Figure 1.--The German Luftwaffe used the Ju-52 as their principal transport. It was a spin-off of the venerable Ford Trimotor meaning that it was largely obsolete even before the War began. It's limitations (range, speed, and lift capacity) well as their limited numbers became painfully apparent after Reich Marshall Göring pledged to supply the encircled 6th Army in Stalingrad by air. Note the horse-drawn sledges used to pick p the supplies. The trapped Germans did not have the fuel to operate tucks. Nor did they have the fuel needfor the transpor's return trip. The trnsports had to carry the fuel needed on the reurn trip, a further limitation on the loads they could carry.

While the fighters and bombers are the planes of greatest interest to military historians, transport plnes also played an important role in the War. This began in the German offensive in the West, especially in the Netherlands and Belgium where Ju-52 transports were used to drop parachute units. This was the first use of parachute troops and shcked military estblishments throughout the world. The Luftwaffe mainstay was the Ju-52, a take off of the Ford Tri-Motor (figure 1). The Ju-52 also played aey role in the success of the Norwegian invasion (April 1940). Air transport was, however, not a priority for the Luftwaffe which because of Germany's limired industrial capacity did not even have a strategic bomber force. Thus the Ju-52 was very slow, had a limited range, and relatively small lift capability. As a result, it could only be used when the Luftwaffe had established air superiority. Noticing the German parchusettes, the U.S. Army decided to create its own parchutte divisions. And the United States already had the perfect drop vehicle--the iconic C-47 Skytain (the British called it the Dakota), the military version of the Douglas DC-3. The Germans would srike again with their parchutests, taking the Crete (May 1941). But the losses were such that Hitler would never again allow a major drop. While droping paravuttesrs grabbed the headlines, this was not the major use fot transport planes. The planes had a miriad of uses, inserting ground troops, supplying forward or surrounded units, delivering critical supplies, evacuating wonded, transporing key personnel, and other a wide range of other uses. It was the Germans again who began using transport aircraft to supply cutoff, encircled units. This occurred after the Red Army offensive before Moscow (December 1941). After halting the German Typhoon offensive, the Red Army's powerful winter counter-offensive to force German armies back to Oryol, Vyazma and Vitebsk, and nearly surrounding three German field armies in the process. The Luftwaffe played a key role in prevent a total collapse of Army Group Center. A surounded German garrison in Demyansk held out with air supply for 4 months. The Lufwaffe wth its relatively limited air transport capacity suceeded because the surrounded garison was rather small, the routes were reltively short, and German fighters still held air superiority. All of these factors were not in place when Göring pledged to supply the surrounded 6th Army in Stalingrad during the following winter(Novembr 1943). The Germans not on used the Ju-52, but pressed bombers into service. The Germans also used Ju-52s after the Allied Torch Landings to rush men to Tunisia (November 1942). The United States Air Forces unlike the Luftwaffe, did have a modern transport, the C-47, often called the most importnt transport aircraft of all time. And thanks to the large American aircraft industry, had them in very large numbers. The C-47, often affectionally called the Goony Bird, played a major role in the War. The C-47s were used to supply surrounded and forward units to great affect because they were available in such large numbers. And they made possible major parachute drops that had a substantial impact on the war effort. This began on Sicily (July 1943), but most famously was executed as part of the Normandy D-Day landings (June 1944). And the C-47 got supplies hrough to the surronded Batogne Garison during the German Bulge Offensive (December 1944). The Japanese also impressed with the German parchutests used tranports to drop parchure forces to seize the oil fields in the Dutch East Indies and Bitish Borneo (April 1942). The Japanese shortage of air transports was all to evident, however, as the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere expanded the need for air tranport to cover the vast distances in the Pacific escalated. Japan like other combatant nations with airborne soldiers adopted obsolete bombers as passenger and load carriers. American transport, the C-46 got supplies through to China, flying over the Hump. At the end of the War, C-47s dropped supplies on Japanese prison camps in an effort to save the starving prisoners. Soviet parachute drops turned into fiscos against the Germans, were use sucessfully against the Japanese in Marchuria (August 1945). The Soviet Yakovlev Yak-6 had a limited range. The Lisunov Li-2 ws the Sovier version of the DC-3/C-47. It was effective, but numbers were limited.

Limitations

Although World War II was the first war in whih air transport played a role, there were serious limitations on air transport througout the War, even in America in which it was most highly developed. It has to be understood that before the war, air transport was developing, but still only a minor way of carrying peopleand supplies. Most people and goods traveled by rail, even in America where the autmobile was widely owned. Will Rogers once quipped during the Depression that america was the first country to go to the poor house in the autmobile. Air travel was for the wealthy, government officials, and Hollyood stars. The world's militaries did not even have transports. They used converted civilian airliners even after the war began. But there were serious limitations to military transport even in the United States which developed a serious air trnsport arm and supplied its allies with transport planes. In contrast the Axis coud have built more transports as they could have buit more motor vehicles, but did not have the fuel o run them. Throughout the War and for that matter even today, equioment and supplies were delibered primarily by sea. The only thing that has really changed is tht troops are now primarily by air.

Load limitations

Neither the C-46 or C-47 had the lift capability of transporting heavy eqquipmnt such as a tank. Actually virtually every thing was transported by sea, even small light-weight items and most importantly, men. This is what the Battle of the Atlantic was all about and why it was so important. Without sea transport, America could not have projected its power either to Europe or the Pacific. Some heavy equipment such as small bulldozers were delivered on an emergency basis, but this was relatively rare. The largest transport was the German Me-323, an upgrade of a glider. It saw service in the Tunisian campaign. It was however slow and woefully under powered and virtually suicidal in a combat environment in which the Germans did not have air superiority.

Limited ranges

Limited ranges were particularly the case with the two-engine transports available at the beginning of the War. There was also a safety issue. If the engine of a loaded C-46/C-47 went out, the plane was going down. The North Atlantic was a relatively short route, but early transports could not cross it. (They had to fly stops in Canada, Greenland, and Iceland.

Limited number of aircraft

World War II militaries had limited numbers of air transports in comparison to the quantity of supplies to be delivered. Only America had theindustrial cpacity to build large numbers of transport aircraft. The United States built well over 90 percent of the number of World war II transports. The United States built the War's only globl air transport system--the USAF's Air Transport Command (ATC). Even the ATC carried, however less than 5 percent of the overall movement of men and equipment. The Germans are the only other country to build transpoets, mostly the Ju-52, a Fird Trimotor knock off. It was the limited numbers of the Ju-52s that forced the Germans to convert bombers to deliver supplies to the 6th Army in Stalingrad. The small numbers and the revival of the Red Air Force selled doom for the 6th Army. .

Greater cost

Even in warfare cost is a factor. Delivering men and equipment by air is much more costly in terms of personnel and fuel per ton of supplies delivered. Fot the allies, fuel was not the major factor, for the Axis it was. From the very begining of the war, the Germans were constraind by fuel shortages. Only the quick collapse of France precented this from becoming a major issue in their Western offensive. Access to French fuel stocks were only a temprary respite. Germany simply did not have the fuel fir a massive air transport arm.

Weather

Weather was a major issue for Wrld war II air transport affecting reliability. Weather could stop air transport by keeping planes on the ground. Ships could sail through the rough weather of the North Atlantic. Weather delayed ir drops on the surrounded American garrison at Bstogne. And it was a factor in the filure of the Luftwaffe at Stalingrad.

War Time Role

World War II was the first war in which air transport was an important factor. Despite the limitations, air transport was important in World War II.

Priority loads

Priority loads such a key personnel and delicate equipment. And in critical circumstances men and equipment. The Germans flew in men and equipment in the Netherlands, Crete, and Tunisia after seizing airfields.

Paratroops

Both the Germans and Allies used transport planes to drop paratroops, orimarily C-47s. The Japanese used bombers and coverted bomber transports. Both the Germans and Japanese eventually decided that that because lossess incurred by these highly trained troops were not cost effective. Loss of air superority of course was another factor. Only the Allies used paratroops in mass drops, notably laying a key role in the success of the Normandy D-Day landings.

Saving surrounded units

Both sides used trnsports in efforts to save cut off and surrounded units. The Americans used tra=sports to drop supplies to the 101st Airborn in Bastaogne during the Bulge campaign. Transports were also used to suppy British and merican comandos/ rangers in Burma. he Germans saved a surrounded unit by air supply during the Soviet 1941–42 Winter Offensive, but of course failed at Stalingrad.

Aiding China

Aiding China. After the Japanese captured Chinese ports and cut the Burma Road, the only way to aid China was flying in supplies from India over the Hump. Here the C-46 proved more effective than the C-47. But because of the limits of air transport, this only amounted to a fraction of China’s needs. (Most of the Hump supplies were for the air war.)

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Troops

As the War continued and the American Air Transport Command expanded, troops were moved by air, but all large troop movements were by sea and once back on the Continent, by truck.

Wounded personnel

Wounded personnel were air lifted to some extent.

Country Trends

Britain

The British focused their industrial might on air power. And here the emphasis was on bombers, seen as a way of winning the War without the horrendous casulaties of World War I. Of course the German Blitz on London and other British cities gave increased support for a strategic bombing campaign against the Reich. As a result despite the massive emphasis on aircraft, the British did not produce a transport aitcraft. The British at first used converted bombers for transport, mostly the Short Stirling and the Handley Page. They had a few Ford-Trimotors. Their converted bombers were also used to tow gliders. The only actual transport used was the American C-47 which for some reason they called the Dakota. The United States through Lend Lease delivered some 2,000 C-47s to British and Commonwealth forces.

Germany

While the fighters and bombers are the planes of greatest interest to military historians, transport planes also played an important role in the War. The primary German transport was the Ju-52. Some 2,800 would be delivered to the Luftwaffee during the War. German military use began in the German offensive in the West, especially in the Netherlands and Belgium where Ju-52 transports were used to drop parachute units (May 1940). This was the first use of parachute troops and shocked military estblishments throughout the world. The Luftwaffe transport mainstay was the Ju-52, a take off of the Ford Tri-Motor (figure 1). The Ju-52 also played a key role in the success of the Norwegian invasion (April 1940). Air transport was, however, not a priority for the Luftwaffe which because of Germany's limited industrial capacity did not even have a strategic bomber force. Thus the Ju-52 was very slow and vulnerable. It had a limited range, and relatively small lift capability. As a result, it could only be used when the Luftwaffe had established air superiority. The Germans would strike again with their parchutests, taking Crete with prachute troops (May 1941). But the losses were such that Hitler would never again allow a major drop. While droping parachuttes grabbed the headlines, this was not the major use for transport planes. The planes had a miriad of uses, inserting ground troops, supplying forward or surrounded units, delivering critical supplies, evacuating wounded, transporing key personnel, and other a wide range of other uses. It was the Germans again who began using transport aircraft to supply cutoff, encircled units. This occurred after the Red Army offensive before Moscow (December 1941). After halting the German Typhoon offensive, the Red Army's powerful Winter counter-offensive to force German armies back to Oryol, Vyazma and Vitebsk, and nearly surrounding three German field armies in the process. The Luftwaffe played a key role in prevent a total collapse of Army Group Center. A surounded German garrison in Demyansk held out with air supply for 4 months. The Lufwaffe with its relatively limited air transport capacity suceeded because the surrounded garison was rather small, the routes were reltively short, and German fighters still held air superiority. All of these factors were not in place when Göring pledged to supply the surrounded 6th Army in Stalingrad during the following winter (November 1942). The Germans not on used their small Ju-52 force, but pressed bombers into service. The Germans also used Ju-52s after the Allied Torch Landings to rush men to Tunisia (November 1942). The FW-200 Condor could have been used as a transport, but it was not built in large numbers.

Japan

The Japanese also impressed with the German parchutests used tranports to drop parchure forces to seize the oil fields in the Dutch East Indies and Bitish Borneo (April 1942). The Japanese shortage of air transports was all to evident, however, as the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere expanded the need for air tranport to cover the vast distances in the Pacific escalated. Japan like other combatant nations with airborne soldiers adopted obsolete bombers as passenger and load carriers.

Soviet Union

Soviet parachute drops turned into fiscos against the Germans, were use sucessfully used against the Japanese in Marchuria (August 1945). The Soviet Yakovlev Yak-6 had a limited range. The Lisunov Li-2 was the primary Soviet transport durng World War II. It was a Soviet copt of the DC-3/C-47. The C-47 was the most effective transport of the War. The DC-3 production project was directed by aeronautical engineer Boris Pavlovich Lisunov. The soviet Union began purchasing a small number of DC-3s for operation by Aeroflot (1935). The Li-2 was a license-built version of the DC-3. Douglas awarded a production license ro the Soviet Government (1936). Lisunov then spent 2 years at the Douglas Aircraft Company translating the design specifications (1936-39). One of the engineers who accompanied him to Douglas was Vladimir Mikhailovich Myasishchev. Design work and production were undertaken at State Aviation Factory 84 in Khimki outside Moscow. The Soviet version was first given the designation Passazhirskiy Samolyot 84 (PS-84), meaning passenger airplane 84. After the German invasion (June 1941), the factory and workers were evacuated beyond the Urals to the GAZ-33 factory in Tashkent. Incredibly some production resumed (January 1942). The first production runs were about 240 PS-84s--a civilian configuration. After the factory was moved, a military configuration was produced--the Li-2. Figures vary, but the Soviets produced some 5,000-6,500 Li-2s, although it is not clear how many were built during the War. While small by American standards, this was about twice the number of Ju-52s produced by the Germans. After the War, Li-2s were used by both the military and civil aviation. Some of the siviet production was delivered to the various satellite countries in the soviet European empire.

United States

The United States Air Forces unlike the Luftwaffe, did have a modern transport, the C-47, often called the most important transport aircraft of all time. And thanks to the large American aircraft industry, had them in very large numbers. Nearly 10,000 were built. The United States converted the world's most modern passenger aircraft, the Douglas DC-3 into the War's primioer transport aircraft with the military designation C-47 Skytrain. The British called it the Dakota. The plane was so advanced that it was virtually the only Amrican plane not replaced by a more modern plane during the War. And even at the end of the War, no country had a transport of comparable capabilities. The C-47 was made in huge numbers and the military found many uses for it. The slightly larger Curtlis C-46 Commando served a similar role as theC-47, was not as extensively produced. Noticing the German parchusettes, the U.S. Army decided to create its own parchutte divisions. And the United States already had the perfect drop vehicle--the iconic C-47. The C-47, often affectionally called the Goony Bird, played a major role in the War. The C-47s were used to supply surrounded and forward units to great affect necause they were available in such large numbers. And they made possible major parachute drops that had a substantial impact on the war effort. This began on Sicily (July 1943), but most famously was executed as part of the Normandy D-Day landings (June 1944). And the C-47 got supplies hrough to the surronded Batogne Garison during the German Bulge Offensive (December 1944). The C-47 was even more important in the Pacific War. The C-47s helped counter the mobilty of lighly equipped Japanese forces in the south Pcific. They were used to supply Commando units in Burma. The C-46 got supplies through to China, flying over the Hump. At the end of the War, C-47s filled the life-saving mission of dropping supplies on Japanese prison camps in an effort to save the starving prisoners.

Created: 10:15 AM 2/23/2013
Last updated: 6:27 PM 1/24/2020