The Glider Soldiers

{detailed description}The military glider first emerged as a war weapon in the silent assault on Fort Eben Emael in Belgium when German airborne troops launched their covert attack in May 1940. From then on it was to play an increasingly important role ranging from the icy mountains of Norway, to the jungles of Burma, to Sicily and, finally, to Normandy, Arnhem, and the crossing of the River Rhine. However, the costs in WW2 were high in men, gliders and equipment - many glider pilots were forced to cast-off tow too soon in the wrong place, or crashed on landing. The role of the glider pilots and glider troops was a difficult and dangerous one but their successes were many.
The military glider had two major advantages: silence and the ability to land a concentrated body of trained troops on a specific target or en masse. Because of these attributes gliders were used to enormous effect to land troops in Normandy ahead of the seaborne troops to capture vital objectives such as Pegasus Bridge and assist in the battle for the Merville Battery.
In this deeply researched book, Alan Wood gives the history of the development of the glider as a weapon of war by the combatant countries of WW2, and describes British glider operations, detailing the airborne regiments, units, troops and airmen involved supplemented by vivid firsthand accounts of the actions. He also gives the technical data and development details of the actual gliders plus the weapons and equipment used by the Glider Soldiers.
{Author / Publisher / Date}by Alan Wood
published by Spellmount 1992 1st edn. 345pp illustrated, drawings, maps, index, appendix. 16x24
{condition}fine, inc. d/j.
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