World War II Airborne Warfare Tactics

The night drops in Sicily and Normandy were characterized by wide scattering; small groups of airborne soldiers collected together from different units and marched towards the sound of the guns, and while initially disorganized, most missions and objectives were achieved.

This scattering created a greater problem for the Germans than had been anticipated. Their rear service and command and control networks were disrupted at the most critical time — when the amphibious assault came ashore — and reports of paratroop landings from widely dispersed areas persuaded them that the airborne landings were in greater strength than they actually were; they felt that they were under attack everywhere. The mere threat of paratroopers has often led to extended alerts and the establishment of unnecessary defences; this occurred in the Philippines, Hawaii, Burma and elsewhere in response to fears of Japanese paratroopers who never materialized.