2nd Ranger Infantry Company (United States)

The 2nd Ranger Infantry Company was a provisional unit of the United States Army formed in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. It was created in the summer of 1944 from volunteers drawn from existing Ranger battalions, primarily the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Ranger Battalions, specifically for a daring and strategically vital mission: the assault on Pointe du Hoc on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The company, commanded by Captain Ralph Goranson, was tasked with scaling the 100-foot cliffs of Pointe du Hoc under heavy German fire to neutralize a battery of 155mm guns believed to be positioned there, capable of targeting both Omaha and Utah Beaches. Their training involved extensive cliff climbing exercises in England.

On D-Day, the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company landed at Pointe du Hoc after significant delays and losses due to rough seas and misnavigation. Upon reaching the top of the cliffs, they discovered that the heavy artillery had been moved inland. The Rangers then conducted a perilous search, eventually locating and disabling the guns several hundred yards away, preventing them from firing on the Allied landing forces.

Isolated and under constant attack from German counterattacks, the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company, along with elements of the 5th Ranger Battalion that later reinforced them, held Pointe du Hoc for two days until relieved. The unit suffered extremely heavy casualties, but their bravery and tenacity played a crucial role in the success of the D-Day landings.

Following the Normandy campaign, the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company was disbanded. Its members were either reassigned to other units or returned to their original Ranger battalions. The actions of the 2nd Ranger Infantry Company at Pointe du Hoc are considered one of the most heroic and audacious feats of arms in American military history, and the site remains a testament to their courage and sacrifice.