Darby’s Men on the Tabletop - Adapting the Rangers to Chain of Command

Welcome back to the 3rd part of my little series covering the US Rangers.

Let’s look at how a Ranger Platoon actually operated at the tactical level and how we can translate this into an Army List for Chain of Command - of course tailored for the 1943 Mediterranean Theater our group prefers.

This list including the available Supports will be ready next week to upload it on this Blog.

Darby’s Rangers: Table of Organization & Equipment (1942–1943)

Patterned after the British Commandos but utilizing American equipment, the Ranger organization evolved rapidly between the landing in North Africa (Operation Torch) and the fighting in Sicily (Operation Husky).

High-Level Organization: Force X and the Battalion

In Sicily, specifically for the Gela landings, Colonel William O. Darby commanded a provisional grouping known as Force X.

This was a reinforced task force consisting of:

• 1st Ranger Battalion
• 4th Ranger Battalions
• three companies of the **83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion** (armed with 4.2-inch mortars)
• 1st Battalion, 39th Engineers

Ranger Battalion

For us wargamers, a Ranger Battalion is kind of a unique beast.

Unlike a standard US Infantry Battalion, which carried heavy logistical weight, the Rangers were a lean "all-killer, no-filler" force designed for shock action and night infiltration consisting of:

• Headquarters Company
• six line companies (Able through Fox)

The total authorized strength was approximately 26–31 officers and 434–473 enlisted men each.

The Ranger Company

(useful for games like Big Chain of Command, O-Group etc.)

The company was the primary tactical building block.

By the time just after the North African campaign, the structure had been refined to move heavy equipment out of the platoons to keep them as mobile as possible - real Light Infantry!

Company Headquarters (Command Section)

• Company Commander (Captain)
• First Sergeant
• Clerk
• Messenger/Orderly (often armed with a submachine gun)

Two Rifle Platoons (for their organisation see down below)

Company Support

Following a reorganization in July 1942, the 60mm mortars were centralized at the company level. This section included two mortar squads, each with:

One 60mm M2 mortar and a 5-man crew (Sergeant, Gunner, Asst. Gunner, and 2 Ammunition Bearers)

Authorized Strength: 3 Officers and 63–67 Enlisted Men.

The Ranger Platoon

In CoC terms, a Ranger Platoon is compact, aggressive and packs a surprising amount of firepower at close range, though of course it lacks the raw manpower of a standard US Rifle Platoon.

A historical platoon numbered only about 25 to 30 men and consisted of:

Platoon Headquarters

- Platoon Leader: 1st or 2nd Lieutenant (Senior Leader)

- Platoon Sergeant: Staff Sergeant (Senior Leader).

- Messenger: Private/PFC (Armed with an M1 Thompson SMG)

- Sniper: T/5 or Private (Armed with an M1903A4 Springfield with telescope)

Two Rifle Sections, each with

- led by a Sergeant (Superior Junior Leader)

- an Assistant Section Leader (Corporal, just another Rifleman regarding the list and member of the BAR Team).

- Scout Team: 2 Scouts (one armed with an M1 Thompson, one with an M1 Garand).

- BAR Team: 1 Gunner (M1918A2 BAR) and 1 Assistant BAR man (M1 Garand)

- Rifle Team: 5 Riflemen (M1 Garand rifles - one rifleman is equipped with an M2 Rifle Grenade launcher)

Authorized Strength: 1 Officer and 25–31 Enlisted Men.

Support Weapons Pool

Darby had what his executive officer called a "fetish for firepower". 

While the platoons were light, the battalion maintained a weapons pool in the HHC to be distributed as needed:

• M1919A4 .30 Cal Machine Guns: Initially 1 per section, these were pooled at the battalion level after July 1942 to keep the assault sections fast. They were issued back out for defensive missions.
• Bazookas: Each battalion was issued approximately 14–20 of them. These replaced the British .55 cal Boys Anti-Tank Rifles the Rangers had used in training.
• 60mm Mortars
• 81mm Mortars: Sometimes used to replace 60mm mortars for heavy-duty beach assaults (e.g., Arzew).
• Large supplies of "sticky" grenades, thermite grenades (White Phosphor grenades) and Bangalore torpedoes for demolition work but used against tanks in the fightings in and around Gela

Darby’s Cannon Company (The "Aces")

Following the armor threats at Gela, Darby permanently integrated mobile heavy support, formed August 1943 at Corleone, Sicily:

• 4 M3A1 GMC (Gun Motor Carriage) - M3-Half-tracks armed with 75mm guns

They were named after the card suits: Ace of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Clubs, and Ace of Spades and were used as aggressive, mobile direct-fire artillery and for anti-tank defense.

One of the M3A1 GMC of the Ranger Cannon Company (looks loke it´s the Ace of Diamonds)

Special Rules

Some special rules for Darby´s Rangers I´m thinking about to include in the upcoming Army List:

• Rangers are Aggressive
• "Rangers Lead the Way!": Rangers ignore the first point of Shock received when moving in the open, and they treat rough/broken terrain as normal terrain when executing a *Run* action.

What do you think? Too much special rules or would they be appropiate to portrait the characteristics of these men?

See you next week when I will upload the finished Army List for the Rangers!

Part 1: Rangers Lead the Way! Origins, Training, and Organization in World War II

Part 2: From the Desert to the Cliffs – The Ranger Force in Action in the Mediterranean Campaigns

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Hell over the Bocage: P-47 Thunderbolts vs. the Luftwaffe

Last Saturday, I finally had the opportunity to play a session of "Check your 6!" with Bernhard, Stefan, and Marc. The scenario, titled "Hell over Bocage," was part of a weekend-long Bolt Action campaign focusing on the D-Day landings.

The Mission: The German Luftwaffe, represented by Bernhard and Stefan, fielded four Bf 109s and two Fw 190s. Their objective: protect two vital supply columns heading toward the front to reinforce the defense against the landings. Column One consisted of tanks, protected by a Sd.Kfz. 7/1 flak vehicle; Column Two was a convoy of trucks carrying infantry and ammunition, also escorted by a Sd.Kfz. 7/1.

Marc and I were tasked with intercepting them. Each of us commanded four P-47D Thunderbolts. To maximize our impact, our Jugs were loaded with bombs—which, unfortunately, turned us into "sitting ducks" against the Luftwaffe’s agile fighters. To make matters worse, we arrived in waves; Marc’s squadron had to hold the line alone for a while before I could join the fray.

We set a direct course for our targets, keeping a wary eye on the enemy fighters closing in. With a mix of precision gunnery and a fair bit of luck, we managed to knock out both German Sd.Kfz. 7/1s early on. This left the supply columns defenseless, at the mercy of the fighters circling above.

 

Marc’s pilots quickly proved their worth as seasoned Jabo (fighter-bomber) crews. One truck after another fell victim to their strafing runs, turning the roads into a hellscape of burning wreckage, exploding munitions, and chaos.

When my squadron finally joined the fight, we were severely handicapped by our bomb loads. A wild "dogfight" ensued. It was a rollercoaster of emotions: sometimes the German pilots couldn't hit the broad side of a barn—leading to some frustrated pilots fearing a transfer to the Eastern Front—but once they found their range, the sky turned lethal. By the end of the engagement, five of our eight P-47s had been shot down. However, the Luftwaffe paid a heavy price as well, losing two aircraft to my squadron alone.

A near crash mid-air - but thanks to Marc´s piloting skill handled with ease 😀

As fuel gauges dipped toward empty and the fighting subsided, the truck column had been completely annihilated, and more than half of the German tanks were left as smoldering wrecks, choking the Wehrmacht's supply lines.

Even though the US Air Force technically lost the game on points, we had achieved our true objective: virtually no reinforcements would reach the hard-pressed German troops on the ground. We were rewarded with the heartfelt gratitude of the US Bolt Action players—a victory of its own, in our books.

Conclusion: "Check your 6!" is an incredibly exciting system. It truly lives up to the motto "easy to learn, hard to master." The multiplayer mode is exceptionally well-balanced—there was absolutely no "downtime," which is a rare feat for flight simulation tabletop games.

Needless to say, this game was a game-changer for me: I now absolutely need a squadron of planes for our Sicily campaign and a proper flight mat!

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From the Desert to the Cliffs – The Ranger Force in Action in the Mediterranean Campaigns

Welcome back to part Two of my articles regarding the US Rangers.

While part One showed how the Rangers were forged, let’s look at their historical campaigns through North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. For *Chain of Command* players, this theater offers some of the most intense, asymmetrical scenario ideas imaginable.

The Opening Gambit: Operation Torch

The Rangers received their baptism by fire on November 8, 1942, during Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa.

The 1st Ranger Battalion conducted a night landing at the Algerian port of Arzew to neutralize coastal batteries threatening the main invasion fleet.

• "Dammer Force" stormed Fort de la Pointe, capturing the commandant in his pajamas.
• "Darby Force"** infiltrated four miles inland to strike the Batterie du Nord from the rear. 

The mission was a total success, executed with minimal casualties.

In the following months in Tunisia, the Rangers conducted classic "hit-and-run" raids, most notably at Sened Station on February 11, 1943, where they decimated elite Italian Bersaglieri units in close-quarters night combat.

However, their most brilliant tactical feat was the seizure of the Djebel el Ank Pass in March 1943.

By executing a grueling ten-mile night march over terrain the enemy considered impassable, the Rangers swooped down on the Italian positions from the rear, capturing over 1,000 prisoners and earning the battalion its first Presidential Unit Citation.

Operational Focus: The Bloody Beaches of Gela (Operation Husky)

Following North Africa, the Ranger force was expanded to three battalions (the 1st, 3rd, and 4th) to spearhead the invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky.

On July 10, 1943, the 1st and 4th Battalions, designated as "Force X", landed directly at the coastal town of Gela.

Landing Under Fire

Heavy fighting at Gela not only at land but at sea too - Liberty Ship SS Robert Rowan explodes after hit by an attack of some JU 88 bombers.

The tactical situation was precarious from the start:

A fierce storm the day before had churned the sea, causing widespread seasickness. Furthermore, the guide boats failed to materialize at the rendezvous point, throwing the landing schedule into chaos.

The Rangers finally hit the "Red" and "Green" beaches around 0255 hours under searchlights and heavy fire. Many landing craft grounded on offshore sandbars, forcing the men to wade through chest-deep water with fixed bayonets while the Italians detonated the Gela pier in a massive explosion.

The Urban Fight for Gela

Once ashore, the Rangers engaged in intense house-to-house fighting. They utilized grenades and submachine guns to clear fortified basements and rooftops.

By dawn, the Rangers had seized control of the city center and captured hundreds of Italian soldiers, though the most dangerous phase was yet to come.

Repelling the Armored Counterattacks

The Rangers faced a critical defensive problem: they were light infantry lacking heavy anti-tank assets against approaching armor.

When Italian Renault R35 light tanks penetrated the town, the Rangers resorted to desperate measures, dropping explosive satchel charges and grenades from rooftops onto the vehicles.

Colonel Darby personally operated a borrowed 37mm anti-tank gun in the town square, destroying one of the lead tanks.

The situation escalated when 18 German Tiger tanks from the Fallschirmpanzerdivision "Hermann Göring" launched a massive counterattack from the northeast.

The Rangers held Gela against this eight-fold numerical superiority only through the precise coordination of naval gunfire—specifically from the USS Savannah and the heavy barrages of the 83rd Chemical Mortar Battalion (4.2-inch mortars).

The 4.2-inch Chemical Mortar (Four-Deuce) fired high explosive and white phosphorus rounds.

Moving North: Salerno and Anzio

Rangers in combat not in Normandy but near Santa Maria, Italy, November 1943.

In September 1943, the Rangers landed at Maiori during Operation Avalanche.

They rapidly seized the strategic Chiunzi Pass, providing the Allies with a bird's-eye view of the Naples plain and German supply routes.

For three weeks, they held these heights against repeated German counterattacks and constant artillery fire, proving that well-entrenched light infantry could anchor a sector if properly supported by naval and mortar fire.

The Tragedy of Cisterna

The original Ranger Force met its end in January 1944 during the Anzio landings.

While the initial landing was unopposed, an attempted night infiltration toward the town of Cisterna on January 30 turned into a tactical nightmare.

The 1st and 3rd Battalions successfully infiltrated enemy lines but were caught at dawn in open terrain, surrounded by heavy German Panzer and Parachute units.

In a desperate last stand, both battalions were almost entirely annihilated. Of the 767 Rangers who began the assault, only six(!) returned to friendly lines; the rest were killed or captured.

This disaster marked the end of the original "Darby’s Rangers," though their legacy as the "Spearhead" continues to define elite light infantry operations today.

The next part will cover the detailed organisation at the Platoon level and how I translate this into the Army List for Chain of Command.

Wargaming Insight

The Rangers' success often hinged on their ability to neutralize heavy assets (coastal guns, tanks) using stealth or extreme aggression before the enemy could react.

At Gela, the combination of light infantry, heavy mortars, and naval "off-table" support is a perfect scenario for tactical simulations

Used Sources

• The Battalion: The Dramatic Story of the 2nd Ranger Battalion in World War II; Robert W. Black; 2006
• Darby's Rangers 1942–45; Mir Bahmanyar & Michael Welply; Osprey Warrior Series
• The Ranger Force: Darby’s Rangers in World War II; Robert W. Black; 2009
• Rangers: Selected Combat Operations in World War II; Dr. Michael J. King; 1985
• Rangers in World War II: Part I—The Formation and Early Days; Kenneth Finlayson & Robert W. Jones Jr.
• Small Unit Actions (American Forces in Action Series); Historical Division, War Department; 1946
• The Operations of Companies "A" and "B" First Ranger Battalion, at Gela, Sicily, 10–11 July 1943; Major James B. Lyle; 1948–1949
• US Army Rangers & LRRP Units 1942–87; Gordon L. Rottman & Ron Volstad; 1987
• US Rangers: 'Leading the Way'; Ian Westwell; 2003
• We Led the Way: Darby's Rangers; William Orlando Darby & William Henry Baumer; 1980
• When Engineers Fight as Infantry: The amphibious assault on Gela by a Ranger-Engineer force; Col. Stanley W. Dziuban; 1962

Rangers Lead the Way! <- Part 1 and Part 3 -> Darby’s Men on the Tabletop

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