US Army
Air Force CG-4A Combat Glider
A Brief
History
Compiled by (USAF Ret) Major Leon
B. Spencer ~ WWII Glider Pilot
I - General:
The use of gliders as a military weapon was
known to only a few high-level United States military personnel in 1940 and virtually
unknown by American civilians. Some of the latter were acquainted with
civilian sailplanes, as were a few military personnel. The Air
Corps aircraft inventory contained not a single military glider and there were
no military glider pilots on the
personnel roles. Not until it became
known by American military authorities that the Germans had successfully
attacked and captured the allegedly impregnable Belgian fortress Eben Emael using
eleven 9-place DFS-230 gliders carrying 78 highly-trained combat engineers did
the United States take notice. For a
number of years prior to that the top American Army brass rejected the use of
gliders in its arsenal.
In February 1941, based on the phenomenal success
of the German attack on Fort Eben Emael and other information received from
abroad, the Army Air Corps brass deemed it advisable to initiate a study with
the objective of developing a glider that could be towed by an aircraft. Major General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, chief of
the Army Air Corps, personally directed the initiation of the study. The Air Corps planners who were charged with conducting
the study had no experience with gliders so they had to rely on the advice of
civilian sailplane expert such as John Robinson and Richard DuPont.
The glider development
machinery was officially set in motion by two Classified Technical
Instructions, CTI-198, dated 24 February 1941 and CTI-203, dated 4 March
1941. These instructions authorized the
preparation of design studies and the procurement of 2, 8 and 15-place gliders
and associated equipment. Only the
15-place glider will be covered by this document. The Materiel Division at Wright Feld in
Dayton, Ohio, conceived the 15-place glider as a craft having a towing speed of
120 mph, a stalling speed of 30 mph with flaps deployed, a normal towing
altitude as 12,000 feet and capable of carrying a 3,800 pound load.
II - CG-4A Development:
Aware of the changing attitude
of Army brass in the development and use of military gliders engineers in the Aircraft
Laboratory at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, were already busy preparing a specification for a 15-place glider, No.
1025-2. When it was completed on 8 March 1941, it was sent
to eleven companies. Only four
responded; Bowlus Sailplanes, Inc. of San Francisco, CA, Frankfort Sailplane
Company of Joliet, IL, St. Louis Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, MO and WACO
Aircraft Company of Troy, OH. After evaluation of the proposals submitted
only the WACO (pronounced “Wock Oh”) design by A. Francis Archier, chief design
engineer, and his engineering staff was acceptable. The design
submitted by WACO was not aerodynamically sleek in form. In fact, it was thought to be ugly by many who
saw the design. With its blunt nose and
slab sides it looked more like a dragonfly than an aircraft. However, it would prove to be easy to fly
and more durable than expected.
The WACO glider, designated the
CG-4A, “C” for cargo and “G” for Glider, would become the mainstay in the Air
Corps glider fleet. As a utility glider
it performed its mission well. It not
only transported infantry troops, but it also carried weapons, vehicles and
cargo urgently needed by paratroopers fighting the enemy. The big glider had none of the soaring
capabilities attributed to its little sister, the high performance
sailplane. With an aspect ratio of 8.1
and a sink rate of 950 feet per minute at 100 mph, there was only one way for
the CG-4A to go after release and that was down. It was similar to any other transport aircraft
except that it had no engines. It
reacted to the same aerodynamic forces and in the same manner as a powered airplane. Any heavier-than-air pilot could step from
the cockpit of a powered aircraft into the cockpit of a CG-4A and feel at home
at the flight controls after suitable transition training.
On 17 June 1941, the
Procurement Office at Wright Field issued Contract ac-19629 to WACO for one
static-test and two flight-test models of its glider. Ten months later, on 28 April 1942, it
delivered the static-test XCG-4 glider.
The following month, on 14 May 1942, the two flight-test models were
delivered. Extant records indicate that
all static tests were performed at Wright Field by the Aircraft Laboratory, but
there is also first-hand evidence that a preponderance of the 1942 flight tests
was conducted by the Flight Research Unit of the Glider Branch at Wilmington,
Ohio, at Clinton County Army Air Field.
The XCG-4 was officially
declared satisfactory on 20 June 1942.
However, so urgent was the demand for advanced training gliders that
contracts to thirteen companies were issued in March and April 1942, even
before the glider was declared acceptable.
In a further effort to increase production three additional companies
were issued contracts in June and July 1942.
The CG-4A glider was a
high-wing, strut-braced monoplane built of steel tubing, plywood and aircraft
fabric. It was constructed in three
sections, the nose section, the cargo section and the tail section. It was designed to carry a pilot and a
copilot, seated side by side, and thirteen glider infantrymen or cargo, for a
gross load of 7,500 pounds. Under
emergency conditions a gross load of 9.000 pounds could be carried, not to be
exceeded. At a gross weight of 7,500
pounds the maximum permissible towing speed is 150 mph (CAS) or 158 mph IAS
(Indicated Air Speed), less with a 9,000 pound gross load.
The original CG-4A had only a single control
wheel, while later models had dual-control wheels. The glider pilot could trim the glider in
respect to all three axes with three separate trim tab controls located above
and between the pilot and copilot seats.
The instrument panel housed an airspeed indicator, a sensitive
altimeter, bank and turn indicator, rate of climb indicator and a compass.
The CG-4A had a wing span of
83’ 8”, was 48’ 4” long and stood 12’ 8” tall at its highest point. The cargo compartment was 13’ 2” in length,
5’ 10” in width and 5’ 6” in height. According
to a WACO report, dated February 1942, its empty weight with the jettisonable
landing gear was 3,488 pounds, or 3,765 pounds with the training landing gear,
and carried a useful load of 4.060 pounds.
However, T. O. No. 09-40CA-1, dated 15 June 1944, specifies its empty
weight as 3,790 pounds with the jettisonable landing gear or 3,900 pounds with
the training landing gear.
By Air Corps edict, no
strategic materials such as aluminum, copper, etc. could be used in the glider’s construction. These materials were reserved for bombers,
fighters and transports. The wood used
in the construction of the CG-4A was mainly Sitka spruce and yellow poplar of
carefully selected stock. Western
hemlock, Douglas and Noble fir, Sitka pine, sweet gum and mahogany veneer
plywood was also used. Much of the
sheathing plywood was 3/32”, 5-ply stock; however some 3-ply was used.
The nose of the CG-4A was hinged
at the top so that it could be raised for loading cargo. Two mahogany plywood bench seats could be
installed along each side, and a single fold-down seat was mounted at the left
rear entrance, to accommodate thirteen fully equipped glider infantrymen. Entrance doors were provided on both sides of
the aft section of the cargo section sufficiently wide for a fully armed man to
walk through with ease. Emergency exits were
located on each side of the fuselage under the wings. The glider infantrymen were issued Mae West
life jackets but not parachutes. Web
type seat belts for the passengers were attached to the steel tubing of the
glider side. When a jeep was carried,
all four bench seats had to be removed.
Glider payloads included glider
infantrymen, jeeps, jeep trailers, 57, 75 and 105 mm field guns, Clarkair CA-1
bulldozer, Case SI wheeled tractor, Adams 11-s towed grader, Letourner Q
carryall, motorcycles, ammunition carts, medical supplies, rations, gasoline,
and even chapel organs, hymnals and such things as a Red Cross doughnut making
machine. The cargo was limited only by
the imagination and the payload of the glider.
External visibility was
excellent for the pilot and copilot, and there were four round observation
windows along each side of the fuselage to help minimize airsickness on the
part of the airborne troops. According
to the technical manual . . . “men aft of the center of gravity tended to
become airsick very easily.” There were
two racks of sanitary containers in the glider for this possibility.
The glider fuselage, square in
cross- section, was built of welded 1025 or X1430 chrome molybdenum steel
tubing, with X1430 being specified for high stress areas. The honeycombed cabin floor was covered with
thin sheets of plywood. The wings were
rectangular in plan form and built in four sections. Wood and plywood construction was employed,
the structure consisting of a main spar, rear “l” spar, ribs and plywood skin
covering. The entire wing was covered
with aircraft fabric and doped. The
inner sections of the wings were braced for torsion by a pair of streamlined
airfoil struts. The wooden and fabric
tail section consisted of horizontal stabilizers, a vertical dorsal fin,
elevators and a rudder. More than 70,000
individual parts made up the CG-4A.
After its design was accepted in June 1942 some 7,000 modifications were
made to the aircraft, although none were major in nature.
The CG-4A did not have flaps as
originally conceived. It was equipped
with wing spoilers. Each spoiler consisted
of a 6.5 feet by 10 inch flush rectangular plate mounted 3 feet back from the
leading edge of the wings. A four foot
long lever, set at a 30 degree forward angle, was located on the side of each
cockpit seat so that either pilot could open and close the spoilers. With this device the pilot was able to kill
off a large percentage of the lift created by the modified Clark-Y airfoil. Use of the spoilers increased the rate of
descent from a normal 950 feet per minute at 100 mph to as much as 1,600 feet
per minute. Thus the glider pilot soon learned
to plan his approach on the long or high side so that in the final moments before
touchdown the spoilers could be utilized to put the glider on the intended
spot.
Originally, two types of
landing gear were specified; one a shock absorbing gear, permanently attached
to the fuselage for training, the other a tactical droppable take-off gear that
was released by the pilot after becoming airborne. Four thick spring-loaded laminated wooden
skids, two mounted in tandem on each side of the glider mid-section, were
provided for landing after the tactical landing gear was jettisoned. The training landing gear was of the
conventional type employing spring-oil shock absorbers in the main and tail
gear units. Hydraulically operated
brakes were incorporated in the main gear.
The solid rubber tail wheel was a
full swiveling type with a
self-centering spring. Landing the CG-4A
on wheels provided steering ability, while landing on skids alone did not. Ultimately, the training gear became standard.
Some early CG-4A’s were
equipped with Radio Set AN/SCR-585, a portable short range transmitter-receiver
communications system installed behind the copilot on the right-hand side of
the fuselage. A remote control was
located below the instrument panel accessible to either the pilot or
copilot. The unit was removed by either
pilot before leaving the glider. Beginning
in 1944, gliders were equipped with the Type AN/A1A-1 interphone system for
communication between the glider and the tow plane. The 3-conductor interphone cable was coiled
around the tow rope but due to the stretching and contracting of the rope it
frequently failed. In the latter part
of WWII the Army Air Force ordered a number of tow ropes with the interphone
wires embedded in the rope, but there is no evidence that they were ever used
in training or combat.
III - CG-4A Procurement:
As indicated above, sixteen
companies were issued production contracts to build the CG-4A. They were; Ward Furniture Manufacturing
Company of Kansas City, MO (7), Ridgefield Manufacturing Company of Ridgefield,
NJ (156), National Aircraft Corporation of Elwood, IN (1), Robertson Aircraft
Corporation of St. Louis, MO (170), WACO Aircraft Company of Troy, OH (1074),
Ford Motor Company of Kingsford, MI (4,190), Cessna Aircraft Company of
Wichita, KS (750), Timm Aircraft Corporation of Van Nuys, CA (433), Babcock
Aircraft Corporation of Deland, FL (60), General Aircraft Corporation of
Astoria, NY (1112), AGA Aviation Corporation of Willow Grove, PA (627),
Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, MO (310), Gibson Refrigerator
Company of Greenville, MI (1078), Commonwealth Aircraft, Inc. of Kansas City,
MO (1470), Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation of St. Paul. MN (1509) and
Pratt-Read and Company of Deep River, CT (956). Actually, when tallied by serial number, only
13,903 CG-4As were delivered, not 13,906 or 13,909, as specified in many published
books and articles.
No sooner had CG-4A gliders began
rolling off the assembly line than they were grounded because of frequent
failures of the special fittings attaching the tail brace wires to the tail
surfaces. New streamlined wires were quickly manufactured and just as quickly
they also failed. Finally, a stranded
cable was installed and that solved the problem.
In the first three months of
1943 50% or more of the CG-4As were grounded because of frequent failures of
the landing gear fittings, the tow rope release mechanism and the nose-raising
locking device. After evaluating the
problems the Army’s assessment was that the first problem was caused by pilot’s
making hard landings, while the latter two problems were the result of faulty
maintenance. Dirt collecting in the
mechanism was not being removed and lubrication of the devices was inadequate.
Once a CG-4A was built and
released for shipment it was disassembled and packed in five wooden crates that
were built in accordance to US Army Specification No. 23-78-A, dated 5 October
1942. 11,000 feet of Grade A lumber was
required for the containers at a cost of $2,000.00. The five huge crates occupied 5,231 cubic
feet and weighed a total of 30.8 ship tons.
It took two railroad flatcars to transport one CG-4A. Heavy brown paper was taped over the glider’s
Plexiglas windows and windshields to prevent scratching. Outlined below is dimension and weight data
related to the glider shipping crates:
Box No. Contents Length Width Height Weight
1. Fuselage Nose Section 8’ 10” 7’ 2” 5’
9” 1800 lbs
2. Fuselage Center Section 24’ 3” 7’ 5” 8’ 3” 5200 lbs
3. Fuselage Rear Section 24” 3” 6’ 10” 6’
11” 4400 lbs
Tail Group
4. Outboard Wing Panels 17’ 2” 4’ 10” 11’
7” 3750 lbs
5. Inboard Wing Panels 25’ 3” 4’ 4” 11’
7” 5375 lbs
IV - Powered CG-4A Gliders:
The WACO CG-4A glider proved to
be rugged enough that Air Force visionaries decided that it would make an
excellent short range cargo aircraft by adding a power package to a limited
number of them. This would relieve the
overburdened C-47 and C-46 aircraft from this task. Wright Field engineers envisioned that adding
engines would also relieve some of the strain on tow planes during takeoffs,
and would permit the glider to reach its destination in the event the tow plane
was damaged or shot down by enemy ground fire.
The head of the glider program approved a project to test these
concepts.
In early 1943, a change order
was issued to Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation’s glider contract to design
and add two 125 h.p. Franklin engines to CG-4A, s/n: 43-27315. Tests were performed to determine if the
XPG-1, as this powered glider was designated, could take off and land under its
own power. It did so after a long run on
a paved runway, but the ascent was slow and time consuming. A second CG-4A, s/n: 42-58090, designated
the XPG-2, was equipped with two 175 h.p. Ranger engines. The maximum speed was
135 mph. Later in 1943, the 175 h.p.
engines on CG-4A, s/n: 42-58090 were replaced with 200 h.p. Ranger engines.
In the spring of 1944 a
contract was negotiated with WACO to convert CG-15A, s/n: 44-90986, a cut down
version of the CG-4A and designated an XPG-3, by adding two 230 h,p. Jacobs
radial engines. All of the static and
flight tests proved satisfactory. Extant
records indicate that at least fourteen powered gliders were contracted for or
built, 1 each XPG-1, 2 each XPG-2As, 10 each PG-2As and 1 each XPG-3. It was ultimately determined that there was
no tactical use for a powered glider, although if the occasion arose they were
available for production.
CG-4A
Variants
XCG-4 ……. Prototypes, two built, plus one stress test
article.
CG-4A ……. This glider became the G-4A in 1948, 13,903
were built by 16 contractors.
XCG-4B…… One CG-4A built of all-plywood structure.
XPG-1 ……. One CG-4A converted with two Franklin
6AC-298-N3 engines by Northwestern.
XPG-2
……. One CG-4A converted with two 175hp
(130 kW) L-440-1 engines by Ridgefield.
XPG-2A
….. 2 XPG-2 engines changed to 200hp; 1
CG-4A converted to 200hp engines.
PG-2A ……. PG-2A with two 200hp (150kW) L-440-7, 10 G-2A
built by NW in 1948.
XPG-2B…… Cancelled variant with two R-775-9 engines.
LRW-1 ……. 13 CG-4A transferred to the United States Navy.
G-2A
……… PG-2A re-designated in 1948.
G-4A ……… CG-4A re-designated in 1948.
G-4C …….. G-4A with different tow-bar, 35 conversions.
Mk
1Hadrain ….. Royal Air Force designation for the CG-4A, 25 delivered.
MK
II Hadrain … Royal Air Force designation
for the CG-4A with equipment changes.
V - Glider Pilot Candidate
Qualifications:
In April 1942 the qualifications for Army Air Corps
glider pilot candidate were as follows:
1. Age 18 to 32 inclusive. (This was eventually raised to 35)
2. Physical - Class I Flying
physical. (This was eventually raised to
Class II)
3. Flying experience: Meet one of the following:
a.
Graduate of the CPT Secondary course. (Eventually candidates with no flying experience
were accepted.
b.
Hold or have held a private pilot certificate
or higher, with a 0 to 240 h.p. or 2’s rating.
c. Glider pilots with 30 hours or 200 flights.
4. Enlisted personnel who can qualify
under 1, 2, and 3 above are authorized to train in grade.
5.
No candidate who
has been eliminated from air crew training in the Army/or Navy Air Force will
be eligible. (This was later
changed. Wash outs were welcomed)
VI - CG-4A Tow Planes:
The CG-4A was normally towed by the twin-engine
Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Curtiss C-46 Commando or the Lockheed C-60
Lodestar. It was towed by a 350’ nylon rope 11/16” in
diameter at approximately 120 mph, the optimal towing speed. The maximum designed speed on tow or in free
flight was 150 mph CAS (Calibrated Air Speed).
Each of the three aircraft were capable of towing two gliders.
Other military aircraft that
towed the CG-4A or larger gliders were the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Douglas
C-54 Skymaster, North American B-25 Mitchell, Boeing B-23 Dragon, Consolidated
PBY Catalina, Lockheed P-38 Lightning, and the single engine Curtiss A-25
Shrike which towed only one CG-4A. The
four engined C-54 could tow three CG-4As.
None of these latter aircraft were used to tow gliders in combat. Only the C-47 was used in that role.
VII - CG-4A Aerial Retreival:
The ability to retrieve CG-4a
gliders from the ground by an aircraft on the fly proved to be economically beneficial
and expedient during World War II. Many gliders
that were undamaged or reparable were snatched from combat their landing zones
(LZ) and returned to their unit. Glider
pilots referred to the aerial retrieval technique as “snatch pickup,” which was
actually the case. The glider was
snatched into the air by the retrieving aircraft, going from a standing start to
120 mph in a matter of 6 or 7 seconds.
The system was developed for Army
Air Corps by All American Aviation, Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware, and was
accepted in October 1942. However, the
first system capable of retrieving a CG-4A, the Model 80 package, was not
tested until the first half of 1943. The standard Model 80 package was mounted
in a Douglas C-47 transport, and consisted of a winch containing 1,000 feet of
3/8” steel cable and a 20’ boom attached to the outside fuselage of the C-47. The
winch cable was run through guides to the external boom and then to a hook at
the end of the boom. The system functioned much like a fishing rod
and reel. A 225’ length of 13/16” nylon rope was
attached to the glider, while the other end in the form of a loop is stretched
between two poles 12 foot high and spaced 20 feet apart. The tow plane flies low over the ground pickup
station with the boom and hook lowered.
The hanging hook snags the nylon rope and literally snatches the glider
off the ground.
The moment the hook engages the
nylon loop the pilot poured on the power and climbed away at a fairly steep
angle, dragging the glider behind it.
The pickup energy absorbing winch in the C-47 was equipped with a
friction brake that could be adjusted for different glider weighs. The amount of cable played out was directly
proportional to the weight of the glider.
Under most circumstances less than 600 feet of cable was played out. Once the friction brake was applied the
winch started reeling in the cable until the nylon rope was reached. No exact number of gliders retrieved in this
manner is known, but the number exceeded 500.
VIII - Glider Pilot Training:
Pre-Glider
Contract Schools
The
following contract pre-glider training schools were under the jurisdiction of
the Southeast Army Air Forces Training Center, Maxwell Field, Montgomery,
Alabama
Training
School Name State City Airfield Name
L.
Millar-Wittig MN 3 miles NNW Crookston Airfield
Capacity: 80 Crookston
North American
Aviation Co. MN Stillwater Stillwater Airfield
Capacity: 112
Hinck Flying
Service, Inc. MN 1 miles NNE Monticello
Airfield
Capacity: 112
Fontana School
of Aeronautics MN 1.7
miles SSE Rochester
AirfieldCapacity: 112 Rochester
Anderson Air
Activities WI Antigo Antigo
Airfield
Capacity: 140
Jolly Flying
Service ND 2.6 miles WNW Grand Forks Air-
Capacity: 212 Grand Forks field
Morey Airplane
Co. WI 1.8 miles NNE Janesville Airfield
Capacity: 112 Janesville
The following
contract pre-glider training schools were under the jurisdiction of the Gulf
Coast Army Air Forces Training Center, Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas
Training School Name State City Airfield Name
Grand Central
Flying School KS 2
miles NNE Goodland
Airfield
Wiliam A. Ong Goodland
Capacity: 240
Harte Flying
Service KS 1.5 miles E Hays Airfield
Capacity: 160 Hays
McFarland
Flying Service1 KS 3.5
miles NW Pittsburgh
Munic-
Capacity: 120 of Pittsburgh pal Airport
Kenneth Starnes
Flying AR Lonoke Lonoke
Airfield
Service
Capacity: 80
Sooner Air
Training Corp. OK 2 miles ENE Okmulgee
Airfield
Capacity: 160 Okmulgee
Hunter Flying
Service IA 2.9 miles WNW Spencer
Munic-
Capacity: 160 Spencer ipal Airport
Anderson and
Brennan SD 2.9 miles E Aberdeen
Airfield
Flying Service Aberdeen
Capacity: 160
Note 1: Hunter Flying Service moved from Spencer,
Iowa, to the municipal airport at Hamilton, Texas, on 20 October 1942.
The following
contract pre-glider training schools were under the jurisdiction of the West
Coast Army Air Forces Training Center, Santa Ana, California
Training
School Name State City Airfield Name
Big Spring
Flying Service TX 18 miles NNW Big
Spring Army
Capacity: 80 Big Spring Glider Tng. Sch.
Cutter-Carr
Flying Service NM 7
miles E Tucumcari
Air- Capacity: 184 Tucumcari field
Plains Airways,
Incorporated CO 4
miles N Fort
Morgan Air-
Capacity: 184 Morgan field
Clint Breedlove
Aerial TX 7.5 miles N. Lamesa
Field
Service Lamesa
Note 1: The 18 contract pre-glider schools listed
above were scheduled to be in operation by 1 June 1942, but there was some
slippage. The pre-glider schools are listed
on Page 19 of USAF Historical Studies No. 1 “The Glider Pilot Training Program
1941-1943.”
Note 2: There is some evidence that there were also
pre-glider schools, at least temporarily, at (1) Big Springs Flying Service,
6.5 miles west of Artesia, New Mexico, at the Artesia Municipal Airport; (2)
Clovis, New Mexico; (3) Pine Bluff School of Aviation, 4 miles southeast of
Pine Bluff at Grider Field, (4) Southern Airways, Inc., 3.2 miles East of
Greenville Municipal Airport, Greenville, South Carolina, and (5) Starkville
Municipal Airport, Mississippi.
Note 3: The official name of the school at
Monticello, MN, was 14th Army Air Force Glider Training Detachment.
Note 4: On page 381 of Gerard M. Devlin’s book,
Silent Wings, published in 1985, he lists two
pre-glider contract schools, Cutter-Carr Service, Clovis, New Mexico,
and Ong Aircraft Corporation, Goodland, Kansas, that are not listed in the
pre-glider contract schools above. The
contract schools listed above were taken from the official USAF Historical
Studies, No.1, “The Glider Pilot Training Program 1941-1943.”
Elementary/Advanced
Contract Glider Training Schools
The following
glider training schools were listed very briefly as elementary/advanced glider
training schools, but some became basic or preliminary glider training schools
instead.
Training School
Name State City
Airfield Name
Burke Aviation
Service OK 3 Miles North Vinita
Airfield
of
Vinita
Arizona Gliding
Academy
AZ 17 miles W Echeverria
Field
Wickenburg
Waterman
Airlines Inc. AL 10 miles W. Mobile
Municipal
of Mobile Airport
Twenty-Nine
Palms Air CA 5 miles N 29 Condor
Field
Academy Palms
Dalhart Army
Air Field TX Amarillo English
Field
overrun
Blackland Army
Air Field TX Waco Blackland
AAF
Lockbourne Army
Air Base OH Columbus Lockbourne AAB
Note 1: The schools at Twentynine Palms, CA, Mobile,
AL, Wickenburg, AZ, and Lamesa, AZ, were the first Elementary/Advanced Glider
Training Schools to open. The
Elementary/Advanced Glider Schools were to train glider students in light
gliders followed by training in the heavy troop/cargo gliders. The Basic and Preliminary Glider Schools
trained students in only the light gliders.
Data
Sources
1. USAF
Historical Studies No. 1, “The Glider Pilot Training Program 1941-1943.”
2. Internet
at http://www.airforcebase.net/aaf/cfs_list.html. WWII Army Air Forces Contract Flying Schools
– Database Summary.
3. To Fly the Gentle Giants – The Training of
U. S. WWII Glider Pilots by Dr. J. Norman Grim, published by Author House,
Copyright 2009.
4. Page
381 of Gerard M. Devlin’s book, “Silent Wings,” published in 1985.
WWII Advanced Glider
Training Schools
As the glider program
progressed all advanced glider training was conducted by military glider pilot
instructors at schools at Army Air Bases.
Training School Name Location City and State
Bergstrom Army Air Field 8 miles east Austin, TX
Dalhart Army Air Base 3 miles SSW Dalhart,
TX
South Plains Army Air Field 4.5 miles NNE Lubbock, TX
Bowman Field 5.5 miles East Louisville, KY
Fort Sumner Army Air Field 2.6 miles NW Ft. Sumner, NM
Greenville Army Air Field 7 miles SSE Greenville, SC
Lockbourne Army Air Base 9.5 miles SE Columbus, OH
Struttgart Army Air Field 6.5 miles North Stuttgart, AR
Victorville Army Air Field 5 miles NW Victorville, CA
Note 1: The first 60 CG-4A instructors graduated
after two weeks training at Lockbourne Army Air Base. Among the instructors graduating were Darlyle
Watters, Ed Cook and William Sampson, the first glider pilot to receive his “G”
wings.
Note 2: The advanced glider schools at Stuttgart,
Arkansas, Lubbock, Texas, Victorville, California, and Dalhart, Texas, opened
during October and November 1942.
Classes began at Victorville in late 1942. Former child movie star Jackie Coogan
graduated from Victorville.
Note 3: The advanced glider school at Fort Sumner was
only open a couple of months.
Note 4: After May 1943, all advanced glider training
was conducted at Lubbock, Texas. A majority
of the glider pilots graduated from there.
IX - CG-4A Glider Flight Techniques:
Before the student pilot began
his CG-4A transition flying he was required to spend at least one hour of
familiarization in the cockpit.
Comfortable seating in the CG-4A for the pilot depended to a great
extent on how large he was and how many pillows was available. The seat itself was not adjustable, either up
or down or fore and aft. After finding a
reasonably comfortable position, probably the first thing the pilot noted was
the extreme cockpit roominess and excellent visibility.
The glider pre-takeoff check
list was amazingly simple. “Control chocks off, pitot tube uncovered, controls
checked for full movement, the Form 1 checked for glider status, safety belt
fastened, 300 pounds of ballast installed behind each pilot position and
properly secured, trim tabs set to neutral, meter pin flush in the tow rope
release mechanism, altimeter set, brakes off, and ailerons in neutral
position.”
Initially, the pilot held the
control wheel in the full back position to apply full “up” elevator, so if the
tow plane took up the rope slack too quickly there would be some assistance in
keeping the glider from nosing over and riding on the skids on takeoff. The tow rope attached to the glider was
mounted high on the nose and there was a tendency for the glider to nose over
on the initial pull of the tow plane. As
the glider began to move, the wheel was moved gently forward until the glider
was in a level position, rolling on the landing gear. The pilot applied enough rudder to keep the
glider directly behind the tow plane.
When 60 mph airspeed was
achieved, the wheel was gently eased back until the glider was approximately 20
feet above the runway. At this point it
was necessary to ease the control wheel forward so that the glider was in a
slight diving attitude to put slack in the tow rope, thus allowing the tow
plane to leave the runway. The CG-4A was
to be flown not more than 250 up, 200 down or 200 to
the right or left of the extended longitudinal axis of the tow ship. Some CG-4As were equipped with a BOGN
(Bolt-On-Griswold Nose), a protective nose device. The tow rope attachment was mounted in the
center of the nose when a BOGN was installed on the glider.
Once the tow plane was airborne
the glider was flown level until the tow plane came up to its proper position,
which was just below that of the glider.
If the glider was flown too high immediately after takeoff, the tow ship
was unable to leave the runway. Takeoff
commenced with the elevator trim tabs in a moderately nose-down position. As the glider gained airspeed there was an appreciable
nose trim effect. The glider student was
cautioned to devote his undivided attention to keeping proper tow position and
to signal the copilot or instructor to trim the nose or wings immediately after
takeoff if that was desirable. A more
experienced glider pilot could make the takeoff with one hand and trim the
aircraft with the other.
Techniques for takeoff are
slightly different when the glider was fully loaded. The glider pilot has to bear in mind during
takeoff that the tow ship was dragging 3½ tons of weight, in addition to the
full load of the tow ship itself. The
glider pilot should not increase drag by climbing too fast during the early
stages but should wait until the tow ship had accelerated to its approximate
liftoff speed; then by increasing the angle of attack to slowly transfer the
weight from the landing gear to the wing so that the glider leaves the ground
at approximately the same time as the tow plane.
The CG-4A technical manual cautioned
glider student pilots that they were sitting approximately 18 inches to the
left of the longitudinal axis of the glider by virtue of the side by side
seating, and hence the same distance to the left of the point where the towrope
connected. “By leaning to the right and
sighting along the tow rope the glider student could easily see if he was lined
up with the center of the tow ship fuselage; if not, he could correct his
position accordingly.” However, it was
found that this increased the chances of vertigo, particularly during night
flying.
The danger of taking off in a
low tow position was emphasized. “Added drag of the prop wash could on occasion
cause a tow rope failure. On takeoff the glider pilot should always be ready to
release the tow rope in the event one of the tow ship’s motors failed or if the
tow ship encountered difficulty leaving the runway.” If the tow rope were to break, the procedure
was immediately climb and hit the tow rope release lever. This prevented dragging the lengthy rope along
the ground with the potential of snagging the rope on an obstruction and
crashing. If a glider was flown low
enough to get into the prop wash during takeoff, it was difficult to control
and much additional strain was placed on the tow rope. Flown too high, the tow rope became taut and
exerted an upper pull on the tow ship’s tail.
The best position to fly was that which maintained constant sag in the
tow rope and constant airspeed.
The bank and turn indicator
needle was the only cockpit indication of a good towing position. The needle was centered with the rudder, the
ball centered with aileron, and any pressures relieved by proper trimming. Occasionally, a wing became so heavy that
slight pressure would be required on the opposite aileron to maintain proper
attitude even with full trim corrections.
In smooth air light pressure on the controls was all that was required;
the prime difficulty of beginning students was a tendency to over control. The cargo glider tended to oscillate while on
tow; this characteristic was not experienced in the sailplanes and other light
gliders flown by glider students. The
tendency to overcorrect would only result in increasing the oscillation. The proper procedure was to pick up the low
wing with the opposite rudder and use as little aileron as possible. To stop the oscillation after it had started,
cross-controlling was necessary.
In moderate turbulence the tow
plane and glider bounced around considerably and heavy pressure and large control
movements were required to make the glider respond. Keeping the glider in proper tow position
required undivided attention on the part of the glider pilot,
and
on tows of longer than half an hour it was recommended that the copilot take
over for a few minutes to give the pilot a chance to rest his eyes and look
around.
Turns presented no particular
problem as long as the glider pilot could clearly see the tow plane. As the tow plane started a bank for a turn,
the glider pilot did likewise, matching the angle of bank observed. Very little control pressure was required to bank
the glider. When
the
desired bank had been accomplished, a slight pressure in the opposite direction
was required to prevent over banking. In
climbs a glider pilot should maintain his position slightly above the tow plane
and during descent moderate use of the spoilers dissipated altitude without
excessive diving.
Indication of surface winds can
be quite misleading. As is well known, a
wind velocity of 20-30 miles an hour on the ground can be considerably higher
at altitude. In stronger winds glide
speed was increased from the normal 70 mph to 100 mph in order to cover any
appreciable distance over the ground. In
these conditions the glide ratio was reduced to as little as 4-5 feet of
forward distance to every foot of loss of altitude. A pilot cutting loose downwind from the field
in winds of high velocity had very little opportunity to plan an approach and
land in the designated area. If the tow
plane failed to put the glider in the proper position on the upwind side at the
prearranged altitude for release, the glider pilot could elect to stay on tow
until a position was attained from which he could make a safe landing in the
designated area. Except in an emergency,
the glider pilot always made the tow release decision.
Prior to release, the glider
was pulled up gently to slightly above the normal tow position and all slack
taken out of the towrope. The glider was
then put in a moderate dive to create slack for releasing. Excessive speed was used to gain additional
altitude if required. As the airspeed
settled down to approximately 70 mph, trim tabs were adjusted so that the
glider would fly “hands off.”
The practice of stalls involved
a very gentle entry with the ailerons in a neutral position. After the nose dropped below the horizon, it
was necessary to pull the wheel gently back again to establish a normal glide
speed. The lazy-8 maneuver in a glider
was not too different from the lazy-8 in most other airplanes. At 90-100 mph the glider was put into a 200
bank toward the checkpoint, and the nose lifted in a coordinated climbing
turn. As a near-stall condition was
reached at the top of the 8, the nose was eased through the checkpoint; during
the downward swing almost full aileron travel was required to maintain the
proper attitude, and this pressure gradually eased off as the glider gained the
speed necessary for the second half of the 8.
This was the only maneuver the glider was stressed for other than steep
turns and gentle stalls. Under no
conditions was a cargo glider to be allowed to spin or get the nose high enough
for it to “whip stall.” However,
unauthorized spins were successfully performed by Major Mike Murphy and others
but were not recommended by the manufacturer.
No discussion of military cargo
gliders would be complete without mention of the “Curry glide” (named after Lt.
Col. (later Colonel) Ellsworth P. Curry of Bowman Field, Kentucky, and
Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Field, North Carolina, its exponent). Some glider pilots called it the “Curry death
glide.” Actually it should have been
called the “Curry mush.” Colonel Curry repeatedly
emphasized that students should land the glider at a slow enough speed to
produce the shortest landing roll on touchdown.
Because of the positioning of the pitot tube on the CG-4A, the airspeed
indicator was of little value because it fluctuated quite widely during this maneuver. The best point of reference the pilot had was
the bottom surface of the wing out near the wing tip. When this surface indicated a positive angle
of attack as related to the horizon beyond, he was approaching the proper
attitude. This actually produced a
flight condition of riding just on the burble of an approaching stall. The burble felt in the ailerons was probably
the best indication of the proper glide speed. The CG-4A in this configuration could be
landed over a 50-foot obstacle and stopped with less than 300 feet of ground
roll without the use of wheel brakes.
Unfortunately, since the rate of sink was around 1,500 feet per minute,
quite often the gear collapsed on touchdown.
Perhaps the most interesting
and exciting stage of training for the glider pilot was the “night blitz
landings.” These were made under
blackout conditions with a low-altitude release at 200 feet onto a base leg,
followed by a 90 degree turn to final. The only reference point out in that big
black void of a field was a lighted smudge pot on the ground. This maneuver was performed with as many as
20-25 gliders which arrived at the tow release point at intervals of approximately
30 seconds. The idea was to make your
turn, line up with the light on the ground, and park the aircraft so that your
left wing tip was over the smudge pot.
The copilot immediately jumped out of his seat, ran out the left rear
door, picked up the pot, ran behind the glider, and placed the pot 15 feet
outboard of the right wing tip. Thus the
next aircraft in line would have a designated parking position. It was not unusual for the pilot turning on
final and lining up on the smudge pot to see the light all of a sudden jump up
and follow an erratic course approximately 110 feet to the right. Taking this
element of surprise into his mental calculations he readjusted his estimate of
where he wanted to land and realigned the glider on final approach so that
would wind up with the light under his left wing tip. During
the landing roll he might again see the light move to the right. Not infrequently after an evening of this
maneuver, the glider program shut down for a day or two so that maintenance
could catch up on their repair work on damaged gliders.
If a glider pilot saw that he
has made an error in judgment, the first consideration was to save the
equipment and thereby prevent injury to himself and his passengers. In a strong headwind the speed of the glider
had to be increased to 100 to 120 miles per hour to make any headway over the
ground. If it was evident that the
glider would hit a fence or other obstruction at the normal glide speed, the
speed was increased by pointing the nose down at the top of the obstruction and
a few seconds before reaching it pulling the wheel back gently and zooming over
it. It was possible to lift the glider
from 50 to 100 feet in this manner at an air speed of 100 miles an hour. It was
foolhardy to fly along at 60 mph and guess whether or not the glider would
clear the obstruction.
When landing in a rough field
or among trees in an orchard, it was advisable for the pilot and copilot to
place their feet on the instrument panel to prevent fractures of the lower ex-tremities. The plywood and fabric covered nose provided
very little protection for frontal impacts unless the Ludington-Griswold protective
nose or the Corey Skid was installed.
The glider pilot’s job after
landing was that of an infantryman, at least temporarily. During
ground training glider pilots were required to qualify with the M1 .30 caliber Carbine,
M1911A1 .45 caliber Colt automatic, the M3 .45 caliber submachine gun, known as
the “grease
gun”
and the MI .30 caliber rifle. We also
had to fire for familiarization the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), .30 caliber
machine gun (both air cooled and water cooled), .50 caliber machine gun, Thompson
submachine gun, and the Bazooka.
The CG-4A glider was used in 8
combat missions during World War II. A
summary of these missions is outlined below:
X - CG-4A Combat Missions:
Sicily Mission
9-12
July 1943
Operation Ladbroke, the
invasion of Sicily, was a nighttime British glider mission, contrary to the
fact that night flying training was not part of the British glider doctrine. Members of the British Glider Pilot Regiment
would fly American Waco CG-4A gliders with a few American volunteer glider
pilots as copilots. Pre-mission
training in the Waco consisted of 4½ hours 1½ hours of it at night. M/G Matthew B. Ridgeway, CO of the 82nd
Airborne Division, cabled B/G Maxwell Taylor in North Africa, before the
scheduled mission, urging him to persuade General Dwight Eisenhower’s planners
to change the mission from night to early dawn.
His plea failed. By 13 June 1943,
346 of the 500 CG-4As shipped to Africa that March had been assembled by glider
pilots and others. Only 136 of the 300
were used for Operation Ladbroke which also included 8 British Horsas, 111 C47s,
25 British Albemarles and 8 Halifax bombers. 42 American glider pilots volunteered to
train the British glider pilots in the CG-4A, but it is believed that only 19
of them flew as copilots on the Sicily mission.
The Americans who flew the mission were placed on detached service to
the British Glider Pilot Regiment. The
144 gliders participating in Operation Ladbroke were towed from six Tunisian
airfields beginning at 1842 hours on 9 July 1943 by C-47s and C-53s of the 51st
Troop Carrier Wing. Shortly after
takeoff six tow planes turned back because of shifting loads in gliders,
another turned back when the jeep it was carrying broke loose from its tie
downs. Further into the mission when the
formation ran into extremely turbulent winds three gliders broke loose from
their tow plane and vanished with all hands.
Two other tow planes became lost and returned to Tunisia. High winds at the release point coupled with
inexperienced tow pilots led to 69 gliders being released too far from shore
and were unable to make landfall. 605
officers and men were lost, 326 presumed to have drowned. Only 49 CG-4As and 5 Horsas landed on Sicilian
soil within a 10 mile radius of their landing zones. Allegedly, only 5 CG-4As
and 2 British Horsa gliders actually landed on their designated LZs (Landing
Zones). To make matters worse, eleven
American C-47s and C-53s filled with paratroopers were mistakenly shot out of
the sky by friendly Allied ships participating in the invasion. American Major
General Joseph M. Swing, cited five major mission weaknesses; (1) Insufficient
time spent in coordinating the air routes with all forces, (2) Complexity of
the flight route and the low degree of training for the navigators, (3) The
rigid naval policy of firing at any and all aircraft, (4) The unfortunate
timing of the airdrops directly after extensive enemy air attacks, and (5) The
failure of some army ground commanders to warn all antiaircraft gun units of
the impending airborne missions. Six (6)
American glider pilots were killed. In
spite of the many difficulties all of the objectives were taken and the mission
was considered a success. In his report
to General Eisenhower, General “Boy” Browning placed all the blame on American
Troop Carrier crews.
Burma Mission
5-11 March 1944
Operation Thursday, the
invasion of Burma, was conducted by the 5318th Provisional Air Unit
(subsequently renamed the 1st Air Commando Group) began on 5 March
1944. The 5318th, commanded
by Colonel Philip G. Cochran, was launched from Lalaghat, India. A total of 77 CG-4As were employed, although
at least one source indicates that only 71 were used. The first two gliders in the 60 glider
serial, all on double tow, lifted off from Lalaghat at 1842 hours. Colonel John R. Alison, co-commander of the
1ACG flew the lead glider. Their destination
was a jungle clearing, 200 miles away known as Broadway (24-45 N 96-45 E). The gliders were towed by C-47s of the 5318th
PAU, 315th TCS (USAAF), 27th TCS (USAAF), 31st
Squadron (RAF), 62nd Squadron (RAF), 117th Squadron (RAF)
and the 194th Squadron (RAF).
Sixty-three gliders were originally planned for the Broadway serial, but
General Slim reduced the number to sixty.
The gliders carried Chindit soldiers armed with Tommy guns, carbines,
rifles pistols, and hand grenades. All
of them unwittingly carried considerable extra quantity ammunition grossly overloading
the gliders. Problems began to develop
immediately after takeoff. Four CG-4As
crashed shortly after liftoff; two were cut loose over Lalaghat when the tow
plane developed electrical problems; and two more were released over Imphal
when their tow plane experienced such high fuel consumption that Broadway was
unobtainable. More problems developed
when tow ropes began to fail. Only 37 of
the 60 gliders landed at Broadway. 34 of
the 37were heavily damaged on landing.
The three flyable gliders were later recovered by snatch pickup. Broadway was strewn with the wreckage of
CG-4As caused by deep ruts, stumps and water buffalo holes hidden in the tall
elephant grass. Doug Wilmer contends in
his video, “G” Stands for Guts, that
only 54 gliders took off and only 39 of them made it to Broadway. Fifteen gliders, he said, were lost because
of snapped tow ropes. Wilmer interviewed
glider pilots Harry McKaig and Harlie Johnson, who flew this mission. Harlie McKaig said that he flew 28 snatch
pickup missions evacuating the wounded. 539 people, three mules, and 29,972 pounds of
supplies were delivered to Broadway. One
glider carried a small 4,139 pound airborne bulldozer. 31 men were killed at Broadway, 30 seriously
injured and 238 badly shaken up, but able to do light duty. The records of the National World War II
Glider Pilot Association notes that three (3) glider pilots was killed on 1
March 1944, one (1) on 6 March and three (3) on 8 March for a total of seven
(7), with an additional18 injured. On 6 March, a 12 glider serial was towed to
Chowringhee and the following day an additional 5 gliders were towed there. All
were single tows. Eleven gliders crash-landed
with no serious injuries. The mission was considered a success. On 6 March 1944, 12 CG-4As were towed from
Lalaghat, India, to Chowringhee in Burma.
Single tows were used because of the previous day’s difficulty with
double tows. Flight Officer Jackie
Coogan (the child movie actor) flew the lead glider. Eleven of the gliders crash landed, one of
them flew into tree killing all aboard.
The following day 5 additional CG-4As were towed to Chowringhee. Two of the gliders used for this mission
were snatched from the Broadway LZ.
Glider resupply missions continued until mid-May 1944.
Normandy Mission
6 June 1944
A total of 514 gliders were
used in Operation Neptune, the airborne faze of Operation Overlord, the
invasion of Normandy, France. The glider
phase consisted of 292 CG-4As and 222 British Horsas. Some reports state that 517 gliders were
used, but this is believed to be incorrect.
By February 1944, a total of 2100 crated Waco CG-4A gliders had been
shipped to England from American factories.
At General Hap Arnold’s urging, the first of these gliders had arrived
in May 1943. American cargo ships
delivered the crated Waco’s to the port of Southampton. From there they were transported by trains
and Lorries to the glider storage area at Crookham Common, 40 miles southwest
of London. There they were assembled by glider
mechanics of the 26th Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron and
other technicians. At the time of the
Normandy invasion each Troop Carrier Group was authorized 64 C-47 aircraft and
a reserve of 25%, totaling 80 aircraft, and 156 CG-4A gliders. Prior to the invasion, during the night of
11-12 May 1944, the Allies conducted a full scale dry run in preparation for
the invasion. The dry run was called
Operation Eagle. Before D-Day the IX
Troop Carrier Command had 2,000 glider pilots on hand. According to Jack Kramer of the 441st
Troop Carrier Group, 1,034 of them flew the Normandy mission. The US
Army film, “Drop Zone Normandy,” reported that the glider LZs (Landing Zones) were
900 to 1500 feet in length and averaged 500 feet in width. The fields were surrounded by hedgerows with
trees 15 to 75 feet in height and dense undergrowth. The release altitude of the gliders was 400 to
600 feet. Operation Neptune consisted of
six major glider serials; Chicago, Detroit, Keokuk, Elmira, Galveston and
Hackensack. Gliders delivered 4,047
troops to the battlefield, 412,477 pounds of combat equipment and supplies, 281
jeeps and 110 artillery pieces. Some of
the CG-4As were equipped with 8 foot deceleration parachutes and at least 288
were fitted with the bolt-on Griswold nose to protect the pilot and copilot
from frontal damage during landing. Many
of the gliders landed outside of their designated landing zones because tow
pilots became disoriented and gave them the green light to release too soon or
too late. Records of the National World War II Glider Pilot Association notes
that thirty-one (31) glider pilots were killed on D-Day, 6 June 1944, twelve
(12) on 7 June and one (1) on Independence Day, 4 July. A noteworthy accident occurred near Hiesville,
a few miles from the Normandy coast. Brigadier
General Don F. Pratt, Assistant Division Commander of the 101st
Airborne Division, was killed when his glider crashed into a hedgerow at high
speed, breaking his neck on impact. He
was the highest ranking Allied officer killed on D-Day. Despite the haphazard release of gliders and
paratrooper drops all of the Normandy objectives were taken.
Southern France Mission
15 August 1944
News of Operation Dragoon, the
invasion of Southern France was the worst kept secret of World War II. A total of 407 gliders were used for this
mission that began on 15 August 1944. At
least one report indicates that 409 gliders were used. All CG-4As were on double tow. Six hundred glider pilots were sent to Italy
in advance of the operation. 40 CG-4As
flown by British glider pilots, towed by C-47s from the 435th Troop
Carrier Group, took off from Voltone, Italy beginning at 0400 hours. 35 British Horsas flown by British glider
pilots and towed by C-47s from the 436th Troop Carrier Group took
off from Tarquina, Italy beginning at 0518 hours. They were recalled because of ground fog over
the LZ. Two of the gliders were forced
down on the return trip. The mission was
remounted in the afternoon, with the gliders arriving over the LZ at 1745
hours. Both British missions were code
named Operation Bluebird. Thirty-three
of the Operation Bluebird CG-4As landed on the LZ. Six others failed to arrive at the LZ for various
reasons. One glider disintegrated in
mid-air killing all aboard. 332 CG-4As
flown by American glider pilots were towed from airfields in western Italy,
between Galero and Follonica, beginning at 1510 hours. They were towed by C-47s
from the 62nd, 64th, 438th, 439th,
440th, 441st and 442nd Troop Carrier
Groups. The American mission was code
named Operation Dove. The gliders were
towed in seven waves. At least one
American glider pilot, Bud Klimek, flew one of the older CG-4As with a single
set of controls. The airborne element of
Operation Dragoon was conducted by the 1st Airborne Task Force. Some gliders were released between 2000 and
3000 feet when congestion developed in the glider release area. Gliders in the rear began to overrun gliders
in front causing the deadly congestion.
There were midair collisions. None
of the CG-4As used was equipped with the protective Griswold nose. No effort was apparently made to recover by
snatch pickup a single American or British glider used in the Southern France
invasion. Twenty-one (21) glider pilots
were killed during the mission.
According to the records of the National World War II Glider Pilot
Association, one (1) glider pilot was killed on 14 August 1944, nineteen (19)
on 15 August and one (1) on 18 August, while approximately sixty-three (63)
were wounded or injured. The airborne
success of Operation Dragoon was impressive, despite the miscues, and it was
clear in mid-1944, even to the most earthbound skeptics, that troop carrier and
airborne forces were already making a major contribution to the Allied war
effort.
Holland Mission
17-23 September 1944
More gliders were used in Operation
Market, the airborne phase of Operation Market-Garden, the invasion of Holland,
than any other World War II glider mission. A total
of 1899 CG-4As participated in the Operation Market, and 1618 of them landed
safely. The American objective was to
take and hold the bridges from Eindhoven to Nijmegen so the British XXX Corps
could speed to Arnhem with its tanks and ground forces. There were not enough American glider pilots
in the theater to provide copilots, so untrained glider troopers occupied the
right seat. To meet minimum needs an
additional 150 glider pilots were flown in from the states just days before
D-Day. 70 CG-4As from the airfield at
Chilbolton, England, took off behind C-47s of the 437th Troop
Carrier Group at 1110 hours on 17 September 1944 and headed for Holland. Two minutes later, 50 CG-4As towed behind
C-47s of the 439th Troop Carrier Group took off from an airfield at
Balderton, England. The following day,
18 September, 450 CG-4As were towed behind C-47s from airfields at Aldermaston,
Welford, Membury, Chilbolton, Greenham Common and an unnamed airfield, beginning
at 1120 hours. Eleven minutes earlier,
454 CG-4A took off behind C-47s of the 61st, 313th, 316th,
439th, 440th and 441st Troop Carrier Groups
and headed for Holland. Beginning at
1437 hours on 19 September 1944, 385 CG-4As departed airfields at Aldermaston,
Welford, Membury, Chilbolton, and Greenham Common and headed for their
respective landing zones. On D-Day plus
3, 20 September, only one CG-4A from the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing was
towed to Holland, departing from an unnamed airfield at 1430 hours. Three days later, beginning at 1200 hours, 84
CG-4As from the 436th TCG at Membury and the 438th TCG at
Greenham Common were towed to Holland by C-47s.
That same day, 23 September, 406 CG-4As towed by C-47s of the 61st,
313th, 316th and 434th Troops Carrier Groups
from airfields at Barkston Heath, Folkingham, Cottesmore and Chilbolton respectively
took off beginning at 1210 hours headed for their assigned landing zones. 101st Airborne Division glider
landings near Eindhoven were made on Landing Zone (LZ) “W”, an expansive landing
area. It was 1½ miles north of Zon and
west of the north-south main road from Eindhoven. The 82nd Airborne Division glider
landings near Nijmegen were on LZ “T” and LZ “N”, which were joined together in
an oblong shape, 3½ miles long north to south and 1½ miles long east to
west. Nine gliders towed by the 61st
Troop Carrier Group to LZ “T” were mistakenly towed 12 miles into Germany,
east-southeast of LZ “T”. They were
never seen again. Of the 1899 gliders
used in Operation Market only 281 were salvaged. An additional 118 salvageable gliders were
destroyed in a storm before they could be recovered. Several military sources stated that as many
as 700 of the gliders were equipped with the bolt-on Griswold nose or the protective
Corey Skid, and as many as 900 were fitted with the 8 foot deceleration
parachute. According to the Membership
Roster of the National World War II Glider Pilot Association forty (40) glider
pilots were killed in action in Holland between 17 and 23 September 1944. Seven glider pilots were killed on 17
September1944, thirteen (13) on 18 September, fifteen (15) on 19 September, one
(1) on 20 September, one (1) on 21 September and three (3) on 23 September. As many as 123 glider pilots were wounded or
injured in action. Some were captured by
the Germans and became prisoners of war.
The Americans took all of their objectives, but the British failed to
take Arnhem.
Battle of the Bulge Mission
26-28 December 1944
This glider mission was known
as Operation Kangaroo. Two combat
missions were flown on 26 December 1944.
The first lone empty CG-4A took off from Orleans, France (A-50) at 1025
hours towed by a C-47 from the 440th Troop Carrier Group and flown to
Etain, France (A-82). The glider was
piloted by 2nd Lt. Charlton W. Corwin, Jr. with F/O Benjamin F. “Connie”
Constantino as copilot, both men members of the 96th Troop Carrier
Squadron. At Etain the glider picked up
five surgeons, four medical technicians and medical supplies. It was then towed off at 1436 hours, released
at 300 feet over Bastogne, and landed without incident at 1511 hours. Ten (10) additional CG-4As lifted off from
Orleans beginning at 1510 hours towed by C-47s of the 440th TC
Group. Each glider was loaded with
medical personnel, artillery shells or 59 to 60 5-gallon cans of 80 octane
gasoline. They ran into consideration
flak and ground fire upon reaching Belgium.
Three surgeons and four medical
personnel were killed in the gliders from ground fire. Flying at an altitude of 500-600 feet the
first glider landed at Bastogne at 1715 hours.
The following day, 27 December 1944, beginning at 1015 hours, fifty (50)
CG-4A gliders from Chateaudun, France were towed to Bastogne behind C-47s of
the 439th and 440th Troop Carrier Groups. There were no copilots on this mission. Contrary to normal procedure, the glider
pilots and their passengers wore parachutes. The flak was fierce as they neared
the landing zone. Flying between 600 and 1500 feet the tow plane/glider
combinations were easy targets.
Thirty-three (33) of the fifty (50) CG-4As reached the 101st
Airborne Division perimeter, seventeen (17) did not. Thirteen (13) were shot down. A total of sixty-one CG-4As and seventy-two
(72) glider pilots were used in the Battle of the Bulge mission. Four (4) glider pilots were listed as killed
in action and fourteen (14) were captured by the Germans and became POWs. At least one source asserts that 3 glider
pilots were killed in action. Doug Wilmer,
in his video, “G” Stands for Guts,” asserts
that fifteen glider pilots were reported as “missing in action.” Fifty-five (55) glider pilots were evacuated
from Bastogne on 28 December 1944, 22 of them had landed there on 26 December
1945. These glider pilots were used to
guard the German POWs that were being evacuated with them.
Rhine River Crossing Mission
24 March 1945
The Americans employed 906 CG-4As
in Operation Varsity, the Rhine River Crossing.
It was the largest single day glider operation of World War II. The lead towship/glider combination took off
from Coulommiers, France at 0734 hours followed by other combinations at thirty
second intervals. The 437th
Troop Carrier Group provided 80 gliders, 40 as Serial No. A-8 and 40 as Serial
No. A9, towed off from Coulommiers, France; the 436th Troop Carrier
Group provided 144 gliders, 72 as Serial No. A10 and 72 as Serial No. A-11,
towed off from Melun, France; the 435th Troop Carrier Group provided
144 gliders, 72 as Serial No. A12 and 72 to Serial No. A13, towed off from Bretigny,
France; the 439th provided 144 gliders, 72 as Serial No. A14, and 72
as Serial No. A15 towed off from Bretigny and Chateaudun, France
respectively. All 592 gliders were towed
to Landing Zone “S” across the Rhine River. The 440th Troop Carrier Group provided
90 gliders, 45 as Serial No. A16 and 45 as Serial No. A17, towed off from
Bricy, France; the 441st Troop Carrier Group provided 96 gliders, 48
as Serial No. A18 and 48 as Serial No. 20, towed off from Bricy, France and
Chartres, France respectively; the 442nd Troop Carrier Group
provided 48 gliders, Serial No. A19, towed off from St. Andre, France; the 314th
Troop Carrier Group provided 80 gliders, 40 as Serial No. A21 and 40 as Serial
No. A22, towed off from Poiix, France.
All 314 gliders were towed to Landing Zone “N”. Serials A8 through A15 were double tow, while
A16 through A22 were single tow. General
Paul Williams, Commander of the IX Troop Carrier Command, agreed to deploy the
C-46 for the transport of paratroopers, but not the CG-13A glider. He felt that the CG-13A had not been tested
enough to be used in combat. Only 49 of
the 72 C-46s returned to airfield B-54 at Achiet, France. 23 were shot down or crash landed. Following Operation Varsity the C-46 was
prohibited from combat because of the vulnerability of its hydraulic control
systems and the lack of self-healing gas tanks.
This was the only Troop Carrier mission in which the C-46 was used. The British used 381 Horsas and 48 Hamilcar
gliders and 858 glider pilots in their phase of Operation Varsity. 402 British gliders arrived over the Landing
Zone. One British tug and glider failed
to take off and an additional 35 gliders broke loose enroute to the LZ. There were six glider landing LZs used in Operation
Varsity. According to the Membership
Roster of the National World War II Glider Pilot Association 89 glider pilots
were killed in action and approximately 240 were wounded or injured. Eighty-one (81) were captured by the Germans
and became POWs.
Philippine Islands Mission
23 June 1945
Six CG-4A gliders and one CG-13A glider were used in
the Philippine Islands Mission.
Operation Gypsy Task Force took place at Camalaniugan Airfield, near
Appari, Luzon. The towplane/glider
combinations took off from Lipa, Luzon shortly after 0600 hours on 23 June
1945. Glider pilots participating in the
mission were Major Edward Milau, Lieutenant Max Cone, Lieutenant J. J. Booth,
Lt. Drummond, Flight Officer W. Bartz, Flight Officer R. Brook, Flight Officer
E. Doty, Flight Officer R. J. Meer, Flight Officer D. Orkney and Flight Officer
O. H. Wallace. The CG-13A was piloted
by Major Milau and Lieutenant Cone. The
glider pilots were part of Major Milau’s 1st Provisional Glider
Group. The gliders landed shortly after
9:00 a.m. with no Japanese resistance. Only one glider was damaged in landing
when it hit a bomb crater. The gliders
carried troops, jeeps, ammunition trailers and armament, plus medical and
communication supplies.
NOTE: A total of
3,784 CG-4As were used in the eight glider combat missions of World War II. A
few were used more than once.
Data
Sources:
1. “Flying Combat
Aircraft of the USAAF-USAF,” edited by Robin Higham and Abigail T. Siddall, and
published by the Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, in 1975.
2. USAF Historical
Studies No, 1, “The Glider Pilot Training Program 1941 to 1943.”
3. USAF Historical
Studies No. 47, “Development and Procurement of Gliders in the Army Air Force
1941 – 1944.”
4. AAF Manual No.
50-17, “Pilot Training Manual for the CG-4A Glider,” published by the Headquarters
AAF, Office of Flying Safety, dated March 1945.
5. US Army Air
Force Glider Aerial Retrieval System, compiled by former Major Leon B. Spencer, WWII glider
pilot and Charles L. Day, author of “Silent Ones - WWII Invasion Glider – Test and Experiment.”
Published in 2001.
6. Technical Order
No. 09-40CA-1, dated 15 June 1944, “Pilot’s Flight Operating Instructions for
Army Model CG-4A Glider.”
