by Mehlo, Noel
Figure 58: 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion practicing cliff climbing at Camp Forrest, Tennessee - NARA The Rangers conducted night exercises, infiltration techniques and trained in night patrols being taught how to slip into an enemy camp under cover of darkness, take out the guards and blow up the installation if necessary. Thomas E, Herring 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, reported: "Later in the training at Camp Forrest our training routine included night situations such as cross-country routes via compass, mock attach on assigned objectives at night-although a couple of these became more serious, and finding one's own way and means of reaching a distant objective. All this was later utilized to our advantage in combat in Europe."5 The men had to train relentlessly on combat exercises at the squad, platoon and company levels. Using the mock Nazi village and other obstacles that had been constructed by the 305th Combat Engineer Battalion, "Commando" raids, village fighting, street-to-street and house-to-house fighting was learned and perfected. In addition to bombers at Northern Field, the Army flew Piper Cub artillery liaison aircraft and P-51 Mustangs. Occasionally, the planes might participate in exercises by dropping sacks of flour on the men to simulate being bombed under combat conditions.
They engaged in hand-to-hand combat including: Judo, Karate, knife fighting and bayonet training. An account of initial knife fighting in F Company recalled that on a given morning, the men were all given fighting knives and were told to practice on each other, resulting in multiple wounded soldiers. The result for the men was to get stitched up and get back to work. There was a sense of spirit de corps instilled in the men and they became highly motivated.
All Rangers were expected to train on and qualify as expert on all of the weapons that the unit possessed. They also trained on other types of infantry small arms and weapons such as enemy weapons including the development of the understanding of the mechanical function of these weapons. The men would also train for familiarity on all crew served weapons the unit possessed. Records of Headquarters, 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion, for D Company produced by Mr. Jerry Styles revealed that D Company qualified on the .30 Caliber M1 Rifle on October 7, 1943, based on Special Order No. 15. They then qualified on the .45 Caliber Submachine Gun on October 28, 1943, based on Special Order No. 26. It is likely that the other companies in the Battalion qualified on or about those dates, however, additional records were not located. Weapons loading is shown in Figure 59.
The weapons of the 5th Ranger Battalion included the following weapons based on Rangers in World War II, by Robert R. Black, Pg 341: Automatic Pistol, .45 Caliber, M-1911
Carbine, .30 Caliber, M-1 and M-2
Rifle, .30 Caliber, M-1
Browning Automatic Rifle, .30 Caliber, M-1918A2 Thompson Submachine Gun, .45 Caliber, M-1928A1 Grenades
Bayonet
Crew served weapons that the men had to familiarize themselves with included: Boyce (Boy’s) Antitank Rifle, .55 Caliber
Rocket, AT HE, 2.36 Inch
60 mm Mortar M-19
81 mm Mortar M-1
Browning Machine Gun, .30 Caliber HB M-1919A4
Figure 59: Loading weapons at range of Camp Forrest (NARA) The Rangers practiced using hand grenades, explosives handling, including manufactured and improvised explosives, and were trained in demolitions including where to place the charges to be effective. They trained to dig fox hoes, crawl into them letting a tank pass over and destroying it from beneath. In his autobiography, Victor Miller reported:
“We did have training in everything as well as our specialty of mortars and machine guns. One day we practiced throwing hand grenades until there was only one left. Eddie Neuman and I began to argue over which one of us should throw it. Finally 1st. Sgt. Sandy Martin Jr. made the decision. "Neuman, pull the pin and throw it to Miller and let him throw it!" Yes! Neuman pulled the pin and tossed it to me. One is supposed to have five seconds after the handle is released, but you may not! It seemed an eternity for the smoking object to reach me. I didn't waste time in throwing it forward into the pit. I wouldn't repeat that in the present time! One fumbled catch and we would have all been gone.”
Victor J. "Baseplate" Miller, Sgt., Co. E, 5th Ranger Battalion, U.S.A.
Figure 60: Photos typical of Ranger training. Photos are from various Ranger Battalions. The Rangers special weapons section in Company F was issued .30 caliber light (air-cooled) machine guns and 60 millimeter mortars instead of the standard .30 caliber heavy (water-cooled) machine guns and 80 millimeter mortars assigned to a typical infantry regiment. When the men first received their various weapons they were often coated in a heavy coating of protective cosmoline. This coating required hours of cleaning by the men to get the weapons operational. The special weapons section also received .55 caliber Boyce anti-tank rifles from the Canadians. These weapons fired from a bipod support fired armor-piercing bullets, but they had tremendous recoil. The Rangers trained on these as well. Typical training photos are shown in Figure 60.
Harry Wilder recounted a story of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion training at Camp Forrest that exemplifies the type of thinking looked for in a Ranger. “One of the characteristics Rangers were supposed to develop was that of resourcefulness. Often training exercises were set which were unorthodox. On one occasion the Battalion was informed just before Taps that they were to answer roll call the next morning at a site several miles away. No questions would be asked about how they got there. At the appointed hour most of the Rangers had turned up in jeeps. However, these jeeps were all assigned to other units who were, at that moment, calling headquarters at Camp Forrest to report their vehicles stolen. Four Rangers arrived in a Tullahoma police car. They had been walking through town when a civilian policeman stopped them and asked if they had a pass. They overpowered the policeman, handcuffed him, and took his car. The Camp Commander was not amused but the Ranger's instructors were delighted.”5
The mock village constructed on Camp Forrest reportedly stood as the first of its kind in use in the U.S. Army. It was built as part of the Ranger program at Camp Forrest to prepare soldiers for street fighting.5 The Rangers and other Army trainees received instruction in commando raiding tactics, house-to-house combat in the village mock-up. They would participate in a seemingly endless cycle of combat exercises, by squad, platoon and company. This was done to rapidly bring the units to the peak of perfection. The potential training value of this device so impressed General Ben Lea that he ordered it copied for general infantry training throughout the Second Army command area. These tactics have lived on in today’s military and law enforcement communities, and have become increasingly realistic and sophisticated. This village is shown in Figure 61 and in the photo essay at the end of this chapter.
Figure 61: Ranger training at Camp Forrest, 1943. From September 6 to October 26, 1994, archaeologists from the Transportation Center at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville conducted an archaeological survey of 162 ha (400 acres) on Industrial Site B, at Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Station in Coffee and Franklin counties, Tennessee. These investigations resulted in the identification of one historic archaeological site known as 40FR201. This site was a World War II training area consisting primarily of pillboxes, mock buildings, climbing wells, and impact craters that may be part of the mock village.8 The site is located near Rollins Creek on the Capitol Hill United States Geological Survey (USGS) mapping.
In the fall of 1943, Company B was forming up into its organizational structure through the rigors of training and constant evaluation and watchful eyes of the cadre. After the war, one time Sgt Walter McIlwain would provide a list of the members of 2nd platoon to Carl Weast that had been prepared in the fall of 1943. It would have been dated between late October and December based on the ranks of the men against official records.
B Company, 5th Rangers Camp Forrest, Tennessee October 1943
2nd Platoon Platoon Leader, 2nd Lieutenant Jay Mehaffey Platoon Sergeant, S/SGT Chester B Warich Platoon Messenger, PFC Carl F. Weast Platoon Sniper, PF
C Francis J Piette
1st Section Section Leader, Sgt Walter N McIlwain
Squad Leader, Assault Squad, PFC Howard M. Goldberg Rifleman, PFC Rene R. Brunelle
Rifleman, PFC Robert Jarke, Jr
Rifleman, PFC Robert S. Goodwin
Rifleman, PFC Theodore Webernan
Squad Leader, Light Machine Gun Squad, T/5 Herbert S. Hull 1st Gunner, T/5 Leroy A. Anderson
2nd Gunner, PVT Bernard C. Akers
Ammunition Bearer, PVT Johnnie E Bixler
2nd Section Section Leader, Sgt Edward J. McEleney
Squad Leader, Assault Squad, PFC Peter L. Cardineli Rifleman, PFC Thomas G. Devlin
Demolition, PFC Louis Banks
Rifleman, PFC Francis J. Healey
Rifleman, PFC Randall Ching
Squad Leader, Light Machine Gun Squad, Sgt Albert F. Sweeney 1st Gunner, PFC Paul L. Winslow
2nd Gunner, PFC Albert P. Gipson, Jr
Ammunition Bearer, PVT Elmo E. Banning
Ammunition Bearer, PVT Harvey M. Montgomery
Most of these men would remain together through at least D-Day with some exceptions. Only seven of these men would make it through to the end of the war together. The rest were killed, dropped due to becoming causalities or those who did not make it past the training.
T/5 Herbert Hull so impressed his superiors that he was made a Squad Leader of a .30 caliber light machine gun squad while at Camp Forrest. I have heard from JR Copeland, Randall Ching and the family of Carl Weast that Herbert Hull was a good soldier and was admired by both enlisted men and officers around him even at this point.
Randall Ching looked carefully at the list of men assigned to B Company according to the list made by Sgt McIlwain in October 1943 at Camp Forrest. He noted that the list remained essentially the same in terms of who was listed through D-Day. Ching explained the organization was changed in England as the Rangers better learned of their objectives and trained for them. S/Sgt Hull would transfer from B Company, 2nd Platoon 1st Section under S/Sgt McIlwain to become the 2nd Section Leader. This will become important later in the story. Ching explained that Hull wanted to make sure he knew and understood the instructions because Hull was worried about Ching’s English.
The 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion was initially forged at Camp Forrest. From here, they would board a train and arrive at Fort Pierce, Florida for the next phase of their training. The Headquarters Company Morning Report shows that 1st Lieutenant John C. Raaen, Jr, had departed on November 1 for this joint Army/Navy training facility to prepare some special training for the men.
The following pages are a photo-essay showing the Ranger training facilities and men taken at Camp Forrest Tennessee during the war. The original photos are held at NARA in College Park, Maryland. The photos are named according to how they are labeled in the original collection.
SC 167084: General View down Main Street of model Nazi village. Camp Forrest, Tenn. 1/12/43; Second Army Ranger School. Signal Corps Photo, Photographer T/5 George Clayton
SC 167083: Two instructors of wire entanglement class lying under double apron barb wire entanglement preparatory to cutting wire, Camp Forrest, Tennessee. 1-16-43, 2nd Army Ranger School, Signal Corps Photo, T/4 Richard H Spencer. SC 167082: Two instructors of the wire entanglement class demonstrating method of cutting barb wire using cloth wrapped around pliers to muffle the sound caused by cutting. Camp Forrest, Tennessee. 1-16-43, 2nd Army Ranger School. Signal Corps Photo, T/4 Richard S. Spencer
SC 167085: Students entering building in model Nazi village during a simulated mopping up operation. The building contains booby traps and dummies. The Rangers advance through the village firing live ammunition at dummy targets and bayoneting dummies placed throughout the village. Camp Forrest, Tennessee; 1-12-43; Second Army Ranger School
SC167086: Sgt Edward N. Draper and PVT Mussel D. Scarboro advancing through the streets of model Nazi village in a demonstration of methods of mopping up at Camp Forrest, Tennessee; 1-12-43; Second Army Ranger School, Co K, 3rd BN., 319th Infantry; Nazi Village south of Range O: Photographer T/4 Edgar S Bagley
SC 167088: Left to right: S/Sgt Bishop Scarboro, CplElmer L Cochran (top), Sgt Edward S Draper demonstrating method of entering and covering building while mopping up enemy village at Camp Forrest, Tennessee; 1-12-43; Co K, 3rd BN, 319th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Army Ranger School; Photographer, T/4 Richard H Spencer
SC 167087: Left to right: Sgt Edward S Draper, Sgt J. Perus, Pvt Russel D. Scarboro, in a simulated attack on the city hall of a model Nazi village, in a demonstration of methods of mopping up. Camp Forrest, Tennessee; 1-12-43; Co K, 3rd BN, 319th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Army Ranger School; Photographer, T/4 Edgar S. Bagley
SC 167090: A simulated demonstration of capture of a model Nazi village mined with booby traps. Infantry troops are armed with M1 .30 Cal rifles, Thompson .45 Cal sub-machine guns. Camp Forrest, Tennessee. 1-15-43: 2nd Army Ranger School: Photographer T/5 George Clayton
12-43; Co K, 3rd BN, 319th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Army Ranger School; Photographer, T/4 Richard H Spencer.
SC 167092: Private 1st Class, F.F. Santucci demonstrating how to use a trench knife on “blitz” bayonet course constructed for the training of Rangers, Camp Forrest, Tennessee: 1-12-43: Co I, 319th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Army Ranger School: Photographer T/5 George Clayton
SC 167102: Ranger Students doing a class exercise known as the “windmill” in hand-to-hand combat course, Camp Forrest,
Tennessee; 1-18-43; 2nd Army Ranger School: Photographer T/4 Richard H. Spencer
SC 167101: Two Ranger students participating disarmament of an opponent, armed with a knife, during a hand-to-hand combat class. Camp Forrest, Tennessee: 1-20-43: 2nd Army Ranger School: Photographer T/4 Richard H. Spencer
SC 167104: Two Ranger students demonstrate dirty fighting tactics in hand-to-hand combat class, 2nd Army Ranger School, Camp Forrest, Tennessee: 1-25-43: Photographer T/4 Richard H. Spencer
SC 157098: Pvt. Geo. McCravey being disarmed by S/Sgt. J.W. Douglas of his bayonet in hand to hand combat clas, Camp Forrest, Tenn. 1/15/43. Photographer T/4 Richard H. Spancer
SC 167097: Pvt. Geo. McGravey applying counter for downward knife thrust of S/Sgt J.M. Douglas in hand to hand combat class. Camp Forrest, Tennessee: 1-15-43: Second Army Ranger School: Photographer T/4 Richard H. Spencer SC 165100: 2nd Lt. Wm E. Vazzana and Sgt. J.R. Compton instructors at Camp Forrest, Tenn., demonstrating the straight-arm block used in hand-to-hand fighting. 1/12/43. Photographer: T/4 Edgar S. Bagley.
SC 167099: 2nd Lt. Wm. E. Vazzana and Sgt. J.R. Compton instructors at Camp Forrest, Tenn. Demonstrating the rear stranglehold used in hand-to-hand fighting. 1/12/43. Photographer: T/4 Edgar S. Bagley.
SC 167094: Pfc. F.F. Santucci demonstrating how to use the bayonet on blitz bayonet course constructed for training of Rangers, Camp Forrest, Tenn. Company I, 319th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Army Ranger School: 1/12/43. Photographer T/5 George(NMI)
Clayton.
SC 167095: Gun crew firing .30 Cal Browning heavy machine gun, Camp Forrest, Tennessee. Left to right; PFC L. Edelman. Pfc. C. Rudnicki, Cpl., E.R. Elmann, and Pvt Joseph Barrett: 1-7-43: 2nd Section, 1st Plt, Co M, 318th Inf on Range B, Spencer Range: Photographer T/5 George Clayton
SC 167489: A car hit by a rocket fired from a rocket launcher at the U.S. 2nd Army Ranger School, Camp Forrest, Tenn 1/18/43.
Photographer T/4 Richard H. Spencer
SC 167483; Pvt Nicholas Gomes and Pvt 1st Class Mike Danatsko demonstrate how to descend a cliff me means of ropes. Class in cliff scaling, Camp Forrest, TN; 2/6/43; Company C, 319th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Army Ranger School; Photographer T/4 Edgar S Bagley.
SC 157481: Model of dressed timber bridge (1 inch = 3 feet) H-15 loading. Constructed as training aids for teaching men theory and methods of bridge design and construction. 12/29/42 Photographer T/4 Edgar S Bagley
SC 157478: Army Ranger School Demonstration of Infantry crossing toggle rope bridge while under fire from machine gu
ns, rifles, hand grenades, mortars. Estill Springs, TN. Camp Forrest, TN; 1/20/43; 2nd Army Ranger School; T/5 George Clayton U.S. 2nd Army Ranger School, Camp Forrest, Tennessee, January 1943
SC 167484; Staff Sergeant L.J. Bush of Coxville, WV, inserts an anti-tank rocket 2/36 inch M6 into the anti-tank rocket launcher M1, as Sergeant C.W. Critchfield of Corpus Christi, TX prepares to fire by taking aim and sight on the target. Photo batched with 2nd Army Ranger School photos, although it depicts Camp Gordon, GA.
SC 16746: Pvt 1st Class, L.S. Heaton and Pvt. C.O. Aiggin demonstrating two different types of head camouflage at Ranger School. Pvt Heaton’s helmet and face are daubed with mud, dust, and particles of grass. Pvt Higgin’s face is marked with grease paint and his helmet is camouflaged with leaves stuck into a net. Camp Forrest, Tennessee. 1/14/43. HQ Co., 1st BN., 319th Inf, 2nd Army Ranger School.
SC 164160-B: 2nd Army Rangers…cross a stream on a toggle-rope bridge under simulated battle conditions. Demonstration at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, January 23, 1943, preceding graduation. Signal Corps Photo by BPR Ralph Morgan
SC 164161-B: 2nd Army Rangers…cross a stream on a toggle-rope bridge under simulated battle conditions. Demonstration at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, January 23, 1943, preceding graduation. Signal Corps Photo by BPR Ralph Morgad
6 SCOUTS AND RAIDERS SCHOOL – FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA
The 5th Ranger Infantry Battalion left Camp Forrest on November 3, 1943, arriving by train at Fort Pierce on November 5, 1943. Based on the rail facilities in the town, the Rangers would have formed into companies and marched through the town of Fort Pierce, passed the fire house at the west end of the bridge, crossed the Indian River on the swing bridge where a gate had been installed and ended their march on South Hutchinson Island. They were to attend the combined U.S. Army/U.S. Navy Amphibious Scout and Raider School (Joint) at the U. S. Naval Amphibious Training Base (USNATB), Fort Pierce, Florida.1 The area of the base is shown on the map in Figure 62.
