D-DAY - UNITS

101st Airborne Division (Utah Beach)


Omar N. Bradley
Maxwell D. Taylor
Howard R. Johnson
Loyal K. Bogart
Patrick F. Cassidy
Steve A. Chapuis

Fred O. Drennan
Robert G. Cole
Cecil L. Simmons
Robert Sink
William L. Turner
Lloyd E. Patch

Charles H. Chase
Melvin O. Davis
Robert B. Trenner
Benjamin Weisberg
John C. Pappas
Anthony C. McAuliffe
 
The pathfinders of the 101st Airborne Division led the way on D-Day in the night drop before the invasion. They left from RAF North Witham, having trained there with the 82nd Airborne Division. These night drops caused a lot of trouble for the gliders. Many crashed and equipment and personnel were lost.
The 101st Airborne Division's objectives were to secure the four causeway exits behind Utah Beach between Saint-Martin-de-Varreville and Pouppeville to ensure the exit route for the 4th Infantry Division from the beach later that morning. The other objectives included destroying a German coastal artillery battery at Saint-Martin-de-Varreville, capturing buildings nearby at Mésières believed used as barracks and a command post for the artillery battery, capturing the Douve River lock at La Barquette (opposite Carentan), capturing two footbridges spanning the Douve at La Porte opposite Brévands, destroying the highway bridges over the Douve at Saint-Côme-du-Mont, and securing the Douve River valley. Their secondary mission was to protect the southern flank of VII Corps. They destroyed two bridges along the Carentan highway and a railroad bridge just west of it. They gained control of La Barquette locks, and established a bridgehead over Douve River which was located north-east of Carentan.
 
      
 
Commanding General: Major General Maxwell D. Taylor  [view folder]
Assistant Commanding: Brigadier General Don F. Pratt  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
G-1: Lt. Colonel Ned D. Moor  [view folder]
G-2: Major Arthur M. Sommerfields  [view folder]
G-3: Lt. Colonel Raymond D. Millener  [view folder]
G-4: Lt. Colonel Carl W. Kohls  [view folder]
G-5: Major Glen C. Eberle  [view folder]
Chaplain: Lt. Colonel Louis R. Goodrich  [view folder]
Surgeon: Lt. Colonel David Gold  [view folder]
 
  501st Parachute Infantry Regiment: Colonel Howard R. Johnson  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain William G. Burd  [view folder]
      Service Company: Captain William H. Butler  [view folder]
    1st Battalion: Lt. Colonel Robert C. Carroll  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
      Hq Company: Captain John W. Simmons  [view folder]
      Company A: Captain William W. Paty, Jr  [view folder] (WIA 7 June 44)
      Company B: Captain Loyal K. Bogart  [view folder] (KIA 11 June 44)
      Company C: Captain Robert H. Philips  [view folder]
    2nd Battalion: Lt. Colonel Robert A. Ballard  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Edmund Rhett  [view folder]
      Company D: 1st Lieutenant William E. Osborn  [view folder]
      Company E: Captain Donald A. Brown  [view folder]
      Company F: Captain Sammis N. Homan  [view folder]
    3rd Battalion: Lt. Colonel Julian J. Ewell  [view folder]
      Hq Company: 1st Lieutenant Jack F. Thornton  [view folder]
      Company G: 1st Lieutenant Vernon Kraeger  [view folder]
      Company H: Captain Felix W. Stanley  [view folder]
      Company I: Captain Richard E. Hotchkiss  [view folder]
 
  502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment: Colonel George Moseley  [view folder] (WIA 6 June 44)
      Hq Company: Captain Rudolph M. Jones  [view folder]
      Service Company: Captain Eldia R. Haire  [view folder]
    1st Battalion: Lt. Colonel Patrick F. Cassidy  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain James J. Hatch  [view folder]
      Company A: Captain Richard L. Davidson  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
      Company B: Captain Cleveland R. Fitzgerald  [view folder] (WIA 6 June 44)
      Company C: Captain Fred A. Hancock  [view folder]
    2nd Battalion: Lt. Colonel Steve A. Chappuis  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain James R. Martin, Jr  [view folder]
      Company D: Captain William A. Bolton  [view folder]
      Company E: 1st Lieutenant Fred O. Drennan  [view folder]
      Company F: Captain Legrand K. Johnson  [view folder]
    3rd Battalion: Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Raymond T. Smith  [view folder]
      Company G: Captain Robert L. Clements  [view folder]
      Company H: Captain Cecil L. Simmons  [view folder]
      Company I: Captain Ivan R. Hershner, Jr  [view folder]
 
  506th Parachute Infantry Regiment: Colonel Robert Sink  [view folder]
    Executive Officer: Lt. Colonel Charles H. Chase  [view folder]
    S-1: Captain Robert I. Barry  [view folder]
    S-2: Major Oliver M. Horton  [view folder]
    S-3: Major Harold W. Hannah  [view folder]
    S-4: Captain Herbert M. Sobel  [view folder]
    Regimental Surgeon: Major Louis R. Kent  [view folder]
    Chaplain: Captain Tilden S. McGee  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Edward A. Peters  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        Demolition Platoon: 2nd Lieutenant Charles W. Mellen  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        Communication Platoon: 1st Lieutenant John H. Reeder  [view folder]
      Service Company: Captain George L. Barton III  [view folder]
    1st Battalion: Lt. Colonel William L. Turner  [view folder] (KIA 7 June 44)
      Executive Officer: Major Franklin E. Foster  [view folder]
      S-1: 1st Lieutenant James D. Holmes  [view folder]
      S-2:
      S-3: 1st Lieutenant Eli H. Howell  [view folder]
      S-4: 1st Lieutenant Steven S. Ferebee, Jr.  [view folder] (WIA 6 June 44)
      Battalion Surgeon: Captain Joseph A. Warren  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Lloyd E. Patch  [view folder]
        Common Platoon:
        Machine Gun Platoon:
        Mortar Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Eugene P. Knott, Jr.   [view folder] (KIA 13 June 44)
        Bazooka Platoon: 1st Sergeant David M. Rogers  [view folder]
      Company A: Captain Melvin O. Davis  [view folder]
        Executive Officer:
        1st Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Eugene M. Forbes  [view folder]
        2nd Platoon:
        3rd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Elton E. Brooks  [view folder]
      Company B: Captain Clovis Y. Tollett  [view folder]
        Executive Officer:
        1st Platoon: 1st Lieutenant George H. Couch  [view folder]
        2nd Platoon:
        3rd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant George A. Stokes  [view folder]
      Company C: Captain Knut H. Raudstein  [view folder]
        Executive Officer:
        1st Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Kenneth A. Beatty  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        2nd Platoon:
        3rd Platoon:
    2nd Battalion: Lt. Colonel Robert L. Strayer  [view folder]
    Executive Officer: Oliver M. Horton  [view folder]
    S-1: 1st Lieutenant Salve H. Matheson  [view folder]
    S-2:
    S-3:
    S-4: 1st Lieutenant George Lavenson  [view folder]
    Battalion Surgeon: Captain Hugh T. Caumartin  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Lloyd J. Cox  [view folder]
        Executive Officer: 1st Lieutenant Thomas L. Gibson
        Common Platoon:
        Machine Gun Platoon:
        Mortar Platoon:
        Bazooka Platoon:
      Company D: Captain Jerre S. Grosse (KIA 8 June)
        Executive Officer: 1st Lieutenant Joseph F. McMillan  [view folder]
        1st Platoon:
        2nd Platoon:
        3rd Platoon:
      Company E: 1st Lieutenant Thomas Meehan III  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        Executive Officer: 1st Lieutenant James K. Davis  [view folder]
        1st Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Harry F. Welsh  [view folder]
        2nd Platoon: 2nd Lieutenant Lynn D. Compton  [view folder]
        3rd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Raymond G. Smith
      Company F: Captain Thomas P. Mulvey  [view folder]
        Executive Officer: 1st Lieutenant Carl B. MacDowell  [view folder] (WIA 6 June 44)
        1st Platoon:
        2nd Platoon: 2nd Lieutenant Charles H. Semon  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        3rd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Freeling T. Colt  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
    3rd Battalion: Lt. Colonel L. Wolverton  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
    Executive Officer: Major George S. Grant  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
    S-1: 1st Lieutenant James D. Holstun  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
    S-2: Captain John W. Kiley
    S-3:
    S-4:
    Battalion Surgeon: Captain Stanley E. Morgan  [view folder]
      Hq Company:
        Executive Officer:
        Common Platoon:
        Machine Gun Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Robert C. Machen Jr.  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        Mortar Platoon:
        Bazooka Platoon:
      Company G: Harold Van Antwerp  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        Executive Officer: 1st Lieutenant James G. Morton  [view folder]
        1st Platoon:
        2nd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Turner M. Chambliss Jr  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        3rd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Joseph B. Doughtey Jr
      Company H: Captain Robert F. Harwick  [view folder] (POW 6 June 44)
        Executive Officer: 1st Lieutenant Richard P. Meason  [view folder]
        1st Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Edward S. Mehosky  [view folder]
        2nd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Kenneth H. Christianson  [view folder] (WIA 13 June 44)
        3rd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Peter A. Madden  [view folder]
      Company I: Captain John T. McKnight  [view folder] (POW 6 June 44)
        Executive Officer:
        1st Platoon: 1st Lieutenant Gerald V. Howard  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
        2nd Platoon:
        3rd Platoon: 1st Lieutenant James F. Nye  [view folder]
 
  327th Glider Infantry Regiment: Colonel George S. Wear  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain William Webb
    1st Battalion: Lt. Colonel Hartford T. Salee  [view folder] (SWI 10 June 44)
      Hq Company:
      Company A: Captain Joseph B. Johnson  [view folder]
      Company B: Captain Robert B. Trenner  [view folder] (KIA 8 June 44)
      Company C: Captain Robert B. Galbraith  [view folder]
    2nd Battalion: Colonel Thomas J. Rouzie  [view folder]
      Hq Company:
      Company D: Captain Ira E. Hamblin  [view folder]
      Company E: Captain James F. Adams  [view folder]
      Company F: 1st Lieutenant Hugh R. Evans  [view folder]
    3rd Battalion (1/401st GIR): Lt. Colonel Ray C. Allen  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Joe S. Brewster
      Company A: Captain Eldridge Naugher  [view folder]
      Company B: Captain Robert J. McDonald
      Company C: Captain Preston E. Towns  [view folder]
 
  101st Division Artillery: Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe  [view folder]
    81st Airborne AA Bn.: Major X. B. Cox, Jr  [view folder]
      Hq Battery:
      Battery A: Captain Thomas Moran  [view folder]
      Battery B: Captain Alphonse Gueymard
      Battery C: Captain William S. Lockman  [view folder]
      Battery D: Captain William G. Joe  [view folder]
      Battery E: Captain Gene B. Ganier  [view folder]
      Battery F: Captain Robert L. Jackson  [view folder]
    321st Glider Field Artillery Bn.: Lt. Colonel Edward L. Carmichael  [view folder]
      Hq Battery:
      Battery A:
      Battery B:
      Battery C:
      Battery D:
    377th Glider Field Artillery Bn.: Lt. Colonel Benjamin Weisberg  [view folder]
      Hq Battery: Captain Charles E. Knight  [view folder]
      Battery A: Captain Charles D. Aldrich  [view folder]
      Battery B: Captain Grover C. Robinson
      Battery C: Captain Marion A. Parrott
      Battery D: Captain Fred C. Culpepper, Jr
    907th Parachute Field Artillery Bn.: Lt. Colonel Clarence F. Nelson  [view folder]
      Hq Battery:
      Battery A:
      Battery B:
      Battery C:
 
  326th Airborne Engineer Bn.: Lt. Colonel John C. Pappas  [view folder]
    Hq Company: Captain Walter W. Hogrefe  [view folder]
    Company A: Captain Jack L. Rogers  [view folder]
    Company B: Captain Donald H. Froemke  [view folder]
    Company C: Captain Francis Liberatori  [view folder]
  326th Airborne Medical Company: Major William Barfield  [view folder]
  101st Airborne Military Police Pl.:
  101st Airborne Signal Company: 1st Lieutenant William H. Breen, Jr  [view folder]