Operation Mallard was the codename for an airborne forces operation, which was conducted by the British Army on 6 June 1944, as part of the Normandy landings during the Second World War.

Oblique photographic-reconnaissance vertical, taken from 800 feet, showing part of Landing Zone ‘N’, north of Ranville, Normandy, on the day following Operation MALLARD : the airborne landing of 6th Airlanding Brigade and the Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment in the evening of 6 June 1944. Airspeed Horsa troop-carrying gliders and one damaged GAL Hamilcar tank-carrying glider (lower right) litter this part of the LZ close to the Ranville-Salanelles road.

The mission’s objective was to airlift glider infantry of the 6th Airlanding Brigade and divisional troops to reinforce the British 6th Airborne Division on the left flank of the British invasion beaches. Using two landing zones, one to the west of the Caen canal and the other to the east of the River Orne, Mallard was the third airborne operation involving units of the division on D-Day. The first, Operation Deadstick, had captured what are now known as the Pegasus and Horsa Bridges. Operation Tonga followed, dropping the division’s two parachute brigades near Caen to the east.

Mallard proved successful with 246 of the 256 gliders towed by aircraft from No. 38 Group RAF and No. 48 Group, arriving safely at their landing zones.[1] The landings included the first Tetrarch tanks to be delivered into combat by air.

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