| 21st Airborne Division | |
|---|---|
 21st Airborne Division shoulder sleeve insignia | |
| Active | Operation Quicksilver |
| Country | United States |
| Branch |
 United States Army |
| Type | Parachute |
| Role | Diversion Phantom Formation |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Stuart Cutler[1] |
| ||
The US 21st Airborne Division was a 'ghost division' created in 1944 as part of Fortitude South.[2]
World War II[]
The division was initially depicted as being under the direct command of US 14th Army with its headquarters located in Fulbeck, Lincolnshire in June 1944. In the Pas de Calais landings it and the 9th Airborne Division were to be dropped behind the XXXVII Corps beachheads. In August 1944 it was notionally transferred to the direct command of First United States Army Group, where it assisted in the training of the US 48th Infantry Division in air landing techniques.
In the aftermath of Fortitude South, the 21st Airborne Division, the notional United States 9th and British 2nd Airborne Divisions and the real United States 17th Airborne Division were used to depict an airborne threat to the Kiel-Bremen area in support of Operation Market Garden.[3]
Finally, in November 1944 it was announced that the division had been merged with the 9th Airborne Division to form the 13th Airborne Division, a real unit that was about to be deployed to France.
Composition[]
In addition to the usual divisional support units the 21st Airborne Division was composed of:[2]
- 277th Glider Infantry Regiment
- 278th Glider Infantry Regiment
- 521st Parachute Infantry Regiment
References[]
Footnotes[]
Bibliography[]
- Holt, Thaddeus. The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War. Phoenix. 2005. ISBN 0-75381-917-1
- Hesketh, Roger. Fortitude: The D-Day Deception Campaign. St Ermin's Press. 1999 ISBN 0-316-85172-8
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The original article can be found at 21st Airborne Division (United States) and the edit history here.