World War II glider pilots: The forgotten aviators

By Tech. Sgt. Don Steuber
Combat Airlifter

When you talk about World War II aircraft, images of the P-51 Mustang, B-17 Flying Fortress, P-38 Lightning, B-25 Mitchell (and the list goes on), but what about the Waco CG-4? This unheralded glider and its crew played a large role in the Allied victory in Europe and was the forerunner of today’s modern cargo aircraft. The CG-4 was designed by the Waco Aircraft Company. It was constructed with tubular steel, plywood flooring and fabric that covered the fuselage and wings. Its hinged nose could be raised to load and unload a variety of cargo and equipment such as 13 fully-equipped Soldiers, an M116 75mm Howitzer, an M3 37mm anti-tank gun, or a single Jeep with a small trailer.

Before World War II, aircraft did not have the capability to airdrop vehicles or artillery. Delivery of these weapons directly onto the battlefield played a critical role in Allied attacks. The pilot then steered the aircraft to a suitable landing area. This type of landing was referred to as a “controlled crash.”

“The intrepid pilots who flew the gliders were as unique as their motor-less flying machines,” said Gen.William C. Westmoreland, U.S. Army commanding general for military operations in the Vietnam War.

“Never before in history had any nation produced aviators whose duty it was to deliberately crash land and then go on to fight as combat infantrymen. They were no ordinary fighters. Their battlefields were behind enemy lines,” he said.

Flying a glider aircraft into battle took great skill, concentration and nerves of steel. Because they flew low and slow, they were highly susceptible to small arms fire and flak. Additionally, the CG-4 had no flap system which gave it an alarming sink rate when fully loaded. This made landing even more treacherous. The CG-4 flew in every major European campaign after June of 1943, and it played a critical role in Operation Overlord (D-Day). Most historians agree that without the efforts of glider pilots the Normandy invasion may not have been successful. Just over 6,000 men were trained as glider pilots during World War II, and estimates are fewer than 500 remain.
There will never be another combat glider force in the U.S. military, and these unsung heroes deserve our respect and appreciation. The 440th Troop Carrier Group, which is the predecessor to the 440th Airlift Wing, had over 50 CG-4 gliders with flight crews assigned to the 95th, 96th, 97th and 98th Troop Carrier Squadron’s, during World War II. Following the war the Army Air Corps decided to expand its glider program which led to the development of larger aircraft capable of carrying more equipment. They also developed the aft mounted horizontally split cargo doors still in use on most military cargo planes today. The Air Force foresaw the need for powered cargo planes that not only had the ability to carry cargo, but could aerially deliver equipment as well. The Air Force abandoned the cargo-glider program in the 1950s and converted several gliders to powered aircraft. The G-18 glider became the C-122 and the G-20 glider became the C-123, and thus was born the modern cargo airlift concept.

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