In the early morning of June 6, 1944, a small force of British airborne troops stormed the German defenses at Pegasus Bridge and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe. Pegasus Bridge was the first engagement of D-Day, the turning point of World War II. The Allied assaults on Normandy at Omaha, Utah, Gold, and Sword beaches, even if successful, would fail in the long run if the German tanks were allowed to cross the Caen Canal. The Allies could not hope to sustain a counterrattack of that nature, so it was crucial that the German-held bridge over the canal be captured early in the invasion.
By capturing and holding the bridge (red circle), the Allies hoped to stop the would-be German counterattack (black arrows) before it could start.
If the attack were to be successful, the element of surprise would be vital. It would not work to simply fly in low and drop some paratroopers over the target. The British-constructed Horsa glider was the ideal means of landing the troops required to take the bridge. The Horsas were constructed entirely of plywood, even the cockpit controls, and had no engine. They were towed behind large "tug" planes to get up to speed, then released and steered to their target by the two pilots within, complete with a cargo bay full of soldiers. The gliders could be dropped from far enough away at a high enough altitude to avoid attracting the attention of the Germans.
Horsa glider in tow.
The plan itself was simple: land the gliders in a field adjacent to the bridge, take the pillbox where the switch to blow up the bridge was located (it was not acceptable to allow the Germans to blow up the bridge, for the Allies had high hopes of using it themselves at one point to get their own armor across the Caen Canal), and secure the western side of the bridge to counter any attempts by the Germans to retake it.
The Plan: Part 1
The Plan: Part 2
The Plan: Part 3
Taking the bridge from the 50 Germans guarding it took roughly five minutes all told. The British soldiers, commanded by John Howard. suffered a single casualty, the first casualty of D-Day, and held the bridge until reinforcements arrived in the form of more British soldiers, this time paratroopers led by Nigel Poett.
All pictures are screenshots from Activision's Call of Duty
Additional Information
Britannica Online: NORMANDY: 1944
Pegasus Bridge (good diagram)
Normandy: WW2's Climactic Battle