Airborne Combat

During the Second World War, military gliders were used for carrying troops and heavy equipment silently into a combat zone. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes and 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 cargo and crew as possible. 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. Landing by parachute caused the troops to be spread over a large drop-zone, however, 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. This book presents details of glider craft from both sides, featuring all significant glider operations of the war, such as Eben Emael, Crete, Sicily, Normandy, Arnhem, Bastogne, the Battle of the Bulge, the Eastern Front, and more. These stories of elite glider troops in the thick of battle are impressively illustrated with photos of the gliders and their crews, and also feature detailed first-hand accounts from decorated gliders. This is a revealing account of the backbone of airborne operations, the success of many of which would have failed, if it had not been for the glider troops. About the author James Mrazek also wrote The Fall of Eben Emael. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.