The British military forces, after the first world war, rested on their laurels, until the early 1930s they turned into a right preserve of the old forms of warfare, and before any innovations, they were condescendingly, and then a fortune-teller. Statti and speech, the American General Mitchell, who in 1918 fought for the most successful creation of great paratrooper formations, in England there were even fewer chanuvalniks, lower in the Successful States. According to the thought of the British military theorists, Europe didn’t have more, “the war for the pinning of all the wars” ended with the reconquest of the Entente, and be it the exercise of the strength of the military might of the SRSR In the minds, it was necessary to change the structure of the enemy forces, consecrated by centuries, and moreover, to introduce such extravagant ideas, like a parade of soldiers from outside.

I will need to stop landing landings in the English in the whole world, just wait for the hour of the conflict in Iraq. After the first world war, the British Empire took back the mandate to protect the territory, as it had previously entered the warehouse of Turechchini. Iraq has actually changed into an English colony. Since 1920, the fate of the country began to live in battles between the military “volodar women of the seas” and the nationally volitional movement. In order to compensate for the lack of mobility of their land troops in the fight against the rebel pens, the British transferred to Iraq from Egypt a significant number of combat aircraft, including two military transport squadrons, equipped with Under the supervision of Air Vice-Marshal John Salmond, a special tactic for the UPU for its participation in actions to "pacify" rebellious territories was broken up. Since early 1922, the UPU has taken an active part in strangling the rebels.

Crimean bombardment of settlements and storming of partisan pens, the most important function of aviation was the landing of tactful landing paratroopers near the areas of formation of insurgents with the method of their strong strikes. The first action of this kind was successfully staged in the fierce fate of 1923, when 480 soldiers of the 14th Sikh Regiment were sent to the outskirts of Kirkuk. The new tactic seemed to be even more wild - as before, the folded paddocks rose up, as if the populace were more supportive, they moved quickly from the threatening areas, then more and more often they went into effective blocking.

The English decided their tactics: the commander of the 45th Russian transport squadron, Arthur Harris (Arthur Harris, who had thrived on the Bombardment Command of the Royal Air Force) and his intercessor Robert Saundby, propagandized to create a false confession. lіtaki mali yak zdіysnyuvati transported viysk і visajuvati landing landings, і zdіysnyuvati, at the time of consumption, inflict on the enemy’s settlements. From the point of view of colonial conflicts and the presence of the rebels of the PPO, the validity of a similar doctrine was obvious, that in the 20s - on the cob of the 30s, the English were encouraged to finish a lot of such universal machines (they were followed by the French and the Italians, subjugated by the problems of their own) colonial empires in Pivnichny Africa). Over the years, Handley Page "Hinaidi" and Vickers "Virginia" in the role of "steel birds of the white people" took part in operations from the "pacification" of the population of Iraq, British Somali, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, the Protectorate of Aden, Yemen and in battles the cordon of India against the Afghans Otzhe, the English are considered to be the actual founders of the operations "potrya - land". Ale, before the appearance on the cob of the 30s of the new kind of viysk - paratroopers of the British, they were set up with a cool chill. So, under the hour of obsession with the wide popularity of the Kiev leaders of the Red Army in 1935, the effective mass paratrooper parachute assault was directed at anyone, if only not at the English delegation. Її Head, Old kolonіalny campaigner Major General Archіbald Ueyvell (Archibald Wavell), yaky Zgoda becoming a Field Marshal i zhorstoko bity Rommel in Pіvnіchnіy Afritsі sending in vіyskove mіnіsterstvo criticality zvіt about zastosuvannya VDV vkazavshi a bike rozsіyuvannya parashutіv yak CIM nemozhlivіst upravlіnnya visadzhenimi Chastain. Informing Wavell, superimposed on the traditional "ossification" of the royal army, the creation of the national paratrooper troops was taunted for a long time.

Successful victory over the Nimechchina її parachute parts of the first hour of the swedish campaigns near Norway and the Sunset of 1940 did not overturn the orthodox British military parachute parts from the need to create similar air parachute flights. Bula needed the special fate of Prime Minister Churchill, who was obviously weak to various special parts, so that from the right he collapsed from the dead center. On March 22, 1940, the prime minister saw an order to start molding the various parts of a special recognition, the crown and the Parachute Corps. On the vіdmіnu vіd nіmtsіv, the priority here lies with the land troops, and not the UPU. Even before the next order, at the grass, behind Churchill's vlasnoy vkazіvkoy, the preparation of the parachute battalion began. Just like before the Germans, the English immediately ran into serious difficulties, connected with the novelty of the problem. But while in Nіmechchinі mastering the parachute system, the command of the Luftwaffe and especially the Reichsmarschall Goering was forced to reinforce the command of the Luftwaffe; Parashutіv i dosvіdchenih іnstruktorіv not vistachalo, materіalnu Chastain The Teaching Center (school rozmіschuvalasya in mіstechku Rіnguey - pіvdennomu peredmіstі Great Manchester pіvnіchno-zahіdnіy Anglії, posture radіusom dії Luftwaffe) becomes lishe shіst Old dvomotornih bombarduvalnikіv «Whitley» I, pospіh pristosovanih to zdіysnyuvati through posadkovy a hatch at the side, which was very important for an unacknowledged parachutist and threatened with serious stones, or the death of an hour strike on the fuselage of the aircraft). If necessary, the arrangements had to be made literally in battle.

It was hard to know the instructors-parachutists - they were the famous pilot and sportsman-parachutist, squadron-leader Lewis (Lou) Strange (Louis Strange). His closest helper was John Rocc, the next pilot. Before the start of the school’s posting warehouse, around the other, it included the distribution of landings of important paratroopers, as well as the tactics of group landing - the same kind of information from the center of the part in old England has not yet been.

The first training paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' training paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' paratroopers' parachutists' paratroopers' paratroopers' competition took place on the 13th day of 1940; From the recruitment of volunteers at that time, they formed the okremі pіdrozdіl, yakі gained popularity under the common name of the Parachute Regiment (Parachute Regiment; "regiment" in times - the name is selective, which means рід військ). The training of the paratroopers was carried out both at Ringuey, and at the head center of the land troops in Aldershot. Regardless of the serious forward tests and all the medical commissaries, the withdrawal of cadets-parachutists from various reasons (“injuries”, injuries and deaths) became 15-20 years, the head rank through the extreme folding of the strikers from the letakles. I myself Parashutna P_Deadnika Bula's Parashutnika Derevniki Derevnik Derevnivnaya і Skomo - Person, Listopadovy 1940 ROCK, VIPUSKK Skoli in Rіnguejї (290 OSIB, ROYSTYY BATTY TO THE 1st Parashutyone Bataliona, the 11th Batalione Specіv's Aviatiino Services) for ten Tizhnіv Trenuvan Nіzh 30 stripes of a skin cadet. As already mentioned, the richest officers of the army, and especially the UPU, were categorically against the organization of airborne troops, so the robot, according to their creation, fell on a group of young and unorthodoxly wise military, free spirits of the ossified dogmas of the British Duma. Glukha Stina Necrimattya Zide "VIYSKOE ARISTOKRATIY", SHO DIRECT TO THE DISTRICT OF VIYSKOVOY DUMKS THROUGH MONOKLІ VІTORIKIKIKIKI WORLD, ALCO, PLOSHNY VІLATOK IN 1941 ROTSIA, OLITS OF OSOBERY VІDVІDAV RІNGEYSKA PARASHUNE SCHOOL, SPOSKERIKAVE FOR STRIBOKS І SPORYAKOKHSHIA. Tsya znamna pod_ya vydbulasya at kvtnі, and already a month later the Cretan operation of the German paratroopers lulled, which wiped out the strong British garrison of the island into powder and left the English at the dozlnosti stavlenniya vlasnyh MPE.

Viysk aviation in the head headquarters and the ministry of aviation in the country began to properly provide paratroopers with the necessary number of orders. At the headquarters of the Air Forces, the posting of an officer was ordered, who, having seen the right of the Airborne Forces, was given for the preparation and coordination of their operations; such an organizational structure was preserved until the end of the war. A special party was held at the quarter, and for the first time (!) the officers of the airborne paratroopers were shown signs of trophy defense and the order of the German paratroopers, and all the information about the tactics of the enemy on the Dutch-Norwegian line was also transmitted At this hour, about the old people, between the "traditional" and "innovative" parts of the army, they began to step by step forget. Winning Churchill's directive (announced after the Cretan operation), the headquarters of the Royal Air Forces, having given fire to the formation of the five-thousandth parachute brigade until May 1942, which took the serial number 1 - її already served as the basis of the 11th battalion. There are few paratroopers at the final stage of training (for staffing one more, 6th brigade). At the prospect of insults, the brigades were transformed into airborne divisions. Commanding the paratroopers, one of Churchill's superiors was Major General Frederick Browning, a large-scale grenadier-guards, who should lie up to the greatest British suspense. Nezabar to the Parachute Regiment, scho buv, - the 1st battalion was joined by the 2nd and 3rd. In this rank, at the leaf fall of 1941, the skeleton of the 1st brigade was formed, as it was deployed near the county of Wiltshire, and it began active combat training. At about an hour before the lavas of the Airborne Forces, having consumed the most famous British paratrooper, Major John Frost, who was later assigned to Brunevil, near Tunisia and Arnemi. Bombers "Whitley" were taken from the front of the airborne forces; now training haircuts were lifted from tethered balloons. The result was not successful: during the preparation of over 1,700 injuries for the 2nd and 3rd battalions near the leaf fall of 1941, only two cadets appeared, and even a dozen cadets were killed by injuries (for reparation - during haircuts from the tight landing hatch of the Uitli) out of 340 cases, two perished, 20 were traumatized, and 30 were wounded in a haircut).

The paratroopers without a bar became the pride of the enemy forces (navit on the English poster of the period of the Other Light War The attack begins from the factory, which calls to the strike force in their victory, paratroopers are depicted jumping from the glider). In the past they were called “paras” (from the shortened word Paratroopers - paratroopers) or, on the list of the Germans, “Red Devils” - “red devils” (behind the chestnut berets).

The 1st and 6th airborne divisions (Airborne Division; airborne division) became the core of the British airborne forces, the formation of which was completed before 1943. For example, the 5th Airborne Division came before them, but they did not suffer the same fate from the combat operations. The 6th division, which became standard, had about 12 thousand inhabitants. Before the її warehouse included two parachute brigades (Parachute Brigade) - 3rd and 5th, as well as one landing (Air-landing Brigade) - 6th. The leather brigade consisted of three battalions. The 6th Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment (6th Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment) took the Tetrarch light tanks off the ground.

In 1944, 16 light tanks, 24 75-mm, 68 6-(57-mm) and 17-pounder (77-mm) anti-tank garmats, 23 20-mm anti-aircraft garmats, 53, 392 manual PIAT anti-tank grenade launchers, 46 easel (Vickers Mk I) and 966 hand-held (BREN Mk I) machine guns, 6504 STEN machine guns and 10113 guns and guns. The mobility of parts of the division was ensured by 1692 transport units (including 904 3/4-ton jeeps, as well as 567 vans and tractors) and 4502 motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles.

Crimea of ​​the English parts, Airborne Troops popovniv 1st Canadian Parachute Battaillon (1st Canadian Parachute Battaillon). The battalion was formed on the 1st day of 1942, and 85 officers, sergeants and soldiers arrived from the warehouse to Ringway for special training. A part of the special warehouse, which was lost in the fatherland, was, for example, thrown over at Fort Benning, and after a stretch of months, it began to parachute right to sleep with the Americans. Nezabar near Shiloh, a Canadian parachute command center was created. In an hour, the battalion, having completed its training, went to the warehouse of the 3rd parachute brigade of the 6th airborne division and took part in the operation “Overlord” and distant battles in Europe (including in the Ardennes on the 1944th anniversary of 1944). Near the birch of 1945, Canadians took part in the operation Varsity (landing beyond the Rhine), and then a battalion of missions to the Fatherland and from the spring of the formations.

After the first battalion, the Canadians completed three more. One Australian and one African-African battalion reached each other, which allowed the British at once with the regular number of the 44th Indian Airborne Division to bring the total number of MPE to 80,000 troops.

* * *

The first successful military operation of the British paratroopers, the truth, was on the coast of the English Channel and a little more sabotage, lower classic combat character. A company of the 2nd parachute battalion, under the command of Major John Frost, in the late winter of 1942, hung out from the amphibious assault barges on the French coast, attacked the German radar post near the town of Brunevil, and guarded the secret in a short secret. they could take it with them, it was photographed, and then it was rendered inapplicable). Having finished the day, Frost's group without a fight went to the shore and crossed over to the ships that were checking, having spent all two people in totality - the rest (radiously) did not see the road in the dark to the place of collection.

The right battlefield christening, the English "couple" took the first hour of landing in Pivnichniy Africa - operation "Torch" ("Smoloskip"). Strictly speaking, this action became the first large-scale landing operation of the Allies in the Other World War, a kind of rehearsal before the possible invasion of Europe.

British paratroopers, with a total number of nearly 1200 men, took on the task of ordering low-profile airfields, headquarters and bells and whistles. In addition, the landings far on the left flank of the forces of the invading parachute landings were small enough to take many key points along the road to Tunis, where the German-Italian troops were grouped. The English Airborne Forces in the operation represented the 1st, 2nd and 3rd parachute battalions of the 6th brigade, and they successfully ran into their tasks.

The first large-scale event of the new 1st English Airborne Forces took place under the hour of the invasion of Sicily. For її carried out by the allies, there were more than 1000 transport aircrafts and gliders, the main rank for the transfer of airborne troops (8830 osib), they took their fate from the visas. When invaded to Pivdenny Italy, with the method of securing the throat of the allied troops on the Messinsky bridgehead, from the side of the "heel" of the Apennine Pivostrov, from the specially seen corral of ships and ships, 1 paratrooper division was hanged. The whole was destroyed for special housekeeping by the command of the Italian Navy, as it knew that the truce was clear and allowed the paratroopers to land. Convoy of viishovs from Bizerte (Tunis) and 9 April reached Taranto; Only small rozvіduvalnі pіdrozdіl bulli vykinutі z parachutes, the greater part of the forces of the division, without strengthening the support, entered the Italian coast like an amphibious assault.

They completed their career in the Mediterranean Sea, the English MPE near Greece, if their okrem parts (among them, the SAS had been added) supported the burying of the impersonal remote islands in the Aegean Sea. On July 2, 1944, a landing on Crete was made on the butt of the Nazis. The parachute landing force hung around mainland Greece. It was tied up with the hard pro-communist guerrilla movement ELAS and Churchill's towers to conquer the Balkans in line with the traditional British policy. To this end, the liberation (or occupation) of Greece was planned and carried out at the shortest term, so as not to allow the radyansky chi of the Yugoslav military to go there. 1 leaf fall, the landing force occupied Thessaloniki, and in 12 days the English moved to Athens.

During the preparations for the landing in Normandy, the 1st and 6th divisions were called up to the 1st British Airborne Corps (1st British Airborne Corps; VDK), which at once killed the 18th Airborne Airborne Corps of the US Army, the First Allied Airborne Airborne Corps army (First Allied Airborne Army; ACA) under the command of the American Lieutenant General Lewis G. Brirton. There were also special transport and airborne air squadrons: to the warehouse of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, seen by the Royal Air Force for conducting combat missions in Europe, in operational order, the command of the 1st AVA) and the 46th military transport was commanded. There were more importantly Dakota cars, boules and glider parts with tug-towing aircrafts, on the highway.

Shortly before pіvnіchі 6 Chernivtsi, 1944, 8000 people from the warehouse of the 6th division were thrown off on the French coast, on the pіvnіchniy skhіd in the old Norman town of Kan, to get and save the vibukh of the bridge across the Kansk Canal and Rіvіlіchku river. Dії paratroopers, pursuant to the plan of the invaders, could not only disorganize the German protidesant defense and facilitate landing on the shore of the 3rd English infantry division of the 1st corps of the 2nd army, saw the landing of the bridgehead in the left flank of the "Sword" -

The 6th Airborne Forces was stationed in the Brighton area, and other assault troops were dismantled, which were direct to the Sword. The landing of parts of the division was carried out by 733 aircraft and 335 gliders on the similar flank of the English bridgehead "Sword" (near the military defense of the 716th German infantry division) near Orna and Diva, on the exit of Kan.

On April 15, 1944, the British took part in the operation "Dragoon" ("Dragoons") - a parade on the coast of France in Provence. To the warehouse of the armed landing (the Anglo-American brigade combat group "Rugby"), the total number of 9732 individuals was killed by the 10th Army Parachute Regiment. The group flew on 535 transport aircraft and 465 gliders.

According to the nearest operational commanders of the “other front”, all airborne landings of the allied powers were sent to the territory of England to prepare for large-scale offensive operations, which were planned, as if they were to blame for the outbreak of the winter.

In the spring of 1944, the 1st Airborne Forces, commanded by Major General Richard C. Urquhart (Urquhart), took part in one of the largest and last airborne operations of the Other Light War, which took the name Arnemskaya -Marketvan "Town"). On the first day of the operation, 5,700 English paratroopers (50% of the special warehouse of the 1st division together with the headquarters) landed from the airfields of Pivdenny England on the first day of the operation. The next day, the value is small becomes 100%. You can read more about the tragic finale of the campaign in my book “Airborne troops at another light war”. Here I will only say that the Arnhem and Rhine airborne landing operation that followed it, launched a mortal blow on the landing and airborne glider units of the British Airborne Forces: most of the pilots of gliders that hovered under Arnhem, leaned in full or perished. The battles on the Rhine finished off the rest of the battle: after spending the middle of the recruitment after Arnhem and our pilots in training, the decks turned out to be great, so even until the end of the war, the glider parts no longer took part in the combat actions. 1946 roku їх was formed.

Equipment and equipment

British paratroopers were small at their disposal to carry far and perfect parachutes "type X" (X-type) of various modifications, the most wide-ranging of which became the "Hotspur" Mk II.

The parachutes were of a vishiznyanoi design, but their foundations were based on the design of the American firm “Irvin”, which was adopted from the rock. The method of rozkrittya is strongly vіdіznjavsya vіd whether there are any analogіv i buv dosit sly. When laying the parachute dome (with a white seam or a camouflage zabarvlennya), it folded up and placed in a cylindrical bag. Groups of slings were folded leather-like and zigzag-shapedly placed in a special dorsal pack, squarely in front of the dome (the skin tie of the slings was fixed with elastic stitches). The whole "package" is often curled up with a shady hood-knapsack. When the parachute was opened, the cowbass-like bag with the dome hung from the hood, and the slings were step by step twisted from the tie-strings, which they trimmed, and in the required order were unwound, winding the whole life before, like a dome, coming out of their bags. Remaining unrolled, the slings were transferred to the retainer of the dome hood and the paratrooper's arm, and in this way they gave the parachute an additional impulse for opening.

All Tse knows the process of the Parashuta Parashut I gave the paratrooper of the Parashut Hasu for Togo Pisil Vіdriva Vіd Litaka, and Torzli Suttєvo zemshuvalu the power of the dynamic rivka at the bottom of the dome (on Vіdmin, the ponde that a serious injury could be eliminated in later cases). However, the stowing of the folding system flooring caused a certain increase in the height of the airborne landing, and at its side it sensitively increased the hour of the enemy’s fire pouring into the soldiers who were descending from the sky. In another way, the British parachutes significantly outperformed their German counterparts, not in any way compromising the American parachutes. The parachute harness, equipped with a quick-release system, after landing could be thrown off almost instantly: some straps that converge on the chest were locked with a lock of a special design. When the massive disk was turned behind the year's arrow, the locks sang and unlocked automatically. The standard "irvinivska" airborne system made it possible to effectively maneuver in the air, raising up in the wind and choosing the landing site. It remains to be added that in the English Airborne Forces the paratroopers fired only one parachute: the British thought that the introduction of a reserve would be taken by an overly expensive croc, to the point of underestimation that it develops in a soldier to the main parachute.

The parachutist's harness included a push-button lower strap, similar to the American "presto". Sharpened from one side, the climb came out after pressing the latch button on the side part of the handle. The handle itself was made of black corrugated plastic; in the end part, it was stabbed with a can opener (like a vicorist, like a cutter for removing insulation from wires and treading car tires), as well as a stirrup for attaching an insurance cord. Metal parts from stainless steel or nickel plating.

On the cob of their history, the British Airborne Forces victoriously won the zvichayny steel sholomi Mk II with wide brim (basins for shin). Prote already at the same time in 1941, the paratroopers took off the rubber strip sholom from the shock-absorbing lining. Sholom mav the shape of a flattened cylinder and think of a Russian kubanka. The brown gum base was fitted to the animal with a khaki-coloured cloth hood.

In combative minds, the English “couple” wore almost identical to the German M38 steel sholom relief without watering and three nuts of the pidsholomnik frame, which served as ventilation openings at once. Sholom became one of the variants of A.T. Mk II, rozroblenih for paratroopers, crew members of armored vehicles and motorcyclists - quiet, to whom the wide brim of the infantry helmet was respected by robots.

The variant for the Airborne Forces was worn with a V-shaped shoulder strap, the front part of the boulder was widened, hoarse at the soldier's crack. Reminets zabarvlyuvavsya in colors khaki. Mіstsya z'єdnanny potilichnyh and pіdborіdnyh remintsіv were riveted or stitched. Helmets were grimacing with a partly masculine hood made of partial weaves; to make the deforming effect stronger, cuffs of khaki color could be sewn on. Zakhisniks were worn with sholom, which were supplied by the allies, the American company "Polaroid".

The English paratroopers practically did not have a small amount of special shooting. The only culprit was the Vesely Machine Carbine submachine gun (automatic carbine of the Vesely system), which was developed in 40 years. Zbroya is small two main options: V-42 (with a wooden butt and bagnet) for infantry and V-43 (with a shoulder rest that folds) - for the airborne forces. Like all pistols-machine guns of a vtchiznyanoi distribution, it was created under the 9mm Parabellum cartridge. Zbroya practiced on the principle of firing a free shutter, and the rate of shooting was 900 - 1000 shots per piece. Boom perekladach fire. The control of the system became a box store, separated by a vertical partition, and in fact it was two places for patrons, restocked in one building. When fire was fired, shooting ammunition in one store, shooting for additional special attachment, transferring the rear air intake so that the neck of the rear intake moved under the windshield. Having loaded a new cartridge at the barrel, you can continue the fire. The total number of ammunition in such a “paired” store was 60 (two 30 each). Zbroya looked foldable and inappropriate. In addition, the “walls” of various modifications, which were in great numbers up to the armies due to their own air and overall characteristics, were entirely suitable for victoria in paratrooper troops and before that, they were even simpler in the varieties. All these bureaucrats used the uncommon victoria for the design of a new gun-pistol-machine gun, wanting to spend some wine in the countryside.

Gvintivki, automatic guns and kulemets were packed in individual holsters, sewn on light brown shkіri (the cavalry saddle chokhli-olstry was made with a shape), two straps on pegs, which were attached to the parachute pack. The zbroya fit into the opening on the upper end part of the hood, which overlapped with the mother's flap of light beige color with a thin drawstring. For the sake of yoga, spend an hour haircutting the safety cord with a carabiner, which is in a pokhіdnі povi zboku, in a special bowel. For transferring the hood, a handle was handed over to the side. Ammunition of the English was often packed in cross-shoulder bandages: cartridges and grenades were tightly folded into a long bag of suvoro fabric of light gray or sour color, over the whole length of the jacket they were wrapped with a parachute sling and z'ednuvali roll. The paratroopers dressed the “skitka” over their shoulders, under the straps of the suspension system.

At long straight-cut vintage containers, secured at one end with a shock absorber with a light metal frame and a parachute on the other side (attached with carabiners up to two earrings on the sides of the container body), they threw off the radio stations. Instead of the container, it fits snugly into one nadra through a long rectangular hatch, which closes with a lid, on one of the side faces. Additional shock absorbers were placed in the middle of the body. The mustache gave the song of the successful landing of the non-violent military aids a call.

Heavy damage to that combat equipment

The delivery of the paratroopers to the landing point was arranged for the help of a number of types of gliders. The head butt of the Horsa I, which took on board 25 - 29 soldiers with orders, a 3/4-ton car with a 1/4 ton trailer and 3.1 tons of vantage (for deyaky tributes, up to 3.4 tons). The glider is traditional for making this kind of low-wing high-wing aircraft, carried by a crew of two aircraft. The long cylindrical fuselage was spiraling on a tricycle chassis with a nose wheel (for fronting the bonnet). The main vanage hatch roztashovuvavsya vіdrazu behind the pilot's cockpit, the car was carried out on an attached pohily number - a ramp. Important equipment was thrown over and over again for the help of the 16-ton glider Namilcar, built by General Aircraft, which produced 7.8 tons of various equipment (light tank, Universal carrier armored personnel carrier, 40 soldiers or field armor with a tractor). The vanishing-vivanting zdіysnyuvalsya along the ramp through the bow part, which looks to the right. The role of tugs was mainly played by the old chotirimotor bombers Stirling and Halifax. During the course of the war, especially at the Pacific theater of military events, the aviation technology of American manufacturing, including the airborne gliders of the Waco family of different models, took much more attention.

In the course of combat operations in Europe, it was clear that the gliders could not be recognized by a predetermined amphibious assault, the shards when they landed on the skids-nebud crossed the mist, then the danger of an accident is great. The British suffered especially in this way: as a butt, it is possible to land a landing landing of the English 1st Airborne Division on the day of Syracuse in Sicily. In the wake of the navigational break (up to a weak visibility, a strong wind blew up), the aircraft, which were skidding 133 gliders, gliders and 47 gliders rushed into the water. Lost over 250 paratroopers, charged with important assault orders. Those machines, which zoomed to reach the island, could not land normally - the gostrі skelі, sho pokryvayut the surface of Sicily, caused by those who safely had less than 12 gliders. The landing force, which is available 1600 people, having spent a third of its warehouse in the meantime - even without serious opposition from the side of the opponent! 101 pilots of gliders (the skin "Khorey" had two pilots each) drowned, crashed, or recognized serious injuries. The gliders, which were lost, were at different distances from the object recognized by him (the Italian airfield in the outskirts of Avola).

In 1944, the situation repeated itself: at the hour of the landing landing in Normandy, the gliders again recognized important losses - 3 196 cars that landed in the English sector, ) at the crossroads of the city, near the rich places, it is covered with a thick mesh of anti-parachute and anti-gliding fences (“Rommel’s asparagus” or “booby traps” - “pastok for fools” - a combination of small-sized crossings and small fields). When tsomu іz zagalnoї kіlkostі Federal vіyskovo-transport lіtakіv scho carried tsієї nochi desantuvannya dvoh amerikanskih that odnієї anglіyskoї divіzіy (2359 odinits) nіmetskoyu zenіtnoyu artilerієyu bulo zbito lishe 20. Parashutisti at svoєmu rozporyadzhennі mali lend-lіzіvskі freight desantnі lіtaki amerikanskogo virobnitstva Dakota "Z Mk III (Douglas Z 47 "Skytrain"), as well as a yogo variant, creations specially for the Airborne Forces, Z 53 "Skytrooper" (in English paratroopers, the machines were often called "Paradac" (from the words "para") " parachutist" and "dacota" - "dakota") Zokrema, for the landing of pilots of the 1st Airborne Forces in the Arnhem region in spring 1944, fate needed 145 aircraft, 341 "Horsa" gliders, 13 - "Hamilcar" and 4 American Waco gliders.

Before the mass appearance in the British military transport aircraft of the Dakota type for the transport of parachutists, old transports of the Bristol "Bombay" type were often used, as well as handley Page "Halifax" A Mk IX important bombers. "Halifax" instantly took on board 24 paratroopers with full orders. On the litak, a defense was installed with two 12.7-mm and one 7.71-mm machine guns. Other types of English bombers went through a similar refurbishment. All the same, despite the unification, it is obvious that the superiority of the superior American planes took the mountain and far away the countrymen's cars were victorious only for towing gliders. The first streaks on the cob were victorious from the sights of the first line of the old bombers Armstrong Whitworth "Whitley", as if they were not suitable for such a victoria. Over the course of the year they replaced the tethers of the aerostats, and then - you "dakoti" yourself.

The English themselves became the pioneers of landing with a parachute of various zrazkiv important improvements and transportation benefits. For this purpose, special platforms with shock absorbers were used. So, for a normal landing of a standard passenger car jeep (Willys MB and Ford GPW) with a weight of 1020 kg, a couple of parachutes are needed. The remains were placed in the trunk of the car and fastened with a steel cable to a special bar, which was on a platform near the center of the system rail. The platform itself was secured with hard shock absorbers under the skin of the machine, as it was fixed on them with two screw clamps. During the landing, the construction was protected by two pokhili supports, which went into it killed. Nevibagly everywhere, without any particular problems, they carried landings, but the British were allowed to transport equipment on gliders. The number of landing units with jeeps was already high, as the German soldiers predicted near Arnhem, the patrols of the British and Americans scurried around the outskirts of the bridgeheads occupied by them, like ants.

The landing of light motorcycles (the American James ML and the Royal Enfield with a working volume of the engine of a total of 125 cc) was carried out by a track on a special tubular frame with shock absorbers, which did not allow the wheels to hit the ground during landing. Tsya sporuda saw more than one parachute put in the trunk and attached with a metal cable near the center of the structure to the frame bracket. To install the motorcycle in the middle of the frame, you need to install a kermo, open it by 90 degrees (parallel to the axis of the system). Among the small-sized transport facilities, you can consider miniature mopeds with a Villiers Junior brand engine, which were transported in a privately selected look. When transporting, there were kermo and seats, similar in design to bicycles, and the part that was left behind did not richly change the bottom board for a skateboard. Paratroopers and folded bicycles victorious. Vtіm, usі tsі ekzotichnі zasobi transport for єyu kіlkіstyu significantly sacrificed motorcycles and passenger cars.

* * *

To strengthen the parts after the landing, light airborne tanks were created. The first of them, created in 1937 in an initiative order by the Vickers company (also known as a light cruiser with the code P.R.), becoming A. 17 Mk VII. For a long time, the car took off the name "Tetrarch" Mk I. The dimensions of the tank: length 4.62 meters, width 2.39, height 2.1, ground clearance 0.35 meters. Fighting mass 7.64 tons, crew of three people. The rectangular hull of the tank was made from riveted armor plates, installed vertically. The frontal sheet of insertions was under the cheek, at the center of the reservation there was a control post: when the right-handed front part was pulled out, the head and shoulders of the mechanics-water were raised, which prevented the rest of the guard from looking around. With the hatch closed, guarding was carried out through a small looking gap in the yogo central part. The armor of the Tetrarch was even weaker: the front of the hull was 16 mm, the side was 14, the rear was 10 mm. By the song of the world, this small amount was compensated by the apparent large number of internal armored partitions (10 - 14 mm), which helped to defend the crew. The same partition made it possible to drain the internal volume of the fire tanks (they could hold 124 liters of fire), moreover, at the bottom under them there were drainage openings for draining the fire from their ushkodzhennya. The supplementary fire tank was installed at the stern at the horizontal position.

Crew of three people. The riveted dvomisna vezha was small cylindrical in shape, two 4-inch (101.6 mm) smoke grenade launchers with an ammunition load of 8 grenades were installed on it from the skin side. Attachments are equipped with replacement triplexes, all radio-fed machines (a standard radio station No. 19 is installed). A garmata and a machine gun were installed at the rozvinenіy masses. Vezha bula to finish with space, but the guards did not bother the tank commander, who also performed the functions of a loader, enough to look around. Її ozbroєnnya folded a 2-pound (40 mm) Vickers OQF Mk IX garmat with a 52-gauge barrel length pairing with it a licensed Czech 7.92-mm BESA machine gun. An armored projectile of harmati penetrating 57-mm armor at a distance of up to 450 meters beyond a 30-degree angle. Pidyom and turn of the harmonica were used for the help of a manual drive. Ammunition load of 50 artillery shellings, 2025 attacks.

Dvigun - 12-cylinder horizontally opposed Meadows MAT with 165 l. With. at 2700 rpm per whilin. The "Tetrarch" was fitted with a Meadows semi-automatic gearbox, the control could be duplicated for an additional galm and a simple differential through the on-board gearboxes. The equipment tank is called an invisible kermovym attachment - from the primal car steering wheel to all four couches from the skin side, there were kermovy rods. When turning, the large-diameter forgings simply turned to the right side (like a car) and the tank turned straight ahead. I will build a special caterpillar with hinges in the tracks when it bends. The system of wheel skew, was relieved by hydropower, vimagala great zusils in the mechanics of water. Another and third kovzanki could move in the middle or the name, thereby ensuring the tightness of the caterpillars on the turns (the whole undercarriage of the undercarriage was fixed on the armored personnel carrier "BREN carrier", but, on the view of the rest, the suspension system of the "Tetrarch" was perfected without interruption). The tension of the caterpillars was regulated by the flywheel, with sharp turns the mechanics-water were corysteve by the important controls and galmovovuvaly rolled the onboard gearboxes.

The guiding wheel was free, three support forgings from the skin side were gummed, the rear one was equipped with the functions of the drive wheel and the gum bandage was not maw. Pіdvіska іndivіdualna іdropnevmatichnа, zavdjaki wіth whіch reached znachna znachnі іnі move. The maximum speed of the highway reached 64 km / year, the cruising range was 224 kilometers. "Tetrarch" added the following transitions: up to 35 degrees, the vertical wall of the crown up to 0.5 meters, the edge of the crown up to 2.2 and the edge of the crown up to 0.9 meters.

Serial production began in 1941 at the Metropolitan Cummell company, 35 units were produced for the river, including tanks of the Tetrarch Mk I CS fire support tank, fired with a 76.2-mm OQF Mk I short-barreled howitzer. little (in Madagascar 1942, in Pivdenny Italy of 1943 it was.). On the cob of war, a number of cars were immediately transferred to the reserve after the release was transferred to the reserve for airborne divisions, where the stench began to go on the cob of 1943. The tank was transported already by the important landing glider Hamilcar, moreover, the crew is guilty of being in the middle. It happened that after the landing of the car, I would immediately leave the glider and immediately enter the bіy.

For the first time in history, airborne armored vehicles were stopped by the British at the hour of the invasion to Pivnichnoi France. The light tanks "Tetrarch" of the 6th Airborne Reconnaissance Regiment were deployed from the "Hamilkar" gliders. One of the vehicles was sunk over the English Channel: the glider sank at the side strum in the direction of the tugboat, swung at the tailspin and fell into the sea, moreover, the tank went through the nose of the glider at once with the crew, and then safely landed in the warehouses of the other airborne troops from the attackers through river Orn. Practically all the machines, having left the gliders, got entangled with caterpillars in parachutes, but instead they covered the ground with a kilim in the landing area, and did not take part in distant battles. More great tanks were taken from the sea.

The weak armor of the Tetrarch, the difficulties of managing it, made the military department and the Vickers firm look at the possibility of replacing it. A new improvement of this type, creations in 1943, otrimav index A.25 Mk VI1I, and then, in honor of the US Secretary of State, he was unofficially named Harry Hopkins. Vickers prompted three completions of the new tank, and Metropolitan Cummell took over its serial production, like the Tetrarch. The car was assigned on a turn-key basis for vikoristannya at the Airborne Forces.

With the conservation of the design of the chassis, transmission and kerma outbuilding, the hydraulic system was installed on the rest to facilitate the operation of the water. The thickness of the frontal armor was increased to 38 mm (side 14, vezha 16, stern 10 mm), the hull and vezha (lower, lower at the "Tetrarch") took away a new configuration with larger kutas for armor plates. Strongly beveled frontal leaf - full, without protruding water.

The 40-mm garmata, as well as on the front zrazka, could be equipped with a special Little John barrel attachment, which increased the cob speed of an armor-piercing projectile from 680 to 1200 m / s. True, the installed nozzle did not allow the high-explosive ammunition to be burned. The ammunition load of the harmonica and machine gun is similar to the “Tetrarch”. A handguard with a harmonica for mounting a two-inch (50.8 mm) dimovie grenade launcher, which is charged from the breech in the middle of the car. Fighting mass grew up to 8.63 tons, speed and range fell to 48 km/year and 190 km/year. The length of the machine was 4.3 meters, width 2.45, height 1.85 meters. Radio control is similar to the installed Mk VII. Firm "Metropolitan" until 1944 released 99 pieces of "Harry Hopkinsiv", as a whole they were straightened to tank trains of paratroopers. The stench did not take a part in the battles, vikoristovuyuchisya like the first one and perebuvayuchi on the reserve warehouse. Light self-propelled artillery mount "Alecto" (Alecton - a long-standing Greek mythological character), which was called "Harry Hopkins" Mk I CS and was deployed on the base of the tank ), did not bring it to the prototype. Technically, until the end of the century, they were still hanging around the quarter of 1942, the proteo life of the prototype dragged on until the end of the war.

Harry Hopkins became the last British light tank, razrobleny until the end of the war. Tsі nezgrabnі cars did not fit into the framework of the concept of the creation of an airborne assault tank, the shards could only serve as a function. The latest after the Normandy operation, the British replaced the "Tetrarchs" of the 6th division's rearing regiment with 12 "Cromwell" medium tanks. At the request of the best airborne tank, the British Ministry of Defense began to purchase American M22 vehicles (the English name is Locust - Locust), equipped with a 37-mm garmatoy. On the cob of 1945, the number of cars in the British Airborne Forces reached 260 units. For their landing, important gliders "Hamilkar" were also planted. On the side of the allies, the English "Locasts" took a part in the battles - when crossing the Rhine on 25 February 1945, six tanks in the warehouse of the 6th Airborne Division supported the division of paratroopers.

Crimean tanks, paratroopers zastosovulya light tracked armored personnel carrier "Universal carrier" (universal transporter) in the Normandy operation, which vikoristovuvalis like a machine gun carrier or a tractor. Small vehicles were equipped with the Boise Mk I anti-tank towel and one machine gun - 12.7 mm American Browning M2, and often 7.62 mm manual BREN Mk I. Crew 3 - 4 individuals.

Canadians have developed for the needs of the Airborne Forces a special airborne transportable tracked vehicle, nicknamed the Jeep-tank. A crew of two people, the engine of the Wyllis passenger car, was deployed to a small, well-built corps. In the future, the fire was not restored, but the stowed armored car had a 7.71-mm BREN machine gun. The machine did not vibrate in series: only two small series were produced.

After the formation in 1949 - 1950 of the squadrons of important airborne gliders, the same share of the spіtkal tank squadrons of the Airborne Forces. Cars "Harry Hopkins" and "Locast", which are on their stock, were transferred to the reserve, and then taken from stock.

In order to succeed in combating enemy tanks, the English paratroopers took until 1944 a rocket-propelled anti-tank towel PIAT caliber 50.8 mm, created after the successful strike of the American bazooka. The grenade launcher is equipped with a one-legged bipod with a wide support, and the replacement of the ringed rear end nozzle on the front is installed with a tight tube stop with a shock absorber - it is necessary to extinguish strong impact during shooting. Rozrahunok PIAT, as a rule, folded z dvoh osіb - arrow and pіdnoschika cumulative grenades, yakі fit into a special clog, united in three pieces and secured with straps for ease of transfer. The armor was weak and weakly armored and proved to be insufficiently effective against heavily armored German tanks, equipped with additional anti-tank screens.

Uniform

The English Airborne Forces, which were doing under the brilliant successes of their German counterparts, put a lot of details of their order and uniform in them. The cob molding in 1940 of the parachute parts gave rise to impersonal specific problems with their safety equipment items, which were often observed after the recognition of the inundation in Holland and Crete with German uniforms. For example, in 1941, the English introduced a training overall for paratroopers to wear over a harness, a special cut of pants with a larger patch of guts on quilts and similar to army lace-up lace-ups with thick gum soles. All uniforms were based on a standard battledress (from 1937) with some extras. So, the valve of the zgadana swish on the quilts, placed on the left leg, the crimson of the gudzik-zipper, was fastened with two buttons, which fixed the yogo edge. It worked so that, in case of a sharp cold, that, having accompanied the opening of the parachute, objects did not fly out of the intestines, which were lying in a new one. Polished black shkir boots are also used for a special landing gear (the so-called type SV): with a tight sole, which is shock-absorbing, with a vulcanized gumi. The sole was fastened to the lace for the help of brass screws. Standard leggings with clasps on buckles were put on over the boot.

The most noteworthy detail of the special uniform is the Denison's smock parachute jumpsuit (Denison's smock), named so on the name of the yogo virobnik. Prote was often called yoga "Polish blouse". In its appearance, the jumpsuit is even more similar to its German great-grandfather - in the early days, wind on small short pants that reach the middle of the quilt. Nadal, in their wake, the overalls were worn, looking like a free blouse with epaulettes and chotirma with overhead guts on great metal gudziks.

The fastener “bliskavka” (її bunok staggered with a long-fashioned fabric tongue) reached the middle of the breasts, which meant that it was necessary to dress the clothes over the head. In the area of ​​​​the groin, on the patchwork of the flaps, six metal gudzikivs were sewn in two rows: with their help, when cutting, they could often wrap around a stegon (again, on a German cut). In addition, the lining was fastened on the sides with straps, which regulate the size of the jacket. In the waist area there was a lingering drawstring.

The back of the sleeves of the blouse were tied up on the straps with plastic horns, and until the summer of 1944, they changed the trimmings of the sash - from elastic cuffs, so that the sleeves did not inflate at the same time as the haircut. The jumpsuit was made from a more camouflage material (splashes and strokes of irregular shape of dark brown and green colors behind a basic light olive background). As a rule, automatic magazines and grenades were placed in yoga towns. Officer badges were worn on shoulder straps, sergeants' chevrons - on the right or both sleeves.

Under a steel sholom, they often wore a knitted "Lofoten" hat, commandos wore yak. A richly functional camouflage mesh-kashni was tied around the neck, which served mainly for covering the guise (including mosquitoes). At nighttime, paratroopers from the pathfinder groups or saboteurs of the SAS blackened the guise of a burnt cork or self-made mask cream.

Under the overalls, the paratroopers wore uniform uniforms with better fittings. The shoulder seams of both sleeves of the "battledress" were worn with arched stripes of chestnut color, on which the white inscription "AIRBORNE" was embroidered or the farboi was sewn. Trochs lower for the stripes, on both sleeves, the emblem of the Airborne Forces flaunted - a square chestnut stripe with a silhouette of the ancient hero Bellerophon sewn on it with a white seam, which, waving with a list, tops on the winged horse Pegasus. The stripes on the two sleeves are small and mirror-image: the head of Pegasus always marveled forward at the move. The emblem was designed by Edward Seago (Seago); In the meantime, on the polovіy form of chestnut, the ashes changed to a khaki color, and the white seam — to a light-gray thread.

On the right sleeve of the field jacket and the "Denisonian" overalls, all military servicemen, who had passed parachute training (for the wine of the SAS soldiers), wore a qualification badge - on the figured valve of the khaki color there was an image of a white, open parachute and two red blaxons. On the masculine overalls, this badge was worn three times wider behind the sergeant's chevrons, on the "battledress" jacket - between the chevrons and the emblem of the Airborne Forces with Pegasus. Zustrichavsya variant of the sign, embroidered on the background of a chestnut tree.

The main headgear of the British Airborne Forces, which has become a symbol of the landing units of the entire world, becoming a chestnut color (maroon): this color gave the British paratroopers the title of "red devil". He takes felt from one piece of felt and mav shkiryan trimming the lower edge. The starboard side of the former for leviy, for what reason it takes zalamuvavsya on the right side. In the middle of the black fur belt there was a tasma, which was tied on the sweatshirt with a bow (the laces on which the head was removed could be taken out of the necessary rosemary). On the sides, open the ventilation guys. Beret parachutists and commandos were strongly irritated by the cut of the Scottish "Them'o'Shenterіv" and the heady ones, as if they changed the 1943 fate of the Polish pilots. The rest were sewn from a few fragments of burlap fabric in khaki color, and at the bottom edge there was a wide cloth rim. On the raised side of the beret, above the left eyebrow, the paratroopers wore the cockade of the Parachute Regiment made of silver metal. The emblem was an image of an open parachute between two dead wings. On top, the whole composition is topped with a royal crown, worth a lion (in fact, the emblem was often used in fighting minds). I take it myself, the cockade has been preserved to this day.

Officers' badges at the Airborne Forces were of a special style: not metal, but embroidered with black and white thread on chestnut mother's rhombuses.

In full dress uniform, the British paratroopers wore a wide chestnut-coloured fabric belt with a massive golden buckle. On the rest, there was a miniature image of the cocardi of the Airborne Forces. The buckle stuck behind the helper hook and loop; the belt is regulated behind the dozhina, similarly to all the parade officer belts of the Radyansk Army.

Artillerymen of the airborne units on chestnut berets wore the emblems of their genus vіysk: a shining image crowned with a crown of an old-fashioned armor with a banner leaning against it and a line with the Latin motto: QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT. On the sleeves, the artillerymen wore stripes with the inscription "AIRBORNE", square emblems of the Airborne Forces and the badge of a parachutist (whom they relied on).

Nasamkinets next to say a few words about the uniform of pilots of landing gliders. Shards of the rest entered behind the personnel of the Airborne Forces; Breast emblems served on the front of the other special warehouse. Above the swarm of lions, the stripe of the pilot of a landing glider was glimmering on black aphids: a crown, a British lion spiraling on a yak between two wide wings.

In order to replenish important expenses, which were led by glider pilots in the landing under Arnhem (they perished or ate hundreds of qualified pilots into a full sprat), the three-way course of their training had to be sharply shortened. Officers and sergeants, as they passed, were included in the depot of crews only by other pilots. In order to revitalize these types of pilots of the "old school", this category was assigned a chest emblem with a golden letter "G" (Glider - glider) near the golden oval between two small wings. Emblems were sewn on service jackets, battledress jackets and camouflage overalls.

The regular uniform of the lions is similar to that of the solemn one, with the use of signs of the Airborne Forces, supplemented by the emblems of greater significance. In the field of gliding, the pilots were dressed in standard skins for aircraft type C and various stripes of sour masks (mainly type F). However, on top of the sholom with earmuffs, a brown-coloured fiber frame was fixed, which, protecting the pilot in case of head injuries during the accident, was often used during landings at the crossroads of the city, often equipped with "Rommel's asparagus".

It should be noted that, on the authority of the American Airborne Forces, the British soldiers of the landing and glider units were dressed as a paratrooper, crim a qualification badge to the right front.

The Canadian paratroopers were dressed in British dress, but the Polish "battledress" was supplied by the factories of the countryside, and I significantly reduced the quality, lower military robes from the metropolis. Uniforms were sewn from more soft and mucilaginous fabrics, so there were few expressions of greens in khaki. The shoulder seams on both sleeves of the Canadians wore their official sign - a straight-cut fabric patch with a yellow or white inscription "CANADA". Other signs and emblems are identical to English ones.

Yuri Nenakhov

From the book "Vіyska special appointment at Another svіtovіy war"

Glider of the British airborne troops

Mist in Arnemi. Operation Market Garden. 1944

Airborne troops of Great Britain ( English british airborne forces ) - High-mobility elite district of the Army Army of the Great Britain, to the warehouse of which in different hours the military troops were included, parts of that drozdil of lightly armored infantry, as they were assigned for delivery at the enemy’s heels and active combat troops.

1. The history of the creation of the airborne troops of Great Britain

1.1. Molding of the first pіdrozdіl

After the victory at the First World War, the forces of Great Britain rested on their well-deserved laurels and, until the early 1930s, they made a good reserve of old forms of warfare and, in case of innovations, they were put on the alert, and the fortune-tellers. Try the American Brigadier General W. Mitchell, who in 1918 rozі napoljagav on the most visible creation of the great airborne paratroopers, in England they knew even less prihilnikov, lower in the USA. As the British theoreticians thought, there was no more of a guide opponent in Europe. "War for the pinning of all wars" ended in a new victory over Entente, and whether it was the strength of the military power of the Germans and the SRSR, it was possible to strangle at the beginning of the strong economic pressure. In the minds of the English, they were aware that there was no need to change the structure of the armed forces consecrated by centuries, and even more so to promote extravagant ideas, like a parade of soldiers from outside.

Ale, the irony of the share already after 4 fates created doubts about the correctness of these glances. Shlyub at dosvіdі zastosuvannya zastosuvannya amphibious landings British povnoy world vіdchuli less than an hour to the conflict in Iraq. After taking away the mandate to govern this territory, the British Empire, which used to be part of the warehouse of the Ottoman Empire, actually turned it into its colony. Since 1920, the fate of the country began to live in battles between the British of Great Britain and the nationally volitional movement. In order to compensate for the lack of mobility of their land troops in the fight against the insurgents' pens, the British transferred to Iraq from Egypt a significant number of combat aircraft, including two military transport squadrons. Under the supervision of Air Vice Marshal John Salmond, special tactics for the UPU for their participation in actions to "pacify" rebellious territories were broken up. From Zhovtnya rock, the UPU was forced to take an active part in strangling the rebels.

The triumphal victory of the German parachute parts of the first hour of the Swedish campaigns near Norway, Denmark, Belgium and Holland in 1940 did not overthrow the orthodox British military parachute formations in the necessary creation of similar military paratroopers in 1940. Only on the 22nd of Cherry, 1940, already after the defeat of France, Prime Minister Churchill punished the cob of molding of various parts of a special recognition, the crown and the parachute corps.

1.2. Paratroopers of the British Empire

Crimea in the hands of the English parts, the MPE of the British added the 1st Canadian parachute battalion (Eng. 1st Canadian Parachute Battaillon ). The battalion was formed on the 1st day of 1942, and in the sickle 85 officers, sergeants and soldiers arrived from the warehouse to the Ringu for special training. Nezabar Shilo created the Canadian parachute command center. In an hour, the battalion, having completed its training, went to the warehouse of the 3rd parachute brigade of the 6th airborne division and took part in the operation "Overlord" and distant battles near Europe (including in the Ardennes on the 1944th anniversary of 1944).

Near the birch of 1945, Canadians took part in the operation Varsity (landing beyond the Rhine), and then a battalion of missions to the Fatherland and from the spring of the formations.

After the first battalion, the Canadians completed three more. They reached so far behind one Australian and airborne African battalion, which allowed the British at once with the regular number of the 44th Indian airborne division to bring the total number of MPE to 80,000 units.

1.3. Indian paratroopers

The first landing of paratroopers in India was formed on May 15, 1941. Prote of the official creation of the 50th Indian parachute brigade was announced only in 1941. Її recruitment was carried out in Delhi, even though at the airbase in the area of ​​New Delhi, the head center was organized under the name "Airlanding School" ("Airborne Airborne School"). The brigade was formed from the 151st British, 152nd Indian and 153rd Gurkish parachute battalions. The first brigade training was held on August 15 in Karachi, and in the fierce year of 1942, the first brigade training was carried out from the landing of the paratroopers.

The battle brigade took over as early as 1942: small groups of paratroopers killed the first haircuts with a parachute at the battle minds. At the lime, a company of the Indian battalion was thrown off to Sindh under the hour of a recent operation to strangle the slaughter of one of the Indian tribes. In the same month, a rozvіdgroup of 11 osіb was parachuted under M'їchin (the territory of Birmi) from the data collection department about the deployment of Japanese forces there. A sickle of 11 people landed in Burma, in the area of ​​Fort Hertz, to prepare a small airfield for the reception of gliders from groups of shindiths.

In the birch of 1944, the 50th brigade was transferred to the order of the command of the 23rd infantry division from the head of the Japanese attack on the pivnichno-skhidnі regions of India. The battles there thrived until the lime, and the brigade, brilliantly proved itself in defensive battles under Imphal ta Kokhimoyu. At the same time, the forty-fourth Indian parachute division of the mixed warehouse is being created, and the 77th Indian parachute brigade was reinforced later.

Immediately before the end of the war, the 44th division was transferred to a new base in Karachi, renaming it into the 2nd Indian traffic division.

1.4. Iraqi paratroopers

Let's embrace the Hindus, Sikhs and Gurkhas, who fought on different fronts for the glory of Great Britain, the English earned their ensigns and Arabs. Navit Іrak, which did not enter the warehouse of the empire, but in 1941, turned into the arena of battles between pro-German rebels and the English expeditionary corps, having deployed its own contingent. In 1942, one hundred and fifty officers and sergeants of the royal Iraqi army, who went through special training under the British guards, completed the new creations of the 156th parachute battalion. Then yoga was included in the warehouse of the 11th English parachute battalion, "downgraded" to a parachute company. In this role, the Arabs took part in the battles of Italy and landings on the islands of the Aegean Sea (linden 1943).

Through pivroku, the first parachute in Iraq, the first parachute podrozdil rozformirovaniya through non-necessity.

2. The fate of combat operations

2.1. First steps

2.3. Normandy

In preparation for the landing at Normandy, the 1st and 6th divisions were called up to the 1st British airborne assault corps (eng. 1st British Airborne Corps ), that having done all at once with the 18th Airborne Corps of the US Army, the First Allied Airborne Army (eng. First Allied Airborne Army ) under the command of the American Lieutenant General Louis H. Brereton.

2.3.1. Merville Battery

In the spring of 1944, the 1st traffic police, which was commanded by Major General Richard C. Urquhart (Eng. Urquhart), took part in one of the largest and most recent airborne operations of the Other Light War, which took the name of Arnimsky chi Dutch (code name "Market Garden"). On the first day of Mali, 5,700 English paratroopers (50% of the special warehouse of the 1st division at once from the її headquarters) landed from the airfields of Pvdennoy England on the first day of Mali. The next day, the figure is small to add up 100%. Ignoring the whole onslaught of paratroopers, the assault did not go forward. To that, in general, the operation recognized the shocks of the drive of the fact that the First Airborne Division was not able to catch and lose the bridge near the Dutch town of Arnhem, regardless of those who, with a stink of stink, were significantly ahead of the earlier plans. Parts of the XXX army corps of Great Britain could not break through the defensive lines on the penny division, and most of the forces of the 1st airborne division (about 7,000 paratroopers) were buried in full.

4.3. Lieutenant John Greyburn - 1944

In the course of the battles for the Arnhem city, Lieutenant Greyburn, cherubing his people, stretched three balls, heroically taking positions near the bridge, and wanting two wounded wounds, he moved but and evacuated from the battlefield. Yogo special masculinity, leadership qualities and a showcase allowed the paratroopers to take the place of their own. A man officer having died at the rest of the battles.

4.4. Flight Lieutenant David Lord - 1944 the major of wounds and dragging them at a safe place. Navіt having taken care of the wounded, having continued the evacuation of a special depot from a broken armored personnel carrier, not giving respect to the place of the enemy cull, and vryatuvav the life of at least three people.

4.7. Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones (Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Jones) - 1982

Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones, commander of the 2nd parachute battalion, perishing, striking an attack by paratroopers during the battle for Darwin and Goose Green near the Falkland War of 1982. Vіn attacking the position of the Argentinean machine-gun rozrahunka with contempt for the security of the air, and once in the early hours the docks did not fall into the position of the enemy.

4.8. Sergeant Ian McKay - 1982

Sergeant McKay, military serviceman of the 3rd battalion of the parachute regiment, who performed a heroic deed if he was the commander of a platoon of wounds during the hour of the Falklands war in 1982. After hurting the wounded commander, the sergeant jumped out of hiding and boldly attacked the enemy’s position under heavy fire, like 2 paratroopers were wounded and one kill, McKay throwing hand grenades at the enemy. The attack of the male parachutist, having sacrificed his own life, roused the Argentines in the lead forces of the platoon, which managed to get the assigned position.

Div. also

5. Video

6. Winosky

Literature

• Lee Ege. Povіtryana mіts - M.: Vydavnitstvo Іnozemnoї Literature, 1958
• Nenakhov Yu. Yu.: Landing troops near the Other Light War. - Minsk: Literature, 1998. - 480 p. - (Encyclopedia of Russian art). .
• Nenakhov Yu. - Mn.: Harvest, M.: ACT, 2000.
• J. M. Geyvin Povitryano-landing war Vidavnitstvo AST, M., 2003

Lipen 1943 rock. The allies are pushing through the territory of Sicily, building a fence on the pivnich. The British generals begin the implementation of the plan for sharpening the Italian-German military, so that they could not redeploy to continental Italy. At the bottom of the 13th to 14th linden, parts of the 1st parachute brigade hang out at the port of Catania to capture the strategically important place of Primosole on the River Simeto, cut the enemy’s path to the entrance and take the 50th parachute. For anti-landing troops, the German command is thrown to the bridge of the 1st parachute division. Thus began the battle between the British and German paratroopers.

Tsil - Sicily

After the capitulation of the Italian-German troops at Pivnichniy Africa, which took place on January 13, 1943, the allies continued to carry out active actions in the Mediterranean region: landing troops on the territory of Italy and bringing news of Greece. The first object to attack was the island of Sicily, on which it was planned to hang parts of the 7th US Army, Lieutenant General George Patton and the 8th British Army, General Bernard Montgomery. “It is necessary for us to find a foothold near the succesful district and then we will conduct new battles”,- so Montgomeri christened the goals of the future operation. The new operation took away the code name of the Husky. The Americans created a foothold near the western-western part of the island (on the banks of the Dzhela inlet), the British - near the eastern-hidden part.

The allies had little numerical advantage over the enemy - 470,000 men, over 600 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1800 ammunition and mortars, 1700 aircraft. At the same time, the Italian-German troops under the command of General Alfredo Guzzon and Field Marshal Albert Keselring could deploy over 320,000 soldiers and officers, less than 200 tanks and assault armats, 300-350 armats and more, more. It should not be forgotten that the Allies won't take precedence at sea: 2590 ships took part in the landing operation.

At noon from 9 to 10 lines, the allies carried out a paratrooper landing on the island; The Germans could not throw the enemy into the sea, but they fought on the peninsula of Sicily. As in the first days, the passage of parts of the 7th and 8th armies passed swiftly, then the enemy attacked, becoming a hardened opir, especially in the British sector of the offensive. On the view of the shoreline, the mountainous area of ​​Central and Pivnichnoy Sicily, as well as the weakly built road barriers, were buried by the defense forces - the Italian-Nimets military rearranged the villages on the support points, artillery batteries were deployed on the heights. On the 10th linden of the 5th British infantry division from the warehouse of the 13th corps (corps commander - Major General Horatio Barni-Fiklin) reached the village of Kasabila (on the afternoon from the city of Siracusi). Parts of the 13th corps were straightened up to Augusta, and not far away, Prioli was reinforced by the tight support of the parts by the battle group "Schmalz" under the command of Colonel Wilhelm Schmalz (the tank division of the Luftwaffe "Hermann Goering" and the 15th panzergrenadier division were raised). .

Strategic place

Montgomery maw namir transfer the evacuation of the Italian-German troops from Sicily through the Messinian channel, relying solely on the forces of the 8th army. Nasampered, the British were small enough to want the concrete site of Primosoli zavdovka over 120 m, which, having crossed the banks of the Simeto river, and being known for sim miles for a day in the port of Catania. The flooding of the bridge was necessary for the successful passage of parts of the 13th building of the pivnich and volodin of Katania.

Mist Primosole

On the back it was planned that the strategic object was to bury the soldiers of the 50th infantry division (commander - Major General Sidney Kirkman) for tank support of the 4th armored brigade (commander - Brigadier John Cecil Kerri). Later, the plan was changed, and the bridge was entrusted to parts of the 1st airborne division of Major General George Hopkinson, and to itself - the 1st parachute brigade (commander - Brigadier Gerald William Latbury). The soldiers of the division were newcomers - they took the fate of the Brunewald raid of 1942, the battles for the Norwegian hydroelectric power station Vemork, the Tuniska campaign, and landed troops near Syracuse from nіch іz 9 to 10 lime 1943. Mist Primosole maw took over the 1st parachute battalion of Lieutenant Colonel Alastair Pirson, and the 3rd (commander - Lieutenant Colonel Erik Yeldman) and the 2nd (commander - Lieutenant Colonel John Frost) battalion took away the order to hide the mist from the airfield and the airfield directly.

Lieutenant Colonel Alastair Pirson
Dzherelo – pegasusarchive.org

The commanders of the parachute battalions were awarded officers, small high honors - Lieutenant Colonel Frost took the Viysk Cross for the Brunewald raid, and Lieutenant Colonel Pirson was awarded the Viysk Cross and two Orders of Great Merit for the Tuniska campaign.

Lieutenant Colonel John Frost
Dzherelo – paradata.org.uk

To help the paratroopers, an additional blow was given by the 3rd commando of lieutenant colonel John Durnford-Slater, who could take the place of Malatya on the river Lintiny ten miles on the day from the Primosole bridge. The British were opposed by units of the division "Hermann Goering" (commander - Major General Paul Konrat) and the 15th Panzergrenadier Division (commander - Major General Eberhard Rodt). In addition, Field Marshal Kesselring defeated the 1st Parachute Division (commander Major General Richard Heidrich).

German paratroopers. Sicily, lime 1943
Dzherelo – pegasusarchive.org

Through the marriage of transport zasobіv, Heidrich did not manage to strike the whole division and throwing the 3rd Parachute Regiment (commander - Colonel Ludwig Heilman), the 1st machine gun battalion (commander - Major Werner Schmidt), zv'yazkіvtsіv and three anti-tank platoons. 12 lime close to 18:15 German paratroopers from the warehouse of the 3rd regiment (1400 units) set up a landing on the fields near Katania.

Colonel Ludwig Heilman
Jerelo – specialcamp11.co.uk

The American vinischuvachs could not cross the He.111 transporters, they were transporting troops, the shards of their coats were gone (as a tribute to the tributes of the American pilots). One of the German battalions was fired at the entrance to the Catania place, the other two were fired on the approaches to the Malatya bridge. Parts of the 1st machine-gun battalion arrived in Catania on the attacking wound, at the airfield of Catania they were attacked by the Allied Air Forces, after which two Me.321 gliders were destroyed, which contained the left section of the ammunition of the anti-tank platoons. In this manner, the German paratroopers were left with a meager arsenal of anti-tank armor. Colonel Heilman rozumiv, that the allies will carry out a successful landing by the river Simeto, the German parts, which are known to be on the same day as it, lean in the sharpened. Having punished the commander of the 1st battalion, Hauptmann Otto Laun, to kill him with his soldiers to the Primosole bridge. That one was so smart, spreading his parachutists two kilometers a day from the bridge in the orange forest, which gave a garnet of masquerading.

Nevdala landing

The operation from the flooding of the bridge, which took away the code name "Fastian", started on the 13th day of 1943, if it was close to 20:00, 105 transport planes C-47 "Dakota" and 11 "Albemarl" AW41 were rebuked on board over 1856 paratroopers of the 1st parachute brigade. Transported on nineteen gliders combat equipment and ammunition (including ten six-pound garmats and 18 jeeps), as well as 77 artillerymen. From the very beginning of the operation, the British had problems - the allied units of the PPO took over the air force for the Germans and fired on it, and having left Sicily, the airmen drank the fire of the Italian anti-aircraft guns. As a result, some of the gliders recognized the occasion and were daunted to turn back, and a few more cars perished. A lot of transport aircraft were also poshkodzhenі and turned to the airfields with 30% of the paratroopers.

Close to 22:00, the British launched a landing landing, and along with the “warmth of the striker” they organized the fighters of the 1st machine-gun battalion. The Germans took the gliders for reinforcement, but if flares were fired, Heilmann’s soldiers crossed over, the enemy vibrated the landing, and fired a hurricane fire from machine guns and a large number of anti-aircraft guns. A dekilka of British letaks took off their training and fell onto the field. Pіznіshe tsey bіy describing the German lieutenant Martin Peppel:

“Leaping airfoils fell on the fields, like straw, and hung the whole battlefield. Our machine guns didn’t close.”

The British paratroopers had a chance to fly under the shelling from the executioners, over 70 paratroopers were consumed in full immediately after the landing. The British had two great problems - in the first place, practically all the races were spent, and, as Latbury wrote, “there was no friendly contact with the friendly battalions, and no one knew what was going on”. In another way, the airmen strayed from the course, most of them dropped the landing on the 20–32 km distance from the object (the deacons of the group stumbled against the Etna volcano), and less than 30 vehicles hung about 300 soldiers at the necessary place. No better was the bulo with the artillery lantern, like the bulge was crushed 14 lindens - less than chotiri garmati reached the recognized point. The only success of the pochatkovo stage of the operation "Fastian" was those that the Italian parts, which were near the bridge, were scattered or were built in full without support.

On April 14, about 2:15 p.m. of the soldiers of the 1st battalion on the choli with the captain Ran, they buried the city of Primosole and chotiri doti (two bills of the pivnichny bridge, and two - of the pivdenny bridge). At the pillboxes, the British showed Italian hand-held machine guns "Bred" and impersonal patrons before them. Two pillboxes on the pivnіchny kіntsi bridge were not stolen by anyone;

“Bilya pіvdennogo іntsa bridge mi zstrіl spy patrol іz chotyroh іtalіytsіv. Two of them were immediately driven in by paratrooper Adams. Our soldier throwing Gamon's hand grenade at one of the dots. 18 Italians stood out in front of the crowd. Biy buv svidkoplinny. I took off the wound on my right shoulder.

At about 3:45 the paratroopers were commemorated on the road that led to the bridge, a light tank, an armored car and three vests. The artillerymen fired a shell at the tank, and the paratroopers threw grenades at the cars. Following the words of Lieutenant Bingley, two vans were carrying gasoline. The first car was undermined by Gamon's grenade, as if Corporal Curtiss had thrown it - 22 Italian soldiers perished in a terrible death through the flames of fire. Close to 5:00, the British rattled the German vantazhivka, which was slipping on the armor - the soldiers, who rode on it, threw two grenades at the paratroopers and flowed in, leaving the harmata. Not long after, the British sappers managed to clear the place.

Scheme of operation "Fastian"
Jerelo – Simmons M. Battles for the Bridges // WWII Quarterly 2013-Spring (Vol.4 No.3)

Without zv'yazku that ammunition

The paratroopers knew in the pillboxes two rations, caught up with the headquarters of the 4th armored brigade about those who were under control, and a year later the call was made. The city was protected by about 120 soldiers of the 1st battalion, on which there were three mortars, a Vickers machine gun, three PIAT anti-tank grenade launchers, and a hand grenade. In addition, the order of the paratroopers had a six-pound garmat in good order (two more znaryaddya required repair), as well as two 50-mm Italian garmats and a 75-mm German garmat. Not far from the bridge, there were two platoons of the 3rd battalion, and the soldiers of the 2nd battalion could in time take control of the pagorbi on the front entrance to the bridge, capturing over a hundred Italian soldiers. 283 soldiers and 12 officers from the depot of the 1st brigade were taken to the area near the Primosol bridge.

On Svitanka 14 lime, the Germans became aware of those that the place was choked by the enemy. In order to clarify the situation, they were sent to the investigation group of Hauptmann Franz Shtangenberg (20 cases on two vests). Approaching the bridge at a distance of more than 2 km, the group was fired upon by the British from harmat, after which the Hauptmann turned to Catania and began to pick up forces for a counterattack. Youmu went to pick up over 350 officers, including cooks, mechanics and 150 soldiers from the company, under the command of Hauptmann Erikh Fassl. As far as artillery, the Germans could win a 50-mm Italian armature and three 88-mm anti-aircraft guns.

Counterattacks of the German paratroopers

At the other half of the day, the Germans began shelling the British with anti-aircraft guns, after which the paratroopers were wounded. According to the British, at about 13.00 they attacked the sprat of the Me.110. At 13:10, the Germans launched the first attack - the Stangenberg group hit the pivnichny end of the bridge from the right flank, the zv'yazkivtsi - from the left. Unable to carry on a long battle through a meager stock of ammunition, the British stepped up to the stone bridge.

While fighting for the city, the German paratroopers from the 1st machine-gun battalion attacked the British from the 2nd battalion, who were parachuting on the hills. Corporal Nevill Yeshl, for the help of the Bren light machine gun, streaming the enemy’s move, just as a group of soldiers on the choir with Lieutenant Peter Barry strangled the German machine gun point. The Germans fired fire from important machine guns and mortars, and the British stepped in, not looking at the possibility of guiding them "forward."

German paratroopers fire from a machine gun. Sicily, lime 1943
Jerelo – barriebarnes.com

At the critical moment, Lieutenant Colonel Frost sighed and fired the artillery of the light cruisers Newfoundland and Mauritius. The heavy shelling from the ship's znaryad zmusiv nіmtsіv come (for British tribute, the stench spent over twenty people killed and wounded). The British again took positions on the pagorbs. At the battle, Captain Stanley Panther was appointed - at once from a trio of fighters, strangling a fortune-telling machine gun, then burying a light howitzer and firing a sprat of shells from it at the gates. For the manifestation of masculinity, Panther was awarded the Viysk Cross.

While Frost's group was able to maintain their position, the situation became more complicated for Lieutenant Colonel Pearson's people. After 15:00 p.m. under the cover of artillery and machine gunners, hovering behind bushes and trees, they attacked again the place from the pivnichny side, and Pirson punished his soldiers to enter the pivdenniy bank of the river. Evidently, on the 14th day of the linden, the British checked for the appearance of their tanks, the scarlet was gone. Rozrahunok six-pound zbroї zumіv razbity bunker, like the Germans occupied prіvnіchny birch, wiping all the ammunition from his mayzhe. Following the insistence of the British, the Germans attacked for the support of self-propelled armor, but did not dare to break through the place, fearing to consume the fire. Stangenberg wisely committed - instead of attacking the place on the forehead, punishing his soldiers to cross by swimming in a different place, bypass the enemy and hit on a new front.

Nimtsі vіdbivayut mist

Lieutenant Colonel Pirson commanded his soldiers to go to the hump on the pivdni and join Frost's group. The young corporal Alfred Osborne, a young corporal Alfred Osborn, who took part in the battles for Primosola, stupefied what fighters, what they had lost, little more than a sprat of attacks to Enfield twinkles. Near the battle, the bridge was driven in 27 British paratroopers, over 70 distance injured. I will greatly help in the evacuation of the wounded by pressing the corporal of the medical service Stanley Tynan - he evacuated the wounded under shelling, for which he awarded the Viysk Medal.

Construction of a pillbox on the bridge of Primosol
Dzherelo – pegasusarchive.org

The young corporal Osborne folded his eyes, sitting in his bunker and firing from a hand gun. Nezabara after that, having left their position like a wine, they ate some shells from the pillboxes, fired by the German assault armor (for the other version - 88-mm anti-aircraft guns).

On Friday, 18:00 p.m., a group of Hauptmann Laun went to the bridge, besides, the Germans were able to cross the river into the bridge. The British stepped in, and the strategic object leaned back in the hands of their opponents. At about the same hour, two parts of the Italian battalions in the warehouse of the 213th coastal defense division were sent here.

The British 50th division makes its way to the bridge

At noon from 13 to 14 lindens, the soldiers of the 3rd parade of commandos sacked Malatya through the river Lentina. Spetsnazіvtsі quickly occupied bunkers, including Italian soldiers, as if they were protecting the object. Vranci 14 lipnya mist buv attacks of the kilkom by the German battalions for the support of mortars and tanks. Behind the firmness of the British commandos, followed by the fire of the "Tiger" (for the other version - Pz.IV), a kind of destroying the dot. Spetsnaz_vtsі planned to protrimatis until the arrival of parts of the 50th division, but they were loaded in battles from Colonel Schmalz's trains from the village of Karlentinі. The 3rd led the storm of turmoil on the first day to unite with the 50th division (in the battles for the place of wine, having spent 30 deaths and 60 dead).

On the 14th of the line for artillery support and tank infantry of the 69th brigade (commander - brigadier Edward Cook-Collins) seized the town of Lentiny. While the 69th brigade was fighting, parts of the 151st infantry brigade (commander - brigadier Ronald Senior), as well as the Shermani from the warehouse of the 44th armored regiment (squadron "C") made their way to the river Malatya and re-captured the bridge (not could yogo znishchiti). On the late evening of the 14th, the linden of fortune-telling parts approached the bridge of Primosole - at that hour the wines were already in the hands of the Nazis.

Tanks of the 44th armored regiment
Jerelo – desertrats.org.uk

British tanks moved to attack the place without artillery support at the same time at night. Tim an hour before the Nimtsiv came a reinforcement - a sprat of the 1st sapper battalion, the 1st battalion of the 4th parachute regiment and part of the 1st artillery regiment. In addition, near Catania there were parts of the Schmalz group, which arrived from the first day, as well as a splinter of Italian battalions and the 4th parachute regiment. Nasampered, the Germans took up positions on the pivnichny birch of the river Simeto. At noon from 14 to 15 lindens, the bridge was lit up by British gunners and by Italian armored vehicles - fireworks of six-pound garmaty under the command of Corporal Stanley Rose, having burned two of them.

On the 15th linden, infantry of the 9th battalion of the Durham Regiment tried to attack the pivnichny shore along the sides of the bridge (the place itself was good, before the British thought it was the fault of the substitutions). The Germans fought the assault. At the party of the officers of the 151st brigade, it was said that the assault was to be carried out at night by the levoruch on the bridge uphill behind the river, where the glybina did not exceed 1.2 m (the ford was shown by Lieutenant Colonel Pirson). The night assault was overtaken by Godinnikov's artillery preparation.

On April 16, about 2:00, the doors of the 8th battalion (“A” and “D”) crossed the bridge and informed the bridgehead about the occupation by launching a signal rocket. Following the troop "B" and "C" of the same battalion, for the support of tanks of the 44th regiment, they destroyed it through the city and made their way to the Simeto shore. The Germans fired hurricane fire from two 88-mm garmats, hit the Sherman chotiri (the total number of British tanks near the bridge area did not exceed twenty singles). The British created a bridgehead with a depth of about 300 m, but they could not stick their way out to the pivnich, the shards of the enemy were entrenched in the vineyards and olive trees.

The place is new in the hands of the British

On the 16th lime, the battles were fought with a change of success. In one of the German attacks, taking the fate of the rank and file Reginald Goodwin (machine gunner from the 8th battalion of the 151st brigade): “For my Bren, I zoomed in on two snipers and a few enemy soldiers. The secret of success is a secure position, as well as those who flanked me from the flanks of my comrades ". On the same day, the 1st parachute brigade was brought up near the pil bulo - the first hour of the landing, and in the battles for the place of stench, they spent over 370 osib.

Rozrahunok anti-tank brigade of the 1st parachute division led the battle to the Primosole bridge. Lipen 1943 roku
Jerelo – barriebarnes.com

On the 17th line, about 1:00, parts of the 6th and 9th battalions crossed the Simeto into the brid (the city was shot by the Germans) and popovnili forces defended the bridgehead, setting up positions near the vineyards. About 5.00 the British began to expand the bridgehead. Tanks of squadrons "A" and "C" of the 44th Regiment overturned their positions and took positions left-handed and right-handed in the middle of the pivnichny kіntsya. The crews of the Shermans of the 3rd Regiment of the Yeomen showed themselves to be good. At about 09:00, the tanks, poking out on the pіvnіch road, lost their 88-mm garnet, vantage and strangled the sprat of stump points. About 9:30 a.m. the regiment’s tanks for the support of the infantry of the 151st brigade continued the offensive and defeated two 105-mm armatures. Yakshcho vyrit zvitam 3 regiment, 17 limes and yogi soldiers blamed 70 German soldiers and officers, and captivated some. On that day, the commander of the 44th regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Willis, perished - the sniper sack ate youma in the head. The command of the regiment was taken by Major Grant.

In the first half of the day, the Germans actively counterattacked, knowingly chimalih vtrat. Hauptmann Heinz-Paul Adolf, from the sapper battalion, tried to get a place for additional vantage with vibrating. Adolf vanished, but did not put his plan into action - the car was driven down to the entrance to the bridge. Hauptmann was posthumously awarded with the Litsar Cross. The situation changed after 11:15 a.m., when the tanks of the 44th regiment took up the most important positions for shelling and launched a hurricane fire behind the German positions. Under the cover of this fire, the British infantry went to the enemy's trenches and began to throw grenades at them. Part of the Nazis surrendered in full, having died a lot, and the reshta went to the pivnich and took up defense at once from the paratroopers of the 4th regiment. Now the British were in full control of the area and the outskirts and began to crush the enemy to Catania.

Scheme of battles for the town of Primosole on 13-17 lime 1943. The blue arrows indicate the passage of the British parts, the red ones - the German ones. Zhovti stake with numbers indicate the chronology of the battles: 1 - the 1st and 3rd battalions of the British take place under control; 2 - 2nd battalion occupies the pivdenny sector of the bridge; 3 - nimtsі to carry out reconnaissance of battles; 4 - the first mass attack of the groups of Shtangenberg and Fassl; 5 - repeated attack of the Nimtsiv, the British enter the main end of the bridge; 6 - the Germans force the river on the exit from the bridge, the 1st and 3rd battalions enter the positions of the 2nd battalion; 7 - the arrival of parts of the 50th division and the 4th armored brigade; 8 - counterattack to the 9th Battalion of the Durham Regiment and the 44th Armored Regiment; 9 - the British force the river into the brid and choke the place
Dzherelo - Greentree D. British Paratrooper vs Fallschirmjäger: Mediterranean 1942-1943. – London: Osprey, 2013

Podbags

In the battles for the town of Primosoli, the 151st brigade spent close to 500 people killed and wounded. In addition, the German paratroopers staggered that they could bring 5-7 fortune-telling tanks out of the way. The losses of the German side were estimated by the British at 300 killed and over 150 taken (the Germans were found to have spent 240 killed and wounded). It is marvelous that under the hour of the battles, without ceasing to practice the field hospital of the British paratroopers, as if they performed hundreds of operations. For example, if the hospital was taken over by the Italians, they did not stop working - the medical staff operated on both the wounded British paratroopers and their enemies.

The struggle for the town of Primosole is not a small serious investment in the battles for Sicily - the allies could not make a better grouping, as if it was amazing to cross the Messinian channel to the continent. In the battles for the place of offense, the parties began to pardon seriously. The British carried out a landing landing not far off, after which the paratroopers of the 1st brigade spent ammunition and brigade. Nіmtsі - did not catch the mist.

Dzherela and Literature:

1. Hastings M. Druga light war: Hell on earth. - Moscow: Alpina non-fiction, 2015
2. Blackwell I. Battle for Sicily: Stepping Stone to Victory. - Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2008
3. Delaforce P. Monty's Marauders: The 4th and 8th Armored Brigades in Second World War. - Barnsley: Pen and Sword, 2008
4. D'Este C. Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily, 1943. - New York: Harper Perennial, 2008
5. Greentree D. British Paratrooper vs Fallschirmjäger: Mediterranean 1942-1943. – London: Osprey, 2013
6. Mrazek J. Airborne Combat: Axis and Allied Glider Operations in World War II. – Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 2011
7. Sicily: report on the Primosole Bridge operation 1943 July 14–21, by Major F. Jones. — Kew, Richmond: The National Archives, 1943
8. Simmons M. Battles for the Bridges // WWII Quarterly 2013-Spring (Vol.4 No.3)
9. War Diaries For 3rd County of London Yeomanry (3rd Sharpshooters) 1943
10. https://paradata.org.uk

Paratroopers of the British Empire

After the expansion of the molding of paratrooper troops near the metropolis, a similar activity began in British India - a colony, which is the smallest military force in the empire.

The head of the Anglo-Indian troops, General Ser Robert Kessels (Cassels) at the same time in 1940, punished the opening of the parachute parts. To the warehouse of the three newly-created battalions, volunteers were recruited from among the representatives of the indigenous nationalities, specially selected among the special warehouse of deployment in Asia, British, Indian and Turkish parts. In the Ground Cessels, punishing the Honor of the Rytryan-Tenceni Brigadium, Wsi London is not visited by Sanzіonuvav Tsi Krok, let's sit on Nestouching the Special Sports Sports Sophisticator (Party of Armenia Parachutiva ConcompasvavAVA for V. Zagn L. - Forerunner CAC). The Viysk Ministry supported the plan of Kessels less than in red 1941, and for the mind, that the battalions would be more staffed by the British.

In fact, the first death of the paratroopers was formed on May 15, 1941. Prote of the official creation of the 50th Indian parachute brigade was announced only in 1941. The staffing was carried out in Delhi, although at the air base Willington (New Delhi area) the head center was organized under the name Airlanding School (Airborne Airborne School). The brigade was formed from the 151st British, 152nd Indian and 153rd Gurkish parachute battalions. Most of the officers and sergeants' settlements (among them young specialists), wisely, were attacked by the Europeans. The first chief haircuts took place on the 15th of Zhovtnya near Karachi, and at the fierce offensive rock the first brigade training was carried out from the landing of the wounded landing party. Until this hour, the problems with the supply of special orders were already on the brink, and practically the entire special warehouse was constantly training on the ground. In this rank, India has unconvincingly changed into one of the oldest "airborne" powers on earth.

The battle brigade took over as early as 1942: small groups of paratroopers made the first haircuts with a parachute near the battle minds. At the lime, a company of the Indian battalion was thrown off to Sindh under the hour of a recent operation to strangle the slaughter of one of the Indian tribes. In the same month, a rozvіdgroup of 11 osіb was parachuted under M'їchin (the territory of Birmi) from the data collection department about the deployment of Japanese forces there. At the sickle, 11 people landed near Burma, in the area of ​​Fort Hertz, to prepare a small airfield for the reception of gliders from groups of shindiths.

In the autumn of 1942, the fate of the brigade was a swoon of changes. 151 British battalions were sent to the Zhovtnі z її depot, thrown to the Close Skhіd. In the same month, the Airborne Landing School was renamed to Parachute Training School and relocated to Shaklala.

Behind her was the redeployment of the entire brigade - її parts were quartered in the town of Campbelpur (about 50 miles from Shaklaly). On the cob of the offensive fate, replace the English battalion, which was in the Mediterranean, to the warehouse of the brigade of the Gurkiv battalion. At the same hour, a plan was made to spread the throat on the basis of the 50th and one of the British parachute brigades of the 9th Indian Airborne Division. During the battles at the Close Convergence of Europe, the protégé of the “free” English brigade hindered the process at the stage of organization of headquarters structures.

In the birch of 1944, the 50th brigade was transferred to the order of the command of the 23rd infantry division from the head of the Japanese attack on the pivnichno-skhidnі regions of India. The battles there thrived to a linden, and the brigade, like a new year, gave operational independence, brilliantly proved itself in defensive battles under Imphalom and Kohimoyu. The 9th division has not yet completed the formation, it was renamed to the 44th Indian airborne division (the headquarters of the headquarters was previously formed through the non-necessity of the 44th armored division). The 14th infantry brigade - the English 2nd infantry battalion "Black Watch", the Indian 4th Rajputana rifles (Rajputana rifles) and the 6/16th Punjab infantry (Punjab regiment), as well as the 50th parachute brigade, deployed to the airfield and stationed in Rawalpindi. The 14th brigade was transferred to vikoristovuvati as landing-landing (Air-landing) on ​​gliders. In September 1945, the division was strengthened by the new 77th Indian parachute brigade. The new brigade was formed on the basis of the sightings of 50 brigades and parts of the shindiths. The 15th British, 2nd Gurkish and 4th Indian parachute battalions, as well as the British 44th Pathfinder Company (formed behind the American design) were brought to the warehouse. At the beginning of 1945, the 50th brigade continued to have the 16th English, 1st Indian and 3rd Turkish battalions. Krіm tsikh parts of the 14th landing and airborne brigade, up to the division went to the 44th Indian airborne assault battalion (manned by Sikhs) and part of the security: chotiri іnzhenerni batalioni plus okremі pіyatrozdіli delivery) three vehicles).

The Indian Parachute Regiment took part in the molding, training and post-stachann of the Indian and Turkish battalions, creations from the sanctions of the British order in the chest of 1944. the number of representatives of the indigenous nationalities Spiraling on the staff of two Gurk and one Indian battalion from the warehouse of the 50th brigade, the headquarters formed two new parachute battalions for inclusion in the warehouse of the 44th division of the 50th and 77th brigades, yak the powers of London) one English. skin battalion.

The natural minds of the Far Descent did not accept the conduct of large-scale airborne operations on hundreds of planes and gliders, just like before, as it was in Europe. Under the hour of another light battle, small groups were fired on the theater of operations, as a rule, by force up to a company, or even a platoon. In the first half of 1945, as part of the Dracula operation, the British headquarters in India planned to carry out a landing operation in the area of ​​​​the capital of Burma - Rangoon (35 kilometers from the mouth of the Rangoon river). The river was densely replaced by both the Japanese and allied aviation. To ensure that the minesweepers were safe, and then the landing barges that were forcing the river, it was decided to take a bridgehead on the її zahodny birch for the help of the wounded landing force. The most important point, above the girl, was the height of Barely Fant Point. The commander of the fire was entrusted to a battalion of special recognition, formed from volunteers (from a special warehouse of the 50th brigade) and reinforced by medical, spying and sapper infantry.

The rest of the preparations before the operation broke out on April 29 in Akyab, where they arrived with a reserve zagіn (200 men), formations from the military servicemen of the 1st Indian, 2nd and 3rd Gurkha parachute battalions. The delivery of the landing force to the safety of the air force of the U.S. Air Force, but the connection with the insufficient training of the American pilots of the mission was sent to 435 and 436 Canadian squadrons. The landing was planned to be carried out at two stages. The first two cars sent out pathfinders and sappers, necessary for the preparation of the maydanchik, the other one had the largest aircraft from the head forces of the landing force.

On May 1, about the 3rd year, 10 years ago, the operation started. As I told the reconnaissance, there were no guards near the landing zone for the landing force, but at the hour of the allied air raid on the Elephant Point area, the attack aircraft attacked one of the paratroopers (about 40 wounded). On the first day on the fourth afternoon, the search of the lead forces was announced: already for the first year, the Indian paratroopers sacked the whole height, running behind the help of a flamethrower, a single Japanese bunker. At the same time, the allied air forces neutralized the Japanese ships at the mouth of Rangoon, securing the possibility of a delivery. The battalion of landings to the capital of Burma on January 3rd, and before turning to India on January 17th, there were more landings on the positions of the Japanese - on Tohai. Immediately before the end of the war, the 44th division was transferred to a new base in Karachi, renaming it into the 2nd Indian airborne division.

Okrim іndusіv, sikhіv i gurkіv, who fought on different fronts for the glory of Great Britain, the English got their ensigns and Arabs. Navit Іrak, which did not enter the warehouse of the empire, and in 1941 turned into the arena of battles between the pro-German insurgents and the English expeditionary corps, having deployed its own contingent. In 1942, one hundred and fifty officers and sergeants of the royal Iraqi army, who underwent special training under the British guards, completed the new creations of the 156th parachute "battalion". This small part of the military, according to the Anglo-Iraqi agreement, which nominally did not support the British command at the Middle Skhod, was stationed at the Habbaniya airfield. Then її were included in the warehouse of the 11th English parachute battalion, downgraded to a company. In this role, the Arabs took part in the battles of Italy and landings on the islands of the Aegean Sea (linden 1943). Through pivroku, the first parachute in Iraq, the first parachute podrozdil rozformirovaniya through non-necessity.

Uniform

The Indian paratroopers wore the traditional British uniform of the British Indian stripe and chestnut beret. Items of special equipment and uniforms - "Denisonian blouses", landing steel sholomi, pants and more - were not wider in the colonial airborne forces. The Indians streaked in special hoods of khaki-coloured woolen head that were hoarse at the head, and in battle they wore animal helmets. Items of Indian colonial uniforms, as if they were victorious from the first light, were not worn by parachutists either: since 1943, the English began to change the fate of the Indians and Sikhs from the “battle-dress”.

A number of berets in the polovy minds were often dressed in knitted "fisherman's" hats, similar to those worn by the commanders. Parachutes - British Hotspur Mk II or other items that came from the metropolis. The paratroopers from the battalions of the gurkiv zzadu on their belts hung their famous bent knives - kukri. Kukri security with a brown wooden handle in the form of a cylinder, which expands to five. The decoration of the handle is brass, at the sight of the ring there is a dowel. The length of the shoulder is 460 mm, the blade is about 40 cm, the thickness of the butt is about 10 mm. Lezo with one-sided sharpening can turn the vigin and expand in the lower third: it gives the blow of the kukri a great mitz. The tricout cut of the blade symbolizes the Hindu Trimurti - the unity of the gods Brahmi, Vishnu and Shivi. Knives, made by different cutters, reduce the curvature of the blade, variations of processing and structural elements. Encryption was applied to the five of the blade, the symbol of the factory-postman, the date of preparation, the number of the series and then. Kukri are worn near pikhvakh from a tree, covered with a brown skin with brass endings. At the pіkhvakh there is a hole for two small knives: one is vicorated for cutting, the other one is a dull blade and it is fixed for hanging and shortly when cutting the bagattya. At the same time, wash the handles of two knives. Lower, for the help of the system of belts, move to the waist belt at the back at the vertical position of the handle to the right hand (the belt loops are fastened behind the collar with a collar, in which the pants are stretched; collar with lacing). All details of the collar and lacing are brown shkir.

The golden emblem of the Royal Airborne Forces was nailed to the left side of the beret, and the qualification badge of a British paratrooper (cryl and parachute) was sewn on the upper part of the right sleeve.

It should be noted that in Indian and Turkish military victors there was a special rank system for privates, sergeants and officers of indigenous nationalities. Part of the "tubular" officer corps, which passed the Royal Attestation Commission, wore the same British badges on shoulder straps. However, the greater number of commanders was officially called "Viceroy`s Commissioned Officers" (VCO) - "officers certified by the Viceroy of India". Their status was lower, so they were traditionally awarded special ranks: dzhemadar, subedar and subedar-major (they gave the English title of lieutenant to captain). Usі іndіyskі VCO z zhovtnya 1942 roku wore on shoulder straps one or three small sreblyasty chotirikutnі "bumps", which were pinned to the transverse husbands with tasmis: red, yellow, red. Corporal and sergeant in the Indian-Gurk parts were called lance-naik, naik and havildar; private called sepoy. The sleeve stripes were similar to the British ones, but they were simpler and cheaper, without embossed sewing.

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Churchill and the appearance of commandos

Before the guise of a battle that is coming for England, the new British Prime Minister Winston Churchill has no daily illusions about the reasons for the defeat of the French. At the list to the minister of his order, Enton Iden Wn wrote: “I had an enmity that Nіmechchina was small in ration, victorious at the hour of the First World War and at the same time they attacked the storms… France was overcome by a disproportionately small group of good soldiers. The German army, as it went for the special forces, ended the burying and occupied the country.

England in the 30th century was strongly shaken in Nimechchin. In Nіmechchyna, the victory of the national socialists led to a political revolution. The destruction of the minds of the Treaty of Versailles stole the development of special military units. In England, the military hierarchy is conservative, so as not to like the new, it was judging by the classic methods of warfare. For example, the soldiers of the Marine Corps were fenced in to develop skills that would be needed during a wounded landing. At the same time, the UPU were biasedly repairing the operation of the skin proposition to form a parachute system.

Video: British commandos (special forces)

Vlitka 1940. Churchill sent some sheets of paper to the officers of the highest rank and to the officers of the headquarters of the army, aviation and navy. Vіn vimagav vіd them to instigate sabotage and start creating special forces, giving them different names (for example, "storm groups of cavalrymen", "leopards", "myslivtsі"). Spivrobitniki of the Ministry of Defense Nareshti zupinilis on the term "battalions of special service." At official information right up to the end of 1944. I guessed about the “SS podrozdili” (slowed down the service). Gromadska thought, Churchill and the soldiers themselves respected for the better, however, the word "commandos". Yogo proponuvav an officer originally from Pivdenny Africa, who organized the first groups. Like the time of the Boer commandos of 1900, the first commanders of the English soldiers became the partisan movement against the occupying forces, helping with the formation of these forces. The Agency of the Її Royal Majesty worked hard, putting together, and expanding among the English brochures on the kshtalt such: “The art of conducting partisan warfare”, “Prudruchnik for kerіvnik guerrillas”, “How to cory with vibukhovy materials”.
However, Churchill did not choose to stomp the commandos until the moment the Germans landed on the English coast, on the 9th of Chernivtsi, 1940. having sent a letter to the officers of the headquarters, I will come up with a note: “The defense doctrine as a whole has afflicted the French. We can negaly work on the organization of special forces and give them the opportunity to work in these territories, the population of which speaks to us. Two days later, he yearned for “strong, enterprising and hard-working work on the entire shore, paid for by the Germans.”

Naprikintsі lita 1940 twelve commandos were organized. Skin is not enough numbers for the battalion. Until їhnіh lava volunteers signed up with the british army. Only the soldiers of the Marine Corps, who were at the stage of expansion to a division, did not have the right to enter into special air force units. Tse chastkovo boulo pov'yazano z scho, scho Churchill wanted to save them as a strategic reserve in times of consumption to protect London from the German landing. Mustache officers are small, I can recruit only the best volunteers. Tse mali were young, energetic, intelligent people with top skills in transport.

The first volunteers came from different relatives of the Viysk and saved their uniforms with special stripes. The stinks mostly lived near the apartments, and not at the barracks. Officers of the skin pidrozdil on the cob 1942 especially awarded for the training program for soldiers. At the link with the cim, the riven of their navichok appeared even more different.

Dії solіdіv, yakі take the fate of poіtryanom chi navy landing, vymagayut coordination іy usіh rodіv іysk. On March 17, Churchill recognized his old friend, Admiral Roger Case, hero of the raid on Zeybrugge in 1918, as the leader of the Joint Operations. However, they did not succeed as successfully as Churchill wanted. The preparation of the naval assault is tied to the 3rd training and the life of special landing craft. It would have required a lot of months to sing for the support of the English military headquarters, and Case, unfortunately, did not have the support of the middle military hierarchy. General Alan Brooke, having recently become the chief of the Imperial General Staff and his intercessor, General Bernard Paget, were reconciled, scho molding the commando type, vodokremlenih in the form of regular military, є pardon. The case, having quarreled with them, after the necessary equipment of the veins, did not take it off, and all the propositions about the operation of the special unit were removed.

The only culprit was a large-scale raid, the method of which was the destruction of torn factories near the Lofoten Islands (Norway) on March 3, 1941. The commandants did not shoot any support, and the whole raid, in fact, became the training ground for the stagnation of combat armor. The operation is of little propaganda value. The newsreel, which depicted this operation, was successfully shown in different countries. A period of idleness, after having panicked after the raid on Lofoten, having demoralized the commandos. Case started to get married again with Alan Brooke and the Admiralty. As a result, Churchill, who got the gist of it, took Case out of jail on July 27, 1941.

Combat operations of the British special forces (commandos) at the Other Light War

Parachuting in Operation "Spike"

At the sight of the German command with the ideas of the "bliskavich war" behind the help of tank breakthroughs and defeated landings, the defense of the British armored forces for a long time recounted the meaning of the airborne assaults. Only under the onslaught of Churchill, the command of the royal UPU organized the training of the first battalion of paratroopers in early 1940.
Vaughn took place at the Ringway airfield, near Manchester. This month was a posture with a radius of dії lіtakіv Luftwaffe and that was not given to nalyots. A group of instructors was selected by Air Force Major Louis Strange and John Rock. I had a chance to get stuck in serious difficulties. The officers of the Ministry of Aviation did their best to repair the parachute parts. Opir looked at us in front of the filthy material security of the Ringway school. I saw 6 old bombers "Whiteworth-White-1", not attached for landing, that lacking the number of parachutes. In addition, there were objective difficulties: the technique of landing parachutists from the exercises and orders was not broken down, there were daily training manuals, there were no reports of parachute instructors.

The first haircut at the Ringway was taken on the 13th worm, 1940. It immediately became clear that haircuts through the hatch at the foot of the litak could bring about great calmness, cold-bloodedness and just good luck, shards of small pardon could bring life. The instructors repeatedly showed the commandos the method of safe locking from the fuselage, and the cadets, forcibly adding to the fear of the airfields, swelled the necessary skills even more correctly. Of the 342 paratroopers on the main course, those who went through the medical commission, 30 categorically advised to get one haircut, 20 were severely injured, and 2 perished - a total of 15% of the total number. Prote, for 10 days of intensive training, cadets shot 9610 stripes, no less than 30 for a skin paratrooper.

Combat operations of the British special forces (commandos) at the Other Light War

Three 290 graduates on the 21st leaf fall, 1940 formed the 11th SAS battalion (special airborne service). Major Trevor Pritchard became the commander of the battalion, and Captain Jerry Delhi and Senior Lieutenant George Paterson became intercessors. Three battle groups went to the warehouse of the battalion, commanded by Captain Christopher Lee, Senior Lieutenant Enton Din-Drumond and Arthur Jowett.
Even in the red of 1940, the command of the UPU blew up the construction of avia-analyt with the method of lowering the Tragino aqueduct, which was planted on the hill of Monte Vulterre in the Italian province of Campania. Tsey aqueduct postachav fresh water the place of Bari and Taranto, the base of the Italian military fleet. That and vzagalі vіn having provided drinking water over two million people, as if they lived near the judicial province of Apulia. However, during the process of expanding the plan, it became clear that it was unrealistic to bombard the object, which had been planted high in the mountains. Todі vyrishili entrust її parachutists. At the same time, they wanted to reconsider their combativeness. September 11, 1941 the plan of operation under the code name "Kolos" was officially approved.

Її carrying out entrusted to the special air force "X" of the 11th SAS battalion under the command of Major T. Pritchard. On the basis of aerozyomas at Ringway, a model of an aqueduct and an adjacent space were created. The plan was passed on to the assault troops for 800 meters from the ground. Viaduct mali pіdіrvati sim saperіv on choli z captain D. Delі, іnshi w served for cover. After vikonannya zavdannya, divided into chotiri groups, the soldiers went into the mountains, and went to the Salernskaya tributary, 100 km from the place of action. Further evacuation was planned on board the Triumph submarine ship from the submarine fleet based in Malta. Underwater chauvin poured up to the girl of the river Seli in the night from 15 to 16 February 1941, to pick up the commandos.

The operation began on the night of the 7th February 1941. Six bombers in Vitny flew from the Midenhill airfield near Suffolk and after 11 years of flight (2200 km) landed in Malta. February 10, 1941 At about 22.45, 36 soldiers took off from the Luka airfield. The stench vistribnuli z lіtakіv near the Tragіno aqueduct area. Lіd, scho having covered the fuselage, not allowing two additional aircraft to throw off the container and smash and vibrate. As a result, out of 16 such containers, thrown out by the reshtoy, only one was known in the distance. Two more Summers bombed the Foggia area to mask the operation. The landing zone was correctly designated by 5 aircraft, and the group of captain Delhi (7 crews) landed 5 km away from the mark, not zooming in at all times to reach it. Resht after an important transition with deep snow near the mountains, the aqueduct was displaced. Following the order of Major Pritchard, 12 people began to lay a bunker. It turned out that the whole structure was reinforced with concrete, and not cegli, as the survey from Malta was confirmed. The consumption of 14 containers in deep snow and descents created an additional difficulty. The orders of the soldiers had more than 350 kg of buffing. Behind the plan, three pillars and two sheds were taken up, prote in the situation that had developed, they were surrounded by one pillar and one shed. The drivers arrived, and about 0.30 min. half of the aqueduct went wild. In this distant and mayzhe uninhabited gіrsky region, unfazed by all the difficulties, vikonati zavdannya appeared easily. From two rutting conduits, water flowed and flowed in a stream towards the valley. At the same time, the group of E. Dean Drummond found a small place on the river Tragino in the Ginestra region.

Immediately after the victorious commander, Major Pritchard divided the participants in the operation into 3 groups and punished them. 29 people climbed about 100 km in 5 days. We walked only at night, in the daytime we hovered in the gorges of those forests. It turned out that it is important to change the mind of the city without any support of the population. At the hour of the exit, the soldiers dropped the trailer "X" in the snow. Under the hour of the raid, organized by the Italian police, in which the fate of the militants was tampered with, the 14th fierce group of Major Pritchard was sharpened on one of the humpbacks, and the paratroopers laid down the armor. The same share of the spіtkal of two other groups, and for three days, the participants in the operation ate to the hands of the enemy. Protechimalo їх without a bar flowed in full, zokrema Senior Lieutenant Ege. Dean Drummond, such a zoom of the state of England.

Although the operation "Spike" did not destroy the military port of Italy in the water supply, it ended in success for the paratroopers. The stinks brought their combativeness. The operation also confirmed that it is apparently easy to carry out a raid on the coals of the enemy’s territory, and even more importantly, it’s important to stay on it for a long time without the help of the local population.

Winston Churchill and parachuting

The operations of the commandos’ airlifts in Italy and in Norway were assessed differently. The command of the Air Force and the Navy knew them not far off. The soldiers from the most famous days laughed, stverdzhuyuchi, that the famous physical training of the commandos was no longer suitable for “stilling from a beautiful statue”. However, Churchill stumbled over the correctness of the chosen road. Bajayuchi raise the spirit of paratroopers, see them at the quarter of 1941. at the Ringway airfield, de posteriging a demonstration of parachute shooters, shooting and hand-to-hand combat. Sitting at the top of the flight control team, roaming the crews of the bombers, flying paratroopers. Feeling the intercom, that the devil's young soldiers are driven by stribats, they ask them to talk to him on the radio. The enemy paratroopers, sensing the sudden sight of the beloved premier, listened to the hatch and, without any further protests, called out from the litak.

Winston Churchill: the founder of the British commandos (special forces) at the Other Light War

The training at the Ringway airfield became a turning point in the flights between paratroopers and aviation. The guard of the UPU realized that the prime minister did not give up and began to be put up to the paratrooper units as to comrades in defense, and not as to competitors for the supply of military possession and defense. In addition, at a special conference, paratroopers were presented with research data on German paratroopers, their training, equipment and tactical and operational tasks. For example, April 1941 Headquarters of the Royal Air Forces, having started the systematic work of paratrooper troops, prote to the official document, stating: “I would like to prove to the mother the real possibilities, attached to this new kind of zbroi.” The whole argument, though not the one about which the English were dreaming, came up unexpectedly.

Vranci January 20, 1941 German paratroopers landed troops on the airfields of the island of Crete: Maleme, Kania, Retimo and Heraklion. Truth be told, the stench knew of heavy losses, but the winds of the distance furnished the airfield at Malemi. Regardless of the fire of the English, transport aircraft, ammunition, which they were carrying, landed on a lot of smuga, and on the beaches near the city - gliders with famous alpine arrows from the 5th Air Division. Unexpectedly, the forces reached the landing force near the region of numerical strength. The English began to step up at the Bik Gir. Ten days later, the remnants of the Cretan garrison of the allies, which had been formed from the English, Greeks, Australians and New Zealanders, turned in the flow from the small fishing ports on the islands. Even a day before the English command in London was changed, but the success of the Germans was unbearable. Headquarters officers showed greatness in the midst of the parachutists and in the inevitable fall in morale after the crooked battle, like the stench survived the first hour of the landing. Protecebula inevitably cost the first landing operation on a grand scale. The English underestimated the courage, comradely spirit and bravado of the Germans. The capture of Crete became a great success for the German convoy and at the same time a hard stimulus for the outburst of the English special missions.

Churchill called out to himself the chief of staff of the UPU for dissolution and humiliation, putting him on the line “quietly” and seeing the order that he did not agree to the discussion: “In the grass of 1942, England is to blame for the mother of 5,000 parachutists at the warehouse of shock troops and another 5,000 on to finish the prosunuty stage of preparation.

Combat operations of the British special forces (commandos) at the Other Light War

Churchill's "green light" fired up for the English special forces was not possible before. In the meantime, to help the army, the navy and aviation, and the specialized scientific organizations have rozrobnannya rozrobnannya, zabroї and raznomanіtnyh pristosuvan for sabotage.

The training became more intense. Churchill glanced over at the same command warehouse, leaning into the air of the officers and from conservative glances. Vіn shukav young, dynamic, zdіbnih, urіvnovazhenih and vodno osvіchenih people. “I want these, when I look at them the vikladachs at Sandhurst’s liver has spread” - having respected Churchill in an outrageous way, looming at the respect of the Viysk Academy.

The king's cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten, the hero of naval battles, became the guardian of the English commandos, Case's father at the plantation of the guardian of the United Operations. Major General Frederick Browning, an officer of the grenadiers in the Guards and a person in the home of the writer Daphne Du Mor', became the commander of the paratroopers at once. Both were powerful in the world, relieved of the bureaucratic influx of thought, building knowledge and contacts with supporters. It is not surprising that for the special prestige of our developments and entrusted to them, volunteers were now eager to reach them. (For example, in 1942, Browning was already trained in two brigades of paratroopers.) However, Mountbatten's activity led to the recruitment of commandos in the army to the administrative subdivision. After the protests of Alan Brook, the moment they did their own forces was less than the improvement of parts of the sea troop.

After the organizational revolution, changes began in the training system. We were sent to the head of the guards from the unsafe bombers in Vitnia. They changed the attachments of the balloons. Tse gave razyuchi results. At the fall of the leaves 1941 the 2nd and 3rd paratrooper battalions were formed. Under the hour of their training in 1773, the fate of the cadets was carried out in the absence of more than two, 12 were wounded by injuries, but the other person did not perish. The barrier of fear was ruined.

Two months later, Mountbatten punished the organization of the head office in Aknakerri, in the old castle of Cameron of Loch Ayl (Scotland). The soldiers of the special forces went through various physical training there, fire and special training, 3-kilometer big at the front line, pidyom on the wall of the castle, water landing, podlannya of assault smugs - all of them under the right fire from the fire brigade Those who didn't show off turned to the army. The commandos began to snarl with their tongues, with vibrating speeches, with a scoured knife. Vikladannya sabotage celebrations were held with university diplomas. The Crimea of ​​the English, in Aknakerri, soldiers from other lands, the Poles and the Czechs, started their march.
Intense training greatly aggravated the special warehouse of paratroopers and commandos. Basyuchi Zmіtsniti Vіdchuttya SPILINII DIRANIZHNYY, Brownіng VVIV POLYBIE GOLDOVYY UBORI, SHO Vіdrіznayuznyy Vіd Zvitch Armіiski: Bere Brick Kollah with a binary icon, Shaho's wallery Hero of Bellorofete, shade to Krilant Coni Pegasi.

Reidy on the Waagse, Bruneville, Saint-Nazaire

The first large-scale raid of the commandos was carried out on 27 September 1941. The Norwegian port town of Vaagse has become a method of yoga. Commanders for support of the military-sea fleet and bombers fought for skin street. The Germans fiercely repaired the opir, but they could not get out of the commandos. The English spent 71 persons; perished, was wounded, she was taken in full by 209 German soldiers. Boules were flooded by German ships that were on the coast, with a total water tonnage of 16 thousand tons. From Vaagze, a new stage has been opened for children of English subdivisions of special recognition.

Later, two operations were carried out, they were superb with the attack of Vitzig on Fort Eben-Emael, and in some cases they achieved more. February 28, 1942 at night, a group of Commando C from the 2nd battalion of paratroopers (for the name of the "Jock company", shards of the middle soldiers were rich in Scots) hung out in Brunevil, a coastal French village, in which there were new German radars. Major John Frost made a group of recent appointments. The paratroopers quickly ran into the Germans, they didn’t check the attack, they dismantled the insoles of the electronic blocks, they could take the skids, and they took pictures of the outbuildings and shot them. Then the stench turned to the shore, the stars took them away from the landing barges. Nimtsі zumili skhopiti less than two zv'yazkіvtsіv, yakі lost their way at the hour of the turn to the chosen point. Lord Mountbatten is at the capture. In my opinion, the operation in Brunevil was the best ever.

Combat operations of the British special forces (commandos) at the Other Light War

For a month, the darkness of the commandos came again. At night 27 birch 1942 the old destroyer "Campbeltown", similar to the German destroyer class "Meve", having launched a small flotilla of motor ships off the upper Loire, right to the dry dock in Saint-Nazaire. This dock was the only time on the whole French coast, where it was possible to carry out the repair of the German giant - the battleship "Tirpits". The idea to see "Campbeltown" behind the German ship in the distance. The Nazis identified more than 2,000 meters from the dock and ignited the fire in a negligent way. At the same time, the ship raised its white flag and crashed at the top of the river with 20 knots (37 km / year), hitting at the dock gate. In the midst of the blow, it was a little bit in St. Nazaire, if from the Campbeltown the commandos began to win. Before them stood the task - to lay down the vibration of the hydraulic system and the pump. The stench constantly perebuyali under the fierce fire of the German battle posts. Move, their only zasіb for turning, were reduced.
The landing soldiers tried to break through the streets of the city and hide at the forests, but they knew even more high costs. Z 611 commandos, yakі took the fate of the raid, 269 did not turn around. Five paratroopers were awarded with the Cross of Victory. More money for one operation in England was taken off only once - in 1879. for the heroic defense of Roarks Drift.

On March 28, the Germans still rozmirkovuly over tsієyu method. Campbeltown mіtsno wedged in between the gates of the dock. The stench weighed hundreds of tons a sprat and were not greatly damaged by a hard blow. About 10 years. On the 30th century, if 300 German sappers and sailors looked at the old destroyer, they vibrated 4 tons of charge, placed at the hold filled with cement. The German losses in people appeared even larger, lower in the English, and the dock itself was so ruined that it was far less possible to repair it in 50 years.

Fearless operations in Brunevil and Saint-Nazaire dealt a great blow to the one who fought against the heavy blows of the allies. On the 15th of the fierce Singapore surrendered to the Japanese, and Rangoon fell on the 9th of the month. The successes in France helped mitigate the bitterness of failures on other fronts. Popular English writers V.Є. Jones and S.S. The Forester scrambled with pods for their fit stories, even though they embellished them. Vlitka born in 1942 behind Forester's book in Hollywood they made the film "Commandos attack the wind", which is a majestic box office success.

The failure of the operation "Juviley"

At the station of euphoria, which followed the successful raid on St. Nazaire, the organization of joint operations (on Mountbatgen) began to plan an operation of great scale under the code name "Rutter". Metoyu Bouve Dieppe. They passed the fate of the commandos, recently organized rangers, English and American paratroopers and the brigade, formed from the warehouse of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. Through the bad weather, wash the operation "Rutter" was carried out. However, the failed raid plan was revived under the code "Yuviley". The main points were themselves. The only vidminnist was in the fact that they had moved in the airborne assault, and even formed paratroopers.

The rise of the Matilda tank, which tucked in the British and Canadian commandos for an hour landing in Dieppe in the operation Yuviley.

September 19, 1942 five squadrons of amphibious barges near the escort of destroyers approached the coast of France. About 4 years ago, the troops were sent to the German convoy. A naval battle ensued, during which the English sank two German escort ships. About the element of raptovost, which became the main part of the operation "Yuviley", could not be moved. At about 5.00 on the rocky beach leading to the main esplanade of Dieppe, the largest barge with Canadian forces, the Canadian Royal Regime, landed. However, the Germans, who knew about the essence of the night, checked the attack and for a long time, they often found the hopeless Canadians. The smallest commanders and rangers hung on the flanks - zahidnoy and shidny. For the next commanders, the coastal batteries of the enemy were reduced, and they gave due respect to the lead forces. In the beginning, this stage of Operation Yuviley can be taken into the distance, the 3rd assault amphibious landing under the command of Major Peter Young, a veteran of the raids on the Lofoten Islands and Vaagze, attacking near the area of ​​Petit Berneval on the exit from Dieppa, calling the wounded forces on the kіvse At the same hour, 4 assault amphibious landing under the command of Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Lord Lovat, with an artillery battery on the way out of the place.

Buried in full of Britons.

Operation Yuviley ended in failure. Z 6100 osіb, yakі took the fate of the landing, perished 1027, and 2340 wasted in full (mostly Canadians). The commanders and the rangers appeared to be perceptibly small. In 1173, less than 257 soldiers perished. The reports of the commanders critically commented on the chain of command. Operation "Yuvilei" was too big for the raid and too small for the invasion. Vaughn showed that in operations of a large scale, there were special airborne troops on the flanks, and the enemy’s batteries were to blame. Dosvіd Dieppe zgod bouv vikoristos during the planned operation "Overlord" (Overlord)

Spetspidrozdіli at the Close Convergence

The respect of the public thought was focused on the operations that were being carried out in England and the Channel area. Prote already from the summer of 1940 The deacons of the soldiers of the English forces, who were trooped out at the Close Descent, began to be transferred from special trainees. The stinks have been thrown into the development of the possible military special forces in England, and in other countries. The cob is not easy. At the red 1940 the command at the Close Ascent, acting for the orders of the White Hall, fell asleep in Egypt "Commando Training Center". Yogo was spread in the area of ​​Kabrіt belya of the Great Girky Lake. the soldiers who stumbled there appeared to be a good field contingent, but their equipment was wretched, and the training was depleted of the best. Vzimka 1940-1941 rr. podrozdili commandos took part in recent operations near the Italian defense in Ethiopia, as well as in attacks on the occupation of Italy by the Dodecanese islands. The raids ended in failure, and the soldiers ate to the Italian full. Disclosures Churchill was waiting for the creation of a commission for investigation, which were strictly classified until the post-war period.

Combat operations of the British special forces (commandos) at the Other Light War

Battaglioni "Layforce"

Prote was based on the need to activate the activities of the parts of the special purpose near the basin of the Mediterranean Sea. This called for three battalion commanders under the command of Colonel Robert Laycock to move to the area of ​​​​the Near Skhod (as the name of the battalions). Qi forces arrived to Suez in birch, 1941. along the sea way near the Miss of Good Nadiya.
Leykok promoted the reputation of the special forces, including the shortest commandos to their podrozdilіv, and translating from the parachute that motorized air force. However, yogo zusilla appeared marnimi. From Thursday to Thursday, 1941 forces "Layfors" took the fate of three operations, in the course of which it was even worse.

The first attack was launched on April 17 in front of Bardia, in the depths of the enemy's territory. "Layfors" landed and attacked the Italian fortifications, but when they turned, they did not know the way to the selection point. Another attack was carried out by two battalions "Layfors", which landed on the 21st of May on the pivnichny coast of Crete. Meta - burying the airfield in Malemi. "Layfors" leaned back on the birch already at one o'clock when the head of the English forces approached the island and played the role of a military guard. The commandos defended the evacuation of the most important part of the garrison, but they themselves recognized the heavy losses. No more than 179 soldiers reached Egypt. On the 8th, the remaining battalion "Layfors" carried out an operation on the coast of French Lebanon, which controlled the military order of Vishi. Tsіl - support of the English forces that were advancing from Palestine. The battles were even more important, the battalion having committed 123 soldiers, a quarter of the entire warehouse. On what "Layfors" pinned their base. 15 chervnya 1941 General Wavell, the commander of the English forces at the Close Convergence, having seen the order about their formation.

Pustelny group far ї dії

For such a maritime power, like England, the Mediterranean Sea served as a miraculous corridor through which it was possible to carry out attacks on targets, spreading the winds of Africa. The English officers, who served in Egypt for thirty years, respected the obvious possibility of operations from the side of the Libyan desert, which step by step crossed into the sea the sand of the Sahara desert. Major Ralph Bagnold, an officer of the Royal Service, conducted a survey of topographic surveys of Egyptian and Libyan taverns in 30 years.

From Wavell's initiatives at the black 1940s, Bagnold organized special development forces of the LRDH (desert groups of distant air). The English army is not a small sufficient number of combat vehicles, so Bagnold bought from the Chevrolet company from Kahiri 14 half-ton vantazhivok. Another 19 cars were won, asking for “sponsors” at evening drinking parties, or having been positive with the Egyptian army. However, the conservative English army did not want the soldiers of the regular units to sign up as volunteers for special assignments, in which improvisation was a good life practice. Then, perebovayuchi at a sloping camp, Bagnold zatsіkavitsya New Zealand and Rhodesian troops, but imitated the English, the "sporting spirit" of which did not put up with such humiliation. Zreshtoy desert patrols began to form from the English guards and the regiments of the menri (reserve).

British commando in typical uniform. British special forces at another light war

The first operation was superbly hostile and gained wide popularity in the English headquarters. Mіzh 26 chest 1940 that 8 September 1941 Patrol LRDG passed 1500 km on the pivdenny entrance to Kayru. Having repaired the strained unfinished barchans, the soldiers displaced the flat-height Fezzan near the pivdenno-shidny Libya, where the Italian garrisons were known. There, the stench sank with parts of the "Vilnih French", as if they made a march from Chad near the pivnіchno-skhіdny straight. The attack of the combined Anglo-French forces on the Italian garrison near Murzuku caught the opponent of the enemy. Spend the advancing boules small. However, having perished the commander of the French colony, Colonel D "Ornano. Having replaced the intercessor, Colonel Count de Hautecloc, more under the pseudonym Jacques Leclerc, he took his own wine, so as not to hurt the security of his family, which was lost from France. Attack on Murzuk became the cob of a battle path, crowned with the baton of the marshal of France.
The raid on Murzuk confirmed the operational capability of light empty aircraft. Tom was scheduled for a devil's action. However, for example, birch 1941. the German African Corps under the command of Lieutenant General Yerwin Rommel arrived to the area of ​​battles between Italian and English forces. In the wake of the present united military "Osі" the English were stunned to enter Egypt. Your command saw the order about the placement of parts of the LRDH on the Egyptian-Livian cordon, on the safe guard of the soldiers of the “Fox of the Desert”. The LRDH commandos spent most of the summer of 1941 there.

Poluvannya on "The Wilderness Fox" by Erwin Rommel

Spring and summer 1941 the head of England's lowly streaks by the pools of the Mediterranean Sea. All this period was marked by the children of commandos. As already mentioned above, most of them were united in the improvised structure "Layfors" (teams 7, 8, Niz metropolitan and two squadrons, formed in the field mainly in Hebrew and Arabic, as well as a large number of soldiers of the interbrigades who fought in Spain). The Layfors brigade was sent to fight for Crete (May 1941). Here, among the middle groups of Australian, New Zealand troops, battalions of Maori, Greeks, the soldiers divided the share of those who fought against the airborne assault of the Germans. The greatest support was given to the command of Colonel Laycock, having played the role of cover when the British corps left the island.

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is the meta of British commandos. British special forces at another light war

Innumerable happy people, who had lost their cult and found themselves near the mountains and fared, nareshti, the fishing village of Sfakion, the stars of their mothers took away the royal fleet, found him empty, without a ship. The people of the city for self-confidence and heroism were deprived of the mercy of the enemy - a typical history of prisons, sentenced to death for the order of the leading forces. Ale navіt these commandos did not lose heart. Under the gravel of the insipid Leycock, attacking the attacks of the German patrols, the stench of the deserted barges greeted the stench of the deserted barges and made the swimming near Egypt (about 700 km) risky. There were no strong winds on їhnє happiness.
The turn of the commandos, which entered the dead, did not turn in their forms of formation. Some of them were transported to England, some of them were sent to other special flights, becoming instructors. Kogos was sent to the garrisons of Malta, Cyprus, Lebanon and Egypt. A lot of people having spent a lot of time to their next pіdrozdіl. In the minds of deep defense, with chronic shortages of people for the morning of the stretched front in Libya, the command did not have the sense to allow the whole battalions of superbly advanced soldiers to demonstrate their ability in operations, which are widely advertised.

Less than a sprat of small corrals of commandos was saved. The largest (59 osib) was engaged in rozvіdreydy and lying down to the 8th army. The commander was the same Laycock, who tried to revive his recently pushed brigade.
The share of this contribution, which may be symbolic for the number, was overwhelmed by the unfortunate. Lunali vote for the greed of roseforming. It is not surprising that the headquarters of the yogo, thinking without interruption, how to raise their prestige. At 1941 p. vyhid polegav less in battles. Later, it was necessary to prepare to carry out an important military operation, as a result of which the English army used to be near that region.

The idea of ​​Laycock's protector, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Case, the son of the current chief of joint operations, has suddenly come to the fore. Case urged to attack a few objects near Libya at once, spreading them far to the front line. The main meta is a villa near the small town of Bida Littoriya. Rozvydka established that the residence of Rommel, the commander of the dignified "African Corps", was here. The commandos spodіvalis, scho usunennia nadzvichayno gifted general vpline on all n_metsk_ and ital_ysk_ forces in Africa. Leycock had no problems with this operation. Yoma was promised help.

Combat operations of the British special forces (commandos) at the Other Light War

Preparations have begun. Nasampered bula needed a relay investigation. Before her, they added a “pustle group of long-range missions” - commandos, who were engaged in raids across the Sahara, often in uniforms opposed to the Arabic ode. The soldiers of the first commander, captain Haslden, were far away from the neighbors around the neighborhood, where the German headquarters were known. They gave a detailed topography of the locality, made photographs of the houses, described the regime and the signs of protection, sent out patrols. It inspired hope for success.
An important problem has become the method of approaching assault groups to the point. The paratroopers were impassible - there were no airlifts, and the people of Laycock did not pass the basic training. Penetration from the side of the desert, as tserobli Haslden and її people, so vvazhayut unreal - buv newcomer trivial perebuvannya at the desert. Having lost only the sea way, they were lucky. The change was to be carried out on underwater chovnas, vikoristovuyuchi dosvіd commando Kortni - fahivtsіv z operations on kayaks (Sі-bі-es). Vіn having sent for instructing chotirioh dosvіdchenih rozvіdnіkіv i obladnannya.

In the attack on Rommel's residence, 59 commandos, divided into chotiri groups, took part. It was planned to destroy three forces at once: the Italian headquarters, the research center in Apollonia, and they made a call.

10 leaf fall in the evening from the port in Oleksandriya came two marvelous submersibles - "Torbay" and "Talisman". In the middle, at the same time, the team had 59 commandos, a variety of armor, kayaks and other military equipment.

If they reached the point of recognition, from which the landing force began, then two kayakers, first lieutenant Ingles and Corporal Severn, were the first to the plan to land, to establish a link with Haslden's people, as they checked on the birch. Tse became 14 leaf fall evening. Nevdovzі from the shore blinked signal lights, and it was possible to build a landing. It's a pity, the weather, as far as good as the English, began to falter. The wind near the shore straightened up all the time, a pin appeared on the winds. Umovi didn’t shrug off the transfer on gum pontoons. Leycock saw a serious fight before the cob landing. Zreshtoy, without prejudice to disrupt the schedule of the operation, having punished them to start. The first to destroy the commandos from the underwater chovna "Torbay". Chotiri from six inflatable chovnіv whvili zmila in the sea. The sprat of years wiggled and prepared anew before the descent. As a result, the landing of the group under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Case turned into a five-year struggle against the growing storm. Bulo spent like an hour, and a significant part of the combat equipment and food supply.

When the darkness of the Laycock group from the "Talisman" came, the light came closer, and the natural disguise ended. It was necessary to interrupt the landing, but Leycok vyrishiv riziknuti and reconquered the commander of the underwater chute in his rightness. Yoga group had even less luck. Chovni zhurlyali, stench spread, dangling the entire inventory. Most of the ice of the living with these soldiers turned to the ryativny side of the Talisman for the help of the team. The hour had not yet begun, the horizon was bright, chauvin could show whether it was like a life, it would not be enough catastrophic consequences not only for the new one, but also for the entire operation.

Combat operations of the British special forces (commandos) at the Other Light War

Altogether, 36 commandos opinated on the Lviv birch, three to more than half of the planned warehouse. The soldiers, together with the Arab guides, began to clean up the guards of the landing. The humovi chovni were buried in the sand, and the food supply was transferred to the nearest pits and caves. Tіlki now you can search for a secret for yourself. They showed depressions near the skeletons, which are flooded with streams of wood. Rommel's future peremozhtsiv became a nezabar, and I regret it. Wet and tormented by the sea, the stench did not hurt the wood in the cold. The rain was getting stronger, and the storm did not allow others to land.
With such minds, Leycok virishiv carried out the operation on a scaled-down scale with obvious forces. Vin divided them into three groups. Case and Captain Campbell were the heads of the guards. At once, out of 17 soldiers, the stink of Mali drove Rommel. Senior Lieutenant Cook and six commandos took back the order to paralyze the bells on the outskirts. Leykok with other people is guilty of being left on the ground for the protection of the landing force, ordering that reception of reinforcements. 15 leaf fall about 19.00 storm groups, led by the Arabs, demolished at the headquarter of the enemy.

Case's group at night from 16 to 17 reached the point 15 km away from Bida Littoria. The next day, people spent in the cell niches, hovering in front of the enemy, and even more in front of the board. Clattering teeth and easing up against coughing and prokloniv, the stench warmed up with damp warmth.

In the evenings, with new guides, and even with more numbing sensations, the stench began to crumble to the point of attack. How many times did the stench radiate the plank and the dark ones, like they hoisted them, drowned out the cracks and, singsongly, dulled the wart’s sawnness. For a kilometer from Bida, a month appeared in the gaps of the dark. At її svіtlі the guide bedouin pointed at the omrіyana meta - a complex of budіvel, sharpened with fluffy palm trees and a ring of thickets. The commandos said goodbye to him (they gave him no reason to go downstairs) and began to sneak up to the houses in small groups.

At what stage did it become a slump, for a moment all plans were destroyed: Captain Campbell, sensing the voices that were approaching. Vin listened and died at the same time with his people. For the merit of the stench, they realized that the number of Arabs would go, as if they were going to serve in the Italian army. In the sight of the shooters they were watered for less than a second. Campbell jumped out of the darkness and became a pure German “barking” the patrol for the passage of German apartments, noise, etc. Confused Arabs, in truth, with a lot of language, quickly retreated, being inspired, that they were destroying the calm of a certain German ally, I was
Five minutes before pivnoch, the commandos set up a different position. Keynes, Campbell, Sergeant Terry and two others took over the functions of terminators. The stinks rushed to the parking lot and the garden where they had left Rommel's villa, trying to liquify quietly, who tikatime through windows. Three small ones turn on the electricity. Chotiriokh was taken away on the subway roads with machine guns. The other two wanted to shoot down the officers from the nearest hotel.

The footsteps developed blissfully. Keynes gave a sign to children with his hand. Together, with my four wines, I rushed to the entrance doors of the villa, but did not remember the next port. The doors did not open. Campbell reconnected with his dogged German. Vіn energetically tapped, and, seeing himself for the courier with terminological signs, yearning to let him in. The right hand has a knife, and the left hand has a pistol. Sleepy vartovy, niby vіdchuvav his share and reluctantly repaired the door, suddenly raising the machine. Through the vuzka, the hole could not be let into the head. Oskilki schos podozryuvany nіmets caught up with the armor from the zapobіzhnik, had a chance to shoot. Nіmets was called with a terrible noise on the marmur parquet. The commandos jumped over the new one and stumbled at the great hall. Above, two officers were ticking, pulling from Walteri's holsters. Terry stole them with a thompson. The officers were rolling around, and Keynes and Campbell were already beating the doors of the court room. The stench began to shoot through the door, but there was no sound. At once the light went out.

From the advancing stone, the Germans fired fire through the doors. Keynes dropped dead. They threw grenades in the middle, then they gave me a machine gun. A similar procedure was repeated in other places, the docks did not cross over, so there is no living man in the middle of the village. There was no time to search for that identification of Rommel. The sound of the shooter grew from the sides. Campbell, who took over the command after the death of Case, punished them to come in and throw grenades to wake up, I’ll wake up to call. In the rest of the time, the essences of yogo were injured in the leg, and I won the victory, so as not to trim the whole pіdrozdil. Now the command was taken by Sergeant Terri, who miraculously organized the entrance. Vіn zumіv pick up the commandos, pіdpality and destroy the unfortunate villa, and then let's go out of the chase, crusting dark and angry. The sergeant miraculously focused on the unknown mass and after the march for the day, the grafts were planted on the spot of the recent landing, and on them the checks of the Leykok windfalls.

The turn of the shock group with remarkably small expenses overshadowed the death of the beloved Case's mustache. Without turning round Cook. Everyone sighed in Rommel's immovable death. The attacking doba passed in the podvіyny ochіkuvannі decision of the commandos and pleasant weather for landing on the chauvin. "Torbay" signaled that the temple was high. The sailors sent trochs of products on pontoons, which, having drifted, had blown wind to the shore.

On the day of the 21st leaf fall, the Germans and the Italians appeared on the outskirts, as if they were suddenly showing the English. Having begun a scorching beating, for some chances the commandos were minimal, the shards of their backs were blown into the sea, and in the sight of a single path of evacuation. Leykok only had to go deep into the mainland. We want to huddle in the deserted mountains of Jebel el-Akhdar, lose the chase, and then make our way through the front line. Prote adversary, like a mav, I will win over, confusing the colonel's plan. T_lki vin and sergeant Terri distalied gіr. Others perished or were consumed in full. Leykok іz comrade after 41 days of blubbering emptier and mountains reached the linії english viysk. Only a few stinks. However, the most tragic thing was that the blow of the commandos crouched higher. Under the hour of the assault in Bida, Littoria Rommel did not start at Livia. Vіn for a few days until the next flight to Rome on the zustrіch from the retinue that calmly celebrated their fifties. Judging by the German materials, the English investigation had mercy. Beda Littoria never had a residence at Rommel. Vіn navіt nіkoli without coming there. Bead had a head of the apartment and state administration of the German corps. Yogo special warehouse almost completely died, the prote did not cover the death of one of the best podrodil_v english commandos.
At the pardons of the operation at Bida Litgoria, others began. Zavdyaki comrades, who were left lying on the Lviv birch, the stench survived after new battles, for some nevdovz, that yogo soldier avenged for Case.

Creation of SAS and new tactics

Tim an hour at Kahiri there were podії, that the English pіdrozdіl spetznachennya pіdshtovkhnuli pіdrozdіlnya to novіh dіy. At the red 1941 to the office of General Ritchi with an unstoppable visit of arrivals, on a culture, two-meter-high officer, who presented a plan for the extermination of the Axis military forces in Libya. This officer was David Stirling, who had previously leaned up to the forces of the Layfors. Vіn kulgav after injury pіd hour of the main stribkіv. Stirling's plan was smiling, the coincidences of fantasy and the pranks of the flooring, which the new commander of the military allies at the Close Gathering recognized him as being. Stirling urged to create a part of the number of 65 soldiers from the backwaters of the Layfors. They could parachute down near the airfields of the enemy, lay down a few spare parts and straighten them on the lines of the chosen points, pick up the stars of the LRDH patrols. Pidrozdil Stirling CAC (Special Assistance Service) was named so to get lost German intelligence. Vіn rozpochav pіdgotovku.
Autumn 1941 England is small three elitnyh pіdrozdіli on the Close Descent: - Commandos, LRDH and SAS. Churchill, having seen the order about the reorganization of the military, re-appointed Laycock as Commander. He was once a brigadier, but Churchill was always a "general". And in the fall of 1941. rozpochali operation "Christ bearer". At this great counter-offensive, parts of the special mission were victorious during the hour of operations against the deep body of the enemy. The final result was not far off, but the windfalls and the legacy played the same role as the raid on Dieppe.

The saboteurs of the 55th SAS subdivision of the coming day, after the landing of Leycock, tried to parachute on the airfields in the Gazal region. You yourself wind, like they blocked the evacuation of the commandos, scattered the parachutists of the SAS empty and only 21 of them knew the picking point, where the LRDH vehicles were checked on them.

As a result of the operation "Christ-bearer" Rommel's forces in the infant 1941 p. they were going out of Kirenakia. Zreshtoyu, in the battles with yoga, the commandos did not play a significant role. On the cob of the offensive rock, Rommel made a counterattack, at the hour of which the English were stormed into the El Alamein area. Rommel stretched out his lines for hundreds of kilometers, rushing to the fort in Tobruk.

The attempt to attack Tobruk did not go far. Spіlnі dії commandos and forces of the LRDH zupinilis. The Germans defended the port shyly, attacking the great losses. The English fleet, having used two destroyers, and out of 382 commandos, yak, took the fate of the raid, perished 300.
The strikes near Tobruk and in Dieppe served as a strong lesson and shook the headquarters of the construction of the vydpovidny vysnovka. It was necessary to develop new tactical concepts, founded on saving the lives of soldiers. One of them vikoristalis earlier in the afternoon raid on the Tamet airfield near Benghazi. Under the hour of the operation, the SAS and LRDH were closely coupled one by one, and the skin molding played an important role. Soldiers of the LRDH in camouflaged vehicles were checking near the airfields. At the same time, Stirling on a small group of saboteurs under a miniature with an annual mechanism under 24 years and under a mustache.
A radically new approach to sabotage actions, taking on the red line in 1942, giving striking results. Before the hour of the raid on the Bagush airfield, the commander of the assault group, Peddy Mein, got angry, if there were any, the attack group at the airfield did not swell. Disconnected Maine and Stirling went in their jeeps straight to the airfield and fired off the machine guns. 7 German combat aircrafts were destroyed. Dozens of American jeeps were waiting at the side of the SAS to their needs, which arrived, having installed two pairs of Vickers or Browning large-caliber guns on the skin. A leather jeep instantly killed 5,000 shots for a piece of fire with a one-hour fire of all machine guns.

For spoluk SAS and LRDH, the period of success was revealed. The stench penetrated the opponent's tili and attacked the airfields of the Viysk "Osi". In operations, up to 18 foreigners took part, put in a row. Their guns could have made dozens of thousands of shootings for the fluff. Persh, lower Rommel, having started up the road to the line of Maret on the cordon of Tunisia and Libya, having spent 400 aircraft in such raids. Under these tricks, the hope to compete with the aviation mission of the allies was lost.

Operation "Smoloskip"

Rommel began the opening of the war near Tunis 4 leaf fall 1942 r. On the 8th of the fall of the leaves, the Allies launched Operation Smoloskip. The paratroopers were sent to visit the shores of the peninsula of Africa, controlled by the collaborative French detachment of Vish and to rule the trap for the nіmtsіv, scho to enter. The commandos and rangers took off the task, similar to the Nevikonan during the operation in Dieppe. However, once the stench reached significantly greater successes, the 1st Ranger Battalion attacked an artillery battery, which defended the beach near Arzev near the western Algiers (this place is one of the goals of the operation). Tim an hour 2 groups of commandos hung out in the Algerian prison and found coastal fortifications.
Against the fierce support in Dieppi, the defense of the French at pіvnіchnіy Africa bula dosyit weak and razrіznenoyu. In the operation "Smoloskip" the parachutists were even more importantly called; the stench was to blame for the French air bases, the main communication centers and to help the allied forces at the attack on Tunis, the 509th battalion of paratroopers delivered directly to the VPS base near Sinia, near Oran, with 39 C-47 aircraft. The commander of the risky operation, Lieutenant Colonel Raff, took information from the allied intelligence that the French did not opir. That's why you won't be able to land right on a lot of smuga. As in times of localization of Rommel's headquarters (at the beginning of the operation "Christ-bearer"), the intelligence service had mercy, which caused a catastrophe. The French attacked the attackers with such intense fire that Raff and Yogo people were afraid of an emergency landing on the nearest lake. The merit of the burying of Senia lies with the ground forces. Then the camp was shortened, on the 8th leaf fall the 3rd battalion of parachutists landed in Bon, 250 km to the stop from Tunisia. Three days later, the 509th battalion, which came to you after the “friendly fighters” in Senia, landed at the airfield in Tebes (200 km from Beaune), at the cordon between Tunis and Libya. Here the allies were accepted as virtuous.

Combat operations of the British special forces SAS (commandos) in Another light war

Nabagato mensh kindly accepted the 1st battalion of parachutists, which landed on the 16th leaf fall in Souk el Arba (120 km on the way to Tunisia). Luckily, the English officers were able to quickly take stock of the situation. The stench instilled the commander of the French garrison (3,000 soldiers), which were the advanced units of two tank divisions, which were located nearby.
29 leaf fall The 2nd battalion of paratroopers under the command of John Frost (who, in the hour of the raid on Brunevil, rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel), hung not far from the Oudna air base, 15 km from the city. Even though the Germans had already left the base, from the nearest mountain range one could find more than a minaret. Tunis and yogo suburbs were literally filled with mechanizations and tank formations of the "Osi" troops. Peresbuvayuchi under the threat of the Nazis and the Italians, the 2nd battalion of paratroopers 30 leaf fall soiled the steps. Away from the English parts without predicting the panic flow of the gazelle, which is followed by a herd of lions. Tse buv v_dstup wounded lion before a series of hієn. Leading baked battles, on the 3rd breast the 2nd battalion of paratroopers reached the positions of the allies. Vіn vtrativ 266 osіb, ale line yogo vіdstupu bula was literally wisted by the ruined tanks of the military "Osi" and hundreds of Italian and German corpses. The first, but not the 2nd battalion of paratroopers, repaired the sound of the unfavorable logic of war.
On the cob chest 1942 it became clear that, regardless of the parachutist's zusilla, the Allies had no chance of capturing Tunis on the move. The command from the regret stated that the war in Africa would not end in the next hour. Prote strategic camp was indestructible. The forces of the Osі, squeezed in a small space (430 km from pivnochі to pіvden), still have no small chances to carry out great counteroffensives.

Now the English commandos and paratroopers are fighting on the front line, like a great infantry. A similar situation was repeated many times at the next two fates. March 7, 1943 it became the first to be closed by a battalion of German paratroopers under the command of the legendary Major Witzig and the 1st battalion of paratroopers. On the back, the German soldiers led the way to the English, the rest of the protesters fought a counterattack in the distance and forced the Germans to enter.
The commandos and paratroopers of the allies fought on the front lines until April 1943, having spent 1,700 men at once. Soldiers in red berets showed a non-abyaku v_dvagu i, perhaps, that the enemy called them "red devils". English paratroopers and at the same time write in high quality.

At that hour, as the English were working on the front line, their American colleagues carried out even unsafe developments and sabotage raids. A skin attack could have ended tragically, the shards on a small square were concentrated in a lot of thousands of soldiers of the "Osi", as if eagerly supported by the Tunisian Arabs, which were more predictable than lashed to the allies.

December 21, 1942 a platoon of soldiers from the 509th battalion hung out in the area of ​​El Jem, near the military Tunisia from the zavdannya, they built a railway station. Mist buv pіdіrvany, prote turn became zhakh. The soldiers of Mali pass 170 km of the mountains and deserts. Out of 44 soldiers-participants of the raid, only the most were lost alive.
Unacceptability was experienced by the found “pirates of the desert”, the tribute of the 8th English army, which was advancing from the pivden descent. So, the SAS patrol under the command of David Stirling himself, who straightened out to the Gabes Gep area near Tunisia, used the sights of the Germans and ate at full. Truthfully, Stirling was far away from the flow, but he was robbed for 36 years.

The LRDH patrols had better luck. One of them, which formed with the New Zealanders under the command of Captain Nick Wilder, showed a free passage between the humpbacks on the way to the Maret line. Nevdovzі passed by taking the name of the captain. March 20, 1943 Wilder passed through 27,000 soldiers and 200 tanks (importantly from the 2nd New Zealand Mechanized Division). The lines of the day sharpened the Maret line from the sunset, which became the beginning of the end of the “Osi” forces near Tunisia and all Pivnichniy Africa.