Paratroopers played a role in many battles, but not always successfully.
During the Second World War, a new type of military operation was created which allowed armies to strike deep behind enemy lines. Airborne operations, which involved paratroopers and glider-borne infantry, were extremely risky and that is why some daring attempts ended in complete disaster.
Due to that fact, throughout World War II the bulk of paratroopers fought as infantry. However, four operations stand out as being the largest use in airborne forces ever.
Battle of Crete
Following the Axis victories in the Balkans and Greece, German General Kurt Student conceived Operation Merkur (Mercury) to capture the Greek island of Crete, which was being held by more than 40,000 British, Commonwealth and Greek troops.