Under moonlit skies the morning of June 6th 1944, thousands of
paratroopers were mis-dropped all throughout Normandy. If they survived the
jump, many troopers found that they were alone and lost inside enemy occupied
territory. Scattered everywhere, they had to find their way to their objectives
without mistakenly killing each other in the process; but how?
Just a few days before C-47’s left their airfields in England towards towns like
Sainte Marie du Mont, Carentan, and Sainte Mère Eglise, U.S. paratroopers were
issued a 5 cent child’s toy called a “cricket”. The cricket enabled the troopers
to stay out of sight but still communicate without the use of radios,
flashlights or talking. Sounding so much like insect, the toy’s famous
"click-clack" sound challenged those who were friend or foe. Those who
heard the sound would respond by clicking their cricket twice giving much to the relief
of the single cricketer. These simple instructions allowed these men a degree of
safety while concealed from the ever present German patrols.
As the day brightened, a verbal challenge “Flash” and the reply “Thunder” were
the code words for the day. Although our engagement begins just at 5:05
Friday afternoon, as spectators and participants alike we will just have to
imagine what it may have been like as seconds seemed like minutes and minutes
seemed like hours as day broke on June 6th. Scared and alone, one by one,
airborne troopers began to band together using their crickets and call signs to
form makeshift units and achieve their objectives. Why 5:05? That
time was chosen to honor members of the 505th Regiment of the 82nd Airborne
Division which descended directly into the village of Sainte Mère Eglise D-Day
morning.
Sainte Mère Eglise Today
The Church at the Center of Town
Appears on
Our 2010 Challenge Coin
During our simulation the main allied objective will be to overtake the road
intersection from the Germans and hold it until relived. The “Road to Victory”
battle will commemorate those men who dropped all over hell and gone short of
supply but full of courage. The scenario begins with
German
Army activity near a check point at a road block situated in mid-park.
A fresh squad of German soldiers will relieve the afternoons sentries in what
will be in their mind another routine night of guard duty; or so it seems.
The relative calm is shattered as
French Resistance
begin to take back their country.
Mis-dropped U.S. paratroopers of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions start
emerging from different directions of the area. The troopers use their crickets
and call signs to prevent “Friendly Fire”. They converge at a collecting point
south of the road block. An officer assembles these men and orders the troopers
to assault and overtake the German check point. Once the position is secured
more paratroopers begin to converge on the area and begin to set up a defensive
position.
While fortifying the position, French civilians begin appearing from the
direction in which the Germans retreated. They inform the American paratroopers
that a number of Germans are massing in force to retake the intersection and
that some of their countrymen are in peril. A scouting patrol is sent to
investigate but return in one heck of a hurry with a German patrol hot on their
heals.
Will the paratroopers be able to fend off the German counterattack? Will the landings succeed allowing the paratroopers to be resupplied, reequipped and relieved and who will that be? What of the French villagers? Will the live to see the light of freedom tomorrow? Find out on Friday afternoon, mid-park, on the outskirts of Occupied France.
