1st Parachute Army (Wehrmacht)

The 1st Parachute Army (German: 1. Fallschirm-Armee) was a German airborne army that fought during World War II. Formed in September 1944, it was primarily composed of Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) divisions and other infantry units, although it rarely conducted airborne operations after its initial formation.

The army was activated under the command of Generaloberst Kurt Student and was tasked with holding the Allied advance in the Netherlands following Operation Market Garden. It subsequently fought in the Reichswald Forest and Wesel during Operation Veritable and Operation Plunder in early 1945.

Later in the war, the 1st Parachute Army was involved in defensive battles along the Rhine River and in northern Germany, eventually surrendering to British forces near Cuxhaven in May 1945. The army's composition varied throughout its existence, incorporating different Fallschirmjäger divisions, as well as Volksgrenadier and other infantry formations depending on the tactical situation. Its primary role was to act as a mobile reserve and to stiffen defensive lines against the advancing Allied armies.