Carentan

The Normandy Landings : The Battle of Carentan

Recounted in “BAND OF BROTHERS”

It took six days of bitter fighting to liberate the town and ensure the junction between the landing beaches of Utah Beach and Omaha Beach.

The town of Carentan, surrounded by marshes, was known to be the only crossing point and as a vital strategic location had to be swiftly taken.

On 6^th June 1944 , sirens, alarms, patrolling aircraft and defensive fire from the Germans left little respite to the inhabitants . Shortly after midnight , an unusual rumbling was heard heading towards the Baie des Veys. In the sky, carrier aircraft towing gliders and laden with paratroopers dropping over the marshes threw the Germans into a panic.

Around 4:30 am , the first Allied bombings began over the town. The aim was to destroy the railway line and all the bridges, particularly on the N13 road. The 501^st Regiment of the 101^st Airborne Division, commanded by Colonel Johnson, captured the locks at “la Barquette”. The position was held with great difficulty.

During the following night, further shelling by the naval artillery destroyed several buildings, which had previously been evacuated.

The 8^th June 1944 was a little quieter, although hardly reassuring for the inhabitants.

On 9^th June 1944, the American artillery shelled the districts of le Haut Dick, the harbour and the church. German guns based in Rougeval retaliated. Luckily, there were no casualties because people had remained hidden all day in their cellars.

On the night of 9^th to 10^th June 1944, the Allies managed to make their way to Les Ponts d’Ouve, situated only 2 km from Carentan, a key position for the U.S. Army . The only access to the town was via the N13, which dominated the flooded marshes and offered no protection. There were four bridges to cross. With the help of the American artillery, Colonel COLE and his GIs were able to cross the bridges.

German troops were ordered to hold their positions at all costs. There were heavy losses on both sides. American and German soldiers were so close to each other that they could hear their enemy speak and cock their weapons. There were dead bodies everywhere and the wounded could be heard calling for help. Colonel COLE decided to put an end to this situation. Under the cover of a smoke screen, he ordered the assault. The GIs hidden behind garden hedges and in a vegetable patch (“le Carré de Choux”) received their orders. They hurled into the attack, shouting war cries and charged furiously with fixed bayonets. They fought hand to hand, or with daggers and drove the enemy beyond the village of Pommenauque.

The Germans attempted several counter- attacks but faced with the resistance of the Americans, they abandoned the area completely. The 502^nd PIR was too exhausted, and could not continue their progression; the 506^th took charge

 On 10^th June 1944, the town of Carentan was once again under violent artillery fire. The sound of shooting and machine gun fire was approaching, particularly in the direction of Saint-Hilaire and Saint -Côme-du-Mont.

The 327^th and the 401^st Glider Regiments crossed the canal in Brévands without much resistance. Then they went over the river Taute in Saint–Hilaire, crossing a footbridge, which the soldiers had repaired as best as they could.

On 11^th June 1944 , the American artillery was unleashed . The bell tower and the church choir were destroyed; the Gloria factory was ablaze, as well as houses in rue Holgate. The noise of battle was deafening.

The 506^th regiment, which had remained near Saint-Come-du-Mont, pushed on to the Carteret railway line, reached Auvers and then the road to Périers, at the “Billonnerie” where they met with the 501^st Regiment.

On June 12^th 1944 at dawn, large forces converged on Carentan. The Germans had retreated during the night. General TAYLOR and Colonel HARPER entered the town.

After 6 days of fierce fighting and the loss of half of its numbers, the 101^st Airborne Division opened the road to Victory for the U.S. Army with the capture of Carentan.

Bloody Gulch – Hill 30

Indeed, Carentan was finally liberated but the battle was not over. The FJR 6 was positioned southwest of Carentan, on Hill 30, in Donville and Pommenauque. Easy Company was in the hamlet of Donville on the night of June 12^th to 13^th and had orders to establish a line of defence south of Carentan. The operation was faced with strong resistance from the Germans. On 13^th June, the 17^th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen arrived, having received orders to counter-attack despite limited resources. Their progress was good at first and they reached Carentan again.

Easy Company of the 506^th PIR, with Lieutenant Dick Winters and Private Forest Guth , had to confront the Germans’ violent counter-attack. On the left wing of Easy Company, the F/506 collapsed and fell back, exposing the flank of the D/506, who were also forced to retreat. Around 10.00 am, the 2^nd U.S. Armoured Division who had landed on Omaha Beach joined the battle. By 2.00 pm, the American counter-attack was successful: tanks of the Combat Command A2, paratroopers of the 501^st PIR and fighter-bombers repulsed the German attack . The FJR 6 command post was pushed back to Raffoville in Sainteny.

The site of Bloody Gulch battle is located in the Donville domain :
More information : https://museebloodygulch.com/

L.C.V.P. PA30-4 landing craftf

An authentic American landing craft of DDay