Robert G. Cole

At the Height of the attack, at about 1900, Cole's artillery observer managed to break through radio jamming and called down fire by the entire Corps artillery that broke up the attacks for good.

At 0200 on June 12, the 506th PIR passed through their line and captured Hill 30 to the south of Carentan.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert George 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 at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas, to Colonel Clarence F. Cole, an Army doctor, and Clara H. Cole on March 19, 1915.

He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio in 1933 and joined the United States Army on July 1, 1934.

On June 26, 1935, he was honorably discharged to accept an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Cole graduated with the class of 1939 and returned home to marry Allie Mae Wilson.

He was appointed a second lieutenant to the 15th Infantry at Fort Lewis, Washington, in 1939, and remained there until his transfer to the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1941.

In March 1941, he earned his jump wings.

He rapidly advanced through the ranks at Fort Benning as the parachute infantry battalions were expanded to regiments.

By June 6, 1944, he was a lieutenant colonel in command of the 3rd Battalion of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment.

Cole parachuted into Normandy with his unit as part of the American airborne landings in Normandy.

It was his unit's first combat jump.

By the evening of June 6, he had gathered 75 men.

They captured Exit 3 at Saint-Martin-de-Varreville behind Utah Beach and were at the dune line to welcome men from the U.S. 4th Infantry Division coming ashore.

On September 18, 1944, during Operation Market Garden, now-Colonel Cole, commanding the 3rd Battalion of the 502d PIR in Best, Netherlands, got on the radio.

From there, led by Company E, the 2nd battalion of the 506th PIR (Band of Brothers) attacked north into Carentan at daylight as part of a 3-battalion assault.

The German 6th Parachute Regiment, virtually out of ammunition, had abandoned the town during the night, leaving only a small rear guard.

By 0730 on June 12, Carentan was captured.

Cole was recommended for a Medal of Honor for his actions that day, but did not live to receive it.

After being in division reserve, Cole's battalion guarded the right flank of the 101st Airborne Division as it attempted to take the approaches to Carentan.

On the afternoon of June 10, Cole led 400 men of his battalion in single file down a long, exposed causeway, with marshes at either side.

A hedgerow behind a large farmhouse on the right was occupied by well dug-in German troops.

At the far end of the causeway was the last of four bridges over the Douve River flood plain.

Beyond the last bridge was Carentan, which the 101st had been ordered to seize to facilitate a linkup with the 29th Infantry Division coming off Omaha Beach.

During the advance, Cole's battalion was subjected to continuous fire from artillery, machine guns and mortars.

His soldiers advanced slowly by crawling or crouching, taking many casualties.

The survivors huddled against the bank on the far side of the causeway.

An obstacle known as a Belgian gate blocked nearly the entire roadway over the last bridge, allowing the passage of only one man at a time.

Attempts to force this bottleneck were futile, and the battalion took up defensive positions for the night.

During the night, Cole's men were shelled by German mortars and strafed and bombed by two aircraft, causing further casualties and knocking Company I out of the fight.

Eventually, the fire from the farm slackened and the remaining 265 men moved through the obstacle and took up positions for an assault.

With the Germans still resisting any attempt to move beyond the bridges, and after artillery failed to suppress their fire, Cole called for smoke on the dug-in Germans and ordered a bayonet charge, a rarity in World War II.

He charged toward the hedgerow, leading only a small portion of his unit at first.

But the remainder of the battalion soon joined as Cole led the paratroopers into the hedgerows, engaging at close range and with bayonets in hand-to-hand combat.

The German survivors retreated, taking more casualties as they withdrew.

The assault, which came to be known as "Cole's Charge", proved costly; 130 of Cole's 265 men became casualties.

With his battalion exhausted, Cole called for the 1st Battalion to pass through his lines and continue the attack.

However, they were also severely depleted by mortar fire crossing bridge #4, such that they took up positions with 3rd Battalion rather than proceeding.

There, on The Edge of Carentan, they were subjected to strong counterattacks by the German 6th Parachute Regiment during the morning and afternoon.