The Wilmington morning star., 1943-07-12
IT, s. Airb0rne Forces Set
ForAny Type Ofhuasion

4 W 4 ASSy 4 yk
Editors note: Jack Thomp-
son, Chicago Tribune cores
pondent, planned to be the first
newspaperman to land in Sici-
ly. He was scheduled to be
with American parachute troo-
pers who opened the assault on
Italy several hours before the
sea borne troops arrived.
Thompson, who jumped with
these troopers in their first
action in North Africa, ex-
pected to jump again, his
typewriter to follow him on a
separate parachute. The fol-
lowing dispatch was written
just before the parachute
troopers zero hour.)
By JOHN THOMPSON
War Correspondent Representing
the Combined American Press.
Distributed by the
Associated Press
WITH AMERICAN PARACHUTE
TROOPS BOUND FOR SICILY,
July 9.-Delayed) - Before mid
night tonight the greatest force of
air-borne troops ever launched by
the United States Army will be
settling over the face of Sicily,
spearheading the invasion of am
phibious troops scheduled to fol-
low about four hours later.
Coincident with this attack on
the under-belly of the island, Brit
ish troops will be landing along the
eastern coast. Their invasion, too,
is being led by air-borne troops
due to land on the island about
two hours ahead of ours.
A parachute co:nb1t ieam is now
undoubtedly fighting hard at the
rear of enemy soldiers as you read
these lines.
The bulk of the air-borne fight
ing is expected to be handled BY
the particular combat team which
this reporter is accompanying as
jumper, making his second COM
bat jump. The first jump was
made last November with Col. Ed
son Raff's parachute troop batal-
lion near Tebesa, Algeria.
Tonight's venture is on a much
greater scale than that mission or
even the 1,500 miles flight from
England which Raff's battalion
had made earlier.
Profiting by its experience, this
combat team is carrying different
equipment which will be used in
different tactics. And for the first
time in our military history, para
chute infantry is being accompa-
MED into combat by parachute
troop engineers, much larger pa
rachute troop medical detachment
and two parachute troop cnap-
lains.
Planning for this operation has
been on a more exacting scale
than anything hitherto attempted
by air-borne troop. In reality 1t is
the first real test and eager pa
chute troopers know that upon their
performance depends the fate of
future air-borne developments.
A months careful staff work at
headquarters as well as the staff
combat team commander has left
little to chance. And closely tying
into this work has been equally
careful planning by the troop car
rier command.
Our greatest danger will be du-
ring the time we are in flight, a
trip of some hundreds of miles, al
most all over the Mediterranean
from the standpoint of the para
chute troopers that is when they
are the most vulnerable to attack
by hostile aircraft or anti-aircraft
batteries once they hit the island
coast.
But jumping soldiers have the
utmost confidence in the pilots OF
the troops carrier command. These
troopers are convinced the pilots
will bring them safely through the
danger zone and drop them exact
ly on their destination.
AS you read these lines they
probably will have already accom-
plished their primary objective.
This combat team should be the
hardest hitting outfit ever dropped
by air to harass the eneny're rear.
forerunner perhaps of the time
when the Army will be able to
drop several entire air-borne divis-
ions OF parachute troops and Gid.
er soldiers as an expanding power
nucleus behind the enemy lines.
To move this team by rail at
home requires many boxcars for
equipment alone, and we have
been moving from one North Afri-
can base to another requiring al
most four times as many French
boxcars. For the first time. too
this team will drop miles and
miles of telephone wire enabling
1t to remain in communication
should the numerous radios be in
jured. "
Jumping doctors, surgeons and
dentist will carry blood plasma
into the field, according to com.