The Americans capture Cologne

[sofakingdrunk66]

Fantastic City was there in Feb this year..

[diramonsky]

Panther got flanked, this footage is very unique. I wish they had more cameras back then. Maybe then we could actually see how terrible war is and not be so eager to repeat our mistakes.

[alexalexlive]

why dont you guys destroyed düsseldorf ? xD

Cologne is beautifull now, but before the war it was beautifuller ^^

[civil42806]

Pershings killed the tank

[Nogger86Germany]

I saw another video with this Panethr-sequnce, in which it was said that 2 members of the german tank managaed to survive th incident. WHat is true?

[corn1971]

@Nogger86Germany I also have seen versions of this which state two members of the tank crew were later captured inside the cathedral where they took shelter.

[cskor]

amazing footage

[ssnakessnake1]

Show us how american niggers raped german little girls after the battle.

[ssnakessnake1]

Those weak americans... They cowardly attacked Germany when Germany was weak because russians were near her borders and all german troops were in Eastern Front including thousend of tanks. 87% of german arme was destroyed by soviets. Cunning americans. Sherman was nothing against Tiger. Weak and cunning americans used their air force against few german tanks. Americans could only fight with Hitlerjugend in Normandy.

[Tebok73509]

@ssnakessnake1 dont you are a real dumbass. First of all it was not just the U.S on the western front. The British were there too. Secondly its a WAR - you dont sit down and wait for the enemy to build up their forces, you attack when they are unprepared and/or at their weakest. Wow... you are the most stupid fuck on this planet. Just wow.... people like you need to just die to clean up the gene pool.

[hombrelubinero]

@ssnakessnake1 you fag

[GregOpera]

Cologne was one of the eldest and most beautiful but unfortunately also the most destroyed german town. The population sank from 800.000 to 104.000. Almost 98 % of the buildings were damaged or blown away.

Although my family lost many members due to bombing, we never hated the Allies. We thanked God, when the Americans arrived and the war was at an end.

Please notice: At Cologne Hitler received less voices than in any other town. And there was more underground resistance than anywhere else.

[paolosilv]

It's good to remember what happened.

[paddy280]

and where s the scene when the american tank gets a hit ???

[ams4748]

I live and work right where these tanks are driving through. It's interesting to wonder what this city would be like had all of this destruction not happened . . . Thanks for posting the vid!

[johnsatyricon]

Indeed, if the Germans in 1944-1945 had the courage to acknowledge that they were defeated and they could impossibly win the war, their beautiful cities would have been spared. I once was in Cologne, and it struck me that the buildings are very recent. It is almost a God-given miracle that the beautiful Cologne cathedral survived the allied bombardments...

[johnsatyricon]

I was in Germany, last august, in the Eiffel. Nature is very beautiful there, but the German towns, f.e. Düren, have these dreary concrete post-war architecture, and most of their age-old historical centres destroyed, which I pitty a lot.

[Funzebub]

@johnsatyricon

I personaly live near Cologne.

And allthough many buildings got destroyed

I could recognize some buildings, like the old Commerzbank.

What realy happens is, that many old and often historic buildings

get replaced by modern ones. Only a few quarters are spared, like

the Altstadt in Düsseldorf.

A funny thing about the Cologne Cathedral is, that it actualy never realy

was finished and it has allways been under construction. But only the exterior.

[Nogger86Germany]

@Funzebub

Und wenn der Dom fertig ist, geht die Welt unter;-)

[corn1971]

@Nogger86Germany Which is why it's always good to see that scaffolding moving around the outside... :-)

[Nogger86Germany]

@johnsatyricon

True. But be honest: Those bombardments were a war crime that was not necessary since it didnt destroy the germans will to defend their country (which was doubtless pointess). To destroy economy is one point but the city centre-attacks did not reach their goal. Cologne is still an awesome place to be.

[Bearhawke42]

@johnsatyricon Rumor had it that the Allied airmen spared the cathedral since it was a very convenient landmark.