5TH RANGERS
C COMPANY
The 5th Ranger Battalion
We are honored to portray the 5th Ranger Battalion, and proud to be able to share their history with you. The following timeline summarizes the battalion’s history and campaigns from their activation in 1943 through their deactivation in 1945.
A special thank you to our dedicated unit members who compiled this research, and to the National Archives at College Park for allowing us to access their archives.
Jump to:
D-Day | Battle for Brest | Saar | Battle of Irsch-Zerf | Rebuilding & War's End | Resources
Activation
September 1, 1943
The 5th Ranger Battalion was activated at Camp Forrest, Tennessee on September 1, 1943. Within three days of activation, thirty-four officers and 563 enlisted men had joined the battalion's ranks.
Following completion of basic training on November 3rd, the battalion moved to Fort Pierce, Florida on November 5th to begin specialized training. Training at this amphibious base focused on specialized maneuvers, coastal raids and naval operations, and continued through November 20th.
The battalion’s final training in the States took place at Fort Dix, New Jersey, to further prepare the men for movement overseas.Training involved tactics for prolonged battles, gaining qualifications to use all weapons, and marching with speed and stealth through enemy territory.
Four months after their activation, the battalion departed for England from New York on January 8, 1944.
Original photograph of 5th Ranger platoon taken at Fort Dix, New Jersey in December of 1943.
Special thanks to Connie T. for sharing this with us
Training in Europe
January 18 - June 1, 1944
The journey to England took ten days by ship, and upon reaching their destination in Liverpool, the battalion was relocated to Leominster to resume training. Commando training began two months later in Achnacarry, Scotland, during which time Major Max Schneider joined as Battalion Commander.
As April arrived, Fabius landing exercises began at the Assault Training Center in Brauntion, England. Final training exams took place at the end of that month, the battalion moved to Sawnage at the beginning of May for cliff scaling training. On May 17th, the men were relocated one final time to Dorchester where they awaited the approaching D-Day operations.
On June 1, 1944, the battalion departed from Weymouth Harbor en route to Normandy, France.
Beginning the D-Day Invasion
June 6, 1944
At 4:30 a.m., the battalion boarded their Landing Craft Assault (LCA) boats to begin their ten mile journey to the coastline. By 6:30 a.m. they circled offshore, carefully avoiding underwater mines and mortar and artillery shells as they waited for a signal from the 2nd Rangers. Machine gun and small arms fire could be seen across the beach, along with a four foot sea wall that spanned its length seventy-five yards from the water's edge. Due to heavy casualties following landings at Vierville sur Mer, Colonel Schneider ordered the entire battalion to land to the east of Vierville on Omaha Dog White Beach instead of Dog Green Beach as initially planned. Companies "A," "B" and "E" landed first, followed by companies "C," "D" and "F." All regrouped at the base of the sea wall prior to crossing. Upon their landing, General Norman Cota of the 29th Infantry Division was quoted saying - after asking what outfit they were - "Well, God damn it then, Rangers, lead the way!", a saying that would later give rise to the official "Rangers, lead the way" motto.
With "B" company leading, the battalion scrambled over the sea wall, advancing quickly but carefully as the beach was littered with land mines. Large sections of barbed wire hindered advancement as well, and required the Rangers to weave through or create gaps big enough for passage. All attention was focused on taking Vierville, and the town and the right flank of the beachhead was secured by dusk.
One platoon of company "A," separated from the battalion after crossing the sea wall, made it to the battalion's objective at Pointe du Hoc and made contact with the 2nd Ranger Battalion. The rest of the battalion took up defensive positions on the beachhead overnight with three companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, part of the 1st Ranger Battalion, and elements of the 116th Infantry and 743rd Tank Battalion.
D-Day Invasion Operations Continue
June 7 - June 11, 1944
At 6:00 a.m. on June 7th (D+1) companies "C" and "D" joined forces with men from the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 116th Infantry, and 743rd Tank Battalion to try to reach Pointe du Hoc and relieve the 2nd Rangers. The rest of the 5th Ranger battalion stayed in Vierville to expand and defend the beachhead from German counterattacks. While they succeeded in reaching St. Pierre du Mont, they made it no further due to eight hours of incessant heavy artillery fire. They dug in at St. Pierre overnight, and established contact with the 2nd Rangers at Pointe du Hoc by laying a ground wire.
June 8th (D+2) the battalion succeeded in reaching Pointe du Hoc after overtaking the town of Grandcamp les Bains and the Sluice Gate Bridge. With the support of the newly relieved 2nd Rangers, companies "A," "C" and "F" took charge of clearing out a strong-point at the town of Maisy on June 9th (D+3). The rest of the invasion met little resistance, and the battalion secured and cleared the areas from Grandcamp les Bains to Isigny.
In the weeks following the Invasion Operations, the 5th Rangers were briefly in charge of prisoners of war before moving Flamanville, France to guard its beaches against possible counter-invasion attempts by the Germans. This period offered temporary relief and respite, and gave them time for training new recruits before the Brittany Campaign.
The Brittany Campaign (Battle for Brest)
August 29 - September 17, 1944
On August 29th, companies "A", "C" and "E" relieved elements of the 2nd Infantry division as the battalion moved to the French province of Brittany to liberate the port city of Brest from German control. The remainder of the battalion arrived on September 1st, and were attached to the 29th Infantry Division. They began their charge to take the forts the following day, attacking Ft. Toulbrouch with both artillery and air support. The battle lasted into the next day when the fort fell, and the Rangers pressed on to attack and capture a second fort before regrouping with "A", "C" and "E" companies.
Together on September 5th, the battalion attacked Fort de Mengant, and after a hard fought battle the fort was taken with a bayonet charge from "F" company. The capture of this fort and many others - including Pointe du Petit Minou and Fort de Dellec - over a ten day period became collectively known as the "battle of the forts," and the 5th Rangers were credited for clearing the western shoreline of Brest.
The battalion endured heavy fighting as it moved on to the Le Conquet Peninsula west of Brest, and on September 17th they joined with the 29th ID again to aid in the attack of a long held German stronghold around Fort Du Portzic. The attack was successful and Brest surrendered the following day on September 18th.
Respite
September 21 - November 30, 1944
During a period of training and respite in Belgium and Luxemburg, the battalion was able to travel into the areas of Arlon and Differt in their free time. Here they were treated to banquets and meals out of gratitude from the local populace. They were also able to organize a soccer team to compete against the local championship team. The game ended in a loss for the Rangers.
On November 7th, the battalion received the orders they would be returning to France, much to their disappointment and to the disappointment of the Belgian citizens who were sad to see them go. They spent the remainder of the month in Toul and Nancy, France, training new recruits and performing minor patrols.
The Saar Campaign
December 1 - December 24, 1944
During the first week of December, the battalion attached to the 6th Cavalry Group and returned to high casualty combat in Germany. They participated in heavy fighting in cold, muddy conditions in the Aspenhubel, L'Hopital, Lauterbach, and Carling areas until December 8th when they were placed on reserve in Ludweiler.
December 13th saw their movement to Stein-B, Germany, where they again took up the defensive. Patrols and some bloody firefights followed, and notably on December 21st, companies "B", "C" and "D" participated in a raid that led to the capture of a high ranking German officer. They were relieved from battle on December 24th and relocated to Metz, France to take part in Christmas celebrations.
The Battle of the Bulge & Onward to Zerf
December 28, 1944 - February 22, 1945
The battalion's respite lasted a short three days. With the Battle of the Bulge raging on, the 5th Rangers were tasked to take up defensive positions at St. Avold, France with the 95th ID in preparation for a German attack. Such an attack never took place, however, and they were moved to Johannesbannberg, France to continue their training with reinforcements they received during their time at St. Avold.
On February 9th, they were attached to the 94th ID and took up defensive positions at Wehingen, Germany. Their patrols continued until the battalion moved into heavy combat on February 19th, and companies "A" through "F" split up as they took up offense and later defense at Oberleuken and Hellendorf. Company "B" moved to Weiten to protect the towns of Taben, Orcholtz, Keuchingen, and Hamm.
On the afternoon of February 23rd, all companies - then spread out over 11,000 yards - received orders to assemble in Weiten, where they received the news of their new mission: a 48 hour mission to seize high ground behind German lines on the Irsch-Zerf road in order to protect the 10th Armored Division as it crossed the Saar River. All companies - minus "B," which was already there - would move to the 94th Infantry Division bridgehead at Taben to cross the Saar River and begin their trek to Zerf. At this point, the battalion was 398 strong with new replacements.
The Battle of Irsch-Zerf: The Defensive
February 23 - February 27, 1945
By 6:00p.m. on February 23rd, all companies of the battalion had regrouped. Their departure across the Saar river was delayed almost two hours as heavy artillery fire and friendly traffic prevented them from crossing the only footbridge spanning the river. When the Saar was behind them, they faced a strenuous climb to the top of the Hockerberg, a nearly vertical hill that required them to move on hands and knees. The ascent took almost three hours, but the battalion took little casualties and began their descent into the Waldgut Hunscheid Forest. Terrain was heavily wooded and carved with sharp hills and ravines, and after crossing behind enemy lines in the early morning hours of February 24th, they were met with brief skirmishes every few hundred yards despite moving in stealth. German prisoners were taken where possible, and the battalion found refuge in a group of unoccupied houses overnight.
On February 25th, they continued to press on, reaching the Irsch-Zerf road by 8:30a.m. and taking up defensive positions in all four directions. By noon they had encountered their first Germans and they were met with strong counterattacks by the late afternoon hours. The end of the day saw the prisoner count rise to almost 200 - up from 95 that morning - and although ammunition and supplies were running low, their spirits remained high as they believed they would soon be relieved. Artillery liaison planes attempted to drop supplies, but German fire kept them from flying at recommended height, and the needed food and ammunition landed either outside of their zone or was too damaged to use.
At 3:00 a.m. on February 26th, the Germans briefly gained ground with a counter attack four hundred men strong, but the area was regained a few hours later at the end of the battle. By noon, the 10th Armored Division arrived, but instead of providing relief, their orders were to pass onward. They brought the Rangers food, water, ammunition and extra radio batteries before leaving them to their own defenses.
As the battalion was still in control of the defense to the east, west and south, they continued to hold their position into February 27th. By interrogating some of their German prisoners, they discovered they were under attack from 136th Regiment of the Second Mountain Division, whose orders were to take out the entire Ranger battalion. At that time, Colonel Sullivan made the decision to move from the defensive to the offensive. Their goal would be to take out German pillboxes at the top of a nearby hill to the south in order to gain better ground and a greater advantage. They would move out the following day. At this point, the battalion had approximately 350 prisoners and several hundred of their enemies were killed or wounded.
The Battle of Irsch-Zerf: Offense & Defense
February 28 - March 5, 1945
On the morning of February 28th at 9:00, “C” and “D” companies began the attack to secure the nose of the hill. They succeeded after two and a half hours, and the rest of the battalion soon regrouped with them to provide support. However, the steep, heavily wooded terrain mixed with heavy artillery and rocket fire prevented the battalion from reaching the top, and at dusk they dug in to spend the night 200 yards shy of their goal.
The next morning at 5:00, counter attacks began and went on sustained for an hour. Under the cover of artillery support, companies “A” and “F” moved to the crest of the hill and overtook five German pillboxes, securing the surrounding area and capturing 105 enlisted men and 10 officers without suffering a casualty themselves. The remaining companies moved to join them, and the battalion set up defense in high spirits from their success and the news that the 301st infantry was approaching to perhaps provide some relief. Moderate artillery and rocket fire continued to shake the ground, but there were no large scale attacks until 7:00 that evening when the enemy attacked directly under the cover of darkness. Germans overtook many of the Rangers in foxholes, hitting “B” and “C” companies particularly hard. The attack lasted 25 minutes before the fire suddenly ceased. The battalion waited tense in the dark for the remainder of the night, but morning's first light revealed their enemy had indeed retreated. The Germans gained no ground, and did not attempt a large scale attack again.
The battalion held its ground in unceasing artillery fire for three more days before relief finally came in the early morning hours of March 5th. The 94th ID and the 302nd Infantry Regiment had arrived, and the battalion pulled out around 1:00a.m. Their 48 hour mission had ended 220 hours later, a total of nine days. They took a total of 700 prisoners and killed or wounded hundreds more, accounting for a great majority of the 136th Regiment of the Second Mountain Division. They paid for their accomplishments with heavy losses however, and of the 398 men that began the operation, only 180 men returned after The Battle of Irsch-Zerf.
"They performed in a manner far surpassing their already high expectations and hopes."
- Colonel Sullivan speaking of the battalion's performance
The Rebuilding Phase
March 6 - April 11, 1945
As the 5th Rangers moved to Schwebsingen, Luxembourg, they entered into a period of rebuilding. Colonel Sullivan began his search for reinforcements for the battalion, while the surviving 180 core members were allowed rest and rehabilitation. Little training was done during this period and was not intensified until March 19th when the battalion was moved to Trier, Germany, and later to St. Wendel, Germany. "D" company later returned to Trier, but the battalion together was in charge of keeping order in the towns. Their mission stayed the same through the beginning of April though they traveled to numerous towns throughout Germany to do so.
On April 11th they began a series of missions to establish and maintain the order of military governments across five towns. Though small battles were fought while maintaining town perimeters, the number of prisoners taken far exceeded the number of casualties, and protecting the town's food warehouse's from looters was one of their biggest priorities.
One Last Battle & Germany's Surrender
April 21 - May 8, 1945
The 5th Ranger battalion began their last mission on April 21st. Colonel Sullivan and "C," "E" and "B" companies were attached to the Third Cavalry Squadron of Third Cavalry Group at Hersbruck, Germany. Major Heffelfinger and "A," "D" and "F" companies were attached to the the 43rd Cavalry Squadron of Third Cavalry Group at Lienberg, Germany. Together with the Cavalry, the battalion worked to capture and secure bridges along the Danube River to allow safe passage for the 71st ID. Their mission was met with only minor resistance and small arms fire, and the Rangers suffered only minor casualties. Task complete, they were relieved from duty and reassembled in Wenzenbach, Germany.
By May 7th, the battalion had settled into Ried, Austria where they received word of Germany's unconditional surrender the following day. They continued to serve in a variety of locations across Germany and Austria as both guards to prisoners of war and undertakers of garrison duties until the beginning of their long journey home in early August.
Deactivation & Accomplishments
October 22, 1945
The 5th Ranger Battalion was deactivated at Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts. The battalion was credited with taking 4,541 prisoners and killing an estimated number of 1,572 enemy soldiers.
For their accomplishments, 115 of their men were killed in action, 552 were wounded, twenty-five were recorded missing in action, and two were known to be captured. They were commended for their efforts with two Presidental Unit Citations for their actions at Pointe Du Hoc and the Saar River Area during the Battle of Irsch-Zerf respectively.
