The origin of the Rangers can be traced back to 1670 AD during the American colonial period when there were small armies using the name Rangers and tactics. At that time, in order to deal with the Indians who were good at surprise tactics, the United States formed a small reconnaissance team to patrol the areas around the settlement area to observe enemy activities and provide early warning. Because their patrol distance is called "Range", people generally call the soldiers in this team "Ranger".
The first regular ranger force was established in New Hampshire in 1756. Major Robert Rogers first organized nine companies of rangers to represent the British against the French and Indians. They widely used rapid guerrilla and reconnaissance tactics to sneak into enemy lines and attack targets, patrolling as far as 400 miles. The 19 Ranger Creeds established by Major Rogers and the tradition of wearing the black beret were formed at that time.
During the American Revolution, various armies established Ranger units. The more famous ones include "The Corps of Rangers", a group of experienced infantrymen led by Daniel Morgan. And the Ranger units were led by Francis Marion. He led the guerrilla group "Swamp Fox" that fought side by side with Washington's army many times. The Rangers' bravery and prowess not only won Washington's trust, but also impressed the British. After the independence of the United States, the Army had a total of 12 companies. The most famous Ranger unit during the Civil War was the cavalry unit led by Confederate Army Colonel John S. Mosby. They used small team tactics to quickly attack the Northern Army's outposts or important strongholds. The U.S. Army has recognized the importance of the Rangers to the war effort. The tactics and military philosophy used at that time also formed the basis of today's Ranger combat doctrine. Lucian K. Truscott, European Theater of World War II, May 26, 1942. The major general wanted to establish a US military unit that could fight alongside the British commandos. In addition, in order to highlight the American characteristics, the unit was named "Ranger" and was led by Major William O. Darby on June 19, 1942. The 1st Ranger Battalion was officially born in Northern Ireland. Most of its soldiers came from the 1st Armored Division and the 34th Infantry Division. They received battlefield survival and amphibious landing training at the Scottish Commando Training Center. About a month later, 44 Rangers and 5 Rangers were recruited. Officers joined forces with Canadian and British commandos to participate in the Battle of Dieppe Raid, becoming the first U.S. military unit in Europe to fight the Germans.
After that, Battalion Commander Darby, who was promoted to lieutenant colonel, led the Ranger battalion deep into North Africa. He performed infiltration and sabotage missions in Albania and Tunisia, and served as a pioneer for the infantry division. Due to his brilliant results, he not only received praise from the president, but also the Rangers were gradually expanded to the 6th Battalion, and the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Ranger Battalions. Army chemical, engineering, artillery and other units were combined into the 6615 Ranger Force, which continued to be led by Darby. During 1943, the 6615 Ranger Force had brilliant results in the Italian theater.
The most famous battle of the Rangers during World War II was the 2nd and 5th Battalions that participated in the Normandy Landing. The main forces of the Normandy Landing on D-Day in 1944 were the 7th and 5th Army Corps, and the Rangers belonged to the 5th Army. The main force of the 5th Army is the 29th Infantry Division, the right wing is the 1st Infantry Division, and the left wing is the 'Provisional Ranger Group' composed of the 2nd and 5th Ranger Regiments. Most people think of the United States during World War II. The characteristics of the infantry are that they are young, well-educated, and generally lack combat experience, but for the Rangers, the battlefield is where they can demonstrate their skills. On the day of the landing, the U.S. Army encountered a fierce attack by the German 352nd Infantry Division. When other infantry were suppressed by firepower, they were unable to advance. At this time, the strictly trained rangers quickly broke through the defense line without fear of life and death.
Although the casualties were extremely heavy, for example, the 70-man C Company of the 2nd Battalion (the unit of Captain John Miller played by Tom Hanks in the movie "Saving Private Ryan") suffered 58 casualties after landing. People even disassemble the entire chain.
However, the Rangers' bravery and prowess not only impressed the infantrymen of the 29th Division fighting side by side, but also won the praise of General Norman D. Cota, the deputy commander of the 29th Division, who left behind his immortal words of wisdom: "Rangers, lead the way." )!".
After the war, the six Ranger battalions were also disbanded. Other lesser-known Ranger units from World War II include the 29th Ranger Regiment from the 29th Infantry Division and the 5307th Composite Detachment code-named "MERRILL'S MARAUDERS" in the Burma Theater. Among them, the 5307th Mixed Detachment, led by Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill, was the U.S. Military Mai Detachment in the Kuomintang Army at that time. It fought side by side with the New 38th Division of the Kuomintang Army led by General Sun Liren of the Kuomintang, as well as the New 22nd Division, the New 30th Division and the 50th Division. They went deep into the jungles of Myanmar and repelled the Japanese 18th Division that attempted to attack China from the southwest, leaving a glorious page in the history of China's anti-Japanese war. The 5307th Mixed Detachment was reorganized into the 75th Infantry Regiment in 1954, the predecessor of the 75th Ranger Regiment. The biggest change in the Rangers during the Korean War was their airborne capabilities, and their combat organization was very different from that of World War II. During World War II, the Ranger battalions fought independently. During the Korean War, each Ranger company with a strength of 112 men was assigned to an infantry division with a strength of 18,000 men and served as the vanguard of each division. During the operations of each division, the Rangers are responsible for such tasks as cover, reconnaissance, interdiction or assault. In 1950, the Army appointed Colonel John Gibson Van Houten to select a group of Ranger candidates for training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Most of the soldiers came from the 82nd Airborne Division. The training time is mostly conducted at night, and the training subjects include light weapons operation, night parachuting, amphibious landing, demolition and combat, etc., and each soldier must be familiar with the terrain of North Korea.
The first batch of 1st Ranger Airborne Company to complete training arrived in South Korea on December 17, 1950, and was incorporated into the 2nd Infantry Division. Immediately afterwards, the 2nd and 4th Ranger Companies joined the theater one after another. The 2nd Company was incorporated into the 7th Infantry Division, and the 4th Company was under the jurisdiction of the 9th Army Department and the 1st Cavalry Division. From 1950 to 1951, various Ranger companies entered the battlefield one after another. They used sea, land and air amphibious methods to penetrate deep into our territory and constantly harassed the rear areas of our Chinese People's Volunteers and Korean People's Army. As the tactical literacy of the Chinese People's Volunteers increased, the Rangers were no longer able to accomplish their expected campaign goals in the Korean battlefield. With the end of the Korean War, all Ranger companies were disbanded. In the history of American war, the Rangers have always been a commando force born in response to war. Therefore, with the end of the Vietnam War, the Ranger troops could not escape the fate of disbandment. However, in 1974, Army Chief of Staff General Creighton Abrams believed that a permanent Ranger force should be established to respond to changing international emergencies. As a result, the 1st and 2nd Ranger Battalions were established in Georgia, with the 1st Battalion stationed at Hunter Army Air Base, Georgia, and the 2nd Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington State.
Iran's "Desert One" operation
The incident occurred at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran, in 1980. The United States wanted to send troops to rescue the personnel in the embassy, ??and The operation was called 'Desert One'. The original plan was for the Army's 1st Special Forces Combat Detachment, also known as the Delta Force, to come to the rescue. Nine RH-53D "Sea Stallion" helicopters carried US military and embassy personnel to the airport in the east of Tehran so that all personnel could transfer to transport planes to leave Iran. The Rangers dispatched Company C of the 1st Ranger Battalion, affiliated with the 75th Infantry Regiment, to provide support. The mission was to clear the airport of enemies to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel. The Rangers received simulation drills in Egypt to deal with various emergencies. However, it is unknown whether it was due to improper command or poor equipment maintenance. On the eve of the operation, two RH-53D helicopters collided in the air, and one helicopter also suddenly malfunctioned. This not only forced The action was exposed early, making the rescue mission even more difficult. Due to the exposure of the operation, the enemy not only took precautions, but also immediately dispersed the hostages to various areas, forcing the operation to be cancelled. Ranger Company C and Delta Force, which had been on standby in Egypt, could only return sadly. In 1983, the U.S. military finally got rid of the shadow of the Vietnam War and ushered in the first large-scale victory after the Vietnam War.
The U.S.'s deployment of troops to the island was a temporary measure by the government authorities to achieve certain political interests. The U.S. military did not have sufficient preparation time. When the U.S. military used a large number of heavy weapons to attack the Cuban army, they did not forget a group of American medical students on the Blue Campus of Saltwater Point. The Rangers not only joined the Army's Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) assault operations, but also joined in the rescue operation of the students.
The first mission of the Rangers was to seize Salt Lake Airport and the campus to allow the paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division to land smoothly, but the SEALs, the eyes and ears of the operation, were unable to land smoothly to provide intelligence. Company B of the 1st Ranger Battalion took the lead in landing at Saltwater Point Airport. After landing, the Rangers were immediately attacked by two Russian-made BTR-60PB armored vehicles and Cuban troops. However, with the support of the Rangers using M67 shoulder-fired recoilless rifles and AC-130H gunships, the Rangers immediately destroyed enemy armored vehicles and established defenses. Immediately afterwards, Company A of the 1st Battalion and the 2nd Ranger Battalion airborne one after another and quickly cleared the enemy troops around the airport, and covered the smooth landing of the subsequent 82nd Airborne Division. Although Cuban troops tried to retake the airport one after another, they were all repelled by the superior firepower of the US military.
Different from the US military’s mentality of not seeking victory in the Vietnam War, the political and operational goals of the US military’s deployment to Geda Island this time are consistent. Therefore, whenever the lightly-armed Rangers encountered a powerful Cuban army, they would request gunboats to bombard the shore or aerial bombardment. When the jungle turned into a scorched earth, the soldiers went to clear the battlefield. But C Company Rangers of the 1st Battalion, who went to Richmond Hill Prison to rescue the hostages at the same time, were not so lucky. Due to an error in intelligence judgment, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter full of Rangers was exposed to enemy anti-aircraft fire, and the helicopter was shot down without any air support. Other severely damaged helicopters immediately retreated and landed on nearby naval ships. The second wave of rescue operations was successfully launched with the support of the Marine Corps. The Rangers had the supporting firepower of AC-130H gunboats and AH-1S "Cobra" armed helicopters. Rangers from the 1st Battalion took three CH-46 "Sea Knight" helicopters to rescue students in other areas. When arriving at the scene, the Rangers not only missed the landing point, but one helicopter also hit a tree and crashed. However, the Rangers overcame many difficulties and successfully rescued all the students.
The troops arrived in four Black Hawk helicopters, but one helicopter suddenly malfunctioned during landing and crashed into the other two helicopters. This accident not only destroyed all three helicopters, but also caused the loss of 3 dead and 4 injured soldiers of the 2nd Battalion. But the remaining rangers lived up to their mission and easily occupied the base because the enemy had already evacuated the place. Of course, this own incident of the US military caused an everlasting shadow in the glorious history of the Rangers. From August to October 1993, Company B of the 3rd Battalion Rangers formed a task force and went to Somalia to support the United Nations Peace Forces. In addition to assisting refugees, they also conducted seven missions to hunt down the reactionary warlord Aidid. When the operation began, Delta Force members quickly subdued the enemy, but the UH-60 "Black Hawk" helicopter stranded in the air attracted more militiamen. As a result, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and many team members were injured or killed. The remaining team members were surrounded by militiamen and unable to leave. Although the coalition launched four rescue operations one after another, they all encountered stubborn resistance from the militia. It was not until evening that the coalition again sent two company task forces including SEALs and Rangers, two Malaysian mechanized companies, a Pakistani tank platoon and Air Force special forces to rescue. After a fierce battle, the coalition forces finally rescued the besieged team members, but they also paid a considerable price. In total, the coalition forces paid a price of 18 deaths and 80 injuries in this operation. The Rangers alone suffered 16 deaths, 57 injuries, and 1 missing and 1 captured. Among them, there were very few survivors of the second "Black Hawk" helicopter. Two Delta Force snipers who came for reinforcements were also shot and killed. (See the movie "Black Hawk Down") The failure of this operation was the lack of intelligence and the hasty operation during the day. Not only did it cause heavy casualties to the special forces, but the bodies of the team members were dragged into the city by local residents (some say Aidid's militia). Parading in the streets is even more humiliating. At the time, this operation was the one with the heaviest casualties and the most negative impact on the US military since the Vietnam War. The large-scale sacrifice of the Ranger troops led to the resignation of Cohen, who was the Secretary of Defense in the Clinton administration at the time. But the Rangers' sacrifice and dedication have once again won unanimous praise from countries around the world.