Battle of Carentan

Battle of Carentan
Part of Operation Overlord, Battle of Normandy
Scheme of attack, Battle of Carentan
Date 10–14 June 1944 Location 49°18′18″N 1°14′58″W / 49.30500°N 1.24944°W / 49.30500; -1.24944 (Battle of Carentan) Carentan, France Result American victory
Belligerents
United States	Germany
Commanders and leaders
Maxwell D. Taylor Anthony McAuliffe Maurice Rose Robert Sink	Friedrich von der Heydte Werner Ostendorff
Units involved
101st Airborne Division 2nd Armored Division	2nd Parachute Division 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment 91st Infantry Division 1058th Grenadier Regiment Elements of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division
Strength
11 airborne infantry battalions 1 tank battalion 1 mechanized infantry battalion	2 parachute infantry battalions 2 Infantry battalions 2 panzergrenadier battalions 1 panzer battalion with assault guns
Casualties and losses
at least 400 KIA Hundreds wounded	800+ KIA

The Battle of Carentan was an engagement in World War II between airborne forces of the United States Army and the German Wehrmacht during the Battle of Normandy. The battle took place between 6 and 13 June 1944, on the approaches to and within the town of Carentan, France.^[1]

The objective of the attacking American forces was consolidation of the U.S. beachheads (Utah Beach and Omaha Beach) and establishment of a continuous defensive line against expected German counterattacks. The defending German force attempted to hold the town long enough to allow reinforcements en route from the south to arrive, prevent or delay the merging of the lodgments, and keep the U.S. First Army from launching an attack towards Lessay-Périers that would cut off the Cotentin Peninsula.

Carentan was defended by two battalions of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6 (6th Parachute Regiment) of the 2nd Fallschirmjäger-Division. The 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division, ordered to reinforce Carentan, was delayed by transport shortages and attacks by Allied aircraft. The attacking 101st Airborne Division, landed by parachute on 6 June as part of the American airborne landings in Normandy, was ordered to seize Carentan.

In the ensuing battle, the 101st forced passage across the causeway into Carentan on 10 and 11 June. A lack of ammunition forced the German forces to withdraw on 12 June. The 17th SS PzG Division counter-attacked the 101st Airborne on 13 June. Initially successful, its attack was thrown back by Combat Command A (CCA) of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division.