RASP History Study Guide

• "Range"


  Used during the early 1600s to describe the movement of soldiers when they patrolled an area
• Edward Backler was hired as a "ranger" for Kent Island in 1634-1635
• Northern colonies began using Rangers for defense against Indians during the 17th century
• Benjamin Church


  • Organized independent ranging company during King Phillip's War (1675-1676)
  • Utilized Indian tactics and techniques (i.e., wore moccasins, cover and concealment)
  • Specialized in raids and ambushes
• Robert Rogers


  • Developed the Ranger concept in the 1750s, conducted long range raid and reconnaissance missions
  • Recruited 9 companies from the Continental Army in 1756
  • Published 19 Standing Orders and 28 Common Sense Rules
  • Stressed operational readiness, security, and tactics
• "The Corps of Rangers" was formed on June 14th, 1775
• Daniel Morgan


  • Companies of expert riflemen
  • Six from Pennsylvania
  • Two in Maryland
  • Two in Virginia
• Famous Battles


  • Freeman's Farm (1775)
  • Battle of Cowpens (1781) – executed ambush culminating in double envelopment
• General Burgoyne (British general): 'Morgan's Men were the most famous corps of the Continental Army. All of them crack shots.'
• Francis Marion


  • Organized and led "Marion's Partisans"
  • Operated out of Carolina swamps
  • Specialized in guerrilla warfare
  • Disrupted British communications
  • Prevented organization of British sympathizers
  • Known as the "Swamp Fox"
• British government incited Indian tribes against the American frontier (1812-1815)
• Independent Ranger companies were raised from among frontier settlers to patrol the frontier from Ohio to Western Illinois
• Confederate government authorized formation of Partisan Ranger bands to reconnoiter, raid and ambush behind enemy lines in 1862
• John Singleton Mosby


  • Most famous Confederate Ranger
  • Began independent Ranger activities in 1863
  • Extremely effective raiding Union camps
  • Mosby's scouts were the most proficient at conducting night raids
  • Most famous raid (captured General Stoughton, 58 horses, guns and ammunition)
• John Hunt Morgan


  • Led cavalry squadron that conducted Ranger-style raids
  • Began raiding in December 1861
• "Morgan's Raid" started with 800 men and marched over 1,000 miles over the course of two and a half weeks, captured seventeen towns, destroyed millions of dollars worth of Federal stores, and suffered less than 90 casualties
• Six Ranger infantry battalions were activated during WWII (1941-1945)
• 1st Ranger Battalion was organized and activated on 19 June 1942 by Major William O. Darby at Carrickfergus, Ireland
• Rangers were the first US troops to see ground combat in Europe (Dieppe Raid, 19 August 1942)
• Ranger Force


  • 3rd and 4th Ranger Battalions were activated and trained by Colonel Darby in Africa
  • 1st, 3rd, and 4th Battalions formed the Ranger Force
  • 3rd Battalion formed 21 May 1943
  • 4th Battalion formed 8 June 1943
  • Began the tradition of wearing the scroll shoulder sleeve insignia
  • Ranger Force spearheaded the landings on Sicily on 10 July 1943
• 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions


  • Participated in the 6 June 1944 D-Day landings at Omaha Beach, Normandy
  • 5th battalion spearheaded assault at Omaha Beach
  • Companies D, E, and F, 2nd Battalion were tasked with scaling the cliffs of Point du Hoc
• Brig. Gen. Norman D. Cota coined the phrase, "Rangers, lead the way!" at Omaha Beach
• 1st Ranger Battalion led assault landings at Arzew (near Oran, Algeria) on 8 November 1942
• 1st and 3rd Battalion led an attack on Cisterna, a small town that happened to be the hub of several roads running east and north, directions in which VI Corps needed to go to cut the German lines of communication and reach Rome
• The Battle of Cisterna marked the end for the "Ranger Force"
• 2nd Ranger Battalion


  • Companies D, E, and F were assigned the mission of scaling 10-story tall cliffs at Point du Hoc (Force A)
  • Companies A and B assaulted the beach with 5th Battalion (Force B)
  • Company C landed at Vierville and climbed 90-foot cliffs at Point du la Percée (Force C)
• 5th Ranger Battalion assaulted Omaha Beach ("Rangers, Lead The Way!")
• 6th Ranger Battalion


  • Operated in the Pacific and performed long range reconnaissance and combat patrols
  • Performed key role in the Philippines
• The main objective for the invasion of the Philippine Islands was the island of Leyte. "A" day (the day of the assault) for the operation would be October 20, 1944
• Raid on Cabanautan


  • Led by Lt. Col Henry Mucci and CPT Robert Prince
  • Company sized (121) element marched 29 miles behind enemy lines
  • Low-crawled into position for 1 mile
  • Freed 513 POWs
• Key Dates


  • 1st Battalion activated 19 June 1942
  • 2nd Battalion activated 1 April 1943
  • 3rd Battalion activated 21 May 1943
  • 4th Battalion activated 8 June 1943
  • 5th Battalion activated 1 September 1943
  • 6th Battalion activated 26 September 1944
• Merrill's Marauders


  • Formally known as the 75th Infantry Regiment and Task Force Galahad
  • Formed into six combat teams (400 per team),color-coded Red, White, Blue, Green, Orange and Khaki, with two teams to a Battalion
  • Walked over 1,000 miles through extremely dense and almost impenetrable jungles
  • Fought in 5 major (Walawbum, Shaduzup, Inkangahtawng, Nhpum Ga and Myitkyina) and 30 minor engagements
• Myitkyina Airfield was the only all-weather airfield in North Burma
• By the end of the conflict in Myitkyina, the Marauder unit was 15% of original size
• 18 Ranger companies were formed during the Korean War, with 6 seeing combat (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th)
• COL Ralph Pucket


  • Led the Eighth Army Ranger Company as a Second Lieutenant with no combat experience
  • 73-man company led the 25th Infantry Division in North Korea
  • Earned Distinguished Service Cross for actions at Hill 205 on 25-26 November 1950
  • Appointed Honorary Colonel of the Regiment in 1996
• Buffalo Rangers


  • 2nd and 4th Ranger Companies performed the first combat jump at Munsan-Ni
  • 2nd Ranger Company consisted entirely of African-American Rangers
  • Hill 581 – captured and held position, inflicted hundreds of enemy casualties with none casualties
• US entered Vietnam War due to commonly held "domino theory" view (Cold War)
• Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968) was a US bombing campaign targeting North Vietnamese targets
• The War of Attrition strategy ("search and destroy") became main philosophy and US troops increased to 500,000