The book is based on the official unit history of the 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, one of two field artillery battalions attached to the famous 82nd Airborne Division. The men of the 319th made two glider assaults during WWII, the first on D Day in Normandy (where almost 20% of the men were killed or injured in the multiple glider crashes behind enemy lines) and the second during the invasion of Holland. Gliders were used by both Allied and Axis armies in Europe to bring large numbers of fighting men, artillery and heavier weapons onto the battlefields as part of several large scale Airborne invasions. The gliders were towed by powered aircraft such as the DC-3 or various bombers (in the case of the British and German glider troops) and then were released behind enemy lines to float silently to the battlefield with no offensive weapons, no armored plating to ward off anti-aircraft or machine gun fire and no effective landing gear or steering mechanisms to avoid crash landing.Of the 16 million service men and women, who served the United States during WW II, less than 1% were required to ride into battle aboard these powerless, unarmed aircraft, in what the History Channel has described as "Suicide Missions" of WW II. However, because the helicopter had not yet been perfected, the men of the 319th provided sorely needed artillery support to the paratroops of the 82nd and fought alongside the men of the 504th, 505th, 507th, 508th and glider troops of the 325th regiments (82nd Airborne) in every major battle of the ETO. In this thrilling saga, follow the men of the 319th from N. Africa to Italy, then on to the British Isles, where they prepared for the Normandy Invasion on June 6th, 1944. In Normandy the 319th Glider artillerymen, along with the paratroops of the 82nd Airborne, set a record for 33 days of continual combat without relief. Then it was back to England for several months of training before embarking on Operation Market-Garden, the invasion of Holland. When the British First Airborne surrendered to the Germans in Arnhem, the 319th went fought defensive action for over 40 days supporting the British forces until relieved and sent to France for a much needed rest and retraining. This respite from combat did not last long however as the 82nd Div (including the 319th was called up to the front lines in December of 1944 to stem the German Ardennes Offensive. In January of 1945, the 319th was part of the attack on the Siegfried Line, the last western defense of Nazi Germany. Later the 319th liberated Cologne,Germany and was sent on a mad rush in April of 1945 to keep the Russians from coming too far West and possibly capturing Denmark. The 319th is one of the most highly decorated units among all of the U.S. Airborne forces, winning two Presidential Unit citations in WWII and then their third and fourth Presidential Unit citations for combat valor in Vietnam. During WWII,the men of the 319th fired over 88,000 high explosive shells against the enemy in five separate campaigns from Italy to the Siegfried Line, unleashing the equivalent destructive power of 3,345,786 pounds of TNT against German soldiers, troop vehicles, German artillery positions, Tiger tanks, 88 gun positions and pill boxes with devastating effectiveness.
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Editorial Reviews
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The use of gliders in combat was unique to WWII. Entering battle in a plywood box with wings, a glider soldier put his life in the hands of the glider pilotto land the glider safely and smoothly behind enemy lines. It was a harrowing experience which many did not survive. Silent Wings Savage Death authored by Dr. Alfred J. Nigl and his brother Charles A. Nigl chronicles one of these glider units during WWII, the 319th GFAB of the 82nd Airborne Division. The book begins with an indepth look at the development of gliders for combat and their use by the Germans in their Blitzkrieg attacks. The book continues by looking at the British glider program as well as other glider units of the American Army. Although gliders have long since been relegated to the back shelf of history, the 319th continues to be at the fore front of the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan (ie the 319th Artillery Regiment) the sucessor of the 319th Glider Battalion is now the sole arm of artillery support for the 82nd Airborne. Reading this book one feels a sense of pride and tradition and espirit de corps as one reads the personal recollections of some of the men who entered combat in this way. This book records for prosterity the brave men of these specialized units so they will not be forgotten in the annals of history. I highly recommend this book for those interested in understanding the danger and self sacrifice that the men of these specialized units faced during the war. Dominic T. Beillo Webmaster US Airborne during WWII --Dominic T. Beillo, Webmaster, U.S. Airborne WW2
About the Author
Dr. Alfred J. Nigl earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1975 from the University of Cincinnati. He is the author and co-author of four books ranging from Pain Management to Childhood Development. Co-author, Charles A. Nigl, earned a Bachelors Degree in the Social Sciences at UW- Oshkosh in 1974. Both of the authors are sons of PFC Alfred J. Nigl who served with the 319th GFAB from 1942 until his discharge in 1945, seeing combat action in Italy, Normandy, Holland, Belgium and Germany.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glider Riders,
This review is from: Silent Wings- Savage Death (Paperback)
The use of gliders in combat was unique to World War 2. Entering battle in a plywood box with wings, a soldier put his life in the hands of the glider pilot to land the glider safely and smoothly behind enemy lines. It was a harrowing experience which many did not survive.
Silent Wings Savage Death chronicles the story of one of those glider units during World War 2, the 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalions (GFAB) of the 82nd Airborne Division. The book begins with an in depth look at the development of gliders for combat and their application during Germany's Blitzkrieg and continues with a look at other GFAB units in the U.S. Army. Although gliders have long since been relegated to back shelf of history, this book is a great resource and testament to a unit that is still in the thick of combat today in Iraq. Reading this book, one feels a sense of tradition and esprit de corps thread its way through the history and personal accounts of some of the men who entered combat this way. This book records for posterity the brave men of these specialized units so that they will not be forgotten or overlooked in the annals of history. I highly recommend this book for those interested in understanding the danger and self-sacrifice that the men of these specialized units faced during the war. Dominic T Biello Webmaster US Airborne during WW2 [...]
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Proud Grandson of a True American Hero,
By
This review is from: Silent Wings- Savage Death (Paperback)
Not only was PFC Alfred "Fritz" Nigl my Grandfather, he was a hero in my eyes. The book chronicles the harrowing feats and horrible events surrounding the 319th during WWII. I am proud to have known him and hear all of his stories about the war and after reading this book I could not have been prouder of the fact that my Grandfather fought for his country and all of the men who made the ultimate sacrifice for my freedoms. He will always be the Ultimate American HERO. Airborne, All American All the Way.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gliding into Combat,
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This review is from: Silent Wings- Savage Death (Paperback)
This a fine book on the Glider Pilots and Glider Riders of WWII and what they did. Would love to see the troops today being told they were going to be droped behind enemy lines at night in a plane made of canvas,plywood, and metal tubing with NO engine.
Walter Cronkite rode one into Normandy and wrote later, "if going into combat, parachute, walk or swim if you had to but do not set foot in a glider". My father made 4 combat drops and hundreds of pratice,training drops. He and his friends have hair raising tails to tell. Nice salute to those who made the flights and didn't make it home. Go to the Silent Wings Musuem in Lubbock Texas to see the whole story.
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