Operations, 1st Airborne Division - Special Forces in World War 2

Operations

North West Europe

February 26^th, 1942 – February 27^th, 1942

Operation Biting

1^st Airborne Division

Operation Biting, known as the Bruneval Raid, takes place in 1942 as a mission executed by Combined Operations. The goal is to capture a German Würzburg radar system located at Bruneval, France. Due to the heavily fortified coastal defences guarding the radar site, a direct seaborne assault is deemed too risky, potentially leading to high casualties and allowing the defenders time to destroy the radar. Instead, planners decide that an airborne assault, followed by extraction by sea, offers the best chance of surprising the garrison and capturing the equipment intact.

On the night of February 27^th, 1942, C Company of the 2nd Parachute Battalion, under Major John Frost, parachutes into France several kilometres from the target site. They advance on the villa housing the radar equipment, overcoming the German garrison after a brief firefight. Several German soldiers are killed, and the radar site is captured. Accompanying the raid is a technician whose task is to dismantle the Würzburg radar. The technician succeeds in partially dismantling the array, removing several crucial components to take back to Britain.

After securing the radar equipment, the force retreats to the extraction point on the beach. However, the unit responsible for clearing the beach encounters resistance, and another firefight ensues. The German guards are neutralised, and the raiding force is subsequently picked up by landing craft, which then transfer them to Motor Gun Boats for their return journey to Britain.

The operation is a success, with minimal casualties among the airborne troops, including two killed and six wounded. The captured radar components, along with a German technician, provide British scientists with valuable insight into German radar technology. This knowledge helps them develop effective countermeasures to neutralise the German radar advancements, contributing to the broader war effort.

November 19^th, 1942

Operation Freshman

1^st Airborne Division, The Glider Pilot Regiment

Operation Freshman, launched in November 1942, is the first British airborne mission involving gliders. Its objective is the Norsk Hydro chemical plant in Vemork, Norway, which produces heavy water vital for Nazi Germany’s atomic weapons program. By 1942, the German effort to develop a nuclear reactor is progressing, with the reactor requiring a significant supply of heavy water to function. The Norsk Hydro plant, occupied by Germany since 1940, becomes a critical target when British intelligence learns of these nuclear developments. The British government decides to launch a raid to destroy the plant and prevent the Germans from advancing their atomic research.

Various approaches to the mission are considered and ultimately dismissed as impractical, leading to the decision to deploy a small unit from the 1^st Airborne Division. This force includes 30 sappers from the 9 Field Company RE (Airborne), Royal Engineers, who plan to land near the plant by glider and demolish it using explosives.

On the night of November 19^th, 1942, two aircraft, each towing a glider, depart from Scotland for Norway. Despite reaching the Norwegian coast, both glider teams fail to reach the target. The first pair encounters severe weather and navigational difficulties, resulting in the tow rope breaking and causing the glider to crash-land. The towing aircraft manages to return to base, while the glider crash leaves eight airborne troops dead, four seriously injured, and five unharmed. In total, 17 members of the first team are either killed or injured. The survivors are captured shortly after the crash.

The second pair face an even worse fate. Both the towing aircraft and glider crash into a mountain, likely due to weather and navigational challenges. Several men, including the aircrew, die on impact, and the survivors are captured by German forces. The total casualties from the second team include 14 men killed and those who survived captured. Tragically, none of the captured troops survive. They are either poisoned or executed, in line with Adolf Hitler’s Commando Order, which demands the immediate execution of all captured British commandos.

Mediterenean

November 12^th, 1942 – December 3^rd, 1942

Operation Torch

1^st Airborne Division

During Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, elements of the British 1^st Airborne Division are involved in the operation, specifically in the early stages of the campaign. This operation is the first major Allied amphibious assault of the war, with the goal of securing Vichy French-controlled territories in North Africa to open a second front against the Axis powers.

On November 12^th, 1942, the 3^rd Parachute Battalion conducts a vital operation, jumping onto and seizing the strategic airfield at Bone, located between Algiers and Tunis. The airfield is needed to support the advancing Allied ground forces and to provide a base for further operations in North Africa.

The battalion arrives just in time, securing the airfield moments before German Fallschirmjäger, who are also deployed to capture this critical asset. This successful operation ensures the airfield remains in Allied hands, providing a crucial base for further operations in the region.

Four days later, on November 16^th, 1942, the 1^st Parachute Battalion carries out a drop to secure a key road junction at Beja, approximately 145 kilometres from Tunis. This junction is essential for controlling movement in the area and facilitating the advance of the British 1^st Army. The operation is successful, and the battalion effectively links up with the advancing 1^st Army, contributing to the overall momentum of the Allied push towards Tunis.

On November 29^th, 1942, the 2^nd Parachute Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Frost, is tasked with parachuting onto the airfield at Oudna to destroy German aircraft. Upon arrival, the battalion discovers that the airfield has been abandoned and the aircraft removed, rendering their primary objective moot. Complicating matters further, the 1^st Army, which was supposed to advance and link up with the battalion, is halted by unexpectedly heavy German resistance, leaving 2^nd Parachute Battalion isolated and stranded 80 kilometres behind enemy lines.

Over the next two days, the battalion undertakes a gruelling fighting withdrawal, attempting to reach Allied lines. This withdrawal is marked by intense combat and significant casualties, with the battalion losing around 16 officers and 250 men during the retreat.

July 10^th, 1943 – mid-August 1943

Operation Husky

1^st Airborne Division

During Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the 1^st Airborne Division is tasked with supporting the initial landings by securing key positions behind enemy lines to aid the advancing ground forces. The division’s operations are intended to disrupt Axis communications and reinforce the beachheads.

On the night of July 9^th, 1943, elements of the 1^st Airborne Division are dropped into Sicily. However, strong winds, anti-aircraft fire, and navigational errors cause the troops to be scattered widely across the island. This dispersal significantly hampers their ability to achieve their initial objectives, which include securing key bridges and road junctions to block Axis movements.

Despite these challenges, the division quickly adapts to the situation. Small groups of paratroopers manage to regroup and begin carrying out their missions. They engage in several skirmishes with Italian and German forces, disrupting enemy supply lines and creating confusion within the Axis ranks. One of their notable actions includes attempts to secure the Primosole Bridge, a key objective for the division.

The division’s efforts, although hampered by the chaotic drop, play a role in weakening Axis resistance and assisting the overall Allied advance. By mid-July, as the Allies push further into Sicily, the 1^stAirborne Division continues to operate in support of the ground forces, contributing to the eventual capture of the island.

September 9^th, 1943 – October 1943

Operation Slapstick

1^st Airborne Division

Operation Slapstick is an amphibious landing carried out by the Allies at the Italian port of Taranto in September 1943 as part of the invasion of Italy. The mission arises from a sudden opportunity when the Italian government offers to open the ports of Taranto and Brindisi to the Allies. With limited time to plan, the 1^st Airborne Division is chosen for the mission, though they are based in North Africa at the time. A shortage of transport aircraft prevents a parachute or glider landing, and all landing craft in the region are allocated to other operations: Operation Avalanche at Salerno and Operation Baytown at Calabria. As a result, the division must be transported across the Mediterranean by ships of the Royal Navy.

The landing at Taranto on September 9^th, 1943, is unopposed, and the 1^st Airborne Division successfully secures the port of Taranto, followed shortly by the capture of Brindisi on the Adriatic coast, both in working condition. The only German presence in the area consists of elements of the German 1. Fallschirmjäger Division, which engage in ambushes and set up roadblocks to slow the British advance as they retreat northward.

By the end of September, the 1^st Airborne Division advances approximately 200 kilometres to Foggia. They are reinforced by the 8^th Indian Division and the British 78^th Infantry Division, allowing the airborne troops to be withdrawn back to Taranto. The casualties suffered by the 1^st Airborne Division during the Italian campaign amount to approximately 64 killed and 142 wounded. These losses include their General Officer Commanding, Major-General George Hopkinson, who is fatally wounded by machine gun fire while observing an assault by the 10^th Parachute Battalion. Brigadier Ernest E. Down, formerly the commander of the 2^nd Parachute Brigade, takes over command of the division.

North West Europe

September 17^th, 1944 – September 25^th, 1944

Operation Market Garden

1^st Airborne Division

The 1^st Airborne Division role in Operation Market Garden, which begins on September 17^th, 1944. Their objective is to capture and hold the key bridge at Arnhem, which is crucial for the Allied plan to secure a corridor through the Netherlands and into Germany. The operation aims to create a direct route to the Ruhr, Germany’s industrial heartland, to end the war quickly.

The division is dropped on September 17^th, 1944, but due to various factors, including weather conditions bad communications, strong German defences, and landing areas far from their intended targets, things turn out not as planned. Despite this, elements of the division manage to secure the northern end of the Arnhem bridge, but their position becomes increasingly precarious as they face fierce resistance from German forces, including two SS Panzer Divisions that have been unexpectedly deployed to the area.

Communication breakdowns, delays in reinforcement, and the failure of other Allied units to link up with them leave the 1^st Airborne Division isolated and vulnerable. Over the course of nine days, the division endures intense combat, with their numbers dwindling as they fight to hold their ground. By September 25^th, 1944, the division is forced to withdraw from Arnhem, with only a fraction of the original force able to escape.

The operation fails to achieve its primary objective, and the 1^st Airborne Division suffers heavy casualties.