The 11th Airborne, as the attacking force, was assigned the objective of capturing Knollwood Army Auxiliary Airfield

Moore County Airport (North Carolina)

Moore County Airport is a public airport located 3 miles north of Southern Pines and 5 miles northeast of Pinehurst, in Moore County, North Carolina, USA. The airport covers and has one runway, in the past it had a grass runway...

 near Fort Bragg

Fort Bragg (North Carolina)

Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...

 in North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. The force defending the airfield and its environs was a combat team composed of elements of the 17th Airborne Division and a battalion from the 541st Parachute Infantry Regiment

541st Parachute Infantry Regiment (United States)

The 541st Parachute Infantry Regiment was a regiment in the United States Army during World War II. While never to see combat the unit, was composed of highly trained and highly educated troopers...

. The entire operation was observed by Army Ground Forces

Army Ground Forces

The Army Ground Forces were one of the three autonomous components of the Army of the United States during World War II, the others being the Army Air Forces and Army Service Forces. Throughout their existence, Army Ground Forces were the largest training organization ever established in the United...

 commander Lt. Gen. McNair, who would ultimately have a significant say in deciding the fate of the parachute infantry divisions.

The Knollwood Maneuver took place on the night of 7 December 1943, with the 11th Airborne Division being airlifted to thirteen separate objectives by 200 C-47 Skytrain

C-47 Skytrain

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...

 transport aircraft and 234 Waco CG-4A gliders.