The 7.5 cm recoilless rifle Leichtgeschütz 40 (7.5 cm LG40) is a German WWII weapon designed for the needs of airborne units (Fallschirmjäger), but also used by mountain shooters. Design work began in early 1937 at the Rheinmetall concern, and the first units received the ready-made weapons in 1940. The gun used two types of missiles: high-explosive and anti-tank missiles. Due to the lightweight design, the first LG40s had an average life span of around 300 shots. The gun was baptized during Operation Mercury (landing in Crete in 1941) and was used on a large scale by German mountain shooters in the foothills of the Caucasus in 1942. The weapon remained in stock until the end of the war. The LG40 was very successful and liked by the soldiers because it was 90% lighter than the Pak40 gun, but with comparable ballistic properties of the shell. Technical data: range: 6800m, caliber: 75mm, combat weight: 145 kg, rate of fire: 8 shots / min.
Fallschirmjäger is the collective term for German airborne units from the interwar period and World War II. The first parachute unit was organized in Nazi Germany in 1936 - perhaps as a result of observations made during the Soviet maneuvers of the previous year. The first paratroopers squad was created on the initiative of Herman Göring and was assigned to the Luftwaffe. A year later (1937), the first unit of this type was subordinated to the Wehrmacht, and more precisely to the land forces. In 1938, these units were combined and expanded to form the 7th Aviation Division under the command of General Kurt Student. It consisted of parachute infantry, troops trained to transport gliders and infantry transported to the battlefield by airplanes. In the course of World War II, more Fallschirmjäger units were created, incl. in 1943, on the basis of the 7th Aviation Division, the 1st and 2nd Parachute Divisions were established. In the period 1939-1941, the German Fallschirmjäger was used for its intended purpose (e.g. during the fighting in Western Europe in 1940), but after the heavy losses suffered in the course of the fighting in Crete in 1941, the German parachute troops began to be used primarily as elite infantry units, in which role they proved to be very successful, earning the nickname "Green Devils" among the Allies.
