The Battle of Sainte-Mère-Église took place at the French town of Sainte-Mère-Église just inland from the Normandy coast.
Prelude[]
American Airborne troops from 82nd and 101st Airborne were sent to capture bridges and towns to make sure the Normandy landings succeeded.
Background[]
Two Airborne soldiers Martin and Heath landed just outside the town of Sainte-Mère-Église, however, Heath got caught in his parachute and got killed by hanging as a result, leaving Martin to set the beacon alone. After activating the beacon, the paratrooper drops end up being scattered, causing Martin to work with units from multiple companies. Martin and the other Airborne troops cleared nearby farmhouses of German soldiers. The group then fought through the streets of Sainte-Mère-Église, destroying three Flakpanzers along the way and manage to capture the town as Martin was reunited with his unit. The Airborne troops held it the next morning with a German's counterattack with mortar fire, infantry, and a Tiger I tank. The Airborne troops held the position before they are ordered to reinforce the northern approach to the village, where two more tanks appear along with more opposition, a Panzer IV and a second Tiger I. The Airborne troops managed to defeat all of the opposition before beginning an assault on German mortar crews in the area and took out all remaining hostiles. After repelling the German troops, Captain Foley decided to call for reinforcements and assigned Martin, along with Elder and Moody, to drive to Sainte-Marie-du-Mont in a captured vehicle through Highway N13. They meet fierce German opposition and are eventually disabled by a German Tiger I. Taking refuge from the tank's fire in a nearby garage, Moody discovers an operational Kubelwagen and drive away and arrive safely at the battalion headquarters where reinforcements are brought up and sent to Sainte-Mère-Église.
Aftermath[]
As a result, Sainte-Mère-Église became one of the first towns in Europe liberated from Nazi control. D-Day became a success, and the liberation of France began.
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