Osprey Battle Orders 25 : US Airborne Divisions in the ETO 1944-1945

The delivery of entire divisions to battlefields behind enemy lines by parachute and glider was a unique feature of World War II, and by the end of the war the US Army deployed the largest airborne force in the world, created in only three years, and boasting such impressive units as the 82nd 'All American' and 101st 'Screaming Eagles'. This book details the organization and operation history of these units throughout the war in Northwest Europe from 1944 to 1945, covering the desperate night drops over Normandy in support of the D-Day invasions, through the capture of Nijmegen during Operation Market-Garden to Operation Varsity, the last great airborne operation of the war to secure the crossing of the Rhine. Text by Steven J Zaloga.

Contents

• Introduction
• Combat Mission
• Preparation for War : Doctrine and Training
• Unit Organization
• Command and Control
• Tactics
• Assessing the Combat Record
• Unit Status
• Further Reading
• Glossary
• Index