D-Day to Berlin - The Battle for France (Part 6 of 6)

[gamadjedna9]

nice, its a BMW 4:35

[the82spartans]

The Germans had a key to Monty's diary but it was too late... the war was lost.

[ssean1290]

Montgomery wrote in his diary Oogally Boogally

[eightcloud28]

The German Third Army defeated the American Panzer Lehr Division. oh boy :)

[LimerickWarrior1]

@anxious0123 Ah we had that 40 round Hurley and boiling spuds , they are fecking deadly. We got very confused though, between fighting da Brits or Germans so we did both. Ah we where outnumbered 40,000 to a 1/2 but be gara sure ya cant beat an underdog .

Top of the morning to ya btw :P

[puchy110]

the germans had good soldiers, but their generals became crappy at the end of the war

[WorstCommenter2008]

@puchy110 Not really, the good ones were either killed, killed themselves or.. well think of a third option yourself.

[calia337]

I was always interested in "Operation Market Garden" because that was the battle that the Allies lost to the Nazi. It was the "Empire Strike Back" of WWII. Both side fought really hard to get to those paratroopers behind enemy lines but in the end they had to sacrifice them to help their fallen comade beside them.

[xsmattx]

Nuts

[cuzcatlan36]

duty, defend, honor, the ss nazi says. he forgot, to kill the innocent, men, women and children.

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36 if we wish to talk about the killing of innocents let us not forget Dresden or Hiroshima. Whilst one cannot compare that to the holocaust, not all Germans or SS men were bad, in the same way as not all americans or british or russians were good

[cuzcatlan36]

@krd I'll give you "not all germans" were bad, but SS, come on! You had to be an extra-dedicated murderer to be part of that "wonderful" group!! I mean you had to go through rigourous stuff and be right there where they killed people by the hundreds or thousands or millions!!! naturally, humans are all sinners. Dresden, you know, when it comes to germans, they inflicted so much crap on europe for no good reason other than psychotic reasons, germans had it coming! I feel slightly more bad for jap

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36

It depends which branch of the SS you're talking about if you were talking about the Algemeine SS or the Totenkopf then I'd agree with you... but the Waffen SS was a battlefield arm, yes they were more involved in the final solution than say the Heer, and I'm not going to compare the bombing (Which did have a military purpose, however fucked up it was)to the holocaust. However to you, maybe they aren't good reasons, to your average german in 1939 they were perfectly good.

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36 cont

Remember, quite a few people joined the SS because of the spiffy uniforms, or because the SS were the elite, or because the SS were better paid. Rather why people join the Airborne or the USMC today, because they're viewed as an elite. Again, what in your eyes is 'no good reason' remember, at the end of WWI, the Allies smacked germany down, thoroughly humiliated it and the germans wanted justice.

Okay that's no justification for the holocaust and I'm not trying to justify it.

[cuzcatlan36]

@krd I've read books on how germany was treated after the first war in terms of economics and stuff, but, what does anyone expect??? The bastards started everything, killed a whole bunch of people, and now they expect to be treated fairly??? Hell, no!! Germany's blood is on all of them, from WW1 to WW2. The whole thing about the "different" reasons why people joined the SS doesn't quit fly because the message of the nazis was short and simple "we hate, we kill, we don't care" they knew..

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36 last time I checked Germany didn't start everything when it came to world war one. They were dragged into that one just as much as we were.

As for the Nazi message, they started getting into the hate kill not caring propaganda after they were in office, way after anyone could do anything about them.

Should also note that such speeches and opinions were fairly common at the time. Granted not carried to the extremes that Hitler did, but such opinions were not confined to nazis.

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36 There's a fine line between punishing someone and humiliating them. Germany was emasculated, stripped of all its power and forbidden from so many things. Its empire was taken away, a whole heap of sanctions were placed upon it. This, in addition to pinning the entire blame of the war upon Germany, a country that had relatively little to do with starting the war.

[cuzcatlan36]

@krd Lets say for a moment the allies were unfair with germany during WW1, what they did in WW2 completely throws any of those notions out the window. Germany got away with murder on both occations! To hell with that nation!!

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36 'Got away with murder on both occasions'

Really?

Lets think about that. Germany's cities had been lain waste to, its entire male population had been slaughtered pretty much. Its women raped by the ravaging red army. There was no industrial equipment to speak of. Germany was devided into two nations. It was punished, and severely.

[cuzcatlan36]

@krd the amount of cruelty and viciousness the germans inflicted upon millions was way too much. What germany got was just a slap on the wrist!

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36 that's your opinion

I would differ. Remember, at the end of the second world war, the overriding need was to prevent another versailles. We beat them down after the first world war, completely emasculated them and stripped them of everything, made them international pariahs. Look what that did, paved the road for Hitler in the first place. No one wanted to repeat that, apart from the Russians and the French.

[cuzcatlan36]

@krd A lot of countries go through crappy times and don't go and kill millions just cause of stupid race crap. Criminals always have excuses for what they do, and doctors and scientists are always ready to find their behaviors as "illnesses" or "it happened because they were pressured", it's all bull, everyone got to take responsibilty for their cations and suffer the consequences. Besides Germany started off with some pressure after WW1 and then the americans gave loans and life was better.

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36 are you quite sure about that?

Really absolutely sure that 'a lot of countries go through crappy times and don't kill millions' I have quite a few examples to the contrary, Rwanda, Argentina, Somalia, America (Native Americans) to name but a few. Nationalism always thrives during times of trial, and the Great Depression that Hitler rode into power was one such incident. The Americans wanted thier loans BACK during the great depression, from a country that couldn't pay.

[cuzcatlan36]

@krd of course I'm sure! I am also sure that human beings will kill one another until jesus returns! non of the countries you mentioned had factories of death for about 4 years, running 24/7 killing millions, and doing it with a smile, and having the nerve to defend them like you are. Accepting responsibility for anything has never been the criminal way! for they are criminals. the germans started the 20th century killing and went on killing until almost the 50's. that nation is evil!

[krd]

@cuzcatlan36 doesn't that just make you as bad as the Nazis for saying an entire nation is evil? Even the women and children who were nothing to do with Hitler or his schemes, or the soldiers who were conscripted towards the end.

I'm not defending the holocaust. I am however saying that to say all Germans are evil is to take an oversimplified view of the problem. It also puts you on exactly the same level as the Nazis.

[lasputa]

the german third army???? LOL

[Malcolmwxw]

God

Bless

Our

Fallen

Soldiers/Friends and comrades

Then and NOW

[fliegeroh]

As this video opens, the narrator says "...the German Third Army under Patton". Oops, that should be American Third Army under Patton. Hard to believe the History Channel editors didn't catch this.

[bikepeddlar6]

wow. the british were incredibly tough. but i dont think anyone in the european theater was near as tough as the waffen SS they were incredible fighters

[coooldude777]

@mollymange

how about God Bless ALL fallen soldiers

is a fallen Nazi soldier any less important to God than a fallen American soldier?

[coooldude777]

@mollymange

how about God Bless ALL fallen soldiers

is a fallen Nazi soldier an less important to God than a fallen American soldier?

[LYinKansas]

love the music

[joe117pwn]

4:32... BMW???????

[stump229]

The funny thing is after stalingrad germany was all but done in anyway, so you could say that all this is for nothing. The Russians raped them so bad at stalingrad and they just had sooooo much industry and manpower that the germans didn't have much of a shot even if they could've held off the allies in the west. Germany coulda won it man if the damn japos had kept it under ctrl and hitler didn't hate ruskies so goddam much.

[fkknight]

We Respeced Our Soliers in War

[bugsy101073]

greeings from germany

panzer lehr commander bayerlain mentioned how more daring american armor is than the british...even von kluge, model and student agree the audacity of american commanders than the british...'they fight like lions , but are led by monkeys" so were the british

[Mikkhep]

I don't thank the US army for anything. While they came marching cowardly with 300 soldier against 50 they still got beaten their asses of by the Germans. And they came marching with 300 soldiers againsr 50, while we, Euorpeens, under German occupation had to fight with 5 against 50. And still, we won almost more than the US army. So basically, all the Americans did was to come to France while Russia and England helped the rest of Europe. And still they got powned.

[metargear123]

@Mikkhep you know, people would take you more seriously if you utilized proper spelling in English. Do you know anything about the history and the economics behind the war? the United States supported England long before they entered the war. Do you think England and Russia could have continued the war against Nazis without the aids from American war machine? not a chance. Britain ran out of resources to continue the struggle before 1943, and Russia lacked food and medical supplies.

[metargear123]

@Mikkhep After all, how did you come up with those numbers? Did you just think of in your head? I don't know if your socialist government even covers a thing about "Marshall Plan(which by the way, no european government has ever said even a brief 'thanks' to the United States for)(Your country, Norway, received quite amount of money for a such a small country)."

Well, clearly, The ratio of population of Europe excluding Nazi Germany and other European Axis countries wasn't one to ten.

[Mikkhep]

@metargear123 Norway has been selling oil to America alot lately. We have been selling you missiles, we have aided you in the Afghanistan war, you asked for our Norwegian Special Forces to aid you in the Middle East and so we did and America didn't even help Norway, Denmark, Finland or Poland in WW2. America has waged war at anything, and alot of your military technology comes from Europe... so suggest that the U.S Government are the ones to thank Europe.

[metargear123]

@Mikkhep Great, now you're saying what America did during world war 2 doesn't matter. Listening has become a rare skill in modern society. Oh really? How much oil did you sell to us? See? You didn't read the Marshall Plan part. Without that, there would be more countries in Warsaw pact now. Umm.. Why would we want to get help from such a small armed forces? Where's the evidence that most technology came from Europe?

[Mikkhep]

@metargear123 Dude calm down seriously.. with out respond from me to your 3 comments you just keep sending me messages. I am not interrested in fighting so stop replying my comment. Stop or I'll block you, simple.

[mrzergmrzergmrzerg]

@Mikkhep

Europe, as a whole did, SUCH a great job that ONE nation was able to subjugate pretty much the ENTIRE continent.

Something to be proud be of...

NOT!

You, sir, are an idiot.

[Mikkhep]

@mrzergmrzergmrzerg

1. No one expected war

2. Germany became a superior power because they produced alot of military vehicles and weapons.

3. Other countries of Europe had almost none military or any sort of self defence.

4. For being 99% occupied and still been able to almost beat the Nazis with small sabotages missions... I guess we are pretty good.

5. America entered the war at the end of it to claim most of the honor for doing nothing.

6. Russia helped alot more than America.

[mrzergmrzergmrzerg]

@Mikkhep

Hate on the U.S. all you want. That doesn't change the fact that had it not been for the U.S., Europe would have remained either A.) A Nazi state or B.) A communist state for YEARS. Instead, the U.S. occupied nations of Europe were allowed to return as their former selves, and have been able to prosper and live in peace for one of the longest periods of time in European history.

All due to the human and material sacrifices made by the U.S. in WW II.

[Mikkhep]

@mrzergmrzergmrzerg I dont hate the U.S, only their government. U.S did not do much compared to what Russia did. Russia could have occupied Norway, Poland, Finland and the entire Germany and made it communism, but instead they said that Half of Germany was enough. Russia sacrificed almost three times as many soldiers as the U.S. USA would not stand a chance against Nazi Germany at that time alone, they would be crunched.

[Frikkz1]

@Mikkhep the russians did it because they knew if the allied would not get half of germany there would be a war between the allied and the ussr. beside you underastimate the scandinavian people we dont like communists we know they are bad and we would have fought them straid away. witch we all soon have to do again.

[nachospole1]

@mrzergmrzergmrzerg how about tthe sacrafices of all allied forces instead of saying u.s. if brittian had not won the battel of brittan with the help of polish, new zealand, australian, canadian and many more pilots and crew from other nations d-day might never of happened

[Frikkz1]

@mrzergmrzergmrzerg read and watch ww2 history and you will see thats a load of crap. the U.S did alot and we would propably lose without there LATE help but we were and are not useless, we were tired so were the naziz.

[Frikkz1]

@mrzergmrzergmrzerg you are both idiots. stop taking side and see as the whole how was the best.

[SuperMachinegunner]

@TroyBilt007 they didnt go without a fight tough

[SuperMachinegunner]

@MrKellysHeroes true

[ThePanzerWarMachine]

6:30 OMG look at that poor man....

[alcammy]

The German 3rd Army under Patton?

Hmmmmmm....

[Sabreur64]

@alcammy

Just noticed that. What a colossal blunder.

[darkblood780]

Off topic but wasn't it Japans generals that caused the outburst of Japan? From what I read in books, the generals assasinated the Emperor and took control in making Japan wage war against multiple countries for there resources seeing how Japan didnt have enough. (I just skimmed through the book so tell me if I got something wrong.)

[SandyEA]

They assassinated Japanese political officials, never the emperor

[javis333clubpenguin]

usa is the best germany is lest!

[randy95023]

By mid '44 the Americans knew we would win, but also knew the Germans were a VERY dangerous enemy. Our Manufacturing Base and huge population almost guaranteed victory, especially with the hordes of Soviets crushing the Wehrmact in the East. Remember that D-Day didn't come until 11 months AFTER the Soviet Victory of Kursk. Almost 9 million US soldiers never left the continental USA. We had endless reserves and were manufacturing planes, tanks and ships at a rate that's hard to comprehend!

[obbabob]

which roughly is 100.000 casualties.

[HMSBeagle200]

Let's hope there will be no more war

[LEOPARDTWO]

"The German Third Army under Patton"? Is the narrator drunk or on heavy drugs?

[Dengar12000]

Mistakes happen.

[Muntman]

I had to listen to that 3 times. How did that get past the final cut?!

[DardoUltimate]

6:28, that's war... War is not prety like in the video games or like in the movies.

[lxgiwylgta]

lol you don't get revived

[TroupeDeMarine]

We fought heavily too!

[migu74]

Hey folks the comments here make me sad! no one learns from history. all wars start with the subjekt of domination. look at the list of wars in wiki.

the biggest illusion is that we call them heros when we are far away in time. look at leaders like napoleon ore constantin, the called big leaders with power and glory. theyer wars are big moves and so clever done. i hope no one will call any leader of WW2 a hero of his time, perhabs this sad part in history can end some days if we start to learn

[coldice76stromberg]

Why didn't the rest of the German officers kill Hitler after the first failed attempt? Makes me mad.

[Bullettube]

They were all good, they all had different strengths and weaknesses, and fought with varying success.

[Bullettube]

A good series, really. Thanks for posting. I believe that Monty was a bit of a showman and that gets a lot of bad press. His strategy was sound, but the hedgerows were tougher then he thought they'd be. The US army, especially under Patton, fought a more mechanized war because they didn't want high casualties. In the end, superior logistics and air power really played the decisive roles.

[ajgraham43]

Its about time people like ''EasyCompanyAirborne'' had a little more respect for that small island of 60M. Why was it our General was the man who planned Overlord and was in Command of all the Ground Troops including the Americans, and why was it that the RAF were the people who flattened every City in Germany? The fact is the Germans like Rommel and Hitler himself had alot more respect for Britain than the Americans, who Rommel called ''England Italians''.

[pulsed13]

"Why was it our General was the man who planned Overlord and was in Command of all the Ground Troops including the Americans" - It's called "convenience commanding", Monty was the most convenient choice to become field commander. It also served to symbolise the US-British alliance, "shared responsibility", some positions are American, some positions are British.

[pulsed13]

"and why was it that the RAF were the people who flattened every City in Germany?" - So you're saying that the Joint Bomber Command, consisting of the RAF and the US Air Corps, did not exist? LOL

"The fact is the Germans like Rommel and Hitler himself had alot more respect for Britain than the Americans, who Rommel called ''England Italians''." - I haven't heard of this before. All that I've read about is that the Germans actually see the Americans as their equals...

[pulsed13]

...and not having to put up with "taking things slowly", the pursuit for innovation (the automobile industry during that time, for example, is dominated by American and German companies), not taking tea parties each and every time then reach a building...

[ajgraham43]

Just like the film said, you faced second rate understrength Divisions, and that is why you were able to move quickly. The Brits and Canadians fought the elite SS Divisions, no need to say anymore!

[Bullettube]

The elite SS div. were not all that good. They were fanatical fighters, and well disciplined, but their fanaticism blinded them to the tactics they needed to succeed . The Brits, using common soldiers, beat them. Listen again, The 2nd rate German divisions were at the Normandy beaches, the tougher Divisions were held in reserve further inland.

[101division44]

What are you smoking? The SS were very Elite...Fanatics they were, but they were loyal and Elite....They were determined which is why the Allied forces lost so many tanks and infantry...

[SuperMachinegunner]

@101division44 the SS were fuckin bad asses, my absolute favorite soldiers from ww2. they were proud soldiers, they fought like proud soldiers, and they died as proud soldier's

[ajgraham43]

The Germans did not see the Americans as their equals they thought they were superior, and it was Rommel in Africa who refered to the Americans as ''Englands Italians''.

[ajgraham43]

The only reason why the Americans broke out against second rate under strength Divisions was because the Brits and the Canadians chewed up all the SS Divisions around Caen. The story was much the same during the Ardennes break through when Monty had to be put in Command of the Americans again, after alot of them made unauthorized retreats!!

[pulsed13]

"The story was much the same during the Ardennes break through when Monty had to be put in Command of the Americans again" LOL the real reason Monty was put to command to the divisions retreating from the Ardennes was because the Allied forces north of the Ardennes weren't doing anything else useful.

And Montgomery was solely responsible for the decimation of one Airborne Division of the British Army during Market Garden, and wasted a lot of men and resources along the way.

[pulsed13]

Also, all of the divisions along the line in the Ardennes forest are either refitting/resting, or just newly arrived from the US. The veteran divisions, the 4th and 29th, if I recall correctly, and a couple of armored divisions, were all understrength. They were able to hold their own for some time. The new divisions meanwhile will be tasting action for the first time, they were the ones who were retreating. Even the reinforcements, the 82d and 101st, were actually understrength, but they...

[pulsed13]

were able to fight back very well. The 82d division, plus a few more (2-3 divisions) were fighting savagely on the northern part of the ardennes, against more than 10-12 divisions of army group north. the 101st, along with combat command b of the 10th armored, and some artillery battalions, were able to hold bastogne against the full might of army group center (around 14 divisions) until after christmas.

[ajgraham43]

General Blumentritt wrote about the Allies in Normandy and said ''When we attacked the British they were almost impossible to shift, but the Americans usually retreated after Heavy Artilery Fire.'' I rest my case.

[Bullettube]

The US philosophy was to win the war without wasting the lives of the men. The US would pull back, pulverize the Germans with artillery and air strikes, then have the infantry mop up. With a few exceptions, the strategy worked. Bravery means nothing when you're dead, and dead heroes don't win wars. As for Blumentritt, he is just one of many defeated German generals.

[bikepeddlar6]

@ajgraham43 oh we're going to bring this up now? ok. we americans can say this. if we didn't enter the war you guys wouldve been screwed. youd be speaking german right now. so dont even try to insult us. cause we saved you guys

[LordGeorgeRodney]

@jacketsareboss1234 read what happened..

600 German tanks with 6 mile defensive front against British & Canadian

Against US the Germans had only 90 tanks & defence front of less than 2 miles...

its called strategy... I rest my case...

[puchy110]

@ajgraham43 hey it doesn't matter who was braver, if the Americans hadn't joined the war, the British would've got their ass wooped

[MrPhantompants]

@ajgraham43 wouldnt retreating from an artillary barrage be the smart thing to do im not american or anything but that sounds kinda silly

[teachinggypsy]

@ajgraham43 Yes, because Monty was willing to allow his men to get chewed up in pursuit of personal glory.

[ajgraham43]

You have your facts wrong again. Monty was put in command because the Germans had split your Army in two, and it was the Brit and Canadian Armies Eisenhower chose to cross the Rhein first...I wonder why?

[Bullettube]

Maybe it was because they had the river in front of them, where as the Americans were further south? Patton's 3rd army had the job of cutting off German access to the Swiss border, then crossing the Seigfield line, which turned out to be easier than anyone had thought it would be.

[EasyCompanyAirborne]

The genius of the Americans. They got sick of waiting for Montgomery.

[james331933]

I got sick of yours

[101division44]

They were eager for Monty to break out...Plus the Americans fought much weaker divisions compared to Britain's...

[dasilog11]

6:30 so sad and disturbing.. =(

[WingsofGold4045]

war's will ever stop... There will always be people who want more power/money and greed will drive them crazy, as much as it did Hitler. No matter what it may take. But hopefully most of the countries of the world, apart from our differences, will put them aside and help each other out in times like WW2....

[WingsofGold4045]

people/soldiers managed to live on after this, especially most of them losing friends & family. I know their lives were never the same after the war, but god bless them for what they did. Rid the world of terror like the Axis Powers were. Germany wanted control of Europe, Italy was offered Africa, & Japan was offered Asia. But with the world united as one to stop them. It was costly but managed victory. I just hope nothing ever happens to this scale of war ever again. But i unfortunately doubt

[WingsofGold4045]

Wars are never good, but usually most have a purpose(like the Revolutionary war = independence... Civil War = Civil Rights/No Slavery, and so on) And this one was because innocent people were being captured, enslaved, and executed like animals. No person or race deserves treatment like what happened during WW2. Yes, WW2 was most likely the cosliest war in history. I could not even begin to fathom/imagine, let alone see or witness some of the things that happened. I don't know how some of the

[readynow12345]

God so many people died in this sense less war, all because of a dictator with a wild dream of a thousand years, this was not war

because of food land or survival, simply someone wanting to dominate the world simply because of power and they where better then everyone else, in the end justice will always prevail..

[phocjame]

Ya, this was war.

Also, that whole "justice will always prevail" is a nice idea, but is sadly wrong.

[cdishmo]

I understand your argument but the German people should have told Hitler,"we are not going through another war." We had a war 20 years ago. It's like a women who keeps going back to an abusive husband. She never learns. It's been 63 years, why haven't the German's started another war? They can't find a charismatic speaker to lead them back into hell. Did you see the pictures of the dead? This is what leaders don't want people to see, because if they did they would not participate.

[cdishmo]

Look at the picture of the dead soldier at 6:32 his body burned like a piece of meat over an open fire. Like when you leave the meat on the grill and the flames engulf the meat and burn it. Why would anybody want to do that to another human being?

[readynow12345]

What about Jeffrey Dahmer

[cdishmo]

Why do people who are are rational thinking and sane participate in war?

[DavidMed58]

lol he said german third army underr patton lololzz

[earthwormjim3D]

German paratroopers, British Commandos, the soviet army and commonwealth divisions are my favourites...I do not support any political party or government of the second world war though

[thrilldaddy]

anybody know the name of the songs played at the beginning when they are talking about Patton's 3rd Army?

[n00bssuck]

same here. mistake

[thrilldaddy]

yeah he did...i caught that too

[saranneproject]

awesome doc!