ladies and gentlemen, the

picture we're about to see is as important. a film document as a sermon made by the army, as well as a graphic. it reveals an operation. the use of blindness, the invasion of normandy blindness, which would help to manufacture you will not soon forget this picture. you may recognize gliders which

you build with your own. i think you will thrive when you see how well they perform. but without them, the invasion german territory could not have been a success in world years. you refer to joseph five of pride as being for the czech people shows the man and the entire army air force i want you to know that we share this pride with you. but the job not yet done, you still need gliders of every description glider sensors only you can in the past you worked very hard, but now it was work even harder for your child come the aircraft. we need to speed. victory. thank you.

this this is the story of the operation which began the assault on the continent of europe. the ninth troop carrier command will transport and resupply parachute and glider elements, the 82nd and 101st airborne division and will be prepared to transport elements of the british first airborne division as directed the us 101st airborne division will begin landing approximately 30 minutes prior to civil twilight on the morning of d-day to assist the fourth division in the initial assault and capture the town of on top the us second airborne

division will land to immediate west of the 101st for the purpose of preventing the movement of enemy reserves to the eastern. symbol, isn't it? this mission which read so easily, calls for an attack from england on the continent of europe. the message to europa world end by the formidable defense and depth of the atlantic wall. mind trapped, bristling with gun emplacements and fortifications.

and impregnable barrier, said the nazis. the combined chiefs of staff decided that frontal assault alone would not crack europe. the atlantic wall must be welded and the cracking process begun from the rear. the initial effort by land, sea and air would be made in this area spearheaded by troop carrier and airborne forces. but before the d-day, there must be a number of d days. the first large scale airborne operation was in conjunction with the assault on sicily. 10th july 1943, taking from fields in africa for dropping zones in sicily, troop carrier units by glider and aircraft

units of the first british and the us 82nd airborne divisions almost a year before this operation, a troop carrier group transported a parachute infantry battalion from england to start the invasion of north africa. but the invasion of sicily was the first real test for a troop units, which are trained in maneuvers in texas, the carolinas and england. the sicilian operation. there was much to be learned about the planning of an airborne operation. troop carrier aircraft was shot down friendly forces and parachute drops were widely scattered. it was a tactical success, however rich an experience for the units which would later participate in the assault on the continent continent. the lesson was driven, but more navigation aids were badly needed, but gliders must be landed at speeds. but some type of air brake was

necessary to decrease the rate of descent of gliders going into small fields. the protection for the nose, the glider and rough landing should be provided not only to protect the pilots, but to facilitate unloading technique to be worked out for gliders landing on water. the lessons of sicily was that of the experience of the highly successful operation in the markham valley of new guinea, in which troop and airborne forces showed practicability of a well-planned daylight operation.

back in the united states, many lessons learned from the operations sicily, markham valley, salerno were made up part of training and maneuvers. the griswold knows was developed to protect the glider in rough landings parachute or was adapted for women landing. the glider restricted areas. the intercom between top plane glider was introduced. blitz landings were out. glider pilots were taught to slow, constant rate of descent with a slow landing to a precise on the ground.

many types of combat aircraft were suitable for towing the cg for a glider. the b-25 was used be the p-38 performed its task well. even the pb y became a tow plane. note the take of the pb y before the glider. is a b-17 and dual to.

an a tributo by a c 54. airborne aviation engineers trained in anticipation of their probable use for building landing strips and rebuilding bombed airdromes in france troop carrier airplane that converted in a matter of minutes into ambulance ships. and lessons learned overseas grew the doctrine expressed in water. pardon circular 113 employment of airborne and troop carrier forces doctrine was put into

practice and circular 113 became the blueprint for all airborne operations. airborne and troop carrier units. our theater of operation forces. their employment must an integral part of the basic plan made by the agency directing all land sea and air forces in the operation. the coordinating directive must be issued in time to allow realistic preparation and training by troop carrier and airborne units for the specific operation. airborne troops must be employed in mash, and the bulk of the force landed in a small area as possible. the of highly trained pathfinder teams dropped in advance to mock dropping zones and glider zones as essential procedures must be prescribed, which will ensure that troop carrier are on course at proper altitude and on correct time schedules are not fired upon by friendly forces.

however, pilots and the staff of operational training, which were committed to the united kingdom, were trained in flying procedures. the united kingdom, before they left the states.

of low flying, was emphasized designed to prevent early detection by the enemy. aircrew was had to fly through a corridor of flak pinpointed by searchlights. every aspect of operations in the united kingdom flying control, ac rescue supplied british navigation, whether all

phases of theater training were covered before the units departed overseas. and. the maneuvers ended with gliders landing in small fields similar to the potential landing zones in france. live loads or in the gliders gliders.

airborne troops continue their specialized tactics. glider pilots are trained to stay in action them until evacuated.

meanwhile, in england, supreme headquarters was formed, the planning changed to the manning phase. the airborne planning committee headed by the air commander in chief of the allied expeditionary air force, was of representatives from all the services in the airborne operation, navy ground and air, as well as the troop carrier command and the airborne division's concern. british ground crews helped assemble their own horses, gliders before turning them over to troop carrier. this british horse and now belongs the ninth troop carrier command. each group had 73 aircraft

instead of the normal 52. the troop carried a force of three wings and 14 groups contained, one experienced wing and five combat wise groups from the mediterranean in three planes and each squadron are equipped for aerial pickup. thorough coordination, ground and air is necessary for accuracy and delivery of resupply containers.

these men are pathfinders. a combined team of troop carrier crews and parachute technicians will drop on objective areas and set up homing devices for the main aerial teams of 9 to 14 technical men and five security personnel. all the pathfinder school starting without precedent and a table of organization and with little equipment turned out 50 trained troop carrier crews and 260 british and american airborne officers and by d-day, pathfinder airplanes were equipped with every aid used by troop carrier and the flight crews and airborne. received 30 to 60 hours training

in their use both in the air and on the ground. each pathfinder team is equipped eight specially designed hollow fan from which dc lights are made by d-day crews who had lived trained and were briefed together could navigate under conditions to within 600 to 800 yards of a pinpointed position in unfamiliar territory territory. from march through may 35, lower echelon and three full scale command exercises were held culminating in a full dress rehearsal for the operation against the continent. at times, load distances and navigational aids. where exactly would be used in the assault? landing zones were selected for this similarity to those in normandy, which showed were 900 to 15 feet long and averaged hundred feet wide. mosaics showed that the

objective areas hold 1300 gliders, the normandy fields were founded by trees, 15 to 75 feet high, along with numerous dense hedges. around. glider pilots were allowed to choose their own fields and release was made at heights from 800 to 1000 feet. both ideas were impractical, though the high release made, the gliders more vulnerable to ground fire and sacrifice accuracy. and when each pilot chose his landing field, there were too many conflicting patterns following maneuver. it was decided that leaders were to choose the landing field for the three other gliders. in his element, and the release

would be made at 400 to 600 feet. and. if field small enough for practical operational training, a used there are certain to be crack ups. a compromise must be made

between realistic training and the number of gliders which may be expended on the maneuver. one reason the percentage of horse crack ups was to be so much higher in the actual. was that a sufficient number were not available for extensive practice in full load landings and a small field because of the rugged fuselage construction. most of the cg for gliders sustained damage upon landing deliver loads of personnel and equipment and fighting. airborne infantry failing the busses for their last land bone ride until d-day.

these hangars are their barracks until climb aboard the airplanes and gliders. new equipment is issued.

there's nothing to do now, but kill time. nothing that is but to keep at the peak and the weight orders. grab a few moments to read letters from home and write a few lines. but this is business and. you want to be sure you're in business when the time comes. so you take inventory of your stock and trade and keep everything clean and shiny and ready. overnight the ships blossomed out in their new war paint on d

minus invasion markings applied another lesson from sicily. invasion of money reveal the objective by the high command insisted that individuals should know their destination. hours before takeoff time were assembled and delivered to the.

enlistees received. their quotas of troops who crossed the beaches and moved forward. if troop carrier and airborne have done their job, one glider regiment of the 101st was to go in by boat as well, some attached and supporting of both divisions the lift of the required and gliders was not to put them in by air as early as needed. d-day minus one time narrows gliders with a first night's operation or assembled for the takeoff, glider, pilots are told to assemble at division headquarters after landing for evacuation to england. an airborne general has a final talk with his men.

troop carrier and airborne have their inspection. and.

more than a dozen field paratroopers march their ships. and.

each pilot has been furnished a list of his passengers. per pax and checked. this outfit has enough blood in its collective veins to justify their haircut. there a message from the supreme

commander. you are about to embark on a great crusade the eyes of the world are upon and the hopes and prayers of all liberty loving people. go with you. we. make.

pilot crew chief make a final check of the power packs. and here's another final check this time by the jump master. just before the men go aboard.

and. this trooper will drop his british leg pack loaded with supplies just before he lands lands. food.

desk, pathfinder teams board the ships that will show the way into enemy territory. 925 troop laden aircraft will home tonight on navigational set up by these pathfinders. this is one minute out of one hour in one day in the world history that has rarely been equaled. these are the first ships to take off in the airborne invasion of fortress europe. no. first man ownership of airborne at 2154. as the head for the coast of

france. now, let's see, 47 move into position for that take off at the head of the runway. 30 minutes after the pathfinders take off, the first aerials of c-47 follow the invasion.

as a troop carrier aircraft crossed the channel and the allied invasion fleet already weighed anchor. ceiling had been forecast as 3000 en route, clearing at dc, but actually is variable 500 to 1000 visibility is poor. stand up, look up. ready with a red. landed on ready with a green show. the green goose.

the unit landed squarely on the german 91st infantry division and other enemy troops. these enemy units were on and were already occupying their assigned positions. surprise was gained only by the leading parachute unit and subsequent serials found themselves under practically continuous ground and anti-aircraft fire while crossing the peninsula. upon landing a 821 airplane loads, 13,000 paratroops were delivered in today's ese in less than 2 hours. the troop had not planned to

train for a night glider landing, but more panzers moving into the peninsula made 100 glider loads of anti-tank guns and troops essential for the initial phases. it was estimated that only 50% of personnel and equipment would be available for use after the landing. this calculated risk was accepted. the serials were made up of the reliable cg forays, which were easier put into strange fields in darkness. zero 200 time for the gliders to go. all right. cloud approaching only. roger. okay, come out, roger.

the coastal defenses are softening up the beach landings. they break in. naval bombardment continue as. marauders went in ahead, the troops to blast enemy coastal installations. priority number one as supremacy

had been obtained a long time before d-day, the eighth and ninth air forces had accomplished that standing offshore the invasion craft to wait as allied planes blast the coast. allied service ships come in. the marauders go on to the next

phase. the bombing and crippling of roads bridges waterways, rail heads the isolation of a battlefield in the battlefield is no german come through to the coast in any strength. the beachhead holds and grows. the air force piles up a record number of sorties.

fighters blast every target that moves on enemy. any target of opportunity is legitimate trade record sorties are flown by fighters on d-day.

and. back in england the next serials are being marshaled for the takeoff. the c-47 are doing double duty back from paratroop drops. they're ready to take off with gliders due to it being practiced in the states. but it was not used in this operation due to the extra time necessary for air assembly and the additional marshaling space which it would require on the

air drums. hard pressed paratroopers who went into action in darkness earlier today, depending on reinforcements, heavier equipment which will be delivered by these glider serials. three groups of glider cover are in take off position at airdromes to the south. of. the coordinated british effort was made simultaneous as laid by the british sixth airborne division, transported by our affiliate group and one objectives around come

particular the interesting was a delivery of eight and one half tonne tanks of a recce and 30 huge hamilcar gliders. 29 of the 30 tanks were in action within 10 minutes after they were landed and.

air superiority makes this daylight operation.

arc at the end of. the mission for this friendly airplane. two way traffic and its congested. these are areas flooded by the germans. parachutes and gliders from the previous serials. the gliders cut loose from their

tail planes. we fighter cover all the way to the landing zone, not even a lone german fighter was able to sneak through. one of the gliders makes a landing in the flooded area. here are the staked fields intelligence warned us about. the traps consisted of poles. 12 to 15 feet long.

the 82nd and 101st airborne division two were in action. 33 and 24 days, respectively, in the 80 seconds, having captured some gleason, secured the bridgehead across missouri river, destroyed other river crossings, protected the flank of the seventh army corps, and drove to the due river. 1/101. seize the areas assigned. it destroyed bridges drove on to karen dawn to establish defense area there. to troop carrier the commanding general of the 82nd airborne division sent this commendation on the most difficult conditions, including landing fire and enemy occupied terrain. glider pilots did a splendid job on the ground. they rendered willing an effective service, providing local protection for the division command post during the most critical when the division was under heavy attack from

three sides. please to all elements of your command who brought the division in by glider or parachute or group, who performed resupply mission for us our admiration, their coolness under fire. determination to overcome all obstacles. and for that magnificent spirit of, cooperation. this is part of the price paid for six and 7th june 1944. 662 troop carrier airplanes were dispatched in the first 24 hours of the assault. 43 were lost and 311 damaged by small arms fire. a lot happened here. the cameras could never. but a corporal with the pathfinders remembers. we were covering the landing of the first bunch of gliders were

pinned down german fire across the field as the men came running out they stepped right into it and started to drop around us. the german blew one glider right apart. a veteran glider pilot and glider operation means more landing casualties and extreme difficulty in unloading. it is certainly not desirable. a dawn and dusk landing is at all practicable options. a power pilot. i flew in a parachute serial the first night and the navigation really worked when i couldn't see the light which was supposed to be on my drop zone. what apartment observer who entered with one of the airborne divisions. troops were dropped generally in the vicinity of the disease but were badly scattered. it appears that pre-arranged supply systems are not flexible enough for. airborne combat supplies should be dropped as called for by local commanders rather than

dropped in mass large scale parachute resupply are wasteful and should be restricted to emergency. more attention should be paid to switching over to ground supply as soon as possible. a troop carrier liaison officer our pathfinder teams in cases i know of, suffered heavy casualties. the light team, which we expected so much help from, were only percent operational due to enemy fire. 50% of the resupply drop landed enemy hands communications exist to advise latest serials of in the enemy situation troop carrier operations and communications personnel should move the first parachute or glider units. 89% of the horses and 50% of the whackos crashed landing. but 75% of personnel and equipment ready for combat.

back from these men would have faced tests. how much they had learned will be history. history made by an airborne army.