Pointe du Hoc
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Pointe du Hoc is a clifftop location on the coast of Normandy in northern France. It lies 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, and stands on 30m tall cliffs overlooking the sea.
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The target
Pointe du Hoc (often misspelled as "Pointe du Hoe" in official Army documents) is best known for the assault made on it during the World War II Normandy landings, June 6 1944. The Germans had fortified six 155-mm artillery emplacements on the cliffs which overlooked the landing beaches. These guns would enable artillery fire to be directed over both Omaha and Utah approaches, undoubtedly causing massive casualties in the landing forces. Although bombarded several times from the air and by naval guns, intelligence reports assumed that the fortifictions were too strong, and would also require attack by ground forces. The US 2nd Ranger battallion was therefore given the task of destroying the strongpoint early on D-Day.
The attack
The Ranger battallion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder. The plan called for the three companies of Rangers to be landed by sea at the foot of the cliffs, scale them using ropes, ladders, and grapples under enemy fire, and engage the enemy at the top of the cliff. This was to be carried out before the main landings. The Rangers trained for the cliff assault on the Isle of Wight, under the direction of British Commandos
Despite initial setbacks due to weather and navigational problems, resulting in a 40-minute delay and loss of surprise, the cliffs were scaled and the strongpoint was assaulted successfully, with relatively light casualties. Fire support was provided during the attack by several nearby Allied destroyers. However it was discovered that the main objective of the assault, the artillery battery, had been moved out of position, possibly as a result of air attacks during the buildup to the invasion. The Rangers regrouped at the top of the cliffs, and a few went off in search of the guns, tracking them down far inland and destroying them. This new battery location inland was sighted solely for Utah beach.
The costliest part of the battle for the Rangers came after the cliff assault. Determined to hold the high ground, yet isolated from other assault forces, they fended off several German counter attacks over the next two days, until reinforced from Omaha Beach. The original plans called for an additional, larger Ranger force of eight companies to follow the first attack, if successful. Flares from the cliff tops were to signal this second wave to join the attack. But because of the delayed landing, the signal came too late, and the other Rangers, mostly of the US 5th Ranger battallion, landed on Omaha instead of Pointe du Hoc.
At the end of the 2-days action, the landing force of 225+ was reduced to about 90 men who could still fight.
Today
Pointe du Hoc now has a memorial and museum to the action. Many of the original fortifications have been left in place. The site is speckled with an impressive amount of bomb craters.
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External links
- Ranger Monument (http://www.abmc.gov/ph.htm) on the American Battle Monuments Commission web site
- Offical US Army Report (http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/smallunit/smallunit-pdh.htm)fr::Pointe du Hoc