Rangers Lead the Way by Steven Zaloga

Author:Steven Zaloga [Zaloga, Steven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Rangers Lead the Way: Pointe-du-Hoc D-Day 1944
ISBN: 9781780962351
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Published: 2017-05-17T04:00:00+00:00

Sgt Leonard Lomell and Sgt Jack Kuhn from Co D moved forward of their outpost and decided to use a path running south between two parallel hedgerows to avoid the intermittent sniper fire. About 250 yards from the road were the five surviving German guns, in battery position and pointing to the west toward the Vire estuary and Utah Beach. The guns were unguarded and unmanned, but the battery positions included ammunition and were ready for action. Lomell had two thermite grenades, which he jammed into the traverse mechanisms of the two guns to disable them, and then smashed the gun sights on a third gun. The team returned to the Co D outpost to get more grenades. In the meantime, a Co E patrol of five Rangers under Sgt Frank Rupinski had been advancing towards the hedgerow from the east and located the guns shortly after Lomell and Kuhn’s departure. They had enough thermite grenades to place one in each gun tube and spike all the guns, and they also removed the gun sights and threw them away. Before departing, they blew up the main cache of propellant charges. As Rupinski’s men were at work on the guns, Lomell and a reinforced team from Co D returned to the gun position, but on seeing the Co E Rangers at work, headed back to their outpost. Two Co D runners were sent back to Pointe-du-Hoc by separate routes to inform Rudder that the guns had been spiked; Co E sent its own runners. Rudder’s HQ sent messages by radio, signal lamp, and pigeon at 1110hrs to higher headquarters. Neither the V Corps headquarters nor any other Army unit ever received the radio message, though it would appear that one pigeon reached England safely.

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