The Battle of Exit 4 occurred during the Operation Overlord landings in Normandy, when the US 101st Airborne Division was dispatched to secure the causeways next to Utah Beach in order to provide the US 4th Infantry Division with a foothold.
The 101st Airborne was sent to clear the area behind Utah Beach ahead of the landings, and the American paratroops were dispatched to clear the main road (Exit 4) of German forces. The area, defended by the Ostlegionen of the German 709th Static Infantry Division, was secured with little effort, as the German forces were taken by surprise. The paratroops took over the German machine gun positions and used them to defend the road from German soldiers who had begun to retreat from their defensive positions on the beach, killing or capturing the remaining defenders of Utah Beach. The 101st proceeded to link up with the 4th Infantry Division to resupply, and the Americans succeeded in securing a foothold in Normandy at Utah Beach.