U.S. Army pathfinders in World War II : the Mediterranean and Europe /

airborne battalion and a troop-carrier wing were exposed to

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hickenbottom, Richard Scott
Format: Thesis eBook
Language:English
Published: [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] ; 1995.
Subjects:
Online Access:Link to OAKTrust copy
Description
Summary:airborne battalion and a troop-carrier wing were exposed to
American pathfinders, which included selected C-47 crews from
and procedures. It also led to the development of pathfinder
Army pathfinders between 1943 and the end of the war in an
assaults in Salerno, Italy, Normandy, France, and Holland.
attempt to explain why the U.S. failed to develop this
British pathfinder techniques and equipment before
changes in U.S. airborne doctrine, planning, organization,
contributions to airborne operations and the Allied war
developed a pathfinder organization of their own nearly a
doctrine, strategy, and military organization in the
effort. In doing so, it provides insights into the complex
equipment and visual aids for the rest of the airborne armada
evolution of new forms of warfare and their role as
first developed by the British. From that point forward,
HUSKY, in July 1943, when poor navigation by troop-carrier
HUSKY. At the same time, it explores American pathfinders'
improvements in accuracy. Ironically, the British had
in November 1942. This study examines the development of U.S.
inhibitors or facilitators of technology transfer.
initial jump. The terrible dispersion of that force, along
interplay of bureaucracies, personalities, technology,
more accurately through the use of radar and homing equipment
occurred during the invasion of Sicily, code-named Operation
pathfinder technology earlier and why British pathfinder
pilots caused the 505th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat
Team to be scattered across a sixty-five mile area during the
technology was not transferred to the Americans in time for
that followed, and their efforts led to considerable
the airborne divisions, flew in ahead of the airborne
The first large-scale use of American paratroopers in combat
the IX Troop Carrier Command and teams of paratroopers from
The specially-trained paratroopers descended to set up homing
undertaking small-scale airborne operations in North Africa
units to guide airborne formations to drop and landing zones
with a friendly-fire incident a few days later, led to
year before the disaster in Sicily, while an American
Item Description:"Major subject: History".
Vita.
Physical Description:ix, 135 leaves : illustrations, maps ; 28 cm.
Also available online.
Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references.