Cole's Metal of Honor

Lieutenant Colonel Cole’s 3rd battalion drew the assignment of attacking down the main road to Carentan from the north. The road crossed 4 rivers, the last one being the Madeleine River, and became known to the troopers as ’Purple Heart …

1944-06-11

E2

Lieutenant Colonel Cole’s 3rd battalion drew the assignment of attacking down the main road to Carentan from the north. The road crossed 4 rivers, the last one being the Madeleine River, and became known to the troopers as ’Purple Heart Lane’. Virtually without cover, the Screaming Eagles were stuck at the bridge at first light of June 11th, pinned down by fire from a stone farmhouse and hedgerows behind it. Cole was exhorting the men and walking in the open as if he was invincible. First he led people across the river. By this time, Item Company was down to 30 men. Naval gun fire from the USS Quincy II had disappointingly little effect on German Resistance, so Cole called for a smoke barrage instead. Rallying the men around him, Cole led a charge into the orchard behind the farmhouse. With fixed bayonets, they took the farmhouse and surrounding area and then held off repeated German counterattacks. The way to Carentan was open and it would fall the next day. For his actions that day, Cole would be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, although he would not live long enough to wear it.

Carentan, France

The Battle of Carentan was an engagement in World War II between airborne forces of the United States Army and the German Wehrmacht during the Battle of Normandy. The battle took place between 6 and 13 June 1944, on the approaches to and within the town of Carentan, France. The objective of the attacking American forces was consolidation of the U.S. beachheads (Utah Beach and Omaha Beach) and establishment of a continuous defensive line against expected German counterattacks. The defending German force attempted to hold the town long enough to allow reinforcements en route from the south to arrive, prevent or delay the merging of the lodgments, and keep the U.S. First Army from launching an attack towards Lessay-Périers that would cut off the Cotentin Peninsula. Carentan was defended by two battalions of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6 (6th Parachute Regiment) of the 2nd Fallschirmjäger-Division and two Ost battalions. The 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division, ordered to reinforce Carentan, was delayed by transport shortages and attacks by Allied aircraft. The attacking 10ist Airborne Division, landed by parachute on 6 June as part of the American airborne landings in Normandy, was ordered to seize Carentan. In the ensuing battle, the 10ist forced passage across the causeway into Carentan on 10 and 11 June. A lack of ammunition forced the German forces to withdraw on 12 June. The 17th SS PzG Division counter-attacked the 10ist Airborne on 13 June. Initially successful, its attack was thrown back by Combat Command A (CCA) of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division.

Wikipedia: Battle of Carentan

German

American