Mar 21st, 2016: Pointe du Hoc

[xoxoxoBruce]

Calm down Morticia.
Pointe du Hoc is a little bump on the coast of France, hardly noticeable on a map, which not very pretty as it’s lumpy, pocked,
and beat to hell. It draws a lot of tourists, which is not unusual for the French shoreline, but you won’t find any naked, or near
naked ladies, because it’s beaches are narrow, pebbly, and 30 meters straight down.
What it does have is a wonderful view of the bay and two beaches….. Utah and Omaha.


The Germans had installed six 155mm artillery guns in heavily reinforced concrete bunkers. This could be annoying on D-Day, so …

Heavy bombers from the U.S. Eighth Air Force and British Bomber Command had repeatedly plastered the area, with a climax
coming before dawn on June 6. Then the battleship Texas took up the action, sending dozens of 14-inch shells into the position. Altogether, Pointe-du-Hoc got hit by more than ten kilotons of high explosives, the equivalent of the explosive power of the atomic bomb used at Hiroshima.

But none of the good guys knew if that pounding was successful, they had to be sure, those guns could jeopardize the whole shebang.

The task fell upon the 2nd Ranger Battalion, under the command of Colonel James E. Rudder. After a perilous landing on the beach, the Rangers fought the slippery rock face, sodden ropes and enemy fire, and finally struggled to the top only to discover, to their astonishment, that Germans had already moved the guns and replaced them with huge timber beams.

They don’t call them Rangers for nothing, searching found the guns nearby then took them out with grenades… and balls.
But now they were in the Lions den.

The mission was completed but the Rangers still had to get out that place. Unfortunately, the relief forces came two days too late. Without reinforcement and food running low, the Rangers managed to hold off repeated attempts by the Germans to recapture the site. By the time the troops coming from Omaha Beach had broken through to their positions, less than 40 men of the original 225 had survived.

Somehow sending their family a Certificate of Appreciation and a Medal, doesn’t seem like enough.
Sadly there are too many people who would have us jump into another war in a NY minute.


LINK

[Snakeadelic]

Personally I like to imagine a world where the most vocal warmongers are at the top of the list to be drafted if they get their wish. I know it's not realistic, but that's what imagination is for...right?