American Forces in Action Series

Small Unit Actions

France: 2d Ranger Battalion at Pointe du Hoe
Saipan: 27th Division on Tanapag Plain
Italy: 351st Infantry at Santa Maria Infante
France: 4th Armored Division at Singling

Historical Division
War Department          Washington, D.C.

CONTENTS

Foreword iii
Preface v
Pointe du Hoe (2d Ranger Battalion, 6 June 1944) 1
  Assault Plans 4
  The Landing 5
  The Cliff Assault 9
  Capture of the Point 19
  Advance to the Highway 26
  Morning at the Point: Action on the Left Flank 34
  Morning at the Point: The CP Group 36
  Afternoon Counterattacks 43
  The Advance Group During D Day 45
  The German Night Attack: First Phase 48
  Night Attack: Second Phase 56
  Night Attack: Finale 57
The Fight on Tanapag Plain (27th Division, 6 July 1944) 65
  Background: The Attack on 5 July 69
  Morning of 6 July: Attack on the Plain 74
  Change in Attack Plans 81
  The Morning Attack at Harakiri Gulch 86
  The Afternoon Attack at Harakiri Gulch 89
  Afternoon: Plans for a New Attack (105th Infantry) 100
  Advance of the 1st Battalion (105th Infantry) 102
Santa Maria Infante (351st Infantry, 11-14 May 1944) 115
  Task of the 351st Infantry 119
  The Night Attack: Jump-Off 128
  Sergeant Pyenta's Group at Hill 103 131
  Lieutenant Panich's Group at Hill 103 132
  Sergeant Eddy's Group at Hill 103 135
  Advance to the Tame Road 137
  Company E at The Spur: 1st Platoon 143
  Company E at The Spur: The Main Body 145
  Company G is Stopped at The Spur 149
  The 3d Battalion is Stopped at Hill 103 (12 May) 151
  Capture of Company F (12 May) 154
  Plans for Renewed Attack (13 May) 158
  The Enemy Holds Out on The Spur (13 May) 161
  Hill 103 Again Stops the 3d Battalion 163
  1st Battalion Gains at the S-Ridge 165
  Capture of Santa Maria Infante (14 May) 170
Singling (4th Armored Division, 6 December 1944) 175
  Background of the Attack 179
  A Change in Plan 183
  The Infantry Attack 188
  Stalemate in Singling 200
  Relief of Team B 206
Annex: Abbreviations 212
 
Maps
Pointe du Hoe  
1. Assault at OMAHA Beach 2
2. Plan for Assault at Pointe du Hoe 6
3. The Assault Landings at Pointe du Hoe 10
4. Advance to the Highway 21
5. Morning Near the Point 32
6. Afternoon Counterattacks 42
7. The Highway Posiiton, 0830-2000 6 June 46
8. The German Night Attack, 6/7 June 1944 50
The Fight on Tanapag Plain  
1. V Amphibous Corps on Saipan, Morning 5 July 1944 66
2. 27th Division Zone, Morning 5 July 1944 68
3. Night Positions, 5 July, 105th Infantry 70
4. V Amphibous Corps, Morning 6 July 1944 72
5. 105th Infantry Attack, Morning 6 July 1944 74
6. The New Attack Zones 82
7. Harakiri Gulch 90
8. Final Attack on the Plain 99
9. V Amphibious Corps, Night of Banzai Attack, 6/7 July 1944 112
Santa Maria Infante  
1. Fifth Army Objectives 118
2. Mt. Bracchi Hills, 11 May 1944 120
3. Plan of Opening Attack, 351st Infantry 122
4. 2d Battalion, 351st Infantry 130
5. Company F, Sgt. Pyenta's Group at Hill 103 132
6. Company F, Lt. Panich's Group at Hill 103 133
7. Company F, S/Sgt. Ededy's Group at Hill 103 136
8. Company F, Advance to the Tame Road 138
9. Company F, Position at the Culvert 140
10. Company E, 1st and 2d Platoons at The Spur 143
11. Company E, 3d and 4th Platoons at The Spur 144
12. Company E, the Assault of the Crest 146
13. Company G at The Spur 148
14. Situation at Dawn, 12 May 1944 150
15. 3d Battalion Attack on Hill 103 152
16. New Plan of Attack, 351st Infantry 156
17. The Attack on The Spur 161
18. The Attack on Hill 103 164
19. The Attack on the S-Ridge 166
20. The End of the Battle on Mt. Bracchi Hills 171
Singling  
1. Third Army Front, 5 December 1944 178
2. 4th Armored Division, Plan for 6 December 1944 180
3. The Attack on Singling 184
4. The Fight in the Village 213
 
Illustrations
Point du Hoe  
  Pointe du Hoe cliffs 1
  Tip of Pointe du Hoe 3
  Western Half of Fortified Area 8
  Bomb and Shell Holes 9
  Last Lap of the Climb 13
  Cratered Ground 17
  Wrecked Emplacements 18
  Wreckage on the Point 19
  Top of German OP Position 22
  Ruins on Exit Road 25
  Farm Buildings on Exit Road 27
  Lane Leading South 31
  Col. Rudder's CP 37
  After Relief 41
  Orchard South of Rangers' Position 47
  Area of Highway Positions 49
  Typical Norman Orchard 53
  Hedgerows 60
  Preparing to Leave the Point 61
  Men of 2d and 5th Rangers 62
The Fight on Tanapag Plain  
  Tanapag Plain 71
  Aerial Photo of Tanapag Plain Battle Zone 75
  Infantry and Medium Tanks 79
  Paradise Valley 87
  Aerial Photo of Harakiri Gulch Sector 91
  Capt. Lawrence J. O'Brien 92
  A Pause in the Battle 101
  CP of the 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry 103
  The Ditch that Dorey Cleaned Up 104
  Capt. Louis F. Ackerman 105
  Cliff Walls 107
  T/Sgt. Charles Gannaway 109
Santa Maria Infante  
  Terrain of Fifth Army's Battle 116
  The Objective of the 351st Infantry 121
  Terrain of the Initial Attack 123
  The Ridge Road 124
  Terrain of Opening Attack 126
  Minturno 128
  Tame 141
  Minturno-Santa Maria Infante Ridge 142
  The Bare Slopes of the S-Ridge 157
  Terrain of Later Attacks 160
  Santa Maria Infante 170
  Returning To Ruined Homes 172
  Panorama 173
Singling  
  Church At Singling
 176
  Aerial View Of Singling
 182
  Enemy Self-Propelled Guns
 186
  Singling Main Square
 190
  Garden
 192
  Main Street In Singling
 193
  View Northeast From Singling
 195
  Courtyard
 198
  Open Yard
 199
  Hauptman's Destroyed Tank
 200
  Fitzgerald's Firing Position
 202
  Mark V Tank
 203
  Lt. Goble's Tank
 204
  Scene Near Bining
 211

Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation