Raz History Question: Were the airborne landings in Normandy worth the cost?

[Razgovory]

Thread title speaks for itself.  The American soldiers in particular suffered heavy casualties in this operation.  They did capture their objectives, but I wonder if the soldiers coming off the beach could have captured those objectives just as well.  The feared German counterattack didn't really manifest or at least not until much later due to the Germans being unable to use the roads and rails effectively.  It did cause confusion  among the Germans, but they were confused most of the time anyway.


What say you?

[Ideologue]

Building transports to deliver airborne soldiers took valuable factory capacity away from bombers.

[Ed Anger]

Pegasus bridge was worth it totally. Von Luck was counterattacking the British held bridge instead of driving on a beach.

Now Monty's faggotry in Holland was shitastic.

[Josquius]

They've more than paid for themselves in epic movie and video game potential.

[mongers]

Pegasus bridge was worth it totally. Von Luck was counterattacking the British held bridge instead of driving on a beach.

Now Monty's faggotry in Holland was shitastic.

The six bomber/glider combinations for the bridge assult took off from Tarrant Rushton airfield, just down the road from here.

Photo of the airfield on the afternoon of D-day:



http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205023033

[Caliga]

Strom Thurmond failed to get killed in the landings, so I'd say we didn't pay with enough blood.

[11B4V]

yes

[Ed Anger]

Strom Thurmond failed to get killed in the landings, so I'd say we didn't pay with enough blood.

Who would have his nigger babies?

[Caliga]

He had his nigger baby well before WWII.

[KRonn]

The six bomber/glider combinations for the bridge assult took off from Tarrant Rushton airfield, just down the road from here.

Good pic Mongers. A bit of history there. Is that airfield still operational? Civilian or military?

[mongers]

The six bomber/glider combinations for the bridge assult took off from Tarrant Rushton airfield, just down the road from here.

Good pic Mongers. A bit of history there. Is that airfield still operational? Civilian or military?

Last time I went around it, probably half of the runways were still in place, but most of it had been turned into a large pig farm and most of the remaining hangers are light industrial units. 

They've now put a suitable memorial to the operation at the main gates.

I was at the prominent tree covered hill, Badbury Rings an iron age hill fort, on Saturday; next time I'm passing I'll endeavour to check up on the airfield.

[Tonitrus]

Naturally, this question depends on how it affects Montgomery taking Caen.

[Razgovory]

Pegasus bridge was worth it totally. Von Luck was counterattacking the British held bridge instead of driving on a beach.

Now Monty's faggotry in Holland was shitastic.

The British landings were a bit more on the ball then the American ones.  Though the US did show improvement.  The Normandy landings weren't exactly good, but they were better then the ones during Husky.  For instance, not shooting down the their own planes and gliders is a big improvement.  Also paratroopers and gliders borne soldiers are much more effective if they land on the ground rather then the ocean.

[CountDeMoney]

Thread title speaks for itself.  The American soldiers in particular suffered heavy casualties in this operation.  They did capture their objectives,

You just answered your own fucking question, Eisenhower.

[11B4V]

Now Monty's faggotry in Holland was shitastic.

It was rather epic.