Airborne WarfareTo every member of the 82nd Airborne Division who dropped as part of the American paratroop landings during World War Two, they breathed a little easier knowing their commander “Jumpin’ Jim” Gavin would be dropping with them. General Gavin would drop into the fierce fighting along with his men in Sicily, Normandy on D-Day and during the abortive attempt to capture the Rhine bridges during Operation Market-Garden. He shared the risks of all his men dropping into enemy territory, often only armed with his GI issue rifle and accompanied by a handful of men, leading from the front his memoirs are an outstanding addition to the literature of the Airborne in World War II. General Gavin had been at the forefront advancing the use of airborne troops in the US army, writing the first field manual for their combat use. In this volume of memoirs General Gavin recounts his many experiences in the Airborne and also writes of the need and use of airborne troops in the future. |
Contents
PLANS AND OPERATIONS IN | |
BACK DOOR TO NORMANDY 194 | |
AIRBORNE ARMYS FIRST TEST | |
DROP AND LANDING ZONES 176 | |
THE AIRBORNE OPERATIONS OF 1945 165 | |
AIRBORNE ARMIES OF THE FUTURE 177 | |
ANTIAIRBORNE DEFENSE 165 | |
THE USE OF AIRBORNE TROOPS IN | |
REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 176 | |
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Common terms and phrases
101st Airborne Division 2d Battalion 504th Parachute Infantry 82d Airborne Division 82d Division Air Landing Airborne Army airborne attack airborne forces airborne landing airborne operation airborne troops airborne units airborne warfare airhead airplanes Allied Airborne ammunition amphibious anti-airborne antitank armor arrived artillery assault battalion battle battle of Normandy beachhead bridge Brigade British Second Army captured chute Colonel combat team corps Corregidor counterattack D-day daylight defense dispersion division commander drop and landing drop zones echelon enemy equipment fighters fighting final fire flown German gliders Groesbeek ground forces guns headquarters initial Italian jump landing areas landing zones Lieutenant loads miles minutes missile mission moved night Nijmegen Niscemi Normandy Operation Market organization Parachute Regiment parachutists paratroopers pathfinder pilots planes prepared reconnaissance resupply Rhine River Salerno seize ships Sicily staff supplies tactical take-off airfields tanks terrain transports troop-carrier aircraft troopers Veghel weapons