Post by congofal on May 1, 2010 21:01:04 GMT -8
The first time Fallschirmpuppen (paradummies) where used in combat was during the invasions of the Netherlands and Belgium in 1940 by the Luftwaffe , the dummies where made of cloth and stuffed with straw , they where dropped en mass to confuse the enemy defenders and force them to chase Fallschirmjager units that where not there.
The dummies where also used during the Ardennes Offensive to good effect , forcing fresh American units that had little combat experience to abandon their positions thinking that there was a large enemy force in their rear , the effect was so big that even Eisenhower believed a large enemy force had been dropped in the AO.
The demoralizing effect of this dummies was not lost on the Allies and they copied the idea using them in North Africa in 1940 against Italian troops , again during Operation Husky and again during Operation Overlord.
Fallschirmpuppen being loaded onto JU-52's
The dummies where also used during the Ardennes Offensive to good effect , forcing fresh American units that had little combat experience to abandon their positions thinking that there was a large enemy force in their rear , the effect was so big that even Eisenhower believed a large enemy force had been dropped in the AO.
The demoralizing effect of this dummies was not lost on the Allies and they copied the idea using them in North Africa in 1940 against Italian troops , again during Operation Husky and again during Operation Overlord.
Fallschirmpuppen being loaded onto JU-52's
