WWII Airborne Operations (revised list)
Joseph R. Boeke
Okay, this is the list of airborne operations that I have compiled. I have
made some "purposeful ommisions" in an attempt to focus strictly on the
employment of airborne troops on combat drops.
I left out the "strictly commando" raids (although the Skorzeny raid to
free
Mussolini & the U.S. Los Banos raids were included). The only other
significant operations that I left off the list are the 1943 & 44 Chindit
ops
in Burma, because the main airborne component was more air re/supply rather
than combat drops (yes, the Chindits were droped, but they weren't really
airborne troops), the 82nd's drop at Salerno (they dropped behind U.S.
lines
as reinforcements and other such jumps), and some of the glider re-supply
ops
(like at Bastone amd in New Guniea).
Thanks to everyone on CONSIM-L & WWII-L who helped point me to sources &
operations (special thanks to MAJ Barrett Lowe, USMA). The list that
follows
was compiled with the help of those above and cross referenced with _Air
Assault: the development of airmobile warfare_ by John R. Galvin.
If you still see some major ommissions (that aren't covered in my
statements
above), please let me know the details -- sources are also greatly
appreciated.
I'll start putting together a list of games to go with these operations.
- Joe
jrb...@uci.edu
S E C O N D W O R L D W A R A I R B O R N E O P E R A T I O N S
Location (Operation): Date: Airborne:
-------------------- ---- --------
Norway/Denmark Apr '40 German 1/7 Para Regt
Netherlands May '40 German 7th Para Div- (5 battalions)
German 22nd Air Landing Div (AL)
Belgium May '40 German Reinf Para Co
German Assault Engineers
Greece Apr '41 German 2/7 Para Regt
Italian ? (dropped on Cephalonia)
Crete (Mercury) May '41 German 7th Para Div
German 5th Mnt Div (AL)
Vyazma Jan-Feb '42 Soviet IV Airborne Corps
Celebes Jan '42 IJN Yokosuka SNLF
Sumatra Feb '42 IJA 1st Para Brigade
Timor Feb '42 IJN Yokosuka SNLF
Bruneval, France Feb '42 British Camaroon Highlanders (1 Co)
Algeria (Torch) Nov '42 U.S. 2/509 Para Inf Battalion
Algeria/Tunisia Nov '42 British 1/1 Para Brigade
U.S. 2/509 Para Inf Battalion
British 2/1 Para Brigade
Sicily (Husky) Jul '43 U.S. 82 Airborne Div-
British 1 Airborne Div-
German 1st & 2nd Para Div
New Guinea Sep '43 U.S. 503rd Para Inf Regiment
Italy Sep '43 German 2nd Para Div (elements)
U.S. 509th Airborne Brigade
German Cadet Para Battalion
(elements)
German Skorzeny's Commando
Kanev Sep '43 Soviet 5th Guards Para Brigade
Soviet 1st Para Brigade
Soviet 3rd Para Brigade
Elba, Italy Nov '43 German 2nd Para Div
Leros, Greece Nov '43 German 2nd Para Div (elements)
Yougoslavia May '44 German 500th SS Para
(Roesselsprung)
Normandy (Overlord) Jun '44 British 6th Airborne Div
U.S. 82nd Airborne Div
U.S. 101st Airborne Div
France (Dragoon) Aug '44 U.S. 1/551st Para Inf Reg
U.S. 550th Glider Inf Reg
U.S. 517th Para Inf Reg
U.S. 509th Para Inf Reg
U.S. 463rd Para Arty Reg (elements)
British 2nd Ind Para Brigade
French 1st Para Brigade
U.S. 442nd Inf Antitank Co
Netherlands (Market) Sep '44 U.S. 101st Airborne Div
U.S. 82nd Airborne Div
British 1st Airborne Div
Polish 1st Para Brigade
Leyte, Philippines Dec '44 IJA Task Force Katori Shimpei
Ardennes (Condor) Dec '44 German Para Kampfgruppe
Luzon, Philippines Jan '45 U.S. 511th Para Inf Reg
Corregidor Feb '45 U.S. 503rd Para Inf Reg+
Los Banos, Philippines Feb '45 U.S. Co B 511th Para Inf Reg
Rhine (Varsity) Mar '45 U.S. 17th Airborne Div
British 6th Airborne Div
Aparri, Philippines May '45 U.S. "Gypsy Task Force"