Rudders Rangers: The True Story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion D-Day Combat Action

by Ronald L. Lane, Reijo Makela

D-Day was characterized by sacrifice and uncommon valor. Yet even among the valorous deeds that were common on 6 June 1944, the exploits of the Rangers at Pointe du Hoc stand out as tributes to human courage. This book details the true story of Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder and his 2nd Ranger Battalion. It is a true story of courage, human ingenuity, achievement and ultimate sacrifice. The story of Rudder's Rangers is brought to life by Ronald L. Lane. Lane's familiarity with Rangers stems from his personal experience as an airborne ranger with the 101st Airborne Division. Lane's vivid depiction of the story and events of Rudder's Rangers will give you a depth of understanding of these great events, a perception of actually being there, that has not been available before. He presents the facts, but more importantly, he expertly weaves the thoughts and words of the survivors of the operation into a story of great perseverance and unhesitating sacrifice, a story that will continue to serve as inspiration to all who enjoy the freedoms bought with the lives of these brave men. The insights Lane has gained were made possible by personally interviewing hundreds of people associated with Earl Rudder and his Rangers. Personal letters, along with official Army records and files, add a historical perspective unmatched by any other account of the Ranger attack on the Normandy cliffs.

Genres: Military Fiction

201 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1995

Reviews

[G.I. Book Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very descriptive history about the 2nd Ranger BN for WW2 D-day actions. The story makes it a point to record for posterity actions from each individual that contributed to the sucess of the mission. Very descriptive writting makes it easy to imagine the actions as you are reading. This book serves to honor those that gave it all ... "one-hundred-percent and then some."

[George Schneickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a Retired Army Ranger and was a Ranger Instructor. Recently I visited Point du Hoc. It really brought home the importance of Ranger Training with emphasis on Lead the Way.

[John Nevola · Rating 5 out of 5]

The inspirational story of Colonel James Earl Rudder and his 2nd Ranger Battalion is exceedingly well told in this book. Rudder, a Texan and reserve officer, epitomizes the citizen-soldier leaders who were instrumental in winning World War II. He was a fighting field-grade officer who led from the front and his courage and leadership elicited a great deal of respect and affection from his troops.

Rangers will be the first to say they were not supermen but rather highly motivated individuals honed to a razor's edge through discipline and hard training. Rudder built his battalion from the ground up and worked them hard. They were the first battalion to be organized and trained in the States (The 1st, 3rd and 4th battalions were formed in England along with the 29th Rangers later disbanded). They trained diligently for one impossible mission; disable the big artillery guns atop the escarpment at Pointe-du-Hoc.

This book reveals the extreme difficulty of that mission and the stark realization that before the mission could be completed, sheer one hundred feet high cliffs had to be scaled under enemy fire. Only an elite group of soldiers led by an inspiring and courageous commander had any hope of achieving this "long shot" mission. But complete it they did and eventually destroyed the guns that threatened both Utah and Omaha beaches. In addition, this book chronicles the next few days after D-Day when the Rangers on the escarpment were repeatedly attacked and surrounded and held on by the slimmest of margins until relieved.

This is a fabulous book, especially for those interested in World War II, United States Rangers and D-Day. It contains a full roster of the 2nd Rangers along with a list a medals and awards presented. Rudder's Rangers was an extremely essential element in the research for my own historical novel

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rudder's Rangers gives an interesting, exciting and in depth look at the 2nd Ranger Battalion's D-Day assault and capture of Pointe De Hoc on the coast of France. This area was so important to the overall success of D-Day invasion. The loss of over 50% of these elite soldiers is a testament to the resistance they encountered and yet they prevailed. What hero's they are!!

[Steve Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short history of the 2nd Ranger BN and their role in the D-Day invasion. Many stories of individual actions. Written 35 years after the event many survivors of the battle were available to assist. Nicely drawn pictures of some of the events are provided and two maps near the end of the book provide detail for the defense of the Ranger position in the night of 6/7 JUN.