S8 Ep980: Patrick K. O'Donnell recounts how between 7:20 and 8:00 a.m., the Rangers began their assault using rocket-propelled grappling hooks to fire wet ropes up the 90-foot cliffs. The climb was conducted under intense fire from German MG42 machine guns and "pot
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, a small band of U.S. Rangers launched a daring assault on Pointe de Hoc, a heavily fortified cliff overlooking the English Channel, to destroy German artillery that could threaten the Allied landings at Omaha and Utah beaches. Armed with rocket-propelled grapnel hooks to fire wet ropes up the 90-foot cliffs, the Rangers began their climb under relentless fire from German MG42 machine guns—capable of 1,500 rounds per minute—and mortar attacks. Despite being shot during the ascent, Master Sergeant Len Lamelle pressed on, leading a critical mission to locate and destroy hidden 37mm anti-aircraft guns. The Germans had moved the guns to an apple orchard and concealed them under nets, but Lamelle and Sergeant Jack Kuhn followed tire tracks through a maze of bunkers and tunnels, ultimately using thermite grenades to weld the gun gears shut—rendering them inoperable. This act, performed by just two men while wounded and under fire, accomplished what hundreds of bombers and naval bombardments had failed to do. The success of Dog Company, despite losing half its men in the initial boat assault, reshaped the course of the invasion and set the stage for the Allied advance into Europe.
A single wounded Ranger, Master Sergeant Len Lamelle, destroyed German artillery at Pointe de Hoc using thermite grenades—achieving what hundreds of bombers and naval shells failed to do.
The Rangers used rocket-propelled grapnel hooks to scale 90-foot cliffs under MG42 fire, with ropes soaked from seawater and the cliff face cratered by prior bombardment.
German forces had hidden their 37mm anti-aircraft guns in an apple orchard under nets, making them invisible to aerial and naval bombardment.
Rangers were trained to act independently—no orders needed—relying on initiative and improvisation to complete missions under extreme conditions.
The entire Dog Company assault was nearly wiped out when their landing boat capsized from a near-miss shell, killing many, including a man who survived a 300-foot fall during training.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Toyota Mania Promo & D-Day Context
The episode opens with a promotional segment for Toyota's private lease deals, followed by a historical setup for D-Day, emphasizing the strategic importance of Pointe de Hoc and the Rangers' mission.
The Assault Begins: Rocket-Propelled Grappling Hooks
“The assault is led by Assault Team A, Dog Easy and Fox. They've been training for this and they have a machine that is new to assault forces anywhere.”
Climbing Under Fire: Chaos and Casualties
“And the Germans were feeding belt after belt into their machine guns. They were lobbing hand grenades as the Rangers were scaling the cliff.”
The Moonlike Summit: A Maze of Bunkers and Guns
“The top of Pointe de Hoc is like the surface, the moon. There's so much ordnance that was thrown on there from the bombers, from the shore bombardment, from the ships, that everything is cratered.”
The Hidden Guns: Tire Tracks and Thermite Grenades
“And Lamelle finds the guns and remarkably, the crews of those guns are assembled and they're listening to an officer giving them orders. It's unknown what they were.”
“The single individual is able to change or shape the course of the invasion through his own efforts.”
“But as the guns were literally unprotected for a few minutes, And it's here that Lamelle takes these thermite grenades and places them on the gears of the guns and literally welds or molds the molten lava from the grenades, renders them inoperable.”
“And the Germans were feeding belt after belt into their machine guns. They were lobbing hand grenades as the Rangers were scaling the cliff.”
Host
Guest
Pointe de Hoc
place
Master Sergeant Len Lamelle
person
Patrick K. O'Donnell
person
MG42
other
Dog Company
organization
Sergeant Jack Kuhn
person
thermite grenade
other
37 millimeter cannon
other
Utah Beach
place
Rondo
person
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