The midland journal., 1944-06-30
u. 5. First TO Experiment
With Use Of Air Troops
Demonstration Arranged by General Billy
Mitchell at Kelly Field in 1928;
Officers Not Impressed
By BAUKHAGE
Netos Analyst and Commentator.

IHuSt capture OF prepare alT SLrlpS
for this purpose.
Allied airborne troops were used
effectively at the landing in Sicily,
where General Montgomery said
they shortened the campaign by at
least a week. They also proved Of
great value in New Guinea.
The full extent of their per-
formance in the invasion of Europe
has yet to be revealed, but we have
General Eisenhower own word as
to their value and his praise has
been unstinted.
The chief function Of the soldier
Of the air until recently has been
the destruction of enemy communi-
cations and installations such as
ammunition and supply dumps,
dynamiting bridges and wrecking
railway functions behind the lines.
Now they are prepared to engage
the enemy in large-scale operations
which reached major proportions
for the first time in France. Pre-
ceding the Normandy landings, one
of their jobs was to prevent de-
struction of certain points like
bridges and other installations
which the troops advancing from the
beachhead wanted to make use OF
later. In this case, they had to take
the bridges from the enemy defend
ers and then hold them against
counter attacks of the local re-
serves, armed with tanks and field
artillery, until their own advancing
ground troops or air reinforcements
arrived.
Such action is possible because
jeeps, one-ton trailers, howitzers,
heavy and light calibre machine
guns, mortars, mines, and other
equipment including food, medical
supplies, water, and of course am
munition, can be transported by the
troop carrier command. The troops
have food and ammunition suffi-
cient for about three days susie
nance without replenishment.
The pilots of the troop carriers
are trained under most difficult
conditions and must have an extra
share of courage and intelligence.
They fly slowly and about their only
escape from the speedy fighters is
to skim the hilltops, dodge the hay
stacks, keep as low as possible in
valleys, or between obstacles like
trees and buildings which serve as
protection.
Glider Pilots job
Although the glider pilot has no
engine to worry about, he must
know meteorology, navigation,
aerial reconnaissance, photography,
maintenance and radio communica-
ton. He must learn to land quickly
and near trees or other obstacles
where the troops can take cover;
one means of making quick land
ing is purposely to snag wing on
a tree trunk or the bottom of the
plane on rocks. The men inside are
protected by a steel framework.
And then when the pilot lands, all
he has to do is fight his way back
to his own lines with the rest of his
one-time passengers. Like them, he
has to know all the commando
knows.
Some of the tales which have al
ready gone into the growing saga of
the airborne forces are marvellous.
One is told Of an adventure which
took place early in the invasion Of
France.
A glider, its tow1ine cut, was sud-
denly left in the dark of the moon.
Some light is necessary for land
ing, of course. In the period when
the moon was clouded, there was
nothing for the pilot to do but to
keep on descending. He did and
landed unexpectedly but on very
smooth terrain. The troopers quick
ly debouched and sought cover as
they are trained to do. But there
was no cover. They found they were
on the wide, fiat roof of building.
They found an entrance through
the roof and cautiously crept down
the stairs. To their surprise, they
discovered they were in a building
full of German soldiers and which
housed the German headquarters
for that area. But the Americans
were armed, and needless to say
the Germans were somewhat sur
prised. They surrendered without
much trouble.
However, it is not always as easy
as that and since it is an axiom of
military history that for every new
arr1o 0f 0ffpnSa an arm af dofonco
is developed, we may expect fresh
obstacles to be created which these
youngest sons Of Mars will have to
meet as they grow older.