Date

12-16-2025

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)

Chair

William Skiles

Keywords

Glider, Waco CG-4A, Airborne, 57mm Anti-tank Gun, 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, Normandy, La Fiere, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, Detroit Mission, Chicago Mission, D-Day, 4th Cavalry Group, Matthew B. Ridgway, James M. Gavin, 746th Armor Battalion, Operation Ladbroke, Operation Thursday, 900th Airborne Engineer Aviation Company, Bulldozer CA1, Sainte-Mère-Église, Philip G. Cochran, John R. Alison, Project 9, Orde Wingate, Horsa Glider, John Marr, 1st Air Commando Group, 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 307th Airborne Medical Company, Chef Du Pont, Elmira Mission, Merderet, Neuville-au-Plaine, Manoir de la Fière, glider pilot, Église Saint-Ferréol de Cauquigny, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Amfreville, Grey Castle, Isles de St. Marcouf, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 91. Luftlande Infanterie-Division, Operation Overlord, Operation Neptune, 437th Troop Carrier Group

Disciplines

History

Abstract

This study reassesses the overlooked but crucial role of American glider pilots, gliderborne infantry, and C-47 Troop Carrier Command aviators in Allied airborne operations from Operation Ladbroke to Operation Overlord. While most accounts of World War II airborne warfare focus on paratroopers, this dissertation shows that glider forces were key to the success of major Allied offensives. They often faced misinterpretation, bias, and historical omission. By using a wide range of primary sources—including glider pilot interrogation reports, unit operational records, after-action analyses, and firsthand accounts—this work reconstructs the tactical, logistical, and experiential aspects of American glider operations at a depth not previously included in the scholarly narrative. The study places early failures in Sicily in context, showing that the disastrous outcome of Operation Ladbroke was due to environmental conditions, planning issues, and inter-Allied conflicts rather than pilot mistakes. This challenges long-held British and American critiques. It also examines the operational growth seen in Burma during Operation Thursday and the development of glider tactics during the 82nd Airborne Division’s attack on the Cherbourg Peninsula in Normandy. Special attention is given to the 437th Troop Carrier Group, the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, and the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. Their contributions were crucial in securing the Merderet River causeways—key targets for the Allied strategy to cut off the peninsula. By including these often-ignored units in the broader context of Allied airborne warfare, this dissertation questions paratrooper-focused narratives, debunks persistent myths, and reinforces the strategic and historical importance of America’s glider forces. It highlights a group of soldiers whose bravery and operational influence were vital to the liberation of Western Europe.

Download

Included in

History Commons

Share

COinS