The Rangers' mission was clear: They were to lead the assault on Omaha Beach and break out inland. Simultaneously, other units would scale the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc to destroy the gun battery there and thus protect the invasion fleet from being targeted. But was the Pointe du Hoc mission actually necessary? Why did the Allies plan and execute an attack on a battery that they knew in advance contained no field guns? And more importantly, why did they ignore the position at Maisy that did? Using personal interviews with the surviving Rangers, Gary Sterne tells the story of what actually happened and the mission that might have been.