Rangers Avert Germans at Omaha Beach on D-Day

While the story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion has been immortalized in almost countless books and film, Zaloga's work is a new rendition that explores other aspects of the unit's assault on a key position that could have given the Germans a decisive advantage on D-Day. The 2nd Ranger's mission to attack the German artillery in place at Pointe du Hoc, France, was one of the most critical actions to ensure the success of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Europe. Five artillery pieces targeted both Omaha and Utah beaches, and could have seriously interdicted or disrupted landings.