D-Day Memorial Stories
in honor of
Maj. Norman K. Arvidson

Attachment to Chapter 5
The O. H. Allen Story

Information re the
Waco CG–4A “Hadrian” Glider
Page 1 of 2

The CG-4A was the most widely used U.S. troop/cargo glider of WW II. Flight testing began in 1942 and eventually more than 12,000 CG-4As were procured. Fifteen companies manufactured CG-4As, with 1,074 built by the Waco Aircraft Company of Troy, Ohio.

 The CG-4A was constructed of fabric-covered wood and metal and was crewed by a pilot and copilot. It could carry 13 troops and their equipment or either a jeep, a quarter-ton truck, or a 75 mm howistzer loaded through the upward-hinged nose section and usually were used as tow aircraft.

Data and illustrations used in this attachment are taken from published materials in the National World War II Glider Pilots Association Membership Roster for the year 2001.

 CG-4As went into operation in July 1943 during the Allied invasion of Sicily. They participated in the D-Day assult on France on June 6, 1944, and in other important airborne operations in Europe and in the China-Burma-India Theater. Until late in the was, gliders were generally considered expendable in combat and were abandoned or destroyed after landing.

What is the meaning of the term
“Hadrian,”
in identifying the Waco CG-4A Glider?

Webster’s New World Dictionary of American English tells us this: Hadrian was a Roman emperor from A.D. 76 to 138. Hadrian’s Wall was a stone wall across North England, from Solway Firth to the Tyne, built (A.D. 122-128) by Hadrian to protect Roman Britain from Northern tribes. It was 73.5 miles in length. You may draw your own conclusions as to why the Waco CG-4A was given the name “Hadrian.”
Above:
Artist’s conceptual rendition of C-47s and CG-4A’s in combat.

Above Left:
CG-4A cockpit view

Left:
Pilot’s instrument panel

General Specifications — CG-4A

Wing Span ---------- 83 feet. 8 inches
Length (Overall) --------- 48 feet. 3 3/4 inches
Height -------- 12 feet, 7 7/16 inches
Weight Design --------- 3,750 pounds
Gross Weight Design --------- 7,500 pounds
Wing Chord -------- 10 feet, 6 inches
Above: British 30-Place Airspeed Horsa Glider

Many of the D-Day and post-D-Day operations involved the
combined use of U.S. and British-made gliders. The Horsa is
a primary example of British glider contributions in these efforts.
End of Atchment to Chapter 5 — Go to Page 2

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