Page 6

-18
heavy ground fog - a relief for many because the anti-aircraft batteries could not see them.
Soon after coming in over the peninsula the fog broke and before long the river Douve could
be seen. The planes came out of the fog and at once started to lose altitude to get down
to the proper jump height. The moon was bright, good for purposes of checking landmarks but
also good for the anti-aircraft gunners that were shooting at them. Tracers could be seen
seeping through the air passed most of the planes. The closer the planes came to their destina-
tion the closer the tracers seem to come to the planes and now and then a plane would pitch up
getting the effect of an air bursting shell. Pilots now not under training conditions did not
show the planes to the ideal jumping speed and at exactly 0151 the first unit jumped into
combat.

Wave after wave the paratroopers jumped and landed on French soil and shortly after 0200 hours
of the 6th of June 1944 the whole regiment was somewhere in France.

It would be too much to expect, the whole regiment did not land on the drop zone intended but
was spread from Carentan to Valognes. However, only small units were in these outlying
localities, and the main body was within three miles of the drop zone. Because of the all
around briefing the men in this area quickly assembled and headed for their objective.

By 0500 hours Lt. Col. Krause had already assembled about one company of men of the 3rd
battalion and had taken Ste. Mere Eglise. Lt. Col. Vandervoort promoted from major while
at the takeoff aerdrome, had broken his leg on the jumpbut continued regardless and assembled
his 2nd battalion and went into position north of Ste. Mere Eglise. He walked around on his
crutches giving his orders. Lt. Col. Krause was wounded twice in the leg by snipers on the
morning of D-Day but he too carried on after submitting to treatment by his battalion aid
station. When these two battalions did join the first phase of the campaign as clearly
expressed in the letter from the mayor of Ste. Mere Eglise.

Following is a true copy of that letter and also a true copy of the letter from 2nd Lt. Saville,
French liaison officer to the VII Corps attached to 82nd Airborne Division to Lt. D. Chauvigny
French liaison officer to the American First Army, asking that the recommendation for the