​In the late evening of 6th June 1944, the 82nd Airbrone’s glider troops began to arrive. Mission Keokuk brought in thirty-two Horsa gliders from Aldermaston airfield at 2100, seven minutes ahead of schedule. Five of these landed on the correct landing zone while a further fourteen landed with two miles. Mission Elmira involved 176 Waco and Horsa gliders arriving in two serials, the first of which was released early and near the German antiaircraft batteries. Under heavy fire, the slow moving gliders were widely dispersed and few reached their allotted landing zone. 80% of the Horsas and 50% of the Wacos were destroyed. The second serial was more accurate and most of the gliders crash-landed within a mile of their allotted landing zone. But again, fifty-six of the eighty-six Horsas were wrecked and fourteen Wacos were demolished. But the glidermen were still able to recover some equipment and take the fight to the Germans. The final two glider landings were scheduled for 7th June 1944 in Missions Galveston and Hackensack bringing in the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment. Mission Galveston arrived in two serials of fifty gliders each and while the first had something of a disastrous landing, the second faired slightly better, but less that 50% of their equipment was recoverable. Mission Hackensack, that last to arrive, brought in the remaining 1,300 glidermen of the 325th GIR and their equipment. Also arriving in two serials, the gliders began landing on the 7th at 0900. Despite heavy antiaircraft fire, both serials were reached their destinations relatively unscathed with fifty-eight gliders in the first serial landing within five miles of their allotted landing zone and fifty of the second serial landing within a mile of their target. Despite the apparent destruction on the ground, the operation was a great success with most of the troops and nearly all their equipment getting delivered to the battlefield. Nearly 90% of the 325th GIR’s men were assembled within a few hours of landing and moved towards Chef du Pont. Leading his troops, Colonel Harry Lewis was ordered to make a crossing of the Mederet River and help attack the La Fière Bridge from the opposite side. Seeing a small fording area across the river, Col. Lewis sent his 1st Battalion to wade across under cover of darkness, their objective to attack the force defending the bridge. Themselves under attack, C Company 1st Battalion was cut off from the rest of the battalion and while under increased fire, Private First Class Charles DeGlopper stood up and began to fire his Browning Automatic Rifle at the attacking Germans. Although wounded, PFC DeGlopper continued to stand and fire and when hit again, still fired although kneeling and bleeding profusely. Meanwhile, as the Germans were occupied with PFC DeGlopper, the remainder of C Company was able to break off and head for La Fière to join the rest of their battalion. For his actions, Private First Class Charles DeGlopper was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour, the only member of the 82nd Airborne Division to receive so honoured in Normandy. However, the bridge at La Fière remained in German hands and Col. Lewis was order to attack using his other two battalions the following day. At 1015 on the 9th June 1944, a heavy artillery barrage paved the way for the 325th GIR’s attack and although the German defenders fought hard, eventually the 325th prevailed and later that afternoon, the 82nd Airborne was joined in Ste Mere Eglise by the troops of the 90th Infantry Division who had just landed at Utah Beach.

 On 26th June 1944 and with three infantry divisions, Lieutenant General Lawton Collins captured the port of Cherbourg, a major objective of the Overlord campaign. Although heavily destroyed by the Germans, the Allies needed the port to bring in supplies for Normandy forces, but it took a further two months for it to become operational. By the end of July and into August 1944 General George Patton’s US 3rd Army had broken out from Normandy at St Lo and the German Army was in full retreat and falling back towards Paris. When it came, the rout of the German Army was spectacular as the Allies moved speedily to capture Paris and the Brussels before reaching the borders of Holland. Germany itself was now within the Allies reach.

    Private First Class Charles DeGlopper

                      82nd Gliders arrive

                        Lt. Col. Robert Cole

                    Prisoners at Cherbourg

1944 OPERATION OVERLOAD 

​By the evening of the 10th of June, the surviving troopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions had been in deadly, unrelenting combat for four days receiving little sleep, meagre rations and constant German fire. Because of the wide dispersal of the drops, units were often a mixed bag of soldiers, NCOs and officers from all outfits. Everywhere leaders and soldiers who had never worked together before took objectives that were not their assigned tasks. The mixed airborne troops grouped together and, with determination and skill, set about their tasks until they were achieved. The 82nd Airborne Division, although very badly scattered achieved its D-day objective and captured the town of Ste Mere Eglise. The 101st Airborne Division also achieved its key objective and cleared the exits at Utah Beach. Both suffered heavy casualties. It is estimated that on D-day the 82nd Airborne had 1,259 paratroopers killed, wounded or listed missing while the 101st Airborne recorder an almost similar number 1,240.

At 0630 on 6th June 1944, the long awaited seaborne landings began at Utah Beach as VII Corps forces came ashore. To their surprise, opposition at Utah was sporadic and limited and by the end of that first day 23,000 troops and 1,800 vehicles had come ashore. The US forces at Utah Beach suffered only 197 casualties. On Omaha Beach, behind which there was no airborne force, the story was very different. V Corps’ landing force was decimated on the beach. Troops were killed in the water as they landed and then trapped on the beachhead by ferocious German machine gun fire. Under relentless fire, the troops had to fight, crawl and drag themselves across the beach and up the steep hills and cliffs while enemy machine gun, mortar and artillery rained down on them. By the end of D-day the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions had forced their way one and a half miles inland, but a one point it seemed as though the force may have to be withdrawn. “Bloody Omaha” saw 2,374 men killed, wounded or missing.

Did the US airborne forces make the difference between the casualties at Utah and Omaha Beaches that day? It is very hard to give a definite answer.  However, the German 7th Army Chief of Staff reported to his headquarters on 10th June 1944, “The superior navy and air force had given the enemy advantages which cannot be compensated for, even through strong fortifications. The operation of the ‘new weapon,’ the airborne troops, behind the coastal fortifications, on the one hand, and their massive attack on our counterattacking troops, on the other hand, have contributed significantly to the initial success of the enemy. In addition, Lieutenant Colonel Günther Kiel told his captors “the US 4th Infantry Division drove inland from Utah Beach far faster than we ever thought possible. Each time we tried to assemble behind Utah Beach on D-day, we were disrupted by bands of American Paratroopers.”

In the days following the 6th June 1944, the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions remained in Normandy to fight as ‘legs’ alongside the forces that came ashore amphibiously. The 82nd Airborne made its final attack on 3rd July towards the town of Haye du Puits where it remained, in defensive positions, until it was withdrawn into reserve on 11th July 1944. The 101st after achieving its D-day objectives went on to capture the town of Carentan after a three-day bloody battle. Here Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cole, commander of 3rd Battalion 502 Parachute Infantry Regiment, on his way to Carentan, ran into a strong German defensive position on 11th June 1944.  The core of the defensive position was a stone farmhouse, with enemy machine guns dug in around it. With the Germans mowing down the advancing troops, Lt. Col. Cole had to decide whether to wait for help or make a direct assault on the position.  He opted for the direct assault. Cole ordered his men to fix bayonets and on the sound of a whistle and under cover of smoke, everyone charged the farmhouse. Storming though the defences, the small band wiped out the German defenders and took the farmhouse in what was the US Army’s only recorded bayonet charge in World War II. For this daring exploit, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Cole was awarded the Medal of Honour. Carentan finally fell on 12th June and this was effectively the last battle the 101st Airborne Division was engaged in. By mid July, the 101st was withdrawn through Utah Beach and returned to England.

Meanwhile, the Airborne troopers were moved back to England aboard Troop landing ships (LSTs), arriving in Southampton, where they were met by brass bands and cheering crowds crying “God bless you Yanks.” Trains took them to their old billets, in the same towns they had left just five weeks earlier, where they received ten days rest and relaxation before resuming training and taking on replacements. The price of the Normandy Campaign was expensive; of the 12,000 82nd Airborne Division dropped of glided into Normandy, 5,245 were killed, wounded, captured or missing. On the nearly 13,000 101st Airborne Division who entered combat, 4,670 were similar casualties.

Combat Jump Summary

Date:                           6th June 1944

Units:                          82nd Airborne including 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, B Company 307th Engineer Battalion, 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion.

Operation:                   Overlord

Troopers:                     6,5418

Country:                      France

Drop Zone:                  Normandy

 Date:                           6th June 1944

Unit:                            101st Airborne including 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 326th Engineer Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion.

Operation:                   Overlord

Troopers:                     6,638

Country:                      France

Drop Zone:                  Normandy