Fire Mission! The Siege at Mortain, Normandy, August 1944

In August 1944, a few hundred men defended a hill near Mortain, France, against a massive German counterattack. For most of the six days and nights of fighting, the Americans were cut off from supply lines, fighting for survival without adequate food, water, medical supplies, or ammunition. The decisive artillery defense, much of which was launched by forward observer Robert Weiss, has been credited with making the difference in this pivotal battle of the Normandy invasion. With only one radio, powered by dying batteries, Weiss and his team brought down a rain of brutal iron that time after time turned back the German offensive.