German Paratroopers

A land nothing easy…

Bundesarchiv

Gran Sasso Mount, 12 September 1943: some of the ten German gliders DFS 230 just landed at Campo Imperatore with a commando of the 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division leaded by the Major Harald-Otto Mors, commissioned for the liberation of Benito Mussolini. In background the hotel where Mussolini was held prisoner. For piloting the glider commissioned for the mission (Unternehmen Eiche/Operation Oak) was chosen only well experienced glider pilots because the demanding conditions of the flight in high mountain’s areas: ex. wind strength and direction, drop winds, visibility, ceiling, air currents, turbulence… Rightly the gliders landed uphill over slopes, another land’s type nothing easy… Victor Sierra (Bundesarchiv photo Bild 1011-567 1503B-23)