Operation
Market Garden
US
101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles"
The
101 on Sunday 17 September 1944, the first day
|
Between 13:00 en 13:30 hrs. 6669 Para's jumped in Son (Holland) (some
other authorities say 6769) |
- 501 lands on DZ "A" near Veghel and Eerde. The two railroad bridges and two bridges across the Aa river and the Zuid Willemvaart (canal) have to be captured.
- 502
lands on DZ "B" SW of St.Oedenrode. Capture the village and two
small bridges across the Dommel river.
- "H"Company has to take the traffic bridges across the Wilhelmina Canal in Best village.
- 506 lands on DZ “C” between Best and Son, south of DZ “B”. Take the bridge across the Wilhelminakanaal in Son village and advance on in the direction of Eindhoven to take 4 bridges across the river Dommel and make contact with the English Guards Armored Division
- The
gliders with the Division Head Quarters, medical troops, transport etc.
have to land on LZ “W” between DZ “B” and DZ “C”
| medical supplies | white |
| ammunition | red |
| men | camouflage colors |
| rations | blue |
| engineers materials | yellow |
| fuel | green (some authorities say white) |
Airfields:
The
Para's and gliders depart on Sunday
17 September 1944 from the following airfields:
| AIRFIELD | C-47's |
gliders |
|
| DIVISION HQ | WELFORD
RAMSBURY |
9 |
8 |
| 501st
1st and 2nd battalion
3rd battalion |
Aldermaston
Chilbolton |
90
45 |
|
| 502nd 1st battalion | Welford | 45 |
|
| 502nd 2nd and 3rd battalion | Greenham Common | 90 |
|
| 506th 1st and 2nd battalion | Membury | 90 |
|
| 506th 3rd battalion | Chibolton | 45 |
|
| Jeeps | Ramsbury | 24 |
|
| 326th C Company | Wellford | 7 |
24 |
| Medical Company | Ramsbury | |
6 |
| Division Artillery | Wellford
Ramsbury |
3 |
3 |
| Signal Company | Ramsbury | |
14 |
| Reconnaissance Platoon | Ramsbury | |
15 |
| Totally | 424 |
70 |
|
About
14:00 Hrs 56 from the 70 departed gliders land on LZ "W". 3
gliders crashed, the other 53 arrived safely. The
first day almost 7000 man, 32 jeeps and 13 trailers from the 101st
Airborne Division landed. In
the next days enormous amounts of men and supplies were brought in
through the air. Monday of September 18th, 1944: 432 gliders landed in Son. Tuesday September19th,1944: 212 gliders landed in Son SaturdaySeptember
23rd, 1944: 79 gliders landed in Son. A
total of 723 gliders within 3 days !!! C-47
= Dakota, a 2 motor transport aircraft DZ
= Drop Zone (landing area for Para's Glider=
a plane towed by a transport aircraft (American Army only used the
glider types WACO-CG4A.) LZ
= Landing Zone (landing area for gliders) |
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