“in feverish haste”: Heinz Fiebig, The 84th Infantry Division During the Fight from Reichwald to Wesel, 16.
“Officers and men did not fight out of slavish obedience”: Alfred Schlemm, First Paratroop Army, 20.
Increased Allied reconnaissance flights: Rolf Geyer, Army Group H, 9.
March 16 with an air attack on the VI Flakkorps’ command post: Ibid., 9.
Two days later another raid was directed at Blaskowitz’s Heeresgruppe H headquarters: Richard J. Giziowski, The Enigma of General Blaskowitz, 386.
Blaskowitz managed to escape without injury, but his dentures did not: Ibid., 424.
The attack on Kesselring is based on http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/adlerhorst.aspx and http://markfelton.co.uk/publishedbooks/adlerhorst-hitlers-forgotten-headquarters/, both accessed on August 25, 2017.
resulted in Blaskowitz ordering all of his troops into an even higher state of alert: Rudolf Langhaeuser, 6 Paratroop Division, 4.
The attack on Schlemm is based on Justin L. C. Eldridge, Defense on the Rhine, and “Special Interrogation Report of General Alfred Schlemm.”
“Allied airborne landings on a large scale to establish bridgeheads”: Lewis Brereton, The Brereton Diaries, 403.
“the pattern of our air attacks and various other factors”: Ibid., 403.
“Come on Seventeenth, we’re waiting for you.”: Paul Reed, OPERATION VARSITY—As I Remember It, 30. Many 17th Airborne Division veterans claim to have heard the Axis Sally broadcast, but the exact verbiage varies.
“But we enjoyed the music”: Thad Blanchard, letter to the author, February 12, 2007.
Chapter 10 “Two if by sea”
“It looked like a reinforced egg crate and I admit I had my doubts”: Bart Hagerman, War Stories, 281.
load-bearing capacity of over 4,000 pounds: James E. Mrazek, Fighting Gliders of World War II, 111.
the glider pilots were ultimately responsible for conducting the final inspection: David P. Schorr, “Operation Varsity,” 16.
For correspondent Hamilton Whitman’s account, see Hamilton Whitman, “Airborne Operation: Mission Completed,” 3.
glider pilot Bob Casey waited to be told what was happening: Robert Casey, personal diary.
liked to wear his flight hat at a rakish angle: from Casey photo in World War II Glider Pilots, 81.
“God to give those going on the mission the strength, the skill and the courage”: Milton Dank, The Glider Gang, 230. This briefing vignette is based on multiple accounts, but most notably Milton Dank’s.
visibility was expected to be over four miles with no low cloud cover: FAAA, “Outgoing Messages, 13–31 MAR 45,” March 23, 1945.
They accounted for the varying airspeeds of C-46s, C-47s: IX TCC, “Activities Final Phase,” 67.
The armada of over 1,500 powered aircraft and 1,300 gliders: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 163. For aircraft numbers here and elsewhere, I have relied on John Warren’s numbers.
At MARFAK the armada would form three lanes: Ibid., 162.
radio beacons and visual markers would be set up at key checkpoints: Ibid., 163.
Pilots were to maintain radio silence during the flight in: IX TCC, “Field Order No. 5 for Operation Varsity,” 6.
“Now this is a small town called ‘Wesel,’ ”: W. D. Knickerbocker, Those Damn Glider Pilots, 282.
The daisy-chain effect of lead serials reducing: IX TCC, “Activities Final Phase,” 44.
it should take two hours and thirty-seven minutes: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 163.
“have a definite part of the area assigned to him in which to spot [land] his glider”: Air Forces Manual No. 3, Glider Tactics and Technique, 17.
“You could give odds that a large number of gliders would head for the obvious fields”: W. D. Knickerbocker, Those Damn Glider Pilots, 165.
intelligence estimated the Luftwaffe had nearly 900 available offensive aircraft: IX TCC, “Field Order No. 5 for Operation Varsity, Annex 1,” 7.
downing seven B-17 bombers in just eight minutes: Donald Miller, Masters of the Air, 448.
the Air Force had spent the last three days bombing every enemy airfield: XVIII Corps (ABN), “Operation Varsity, 23 March 1945 to 30 March 1945.”
Air Force planners hoped that between the damaged airfields: IX TCC, “Field Order No. 5 for Operation Varsity, Annex 1,” 8.
Escorting the American column would be over 300 Air Force P-47 Thunderbolt: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 172.
“Those orange pins represent flak positions”: DZ Europe, 97.
They knew that for every AA gun spotted in an aerial photograph: Milton Dank, The Glider Gang, 231.
“antiaircraft fire might inflict losses such as the command had never before encountered” . . . “chief anxiety”: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 167.
Germany had committed one-third of its industrial artillery production: Donald Miller, Masters of the Air, 481.
putting the number of 37mm and 20mm AA guns around Wesel anywhere between 300 and 400: FAAA, “Operation Varsity,” 7, and FAAA, “Airborne Army Operational Reports, 1944–1945, Varsity to Wildgirl,” report dated March 10, 1945.
In MARKET GARDEN anti-flak attacks nearly decimated two fighter groups: George A. Larson, “European Theater of Operations Post War Review of Airborne Operations,” 32.
Attacks on identified batteries were being held off until the next morning: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 167.
Artillery and aircraft would have to cease their attacks: FAAA, “Operation Varsity,” 27.
“Don’t forget to wear GI shoes”: DZ Europe, 97.
He warned the pilots not to expect help from the locals: Milton Dank, The Glider Gang, 226.
they should surrender to uniformed military personnel: 52 TCW, HQ, “Operation Varsity. After Action Report,” 7.
Miley had designated his 3rd Battalion as divisional reserve—the 875 glider pilots: David P. Schorr, “Operation Varsity,” 27.
two of the companies . . . would plug gaps in the perimeter; a third would: Ibid., 27.
“responsible for reporting promptly to their Group assembly area: IX TCC, “Field Order No. 5 for Operation Varsity, Amendment No. 2,” 1.
“Well here we go again! May your dog tags never part!”: DZ Europe, 98.
Aerial photographs, taken that morning, revealed . . . Do they know we’re coming?: Frank Dillon, letter to the author, March 24, 2008.
“Most of the men were on edge and that news didn’t help any”: “Diary of B Co.—194th Glider Infantry,” 46.
Word was passed around that, after chow, movies would be shown: Frank Dillon, letter to the author, March 24, 2008.
“spent the last few hours before going to bed”: Ibid., 59.
Clyde Haney, also at A-55, attended a Catholic service to take Communion: Richard H. Haney, When Is Daddy Coming Home?, 79.
“It was mighty solemn. . . . During that Mass they knelt and bowed their heads”: Martin Wolfe, Green Light!, 383.
“exciting and thrilling and yet the undercurrent of danger was there”: Melvin Manley, A Short History of Battery B of the 680th Glider Field Artillery Battalion,” 17.
One of Manley’s comrades, Private Rocco, shot himself with his carbine: 680 GFAB, “Historical Record of the 680th Glider Field Artillery Battalion,” 26.
The division’s medical unit would be using 53 of the division’s: James P. Lyke, “The Operations of the 17th Airborne Division in the Crossing of the Rhine River, 24 March 1945,” 55.
into twenty-five of the gliders . . . There were enough supplies: Details of the division’s medical units/plans: 224 AMC, “224th Airborne Medical Company, Inclosure 24.”
The Graves Registration Collecting Point: James P. Lyke, “The Operat
ions of the 17th Airborne Division in the Crossing of the Rhine River, 24 March 1945,” 55.
The SOP required red and yellow be used for ammunition and explosives: Brian N. Siddall, 507th in Germany, and Steven J. Zaloga, US Airborne Divisions in the ETO 1944–45, 46.
Airborne Army had managed to procure thirty of them: James P. Lyke, “The Operations of the 17th Airborne Division in the Crossing of the Rhine River, 24 March 1945,” 18.
“Respect property rights, vandalism is inexcusable”: Pocket Guide to Germany.
Wouldn’t it be a thrill: Bart Hagerman, War Stories, 193.
six bundles had the added complexity of being daisy-chained together: TM 9-319, 75mm Pack Howitzer M1A1 and Carriage M8, 46.
“broom handles”: John Chester, letter to the author, February 17, 2008.
There is a job to be done and I am going to do it!: Ibid., November 15, 2007.
“They may have been a lot of things”: Ibid.
“belle indifférence”: Roy R. Grinker and John Spiegel, Men Under Stress, 104.
“Before their battles”: Robert Capa, Slightly Out of Focus, 215.
spent the evening with their comrades talking and playing cards: Ben Scherer, Soldiers and Brothers Under the Canopy, 148.
“You had to look pretty hard to be sure it was a mock dance”: Bud Hutton, “Airborne Armies Join Invasion of Nazi Heartland,” 1.
“he was going all out”: Homer K. Kessler, My Front Line Experience, 3.
Team Algonquin had split up that morning: OSS, “Covering Report 1-15 April 45.”
Novocain: Clay Blair, Ridgway’s Paratroopers, 449.
“sour faced bugger”: Charles Whiting, Bounce the Rhine, 60.
“Without benefit of aerial bombardment”: Ibid., 85.
“Brad, all the world must know”: Franz Kurowski, Hitler’s Last Bastion, 124.
“Had Monty crashed the river on the run”: Richard H. Haney, When Is Daddy Coming Home?, 86.
The Supreme Commander of the Allied forces: Lewis Brereton, The Brereton Diaries, March 23, 1945.
The terror raids have destroyed our cities: James Lucas, Kommando, 213.
“drown the enemy in a sea of blood”: This quote and additional Werwolf information based on James Lucas, Kommando, 212. Even though almost all Werwolf incidents were later attributed to regular forces, there still existed at the time a concern based on propaganda and rumors.
barrage fired from over 3,400 howitzers: James P. Lyke, “The Operations of the 17th Airborne Division in the Crossing of the Rhine River, 24 March 1945,” 29.
“breathtakingly fearful but”: Brian Jewell, Over the Rhine, 18.
“Two if by sea”: Charles Whiting, Bounce the Rhine, 97.
Brereton had given formal approval for VARSITY: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 173.
Over 200 bombers roared over Wesel: FAAA, “Operation Varsity,” 15, and XVIII Corps (ABN), “Operation Varsity, 23 March 1945 to 30 March 1945.”
“It was the single most terrifying spectacle I have ever seen”: Howard K. Smith quoted in Paul Hollister and Robert Strunsky (eds.), D-Day Through Victory in Europe, 142.
“Are you awake?”: Thad Blanchard, letter to the author, February 12, 2007.
PART II MARCH 24, 1945
Chapter 11 “Good hunting”
“Okay, off and on. Chow in ten minutes. Fallout, column of twos”: Frank J. O’Rourke, “Eyewitness: A Gliderman Across the Rhine.” O’Rourke was at camp A-58 with C Co.
“I couldn’t eat much of my eggs”: Ted Velikoff, “Velikoff Diary,” 54.
“The best part of it was we could take all”: Joseph W. Moscar, “Parts of My Missions.”
The pilots received a last-minute briefing at the control tower: Robert Casey Diary.
“Purple Shaft No. 2, Is this trip necessary?” etc.: Glider names collected from several sources listed in bibliography.
By the time they’d emerged from the previous night’s briefing: David P. Schorr, “Operation Varsity,” 17.
“There was little margin for error”: Milton Dank, The Glider Gang, 232.
The pilots ensured that the nose locks: Elbert Jella, documents and notebook.
“looked like a typical glider pilot”. . . Herman Clausen, to land their crate: Frank J. O’Rourke, “Eyewitness: A Gliderman Across the Rhine.”
“There was no outside sign of fear. It was strange to think of fear”: Frank Dillon, letters to the author, August 18, 2017, and March 24, 2008.
“piece of cake”: George Buckley, “Mission Impossible—Operation Varsity,” 76.
Zane Winters also readied his glider at A-55: Zane Winters, “The Last Glider Mission, Parts 1 and 2.”
“Having crossed the Rhine”: Don Campbell, “Glider Yanks Sprawl, Yawn, Then Go Over,” 13.
one flight officer passed around a flask of Cognac: Edmund Wienczak, personal diary.
Each trooper positioned his folded blanket: Frank Dillon, letter to the author, March 24, 2008.
the pilots had steel plates under their seats: Ibid., April 19, 2008.
The ground crew had staged the gliders: John Schumacher, “Two Years in the Life of John J. Schumacher: 1944–1946.”
Inspectors ensured towropes were properly S-rolled: Air Forces Manual No. 3, Glider Tactics and Technique, 6.
double-tow combo every sixty seconds: Ibid., 12.
the signalman flashed his panel: 51 TCW. “Standard Operating Procedure for Airborne Operations.”
Dillon looked to his right: Frank Dillon, letter to the author, March 24, 2008.
Lumbering down the runway: Franklin Dentz, “Operation Varsity Glider Ride to Wesel.”
single 350-foot towrope was equivalent to: William H. Nicholas, “Gliders—Silent Weapons of the Sky,” 154.
Knickerbocker contemplated the same number of women: W. D. Knickerbocker, Those Damn Glider Pilots, 212.
Each aircraft had a designated jumpmaster: FM 31-30, Tactics and Technique of Air-borne Troops, 63.
The last point of the inspection verified that the static line: Ibid., 65.
Raff had made Blanchard and several other squad leaders: Thad Blanchard, letter to the author, April 3, 2007.
Lieutenant Langland Van Cleef, who’d skipped his breakfast: Frederick Graham, “1,500 Planes Fly in Biggest Airborne Push,” 4.
traded insults and cursed their equipment: Ibid., 4.
“Give the goddamned bastards hell, men!”: William B. Breuer, Storming Hitler’s Rhine, 231.
“Forget good sportsmanship on the battlefield”: Edson D. Raff, We Jumped to Fight, 202.
Chalk 1, piloted by Colonel Joel Couch: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 177. And for wager see IX TCC, “Activities Final Phase,” 77.
Underneath Raff’s aircraft, the stick had strapped: Brian N. Siddall, 507th in Germany, and Steven J. Zaloga, US Airborne Divisions in the ETO 1944–45, 46.
“We had no time for [that] at the moment”: Harold E. Barkely, letter from Barkely to Breuer, January 13, 1984, CMH, WBB.
By 07:00 the troopers had pulled themselves up: Ibid., and 507 PIR, “Historical Report on Operation Varsity,” 1.
Blanchard was unimpressed with his pilot: Thad Blanchard, letter to the author, February 12, 2007.
Raff’s aircraft rolled down the runway at 07:25: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 177.
Bill Consolvo noted that his fellow troopers were quiet: Bart Hagerman, War Stories, 194.
The Bastards were already one man down: 464 PFAB, “After Action Report,” 1, and William L. Pandak, undated letter to Bill Breuer, CMH, WBB.
One of the division’s most notorious: “17th Airborne. The Bulge to The Rhine.”
Miley had decided to establish his command post: James P. Lyke, “The Operations of the 17th Airborne Division in the Crossing of the Rhine River, 24 March 1945,” 24.
the division’s chain of command
was split up: Ibid., 25.
The remaining twenty-three able-bodied troopers: 513 PIR, officer interviews, 13, and Kirk B. Ross, The Sky Men, 288.
“We’re on our way”: Eric Friedheim, “Rhineland Rendezvous.” Friedheim was in the first plane of the second serial.
“No one needs a reserve chute at 500–700 feet”: Dean M. Bressler, “Airborne ’44—Allied Forces Breach the Rhine,” 25.
“fucked up door”: 513 PIR. I Co., “World War II: Battle of the Bulge and Rhine Jump,” E3.
“a killer and an instructor of killers”: Kurt Gabel, Making of a Paratrooper, 106.
serial of forty-five C-47s departing from A-80: 466 PFAB, “466th PFA Battalion Supporting Data,” 1.
“wearing a bull’s-eye”: John Chester, letter to the author, June 6, 2008.
“Your Colonel wants us to drop you”: Bill Smith, Heroes, 96.
RAF fighters arrived above enemy airfields at dawn: FAAA, “HQ Operations Reports,” March 21, 1945.
1,430 four-engined bombers: Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, “A-3 Div. Report of Allied Air Operations in Preparation for Operations Plunder & Varsity.”
The Air Force lost eight bombers on the raids: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 172. Various sources claim differing numbers of airfields attacked. I have used numbers as found in Ibid.
Another wave of almost 3,500 bombers: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 167.
Another sortie of 2,090 bombers dropped 6,600 tons of bombs: Ibid., 172.
Targets within VARSITY’s actual assault zones: Ibid., 168.
a stream of US B-24 bombers flying from their Italian bases: SHAEF, “A-3 Div. Report of Allied Air Operations in Preparation for Operations Plunder & Varsity.”
The RAF also made diversionary attacks: Ibid.
Two hours into their flight: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 177.
departed from eleven airfields in England at 07:09: Ibid., 174.
Their route took them over Waterloo: Brian Jewell, Over the Rhine, 30.
one of the massive Hamilcar gliders folded in on itself: Ibid., 30.
Close to 500 British and American fighters: John C. Warren, “U.S. Airborne Operations in World War II, European Theater,” 172.
Four Hours of Fury Page 46
