Author: Stephen E Ambrose
Translators: Wang Xiliu, Qi Ahong, etc
Publisher: Yilin Publishing House
Publication time: January 1, 2014
Chapter 1
We want to wear a silver wing badge
Tokoa Camp
From July to December 1942
The officers and soldiers of Company E of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army come from all over the country and have different backgrounds. Don't forget to share your experience!Some are farmers, some are miners; Some are from the mountains, some are children of southerners; Some are extremely poor, while others come from the middle class; One from Harvard University, one from Yale University, and two from the University of California, Los Angeles. There was only one soldier originally, and only a few from the National Guard or Reserve Force. Have you tried this before? Share your story!It can be said that the members of Company E were originally ordinary people.
They came together in the summer of 1942, when Europeans had been fighting for three years. By late spring 1944, they had become an excellent airborne unit. What do you think about this?
In the early morning of Day D, during the first actual combat of Company E, they annihilated the enemy in one fell swoop Don't forget to share your experience!Utah Beach A German artillery unit captured four 105mm howitzers. The company is leading the way to enterKarantanThen, inNetherlandsFight, hold onBastogneThe circular defense line was the first to launch a counterattack in the Battle of the Bulge and participatedbas-rhin The war and the capture of HitlerBerchtesgadenThe eagle's nest. The company suffered a casualty rate of 150%. At its strongest combat effectiveness, in October 1944 in the Netherlands, and in January 1945 in Let me know your thoughts in the comments!AdenIn the region, the company has performed as well as the world's most elite rifle company.
After the war ended, Company E disbanded and everyone went home separately.
E-company was formed at Tocoa Camp in Georgia.The 140 soldiers and 7 officers in the entire company, despite coming from all directions, share several similarities: they were all born after World War I and are very young; The entire company is white because the US military implemented racial segregation during World War II; Except for three people, none of them are married; Most of them have hunted and been athletes during their high school years. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Their values are different from others. They all value a healthy physique and strict hierarchical obedience, and attach great importance to their identity as members of an elite team. They are idealists, eager to join a collective striving for a certain goal, become a member of it, actively work hard, treat each other sincerely, and be as close as family. Don't forget to share your experience!
They said they volunteered to be paratroopers because of the excitement of paratrooper life and the special allowance for paratroopers ($50 per month for soldiers and $100 per month for officers). But in fact, they voluntarily jumped off the plane for two main reasons. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
One is - in Robert Redd's words - 'wanting to be better than others'. Each of them gained the same experience as Richard Winters in their own way: not like some people who often find excuses to slack off in the military, just like what they see at recruitment stations and training camps, which is boring; But instead of putting in effort, it feels much better. They hope to live up to their days in the military, turning it into a process of learning, maturity, and constantly challenging themselves. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Secondly, they know they are going to fight, and they do not want to be with those conscripts who lack training, are afraid of hardship, and lack fighting spirit. They prefer to be paratroopers and serve as assault teams in attacks rather than ordinary infantry because some of them cannot even trust those around them. When they really start a war, they hope that their comrades around them are heroes and not cowards. What do you think about this?
During the Great Depression, they suffered a lot and all had the scars left by that period on their bodies. Many of them grew up without food or clothing, without cars, and couldn't even afford radios. Either due to the Great Depression or the war, they had to interrupt their studies. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
However, despite this, I still love my country very much, and I still love it today, "said Harry Welsh 48 years later. No matter how unfair life is to them, they have not been disappointed in it, nor have they been disappointed in the country. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
They emerged from the Great Depression with some positive influences. They have learned to support themselves, adapted to difficult work, and become accustomed to obeying orders. Through sports and hunting, they have developed self-esteem and confidence. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
They know they are stepping into great danger and understand that they will have to pay a lot. They feel resentful for having to sacrifice their youth in a war imposed upon them. They want to play baseball instead of throwing grenades, and participate in small caliber rifle shooting sports instead of using M-1 rifles. But since we have encountered this war, we must do our best to be a good soldier. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
They chose to be paratroopers not because they knew much about airborne operations - in fact, they only knew that it was a new thing and they were all willing to participate. Someone told them that the physical training for paratroopers is much more difficult than they have ever seen, and more arduous than any other unit in the army. However, these young male lions were determined. They hope that by the end of the training, their physical fitness and willpower will be stronger, and they hope that their teammates on today's training ground can become comrades on tomorrow's battlefield. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
When recalling the summer of 1942, Carwood Lipton said, "The Great Depression is over, and I am about to start a new life that will bring profound changes to me." Yes, it will be the same for each and every one of them. Don't forget to share your experience!
Colonel Robert F. Sink, the first and only commander of the 506th Regiment; Captain Herbert Sobel, the first company commander of Company E; Lieutenant Richard Winters, platoon leader of Company E. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
The E Company, established in Tocoa Camp, Georgia in July 1942, was trained and forged by them. Sink and Winters were strict and fair, thus earning respect; Sobel was strict but rigid, nitpicking, and therefore generally unpopular. However, as Private Rod Strow said 49 years later, 'Herbert Sobel created Company E.'. It was the rigorous training within the United States that saved the lives of many brothers in European combat. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
(Photo on this page provided by Forrest Gump)
In the winter of 1943-1944, training was further strengthened. In March 1944, when Eisenhower and Churchill inspected Company E, the officers and soldiers of Company E were fully prepared and their enthusiasm for war was high. On the evening of June 5th, at Erbotri Airport, Company E arrived in front of the C-47 transport plane, boarded the plane, and participated in its first combat parachute jump - "After landing, the real test for you will begin Have you tried this before? Share your story!
(The photo on this page is provided by the US Army Communications Corps)
The picture drawn by Sergeant Burton Christensen of Company E shows the scene of himself parachuting. Lieutenant Winters was the first to jump out of the plane, and Christensen followed closely behind. The moonlight and artillery fire cast a bright red glow on the night sky. The paratrooper brothers received artillery fire from inside the plane, during the landing process, and upon landing. Don't forget to share your experience!
Private Forrest Guth
(Photo provided by Walter Gordon)
Private John Eubanks and Walter Gordon displayed their first batch of memorabilia on June 6, 1944.
(Photo provided by Forrest Gump)
Private Guth, Francis Merritt, David Morris, Daniel West, Floyd Talbot, C.T. Smith, on June 7, 1944, in the square of St. Mary's de Mont. The back row consists of three infantry soldiers from the 4th Division who came from Utah Beach. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
(Photo provided by Walter Gordon)
Karantan. The first unscathed battle of E Company was fought here. Winters led his brothers to attack from the left side of the road and launched a frontal attack on a German machine gun position inside the house on the right. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
(Photo provided by Al Krochka/US Army Communications Division)
After capturing Karantan, the E company entered the defensive position outside the town, where it repeatedly repelled the German counterattacks. This is Walter Gordon and Francis Merritt on the machine gun position of the main defense line. Don't forget to share your experience!
(Photo provided by Forrest Gump)
On September 18, 1944, the people of Eindhoven welcomed their liberators - officers and soldiers from the E Company and other units of the 506th Regiment. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Private David Webster is in Eindhoven. Webster is an undergraduate student in the Department of English Literature at Harvard University. He wants to be a writer, always paying attention to this war and having a keen insight into it. (Photo provided by Hans Weissenhagen) Don't forget to share your experience!
Captain Winters was photographed outside Colonel Streyer's command post in the Netherlands in October 1944. It was here that he planned a bold rescue operation for British paratroopers near Anheim across the Rhine River, which took place on the night of October 22nd and was a great success. (Photo provided by Al Krochka/US Army Communications Division) Don't forget to share your experience!
On the afternoon of December 18th, the scene of E Company's third row boarding a boxcar carriage in Momyon. The German army has broken through the US defense line in the Ardennes region. Although E Company lacked food, ammunition, and winter clothing, they still had to rush to Bastogne before the German army. (Photo provided by the US Army Communications Corps) Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Sergeant Carwood Lipton is in his own foxhole in Bastogne. E Company has been guarding here for nearly a month, braving the severe cold and withstanding the attack of the German SS armored division. (Photo provided by Forrest Gump) Don't forget to share your experience!
In mid January, the US military began a counterattack. At the critical moment of attacking Foy, Captain Ronald Pierce took over as the commander of Company E and led the entire company into the village. He is stronger than he looks and is an outstanding infantry company commander, deeply respected by all the brothers in the company. (Photo provided by the US Army Communications Corps) Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Captain Lewis Nixon on Victory Day in Europe during World War II.
Sergeant Major Floyd Talbot stood on Hitler's command vehicle. After receiving the order to hand over the car, Talbot first inspected it to see if its window glass was really bulletproof, and found that it could not withstand armor piercing bullets; Then, he emptied the water in the radiator; Afterwards, the car was handed over to the members of the regiment. (Above two images provided by Al Krochka/US Army Communications Division) Don't forget to share your experience!
47 years later, Colonel Winters returned to the Netherlands and stood under the gate where he had been photographed in October 1944. (Photo provided by Hollis Ann Hanz) Don't forget to share your experience!
Chapter 4
Hitler, be careful! We're here
Slapton Beach, Erpotri Airport
April 1st to June 5th, 1944
Omar BradleyCommanded byThe United States 1st Army GroupComposed of the 7th and 5th armies. The 7th Army consists of the 101st Airborne Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the 4th Infantry Division, while the 5th Army consists of the 1st Infantry Division and the 29th Infantry Division. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
EisenhowerThe task for Bradley is toDouve Established on both sides of the estuarybeachheadThe coastline of France forms a right angle at the mouth of the Douve River, with the east side beingCalvados ProvinceTo the north is the coastlineCotentin PeninsulaThe base. The mission of the 5th Army is to capture the Calvados Coast (designated as "Omaha Beach"), while the 7th Army will capture the base of the Cotentin Peninsula (designated as "Utah Beach"). The 7th Army that climbs onto Yuta Beach will be located on the easternmost side of the landing area - the landing area extends from the mouth of the Orne River on the left (east side) to the Cotentin Peninsula, covering a distance of about 65 to 70 kilometers. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Eisenhower wanted to provide sufficient width for landing operations to deploy a sufficient number of infantry divisions in the first wave of attacks, forming an overwhelming advantage over Hitler's Let me know your thoughts in the comments!The Atlantic WallBuild fortifications behind the scenes.
In a sense, Utah Beach is the easiest of the five attack targets.
On the beaches attacked by the British and Canadian armies (Sword Beach, Juno Beach, and Gold Beach on the east side of Omaha), there are numerous vacation villas, small shops, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues, providing excellent protection for the German machine gun bunkers. On the beach of Omaha, there are towering cliffs that rise from the ground, reaching heights of 200 to 300 feet, allowing German defenders to fire from the trench system of World War I scale towards troops leaving landing ships from beneath the cliffs. Don't forget to share your experience!
But on Utah Beach, there are neither cliffs nor any houses, only some fixed reinforced concrete fortifications equipped with cannons and machine guns. The largest construction is located in the middle section of Utah Beach Have you tried this before? Share your story!Madelina——This fortress is named after a nearby shrine left by the Viking era. However, the terrain of Utah Beach is characterized by gentle slopes and low sand dunes. This means that passing through the beaches here won't be as difficult as passing through Omaha Beach. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The problem with Utah Beach is after occupying the beachhead.Behind the sand dunes is the lowland, where Roman farmers grazed their livestock in the past. There are four narrow, dilapidated roads from the beach that rise about one meter above the ground and lead inland. German Commander Don't forget to share your experience!erwin rommel The marshal flooded the land with water, intending to force the army and armored vehicles entering the inland to use roads (referred to as "embankment roads" by Eisenhower's planners). Rommel deployed most of his cannons in disguised positions or reinforced fortifications and bunkers, which were located outside flooded areas where they could shell these roads. He also made his infantry ready to occupy the defensive positions on the west side of the road at any time, in order to defeat any troops attempting to capture their positions. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The task assigned by Eisenhower to the 101st Division was to seize the exits of these embankment roads using nighttime airborne methods. The purpose of this move is to disrupt the deployment of the German army, cause panic and chaos among the enemy, control the exits of these roads, and destroy their artillery before the German army can react. Don't forget to share your experience!
This will be a very complex, highly variable, and dangerous operation. To have a chance of success, one must constantly practice. To make the drill authentic, I've found that it's necessary to find a beach in the UK that is similar to Utah Beach. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
The County of Devon in Southwest EnglandSlapton BeachIt is very similar to Utah Beach. Between the narrow beach and the inland dry land is a shallow lake, surrounded by swamps. There are two bridges spanning between the beach and the highland. So, the 7th Army is on Slapton Beach, practicing the role they are preparing to assume on D-Day. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
At the end of April, the entire 7th Army conducted a drill codenamed "Tiger". E took a truck to a vacation hotel on the Toki Coast and stayed there for a wonderful night. The next day, April 26th, they took a bus to an area behind Slapton Beach. All the people there have been evacuated and relocated. The troops slept in the open air until midnight, and then traveled by car to a simulated airborne area. After the whole company gathered together, they walked through the mist to a high ground one mile away from the beach and built defensive works to guard a bridge there. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
According to Webster's account, at dawn, "we saw a large amphibious fleet gradually approaching, preparing to land. I had never seen so many ships gathered at once. The fleet preparing to land could be said to be the most spectacular in the world. However, he did not witness the disaster of the previous night. German torpedo boats quietly infiltrated between the transport landing ship carrying the 4th Infantry Division and other large vessels. The Germans sank two landing ships and some other ships, causing 900 people to drown. What do you think about this?The Allies kept this matter a secret because they were afraid it would dampen the morale of their troops, as they would land in France on a troop transport landing ship (which had been covered up for over 40 years, apparently out of embarrassment). Don't forget to share your experience!
Webster saw the men of the 4th Infantry Division attacking from the beach and crossing in front of the E Company position. Later, he wrote in his diary that they were "sweating profusely, panting heavily, and cursing loudly". His diary also recorded the officer's words to the soldiers: 'We cannot write about the Toki exercise.' In the afternoon, Company E went on a 25 mile long march and then camped in the woods. On the morning of April 28th, they returned to Alderburn by truck. Don't forget to share your experience!
