1st Airborne Task Force ( Allied ) The 1st Airborne Task Force was a short - lived Allied airborne unit created for " Operation Dragoon " – the invasion of Southern France . Formed in July 1944 , under the command of Major General Robert T . Frederick it took part in the " Dragoon " landings on 15 August 1944 , securing the area north - west of the landing beaches , before moving towards the French - Italian border as part of U . S . Seventh Army . It was disbanded in November 1944 . Formation . In the initial plans for the invasion of France it was proposed that two forces would land simultaneously in Normandy and in southern France in June 1944 , attacking the Germans from the north and south in a classic pincer movement , after which the southern forces would head east to aid Allied forces in Italy . However it was soon realized that there were not enough landing ships or men available to carry out both operations at the same time , so the southern invasion ( " Operation Anvil " ) was postponed . The southern invasion ( now " Operation Dragoon " ) was planned for August 1944 , and all airborne forces were allocated to a new unit formed on 11 July 1944 as the Seventh Army Airborne Division ( Provisional ) . This was redesignated the 1st Airborne Task Force on the 21st . In order to form the 1ABTF airborne units were withdrawn from combat in Italy . These were the U . S . 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion and 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team , and the British 2nd ( Independent ) Parachute Brigade . Added to them were the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion and the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion , both of which had previously been stationed in Panama , and neither of which had seen combat . Two Free French parachute battalions had originally been assigned in early July , but disagreements over their deployment with General de Gaulle meant that the troops were not made available , and so the British 2nd Parachute Brigade was assigned to the operation on the proviso that they would be returned to operations in Italy once the beachhead was firmly established . Operation Dragoon . 1ABTF ' s part in " Dragoon " , was codenamed " Operation Rugby " . They were to land around the village of Le Muy , mid - way between Draguignan , and the landing beaches at Fréjus – Saint - Raphaël . There were three Drop Zone / Landing Zones : The landings . Unfortunately , on D - Day ( 15 August ) the pathfinder teams found the area obscured by ground fog up to . As a result , only three of the nine teams , all from the British 2nd Brigade , landed in their drop zones , when they dropped around 03 : 30 . Two American teams landed thirteen miles east of Le Muy ; another eight miles to the east , and three more , which landed closer to Le Muy , were unable to orient themselves before dawn . The fog and a lack of signals from the ground meant that the 509th PIR and the 463rd Field Artillery , the first American units to drop , were scattered . Two companies of the 509th and two batteries of artillery landed on the correct drop zone at 04 : 30 , but one infantry company and two artillery batteries landed south of St . Tropez , nearly fifteen miles to the southeast . The 517th PRCT fared worse , with none of the troops landing on their assigned drop zone . Arriving from about 04 : 35 , most of the 1st Battalion , 517th PIR , were scattered between Trans - en - Provence , four miles to the northwest , and Lorgues , six miles farther west . Most of the 2nd Battalion landed one or two miles northwest of Le Muy , but about a third of the battalion found themselves east and northeast of the town . The 3rd Battalion dropped about twelve to fourteen miles northeast of Le Muy , while a battery of the 460th Field Artillery landed just northwest of Fréjus , twelve miles southeast . Many others were scattered far and wide in ones and twos . With two of its three pathfinder teams operating their radio beacons to mark the drop zones , the British 2nd Brigade did somewhat better . From about 04 : 50 , half of the 4th Battalion , one company of the 5th Battalion , and most of the 6th Battalion , totaling two - thirds of the brigade , landed in their drop zone . Most of the rest were scattered over an area nine miles northeast and northwest of Le Muy , around Fayence . Once on the ground the paratroopers regrouped . Most of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 517th PIR reached their assembly areas shortly after dawn , and the British troops who had landed near Callas arrived later in the morning . The bulk of the troops who landed outside of the immediate area joined their parent units on D + 1 , but the last scattered elements did not arrive until D + 5 . Overall , less than 40 percent of the troops in the pre - dawn drops landed in their zones , and by dawn at 06 : 00 , only about 60 percent of the men had assembled in the Le Muy area . Follow - up parachute and glider landings were scheduled to arrive at 08 : 15 , bringing in artillery and anti - tank units of the 2nd Brigade . However , fog still blanketed the landing areas when the aircraft and gliders arrived , so the aircraft turned back without cutting their tows , finally returning about 18 : 00 . Other gliders carrying the Task Force headquarters and other support troops were delayed for about an hour , and landed about 09 : 30 . The 551st PIB , dropped into the 517th ' s drop zone at 18 : 10 , as planned , while the 550th arrived in their gliders at 18 : 30 , also on schedule . Other support units that came in by glider late in the day also landed according to schedule . The Germans had planted anti - landing obstacles throughout much of the area , mostly twelve feet wooden stakes , six inches thick , dug deep into the ground . These snapped off the gliders ' wings and caused ground loops . Only 50 of around 400 gliders used were salvageable . Fortunately , damage to cargo and passengers was light – only about 80 casualties among the paratroops and about 150 glider troops , not counting 16 glider pilots killed and 37 injured . By 19 : 00 about 90 percent of the troops and equipment brought in by glider were ready for action . In combat . The failure of the British artillery support to arrive early in the day meant that Le Muy remained in enemy hands , but the British secured the high ground along both sides of the Argens River east of Le Muy , and also the high ground to the north , establishing road blocks and patrols , while the 517th PRCT occupied the hills overlooking the Toulon - Saint - Raphaël corridor in the vicinity of Les Arcs , five miles west of Le Muy , and the 509th dug in on the high ground south of Les Muy with eleven 75 mm guns in position overlooking the town . The first contact with ground forces was made that evening about 20 : 30 when troops of the 509th PIR met a patrol from the 45th Division ' s reconnaissance troop . An attempt to capture Le Muy was mounted by the 550th GIB after dark , but the attack failed and the battalion withdrew to wait until morning . Except for the seizure of the town , the 1ABTF completed its D - Day objectives , establishing a strong blocking position along the Argens Valley and isolating the beachhead . The scattered parachute drop did not appreciably affect the operation and may have helped confuse the Germans as to the objectives of both the airborne and amphibious assaults . The night 15 / 16 August was quiet , and on the morning of the 16th the 550th attacked Les Muy again , and by 15 : 30 hours it was in Allied hands – 170 prisoners were taken . Around noon an Auster aircraft carrying Colonel Pearson arrived to report on the progress of the 36th Division – Frejus and St Raphael had been captured and the 142nd RCT would start to move up the Argens Valley towards Les Muy that afternoon . This was the first direct contact between the 36th Division and the airborne force . Early on the morning of the 17th forward elements of the 36th reached Les Muy , and then continued their advance towards Draguignan and Toulon . Following " Operation Rugby " the 1ABTF moved north - east , covering the right flank of the 7th Army , and liberating Cannes and Nice , before being deployed to the Maritime Alps in a static role , initiating patrols and keeping a close watch on Germans in the area of the Franco - Italian border . The 1st Special Service Force was attached on 22 August after capturing the islands of Port Cros and Île du Levant to replace the 2nd ( Independent ) Parachute Brigade , which was released on 26 August 1944 . Six weeks later it was deployed to Greece . In November 1944 1ABTF was sent to Soissons to rest and refit , and was disbanded on 23 November 1944 , with most of the units being attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps . Order of battle . Main force . The 1ABTF was composed of the following units :