3 FJ Division

[dazkaz15]

Does anyone know more about the 3rd FJ Division?
I know that only the 9th Regiment show up in the Elsenborn scenario, and there is a lost Bn in the Loshiem Gap scenario, but I would like to know what happened to the other regiments.

This I what I have found out so far.

[joeyeti]

No info on FJ 3rd...

BUT, is that the insignia image from Wikipedia?
Cause I made that one! [8D]

[tukker]

I have a book called 'The battle of the Bulge- Operations of the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division' by Hans J. Wijers. There's no info in it on the period Dec 16- 19, but from Dec. 19 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division attacked in the area Weywertz-Maimes (between the 1 SS Pz and 12 SS Pz). After the attack stalled, they defended the same area until late January. They gave up some ground in this period, ending up in the area around Schoppen. All three Regiments were engaged in these battles.

Pieter

[vandorenp]

ORIGINAL: tukker

I have a book called 'The battle of the Bulge- Operations of the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division' by Hans J. Wijers.

Would that be this book http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Bulge-The- ... 0811713520 ?

Or

this book http://home.planet.nl/~wijer037/bulge/f ... 20book.htm

and then there is this http://books.google.com/books?id=omTgSt ... on&f=false which briefly mentions two regiments starting of the attack.

I have assumed in my work that the 3rd FJ barely got the 9th regiment into the line in time for the assault and that the 8th took its place on the left during the course of the day.

[dazkaz15]

ORIGINAL: joeyeti

BUT, is that the insignia image from Wikipedia?
Cause I made that one! [8D]

Yes it is. Nice job on the insignia mate [:)]

ORIGINAL: vandorenp

and then there is this http://books.google.com/books?id=omTgSt ... on&f=false which briefly mentions two regiments starting of the attack.

I have assumed in my work that the 3rd FJ barely got the 9th regiment into the line in time for the assault and that the 8th took its place on the left during the course of the day.

Very Helpful thanks Vandprenp

[dazkaz15]

I've edited my above post (edit: its 2 posts up) to include more info I have found.

This information suggests that the 5th Regiment was on the right of the 9th, although moving more slowly, and that all 3 Regiments minus one Bn with Peipers tanks, were moving relatively cohesively in approximately the same area, by the 17th, or D2 in game terms.

When he says "Peiper then changed his direction of advance, leaving the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Division's sector and taking the I/FJR 9 with them on its tanks and headed into a more mountainous area held by the 12th Volksgrenadier Division." Where do you think this more mountainous area is?
I know 12VG was on his right, so it must have been north once he cleared the forest towards Hunningen do you think?

This is where I got the information I have used to plot this, its a bit hard to work out who the original author was, as the link supplied is broken.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-new ... eplies?c=9

[dazkaz15]

This is my best guess at the historical start locations and the objectives of the 3FJ Div at the start of the 16th December, based on what I have been able to find on the internet the last 2 days.

Does anyone else know more, or disagree with what I have plotted here?

If no one disagrees it would mean we are missing a Regiment, the 5FJ Rgt, from the historical start for the Elsenborn Ridge Scenario, assuming that the rest of the 8th are in the Loshiem Gap scenario.

I'm assuming the original author made a mistake with the name of the 8th Regt objective, as Ambleve is way to the North West, and is not consistent with the objective locations given for the other 2 Regiments.

[Joe D.]

I was under the impression that all the Axis para regiments used during the Bulge were green troops and not very effective.
IMO, after their Pyric victory at Crete, Fallschirmjägers ceased being an offensive threat.

[dazkaz15]

It's true that there were a lot of green troops in the Division after the re-fit, because of the horrendous casualties they sustained in the Falaise Pocket.
If you want to know more read this excellent article.
http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=817
I think that you will agree that they remained a superb fighting force, well after the Crete campaign.

[vandorenp]

ORIGINAL: dazkaz15

This is my best guess at the historical start locations and the objectives of the 3FJ Div at the start of the 16th December, based on what I have been able to find on the internet the last 2 days.

I do not think you can justify have more than two regiments present on Dec 16. The few sources are describing this as the case.

[simovitch]

ORIGINAL: vandorenp

ORIGINAL: dazkaz15

This is my best guess at the historical start locations and the objectives of the 3FJ Div at the start of the 16th December, based on what I have been able to find on the internet the last 2 days.

I do not think you can justify have more than two regiments present on Dec 16. The few sources are describing this as the case.

I agree with Paul here. To get an idea of how the 3rd FJ was deployed you would have to research how it was pulled from the line near Duren and Aachen.

Edit: Here is a link to a very well documented account of the 3rd FJD in late 1944. I wish I had this information back 5 years ago.

3rd FJD

[dazkaz15]

Wow!
Great link to an awesome website.
Thanks simovitch [:)]

I'm going to update my map to try and plot the movements of the units armed with this new information tonight.

This is very interesting stuff that has really caught my attention now.
I won't be happy till I have found the missing regiments of my 3FJ Div [;)]

[tukker]

Great stuff, Richard!

[Remmes]

Awesome read. Thanks very much.

[dazkaz15]

Is anyone able to help me to understand what these units were. I tried looking them up but can't find anything about them.

Sturm Zug II. Batl./5, :is this a Storm Trooper unit of the 2nd Batallion, of the 5th Regiment? How would it differ from a regular company?

Nachtrichten Zug II.Batl./5, :I have no idea what Nachtrichten is, and can't get a sensible translation of it from the web?

5.., 6., and 7. Kompanie of the II.Batl./5. :this is obviously the 5th, 6th and 7th Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Regiment.

[simovitch]

Daz, your ability to research German units will be greatly limited without some knowledge of the language and unit designations. The sturm zug was the assault platoon formed from II Bn. The Nachrichten was the equivalent of the US signal corps, so the other unit was the II Bn HQ communications and intelligence platoon.

Have you done any searches on the feldgrau forum?

[dazkaz15]

ORIGINAL: simovitch

Daz, your ability to research German units will be greatly limited without some knowledge of the language and unit designations. The sturm zug was the assault platoon formed from II Bn. The Nachrichten was the equivalent of the US signal corps, so the other unit was the II Bn HQ communications and intelligence platoon.

Have you done any searches on the feldgrau forum?

Yes your right about the language barrier, but I'm learning. Slowly but surely [;)]
Thanks for the link and the help.

[dazkaz15]

Ok I've found this now, so that should stop me asking too many questions on the subject of translation [:)]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_o ... tary_terms

[simovitch]

Nice find![;)]