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Brécourt Manor Assault
Part of World War II
Date 6 June 1944 Location Brécourt, France 49°23′19.37″N, 1°13′34.70″W Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 1 day remaining // 1508 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year truce and cede several territories to Venice 1513... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Result Americans destroyed the four guns and then retreated. Limited Allied Victory. Casus belli Four German howitzers were shelling American troops advancing inland via Causeway #2 at Utah Beach, causing heavy casualties.
Combatants
United States	Germany
Commanders
Richard Winters	unknown
Strength
13	60+
Casualties
4 dead, 6 wounded	15 dead, 12 prisoner, Wounded unknown

The Brécourt Manor Assault (June 6, 1944) during Operation Chicago of the Normandy Invasion of World War II is often cited as a classic example of small-unit tactics and leadership in overcoming a larger enemy force. Casus belli is a modern Latin language expression meaning the justification for acts of war. ... 19th century 12 pounder (5 kg) mountain howitzer displayed by the National Park Service at Fort Laramie in Wyoming, USA A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with... The Hindenburgdamm rail causeway across the Wadden Sea to the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated by a bank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Raymond O. Barton Theodore Roosevelt Jr U.S. 4th Infantry Division Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben Dietrich Kraiss German 352nd Infantry Division German 709th Infantry Division Strength 32,000  ? Casualties 700 Unknown American assault troops move onto Utah Beach, carrying full equipment. ... Casualties of war. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Richard D. Winters (born January 21, 1918) is a retired United States Army officer who commanded Company E (popularly referred to as Easy Company) of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War. ... Combatants United States United Kingdom Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (US 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B... Combatants United Kingdom Germany Commanders General-Lieutenant Miles Dempsey, British 3rd Infantry Division Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter, German 716th Static Infantry Division Hans von Luck, German 21st Panzer Division Strength 28,845 Unknown Casualties 630 Unknown German defense at Ouistreham. ... This article is about the beach codenamed in WWII. For other uses, see Juno Beach (disambiguation) Combatants Canada Germany Commanders Major-General R.F.L. Keller, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter, German 716th Static Infantry Division Strength 15,000 7,771 Casualties 340 dead, 739 other casualties Unknown... Combatants United Kingdom Germany Commanders Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey, British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter, German 716th Static Infantry Division Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiss, German 352nd Static Infantry Division Strength 24,970 Unknown Casualties 400 altogether Unknown This article is about a World War II invasion. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Omar Bradley Norman Cota Clarence R. Huebner U.S. 1st Infantry Division U.S. 29th Infantry Division Dietrich Kraiss German 352nd Infantry Division Strength 43,250 Unknown Casualties 3,336 1,200 The build-up of Omaha Beach: reinforcements of men and equipment moving inland. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Raymond O. Barton Theodore Roosevelt Jr U.S. 4th Infantry Division Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben Dietrich Kraiss German 352nd Infantry Division German 709th Infantry Division Strength 32,000  ? Casualties 700 Unknown American assault troops move onto Utah Beach, carrying full equipment. ... Pegasus Bridge before its replacement Pegasus was the name given to a bridge over the Caen canal, near the town of Ouistreham. ... Pointe du Hocs location Preinvasion bombing of Pointe du Hoc by 9th Air Force bombers. ... During World War II, Operation Chicago was carried out by the Allies in 1944. ... The Battle of Villers-Bocage (June 13, 1944) was an unusual clash between the British and Germans in northern France during World War II. Michael Wittmann, an SS-Obersturmführer, led a unit of six PzKpfw VI Tiger tanks of the 501st Battalion to secure the N175 road near Villers... Combatants Allied Powers Germany Commanders J. Lawton Collins Friedrich Dollman Strength Unknown 40,000 Casualties 2,800 killed, 5,700 missing, 13,500 wounded 39,000 captured The Battle of Cherbourg was part of the Battle of Normandy during World War II, it was fought immediately after the successful Allied... Combatants Allied Powers Nazi Germany Commanders Lieutenant General Richard OConnor SS General Paul Hausser Strength 1 armoured division 3 infantry divisions 1 armoured brigade 2 SS Panzer Divisions 5 Panzer battlegroups Casualties British VIII Corps 4,020 12th SS Panzer Regiment 324 25th SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 383 26th... Operation Goodwood was an Allied military operation of World War II from July 18 to 20 July 1944 taking place in Normandy some weeks following D-Day. ... During World War II, Operation Atlantic (Allies, 1944) was a Canadian offensive, part of the British great breakout tentative (Operation Goodwood) during the Battle of Normandy, on June 19th. ... During World War II, Operation Spring (Allies, 1944) enabled to secure territory gains around Caen and its surroundings during the Battle of Normandy, after Operation Goodwood. ... Combatants Allied Powers Germany Commanders General Omar Bradley, General George S. Patton SS General Paul Hausser Strength 8 infantry divisions, 4 armoured divisions 2 infantry divisions, 11 infantry battlegroups, 2 Panzer Divisions, 1 Panzergrenadier Division Casualties Unknown Unknown Operation Cobra was the codename for the World War II operation planned... During World War II, Operation Bluecoat was an attack by British Second Army south of Caumont, France executed 29 July 1944. ... Combatants Allied Powers Germany Commanders Omar Bradley Hans von Kluge Strength 5 infantry divisions, 3 armoured combat commands 3 Panzer Divisions, 2 infantry divisions, 5 panzer or infantry battlegroups Casualties N/A N/A Operation Lüttich was a counterattack launched by German forces on the left flank of the... Combatants First Canadian Army Germany Commanders Lieutenant General Guy Simonds SS General Kurt Meyer Strength 2 infantry divisions, 2 armoured divisions, 2 armoured brigades 3 infantry divisions, 1 SS Panzer Division During World War II, Operation Totalise (Allies, 1944) was a ground attack on 7 August 1944 by British, Canadian... Operation Tractable was a military operation commanded by II Canadian Corps in Normandy in August 1944. ... Combatants North: United Kingdom Canada Polish Army in the West South: United States Free French Forces Nazi Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Omar Bradley Guy Simonds George Patton Günther von Kluge Walter Model Strength unknown 150,000 Casualties Canadian: 18,500 Polish: 2,300 U.S and French: unknown 10... This article is about the Second World War battle for Brest. ... The Liberation of Paris in World War II took place in late August 1944 after the battle of Normandy. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 1 day remaining // 1508 - Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year truce and cede several territories to Venice 1513... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... During World War II, Operation Chicago was carried out by the Allies in 1944. ... The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Military tactics (Greek: TaktikÄ“, the art of organizing an army) are the collective name for methods for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ... The word leadership can refer to: the process of leading. ...

Objective

As effective commander of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during the Normandy campaign, First Lieutenant Richard Winters was tasked by his battalion commander, Lt. Col. Robert Strayer, to destroy a German battery of what were initially reported to be 88 mm guns firing onto Causeway #2 leading off Utah Beach and disrupting American forces advancing inland on this route. Several other units had stumbled onto the enemy position earlier in the day and had been repulsed. Easy Company is a famous company in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division that served in World War II on the frontlines in the European Theater. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ... During World War II, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (506th PIR) was a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army. ... The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)—nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles”—is an airborne division of the United States Army primarily trained for air assault operations. ... Combatants United States United Kingdom Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (US 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B... First Lieutenant is a military rank. ... Richard D. Winters (born January 21, 1918) is a retired United States Army officer who commanded Company E (popularly referred to as Easy Company) of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Remains of a battery of English cannon from Youghal, County Cork. ... German 88 mm guns were used in anti-aircraft and anti-tank roles. ... The Hindenburgdamm rail causeway across the Wadden Sea to the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated by a bank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. ... Combatants United States Germany Commanders Raymond O. Barton Theodore Roosevelt Jr U.S. 4th Infantry Division Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben Dietrich Kraiss German 352nd Infantry Division German 709th Infantry Division Strength 32,000  ? Casualties 700 Unknown American assault troops move onto Utah Beach, carrying full equipment. ...

About 8:30 a.m., Winters gathered a team of thirteen men from his own and other companies. Knowing little more than a general location of the gun emplacements, Winters himself scouted the area north of a farm house called Brécourt Manor, located three miles southwest of Utah Beach, north of the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and just south of the village of La Grand Chemin. There he discovered the battery of four 105 mm howitzers connected by trenches and defended by a platoon of soldiers from the 795th 'Ost' Battalion (attached to the German 709th Static Infantry Division) with emplaced MG42 machine guns. The position was not (as is often reported) defended by German paratroopers of the elite 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment commanded by Colonel von der Heydte, which were mainly located further to the south in the Carentan area. In total, the Americans were opposed by approximately sixty German soldiers. The Church in Sainte Marie du Mont. ... 19th century 12 pounder (5 kg) mountain howitzer displayed by the National Park Service at Fort Laramie in Wyoming, USA A howitzer is a type of artillery piece that is characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small explosive charges to propel projectiles at trajectories with... A trench is a long narrow ditch. ... Platoon is a term from military science. ... Ost battalions (from the German word Ost meaning east) were battalions which fought in the Second World War, volunters from captured Soviet soldiers and civilians. ... The 709th Static Infantry Division was raised in May 1941 and used for occuation duties in France until the Allied invasion. ... The MG42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or Machine rifle 42) was a machine gun that was developed for and entered service with Nazi Germany in 1942, during World War II. The 7. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... Fallschirmjäger photo taken from The Hague, Bezuidenhout during the invasion of the Low Countries, morning of May 10, 1940 , often rendered Fallschirmjager in English, is the German word for paratrooper. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Oberstleutnant von der Heydt, 1943 Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte was a German Luftwaffe officer who served with the Fallschirmjäger during World War II, reaching the rank of Oberstleutnant. ... Carentan is a town and commune of the Manche département in Normandy, France. ... The German Army (German: Heer, [IPA: heɐ]  ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ...

Battle

Upon arrival at the battery location, Winters developed a quick plan of attack. He positioned a pair of M1919 .30 caliber machine guns to serve as a base of fire and sent several soldiers (Joe Toye, 'Buck' Compton, and Bill Guarnere) to one flank to destroy a machine gun position with grenades and provide covering fire. Carwood Lipton climbed a tree, which exposed him to enemy fire but provided an excellent view of the enemy. He opened fire, but return fire caused him to return rapidly to the ground. Winters then led an attack down the hedgerow leading to the first gun position. The Browning M1919 was a . ... Flank is a word which might mean any of several different things: A flank is the side of either a horse or a military unit. ... Grenade may refer to: The well-known hand grenade commonly used by soldiers. ... Bocage is a French word referring to a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture, with tortuous side-roads and lanes bounded on both sides by banks surmounted with high thick hedgerows limiting visibility. ...

While the trenches connecting the artillery positions provided the Germans with an easy way to resupply and reinforce the guns, they also proved to be their biggest weakness. After destroying the first gun position, Winters and the rest of his team used the trenches as covered approach routes to attack the remaining guns in turn. Each gun was destroyed by wrapping explosive charges around its barrel, and when the supply of charges ran out, the paratroopers improvised by placing captured German stick grenades inside the gun barrels. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Stick grenades. ...

Reinforcements from "D" (Dog) Company, led by Lt. Ronald Speirs, arrived to complete the assault on the fourth and last gun. Speirs had a reputation as an excellent but extremely aggressive officer, and he led his men against the last gun position by running outside the trenches and exposing themselves to enemy fire. Ronald Speirs (April 20, 1920-April 11, 2007) was a United States Army officer who served in the U.S. 101st Airborne Division during World War II. He was initially a platoon leader in Company D (Dog Company) of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. ...

After the four guns were disabled, Winters' team was low on ammunition and withdrew. He had discovered a German map in one gun position that was marked with the locations of all German artillery and machine gun positions throughout that area of the Cotentin Peninsula. This was an invaluable piece of intelligence and was passed up the chain of command. Winters also directed the fire of two American tanks which arrived later from Utah Beach to eliminate remaining German resistance. The Cotentin Peninsula juts out into the English Channel from Normandy towards England, forming part of the north-west coast of France. ...

Winters lost one man under his command, PFC John D. Halls from 2nd Battalion's Headquarters Company,^[1] and another one of his men was wounded during this attack, Private Robert "Popeye" Wynn from Winters' company (Wynn was evacuated back to England, recovered from his wound and rejoined Easy Company just before Operation Market Garden). Another casualty was Warrant Officer Andrew Hill, who was killed when he came upon the battle while searching for the headquarters of the 506th PIR. Two soldiers from D Company under Lt. Speirs' command were also killed. A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank (equivalent to Nato Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in). ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Poland Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Brian Horrocks Roy Urquhart James M. Gavin Maxwell Taylor Stanislaw Sosabowski Walter Model Wilhelm Bittrich Kurt Student Strength 35,000 20,000 Casualties 17,000 dead or wounded 4,000 - 8,000 dead or wounded Operation Market Garden (September... Two Bermuda Regiment Warrant Officers. ...

Aftermath

Troops landing at Utah Beach had a relatively easy landing, due in part to this successful assault. Colonel Robert Sink, the commander of the 506th PIR, recommended Winters for the Medal of Honor, but the award was downgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross because of the D-Day policy of granting only one Medal of Honor per division, which was awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole. However, at the time of the writing of this article, there is a campaign to upgrade Winter's Distinguished Service Cross to the Medal of Honor as many felt he deserved, but the bill has yet to emerge from the U.S. House Armed Services Committee. Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Robert F. Sink Dale Dye as Robert F. Sink in Band of Brothers. ... The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ... The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Lieutenant Colonel Robert G. Cole (March 19, 1915 – September 18, 1944) was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the days following the D-Day Normandy invasion of World War II. // Robert G. Cole was born in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. ...

The official Army history of these events on D-Day is quiet about the battle.^[2] Army historian S. L. A. Marshall interviewed Winters about the attack, but the interview was not private - many of Winters' superior officers were present - and, according to his memoir Beyond Band of Brothers, he may have downplayed his description of the event to avoid personal accolade and to keep the account succinct. However, nearly every man involved was later recognized for his role in the attack. Samuel Lyman Atwood Slam Marshall (July 18, 1900 – December 17, 1977) was a chief U.S. Army combat historian during World War II and the Korean War. ...

The assault has been acclaimed as a textbook assault on stationary gun positions and is still enacted for training purposes at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. USMA redirects here. ... West Point painting West Point is a federal military base (and a census-designated place) located in the Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York. ... NY redirects here. ...

Medals Awarded

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ...

• Richard Winters

Silver Star Richard D. Winters (born January 21, 1918) is a retired United States Army officer who commanded Company E (popularly referred to as Easy Company) of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War. ... The Silver Star is the fourth highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. ...

• Lynn "Buck" Compton
• Bill Guarnere
• Joe Toye
• Gerald Lorraine

Bronze Star Lynn D. Buck Compton (born December 31, 1921) is a retired California Court of Appeal Judge who served as the lead prosecutor in Sirhan Sirhans trial for the murder of Robert F. Kennedy. ... William J. Wild Bill Guarnere (born 28 April 1922) is a retired sergeant of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) attached to the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during the Second World War. ... The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. ...

• Carwood Lipton
• "Popeye" Wynn
• Cleveland Petty
• Walter Hendrix
• Donald Malarkey
• Myron Ranney
• Joe Liebgott
• John Plesha

Clifford Carwood Lip Lipton (January 30, 1920 - December 16, 2001) was a United States Army officer in the 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Easy Company. ... Donald Malarkey was born in Astoria, Oregon. ...

References

1. ^ Mark Bando's Trigger Time website states "John D. Halls, ... note the 's' on his last name, was a member of the 81mm mortar platoon, of Headquarters Co., 2nd battalion, 506th PIR, and according to John Barickman of the same platoon, it was HALLS who was killed in the Brécourt fight, not HALL." In Biggest Brother: The Life of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led the Band of Brothers, the biography written by Larry Alexander, Winters remembers the man as John D. Hall of A Company, whom he had coached on the regimental basketball team, as the HBO series indicates.
2. ^ Utah Beach to Cherbourg, Center of Military History, United States Army

Dramatizations

• Band of Brothers
• Call of Duty
• Combat Elite : WWII Paratroopers

Band of Brothers is an acclaimed 10-part television miniseries set during World War II, co-produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. ... Call of Duty (released October 29, 2003) is a first-person shooter video game based on the Quake III engine. ...

External links

• Brécourt Manor - Google Earth Community
• (Map) 506th Parachute Infantry and 3rd Bn 501st on D-Day Sainte-Marie-du-Mont is in the center of the map, with the 105 mm howitzer battery position just west of the village. However, this location does not match the previous link, which places it north of the village.
• MOH Website for Maj. Dick Winters
• Valor Studios, "Silencing the Guns" by Jim Dietz