On this date in Ranger History: August 15, 1944 -- 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions are disbanded after suffering heavy losses stemming from the actions at Cisterna, Italy. In January 1944, a combined Ranger force , consisting of 1st, 3rd, and 4th Ranger Battalions began a night infiltration attack towards Cisterna. As 1st and 3rd Battalions reached the outskirts of Cisterna, the 4th Ranger Battalion became heavily engaged in a fierce night time battle alerting the enemy to the Ranger advance. What the Rangers didn’t know was that the Cisterna sector had been heavily reinforced. After being encircled by a superior German force of paratroopers and tanks, the Rangers of 1st and 3rd Battalions were completely cutoff and surrounded. As the fighting raged on, the Germans trapped approximately 900 Rangers in a pocket and relief was impossible to reach them. It is estimated that of the 900 Rangers trapped, more than half were killed or wounded, and the remainder were captured after running out of ammunition. The few survivors remained at Anzio until ordered to return home to the United States in March 1944. In August 1944, both battalions were disbanded. Rangers Lead the Way!
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 18:00:02 +0000