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U.S. Airborne History: WWII

Shortly after World War I, General Billy Mitchell proposed that parachuting troops from aircraft into combat could be effective. During the demonstration of his concept at Kelly Field at San Antonio, Texas, six soldiers parachuted from a Martin Bomber, safely landed, and in less than three minutes after exiting the aircraft had their weapons assembled and were ready for action. Though American observers were not sold on the demonstration, Russian and German observers were impressed enough to pursue development of an effective military parachute force. It would be the success of the German spearhead assaults on Holland and Belgium that would drive the U.S. Military to develop this new form of warfare. In April of 1940, the War Department approved plans for the formation of a test platoon of Airborne Infantry to form, equip, and train under the direction and control of the Army's Infantry Board. In June, the Commandant of the Infantry School was directed to organize a test platoon of volunteers from Fort Benning's 29th Infantry Regiment. Later that year, the 2d Infantry Division was directed to conduct the necessary tests to develop reference data and operational procedures for air-transported troops.

" Sixty-one years ago, 48 brave volunteer members of the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon pioneered a new method of warfare. Their successful jump led to the creation of a mighty force of more than 100,000 paratroopers. Members of this force were assigned to the legendary 11th, 13th, 17th, 82d and 101st Airborne Divisions and numerous other units that fought in every theater during World War II.

The soldiers of the Parachute Test Platoon also forged a unique warrior spirit, a relentless passion for victory, and a reputation that still strikes fear in potential adversaries. Beginning with the first combat jump by the men of the 2d Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, over North Africa in November 1942, airborne and special operations soldiers have made a total of 93 combat jumps. Since World War II, paratroopers have continually distinguished themselves in battle, earning 69 Congressional Medals of Honor and hundreds of other awards for valor."

From the President's Proclamation for National Airborne Day, Aug. 16

The first parachute combat unit to be organized was the 501st Parachute Battalion. It was commanded by Major William M. Miley, later a Major General and Commander of the 17th Airborne Division, and the original test platoon members formed the battalion cadre. The 502d Parachute Infantry Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel William C. Lee with men from the 501st as cadre, was activated on 1 July, 1941. Airborne experimentation of another type was initiated on 10 October, 1941 when the Army's first Glider Infantry battalion was activated. This unit was officially designated as the 88th Glider Infantry Battalion and was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Elbridge G. Chapman, Jr. Lieutenant Colonel Chapman later became a Major General and commanded the 13th Airborne Division. Working rapidly in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the Army created a new Airborne Command with two components, the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Divisions. The chief architect for subsequent airborne missions was Lt. Col. James M. Gavin, a commander from the 82nd Airborne Division. Gavin, a student of the recent European experiences in airborne attack, was also informed by the difficulties experienced during the Louisiana maneuvers. Basically he focused on the need to drop paratroops as a cohesive, concentrated force. With enough airplanes, Gavin argued, a major airborne assault could achieve substantial victories and pave the way for the rapid advance of conventional ground troops. In the process of additional training and maneuvers, the 82nd Airborne established a standard jump altitude of six hundred feet—high enough to reduce injuries and low enough to concentrate the jumpers in a compact area as a cohesive fighting force. Using formations of thirty-six to forty-five transports like the C–47 (the military version of the DC–3), it was possible to insert a battalion in two minutes and drop a regiment in ten minutes. Typically, mission planners picked a jump zone within a few miles of enemy positions where paratroops could seize a key area behind the lines and hold it until Allied forces broke through to meet them. These principles formed the basis for fourteen major airborne assaults by U.S. forces during the Second World War. In addition, numerous smaller actions and reinforcement missions took place in every theater of the war.

Korea Era
When the Eighth Army crossed the 38th parallel and drove toward the North Korean capital city of Pyongyang, General MacArthur had the 187th Airborne RCT in GHQ reserve. Hoping to cut off North Korean officials and troops fleeing to the north and to rescue American prisoners of war who would probably be evacuated when the fall of the capital seemed imminent, MacArthur planned to drop the airborne north of Pyongyang. He set the date for 20 October 1950. The airborne regiment would jump into two drop zones 30 miles north of Pyongyang, the principal landing to take place at Sukchon, the other at Sunchon. These towns, about 15 miles apart, controlled the two main roads leading north out of Pyongyang.

The ROK 1st Division and the US 1st Cavalry Division, both under the I Corps, drove into Pyongyang on 19 October. On the following day, as Pyongyang was being cleared and secured and the I Corps was ordering the attack to the north continued, the 187th Airborne RCT executed the drops about 30 miles to the north.Against little opposition, about 2,800 men dropped at Sukchon, the 1st Battalion (1,450 men) landing first. These troops cleared the town and seized hills east and north of the town. Then the 3d Battalion dropped in the same zone, turned to the south, took up blocking positions on hills two miles from the town, and established roadblocks across the highway and railroad.

The 2nd Battalion (about 1,200 men) dropped at Sunchon, quickly took the town, and set up roadblocks. Shortly thereafter, the battalion made physical contact with units of the ROK 6th Division, which had reached Sunchon from the southeast as the division pushed toward the Chongchon River.

On the following day, 21 October, the airborne troops at Sunchon and Sukchon made physical contact by means of patrols. The 1st Battalion at Sukchon gained territory it needed directly north of town to complete the blocking mission. The 3d Battalion, starting south from Sukchon to make contact with friendly troops moving north from Pyongyang, encountered heavy resistance about 6 miles from Sukchon and engaged in a fierce battle against superior numbers. In Pyongyang that day, the US 24th Division, with the attached 27th British Commonwealth Brigade in the lead, headed north toward Sukchon.

Although the airborne operation failed to cut off any sizable part of the North Korean forces, the main body having already withdrawn beyond Sukchon and Sunchon, and though no important enemy military or governmental officials were found and no American and South Korean prisoners were rescued, the 187th Airborne RCT captured 3,818 enemy troops and had killed an estimated 1,000.

Vietnam Era
The 173d Airborne Brigade (Separate) was activated on the island of Okinawa on March 26, 1963. The "Sky Soldier" as the nationalist Chinese paratroopers called the 173d, made thousands of parachute jumps in a dozen different pacific area countries. The Brigade was the first Army unit sent to the republic of South Vietnam in May 1965. Operation Junction City was the largest operation of the Vietnam War. From late February to March, 1967, three US divisions augmented by the 173rd ABN Brigade and South Vietnamese troops tried to clear an area near the Cambodian border, and capture a VC headquarters. While unsuccessful in both objectives, the US forces did inflict heavy casualties on the VC in the area. Early on February 22, 1967, 845 paratroopers had boarded sixteen C-130's at Bien Hoa and at 0900 the 173d Airborne Brigade began its combat jump. As the aircraft approached the drop zone (three kilometers north of Katum), the jumpmaster's voice rose above the roar of the C-130: "Stand in the Door." General Deane moved to the right door; taking his position in the left door was Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. Sigholtz, commander of the airborne task force composed of the 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry; A Battery, ad Battalion, 319th Artillery; and elements of the 173d Brigade headquarters and headquarters company. As the green light flashed "go," General Deane jumped, leading the first U.S. combat parachute assault since the Korean War. There was no enemy contact during the jump.

The first Brigade of the 101st Airborne was the 3rd major unit of the U.S. Army to arrive in Vietnam. They landed in July 1965 at Cam Ranh Bay. The brigade took part in a vast number of separate operations until the rest of the division joined them in December 1967.The 101st was now using helicopters to transport troops and supplies, and would indeed change their designation to an Air Cavalry Division in July of 1968. Dense jungle made the use of helicopters highly desirable because of the maneuverability helicopters offer. This ability allowed the 101st to accomplish more missions than any other unit.

While the 1st Brigade participated in KLAMATH FALLS, Its last combat operation as a separate brigade, the remainder of the division moved in December 1967 from Fort Campbell to Bien Hoa in operation EAGLE THRUST. The operation made military history as the largest and longest airlift directly into a combat zone. Established at Bien Hoa on 13 December, the Screaming Eagles were ready for action.

On 31 January 1968, the enemy launched the largest single attack of the war, the Tet offensive. Throughout the assault, the 101st engaged in combat operations ranging as far south as Saigon and as far north as Quang Tri. One platoon from the 2nd Brigade battled on the rooftop of the United States embassy in Saigon, which was under attack by Viet Cong commandos.

Operation NEVADA EAGLE was the largest single campaign ever fought by the 101st Airborne Division. This operation, designed to secure the coastal lowlands (Thua Thlen Province) in I Corps from the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese, began on 17 May 1968 and lasted 288 days until 28 February 1969. Thua Thien Province was captured and enough rice was removed to feed ten enemy battalions for the next year.

One of the most important Viet Cong and North Vietnamese supply and staging areas was the A Shau Valley, which ran along the western edge of the Thua Thien Province. Before NEVADA EAGLE, the 1 st Brigade had made a seventeen day raid into the valley in an operation called SOMERSET PLAIN. Upon the completion of NEVADA EAGLE, the 101st again attacked the A Shau Valley. In a series of operations known individually as MASSACHUSETTS STRIKER, APACHE SNOW, and MONTGOMERY RENDEZVOUS, the Screaming Eagles cut North Vietnamese supply lines, destroyed base camps, and seized tons of supplies. The Division cleared the way for the first friendly armored vehicles to enter the valley and reopened temporary airstrips abandoned years earlier.

During APACHE SNOW, the 3rd Battalion of the 187th Infantry assaulted Dong Ap Bia Mountain in one of the most famous and controversial battles of the war. These operations pitted the division against some of the best-trained and equipped North Vietnamese units in South Vietnam. The success of these operations decimated the enemy and forced him to place more reliance upon supply bases in neighboring Laos.