I am just a little plane tease....
1st Assault Regt (Sturmregiment) was formed on 010141. The Go 242s were towed by Ju-52s from the 1st Air Landing Group (Luftlandegeschwaden) that was formed at the same time. All troops including the pilots were trained paratroopers. Other units would use troop trained only in entering and exiting the glider quickly. The 1st Assault Regt was under the control of the LW. The unit was used at both Crete and Corinth. During the Crete assault, 2 glider companies were used and the rest of the Regt were transported by Ju-52s. A total of 50 gliders were deployed. Each glider contained a fully armed combat group of 21 soldiers.
Glider production was increased for use in North Africa to transport supplies. Gliders were chosen because of the large payload to low fuel consumption ratio. Gliders could be used during the day, light and in bad weather and on unimproved or short runways. Gliders were also used in areas were supplies levels were critically low: Russia and the Balkans.
Glider Facts:
Ammunition and explosives were stored under the cockpit.
Pilot's seats were armored.
Pilots were issued parachutes.
Glider training was at Braunschweig-Waggum.
Go 244 had a range of 145 miles.
Go 242 were towed by He-111s and Ju-52s.
Tow cable lengths varied from 80 feet to 300 feet.
Go 242 could be fitted with an arrestor hook to shorten the landing.
Both the 242 and 244 could be armed. The 242 could have either one or two 7.9 mm machine guns on each side, a 7.9 mm machine gun dorsal position and another 7.9 mm machine gun in the tail. The 244 could carry the same with an additional four 7.9 mm machine guns in the nose and another four in the tail.
DBII