Barfoot MTO (id:#62455)

(Grumble Jones ID: GJ022)   [next]   [previous]

Carano, Italy 1944-05-23 (5 others)

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Overview:

By May 1944, the 45th Infantry “Thunderbird” Division had reached the town of Carano and set up defensive positions. Sgt. Van Barfoot conducted patrols to scout the German lines. When his company was ordered to attack on the morning of May 23, Barfoot asked for permission to lead a squad. Because of the patrols he had made, he knew the terrain and the minefield which lay in front of the German positions. He advanced alone through the minefield, following ditches and depressions, until he came within a few yards of a machine gun on the German flank. After taking out the first machine gun with a hand grenade, he entered the German trench and advanced on a second machine gun, killing two soldiers and capturing three others. Others also surrendered and Barfoot captured a total of seventeen German soldiers and killed eight. When the Germans launched an armored counterattack later in the day, Barfoot disabled one tank with a bazooka, then advanced into enemy-held territory and destroyed an abandoned artillery piece. For his actions, Van T. Barfoot was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Defender: German (3rd Panzergrenadier Division, HQ Company and StuG Platoon.)  

Errata (source)