My Grandfather was a Glider pilot he flew and survived “3” missions! Our family have the debrief now unclassified documents. It is so interesting to read. We have a picture of Him beside one of the gliders with OH Johnnie on the side of it. That is my Grandfathers name! What great history to be a part of.
My father as a glider pilot in WWII. It was a fascinating and very dangerous way to leap frog enemy lines and avoid the trench warfare of WWI. I have a book being released Nov 11, 2023 Suicide Jockeys: The Making of the Combat Glider Pilot. There is a lot of misconceptions about the glider. If I could just add a few corrections to this. The glider ratio was 12:1 = 12 feet of glide for one foot of descent of course this depended on may factors. In the later part of the war they did salvage the gliders and reuse them for additional missions. The tow pilot should not release the glider as the hook would come back and could fly through the plexiglass windscreen of the glider and injure or kill the occupants and force the glider pilot to fly with up to 120 mph winds in his eyes. He was not issues goggles until the end of the war and not all were. The rope could wrap around the wing and break it among other things. The glider pilot released the tow rope and there was an indicated drop spot for the tow planes to drop the dangling rope since they could not land with it attached. The General that brought in the additional armor did so without the knowledge of the glider pilots who checked that ALL loads were secured ( there were no unsecured loads) and that it was loaded correctly and evenly. All their lives depended on it. The pilot was aware immediately upon releasing from the tow plane that it was overloaded and had to figure out to land it since it wanted to drop quickly. The General and I believe his aide were the only two killed. The lashings held down the loads by the impact of hitting something could snap the lashings and the load shift. The structure was all metal tubing for the fuselage with plywood floors reinforced on the edges to support the weight of the vehicles. I really enjoyed the video - just wanted to add this.
I'm glad you mentioned there were no unsecured loads. That was obviously a mistake in the narration. There is no way the glider could be safely flown without the load unsecured.
When I was a kid, in the early 80s, I worked with Bill Horn at the Silent Wings Museum, on the Municipal Airport in Terrell TX. At the time, he had one of only 3 restored CG4As in existence. It was 95% Airworthy with exception of 5 outer Wing Ribs in the Right Wing. The Museum has since moved but, during my time there we acquired enough Wing Ribs to build almost 2 pairs of Wings and, I helped dismantling a CG4A Nose Section he had acquired for a future restoration. It's a HIGHLY VALUED and rather unique experience for a 12 and 13 year old youngster.There was also provisions made to do a Flying Recovery of these Gliders from the Field. They set up the Tow Rope on two Poles and a C46, with a Wench and a Spool/Clutch Mechanism would hook the Rope and pull them into the Air. Somewhere there's US Army Video of this Process. It was filmed by a Man sitting on top of the C47 with somebody holding his Legs from inside the removed Navigation Dome. I had the Honor, and first hand confirmation of this, FROM the Man who filmed it. It was an AMAZING STORY and quite the Operation 😳
WWII glider pilots's wings had a "G" in the center. One vet said in a documentary that the "G" actually stood for "Guts". (It did actually stand for “Glider” but I think he was making a point that flying gliders wasn’t for wimpy boys).
My grandfather was in the 325th glider infantry regiment but he enlisted late in the war so I don't think he ever rode in a glider in battle but I am sure they did during training. Had to be scary even in training. Some brave men back then and very few are left today. We owe them a lot.
One of the most dangerous aircrafts of World War II was the Waco CG-4A combat glider. These are the crafts that quietly made their way to the beaches of Normandy on D-Day with no engines and no weapons. Before they soared across the beaches of France, the gliders were tested in America, but one accident nearly stopped the whole glider program. After the gliders were constructed in St. Louis, the contractor asked the city’s mayor and a group of men from the community to test out the craft at a local airshow. In August 1943, 5,000 spectators watched as one of the glider’s wings snapped off at 2,000 feet and careened into the ground directly in front of the bandstand, killing everyone inside. It was ruled that a faulty bolt had done these men in.
The mortality rate of these gliders in WWII was almost akin to being sentenced to death row. The idea was there but the execution was deadly more times than not. Thanks for sharing
I think Waco's were used in Burma during WW2 to land supplies and take away casualties. The gliders were snatched from the ground by C47s. When Mountbatten saw this he was astounded that it actually worked!
On D-Day the gliders were dropped a few miles inland of the beaches - at night in order to create a surprise first strike and capture important strategic targets. As well as the American built CG-4A Hadrian, the British operated the even bigger Airspeed Horsa and the very much bigger Hamilcar.
In 1975, while I was training to be an Army RTO, one of the instructors shared with the class his experiences in the infantry in Europe during WWII. I recall him telling us of the time his unit advanced through an area where the Airborne had dropped a few days prior. He said that many of the gliders came down in the trees and that the treetops ripped the gliders to pieces and that there were corpses scattered through the trees. I also recall that if a solder dropped out of jump school during WWII they were assigned to the glider corp.
My father Capt. E Lee Jett, was in the unit at Wright Field Ohio that was responsible for all the proof of concept for glider borne operations. He was both a glider pilot and a tow pilot during his time st Wright Field. They perfect towing and “snatching” these gliders with all manor of aircraft, C47, C46, B-23, B-25, and I have 8mm film of him snatching on in a B-17 F. It was incredibly dangerous and many were lost in accidents and mishaps there in Ohio, but they all did their duty. These were incredible men, all!
That was fun :) Nice museum. Its a steel frame not aluminum. Its not canvas, its doped aircraft fabric. The skids were used to help it stop quickly and safely. Other than the one that failed during the demonstration due to a faulty manufacturer, they were quite safe flying. Crash landing in a dangerous area was a different story. It glided quite well at 12:1. If it was dropped from 9,000 feet, it could have made 20 miles.
My father was a test pilot in WWII at Wilmington, Ohio with the army air core. The biggest problem I had with the glider was CG. Once they got the CG down. The glider was an awesome machine. There is an excellent book out called the silent wings and it’s all about the walker glider.
In the New Guinea highlands in 1945, 3 Waco CG4 gliders were used to rescue the 3 survivors of a C-47 Dakota. The gliders each landed, loaded s survivor and then set-up two poles about 30 feet high, with a tow rope looped between them and hooked-up to the glider. Then a C-47 flew low overhead, trailing a pole with a large hook on the end - which snared the loop and hauled the glider off the ground, for a tow to an Allied airfield. See the newsreel story “Rescue from Shangri-La”. (Kym in Darwin, Australia)
That is a great story! You can find artifacts and fabric from that very aircraft and mission at the Silent Wings Museum (old training base for glider pilots) in Lubbock, Texas.
There is no way that the loads, such as jeeps, were unsecured. Any maneuvering the glider did would have shifted the load fairly immediately making the aircraft unflyable in short order.
My mother remarried. The gentleman was a glider pilot in WW2. He had a buddy who worked in the armory at one period during his service. They used to shoot for beers using a 30-40 Krag. He said they were well matched and they each took turns buying beers. After he passed mom asked if i wanted the gun. Of course i said yes. I was surprised when she handed me a tanker type holster with a pistol wrapped in a plastic bag. I feared the worst rust-wise. However i found a perfect 1911. 1943 issue. Of course i have it still. I ended up building competition 1911's for a part of my life. Life is amazing.
It may have been the longest distance that a glider stayed on tow, However the longest glider flight is 3,008 KM by Klaus Ohlmann in 2003 while flying “mountain wave” in South America.
My father, PFC James E. Tennison, flew missions in these. He was with the 550th Airborne Infantry battalion. He and his buddies were quite nervous on each mission. The Germans would place poles in fields to prevent gliders from landing. While talking to a buddy sitting next to him during once such mission, he simply stopped talking. A bullet came through the fabric and took him out instantly. Dad feared each mission after that. Took guts to enter a plane knowing that each landing would be a crash landing. He took a hit on a rough landing that broke 3 ribs and injured discs in his back. The 550th took part in the capture of Franz Von Papen. As spoils of war, dad took 4 silver wine goblets from Von Papen's table at his home where he was taken prisoner. Those goblets are still in the family. These were the bravest of the brave. We have documented his story and my sister typed it up years ago. Dad's mind began to diminish in later years. He passed on February 8th, 2018 just before his 97th birthday.
My father, Lt Paul Barker Johnson, led one of four US communications teams assigned to each of the 1st British Airborne Division Battalions. I believe he landed at Arnhem in a CG-4 glider which held a Jeep with radio gear and his team of two or three men. I do not know which battalion he was assigned to, but he was a first lieutenant in charge of this radio or communications team. There was a Captain at First British Airborne Division HQ in command of all four teams. I believe the team and Jeep were safely landed and the Jeep driven out of the glider, but the men soon learned the radio was inoperative due to some problems with “crystals” in the radio gear.
Interesting. My uncle took his last ride in one of these on 03-24-45 during Operation Varsity. He was a member of the 17th AB. His glider landed safely but unfortunately it landed by a German MG nest. I'm only an hour away from Fagen Fighters and am planning to visit this summer to see the Waco in person.
Great story, thanks for sharing. Fagen’s Fighters is an incredible museum and definitely worth the trip. Plan to spend the day because there’s so much to see! Thank for watching and God Bless your Uncle for his service to our country!
The "Step" referred to at the front was to allow someone on the ground to stand on & attach the tow cable to the roof of the glider. When the glider was parked on the runway the attachment for the tow cable was simply too high to reach & check the locked cable, if you look back to WW2 footage of the time you will see them using the step.
The original TO&E of fhe Airborne Divisions had two glider infantry regiments and only one parachute infantry regiment. it was thought that having the preponderance of troops delivered by glider was preferable because the troops could be delivered largely intact and with their equipment. Parachute drops on the other hand often resulted in scattered forces. The later TO&E for the Abn divisions would later include up to three parachute infantry regiments and one glider infantry regiment.
Maximum speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn) CAS[N 1] at 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg) 128 mph (206 km/h) CAS/135 mph (217 km/h) IAS at 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) Cruise speed: 73 mph (117 km/h, 63 kn) IAS [N 2] Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h, 43 kn) [N 3] with design load 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg) Never exceed speed: 150 mph (241 km/h, 130 kn) IAS [N 4] Maximum glide ratio: 12:1[45] Wing loading: 8.33 lb/sq ft (40.7 kg/m2) Rate of sink: About 400 ft/min (2 m/s) at tactical glide speed (IAS 60 mph; 97 km/h) Landing run: 600-800 feet (180-240 m) for normal three-point landing; "Landing rolls of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 910 m) are to be expected at the higher emergency gross weights.
The fabric was called doped fabric. It was a fairy it was doped, saturated, with a lacquer that gave it some rigidity the same technology used an early biplanes.
My Uncle trained as a Glider Paratrooper. After training in them he said they are too dangerous. So volunteered full Airborne . Became member of 11th ABN DIV. which fought in the Philippines'.
Evan’s Dad was the first off his landing craft at 6:30 am on June 6th, D-Day. There is a great landing craft display at museum with real sand from Utah beach. Do more videos from this location.
German paratroopers, silently landing in gliders, attacked the mighty fort Eben Emael near Liège, Belgium on May 10th, 1940, the first day of the invasion of Belgium. After a fierce fight, the defenders finally capitulated due to lack of ammo in the nearly destroyed fort. The German soldiers rendered military honnor to the Belgians when they walked out. I believe that this was the first successful use of gliders during WWII.
Recently read something in a book about these machines. Can you imagine the guts of the guys who flew in these? I'm from the UK, and we had transport gliders which were almost entirely wood-framed, and probably more primitive (and dangerous) than the Waco. Fascinating video!
Hey thanks for sharing. Yes those were daring men indeed. With the reputation of crashes, it’s hard to imagine anyone willingly boarding one of these for any mission. It’s an intriguing piece of history and we just had to share it with our viewers. Thanks for watching
@@TwoGuysandaRide If you want to see the British equivalent, look up the Airspeed Horsa - that's the one I referred to. Daring seems the right word to sum up those men, whichever country they flew for .
@@iana6713 The Horsa and the bigger Hamilcar glider were certainly even more complicated. Made out of birch plywood (B-grade!), they used compressed air to operate the flaps and were able to brake each wheel seperately thus they could steer the glider when it landed. They carried a battery for interior lights and a landing lamp, not to be used on a operation, officialy. British glider pilots with experience on both gliders most liked them both. In military vieuw the Horsa could transport twice the load of the Waco glider, needed only 2 pilots, The waco should be flown with 2 pilots but the Americans lacked enough pilots and on a few operation only 1 pilot was available. They would givea passengers a "crash" course on flying and probably both said a silent prayer. Many of the American gliderpilots seemed to have like the Horsa. But an American general did an after action report after Normandy that destroyed the Horsa more than the Germans managed to do.
The Mosquito Museum at Salisbury Hall near St Albans in Hertfordshire England has some interesting exhibits and the people there are very helpful and knowledgeable.
The government intended these to be re-used several times in combat drops and took measures to try to expedite the return, repair and re-deployment of gliders. The high command was very disappointed that the airborne did not take better care of them after they were issued and used once. That is somewhat understandable since the cost to the Army of the CG-4 was just over $25,000. Compare that with the wartime cost of a P-51 Mustang at about $50,000 which was all-metal, armed with 6X .50 Cal. MG and had the Packard/Merlin V-12 supercharged engine. Everyone knows what a Mustang sells for today; after the war the government was selling CG-4s unassembled new in the five crates shown in the background of this video for a few hundred dollars at surplus auctions. I think it is an open question whether it would have been a less scandalous waste of men's lives to have simply clipped a dozen soldiers to the skirts of a hot-air balloon and let the wind carry them in the direction of their objective.
Actually sometimes they sold for a lot less surplus. My dad told me after WWII, there were a lot of them at the Belle Meade NJ Army Depot. Apparently they hadn’t been shipped to Europe, and they weren’t needed for the invasion of Japan. The Depot was selling them for twenty five dollars. The local dairy and poultry farmers were going crazy buying them. Not for the glider. But for the wooden deck cargo crate they were shipped in. The crate had more than twenty five bucks of lumber in it at 1945 prices. So they bought them for the crate, took the glider out and threw it away. Although I bet the typical New Jersey farmer of the period did strip the glider of anything he thought he could use before he threw it out.
@@keithalaird For many years there were a set of Glider wings at a farm south of Elmira, NY. They were set to the back of the barn on edge and used to contain livestock or something like that. They were there Until sometime in the 90's I think. In 1995 I toured the CG4 glider museum outside Terrell Tx. There were still ww2 pilots and crew that were docents. Fascinating to talk to. I'm sure they are long gone now. i see the museam is now in Lubbock, TX
While the gliders were vulnerable and the missions were high-risk, the benefits of their use often outweighed the losses incurred. The successful capture of key objectives, such as bridges and strategic points, demonstrated their effectiveness.
Not just gliders with unsecured loads , A US DC4 crashed in the British Peak District making a good landing but the jeep in the back shot forwards killing all the crew .
A question. I understand that the operational justification for the gliders was to land the troops and the equipment in roughly the same spot. Parachute troops and equipment drops often did not land in a proximate location. Is this true?
I is very true! Parachute troops naturally disperse during their descent, sometimes over a great area, and might get lost and captured by the enemy. Inside the glider, the troops of course remain together.
Correct. Glider troops were specifically chosen to seize and hold the bridges on the Orne as this was a coup de main operation where the whole force had to be delivered all at once close to specific, mission-critical targets. One came to a halt only 47 yards away from the bridge that was subsequently named Pegasus Bridge.
The guy was a bit vague - steel framed and birch ply , spruce and canvas were the construction , interesting to note that one couldn’t be certified to fly today , just too ‘un- plane like’!
Yeah, a step, to keep someone off the no-step regions. It would of bent back on landing, so no big deal. Oddly enough though, these were so involved and expensive to manufacturer and time was at a premium, they had a team that went around to collect these gliders after the landings and repair them or send them back to be repaired and reused again.... because the war was still not over.
I wish that a new bulided CG-4A glider could be created with a try-cycle fixed landing gear with double tire nose gear and be towed up again to the sky this time with the LOCKHEED C-130 HERCULES
@@TwoGuysandaRide Yes, inland of the beaches at Normandy the Germans flooded hundreds of acres of farmland as a deterance to glider and parachute asaults.
Good question, I’m guessing there was nothing strong enough in the glider to actually hold a jeep, or piece of artillery etc in such a fashion it wouldn’t move. Thanks for watching!
For the same reason the parachute troops were released prematurely and at higher than planned airspeeds.-enemy flak caused havoc. Many of these gliders came in “hot” and crashed into embankments and hedge rows. The sudden stop and momentum caused ties downs to break loose with the loads coming forward
Considerable doubt about survivability, release height & range after release. Well I saw last night a US government war time documentary. Apparently there was ongoing experimentation concerning the details of "mods". Release in some cases as low as 400 ft at speed of about 120 ml/hr. Overall about 75% made it. The problems were numerous: flooded fields, staked fields & of course short uneven fields. At least one (larger) design could carry field guns.
They were Air Commandos. Staff Sgt. Paul Roberts, 317 T.C. SQ. was a quiet humble man who wouldn't speak of any of this until his mid 70's. Their mission was to crash land in at night and kill the enemy. Then crank up the mini-dozer to build a runway for others. He carried a Thompson SMG and a Colt 1911 and in the glider 1000 rounds of ammo and a case of grenades. Not mentioned in the vid, 7, 55 gallon drums of fuel. When he had a jeep he also had 7 soldiers. The first plane down had to light a kerosene lantern and wave it for the next glider to aim for and then repeat till all were down. Many times lantern man would do his best to get the fuselage of the next glider between two trees to save the occupants. Several pilots and co-pilots were killed just swinging that lantern. I visited a museum with him in New Mexico I think, and a display there listed the Air Commandos as having the highest casualty rate of all Armed Services in WWII. He said "I'm not surprised" May God bless our soldiers!
As President Reagan said at the D Day remembrance, "where do we find such men..." Thanks for sharing and we appreciate you watching. God Bless our Troops indeed!
yeah. I really don’t think there was even anything strong enough in the aircraft to actually hold a jeep or something in place in the event of a crash. Thanks for the comment and for watching!
@@TwoGuysandaRide Hi The British HORSA gliders were far superior to the Waco ,the Horsa was made from plywood by a furniture maker who knew about the wood and glue, Tie down points were through out to lash down Jeeps, soldiers, guns anything that would move and a proper wheeled under carrige , one Horsa was tested , It flew 79 take offs and landings ,after Operation Market garden Many of the Horsa's were towed back to England and used again . Cheers
There is a video on UA-cam that shows the recovery efforts after Normandy and Market Garden. Many gliders were lost but many were also recovered to fly another day
Maximum speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn) CAS[N 1] at 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg) 128 mph (206 km/h) CAS/135 mph (217 km/h) IAS at 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) Cruise speed: 73 mph (117 km/h, 63 kn) IAS [N 2] Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h, 43 kn) [N 3] with design load 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg) Never exceed speed: 150 mph (241 km/h, 130 kn) IAS [N 4] Maximum glide ratio: 12:1[45] Wing loading: 8.33 lb/sq ft (40.7 kg/m2) Rate of sink: About 400 ft/min (2 m/s) at tactical glide speed (IAS 60 mph; 97 km/h) Landing run: 600-800 feet (180-240 m) for normal three-point landing; "Landing rolls of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 910 m) are to be expected at the higher emergency gross weights.
My Grandfather was a Glider pilot he flew and survived “3” missions!
Our family have the debrief now unclassified documents. It is so interesting to read.
We have a picture of Him beside one of the gliders with OH Johnnie on the side of it. That is my Grandfathers name! What great history to be a part of.
Wow, such an awesome story and history especially considering most of these gliders were death traps! Thanks for sharing
Impressive!
Did he happen to get a ride from Verdun on a train with 50 or so others at dawn to go get more gliders?
My father as a glider pilot in WWII. It was a fascinating and very dangerous way to leap frog enemy lines and avoid the trench warfare of WWI. I have a book being released Nov 11, 2023 Suicide Jockeys: The Making of the Combat Glider Pilot. There is a lot of misconceptions about the glider. If I could just add a few corrections to this.
The glider ratio was 12:1 = 12 feet of glide for one foot of descent of course this depended on may factors. In the later part of the war they did salvage the gliders and reuse them for additional missions.
The tow pilot should not release the glider as the hook would come back and could fly through the plexiglass windscreen of the glider and injure or kill the occupants and force the glider pilot to fly with up to 120 mph winds in his eyes. He was not issues goggles until the end of the war and not all were. The rope could wrap around the wing and break it among other things. The glider pilot released the tow rope and there was an indicated drop spot for the tow planes to drop the dangling rope since they could not land with it attached.
The General that brought in the additional armor did so without the knowledge of the glider pilots who checked that ALL loads were secured ( there were no unsecured loads) and that it was loaded correctly and evenly. All their lives depended on it. The pilot was aware immediately upon releasing from the tow plane that it was overloaded and had to figure out to land it since it wanted to drop quickly. The General and I believe his aide were the only two killed.
The lashings held down the loads by the impact of hitting something could snap the lashings and the load shift.
The structure was all metal tubing for the fuselage with plywood floors reinforced on the edges to support the weight of the vehicles.
I really enjoyed the video - just wanted to add this.
Wow! Great history! It’s amazing to hear the stories of these aircraft and we appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
I'm glad you mentioned there were no unsecured loads. That was obviously a mistake in the narration. There is no way the glider could be safely flown without the load unsecured.
When I was a kid, in the early 80s, I worked with Bill Horn at the Silent Wings Museum, on the Municipal Airport in Terrell TX. At the time, he had one of only 3 restored CG4As in existence. It was 95% Airworthy with exception of 5 outer Wing Ribs in the Right Wing. The Museum has since moved but, during my time there we acquired enough Wing Ribs to build almost 2 pairs of Wings and, I helped dismantling a CG4A Nose Section he had acquired for a future restoration. It's a HIGHLY VALUED and rather unique experience for a 12 and 13 year old youngster.There was also provisions made to do a Flying Recovery of these Gliders from the Field. They set up the Tow Rope on two Poles and a C46, with a Wench and a Spool/Clutch Mechanism would hook the Rope and pull them into the Air. Somewhere there's US Army Video of this Process. It was filmed by a Man sitting on top of the C47 with somebody holding his Legs from inside the removed Navigation Dome. I had the Honor, and first hand confirmation of this, FROM the Man who filmed it. It was an AMAZING STORY and quite the Operation 😳
Wow, thanks for sharing and for watching!
WWII glider pilots's wings had a "G" in the center. One vet said in a documentary that the "G" actually stood for "Guts". (It did actually stand for “Glider” but I think he was making a point that flying gliders wasn’t for wimpy boys).
Did not know that, thanks for sharing and for watching!
My grandfather was in the 325th glider infantry regiment but he enlisted late in the war so I don't think he ever rode in a glider in battle but I am sure they did during training. Had to be scary even in training. Some brave men back then and very few are left today. We owe them a lot.
Agreed 1000%! Thanks to your grandfather for serving!!!!
One of the most dangerous aircrafts of World War II was the Waco CG-4A combat glider. These are the crafts that quietly made their way to the beaches of Normandy on D-Day with no engines and no weapons. Before they soared across the beaches of France, the gliders were tested in America, but one accident nearly stopped the whole glider program. After the gliders were constructed in St. Louis, the contractor asked the city’s mayor and a group of men from the community to test out the craft at a local airshow. In August 1943, 5,000 spectators watched as one of the glider’s wings snapped off at 2,000 feet and careened into the ground directly in front of the bandstand, killing everyone inside. It was ruled that a faulty bolt had done these men in.
The mortality rate of these gliders in WWII was almost akin to being sentenced to death row. The idea was there but the execution was deadly more times than not. Thanks for sharing
I heard it was a wing attaching bracket of 1/16th sheetmetal instead of ¼" steel that broke . And i thoght the mayor and company owners were onboard
I think Waco's were used in Burma during WW2 to land supplies and take away casualties. The gliders were snatched from the ground by C47s. When Mountbatten saw this he was astounded that it actually worked!
On D-Day the gliders were dropped a few miles inland of the beaches - at night in order to create a surprise first strike and capture important strategic targets. As well as the American built CG-4A Hadrian, the British operated the even bigger Airspeed Horsa and the very much bigger Hamilcar.
The plural of aircraft is aircraft. No s added at the end, the same holds true for the word craft.
In 1975, while I was training to be an Army RTO, one of the instructors shared with the class his experiences in the infantry in Europe during WWII. I recall him telling us of the time his unit advanced through an area where the Airborne had dropped a few days prior. He said that many of the gliders came down in the trees and that the treetops ripped the gliders to pieces and that there were corpses scattered through the trees. I also recall that if a solder dropped out of jump school during WWII they were assigned to the glider corp.
Yikes! Tough reassignment!!! Thanks for sharing
My father Capt. E Lee Jett, was in the unit at Wright Field Ohio that was responsible for all the proof of concept for glider borne operations. He was both a glider pilot and a tow pilot during his time st Wright Field. They perfect towing and “snatching” these gliders with all manor of aircraft, C47, C46, B-23, B-25, and I have 8mm film of him snatching on in a B-17 F. It was incredibly dangerous and many were lost in accidents and mishaps there in Ohio, but they all did their duty. These were incredible men, all!
Wow! Thank you to your father for his service and bravery! And thanks for sharing and for watching !
Thank you! Happy Independence Day!
Incidentally, great book on that entire unit is one written by Charles L. Day called “Silent Ones, WWII Invasion Glider Test and Experiment”
That was fun :) Nice museum. Its a steel frame not aluminum. Its not canvas, its doped aircraft fabric. The skids were used to help it stop quickly and safely. Other than the one that failed during the demonstration due to a faulty manufacturer, they were quite safe flying. Crash landing in a dangerous area was a different story. It glided quite well at 12:1. If it was dropped from 9,000 feet, it could have made 20 miles.
Thanks for watching
CG is Center of Gravity (the balance point of an aircraft). Thanks for the acronym by the way!
Thanks for watching
My father was a test pilot in WWII at Wilmington, Ohio with the army air core. The biggest problem I had with the glider was CG. Once they got the CG down. The glider was an awesome machine. There is an excellent book out called the silent wings and it’s all about the walker glider.
Thanks for sharing and for watching!
In the New Guinea highlands in 1945, 3 Waco CG4 gliders were used to rescue the 3 survivors of a C-47 Dakota. The gliders each landed, loaded s survivor and then set-up two poles about 30 feet high, with a tow rope looped between them and hooked-up to the glider. Then a C-47 flew low overhead, trailing a pole with a large hook on the end - which snared the loop and hauled the glider off the ground, for a tow to an Allied airfield. See the newsreel story “Rescue from Shangri-La”. (Kym in Darwin, Australia)
Wow that’s something! Thanks for sharing and for watching!
That is a great story! You can find artifacts and fabric from that very aircraft and mission at the Silent Wings Museum (old training base for glider pilots) in Lubbock, Texas.
If armor plating would shift the CG enough to make one of these unflyable, just imagine an unsecured Jeep lol. Pure madness
No kidding, thanks for watching!
There is no way that the loads, such as jeeps, were unsecured. Any maneuvering the glider did would have shifted the load fairly immediately making the aircraft unflyable in short order.
My mother remarried. The gentleman was a glider pilot in WW2.
He had a buddy who worked in the armory at one period during his service. They used to shoot for beers using a 30-40 Krag. He said they were well matched and they each took turns buying beers.
After he passed mom asked if i wanted the gun. Of course i said yes.
I was surprised when she handed me a tanker type holster with a pistol wrapped in a plastic bag. I feared the worst rust-wise. However i found a perfect 1911. 1943 issue. Of course i have it still. I ended up building competition 1911's for a part of my life. Life is amazing.
Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Mark Felton has an episode about one of these being towed across the Atlantic Ocean. Still the longest Glider flight in history.
Awesome. Will check it out
It may have been the longest distance that a glider stayed on tow, However the longest glider flight is 3,008 KM by Klaus Ohlmann in 2003 while flying “mountain wave” in South America.
@@alanaldpal950 Wow!
An absolutely great museum.
It is indeed
My father, PFC James E. Tennison, flew missions in these. He was with the 550th Airborne Infantry battalion. He and his buddies were quite nervous on each mission. The Germans would place poles in fields to prevent gliders from landing. While talking to a buddy sitting next to him during once such mission, he simply stopped talking. A bullet came through the fabric and took him out instantly. Dad feared each mission after that. Took guts to enter a plane knowing that each landing would be a crash landing. He took a hit on a rough landing that broke 3 ribs and injured discs in his back. The 550th took part in the capture of Franz Von Papen. As spoils of war, dad took 4 silver wine goblets from Von Papen's table at his home where he was taken prisoner. Those goblets are still in the family. These were the bravest of the brave. We have documented his story and my sister typed it up years ago. Dad's mind began to diminish in later years. He passed on February 8th, 2018 just before his 97th birthday.
Wow, thanks for sharing, and thanks for your father’s service! Thanks for watching!
My father, Lt Paul Barker Johnson, led one of four US communications teams assigned to each of the 1st British Airborne Division Battalions. I believe he landed at Arnhem in a CG-4 glider which held a Jeep with radio gear and his team of two or three men. I do not know which battalion he was assigned to, but he was a first lieutenant in charge of this radio or communications team. There was a Captain at First British Airborne Division HQ in command of all four teams.
I believe the team and Jeep were safely landed and the Jeep driven out of the glider, but the men soon learned the radio was inoperative due to some problems with “crystals” in the radio gear.
Thanks for sharing this, appreciate hearing real stories of the brave men and women who flew in these. Thanks for watching!
according to Cornelius Ryan the problem with the crystals was they were the wrong frequency.
Interesting. My uncle took his last ride in one of these on 03-24-45 during Operation Varsity. He was a member of the 17th AB. His glider landed safely but unfortunately it landed by a German MG nest. I'm only an hour away from Fagen Fighters and am planning to visit this summer to see the Waco in person.
Great story, thanks for sharing. Fagen’s Fighters is an incredible museum and definitely worth the trip. Plan to spend the day because there’s so much to see! Thank for watching and God Bless your Uncle for his service to our country!
The "Step" referred to at the front was to allow someone on the ground to stand on & attach the tow cable to
the roof of the glider. When the glider was parked on the runway the attachment for the tow cable was simply
too high to reach & check the locked cable, if you look back to WW2 footage of the time you will see them using
the step.
Thanks for adding that and thanks for watching!
This looks like an excellent way to get a lot troops into area quietly.
It was, but unfortunately it was a death trap too
The original TO&E of fhe Airborne Divisions had two glider infantry regiments and only one parachute infantry regiment. it was thought that having the preponderance of troops delivered by glider was preferable because the troops could be delivered largely intact and with their equipment. Parachute drops on the other hand often resulted in scattered forces. The later TO&E for the Abn divisions would later include up to three parachute infantry regiments and one glider infantry regiment.
They were usually released at 500 feet. It was a controlled crash rather than a glide.
Thanks for adding that info and thanks for watching!
My dad was a WWII Glider Pilot. I still have his uniform with the wings with the G in the middle.
Wow, from what we’ve learned there weren’t very many survivors of this aircraft. Thanks for sharing and we honor your dad for his service.
My grandfather was a glider pilot 316th troop carrier group 37 squadron.
@@jacklow8590 we appreciate his service! Thanks for watching
So was my Dad a glider pilot during WWII. On D-DAY he flew with the 82nd Airborne.
My Grandfather was a glider pilot. Crashed one and survived!
Wow! Glad he lived
After the war, many people bought surplus CG4’s for crates they came in. They were perfect for farmers to use as animal shelters and cheap!
Interesting! Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Maximum speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn) CAS[N 1] at 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg)
128 mph (206 km/h) CAS/135 mph (217 km/h) IAS at 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg)
Cruise speed: 73 mph (117 km/h, 63 kn) IAS [N 2]
Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h, 43 kn) [N 3] with design load 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg)
Never exceed speed: 150 mph (241 km/h, 130 kn) IAS [N 4]
Maximum glide ratio: 12:1[45]
Wing loading: 8.33 lb/sq ft (40.7 kg/m2)
Rate of sink: About 400 ft/min (2 m/s) at tactical glide speed (IAS 60 mph; 97 km/h)
Landing run: 600-800 feet (180-240 m) for normal three-point landing; "Landing rolls of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 910 m) are to be expected at the higher emergency gross weights.
Thanks for the detailed information
The fabric was called doped fabric. It was a fairy it was doped, saturated, with a lacquer that gave it some rigidity the same technology used an early biplanes.
Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Nice museum!
Yes it was!
My Uncle trained as a Glider Paratrooper. After training in them he said they are too dangerous. So volunteered full Airborne . Became member of 11th ABN DIV. which fought in the Philippines'.
Thanks for sharing and thanks to your uncle for his service. Thanks for watching!
Evan’s Dad was the first off his landing craft at 6:30 am on June 6th, D-Day. There is a great landing craft display at museum with real sand from Utah beach. Do more videos from this location.
We saw the landing craft display and I touched the sand. We do have more videos from this museum on our channel
German paratroopers, silently landing in gliders, attacked the mighty fort Eben Emael near Liège, Belgium on May 10th, 1940, the first day of the invasion of Belgium. After a fierce fight, the defenders finally capitulated due to lack of ammo in the nearly destroyed fort. The German soldiers rendered military honnor to the Belgians when they walked out. I believe that this was the first successful use of gliders during WWII.
Wow, awesome story thanks for sharing
Recently read something in a book about these machines. Can you imagine the guts of the guys who flew in these? I'm from the UK, and we had transport gliders which were almost entirely wood-framed, and probably more primitive (and dangerous) than the Waco. Fascinating video!
Hey thanks for sharing. Yes those were daring men indeed. With the reputation of crashes, it’s hard to imagine anyone willingly boarding one of these for any mission. It’s an intriguing piece of history and we just had to share it with our viewers. Thanks for watching
@@TwoGuysandaRide If you want to see the British equivalent, look up the Airspeed Horsa - that's the one I referred to. Daring seems the right word to sum up those men, whichever country they flew for .
@@iana6713 We'll do that. Thanks for the info!
@@iana6713 The Horsa and the bigger Hamilcar glider were certainly even more complicated. Made out of birch plywood (B-grade!), they used compressed air to operate the flaps and were able to brake each wheel seperately thus they could steer the glider when it landed. They carried a battery for interior lights and a landing lamp, not to be used on a operation, officialy. British glider pilots with experience on both gliders most liked them both. In military vieuw the Horsa could transport twice the load of the Waco glider, needed only 2 pilots, The waco should be flown with 2 pilots but the Americans lacked enough pilots and on a few operation only 1 pilot was available. They would givea passengers a "crash" course on flying and probably both said a silent prayer. Many of the American gliderpilots seemed to have like the Horsa. But an American general did an after action report after Normandy that destroyed the Horsa more than the Germans managed to do.
The Mosquito Museum at Salisbury Hall near St Albans in Hertfordshire England has some interesting exhibits and the people there are very helpful and knowledgeable.
The government intended these to be re-used several times in combat drops and took measures to try to expedite the return, repair and re-deployment of gliders. The high command was very disappointed that the airborne did not take better care of them after they were issued and used once.
That is somewhat understandable since the cost to the Army of the CG-4 was just over $25,000. Compare that with the wartime
cost of a P-51 Mustang at about $50,000 which was all-metal, armed with 6X .50 Cal. MG and had the Packard/Merlin V-12 supercharged engine.
Everyone knows what a Mustang sells for today; after the war the government was selling CG-4s unassembled new in the five crates shown in the background of this video for a few hundred dollars at surplus auctions.
I think it is an open question whether it would have been a less scandalous waste of men's lives to have simply clipped a dozen soldiers to the skirts of a hot-air balloon and let the wind carry them in the direction of their objective.
Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Actually sometimes they sold for a lot less surplus. My dad told me after WWII, there were a lot of them at the Belle Meade NJ Army Depot. Apparently they hadn’t been shipped to Europe, and they weren’t needed for the invasion of Japan. The Depot was selling them for twenty five dollars. The local dairy and poultry farmers were going crazy buying them. Not for the glider. But for the wooden deck cargo crate they were shipped in. The crate had more than twenty five bucks of lumber in it at 1945 prices. So they bought them for the crate, took the glider out and threw it away. Although I bet the typical New Jersey farmer of the period did strip the glider of anything he thought he could use before he threw it out.
@@keithalaird For many years there were a set of Glider wings at a farm south of Elmira, NY. They were set to the back of the barn on edge and used to contain livestock or something like that. They were there Until sometime in the 90's I think. In 1995 I toured the CG4 glider museum outside Terrell Tx. There were still ww2 pilots and crew that were docents. Fascinating to talk to. I'm sure they are long gone now. i see the museam is now in Lubbock, TX
While the gliders were vulnerable and the missions were high-risk, the benefits of their use often outweighed the losses incurred. The successful capture of key objectives, such as bridges and strategic points, demonstrated their effectiveness.
They certainly had a strategic purpose. Thanks for watching!
Not just gliders with unsecured loads , A US DC4 crashed in the British Peak District making a good landing but the jeep in the back shot forwards killing all the crew .
Thanks for sharing
Not related to the aircraft, but I love the checker's board floor; you don't see that everyday!
Yeah I like that look too
Thats the building floor
It was claimed that the CG-4 had the glide angle of a crowbar. Thanks, I liked seeing the guts of the Waco.
I can believe that! Thanks for watching!
Read the previous posts !
A question. I understand that the operational justification for the gliders was to land the troops and the equipment in roughly the same spot. Parachute troops and equipment drops often did not land in a proximate location. Is this true?
We’re not sure. Hopefully one of our viewers can help out
I is very true! Parachute troops naturally disperse during their descent, sometimes over a great area, and might get lost and captured by the enemy. Inside the glider, the troops of course remain together.
Correct. Glider troops were specifically chosen to seize and hold the bridges on the Orne as this was a coup de main operation where the whole force had to be delivered all at once close to specific, mission-critical targets. One came to a halt only 47 yards away from the bridge that was subsequently named Pegasus Bridge.
The guy was a bit vague - steel framed and birch ply , spruce and canvas were the construction , interesting to note that one couldn’t be certified to fly today , just too ‘un- plane like’!
Thanks for watching
I don't think that's a grab handle, but a step to reach the rope attachment.
Thanks for the update. Thanks for watching
Yeah, a step, to keep someone off the no-step regions.
It would of bent back on landing, so no big deal.
Oddly enough though, these were so involved and expensive to manufacturer and time was at a premium, they had a team that went around to collect these gliders after the landings and repair them or send them back to be repaired and reused again.... because the war was still not over.
I wish that a new bulided CG-4A glider could be created with a try-cycle fixed landing gear with double tire nose gear and be towed up again to the sky this time with the LOCKHEED C-130 HERCULES
That’d be interesting. Thanks for watching
I can imagine one of these converter into an air sled!
Possibly, but the mortality rate for troops using this was pretty high
I heard germans spiked the fields with posts and poles to make landing a glider impossibly deadly . You say flooding too?
Wow, we didn’t know that
@@TwoGuysandaRide Yes, inland of the beaches at Normandy the Germans flooded hundreds of acres of farmland as a deterance to glider and parachute asaults.
I checked this out because I saw the ten people who died in one in st Louis in 43'
Thanks for watching!
Flying one would be a heck of a lot of fun, but only empty and not with a jeep behind you.
We couldn’t agree more
12:1 glide ratio, better than my motor glider.
My Dad was almost crushed when the jeep in the back of his glider on D-DAY came forward after crash landing.
We understand that was a common place occurrence
My uncle watched a Jeep plow through the front of the glider on a rough landing, killing the pilots.
Kind of scary.
Why didn't they secure the loads? It would have been horrendous crashing in one of these things.
Good question, I’m guessing there was nothing strong enough in the glider to actually hold a jeep, or piece of artillery etc in such a fashion it wouldn’t move. Thanks for watching!
For the same reason the parachute troops were released prematurely and at higher than planned airspeeds.-enemy flak caused havoc. Many of these gliders came in “hot” and crashed into embankments and hedge rows. The sudden stop and momentum caused ties downs to break loose with the loads coming forward
Considerable doubt about survivability, release height & range after release. Well I saw last night a US government war time documentary. Apparently there was ongoing experimentation concerning the details of "mods". Release in some cases as low as 400 ft at speed of about 120 ml/hr. Overall about 75% made it. The problems were numerous: flooded fields, staked fields & of course short uneven fields. At least one (larger) design could carry field guns.
Definitely a flying or crashing if you will death trap.
What museum is this?
Fagen fighters WWII Museum. You can see their info in the description below the video. Awesome place to visit! Thanks for watching!
That looks like something WIGGY built in his shed.
Thanks for watching!
They were Air Commandos. Staff Sgt. Paul Roberts, 317 T.C. SQ. was a quiet humble man who wouldn't speak of any of this until his mid 70's. Their mission was to crash land in at night and kill the enemy. Then crank up the mini-dozer to build a runway for others. He carried a Thompson SMG and a Colt 1911 and in the glider 1000 rounds of ammo and a case of grenades. Not mentioned in the vid, 7, 55 gallon drums of fuel. When he had a jeep he also had 7 soldiers. The first plane down had to light a kerosene lantern and wave it for the next glider to aim for and then repeat till all were down. Many times lantern man would do his best to get the fuselage of the next glider between two trees to save the occupants. Several pilots and co-pilots were killed just swinging that lantern. I visited a museum with him in New Mexico I think, and a display there listed the Air Commandos as having the highest casualty rate of all Armed Services in WWII. He said "I'm not surprised" May God bless our soldiers!
As President Reagan said at the D Day remembrance, "where do we find such men..." Thanks for sharing and we appreciate you watching. God Bless our Troops indeed!
The glide ratio was 12:1
Thanks for adding that info, and thanks for watching!
So nothing was strapped in !!!!!! WHAT AN OVERSIGHT.
yeah. I really don’t think there was even anything strong enough in the aircraft to actually hold a jeep or something in place in the event of a crash. Thanks for the comment and for watching!
@@TwoGuysandaRide Hi The British HORSA gliders were far superior to the Waco ,the Horsa was made from plywood by a furniture maker who knew about the wood and glue, Tie down points were through out to lash down Jeeps, soldiers, guns anything that would move and a proper wheeled under carrige , one Horsa was tested , It flew 79 take offs and landings ,after Operation Market garden Many of the Horsa's were towed back to England and used again . Cheers
@@ramseybarber8312 thanks for sharing and for watching!
@@lelandnanny967 unfortunately they did fall out, sometimes even while in the air while under combat conditions and sometimes when they crashed.
@@lelandnanny967 gotcha, thanks for sharing!
Okmulgee Oklahoma glider school ww2.
You?
Was 3/325 76 to79 b co .would have loved to talk to your grandpa . M. B.
Thanks for the info
These cost $15,000 in WW2. They were not one time use. They were recovered and reused.
Many were one time use as they crashed and killed the troops onboard
You could say that about a lot of planes. Life expectancy for most combat aircraft in WW2 was about 5-10 hours.
@@jonbutzfiscina1307 Yes for COMBAT aircraft but this was not a compact craft. It was for deploying troops behind the lines
There is a video on UA-cam that shows the recovery efforts after Normandy and Market Garden. Many gliders were lost but many were also recovered to fly another day
Warren G hill glider pilot 316th troop carrier group,RIP.
RIP! Thank you
Plywood coffin
It was for many. Thanks for watching!
Maximum speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn) CAS[N 1] at 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg)
128 mph (206 km/h) CAS/135 mph (217 km/h) IAS at 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg)
Cruise speed: 73 mph (117 km/h, 63 kn) IAS [N 2]
Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h, 43 kn) [N 3] with design load 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg)
Never exceed speed: 150 mph (241 km/h, 130 kn) IAS [N 4]
Maximum glide ratio: 12:1[45]
Wing loading: 8.33 lb/sq ft (40.7 kg/m2)
Rate of sink: About 400 ft/min (2 m/s) at tactical glide speed (IAS 60 mph; 97 km/h)
Landing run: 600-800 feet (180-240 m) for normal three-point landing; "Landing rolls of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 910 m) are to be expected at the higher emergency gross weights.
Thanks for sharing this. Thanks for watching!
@@TwoGuysandaRide excellent video, perhaps the best glider display the world