Omaha Lifeline

After reaching St-Pierre-du-Moni before noon, the relief column planned to push along the coastal highway to the junction of the exit road from Pointe du Hoc. Company A of the 2nd Rangers, fonning the column’s point, got to a hamlet …

1944-06-08

P06

After reaching St-Pierre-du-Moni before noon, the relief column planned to push along the coastal highway to the junction of the exit road from Pointe du Hoc. Company A of the 2nd Rangers, fonning the column’s point, got to a hamlet within 200 yards of the exit road, when heavy interdictory fire from medium howitzers fell on the highway behind them, forcing the tanks to withdraw. Reforming at Sl-Pierre, the column tried again. This time the tanks got past the exit road, but the 1st Battalion of the 116th was caught by well directed artillery fire which blanketed a quarter-mile stretch of the highway, and lost 30 or 40 men. This forced another withdrawal. Efforts were made to organize a third attack, again along the highway, but the aflernoon ended with the relieving force still in St-Pierre-du-Mont. Its advance had undoubtedly taken some of the pressure off the Point, and patrols made contact that night with the beleaguered force. During the afternoon, two LCVP's landed at the Point with food, water, ammunition, and about 30 reinforcements picked up at Omaha Beach. The worst of the situation was over. To strengthen the drive of the 116th Infantry along the coastal highway, the 2d and 3d Battalions, the remainder of the 5th Rangers, and two companies of the 743d Tank Battalion moved up from Vierville early in the morning of 8 June. At about 1000 a coordinated attack was started toward Point du Hoc; the 5th Rangers and the 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry, struck across country from St-Pierre-du-Mont; the 3rd Battalion and five tanks attacked from south and southwest of the Point; and the destroyer USS Ellyson put 140 rounds on the German clifT positions. The right wing of the maneuver reached the Point without opposition; unfortunately, the tanks and the 3d Battalion in their outfianking approach became confused about the location of friendly positions and started firing on the Point as well as on the enemy emplacements just west of it. The fact that the 2d Rangers were firing captured German machine guns at the enemy west of the Point may have contributed to the mix-up. Communications failed to function well, and some casualties were suffered before the situation was cleared up. Three tanks were disabled by mines in the effort to reach the Point. Enemy resistance had faded quickly and Pointe du Hoc was cleared by noon.

Pointe Du Hoc, France

La Pointe du Hoc is a promontory with a 100-foot (30 m) cliff overlooking the English Channel on the northwestern coast of Normandy in the Calvados department, France. Pointe du Hoc was the location of a series of German bunkers and machine gun posts. Prior to the invasion of Normandy, the German army fortified the area with concrete casemates and gun pits. On D-Day, the United States Army Provisional Ranger Group attacked and captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the cliffs. United States generals including Dwight D. Eisenhower had found that the place housed artillery that could slow down nearby beach attacks.

Wikipedia: Pointe du Hoc

German

American