post your comments and vote in the poll and tell me what u ww11 fans thing.pls post and have a great day
Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landing at Salerno. I think the airborne element of this operation was cancelled.
Operation Market Garden was a disaster - entirely failed in its main objective.
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Allied invasion of northwest Europe. The assault phase of Operation Overlord was known as Operation Neptune.
There were airborne assaults - US in the west and British in the east to cover the flanks.
Therefore IMHO Neptune wins by a short head as the most succesful (or perhaps that should be least unsuccesful)
Of course part of this includes the capture of Pegasus Bridge - probably one of the finest airborne operations ever.
what about the disaster at crete?
Crete - a disaster for the Germans, yes they captured the island but their airborne forces were decimated.
It almost makes you think that large scale airborne operations are very hard to get right.
If you want a German success - Eben Emael stands out.
Airborne troops because of their training and motivation are probably the best in the world (not forgetting the marines of course - I don’t want to start an argument ! )
Richie
German Fallschirmjäger also suffered heavy losses against the Dutch during the assault on the Low Countries…
The Merville battery action was also a noted battle that happened on D.Day. Lt. Colonel Otway took the battery with only 140 British Paras, when the job called for 550….
I’m with those who think Crete should be included.
It was a truly airborne invasion, both paratroops and later airlifted troops, unlike most other airborne operations which were associated with larger operations with non-airborne troops.
I’m pretty sure a lot of para’s blew into the sea during Avalanche so it won’t be on my list.
op.neptune was part of overlord
There was an attempted seabourne component, but the RN caught it…
Which, unintentionally, confined it all the more to an airborne exercise.
although small in size,the 503rd RCT assault on corregidor in feb 1945 is a interesting read.