ABSTRACT
Soviet pre-war experiments and German successes with their airborne troops early in the war induced the other belligerents to form and expand their own airborne formations, viz. paratroops and air landing troops. Airborne formations were usually dropped and landed in a sector occupied by the enemy but the Russians also infiltrated them by air into areas in the enemy rear which their own forces controlled. Airborne troops on tactical and operational assignments and on most of the ‘Commando’ missions must be deployed on the axis of advance of the ground forces. In airborne missions co-operation is required between air force and troops. The Army was directly under shaef and was in control of the operation until the airborne elements joined the ground forces. They then came under control of the ground commander of the front whose action they supported, and they fought on with the ground troops, sometimes for weeks, until they were relieved.
