Tall ladder truck

We have seen many dodgy vehicle mounted ladders going back to the 20's. Here is the ultimate.

US Rangers storming the gun emplacements at Pointe du Hoc in Normandy 1944. As can be imagined a number came to an unhappy ending and when they fought their way onto the site they found the gun emplacements empty.

 

 

In this photo you can see one of the rocket powered grappling irons also fired at the cliff and the many ropes that held firm. You have to remember the blokes going up these ladders and ropes were not like electric linesman with a pair of pliers on his belt, they had heavy helmets, an awkward slung weapon and at least 15kg of ammunition in various difficult belt and back packs. Apart from that some prick was shooting at them.

 

And finally the spot for a death-wish volunteer! As seen in the extended ladder photo they put some poor bugger on the end of the ladder with a light machine gun he was supposed to operate while clinging on for grim death. As the ladder extended painfully slowly up the cliff he could chat with the Germans at the top but they would not hear him because they were shooting at him. Meanwhile his mates were chucking bullets within a couple of metres of him trying to give suppressing fire.

Over all this, if he survived, he was supposed to place the top of the ladder in a position following troops could get a foothold for further climbing. So, shooting with one hand, holding on with his second hand he was signalling with his third hand "left, right, up, down". He then had to wait 5 minutes by himself until the first climbers arrived, totally exhausted, and on a one-man-front sweep across the defended gun emplacement.

Following their actions Pointe du Hoc on 6-8 June 1944, Rudder's Rangers suffered a seventy percent casualty rate. Less than seventy-five of the original 225 who came ashore on 6 June were fit for duty. Of those who served in the 2d Ranger Battalion on D-Day, seventy-seven were killed and 152 wounded.

 


And how it looks today. I have been there a few times and it is the most beautiful coastline (not in 1944).

 

The other amphibious vehicle in the pic looks like a Dodge Aqua Cheetah .

 

Interesting test film. The remains of a hull of one of the Morris 8 wheeler Terrapin is.located at the old  tank museum down here, they had x2 Ford V8 engines, each engine was driving one row of wheels, turning was done by altering engine revs. 



 

 

The amphibious jeep is a minor white elephant but the Terrapin takes the cake for slow, almost undriveable and complicated vehicle. The DUKW is king in all areas at sea and land. After the landing the Terrapins would have been sunk for boat moorings while the DUKW's could easily join the land truck fleet if no longer required to swim.

Lang wrote:

We have seen many dodgy vehicle mounted ladders going back to the 20's. Here is the ultimate.

US Rangers storming the gun emplacements at Pointe du Hoc in Normandy 1944. As can be imagined a number came to an unhappy ending and when they fought their way onto the site they found the gun emplacements empty.

 

 

In this photo you can see one of the rocket powered grappling irons also fired at the cliff and the many ropes that held firm. You have to remember the blokes going up these ladders and ropes were not like electric linesman with a pair of pliers on his belt, they had heavy helmets, an awkward slung weapon and at least 15kg of ammunition in various difficult belt and back packs. Apart from that some prick was shooting at them.

 

And finally the spot for a death-wish volunteer! As seen in the extended ladder photo they put some poor bugger on the end of the ladder with a light machine gun he was supposed to operate while clinging on for grim death. As the ladder extended painfully slowly up the cliff he could chat with the Germans at the top but they would not hear him because they were shooting at him. Meanwhile his mates were chucking bullets within a couple of metres of him trying to give suppressing fire.

Over all this, if he survived, he was supposed to place the top of the ladder in a position following troops could get a foothold for further climbing. So, shooting with one hand, holding on with his second hand he was signalling with his third hand "left, right, up, down". He then had to wait 5 minutes by himself until the first climbers arrived, totally exhausted, and on a one-man-front sweep across the defended gun emplacement.

Following their actions Pointe du Hoc on 6-8 June 1944, Rudder's Rangers suffered a seventy percent casualty rate. Less than seventy-five of the original 225 who came ashore on 6 June were fit for duty. Of those who served in the 2d Ranger Battalion on D-Day, seventy-seven were killed and 152 wounded.

 

And how it looks today. I have been there a few times and it is the most beautiful coastline (not in 1944).

 

what an amazing story 
And all that effort for no guns, I guess Germany didn't think anyone would come to shore that way 

Paul