D Day / Normandy Campaign

The Rhine Crossing

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Operation Varsity was one of the components of Operation Plunder; Twenty First Army Group's Rhine Crossing. XVIII US Airborne Corps, consisting of 6th British and 17th US Airborne Divisions, drop beyond the River Rhine on the morning of 24 March. Dropping virtually ontop of the enemy and their objectives casualties were heavy, particularly amongst the gliders which followed the parachute drop. The infantry divisions that had conducted amphibious assault crossings the night before made the first link ups with the airborne forces by mid afternoon.