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USAF historical studies, No. 97. Contents I The Airborne Invasion of Normandy— Plans and Preparations 1 Background 1 Early Planning— The COSSAC Phase 2 Shaping the Outline Plans 6 Detailed Planning 9 The Buildup 17 Deployment and Training 20 Final Preparations 26 Deception and Diversion 28 II The Assault 32 The Pathfinders 32 ALBANY Mission and the Paratroop Operations of the 101st Division 33 BOSTON Mission and the Paratroop Operations of the 82d Division 48 Evaluation of the Paratroop Operations 58 CHICAGO and DETROIT— The Initial Glider Missions 61 KEOKUK and ELMIRA Glider Missions 65 The Glider Missions on D plus 1— GALVESTON and HACKENSACK 69 Evaluation of the Glider Missions 72 Parachute Resupply Missions 74 The British Missions and WILDOATS 78 III From Neptunejto Market 81 Organizational Changes 81 Plans and Operations during the Campaign in France 83 The Planning of MARKET 88 Resources and Preparations 97 Preliminary Support Operations 100 IV Market — The Airborne Invasion of Holland 101 D-day, the Pathfinders 101 D-day, Operations in the Eindhoven Sector 102 D-day, Operations in the Nijmegen Sector 107 D-day, Operations in the Arnhem Sector 112 The Balance for D-day 115 D plus 1, Plans and Auxiliary Air Action 117 D plus 1, Eindhoven Sector 118 D plus 1, Nijmegen Sector 120 D plus 1, Resupply by Bomber 123 D plus 1, Arnhem Sector 125 The Balance for D plus 1 127 D plus 2, Plans and Auxiliary Air Action 127 D plus 2, Eindhoven Sector 129 D plus 2, Nijmegen Sector 130 D plus 2, Arnhem Sector 131 The Balance for D plus 2 133 D plus 3 133 D plus 4 136 D plus 5 140 D plus 6 141 D plus 7 145 D plus 8 145 D plus 9 and After 146 Conclusions 149 Varsity — The Airborne Assault Across the Rhine 156 Preliminary Planning 156 Development of the Assault Plan 157 Planning for Auxiliary Air and Artillery Action 166 Training 168 Briefing and Security Measures 170 Auxiliary Air Operations 171 The Final Decision and the Ground Assault 173 The Lift and Initial Operations of the British Airborne Division 174 The Lift and Initial Operations of the American Paratroops 177 The Lift and Initial Operations of the American Glider Troops 181 Resupply 188 The Exploitation of VARSITY 190 Special Features of VARSITY 191 Conclusions 192 Conclusions Regarding Large-scale Airborne Operations 196 Footnotes 203 Appendix 224 1. Statistical Tables— Operation NEPTUNE 224 2. Statistical Tables— Operation MARKET 226 3. Statistical Tables— Operation VARSITY 228 Glossary 230 Index 234 Maps No. Page 1. Operation NEPTUNE: Routes of Troop Carrier Missions 13 2. Operation NEPTUNE: Approach and Assault Area of Airborne Missions 34 3. Operation NEPTUNE: Assault Area 37 4. Operation NEPTUNE: Paratroop Drop of 101st Airborne Division 44 5. Operation NEPTUNE: Paratroop Drop of 82d Airborne Division 49 6. Operation MARKET: Routes of Initial Troop Carrier Missions 92 7. Operation MARKET: Assault Area, 101st Airborne Division 104 8. Operation MARKET: Assault Area, 8 2d Airborne Division 108 9. Operation MARKET: Assault Area, British and Polish Airborne Troops 113 10. Operation MARKET-GARDEN: Battle Area 116 11. Operation VARSITY: Troop Carrier Routes 162 12. Operation VARSITY: Assault Area 175 Charts 1. Operational Chain of Command for Airborne Operations, Allied Expeditionary Force, 5 June 1944 31 2. Chain of Command for Operation MARKET, 17 September 1944 84 Illustrations Figure page Waco Gliders on Landing Zone Near Wesel, Germany, After Operation VARSITY Frontispiece 1. Paratrooper Boarding a C-47 20 2. Paratroop Officer Demonstrates Jump Position 20 3. Cockpit of a Waco Glider 21 4. Jeep Emerging from Nose of Waco Glider 21 5. Waco Gliders Landing in Normandy 62 6. Remnants of Gliders in a Normandy Hedge-row 63 7. Pick-up of a Waco Glider from a Field in Normandy . 73 8. Horsa Glider of IX Troop Carrier Command after Landing in Normandy 74 9. Paratroop Drop near Grave, Holland, during Operation MARKET, 23 September 1944 127 10. Resupply Drop from B-24's over Holland during Operation MARKET, 18 September 1944 128 11. Troop Carrier Aircraft Carrying Paratroops in Operation VARSITY, 24 March 1945 182 11. Paratroop Drop near Wesel, Germany, during Operation VARSITY, 24 March 1945 183 Digitized by dtic.mil
"Air University USAF Historical Division study (AU-97-53-RSI)"
Bibliographical references included in "Footnotes" (p. 203-223)

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