These figures and glider go together?

ISTR the only use of gliders on D-Day was at Pegasus Bridge, by the Brits. I think all the other airborne dropped in, with severe dispersion problems in some cases.

paint easily. These guys have started to do hard plastic of good quality lately, but as their US airborne are already out in metal I don't expect them to be replaced too soon. The other thing is they are 28mm scale, so a bit big for 1:72, even though they are "True" rather than "Heroic" 28mm. Other wargame manufacturers should be able to supply you with good quality 1:72nd metal, it's just not a field I'm familiar with.

Cheers,

Moramarth

I hate to counter my esteemed friend Moramarth, but I recall one US general suffering injury landing in a glider at night.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Happy to accept the correction, and information. I shouldn't post at the end of a long day, as dawn is lightening the sky... Cheers,

Moramarth

Using Osprey Campaign 104 (Utah Beach and the US airborne landings) and

105 (Sword Beach and the British airborne landings) for reference:

US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions landed behind Utah beach to secure the difficult terrain. Each division had a Glider Infantry unit (325th and 327th) that were carried in on D-Day by a mixture of Waco and Horsa gliders - the British Horsa was favoured for its larger capacity. The gliders carried anti-tank guns and jeeps as well as troops. Over 500 gliders were dispatched to support the Utah beach landings in the first

36 hours of the invasion. There were three glider Landing Zones close to the villages of Ste Mère-Eglise and Ste Marie-du-Mont.

Brigadier General Donald Pratt,deputy commander of the 101st, was killed when his Waco glider crashed on landing at 0345 on the morning of D-Day. He was one of only eight deaths due to landing accidents on that morning.

There is no single outstanding action associated with the US glider landings like the famous Pegasus Bridge action behind Sword Beach. Six Horsa gliders delivered Major John Howard's Company precisely on target to capture the bridges across the Caen Canal and Orne River within 15 minutes of their midnight landing. Each glider carried a platoon of 30 men, ready to carry out their planned and practiced operations immediately.

Gliders were also employed in the capture of the Merville battery, and the destruction of the bridges over the Dives river, carrying jeeps, mortars and demolition equipment. A further 68 Horsa and four Hamilcar gliders delivered the heavy equipment, field guns, anti-tank guns and Major-General Gale and his HQ unit shortly after 0300 on the morning of D-Day.

6th Airlanding Brigade was brought in by over 250 gliders on the evening of D-Day.

Check a web site for "Silent Wings Museum" in Lubbock, Texas. The museum is dedicated to glider combat in WW II and is excellent They have a fully restored Waco inside and many other great exhibits.. It's near the Lubbock airport just north of the city and I would recommend that if you're ever nearby it's a wonderful place to go. Cliff Highlands Ranch, Colorado

As I've posted downthread, many US troops were delivered by glider on D-Day. However, reading Osprey Battle Orders 25, US Airborne Divisions in the ETO, it's clear that glider troops were not jump-trained and not equipped as paratroopers. Their combat gear would be the same as regular infantry. They would have the jeeps, anti-tank guns, heavy machine-guns and mortars with them.

thx much - my search for figures will continue.

Craig