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HEADQUARTERS SUBJECT: Action Against Enemy, Reports After/After Action Reports. 6 June 1944 At 0530 hours, the Fifth Ranger Infantry Battalion loaded into L.C.A's from the mother ships, H.M.S. Prince Leopold and Prince Baudouin, and started the ten mile run to the coast of France. The morale of the men was excellent, the weather cloudy, and the sea very choppy. About five miles from shore, one (1) L.C.A. containing the First Platoon and a part of company headquarters of Company F, had shipped so much water that it was forced to drop out of the formation. This platoon did not make the assault landing with the battalion but did land near the St. Laurent-Sur-Mer Beach exit at 0900 after transferring to a passing L.C.T. The beach was protected by a large number of under-water obstacles consisting of elements "C", hedgehogs and tetrahedra, many of which had Teller-Mines attached. Mortar and artillery shells were bursting in the area of these obstacles and a heavy concentration of small-arms fire swept the beach. A four foot seawall ran laterally along the beach about 75 yards from the water's edge. Friendly troops were observed utilizing the protective cover afforded by this wall. A pall of smoke obscured the sharply rising ground immediately in the rear of and over looking the beach. Our naval bombardment evidently had set fire to the vegetation covering the hill. The L.C.A.'s slowly threaded their way through gaps in the lines of obstacles and at H+75, 0745, the first wave consisting of one half Battalion Headquarters, Companies A, B, and E, landed on Omaha Dog White Beach at a point approximately 800 yards East of Exit D-1. The Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Max F. Schneider, had ordered the flotilla commander to touch down his craft east of the intended landing point, Dog Green, because the tremendous volume of fire which covered that portion of the beach was inflicting a large number of casualties on the preceding wave. The first wave crossed the beach in good order with few casualties, halted temporarily in rear of the sea wall, and immediately reorganized. The second wave, consisting of one half Battalion Headquarters, Companies C, D, and one (1) platoon of Company F, duplicated the feat of the first wave. At a signal of the Battalion Commander the leading echelon scrambled over the wall, blew gaps in the protective wire, and protected from enemy observation by the curtain of rising smoke advanced unhesitatingly to a point near the top of the hill. Here the smoke had cleared and the topographical crest was being swept by effective automatic weapons fire. First Lieutenant Francis W. Dawson, Company D, led his platoon over the top and wiped out a strongpoint thereby enabling the battalion to advance. Because of numerous minefields the battalion now changed into a column formation and, after winding through their intricate pattern, the leading unit, Company B, reached the St. Laurent-Sur-Mer -- Vierville-Sur-Mer road at a point approximately one (1) Kilometer east of Vierville-Sur-Mer. During the advance numerous Germans, well concealed in weapons pits constructed in hedgerows, were killed. Company B advanced toward Vierville-Sur-Mer receiving heavy sniper and machine gun fire. Several direct hits from enemy artillery on the rear of the battalion column caused numerous casualties. Company E attempted a penetration to the South but was halted by intense machine gun fire. An 81 mm mortar concentration fired by Company C knocked out several of these positions but they were rapidly replaced and the advance remained halted. The weight of the attack was shifted toward Vierville-Sur-Mer and, after overcoming considerable sniper resistance, the battalion advanced through the village to its western outskirts where it was again held up by a large volume of concerted machine gun and sniper fire. At this point contact was established with the Commanding Officer First Battalion 116th Infantry and approximately 150 men of his unit. Dusk was falling and the battalion was ordered to dig-in a perimeter defense for the night. Companies A, B, and C of the Second Ranger Battalion, numbering approximately 80 men, also assumed a portion of the defense area. Tanks of the 743rd Tank Battalion moved within the defense area. Except for occasional exchanges with enemy snipers and machine guns the night was one of little activity. One (1) platoon of Company A which became separated from the battalion after crossing the sea-wall proceeded through Vierville-Sur-Mer to the rallying point southwest of town, arriving there at 1600 hours. In accomplishing this feat they captured 12 Germans and killed at least an equal number. Leaving the rallying point shortly thereafter this unit fought its way through to Pointe du Hoc (the Battalion objective) and contacted the Second Ranger Battalion, arriving there about 2200 hours. The platoon from F Company which landed near St. Laurent-Sur-Mer received a large amount of artillery and machine gun fire on the beach. Patrols were sent out to locate the remainder of the Fifth Battalion but were unable to gain contact. Attempting to move along the beach toward Vierville-Sur-Mer this platoon was subjected to artillery fire receiving eight casualties. After advancing 600 yards to the West the unit was engaged by a superior force and pinned down. When darkness fell the platoon retained this position. The results for the first day were about 100 prisoners taken, 150 enemy dead, and approximately 60 Rangers killed and wounded. |
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