The Battle of Foucarville occurred on 6 June 1944 during World War II, when US Army Sergeant Matthew Baker's squad of US 101st Airborne Division paratroops secured the town of Foucarville, Normandy from a German platoon.
The Germans had established a blockade at Foucarville with the goal of impeding the American advance, and their machine gun positions proved to be troublesome to the Americans. Foucarville was located at the extreme north of the Allied flank during Operation Overlord, making it a strategically important town. Sergeant Baker was ordered to secure the town from the Germans to allow for other units to advance, and the Americans engaged a larger force of German soldiers and managed to destroy several German mortar positions and protect the church from a German counterattack. Foucarville was secured by the small American squad, confirming Baker's talents as a squad leader.