Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) Libraries MCoE HQ Donovan Research Library Fort Benning, Georgia Report date: 25 October 1944 Title: Report of Airborne Operations in Dragoon Author: Allied Force Headquarters Abstract: This report of Airborne Operations in Dragoon which occurred on 15 August 1944 was an Allied invasion of southern France. The report includes an introduction, organization, planning, training, the operation, ground activities, statistics and a summary. Number of pages: 18 p. Notes: From the MCoE HQ Donovan Research Library, Fort Benning, GA. Documents collection. Call #: D767.66_A201 Classification: Unclassified; Approved for public release D 767.66 Report of Abn Opns in Dragoon i'!. dlJ .A.o1. , ---0 .1 -- -- -- - .... , .. A •. :V ...................................... ZY. ,. , :.' ".I --,? -... •... The following image(s) may be of poor quality due to the poor quality .of the original. inu.wuD FORCE HEADQUARTERS . APO 512 :Auth "-SACMTT 77<o ;Initials: - :. AQ 370. 2/171 GCT-0- 30 Oct obet- 1-944 OJLBJECT: Report on Airborne Operations in DRAGOON. TO : All Concerned -Y Attached -~X V fPor your information is copy of.-Repot.:.onAiborne Operations in DRAGOON, dated ?5 October 1944. By command of General-WIl ON: I Ia-cl R. H, FR. .E Capt ain, .AC-D Report- on Airborne Operations Asst Adjutant General in DRAGOON, dtd 25 October 44 •DISTRIBUTION: ,(vwith nci) 2 War. Of f ice.,..London 2 War Dept (l-On-D) (1-4SF) OG AGF, WD. " *2 7 /- . US.LW (::a.h). 1st 50)9. 7SQ5,5t Airborne Army -: China Theater ::;: 'i 1'94 6 cj0 'b -Yo 1. Burma- India Theater ,2" 12th TaCtical Force 6th rmy Group ., 2 seventh. Amy .9 First Airborne Task. Force 4irborne Training Center ' 2 Fifth imy. 334th 'AI Depot Co (4/B) • ' I - Signals FId Arty *1 G-3 (Major Mulctahy) 1 - Surgeon (;) I G-4 2- AG Reccrds w/1 Engr cy. of incl - : 1-- AG M.& D in.s lilI. REPORT ON AIRBO]iHL OPTATIi1Sw 4 DRAWGOON 25 October 1944 IN~lil I Introduction ....................... i IT OrganizationM ... ....... ' .. IIIV.. Planning ............. ,Training.. .VI .6 0 0 " a, . The Operationui ie C- C 0 .. o..............VI Ground Activitis VII Statistics ................................. Summary .. .SI.. I - IhTRODUCTION in DRAGOON was 1. Initial preliminary planning for the airborne operation 1944. The status of by the planning staff of Seventh Army in February begun Thfluenced pldnning at airborne units in the theater at that time matet'ially airborne or trdop carrier, were this stage. At this period none of the units, The 51st Troop Carrier Wing, com- actually prepared for airborne operations. the theater after the inactivation of posed of three groups, had remained in this Wing was avail- However, only a portion of th. XII Troop Carrier Command. for troop carrier aircraft for able for airborne training, because of the demands transport requirements. A few operations, air evacuation, and general to the Airborne Training specialaircraft of this GJroup ere attched intermittently was feasible. At tShe Center where a limited program of airborne training and the American theCenter First French Parachute Regiment, two pathfinder platoons placements received limited airborne training. The British 2nd Independent Army. The0Q th, ws in the line as infantty with ,the Eighth parachute Brigade Parachute Field and Batteries UAU and "B" of the 463d rachute Battalion, Army. By May, however ttalion were similarly in the line with Fifth Art'fIMffWB These parachute units were withr- situation had been improved considerably. this with a full troop carrier group from the line and given intensive training forvard of the madedrawn availablein the Salerno area follou.ing the displacement 51st Troop Carrier Wing from its former base in Sicily to Italy. Subsequently< 2nd" for the use of the 509th Battalion and the British several plans formulated Armies which would have in the dperations of Fifth and iighth Parachute Brigade materialize and airborne planning for DRAGOON, did not materially affected consequently obviated. The War Departmentproblems which was wouldrequestud have toarisen provide therefrom an airborne were division for employment in were shipped to the but in lieu of this, a number of separate units DRGON 550th Glider These were ° 1st Battalion, 551st Parachute Regiment; theater. Combat Team. The two former Infantry Battalion; and 517th Parochute Regimental Center, then located in Sicily, for units were attached to the Airborne Training attached to Fifth Ari"~ The 517th Parachute Regimo'ntal Combat Team was training. ,. for ten days of' battle experience in the line. in June there were considerable airborne forces 2., Thus; by7 the middle of To secure the .the theater which could be considered Laliable for operations u.. i,+t was decided to move the . - ., _ . .. t,1 _._ ...... o n utmost cohcsi accnd t~o oibc-aln cop .... , .... as the troop carrier with its attched units, as well Training Centr _. Airborne... .. ,.. ,_ IncP# I .".n ." DRAGOON aircraft now increascd to-to full groups of the 51st Troop Carrier ing, to the Rome area. Here was established a compact forwiard base for all our airborne forces. II - ORGANIZATION, i. Airborne Elements a. Toward the first Qf. July the plans for Operation DPAGOON were made. firm, including the-use of a provisional airborne division made up of the avail- able units in the theater. Major General Robert T. Frederick, formerly commander of the Fir*t Special Service Force and later commander of the 36th Infantry Division, assumed command of the composite force. Conferences were held immed- iately to secure the additidnal supporting units needed to organize such a bal- anced airborne force. Certain units on the DRAGOON trdop list vere earffiarked for this purpose. Authority was requested from the War Department to dctivate thbse units which were not ,authorized on the theater troop list. By 7 July, initial. instructions relative to the organization Of the Provisional .Airborne Division were issued to Gener.l §7r-derick. b. Troops to e made available were -then as follows: - (1) Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Provisional Airborne Di-Tr*. s i o, (2) Beta2 tmc?ft of the Third Ordnance Mcdium Maintenanbe Cqmpany. (3) 5 rjn; .. hfinder Platoons. (Unauthori~ed, formed from Force po-.sonnel). (4) British 2nd Parachute Brigade Group (5) 51.Thh Parachute Regimental Combat Team (6) 509th Para'chute Battalion (7) 1st Battalion, 551st Parachute Infantry (e-) 550th Glider Infantry Battalion (9) 463d Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (1o) 602d Pack Field Artillery Battaliono .. - (11) Antitank Company, 442d Infantry (Japanese-American) (12) 887th Airborne Aviation Engineer Company (13) Company "A", 2d Chemical Battalion (motorized) S (14) Company "B", S3d Chemical' Bqttrilion (motorized) (15) 512th Airborne Signal Company -(16) 676th Medical Collecting Company. (Designated 29 July 1944). ., c. The Division was then given n five per Qent ,overstrength in personnel by the assignment of parachute filler replacements from the Airborne Training Center, M.eanwhile, the activation of the divisional headquarters and headquarters company, two additional batteries of the 463d Field Artillery Battalion, the 512th Airborne Signal Company and the 552d Antitank Comp ny all proceeded apace. Because of the short time remaining before B-Day, it was decided not to attempt to prepare the 552d Antitank Company for the operation, since the antitank company of the 442d Infantry was available. It should be noted here, however, that it was necqssary to re-equip the latter antitank unit (from the Js~panese- .4_ American Rcgiment) with the British Airborne six-pounder, since our own 57mm , . antitank gun will not fit' into the <zoco glider. "" o * .M aions, DRAGOON d. Because of the shortage of qualified airborne officers in this theater, it was necessary to ask the WI!ar Department to make available a division- al'staff for General Frederick. Thiirt y-six qualified staff officers. called for by T/O 71-2 arrived in the theater by air toward the middle of July. Most of these ojfficers came from the 13th 'Lirbornc Divisionand a few fromthe Airborne Center, Camp heckall, North Carolina. Certain other organizations were made available to Genetel Frederick on the basis of their being employed in the preparatory.stage but not in the operation itself. These units included detachments from a signal operations company, a quartermaster truck-company and some four hundred replacements from the Airborne Trairng CenLer. 2. 1roor Carrier Elements a. ns of the middle of July there mere available in the theater for airborne operations, two groups of the 51st Troop Carrier W7ing. The third group was occup ilith"Tsufficient special operations, 7o provide lift for DRAGOON, additional troop carrier groups vwere called for'by Allied Force Headquarters. The total minimm of aircra..ft required for the operation was 450. On 10 July 1944 orders wo(ere issued placing the 50th and 53d Troop Carrier Wings of the IV Troop Carrier Command (then located in United Kingdom) on temporary duty with the theater. Each Wing contained four groups of three squadrons each, rein- forced by self-sustaining admiistrative and maintenance echelons and by the IX Troop Carrier Command Pthfinder Uni, a total of 413 aircraft. In additon to the personnel and equipment moved in organic aircrb0ft, tha Air TransPort Command augmented the movenent by transporting the 819th M1edical ir 'Evacuation Squadron, various signal detachments; assorted parapack equipment and 375 org- anic glider pilots. The movo, made in-eight echelons via GIBRALTAR and MARRAKECH. required but t-io ' days. T-,o aircraft w.lerc lost en route. Brigadier General Paul . iliiams in command.1: i0.S oof Y1co.11E-ndtvot o-wings from the United1 Kingd,ng dom, arrivedarvdo on,16 JuLyJl 1944 and activated the Provisional Troop Carrier Air Division. By 20 July, the entire.Provisional Troop Carrier Jir Division had arrived in the theater and was stationed ct its designated airfiLcds, prepared to carry out its missions.