Which was the last major offensive operation undertaken by elite German paratroopers in WWII?

The last major offensive operation undertaken by Germany’s elite paratroopers in World War II was the attack against Crete, known as the Battle of Crete or Operation Mercury.

The invasion began on May 20, 1941, when German Fallschirmjäger parachuted onto Crete alongside glider troops and later seaborne forces. It was the first large-scale airborne invasion in military history and the largest German airborne operation of the war. German forces initially suffered severe losses, but capturing Maleme airfield allowed reinforcements and supplies to arrive, eventually forcing the Allied defenders to withdraw or surrender.

The victory came at a high cost. German casualties convinced Adolf Hitler that large airborne assaults were no longer worth the risk, and the Fallschirmjäger were thereafter used mainly as elite ground infantry. Small parachute operations still occurred later, including Operation Stösser during the Battle of the Bulge, but Crete was the last major offensive airborne assault. The battle also marked one of the earliest major uses of intelligence derived from decrypted Enigma messages by the Allies.