The 225 Rangers who scaled the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc
In short: On D-Day, a specialized unit of 225 Rangers faced a desperate mission to silence German artillery. Delayed by navigational errors and battered by stormy seas, they had to scale vertical cliffs under fire to prevent a massacre on the shores of Normandy.
On 6 June 1944, during Operation Overlord, the 2nd Ranger Battalion launched a critical assault on the cliffs overlooking the English Channel. Led by Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder, Dog, Easy, and Fox Companies landed at Pointe du Hoc using LCA landing craft and modified DUKW 'Ducks' operated by the Royal Navy. The mission was to disable a battery of 155mm French artillery that threatened to target American troops at Utah Beach. To bolster the unit's strength, members of the Provisional Ranger Group were also assigned to the mission. This force aimed to secure the heights to protect the landing zones.
The operation was fraught with complications from the start. A navigational error meant the Rangers landed nearly an hour later than the planned 0600 hours, costing the unit the element of surprise and increasing casualties. Additionally, several landing craft capsized in heavy seas, causing many men to drown due to the weight of their equipment. Despite these setbacks, the remaining 190 Rangers successfully scaled the cliffs using rope ladders. The stormy conditions and heavy gear caused several landing craft to capsize. This resulted in many soldiers drowning before they could reach the cliffs.
The intensity of the combat was extreme. After two days of relentless fighting, only 90 of the original Rangers remained capable of bearing arms. While the battalion successfully achieved its primary objective of disabling the German artillery, the cost was immense. The unit's legacy continues through the modern 2nd Ranger Battalion, which traces its heritage to both the original 2nd Battalion and the 5307th Composite Unit, also known as Merrill's Marauders. The battalion's success prevented the German guns from firing upon American soldiers at Utah Beach. This achievement saved countless lives during the initial invasion.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2nd Ranger Battalion
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