Figure 1.--Here we see why Ike's decission to drop the paratoopers was such a difficult one -- they were so lightly armed. And unlike the soldiers landing on the beaches, they did not have a massive logistical train behind them. All they had was what was on their back. Gliders brought in a few jeeps, smal artilry pieces, and supplies. But until the beach landing force reached then, they were on their own.

Three Divisions of American and British paratroops initiated the invasion in the night before the beach landings. The paratroopers were a new army force, formed only after the Germams introduced paratroopers in the Wester offensive (May 1940). Many Army commanders were skeptical sbout them. Eisenhower debated the use of the paratroops knowing that losses would be high. It was his most difficult decession. Lee Malory the Commander of Air Operations estimated that casulaties might reach 60 percent. Eisenhower decided to go with them because it was critical to prevent the Germans from reinforcing the beach defenses when the landings began. It was a horrific experience for the paratroopers. One of the 101st Airborn paratroopers writes, "My parachute ooened immediately and as I descended to earth all I kept saying to myself while looking head on at the tracers and bullets coming up was 'Keep your feet together ... Keep your feet togther.' It never entered my mind about those bullets just missing me, Between the antiaircraft fire coming up at us and oplanes getting hit and exploding it was just like a 4th of July celebration out there in that night sky." [Devito and Womer] It was at this point that the landing force was the most vilnerable. The paratroops did play a key role in the success of the invasion. They were dropped on the flanks of the invasion beaches. The British 6th Airborne (gliders) landed on the left. The American gliders and the 82nd and 101st Airborne landed on the right. Their deployment made it difficult for the Germans to immediately deploy forces against the invasion beaches. Many missed their landing sites. This made have been fortuitous. They were spread over such a large area that they created chaos in the German rear areas. This caused German commanders to hesitate, complicating a decissive movement against the invasion beaches. The paratroopers proved to be some of the toughest formations in the American order of battle. One historian quotes a scene encountered by Private John Fitzgerald at Sainte-Mère-Église: "It was a picture story of the death of one 82nd Airboirn trooper. He had occuoied a German foxhole and made it his personal Alamo. In a half circle around the hole lay the bodies of nine German soldietrs. The body cloest to the holewas only three feet away, a potato masher[grenade] in its fist. The other distorted forms lay where they had fallen, testimony to the ferocity of the fight. His ammunition bandoloers were still on his shoulders, wmpty of M-1 clips. Cartridge cases litered the ground. His rifle stock was broken in two. He had fought alone and, like many others that night, had died alone." [Lofard]

Mission

It was when the Allies first landed that they were the most vulnerable. Rommel realized this and thus argued to prepare to defeat the Allies on the beach. The paratroops played a key role in the success of the invasion. They were dropped on the flanks of the invasion beaches. The British 6th Airborne (gliders) landed on the left. The American gliders and the 82nd and 101st Airborne landed on the right. Their mission was to protect the fllanks of the landing force and prevent the Germans from raidly brining up reinforcement to ptecent their beach defenses from collapsing. Given the fact that these divisions was so lighly armed, it was a huge risk. Eisenhower larer said that it was the most difficult decession he made. Heexpected masive losses. But it was vital that the Germnans be prevented from reaching and reenforcing their beach defenses before they collapsed. They proved brillintly successful and losses wre far below what Eisenhower feared.

Allied Airborn Assault

The Allied inserted three airborn divisions to prptect the flanks of the invasion and to secure key inland targets tht would make it diifult for the Germans to bring up reinforcements. It was a very difficult decesion by Gen. Eisenhower because of the expected casulties that would result from inserting lightly armed airborn to face the hevily armed Germans and their Panzers. The Britih used their 6th airborn division consistung of gliders and paratroops. Many Army commanders were skeptical sbout them. Eisenhower debated the use of the paratroops knowing that losses would be high. It was his most difficult decession. Lee Malory the Commander of Air Operations estimated that casulaties might reach 60 percent. Eisenhower decided to go with them because it was critical to prevent the Germans from reinforcing the beach defenses when the landings began. The British dropped around Caen and suceded in protecting the left flank of the invasion at places like Pegasus Bridge. The British were, however, unable to take Caen. The Americans inserted two airborn division, the 82nd and 101th Divisions. It was here that some of the heviest fidhting of the invasion tto place. Many of the Airborn troops missed their landing zones, especilly the Americans. Ironically this proved to be an advantage. The Germans were unable to ascertain their objectives and concentrre forces ginst them. And the allies achieved their objective of protectung the flanks of the beach landings durung the first critical day.

The British Left Flank: Tonga

The British named their D-Day airborn assault Operation Tonga. It was conducted by the British 6th Airborne Division beginning in the night before the beach assault (June 5). The British 6th Airborn Division, paratroopers and glider-borne airborne troops, landed on the eastern flank of the invasion area, near Caen. The primary objective was to capture two strategically important bridges over the Caen Canal and Orne River. Allied possession of the bridges made it impossible for the Germans to attack the left flnk of the beach lndings. The British airborn also destroyed several other bridges and seized important strategically placed villages. Another important objective ws the Merville Gun Battery, an artillery battery that Allied intelligence identified as able to inflict severe damage on the Sword Beach landings. The British having achieved its primary objectives, secured a bridgehead focused around the captured bridges and waited for link up with the British ground forces moving inlnd from Sword Beach.

The American Right Flank

The American paratroopers were a new army force, formed only after the Germams introduced paratroopers in the Western offensive (May 1940). American commanders noticed that and decided that the United States should have a paratroop force as well. Hitler decuded against futherr frps after Crete (May 1941). He was agast at the casualties. Incomrehinvely, one month later. he launched Operation Barbaross and he ssems unaffected byb the casualties. The first Use of he paratroopers was on Sicily (Huly 1943). The second was on Normandy. The American dropped two paratroop divisions--the 82nd and 101ston the right flnk of the Normandy Beachead--behind Omaha and Utah Beaches. An important part of the airborn succes was the Pathfinders. It was a horrific experience for the paratroopers. Many have described their grueling experiences. One of the 101st Airborn paratroopers writes, "My parachute opened immediately and as I descended to earth all I kept saying to myself while looking head on at the tracers and bullets coming up was 'Keep your feet together ... Keep your feet togther.' It never entered my mind about those bullets just missing me. Between the anti-aircraft fire coming up at us and planes getting hit and exploding it was just like a 4th of July celebration out there in that night sky." [Devito and Womer] Lt. Thomas 'Dusty Rhodes with the 82nd Airborn describes his drop over Sainte Mere Eglise, as luck with have it the epicenter of the Airborn assault and occupied by the Germans, "I was hit as I went out the door over Sainte-Mère-Église (but was able to count seven chutes following me before I hit the ground). I did land in the town square. I had been hit in the mouth and was bleeding rather profusely. A few minutes after landing, two French civilians helped me to my feet and prevented a German soldier from shooting me on the spot. They then laid me down and all ran for the fire a short distance away. I started getting out of my chute when a group of ten to twelve Germans came and staerted looking me over, at which time I played dead. The Germas took some of my equiopment and left. I then got out of my parachute, ran across the square, down an alley and into a house." [Poyser and Brown] Casulaties were high, but the performed brilliantly. They kept Gr,n forces from reinforcing the beach defenses until the Beach Heads were well established. Mean while the lighly armed paratroops had to battle ith the heavily rmed Grrman forces moving toward the beaches.

Factors

There were several reasons the paratriipers were so ucessful. First, they were superbly trauied amd led an fought like lions. Second, was the elemnent of surprise. Third, most of the paratroopers were landed outdide their drop zone an scattered. This could have ed to disaster, but in fact it condused the Germans as they were unsure just where the pararoopers were. Fourt, Allied air and naval artillery oritected the beachead. Fifth, the resiustance was active. Sixth, the Germns were slow to react. There were several reasons for this. One of the most important weas the lack of a unified command with Hitler conmtrilling much of the Panzer reserver. And his aides did not even wake him up in the morning. And Rommel was not present in Normandy. Seventh, increadably the Allies managed to onvince the Germans tht Normany was a diversony attack. thus the germans keot the bulk of their Pamzer force to the north t the Pas de calis where they were convinced the main landings would occur. they remained their for over a month while the nttlefor normandy was Fought out.

Results

The deployment of the Airborn made it difficult for the Germans to immediately deploy forces against the invasion beaches or even reiforce those defenses. Many paratroops missed their landing sites. Many of the pilots were inexperienced and reacted poorly to the Grman ground fire. This made have been fortuitous. They were spread over such a large area that they created chaos in the German rear areas. The Germans did not know where to strike in force. It caused German commanders to hesitate, complicating a decissive movement against the invasion beaches. The paratroopers proved to be some of the toughest formations in the American order of battle. One historian quotes a scene encountered by Private John Fitzgerald at Sainte-Mère-Église: "It was a picture story of the death of one 82nd Airboirn trooper. He had occupied a German foxhole and made it his personal Alamo. In a half circle around the hole lay the bodies of nine German soldietrs. The body cloest to the hole was only three feet away, a potato masher[grenade] in its fist. The other distorted forms lay where they had fallen, testimony to the ferocity of the fight. His ammunition bandoloers were still on his shoulders, empty of M-1 clips. Cartridge cases litered the ground. His rifle stock was broken in two. He had fought alone and, like many others that night, had died alone." [Lofard]

Sources

Devito, Stephen C. and Jack Womer. Fighting with the Filthy Thirteen: The World War II Story of Jack Womer--Ranger and Paratrooper (2012), 304p.

Lofard, Guy. (2011), 768p.

Poyser, Terry, and Bill Brown. Fighting Fox Company: The Battling Flank of the Band of Brothers (2013), 320p. Easy Company of the 101st Airborn is well known because of the book Band of Brothers. There were, however, other comapnies such as Fox Company. Poyser's and Brown's book help to fell a needed niche in World War II history.

Created: 8:14 PM 6/30/2022
Last updated: 7:58 PM 4/16/2023