Darby’s Rangers

In spring 1942, the US Army forms an elite strike force, the 1st Ranger Battalion, led by Major William Darby. He and Master Sergeant Saul Rosen recruit a diverse group of men and begin training with veteran Commando units in Dundee, Scotland. Darby proclaims that Rangers will be the best soldiers in the world.

The American trainees are quartered in Scottish homes and pair off with local women: Rollo Burns with Peggy McTavish and Hank Bishop with Wendy Hollister. The bonds form a humanizing backdrop as the unit trains under Dundee's Commandos. The men learn discipline while building personal ties that will echo through their service.

The Rangers prove their worth during Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa, earning respect from Allied commanders. The success leads to the formation of two additional Ranger battalions. Darby is promoted to colonel as the unit grows to meet new demands.

The Rangers wage heavy, close-quarters combat during the Allied invasion of Sicily. Second Lieutenant Arnold Dittmann faces the brutal realities of war and is slowly humanized by an encounter with Angelina De Lotta, a strong-willed local woman.

Darby confides to Rosen a recurring dream of being run over by an oncoming train, revealing a haunted sense of looming danger. He remains a resolute leader, pushing his men to excel while carrying his own unease into battle.

At the Anzio beachhead, the 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions are sent on a dangerous mission and are ambushed by the Germans at Cisterna. Darby leads his 4th Ranger Battalion in a doomed rescue attempt, resulting in heavy losses and only a few survivors, including Burns who dies.

Following the brutal losses at Cisterna, the Ranger units are disbanded and soldiers are reassigned. Brief vignettes show Bishop on leave with Wendy and Dittman reuniting with Angelina, underscoring ordinary lives continuing beyond frontline combat.

Darby is ordered to report to Army HQ at the Pentagon, signaling a shift from front-line command to higher-level duties. At the Anzio beachhead, Rosen bids him a heartfelt goodbye as he prepares to depart.

On the harbor-side approach to the landing craft, Darby walks with a stoic resolve while saluting nearby troops. A fellow soldier calls out, 'Look at that Ranger patch,' and Darby straightens up and maintains the salute as the ramp lifts.

A postscript notes that the Rangers’ rugged, hard-hitting methods influenced techniques now employed by all fighting units of the U.S. Army. The film underscores how their approach shaped modern Army training and tactical thinking.

Darby later returns to Italy and is killed in action with the 10th Mountain Division just days before the end of the war in 1945. He is posthumously promoted to brigadier general in honor of his leadership and sacrifice.