For complete bicycle combat history: www.combatreform.org/atb.htm

WW2 Mystery: U.S. Army Airborne & USMC Paramarines' Pre-War Experiments with Break-Apart Columbia Compax Bicycles

The question is DID U.S. Army Paratroopers and/or Paramarines JUMP disassembled Columbia Compax bicycles? If so, HOW? We know the British jumped BSA folding bicycles uncovered in their hands which is very dangerous as its a snag risk to your parachute deployment. So far, all we have are these blow-ups from a poster hanging in a museum where a Columbia Compax is displayed. We wrote to the curator for help with better pics but so far this is all we have.

As if we need yet more proof that ad hocery results in good ideas that could gain us a tactical advantage falling by the wayside; consider the U.S. military's failure to exploit bicycles for military mobility advantages in WW2--and thereafter....

The U.S. Army lead the world in military bicycle use but then got fat and lazy and disastrously road-bound with motorized trucks and forgot how to use them when it really counted in war.

While the Germans were moving around entire rifle battalions by bicycle to achieve decisive effects like repelling the British at Arnhem, at best we used bicycles tactically en masse only if they were captured. The point of this is that military bikes must be ORGANIC to U.S. military units so they are used aggressively in war practice so when the fear of life/death settles in during a war their utility and usefulness to FAN OUT INFANTRY QUICKLY to get decisive kill/capture positions or to control ground to deny the enemy its use (prevent land mines from being laid) will be established and not be ignored.

www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2016

Johan Willaert from Belgium writes:

Although the U.S. Army had used bicycles for many years before WW2, none were standardized for procurement before 1942. The Army's official use for these bicycles was: "To provide Transportation for Personnel engaged in Dispatch or Messenger Service". Of course they were used for many other purposes. They proved a fast and economical way to get around Depots, Camps and Airfields.

The "Bicycle, Military, Universal" was adopted in October 1942 by the Ordnance Department. It was a military version of the Westfield "Columbia" and was equipped with heavy duty rims and spokes. It came with a D-Cell powered headlight on the front fender and basic tools were carried in a toolbag attached to the Persons saddle. A tire pump was clamped to the frame.

These bikes were manufactured by both Westfield Columbia and Huffman with only minor differences in parts. Huffman fenders were rounded as opposed to gothic ones on the Columbia, chain guards varied and Huffman front sprockets had a unique whirlwind design.... All parts were interchangeable. Early rubber pedal blocks were replaced with wooden ones later in the war. Early frames had a curved front tube but these were replaced with straight tubes on later models. Late in WW2 Columbia produced a Women's model. Folding "Compax" models were tested by [U.S. Army] Airborne Troops and the U.S. Marine Corps but saw no action in Europe in WW2.

www.theliberator.be/BicyclesImages/MG138969Nieuwpoort.jpg
Westfield Columbia MG138969 (± Late 1943)

The Westfield Serial Number files do not contain any reference to specific Military contracts, so it's become very hard to determine how many bikes were manufactured and when....

Huffman frames were dated, but there too there's no reference to how many were made...

I am trying to put together a database with Models and Serial Numbers and their location, so I invite you to post that info here with a picture of the bike if possible....

For more info and wartime images, feel free to visit the Bicycles pages of my site: www.theliberator.be

Thanks,

Johan

Willaert's U.S. Military WW2 Bicycle Research Page

www.theliberator.be/militarybicycles.htm

Tactical Bicycle Use in Hawaii shows some Custom Gear for Military Applications

U.S. Army Signal Corps Photo via Jerry Cleveland

Members of the Intelligence Platoon, HQ Company, 34^th Infantry Regiment on patrol in Hawaii. Rifles are carried in leather scabbards on the front forks. Note the Willys MA Jeep in the background...

Another WW2 Bicycle Mystery: By Parachute or Glider?

One of the few surviving Columbia's in Europe is displayed in the Airborne Museum of Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Normandy, France where it sits under the wings of a C-47 aircraft. MG145375 was left behind during WW2 and ended up with a local farmer who used it well into the 1970's before donating it to the local museum where it underwent complete restoration...

WATCH THE CLASSIC MOVIE, "The Longest Day" based on Cornelius Ryan's Book

Click on the picture to view the 2-hour movie

Movie details: www.imdb.com/rg/video/browser/title/tt0056197

PROOF! U.S. Airborne Glider-Airlanding Bicycle Use in Combat in WW2

Although many have claimed to see a Compax "Paratrooper" bicycle in the back of the Jeep on the right, the springer type front forks clearly indicate it is not a Columbia Compax.

It actually is a Simplex Servicycle. There seems to be another Servicycle in the Jeep on the left where the passenger seat has been tilted forward to make room for the cycle's rear wheel. All vehicles belong to Service Company, 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82^nd Airborne Division and are being loaded into WACO Gliders for the Operation Market-Garden Airborne insertion into Holland in September 1944. During WW2, Servicycles were used by Medical units of Airborne Divisions. Compare the front forks of the Servicycle above to the one shown below.

Father Sampson, Chaplain of the 501^st Parachute Infantry is shown on a Simplex Servicycle during Operation Market Garden in September 1944.

Tricycle Resupply in Combat

Al Krochka Photo from Mark Bando's The 101^st AIRBORNE-From Holland to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

This image shows Technical Sergeant 5 Mendoza from "B" Company 326^th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 101^st Airborne Division using a captured/borrowed Dutch Tricycle to transport equipment to a Supply Dump in Veghel, Holland during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. The tricycle is loaded with two A4 Supply Bundles. Note the Parachute First Aid Packet tied to his M1 steel pot helmet.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMpuasQvBYg

History of the British Paras and Commandos (Over-View)

Part 1

Right after Dunkirk, Churchill calls for 5, 000 volunteers to raid the coast, called "Commandos" after the mobile Boers who in South Africa stymied the Brits, 10 commandos or regiments of 500 men, no royal marines allowed to join since they had to help man guns on RN ships, Admiral Keys hero of WW1 Zebrugge block ship raid in WW1 put in charge, Churchill knew talent and placed such men (like himself) in power, special ferries delivered shallow-draft landing craft, 2^nd Commando trained to be paratroopers using Whitley bombers, renamed 11^th SAS, everyone self-reliant, initiative-taking, knew how to use enemy weapons, Norwegian fish oil raids bagged hundreds of Germans, captured an Enigma machine cipher wheel and one commando telegraphed Hitler asking him where his Soldiers were? Dumbass Hitler then placed 250, 000 troops in Norway for rest of the war!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvY4n-PNcxM

Part 2

LayForce wiped out covering British withdrawal from Crete taken by German Paras, Keys resigns in protest over Army interference, Mountbatten a competent destroyer captain, takes over, Vaagso raids, Mad Jack plays bagpipes, use of smokescreen munitions from RAF bombers to mask landings, Commandos take back Norwegian volunteers to join their force! 16^th SAS becomes Parachute Regiment, raids Bruneval readar station, USS Campbeltown converted to look like a German destroyer packed full of explosives to ram dry docks

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hro6FnJjM8U

Part 3

Montgomery's demo team destroy pump house but cannot get back to motor launches to exfiltrate back to England, captured the Campbeltown skipper is lectured by German interrogator about how foolish to ram the docks with a flimsy ship when BANG!!!!! it blew up killing over 300 Germans who were souvenir hunting! Disastrous Dieppe raid, Commandos under Peter Young and Lord Lovat take out shore batteries to protect the ships

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aDk9YMNue4

Part 4

Leader of bayonet assault wins the VC, American Rangers' first action of WW2, Laycock takes over from Mountbatten who went to southeast asia to replace incompetent Auchinleck, Commandos spearhead role for conventional forces in North Africa, Italy, Major Howard asked his glider pilot to slide through the wire which it did and his men overcame the defenders quickly, interesting men linking arms and raising legs on bench seats before crash landing--smart technque to avoid men flying loosely, Lord Lovat's commandos race 10 miles on foot and bikes to reinforce Howard's men, Operation Market-Garden fiasco begins

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0MC-SiQcuA

Part 5

Jeeps in gliders don't make it, Frost takes Bridge but only has a battalion, Frost is shown after the war describing battle at the bridge to current Paras, couldn't get his exposed foot sloggers across to seize south end of it, a mere armored car's machine gun fire thwarted them, Walcheren island raided to clear Germans so ships could reach port of Antwerp, Rhine river crossings, Red berets of the Paras and Green berets of the RM commandos kick ass today, as seen in the Flalklands war

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzaGWjRH6L8

Bicycle-Infantry and Cycle-Commandos at Bruneval and on D-Day

By Air--Glider & Parachute:

Martin Caidin and Jay Barbree's masterpiece book, Bicycles in War has the most detailed account of the British Parachute raid on Bruneval radar station in 1942 on pages 111-123, Chapter 9, "The Great Bicycle Commando Raid":

Throughout this book we have referred to the many occasions when the bicycle was adopted as the favorite mobile weapon for guerrilla fighters, special forces, members of the underground, and other special organizations that moved and fought with stealth as their ally.

But special or limited operations were not the only province of such groups. There were occasions, and we have seen some of them, when the bicycle became a primary weapon for a daring and critical operation on what must be considered a major scale.

Among such actions, the one that stands out from all the others took place in February 1942. It demonstrates about as perfect a use of the bicycle as was ever planned.

Our story begins at night, high over the French coast along the English Channel. At midnight the world was a silent clash between deep darkness and the sporadic brilliance provided by the light of a silvery moon that rode high along the tumbling rims of snow clouds. The clouds themselves formed a line of battlements towering over the coastline of France along the English Channel. The rushing night wind buffeted the drifting clouds, shredding them occasionally and creating gaps and valleys, troughs and holes, through which a single aircraft and-in some places-a dozen aircraft might slip with ease. This is precisely what happened at midnight: through the gap of one great cloud ravine, gliding like silvery metallic minnows against the mile-high towets of clouds, flew a long formation of Whitleys.

The Whitley was, by contemporary standards, an ancient machine, a bomber that had seen its best days in years past, a combat machine that dared not venture into skies filled with new German fighters. But while it could no longer perform adequately in the thick of aerial conflict, it flew well, and it had a capacious fuselage into which men, instead of bombs, might fit. And if a special effort needed to be made, the lumbering Whitley could carry both men and bombs.

So it was this night. The bomb bays carried their bulging cases of death, and the bellies of the airplanes were crowded with men. British commandos, clumsy in fighting gear and parachutes. Cold, jammed together, uncomfortable, waiting to plunge into action.

The British formation of bombers was detected by the enemy. German radar, German acoustic detectors, German ears saw and heard the line of aircraft and plotted their probable target. Those targets ahead of the bomber formation were alerted about the chances of a raid. Antiaircraft installations rumbled into action and at remote airfields Luftwaffe pilots hurried with sleep-heavy eyes to their machines.

There was no immediate rush to meet the bombers. They were swinging inland along a course that would take them to an industrial target some distance away. So the Nazis paid little attention, except for tracking, as the old bombers droned over the coastline. And no one on the ground saw the dark shapes tumble from the bellies of the Whitleys. Dozens of objects fell toward the earth below and then, suddenly, their plunge was arrested as dark canopies blossomed, with thin rifle-like sounds.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPK-sR5pnjQ

An entire commando force had left the old Whitleys, which continued on with a diversionary bombing strike.

The men floated easily and silently through the cold air.

They had selected their landing area well, in open fields far from any community. The commandos assembled quickly. It had been a good drop. They were eight miles from their objective. If they continued to move as planned, maintaining silence, there was every chance they would burst with complete surprise upon the Germans.

As guards searched the area, the other men unfolded strange contraptions of metal bars, wheels, spokes, pedals, and handles. Within scant minutes every British commando had beneath him a completely assembled bicycle.

Quickly the paratroopers loaded their gear-grenades, ammunition, machine guns, iron rations, explosive charges.

Using hand signals instead of voice commands they pedaled away, following a narrow trail covered with a thin layer of fresh snow.

The men rode steadily through the night along the French coastline. Eight miles ahead of them lay a huge and secret radar installation, the most advanced system of its kind. It was a powerful weapon in the hands of the Germans, used fqr tracking aircraft flying to Europe from Britain. Knocking out the radar would effectively poke a stick in the electronic vision of the Nazis. Leading the commando force was Maj. John D. Sheffield. [EDITOR: then Lieutenant John Frost was a subordinate leader of this raid]

The major crossed his fingers. If events kept unfolding the way they had so far, they could do their job and get out without suffering heavy casualties. Knocking out the radar installation might turn out to be a bigger bite than they could handle. The radar system was critical to German air defense on the (Continent and the Nazis were sure to have set up bristling defenses on the ground. Sheffield shrugged to himself. They'd know soon enough.

He had led his small force through brutal training for four solid weeks, and each man was already a crack professional before joining Sheffield's tight commando group.

Every man knew as well as did Sheffield the layout of their objective. The vital radar site lay near the village of Bruneval in northern France, about twelve miles north-northeast of Le Havre.

As well-defended as was the radar installation, British army officials were gambling everything on the fact that the enemy would never dream an attack would be launched against the well-defended site by bicycle. It seemed too incongruous, this concept of trained killers pedaling their way into the mouths of German guns.

Well, now they were for it. Sheffield and his commandos maintained a steady pace on their bicycles, on the way to their moment of destiny. The Royal Air Force had flown them in. If they did their job and survived to get away, the Royal Navy would be waiting for them on the beach to bring them out.

There was only one small hitch about that. First, the commandos had to wrest control of the beach away from the Germans.

Intelligence advised Sheffield and his men that the radar installation itself appeared to be housed within a cabin, standing deep inside a pit. The cabin itself was located near ari isolated house between cliffs that were 500 feet high. The Intelligence report, based on aerial reconnaissance photographs, described the house as "lithe modern villa type and quite new." Undoubtedly taken over for the convenience of the Germans, judged Sheffield. Yet the information had presented a serious problem.

The towering cliffs eliminated any hope of making an assault from the sea. Long before a small striking force could work its way to the radar site it would come under a withering crossfire. The answer was the parachute and the bicycle.

Even as the commandos rode toward their objective, the old Whitleys were dumping their bombs on a distant target, and hoping the Germans would see nothing unusual in their flight pattern.

Sheffield thought of one beach area in particular. It lay about a quarter of a mile south of the radar installation, a small steeply sloping beach of pebbles and sand lying at the foot of high chalk and flint formations. He hoped to see that pebbly stretch of sand on schedule, for it was there the Navy would pick them up for the dash home across the Channel. Sheffield concentrated his thoughts again on the defenses of the radar site. Most of the work crew, he had been told, would be German specialists attending to the radar equipment itself. They might or might not be armed. That situation would have to be handled as events developed.

Immediately adjacent to the radar installation, the Nazis had prepared an extensive trench with regularly spaced dugouts, where the commandos might encounter heavy machine-gun fire. A short distance from the site was a powerful pillbox covered by a machine-gun detail and situated right on the edge of a cliff, so that it looked down on the radar installation. Just south of Bruneval was another pillbox. Both pillboxes were so located that they could cover the cove in a devastating crossfire.

Four hundred yards inland from the radar site was a farmhouse with a German garrison of unspecified strength, but believed to be strong in numbers. A small wooded area embraced the farmhouse, which was designated on Sheffield's map by the name of le Presbytere.

In all, the radar site was defended by fifteen separate posts, most of which covered approaches to the beach. The others were pointed seaward. Intelligence guessed that the German force in the immediate vicinity of the radar installation-the guard force-numbered about 100 men. Perhaps a mile or two away, the Germans had garrisoned a full regiment of infantry, and a few miles beyond that was quartered an entire battalion equipped with armored cars. Any assault force that moved in daylight would also face attack from German fighters based on fields in the area.

The strike, therefore, had to be executed with speed and precision or the commandos would be cut to pieces.

The commandos bore down steadily on their target.

Luck had been with them in several ways. A bright moon reflected ideally along the snow-covered path before them, providing the men with more than adequate visibility without risking lights. And the light snow cover softened the inevitable small noises such a group might make. They reached their first planned stop point, only 200 yards from the bulking radar installation, without any alarm being sounded. Everything was going with clockwork precision.

Staying low, muffling their movements, the men looked to their commander for final orders. Immediately, Sheffield divided his attack force into four units. He would take the first group of commandos in a wide-open assault against the house nearby. The major believed the reserve troops and a good number of the permanent guards would be in the house. If he could catch them unawares--in fact asleep--he could wipe out a dangerous part of the resistance that could be mounted against them.

The second commando unit was ordered to move against the radar installation proper. Group three would cover this move, taking up a position between the le Presbytere farm and the edge of the cliffs. The fourth and last unit was assigned to work its way around the cliffs to reach the beach. If any opposition was encountered there, it was to be ruthlessly cut down. At all costs the beach must be secured by the remainder of the commando force for the purpose of embarkation.

Everything was set. The men remounted their bicycles and Major Sheffield passed the word to commit. The first and second groups pedaled furiously toward the isolated house and the radar post. Still no alarm! As quickly as they reached their objectives the men leaped off the bicycles and rushed to attack position. Sheffield headed straight for the farmhouse door. A heavy boot smashed it open and the major dashed inside, weapon at the ready. No one in sight. Sheffield blew a loud blast on his whistle and other commandos rushed in on his heels, moving swiftly to break into the four rooms on the ground floor. They were all empty. At once Sheffield pounded up the stairs, four men with him, to the second landing.

"Hiinde hoch!" he called, shouting an order to surrender. A single thunderstruck German Soldier brought his the radar site. But that accounted only for enemy personnel in the immediate area. Sheffield realized that reinforcements would soon be rushing to the scene.

As things turned out, the troops assigned to permanent garrison duty were already on the move. The first sign that all was not well came with a long burst of probing machine-gun fire from the nearby farm of le Presbytere. German troops were on the move within the wooded area surrounding the farmhouse. First things first, reasoned Sheffield. Return to the house and get his men out. Firing on the run in short bursts, the first group with Sheffield raced back to the house where the twelve men were standing fast. Now the men ran outside again, crouching low and weaving from side to side. The German troops were completely over their initial surprise and laying down a heavy fire. Miraculously, only one man was hit. Despite his wounds, he kept up with the rest of the men.

Sheffield's group, joining up with the third-or covering-unit, scrambled to set up a heavy defensive fire in the vicinity of the radar post. The demolition team needed time to set their explosive charges.

"Well," murmured Sheffield when told he would have to hold off the Germans for awhile, "we'll jolly well give you the time you need. Get to it, lads." The Germans moving in from the farm worked their way steadily toward Sheffield's force. The commandos held their fire until the last moment, then cut loose with a withering blast at the advancing enemy. As Sheffield had figured, the return fire from the British force was so heavy, and caught the Germans with such surprise, that they held back on further advances and resorted instead to heavy firepower. Two German machine guns, well protected from return fire, hammered at the British in the radar post. Bullets slammed into the house in a steady rain of death.

Sheffield was more than content with the standoff. So long as the Germans kept their distance his demolition team could complete their work. Then the situation began to change swiftly. The lights of three vehicles were seen in the distance, coming toward the radar site.

Sheffield looked about him. It was going to get very sticky in a hell of a hurry.

"Let's get cracking!" he shouted to the demolition squad. "Move it, lads! Reinforcements are coming in and we bloody well can't hold them off for long!" His words were almost drowned out in another burst of machine gun fire.

"Sir!" a commando shouted back. "We're done! Charges all set!" "All right!" Sheffield bellowed to his men, sensing that there was no time to waste. "Everybody start moving out! Get to the beach!"

They began moving from the house, crouching low, the men situated in the rear cutting loose with bursts of machine-gun fire to cover the withdrawal. For the first time since they had left England, they abandoned their bicycles. The remainder of their travels would be across six hundred yards of open, rough country, south of their position, toward the village of Bruneval.

But now they had a pack. of hellhounds at their heels. German reinforcements had rolled to the scene and German firepower seemed to increase with every moment. It was to their advantage that the enemy seemed to overestimate the strength of the commando force. They moved toward the British in careful stages, covering every move with heavy blasts of machine-gun fire. The commandos were forced to retreat in stages, running twenty or thirty yards, then turning and digging in to fire furiously at their pursuers.

The going was getting uncomfortable even for Sheffield when the sky split wide apart with a terrifying mushroom of red flames. Instantly there followed an ear-shattering crash of thunder. The commandos answered the blast of their demolition charges with shouted cheers, and an enthusiastic burst of fire in the direction of the Nazis. No matter what happened now, their mission was fully successful. Another blast ripped through the radar site and an angry red fireball licked upward, churning within itself like a thing alive. Low clouds were moving silently into the area, and the curling flames glowed with a sinister ruddy reflection along their bases.

Sheffield saw his men staring with fascination at the blood-red flames. "All right!" he shouted. "The sightseeing is done with. Let's move it!" Retreat, fire in short, massed bursts, then run like hell and flop down in the thin snow for another ripping fire at the Germans. They were at the cliffs and a voice called hoarsely. "The boats are here. It's all right, fellows. Come on down, and hurry it up, will you?" Sudden elation became shock when German machine-gun posts on each cliff opened up with stuttering bursts. The troops in the pillbox had waited out the retreat in silence, knowing the commandos must venture into their crossfire when they tried to work their way down to the beach. Now Sheffield and his men were being cut up by fire from their front and rear.

"Dig in!" he roared to the commandos.

They had taken immediate hits. One man died instantly as he took the full effect of a long burst. A second commando tumbled wildly through the air, collapsing with several bullets in his legs and a third fell with three rounds in his abdomen. His stunned friends found him alive and cursing his luck. No one believed it then, but the man would be carried to safety and would survive the raid.

Sheffield was trying to figure a way out of the mess when a voice called up to him from the beach. "Don't come down, whatever you do! The beach isn't secured yet!" Sheffield recognized the voice of Lieutenant Frost, commanding the fourth unit of commandos. It wasn't difficult to figure what had happened. Frost's group had run into stiff German resistance. All they could do was hold on until more commandos arrived.

Sheffield ordered one group of his men to concentrate their fire on the machine guns atop the cliffs. With those weapons pinned down, he led a force of commandos through the narrow pass and down onto the beach to link up with Frost's men. The unit firing at the cliff top Germans then withdrew hastily and joined Sheffield.

With full strength at hand, the major began the rush against German outposts along the beach. The biggest problem was a pillbox bristling with machine guns. Sheffield and several men with him went in low, against the pillbox walls, and hurled grenades through the gun slit. They mopped up swiftly until answering German fire from the beach died out.

Further along the beach, the commandos discovered a small house that had remained unknown to them. Within the house a single German orderly clung to his telephone, trying to explain to a major from the nearby garrison that the explosions along the beach were from grenades thrown by British Commandos. Unable to understand the words because of the noise of gunfire and exploding grenades, the German officer was reduced to cursing and shouting. He never had the chance to finish. The commandos burst into the house and the German signalman threw up his hands. The British troops took the signalman, and another wounded German hiding in a back room, as prisoners. These two men, along with one soldier captured along the edge of the cliff, were the only prisoners taken during the raid.

Sheffield peered at his watch. It was two-thirty in the morning. The commandos had been on French soil twoand-a-half hours. Off the coast, the Navy rescue force had been watching, spellbound, as the night lit up with explosions and the glowing fireballs of tracer bullets. Finally they received the pickup signal and started in. Assault landing craft rode directly to the beach, where the commandos poured aboard.

Heavy German fire from machine guns swept the beach. Further out to sea, supporting ships opened fire with heavy weapons. British guns raked the cliff tops with thundering blasts that killed many enemy defenders and tore huge chunks from the nearly vertical walls.

The German fire died abruptly, and the assault ships pulled away from the beaches. Of the commando force that rode its bicycles along the French coastline, eight men were left behind. One had been killed. The other seven never made it to the beach, but Sheffield could no longer wait for them. The boats had to break from the beaches. As they headed back for England he counted his casualties. One dead, seven wounded, seven missing. They were fifteen miles from the French coast when dawn broke. Spitfires flew protection cover. But Sheffield and his men were looking at the beach fading in the distance, where the ruins of the shattered radar installation were still smoking.

Keith Flint in Airborne Armour pages 120-121 describe how the 6^th Airborne Armored Reconnaissance Regiment used not only tracked Tetrarch light tanks but tracked Bren gun carriers and folding bicycles for reconnaissance as well:

As far as the recce function went, Go To It! summarises the regiment's activities in the following fashion:

Initially it had been deployed with 8^th Parachute Battalion in the Bois de Bavent where it had set up O.P.s watching the area bordered by Troarn, Caen, Ranville and Escoville. It had provided valuable information for the divisional commander, acting as his eyes and ears in the forward areas. As well as using "B" Squadron's Bren carriers and Dingo scout cars, the regiment deployed patrols mounted on bicycles deep into enemy held areas. These obtained information on enemy dispositions, including vehicle parks and armour FUPs, which resulted in successful air strikes and bombardments by the cruiser HMS Mauritius.

By Sea--Landing Craft

Notice the British Soldier carrying a Cushman motor scooter on his shoulder!

Interesting how the folding bike minimizes itself for troop transport in air, land, sea vehicles!

The Battle for the Cross-Roads Town of Caen

Operation Market-Garden: by Parachute & Glider, Overland: Not En Masse like the D-Day Success

www.youtube.com/watch?v=o44BvtQxOV4

The video above is Part 3 of a new, thought-provoking Series on the Battle for Arnhem in 1944 asks the question, WHERE WERE THE FOLDING BIKES? when the British Army needed them to reinforce LTC John Frost's 2^nd Battalion of the 1^st Brigade of the 1^st British Airborne Division holding the north end of Arnhem bridge over the Rhine river? Details of this research can be found on the constantly updated web pages below:

Airborne forces are essentially CAVALRY as explained by LTG James M. Gavin in his influential 1954 Harper's magazine article; "Cavalry and I Don't Mean Horses"

Early Airborne forces once they left their aircraft going 100-300 mph lost the MOBILITY DIFFERENTIAL of Cavalry and became walking 1-4 mph infantry--a condition folding bikes for 10-25 mph speeds can solve. The time of the greatest opportunity to surprise the enemy and an Airborne force's greatest vulnerability is right after the drop--had the British who used folding bikes en masse on D-Day used them in quantity on the flat terrain west of Arnhem they could have swarmed upon Arnhem bridge before Germans on foot could have gotten into blocking positions or switched to Frost's open "Lion" route if opposed at "Leopard" and "Tiger" routes. Mobility and time is of the essence in a coup de main.

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden

Wikipedia reports:

Two of the three battalions of the 1^st Parachute Brigade found themselves slowed down by small German units of a training battalion which had quickly established a thin blocking line covering the obvious routes to Arnhem. Lieutenant Colonel John Frost's 2^nd Battalion was advancing far south of this position and so found their route largely undefended. They arrived at the bridge in the evening and set up defensive positions at the north end. Of the other battalions, the 3^rd had only covered half the distance to the bridge when they came to a halt for the night, the rear of their column being under attack and needing time to catch up. The 1^st Battalion was similarly fragmented, yet they pushed on around the flank of the German line throughout the night, but frequent skirmishes resulted in their making little more progress. Two attempts to take the bridge span including the south end were unsuccessful.

British General Montgomery tried to cross several major rivers by 3D Airborne maneuver coup de mains, yet on the most vital bridge over the Rhine no such direct action was taken to ostensibly avoid anti-aircraft flak. If you are going to do an INDIRECT VERTICAL ASSAULT you must close the distance quickly with GROUND MOBILITY.

The British are great deep thinkers about war and their innovations like the tracked tank, the landing craft for amphibious warfare, light tanks in gliders are just a few of their thinking ahead and doing TANGIBLE THINGS to get ahead. What they lacked in WW2 was the flexibility to take what they had and improvise on the spot ruthlessly for decisive effects, no doubt they were very war-weary having began fighting the Germans in 1939. Since the British were tired and the 1^st Airborne Staff not very competent, its clear now they should have "stacked-the-deck" in their favor with lots of folding bikes to speed to Arnhem bridge ASAP hopefully without a fight--to conserve their fighting ranks. Simple bike transportation doesn't cost a fortune nor demand all the maintenance that "mechanization" with powered tanks invokes cold sweats in the mind of the light infantry narcissist. So why wouldn't a light infantryman want to travel at 10-25 mph instead of 1 or at best 4 mph on foot? The British at times asked this question in WW2 and used bikes, at others they didn't and disasters followed. It has something to do with the flexibility of mind--those that can decentralize and delegate control to trusted subordinates can use mobile, dispersed bike troops like Yamashita did to take Malaya/Singapore; if one's mind is weak and inflexible, a slower walking pace is chosen and the alleged safety of caution turns into bloody head-long charges into enemy strength. The bike is a tool for maneuver warfare of a Cavalry force.

One of the sad truths of war is that even the pressures of survival in combat and as a nation-state are NOT A GUARANTEE that what's best is going to over-ride prejudice and malpractice of racketeers. The British people had to demand Winston Churchill be their leader and it was he who brought back Hobart to active-duty to save the day on D-Day. With the Germans on the run after the Normandy break-out, the British generals thought they could "pull a fast one" and not even have fast-moving detachments of bicycle troops to reinforce an Airborne unit if stranded on the far side of one of the rivers. German Paratroop General Kurt Student knew right away to attack landing paratroops and had his men converge by bicycles and STUG turretless assault guns on Arnhem--and we all know how that action resulted.

Just a few hundred bikes at Arnhem's drop and landing zones would have have ended WW2 sooner by 6-8 months with us reaching Berlin before the Soviets--and would have saved MILLIONS of lives and prevented there being a "Berlin Wall" and "Iron Curtain".

TechnoTactical Errors in our force structure and equipment can have STRATEGIC CONSEQUENCES. Let's hope we can realize this before its too late and its more than a bridge at stake.

By Glider

By Parachute

In 1942, British Airborne "Cycle Commandos" struck at Bruneval Radar station using folding bicycles. Flying in Whitworth bombers which also dropped bombs to confuse the Germans, the Cycle-Commandos were paradropped 8 miles away from their objective for secrecy. Using their bikes for ground mobility, the Paratroopers closed on their target silently and captured the necessary radar components and prisoners to bring vital intelligence back to England by sea landing craft.

Details:

www.6th-airborne.org/bike.html

Details & Photos:

Airborne re-enactor equipment page
BSA Airborne Bicycles
BSA Airborne Bike Page
David Gordon's BSA bike page

Type G Apparatus - Folding Bicycle

In WW2 bicycles, were a cheap and lightweight method of giving mobility to infantry. This was particularly true for Airborne troops, who were obviously much more limited in the size and number of vehicles that could accompany them. The British Airborne forces had a unique bicycle designed to be folded in half and parachuted down. While somewhat bulky by today's standards, the bike is remarkably light. The bike could either be dropped separately or strapped to the parachutist. A member of the [6^th Airborne re-enactors] unit has acquired and restored one of these interesting pieces.

BSA Folding Airborne Bike rigged to be dropped separately

Following are several more photos of this particular bike along with several wartime photos. All of the following text is taken from the war-time military manual for the "Type G Apparatus", the folding bicycle.

General Notes

Stores Ref. Number: The Stores Ref. Number of the parachute is 15C/84 Weight of folding bicycle: The weight of the folding bicycle and parachute is 32 1/2 lb.

It is necessary to throw the bicycle vertically downwards through the door of the aircraft to prevent the parachute fouling the tail. Tests were made by A.F.E.E. from a C-47 with satisfactory results.

Airborne Bicycle General

The frame of the bicycle is elliptical and is hinged at two points. The slackening of two wing-nuts enables the frame to be folded so that the two wheels lie side by side. The wheels are lashed to the frame to prevent their turning and a type Q parachute with 12 ft. Canopy, as described in A.P. 1180A, Vol. I, Part 2, Sect. 2 Chap. 4, is attached to their circumference. Any partial bending of the handlebars on landing can usually be corrected by hand.

Parachuting with the Airborne bicycle from either Dakota or Stirling Aircraft is simple and requires little equipment. The bicycle is suspended from the parachutist´s body by a quick-release strap when jumping and is always released and lowered to the full extent of a 20 ft suspension line during descent.

Preparation of Bicycle

Fold the bicycle and push the pedals through into the stowed position. Lower the handlebars and raise the saddle so that the latter will receive most of the landing shock.

Strap both wheels together, securing them to the rear chain stays to prevent them from rotating (An Army-issue valise strap is most suitable for this.). Tie one end of the 20ft. suspension line to both the wheels in such a position that when the cycle is suspended by the line the saddle is lowermost. This is important to prevent damage to the handlebars.

Method of Attaching Bicycle to Parachutist

Commencing from the free end, plait the suspension line to ensure that it will pay out quickly and easily without forming loose coils likely to foul the cycle. Take the free end and tie it to the lower left leg strap of the parachute harness. Finally, suspend the bicycle from a quick-release strap passing round the back of the parachutist´s neck.

Method of Jumping with Airborne Bicycle

When making an exit from [C-47] Dakota aircraft, hold the bicycle slightly forward and to the right-hand side, as shown in fig. 2. Take care to avoid fouling the forward edge of the door and catching the brake cable of the bicycle on the door jettison handle. Step well out to avoid being brushed along the side of the aircraft. As soon as the canopy has developed, release the bicycle by pulling the loose end of the quick-release strap.

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British Para en route to Arnhem bridge walking his folding bicycle

By Tank

German Radhfahrtruppes (Bicycle-Infantry) converge on Arnhem

As Elite Panzerjager (tank hunter) Anti-Tank Forces

The German Army in WW2 had several light bicycle infantry cavalry companies in every infantry division's reconnaissance battalion. The reason was to have an unit MORE MOBILE THAN THE MAIN BODY THAT WAS WALKING. The German infantry also had light tank assault guns embedded with them to work together just like the M113 Gavins we need today.

Dr. Leo Niehorster's excellent organizational web pages document these facts.

http://niehorster.orbat.com/index.htm

http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germany/41_organ_army/41_id_01-welle.html

World War II Armed Forces - Orders of Battle and Organizations

Last Updated 01.05.04

German Army Organization Infantry Division (1st Wave) Infanteriedivision (1. Welle) 22 June 1941

 

Diagram of German Infantry Division in WW2

   

1. Welle Infantry Divisions
Division   (Commander on 22.06.1941)	W.K.	Infantry	Other Units	Comments
1. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Kleffel	I	1 Regiment 22 Regiment 43 Regiment	1
5. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Allmendinger	V	14 Regiment 56 Regiment 75 Regiment	5
6. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Auleb	VI	18 Regiment 37 Regiment 58 Regiment	6
7. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Frhr. v. Gablenz	VII	19 Regiment 61 Regiment 62 Regiment	7	recon battalion: 2 bicycle companies, no heavy company, but 1 lt IG platoon (mot), 1 AT platoon (mot)
8. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Höhne	VIII	28 Regiment 38 Regiment 84 Regiment	8	recon battalion: 2 bicycle companies, no heavy company, but 1 lt IG platoon (mot), 1 AT platoon (mot)
9. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Frhr. v. Schleinitz	IX	36 Regiment 57 Regiment 116 Regiment	9
11. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. v. Böckmann	I	2 Regiment 23 Regiment 44 Regiment	11
12. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. v. Seydlitz-Kurzbach	II	27 Regiment 48 Regiment 89 Regiment	12
15. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Hell	IX	81 Regiment 88 Regiment 106 Regiment	15
17. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Loch	XIII	21 Regiment 55 Regiment 95 Regiment	17	recon battalion: 2 bicycle companies, no heavy company, but 1 lt IG platoon (mot), 1 AT platoon (mot)
21. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Sponheimer	I	3 Regiment 24 Regiment 45 Regiment	21	recon battalion: 2 bicycle companies, no heavy company, but 1 lt IG platoon (mot), 1 AT platoon (mot)
22. Infanterie-Division (Luftlande)   Gen.Lt. Graf v. Sponek	X	16 Regiment 47 Regiment 65 Regiment	22	recon battalion: 2 bicycle companies, no heavy company, but 1 lt IG platoon (mot), 1 AT platoon (mot); no heavy artillery battalion; all antitank companies had 3x sPzBü + 9x 37mm Pak; 3 supply columns, 6 supply columns (mot), 2 P.O.L. columns (mot); 1 division park. Airlanding equipment was in depots back in Germany.
23. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Hellmich	III	9 Regiment 67 Regiment 68 Regiment	23
24. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. v. Tettau	IV	31 Regiment 32 Regiment 102 Regiment	24
26. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Weiss	VI	39 Regiment 77 Regiment 78 Regiment	26
28. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Sinnhuber	VIII	7 Regiment 49 Regiment 83 Regiment	28
30. Infanterie-Division.   Gen-Lt-v. Tippelskirch	X	6 Regiment 26 Regiment 46 Regiment	30
31. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Kalmükoff	XI	12 Regiment 17 Regiment Regiment	31
32. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Bohnstedt	II	4 Regiment 94 Regiment 96 Regiment	32	Pionier Bataillon 2
34. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Behlendorff	XII	80 Regiment 107 Regiment 253 Regiment	34
35. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Fischer v. Weikersthall	V	34 Regiment 109 Regiment 111 Regiment	35
44. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Siebert	XVII	131 Regiment 132 Regiment 134 Regiment	44	Art.Rgt. 96; Pzjg.Abt. 46; Pion.Btl. 80; Nachr.Abt. 64.; recon battalion without armored car platoon.
45. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Maj. Schliepper	XVII	130 Regiment 133 Regiment 135 Regiment	45	Art.Rgt. 98; Pion.Btl. 81; Nachr.Abt. 65; recon battalion without armored car platoon.
46. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Ktiebel	XIII	42 Regiment 72 Regiment 97 Regiment	46	Art.Rgt. 144; Pzjg.Abt. 52; Pion.Btl. 88; Nachr.Abt. 76; recon battalion without heavy company, but with armored car platoon.
50. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Hollidt	III	121 Regiment 122 Regiment 123 Regiment	50	recon battalion: 2 bicycle companies, no heavy company, but 1 lt IG platoon (mot), 1 AT platoon (mot); the infantry regiment antitank companies had 12x 37mm Pak; the antitank battalion companies had 9x 37mm Pak + 2x 50mm Pak.
72. Infanterie-Division.   Gen.Lt. Mattenklott	XII	105 Regiment 124 Regiment 266 Regiment	72	Art.Rgt. 172; Radf.Schw. 172; no Field Replacement Battalion; the infantry regiment antitank companies had 12x 37mm Pak; the antitank battalion companies had 9x 37mm Pak + 2x 50mm Pak.

http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germany/39_organ_army/kstn_0353.htm

World War II Armed Forces - Orders of Battle and Organizations

Last Updated 31.12.00

German Army Organization Cavalry Bicycle Company 1 September 1939

 

Radfahrerschwadron KStN 353 dated 01.09.1939
1 Officer (K) as Company Commander (Pistol)
Company Headquarters     Headquarters Section         1 NCO as Headquarters Section Leader (Rifle)(on bicycle)         1 Messenger / Bugler (Rifle)(on bicycle)         1 Messenger / Blinker Signaler (Rifle)(on bicycle)         1 Messenger (Rifle)(bicycle)         3 Messengers (Rifles)(on motorcycles)         1 Motor Vehicle Driver (Rifle)         1 car, light, cross-country (Kfz. 1)         3 motorcycles     Medic Section         1 Medic NCO (Pistol)(on bicycle)         4 Stretcher Bearers(on bicycles)     Combat Trains         1 Senior NCO as First Sergeant / Trains Leader (Pistol)         1 NCO as Armorer (Pistol)         1 NCO for Equipment (Rifle)(on motorcycle)         1 Assistant Armorer (Pistol)(on motorcycle)         1 Assistant Armorer (Pistol)         5 Motor Vehicle Drivers (Rifles)         1 Motorcyclist (Rifle)(on motorcycle with sidecar)         3 Bicycle Mechanics & truck escort (Rifle)         1 Clerk (Rifle)         1 Cook (Rifle)         1 Cook & truck escort (Rifle)         2 motorcycles         1 motorcycle with side car         1 car, medium, cross-country (Kfz. 18)         1 truck, light, open, cross-country for field kitchen         3 trucks, light, open, cross-country for equipment and ammo         9 light machine guns (as equipment reserve)     Baggage Trains         1 Enlisted in charge of baggage / clerk (Rifle)(on motorcycle)         1 Tailor (Rifle)         1 Cobbler (Rifle)         1 Driver (Rifle)         1 truck, light, open, for baggage and equipment	3 Rifle Platoons, each with     1 Officer (Z) as Platoon Leader (Pistol)(on bicycle)     Platoon Headquarters         1 Messenger / Bugler (Rifle)(on bicycle)         1 Messenger / Blinker Signaler (Rifle)(on bicycle)         1 Messenger (Rifle)(bicycle)     3 Rifle Squads, each with         1 NCO Squad Leader (Rifle)(on bicycle)         1 Assistant Squad Leader (Rifle)(on bicycle)         1 MG Gunner (Pistol)(on bicycle)         2 Assistant MG Gunners (Pistols)(on bicycles)         7 Riflemen (Rifles)(on bicycles)         1 light machine gun Light Mortar Section     1 NCO as Mortar Section Leader (Rifle)(on motorcycle)     3 Gunners / (Pistols)     6 Assistant Gunners (Rifles)     6 Motorcycle Drivers (Rifles)(on motorcycles with sidecars)     1 motorcycle     6 motorcycles with sidecars     3 light mortars (50mm)
Totals: 4 Officers, 24 NCO, 152 Enlisted; 134 Rifles, 46 Pistols, 18 LMG, 3 Light Mortars; 7 motor vehicles, 7 motorcycles, 7 motorcycles with side cars, 138 bicycles.

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FEEDBACK!

itsg@hotmail.com

"Hi Mike,

Funny you should send me that site. I have looked in there a number of times, now and again. Saw the whole thing about the bikes some time ago when I was tricking out my own mtn bike...which when I get home I'll send you a picture of it.

The concept of bike mounted light infantry is one I do believe we'll see again in the future. As petroleum becomes harder and more expensive to come by, it would be a natural choice for any force that doesn't want to get mixed up with the logistical and humane aspects of utilizing horses. Limited and precious petrol will have to be reserved for logistics.

As a sell to the mech army these days, I doubt you'll see widespread acceptence. But just like mule trains in Italy, you'll see scenarios where the usefulness and speed of bikes will not go unnoticed.

It has certainly not gone unnoticed by AAFES who sells scads of them for getting around bases like Camp Vic, where not everyone gets to have a car...

---Dave Pollard, How to Save the World.