NOR003
First Legion
The 101
st Division landed in Normandy during the dawning of June 6
th, 1944 but were spread out due to missed drops. After a few small confrontations by isolated pockets of men, the division consolidated and fought into St. Come du Mont on June 8
th. They then pressed for the causeways to Utah Beach on June 10
th. On June 12
th they attacked Carentan, driving out the German Fallschirmjagers. Carentan had to be defended against ferocious counterattacks to the southwest of the town by SS Panzergrenadiers of the 17
th Division and Fallschirmjagers supported by artillery fire on June 13
th in the Battle of Bloody Gulch. After days of non-stop fighting, the division was assigned the role of defending the left flank of VII corps and shortly after taken out of the line and sent to the operational reserve; having taken heavy casualties in men and material.
Paratroopers faced the very real limitation of having only those supplies they were dropped with on hand until more drops were made or resupply was otherwise scrounged. This trooper legs it to get the squad's .30 caliber Browning Machine gun another box of ammo.