Medal of Honor: Michael J. Daly - World War II - April 18, 1945

Name: Michael J. Daly
Rank: Captain (then Lieutenant)
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: Company A, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division
Date of Action: April 18, 1945
Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Summary of Action

Early on 18 April 1945, Lieutenant Michael J. Daly led Company A through the shattered, sniper-infested ruins of Nuremberg, Germany.

As his unit moved through the devastated city, blistering machine-gun fire suddenly pinned his men in an exposed position.

Daly ordered the company to take cover.

Then he charged forward alone.

With bullets striking around him, he closed on the enemy position and killed the three-man machine-gun crew with his carbine.

Resuming the advance at the front of his company, Daly soon discovered a German patrol armed with rocket launchers threatening friendly armor.

Once more he moved ahead by himself.

From a firing position under concentrated machine-pistol and rocket fire that blasted rubble around him, Daly calmly engaged the patrol until all six enemy soldiers were dead.

Still pressing far ahead of his company, he entered a park.

As his men advanced behind him, another German machine gun opened fire without warning.

Daly instantly killed the gunner with his carbine.

Standing in a completely exposed position, he then directed machine-gun fire against the remaining crew until all were dead.

In a final close-range duel, he destroyed a third machine-gun emplacement with rifle fire from only ten yards away.

By voluntarily taking the greatest risks himself, Daly shielded his soldiers from repeated deadly threats.

In four separate single-handed fights, he killed fifteen enemy soldiers, silenced three machine guns, and annihilated an enemy patrol.

His fearless leadership and relentless courage inspired the American troops who captured Nuremberg.

Medal of Honor Citation

DALY, MICHAEL J.

Early in the morning of 18 April 1945, he led his company through the shell-battered, sniper-infested wreckage of Nuremberg, Germany. When blistering machinegun fire caught his unit in an exposed position, he ordered his men to take cover, dashed forward alone, and, as bullets whined about him, shot the 3-man guncrew with his carbine. Continuing the advance at the head of his company, he located an enemy patrol armed with rocket launchers which threatened friendly armor. He again went forward alone, secured a vantage point and opened fire on the Germans. Immediately he became the target for concentrated machine pistol and rocket fire, which blasted the rubble about him. Calmly, he continued to shoot at the patrol until he had killed all 6 enemy infantrymen. Continuing boldly far in front of his company, he entered a park, where as his men advanced, a German machinegun opened up on them without warning. With his carbine, he killed the gunner; and then, from a completely exposed position, he directed machinegun fire on the remainder of the crew until all were dead. In a final duel, he wiped out a third machinegun emplacement with rifle fire at a range of 10 yards. By fearlessly engaging in 4 single-handed fire fights with a desperate, powerfully armed enemy, Lt. Daly, voluntarily taking all major risks himself and protecting his men at every opportunity, killed 15 Germans, silenced 3 enemy machineguns and wiped out an entire enemy patrol. His heroism during the lone bitter struggle with fanatical enemy forces was an inspiration to the valiant Americans who took Nuremberg.