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Members of the FSSF preparing a meal in Anzio, Italy, in April 1944
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Members of the FSSF preparing a meal in Anzio, Italy, in April 1944
It's always amazed me how the Army could train a group of the "baddest of the bad and the best of the best," use them briefly, and then disband the unit and use them as mere "grunts." Not the smartest of moves. At the least use them as Rangers.
I'm reminded of the British 2nd Battallion of the Ox and Bucks who took Pegasus Bridge on D-Day evening. They were highly-trained glider troops, specifically trained to a peak for the aerial assault. Once they accomplished their D-Day task they were simply left in the line as ground troops and allowed to be killed off by attrition. Someone in one of the books referred to it as having been "****ed away."Quote:
Originally Posted by eb in oregon
Bob
I get it completely. However after D-Day gilder assaults were rare. If at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Womack
Arnhem and "crossing the Rhine". My family watched the gliders and towing aircraft fly over from eastern England for both operations and the sky was full of aircraft.Quote:
Originally Posted by eb in oregon
However, the US Army withdrew their paratroopers and reused them for Market-Garden. What if the Brits had use their gliders again at Arnhem and landed them close to the bridge and on the far side? It was a U.S. Army maxim that you needed to attack both ends of the bridge at once if you wanted to secure it.Quote:
Originally Posted by eb in oregon
Bob
We did land on the far side of the river, both paratroops and gliders. Unfortunately the areas chosen as suitable for drop zones and landing zones for gliders proved to be too far from the bridge due to intense opposition. The Poles landed on the near side but were delayed by fog in England.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Womack
When the order came to withdraw my own relative had to swim the river and he had swim part of the way underwater because he was being shot at.