[Covenantor]

Great post. Still trying to imagine 1250 C-47s in three streams 300 miles long roaring across the English Channel at night. Add the towed gliders and my circuit breakers shut down.

[Ophiucus]

The numbers are big but it breaks down that it wasn't a constant stream.

1250 c-47s would be about 16 miles if laid end to end. Three columns, just over five miles each. That leaves 294 miles of space for gliders and group separation,

Still a big bunch of planes though.

[Retain Mike]

The English had been using this technique for their night bombing for years, so they must have taught the Americans. They accomplished this with no radars, no warning buzzers, and no lights. In the Tonkin Gulf I stood OOD watches at night in a formation of amphibious ships when we shut down our radars and lights. Cruising about on random courses at only 10 knots was enough of a pucker factor for me.