How many men did a DFS 230 glider carry at Crete?

Short answer

Nine men besides the pilot, sitting closely packed together on a narrow bench running down the centre of the fuselage. The DFS 230 could carry up to 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) of cargo and played a prominent role in the Battle of Crete, where 750 glider-borne soldiers took part in the invasion.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How many men did a DFS 230 glider carry at Crete?

DFS 230 - LLG 1 - BudapestFOTO:Fortepan — ID 22672: Adományozó/Donor: Ungváry Krisztián. (CC BY SA), vía commons

An assault glider

The DFS 230 was developed in 1933 at the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug (DFS), the German gliding research institute, with Hans Jacobs as chief designer. It was an assault glider designed to land directly on its target. Besides the pilot, it had room for nine men, who sat closely packed together on a narrow bench running down the centre of the fuselage. It could carry up to 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) of cargo.

Crete and the other operations

The type played prominent roles in the operations against Fort Eben-Emael and in the Battle of Crete, as well as the rescue of Benito Mussolini. For the invasion of Crete, 750 glider-borne soldiers, 10,000 paratroopers, 5,000 airborne mountain troops and 7,000 seaborne troops were assigned.

Right to the end of the war

Even so, the DFS 230 was mainly used to supply encircled forces on the Eastern Front. Although production ceased in 1943, it remained in use right up to the very end of the war.