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Enemy Air-Borne Forces, Military Intelligence Service, Special Series No. 7, December 2, 1942
[DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the wartime U.S. War Department publication. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

17. ORGANIZATION CHARTS

Figures 1, 2, and 3 show what is believed to be the approximate organization, strength, and armament of the German parachute rifle regiment, rifle company, and heavy weapons company, respectively. Variations, of course, are to be expected.

 

[Figure 1. Organization of the German parachute rifle regiment]
Main Armament for Regimental Cannon Company: 75-mm mountain guns or 75-mm light
     infantry guns
Main Armament for Regimental Antitank Company: 37-mm AT guns, or more probably
     new AT "rifles," model 41
Main Armament for Each Battalion:
         
Light machine guns _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  32
Light mortars (50-mm) _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  9
AT rifles (cal 31) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  9
Heavy mortars (81-mm) _ _ _ _ _ 
  4
Heavy machine guns _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  8
Figure 1.—Organization of the German parachute rifle regiment

 

[Figure 2. Organization of the German parachute rifle company]
Probable Armament:
         
Light machine guns _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  24
Light mortars (50-mm) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  3
AT rifles (cal 31) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  3
Heavy mortars (81-mm) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  --
Heavy machine guns _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  --
Pocket knives _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  --
Automatic pistols (Pistole 08) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  --
Carbines (for each man who does not fire a crew-served weapon) _ _ _ _ _ 
  --
Hand grenades _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
  --
Figure 2.—Organization of the German parachute rifle company

 

[Figure 3. Organization of the German parachute heavy weapons company]
Differing considerably from the arrangement shown in this diagram, the composition of the German 12th Company, 5th Parachute Regiment, about June 1942 was reported to be as follows:
              Company commander:                  Company headquarters:
                  1 1st Lt                  1 master sergeant (in command)
                   8 runners                  10 engineers
                   7 AT riflemen
Three identical platoons, each platoon consisting of:
         1 Headquarters (1 platoon leader, 3 runners, and 3 LMG gunners)
         1 Section armed with 1 LMG (1 section leader, 1 2d-in-Comd, 10 men)
         1 Section (of similar strength and armament to the foregoing)
         1 Section armed with 1 Hv Mort (1 section leader, 1 2d-in-Comd, 10 men)
Figure 3.—Organization of the German parachute heavy weapons company


 

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