The Lost Ranger: A Soldier's Story
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171. Figure 171: Infantry landing at U.S. Assault Training School, Woolacombe, England (U.S. Army, courtesy of Richard Bass) 172. Figure 172: U.S. Assault Training Center, Woolacombe troop encampment at Saunton Park. (RAF photo public domain) 173. Figure 173: P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft (NARA)
174. Figure 174: Tactical Disposition of Ninth Air Force (Craven, USAF)6
175. Figure 175: 1943 Aerial photograph of Warmwell Airfield, England (Royal Ordinance Survey, public domain) 176. Figure 176: Map showing layout of RAF Warmwell
177. Figure 177: A 1947 air photo of Brodmayne and the marshalling camps. Camp D5 was located in the area of the right square in the fields northwest of the Tin hut. (17th January 1947. English Heritage (NMR) RAF Photography) 178. Figure 178: Present day photos of location of Camp D5 (Courtesy of Mr. Richard Drew, historian, United Kingdom) 179. Figure 179: Present day photos of Tin hut noted in above photo (Courtesy of Mr. Richard Drew, historian, United Kingdom)
180. Figure 180: Mapping of Broadmayne near Dorchester, England. Ordinance Survey of England Popular Edition 181. Figure 181: Wartime photo of marshalling camp showing 16 foot by 16 foot pyramidal tents
182. Figure 182: Troops landing ashore during FABIUS I (NARA)
183. Figure 183: Troops coming ashore during FABIUS I (NARA)
184. Figure 184: DD Tank and halftrack ashore during FABIUS I (NARA)
185. Figure 185: South England Map; 1935 (George Phillip and Son, Ltd, The London Geographical Institute) 186. Figure 186: Map showing cliff area at Burton Bradstock. Burton Cliff is shaded in the red square. (Ordinance Survey of Scotland Popular Edition)
187. Figure 187: R.A.F. reconnaissance photo of Burton Bradstock and Freshwater Bay taken on 7th. June, 1942.5 188. Figure 188: Taken from work by Dr. Ian West; The western part of the Chesil Beach at Burton Cliff, Dorset, is gradually diminishing in width and losing its fine shingle. The cliff of Bridport Sands, with Inferior Oolite at the top, is being underdercut as waves more frequently abrade the foot of the cliff. Within a decade or so the last 3 kilometres of the Chesil Beach. (at Burton Cliff and East Cliff, Bridport) might be mostly lost, and its new western limit might be at Burton Hive. Photo - 3rd March 2008. Ian West &. Tanya West (c) 2008.6
189. Figure 189: Map showing cliff area at Bat’s Head and Durdle Door shaded in the red rectangles. (Ordinance Survey of Scotland Popular Edition)
190. Figure 190: View of coast west of Durdle Door looking toward Bat’s Head (2013 photo courtesy of Alan Holiday) 191. Figure 191: Rock Formation known as Durdle Door. (Courtesy Dr. Ian West)
192. Figure 192: Map showing cliff area at Ragged Point (Boulder Ruckle) shaded in the red rectangles. (Ordinance Survey of Scotland Popular Edition)
193. Figure 193: Boulder Ruckle ledge place names (Courtesy Dr. Ian West)
194. Figure 194: Geologic view of Ragged Rocks (Boulder Ruckle). (Dr. Ian West)
195. Figure 195: Map showing cliff area at Old Harry’s Rocks shaded in the red rectangle. (Ordinance Survey of Scotland Popular Edition)
196. Figure 196: Wide Rock platform leading to Old Harry’s Rocks on Ballard Point. Area recognized by Ranger Copeland (photo courtesy Ian West)
197. Figure 197: Photo showing Old Harry’s Rocks on Ballard Point (photo courtesy Alan Holiday)
198. Figure 198: Area used by Rangers for cliff climbing on Isle of Wight. (Ordinance Survey of Scotland Popular Edition)
199. Figure 199: Alum Bay Cliff area on Isle of Wight used by Rangers (Dr. Ian West)
200. Figure 200: Swanage England. Arrow denotes Grand Hotel Swanage (Courtesy of Jamie S. at en.wikipedia)
201. Figure 201: Grand Hotel Swanage and surrounding area (Courtesy of Jamie S. at en.wikipedia)15
202. Figure 202: HMS Amsterdam (IWM)
203. Figure 203: Rangers training at Burton Bradstock. Note grapnels and rocket fire at cliff face Imperial War Museum (IWM) film, The Way Back.
204. Figure 204: Ranger LCAs firing rocket propelled grapnels at cliff faces in Burton Bradstock. These same LCAs landed on D-Day (IWM)
205. Figure 205: Landing craft firing ladders and toggle ropes at cliffs at Burton Bradstock (IWM)
206. Figure 206: Critical point in landing operations at base of cliff as assault had yet to commence, and men were bunched at base of cliff. (IWM)
207. Figure 207: Rangers scaling cliffs at Burton Bradstock (IWM)
208. Figure 208: Rangers lining up for cliff scaling (IWM)
209. Figure 209: Rangers making a mock assault of cliffs at Burton Bradstock in spring 1944 (IWM)
210. Figure 210: Ranger nearing top of cliff (IWM)
211. Figure 211: London fire-brigade ladders extended up cliff at Burton Bradstock (IWM)
212. Figure 212: U.S. Army Ranger DUKW outfitted with London fire-brigade ladder training in England (IWM)
213. Figure 213: 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion training with twin Vickers machine guns (IWM)
214. Figure 214: Ranger posing, ready to fire Vickers machine guns. (IWM)
215. Figure 215: Line of 2nd wave assault craft approaches beaches at Burton Bradstock (IWM)
216. Figure 216: Ranger re-enactor displaying orange diamond on rear of helmet (Photo courtesy of SSG Chase Adkins, 75th Ranger Regiment)
217. Figure 217: Photo example of U.S. soldiers relaxing in marshalling camp prior to D-Day (NARA)
218. Figure 218: Operation OVERLORD BIGOT Map of Omaha Beach, West (NARA)
219. Figure 219: Operation OVERLORD BIGOT Map reverse side, of Omaha Beach, West (NARA)
220. Figure 220: Operation OVERLORD BIGOT Map of Pointe du Hoc (NARA)
221. Figure 221: The Mounting Plan for Operation NEPTUNE (USACMH)11
222. Figure 222: Wartime photo of Rangers partaking of Red Cross hospitality tent in Weymouth Harbor (NARA)
223. Figure 223: Rangers marching through Weymouth to embarkation point (NARA)
224. Figure 224: Rangers marching through Weymouth to embarkation point (NARA)
225. Figure 225: 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion mounting their assigned LCAs at Weymouth (NARA)
226. Figure 226: Wartime photos of 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion on June 1, 1944 aboard LCAs (NARA)
227. Figure 227: 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion on June 1, 1944 aboard LCAs leaving Weymouth (NARA)
228. Figure 228: 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion on June 1, 1944 aboard LCAs leaving Weymouth en route to LSIs on June 1, 1944. LCA 1377 transported half of the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion including Captain Raaen. (NARA)
229. Figure 229: HMS Prince Baudouin (LSI) receiving LCAs in Weymouth Harbor, June 1, 1944(USCG)
230. Figure 230: Sunrise, D-Day, June 6, 1944 off Omaha Beach from US Coast Guard film (NARA)
231. Figure 231: General Eisenhower message given to Allied Forces before D-Day (USACMH)
232. Figure 232: German beach defenses at Omaha Beach, Belgian Gate (left) and Czech Hedgehog (right). (German Federal Archives)
233. Figure 233: Field Marhall Erwin Rommel inspects Omaha Beach defenses (Hemmbalken, or "obstruction beams") in spring of 1944. (German Federal Archives)
234. Figure 234: German 80 mm mortar (left) and MG-42 machine gun crew in Normandy (German Federal Archives)
235. Figure 235: German 105 mm gun, pictured in Russia, 1942 (German Federal Archives)
236. Figure 236: German Marder III Tank Destroyer (German Federal Archives)
237. Figure 237: German PAK 38 gun (left, German Federal Archives) and Nebelwerfer (right, NARA)
238. Figure 238: Portion of captured German Map showing artillery firing solutions onto Omaha Beach between Vierville Sur Mer and St Laurent (NARA)
239. Figure 239: Castle Gruchy family residence Loys and in 1944, the company PC 9/726, which defended the Breakthrough and Englesqueville (open source)
240. Figure 240: Captain Grundschloss, killed in action on June 6 Its 9th company (9/726) stopped the attacking Americans (5th Ranger Infantry Battalion) trying to reach the Pointe du Hoc from Vierville. (German Federal Archives)
241. Figure 241: HMS Prince Leopold in the Mediterranean (IWM)
242. Figure 242: Photo of type of 155 mm guns similar to those identified at Pointe du Hoc
243. Figure 243: Aerial photo of Point du Hoc revealing extent of bombing and bombardment leading up to and including DDay. (NARA)
244. Figure 244: An LCA leaving the LSI HMS Rocksand for the island of Nancowry, on the Nicobar Islands, October 1945. Other LCAs are suspended on davits waiting to be loaded before being lowered. (NARA)
245. Figure 245: Landing craft marshalling near transport vessel awaiting orders to go ashore. In Mediterranean on November 8, 1942 (NARA)
246. Figure 246: Photo of U.S.S. Texas, BB-35 firing batteries (NARA)
247. Figure 247: U.S.S. Texas, BB-35 (NARA)
248. Figure 248: Brigadier General Norman Daniel "Dutch" Cota, Sr (US Army photo)
249. Figure 249: Dog White/Dog Red Beach Sectors on D-Day sketch (Courtesy MG John Raaen, Jr., Army ret) 250. Figure 250: 0730 aerial photo showing 1st wave of 5th Ranger Infantry BN moments before landing on Dog White (NARA)
251. Figure 251: March 1943 Army Reconnaissance Photo of Dog Red/Dog White boundary (NARA). Note the lack of obstacles on the beach.
252. Figure 252: Dog White Beach showing smoke on bluffs from US Landing Craft. (NARA)
253. Figure 253: Duplex Drive (DD) Tank, Variant of M4 Sherman medium tank used by 743rd Tank Battalion (United Kingdom)
254. Figure 254: LCI 91 and LCI 92 en route to Normandy for D-Day invasion. (NARA)
255. Figure 255: LCI 91 explosion at 0750 hours on D-Day. Omaha Beach, Dog White Sector (NARA) 256. Figure 256: This view from within the H677 casemate at Wn 72 shows to advantage how the 88m Pak 43 installed within dominated the beach to the east. The wrecked LCI 91 is visible on beach in center of photo. US Army Signal Corps Photo, NARA
257. Figure 257: German PAK 43/41 Antitank Gun. According to the USHEC, this is one of five known remaining examples of this variant which is on display at USHEC, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Pictured is my wife holding my youngest daughter, with my middle daughter is in the background. (author’s collection)
258. Figure 258: View that 5th Ranger Battalion had of beach at Dog White upon approach of the shore showing fires. (NARA) 259. Figure 259: Aerial View of Dog White/Dog Red sector that 5th Ranger Battalion landed at taken at 1230 hours showing breakwalls and blackened areas as a result of fires on the bluffs. The crest of the bluff is noted by the farm fields to the top of the photo. Also note the hedgerow on the top right of the photo. This was used by the Rangers to mask their movements. (NARA)
260. Figure 260: German Coastal Defenses, War Department, Special Series Number 15, Page 23
261. Figure 261: PROFILE VIEW OF BLUFFS, DOG WHITE, in the area where Company C, 116th, and the 5th Ranger Battalion assaulted the bluff. The picture was taken in June 1945 when vegetation had grown up heavily. View is toward east; beach flat shows in left rear. (CMH – Omaha Beachhead)4
262. Figure 262: Official War Department mapping of assault of Omaha Beach near Vierville.4
263. Figure 263: WN 70 southeast of Vierville (NARA)
264. Figure 264: Sergeant Len Lomell sits astride his trophy, one of the guns of Point du Hoc in June 1944. (NARA) 265. Figure 265: Path of 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, B Company 2nd Platoon on D-Day overlain on German defenses mapping prepared by U.S. Army
266. Figure 266: U.S. map showing Allied advances and German defenses by midday on D-Day.
267. Figure 267: Postcard showing the Manoir of Than This structure was used by the Kommandatur Vierville PC and the 11th Grenadier Co. Germans defending the coast Vierville. (public domain)8
268. Figure 268: Ormel Farm (Open Source)
269. Figure 269: German bicycle soldiers in Normandy (German Federal Archives)
270. Figure 270: Aerial reconnaissance photo taken at 1215 hrs June 6 from 3000 feet. S/Sgt Hull and his unit are somewhere to the far left edge of this picture. (NARA)
271. Figure 271: Map from Free Vierville website showing American advances and German defenses on D-Day on western Omaha Beach overlain on BIGOT map. (Free Vierville website)
272. Figure 272: Letter sent by members of B Company to family of Elmo Banning upon his death (Courtesy of nephew Elmo Banning)
273. Figure 273: Map by Lt. Colonel Taylor illustrating Force B and Force C movements on D-Day (Courtesy of General Raaen) 274. Figure 274: Allied map showing German defenses at Grandcamp. Note flooded area to east (right) of map. Where this area joins the coast is the “Sluicegate” where B Company took positions and fought. (NARA)
275. Figure 275: HMS Glasgow (Imperial War Museum, public domain)
276. Figure 276: U.S. Army mapping showing June 8 action at Grandcamp, west of Omaha Beach (USACMH)5 277. Figure 277: German prisoners are led past the Rangers' command post on Pointe du Hoc on D-Day plus 2, June 8, 1944. U.S. Signal Corps (NARA)
278. Figure 278: 5th Ranger movements from June 6 to June 20, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail) 279. Figure 279: Continuation of 5th Ranger movements from June 20, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail) 280. Figure 280: Rangers marching past German POWs in summer 1944 (NARA)
281. Figure 281: 5th Ranger movements to Foucarville on June 20, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail) 282. Figure 282: 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion members who received DSC on June 21 for actions on D-Day (NARA).
283. Figure 283: 5th Rangers at Foucarville (Source unknown)
284. Figure 284: Valognes in summer 1944 (NARA)
285. Figure 285: 5th Ranger movements from July 3 to August 6, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail)
286. Figure 286: 759th Tank Battalion (L) Company B in Montebourg, France with M5A1 in August 1944. (NARA)
287. Figure 287: M-8 armored cars of 29th Reconnaissance Squadron Mechanized belonging to Task Force Cota of 29th US ID gathered on the east side of the Place Sainte-Croix à Saint-Lô. Photo taken on 19 July 1944 at the moment of their relief by the 35th US ID (NARA). They used the same equipment as the 4th and 24th Reconnaissance Squadrons (Mechanized)
288. Figure 288: M-8 armored cars of 29th Reconnaissance Squadron Mechanized belonging to Task Force Cota of 29th US ID gathered on the east side of the Place Sainte-Croix à Saint-Lô. Photo taken on 19 July 1944 at the moment of their relief by the 35th US ID (NARA). They used the same equipment as the 4th and 24th Reconnaissance Squadrons (Mechanized)
289. Figure 289: Valognes – 1944, Town Center looking South. Church at Center, Left Fork is Road to Apple Orchard (Photo courtesy of Rev. Frank Grubbs)
290. Figure 290: Valognes – 1944, View Looking South Down Main Road (Photo courtesy of Rev. Frank Grubbs)
291. Figure 291: 5th Ranger were positioned in Diélette from July 8 through July 19, 1944, Specific location is unknown. (mapping adapted from Géoportail)
292. Figure 292: Postcard showing The Chateau de Flamanville where the Rangers were positioned July 19 to August 6, 1944 (public domain)
293. Figure 293: Map illustrating the “Breakout” from hedgerow country (USACMH)
294. Figure 294: PFC Randall Ching and two Replacement Rangers riding atop an armored vehicle in summer 1944. Note camouflage on Ching’s helmet. (Courtesy Randall Ching)
295. Figure 295: 5th Ranger movements on August 7, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail)
296. Figure 296: 5th Ranger movements on August 7 to August 10, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail)
297. Figure 297: 5th Ranger movements on August 10 to August 15, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail)
298. Figure 298: 5th Ranger movements on August 15 to August 18, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail)
299. Figure 299: 5th Ranger movements on August 19, 1944 (mapping adapted from Géoportail)
300. Figure 300: German Submarine Bunker at Brest, France. Note Fort du Protzic, captured by the 5th Rangers on September 18 to top and left of sub base. (NARA)
301. Figure 301: 280 mm guns of the Graf Spee Battery defeated by
the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion (NARA photos)
302. Figure 302: One of the 240 mm guns at Fort de Toulbroc’h, later reportedly replaced by the Germans with 105 mm guns (patrimoine.region-bretagne.fr)
303. Figure 303: German 75 mm gun in Casemate at Fort de Toulbroc’h (patrimoine.region-bretagne.fr)
304. Figure 304: German 20mm Flak V, antiaircraft weapon (German Federal Archives)
305. Figure 305: German MG-42 machine gun (NARA)
306. Figure 306: Casemate construction at Fort de Toulbroc’h (patrimoine.region-bretagne.fr)
307. Figure 307: The Breakout of Allied forces from Normandy (USACMH)
308. Figure 308: The breakout of U.S. forces into Brittany (USACMH)
309. Figure 309: Patches of the 2nd Infantry Division (left), 8th Infantry Division (middle) and 29th Infantry Division (right) (public domain)
310. Figure 310: Map showing Battle for Brest (USACMH)16
311. Figure 311: Operation Overlord (the Normandy Landings), 6 June 1944, The 15 inch guns of HMS WARSPITE bombarding German positions around Caen during the invasion of Normandy (Admiralty Official Collection)
312. Figure 312: Map of German Fortifications at Fort de Toulbroc’h (from L’enfer de Brest, Page 18)
313. Figure 313: Fort de Toulbroc’h as seen from sea looking roughly northeast. Rangers approached along cliff to left (patrimoine.region-bretagne.fr)
314. Figure 314: German Coastal Defenses, Special Series Number 15, June 15, 1943, U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service.
315. Figure 315: Diagram of S-35 German landmine and pressure sensor from 1943 US Army training manual. (FM 5-31, Nov 1 1943)
316. Figure 316: Drawing of ravine reconnoitered by the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, B Company, 1st Platoon on September 2, 1944. (drawing by author)
317. Figure 317: Drawing of ravine reconnoitered by the 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, B Company, 2nd Platoon on September 2, 1944. (drawing by author)
318. Figure 318: View of German barracks battery Toulbroc'h towards 1944-1946, Service Historique de la Marine, Brest German Barracks buildings noted as “Camp” on map on Page 19. (patrimoine.region-bretagne.fr)
319. Figure 319: A P-47 and a high-speed M2 Kletrak tractor at the Poleva Airfield in Northern France. (Mercury Marten, Pintrest)