It was America's first stealthy aircraft.
Its nickname was Silent Wings.
The aviators who flew them during World War II
had no weapons, no parachutes, and no second chances.
They were called the flying coffins of World War Two.
Next on Marking History!
This is the historic marker for the Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base,
located here in Scotland County, North Carolina.
During World War Two, this airbase was the largest glider base in the world.
Three long 6,500-ft runways were constructed in a triangle configuration
to account for the changing wind directions.
Over 40 Army and Air Force units trained at the base by the end of the war in 1945,
including both the 82d Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions.
The most widely used American military glider during World War Two was the Waco CG-4A.
It was huge!
It could carry 13 fully equipped soldiers
or a jeep with a 4-man crew and equipment
or a 75mm howitzer plus supplies and ammunition.
These gliders were towed into the air primarily by Douglas C-47s.
They were connected by a towrope that also carried basic communications between the glider and aircraft.
So why were military gliders used during WW2?
Well, landing by parachute caused the troops to be spread over a large drop-zone
and separated from other air- dropped equipment, such as vehicles and anti-tank guns.
Gliders, on the other hand, could land troops and their support equipment
in greater concentrations precisely at the target landing area.
Furthermore, the glider, once released at some distance from the actual target,
was effectively silent and difficult for the enemy to identify.
Because the Waco CG-4A could carry heavy equipment like anti- tank guns, anti-aircraft guns,
or small vehicles such as jeeps and light tanks,
our lightly armed paratroopers became a much more capable and lethal force.
By the way, these gliders did not soar!
Think of the glider like a brick with wings!
If things were working well,
the gliders would cut loose from their tow planes at about 500 feet over their land area.
After the towline was disconnected, the pilots had about 20 seconds to decide where to land!
It was basically a planned accident!
Guess that's why these gliders acquired the nickname, the Flying Coffins!
In addition to crash landings, many glider casualties occurred from enemy anti-aircraft and machine gun fire.
During the war, 6,000 men volunteered and trained as glider pilots.
The possibility of officer's pay and the chance to fly
attracted a particular breed of risk-tolerant trainees,
and the glider pilots' maverick reputation quickly spread.
Every landing was a genuine do- or-die situation for the glider pilots.
It was their awesome responsibility to repeatedly risk their lives
by landing heavily laden engineless aircraft containing combat soldiers and equipment
in unfamiliar fields deep within enemy-held territory, sometimes in total darkness.
There were only a few instruments on these gliders.
All of these instruments had originally been manufactured for use in powered airplanes
where engine vibrations would keep the indicator needles from sticking.
The glider pilots, flying their vibrationless aircraft,
frequently tapped all their indicators to be sure they were given correct readings.
No wonder they didn't trust their instruments!
One of the more interesting concepts taught at the base was the "snatch pick-up"
which was used to retrieve undamaged gliders on the ground by C-47s flying over them.
This technique was used to bring back wounded soldiers from an open field
where a runway did not exist.
The glider would be "snatched" and pulled into the air by the tow plane.
Military gliders were used in several important operations during World War Two.
The most famous was Operation Overload, the invasion of Normandy.
Germany was well prepared for a glider invasion of Normandy.
Beach-heads were guarded by anti-aircraft guns.
And potential American landing zones were saturated with “Rommel's asparagus”
a glider-smashing network of 10-foot poles wired together with explosives.
Nasty stuff!
During the Normandy invasion it was incredibly important for radio silence.
So to decrease the likelihood of friendly fire
it was decided to apply a special marking to each glider and transport plane.
On June 6, 1944, 867 gliders crossed the English Channel
and delivered almost 4,000 airborne troops and their equipment.
Because the gliders were forced to land in small fields,
sometimes less than 400 feet in length, many of them crashed on landing,
but few of the occupants were injured and only a minimal amount of the cargo was damaged.
One of the first light tanks that emerged from these gliders
silenced a German gun-post within two minutes after landing.
That gun-post had been causing heavy casualties among our ground troops.
Overall, the Normandy glider missions were a complete success.
Glider pilots who participated in the Normandy landings
were awarded the Air Medal for their role.
Theirs were special, with a capital "G" stamped in the center.
Technically it stood for "glider,"
but they were quick to tell anyone who asked
that it really stood for "Guts."
If history can be taught with stories
they can never be forgotten.
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