Vehicles · Germany · 1939-1945
DFS 230
assault glider
The DFS 230 was Germany's first purpose-built military glider, carrying a pilot and up to nine troops or equivalent cargo, and it could be brought down almost silently within 20 meters of a target using a parachute brake for a steep final approach. Gliders of this type delivered the storm detachment that seized the Belgian fortress of Eben-Emael by landing directly on its roof in May 1940, and they were also used in the airborne assault on Crete and the raid that rescued Mussolini. Later in the war it saw heavier use resupplying encircled garrisons on the Eastern Front, including Stalingrad.
| crew | 1 pilot + 9 troops |
|---|---|
| payload | ~1,200 kg |
| produced | 1,600+ |
| glide ratio | 8:1 |
Western Europe, Eastern Front, Mediterranean and North Africa
