Re: [DSII] Dozy question re: Command/Communications

At 1:51 PM -0800 12/5/02, John Atkinson wrote:
>--- Ryan Gill <rmgill@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>>  What all the other Commando units spread from Sword
>>  to Gold beach?
>
>Don't know enough about 'em.  What kind of losses did
>they take, what opposition did they face, and what
>exactally was their role?  I mean, I don't recall
>hearing of them spearheading the breakthroughs, but I
>may be wrong.

There was a Commando unit that dealt with capturing one of the ports 
to the West of Sword that was a key point for petroleum supplies. 
They lost something like a 3rd of their number, most of that was due 
to Landing craft casualties. Only 2 landing craft got back from the 
beach to their mother ship if that's any hint.

There were more that were in the east of Gold Beach North of the area 
where Pegasus Bridge was. In fact they spread out in the area's north 
of the Whole 6th Airborne Division area east of Pegasus Bridge to pin 
down German units and take on the various strong points.

>
>Yeah.	And the moral of that story is:  "Don't drop
>airborne into the laager of a Panzer Corps".

Yep.They'ed have faired better with landing areas closer to the 
bridge in question. The area South of the bridge was good in 
retrospect, but was really thought be be bad for air landings (of 
course they dropped the Polish Brigade there later...)

The presence of 9th and 10th SS Panzer was a pretty bad stopper. If 
they'ed waited 2 weeks, they'd have been gone.

-- 
Ryan Gill	       rmgill@SPAMmindspring.com
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