No Better Place to Die: Ste-Mere Eglise, June 1944-The Battle for la Fiere Bridge
288
No Better Place to Die: Ste-Mere Eglise, June 1944-The Battle for la Fiere Bridge
288Paperback
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Overview
As part of the massive Allied invasion of Normandy, three airborne divisions were dropped behind enemy lines to sow confusion in the German rear and prevent panzer reinforcements from reaching the beaches. In the dark early hours of D-Day, this confusion was achieved well enough, as nearly every airborne unit missed its drop zone, creating a kaleidoscope of small-unit combat.
Fortunately for the Allies, the 505th Regimental Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division hit on or near its drop zone. Its task was to seize the vital crossroads of Ste Mère Eglise, and to hold the bridge over the Merderet River at nearby La Fière. Benefiting from dynamic battlefield leadership, the paratroopers reached the bridge, only to be met by wave after wave of German tanks and infantry desperate to force the crossing.
Reinforced by glider troops, who suffered terribly in their landings from the now-alert Germans, the 505th not only held the vital bridge for three days but launched a counterattack in the teeth of enemy fire to secure their objective once and for all, albeit at gruesome cost. In No Better Place to Die, Robert M. Murphy provides an objective narrative of countless acts of heroism, almost breathtaking in its “you are there” detail.
No World War II veteran is better known in 82nd Airborne circles than Robert M. (“Bob”) Murphy. A Pathfinder and member of A Company, 505th PIR, Bob was wounded three times in action, and made all four combat jumps with his regiment, fighting in Sicily, Italy, Normandy, and Holland. He was decorated for valor for his role at La Fière, and is a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor. After the war, he was instrumental in establishing the 505th RCT Association.
A selection of the Military Book Club
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781935149880 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Casemate Publishers |
| Publication date: | 06/08/2011 |
| Pages: | 288 |
| Sales rank: | 478,722 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Foreword Colonel Mark J. Alexander 7
Introduction Ian Daglish 10
Part I "No Better Place to Die." By Bob Murphy 15
Chapter 1 Soldiers Tell the Tale 16
Chapter 2 A Change of Plan 23
Chapter 3 Operation Overlord: A Pathfinder's View 36
Chapter 4 The Battle at La Fière: The Mission of the 1st Battalion, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment 44
Chapter 5 Across the Causeway 64
Chapter 6 The Battle of Chef-du-Pont 80
Chapter 7 D-Day Plus One: June 7, 1944 91
Chapter 8 Advance across the Marsh 107
Chapter 9 Last Enemy Attack and the End of the Normandy Campaign 124
Part II Eyewitness Reports: Paratrooper Accounts 131
Landing Alone on D-Day Howard Huebner 132
"The Hottest Single Incident": The 1st Battalion, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment at La Fière Mark J. Alexander 134
The Tank Attack on La Fière Causeway; June 6, 1944 Marcus Heim 142
Letter to General Gavin John Dolan 146
"Chief" Turner Turnbull: The Action at Neuville-au-Plain Bob Murphy 153
D-Day in Ste. Mère-Eglise Spencer F. Wurst 157
Part III Eyewitness Reports: Gliderist Accounts 169
A Brief History on Gliders Bob Murphy 170
D-Day Glider Landing Clinton Riddle 172
Landing with the Tank Force at Utah Beach Lucius P. Young 176
The 325 Glider Infantry Regiment Attack across La Fière Causeway Lee Travelstead 180
A Medic in Normandy Chester Walker 187
The Fighting at Cauquigny and Le Motey Wayne Pierce 193
Part IV Eyewitness Reports: French and German Accounts 197
The Opposition: Panzer Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung 100 198
The Battle of La Fière, Seen from the Manoir Madame Louis Leroux 201
Manning the Bell Tower at Ste. Mère-Eglise: A German Perspective Rudolph May 205
The Light of Day: June 6, 1944. By Alexandre Renaud, Wartime Mayor of Ste. Mère-Eglise 211
Part V Return to Normandy 215
Epilogue Bob Murphy 216
Acknowledgments 227
Appendix A Citations 230
Robert M. Murphy: Bronze Star Medal with Bronze V Device 230
Marcus Heim: Distinguished Service Cross 231
Charles DeGlopper: Medal of Honor 232
Appendix B Historical Notes and Documents 233
Timeline: 82d Airborne Division 233
The Activation of the 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment 236
Jump Training 238
The Parachutist's Creed 241
Notes on the 505 Pathfinders 243
Pathfinder Employment for Operation Neptune 246
Appendix C Stories for the Next Generation 249
In Memory of Bill Owens Bob Murphy 249
The Rabbit's Tale. Or, How a Big French Jackrabbit Helped Win the War D. Zane Schlemmer 251
Christmas in the Bulge, 1944 D. Zane Schlemmer 254
Living History, Keeping History Alive: A Tribute to the 82d Airborne Division Emile Lacroix 257
Comments on Research and Further Reading Bob Murphy 264
Editor's Note Gayle Wurst 267
Index 269