The 13th Airborne Division was a U.S. Army airborne formation in World War II. Although it was active between August 1943 and February 1946, it never saw combat. The division's training was disrupted by providing reinforcements for the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and by a lack of transport aircraft for training exercises, as divisions in combat had priority for their use. The division was combat-ready by January 1945 and was transferred to France, but arrived too late to participate in Operation Market Garden, the third major airborne operation conducted by the Allies. The division was selected for Operation Varsity, supporting 21st Army Group crossing the River Rhine, but there were insufficient transport aircraft to carry it into combat. Several other operations were planned for the division, but these were cancelled because of the rapid advance of Allied ground forces. After the end of the conflict in Europe, it was shipped home before the planned invasion of Japan, but the conflict in the Far East ended before it was required. After deactivation of the division, combat personnel transferred to the 82nd Airborne Division. (Full article...)
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