D-Day: American Airborne

In the early hours of June 6th, 1944, the American Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne and the 82nd Airborne division flew over the Normandy coast. Bad weather and heavy flak resulted in sticks being scattered, but the paratroopers were well …

1944-06-06

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In the early hours of June 6th, 1944, the American Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne and the 82nd Airborne division flew over the Normandy coast. Bad weather and heavy flak resulted in sticks being scattered, but the paratroopers were well trained and knew their assignments. They gathered in small groups and got to work. The 101st were tasked with eliminating German artillery batteries that threatened the Utah Beach landing and clearing the causeways from the beach so that the landing forces could advance inland. This meant they had to capture and hold key bridges over the Douve River, serving the double purpose of preventing German counterattacks from the south and setting the stage for an attack on the well protected town of Carentan. The 82nd Airborne was assigned with capturing Ste-Mère-Église and the roads leading north, protecting that flank until landing forces could link up with them and preparing for a push westward to cut off the Cotentin peninsula.

Ste-Mère-Église, France

The U.S. airborne landings in Normandy were the first U.S. combat operations during Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by the Western Allies on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Around 13,100 American paratroopers of the 82nd and 10ist Airborne Divisions made night parachute drops early on D-Day, June 6, followed by 3,937 glider troops flown in by day. As the opening maneuver of Operation Neptune the two American airborne divisions were delivered to the continent in two parachute and six glider missions.

Wikipedia: American airborne landings in Normandy

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