Pointe du Hoc

My son and I were talking over high points of our tour of the World War II Battlefields. The one that was both our favorite was Pointe du Hoc. We arrived at the site after a long day of touring and travel. The group gathered at a long, stone memorial wall and we got a brief explanation and then were told to go ahead and investigate. We rounded the wall and were amazed at the immense battle fortifications still remaining. We were able to walk at will in and out of the concrete battlements. There were remains of guns still in place. We walked through actual bomb craters from the war. Naturally, the grass was growing over some of the scars but the place held a quiet finality. There was such a contrast between the peaceful sea below the high cliffs on one side and the fortification field on the other. It was hard for us to fully comprehend the magnitude of the battle that day. We couldn’t imagine how the peaceful scene could be any other way. I’m thinking that the soldiers on both sides of the war, long ago, also wondered how the noise and bombing could ever be any different.

Here is a bit about Pointe du Hoc. The maneuver was complicated with mixed results. It makes for an interesting read if you have the time to do a little computer research. This is just the bare bones of the battle that day.

Pointe du Hoc is located on a cliff top on the coast of Normandy in northern France. It lies 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, and stands on 100 foot tall cliffs overlooking the sea. It was a point of attack by the United States Army Ranger Assault Group during Operation Overlord in World War II.

This was built by the Germans as part of the Atlantic Wall. With Pointe Du Hoc situated between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east, these guns threatened Allied landings on both beaches, risking heavy casualties. Intelligence reports assumed that the fortifications were too strong, and would also require attack by ground forces. The U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion was given the task of destroying the strong hold early on D-Day.

The Ranger battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder. The plan was for the three companies of Rangers to land 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.