WW2 U.S. Army Air Force Troop Carrier Command Airland Operations by Glider and C-47 STOL Transports

During WW2, the U.S. Army Air Force Troop Carrier Command conducted many airland operations by glider and C-47 STOL Transports. What's missing for OPSEC reasons in this rare footage is the paratroops that would first land by parachute to secure the assault landing zone for airlanding to occur safely

http://www.combatreform.org/airbornewarfare.htm

If you try to noisy airland transports brazenly in the face of enemy opposition you can incur heavy casualties as befell the Germans when they airlanded even sturdy JU-52 tri-motors onto Maleme airfield on Crete to secure a lodgement:

http://www.combatreform.org/hptll.htm

Notice how the USAAF primarily used gliders as LOGISTICAL means to deliver bulldozers and jeeps to improve the ground surface for C-47 STOL transports to airland and take-off; C-47s here tow Waco CG-4 gliders to right near the landing zone then release them where they take a sharp hook turn and land. In contrast, the Germans (Eban Emael, Gran Sasso) and British (Orne River Canal "Pegasus" bridges on D-Day) used glider stealth from higher altitudes to ASSAULT positions by surprise:

http://www.combatreform.org/paratrooper.htm

...as well as as transports for light tanks:

http://www.combatreform.org/airbornetanksnoexcuse.htm

Notice the Waco glider landing on water! afterwards glider troops wade ashore!

The tragedy is that the U.S. did not fully exploit gliders to deliver light tanks after WW2 when the new CG-20 glider could have transported even the M24 Chaffee light tank or better yet M18 Hellcat 76mm gun and 90mm gun Super Hellcats to Korea that would have defeated Communist T34/85 medium tanks that over-ran Task Force Smith.

http://www.combatreform.org/lighttanks.htm

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ww2
• gliders
• airborne
• paratroops
• glidertroops
• air
• assault
• airland
• vertical
• envelopment
• 3d
• maneuver
• usaaf
• u.s.
• army
• force
• cg-4
• c-47
• dakota
• sky
• train

[res6kgcr]

By the emblem under the cockpit and the red board trim around the national insignia this unit is probably the 63rd Troop Carrier Group at Grenada AAFld, MS in the summer of 1943.

The unit emblem shown in the video has the 6 and 3 star cipher as in the approved emblem but the approved emblem of 1953 is not the same emblem as shown in the video. Maybe Mike knows of a higher res video that shows things clearer?

Best Regards

Tom

A 63rd MAW vet when it was station at Norton AFB CA.

[mumugamer2006]

thnx u uploaded this :)