Paratrooper equipment

There's something which has always puzzled me since I first watched Band of Brothers.
When the Paratroopers are getting on the planes they need to help each other up as their equipment is so heavy. The equipment they carry is essential to their tasks so I take it they're supposed to jump out, land and get on with the fight whilst carrying their equipment with them. But, if they needed help to get onto the planes because they're so laiden down with all that weight, how were they supposed to be combat effective with all that gear on their backs? Surely they wouldn't have been able to run about like that. Were they to ditch it when they landed and hope to collect it later?

Just something I've been wondering.

Cheers.

 

The vast majority of what you see the para struggling with is parachute.



Which he would not need to lump around once he had arrived..

Bod

 

Aye i suppose you've got a good point there mate. Didin't think about that. Even still, all that equipment must have still restricted their movement in battle. On alot of photos I've seen of troops on the move, they look a lot less laiden down with equipment than that bloke does on the photo above.

 

Well, they ditched both paras and the Mae West upon hitting terra firma. The big leg bag they were forced to attach to their legs at the last minute were, for the most part, ripped away by the slip steam upon exiting the C-47 and they never saw them again. Like Bod mentioned, the paras were a large amount of the weight.

 

It is strange that in contrast the German Fallschirmjäger jumped with nothing at all, or in most cases with only a pistol. He relied on quickly finding a seperately dropped container pod that contained all of his personal equipment.
From 'Airborne Equipment' by John Weeks Loaded, the container weighed a maximum of 260lb. A single platoon required fourteen of these containers to carry all its weapons and ammunition into battle, although it must be remembered that thae platoon strength of a German parachute battalion was forty-three men when up to strength.
This reliance on containers was a considerable problem, and coupled with the unsuitability of the German parachute harness which hampered the ability of the man to carry any weapons during the drop. Must have had an influence on the lack of parachute operations after Crete.

 

Dont forget the US Airbourne jump with two chutes too. They carry a reserve. Which doesnt help.

But then yanks have always taken **** loads of gear with them anyway, why should the Airbourne by any different?

Kev

 

The main paprachute weighed about 30 lbs and in the US case the reserve an extra 14 or 15 lbs.....then basic equipment of a rifle, kitbag, ammo, webbing, food and water....soon get to around 80 lbs......

 

It is strange that in contrast the German Fallschirmjäger jumped with nothing at all, or in most cases with only a pistol. He relied on quickly finding a seperately dropped container pod that contained all of his personal equipment.
From 'Airborne Equipment' by John Weeks This reliance on containers was a considerable problem, and coupled with the unsuitability of the German parachute harness which hampered the ability of the man to carry any weapons during the drop. Must have had an influence on the lack of parachute operations after Crete.

I never quite could figure that out. You had to hope the LZ was defended and them hope you could find a weapon.

 

The US paratroopers all so carried his weapon in a kit bag tied to his leg witch he relished on a rope so that it hung below him

 

The US paratroopers all so carried his weapon in a kit bag tied to his leg witch he relished on a rope so that it hung below him

Them kit bags would've been quite heavy. if it didn't get lost in the prop blast, you'd have to carry it around with you. That would surely hinder your ability to be combat effective. That's the point I'm tying to make.

 

I never quite could figure that out. You had to hope the LZ was defended and them hope you could find a weapon.


My understanding is that the chute wasnt up to it. The German rig was cruder than a British, Polish or US varient.

If you look at the proper early was fallschirjager uniform it has all kinds of knee and elbow pads, they where expecting nasty drop.

Kev

 

My understanding is that the chute wasnt up to it. The German rig was cruder than a British, Polish or US varient.

If you look at the proper early was fallschirjager uniform it has all kinds of knee and elbow pads, they where expecting nasty drop.

Kev
Thats right Kev, the German chute attached to the harness on the wearers back. So that the man dangled from it face down. Hence the padding, they were supposed to land on all fours taking the brunt on knees and forearms.
Most other nations parachutes suspended men from the shoulders so that they landed feet first.

 

The US paratroopers all so carried his weapon in a kit bag tied to his leg witch he relished on a rope so that it hung below him
I don't think that is correct. Those leg bags were introduced just prior to June 6 and were a failure during that drop, as it quickly became detached. I am pretty certain they carried their weapons attached to their bodies during the drop.

Edit

Here is a picture of the drop at Sicily


Another Edit

loading up for Normandy

 

I don't think that is correct. Those leg bags were introduced just prior to June 6 and were a failure during that drop, as it quickly became detached. I am pretty certain they carried their weapons attached to their bodies during the drop.



Some hung from the leg though didn't they? Isn't that how some of them lost their weapons during the drop. Because they lost the leg bag which also contained radios etc. If i'm right, it was a british design that the Americans weren't too fond of.

 

I don't think that is correct. Those leg bags were introduced just prior to June 6 and were a failure during that drop, as it quickly became detached. I am pretty certain they carried their weapons attached to their bodies during the drop.

Here is a picture of the drop at Sicily


I've just been reading about operation Varsity & the US airborne were still using them there :p

 

Some hung from the leg though didn't they? Isn't that how some of them lost their weapons during the drop. Because they lost the leg bag which also contained radios etc. If i'm right, it was a british design that the Americans weren't too fond of.


Not the British, Poles I think.

Kev

 

A veteran contributor to my Varsity book sent me his kit list, less parachute and weapons, which was standard for his Normandy and Germany jumps. Makes for interesing reading!

Steve W.

 

Some hung from the leg though didn't they? Isn't that how some of them lost their weapons during the drop. Because they lost the leg bag which also contained radios etc. If i'm right, it was a british design that the Americans weren't too fond of.

David Kenyon Webster, who authored Parachute Infantry, mentioned them being used in the Normandy drop. I don't remember if said that they were a British design, only that they, for the most part, became seperated as soon as the paratrooper exited the airplane's cabin. I'd have to go back and reread the book (I read it 4 -5 years ago) to get specifics on what the contained.

I've just been reading about operation Varsity & the US airborne were still using them there :p
yes, another design was used there. I was deemed a good idea, just not designed correctly.

 

David Kenyon Webster, who authored Parachute Infantry, mentioned them being used in the Normandy drop. I don't remember if said that they were a British design, only that they, for the most part, became seperated as soon as the paratrooper exited the airplane's cabin. I'd have to go back and reread the book (I read it 4 -5 years ago) to get specifics on what the contained.

yes, another design was used there. I was deemed a good idea, just not designed correctly.


I think the problem was with the leg bags with the US in Normandy the speed of the aircraft was too high, not inthe leg bags themselves.

The idea of course of the leg bag (which is stil used today) is that the it hits the ground before the soldier therefore lowering the force the soldier hits the ground with (as hes carring on his back less weight) and without the German and Russian solution of trying to find the container full of kit.

BTW the container things makes perfect sense if you think about it. When Parachutists where first thought of the idea was that they would drop way behind the front lines to seize specific points or to interupt supplies (interdiction is it called now?) so the soldier would have plenty of time to regroup and retirve any requried gear. German combined doctirine would also have fallschirjager ariving with gliders coming in with heavy equipment. So another container with his LMG in and his sausage in isnt a big issue.

OF course all this goes to hell in the real situation which I guess Hitler realised around Create time and Britsh around Arnhem. Still think the parachutists (and the glider) is a great idea though. Under used becuase of the legacy of WW2.

Kev

 

I have eventually found a decent picture of the unloved legbag in action.