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searchlights, pilots of the towing aircraft climbed higher or took evasive action. In the confusion surrounding these manoeuvres, some gliders were released too early and sixty-five of them crashed into the sea, drowning around 252 men. Fifty-nine of the remaining gliders missed their landing zones, by as much as 25 miles (40 km); others either failed to release and returned to
Tunisia or were shot down. Only twelve landed on target; of these gliders a single Horsa, carrying a platoon of infantry from the Staffords, landed near the Ponte Grande Bridge. Its commander, Lieutenant Withers, swam across the river with half his men to take up positions on the opposite bank. The objective was captured following a simultaneous assault from both ends; the platoon then dismantled demolition charges that had been fitted to the bridge, and dug in to wait for reinforcement or relief. Another Horsa came down about 200 yards (180 m) from the bridge but exploded on landing, killing all on board. Three of the other Horsas carrying the South Staffordshire Regiment coup-de-main party had landed within 2 miles (3.2 km) of the bridge, their occupants eventually finding their way to the site.
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element of surprise, four gliders were shot down by coastal anti-aircraft batteries. By the time the gliders arrived at their landing zones, two hours had lapsed since the start of the parachute landings. With the German defences alerted, only four Horsa gliders managed to land mostly intact, all the others being caught by German machine-gun fire and destroyed on their approach. The surviving Horsas had been carrying three of the brigade's anti-tank guns, which were now included in their defence of
Primosole Bridge.
636:
124:
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33:
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The only Horsa gliders were in
England at the time, and transporting them to North Africa would require a tow of 1,200 miles (1,900 km) over the Atlantic Ocean around the coast of Portugal and Spain, then a further 2,000 miles (3,200 km) across North Africa to reach Tunisia. No one had ever
659:
The mission was given the go-ahead; the Horsas were modified to jettison their landing gear after takeoff to reduce drag, while the
Halifax bombers were modified with long-range fuel tanks fitted in the bomb bays. The pilots for the gliders came from No. 2 Wing, having been left in England when
758:
and seven
Halifaxes, towing eleven Horsa and eight Waco gliders. The first glider casualties occurred on takeoff, when two aircraft towing Waco gliders crashed. While en route, one glider was released prematurely by its towing aircraft and crashed into the sea. Arriving over Sicily, having lost the
475:
long-range patrol aircraft. Altogether five Horsas and three
Halifaxes were lost, but twenty-seven Horsas arrived in Tunisia in time to participate in the invasion of Sicily. Although this supply operation was a success, few of the gliders made it to their landing zones in Sicily during the two
749:
The first
British airborne operation in Sicily began at 18:00 on 9 July 1943, when the gliders transporting the 1st Airlanding Brigade left Tunisia for Sicily. En route they encountered strong winds and poor visibility, and at times were subjected to anti-aircraft fire. To avoid gunfire and
740:
fighter patrols and experiencing often-turbulent weather, a total of twenty-seven Horsas were delivered to North Africa in time for the invasion of Sicily. The total losses during the flights were three
Halifaxes and five Horsas, with twenty-one RAF aircrew and seven glider pilots killed.
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so the escorting fighters could return safely when short of fuel. The mission was not without its dangers. Four hours into one flight, a Horsa snapped its tow-rope while trying to avoid low cloud and ditched in the sea. Another Horsa and
Halifax were discovered by a pair of German
524:
would be the Allies' next objective. The invasion and occupation of Sicily would benefit the Allies by opening
Mediterranean sea routes for Allied shipping and allowing Allied bombers to operate from airfields that were much closer to mainland Italy and Germany. The codename
627:. Using the Horsa glider, which could carry twenty-seven troops or a jeep and gun together, they could deliver a larger force at the bridge during the initial assault. Chatterton decided he needed around forty Horsas, as well as the American Wacos, for the British missions.
664:, the impossibility of training the bomber crews to tow the gliders and deliver forty gliders to North Africa was discussed. In the end it was decided that as a priority ten bomber crews would be fully trained to deliver around fifteen gliders to North Africa by 21 June.
683:. On arrival at Sale the gliders were released to land on a sand-patch alongside the runway. Once on the ground each Horsa was fitted with the spare landing gear it carried inside, and the flight immediately took off again on the next leg of the journey, to
710:
The flights were carried out between 3 June and 7 July; the first Horsas arrived at Kairouran on 28 June, only twelve days before they were to be used in Operation Ladbroke. During the flight from England, for its first three hours over the
753:
The second and last mission—Operation Fustian—began at 19:30 on 12 July, when the first aircraft carrying the 1st Parachute Brigade took off from North Africa. Following behind the parachute force were the glider-towing aircraft, comprising twelve
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most of the wing departed for Tunisia earlier in the year. An eleven-week period of training followed, during which four crashes killed thirteen men. At a mission conference on 21 May 1943, hosted by
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was coming to a close; victory in North Africa being imminent, discussions began between the Allies over what their next objective should be. Many Americans argued for an immediate invasion of
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For their part, the 1st Airborne Division was to conduct three brigade-size airborne operations; the Ponte Grande road bridge south of Syracuse was to be captured by
208:
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on the western corner of the island. The landings would be made simultaneously along a 100-mile (160-km) stretch of the island's south-eastern coastline.
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in Tunisia, as soon as possible. During the flight the gliders were provided with three pilots, who had to change around every hour to relieve fatigue.
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towed a glider that distance before, and it was not known if it was even possible. To test the concept and prove they had the necessary endurance,
333:
615:, known in British service as the Hadrian: its small size. The Waco's capacity was only two pilots and thirteen troops, and for cargo either a
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270:
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The RAF codenamed the glider delivery mission as Operation Beggar, the GPR came up with the very apt 'Operation Turkey-Buzzard'.
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777:"Staff Sergeant Mike Hall's experience of Operation Turkey-Buzzard and exercises prior to the invasion of Sicily"
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417:, was a British supply mission to North Africa that took place between March and August 1943, during the
675:, to shorten the distance they would have to travel. Even so, they were left with a ten-hour flight to
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British airborne operations that followed, many becoming casualties of the weather conditions or
592:(Operation Glutton), and finally the Primasole Bridge over the River Simeto was to be taken by
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was eventually decided on for the invasion, and planning began in February. The British
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or an artillery gun but not both together. The plan for Operation Ladbroke involved a
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433:. Unusually, the mission was known by different names in different branches of the
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The Gliders: The story of Britain's fighting gliders and the men who flew them
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During the mission one Halifax-and-Horsa combination was shot down by German
464:, which did not have the capacity required for the operations planned by the
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1292:
620:
438:
142:
66:
611:, brought up a problem with the only glider then in theatre, the American
1280:
1246:. Military History Series. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books.
1227:. Military History Series. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books.
1128:
On Wings of Healing: the Story of the Airborne Medical Services 1940-1960
603:
When the plans for the British airborne operations were being discussed,
461:
1361:. Air University, Maxwell AFB: US Air Force Historical Research Agency.
1225:
The Battle of Sicily: How the Allies Lost Their Chance for Total Victory
1285:
Lion with blue wings: the story of the Glider Pilot Regiment, 1942-1945
727:. They kept to an altitude of 500 ft (150 m) to avoid German
691:. Their journey did not end here; they left for the final destination,
635:
934:
737:
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460:. The British Horsas were needed to complement the smaller American
32:
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Out Of The Blue – U.S Army Airborne Operations In World War II
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Airborne Combat: Axis and Allied Glider Operations in World War II
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549:, would land on the south coast and move towards the port of
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assault on the Ponte Grande Bridge by the 2nd Battalion,
18:
1943 British military supply mission during World War II
1223:
Mitcham, Samuel W; Von Stauffenberg, Friedrich (2007).
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By December 1942, with Allied forces advancing through
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towed Horsa gliders around the coastline of Britain.
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gliders 3,200 miles (5,100 km) from England to
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called the operation "Turkey Buzzard", while in the
195:
13 RAF aircrew were killed training for the mission
1397:History of the Royal Air Force during World War II
1304:. Shrewsbury, United Kingdom: Airlife Publishing.
1144:
715:the Halifax–Horsa combination was escorted by RAF
1383:
1359:Airborne Missions in the Mediterranean 1942–1945
1130:. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: William Blackwood.
1189:. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press.
1168:Wings Of War – Airborne Warfare 1918–1945
1299:
216:
1265:. Barnsley, England: Pen & Sword Books.
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736:and shot down. After surviving attacks from
706:used for towing the gliders to North Africa.
1342:. Barnsley, United Kingdom: Pen and Sword.
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232:British airborne forces operations of the
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1300:Shannon, Kevin; Wright, Stephen (1994).
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520:and settled the debate: the island of
508:. In January 1943 the Prime Minister,
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1170:. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
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928:Naughton, Philippe; Costello, Miles.
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448:The mission involved Royal Air Force
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1340:History of the Glider Pilot Regiment
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1125:
963:
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607:George Chatterton, the commander of
1392:Airborne operations of World War II
13:
1323:. London: Airlife Publishing Ltd.
1261:Peters, Mike; Luuk, Buist (2009).
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14:
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1208:. Ealing, United Kingdom: Corgi.
609:No. 2 Wing, Glider Pilot Regiment
423:No. 2 Wing, Glider Pilot Regiment
334:Caen canal and Orne river bridges
26:Operation Turkey Buzzard / Beggar
1402:Glider Pilot Regiment operations
427:No. 295 Squadron Royal Air Force
421:. The mission was undertaken by
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625:South Staffordshire Regiment
7:
1357:Warren, Dr John C. (1955).
10:
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1166:Harclerode, Peter (2005).
982:. London. 7 September 2000
779:. Paradata. Archived from
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445:it was known as "Beggar".
1185:Huston, James A. (1998).
514:Franklin Delano Roosevelt
431:Allied invasion of Sicily
243:
194:
169:
148:
115:
41:
30:
25:
938:. London. Archived from
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473:Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
411:Operation Turkey Buzzard
1319:Simons, Martin (1996).
1263:Glider Pilots at Arnhem
1151:. New York: Doubleday.
1126:Cole, Howard N (1963).
545:, commanded by General
1338:Smith, Claude (2007).
1242:Mrazek, James (2011).
974:"Obituary Tommy Grant"
707:
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578:1st Airlanding Brigade
573:
568:being loaded aboard a
566:1st Airlanding Brigade
494:North African campaign
930:"Obituary Denis Hall"
701:
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594:1st Parachute Brigade
590:2nd Parachute Brigade
559:
518:Casablanca conference
466:1st Airborne Division
373:2nd Parachute Brigade
319:6th Airborne Division
249:1st Airborne Division
170:Casualties and losses
37:Area of the operation
1287:. London: Gollancz.
1204:Lloyd, Alan (1982).
717:Bristol Beaufighters
704:Handley Page Halifax
654:No. 295 Squadron RAF
650:Handley Page Halifax
588:was to be seized by
506:Dwight D. Eisenhower
450:Handley Page Halifax
435:British Armed Forces
339:Merville Gun Battery
177:Handley Page Halifax
159:No. 295 Squadron RAF
88:34.05139°N 6.75139°W
49:3 June – 7 July 1943
1321:Slingsby Sailplanes
84: /
734:Focke-Wulf Fw 200s
708:
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605:Lieutenant-Colonel
582:Operation Ladbroke
574:
535:Bernard Montgomery
93:34.05139; -6.75139
1349:978-1-84415-626-9
1302:One Night in June
1272:978-1-84415-763-1
1253:978-0-8117-0808-1
1234:978-0-8117-3403-5
1147:Crusade in Europe
1025:Mitcham, pp.73–74
847:Harclerode, p.256
838:Harclerode, p.275
820:Eisenhower, p.159
693:Kairouan Airfield
598:Operation Fustian
564:belonging to the
510:Winston Churchill
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783:on 18 March 2012
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106:
103:
102:
97:
68:
64:
63:Bay of Biscay
60:
56:
53:
52:
48:
45:
44:
40:
34:
29:
24:
16:
1358:
1339:
1320:
1301:
1284:
1281:Seth, Ronald
1262:
1243:
1224:
1205:
1186:
1167:
1146:
1127:
1108:
1099:
1090:
1085:Mrazek, p.84
1073:Mrazek, p.82
1069:
1060:
1051:
1042:
1009:Smith, p.153
1005:
996:
984:. Retrieved
977:
956:
944:. Retrieved
940:the original
933:
893:
888:Peters, p.12
872:
843:
834:
825:
816:
811:Warren, p.21
792:
785:. Retrieved
781:the original
770:
752:
748:
709:
677:Sale airport
666:
658:
646:
621:coup de main
602:
575:
543:Seventh Army
487:
470:
462:Waco gliders
447:
439:British Army
414:
410:
409:
395:
388:
381:
371:
363:
346:
327:
317:
309:
297:
290:
283:
276:
275:
271:North Africa
264:
257:
247:
116:Belligerents
67:North Africa
15:
911:Smith, p.48
867:Smith, p.47
723:long-range
652:bombers of
570:Waco glider
531:Eighth Army
91: /
79:006°45′05″W
1386:Categories
1119:References
1064:Cole, p.45
897:Seth, p.77
756:Albemarles
484:Background
76:34°03′05″N
935:The Times
745:Aftermath
738:Luftwaffe
613:Waco CG-4
480:gunfire.
298:Slapstick
1283:(1955).
1136:29847628
721:Mosquito
673:Cornwall
539:Syracuse
502:Sardinia
353:Bréville
310:Doomsday
284:Ladbroke
265:Freshman
54:Location
1293:7997514
986:21 June
946:21 June
689:Algeria
685:Mascara
681:Morocco
631:Mission
586:Augusta
551:Palermo
490:Tunisia
458:Tunisia
364:Varsity
347:Mallard
291:Fustian
143:Germany
1365:
1346:
1327:
1308:
1291:
1269:
1250:
1231:
1212:
1193:
1174:
1155:
1134:
787:3 July
643:glider
522:Sicily
498:France
492:, the
437:: the
304:Arnhem
258:Biting
140:
127:
104:Result
763:Notes
729:radar
396:Manna
389:Rugby
382:Hasty
328:Tonga
1363:ISBN
1344:ISBN
1325:ISBN
1306:ISBN
1289:OCLC
1267:ISBN
1248:ISBN
1229:ISBN
1210:ISBN
1191:ISBN
1172:ISBN
1153:ISBN
1132:OCLC
988:2011
948:2011
789:2011
702:The
639:The
617:jeep
562:jeep
425:and
358:Bure
190:None
46:Date
719:or
687:in
679:in
671:in
600:).
1388::
1078:^
1030:^
1014:^
976:.
965:^
932:.
916:^
902:^
881:^
852:^
800:^
791:.
560:A
468:.
182:5
175:3
1371:.
1352:.
1333:.
1314:.
1295:.
1275:.
1256:.
1237:.
1218:.
1199:.
1180:.
1161:.
1138:.
990:.
950:.
596:(
580:(
572:.
224:e
217:t
210:v
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