If Chaos Reigns: The Near-Disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied Airborne Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944“A gem of a book that highlights the ‘fog of war’ as seen by American, British, and Canadian airborne units when they parachuted behind enemy lines.” —WWII History Magazine “Gentlemen, do not be daunted if chaos reigns; it undoubtedly will.” So said Brigadier S. James Hill, commanding officer of the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, in an address to his troops shortly before the launching of Operation Overlord—the D-Day invasion of Normandy. No more prophetic words were ever spoken, for chaos indeed reigned on that day, and many more that followed. Much has been written about the Allied invasion of France, but award-winning military historian Flint Whitlock has put together a unique package—the first history of the assault that concentrates exclusively on the activities of the American, British, and Canadian airborne forces that descended upon Normandy in the dark, pre-dawn hours of June 6, 1944. Landing into the midst of the unknown, the airborne troops found themselves fighting for their lives on every side in the very jaws of the German defenses, while striving to seize their own key objectives in advance of their seaborne comrades to come. Whitlock details the formation, recruitment, training, and deployment of the Allies’ parachute and glider troops. First-person accounts by veterans who were there—from paratroopers to glidermen to the pilots who flew them into the battle, as well as the commanders (Eisenhower, Taylor, Ridgway, Gavin, and more)—make for compelling, “you-are-there” reading. If Chaos Reigns is a fitting tribute to the men who rode the wind into battle and managed to pull victory out of confusion, chaos, and almost certain defeat. |
Contents
Training a Brit Paratrooper | |
America Joins the Fight | |
Canada Standing on Guard | |
Getting Gliders Off the Ground | |
The Germans on the Defensive | |
Shootout at the WXYZ Complex | |
Battle for the Orne Bridges | |
Disaster at the Merville Battery | |
Securing Pegasus Bridge | |
Death at the Château Battle at the Crossroads | |
Battle of SainteMèreÉglise Chapter 22 Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer | |
Hell in the Hedgerows | |
The Battle for ChefduPont La Fière Bridge | |
The All Americans Prepare | |
Pathfinders and Paradummies | |
The BritishCanadian Preparations Chapter 10 The Sharpening of Knives | |
The Decision to | |
The BritishCanadian TakeOff Drop | |
Target SainteMèreÉglise | |
The Canadian Drop | |
The 101sts Jump | |
DDay Plus 1And Beyond | |
The Battle for Bréville | |
Final Fight for La Fière | |
The Battles for Carentan Graignes | |
Epilogue | |
Acknowledgments | |
Bibliography | |
Other editions - View all
If Chaos Reigns: The Near-Disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied ... Flint Whitlock No preview available - 2013 |
If Chaos Reigns: The Near-disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied ... Flint Whitlock No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
101st Airborne 3rd Battalion 82nd Airborne Division Air Force airborne and glider airborne forces aircraft Allied Archives via Martin artillery assault attack battle began Bénouville bombs British Captain Carentan Casemate casualties causeway Chef-du-Pont chute combat commander Company Courtesy U.S. National D-Day drop zone enemy equipment Fallschirmjäger field Fière fighting fire France Gavin Germans glider pilot going Graignes grenades ground H.S.G. Saunders Headquarters hedgerow Horsa Ibid invasion jeep jump June killed knew landing Le Mesnil Lieutenant Colonel machine guns Major Martin K.A. Morgan McNiece Merville battery Mesnil miles military mission mortar moved night Normandy officer operation Orne Otis Sampson Otway Panzer parachutists paratroopers pathfinders Pegasus Bridge plane platoon Ranville recalled rifle Saint-Côme-du-Mont Sainte-Mère-Église seaborne Sergeant shell Silent Wings Silent Wings Museum tank took town Troop Carrier troopers U.S. Army U.S. National Archives unit Utah Beach weapons wounded Wurst www.pegasusarchive.org