Robert G. Cole (19, March 1915 – 18, September 1944) was a US Army, Lieutenant Colonel who served in the US 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion during World War II.
Biography[]
Robert G. Cole was born at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas.
Lieutenant Colonel Cole parachuted into Normandy with his unit as part of the American airborne landings in Normandy. By the evening of June 6, he mustered men and captured Exit 3 at Saint-Martin-de-Varreville beyond Utah Beach and linked up with the 4th Infantry Division coming ashore.
On the afternoon of June 10, Cole led 400 men of his battalion single file down a long, exposed causeway, with marshes at either side. A hedgerow behind a large farmhouse on the right was occupied by well dug-in German troops. At the far end of the causeway was the last of four bridges over the Douve River flood plain. Beyond the last bridge was Carentan, which the 101st had been ordered to seize to effect a linkup with the 29th Infantry Division coming off Omaha Beach. During the night, Cole's men were exposed to shelling by German mortars and by a strafing and bombing attack by two aircraft, causing further casualties and knocking Company I out of the fight. However the fire from the farm slackened and the remaining 265 men infiltrated through the obstacle and took up positions for an assault. He charged toward the hedgerow, leading only a small portion of his unit at first. The remainder of the battalion, seeing what was happening followed as Cole led the paratroopers into the hedgerows, engaging at close range and with bayonets in hand-to-hand combat. The German survivors retreated, taking more casualties as they withdrew. The assault, which came to be known as "Cole's Charge", proved costly; 130 of Cole's 265 men became casualties. With his battalion exhausted, Cole called for the 1st Battalion to pass through his lines and continue the attack. However, they were also severely depleted by mortar fire crossing bridge #4, such that they took up positions with 3rd Battalion rather than proceeding. There, on the edge of Carentan, they were subjected to strong counterattacks by the German 6th Parachute Regiment during the morning and afternoon. At the height of the attack, at approximately 1900, Cole's artillery observer managed to break through radio jamming and called down a concentration by the entire Corps artillery that broke up the attacks for good. On June 12, the 506th PIR passed through their line and captured Hill 30 south of Carentan. By the end of June 12, they had captured Carentan
On September 18, 1944, during Operation Market Garden, Colonel Cole, commanding the 3rd Battalion of the 502d PIR in Best, Netherlands, got on the radio. A pilot asked him to put some orange identification panels in front of his position. Cole decided to do it himself. For a moment, Cole raised his head, shielding his eyes to see the plane. Suddenly a shot was fired by a German sniper in a farmhouse only 300 yards (270 m) away, killing Cole instantly.