17th united_states 17th airborne infantry division united_states_army world war commanded officially activated airborne division april immediately sent combat theater remaining united_states complete training training process division took training exercises including played vital ensuring airborne division remained military formation poor performance american airborne forces invasion sicily large scale airborne operations conducted operation neptune transferring britain end operation overlord division arrived britain came command chosen participate operation market garden airborne landings netherlands allied planners believed arrived late trained time operation end operation market garden division shipped france belgium fight battle 17th gained medal honor time fighting withdrawn prepare assault march division participated airborne operation dropping alongside gained medals honor division advanced end world war briefly undertook occupation duties germany shipping united_states officially september briefly reactivated training division formation pioneered use large scale airborne formations invasion norway denmark later year assaults netherlands belgium later allied governments aware success operations heavy german casualties incurred particularly assault netherlands invasion crete decided form airborne formations decision eventually lead creation american british airborne divisions smaller units 17th activated april camp north_carolina command newly promoted division originally composed activated january fort official dedication ceremony unit took place thousands civilian military spectators including overall commander american airborne forces world war activated division remained united_states training exercises division like airborne units intended elite formation training regime extremely feet feet towers built prospective airborne troops jump simulate landing parachute lengthy forced marches practice jumps transport aircraft pause doorway aircraft practice jump resulted automatic failure candidate resultant failure rate accordingly high shortage candidates especially american divisions rate pay higher ordinary division trained debate developed best use airborne forces small compact units july large scale allied airborne operation allied invasion sicily operation carried elements commanding general major general temporarily assigned act airborne advisor general supreme allied commander mediterranean invasion sicily observed airborne assault went badly deployed parachute suffered high casualties leading perception failed achieve objectives reviewed airborne role concluded large scale formations difficult control combat practical lieutenant general commander similar airborne supporter greatly disappointed performance north_africa recently sicily high ranking officers believed notably chief staff persuaded set review board judgement effectiveness divisional sized airborne forces large scale maneuver tried december swing returned united_states resume command mid september additional role ordered form committee composed parachute infantry artillery officers arrange large scale maneuver effectively decide fate divisional sized airborne force reserve united_states overseas shipment chose test formation opposed composite combat team 17th airborne division battalion temporarily attached maneuver provide divisions airborne training occurred months previously large scale maneuver undertaken objective 11th attacking force capture auxiliary airfield near north_carolina maneuver named defending forces try defend airport surrounding area repel airborne assault entire operation observed lieutenant general observations reports ultimately decide success failure exercise maneuver took place night december troops delivered thirteen separate objectives transport aircraft eighty percent airborne troops delivered target navigational error transport aircraft divided groups taking different airfield carolinas groups dropping deployed airborne troops wave airborne troops seized auxiliary airfield defending troops secured area rest division landed daylight having secured initial objectives conducted coordinated ground attack reinforced infantry regiment aerial resupply casualty evacuation missions coordination transport aircraft exercise judged great success observed reported success maneuver pleased highlighted great improvements airborne training occurred months end success units 17th exercise divisional sized airborne force deemed effective allowed remain world war division participated maneuvers february finished training march transferred camp march division staged camp august departing boston port august arrived united_kingdom august britain division attached major general commanded american airborne formations turn formed august command lieutenant general attached division chosen participate operation market garden large scale airborne operation intended seize bridges netherlands allow allied armies bypass rhine river enter germany 17th passed favour recently arrived considered unprepared collecting combat equipment division fought normandy command remained england theater reserve market garden aftermath allied armies continued advance germany battle december launched offensive region belgium breaking allied lines rapidly advancing antwerp afternoon december supreme allied commander decided commit theater reserve attempt halt german advance consisted 17th control divisions attached ordered concentrate town airborne divisions able immediately way stationed france bad weather prevented 17th flying division stationed britain days december weather cleared division finally flown france emergency night flights moved assembly area near christmas day division attached ordered assume thirty mile long defensive position ran near january threat eased sufficiently division transferred area transported area south west near village january relieved 11th armored division occupied village prior arrival january division entered combat time ordered alongside seize number key towns west order prevent german forces town second time relieved army december left flank division advanced german positions forming division assault element moved regiments deal expected german armoured counter attacks initial advance division engaged german forces including infantry armour attempt secure narrow high road north west battle lasted days division suffered nearly casualties attempting hold division official historian labeled dead man ridge opening stages battle division earned medal honor staff engaged destroyed german tanks formed armoured column attacking american positions forcing column retreat simultaneously killed machine gun fire january division broke german lines captured towns linking elements captured town january entire division withdrawn transported truck effectively ending participation campaign preparation participating division moved lines reserve formation theater reserve whilst allies continued advance german interior division received replacements trained selected highly ambitious airborne operation code named operation eclipse operation got advanced stage plans created divisional commanders called 17th airborne divisions brigade dropped daylight berlin capture city operation received support general chief planning ended march sent message indicating allied armies attempt capture berlin making eclipse obsolete eclipse similarly ambitious airborne operations came february division finally received word involved allied airborne operation cross support place march march allies advanced germany reached rhine formidable natural obstacle allied advance breached allow allies access ultimately advance berlin major cities following broad approach laid decided attempt breach rhine areas sir commanding devised plan allow forces command breach rhine entitled subsequently authorized envisioned lieutenant general lieutenant general crossing rhine area south canal ensure operation success montgomery insisted airborne component inserted plans operation support amphibious assaults place code named airborne divisions initially chosen varsity 17th assigned planning began soon obvious lack suitable transport aircraft transport airborne divisions 13th dropped operational plan primarily combat experience participated british airborne landings operation neptune 17th seen combat plan operation altered accommodate remaining airborne divisions airborne operation 17th disbanded airborne divisions dropped german lines objective land disrupt enemy defences order aid advance achieve divisions dropped near town tasked number objectives seize forest overlooked rhine road linking towns bridges smaller seized facilitate advance town captured objectives taken airborne troops consolidate positions await arrival allied ground forces defending territory captured german forces known area 17th airborne land units southern portion area chosen operation engaging german forces defending area securing dominated surrounding area capturing bridges spanned hold territory captured linked units land northern section operational area finally advance alongside allied ground forces contact airborne forces avoid heavy casualties incurred occurred operation market garden allied airborne divisions dropped allied ground units crossed rhine secured crossings divisions dropped relatively short distance german lines ensure reinforcements able link hours isolated battle began march week long aerial bombardment luftwaffe airfields german transport system involving thousand allied aircraft early hours march units crossed rhine heavy german opposition secured crossings eastern bank river hours march transport aircraft carrying airborne divisions formed took england france brussels turning north east rhine dropping zones consisted transport aircraft containing airborne troops troop carriers 17th consisted personnel transported transports transports morning 24th allied airborne units began land german soil eastern bank rhine thirteen hours allied assault begun command colonel lead assault formation 17th consequently airborne unit land entire regiment meant dropped drop zone clearing miles north excessive ground confused pilots transport aircraft carrying regiment dropped split halves colonel approximately landed north west drop zone near town rest regiment successfully landing drop zone colonel rallied separated led drop zone engaging battery german artillery route killing capturing artillery crews reuniting rest regiment secured objectives cleared area having engaged numerous german troops destroying german tank actions regiment initial landing gained division second medal honor private posthumously received award charging german machine gun nest eliminating rifle fire grenades allowing fellow gather equipment capture regiments objective second divisional unit land command colonel route drop zone transport aircraft containing regiment pass belt german anti aircraft weapons losing transport aircraft damaging thirty suffered pilot error ground regiment actually missed designated drop zone dropped landing zones designated british 6th brigade despite swiftly rallied aided british borne troops landing simultaneously eliminating german artillery batteries covering area german troops area eliminated combined force american british airborne troops stormed secured town colonel reported secured objectives having knocked tanks destroyed complete regiments artillery assault attempts secure objectives regiment gained medal honor division private class posthumously received award leading charge german machine gun nest creating distraction allow rest platoon capture fortified position machine gun situated component 17th operation command colonel regiment landed accurately landing zone aircraft towed took heavy casualties transports lost anti aircraft fire damaged fire regiment landed midst number german artillery batteries engaging allied ground forces crossing rhine engaged german artillery pieces barrels lowered direct fire artillery batteries crews defeated borne troops regiment soon able report objectives secured having destroyed artillery pieces tanks mobile wagons self propelled guns aftermath successful large scale airborne operation objectives airborne troops 17th tasked captured held usually hours operation beginning bridges successfully captured later destroyed prevent capture counter attacking german forces cleared enemy troops roads germans routed reinforcements advance cut airborne troops nightfall 24th british 15th joined elements midnight light bridge rhine 27th bridges suitable heavy armour installed rhine allies fourteen divisions east bank river penetrated miles division gained fourth medal honor days following technical sergeant received award posthumously aiding capture turned fortified position germans terms casualties 17th suffered total casualties march came end participated 17th continued advance germany engaging german forces division served combat months seen combat drop short period time seen men killed action men wounded injured action germany surrendered division conducting occupation duties northern germany continued relieved british troops june date division split component units attached airborne divisions berlin 13th preparing participate invasion japan japan surrendered division units returned parent formation division moved camp massachusetts officially september formation reactivated july training division june permanently order battle units 17th world war included division headquarters infantry regiment disbanded march parachute infantry regiment attached august march assigned replaced march relieved march replaced division artillery parachute field artillery battalion assigned june parachute field artillery battalion 17th airborne 17th assigned march reconnaissance platoon assigned march assigned division operational control attached january attached january
17th Airborne Division (United States)