American Airborne: Surprise & Deception
May 2, 2021 by Mike Kelvington
On May 29, 1944, the commander in chief of the Allied Expeditionary Air Forces, Air Chief Marshall Trafford Leigh-Mallory, expressed his concerns to General Dwight D. Eisenhower about calling off the parachute operations associated with Operation Overlord. Leigh-Mallory warned Eisenhower that he forecasted “the ‘futile slaughter’ of two fine airborne divisions, whose casualties he predicted might run as high as 70 percent.”[1] But Eisenhower knew without the airborne, the operation was incomplete.
The Supreme Allied Commander already planned out the invasion into the Nazi’s Fortress Europe. Ike knew without the airborne, the flanks of the beaches were exposed. American units landing at Utah and Omaha had to establish themselves, push further inland, and speed their advance off the beach. Someone had to occupy the German reinforcements, specifically Rommel’s Panzers. After the war, General Omar Bradley gave high praise to the Airborne units. He noted, “these two superb divisions landing in full strength [were] decisive in seizing the limited egresses from Utah Beach and throwing the enemy into general confusion.”[2]
https://havokjournal.com/culture/military/american-airborne-surprise-deception/
