Hank Schrader

August 17, 2023

Best Value Travel

Come Sail with Us!

Hank Schrader

August 17, 2023

Best Value Travel

Come Sail with Us!

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Today’s Blog is about an excellent opportunity for you to sail with Anne and Hank on the Seine River in May of 2024. But before I explain this option, here are 2 important announcements:

Important Announcements

First, we are having some technical issues with our emails from hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. Although you may be getting error messages about not being sent or received, we are getting all messages and it appears that you are also getting them. For now, while we sort this out, we also will text you and include an alternate email address of hschrader@visitdd.com. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Second, almost all river cruise lines have opened up their 2025 schedules and they are ready for booking. There are some strong incentives for early bookings, so if a river cruise is in your plans for 2025, please reach out to us.

Our Seine River Cruise and a Possible 2 Day D Day Tour in Bayeux.

Our cruise is on AmaWaterways, sailing from Paris on 11 May 2024 and returning to Paris on 18 May 2024. The route is the Paris & Normandy itinerary on the AmaDante. The AmaDante has a max of 144 guests, has 73 staterooms and is perfect for the Seine River as a 110 m ship.

Sailing in May is an ideal time—the weather traditionally has been mild, not too hot, or too cold. While we have not sailed this route yet, most of you know we have led 2 anniversary tours to the D Day sites in 2014 and 2019, so we are quite familiar with this region of France.

Long time readers of our blog will also know the awesome way AmaWaterways takes care of its guests—we should know it will be our 23 AmaWaterways sailing and you can anticipate being treated the same way..

To help you learn more about the itinerary, please use this link to read the day-by-day experiences you can enjoy on this wonderful cruise (although the power point PDF uses the AmaLyra , the AmaDante has an almost identical deck plan and staterooms)..

2024 Paris & Normandy

To reserve your space on the cruise, please fill out a Travel Request. We will then explain the stateroom options and provide you an exact quote, which you will have 7 days to consider if this is the right trip for you—we hope so! You should also tell us if you desire to join the optional pre-tour of D Day. Here is the link:

Travel Request

The Optional D Day Pre Tour

Since it is very difficult to obtain hotel space near the key D Day Sites during the anniversary time of 6 June, we have developed a possible 2-day pre tour in Bayeux to see the D Day sites in depth prior to the cruise on 9 and 10 May. This possible tour has room for only 10 couples. We are planning to stay in the Churchill Hotel, provided we can get enough folks to book and deposit the pre-tour by 30 September 2023.

This was a history changing day, so let’s learn together about this massive invasion, why it was so important and why you should see the key sights in the Normandy battlefield beaches with our pre-tour.

We would recommend that you arrive on 8 May 2024 in Bayeux (we can help with train reservations to Bayeux from Paris).

On the morning of 9 May, we will visit Utah Beach and the museum, Pointe du Hoc, Iron Mike Statue, and the Airborne Museum in Ste. Mere Eglise. Here are some pictures:

Point du Hoc Observation Bunker With the Bayonet Memorial on top

Iron Mike—the tribute to the 82nd Airborne Soldiers

On 10 May will visit the American Cemetery, Omaha Beach, the costal gun battery, Arromanches 360 theater and the landing museum at Arromanches. Here are some pictures:

On 11 May, we will take the train back to Paris and join the AmaDante for our 7-day cruise.

By taking this tour, you will get a much better look at the actions during the D Day operation in 1944 and can also expand your knowledge by taking the British D Day tour during the river cruise.

This is a condensed version of the weeklong tour we led in 2014 and 2019 prior to the 80th Anniversary of D Day.

Our Final Thoughts

Wow—what an offer!

We hope you will consider joining us—it will be fun and educational. Anne and I will work hard to make this the trip of a lifetime. You will have our travel experience, the wonderful AmaWaterways ship experience with great meals and wine, luxury staterooms, exciting ports, cultural emersion, and a somber look at what the cost of freedom was in 1944. We also think that sharing the experience with like-minded folks will enhance the trip.

Please come join us!

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Hank Schrader

June 8, 2023

Veterans

The Significance of D Day 6 June 1944

Hank Schrader

June 8, 2023

Veterans

The Significance of D Day 6 June 1944

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Tuesday 6 June 2023 was the 79th anniversary of the D Day Invasion. As most of you know, we have led 2 tours during the 70th (2014) and 75th Anniversary of D Day (2019). It was an experience hard to repeat, as it is both a celebration and a somber event. Conflicts and wars result in suffering and loss of life that is sobering and causes me to have a lot of reflection about world events.

*Overview of the D Day Invasion Plan Portsmouth D Day Museum 2014*

My hope in writing this blog is to recount how the events of the D Day invasion changed world history in Europe and in many ways shaped our present-day world. It is also to recognize the sacrifice of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the allies to stop the aggression and occupation of Europe by the Third Reich of Germany.

Once you understand the consequences of this day in history, I think you will be compelled to visit Normandy to see for yourself the area of conflict that these brave, scared souls achieved on that fateful day.

This was a history changing day, so let’s learn together about this massive invasion, why it was so important, and why you should see the key sights in the Normandy battlefield beaches area.

What was the state of war in June 1944 in Europe?

The war was not going well for Germany in June 1944, as they were being pushed back on the Eastern Front by the Russian Army. They also knew that there was an invasion coming from England—they were defending one active front and trying to prepare for a second active front.

In November 1943, the Big Three (Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill) agreed in a conference in Tehran, that the Western Forces of the United States and Britain would invade France in 1944 and open a second front against the German Fortress Europe.

The clock was now ticking for the D Day invasion of France. It was a race between German defenders and the Allied invasion force.

The ideal strategy was simple for the planners of the D Day amphibious invasion—attack lightly defended beaches, secure the beach, and move men and supplies quickly inland.

Next, establish or capture a port to reinforce with more men and supplies.

Then, defeat the German forces and win the war.

Executing it proved to be one of the most difficult military tasks ever attempted.

During the massive planning operations, Pas du Calais (the most favorable landing site) and Normandy were under consideration. Both had enough good characteristics to work for an amphibious landing. But Normandy was the best choice, 1) as in 1943 it was a lightly defended part of the German Atlantic Wall and 2) the Germans anticipated an attack at Pas du Calais and fortified it and moved more soldiers into defensive positions.

The German Defenders

The Germans realized they weren’t prepared to properly defend the vast Atlantic Wall in 1943. The German commander, General Gerd von Rundstedt, drafted a report to Hitler about the scant fortifications and poor-quality units defending the area. Hitler responded by adding General Erwin Rommel (known popularly as the “Desert Fox” for his Africa campaign) to oversee improving the defenses.

The Germans knew an invasion was coming—they just didn’t know where or when. The choice that the Germans believed the Allies would select was an invasion of Pas de Calais, as it was the most logical invasion site—only 20 miles from England and had 20 miles of good landing beaches.

The allies bolstered that illusion by creating a fake force under the command of LTG George Patton, complete with fake equipment, field barracks and even docking areas near Dover. They relentlessly bombed the Calais area in the build-up phase, as well as other targets in France.

In an unusual operation, they also dropped dummies by parachutes, to harass and confuse the Germans.

*dropped dummies by parachutes, in the deception program*

Field Marshal Rommel was also convinced Calais was the prime invasion site and deployed the 208,000-man 15th Army to defend this area. The deception plan of D Day was working as hoped for by the Allies.

The first priority for the Germans was protecting the major harbors, as any invading forces would need constant supplies, more men and equipment. After securing these major ports, they then began building “Widerstandnesten” (resistance nests) along the beaches. These were a series of pillboxes, gun positions, anti-aircraft weapons and trenches. The beaches were littered with obstacles, mines (over 4 million mines). Inland, flooded lowlands and stakes were planted in the ground to cut into gliders during landings and make parachute operations more dangerous.

*Machine gun bunker guarding the beach and D-1 Draw on Omaha Beach. Taken during our 2014 tour*.

A key concept for the Germans was to stop the invasion on the beaches, so all defensive resources were placed at or near the beach areas and no defense in depth was planned. There were reserve units to stop breakthroughs, but the best reserve unit of panzer tanks could only be released by Hitler. If the Allies could breach these tough defenses, and cut off the reserve forces, they would have a good chance of success.

By June 1944 all the beaches used for the D Day landings in Normandy had at least some of these defensive measures in places.

Unknown to the allies, the best defended beach in Normandy was Omaha.

The stage was set for that fateful day 6 June 1944.

Concept of the Overlord Operation

You might be surprised to know the last successful armed assault across the English happened in 1066 (yes, the famous Battle of Hastings). 8 centuries later, this was about to change.

Amphibious landings are complex operations. Trying to attack with 5 divisions over a 50-mile front in Normandy, from a base in England, would require naval forces, air forces and army units from British, Canadian, and American forces. The allied armies and massive equipment needed to ensure success only added to the complexity. 150,000 soldiers would be required, with a fleet of 5,333 ships and an air armada of over 12,921 planes.

Synchronizing an operation of this size remains one of the most amazing military feats in the history of the world.

An Overview of the Invasion

Operation Overlord, the code name for the D Day invasion, was a complicated multipart attack. To soften up and destroy some of the defending German forces, the area was bombed for about 6 weeks prior to the invasion.

On the early morning hours of 6 June 1944, American and British paratroopers parachuted and later landed in gliders to secure the western flank (American forces) and the eastern flank (British forces).

Then, prior to the start of the landings, a naval bombardment of about 30 minutes in duration started, followed by an aerial bombardment.

Next, the amphibious landings took place on the 5 objective beaches. The 3 beaches in the British Second Army sector, were Gold, Juno, and Sword. They were attacked by British and Canadian units.

The 2 American beaches, under the U. S. First Army (commanded by Lt. General Omar Bradley), were Omaha and Utah

*Unit Patches from the Attacking American Forces at Utah, Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beaches*

Reflecting on the Significance of D Day

Some historians claim this was the most important day in the history of the last 100 years. The victory of the successful invasion was symbolic, strategic, and operationally sealed the fate of the Nazi regime. It would also change the course of world history.

Symbolically, it put forces governed by democratic systems into the decisive ending of the war—essentially Russia and their totalitarian regime would not control all of Europe if the Western Allies had not invaded and Russia defeated the Germans alone.

Strategically, the war in Europe expanded with a second front, and the resources of the American, British, and Canadian forces executed the “Germany First” political strategy to finish off the German Army and then on to defeat Japan in Asia.

Operationally, it relieved pressure on Russia on the Eastern Front and required the Germans to defend with over 400,000 soldiers on a second front.

The result of the successful invasion made America a world power and led to the stability and wealth of future Europe. Totalitarianism was not going to be the model of all Western European countries, yet some would suffer under the rule of Russia’s Iron Curtain in the war’s aftermath. This ideological conflict would quickly develop into the Cold War after the end of World War II.

D Day also was a key event in the global balance of power of nations. The resolve of the British in 1941 to return to the European continent was a crucial part of the conduct of the war prior to America entering into the conflict. After D Day and the conclusion of WW II, America emerged as the most powerful nation in the world, followed by Russia. Britain was the third most powerful nation. All 3 of these nations projected their influence on the world stage today, but it was especially true at the war’s end.

Ultimately, it ended in the Yalta conference with the Big Three to discuss the postwar reorganization of Europe. Despite promises by Stalin to allow democratic elections in territory such as Poland, he broke all his assurances of the agreement. The start of the Cold War was on.

So, Why Visit the Key D Day Sites

Strategy and higher-level planning provide resources for an invasion of this magnitude, but it is the soldier on the ground that executes the planning. How they achieved their tasks, and the terrain can not be fully understood until you actually visit the site of the conflict.

There is probably no Europe battlefield as well preserved as the D Day landing areas and fighting sites in Normandy.

Here are some sites we recommend you visit:

Pointe du Hoc

Pointe du Hoc is actually not changed much at all since 1944—the gun emplacements, the bomb craters, and the steep cliffs the rangers had to climb under intense fire, make their exploits come to life—how did they take this area given the natural defenses of this place? Those of us, who are ranger qualified like me, realize at best a 100-foot climb of a 90-degree slope to the top of the bluff peninsula with a full combat load of equipment would be a daunting physical challenge under any circumstances, but to do it under fire is a testament to the sheer bravery and intense training of the soldiers who accomplished this mission.

*The sheer cliffs of Pointe du Hoc. Notice the narrow landing area. It is easy to understand why the Germans believed it was not feasible to attack from the sea. This is from our 2014 tour.*

*A really good view of the bomb damage craters at Pointe du Hoc*

*Pointe du Hoc during the 2014 celebration.*

*One of the 6 gun emplacements at Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 tour.*

*This is the Observation Post Bunker at Pointe du Hoc. It is the present day site of the Ranger Bayonet Monument on top of the bunker*

*Bayonet Monument on Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 tour.*

Omaha Beach

This was the most daunting of the 5 landing beaches during D Day—the bluffs provided clear fields of fire for the German defenders. With favorable terrain for the Germans to defend, and airstrikes that missed the majority of the defensive positions, this landing site was in doubt as secured for most of the day on 6 June 1944.

Military trained personnel will quickly appreciate the open 300 yards or so, with no natural cover—it was a true “killing zone.” It turned out to be the most heavily defended of the 5 beaches during the invasion.

When the first soldiers hit the beach, the beach erupted into withering fire from all directions—it was utter chaos! Success at Omaha was still in doubt 6 hours after the attack began.

The chaotic battlefield resulted in over 2,000-2,500 men killed, wounded, or missing at Omaha—no one is really sure due to the confusion of this intense battle site.

As I walked the beach, I couldn’t help but wonder how anyone survived that day.

*Part of Omaha Beach as seen from the American Cemetery—these were good defensive positions for the German defenders to engage the American soldiers.*

*Western sector of Omaha Beach. Taken during our 2014 tour.*

*Sculpture on Omaha Beach, from our 2014 tour.*

*Les Braves sculpture Omaha Beach 2019.*

*Memorial on Omaha Beach 2019. This is located on the Les Moulins Draw.*

Utah Beach and the Airborne Combat Parachute Assault

Utah was a great success but a lesson to all leaders about the tenacity of the American soldier and decisive leadership.

Operation Neptune was the code name for the airborne and glider assault during the D Day invasion.

The Airborne Forces, though initially scattered (one account I read reported 75% were dropped at the wrong drop zones), performed with great success one of the most daring behind the line’s attacks in the history of warfare to secure their blocking positions.

There were two reasons for their success, in my opinion. First, the scattered forces confused the Germans—they could not focus their forces on one single area. Second, the resolve of the soldiers and their leaders—makeshift units operated to accomplish their missions, when unit cohesion was lost. Again, the individual fighting spirit of the soldiers to do the job despite the difficulties won the day.

It was not easy—after a week of brutal fighting about 2,500 were killed wounded or missing in action from the 2 Airborne Divisions.

*The sign marking the site of Iron Mike,—it is one of the most powerful messages I have ever read about D Day.*
*Part of this sign reads “*THIS MEMORAL SITE SERVES NO PURPOSE OTHER THAN TO ETERNALLY REMEMBER THE PRICE PAID IN BLOOD FOR FREEDOM AND PEACE. IN PERPECTUAL HONOR TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED THERE WAS NO BETTER PLACE TO DIE THAN THE LA FIERE BRIDGE AND NO BETTER REASON THAN THE LIBERATION OF NORMANDY.”

Iron Mike is a tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives capturing and defending the bridge at La Fiere. It was part of the mission to capture and secure the river crossings during the D Day airborne landings. The original statue is at Ft. Bragg, NC, home of the 82nd Airborne.. From our 2019 tour. Fort Bragg has just been renamed to Fort Liberty.

*Paratrooper equipment and uniform on display in the Airborne Museum—this is what a typical soldier wore to jump into the Normandy countryside.*

Utah Beach

The story of Utah beach is different than Omaha. It started out by a mistake--the planned landing site was off 1000 meters when the first landing craft approached the beaches.

It turns out this lucky mistake put the Americans at a lightly defended portion of Utah, with fewer obstacles, as compared to the more heavily defended planned landing site. A quick change of plans happened—the Americans took advantage of the poorly defended area and began pushing inland.

BG Teddy Roosevelt, Jr, assistant division commander, who landed with the first wave on Utah, recognized the error but also quickly realized the poorly defended area was a huge advantage and as we like to say in the military, “seized the initiative”. He and Col. James Van Fleet, commanding officer of the 8th Regiment, started sending troops inland on route #1 and pushed into the other route causeways. By 1100 hours, exit causeway route #1 was secure—the soldiers of the 4th had linked up with soldiers of 101st. Around noon, all 4 causeway exits were secured.

Utah turned out to be a roaring success. As the darkness started, around 23,500 troops and 1,700 vehicles had landed.

*Utah Beach—as you can see, the terrain is not as favorable to defend as Omaha was for the German forces.*

*Utah Beach in 2019. The monument in the background is the sailor’s monument.*

*Higgins Landing Craft on display at Utah Beach*

*A Sherman Tank on display at Utah Beach*

*Tank outfitted to swim. From our 2019 tour. Photo Hank Schrader*

Going inland on causeway #1. This is the Leadership Monument. The WW II Foundation selected Maj. Dick Winters of Easy Company as the symbol of leadership during the D Day Invasion. It was dedicated on 6 June 2012. Many learned about Major Winters and Easy Company from the series Band of Brothers.

Arromanches Artificial Harbor and Arromanches 360

While there are scant remains of this site in the ocean, building a harbor as a temporary port is a genius idea that worked. In the span of 6 days, this site brought about 300,000 soldiers, 54,000 vehicles and 104,000 tons of material to the Normandy battlefield theater.

We toured the Musee de Debarquement in our 2019 visit. It tells the story of the artificial harbor (the formal name is Mulberry Harbor, named after the towed parts of the harbor that were used to create this temporary port), from concept, to execution, to success. The port was named Port Winston after Winston Churchill.

*Part of the remains of the artificial port in the oceans*

*The D Day 75 Garden, near the 360 theater. In the background, you see some of the remains of the artificial harbor.*

*A monument to the engineer units. In the background is a mobile bridge to help soldiers and vehicles cross river obstacles.*

Overlooking this tiny village, is the Arromanches 360 Theater. For a 20-minute experience of 360-degree explanation of the 100-day battle of Normandy, this theater is shocking and spellbinding—we also have done it in 2014 and 2019 on our tours.

Longues-sur-Mer Battery

Located between Gold and Omaha beaches, this 4-gun installation is the only remaining coastal artillery site that remains in Normandy. It is well preserved and a stark reminder of the defensive power that faced the Allied attackers.

5 reenactors posed for us on our 2014 tour. Notice the strong fortifications to protect the gun enplacement.

The Airborne Museum in Ste. Mere Eglise

There is no better place to be on 6 June in Normandy than in the first liberated village in France. This is a festival, with parades, and reenactors. It is also home to the Airborne Museum.

The 3-part museum is fascinating and dedicated to the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

The first area of the museum is the Waco building, dedicated to the glider units.

*Entrance to the Waco building in the Ste. Mere Eglise Airborne Museum*

*Sargeant’s jacket and slide rule used during the glider operations displayed in the Airborne Museum, Ste. Mere Eglise*

There is also a C-47 building, dedicated to the plane used by the paratroopers and displays of their equipment and training.

*C 47 Jump plane on display Airborne Museum 2019*

Mannequins dressed in uniforms are used to simulate a loading scene prior to the night jump of D Day. To get a better view of the hanger space, visitors can climb an observation deck above the C 47 airplane

*Thompson .45 cal. Machine gun and ammo used in the D Day Assault. This is on display in the Airborne Museum in Ste. Marie Eglise, France.*

*Weapon’s Display in the C-47 Building on display in the Airborne Museum in Ste Mere Eglise*

The last part is called operation Neptune—using technology, you can experience a night jump into the square of Ste. Mere Eglise.

Here are some pictures from the festival, with displays, reenactors and festival folks celebrating the liberation of the village.

*DUKW landing craft on display in Ste Mere Eglise 2014*

*Reenactors in Ste. Mere Eglise during the 2014 D Day Festival*

*This is a display from the only French Airborne Artillery Unit in the French Army, from our 2014 tour.*

*Part of the parade during the 2014 D Day Festival in Ste Mere Eglise*

*Ste. Mere Eglise church steeple with the replica of a dangling PFC John Steele*

*Waiting in line for grilled meats, D Day Festival 6 June 2014 in Ste Mere Eglise*

*Drink Tent Ste. Mere Eglise D Day Festival 2014*

Normandy American Cemetery

The Normandy American Cemetery, perhaps the best known of all WW II cemeteries by Americans, is the final resting place for 9,385 killed and 1,557 reported missing during this campaign. It lies just yards from the Omaha Beach area.

Experiencing this area is special—the rows of dignified markers honor these dead. It was the first cemetery established in Europe by the Americans.

Walking this hallowed ground is a stark reminder of what it took to invade Europe—the sheer number of markers is just overwhelming. Anne & I led a tour here in 2014 for the 70th Anniversary of D Day (June 6, 1944) and in 2019 for the 75th Anniversary. During the 2014 and 2019 ceremonies, each gave site was marked with a small American and French flag. It was indeed memorable and touching and a fine tribute to our lost soldiers.

*This photo taken by Anne captures the vastness of this grave site and honors the religious afiliation of the deceased soldiers buried here.*

*Visitors paying tribute to soldiers with flowers. Many residents of Normandy have adopted a gravesite and leave flowers at individual grave markers. The French motto: NEVER FORGET*

*This photo does a good job capturing the precision the graves have been placed on this former battle site. It adds dignity to the cemetery.*

*A grave marker of an unknown soldier. The inscription reads “Here Rests In Honored Glory A Comrade In Arms Known But To God”*

*A concert during the 2014 Ceremony honoring the lost lives and soldiers at the American Cemetery in 2014*

I don’t think you can visit here and not feel that freedom is not free—it is earned by sacrifice.

Our Final Thoughts

D Day was a success but what really stands out to me is the resolve of the soldiers, sailors and airmen who made the operation work. Heroic, innovative and resourceful, these military forces should be honored for their deeds. They did not really see themselves as heroes--most just wanted to live to see 7 June 1944.

The war’s end would not come for 336 days of more combat. It would have never happened so soon, if these forces had not taken the first step on 6 June 1944 that ultimately ended the German occupation of Europe and opened a second front.

History was made that day, as the future of Europe would require the Allies defeating the Germans. Europe changed from occupied lands and countries to some free democratic countries and some under communist control. Today’s Europe could have been quite different if the invasion had failed.

We have led two tours in Normandy in 2014 and 2019 and those experiences have made this operation much more real for me. We owe a debt of gratitude to these folks—their sacrifice and courage will stay with me for the rest of my life.

If you have never been to Normandy and seen the D Day Beaches, I would encourage you to go.

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Hank Schrader

June 4, 2020

Veterans

Pointe du Hoc--Rangers Lead the Way!

Hank Schrader

June 4, 2020

Veterans

Pointe du Hoc--Rangers Lead the Way

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

The crossing was rough—the weather was stormy and the seas were not kind to the 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions. Most could not get any sleep, as the dread of an upcoming mission along with the rough seas made them restless. It is always that way before critical missions—no amount of training and preparation could ease their minds—they were going Pointe du Hoc to destroy an artillery battery on the top of a 100 foot cliff.

The capture of Pointe du Hoc was considered critical to the overall invasion plan. It was clearly one of the most dangerous areas of Normandy—high ground with good fields of fire and hard to capture during a raid. The 155 mm cannons could fire upon the landing zones of Utah and Omaha with devastating effect on the invading force. It had to be neutralized.

Pointe du Hoc was defended by elements of the 716th and 352d Infantry Divisions, along with artillerymen--it became a heavily fortified bastion for the Wehrmacht as part of the Atlantic Wall. Approximately 200+ German troops (125 infantry and 85 artillery men) were garrisoned in or around the Point du Hoc position.

The rangers had to take this defensive area or the whole D Day mission might fail.

This is the story of the Ranger mission during the D Day battle.

An Obstacle too Difficult to Take from the Sea

The Pointe du Hoc cliffs were considered too difficult to scale under combat conditions. This point of view was firmly held by the Germans. And, not surprisingly, most American military commanders also thought it was a suicide mission.

**A good view of Pointe du Hoc. From our 2019 Tour.**

Yet, it was vital to the success of the overall invasion scheme. The 100 foot cliffs were almost 90 degrees from the base to the top.

The Germans planned the defense on the land bridge of Pointe du Hoc facing away from the sea by concentrating their forces for an inland assault. They developed a defensive position consisting of heavily fortified concrete casements interlaced with tunnels, trenches, and machine-gun positions around the perimeter.

The Germans lightly defended the approach from the sea—they though it would be easy to stop invaders trying to climb the cliffs with just a few defenders.

Rudder’s Rangers

On the fateful day, Lt. Col James Rudder led 225 men in an assault on the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc.

But to understand this superb combat unit, we must return to the days of 1943, where Rudder formed the Rangers. The 2nd Ranger Battalion was activated on April 1, 1943 at Camp Forrest, Tullahoma, Tennessee. They were volunteer units. Each soldier had to possess superb physical qualities and sharp mental skills. They also trained in Florida. Each ranger became skilled in all types of weapons, hand-to-hand combat and handling difficult terrain. The unit was deployed to Scotland next. Here they trained on scaling cliffs and trained with British Commandos.

The rangers were organized into 6 line companies, A to F per battalion sized units. Each company consisted of 65 men and 3 officers. The companies were organized into 2 platoons.

The Plan

The plan was for part of the 2nd Ranger Battalion to assault the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc at 0630 and take possession of the German position by 0700. This group was named Force A.

Force A had 3 ranger companies in the task organization. Company D was to scale the cliffs from the west; Companies E and F were to scale the cliffs from the east. They would then destroy the cannons once on top of Pointe du Hoc. After destroying the weapons, they were to establish a defensive perimeter on Pointe du Hoc and prevent the Germans from moving reinforcements down the coastal highway that connected Grandcamp and Vierville.

The rangers were to hold the ground until relieved by the 116th Infantry Division. Relief was scheduled for noon on 6 June 1944.

Force B, Charlie Company of the 2nd Rangers, was to assault and capture the area on the far right flank of the Omaha Beach on exit D-1. Their objective was Pointe de la Percée.

Force C, was comprised of the entire 5th Ranger Battalion, along with A and B companies of the 2nd Rangers. Here were their missions:

1). If the initial landing force failed, Force C was designated to assault and capture Pointe du Hoc, by landing at Omaha and moving inland to take Pointe du Hoc.

2) If the mission of Force A was successful, they were scheduled to also land at Pointe du Hoc as reinforcements, assuming the objective was taken by 0700.

A Landing that Started Off Wrong

At 0445 the rangers of Force A were loaded into landing crafts that held 22 men per landing craft. They men and supplies were loaded into 10 landing craft and 4 DUKW's amphibious vehicles. As they approached the beachhead, they were 3 miles off course, and LTC Rudder realized the error—they were headed to Pointe de la Percée, the objective of Force B.

**This a DUKW landing craft. LTC Rudder’s had 4 mechanical ladders ready to use in the assault.**

The landing craft had to travel exposed back to the correct landing site. By the time they arrived at the objective, 1 landing craft and 2 DUKW’s were sunk.

They were due to start their assault at 0630, but the currents and navigation errors delayed the landing until 0710. Since the plan called for the assault to begin at 0630, the naval bombardment stopped at 0625. This allowed the Germans to regroup and take up some defensive positions.

The Germans, however, were slow to reorganize, and this aided the assault.

The first landing crafts made it to Pointe du Hoc at 0710. Their landing area was only 30 yards wide and the tide was rising. There was no time to assault from both the west and east sides of Pointe du Hoc—they all had to go up the cliffs from the east side.

Some equipment was not useable. The 75-foot mechanized ladders mounted on the amphibious vehicles couldn’t get into positions to be used—it was too slippery for the tracks to get into position (there were only 2 available as they were transported by the DUKW’s and 2 were already sunk). They had lost ammo supplies. Ropes, men, radios and all their other equipment were soaked.

The only thing in their favor—the intense shelling and bombing had caused some of the cliff face to collapse into rubble piles. In a few places, the climb would only be 60 feet.

The rangers were going to scale the cliffs under their own power using ropes and rope ladders.

Over the Top and Success of Force A

Scaling the cliffs was one of the most impressive military feats ever successfully accomplished by a US unit in combat. Companies D, E and F landed and scaled the cliffs by using rocket-fired grappling hooks attached to ropes. They developed the scaling techniques primarily by trial and error during their training sessions. Their training was intense and it paid off—under pressure and enemy fire these soldiers responded, despite incredible odds against their success.

The landing problems resulted in an assault only from the east side of Pointe du Hoc. Some of the soaked ropes didn’t reach the top, but finally some worked correctly. They only had 15 casualties in the initial assault. The German defenders cut ropes, threw potato mashers and fired on the exposed soldiers. The rangers countered with mortar fire and small arms fire at the German positions above. Also 2 US destroyers fired their guns effectively at the cliff side German defenders.

5 minutes after landing, some rangers were already on top of the cliffs. Within 15 minutes of landing, the majority of Rudder’s assault force had made it on top of Pointe du Hoc.

Once up top, small groups of rangers went off to accomplish their missions. They were stunned by the results of the bombardments—one soldier said it looked like the craters of the moon. It looked nothing like the mock-ups and photos of the site.

But the biggest surprise was that the 155 mm cannons were missing—the Germans had placed painted telephone poles in the concrete bunkers to fool the aerial reconnaissance. The German ruse had worked.

Each gun position had been assigned a number and the rangers knew their primary mission was to destroy the position assigned to their unit. Now they had to find the missing cannons.

**This gun bunker was still under construction and not yet completed.**

**One of the hardened gun positions at Pointe du Hoc.**

**Artillery Position #4 position at Pointe du Hoc**

**Gun Position # 6 Pointe du Hoc. This position was not yet hardened. In 1943, all the 6 gun positions were unprotected and open.**

Rudder divided his forces into two units. One group established a command post in the bunker area. The second group went off in search of the missing cannons. They were located, unguarded, in an apple orchard about a mile from Pointe du Hoc. With thermite grenades and other explosives, the rangers destroyed the weapons and ammunition supplies.

By 0830, Pointe du Hoc was secured and 5 artillery cannons were destroyed. Here is a picture of the 6th cannon, now on display:

155 mm Cannon on display at Pointe du Hoc — **This is the 6th 155 mm cannon now on display at Pointe du Hoc.**

Force A, led by LTC Rudder, was the first American unit to accomplish their mission on D Day. They had captured Pointe du Hoc and established blocking positions on the road.

Force B

Meanwhile, Force B (Company C, of the 2nd Ranger Battalion) was assaulting at Omaha and later would capture Pointe de la Percée. Their landing was at Charlie (farthest western sector of Omaha) on Omaha Beach, at 0645 in the second landing wave. They landed after Company A, 116th Regiment was being torn apart on Dog Green (now more famously known as the Bedford Boys, as 19 from the town in VA were killed in the D Day assault on 6 June). They too came under intense fire from 3 Widerstandnesten or Wn (resistance nests) defensive positions, Wn 71, Wn 72 and Wn 73. They fought their way to the seawall.

There were two possible plans for Force B. If the D-1 Draw was clear, move up the draw and attack Pointe de la Percée and eliminate Wn 74 (plan 1). Plan 2 was to climb up the cliffs (the worst option).

Force B lacked most of the specialized climbing gear that was allocated to Force A. With the draw not yet captured, the only option was climb the cliffs. Hugging the cliffs, they found a section to climb. PFC Otto Stephens climbed first, using his bayonet to dig hand holds. He and 2 other rangers established a rope for the remaining rangers, so they would be able to climb up.

The situation was so bad on Omaha, that the Force B commander, Captain Goranson, decided he had no other option than to attack Wn 73 and then proceed to attack Wn 74 on Pointe de la Percée. This turned out to be a great combat decision—Wn 73 was a really effective fighting position and Wn 74 was primarily a radar position, guarded by 2 anti-aircraft guns and several machinegun nests.

Only 29 of his 64 Rangers were able to fight—the rest were killed or wounded. The remaining 29 men began slowing clearing the trenches of Wn 73. They were later joined with 20 soldiers from 116th who also climbed the ropes. All worked together, clearing the trenches, to eliminate their lethal machinegun nests and other defensive positions.

At around 1400, Captain Goranson, after leading the men to clear the German defensive positions and block German reinforcements, led a patrol to Pointe de la Percée. He found it abandoned, with the defensive positions Wn 74 destroyed by naval fire as they approached. He returned to link up with Force C. Around night fall, Force B had only 12 men able to fight.

Force C

Force C was reluctantly waiting off shore, hoping to reinforce Rudder at Pointe du Hoc. His soldiers bobbed up and down in the rough seas. There was no signal received by the Battalion Commander, LTC Max Schneider, from Force A—he had ordered his landing crafts to lay-to offshore. Schneider knew how important it was to reinforce Force A at Pointe du Hoc.

There was no more time left; at 0740 six landing crafts with the rangers landed at Omaha beach at Dog White. They were met with intense fire. LTC Schneider, the only ranger officer with combat experience, moved the rest of the force to landing zone Dog Red. This was a pivotal decision during the early phases of the invasion landings at Omaha. He managed to get most of his force intact over the exposed 200 yards to the seawall—brush fires helped obscure the defenders from accurate fire upon his landing unit.

Getting a well-trained, elite unit almost intact to relative safety was a key factor in the fight for Omaha.

Shortly thereafter, he met up with BG Cota, Executive Officer of the 29th Division. It is here where Cota, urging the men off the beach, yelled out “Rangers lead the way!” They made it up the bluffs and probably were the key reason in the 29th Division sector succeeded in accomplishing their mission in taking their assigned sector of Omaha beach. LTC Schneider led his men through the obstacles, past the barbed wire and up the cliffs. They continued the assault to their initial objective near Vierville and later linked up with the remainder of Force B. They had been in almost 10 hours of constant combat.

However, they were badly shot up and could not effectively reinforce Rudder’s men at Pointe du Hoc on 6 June 1944 but they still wanted to try. Key leaders denied them the chance on 6 June 1944. The 29th Division had lost so many men, it needed the rangers to help defend the small beach head positions inland. Despite LTC Schneider’s pleas to go reinforce the stranded rangers, he was ordered to stay and help defend the beach head.

3 ranger companys were not as important as securing Omaha—a tough but correct command decision.

Hanging On at Pointe du Hoc

Rudder had signaled that he had landed late and taken Pointe du Hoc, but the message was garbled and not understood by the commanders at sea. They committed the reserve rangers (Force C) to land at Omaha beach. By the time he communicated success, and ask for help, the reply was “no reinforcements”.

Rudder’s group was now on their own.

Later that day, the Germans started their counterattacks. By night fall, Rudder’s men were forced back into defensive positions in a small 200 yard perimeter.

At 2100, 1st platoon of A Company, who had been unable to link up with the rest of the 5th Ranger Bn., had fought their way to Ponte du Hoc and linked up with Rudder’s men, with a force of 23 soldiers. They would be his only reinforcements on 6 June.

By 7 June, Rudder had a fighting force of fewer of 100 of the original 225 who had begun the assault. Ammunition and food were running low. He did get some reinforcements from the sea. About 60 men from the 1st Platoon of Fox Company of the 5th Rangers and a dismounted cannon platoon, help reinforced Rudder’s men and evacuate some wounded soldiers.

Rudder held on until 8 June, when the 5th Rangers and men from the 29th Division finally linked up with his force. His men had withstood 5 counterattacks.

The Price for Victory

The 2nd Ranger Battalion (a total force of about 488) had 77 killed and 152 wounded and 38 listed as missing. At the time of the relief, Rudder’s original force of 225 had less than 75 men capable of fighting.

Rudder was wounded twice in the battle and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). Thirteen other Rangers were awarded the DSC for their roles at Pointe du Hoc and the other ranger missions.

The 5th Ranger Battalion (again about 488 men, according to the Table of Organization & Equipment (TO&E)) had 23 men killed, 89 wounded and 2 missing.

Both the 2nd Ranger Bn. and the 5th Bn. were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre.

**Bayonet Monument on Pointe du Hoc. From our 2014 tour.**

My Final Thoughts

Competence | Courage | Sacrifice | Rangers Lead the Way

To me, the value of visiting a place like Pointe du Hoc, is to see first-hand the difficulties this unit had to endure to insure the success of the D Day invasion. Reading about this in history books or blogs just doesn’t due it justice—when you walk the terrain, the hardships and sacrifice leap out at you. It really is about the best of America military forces—superbly trained soldiers, given a near impossible mission, and they triumphed.

**Coin we handed out to our tour members from our 2019**

If you have never been to Normandy and seen the D Day Beaches, I would encourage you to go.

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HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 48+ years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

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