The Odyssey of the 506th PIR from Toccoa to D-Day

Easy Company is the best-known airborne parachute company among military history enthusiasts. It has become so famous that some regard it as the unit that ensured the success of the Landings. Until now, no one had undertaken to place its exploits back in their historical context. This work aims to step back from the myth by placing the actions of these men within the tactical framework of their exploits, in order to put their real fighting value in perspective.

Easy Company is indeed only one company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) among many others. This regiment is composed of three battalions, each with four companies similar to the famous Easy Company.

This book does not merely follow in detail the course of the first twenty-four hours of the 506th PIR during Overlord. It goes much further than this simple account. Many other aspects of the history of this celebrated regiment are scrutinised: its creation, its combat training, its missions, the night jump into the unknown, the assembly towards the objective, and the accomplishment of the planned missions.

The desire to step back from the myth requires a broad view encompassing the entirety of Operation Neptune on D-Day. The employment doctrine, combat methods, strategic objectives, and missions at the various echelons are all scrutinised throughout the pages. It is recalled that the airborne assault of 6 June 1944 had a precise purpose; it is therefore important to analyse to what extent the mission was accomplished, while bearing in mind that the 506th PIR was itself only one element within a much larger whole. It further demonstrates that the only heroes are not those whom Hollywood lionised. There were many others, of unmatched bravery and selflessness.

To write this, the author returned many times to the ground of the 506th PIR's exploits, exploring new documentary sources that had remained unpublished until now. He does not limit himself to presenting the American point of view; he goes further by analysing German reactions in order to draw the most precise picture possible of the paratroopers' night.