Seeking Details on British Para's

[6milPhil]

I'm just starting on WW2 para's and despite having a couple of reasonable books I've a few questions I've yet to find the answers for, if anyone could answer them I'd be grateful.

Loads for gliders - I've five Horsa and two Hamilcars, now I know the Hamilcars can take a Tetarch light tank, or two Carriers/Jeeps, and Horsa up to two jeeps.

Is it fair to say I could swop out a carrier/jeep for a 6 pounder?

Also once the vehicle spaces are taken how many men can I squeeze aboard aside from the pilots?

Same with the Horsa, know I can get one jeep in each - can I get one carrier instead? And again how many troops, aside from pilots, once the vehicle slot is taken?

Chutes and drop cannisters - I've had a natter with chums and there was mention, but nothing definite, of different coloured chutes. Which colours are troops chutes, and were different colours used for supply cannisters? Also which colour are the cannisters and did they vary?

Thanks in anticipation.

[fred]

Its a while since I read up on this.

But I think very few troops beyond the driver and an assistant went with the vehicles - not least because of the danger of landings. But I could be wrong, because I don't recall the recce troops landing separately from their vehicles.

I'm pretty sure carriers couldn't go in Horsas. The airlifted troops had fairly few carriers - most were logistics ones at HQ.

But generally I wouldn't worry about this too much. The gliders are so big that even in 6mm they take up a lot of table, and you probably don't want them represented 1:1. Also rarely were the glider landings under fire (the Polish gliders at Arnhem being an obvious exception).

Chute colours - this seems to be mentioned often for canisters, but without definitive answers. I wonder if it varied by operation?

[fred]

Had a look in a book (well a couple) and didn't find too much. But did find that the Recce troops dropped by parachute while the jeeps came in by glider. Which to me certainly suggests that troops didn't travel with the vehicles, if even the recce troops didn't.

[tin shed gamer]

Drop me a PM.
Mark.

[6milPhil]

I'm pretty sure carriers couldn't go in Horsas. The airlifted troops had fairly few carriers - most were logistics ones at HQ.

Chute colours - this seems to be mentioned often for canisters, but without definitive answers. I wonder if it varied by operation?

Sorry I wasn't clear enough, I know carriers can't go in Horshas, too wide I think.

The general idea we had was that cannisters had different coloured chutes depending on content, one for amoo, one for rations, etc.

Had a look in a book (well a couple) and didn't find too much. But did find that the Recce troops dropped by parachute while the jeeps came in by glider. Which to me certainly suggests that troops didn't travel with the vehicles, if even the recce troops didn't.

That would simplify things, I found a couple of links which might suggest it was either/or, but also suggest combinations, I quite like the idea of giving a player a choice of loadouts. I'd imagine at least the driver would be with them...

http://worldwar2headquarters.com/HTML/normandy/airborneAssault/horsa.html

http://worldwar2headquarters.com/HTML/normandy/airborneAssault/hamilcar.html

Drop me a PM.

Sent.

[Truscott Trotter]

If you haven't already seen this it is one of the best sites I have found for Brit Airborne
http://arnhemjim.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/british-1st-airborne-division-vehicle.html

[Aaron]

Cornelius Ryan's "A Bridge Too Far" mentions a lot of this info in anecdotes sprinkled through the book.

[6milPhil]

Thanks guys.

If you haven't already seen this it is one of the best sites I have found for Brit Airborne
http://arnhemjim.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/british-1st-airborne-division-vehicle.html

That's very good and a plethora of similarly realted links - thanks. 

[Truscott Trotter]

No worries specifically you might want to look at
http://arnhemjim.blogspot.com.au/search?q=parachute+containers
where it has