Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 010, folder 14: 2nd Ranger Battalion after action reports

After Action Reports 2nd Ranger Bn personal statements Box 10, #14

After Action Reports 2nd Ranger Bn. Personal Statements Bladorn, T/5 Kenneth K. A Company Dorchak S/Sgt. Joe B Company Noyes, Pfc. Nelson W. C Company Reed, S/Sgt. Oliver E. C Company

Continuing hospital interviews, here is a statement from:

T/5 KENNETH K. BLADORN (check sp.) A COMPANY 2ND RANGER BATTALION

It was taken by Major Leigh of the 314th Station Hospital; statement begins: "I landed on the beach about two miles to the left of C Company at D plus one hour. We landed extremely low tide. It would have been better if we had left at high tide. There were many obstacles and the water was up to my neck. We were the first in. No one would clear the obstacles which were just beach obstacles and a few mines. We just walked between them. I did not notice any trigger wires. We had about 200 yards to go after I got out of the water and after I got about 100 yards an 88 hit me in the back and knocked me out for a minute or two." (Presumably he means that an 88 exploded nearby and that he was hit by shrapnel.) "It was a sniper and I was still carrying my pack. Germans were sending in cross-machine gun fire, snipers inbetween, 88's and mortor fire. We were on the extreme left of the 116th. 22 out of 65 in A Company left. Shingle rocks were in front of us; then sand; the rocks piled up three feet high. There was a sea wall to the left about 300 or 400 yards away. I was on the rocks all night and the next day until about 7 or 8 o’clock that night. The ambulatory patients got off the first night and a few stretcher cases. The tide came in pretty fast. Vessels were drifting to the left but none were anchored. The first night the Germans bombed the ships to the left about one and a half miles and set one on fire, which burned all night. I saw a few German prisoners go by. They were about a hundred yards from me and from what I could see there was one in civilian clothes. One medic in our company was shot through the neck but still carried on with his work. The Navy medics were very good; they came in after a while and did a pretty good job under the conditions. I saw 5 tanks in the afternoon lined up drawing plenty of 88 fire but the tanks did not open up. Fortunately none were hit. There was about 15 of us wounded, lying under the rocks in a 25 yard stretch. " End of statement.

Now here is a joint interview with: PFC. NELSON W. NOYES COMPANY C 2ND RANGERS and STAFF SERGEANT OLIVER E. REED COMPANY C 2ND RANGERS

"We landed on Omaha, Dog-Green, at H plus three minutes. We were on the British ship, Prince Charles. At 0545 we got into LCA's and got in line and started going in. We were about 2,000 yards off the beach when the Germans started throwing artillery at us and then the Navy opened up with a big barrage. Destroyers and rocket ships were covering us. We kept going in. The Germans were shooting at us when we were 300 yards off the beach.”

NOYES: "When my boat hit the beach it was sunk by three 88's and about 8 or 10 men were killed. We went out onto the beach and the Germans had us zeroed in. We waded in about a foot of water and came to sand and then there were rocks which formed a shelf. All of us ran across the beach as fast as we could. I ran about 100 feet before hitting the ground when we ran into enemy cross-fire from the right and in front, which was coming from cliffs which were about 50 or 60 feet high and which were sloped at 45 degrees. I was carrying a bazooka and Reed was a rifleman. In all I was carrying about 75 pounds and Reed was carrying about the same. I crossed the shingle without stopping, hit the ground, got up to run again and then I was hit.”

REED: "I was hit when coming off the ramp and stayed on the beach all day until 11:30 that night. At first I was sent to a clearing station on the shore ; then about 11:30 the American Navy sent a LST to take us out.”

NOYES: "We should give the Navy a lot of credit as they saved our hides. During the Naval bombardment very few of us were hit, not directly but because some shells hit the cliff and knocked rocks down on us. The Navy flettened the town on the top of the cliffs with their fire.”

REED: "We landed a few minutes behind the 106th Regiment of the 29th Division

which at that time was attached to the 1st Division. We were on the 116th extreme right flank. There was a British Army Officer on the Prince Charles and he went in alone in an amphibious jeep."

NOYES: "We could see everything when we were lying wounded on the beach. When we hit the beach the 116th had not moved in. They were still in the water. Then three tanks came in, two of which were promptly knocked out. We saw no submarines. The beach was not crate[inserted]red[end inserted]d and there had been no bombs dropped at all but the fighters were strafing all around us."

REED: "Tanks were firing at a pillbox on the beach. Some rangers were firing at a disappearing pillbox which rose to shoot and disappeared again. It was finally knocked out by the Navy. There was another pillbox on the cliff into which wounded were throwing grenades. Snipers were thick on the beach and the men took cover behind the rocks."

NOYES: "I saw a tank drive onto the beach and fire at a pillbox but it did not knock it out. The Navy destroyed most of the defense points. Blecher, a [*sp? - see Small Unit Action*] section leader of the 1st Platoon, C Company, with Regiment, took a number of pillboxes together. Blecher was awarded a DSC on D-Day for capturing and killing so many Germans. The Germans had big guns to our right which formed a defense point of 88 ’s which probably sank our boat in which we were supposed to neutralize. The sea wall was much smaller than we were led to believe."

REED: "Where we landed there were no obstacles and if I had landed in shallower water, I could have made it. There was supposed to be a sea wall and just to the right of it were a few obstacles not completely built up but 50 yards to the left they had been completely built up. Our boat could have been brought in further. Most of the men of the 116th Regiment were killed or drowned and their bodies were coming up with the waves."

NOYES: "The 116th landed on our left and the current brought their bodies