European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pointed hoc the Keystone in Hitler s Atlantic Wall a Ranger struggles up the Dill at Pointe do hoc. A View from the lop of the Cliff at Prinle do hoc where . Rangers suffered heavy losses. Sis qua Schu Ettta Sis jul s a memorial to the rangers behind a German Bunker. To lilt germans guarding the Normandy Mast Prinle tin i lot was the Keystone in i Tiller s Atlantic Wall. To tin. Allies it  .1 deadly threat to the Success of a Day invasion plans. In the 10 Jos i Pointe do hoc was a Pular Pic Nic spot. By the Spring of i m4, the germans had turned it into a potential Allied Nightman. The 1 10-foot Cliffs had Heen topped with steel reinforced Concrete bunkers firing positions and observation posts. A gallery of heavy guns the most formidable on the Norman Toast could Spray targets 15 Miles away. In addition the 1 55rnm nuns were powerful enough to last Allied ships in the Channel. The american Landing beaches code named Utah and Omaha were within the nuns Range. Somehow the guns had to he knocked out. Gen. Omar Bradley Wourl later Call that order the toughest he Ever had to give. The assault on Prinle do i Loc lie Gan on april 15, 1941, with a massive air raid. Unknown to the allies the bombs succeeded in knocking out one of the big guns further air raids hammered the spol during May and the first Days of Une. Then Early on a Day morning the battleship Texas began pounding the Cliffs with ils 14-Inch guns. Ash hour approached the British destroyer Talybont and the . Destroyer Salter Lee joined in. The bombing and shelling it was hoped would soften the position enough to permit three companies about 225 men from the 2nd Ranger in to scale the Cliffs and destroy the guns. The rangers under the command of 1.1. C of. Lames Earl rudder had trained for the assault on almost identical Cliffs along the English coast. Rope ladders and lines on Grappel Hooks would he fired from cannons and would it was hoped attach to the lop of the nine Story High Cliffs. As an extra measure rudder s rangers borrowed Extension ladders from a London fire brigade. The rangers hit the Liny strip of Beach at the base of the Cliffs More than 40 minutes off schedule. The guide boat had led the assault to Volilla More than three Miles off course toward i Pointe de la Percee. Thy mistake was to Cost rudder his re enforcements the 500-Rnan Force made up of the rest of the 2nd rangers plus soldiers from the 5lh Ranger in. Those soldiers had orders to Wail until 7 . For word on How the Cliff assault fared. If the attack failed or if no word was received the Force was logo ashore at Omaha Beach with the 29th div swing West and Lake Pointe do hoc from behind. Rudder and his men were still at sea boiling toward the Pointe when the 7 . Deadline passed. His re enforcements duly went ashore with the infantry. Once ashore. Rudder s rangers met stiff fire from the Cliff. German soldiers fired straight Down on them and lobbed potato Masher grenades onto the climbing soldiers. And support fire that was raking the Cliff top dislodged huge chunks of dirt that hampered bidders tin struggling rangers. While most of the Cannon fired ropes and i. Had hooked on the Cliff lop German soldiers repeatedly Cut the ropes and ladders sending Many rangers tumbling to their deaths. Rangers perched Alop the fire ladders raked the Cliff lop with machine guns. The destroyer Sal Lerlee remained near Shore during the assault and continued to rain lire on the German fortifications thriving Many germans into bunkers. By afternoon the ship had used so my h ammunition it had to be replaced by two other ships. On the Cliff face some soldiers gave up on the ropes and ladders and struggled up hand by hand cutting holds in the Dirl with their knives. Others crouched in Small indents in the t lift face while German machine guns fired Down on them. Pointe do i Loc was a smoking poc it marked landscape when the first rangers rolled Over the Cliff Edge and fell into Shell holes for cover. Then were no German soldiers in sight and there were no 155mm guns. After the first air raid in april the German command had ordered the guns removed. A Ranger patrol later found the five remaining guns camouflaged in an Apple Orchard about two Miles Inland. The unmanned Battery was destroyed. The rangers suffered about 40 casualties in the assault and Many reports end with the rangers taking the Cliff position. But the american Force was to take numerous casualties Over the next Day and a half Asil tried to defend the hard won Cliff lop. A German counterattack began Hal afternoon and by a Day night the Landing Force of 225 was reduced to about 90 rangers who could still Bear arms. Soldiers from the 116lh inf supported by tanks finally linked up with the beleaguered battalion Idle on the night of june 7. Many rangers were decorated or their heroism during the assault rudder  the distinguished service Cross for continuing to Lead his men Afler being wounded twice. The Shell craters at Prinle do hoc today Are covered with grass and softened by 40 years of erosion. Many bunkers still stand their observation slits open to the often fierce Channel winds. Car sied chunks of blasted Concrete Liller the site. A Stone placed purposely at the Seaward lip of the Cliff lop. Commemorates the rangers daring assault on the formidable position. To the daring Ranger commandos in says in part who attacked and look Possession of the Prinle do  the Pointe do hoc site is Well marked off coastal Highway d5i4 just past is. Pierre do Mont and before Grandchamp Maisy. Day May in 1989 stripes Magazine