Operation Chicago was the airborne insertion of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division into Vierville in Normandy on the early morning of June 6, 1944. It was part of the Allied invasion of northern France, Operation Overlord. 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[1] 7,771 Casualties 340 dead, 739 other casualties... 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. ... 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... 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... Combatants Allied Powers Germany Commanders Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey SS General Paul Hausser Strength 3 armoured divisions, 3 infantry divisions, 2 armoured brigades rising to: 3 Panzer Divisions, 3 infantry divisions Casualties N/A N/A Operation Bluecoat was an attack by British Second Army at the Battle of Normandy... 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. ... 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. ... Flag of Normandy Normandy (in French: Normandie, and in Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region in northern France. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ...

The 101st Airborne Division's objectives for Operation Chicago were:

• Secure the four causeway exits behind Utah Beach
• Disrupt German communications
• Setup roadblocks to hamper German movements
• Capture Sainte-Come-du-Mont
• Destroy coastal batteries including the Saint-Germain-de-Varreville battery
• Capture and destroy bridges on the Carentan causeway, and those spanning the Douve River at Brevands
• Capture Douve River lock at la Barquette
• Reach Highway 13 at Les Forges
• Link up with the 82nd Airborne
• Secure the Douve River valley

101^st Airborne Division(Air Assault) Shoulder Insignia

The 101st's Pathfinders jumped from 11 C-47 transports. The first on the ground was Capt. Frank L. Lillyman, who touched down at 0015 (12:15am). They would then mark out the three landing zones (located behind Utah Beach) for the each of the three Parachute Regiments of the Division. 6,789 men embarked on 432 additional C-47s would land around 1am. 38 C-47s were lost to various causes enroute, and the rest were badly scattered by poor weather (leading to an inability to find the drop zone) and German anti-aircraft fire. The vast majority of the 101st landed in an area 25 miles long by 15 miles wide, and 75% of those landing inside this area landed in an area of higher density roughly 8 miles by 8 miles west of St. Mere Eglise. 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. ... Carentan is a town and commune of the Manche département in Normandy, France. ... The Douve or Ouve is a small river, 79 Km. ... The Douve or Ouve is a small river, 79 Km. ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was formed originally as the 82nd Infantry Division on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... The Douve or Ouve is a small river, 79 Km. ... Image File history File linksMetadata 101DIV.jpg Summary The 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division patch. ... Image File history File linksMetadata 101DIV.jpg Summary The 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division patch. ... One version of the patch worn on the uniforms of American pathfinders who served during World War II. During World War II, the pathfinders were a group of volunteers selected within the Airborne units who were specially trained to operate navigation aids to guide the main airborne body to the... The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota was a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. ... 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. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging military aircraft in combat from the ground. ...

A few paratroopers drowned after falling into the sea or into areas deliberately flooded by the Germans. Others landed directly on fortified areas and were quickly captured or killed. Almost all were scattered. After 24 hours, only 2,500 of the 6,000-strong 101st had rallied. Many of the isolated continued to roam and fight behind enemy lines for days. Despite the difficulties of the night drop, the troopers did confuse and engage the enemy, and they also saw successes. Lt. Col. Ed Krause, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 505th PIR landed approximately 1 mile west of the village of St. Mere Eglise. Rounding up 180 scattered soldiers in the space of an hour, he and his men advanced on the village. The German soldiers stationed in the village had gone back to bed after the initial excitement was over. By 0600 (06:00am), Lt. Col. Krause's men captured 30 German soldiers, killed 10 and drove the remaining German soldiers in the nearby woods, thus securing the village. It is often said that St. Mere Eglise was the first village to be liberated, that is untrue; in fact, the first village to be liberated was taken over 4 hours earlier, by troops of the British 6th Airborne Division. During the "coup de main" to capture the bridge over the River Orne (now called "Pegasus Bridge, in honour of the 6th Airborne), these troops captured the village of Benouville at around 01:00 on June 6th. An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ...

The approaches to Utah Beach were secured, resulting in a very successful landing there. Final casualties for the 101st were 1,240, or about 20%. 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. ...

Documented battles

• Carentan bayonet charge led by Robert G. Cole
• Brécourt Manor Assault
• Harrison C. Summers, one-man platoon
• Sainte-Mère-Église capture

Carentan is a town and commune of the Manche département in Normandy, France. ... 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. ... 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... Harrison C. Summers (? -- 1983) was a paratrooper during World War II who fought with the 1st Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division on D-Day. ... Sainte-Mère-Église is a small town and commune of the Manche département, in the Cotentin Peninsula near the coast of Normandy, France. ...

See also

External links

• 101st Order of Battle on D-Day