Mike Powell (MOHAA)
From Medal of Honor
| Appearances: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault |
| Affiliations: Office of Strategic Services, 1st Ranger Battalion, 2nd Ranger Battalion |
| Born: May 6th 1916 |
| Home Location: Rice Lake, Winconsin |
| Education: West Point, Military History, Languages |
| Languages: English, French, German |
Contents |
[edit] Before the OSS
Prior to his entry into military service, Lieutenant Mike Powell completed a degree in military history and languages at West Point. He served as a rifleman in the 34th Infantry Division, where he showed marksmanship and field craft second to none amongst the thousands of applicants to the 1st Ranger Battalion.
His performance at Carrickfergus and at the live fire training exercises at Achnacarry, Scotland was exemplary. The OSS thus internally (and unofficially) designated Powell as 'special infantry', an elite soldier with Ranger-level training, available for and subject to flexible and short-term reassignment for specific missions requiring covert deception and/or sabotage in preparation for major offensives.
[edit] North Africa: Lighting the Torch
In Novemeber 1942, America prepares for its first attack of the war on the French North African coast. To prepare for the invasion the British SAS sent an operative Major Jack Grillo into the town of Arzew, near Algiers, to destory a coastal battery. Grillo was captured before he could complete his mission. Powell is sent with a squad of Rangers to resuce him and finish the job. However, they are ambushed in Arzew, and Powell is the lone survivor. Still Powell finds and resuces Grillo and a POW, and assists him in his missions. The two agents destroy the battery, a German motor pool, and a squadron of Stuka dive bombers on and air strip. They make there way to a lighthouse on the coast where the American fleet picks them up.
[edit] Norway: Scuttling the U-529
Trying to regain the edge in the Battle of the Atlantic, the German Kreigsmarine has been creating a highly sensitive radar detector called Naxos to allow their U-Boats to wreck havoc on the Allied supply line. Grillo and Powell are inserted near the sub pens in Trondheim, Norway. Grillo already in diguise opens the gates to Powell, but is killed by a sniper soon after. Powell fights his way into the facility, and disguises himself as a Captain. Powell is able to both destroy the Naxos, gather secret documents, and sabotage the U-529. Powell escapes by a supply train commandeered by Norweigian Resistence forces.
[edit] Normandy
To prepare for the invasion of Europe, Powell is reassigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion, which is in need of veterens. On June 6, 1944 Powell lands on Omaha Beach with the rest of the 2nd Rangers. After surviving the landing, Powell fights his way into one the large German bunkers overlooking the beach and knocks it out. After that, Powell, and his commander Captain Ramsey try to link up with soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division, Powell destroying 88 Flak guns preventing Allied armor from moving. Powell also hunts down and destroys a battery of Nebelwerfer rocket launchers attacking Allied Forces.
[edit] Behind Enemy Lines
In late June of 1944, the Allies are slowly moving through France. The OSS however begins to hear rumors of a German counterattack being planned. Also intelligence suggests, that the Germans are sending a new tank called the King Tiger to Normandy. Col. Hargrove sends Powell into France to rendezvous with the Maquis. The mission changes when an Allied G-3 officer is shot down. Powell finds the officer and gets him to the Resistence safehouse, which is in the church. His French contact is fellow OSS agent Manon Batiste. Before Powell can assault the targeted command post, he distracts the Germans by destroying a tank park and train tracks. Henri, one of Manon's agents gets Powell near the estate. Powell creeps in, but is soon spotted, and a firefight errupts. Powell frantically searches the estate on any information. Powell finds several documents to the preported German counterattack as well as a King Tiger field manual. Powell meets up with Manon, and they flee in a truck.
[edit] Day of the Tiger
In August 1944, the Allies are stalled outside of the port city of Brest. In order to break the stalemate, the OSS comes up with a daring plan to capture a vial cuaseway into the city. Using the captured field manual, the OSS trains a Sherman Tank crew on the heavy tank. Powell is sent in to link up with the crew and capture one. After navigating through a town turned into a snipersville by shelling, Powell finds the crew and locates the tank. Using the new King Tiger, Powell and his crew burst through German lines, and reach the causeway. Powell provides sniper fire, to eliminate enemy attempt at blowing the causeway, while the crew destroys attacking Panzers. After a while friendly forces arrive to secure the area, and the city is liberated soon after.
[edit] Return to Schmerzen
In November 1944, OSS agent Jimmy Patterson, infiltrated Fort Schmerzen on the Siegfred Line. To his horror the fort had been converted into a mustard gas factory to use on attacking Allied troops. Donning a gas, Patterson opened the valves which gassed the fort and escaped. Now in January 1945, the Nazis have rebuilt the fort. Adding to this concern is the notion that trainloads of American POW's are arriving at the Fort. Col. Hargrove is worried that the Germans are using the prisoners for experiments for their gas program. Powell is parachted in the Siegfried Forest. After taking out a few 20mm flak guns harrassing Allied planes. Powell then enters a secret weapons facility for the new Stg-44 assault rifle. After stealing one and destroying the facility Powell secretly enters a German village to destroy communications for Schmerzen. After a furious firefight, Powell makes his way to the train station, and links up with the Rangers assigned to take out the Fort, in a stolen train. The Rangers storm the fort and rescue the prisoners, while Powell goes to the fort's sublevels to plant his explosive charges. Donning a gas mask, Powell opens the gas valves, and the gas combined with the explosives set the fort ablaze. Powell barely makes it onto the train before the fort is engulfed in flames.
