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OPERATION ANVIL The Invasion and Occupation of Southern
France
Phase I - The Paratrooper
Assault C-47A
#42-23516
Lt. Buchanon
(P), Lt. Roberts (CP), S/Sgt. Robert
G. Brown (CC), Sgt. James A. Moran (RO) |
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15 Aug 44 |
The Provisional Troop Carrier Air Division committed 396 C-47s
to this assault, with the 64th TCG committing 63, in a lead serial of 36
aircraft and a second serial of 27.
Our formations were the usual V of Vs, made up of nine aircraft each,
with five-minute intervals head to head between serials. Because of high terrain features in the
target area, we flew at an exceptionally high altitude of 1,500 feet. The dropping of airborne pathfinder crews
carrying the new Rebecca beacons to mark the DZ began at 0323 hours. All 17th radio operators were proficient
in guiding their aircraft to the DZ, but the only receiving sets for Rebecca
were in the lead transports. We took
off from Ciampino at 0230 hours, carrying elements of the 509th Parachute
Infantry Battalion. Followed the
Italian coast from Rome to the island of Elba, which was our first over-water
checkpoint, followed by the northern tip of the island of Corsica. From there we proceeded on an azimuth
course over naval checkpoints to our IP at Agay on the French Riviera. Dense smoke and fog blanketed the area,
and we began encountering light ground fire as we crossed the coast, with a
number of aircraft sustaining minor damage.
Jerry threw up barrages of flares, which were useless in the overcast
over which we were flying. We could
see dozens of fires to either side of our course, and strings of red and
green tracers, apparently from 20-mm guns, criss-crossed the skies with
little effect. As we neared the DZ,
Bob Brown and I took up our positions near the open jump door. This time, I remained well aft. The pilot reduced speed to 90 mph, the
green light flashed, and we dropped our 'stick" directly over the DZ
near Draguignan at 0530. The return
to base was uneventful. However, my
ship experienced a ruptured hydraulic line before landing. Brown had to crank down the landing gear,
and the ship is not available for the glider-tow. I am assigned to the standby ship for that mission. |
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Phase II -
The Glider Assault
C-47 #41-18448 Lt. Parker
(P), Lt. Bell (CP), Sgt. Frank R.
Foy (CC), Sgt. James A. Moran (RO) |
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When Frank "Pop" Foy (so nicknamed as he was twice my
age) and I took basic together at Hamilton, neither of us had ever been in
the air, and never dreamed that we would be on the same crew one day,
crossing our fingers to get into the fray.
The plan is to tow 335 CG-4A gliders of the 550th Glider Infantry
Battalion in serials of 48 aircraft each with eight-minute intervals between
serial lead aircraft. Pop and I are
assigned to the standby plane, and our hopes dim as squadron aircraft
take-off in quick succession, towing their gliders into the air. At the last minute, the final 17th ship
develops engine trouble and is towed off the runway. We are elated as we taxi into position,
hookup the tow cable, and head for France!
The gliders are towed in a "pair of pairs" formation
echeloned to the right rear. Towing
speed is 120 mph. Our formations
stretch for miles. One ground
observer reported that it took one formation 58 minutes to pass his location,
while another serial took 45 minutes.
One unfortunate glider dropped into the slipstream of his tug, ripping
the tail off the CG-4A. The glider
quickly disintegrated, dumping its load 2,000 feet into the Tyrhennian Sea.
When we reached the IP, we were comforted by the thick umbrella of P-47 and
P-51 fighters circling above us. The
Luftwaffe was conspicuous in its absence.
Still encountering ground fire, we slow to 110 mph and release our
glider over the LZ. Gliders are
diving for the ground everywhere we look, hitting the ground in a billowing
red cloud of dust. |
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