The Battle of Ramelle at the end of the film was based on a battle that actually took place three days after the Normandy landing, on 6/9/44. The intense battle between the 82nd and 101st US Airborne Divisions and 1057th Panzergrenadier Regiment of the German 91st Division approaching from the west happened at the La Fiere Causeway (the bridge in the film). Capt. John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) was based on Capt. John Sauls, who led the American troops. Confronted by a line of French-built Renault light tanks and a large number of heavily armed infantrymen, the Americans wasted no time going into action. Using any weapon available--bazooka, machine gun or hand grenade--Saul's men disabled one tank after another, sometimes from only a few yards away. At last out of ammunition, the men regrouped and retreated toward the orchard where the remaining American troops would spend the next crucial 48 hours cut off from the causeway battle. The Germans now held the western end of the causeway in force. A heavy German counterattack threatened to push the still disorganized Americans back across the river the next day, but the assault was repulsed by American fighter aircraft. By mid-afternoon a linkup was finally achieved with Timmes men, who were still defending their orchard. Thus ended the fight for the causeway at La Fiére.

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