Tow ship landed and took off with same glider. Ship landed and took off with reserve glider. Ship landed and took off with reserve. Take off order is 7th, 8th, 51st then 4th. One tow ship caught fire, two pilots released becasue of fright, one broke landing gear on take off and two others came loose from tow.
One tow ship caught fire, two pilots released because of fright, one broke landing gear on take off and two others came loose from tow. Single glider mission. Hq Co. Signal 1 surgical unit Staff pers. All gliders hit landing area and all power crews returned without a casualty. Altitudes ranged between to feet and at these heights the gliders could glide only half a mile or remain in the airborne more than 30 seconds.
All but six of the gliders released too soon and landed between the two southern causeways leading inland from Utah Beach toward LZ E. The gliders landing east of LZ E encountered minor sniper fire, but suffered numerous landing accidents. Personnel losses were heavy. Seventeen troops were killed and 85 more were injured. They carried personnel, 24 jeeps, 11 guns and 10, pounds of ammunition in addition to other supplies. Forty-eight gliders were released at the LZ. One lost an aileron, cutting loose and landed successfully at "Flatbush" near coast of England.
One landed at There were no navigational aids or markers at the LZ but gliders made successful landings. Small arms fire was intense and many planes received small damage from bullet holes.
One Radio operation in the 74th TC Squadron was wounded in the leg. This was his second mission into Normandy. Once in the air the aircraft found that they were to have good fighter cover: P38s, P46s, and P51s escorted them. The aircraft arrived over the GLZ glider landing zone at hours. There was no enemy air opposition encountered. However, over the Cherbourg Peninsula and drop zone small arms fire was constant.
