Lieutenant Joe Phillips was an American soldier who fought during World War II within the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 82nd Airborne Division.
Biography[]
Phillips took off from the airfield in Kairouan, Tunisia in a WACO CG-4A glider on July 10, 1943 bound for Sicily in part of Operation Husky, towed by most likely a C-47 Skytrain. He landed his glider a few kilometers from where Sergeant John Baker's had crashed. Him and his two soldiers surviving the landing, they dismounted the glider, hooking up with Baker. Shortly after meeting up with the Sergeant, their position comes under attack, the outnumbered soldiers able to fend off the Italian armor and infantry with an abandoned anti-aircraft cannon.
After the encounter, Phillips aids Baker all the way to the Italian airfield in Caltagirone, driving him through hostile territory in a Jeep with Baker manning its M1919 Browning. After they arrive at the airfield, Baker breaks off from Phillips, the Lieutenant briefing Baker on his mission (sabotage several Macchi C.205 "Veltro" fighters and scramble them, then regrouping with a British officer) and driving off, confusing Italian and German reinforcements. He is not seen again in the game.
Trivia[]
- He wears a British Calvary uniform and is armed with a Vickers-Berthier light machine gun despite being a part of the 82nd Airborne Division. This could be that he was originally supposed to be a British officer.
- Since only three other soldiers were in the glider, it is likely that it was carrying supplies, a Jeep or artillery, but nothing of the sort is ever shown.
- He is in the 505th Parachute Regiment but he comes into Sicily via glider, while his men were donned in uniforms of Patton's 7th Army, a primarily infantry unit. If he were suited for his unit he would be in the 325th Glider Infantry. Even so, the 325th landed in Italy via amphibious craft. The first glider-borne operations did not occur until Normandy.
- It is miraculous that Phillips could have landed his glider (and turn around) in the small area that he did, with rocks and trees in the area all around him.
- He is the only member of the 82nd Airborne Division in Breakthrough who doesn't use an M1 Garand.