Medal of Honor: Orville Emil Bloch, World War II, September 22, 1944

Name: Orville Emil Bloch
Rank: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army
War: World War II
Date of Action: September 22, 1944
Unit: Company E, 338th Infantry Regiment, 85th Infantry Division
Place: Near Firenzuola, Italy
Born: February 10, 1915, Big Falls, Wisconsin

Summary of Action

On September 22, 1944, near Firenzuola, Italy, First Lieutenant Orville E. Bloch faced an enemy defense that had halted his unit’s progress for a full day. Five German machine-gun nests, supported by fortified positions in three stone houses, commanded the battlefield and pinned down his company.

Gathering three volunteers, Bloch crept forward under fire to a concealed position behind a rock. Leaving his men there, he struck out alone against the first enemy nest. Charging straight into withering fire, he kicked over the gun, disarmed the crew, and captured five prisoners. Without pause, he primed a grenade and charged the second nest, wounding the gunner and scattering the others into a nearby house.

As Bloch regrouped, another enemy crew of five ran toward the same house. He and a volunteer cut them off, forcing them to abandon their weapon and flee inside. Without hesitation, Bloch burst through the doorway, firing from the hip, capturing seven more and wounding three.

Undeterred, he advanced to a third house. There he discovered yet another enemy nest. Spotting him, six enemy soldiers opened fire with pistols. Bloch dashed through the storm of bullets and into the building, wounding two and capturing six more.

By the end of the fight, Bloch had personally eliminated five machine-gun nests, wounded six enemy soldiers, and captured nineteen prisoners—all virtually single-handedly. His fearless leadership cleared the way for his company’s advance, inspiring them to press forward with renewed strength.

Official Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Bloch undertook the task of wiping out 5 enemy machinegun nests that had held up the advance in that particular sector for 1 day. Gathering 3 volunteers from his platoon, the patrol snaked their way to a big rock, behind which a group of 3 buildings and 5 machinegun nests were located. Leaving the 3 men behind the rock, he attacked the first machinegun nest alone charging into furious automatic fire, kicking over the machinegun, and capturing the machinegun crew of 5. Pulling the pin from a grenade, he held it ready in his hand and dashed into the face of withering automatic fire toward this second enemy machinegun nest located at the corner of an adjacent building 15 yards distant. When within 20 feet of the machinegun he hurled the grenade, wounding the machinegunner, the other 2 members of the crew fleeing into a door of the house. Calling one of his volunteer group to accompany him, they advanced to the opposite end of the house, there contacting a machinegun crew of 5 running toward this house. 1st Lt Bloch and his men opened fire on the enemy crew, forcing them to abandon this machinegun and ammunition and flee into the same house. Without a moment’s hesitation, 1st Lt. Bloch, unassisted, rushed through the door into a hail of small-arms fire, firing his carbine from the hip, and captured the 7 occupants, wounding 3 of them. 1st Lt. Bloch with his men then proceeded to a third house where they discovered an abandoned enemy machinegun and detected another enemy machinegun nest at the next corner of the building. The crew of 6 spotted 1st Lt. Bloch the instant he saw them. Without a moment’s hesitation he dashed toward them. The enemy fired pistols wildly in his direction and vanished through a door of the house, 1st Lt. Bloch following them through the door, firing his carbine from the hip, wounding 2 of the enemy and capturing 6. Altogether 1st Lt. Bloch had single-handedly captured 19 prisoners, wounding 6 of them and eliminating a total of 5 enemy machinegun nests. His gallant and heroic actions saved his company many casualties and permitted them to continue the attack with new inspiration and vigor.