American airborne landings in Normandy
Part of World War II
82nd Airborne paratroops at RAF Spanhoe in 1944
Date 6 June to 13 July 1944 Location Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy, France Result American victory
Combatants
United States	Germany
Commanders
Matthew B. Ridgway Maxwell D. Taylor	Erich Marcks Wilhelm Falley
Strength
(airlifted) 13,100 paratroops 3,900 glider troops 5,700 USAAF aircrew	36,600 (7.Armee) 17,300 (OKW Reserve)[1]
Casualties
(campaign) 1,003 killed 2,657 wounded 4,490 missing - Airborne losses only	(whole campaign, not just against airborne units) 21,300 killed, wounded, and missing [2]

This article summarizes airborne operations by the United States during the Battle of Normandy. For British airborne operations, see Operation Tonga. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Spanhoe Airfield - 2 March 1944. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Cotentin Peninsula juts out into the English Channel from Normandy towards England, forming part of the north-west coast of France. ... Flag of Normandy Normandy (in French: Normandie, and in Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region in northern France. ... Image File history File links US_flag_48_stars. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895 - July 26, 1993) was a United States Army general. ... General Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was an American soldier and diplomat of the mid-20th century. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Erich Marcks, born June 6, 1891, in Berlin-Schöneberg, died June 12, 1944, in Normandy, France, was a German general of artillery in World War II. Marcks was the son of the German historian Erich Marcks. ... Lieutenant-General Wilhelm Falley (b 25 Sept 1897) was the first German General killed in the Normandy Landings. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (U.S. 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe... Operation Neptune refers to the landing phase of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy. ... Operation Tonga: Pathfinders synchronising their watches in front of an Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle. ... Pegasus Bridge before its replacement Pegasus Bridge in 1944 Original Pegasus Bridge in the Pegasus Museum - July 2005 The replacement Pegasus Bridge in operation The Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge over the Caen Canal, near Ouistreham, France. ... 101st Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Albany was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. ... 82nd Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Boston was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. ... 101st Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Chicago was a pre-dawn glider-borne combat assault in the American airborne landings in Normandy, made by elements of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on the early morning of June 6, 1944. ... Mission Detroit was a pre-dawn glider-borne combat assault in the American airborne landings in Normandy, made by elements of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division on the early morning of June 6, 1944. ... During World War II, mission Elmira was the landing of a significant part of the the 82nd Airborne Division’s glider train in Normandy on the evening of 6 June 1944 as part of Operation Neptune, the assault phase of Operation Overlord. ... Combatants United Kingdom Germany Commanders General-Lieutenant Miles Dempsey, British 3rd Infantry Division Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter, German 716th Static Infantry Division Hans von Luck, German 21st Panzer Division Strength 28,845 Unknown Casualties 630 Unknown German defense at Ouistreham. ... This article is about the beach codenamed in WWII. For other uses, see Juno Beach (disambiguation) Combatants Canada Germany Commanders Major-General R.F.L. Keller, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter, German 716th Static Infantry Division Strength 15,000[1] 7,771 Casualties 340 dead, 739 other casualties... Combatants United Kingdom Germany Commanders Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey, British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter, German 716th Static Infantry Division Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiss, German 352nd Static Infantry Division Strength 24,970 Unknown Casualties 400 altogether Unknown This article is about a World War II invasion. ... Combatants United States Nazi Germany Commanders Omar Bradley Norman Cota Clarence R. Huebner U.S. 1st Infantry Division U.S. 29th Infantry Division Dietrich Kraiss German 352nd Infantry Division Strength 43,250 Unknown Casualties 3,000 1,200 The build-up of Omaha Beach: reinforcements of men and equipment moving... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Raymond O. Barton Theodore Roosevelt Jr U.S. 4th Infantry Division Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben Dietrich Kraiss German 352nd Infantry Division German 709th Infantry Division Strength 32,000  ? Casualties 700 Unknown American assault troops move onto Utah Beach, carrying full equipment. ... Pointe du Hocs location Preinvasion bombing of Pointe du Hoc by 9th Air Force bombers. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Richard Winters unknown Strength 13 60+ Casualties 4 dead, 6 wounded 15 dead, 12 prisoner, Wounded unknown The Brécourt Manor Assault (June 6, 1944) during Operation Chicago of the Normandy Invasion of World War II is often cited as a classic example of small... Combatants Aircraft of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force HQ of Panzer Group West Strength 40 Typhoons 61 Mitchells Casualties None recorded Killed: Sigismund-Helmut von Dawans and 17 other staff officers Wounded: Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg The Attack on Panzer Group Wests headquarters at La Caine in Normandy... This does not cite its references or sources. ... The Battle of Villers-Bocage (June 13, 1944) was an unusual clash between the British and Germans in northern France during World War II. Michael Wittmann, an SS-Obersturmführer, led a unit of six PzKpfw VI Tiger tanks of the 501st Battalion to secure the N175 road near Villers... Combatants Allied Powers Germany Commanders J. Lawton Collins Friedrich Dollman Strength Unknown 40,000 Casualties 2,800 killed, 5,700 missing, 13,500 wounded 39,000 captured The Battle of Cherbourg was part of the Battle of Normandy during World War II, it was fought immediately after the successful Allied... Combatants Allied Powers Nazi Germany Commanders Lieutenant General Richard OConnor SS General Paul Hausser Strength 1 armoured division 3 infantry divisions 1 armoured brigade 2 SS Panzer Divisions 5 Panzer battlegroups Casualties British VIII Corps 4,020 12th SS Panzer Regiment 324 25th SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 383 26th... Operation Goodwood was an Allied military operation of World War II from July 18 to 20 July 1944 taking place in Normandy some weeks following D-Day. ... During World War II, Operation Atlantic (Allies, 1944) was a Canadian offensive, part of the British great breakout tentative (Operation Goodwood) during the Battle of Normandy, on June 19th. ... During World War II, Operation Spring (Allies, 1944) enabled to secure territory gains around Caen and its surroundings during the Battle of Normandy, after Operation Goodwood. ... Combatants USA Canada Free France Germany Commanders General Omar Bradley, General George S. Patton General Philippe Leclerc SS General Paul Hausser Strength 8 infantry divisions, 4 armoured divisions 2 infantry divisions, 11 infantry battlegroups, 2 Panzer Divisions, 1 Panzergrenadier Division Casualties 1. ... Combatants Allied Powers Germany Commanders Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey SS General Paul Hausser Strength 3 armoured divisions, 3 infantry divisions, 2 armoured brigades rising to: 3 Panzer Divisions, 3 infantry divisions Casualties N/A N/A Operation Bluecoat was an attack by British Second Army at the Battle of Normandy... Combatants Allied Powers Germany Commanders Omar Bradley Hans von Kluge Strength 5 infantry divisions, 3 armoured combat commands 3 Panzer Divisions, 2 infantry divisions, 5 panzer or infantry battlegroups Casualties N/A N/A Operation Lüttich was a counterattack launched by German forces on the left flank of the... Combatants First Canadian Army Germany Commanders Lieutenant General Guy Simonds SS General Kurt Meyer Strength 2 infantry divisions, 2 armoured divisions, 2 armoured brigades 3 infantry divisions, 1 SS Panzer Division During World War II, Operation Totalise (Allies, 1944) was a ground attack on 7 August 1944 by British, Canadian... Operation Tractable was a military operation commanded by II Canadian Corps in Normandy in August 1944. ... Combatants North: United Kingdom Canada Polish Army in the West South: United States Free French Forces Nazi Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Omar Bradley Guy Simonds George Patton Günther von Kluge Walter Model Strength unknown 150,000 Casualties Canadian: 18,500 Polish: 2,300 U.S and French: unknown 10... This article is about the Second World War battle for Brest. ... The Liberation of Paris in World War II took place in late August 1944 after the battle of Normandy. ... During World War II, the Western Front was the theater of fighting west of Germany, encompassing the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Denmark. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (U.S. 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe... Combatants United States1 United Kingdom2 Free France3 Germany Commanders Lt. ... American soldiers cross the Siegfried Line The drive to the Siegfried Line was one of the final Allied phases in World War II of the Western European Campaign. ... Combatants United States  United Kingdom Germany Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower Omar N. Bradley George S. Patton, Jr. ... During World War II, the Western Front was the theater of fighting west of Germany, encompassing the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Denmark. ... Combatants Kingdom of the Netherlands Germany Commanders Henry G. Winkelman, Jan Joseph Godfried baron van Voorst tot Voorst Fedor von Bock (Army Group B) Strength 9 divisions, 676 guns, 1 tank (inoperational), 124 aircraft Total: 350,000 men 22 divisions, 1,378 guns, 759 tanks, 1150 aircraft Total: 750,000... This article is about a Second World War battle in 1940, for the 1658 battle of the same name see Battle of the Dunes (1658) Combatants United Kingdom France Belgium Germany Commanders Lord Gort General Weygand Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group A) Ewald von Kleist (Panzergruppe von Kleist) Strength approx. ... Combatants Canada United Kingdom Germany Commanders Louis Mountbatten J. H. Roberts Gerd von Rundstedt Strength 6,086 1,500 Casualties Canada: 950 dead, 2,340 captured wounded or not; United Kingdom: 600; United States:4+; 311 dead, 280 wounded The Dieppe Raid, also known as The Battle of Dieppe or... Combatants Croat SS soldiers Germany Commanders Ferid Džanić Unknown Strength 500-1,000 Unknown Casualties 146 N/A The Villefranche-de-Rouergue uprising took place on September 17, 1943, when a division composed of about 500-1000 Croats and Bosnian Muslims from Croatia, which has been sent by force... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (U.S. 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe... Combatants United States1 United Kingdom2 Free France3 Germany Commanders Lt. ... American soldiers cross the Siegfried Line The drive to the Siegfried Line was one of the final Allied phases in World War II of the Western European Campaign. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Poland Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Brian Horrocks Roy Urquhart James M. Gavin Maxwell Taylor Stanislaw Sosabowski Walter Model Wilhelm Bittrich Kurt Student Strength 35,000 20,000 Casualties 11,377 dead,wounded or missing 6,450 Captured 2,000 Killed 6,000 Wounded Operation... The Battle of Overloon (Code named Operation Aintree) took place between September 30th and October 18th 1944. ... Combatants Canada United Kingdom Poland Belgium Norway Germany Commanders Guy Simonds (acting) (First Canadian Army) Gustav-Adolf von Zangen (German 15th Army) Strength  ?  ? Casualties 12,873 total; including 6,367 Canadian  ? The Battle of the Scheldt was a series of military operations which took place in northern Belgium and south... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Courtney Hodges Walter Model Strength 120,000 80,000 Casualties 33,000 casualties 12,000—16,000 deaths[1] (est. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders William Simpson Gerhard Wilck Strength 100,000 soldiers 12,000 soldiers Casualties 2000 killed 3000 wounded 5500 killed or wounded, 5,600 POW The Battle of Aachen was a battle in World War II that took place in October 1944 in the German city of... Combatants United States  United Kingdom Germany Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower Omar N. Bradley George S. Patton, Jr. ... Located near Alsace in Eastern France, the Colmar Pocket was the site of a ten-day battle during the Second World War that saw four divisions of the French Army and an entire Corps from the U.S. Army overwhelm German resistance. ... During World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the Rhine river at Rees, Wesel and south of the Lippe Canal by the British Second Army, under Lieutenant-General Miles C Dempsey, and the US Ninth Army, under Lieutenant-General William H Simpson. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (U.S. 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe... Operation Tonga: Pathfinders synchronising their watches in front of an Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle. ...

The American airborne landings in Normandy were the first United States combat operations of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by the Western Allies on June 6, 1944. 13,100 paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions made night parachute drops early on D-Day, June 6, followed by 3,937 glider troops flown in by day.^[3] As the opening manuever of Operation Neptune (the assault operation for Overlord) the American airborne divisions were delivered to the continent in two parachute and six glider missions. Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (U.S. 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe... A representation of the changes in territory controlled by Allies and Axis powers over the course of the war. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army is an elite airborne infantry division and was constituted in the National Army as the 82nd Division on March 5, 1917, and was organized on March 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles”—is an elite airborne division of the United States Army primarily trained for air assault operations. ... Airborne Military parachuting form of insertion. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Operation Neptune refers to the landing phase of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy. ...

Both divisions were part of the U.S. VII Corps and provided it support in its mission of capturing Cherbourg as soon as possible to provide the Allies with a port of supply. The specific missions of the airborne divisions were to block approaches into the vicinity of the amphibious landing at Utah Beach, to capture causeway exits off the beaches, and to establish crossings over the Douve River at Carentan to assist the U.S. V Corps in merging the two American beachheads. For the VII Corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, see VII Corps (ACW). ... Cherbourg is a city of Normandy, in northwestern France, in the Manche département, of which it is a sous_préfecture. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Raymond O. Barton Theodore Roosevelt Jr U.S. 4th Infantry Division Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben Dietrich Kraiss German 352nd Infantry Division German 709th Infantry Division Strength 32,000  ? Casualties 700 Unknown American assault troops move onto Utah Beach, carrying full equipment. ... The Hindenburgdamm rail causeway across the Wadden Sea to the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated by a bank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. ... The Douve or Ouve is a small river, 79 Km. ... For the V Corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, see V Corps (ACW) The V Corps (Fifth Corps)—nicknamed the Victory Corps—is a corps of the United States Army. ... A beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit (by sea) reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements (hopefully) help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. ...

The assault did not succeed in blocking the approaches to Utah for three days. Numerous factors played a part, most of which dealt with excessive scattering of the drops. Despite this, German forces were unable to exploit the chaos. Many German units made a tenacious defense of their strongpoints, but all were systematically defeated within a week.

The 101st Airborne captured Carentan and then went into defensive positions on June 15. The 82nd Airborne consolidated its isolated forces and supported the left of the 4th Infantry Division in its drive towards Cherbourg. It then became the left flank division of VII Corps and pushed west along the Douve River to capture Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte. is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) is a combat division of the United States Army based at Fort Hood, Texas, with two maneuver brigades stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. ... Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte is a small rural town in lower Normandy, a north western region of France. ...

Planning

Plans and revisions

Plans for the invasion of France went through several preliminary phases during 1943, during which the Combined Chiefs of Staff allocated 13½ U.S. troop carrier groups to an undefined airborne assault. The actual size, objectives, and details of the plan were not drawn up until after Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower became Supreme Allied Commander in January 1944. In mid-February Eisenhower received word from Headquarters U.S. Army Air Forces that the TO&E of the C-47 Skytrain groups would be increased from 52 to 64 aircraft (plus 9 spares) by April 1 to meet his requirements. At the same time the U.S. First Army commander, Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley, won approval of a plan to land two airborne divisions on the Cotentin Peninsula, one to seize the beach causeways and block the eastern half at Carentan from German reinforcements, the other to block the western corridor at La Haye-du-Puits in a second lift. The exposed and perilous nature of the La Haye de Puits mission was assigned to the combat veteran 82nd Airborne Division, while the causeway mission was given to the untested 101st, which received a new commander in March, Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor. The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) was the supreme military command for the western Allies during World War II. It was a body constituted from the British Chiefs of Staff Committee and the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff. ... Dwight David Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American General and politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953–1961). ... Supreme Allied Commander is the title given to the most senior commander of some multinational organisations. ... The United States Army Air Forces, or USAAF, was a part of the U.S. military during World War II. The direct precursor to the U.S. Air Force, the USAAF formally existed between 1941 and 1947. ... Table of Organization and Equipment This is the document that prescribes the authorized organization for any US Army unit, and t he equipment it is authorized to maintain and utilize. ... The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the U.S. First Army. ... Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893 - April 8, 1981) was one of the main US Army field commanders in North Africa and Europe during World War II. Bradley was born to a poor family near Clark, Missouri, the son of a schoolteacher. ... The Cotentin Peninsula juts out into the English Channel from Normandy towards England, forming part of the north-west coast of France. ... Carentan is a town and commune of the Manche département in Normandy, France. ... La Haye-du-Puits is a commune in the Manche département of the Basse-Normandie region of Northern France Categories: | ... General Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was an American soldier and diplomat of the mid-20th century. ...

Bradley insisted that 75% of the airborne assault be delivered by gliders for concentration of forces. Because it would be unsupported by naval and corps artillery, the commander of the 82nd Airborne, Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, also wanted a glider assault to deliver his organic artillery. The use of gliders was planned until April 18, when tests under realistic conditions resulted in excessive accidents and destruction of many gliders. On April 28 the plan was changed; the entire assault force would be inserted at night in one lift by parachute drop, with gliders providing reinforcement during the day. Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895 - July 26, 1993) was a United States Army general. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Germans, who had neglected to fortify Normandy, began constructing defenses and obstacles against airborne assault in the Cotentin, including specifically the planned drop zones of the 82nd. At first no change in plans were made, but when significant German forces were moved into the Cotentin in mid-May, the drop zones of the 82nd were moved, even though detailed plans had been formulated and training had proceeded based on them.

Diagram of Operation Neptune, showing final airborne routes in the overall scheme

Just ten days before D-Day, a compromise was reached. In light of the heavier German presence, First Army wanted the 82nd landed close to the 101st to support it if needed. VII Corps, however, wanted the drops made west of the Merderet to seize a bridgehead. On May 27 the drop zones were relocated ten miles (16 km) east of Le Haye-du-Puits along both sides of the Merderet. The 101st Airborne's 501st PIR, which had been given the task of capturing Sainte-Mère-Église, was shifted to protect the Carentan flank and to capture the town assigned to the 505th PIR of the 82nd. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1265x966, 188 KB) Allied invasion plans and german positions in the Normandy. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1265x966, 188 KB) Allied invasion plans and german positions in the Normandy. ... Operation Neptune refers to the landing phase of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sainte-Mère-Église is a small town and commune of the Manche département, in the Cotentin Peninsula near the coast of Normandy, France. ...

For the troop carriers, experiences in the invasion of Sicily dictated a route that avoided Allied naval forces and German anti-aircraft defenses along the eastern shore of the Cotentin. On April 12 a route was approved that would depart England at Portland Bill, fly at low altitude southwest over water, then turn 90 degrees to the southeast and come in "by the back door" over the western coast. At the initial point the 82nd would continue straight to La Haye-du-Puits, and the 101st would make a small left turn and fly to Utah Beach. The plan called for a right turn after drops and a return on the reciprocal route. Husky was also the codename of Australian military support to Sierra Leone ending in February 2003. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Pulpit Rock at Portland Bill Portland Bill is a narrow promontory (or bill) of Portland stone which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and hence the county of Dorset. ...

However the change in drop zones on May 27 and the increased size of German defenses made the risk to the planes from ground fire much greater, and the routes were modified so that the 101st would fly a more southerly ingress route along the Douve River (which would also provide a better visual landmark at night for the inexperienced troop carrier pilots). Over the reluctance of the naval commanders, exit routes from the drop zones were changed to fly over Utah Beach, then northward in a ten-mile (16 km) wide "safety corridor", then northwest above Cherbourg. As late as May 31 routes for the glider missions were changed to avoid overflying the peninsula in daylight. is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Cherbourg is a city of Normandy, in northwestern France, in the Manche département, of which it is a sous_préfecture. ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Preparations

IX Troop Carrier Command (TCC) was formed in October 1943 to carry out the airborne assault mission in the invasion. Gen. Paul Williams, who had commanded the troop carrier operations in Sicily and Italy, took command in February 1944. The TCC command and staff officers were an excellent mix of combat veterans from those earlier assaults, and a few key officers were held over for continuity. IX Troop Carrier Command was an operational command of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and its immediate aftermath. ...

The groups assigned to IX TCC were a mixture of experience. Four had seen significant combat in the Twelfth Air Force. Four had no combat experience but had trained together for more than a year in the United States. Four others had been in existence less than nine months and arrived in the UK one month after training began. The thirteenth had experience only as a transport group and the last had been recently formed. Twelfth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force in Air Combat Command (ACC). ...

Joint training with airborne troops and an emphasis on night formation flying began at the start of March. The veteran 52nd TCW, wedded to the 82nd Airborne, progressed rapidly and by the end of April had completed several successful night drops. The 53rd TCW, working with the 101st, also progressed well (although one practice mission on April 4 in poor visibility resulted in a badly scattered drop) but two of its groups concentrated on glider missions. By the end of April joint training with both airborne divisions ceased when Taylor and Ridgway deemed that their units had jumped enough. The 50th TCW did not begin training until April 3 and progressed more slowly, then was hampered when the troops ceased jumping. is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

A divisional night jump exercise for the 101st Airborne scheduled for May 7, Exercise Eagle, was postponed to May 11-May 12 and became a dress rehearsal for both divisions. The 52nd TCW, carrying only two token paratroopers on each C-47, performed satisfactorily although the two lead planes of the 316th TCG collided in mid-air, killing 14 including the group commander, Col. Burton R. Fleet. The 53rd TCW was judged "uniformly successful" in its drops. The 50th TCW however got lost in haze when its pathfinders failed to turn on their navigation beacons. It continued training till the end of the month with simulated drops in which pathfinders guided them to drop zones. The 315th and 442d Groups, which had never dropped troops until May and were judged the command's "weak sisters", continued to train almost nightly, dropping paratroopers who had not completed their quota of jumps. Three proficiency tests at the end of the month, making simulated drops, were rated as fully qualified. The inspectors, however, made their judgments without factoring that most of the successful missions had been flown in clear weather. is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

By the end of May 1944, the IX Troop Carrier Command had available 1,207 C-47 Skytrain troop carrier airplanes and was one-third overstrength, creating a strong reserve. Three quarters of the planes were less than one year old on D-Day, and all were in excellent condition. Engine problems during training had resulted in a high number of aborted sorties, but all had been replaced to eliminate the problem. All materiél requested by commanders in IX TCC, including armor plating, had been received with the exception of self-sealing fuel tanks, which Chief of the Army Air Forces Gen. Henry H. Arnold had personally rejected because of limited supplies. Self-sealing fuel tanks are an aviation technology developed during World War II, when it quickly became apparent that fighter aircraft lacked adequate protection. ... General of the Air Force Henry Harley Hap Arnold GCB (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an aviation pioneer and Chief of the United States Army Air Corps (from 1938), Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces (from 1941 until 1945) and the first and only General...

Crew availability exceeded numbers of aircraft, but 40% were recent arrivals and "filler replacements" who had not been present for much of the night formation training. As a result, 20% of the 924 crews committed to the parachute mission on D-Day had minimum night training and fully three-fourths of all crews had never been under fire. Over 2,100 CG-4 Waco gliders had been sent to the UK, and after attrition during training operations, 1,118 were available for operations, along with 301 Airspeed Horsa gliders received from the British. Trained crews sufficient to pilot 951 gliders were available, and at least five of the troop carrier groups intensively trained for glider missions. The CG-4A Waco (named Hadrian in Royal Air Force use) was the most widely used United States troop/cargo military glider of World War II. Flight testing began in 1942 and eventually more than 12,000 CG-4As were procured. ... Airspeed Horsa The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a World War II troop-carrying glider built by the British company Airspeed Ltd and subcontractors and used for air assault by British and Allied armed forces. ...

C-47 of the 438th TCG marked with invasion stripes

Because of the requirement for absolute radio silence and a study that warned that the thousands of Allied aircraft flying on D-Day would break down the existing system, plans were formulated on May 17 to mark aircraft including gliders with black-and-white stripes to facilitate aircraft recognition. Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, commander of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force, approved the use of the recognition markings on May 17. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Invasion stripes on a P-51 Mustang. ... In telecommunications, radio silence is a status maintained where all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area stop transmitting. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Invasion stripes on a P-51 Mustang. ... Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns in RAF No 1 Dress uniform Air Chief Marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a senior air officer rank in the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom As well as the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and air forces of many Commonwealth... Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory KCB, DSO and Bar (11 July 1892 - 14 November 1944) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in World War II and the highest-ranking British officer to die in the war. ... The Allied Expeditionary Air Force was a component of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) which controlled the tactical airpower of the Allied forces during Operation Overlord. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

For the troop carrier aircraft this was in the form of three white and two black stripes, each two feet (60 cm) wide, around the fuselage behind the exit doors and from front to back on the outer wings. A test exercise was flown by selected aircraft over the invasion fleet on June 1, but to maintain security, orders to paint stripes were not issued until June 3. The fuselage can be short, and seemingly unaerodynamic, as in this Christen Eagle 2 The fuselage (from the French fuselé spindle-shaped) is an aircrafts main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Opposing forces

Deployment of German forces on June 6, 1944

• U.S. VII Corps
  • 82nd Airborne Division
  • 101st Airborne Division

• IX Troop Carrier Command
  • 50th Troop Carrier Wing
  • 52nd Troop Carrier Wing
  • 53rd Troop Carrier Wing

• German Seventh Army
  • 91st Air Landing Division
  • 243rd Infantry Division
  • 709th Infantry Division
  • 6th Parachute Regiment

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 752 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (882 × 703 pixel, file size: 151 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Map of german positions on cotentin penisula, D-Day Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 752 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (882 × 703 pixel, file size: 151 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Map of german positions on cotentin penisula, D-Day Source: http://www. ... For the VII Corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, see VII Corps (ACW). ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was constituted in the National Army as the 82nd Division on August 5, 1917, and was organized on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles”—is an airborne division of the United States Army primarily trained for air assault operations. ... IX Troop Carrier Command was an operational command of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and its immediate aftermath. ... The German Seventh Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ... 91st Infantry Division 91st Air Landing Division The 91st Infantry Division was created in early 1944, and converted reorganized as the 91st Air Landing Division ( German luftlande) in the spring. ... The 243rd Static Infantry Division was raised in July 1943. ... The 709th Static Infantry Division was raised in May 1941 and used for occuation duties in France until the Allied invasion. ...

Pathfinders

Pathfinder patch.

Image File history File linksMetadata AmericanArmyUniformPatchWorldWarII_Pathfinder. ... Image File history File linksMetadata AmericanArmyUniformPatchWorldWarII_Pathfinder. ...

Concept and training

To assist the pilots of the troop carrier groups in locating the six drop zones and two landing zones in the darkness, each division formed a company of scouts referred to as "pathfinders". A school to train these troops and the air crews in the use of navigation aids was established by IX Troop Carrier Command in February 1944 at RAF North Witham in Lincolnshire, and 24 crews of the first 8 groups were detached to this school for the initial training class. Drop zone in Empuriabrava, Catalonia Drop zone in Pepperell, MA (USA) seen from the air In parachuting, a Drop zone or DZ is the area above and around a location where a skydiver or parachutist freefalls and expects to land. ... A Landing Zone or LZ is a military term for any area where aircraft land. ... One version of the patch worn on the uniforms of American pathfinders who served during World War II. During World War II, the pathfinders were a group of volunteers selected within the Airborne units who were specially trained to operate navigation aids to guide the main airborne body to the... RAF North Witham at British national grid reference SK947229, an air station of the Second World War period, established by the British Royal Air Force, was lent to the United States Army Air Forces and is now abandoned in Twyford Wood, Colsterworth, Lincolnshire. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. ...

The school had 52 C-47 aircraft assigned to it, 11 of which had SCR-717-C search radar sets installed. On D-Day these aircraft were used as a provisional group to carry the pathfinder force into Normandy. The SCR-717, nicknamed the "belly button radar" by air crews because it protruded from the lower fuselage,^[4] was installed in 50 C-47s. It provided a crude radar map of terrain for navigation and also triggered the "BUPS" (Beacon, Ultra Portable S-band) radar marker carried by some pathfinders. With only 6 BUPS units available in Europe, and two of those on boats marking the route, the system was only used experimentally. The SCR-717 was in such limited supply that no more than two were available to any serial. This long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The S band ranges from 2 to 4 GHz. ...

The 300 men of the pathfinder companies were organized into teams of 14-18 paratroops each, part of whom would deploy "Eureka" transponding radar beacons and set out holophane marking lights while the remainder acted as security. The paratroops trained at the school for two months with the troop carrier crews, but although every C-47 in IX TCC had a Rebecca interrogator installed, to keep from jamming the system with hundreds of signals, only flight leads were authorized to use it in the vicinity of the drop zones. The Eureka beacon was a simple radio homing beacon used in combination with the airborne Rebecca receiver. ... An Ontario Highway 407 toll transponder In telecommunication, the term transponder (short-for Transmitter-responder and sometimes abbreviated to XPDR, XPNDR or TPDR) has the following meanings: An automatic device that receives, amplifies, and retransmits a signal on a different frequency (see also broadcast translator). ... Holophane is a US manufacturer of lighting fixtures and lenses for street lights, including General Electric, Cooper Lighting, and Lithonia. ...

Each drop zone (DZ) had a serial of three C-47 aircraft assigned to locate the DZ and drop pathfinder teams, who would mark it. The serials in each wave were to arrive at six minute intervals. The pathfinder serials were organized in two waves, with those of the 101st Airborne arriving a half hour before the first scheduled assault drop. These would be the first U.S. and possibly the first Allied troops to land in the invasion. The three pathfinder serials of the 82nd Airborne were to begin their drops as the final wave of 101st Airborne paratroopers landed, thirty minutes ahead of the first 82nd Airborne drops.

D-Day results

Gen. Eisenhower speaking with 1st Lt. Wallace C. Strobel and men of Company E 502nd PIR on June 5. The placard around Strobel's neck indicates he is the jumpmaster for chalk 23 of the 438th TCG.

Efforts of the early wave of pathfinder teams to mark the drop zones were partially ineffective. The first serial, assigned to DZ A, missed its zone and set up a mile away near St. Germain-de-Varreville. The team was unable to get either its amber halophane lights or its Eureka beacon working until the drop was well in progress. Although the second pathfinder serial had a plane ditch in the ocean en route, the remainder dropped two teams near DZ C, but most of their marker lights were lost in the ditched airplane. They managed to set up a Eureka beacon just before the assault force arrived but were forced to use a handheld signal light which was not seen by some pilots. The planes assigned to DZ D along the Douve River failed to see their final turning point and flew well past the zone. Returning from an unfamiliar direction, they dropped ten minutes late and one mile (1.5 km) off target. The drop zone was chosen after the change of mission for the 501st PIR and was in an area identified by the Germans as a likely landing area. Consquently so many Germans were present that the pathfinders could not set out their lights and were forced to rely solely on Eureka, which was a poor guide at short range. General Dwight D. Eisenhower addresses American paratroopers on D-Day. ... General Dwight D. Eisenhower addresses American paratroopers on D-Day. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The pathfinders of the 82nd Airborne had similar results. The first serial, bound for DZ O near St. Mère Église, flew too far north but corrected its error and dropped near its DZ. It made the most effective use of the Eureka beacons and holophane marking lights of any pathfinder team. The planes bound for DZ N south of St. Mère Église flew their mission accurately and visually identified the zone but still dropped the teams a mile southeast. They landed among troop areas of the German 91st Division and were unable to reach the DZ. The teams assigned to mark DZ T northwest of St. Mère Église were the only ones dropped with accuracy, and while they deployed both Eureka and BUPS, they were unable to show lights because of the close proximity of German troops.

The pathfinder teams assigned to Drop Zones C (101st) and N (82nd) each carried two BUPS beacons. The units for DZ N were intended to guide in the parachute resupply drop scheduled for late on D-Day, but the pair of DZ C were to provide a central orientation point for all the SCR-717 radars to get bearings. However the units were damaged in the drop and provided no assistance.

Combat jumps

Mission profile

The assault lift (one operation employing all available aircraft) was divided into two missions, "Albany" and "Boston", each with three regiment-sized landings on a drop zone. The drop zones of the 101st were east and south of Sainte-Mère-Église and lettered A, C, and D from north to south (Drop Zone B had been that of the 501st PIR before the changes of May 27). Those of the 82nd were west (T and O, from west to east) and southwest (Drop Zone N). 101st Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Albany was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. ... 82nd Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Boston was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

C-47 of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, which carried the 506th PIR (of Band of Brothers fame) into Normandy. Group commander's aircraft, chalk #1 of serial 11, assigned to Drop Zone C

Each parachute infantry regiment (PIR) was transported by three or four serials, formations containing 36, 45, or 54 C-47s. The planes, individually designated within a serial by chalk numbers (literally numbers chalked on the airplanes to aid paratroopers in boarding the correct airplane), were organized into flights in trail, in a close pattern called "vee's of vee's" (3 planes in triangular vee's arranged in a larger vee of 9 planes). The serials were scheduled over the drop zones at 6-minute intervals. The paratroopers were organized into sticks, a plane load of troops numbering 15-18 men. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Band of Brothers is an acclaimed 10-part television miniseries set during World War II, co-produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. ...

To achieve surprise, the parachute drops were routed to approach Normandy at low altitude from the west. The serials took off beginning at 22:30 on June 5, assembled into formations, and flew south to the departure point, code-named "Flatbush". They then descended and flew southwest over the English Channel at 500 feet (150 m) MSL to remain below German radar coverage. Each flight within a serial was 1,000 feet (300 m) behind the flight ahead. The flights encountered winds that pushed them five minutes ahead of schedule, but the affect was uniform over the entire invasion force and had negligible effect on the timetables. Once over water, all lights except formation lights were turned off, and these were reduced to their lowest practical intensity. is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: , the sleeve) is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ...

Twenty-four minutes (57 miles or 92 km) out over the channel, the troop carrier stream reached a stationary marker boat code-named "Hoboken" and carrying a Eureka beacon, where they made a sharp left turn to the southeast and flew between the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Alderney. Weather over the channel was clear; all serials flew their routes precisely and in tight formation as they approached their initial points on the Cotentin coast, where they turned for their respective drop zones. The initial point for the 101st at Portbail, code-named "Muleshoe," was approximately ten miles (16 km) south of that of the 82d, "Peoria," near Flamanville. This article is about the British dependencies. ... Capital St Anne Status Part of Guernsey, Crown dependency of the UK Official language(s) English Head of Government Sir Norman Browse Population 2,400 Currency Pound sterling (GBP). ... Flamanville is a commune in Manche, France. ...

Scattered drops

Despite precise execution over the channel, numerous factors encountered over the Cotentin Peninsula disrupted the accuracy of the drops, many encountered in rapid succession or simultaneously. These included:^[5][6][7]

• C-47 configuration, including severe overloading, use of drag-inducing parapacks, and shifting centers of gravity,
• lack of navigators on 60% of aircraft, forcing navigation by pilots if formations broke up,
• radio silence that prevented warnings about adverse weather encountered,
• a solid cloud bank over the entire western half of the 22-mile (35 km) wide peninsula at penetration altitude (1500 feet or 450 m MSL), thinning to broken clouds over the eastern half,
• an opaque ground fog over many drop zones,
• German antiaircraft fire ("flak"),
• limitations of the Rebecca/Eureka transponding radar system used to guide serials to their drop zones,
• emergency usage of Rebecca by numerous lost aircraft,
• unmarked or poorly marked drop zones,
• drop runs by some C-47s that were above or below the designated 700 foot (200 m) drop altitude, or in excess of the 110 mph (180 km/h) drop speed, and
• second or third passes over an area seeking the drop zone.

Of the 20 serials making up the two missions, 9 plunged into the cloud bank and were badly dispersed while none of the 6 serials which achieved concentrated drops flew through the clouds. However the primary factor limiting success of the paratroop units, because it magnified all the errors resulting from the above factors, was the decision to make a massive parachute drop at night, a concept that was not again used in three subsequent large-scale airborne operations. This was further illustrated when the same troop carrier groups flew a second lift later that day with precision and success under heavy fire.^[8] Look up Drag in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Golden Gate Bridge in Fog Evening fog obscures Londons Tower Bridge from passers by. ... FLAK was a punk rock side project of members of the band Machinae Supremacy in 2001. ... The Rebecca/Eureka transponding radar was a transponder system used as a radio homing beacon by means of a Eureka ground emitter responding to queries from an airborne Rebecca interrogator. ...

First wave: mission Albany

Main article: Mission Albany

Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" jumped first on June 6, between 00:48 and 01:40 British Double Summer Time. 6,928 troops were carried aboard 432 C-47s of mission "Albany" organized into 10 serials. The first flights, inbound to DZ A, were not surprised by the bad weather, but navigating errors and a lack of Eureka signal caused the 2nd Battalion 502nd PIR to come down on the wrong drop zone. Most of the remainder of the 502nd jumped in a disorganized pattern around the impromptu drop zone set up by the pathfinders near the beach. Two battalion commanders took charge of small groups and accomplished all of their D-Day missions. The division's parachute artillery experienced one of the worst drops of the operation, losing all but one howitzer and most of its troops as casualties. 101st Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Albany was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... British Summer Time (BST), known in Ireland as Irish Summer Time (IST), is the daylight saving time in effect in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October each year. ...

The three serials carrying the 506th PIR were badly dispersed by the clouds, then subjected to intense antiaircraft fire. Even so, 2/3 of the 1st Battalion was dropped accurately on DZ C. The 2nd Battalion, much of which had dropped too far west, fought its way to the Houdienville causeway by mid-afternoon but found that the 4th Division had already seized the exit. The 3rd Battalion of the 501st PIR, also assigned to DZ C, was more scattered, but took over the mission of securing the exits. A small unit reached the Pouppeville exit at 0600 and fought a six-hour battle to secure it, shortly before 4th Division troops arrived to link up.

The 501st PIR's serial also encountered severe flak but still made an accurate jump on Drop Zone D. Part of the DZ was covered by pre-registered German fires that inflicted heavy casualties before many troops could get out of their chutes. Among the killed were two of the three battalion commanders and one of their executive officers. A group of 150 troops captured the main objective, the la Barquette lock, by 04:00. A staff officer put together a platoon and achieved another objective by seizing two foot bridges near la Porte at 04:30. The 2nd Battalion landed almost intact on DZ D but in a day-long battle failed to take Saint-Côme-du-Mont and destroy the highway bridges over the Douve. FLAK was a punk rock side project of members of the band Machinae Supremacy in 2001. ... Platoon of the German Bundeswehr. ...

The glider battalions of the 101st's 327th Glider Infantry Regiment were delivered by sea and landed across Utah Beach with the 4th Infantry Division. On D-day its third battalion, the 1st Battalion 401st GIR, landed just after noon and bivouacked near the beach. By the evening of June 7 the other two battalions were assembled near Sainte Marie du Mont. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... The Church in Sainte Marie du Mont. ...

Second wave: mission Boston

Main article: Mission Boston

The 82nd Airborne's drop, mission "Boston", began at 01:51. It was also a lift of 10 serials organized in three waves, totalling 6,420 paratroopers carried by 369 C-47s. The C-47s carrying the 505th did not experience the difficulties that had plagued the 101st's drops. Pathfinders on DZ O turned on their Eureka beacons as the first 82nd serial crossed the initial point and lighted holophane markers on all three battalion assembly areas. As a result the 505th enjoyed the most accurate of the D-Day drops, half the regiment dropping on or within a mile of its DZ, and 75% within two miles (3 km). 82nd Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Boston was a parachute combat assault at night by the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division on June 6, 1944, part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. ...

The other regiments were more significantly dispersed. The 508th experienced the worst drop of any of the PIRs, with only 25% jumping within a mile of the DZ. Half the regiment dropped east of the Merderet, where it was useless to its original mission.^[9] The 507th PIR's pathfinders landed on DZ T, but because of Germans nearby, marker lights could not be turned on. Approximately half landed nearby in grassy swampland along the river. Estimates of drowning casualties vary from "a few"^[10] to "scores"^[11] (against an overall D-Day loss in the division of 156 killed in action), but much equipment was lost and the troops had difficulty assembling. Temporary grave of an American machine-gunner during the Battle of Normandy. ...

Timely assembly enabled the 505th to accomplish two of its missions on schedule. The 3rd Battalion captured Sainte-Mère-Église by 0430 without firing a shot. The 2nd Battalion established a blocking position on the northern approaches to Sainte-Mère-Église with a single platoon while the rest reinforced the 3rd Battalion when it was counterattacked at mid-morning. The 1st Battalion did not achieve its objectives of capturing bridges over the Merderet at la Fière and Chef-du-Pont, despite the assistance of several hundred troops from the 507th and 508th PIRs. Sainte-Mère-Église is a small town and commune of the Manche département, in the Cotentin Peninsula near the coast of Normandy, France. ...

None of the 82nd's objectives of clearing areas west of the Merderet and destroying bridges over the Douve were achieved on D-Day. However one makeshift battalion of the 508th PIR seized a small hill near the Merderet and disrupted German counterattacks on Chef-du-Pont for three days, effectively accomplishing its mission. Two company-sized pockets of the 507th held out behind the German center of resistance at Amfreville until relieved by the seizure of the causeway on June 9. Amfreville is a commune of the Manche département, in the Basse-Normandie France. ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ...

D-Day glider landings

Brig. Gen. McAuliffe of the 101st Airborne and glider pilots at RAF Aldermaston, June 5, 1944.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... RAF Aldermaston was an airfield in Berkshire during the Second World War. ...

Pre-dawn assaults

Main articles: Mission Chicago and Mission Detroit

Two pre-dawn glider landings, missions "Chicago" (101st) and "Detroit" (82nd), each by 52 CG-4 Waco gliders, landed anti-tank guns and support troops for each division. The missions took off while the parachute landings were in progress and followed them by two hours, landing at about 0400, 2 hours before dawn. Chicago was an unqualified success, with 92% landing within two miles of target. Detroit was disrupted by the same cloud bank that had bedeviled the paratroops and only 62% landed within two miles. Even so, both missions provided heavy weapons that were immediately placed into service. Only eight passengers were killed in the two missions, but one of those was the assistant division commander of the 101st Airborne, Brig. Gen. Don Pratt. 5 gliders in the 82nd's serial, cut loose in the cloud bank, remaining missing after a month. 101st Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Chicago was a pre-dawn glider-borne combat assault in the American airborne landings in Normandy, made by elements of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on the early morning of June 6, 1944. ... Mission Detroit was a pre-dawn glider-borne combat assault in the American airborne landings in Normandy, made by elements of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division on the early morning of June 6, 1944. ... 101st Airborne Division shoulder insignia Mission Chicago was a pre-dawn glider-borne combat assault in the American airborne landings in Normandy, made by elements of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division on the early morning of June 6, 1944. ... Mission Detroit was a pre-dawn glider-borne combat assault in the American airborne landings in Normandy, made by elements of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division on the early morning of June 6, 1944. ... Brigadier General Don Forrester Pratt (July 12, 1892-June 6, 1944) was Assistant Division Commander of the United States 101st Airborne Division on D-Day and was the highest ranking casualty of the battle on either side. ...

Evening reinforcement missions

Main article: Mission Elmira

On the evening of D-Day two additional glider operations, mission "Keokuck" and mission "Elmira", brought in additional support on 208 gliders. Operating on British Double Summer Time, both arrived and landed before dark. Both missions were heavily escorted by P-38,