D-Day Pathfinders.

D-Day Pathfinders. 



The first paratroopers to be dropped on Normandy were the pathfinders. These teams, each consisting of a lieutenant as the element leader, four transmission operators, and four paratroopers responsible for overall security, were deployed into enemy territory without initial marking, relying solely on terrain observation and navigation calculations aboard the C-47 Dakota.

The Pathfinders' mission was to secure drop zones (DZ) and landing zones (LZ) ahead of the arrival of the airborne fighting companies. They utilized "Eureka" transceivers, which sent pulses picked up by "Rebecca" transceivers installed under the C-47s' fuselages, guiding the pilots. Additionally, these transceivers could send short Morse messages between pilots and scouts.

Equipped with both day and night markings, the Pathfinders prepared for the arrival of reinforcements, which were scheduled to be air-dropped and air-transported on June 6, 1944, at 21:00.

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