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| February 25th, 2025 |
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| March 15th, 2025 |
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| The Glider Pilot Regiment The Parachute Regiment 6th Airborne Division Airspeed Horsa G.A.L. Hamilcar Mk VII Light Tank Tetrarch |
The date for the invasion of German-occupied Europe is set for June 5th, 1944, with the massive operation designated as Operation Overlord. The insertion phase, codenamed Operation Neptune, aims for the 6th Airborne Division to secure and defend the ground forming the eastern flank of the assault bridgehead. This responsibility falls to General Gale’s 6th Airborne Division, while 1st Airborne Division, recently returned from Italy, is held in reserve.
The Regiment is assigned numerous critical tasks spanning from 22:20 hours on June 4th, 1944 to 21:00 hours on June 5th, 1944. At last, the strategic potential of Airborne Forces is fully recognised, and they are employed to circumvent the formidable defences of Germany’s West Wall, paving the way for the seaborne invasion forces.
Three waves of gliders are required in the night preceding the amphibious landings, an operation codenamed Tonga. Another wave is scheduled for the evening of D-Day, constituting the largest airborne landings under the codename Mallard. The primary landing zones are V near Varaville, N near Ranville, K near Tonfreville, and W on the western bank of the Caen Canal at Le Port.
| Operation Tonga, Coup de Main |
The first wave of the night-time operations consists of six Horsas, tasked with landing 138 men of the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, along with thirty Royal Engineers under Major R.J. Howard, in a coup de main assault on two separate Landing Zones, X and Y. These lie adjacent to the critical bridges over the River Orne and the Caen Canal, approximately 9.7 kilometres inland. According to No. 38 Group Operational Order No. 501, “Gliders are to finish their landing run as close to the bridges as is consistent with avoiding injury to the gliderborne troops.”
The objective is to capture and hold the bridges. To achieve the element of surprise, the gliders are released at 1,830 metres over the coast, relying solely on gyro-compasses and stop-watches for navigation before descending in darkness to land at the eastern end of the canal bridge and the western end of the river bridge, just 366 metres apart. Reinforcement by the 7th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment follows thirty minutes later, landing 915 metres from the Orne Bridge.
| Operation Tonga |
As the struggle for control of the bridges unfolds, pathfinders from the 22nd Independent Parachute Company, accompanied by small advance contingents of paratroopers, are deployed simultaneously across drop zones K, N, and V. Their objective is to establish a preliminary presence at each location, securing the area lightly while positioning their “Eureka” beacons. These beacons are crucial in guiding the main airborne force, which is scheduled to arrive approximately thirty minutes later.
The second wave of gliders is scheduled to arrive between 00:26 and 00:46 hours, comprises seventeen Horsas carrying the 3rd Parachute Brigade Headquarters, elements of the Canadian Parachute Battalion, field ambulance units, anti-tank guns, and heavy equipment. Their objectives include destroying the Merville gun battery, seizing ground east of the river and canal bridges, securing Landing Zone N for later glider landings, demolishing four bridges over the River Dives to prevent German reinforcements, and blocking enemy movement into the Airborne area.
The assault on the Merville Battery is supported by a bombing raid by 100 AVRO Lancasters between 00:30 and 00:40 hours.
The primary landings of the 3rd Parachute Brigade and 5th Parachute Brigade are scheduled to occur at 00:50 on June 6th, 1944. The 5th Parachute Brigade is designated to land on drop zone N, situated just north of Ranville, before establishing a defensive perimeter around the bridges. The 7th Parachute Battalion is to advance west of the River Orne to secure the villages of Bénouville and Le Port, while the 12th Parachute Battalion and the 13th Parachute Battalion are tasked with capturing Ranville and a ridge lying to its south.
Meanwhile, the 3rd Parachute Brigade is assigned to drop zones K and V. Drop zone V, located eight kilometres east of Ranville, is allocated to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and the 9th Parachute Battalion. The 9th Parachute Battalion is responsible for neutralising the Merville Battery, while the Canadians, among other tasks, are to safeguard engineers of the 3rd Parachute Squadron as they demolish two bridges spanning the Rivers Divette and Dives at Varaville and Robehomme. The 8th Parachute Battalion is to land on drop zone K, positioned six kilometres south of Ranville, from where it is similarly tasked with escorting a detachment of engineers to destroy the bridge at Troarn and two further bridges at Bures. Once these objectives are accomplished, the brigade is to consolidate its position along a key ridge stretching from the Bois de Bavent woodland, located six kilometres south-east of Ranville, to the villages of Le Plein and Le Mesnil, which lie three kilometres to the north and east of Ranville, respectively.
Operation Tonga ends with the third wave, beginning at 03:00 hours, includes sixty-eight Horsas and four Hamilcars, transporting Divisional Headquarters, Glider Pilot Wing Headquarters, and elements of 6th Air Landing Brigade with anti-tank guns and towing vehicles. Three Horsas are assigned a particularly dangerous mission: to crash-land directly onto the Merville gun battery, already under assault by the 9th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.
| Operation Mallard |
Operation Mallard takes place at 21:00 hours on D-Day, landing the main force of 6th Air Landing Brigade on Landing Zones N and W. This includes the 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles, the 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, elements of Brigade Headquarters, an Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, 716th Company Royal Army Service Corps, and Field Ambulance units, all arriving in 145 Horsas and thirty Hamilcars. Additionally, eighty-one Horsas land support weapons for the 7th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment on Landing Zone W. The initial requirement for 153 Hamilcars cannot be met due to production limitations, altering their deployment primarily for anti-tank gun transport and armoured reconnaissance.
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