Operations Albany and Boston

Albany and Boston is the names codes of the operations carried out respectively by the regiments parachutists of the 101e and 82e US airborne divisions as of the night from June 5th to 6th 1944 within the general framework of the Opération Overlord. They were preceded by the installation by the pathfinders and were followed by the landing of the Planeur S of these same divisions. The operations of the planed units received, as for them, other names: Chicago and Keokuk for the 101e, Strait, Elmira, for the 82e. June 7th are carried out the operations of supply parachuted Memphis and Freeport and the operations planed Galveston and Hackensack. The overlap as of these operations in their execution was such as it is not possible to describe them separately. This is why they are gathered in this same article.

Organization of airborne divisions

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Each airborne division includes/understands:

a HQ
three regiments of infantry parachutist
a regiment of planed infantry
a field artillery regiment
an anti-aircraft artillery battalion
a unit of planed recognition
a battalion of genius
of the units logistic and medical
of the pathfinders coming from the various units but gathered for the mission of beaconing before the arrival of the large

The total staff complement of a division is approximately 12.000 men including almost 7.000 parachutists.

Each regiment of infantry parachutist or planed (PIR or GIR) includes/understands three battalions. Each battalion includes/understands itself three companies of fusiliers. The nine companies of fusiliers of the same regiment are indicated by a letter of has to I. Thus in the serial Band off Brothers , the captain Winters (who really jumped to Normandy) order the E company: i.e. the 2nd company of the 2nd battalion of its regiment (in fact, the 506e regiment of colonel Sink).

The 325 GIR is reinforced by a battalion of the 401 GIR.

The field artillery regiment includes/understands a parachuted battalion (howitzer of 75 mm fixed under the plane for the dropping) and two planed artillery battalions.

Chart

the letters correspond to the site of the dropping zones (DZ)

has, C and D for the 101e Division

NR, T and 0 for the 82e Division

Mission

Behind Utah Beach, the flooded ground and the configuration of the highway network are very favorable to the enemy to carry out a retarding combat and for launching counter-attacks. Moreover, this beach is isolated compared to the unit. The installation of an airborne head of bridge, while ensuring the western side of the unloading, must facilitate the access inside the grounds with the troops which will unload on this beach.

Within this framework, the missions are:

For the 101e

to seize the outlets of the four roads coming from the beach through the zone flooded and numbered, of the south at north, exits 1 to 4
to destroy German the artillery battery deployed with Saint-Martin-with-Varreville
to seize the bridges on the channel of Carentan and the lock of the small boat (which would allow, says one, the flood)
to destroy two bridges on the Douve
to protect the head from bridge vis-a-vis the south and in the west

For the 82e

to seize and hold the road junction of Holy-Mother-Church
to seize the passages on Merderet (the Proud one and Chief-of-Bridge)
to destroy bridges on the Ditch
to protect the head from bridge vis-a-vis north and in the west

Installation of pathfinders

Six zones of jump called DZ (Dropping Zone) were envisaged. Each one of it is identified by a letter. The DZ have, C and D, located between the road N13 and Utah Beach, are allotted to the 101e Division; the DZ O, NR and T, located at the west of Holy-Mother-Church, the 82e.

Scouts called pathfinders are charged to go to mark out them in order to allow the parachuting of mass (13 200 men and material) which must follow. For each DZ, three C-47 (called Dakota by the British) is charged to parachute each one a team (stick) of 18 pathfinders. Two C-47 are added for the dropping of pathfinders charged to join and mark out LZ (Landing zone) which will be used later for the landing of the sailplanes. It goes without saying the crews charged to release the pathfinders are selected among the most tested in aerial navigation.

A team of pathfinders includes/understands ten specialists in charge of the beaconing while the other men are in charge of their protection. The beaconing is carried out at the same time with visual means (lamps, the night; panels and smoke-producing, the day) and of the radiogoniometric means. The lamps used are designed to be seen only sky and are lit only at the last time. The radiogoniometric means consist of radio operator transmitters (AN/PPN-1A Beacon) more known under the name of beacons Eureka brought, at a rate of 2 per stick, the pathfinders. The planes leaders of formation, as for them, are equipped with a Rebecca system which guides them towards the beacon.

The pathfinders of the 101e Division are released around London 00:30, time, i.e. on June 5th before midnight, French hour. The dropping is done rather correctly but sometimes to 1,5 km of the DZ and the planes of the DZ D, which had exceeded it, had to make half-turn. A plane misses; it fell at sea. The pathfinders of the 82e are released one hour later. Only the beaconing of the DZ O is carried out completion; it is there that later parachuting will be most precise. For the DZ NR, the German proximity prevents the use of the lamps; only the beacons are installed; the parachuting of the 507 PIR will be a catastrophe.

Drop zones envisaged

PIR : Parachute Infantry Regiment; 1 means 1st battalion of this regiment
PFA: Parachute Field Artillery
TCG: Troop Carrier Group (air unit of transport of troops)
the planes is of C-47 better known under the name of Dakota

Execution

parachutings

On the basis of various aerodromes of the south-west of England, the air routes meet before flying over the sea; they cross the Cotentin of west in east. Some 800 Dakota, escorted by Mosquito, release, between 01 and 03:00, 13.200 men and their material.

the 6.800 parachutists of the 101e airborne arrive in first. It is one night of full moon but the weather is been overcast on Normandy (8/10 of nebulosity). The Flak (German anti-aircraft artillery) enters in action. All the DZ could not be enlightened in time. Many pilots miss experiment and only the planes leaders, is 1 out of 9, are equipped with the system of detection of the beacons. Under these conditions, much do not manage to keep the contact with their chief of formation and the parachutings are done in an approximate way. Certain men are even released with more than 20 km of their DZ.

the dropping of the 82e starts towards 01:50. Here also, dispersion is large. Several men fall into the Inondation S from the valleys from the Douve and Merderet. There is less Noyade S that what was sometimes known as. Much material, on the other hand, is lost and the men who extirpate marshes are hardly operational. As two sticks of the 101e which had already fallen a little front there them, some parachutists land directly on the village of Holy-Mother-Church. Most known of them is certainly the soldier John Steele whose parachute remained hung with the Clocher of the church. Only, the parachuting of 505e PIR on the DZ O constitutes a success.

the execution of the missions

Shortly after their arrival on the ground, the officers realize of impossibility of gathering their units. Consequently, of the heteroclite groups, with sometimes of the men of two divisions, are formed around graded. The groups which cross assemble. They are finally columns from 50 to 200 men who carried out by a Colonel or a commander of battalion will undertake to carry out the missions envisaged. Isolated small groups cut telephone wire, carry out knacks at the places where they are and create thus confusion and the insecurity among Germans.

a column carried out by the lieutenant-colonel Ewell (3/501 PIR) but also cash in its rows the generals Taylor and McAuliffe seizes exit 1 (Poupeville). The lieutenant-colonel Strayer (1/506 PIR) gathers some 400 men and, after hard combat, defends exit 2. The lieutenant-colonel Cole (3/502 PIR) with 120 men ends up controlling exits 3 and 4. The outlets of Utah Beach are thus ensured. Germans will be taken with the trap, wedged between the unloaded parachutists and troops. The contact with these last is carried out around 1 p.m.

the battery of Saint-Martin-with-Varreville was destroyed by the bombardments but of the parachutists occupy the position. The lieutenant-colonel Cassidy (1/502 PIR) gathers several men and assures defense vis-a-vis north.

the commander of the 1/501 PIR is killed shortly after its landing. The owner of the regiment, colonel Johnson, with some men, seizes easily the lock of the Small boat which is not kept. He then makes seek reinforcements and organizes the position towards the south. All the day of the 6, the Germans conduct several attacks but the parachutists hold good.

the bridges on Merderet of Proud and Chief-of-Bridge fall into the hands from the paras at the end of the morning. The general Gavin itself conducted an attack to take again that of Chief-with-Bridge which the Germans had taken again. The lieutenant-colonel Krause (3/505) seizes Holy-Mother-Church as of 4:30 but will have to face then with German attacks. The lieutenant-colonel Vandervoort (2/505) whose role will be held by John Wayne in the film the longest day , demene like a devil. Ankle broken and transferred onto a trailer with ammunition, it supports initially the defense of Holy-Mother-Church and ensures then protection north vis-a-vis the direction of Cherbourg.

the men of the 507 PIR are extremely dispersed. Ten stick landed to 8 km in the south-east of Carentan! Others fell into the marshes close to the DZ and gather automatically by joining the slope of the railway. In sorry state and with court of ammunition, they will not be able to ensure their missions the west of Merderet. The 508 PIR, also scattered, cannot seize Pont-l'Abbé held in force by the Germans; only a fulcrum in the west of Merderet can be held. The German general Falley who orders the 91e division is killed in an ambush set-up by a group of six paras. Three German divisions hold the Cotentin: the 243e in the west, the 709e in the east and the 91e, in reserve, in the center. The 709e, with old men and volunteers of the East east of poor quality. The 91e, on the other hand, with its core of former paras, is excellent but the absence of its chief will slow down his reactions.

the reinforcements and the supplies

the first reinforcements and supplies arrive by sailplanes on June 6th at 4:00. They are the operations Chicago for the 101e and Détroit for the 82e. For each division, land about fifty sailplanes WACO. They bring mainly the anti-aircraft battalions (less one battery), of the anti-tank guns, the ammunition and the medical means.

Two other missions sailplanes are carried out the evening starting from 21:00.

the Keokuk mission brings with 32 HORSA the 327e Glider Infantry Regiment of the 101e division.

the Elmira mission with the profit of the 82e is much more important. A fleet of 36 WACO and 140 HORSA is charged to bring in four top spins its two artillery battalions planed as well as medical means and various reinforcements.

on June 7th between 6 and 7:00, takes place two supplies by parachutes called operations Freeport (for the 82e) and Memphis (for the 101e). Shortly after 7 hours, they is the 325 Glider Infantry Regiment and other reinforcements which join the 82e division; they are operations Galveston and Hackensack which count a total of 107 WACO and 43 HORSA.

the whole of the planed operations made it possible to set up 4.000 men, 290 vehicles, of the howitzers, the anti-tank guns and 240 T of freight but there were no badly breakage. The last elements of divisions will join with the unloaded troops.

Conclusions

The horrible dispersion of the sticks could have compromised the operation but the spirit of initiative and the offensive instinct of the paras knew to rectify the situation. Contradictorily, the fact that there are parachutists everywhere slowed down the reactions of the Germans who, with their cut communications, as felt isolated as their adversaries. In end of the day of June 6th, the 101 achieved the majority of its missions. With the 82e, the situation is more critical because the head of bridge in the west of Merderet could not really be realized; many units are always insulated. In spite of the losses, 2.500 killed, wounded or disappeared, the operation, as a whole, remains however a success.

Before June 6th, certain generals, whose mainly assistant of Eisenhower, the Air Chief Marshall Leigh-Mallory, questioned the interest of the airborne operations. It should be said that after the Crete, the Germans themselves, had given up it. Errors made at the time of the parachutings combined in Sicily had reinforced the opinion of the opponents. The success of the airborne operations of Normandy saved the concept.

External bonds

Detailed chart den the http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/7-4/~MapVII-big.htm operation

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