Figure 1.--The C-47 Skytrain was the primary American transport plane of World War II. Nearly 10,000 were built. Wjile primarrily a transport plane. it was also use for paratriop drops. Here American paratroopers on Cottesmore Airfield in England are climbing aboard their C-47 for a drop pn the Netherlands as part of Market Garden (September 17, 1944).

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. The most advanced American transport was the C-54 Skymaster. This was the military version of the already designed, but not yet oroduced DC-4. The War Department took over the provision orders for the airlines for the Douglas DC-4 and allocated them to the United States Army Air Corps (June 1941). The Army designated it the C-54 Skymaster. The first C-54, flew from Clover Field in Santa Monica, California (February 1942). The military would rely primarily on the C-47s and 46s for transport during World War II. Some were buiolt and used. President Roosevelt and Prime MJinister Churchill got one. Gen. Douglas MacArthur also got one. The C-54 would, however, play a major role in the Cold War. Their most prominent role was in the Berlin Air Lift (1948).

The C-46

The United States not only had the most advanced transport of World War I, in typcal American fshion, it had three--the C-46, the C-47, and the C-54. Showing German priorties, they mostly used the basically obsolte American Tri-Motor. Curtis Aviation built the C-46 Commando. It was the military version of the CW-20 pressurised high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name 'Condor III' but the Commando name was in use by early-1942 and stuck in popular usage. It was used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Corps and also the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps, which used the designation R5-C. The C-46 served in a similar role to its Douglas-built counterpart, the C-47 Skytrain, but it was not as extensively produced as the C-47. Th C-46 had one advantage over the C-47, he ability to operate at huigh aldituds. It would be the C-46 that got supplies through to China, flying over the Hump.

The C-47

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 primier 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 parachusettes, 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 Pacific. They were used to supply Commando units in Burma. 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.

The C-54

The most advanced American transport was the C-54 Skymaster. Thus was the military version of the already designed, but not yet produced DC-4. The War Department took over the provision orders for the airlines for the Douglas DC-4 and allocated them to the United States Army Air Corps (June 1941). The Army designated it the C-54 Skymaster. The first C-54, flew from Clover Field in Santa Monica, California (February 1942). The C-54 was not profuced in lsarge numbers during the War. It was the C-47 that was the primary ransport plane of the War and producd in large numbrs. But some were profuced and used. The military would rely primarily on the C-47s and 46s for transport during World War II. Nearlt 1,200 were built and used. They could carry 26-50 passengers. The miliary used it as a long-range transports during World War II. President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill got one. Gen. Douglas MacArthure also got one. The C-54 would, however, play a major role in the Cold War. Their most prominent role was in the Berlin Air Lift (1948). More than 300 C-54s and R5Ds (the Navy designtion) formed the backbone of the American contribution to the Berlin Airlift in 1948. It was the plane tht Berliners fell in love with. The C-54 ws extensively used during the Korean War. Like the C-46 and C-47, it was such a wonderful aircraft that it continued to be used into the 1970s.

Created: 10:15 AM 2/23/2013
Last updated: 1:22 AM 7/13/2018