Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower thought the C-47 aircraft was one of the most significant military assets responsible for the Allies’ victory during World War II.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “The C-47 was a U.S. military transport aircraft that served in all theatres during World War II and continued in service long afterward. It was used to haul cargo, transport troops, and serve as a flying ambulance.”
But perhaps its most important role was as an assault vehicle carrying paratroops and towing gliders into combat.
Forty-two C-47s were destroyed in two days of operations, although in many cases the crews survived and were returned to Allied control. Twenty-one of the losses were on D-Day during the parachute assault, another seven while towing gliders, and the remaining 14 during parachute resupply missions.
According to Popular Mechanics, more than 16,000 DC-3s and military version C-47s were built in 50-plus variants. Today, just over 300 are still flying. The C-47 is known as the “aircraft that won WWII.”
According to an article by Bob van de linden for the National Air and Space Museum, “The C-47 was sturdy, reliable, and rugged, and was capable of carrying 6,000 pounds of cargo over long distances. It was the backbone of the Allied military airlift and served with distinction in every theater of the war. The first C-47 entered service on December 23, 1941, just two weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The C-47 served the nation with distinction for over 35 years in many guises and names. But perhaps its most important contribution was in the skies over Normandy on June 5 and 6, 1944.”
This year marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day. A group of C-47 aircraft known as the D-Day Squadron will once again retrace the North Atlantic Route, the flight path taken by the American C-47s as they made their way to Normandy.
This route consisted of stops in Presque Isle, Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, England and ultimately France. With numerous stops due to limited travel distances of the aircraft, the flight will take several days. In order to reach France by D-Day (June 6), the aircraft will leave the United States in mid-May.
The Presque Isle Air Museum, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, will once again host the D-Day Squadron in mid-May for an air show open to the public. The Air Museum has big plans for the event with guided tours of the museum, presentations, Big Band Era music, costumed interpreters, and vintage automobiles joining the noble planes on the tarmac. Stay tuned for more details.
Kimberly R. Smith is the secretary/treasurer of the Presque Isle Historical Society.
