Ranger History

"Rangers Lead The Way" - The motto of the United States Army Rangers, a special breed of soldier who has done just that from the 17th Century in colonial America until today. From the start, the Ranger has been a soldier who combined daring with great skill at warfare to accomplish his missions. This proud tradition still exists as an integral part of the Ranger Regiment.

The Rangers trace their origin back to the frontiersman of the new world. The settlers there encountered stiff resistance from some of the native Indian tribes, who practiced a form of warfare alien to the settlers. Using concealment, long range scouting, and swift raids, the Indians inflected a heavy toll on the colonist and their property. The Americans responded by adopting these tactics, and applied them effectively against the marauding parties of the East Coast tribes. Bands of men would often leave their settlement to search for approaching Indians raiding parties; upon completing their mission they would report that they had "ranged" or patrolled a certain distance from their homes. The use of "ranged" led to naming these scouts Rangers.

The first organized Ranger unit was activated in 1670 to combat a hostile tribe under the leadership of Metocomet, also called King Phillip. The Rangers commanded by Capt. Benjamin Church crushed the attackers and ended King Phillips war in 1675. The French and Indian War saw the return of the Rangers. Major Robert Rogers from New Hampshire organized nine companies to fight the British from 1756 to 1763. He published a list of 28 common sense rules, and a set of 19 standing orders stressing operational readiness, security, and tactics. By June of 1758, Rogers was conducting live-fire exercises.

Roger's operations were characterized by solid preparation and bold movement. His Rangers' most famous action was a raid against the Abenaki Indians who were known for their ferocity. The Rangers traveled over 400 miles taking them 60 days. This Ranger group killed several hundred Indians. The once feared tribe was never a threat again.

The Rangers broke new ground in waging war in another way. They took the fight to the Indians and the French on skis, snowshoes and even ice skates. The Rangers distinguished themselves as scouts and lethal adversaries. Little more than a decade later the Continental Congress called for ten companies of "expert rifleman" from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Called the "Corps of Rangers" by Gen. George Washington, this group of 500 men would be known as Morgan's Riflemen for their commanding officer, Col. Daniel Morgan.

The Rangers caused great losses to British troops at the battle of Freeman's Farm, Sept.1777, and Cowpen, Jan,1781. English General John Burgoyne stated that Morgan's Rifle company were "...the most famous corps of the Continental Army, all crack shots".

June 19, 1942 Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. Major William Darby and 2000 hand picked volunteers endure rigorous training at the hands of British Commandos. By the end of the program,only 500 men were left. They became the 1st U.S. Ranger Battalion. Of these 500, 50 took part on the raid on Dieppe on the French northern coast along with Canadian and British Commandos.

The 1st Ranger Bn. participated in the initial landing at Arzeu Algeria. They carried out crucial night operations in Tunisia and took part in the battle of El Guettar. Their Valor was recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation, the equivalent of awarding each man in the battalion the Distinguished Service Cross.

Two more battalions, the 3rd and 4th were created by Major Darby towards the end of the campaign in Tunisia. These battalions along with the 1st Ranger Battalion would be called "Darby's Rangers" or the Ranger Force. They would spearhead the invasion of Sicily at Gela and Licata and play a part in the conquest of Messina. At Salerno they would fight off Nazi counterattacks for 18 days to hold the Chunzi Pass. The Rangers experienced fierce winter and mountain combat in clearing the entrance to the narrow pass leading to Cassino. At Anzio they would defeat the beach defences and secure the town. Darby's Rangers suffered a severe setback on Jan.30, 1944 when the three groups were discovered infiltrating near Cisterna and were nearly wiped out by German armor and infantry. Of the 767 in the Ranger force, 761 were killed or captured. The survivors were sent back to the United States and transfered to the special service force, a joint Canadian-American special operations unit.

Col. James Rudder formed the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Camp Forrest, Tennessee on April 1, 1943. The men of the 2nd Battalion, along with those from the 5th Ranger Battalion, activated at Camp Forrest in September, 1943, and participated in the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach, Normandy. DOG, EASY, and FOX companies of the 2nd Battalion were assigned to neutralize a German artillery battery located on Pointe du Hoc. Some 220 men scaled the sheer face of the cliff through a storm of weapons fire and mortar and grenade explosions. Though only 90 men were able to fight when they reached the top of the Point, the gun emplacements were silenced.

During the initial assault on Omaha Beach, Brig. Gen. Norman D. Cota, asst. division commander of the 29th Infantry Division, realized that the invasion force must push on past the beach or suffer intolerable losses. Gen. Cota chose the 5th Ranger Battalion, led by Lt. Col. Max Schneider, to make a way through the murderous fire with the command, "Rangers, lead the way off this beach!". Gen. Cota's order has become the familiar motto, "Rangers lead the way!"

The 6th Ranger Battalion was formed in September, 1944, in the Pacific theater. The commanding officer was Lt. Col. Henry A. Mucci. The 6th Battalion was unique among the Ranger Battalions - it was the only one to conduct special operations. The soldiers of the 6th were among the first American units to return to the Philippines. All of their missions were usually a task-fore, company or platoon-size element that operated behind enemy lines, and involved long range reconnaissance and hard-hitting long range combat patrols. A reinforced company would later make a daring rescue mission in January 1945. The Rangers made a 29-mile forced march past enemy lines in search of the Japanese prison camp at Cabanatuan, Philippines, where American and Allied prisoners of war were held. After finding the camp, they crawled almost a mile over flat, exposed terrain and attacked Japanese positions. Over 200 enemy soldiers were killed in the ensuing battle. In contrast, only two Rangers were killed and ten others wounded. More than 500 prisoners of war were liberated, all within 20 minutes of the start of the siege. The 6th Battalion would later prepare the way for the 14th Airborne to make a jump onto Camalugian Airfield and bring an end to the fighting in the Philippines. All the Japanese prisoners of war taken during this operation were captured by one platoon from the 6th Battalion.

Though not called Rangers, the servicemen in the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) carried out Ranger-type missions in Northern Burma from February through August, 1944. Activated on October 3, 1943, the 5307th drew from seasoned combat veterans throughout the Southwest Pacific. Two battalions headed by Col. Charles Hunter sailed from San Francisco on the Lurline to Noumea, New Caledonia, then to Brisbane, Australia; a short stop at Perth and finally connected with a third battalion in Bombay, India, on October 31, 1943. Each battalion was composed of two combat teams. Each team was identified by a different color for airdrop/resupply purposes (red, white, blue, orange, green, khaki). Trained to perform long range patrol and function in enemy's rear area, the 5307th disrupted Japanese supplies and communication. Their mission was to pave the way for the construction of the Ledo Road, a connection between the Indian railway and the old Burma Road to China, and possess Myitkyina Airfield, the only all-weather landing strip in northern Burma.

The 2,997 man force, then under the command of Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill, would endure Burma's harsh climate, dense terrain, along with fatigue and the diseases native to the tropics, and still soundly defeat veteran Japanese soldiers in 35 engagements. to the American public, the 5307th became "Merrill's Marauders," for their stamina and professionalism deep in enemy territory. The Marauders would end their successful campaign at Myitkyina Airfield. Suffering heavy losses from exhaustion and illness, they nevertheless overcame the Japanese and seized the strip. The 5307th would be redesignated the 475th "Mars Task Force" after this action.

When World War II ended, the Rangers were disbanded, just as they had been after other conflicts in America's past. In 1950, however, the Korean conflict drew America once again onto the battlefield and the Rangers were revived, this time to be an airborne assault force.

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