Resupply mission for the 101st Airborne Division at Son:
For paratroopers it is very important to jump into battle with a lot of equipment. Paratroopers are dropped behind
enemy lines, far from their army’s supply lines. That is why paratroopers carry as much equipment they can, carried
on their body, in equipment bundles underneath the transport plane and in gliders. To keep the paratroopers fighting
it is important to resupply them with weapons, ammunition, rations and medical supplies.
During operation Market Garden this also happened for the American 82nd, 101st and British 1st Airborne Division. This article will cover the
supply drops at Son, the Netherlands.
On September 18 (D+1), 252 B-24 bombers of the 2nd Bombardment Division left from their bases in Norfolk and Suffolk (England), to resupply
the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division. From this group 131 bombers of the 20th Bomber Wing were sent to Dropzone N (Groesbeek) and Dropzone
O (Overasselt). The remainder, 121 bombers of the 14th Bomber Wing were sent to Dropzone A1 (Veghel) with 13 planes and Dropzone B, C and
Landingzone W in Son with 108 planes.
For paratroopers it is very important to jump into battle with a lot of equipment. Paratroopers are dropped behind
enemy lines, far from their army’s supply lines. That is why paratroopers carry as much equipment they can, carried
on their body, in equipment bundles underneath the transport plane and in gliders. To keep the paratroopers fighting
it is important to resupply them with weapons, ammunition, rations and medical supplies.
During operation Market Garden this also happened for the American 82nd, 101st and British 1st Airborne Division. This article will cover the
supply drops at Son, the Netherlands.
On September 18 (D+1), 252 B-
O (Overasselt). The remainder, 121 bombers of the 14th Bomber Wing were sent to Dropzone A1 (Veghel) with 13 planes and Dropzone B, C and
Landingzone W in Son with 108 planes.
Drawing: Michael Halbert
The B-24 bombers were specially equipt for this mission. The ball turret on the belly of the
plane was removed, so supplies could be dropped from this opening. The hatch in the rear end
of the plane was also used for this purpose.
The bombers were loaded with racks so they could carry 20 tons of supplies, carried in aerial
drop containers.
Pilots of the B-24 agreed to follow the same airspeed and height as the Troop Carrier transport
planes. Flying towards the dropzones the planes would fly at 1500 feet, dropping to 300 feet
over the dropzones. Formations were nine-ship V-formations in a trail with 30 seconds intervals.
Airspeed was 165 mph flying towards the dropzones and 150 mph when dropping the supplies.
Sadly, this went wrong. The brass had given the wrong plans to the bomber groups. The 14th
Bomber Wing got the plans for the 20th Bomber Wing and vice versa. Luckely the right maps
of the plane was also used for this purpose.
The bombers were loaded with racks so they could carry 20 tons of supplies, carried in aerial
drop containers.
Pilots of the B-
over the dropzones. Formations were nine-
Sadly, this went wrong. The brass had given the wrong plans to the bomber groups. The 14th
Bomber Wing got the plans for the 20th Bomber Wing and vice versa. Luckely the right maps
and photos were handed to the Bomber Groups just as they were about to leave the airfields in England. Because of this mishap, the pilots had
to prepare themselves while flying the mission. The B-24 bombers arrived at DZ B, C and LZ W twenty minutes after the Troop Carriers had
dropped new men and gliders over the dropzones. The 14th Bomber Wing got scattered over the dropzones, flying in at about 1 kilometer West of
the spot where they had to drop the supplies. To find the dropzones, the airborne pathfinder teams had to set up radio beacons, to guide the
B-24’s. Somehow the radio beacons weren’t operating in time to be of any use to the 14th Bomber Wing. Even though the beacons were set up
too late, 120 out of 121 bombers found the designated dropzones and dropped their supplies for the 101st Airborne Division.
Because the Bomber Wing got scattered over the dropzones, a lot of supplies were lost and landed in enemy hands. About 20 percent of the
supplies at Son were recovered, which is 47 of the planned 238 tons. The rest of the supplies dropped right into German hands in the Best sector.
Below you see an overview of pictures dropping the supplies over Dropzone B, C and Landingzone W in Son, the Netherlands.
to prepare themselves while flying the mission. The B-
the spot where they had to drop the supplies. To find the dropzones, the airborne pathfinder teams had to set up radio beacons, to guide the
B-
Because the Bomber Wing got scattered over the dropzones, a lot of supplies were lost and landed in enemy hands. About 20 percent of the
supplies at Son were recovered, which is 47 of the planned 238 tons. The rest of the supplies dropped right into German hands in the Best sector.
Below you see an overview of pictures dropping the supplies over Dropzone B, C and Landingzone W in Son, the Netherlands.
Photo: Left: Dropzone B, C and Landingzone W. Deployed supply parachutes in mid-air. In square in the back, is a private estate called Brouwerskamp.
The owner marked the boundaries of his territory with trees. Right: Gliders on Landingzone-W.
Photo: B-24 bombers, nicknamed Liberators, over the dropzones.
Photo: A string of supply containers being pushed out of the back of a B-24 bomber over the dropzones in Son.
Photo: Left: Here we see a picture of gliders that landed just behind the Paulushoeve, the shed bottom left belongs to that farm. A B-24 bomber
dropping supplies can be seen in the top-right. Right: B-24 bombers over the Son forest. The two containers dropped from the planes most probably
fell into enemy hands.
Photo: B-24 bomber flying over Son’s town centre from West to East. The church can be seen on the right side of the picture. The red dot indicates
a supply container dropped right over town, landing in someone’s backyard.
Photo: B-24 bomber which just made a succesful drop on Son, is seen
here flying over Nuenen.
Photo source: US archives