Eben-Emael: Sturmgruppe GRANIT

Sturmgruppe GRANIT

11 gliders
85 men
6 machine guns
18 sub-machine guns
54 rifles
85 pistols
30.000 rounds of ammunition
2.401 kg explosive devices
4 flamethrowers
5 signal pistols
various types of handgrenades
7 ladders
13 Nazi flags
1 radio set
71 other tools

Trupp:
squad leader - truppführer
glider pilot

Trupp 1:
Hans Niedermeier* (died 14/9/2002)
Gerhard Raschke (died 1982)
Egon Delica (Air liaison officer) (died 1999)
Heinrich List (KIA 1942 Russia)
Richard Drucks (KIA 1944 Italy)
Willi Krämer (died 2002)
Peter Gräf (died 1986)
Wilhelm Stucke (KIA 1941 Crete)

Trupp 2:
Max Maier, Oberjäger (KIA Kanne near Eben-Emael)
Bredenbeck (KIA 25/5/1944 Yugoslavia)
Walter Meier (WIA Eben-Emael)
Gerhard Iskra (KIA 27/2/1943 Tunisia)*
Wilhelm Ölmann (KIA 1941 Crete)
Fritz Gehlich (KIA 1944 Russia)
Paul Bader (WIA Eben-Emael, KIA 1942 Tunisia)**
Hans Comdür (KIA 1941 Crete)

Trupp 3:
Peter Arendt, Oberjäger (died 3/12/1942)
Alfred Supper (died 1986/1968)
Gustav Merz (WIA Eben-Emael, KIA 1941 Crete)
Josef Müller (KIA 1941 Crete)
Paul Kupsch (died 1976)
Helmut Stopp
Erwin Franz (died 2003)

Trupp 4:
Helmut Wenzel (WIA Eben-Emael)* (died 24-01-2003)
Otto Bräutigam (KIA 1941)
Karl Polzin (KIA 1941)
Eddi Schmidt* (died 1991)
Fritz Köhler, Oberjäger
Fritz Florian, Oberjäger (KIA 1941)(died 1989)
Kurt Engelmann**
Windemuth (WIA Eben-Emael)

Trupp 5:
Erwin Haug (died 1987)
Heiner Lange (WIA Eben-Emael) (died 1995)
Ernst Grechza (KIA 1941 Crete)*
Franz Jannowski (WIA Eben-Emael)
Egon Hartmann (WIA Eben-Emael) (died 2003)
Rudolf Stützinger (KIA 1941 Crete)
Helmuth Bögle, Obergefreiter (KIA attacking Coupole Nord, Eben-Emael)
Gerhard Becker (died 1986)

Trupp 6:
Harlos, Oberjäger (KIA 1941 Crete)
Ziller (KIA 1945)
Werner Grams
Peter Zirwes (KIA 14-03-1942 Russia)
Hans Grigowski (died 1976)
Franz Lukascheck (died 1978)
Richard Bläser (died 1991)
Walter Kippnick** (died 1991)

Trupp 7:
Fritz Heinemann, Oberjäger* (died 23-12-1999)
Heinz Scheithauser (WIA on landing Eben-Emael)
Aloys Passman (WIA Eben-Emael, KIA 1941 Crete)*
Michalke (WIA Eben-Emael)
Harm Mülder*
Wolfgang Schultz*
Wilhelm Höpfner (WIA on landing Eben-Emael)
Wilhelm Alefs** (died 2002)

Trupp 8:
Otto Unger, Oberjäger (KIA attacking Coupole Nord, Eben-Emael)
Hans Distelmeier
Johannes Else (WIA Eben-Emael), in command after the death of Unger
Ernst Hierländer (KIA 1944 Italy)
Kajetan Mayr (WIA Eben-Emael)
Bruno Hooge (WIA)
Herbert Plietz (KIA 1941 Crete)
Heinz Weinert (KIA Russia)

Trupp 9:
Ewald Neuhaus, Oberjäger (died 1995)
Günter Schulz (KIA 1941 Crete)
Ernst Scholsser (WIA Eben-Emael) (died 1998)
Wingers (died 1960)
Rolf Jakob (WIA Eben-Emael)** (died 1990)
Johann Körner
Anton Seltmann (KIA 1941 Crete)**
Hans Braun (KIA 1941 Crete)

Trupp 10:
Willi Hübel (KIA Eben-Emael)
Erwin Kraft (KIA Russia)
Werner Guthan (died 2002)
Bansimir
Kurt Jürgensen (KIA Eben-Emael)
Hubert Hansing (1941 Crete)**
Leopold Gilg (radio operator)
Paul Kautz (radio operator)

Trupp 11:
Fritz Schwarz (died 1991)
Karl Pilz (died 1986)
Uwe Johnsen (died 1993)
Rudolf Witzig* (died 2001)
Fritz Kruck (KIA Eben-Emael)
Hans-Peter Krenz (died 1981)
Otto Braun (WIA Eben-Emael) (died 1991)

member*= FIB = Fallschirm Infanterie Batallion
member** = LW = Luftwaffe

Trupp: officer-nco-enlisted men
Trupp 1: 1-2-5
Trupp 2: 0-3-5
Trupp 3: 0-2-5
Trupp 4: 0-2-6
Trupp 5: 0-3-5
Trupp 6: 0-3-5
Trupp 7: 0-2-6
Trupp 8: 0-3-5
Trupp 9: 0-3-4
Trupp 10: 0-3-5: reserve
Trupp 11: 1-2-4: reserve

Crete was quite the pyrrhic victory for the Fallshirmjäger.  Incredible courage by the paras coupled with some really surprising blunders on the part of the defenders allowed the battle to swing to the Germans, who never let go of the initiative.

The paratroopers essentially dropped into the fray unarmed, save sidearms, and had to get their main battle weapons -rifles, subguns, MGs - from weapons cannisters that were dropped with their stick of men, and weren't always easily retrieved.  Many never made it to the weapons before running out of pistol ammo and being cut down. 

Things were a little different for the glider guys, who had their weapons on them, but in many cases they were landing right on armed and alerted positions manned by Brits with 40mm bofors that wreaked havoc on the gliders.

Hitler decided the paras would never again be used in airborned assaults such as the one at Crete.  I can't imagine it was his concern for the lives of the paras, so I guess it was because he was shocked at how close the battle was, and how it could have easily been a loss instead of a victory.

                Heinrich505

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD_rX71O78I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIPawSa4o3Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P729E4wap-Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWfqJxSRn48

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4giMGaPMJM (Embedding disabled, limit reached)

no, not yet...

1st and 2nd post updated

source: Fallschirmjager German Paratrooper 1935-45 [Osprey Warrior 038]



attack with a flamethrower on a gun position at Eben-Emael

What is the status of the fort today?  Is it preserved as a war museum that can be visited?

And of course I made a scenario for the Eben Emael battle.
Its on the depot here : http://www.the-scenario-depot.com/scenario_details.html?command=search&db=scenarios.db&eqskudatarq=443

Interesting.  Thanks for the info.