachments !hich performed dangerous engineer and assault functions at the $lunt edge
of attac8s, and anti-partisan operations - ie. the dirty !or8 of clearing mines, fighting partisans, and
other so-called himmelsfahrt8ommando type duties. (?iterally translated, ,immelfahrts /ommando
means .4ourney-to-heaven-mission. and desci$es any operation !ith e9tremely high ris8, although not
nesseccarily suicidal. 3his colloHuialisme is sometimes used in civil connotation also, li8e for mine or
$om$ clearing. 3he term is in reference to a specific type of mission, and not a unit type, such as penal
$attlion, although mem$ers of penal units !ere often sent on these types of missions. "enerally, in the
ran8s of the :ehrmacht, this $lac8-humor term !as understood to mean a mission !here the chances of
survival !ere practically nil. <9amples !ere rearguard actions of small groups to cover the retreat of a
larger unit $y holding a position and delaying the enemy as long as possi$le until it usually !as too late
for their o!n !ithdra!al, or reconnaissance and commando raids far $ehind enemy lines. 3hat is not to
say that these local punishments !ere officially any $etter or !orse than soldiers in a rear-area
punishment camps, digging trenches or peat-$ogs, cutting !ood, or doing the dog construction !or8 of
the 'rgani2ation 3odt la$or details. 1t can $e concieva$ly stated that life in the dangerous environment
of the front only e9acer$ated the punishment. =epending on the severity of the individual cases, and at
the discretion of the &ommanding officer, these hapless men !ould $e stripped of ran8 and decorations,
$e refused mail and pac8ages from home, and also the a$ility to !rite home and to ta8e leave. Another
aspect of the duty in these Army, &orps, and divisional Strafa$teilungen or penal-detachments is that
depending on the gravity of the offense, the individual soldiers pay$oo8 (Sold$uch !as usually stamped
.no decorations, a!ards, or promotion allo!ed.. A good e9ample of frontline punishment for disciplinary
infractions from early on in the Fussian campaign, is that of the (0."e$irgsarmee (fighting in the far
north of Finland, the /ola, and /arelia setting up three notorious camps 8no!n as Feldstraflager 1-111,
!hose harsh !intertime conditions can only $e imagined to have some!hat increased the severity of
sentence in one of the luc8less punishment details.
3he first gathering of recruits !as at &hlum in &2echoslova8ia in 'cto$er of *+)6. 3he first commander
of the mi9ed Battalion !as SS-Sturm$annfBuumlChrer ,er$ert "ilhofer, of SS-;2."ren.Fgt (*
(Frunds$erg =iv. 1n %ovem$er *+)6 the Batallion $egan intensive parachute jump-training at
>adanrush8a-Banja,near Sarajevo,at the ne!ly relocated ?uft!affe Fallschirm-Schule nr.6. 3he fledgling
SS-FallschirmjBaumlCger later relocated to ;apa, ,ungary for their final jump-training in early *+)).
After training as a unit, the SS-Fj-Btl.500 moved into Jugoslavia in April *+)) for its $aptism of fire near
3u2la in Bosnia-,er2egovina.
At this time the composition of the *000 man SS-;arachute $attalion !as-
Btl.Sta$./omp ((EM men-
*9 -%achrichten2ug
*9 -Auf8lBaumlCrungs mannschaft
*9 -/radmelder a$teilung
*9 -Fallschirm-!arten2ug
*.Fallschirm-SchBuumlCt2en-/ompanie
6 DBuumlCge B %achrichten mannschaft
each of 69 SchBuumlCt2en mannschaften, and
*9 >BoumlCrser mannschaft
(.Fallschirm-SchBuumlCt2en-/ompanie
6 DBuumlCge B %achrichten mannschaft
each of 69 SchBuumlCt2en mannschaften, and
*9 >BoumlCrser mannschaft
6.Fallschirm-SchBuumlCt2en-/ompanie
6 DBuumlCge B %achrichten mannschaft
each of 69 SchBuumlCt2en mannschaften, and
*9 >BoumlCrser mannschaft
).Fallschirm-(sch!er-!affen-/ompanie
*9 >" (h. 2ug (>".)(
*9 Flammen!erfer-2ug (6 9 flamethro!ers
*9 >BoumlCrser2ug (*(cm.
*9 ;an2erjBaumlCger2ug (anti-tan8 Q ) 9 ?" )0KM5 (recoiless paraKmtn.gun
>o$ility inlcuded *00 /raft!agen B 60 /radfahr
'perations in :. Bosnia B Anternehmen FBoumlCsselsprung (/nightGs >ove
After spending close to three months moving through the rough terrain of Bosnia-,er2ogovina, Ser$ia,
>ontenegro, and >acedonia in anti-partisan (Banden8ampf s!eeps, SS-Fj.Btl.500 !as returned to
$arrac8s at >adarush8a-Banja in mid-April *+)) to prepare for a ne! mission. At this time SS-
Sturm$annfBuumlChrer "ilhofer returned to the Frunds$erg =ivision, and SS-,auptsturmfBuumlChrer
/urt Fy$8a too8 over command. 1n !hat !ould $e the first and only com$at parachute drop (and glider-
assault made $y the SS-Fj.Bataillon during the !ar, the unit !as prepared to drop on communist
;artisan leader 4osef Bros2 3itoGs headHuarters in a heavily armed mountain stronghold a$ove the to!n
of =rvar in !estern Bosnia. 1n a concerted effort, along !ith com$ined ?ut!affe, ,eer, and &roatian
troops attac8ing from the groundC elements of the SS- Fallsch. Bataillon 500 !ould $oldly land near the
top of the citadel and storm 3itoGs headHuarters, situated in a !ell defended cave, in an attempt to 8ill or
capture him. 3his !as to $e underta8en in an operation 8no!n as FBoumlCsselsprung, or /nights >ove,
and !ould $e the highlight of a major ground s!eep $y (.;an2er-Armee of Armeegruppe F, of partisan
held territory in Bosnia-,er2egovina. 3he order of $attle for the >ay (5, *+)) air$orne operation
included-
-111K??"* (6rd Btl.Air ?anding "roup * from %ancy, France !ith *M to!ing detachments
-).11K??"* ()th SHuad.,(nd Btl. from Stras$ourg-;olygon->annheim,!ith 5 to!ing detachments
-11K3ransportgsch!.) !ith 4u5(Gs B S>M+ Sparviero !ith FS1 cre!. (not confirmed
SS-,auptsturmfBuumlChrer Fy$8a planned for a total of E5) fallschirmjBaumlCger to drop in the first
assault !ave. 3hree hundred and fourteen (6*) of these men !ould drop $y parachute, !hile the
remainder, organi2ed into si9 assault groups, !ould land $y =FS(60 B "o-()( glider. At the heart of the
mission, each glider group !as assigned a specific tas8-
-;anther group - **0 men to neutrali2e 3itoGs $odyguard (ca.650 strong, and capture him in his
headHuarters.
-"reifer group - )0 men to destroy the A/ military mission.
-Sturmer group - 50 men to destroy the ASSF military mission.
-Brecher group - 50 men to destroy the AS military mission.
-=aufnanger group - 50 fallschirmjBaumlCger, and (0 men of .A$teilung Svadil. - a special composite
detail of (A$!ehr Branden$urgers, ?: signals
e9perts, and interpreters from M.SS-Fr!."e$irgsdivision ;rin2 <ugen, tas8ed !ith destroying partisan
signals unit and collection of radio code $oo8s
and signal intelligence references.
-Beisser group - (0 men to sie2e a specific outpost radio station,and then
assist group "reifer.
3he 'KB of the operationGs ground units included-
-M.SS-Frei!illige-"e$irgsdivision .;rin2 <ugen. (elements
-*."e$irgsdivision. R,eerS (elements
-+(.1nfanterie-Fegiment (mot.
-6M6.1nf.=iv.(/roat.,incl.656. B 65).1nf.Fgtr.KAuf8l.A$t.6M6K;2.4ag.a$t.6M6.
-11K*.Branden$urg Fgt. B 111K*.Branden$urg Fgt.
-Astasha - ca.600 men of &roatian Fepu$licGs "uard unit.
-&hetni8 - ca.500 Ser$ian partisans !ho, !hile having no love for &roatianGs, hated the communist 3ito
as !ell.
3he airdropKairlanding mission, !hich commenced at 0M00 on >ay (5,*+)), !as a near de$acle. :hile
reaching the citadel in near perfect e9ecution of their plan, and initially stunning the partisan defenders,
the SS-Fj. assault group Huic8ly came under heavy defensive fire from 3itoGs $odyguard detachment,
!hich delayed thier entrance into the inner-sanctum of 3itoGs mountain lair. 1n the meantime, the ever
elusive 3ito, along !ith Slovenian partisan leader <dvard /ardelj, had escaped through a natural fissure
at the top of the cave, heavily escorted $y partisan echelons to a near$y mountain-rail!ay, !hich
steamed him !est to the coast of the Adriatic, !ell $eyond the immediate grasp of the troops detailed to
capture him. 3he pri2e had escapedC $ut the ordeal of the attac8ing glider-troops of SS-
FallschirmjBaumlCger did not end there. %umerous ;artisan $rigades, encamped and ranging throughout
the hilly fastness around the =rvar citadel Huic8ly responded to the alarm and $egan to converge upon
their $eleaguered comradeGs positions. :hile the assault gliders $rought SS-Fj.Btl. troops directly on top
of the heavily guarded mountainside, other elements of the Bataillon !ere at the same time, parachuting
directly into and around the perimeter of the smoldering to!n of =rvarC !hich, much to the chagrin of
$oth attac8er and defender, !as
still $eing area-$om$ed $y the ?uft!affe in a less than elegant synchroni2ation of the operational
timeta$le. 3he fighting in =rvar !as $itter, and $oth sides suffered heavy casualties throughout the
morning and afternoon of >ay (5. 'n the hillside, Fy$8a and his men had finally su$dued the defenders
of 3itoGs cave, only to capture a fe! scattered maps and documents, and a ne!ly tailored "eneralGs
uniform, !hich 3ito had not yet !orn. 3he furious fight for the cave had cost Fy$8a $oth many good
men, and the use of his left arm, !hich had $een shattered $y a partisan grenade. =espite an early
afternoon glider landing of ammunition and medical supplies, Fy$8a found his position on the hillside
untena$le and so ordered his remaining assault force to pull $ac8 in an orderly fashion into the valley,
and still contested to!n of =rvar. By nightfall, they ended up in the to!n cemetery, along !ith the
remnants of the Bataillon !hich had parachuted into the village earlier that morningC surrounded on all
sides, and ta8ing heavy mortar fire from !ell eHuipped and determined partisan fighters.
>ean!hile, the ground forces of the 6M6.(/roat. 1nfanterie =ivision and the M.SS-Fr!."e$irgs-=iv. ;rin2
<ugen !ere relentlessly driving thier !ay from the south!est through heavy partisan defensive fire and
rough valley terrain to!ard =rvar and the SS-FallschirmjBaumlCgerGs $eleaguered positions. At day$rea8
on (E >ay, the Auf8lBaumlCrungs-A$teilung of the ;rin2 <ugen =ivision lin8ed up !ith Fy$8a and his
decimated command, and relieved them of their defensive $urden. :hile SS-,auptsturmfBuumlChrer
/urt Fy$8a !ent on to the hospital, the remaining fit mem$ers of his Bataillon !ere sent on to ;etrovac
for a su$seHuent anti-partisan operation. 1n early 4une *+)), the the fit elements of SS-Fj.Btl.500 !ere
sent to $arrac8s at ?ju$ljana for rest and a much needed reorgani2ation.
'n (E 4une, *+)), SS-,auptsturmfBuumlChrer Siegfried >ilius too8 command of SS-Fj.Btl.500. 3he
BataillonGs Feldersat28ompanie had only $een a$le, $y this time, to return lightly !ounded men and
$riefly trained replacements to the ready-roster of the Bataillon. As a result of losses incurred during
Anternehmen FBoumlCsselsprung, the Bataillon had $een greatly reduced in si2e and effectiveness. 'f
the *000 $attle-ready men on >ay (5, *+)), $y 60 4une only *5 'fficers, 5* %&'Gs,and *+E enlisted
men remained.
'perations in the Baltic states - Summer *+))
:ith the opening of the Fussian summer offensive of late 4une *+)) and the impending !ithdra!al of
Finland from active hostilities against the Soviet Anion, the (+( men of SS-Fj.Btl.500 !ere ordered to
report directly to >arine-'$er8ommando-'stsee (%aval ,igh &ommand Baltic at "otenhafen on the
Baltic &oast in <ast ;russia for a special mission. 'n 4une (+, *+)) the Bataillon entrained from the
Bal8ans for the <astern Front. A plan had $een formulated for their participation in a pre-emptive
assault-landing and occupation of the Aaland 1slands in the Baltic Sea, to deny them to the FussiansC $ut
$y the time of their arrival at >'-'stsee at "otenhafen, the plan had $een cancelled.
3he Bataillon !as then entrained for %ar!a, <stonia to join the 111.("ermanisch SS-;an2er8orps. 3he
unitGs stay there !as $rief ho!ever, and they !ere further moved $y airlift from Fa8vere, <stonia to
/aunas, ?ithuania, on the northern flan8 of the crum$ling ,eeresgruppe >itte. Apon itGs arrival in the
area of 6.;an2erarmee (&' ,asso v.>anteuffel on 4uly *0, the Bataillon !as immediately dispatched to
6+.;an2er8orps, and into an ad-hoc /ampfgruppe !ith the 1.K;an2er-regiment "rossdeutschland for the
relief of the **.Armee8orps, outflan8ed in the ?ithuanian capital of 7ilnius.
3he SS-FallschirmjBaumlCger, mounted on the tan8s of the "rossdeutschland, attac8ed along the
/aunas-7ilnius high!ay the very day of their arrival at the front, helping to stem the tide of the Soviet
armored thrust on 7ilnius to the southeastC allo!ing another $attlegroup (/"-Schmidt, to move in and
evacuate the !ounded, resupply the units fighting there, and $olster the defense of **.Armee8orps.
=espite the hard fought actions of the 6+.;an2er-8orps, and 6.;an2erarmee, of !hich the SS-Fj.Btl.500
!as a part, a t!o-!ee8 long furious see-sa! $attle eventually pushed the "ermans out of the ?ithuanian
captial for good $et!een the last !ee8 of 4uly and the first !ee8 of August *+)) - the SS-Fj-500 helped
to evacute the last of 7ilniusG defenders near the cityGs Airport - !ith the Soviet 5*st Army $attering itGs
!ay !est to!ard the Baltic sea, and the eventual creation of the /urland ;oc8et. 'n August *+, *+)),
fighting alongside ;an2er-Brigade von :erthen, elements of M.;an2er =iv., (*(., and (5(.1nf.=ivisons,
the much d!indled and hard-fought SS-Fj.Bataillon helped secure the front around Faseiniai, !ell
north!est of /aunus. 'rdered to stand do!n for rest and re-fit that very day, an
emergency on August (0th among the units of (E.Armee8orps (E.;an2er B 5E*.1nf.=ivGs around
Sintauti, ordered the last +0 com$at-fit men of SS-FallschirmjBaumlCger Btl.500 to join up !ith
s.;2.4BaumlCger-A$teilung M6* to help stem the advance of the Soviet 66rd and **th "uards Armies.
"iven a fe! days rest after this engagement, in Septem$er *+)), the unit !as again lin8ed !ith the
"rossdeutschland and 6+.;an2er8orps.
3he final $attle of the SS-Fj.Btl.500 in the east !as in early 'cto$er *+)), north of >emel. 3here, along
!ith elements of the M.;an2er-=ivision, "rossdeutschland, and 55.1nf.=ivision, they attempted to halt
the advance of the SovietGs to the seaC an unsuccessful spoiling operation !hich led to the eventual siege
of >emel and the entrapment of the formerly named units. At this point the remnants of the Bataillon
!ere pluc8ed from disaster, and sent to Dichenau in <ast ;russia. 3hey !ere recalled to =eutsch-:agram
in 'stmar8 (Austria to join their <rsat2 u.Aus$ildungs /ompanie currently involved in the formation of a
completely ne! SS-FallschirmjBaumlCger-Bataillon, to $e num$ered E00. 3he $e!BaumlChrungs, or
pro$ationary status of the unit !as dissolved, and the ne! Bataillon !ould $e composed of totally of
volunteers.
;osted on :affen-SS forum-
3he SS ;arachute Bn !as larger than a ?uft!affe ;ara Bn, !ith almost **00 men to the typical ?:
'FBA3 of a$out 550 men. Foughly half the initial inta8e !ere disciplinary cases invited to volunteer to
regain their honour on the $attlefield, !hile many of the other volunteers !ere officers, %&'s and SS
men !ho had pro$lems of various 8inds in their parent units. :hen initially formed in %ovem$er *+)6,
SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500 comprised-
Sta$KSS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500 (,L &oy
Supply &oy
>otor 3ransport ;ln
Signals ;ln
>otorcycle =ispatch Section
Fepair B >aintenance ;ln
;arachute <Huipment >aintenance Section
?egal Section (for handling the =isciplinary Soldiers
*.KSS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500
Fifle ;ln
Fifle ;ln
Fifle ;ln
Signals =etachment
(.KSS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500
Fifle ;ln
Fifle ;ln
Fifle ;ln
Signals =etachment
6.KSS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500
Fifle ;ln
Fifle ;ln
Fifle ;ln
Signals =etachment
). (sch!KSS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl 500 () (,eavy &oy or TSupport &oyU
,eavy >" ;ln (Four >"s
,eavy >ortar ;ln (Four 50mm mortars
?ight ArtilleryKAnti-3an8 ;ln (Four M5mm ?")0s
Flamethro!er ;ln
Feld-Aus$ildungs-/ompanie (Field 3raining &oyP
PSometimes called Feld-Aus$ildungs und <rsta2 /ompanie
<ach of the Fifle ;latoons consisted of three rifle sections, three light >" detachments, three
su$machine-gun detachments and a mortar sHuad. :hat made the SS ;ara Bn different from its
?uft!affe counterparts !as its totally self-contained, self-reliany nature. 3he SS ;ara Bn even had its
very o!n training and replacement company. :here a ?uft!affe ;ara Bn ,L had *65 men on its 'FBA3,
the SS ;ara Bn had (EM. Additionally, the SS ;ara Bn had over a hundred truc8s and thirty motorcycles.
:hen reformed as SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl E00 in %ovem$er *+)), the Field 3raining B Feplacement
&ompany $ecame the ne! *st &oy. 3he ne! SS-Fallschirmj#ger-Btl E00 came under the administrative
control of 'tto S8or2enyVs SS-4agdver$#nde organisation at Friedenthal. =uring its eighteen months
e9istence, an estimated 6500 men passed through the ran8s of the SS ;ara Bn, !hich !as all $ut
annihilated four times, first at =rvar in >ay *+)) and then on the <astern Front
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