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Solid As a Rock: Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1 on the Eastern Front and the Winter Battle for Orel
Solid As a Rock is a detailed account of little-known actions fought by the German Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1 on the Eastern Front in 1942 and 1943.
The 1st Parachute Regiment of the Luftwaffe is well known for its actions during the German Blitzkrieg in Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Crete, but little has been published about its infantry operations on the Eastern Front. Solid As a Rock covers the regiment's actions as part of the 7th Flieger Division north of Smolensk in November 1942-January 1943 and the fierce fighting to save the southern flank of the German 2nd Panzer Army around Orel in February-March 1943. Supported by rare personal recollections of the participants and detailed maps and sketches drawn from seldom consulted primary sources, this book offers an intimate insight into the fighting through the eyes of the soldiers of a neglected campaign on the Eastern Front.
The 1st Parachute Regiment of the Luftwaffe is well known for its actions during the German Blitzkrieg in Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Crete, but little has been published about its infantry operations on the Eastern Front. Solid As a Rock covers the regiment's actions as part of the 7th Flieger Division north of Smolensk in November 1942-January 1943 and the fierce fighting to save the southern flank of the German 2nd Panzer Army around Orel in February-March 1943. Supported by rare personal recollections of the participants and detailed maps and sketches drawn from seldom consulted primary sources, this book offers an intimate insight into the fighting through the eyes of the soldiers of a neglected campaign on the Eastern Front.
294 pages, Hardcover
Published April 30, 2025
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July 26, 2026
"Solid as a Rock: Fallschirmjager Regiment 1 on the Eastern Front and the Winter Battle for Orel" by Albrecht Zimburg is an excellent account of German paratroopers on the Eastern Front during Russia's offensive to take Orel.
The book is 294 pages in length, made up of 26 chapters, 4 Appendices and a Bibliography. There are over 170 B&W photos (many from private collections and not seen before), 16 B&W maps, 25 colour maps, and 17 tables.
This is a deeply researched and well-presented account of the Fallschirmjager Regiment 1 as its thrust into the defensive fighting around Velikiye Luki and Orel during Soviet offensive operations in late 1942 and early 1943 in an effort to destroy German Army Group Centre.
The narrative is well supported by maps of the areas in question (most in colour) and numerous B&W photographs of the paratroopers in action. The details of the fighting during this period are well told and concentrates mainly on Fallschirmjager Regiment 1 as the title of the book suggests.
The author also highlights the terrible winter weather conditions that the German paratroopers had to contend with while fighting in a number of desperate actions against their Russian foes. Here is one example provided by the author of some heavy fighting around Uspenskiy in early 1943:
"The following deed by Obergefreiter Peter Arndt of Panzer Pionier Bataillon 32 gives an idea of how dramatic the situation must have been in the forest north of Uspenskiy. Arndt, after all his group of comrades defending the position had fallen, defended it alone with his machine gun. In a mad fight for survival, in which he captured enemy weapons which he immediately put to use, he succeeded in taking out two Soviet heavy machine guns with a crew of eight, and killing and wounding a further nine opponents. 'By this act, he enabled a paratrooper company to proceed through the forest near Mai.' Arndt was not only awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on 10 March, but also the Knight's Cross on 31 March 1943 for this action, a rare distinction for an ordinary soldier (he later received the Oak Leaves)."
As an indication of the offensive and defensive efforts of the paratroopers during this period the author provided details of the awards to the Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1 during its actions with the Flieger Division 7 north of Smollensk from November 1942 to the beginning of February 1943:
"A total of two Knight's Crosses and some 39 to 41 German Crosses in Gold (DKiG) were awarded to Flieger Division 7 for this operation on the Eastern Front, with both Knight's Crosses and 22 German Crosses in Gold going to members of Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1 alone." (More details provided in Appendix II).
Overall, this is an excellent unit combat history that anyone who enjoys books on the Eastern Front or the Fallschirmjäger's should have on their bookshelves.
The book is 294 pages in length, made up of 26 chapters, 4 Appendices and a Bibliography. There are over 170 B&W photos (many from private collections and not seen before), 16 B&W maps, 25 colour maps, and 17 tables.
This is a deeply researched and well-presented account of the Fallschirmjager Regiment 1 as its thrust into the defensive fighting around Velikiye Luki and Orel during Soviet offensive operations in late 1942 and early 1943 in an effort to destroy German Army Group Centre.
The narrative is well supported by maps of the areas in question (most in colour) and numerous B&W photographs of the paratroopers in action. The details of the fighting during this period are well told and concentrates mainly on Fallschirmjager Regiment 1 as the title of the book suggests.
The author also highlights the terrible winter weather conditions that the German paratroopers had to contend with while fighting in a number of desperate actions against their Russian foes. Here is one example provided by the author of some heavy fighting around Uspenskiy in early 1943:
"The following deed by Obergefreiter Peter Arndt of Panzer Pionier Bataillon 32 gives an idea of how dramatic the situation must have been in the forest north of Uspenskiy. Arndt, after all his group of comrades defending the position had fallen, defended it alone with his machine gun. In a mad fight for survival, in which he captured enemy weapons which he immediately put to use, he succeeded in taking out two Soviet heavy machine guns with a crew of eight, and killing and wounding a further nine opponents. 'By this act, he enabled a paratrooper company to proceed through the forest near Mai.' Arndt was not only awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on 10 March, but also the Knight's Cross on 31 March 1943 for this action, a rare distinction for an ordinary soldier (he later received the Oak Leaves)."
As an indication of the offensive and defensive efforts of the paratroopers during this period the author provided details of the awards to the Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1 during its actions with the Flieger Division 7 north of Smollensk from November 1942 to the beginning of February 1943:
"A total of two Knight's Crosses and some 39 to 41 German Crosses in Gold (DKiG) were awarded to Flieger Division 7 for this operation on the Eastern Front, with both Knight's Crosses and 22 German Crosses in Gold going to members of Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1 alone." (More details provided in Appendix II).
Overall, this is an excellent unit combat history that anyone who enjoys books on the Eastern Front or the Fallschirmjäger's should have on their bookshelves.
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