We went also to the Pointe du Hoc, the sheer cliffs where the American Rangers scaled the cliffs just below an important German artillery battery. The irony was that when they got to the top, there were no guns. No guns in use, anyway. They had been moved inland and camoflaged just prior to the invasion. The Rangers found them later and disabled them.
As incredible as it sounds no one actually died scaling the cliffs, due to the withering covering fire given by naval guns just offshore.
But the real battle began once they reached the top. They were trapped and alone for two days, fighting off German counter attacks until other elements of the American army reached them. Of the approximately 225 Rangers, there were 90 alive after the two days.
