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US Rangers - 'Leading the Way'

$24.95

Spearhead - Book 12
By Ian Westwell
Published in 2001 by Ian Allen Publishing, UK
Softcover, 96 Pages
Size - 25cm * 19cm

The 1st Ranger Battalion was officially activated at Carrickfergus, Ireland, on 19 June 1942, and its first action was at Dieppe. The first major use of Rangers was as a spearhead to the North African invasion. Rangers took part in the invasions of Sicily and Italy, spearheaded the night landings at Anzio, and during the invasion of Normandy the 2nd Ranger Battalion assaulted, captured and held German positions atop the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc.

Later, Rangers distinguished themselves in the battles of Brest, the Bulge, Hurtgen Forest and throughout central Europe. The 6th Ranger Battalion was the first American force to return to the Philippines, landing in advance of the main force. It took part in the landings on Luzon, and on 30 January 1945, a daring raid behind enemy lines to rescue POW survivors of the Bataan Death March.

Spearhead looks at the cutting edge of war, units capable of operating completely independently in the forefront of battle. The series examines the unit's:

Origins and history

Organisation, order of battle and how this changed

Battle history, theatre by theatre

Insignia and Markings

Top people biographies of commanders and personalities

Each book ends with an assessment of unit effectiveness – as seen by itself, its opponents and the wider viewpoint of history – and a full reterence section including:

Critical bibliography

Relevant museums or exhibits

Website links

Re-enactment groups

Memorials

About the author
Ian Westwell has worked in publishing for more than fifteen years and has been a full-time freelance author since 1997. He has contributed to several military books and periodicals and has most recently written or co-authored World War One Day By Day, The Encyclopedia of World War I, In the Path of the Third Reich and Spearhead 6 1st Infantry Division.

Fully Illustrated with 100 black/white photos, 9 colour photos and 7 maps