| Title | 6 Airborne Div: report on signals operations, 1944 June | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | 6 Airborne Div: report on signals operations, 1944 June | ||
| Source | UK_National_Archive | Reference | WO 223/16 |
- 5 -
1. The tasks given to the div were allotted as follows:—
| TASK | FORMATION | Approx time of lending or dropping |
| RANVILLE-BENOUVILLE bridges | Coy Oxf Bucks | P - 5 hrs |
| " " bridgehead | 5 Para Bde | P - 4 1/2 hrs |
| SALLENELLES battery | 5 Para Bde | P - 4 1/2 hrs |
| Crossings over R. DIVES | 3 Para Bde | P - 4 1/2 hrs |
| Area NORTH to CABOURG | 1 SS Bde | H + 30 mins |
| Firm Base RANVILLE area | 6 Airlanding Bde | H + 14 hrs |
| Offensive Recce | Airborne Armd Recce Regt | H + 14 hrs |
D day was 6 June 1944.
P hour (civil twilight) was 0515 hrs.
H hour was 0715 hrs.
Div Sigs Scale A 1 dropped at P - 4 1/2 hrs with the task of recce div HQ Lmrl of assisting the Royal Engineers with the clearing of obstructions from the DZ.
Scale A 2 landed with div HQ at P - 2 hrs.
2. Dropping was widefront both in para bdes and div sigs (for example, the two sticks composing Scale A 1 were dropped 8 miles apart).
In consequence all sets dropped in containers were not found in time for use. Many kitbags were lost due to their ropes break- ing even when paid out slowly.
3 Gliding was most accurate except for a few isolated cases.
4, The situation at H hr Was the following:-
(i) Parachutists
| PERCENTAGE ARRIVED | ||
| SECTION | Personnel | Equipment |
| 1 Coy (Scale A 1) | 87 | None taken. |
| J | 40 | 3 Wireless sets only. |
| K (5 Para Bde) | 80 | 50% |
(II) Gliderborne
| PERCENTAGE ARRIVED | ||
| SECTION | Personnel | Equipment |
| 1 Coy (A E, F & P Secs - Scale A 2) | 70 | 66 |
| J 3 Para Bde) | 50 | 50 |
| K (5 Para Bde) | 66 | 66 |
Stragglers arrived on D to D + 1 swelling the percentages of those arrived by approximately another 10%
(Archive transcripts © Copyright Normandy War Guide)
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