| Original caption: “Airborne Yank Invaders Dash From Glider-American airborne infantrymen dash from the open door of their zebra – striped glider immediately upon landing in a field in France. They were brought up quickly to reinforce frontline positions in the beachhead battle on the Normandy coast.” While this photo is dated June 10, reinforcements landed by glider on June 7. Operation Hackensack was 2 flights. In Serial 34, the 437th Troop Carrier Group lifted 17 Airspeed AS.51 Horsa gliders; in Serial 36 the 439th Troop Carrier Group lifted 50 Horse gliders. This operation carried reinforcements for the 82nd Airborne Infantry Division. Additional Waco CG-4 gliders also arrived. The glider’s insignia and serial number have been obscured by a censor. American glider pilots dubbed the Horsa “the flying morgue” because it often broke up during hard landings. Almost 4,000 were built during World War II and the United States Army Air Force acquired 400 through reverse Lend-Lease. 1st used during the invasion of Sicily, Horsas participated in the invasions of Southern France, Holland, and the Rhine crossing. This photo appeared nationally across American media starting on June 12, 1944. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0477.jpg |
| Image Size | 434.29 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2177 x 1773 |
| Photographer | Peter J. Carroll |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 6, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | Normandy |
| Country | France |
| Archive | |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
Author of the World War II Multimedia Database