Ranger Assessment and Selection Program 1 (RASP 1) History Practice Exam

On D-Day the aim was to neutralize a fortification that could otherwise pound the assaulting troops as they landed. The 2nd Ranger Battalion was tasked specifically with seizing Pointe du Hoc, a cliff-top position between Utah and Omaha beaches, to destroy the German 155mm guns that threatened the landing area. Doing this required a daring climb up the cliff under enemy fire—Rangers rappelled down and fought their way to the guns, overcoming defenders and destroying the mountings so the batteries couldn’t fire on the invasion force. Even though the German guns had been moved inland overnight, the action still achieved its purpose: it denied the batteries’ threat and secured the promontory so the landings could proceed more safely. That direct link to neutralizing those coastal guns on the D-Day objective is why this is the right choice. The other events—Doolittle Raid, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Iwo Jima assault—take place in different theaters or involve different units and contexts.