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(US
Army Photo Public Domain)
The
route to Pointe du Hoc
In
reference to Pointe du Hoc and Colonel Rudder's role...
Never has any commander
been
given a more desperate mission.
General
Bradley
In
a nation at war, teamwork by the whole people is necessary for
victory. But the issue is decided on the battlefield, toward
which all national effort leads. The country's fate lies in the
hands of its soldier citizens; in the clash of battle is found
the final test of plans, training, equipment, and-above all-the
fighting spirit of units and individuals.
Dwight
D. Eisenhower
More
on the 2nd Ranger Battalion:
Normandy-Pointe du Hoc
D-day
Museum United Kingdom
Outside
links to Ranger recommended book lists:
Airborne
Ranger Reading List
Ranger.org
Reading List
An
excellent comprehensive account of all six Battalions:
Rangers
In World War II
by
Ranger Robert W. Black
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The
2nd Ranger Battalion was activated on April 1, 1943 at Camp Forrest, Tullahoma, Tennessee. Shortly thereafter, then Major
James E. Rudder, took command. Notices were sent to many
military camps for volunteers from all branches of the Army for
the formation of the new Ranger Battalion, the first to be
trained in the United States. Qualifications for acceptance
required strong physical capabilities and high intelligence. The
selected best of the many volunteers became the 2nd Ranger
Battalion and were to be trained and made ready for the invasion
on D-day of the European Continent. The training was first
provided by experienced combat-proven officers and NCOs who were
assigned from the 1st Ranger Battalion commanded by Col. William
O. Darby. The Rangers had to have the highest physical stamina
and superior mental ability to perform as an outstanding fighting team
in order to accomplish any given mission. They were skillfully
trained and were proficient in all types of weapons, hand-to-hand
combat, infantry tactics and many other skills necessary to be
successful in war. In September 1943, the battalion moved to
Fort Pierce, Florida. They received intensive amphibious
training at the U.S. Navy Scouts and Raiders School. Later they
moved to Camp Richey, the Army Intelligence School in using
German weapons and German language.
Early
in December 1943, the Rangers arrived in Grenach, Scotland. They
were soon to learn about the vigorous training and fighting
techniques of the Scottish and British Commandos. Christmas was
spent in Bude, Cornwall on the western coast of England. Bude
furnished the steep cliffs for training.
The
battalion consisted of approximately 500 men. There were six
line companies, "A" Company through "F"
Company and a Battalion Headquarters Company. The line companies
had two platoons. Each platoon had two rifle sections, a B.A.R.
machine gun and a mortar section. There were 65 men plus 3
officers in each company. In January 1944, they were taught by
the Commandos the use of small water-craft for night landings
and associated combat and reconnaissance techniques. In the
spring of 1944, the battalion was moved to an army assault
training center at Braunton, England. In May 1944, the battalion
participated in a full-scale pre-invasion exercise on the
English coast called Fabius-7. The same month the
provisional Ranger group (force) was placed under the command of
Lt. Col. James E. Rudder and consisted of the 2nd and 5th Ranger
Battalions who were destined to carry out the mission at
Pointe
Du Hoc and Omaha (Dog Green) Beach on the west coast of
Normandy, France. H-Hour was 6:30 a.m. on the morning of June 6,
1944 (D-day). Companies D, E, and F due to navigation error,
landed at 7:10 a.m. on Pointe du Hoc, but nevertheless,
successfully completed its mission of scaling the 100-foot cliffs by the use of grappling hooks and ropes and
destroying five 155 coastal guns by 8:30 a.m. The guns were
found in their alternate positions about a mile from where they
were supposed to be as previously indicated by Army
Intelligence.
Company
C landed at H-Hour on Omaha Beach. Their mission was to clear
the enemy from the top of Pointe du La Percee to prevent the
enemy from placing enfilading fire on Omaha Beach where the 1st
and 29th Infantry Divisions were to also land. At 6:30 a.m. on
June 6, Company C arrived on English landing crafts amidst
intense fire. Almost half their men were killed crossing the
beach under horrific heavy fire. Using their fighting knives and
bayonets, three men scaled the 100 foot cliffs and dropped the
toggle ropes to their remaining Rangers below to enable them to
more easily climb the cliffs and successfully put out of action
this very important and deadly German defensive position.
Companies
A, B, part of Headquarters and the rest of the Rangers
provisional group landed at H-plus 30 minutes. After blowing up
a section of the sea wall on Omaha
Beach, the Rangers led the
way off the beach and fought their way westward to join their
comrades at Pointe du
Huc. The Rangers were supported by the
sadly depleted 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division.
After joining forces, they pushed westward toward the villages
of Pierre du Mont and along the coast toward the town of
Grandcamp-Maisy. July 1944, the battalion was assigned to
clearing out hidden enemy positions and pockets of enemy
resistance along the coastline of the Cherbourg Peninsula.
Replacements were soon received (to replace their many
casualties) and were trained for and by the under-strength
Ranger battalion. August 1944 the battalion received special
hedgerow training with the 759th Tank Battalion. August 1944 the
entire battalion was assigned to 8th Corps and again the 29th
Infantry Division. It was the start of the assault on the City
of Brest and the capture of many other enemy positions and, in
particular, the Lochrist (Graf Spee) Battery at the tip of the
Le Coquet Peninsula. This was a monumental victory for the
Rangers of the 2nd Battalion. "A" Company captured
over 850 German prisoners and rendered inoperable the strongest
and largest fortress in the area.
In
September 1944 the Rangers were attached to the 8th Infantry
Division to assist in clearing out the German resistance on the
Crozon Peninsula. After accomplishing other objectives and
rescuing 400 American prisoners, the battalion left for
Landerneau, France. Later, they moved to Arlon, Belgium by
"40 and 8's" via the railroad. arriving there on
October 3rd. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Esch Luxembourg
and were attached to the 1st Army. They later went to Vossenach,
Germany and held the defensive line there and went on
innumerable combat and reconnaissance patrols. On November 19th
they were moved back to bivouac area in the Huertgen
Forest, the
whole battalion was alerted on the night of December 6th and
moved out during that cold and wintry night to the Brandenberg
area in Germany. The Rangers had been called to assault the icy,
slippery Hill 400 which was approximately 403 meters (1,322
feet) high and
steep, laden with many pill boxes and had the highest OP in
the Roer Valley for miles around. The Rangers were told to hold
their hill for 24 hours or until duly relieved. A patrol from
"D" and "F" Companies at 3:00 a.m. was sent
to reconnoiter the best plan of attack on the hill as dawn came
up. "A", "B", "C", and
"E" Companies got into position to secure the town of
Bergstein, Germany where Hill 400 was located. December 7th
Companies D and F launched an assault on
Hill 400
at 7:30 a.m.
It was a bloody battle with heavy casualties, but very
successful. The Germans repeatedly counter attacked. The various
attacks were horrendous with so many heavy artillery barrages
and the many resulting tree bursts preceding each counter
attack. The hill was held until relieved on or about December 9,
1944.
Maj.
George S. William took over the command of the battalion on
December 7th. Lt. Col. Rudder took over command of the 109th
Regiment of the 28th Infantry Division the same day. The
survivors of Hill 400 returned to the bivouac area in the
Heurtgen Forest. The "rest" time did not last long as
the remnants of the battalion were alerted to move up to
defensive positions in Simmerath and were attached to the 78th
Infantry Division who were to defend the left flank of the
"Battle of the Bulge" as the German offensive became
known, which commenced December 16, 1944. Christmas and the New
Year came and passed without relief or replacements.
Fortunately, the "Battle of the Bulge" was quickly
being contained and driven back by the Allies. By mid January,
Ranger replacements arrived and training began again by veteran
Rangers amidst snow and below-freezing temperatures. Early in
February, the battalion was put on alert and kept ready to cross
the Roer River. They were then attached to the 102nd Cavalry
forming two task forces. In this drive, the Rangers captured two
dozen towns and approximately 500 prisoners. In mid March, time
was used for reorganization and equipment cleaning and preparing
for the next combat assignment. Near the end of March 1945, the
battalion crossed the Rhine and was pressed back into more
combat. Reconnaissance and combat patrols were operating
continuously. Some Rangers took part in freeing many allied
prisoners. On April 1, 1945 the Rangers celebrated their 2nd
Anniversary (April 43-45).
Firefights
and skirmishes were few and far between at this point in time
and the men engaged in the mop-up of German resistance
operations. More attention was now paid to snipers and saboteurs
hiding behind the enemy lines, including the killing and
capturing of many German soldiers. The first week of May 1945,
the battalion was suddenly moved to Czechoslovakia, where
further skirmishes were encountered and neutralized.
Headquarters Company, who served the battalion gallantly and
effectively, started its reorganization, replacing and repairing
equipment, overhauling vehicles, providing needed medical care
through battalion medics and bringing service records up to
date.
Let
the record of the 2nd Ranger Battalion stand as a memorial to
those many Rangers who made the supreme sacrifice. Some veterans
remained in the service to train other men for conflicts in
Korea and Vietnam and subsequent confrontations. Other Ranger
veterans in civilian life organized and formed the Ranger
Battalions Association of WWII, which consists of Ranger veterans
of the six Ranger Battalions of WWII. The RBA has kept the
friendship and brotherhood of Rangers alive and well over these
past 55 years and proven that "Ranger friendships are
forever."
RANGERS
LEAD THE WAY--ALL THE WAY
-Contributed
by
Henry A. Zyrkowski
"D"
Company, 2nd Ranger Battalion
The
Ranger diamond worn on the uniform of the WWII 2nd and 5th
Ranger
Battalions.
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