Brest, France, -- truly a chapter in Ranger History, for it was one of the longest, most difficult and costly campaigns of the War, for the Fifth Ranger Battalion.  At Brest, the Rangers found the best soldiers of the German Army, among them the fanatic Second Parachute Division, and one of Germany’s best Commanding Generals, -- Remcke.

Brest was a network of Forts and Pillboxes, a city so well fortified that it was considered impregnable, -- by the Germans, -- not by the Rangers.  But it did prove a “hard nut to crack”, and the Fifth Ranger Battalion, though a small unit, played a role many times its size in the capture of that Port.

The Battle for Brest began for the Rangers, on 29 August 1944, with an order from the Commanding General of VIII Corps, attaching two Ranger companies to the Second U. S. Division, for operations.  “A” and “C” Companies drew the assignment, under the command of Major Heffelfinger, (then Captain), the Ranger Executive Officer.

These two companies relieved a company of the 23^rd Infantry, and took up position overlooking Pyrotechnic De St. Nicholas, securing the left flank of the 23^rd Infantry and protecting the Guipavas-Brest road.

Company “E” moved to Gousneau relieving a company of the 9^th Infantry and was assigned the mission of keeping contact between the 2^nd and 8^th U. S. Infantry Divisions, and contact was made hourly.

Next morning, Company “E” received a determined enemy counterattack, and repulsed it with just eight casualties.  After being thrown, back, the enemy rained a heavy concentration of artillery into “E” Company’s areas and depleated “E” Companys strength by four more casualties.

“A” Company was drawn up beside “C” Company, and together they formed a defense area for the Guipavas-Brest road.  This area was subjected to constant long range machine gun fire.  One platoon of each of these companies, moved to a position to protect a Heavy Machine Gun platoon of the 23^rd Infantry, from enemy infiltration up the draw, and ran patrols to a company of the 23^rd Infantry Division to keep contact.  During the night, this force received harassing artillery fire, but suffered no casualties.  However, next day, one of the patrols clashed with the enemy and added two Rangers to the casualty list.

Up to this point, the mission of the Rangers had been purely defensive, so few enemy were killed or captured.

On the afternoon of 1 September 1944, the remainder of the Fifth Ranger Battalion received orders attaching it to the 29^th Infantry Division, to join in the Battle for Brest.  The Command Post at Tregarantec was closed and the battalion moved into a bivouac area, that evening.  Patrols sent out to determine the disposition of the enemy and secure the bivouac area, returned with three prisoners, but paid for them with three Ranger casualties.  An enemy force had been encountered, but withdrew.

Two patrols, led by Captain Gawler, (then Ist. Lt.), of “C” Company, and Lt. Walker, “A” Company, made a successful reconnaissance of Hill 105, captured three prisoners and killed at least three others.  The two companies were then attached to the 38^th Infantry, where they conducted a reconnaissance in force of Hill 90, under heavy sniper and Machine Gun fire.  On 4 September 1944, “A”, “C”, and “E” Companies were relieved of their attachments and rejoined the battalion.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the battalion had been given the mission of moving South to gain contact with the 116^th Infantry Regiment and straighten the front lines.  “F” Company protected the battalion flank while “B” Company seized the high ground and “D” Company moved forward and prepared to hold the ground.  The mission was accomplished rapidly, against little enemy resistance. 

The second platoon of Company “B”, led by Lt. Gombosi, was then ordered to make a reconnaissance in force of the draw, and to make this possible, the first platoon of “B” Company, led by Lt. Askin, was to move to a Road Junction near the draw and upon signal, attack South.  In addition, one platoon of “D” Company was to follow Lt. Askin.  As this platoon approached the Road Junction, it ran into stiff resistance but proceeded South as ordered.  Meanwhile, Lt. Gombosi and his platoon were in position just outside one of the forts, and observing no enemy within, requested permission to attack and capture it.  Permission was granted, and he moved forward, slowly, going from dug-out to dug-out, toward the heart of the fort.  It was nearly half an hour before he found an enemy, but here, the daring and cockiness of a handful of Rangers was not enough, as they found the enemy outnumbering then ten to one.  They were forced to withdraw, while the battalion reserve platoon came to their aid.  Meanwhile, Lt. Askin’s platoon had advanced 500 yards South, but was ordered to withdraw to the Road Junction.  Night was falling, and with the only battalion reserve committed, enemy counter-attacks were being received in every position.  It was a dangerous situation, and help was needed, so Lt. Col. Sullivan, (then Major), Battalion Commander, radioed to the rear echelon for every available Headquarters Ranger to be sent to the front, at once.  This was not a new experience for Headquarters, however.  They had landed with the first waves on “D” Day, had fought throught the entire Invasion Operations, and as time would tell, from that time on, they were always under fire with the other Ranger companies.  Headquarters Company was constituded into a Ranger Company, for use wherever needed.

With Headquarters Company in position as Battalion Reserve, the Rangers prepared to attack the Fort.  “F” Company held its position on the flank, -- “B” Company attacked the Fort from the North, -- “D” Company followed “B” in column at about 500 yards.  The attack was preceeded by an air attack.  First try and the fighter bombers missed the target by 400 yards.  Lt. Gombosi moved down the draw to begin his attack.  The planes tried again and missed, and the attack had to be called off.  The next time that the air was to attack, it was agreed to use Purple Smoke to mark the target.  By this time, Lt. Gombosi was in position.  Eight P-47s flew over the target as three dud shells from the artillery hit the target.  In desperation, White Phosphorous Shells were used, marking the target perfectly, and the Air Corps struck, -- sixteen direct hits on the Fort.  “B” Company commanded by Captain Pepper (then Ist Lt.), began its attack.  The planes came back three times and strafed.  – the last time with Lt. Gombosi and his platoon less than one hundred yards from the Fort.  As the planes came back and strafed again, Lt. Gombosi and his platoon, followed closely by the first platoon, rushed into the smoke and dust, less than twenty yards from the riccocheting bullets.  Six minutes later, the Fort was reported captured.  247 Prisoners were taken from the Fort, including five officers, -- and by just 60 Rangers.  “B” and “D” Companies wheeled to the East and took up positions overlooking the draw. 

Next day, “F” Company seized some high ground, while “D” Company and Headquarters began to attack South to seize another Fort.  After a two hour assault, the Fort was taken, yielding more than 300 Prisoners to “D” and Headquarters Companies.

“F” Company fought ahead to occupy more ground by midnight, and the days fighting ended with 320 Prisoners taken and approximately 150 enemy killed, as against fifteen Ranger casualties.

Next day, 5 September 1944, with a platoon of Company “A”, 644^th TD Battalion, the Rangers attacked again.  “B” Company attacked the next Fort, while “F” Company supported with a covering fire.  However, “B” Company was heavily courter-at-tacked on the left flank, and a slight withdrawal was necessary.  “F” Company seized the situation and attacked across the ravine, while the TDs fired into and took pillboxes in the opposite Fort.  “F” Company then finished off the attack with a bayonet charge that turned German blood into ice, and the Fort was captured.

But again the situation became critical.  As “F” Company was heavily engaged with the enemy, our own planes bombed them, the concussion tossing men up in the air.  But in times of stress, a good leader thinks quickly, and the situation was taken in hand.  “A” Company was sent through “B” Company’s position to relieve “F” Company on the South, while “E” Company swung around and came to “F” Company’s rescue from the West, and positions were held and counter-attacks repulsed.  The Germans paid for that day’s activities with seventytwo prisoners and 100 killed, against Ranger casualties which numbered only eighteen. 

Next morning, all companies advanced to the ravine, killing 50 enemy and capturing 39 against an unbelievable figure, -- one Ranger casualty. 

All night of the 6^th and all day of the 7^th, the Command Post was being heavily shelled by 20 MM 40 MM flak which wounded one Ranger and damaged three vehicles. 

“B” and “F” Companies were left in their positions, and the remainder of the Battalion, including Headquarters and the Command Post moved out.  Marching to Loch Marie Plouzane, the Battalion entrucked for a new area, getting as far as possible on the trucks and then marching again, to an assembly area preparitory to an attack on Le Conquet.  The route of the trucks brought the Rangers under the eyes and guns of the enemy on Crozon Penninsula, but passage came safely, and the guns of Crozon did not bother the Rangers until later in the Brest Campaign.  However, the assembly area was entered under the fire of mortars and flak, but without casualties.  The Command Post was placed only a few hundred yards from the enemy. 

Under cover of darkness, the Rangers moved out to occupy positions as far forward as possible, without digging in, as they were so close to the enemy positions that a snapped twig would have brought on a murderous mortar barrage.  Patrols were sent forward to reconnoiter the ground ahead, that would be used in the morning.  Headquarters furnished security for the Command Post Area, and the stage was set for tomorrow’s play, “The Assault on Le Conquet”. 

Next day and the day that followed, artillery answered artillery,  -- patrols went out and cleaned up enemy pockets of resistance, and the companies advanced under withering machine gun fire.  Company “E” led the assault on seven enemy concrete emplacements and took 130 prisoners, while a patrol of “C” Company, under command of Captain Gawler, (then Lt.) went out and took 40 prisoners.  The TDs softened up the West coast of Le Conquet and La Mon Blanche, and then the attack came.  “E” and “A”, supported by two TDs entered the town from the South, while Company “C” supported by two TDs entered the town from the East.  Two hours after the attack had begun, Le Conquet fell, yielding 96 prisoners. 

The grimness of War seems to be spotted by comedy, and in this case it was the FFI (Free French Underground) who furnished the amusement.  They had waited outside the town until it was taken, and as soon as the town surrendered, they went marching into the town, tipping their caps, bowing and “Bon-Jour-ing”, while the French Civilians cheered them for performing the liberation. 

Next day saw the fall of La Mon Blanche, and a plan to make a crossing of the channel with rubber boats, proved unnecessary.  The Air Corps bombed the town and the artillery found its mark, so that the Rangers had an easy time of it and suffered only seven casualties to take 130 prisoners and kill five enemy. 

With another phase of the job finished, the battalion moved back to the area being held by the “B” and “F” Ranger Companies and then to a position from which they were to attack Le Cosquer.  “B” and “C” Companies were attached to the 29^th Division Reconnaissance Troop and in their operations with them, captured a pillbox and took about forty prisoners.  The rest of the battalion attacked Le Cosquer, with “D” Company dominating the assault.  The assault men of “D” Company advanced across the open ground, so rapidly that many of the enemy were killed in their foxholes, and they entered the town, first.  The town was mopped up and 215 prisoners taken, with but fifteen Ranger casualties for the day.  Another misfortune, as our own artillery shelled the town after the Rangers had taken it. 

Further ground was taken, and “E” Company took a pillbox, capturing 35 prisoners. 

17 September 1944 found the Rangers preparing to assault fortified positions around Fort Du Portzic.  At 1500 hours, Lt. Aust, with a platoon of “E” Company, attacked one of five pillboxes South of Le Cosquer, with the TDs furnishing covering fire.  The platoon placed a 40 lb charge of C-2 in the vision embrasure of the pillbox, and three minutes before the charge was blown, a heavy mortar barrage fell in the area surrounding the pillbox, -- 200 rounds in two minutes, killing two Rangers and wounding a third.  The charge was blown successfully, though it had no visible effect on the pillbox.  These fortifications were built to withstand the heaviest attacks, and they were doing their jobs well.

However, Colonel Sullivan had another plan and at 2140 hours that night, Captain Green (then Ist Lt.), led an “E” Company patrol of eleven men up to the pillbox again.  This time, they carried two 40 lb. C-2 charges, a 50 lb C-2 charge, Beehive type, and twenty gallons of a gasoline and oil mixture.  The charges were placed and the mixture poured over the pillbox, while the artillery and TDs covered the patrol’s activities.  All the other Rangers waited and watched, as every gun stopped firing when the patrol reached the box.  Everyone waited, -- waited to see if the enemy would discover the patrol and open fire, -- waited to hear the explosion and watch the pillbox burn, -- waited to see if the new solution would penetrate the thik concrete and steel of the pillbox.  The explosion came at 2210 hours, and the burning pillbox lit the sky for forty minutes.  The long silence had broken and every man on the patrol returned safely.

At 0200 hours, next morning, a patrol from “A” Company went out to try for a second pillbox, but the Germans had posted heavy machine guns outside the boxes and the Rangers could not get close to the box. 

Next morning, 18 September 1944, all Brest surrendered, and the pillbox that Captain Green’s patrol had blown, was inspected.  The box had been thoroughly destroyed, and the bodies of seventeen Germans were found inside.  Prisoners taken from adjacent installations stated that the effect of the explosion had been so demoralizing that all personnel had remained awake and alert for the entire night.  They believed that a flame thrower had been used, accompanied by oil bombs. 

Another campaign had been completed, -- another job well done, as is indicated by the Commendations that followed.  In the Battle of Brest, the Rangers had captured 2114 Prisoners, killed 624 enemy and suffered 137 Ranger casualties, -- some of whom rejoined the Rangers for later operations, -- others who never returned.

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