Glider
From OMGWiki
Military gliders (an offshoot of common gliders) have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment (see Glider infantry) to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engine-less aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, eg C-47 Skytrain or Dakota, or bombers relegated to secondary activities, eg Short Stirling. Once released from the tow craft near the front, they were to land on any convenient open terrain close to target hopefully with as little damage to this cargo and crew as possible as most landing zones (LZ) were far from ideal. The one-way nature of the missions meant that they were treated as disposable leading to construction from common and inexpensive materials such as wood, though a few were retrieved and re-used.
Troops landing by glider were referred to as air-landing as opposed to paratroops. Landing by parachute caused the troops to be spread over a large drop-zone, whereas gliders could land troops in greater concentrations precisely at the target landing area. Furthermore, the glider, once released at some distance from the actual target, was effectively silent and difficult for the enemy to identify. Larger gliders were developed to land heavy equipment like anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, small vehicles, such as jeeps, and also light tanks (eg the Tetrarch tank). This heavier equipment made otherwise lightly-armed paratroop forces a much more capable force.
Contents |
History
Germans
The Germans were the first to use gliders in warfare, most famously during the assault of the Eben Emael fortress in May 10, 1940 in which DFS 230 gliders carrying 10 soldiers each landed on the grassed roof. Gliders were also used in the invasion of Crete, but after that the Germans never attempted another large-scale glider and parachute attack. Nevertheless they later developed the larger Gotha Go 242 (23 trooper) and the very large Messerschmitt Me 321 (130 trooper) gliders. Some glider operations continued later in the war, some examples being the rescue operation of Benito Mussolini at Gran Sasso and the emergency re-supply operations in Russia, North Africa and Eastern Europe towards the end of the war. The Junkers Ju 322 Mammut ("Mammoth") was the largest such glider ever built, but it was never used operationally. Not all military gliders were used for transport. The Blohm & Voss BV 40 was a German glider fighter designed to attack Allied bomber formations.
British
The use of assault gliders by the British was prompted by the assault on Eben Emael. Among the types developed were the 28 trooper Airspeed Horsa and the 7 ton capacity General Aircraft Hamilcar cargo glider. The General Aircraft Hotspur was used for training the pilots who formed the Glider Pilot Regiment. The most famous actions were the taking of the Pegasus Bridge during the invasion of Normandy, Operation Dragoon (the invasion of southern France), Operation Market-Garden (Arnhem Bridge over the lower Rhine) and Operation Varsity (Crossing of the Rhine). Out of the 2,596 gliders dispatched for Operation Market, 2,239 gliders were effective in delivering men and equipment to their designated landing zones.
Americans
General "Hap" Arnold in United States War Department created the American Glider Program in 1941 under the direction of Lewin B. Barringer. After Barringer's plane disappeared over the Caribbean Sea, the program was moved to Army Air Force Headquarters and directed by Richard C. du Pont.
By late 1944, the Americans had built more than 14,000 gliders. They were produced by a wide variety of manufacturers including Waco Aircraft Company, Ford Motor Company, piano companies, and casket factories.
The most widely used type was the CG-4A Waco which was first used in the invasion of Sicily and participated in the D-Day assault on France on June 6, 1944, and in other important airborne operations in Europe, eg Operation Market, and in the China-Burma-India Theater. The CG-4A was constructed of a metal and wood frame covered with fabric, manned by a crew of two and with an allowable normal cargo load of 3,710 pounds, allowing it to carry 13 combat-equipped troops or a jeep or small artillery piece.
Tactics & Tips
- These are a great way for getting troops into battle quickly. However, they can be easily destroyed by anti aircraft units, or can be destroyed on landing by hitting obstacles.
