by Mehlo, Noel
Because D-Day was only little over one month away, Exercises TIGER and FABIUS were both full dress rehearsals that left little to experimentation. At the completion of these exercises, most units would go straight to their assigned marshalling areas to await the invasion. Due to the remaining highly specialized training needs of the Rangers, they would have one last training stop at Swanage, England after participating in Exercise FABIUS I. The primary purpose of the FABIUS exercises was to give the entire invasion machinery an opportunity to function as a whole in a trial run. Every attempt was therefore made to duplicate the conditions expected in the Normandy invasion as this was a full dress rehearsal. This would allow them to participate in an exercise where they saw the units that would land alongside them. The exercise was as important to test the planning for operation NEPTUNE as it was for operation Overlord. FABIUS involved approximately 25,000 troops. The units processed through their marshalling areas, participated in the mock landings at Slapton Sands and then returned to their marshalling areas to wait for D-Day. This explains why the Rangers went to their marshalling area twice as has been reported by various veterans. A March 28, 1944 letter from V Corps Headquarters to the Command Group (CG) 1st U.S. Infantry Division under the subject Amphibious Exercise FABIUS I discussed the operation. Units under the 1st Infantry Division included the 16th and 18th regimental landing teams of the 1st Infantry Division, the 116th regimental landing team of the 29th Infantry Division, the 347th and 348th Engineer C Battalions of the5th Engineer Special Brigade, the 149th Engineer C Battalion of the 6th Engineer Special Brigade, the 741st and 743rd Tank Battalions, and the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions, and other units attached either to the infantry divisions or to the Provisional Engineer Special Brigade Group.
FABIUS followed the same planning and formations as developed for OVERLORD and NEPTUNE. The V Corps command conducted the overall planning but allowed for detailed planning down to the battalion level where appropriate. The exercise involved a simulated aerial bombing and real naval bombardment of the landing area. This was followed by landing the DD tanks at H Hour. After this, the troops landed per a timetable. Landing of infantry followed the first tank landings with Landing Team 16 to the left and Landing Team 116 to the right. Engineers followed these first soldiers to blow underwater and beach obstacles and to open up beach exits. At H+ 3 hours, Landing Team 18 would follow the initial waves and join up with units ashore. Three Ranger companies from the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion were to land two miles to the north of Slapton Sands at Blackpool Beach and destroy enemy artillery installations as would be done at Point du Hoc. Another company was scheduled to land at the right flank of the Slapton Sands assault beach, while the remainder of the Rangers were to land with the main infantry at Slapton Sands. These remaining Rangers were then to wheel right, relieving the flanking Rangers and then make their way to Blackpool Beach.
In April 1944, the British Admiralty and SHAEF forecasters had developed a fairly reliable forecasting system, such that by the time of Exercise FABIUS the forecasts were deemed accurate. The Section’s wave forecasters began to sit in on SHAEF forecasting sessions resulting in a forecast method that involved surface wind, weather systems analysis as far upstream in the atmosphere as the Rocky Mountains in the continental United States. The forecasters developed nomographs and predicted sea, swell and surf heights as part of the delivered five-day forecast to Allied planners. This method of forecasting came under scrutiny in May 1944, but it seemed to hold its own based on scientific merit.
When the 1st and 29th U.S. Infantry Divisions planned to conduct to practice the dawn landing at Devon's Slapton Sands, the weather forecast came through that the date of the landing would be unfavorable for weather, General Eisenhower postponed the landing exercise by 24 hours. At this point in the overall planning for the invasion, the SHAEF command was weather sensitive. This caution was prudent as this exercise was very comparable to the actual Normandy assault at OMAHA Beach set for June.
It was reported that the exercise went smoothly generally speaking. The movement of the units from the marshalling areas and embarking into the assault was done without large difficulties. Exercise FABIUS had a 24 hour delay due to weather previously discussed. This delay actually found itself repeated on D-Day as the troops were loaded aboard their craft when a 24 hour delay again happened in the beginning of June.12 The designations on the beaches at Slapton Sands were the same as at Omaha Beach for realism. The assault went according to schedule. The naval forces convoyed into the area following minesweepers, staying about 10 miles from shore. Next the bombardment occurred as the DD tanks of the 741st and 743rd Tank Battalions made their way to shore. The infantry units then landed as per plan, followed by the planned successive waves of troops. Figure 182 is a U.S. Army photo of Exercise FABIUS I.
Figure 182: Troops landing ashore during FABIUS I (NARA) The 2nd and 5th Ranger Infantry Battalions teamed up for exercise FABIUS. The 2nd Rangers had previously been leery of their younger sibling unit. The joint training they conducted eliminated any concerns the elder Rangers had. Henry Glassman, noted that during FABIUS, the Rangers practiced “amphibious maneuvers including embarkation on LCAs, assault landings, land campaigns that followed the landings and training in every phase of operations expected to be encountered in the Invasion of France.”14 The men arrived at their marshalling area to wait for the embarkation order. Research suggests that for Exercise FABIUS, the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion might have first camped at marshalling area Camp D1, while the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion stayed at Camp D5. This might warrant additional research. The accommodations in the camps were tents, a cot and a blanket. On May 1 the men in the units participating in FABIUS were shown maps and other intel on their target areas. After they studied this and discussed their missions, the boarded trucks to travel to the embarkation area at Weymouth. On May 1 the two Ranger battalions boarded their LCAs in Weymouth and proceeded to their Landing Ship Infantry (LSI)s in the harbor. The LSIs were converted Belgian and British passenger liners. These vessels had substantial davits on their sides which allowed for the LCAs to be mechanically raised and lowered down the sides of the ship resulting in the boarding of the LCAs from the decks of the ships. The LSIs assigned to the Rangers included the HMS Prince Charles (2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion Companies A, B, C and Headquarters elements, HMS Ben Machree (2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion Companies D, E and F), HMS Amsterdam, HMS Prince Baudouin (5th Ranger Infantry Battalion Companies C, D, F and half of Headquarters) and HMS Prince Leopold (5th Ranger Infantry Battalion Companies A, B, E and half of Headquarters). Hathaway wrote that the exercise landings and land campaigns were “designed as a training vehicle in the types of operations that we were expected to encounter in the invasion of France”.15
The Rangers spent three days aboard ship as part of the exercise as the weather postponed the assault for 24 hours. It is said that Major Schneider had been aboard the HMS Prince Leopold during his landings in the Mediterranean while a 1st Ranger Infantry Battalion member and liked the ship and her crew.16 Ronald Lane described the life aboard the ships as being relaxed. The men played games, sun bathing on deck, ate well, slept, spent time reading or writing, watched movies and talked amongst themselves. The Rangers weren’t particularly impressed with the English menu, but several accounts called it sustaining and satisfying. The ships had post exchanges where the men could purchase canned fruits, cookies, chocolate and other palatable items. The Rangers also had ten-in-one rations that were mixed and matched to ensure decent meals to the creative.9,11
The Rangers took trucks from their marshalling camp to their mother ship at Weymouth. Some of the Rangers between the two battalions would find themselves aboard the same vessels they had trained on at the USATC. Each of the LSIs could hold from 200 to 250 troops and up to eight LCAs. PFC Prince reported spending three days aboard ship anchored at Weymouth before disembarking via the LCAs. He made note of the protective screen provided by vigilant cruisers and destroyers
according to PFC Prince.
2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion Companies D, E and F would make the assault on the cliffs at Blackpool Beach. They would follow-up this assault by making a twelve mile march and set up defenses while waiting for the remainder of the Rangers to join them. Meanwhile the remainder of the 2nd and all of the 5th Rangers would make the beach landing at Slapton Sands.11
Figure 183: Troops coming ashore during FABIUS I (NARA)
Lane discussed the perspective of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion fairly well in his book Rudder’s Rangers. He quoted from an unknown Ranger’s letter home that said: This operation could be the real thing for all we know, evidence certainly points that way. The men have all packed their personals, shipped bedding rolls and duffel bags containing five men’s belongings… We are to be briefed tomorrow. None of the men seem worried in the least, they are ready to go. We have drawn our ammo loads for the initial phase of the battle, plus two days rations. Could it be the real thing at last? The event tow world is waiting for, the invasion of continental Europe. With all the airtight security this operation might be another training operation, but none of the officers will confirm our opinion. We shall see.”11
As planned, the naval and air forces bombed and shelled the designated beach areas according to plan. The Rangers reportedly made their assault on the beaches at Slapton Sands and the cliffs at Blackpool at dawn. The 2nd Ranger Battalion Companies D, E and F assaulted their assigned cliffs and overran the objective there. They went on to make their way inland to a second objective at a place called Combe Point. From there they made a twelve mile forced march through rain, mud and rugged terrain to their third objective near Little Dartmouth where they set camp, defensive positions and waited the remainder of the Ranger forces. The remainder of the Rangers comprised the force landing at Slapton Sands overran the beach defenses and set up a defensive position on the right flank of the 29th Infantry Division.
The Rangers were called to the decks to board the LCAs in the early hours of the third morning aboard ship. This was for the assault run to shore at either Slapton Sands or Blackpool. PFC Prince reported that the LCAs were lowered gently to the water, and after forming up, the craft headed for shore. In his own words;
“We launched a successful attack as we overran the beach defenses and took up positions on the flank of the 29th division. We coordinated our efforts, and continued to press forward. We had to hold up when the 29th Infantry stopped, as we had to await further orders from them. That evening found us bivouacked in a field some five miles from our point of landing. The first phase of the problem on land was now completed. The exercise was called off for the night and we became "administrative." We had done our part that day, and we had done it well.”9
The 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion (less Companies D, E, and F) and the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion) resumed the planned attack the next morning. The Rangers continued their line of advance and used roads along their prescribed route as much as was permissible. PFC Prince reported the terrain as hilly with some steep inclines along the route taken. He went on to describe how many of the Rangers began to shed excess weight along the route such as ammunition, grenades and other equipment due to a blazing hot sun and the weight of the loads carried per man. He wrote that when the final objective was reached the units were only carrying the basic essentials for a fight. The second night found the men exhausted and bivouacked in a field many miles from Slapton Sands. The Rangers were made administrative per the rules of the exercise, and FABIUS was effectively over for them. PFC Prince said of the exercise “The experience we had gained from this amphibious maneuver was invaluable to us.” These Rangers made their way from the second objective on the right flank of the 29th Infantry Division inland to the Rangers at Little Dartmouth.11
Figure 184: DD Tank and halftrack ashore during FABIUS I (NARA) Hathaway went on to say that an LST was sunk by the Germans during the exercise. During the operations, a heavy gale blew into the area making the seas more hazardous than expected. FABIUS I also revealed operational flaws in the following areas:
Traffic and Personnel
Supplies
Signal
Medical
Dump Operations2
Upon completion of the FABIUS exercises, the majority of Allied forces moved back to their embarkation points and marshalling camps to wait for D-Day. On D-Day the 1st Infantry Division was designated as the command unit for the invasion. The 29th Division less its headquarters was attached to them as well as what became the Provisional Ranger Group (PRG) on May 9.17 There are some sporadic references listing the PRG as the 12th Provisional Ranger Group, but none of the veterans recall this designation and I found nothing on official records to support it. The PRG was attached to the 12th Army Group for a time. Figures 183 and 184 illustrate the exercise and the movements discussed throughout.
The Rangers had spent five days participating in Exercise FABIUS I. On May 6, the two battalions, soon to become one unit under the Provisional Ranger Group, boarded trucks and headed to a local train station. They next found themselves aboard trains headed for Swanage England for their final training before the big day. PFC Prince wrote that the train ride was spent reviewing the results of FABIUS and in thought. He noted that the men noticed a sharp increase in Allied air activity. He further indicated that the men were realizing that the ”real McCoy” was coming soon.
14 SWANAGE
Swanage is a coastal town in Swanage Bay along the south coast of England in the County of Dorset. It is located at 50°36
the region around it is geologically important to England. It is 25 miles east of Dorchester and nine miles south of Poole. It has a current population of around 10,000 people. Nearby are Old Harry Rocks to the northeast, Studland Bay and north, Poole Harbour to the north. To the south of town are Durlston Bay, Anvil Point and the Ragged Rocks or “Boulder Ruckle.” The Isle of Wight with its Alum Bay lies seventeen miles to the east of Swanage. To the northeast of the Isle of Wight lies the city of Portsmouth. A map of the region is in Figure 185.
USATC
Isle of Wight
Burton BradstockSwanage
Dorchester Durdle Door
Weymouth
Figure 185: South England Map; 1935 (George Phillip and Son, Ltd, The London Geographical Institute) The town originally was a small port and fishing village, and human activity as a village date back to at least Roman times. The Romans quarried marble and other important minerals from the region. The Victorian era saw a resurgence of mining of important minerals and rocks that led to the town becoming wealthy. Today the town is a very popular tourist resort and has been an important tourist destination dating back to the early 19th century.
The town is located at the eastern end of what is known as the Jurassic Coast, an important geologic feature separating the Jurassic Period (145 – 201 million years ago) from the Cretaceous Period (66 – 145 million years ago) in the Mesozoic Era (66 – 252 million years ago). For this, the region is listed as a World Heritage Site. Quarrying was important to the local population until at least the 1st century A.D. with the Romans using the Purbeck Marble being used for projects as far away as London. After the Romans left, quarrying largely ceased until the 12th century. During that century, the demand for Purbeck Marble grew again for internal uses such as columns and other features in large churches and cathedrals of the day. This type of marble is unsuitable for external use due to weathering poorly, however it is strong and distinctly decorative for internal uses. Another more common quarried product is Purbeck Limestone. It is commonly called Purbeck stone. This limestone has been quarried nearly continuously dating back to the early days of quarrying in the region. Production of it was likely taken for granted until the 17th century when mining science refined quarrying techniques allowing for heavier quantities of production. The timeliness of that development led to the region becoming important due to the Great Fire of London in 1666. This fire devastated the city resulting in large scale rede
velopment of the capitol city where it was largely used in paving. Mining has ceased in recent times on the cliffs themselves. Ports were developed in Swanage at that time in response to the increased need for the materials produced there.
The area around the southeast coast of England became important to the survival of England during the early days of World War II. This region was very important to the development of radar. With the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, the British survived in large part due to the development of radar and the tenacity of British pilots who rose to meet the German onslaught. The proximity of this region to the French coast allowed placement of radar installations allowing for early detection of German Luftwaffe formations. The Germans bombed the radar sites, but not to the extent that they should have to disrupt the capability of the defensive system. Additionally, the British installed many gun emplacements, pillboxes and anti-invasion defenses in and around Swanage as a potential landing site of a hypothetical German amphibious landing. 1
In conducting research for this book, I realized that the geology of this region was critical to the story of the area and the training of the men who were Rangers. The geologic features here offered many opportunities to practice climbing “objectives” that were at least as challenging if not more challenging than the cliffs at Point du Hoc, Point de la Percée and the bluffs at Omaha Beach in general. The climbs to be done in Normandy were conducted on some of the same geologic formations from a scientific perspective. The northern headland of Swanage Bay and the areas north and east along the coast consist of chalk. The area south of the village consists largely of the Purbeck Limestone. The areas in the valley where the village sits are underlain by softer Wealden clays. Each of these rock types offers a distinctly different challenge to climbers, and as a result, climbing has become an important tourist destination for those climbers who are skilled enough to meet the challenges this region presents. Some of the areas climbed by the Rangers are considered amongst the most challenging climbs in all of England. Natural water, wind and tidal erosion have resulted in some very impressive formations of shelves, shingles and stacks along this piece of coast, notable among these is Old Harry Rocks. Fossils from the dinosaur age of the Jurassic have been discovered here1. 2