On 15 August 1944, American gliders from airfields near Rome and other airfields extending down some 150 miles of the Italian coast, strike in the Argens River valley to isolate German units in the coastal area of Southern France.

15th of August 1944. Second D Day, Southern France invasion: The operation was initially planned to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, the Allied landing in Normandy, but the lack of available resources led to a cancellation of the second landing. By July 1944 the landing was reconsidered.

The goal of the invasion was to secure the vital ports of Marseilles, Toulon and Nice on the French Mediterranean coast and increase pressure on the German XIX th army force by opening another front. After some preliminary commando operations, the US VI Corps landed on the beaches of the Côte d'Azur under the shield of a large naval task force, followed by several divisions of the French Army B.

The Allied plan consisted of a three-division landing of US forces led by Major General Lucian Truscott to secure a bridgehead on the first day. Their flanks were to be protected by French, American and Canadian commando units. Within 24 hours, 50,000 to 60,000 troops and 6,500 vehicles were to be disembarked. The airborne landings would concentrate in an area near Draguignan, Le Muy and La Motte, 20 miles inland with the aim of taking these towns to prevent German counterattacks against the beaches.

As of the middle of July, 1944, there were available in the Theater for airborne operations, two groups of the 51st Troop Carrier Wing. The third group was occupied with special operations. To provide sufficient lift for operation Dragoon, additional troop carrier groups were called for by Allied Force headquarters. The total minimum of aircraft required for the operation was 450. On July 10, 1944, orders were issued placing the 50th and 53rd Troop Carrier Wings of the IV Troop Carrier Command then located in the United Kingdom on temporary duty with the Theater. Each Wing contained four Groups of three squadrons each, reinforced by self-sustaining administrative and maintenance echelons and by the IX Troop Carrier Command Pathfinder unit, for a total of 413 aircraft.

Because there were approximately 130 operational American CG4A and 50 British Horsa gliders on hand, hurried steps were taken to secure the additional number of gliders required for the operation. Fortunately, a previous requisition for 350 CG-4A gliders from the United States had been made. It was necessary only to expedite this requisition in order to provide the glider lift. The glider assembly program was particularly well managed. By D-Day 407 well put together gliders were assembled and ready for operations, which was a brilliant feat since the vast majority of these gliders had but recently arrived form the United States by boat. The shipment from the United States arrived as scheduled and the gliders were assembled in record time. They were ready for operational use ten days before D-Day.

The Airborne operation began shortly after midnight on August 14-15, 1944. Aircraft were loaded, engines were warmed up and the marshalling of aircraft for takeoff was underway at 0300 hours. At the same hour as the first Troop Carrier aircraft took off with their load of three Pathfinder units.. The first wave of gliders touch the ground at about 9am in the morning of the same day.

Troop Carrier Glider Pilots mission was to land infantry troops and airborne equipment in 2 different landing Zones.

1. Landing Zone « O » a vineyard valley between the villages of La Motte Le Muy and Le Mitan.
   Landing Aids
   
   Photo and Document courtesy National Archive
   
   
2. Landing Zone « A » vigneyards and fields north of La Motte triangled between Trans en Provence, Les Arcs and La Motte.

Serial Number 14 (the first of the glider serials) made up of supporting artillery and anti-tank weapons for the British 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group departed as scheduled for its 0800 hours glider landing, but was recalled because of heavy overcast. The flight circled for one hour and landed at 0900 hours. By D+2 over 1000 prisoners had been taken by the American Forces and nearly 350 by the British Brigade. By D+8, this figure was well over 2000. The total jump and glider crash accidents amounted to 283 or approximately 3 per cent of the operational personnel involved.

"Then we came in over the landing zone. There was no mistaking it this time. Hollywood never made a scene like this. I was given a perfect tow over the center of the field at 500 feet. We had a bird's-eye view of the burning planes, smashed gliders, collapsed parachutes, shell bursts, -- men running, dodging, dying. The whole panorama of war - with our reinforcements being funneled into it, like circling down the cone of a tornado to the point of contact with the ground"  

Troop Carrier (TC) Groups involved in Southern France: 62nd TC Group 64th TC Group 435th TC Group--       BLUEBIRD - 76th TC Squadron narative and Crew Lists 436th TC Group 437th TC Group 438th TC Group 439th TC Group 440th TC Group 441st TC Group 442nd TC Group

- Provisional Troop Carrier Air Division Route Overlay for Operation Dragoon. Italy to southern France - APPENDIX 1-a TO ANNEX NO 1 TO P.T.C.A.D. F.O. NO 1 FOR OPERATION DRAGOON TERRAIN FEATERS MAP:GSGS 4411 SHEETS XXXV - 44 142 - 566 WILLIAMS 7 AUGUST 1944 - Dragoon Terrain Features Map: GSGS 4411 Sheets XXXV- 44 Scale 1:25,000 IMG_8685_stitched. Shows LZ and DZ A; LZ and DZ O; and DZ C. - Evacuation Orders for Glider Pilots GSGS 4471 eastern France 1/50,000 Navigation points, coordinates, and tow drop coordinates Narrative HQ 51st TC Wing report on Equipment and Material for the Mission DOVE by Michael J. Samek, 1st Lt. Air Corps, Asst A-3. SWM

64th TC Group Report on glider Mission DOVE

Following report is from the Headquarters 64th TC Group, Officer of the Operations Officer, APO 650, US Army, 21 August 1944
SUBJECT: Report on glider Mission DOVE
TO: Commanding Officer, 64th TC Group (Attention: S-2)

In accordance with request the following report is submitted. The report is based on interrogation of the glider pilots who returned.