My father landed on sword beach 2nd wave in, he was a royal engineer, R force, his hobbies were Motorcycles even to the point were he was a dispatch rider, riding out in occupied France setting up dummy tanks to deceive the Germans as in Dover before D day. A quiet man, when i was child you would always find him in his workshop tinkering with his bikes, to the point the local people and kids would bring thair bikes if they had a problem to which my dad would always fix for nothing, sadly dad passed away quietly at home in 2020, R.I.P dad, a great man and a fantastic father, thank you to all the veterans who are a generation never to be forgotten.
As an ex RE myself. It still amazes me the many and very varied tasks taken on by the Corps. I served for 23 years, but not that long ago ! Demobbing in 1999. Thank you for sharing your story.
Why did your father attack Europe and help the communists to kill millions and why did he help to kill german, french,italian, dutch, etc. Civilians, more than 1 million?
Always good to see Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history.
Utah beach. . . a lot of roads named after American soldiers who died there. My girlfriend and I were heading for Juno Beach on our touring bicycles when she developed a shifting problem which was beyond my capability to repair. We managed to make our way to Caen, where we found a bike shop. In my very limited French, I explained the situation. The mechanic dropped everything, tackled Leona’s bicycle, and repaired the gear shifting situation. I was wearing my Maple Leaf cycling jersey. When I asked “combien?” (How Much?) he replied “Rien. Canadian”. (Nothing, Canadian). We overnighted in a hotel near the bike shop; the next morning (a very wet one) we visited the Canadian Cemetery at Beny sur Mer, and then Juno Beach which we had missed the day before. As a Dutch born Canadian (born during the occupation), I have a great appreciation for the Canadians who fought and died for me.
@@Mad3838if you look up the Battle for Caen 1944 you'll see that the town was liberated by Canadian and British troops so it makes sense that a current resident of Caen would show a lot of courtesy to a resident of a country that helped liberate his family and Canada also counts French as one of its 2 official languages.
@@Mad3838 Caen's liberators were predominantly Canadian and British troops, but for the most part... Canadian in particular. They took the brunt of the losses and fought like the concept of war incarnate from building to building to the point that even the Germans were forced to admit they respected them.
My grandfather was part of this. He was a tank commander from Fort Garry Horse Winnipeg. He landed amphibious tanks onto Juno. His company of tanks was hit hard. He won the military cross that day.
Germans fought selflessly for the mystical common good. Americans fought selfishly for their individual rights. I mean their actions, regardless of what various individuals believed.
My grandfather was with the British Expeditionary Force and he was pushed into the sea at Dunkirk where he swam out to a ship back to England. He returned to Normandy 3 days after D-Day in a Sherman recovery tank. He was injured near the end of the war and missed all the celebrations. He was a great man.
Germany took over Western Europe, and drove to Moscow because the officers in the front could make calls on the spot. Should have listen to Rommel who had experience with fighting without air superiority. Placing the tanks within striking distance of the beaches would have prevented the naval artillery being as effective with Allied troops in the same area. The tanks being held back let the navy blast away, and the air forces attack during daylight.
@@KrisBurns22 Rommel was not the genius commander he's made out to be. He was pretty useless actually. You don't send your best commanders to a sideshow like the Western Desert.
Because the Fuhrer needed his beauty sleep..."Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops," Eisenhower wrote. "My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone." -Dwight D. Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commander. This was his other speech. D-Day was never a guarantee..
I miss when leaders had a real sense of responsibility. Looking at the pos Trump and him always vying for victimhood and never taking any responsibility for his actions. Supported predominately by boomers too. Here we have the bravest people of our generation fighting for freedom in WWII and their children supporting the most cowardly of people today. Disgusting.
If I were one of the men I'd ask him as he's walking away "Mein Fuhrer, should we refrain from waking from you even if the allies in the West invade?" but for some reason no one did.
@@krisfrederick5001 no they failed because the red army annihilated the Wehrmacht on the eastern front where the vast majority of their forces were. Americans never give credit to the Russians for being the true heroes of ww2, by the time of d-day Germany had already lost the war
We literally couldn’t have had a better opportunity to carry out this attack. As an American, I thank god Canada and Britain were there too. Rest in peace to the souls we won’t get back.
@@thatguyjoe007people always say “speaking German” as if it’s so horrible to speak a different language. I think what they mean is that they’d be brutalized by the invading armies.
@@thatguyjoe007 I've never thanked god so that's a lie. I do however thank the soldiers and civilians who either risked, or did sacrifice themselves for world peace.
I visited the American cemetery in Normandy and it's beautiful. But, what really moved me was the British cemetery in Bayuex. The inscriptions on the markers were far more personal and heartbreaking. It really gave me a sense of how horrific a loss to the families it was. D-Day was a "success", but many died also. I'm grateful to all these men who helped liberate Europe from the Nazis.
My great uncle Junius Severeid was part of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and was tasked with landing ahead of D-Day landing to clear the way for the troops. I’m not sure where he landed, but regretfully he died a few days after the big day. He was a sniper up in a tree and was hit with a German flamethrower. I am fortunate to have his medals. May he and the countless others who paid the ultimate sacrifice rest in peace.
My homeboy was a ranger and landed at Normandy to fight in the hedge rows. Raised on the homestead with nothing but family and work, we defeat our enemies from one fight to another eternally. My homeboy returned to his sweet spot here in the Louisiana Purchase to fight his daily battles for 65 more years. Realistic fighters never lose. R.I.P. J.R.
An immense undertaking by heroic people joined together to defeat evil. I was honored to be able to visit Normandy, and the sites of these battles. The scars of battle still remain as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the soldiers and brave fighters in that area and time.
I love that you can still see DUKW vehicles driving and sailing around as tour vehicles. It's just so darn awesome that the public can ride these historic machines. Plus it's fun to yell "quack quack" at them as they drive by.
At Omaha Beach, parts of the Mulberry harbour are still visible, and a few of the beach obstacles remain. A memorial to the U.S. National Guard sits at the location of a former German strongpoint. Pionte du Hoc is little change from 1944, with the terrain covered bunkers still in place. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is nearby, in Colleville-sur-Mer. A museum about the Utah landings is located at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, and there is one dedicated to the activities of the U.S. airmen at Sainte-Mere-Eglise. Two German military cemeteries are located nearby.
In 2000. I had the honor to visit all 5 beaches, Sait Mer Eglise, Pegasus Bridge, The American Cemetery, Pont du Hoc, and other locations. Also got to see the Bayon Tapestry as well as a BONUS!! Then headed to the WW1 battlefield at Verdun. Awesome!!!
The German battery at Longues sur mer is a must see. Perfectly preserved with guns still in the casemates. At D day this battery engaged the allied ships and took by enfilade fire the landing beaches of Omaha and Juno. Hit many times by naval gunfire during the day, the Germans repaired the damages and kept firing until the evening. The next day it was taken by inland.
@@johnmcclellan9020 agreed. That’s hard to hear. Canada’s soldiers already get far too little credit for what they did during that invasion and the war overall.
What saved Omaha beach was the navy. When the fog lifted Destroyers put naval gunfire into German emplacements. Those emplacements could not withstand direct fire from five inch guns
That's sadly allied propaganda, the truth is the enemy had largely run out of ammunition. Machineguns could only be targeted when they switched to anti aircraft ammunition and the tracers gave away their positions. Otherwise Omaha would have been a defeat
@@JohnMahonI was given this very version of events in a battlefield tour of Normandy when I was the there with the joint staff college. Essentially, there was no ammo left to kill any more troops with.
@@JohnMahon thats completely silly. too often people exchange simplistic explanations for equally simplistic counter-narratives. the americans were able to progress off omaha beach in certain sectors, mainly by climbing the bluffs and then flanking the german positions from there. in other sectors, the soldiers were pinned down for basically the entire day, but obviously in cover from the mg emplacements. the casualties incurred by these men were mostly from artillery.
❤ HUGE respect to your pops!! he saw every day as a gift after surviving all that in his youth and lived more fully in each moment afterwards than most people can comprehend. he knew himself as few ever do.
Yes the causualties on Omaha, especially when contrasted with Utah, were horrible BUT, in planning, SHAEF were concerned that there would be that many or more on EVERY beach.
My father landed in Normandy on D-Day+19. When he hit the beaches the front lines were barely a mile away. His group was tasked with cutting down the hedge rows so the heavy equipment could pass through. Snipers were a constant danger. He said he had no trouble understanding the Germans. Both his parents spoke plattdeutsch even though all were born in the U.S.
I have read Stephen Ambrose's amazing book 'Pegasus Bridge' many times and in it are interviews with the men at the bridge. One account is of the tank that got destroyed. From all accounts the tanks first brought to bare on the British paratroopers were captured French tanks, so not Tigers and not the normal panzer mk2 & 3. As for the tank that was destroyed, the man responsible, Sergeant Thornton, states he fired three PIAT shells at the tank. The first two failed to explode and with just one left and the tank already passing his hidden position he fired the last shell and hit the rear of the tank where extra fuel canisters and ammo had been stored. When that all exploded, taking the tank with it, the explosion was big enough to fool the Germans into thinking the paratroops had anti-tank guns.
@ukmediawarrior I read Stephen Ambrose's account of D-Day. It was the most inaccurate account I've ever read. Disputed by all those who were actually there.
@breamoreboy 21st Panzer was a very different entity from the one that had been a heavy hitter in DAK, finally lost in Tunisia. It was initially Schnelle Brigade West, renamed first Schnelle Div. West then 21st Panzer. There had not been German vehicles available to form this unit, so it was formed around up-armoured and up-gunned captured French half tracks and light tanks. It's worth looking up Alfred Becker, an engineer and artillery officer who converted the Hotchkiss plant to convert these obsolete vehicles (by 1943) into far more useable gear. Prior to that, he had converted his artillery regt into the first fully motorised one and had explored up arming captured Bren Carriers and British Light Tanks,
@@davethompson3326The majority of the tanks in 21st Panzer were Mk IV's. There were a few French Souma tanks, mainly in the 2nd Panzer Abt. Becker's conversions were mainly Lorraine Schleppers, converted to SP Artillery, and some panzerjaeger types.
I am surprised that General Morgan wrote the original plan. All along I thought it was Field Marshall Montgomery's idea. But I have the highest respect for the Veterans of WWII. They were by far the most courageous men who have ever lived
El Alamein wasn't his either; but lesser men would have tinkered and stuffed it up or ummed and aghed examining it over a few days and stuffed it up. Weygand taking over from Gamelin comes to mind. Montys mouth could run away with him and he was rather up his own arse; but a good general for all that.
@@BraveryMakuvaro While morgan wrote the original plan monty made the final changes to it such as expanding the beach heads on a wider front and added more units than the original plan.
They had to fight. No choice. If you don’t go to war, you’re a coward as far as society is concerned. I would say they went and hoped they would return in one piece. They’re not braver or better than any other generation.
The account of the German soldier who states he killed 1000 - 2000 soldiers on D-Day aren't just strongly contested, they are ludicrous to anyone thinking logically. The beach itself is six miles long and landing took place all along it. Yes, some units were landed incorrectly and bunched up, but even so this German was at one fixed position on the day and would have only had hundreds of soldiers storming ashore in front of him. Although total casualties sustained by the 1st and 19th infantry divisions were hard to corroborate it has been stated that the Americans lost around 2000-2500 men, but only around a third to a half of those were killed. In any way you look at it is is impossible for this one German to have done what he stated.
His testimony is laugahable. In his book, he states he stood on Frerking's bunker smoking 'between waves'. He said the first craft he saw was an LCI (which would mean he was hiding until about 10am). So many discrepancies that I mistrust anything he has said. He was an orderly for Lt Frerking and by his own admission a poor soldier yet he manned an MG42. It's interesting to note that his arc on D-Day was to the west of WN62, over Easy Red. Which is where Robert Capa took his famous photos and Lt Spalding's men walked up the beach with only one casualty. Fire on that sector was 'light' in comparison to other sectors of Omaha. .
Just to clarify, the D-Day front spanned approximately 60 miles across all five beaches. The British and Canadians were there, too, although you would never know it listening to some commentaries who would have you believe that D-Day was an All-American operation.
Well done effort, summarizing a lot of disparate material. I'm glad we are still aware of these important events and that they brought us here, even if we're arguing about where that is. God Save the King!
I appreciate the comment near the end that D Day was not a turning point in the war. Too many Americans think it was THE turning point in Europe, but they fail to appreciate everything else that had already happened in that vast theater of the war.
I don't understand why, at 23:10 the narrator says D-Day was "by no means a turning point in the war" but rather was a new phase. I would consider the invasion one of the key turning points for multiple reasons, not least the opening of the second front.
@davidalexander-watts6630 Could be argued as a turning point, but the war had already turned at that point. Also, the scale of the Western Front was minuscule compared to the Eastern Front - while pressure on Germany was most definitely increased, it didn't change what was most likely about to come anyway, only accelerated it.
DDay wasnt a turning point, the western front led to an allied victory in 1945. Without it, the russians would had win by 1946 or 1947. The bombing of german industry by the UK and US had much more impact in shortening the war.
I’d argue the war at that point was already lost, the real Turing point is Britain staying in the war, even without lend lease the combined bomber offensive tied up thousands of 88s and tens of thousands of men that could have been used on the Soviets, with Britain still in the war it all but guarantees that eventually the US gets involved, and with the royal navy still in play lend lease of weapons but more importantly raw materials and logistical materials flowed into the Soviet Union at a rate that outpaced attrition on the front. I’d argue the real turn in the war was the invasion of the Soviet Union while Britain was still in play.
@@captiancholera8459 It may not have been a turning point for the war against Germany but I would still contend that moving from not having allied troops on the continent, to having allied troops on the continent was a turning point. Until then the only land threat was from the Soviets, D-Day turned that around and saved Western Europe from Soviet domination.
It was not a turning point at all... At that point Germany already lost the war, it was just a matter of time. D-Day did speed up Germany's collapse by a lot, that is true.. But with or without D-Day, or any second fronts, Germany had already lost the war at Stalingrad, they were on borrowed time since then
The problem with the mg42 was that it's rate of fire was so high that those positions on the forward slopes ran out of ammunition and because they were on the forward slopes they had difficulty with resupply.
The generations to come should not be allowed to forget what happened this day. The monumental sacrifices that were made and the freedoms we enjoy today, because of it. We will remember them.....
They are already forgetting. Sadly. How else can we explain the rise of the new right wing parties? Even the old right wing party FPÖ, the successor party to the nazis here in Austria is gaining votes and is going to win this autum's election, according to surveys.
Don’t forget the other lesson: united democracies had better doctrine, better tools, better economies, and a political will that utterly proved to be unstoppable against a dictatorship. Lessons we need to remember. While some talk up the German army, they were blown out by the Allies. Recall, too, our Allied troops were always on the attack and brought our own gear, across an ocean. Finally, our men, far from home, fought very well without the punitive punishments the Germans inflicted on their own men. We did not waste many lives, the Germans threw them away. One statistic revels all: the Germans executed about 20,000 men for desertion, the US one (and we’re a bit conflicted about that one).
Ah yes, Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the royal armouries museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons throughout history
"We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." Unless I have a TV interview. In that case I shall run back home. Winston S Sunak 🤣
My dad was 3rd Army, 90th Infantry, landed 2nd wave Utah on D-Day, and fought all the way through Battle of the Bulge with Patton. My uncle was Army Air Force, shot down and killed over France in 1943, now buried at Colleville-sur-Mer. God rest their souls.
Bad weather in most of June on the Atlantic coast of France was always a given, which meant "No invasion would happen before late in June at the earliest". Concealing the possibility of a short early June unusual good weather break being a possibility to achieve a full surprise Allied landing, was a card well played.
On the other hand bad weather would have severely disadvantaged the attackers and nullified their greatest advantage, their almost total air superiority. An early June invasion was a great risk. The question is whether the Germans could have done anything to stop the landings if they had occurred on a later date.
The good weather was just a lucky break. The invasion was going ahead anyway - it’s just that the early bad weather was really bad. Imagine if they had gone on June 5 and lost many ships… You have to wonder if Germany could have beaten Russia if the Western Allies had pulled out.
@@Jimmy911ism , If the invasion of Normandy was delayed yet another year, the Atlantic wall would have been manned by the Red Army when the Americans finally arrived.
@@pyotrberia9741 I meant pulled out altogether after losing the fleet ala Spanish Armada, after a disaster. No fighting and no more support for the USSR. It wouldn’t have happened though, as Japan had to be dealt with.
@@Jimmy911ism , Whether the Soviets could still have defeated Germany without the Lend Lease supplies in the first years of the war is a difficult question to answer but by mid 1944, the Red Army was far stronger than the Wehrmacht. Operation Bagratian was the biggest defeat in German military history. Operation Overlord shortened the war and prevented all of Western Europe from falling under Soviet control after the war.
The logistics alone are mind boggling. The pipelines for diesel and gasoline that were laid on the floor of the channel were quite an engineering feat.
My dad English royal marine commando, told me the Canadian troops were always given the tough jobs, not only France,but Italy, and Holland. Especially the peninsula guarding the inland canel to Amsterdam, why I asked, because they were fit men. Tougher it got the tougher they got,
@eaphantom9214 Was Admiral Canaris a double agent, or at least wanting the allies to win, because the intelligence Garbo was sending him was obviously garbage. As I remember, one of the things Garbo told the Abwehr was that the English parliament had moved to their summer location on the coast.
Great video, my great uncle Thomas Gallagher drove an Ambulance off one of the British landing craft on D-day, he served as a medic in WW2 and went on to take part in Operation Market Garden. After the war he served as a Dectective Sergeant in the CID. He was one of my heroes as a kid. Lest we forget.
I own a second home just South of St Lo, around 50 miles south of Cherbourg. The roads away from the D-Day beaches are marked with markers showing the progress of the Road To Liberty. Even now 80 years after D-Day there are still so many reminders of this important battle-front and how it changed the course of the war so decisively. Over the years we have visited and paid our respects at all of the Cemeteries, visited pretty much all of the museums, visited the gun batteries and cliff-top re-inforced gun emplacements and spent time at places like Pegasus Bridge (which is a full history lesson itself in one short battle) I'm a Brit aged 57. I was born 22 years after VE day in 1945. I grew up in NW England in the aftermath of WW2 where there were still bombed out remnants of buildings and clear scars of war, and yet, my parents never spoke about the war and it was never taught as a subject in school. The only indicator that a great world war had taken place were the Sunday afternoon war movies on TV
Proud to be from Waterbury, Conn- the brass capital of the world- where the factories ran 24/7/365 churning out munitions for the War Effort. You cant understand or appreciate the dedication of your elders until you grow older and see how your own life challenges pale in comparison. The Greatest Generation.
A single reason? Isn't it reasons? 1. Broken codes - The Allies knew what The Enemy knew. 2. Deception - The Enemy was convinced the attack would occur elsewhere. 3. Confusion - The Enemy didn't have a clear picture nor understanding of what was going on. 4. Indecision - No one wanted to wakeup mr. mustache. 5. Command and Control - mr mustache was calling the shots. 6. Leadership - Rommel, who designed the defenses, wasn't on the scene. 7. Manpower & material - Were these in short supply at the landing sites? 8. The Fat Lady was on the stage - It was just a matter of time.
4. Even if they had woken up mr. moustache I doubt if anything would have changed. Remember that he thought the real invasion would be at Calais. He wouldn't want to move his tanks to repel a diversionary attack. 6. The defences were never going to work. You can't be strong along the whole Atlantic coast. Once breached at one point all the rest of the coastal defences become useless. 7. As I remember most of the German troops were 'belly brigades'. Men who were unfit for front line duty because of medical conditions, and also Russians and other foreign troops fighting for the Germans. 8. The Germans had already lost the war by D-Day. The soviets destroyed out a whole German army group later in June. Wiping out 28 of 34 divisions.
@@Poliss95 excellent points on not being strong everywhere and I didn't realize they were already scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of troop quality.
@@Poliss95 Ironically, this quote is attributed the Frederick the Great, the famous Prussian (German) king: "Those who try to defend everything, defend nothing".
My great grandfather didn’t fight on dday but he did serve in the European assault. He was a cavalryman. He never spoke much about the war, and we never asked much, as we didn’t want to resurface any unpleasant memories. He was a good man.
18 U boats were ordered to sink the Allied ships off of Normandy. No ships were sunk. But the U boats were sunk with the top secret homing torpedo named Mark 24, code named "FIDO". FIDO was first used in March, 1943. It was hugely successful. That's why the supplies for the invasion began being shipped to England in April, 1943.
Looks like F.M Montgomery got the timing right: Paris was liberated on Aug 25 and the Allies were well across the Seine and attacking Antwerp on September 6, three months to the day after D-Day.
@@Poliss95 Can't have been that vital if the battle was still won without it, can it? The Americans didn't capture St Lo until weeks after they were meant to, but you don't hear them whining about that, for some reason. What gets missed in the video is that while there was an expectation that the Germans would do the sensible thing and withdraw to the Seine, getting across the Seine abd through the Germans would be a fight and a half. As it was, the Germans decided to fight forward and got chopped to bits. The Seine became little more than a speed bump on the Great Swan up to Belgium.
Before you make any crass statements about the vital port of Caen,I suggest you look at a map.You will find Caen is well inland,the last time I was there I didn't see a single ship there
@@Poliss95 I believe the actual plan was for the British 3rd Infantry Division to seize Caen on D-Day OR TO DIG IN SHORT OF THE CITY [emphasis added] if the Germans prevented its capture, temporarily masking Caen, maintaining the Allied threat against it and thwarting any potential German counter-attack from the city. (Wikipedia)
11:00 The two entangled paratroopers must've been terrified, getting stuck while in the air. Looks like a training exercise, not the actual drops though. It might even be three. Two canopies open, one is twisted up with its owner dangling from the other paratroopers. Maybe one deployed a reserve, if they even had one? On screen, just above and left of centre, for about 2 seconds.
They dropped with reserve parachutes. Having enough time to disentangle and deploy a reserve would be the issue. Sometimes altitude was such that even if there was simply a failure of the main parachute to open then deploying the reserve would be a challenge. In some drops in the Pacific, the drops were at only 150 feet so there was no real chance of using a reserve.
@@wbertie2604 Thanks, I wasn't sure they had reserves. 150 foot drop is crazy. To me, similar to the HALO jumpers. I met one of them. Equal parts madman and legend. I wonder how the guys in the video ended up lading. Looks like it could've been fairly decent, although painful.
The world hated Hitler, and commiserated with Stalin. Hitler conquered half of Europe and the rest of the world declared war against him. Stalin conquered half of Europe and the world sent him greetings. To ensure that Hitler could not hold on to the conquered European countries, the West sank German ships, bombed German cities, and then landed a massive and powerful army on the European continent. To enable Stalin to conquer and hold on to the other half of Europe, the West gave Stalin hundreds of warships, thousands of war planes and tanks, hundreds of thousands of the world’s best vehicles, and millions of tons of its best fuel and ammunition, and supplies. Viktor Suvorov, Soviet GRU defector.
Ok, this is what I do not understand. First, Rommell gets his ass chased out of Northern Africa and then to Sicily and then to Normandy to meet the allies on D-Day. Second, Rommell should have been relived from duty after the African campaign. Third, why is history always praising Rommell as being such a great general when he failed in the previous two I just mentioned? I don't get it.
My understanding of the US casualties on D-Day was attributed more to German mortars than machine gun fire. The MG42 was an iconic weapon - no doubt. The US M60 MG of Vietnam time period was based on the MG42 design. The feed tray covers are almost identical. But I doubt a single MG Gunner claim of a thousand casualties - interested to know here he was positioned and the casualty rate of the units in his sector.
His arc was covering the area of Easy Red where Robert Capa took his photos, and where Lt Spalding walked up the beach and got on to the bluffs. Spalding said one MG was firing from a bunker, Severloh was not in a bunker. Spalding was likely refering to the lower casemate, whcih had a MG crew placed. The 75mm gun was not in the casemate.
I had lunch at a small restaurant at Pegasus Bridge in 2015. My girlfriend and I were touring the Normandy beaches by bicycle. My main thought. . . “At least nobody is shooting at us”
The film clips in this video is a marvelous supplement to the Stephen Ambrose book I've just read about D-Day. That book went into tremendous details about the preparations and landings of D-Day; which told of broad accounts of combat units and was interspersed with personal stories of hardships, gallantry, and tragedies.
I am a military historian. I am not certain I will learn much new, but I really like Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, so I will watch. 11:04 is wrong. It is a myth that I too believed until two days ago, when I listened to Al Murray's and james Holland's podcast where Jim gave the actual numbers in one of the D-Day episodes. They were not actually widely scattered. It was, however, very dark, and thus 300 m equates "widely" cause you cannot see where you are or where your mates are. Thus giving rise both to confusion and the myth. Also, there were very few MG42s defending; it was mostly French, Czech and Polish MGs. The DDs on other beaches did well; Utah the land provided lee for the wind, and on the Commonwealth Beaches it was the Navy that was responsible for when to release them, and they thought the sea was too high, and sailed further in. On the US beaches, it was the Army, and they knew nothing of sailing so let them loose to far out.
I believe there was a BBC documentary which mentioned that many tanks got close to the shore of Omaha beach before sinking. They were doing okay until the inexperienced tank crews attempted to change their course in order to land at the designated spot. When they turned to the side the the DD tanks were swamped by the heavy swell.
@@richardnewns15 34 DD tanks were ashore in the first wave. Two battalions had DDs. The sinking DDs were from one battalion. The other battalion landed theirs directly on the beach (mostly Dog Green and Dog White).
The 352nd were equipped with MG42s, but you're correct the static units had MG34 and mostly captured MGs. Gockel at WN62 had a Polish water cooled MG 08.
@@richardnewns15 about half sank within a few hundred metres of launch. Even if launched as close as the British forces launched them, relatively few would have got to shore. The currents at Omaha were very problematic.
22:16 The Germans sent A LOT more armoured divisions than that. A map on June 30th for Operation Overlord shows at least 7 Panzer divisions stationed around Caen. Alongside the 21st, Panzer Lehr and the 12th SS there was the 1st SS Panzer division, 9th SS Panzer division, 2nd SS Panzer division plus the Heavy Panzer battalions of the 102nd SS, 101st SS and the 503rd.
Yes more Panzer divisions did arrive but not quite at that time. The 9th and the 2nd took around 3 weeks to get there while the 101st SS arrived on the 12-13 June and the other two arrived after that. So considering the image only shows up to the 12th and it only show Divisions the picture is correct.
@@A1Kirazz Of course I just wish it was talked about more, all we ever hear is mostly the amphibious landings never about the colossal armoured battles that took place further inland. Which are just as interesting like Operation Epsom.
The Dunkirk evacuation was indirectly helpful., the British had the means to rearm its rescued troops. The garrison sacrificed at Calais held the german armour from being sent to Dunkirk.
Percy Hobart was the architect of the German blitzkrieg. The British military thought it to be ineffective because he was trying to replace calvary. When it rampaged through north Africa his unit pushed the Germans back and he was finally called back to get the alies ready for d-day. The unsung hero of D-Day, Sir Percy Hobart!
My grandfather and great grandfather were both WW2 vets. Papa Greg was a bombardier on the BOTTOMSUP, a B24 liberator. He pounded the beaches with bombs days before D-day.. my grandpa Earl was a big gun gunner in the navy off the coast. Real men. I miss Tyngsboro
@bushwhackeddos.2703 Hi there yes but a lot will have seen Germany and Japan win the peace in the 50' s and 60's look at manufacturer of engineering and electronics. We gave them all the information and help they asked for and they ran with it .
Montgomery always said there would be a three month fight in Normandy. He said Paris by D plus 90. He did better. He was 400km beyond that and liberating Brussels, Belgium on September 3rd. However, it wasnt only Caen that was taken well behind it's initial schedule. St Lo was as well. One of the main reasons why Caen dragged on into July was because Bradley's US 1st Army gave up on St Lo in June due to the bocage. The fact that the Americans gave up applying any real pressure on St Lo after a while meant that all German panzer divisions sent to Normandy concentrated around Caen and none were needed to deploy to the St Lo frontage. When the Americans finally applied pressure on St Lo in July the Germans sent 2nd SS and Panzer Lehr to defend that sector. Had the Americans done this in June then the Germans would have had to lessen the concentration of their armour around Caen and disperse it over a wider frontage.
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- Caen on D-Day was a major part of the bigger picture. You can't do anything without supplies and Caen was the only major port available to the allies. A port that Montgomery said he was going to capture on D-Day. Instead he rushed off into the Netherlands where Operation Market Garden failed.
@@Poliss95 Just as the major ports of Britanny were not captured either which was one of Pattons objective 🤷♂ The bottom line is that Paris and the Seine were reached 2 weeks earlier than Monty had predicted, hence the "bigger picture" who cares if the ports are captured later than usual if ultimately the MAIN OBJECTIVES of the entire campaign of liberating France are still achieved.
@@Poliss95Even if Caen had been taken on D, it would've been no use as a port as ships would have been sailing pretty much along the front line. Remember that SWORD was closed down after a while as it remained in range of German artillery.
The 741 battalion DD tanks - they were half way in on their 6km run, they tried to steer straight to the target but had a strong cross current and swell that swamped their sides and sank them but most crew had time to abandon, if they had sailing knowledge they would have steered more WITH the side current and so land a bit off target - other DD tank landings went correctly
So my any great accounts of D Day are available This one is very good providing new info to me. Never heard the Fuurer was sleeping in til the afternoon!
I am really surprised that the guy reading the original letters in this vid is not wearing gloves. Due to the oil in the skin, paper is easily destroyed over time. Oddly, later on, he is seen wearing gloves to show two metal helmets, lol. Usually at a museum handling rare, important or perishable items gloves are insisted upon.
That used to be the policy, but they’ve decided it’s safer to have freshly-washed hands over gloves that dull the sensitivity of their hands and might make them handle something with less dexterity than with bare hands
@@rugbymeat And yet he wears gloves in a later scene to handle a metal helmet ... are you telling me metal is more likely to fall apart over time than paper?
They lost D Day as they had fewer soldiers and little air cover… This was mostly due to fighting the Soviets on the Eastern Front. If they were only fighting on the Western front they would have repelled the beach assaults.
@robgreen2197 If the Germans weren't fighting the Soviets then there wouldn't have been any beach assaults on D-day as we know it. Things would've been completely different on every level.
Which side was USSR on when Germany rolled over most of Europe ? "Molotov summoned me this evening to his office and expressed the warmest congratulations of the Soviet Government on the splendid success of the German Armed Forces." The German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) to the German Foreign Office; June 18, 1940 Avalon
@@nickdanger3802 That's when the USSR still thought they were safe. After all, they struck an "anti-aggression pact" with Germany, which meant they both invaded Poland and divided up the country between them in 1939. BTW, this is where I think Chamberlain keeps getting a raw deal by historians. He is supposed to have known better than to trust the Germans with the Munich Agreement. But Stalin was "completely surprised" when the Nazis invaded the USSR. This in spite of having hindsight that Germany broke the Munich agreement. Yet the USSR still believed they were safe with the 1939 anti-aggression pact. Stalin should've known better, just like Chamberlain.
Even the ancient Romans were already talking about how their youth was soft compared to previous generations... And I'd add that yes, they were the greatest generations, but they weren't any braver than the young Marines and GIs who fought in Vietnam for instance.
I'm British but I absolutely agree. Give the Canucks their credit, please. It was a beach almost as deadly as Omaha. Maybe one day we'll get a Juno movie.
@@OldWolflad It's not clear cut as figures are not available for all units and sometimes casualties and deaths are confused in reported figures in books. Sometimes the airborne element behind the beaches is added as most was behind Sword. I've seen figures for Sword for casualties range from 670 to 1400 and deaths up to 680 - more than the bottom range of casualties. For Omaha I've seen deaths numbers reported from 770 to 2400 and casualties from 2400 to 4000.
My father landed on sword beach 2nd wave in, he was a royal engineer, R force, his hobbies were Motorcycles even to the point were he was a dispatch rider, riding out in occupied France setting up dummy tanks to deceive the Germans as in Dover before D day. A quiet man, when i was child you would always find him in his workshop tinkering with his bikes, to the point the local people and kids would bring thair bikes if they had a problem to which my dad would always fix for nothing, sadly dad passed away quietly at home in 2020, R.I.P dad, a great man and a fantastic father, thank you to all the veterans who are a generation never to be forgotten.
Amazing story.
I love hearing these stories.
Thank your dad for this service and thank you for sharing story.
They were not called "the greatest generation" for nothing.
As an ex RE myself. It still amazes me the many and very varied tasks taken on by the Corps. I served for 23 years, but not that long ago ! Demobbing in 1999. Thank you for sharing your story.
@@keithdurose7057 Well done!!!!!!
Why did your father attack Europe and help the communists to kill millions and why did he help to kill german, french,italian, dutch, etc. Civilians, more than 1 million?
Always good to see Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history.
Get yourself to the basement of the Olmstead museum at West Point, NY. Great collection of arms and vet bringbacks. My fave is Gehring's field baton.
Also, the Omar Bradley museum in Carlisle PA
Is this a Chat GPT comment?
Love how that’s his full title now 😂
@@IBAIanBrandonAnderson nah, that’s just always how he is introduced in those videos where he rates the realism of video-game guns lmao.
Utah beach. . . a lot of roads named after American soldiers who died there.
My girlfriend and I were heading for Juno Beach on our touring bicycles when she developed a shifting problem which was beyond my capability to repair. We managed to make our way to Caen, where we found a bike shop. In my very limited French, I explained the situation. The mechanic dropped everything, tackled Leona’s bicycle, and repaired the gear shifting situation.
I was wearing my Maple Leaf cycling jersey. When I asked “combien?” (How Much?) he replied “Rien. Canadian”. (Nothing, Canadian).
We overnighted in a hotel near the bike shop; the next morning (a very wet one) we visited the Canadian Cemetery at Beny sur Mer, and then Juno Beach which we had missed the day before.
As a Dutch born Canadian (born during the occupation), I have a great appreciation for the Canadians who fought and died for me.
just canadians?
Nice story it’s good to know that history does not get forgotten
@@Mad3838 yeah, just Canadians. D-Day was nothing but Canadians wearing US and British uniforms. He's Dutch. Do some reading.
@@Mad3838if you look up the Battle for Caen 1944 you'll see that the town was liberated by Canadian and British troops so it makes sense that a current resident of Caen would show a lot of courtesy to a resident of a country that helped liberate his family and Canada also counts French as one of its 2 official languages.
@@Mad3838 Caen's liberators were predominantly Canadian and British troops, but for the most part... Canadian in particular. They took the brunt of the losses and fought like the concept of war incarnate from building to building to the point that even the Germans were forced to admit they respected them.
My grandfather was part of this. He was a tank commander from Fort Garry Horse Winnipeg. He landed amphibious tanks onto Juno. His company of tanks was hit hard. He won the military cross that day.
Nothing but respect for all those brave souls who fought valiantly and gave up their lives for something greater than themselves.
على الأقل نحن لا نتحدث الألمانية
Germans fought selflessly for the mystical common good. Americans fought selfishly for their individual rights. I mean their actions, regardless of what various individuals believed.
@@bl-rp *My Mother Spoke German!!! BeTTer than that ScriBBLE that You use!!!!*
@@Robert_Truth_Robertson طارت النكتة فوق رأسك
Nothing is greater than the dignity of man. They fought for the right of us all to live in dignity.
My grandfather was with the British Expeditionary Force and he was pushed into the sea at Dunkirk where he swam out to a ship back to England. He returned to Normandy 3 days after D-Day in a Sherman recovery tank. He was injured near the end of the war and missed all the celebrations. He was a great man.
7:11 Those historic papers are precious. Why is he handling them without gloves? We need to preserve all of this for as long as possible.
The irony of a sleeping commander and no one daring to disturb, best general on holiday and officers on a training course...
Germany took over Western Europe, and drove to Moscow because the officers in the front could make calls on the spot. Should have listen to Rommel who had experience with fighting without air superiority. Placing the tanks within striking distance of the beaches would have prevented the naval artillery being as effective with Allied troops in the same area. The tanks being held back let the navy blast away, and the air forces attack during daylight.
@@KrisBurns22 Rommel was not the genius commander he's made out to be. He was pretty useless actually. You don't send your best commanders to a sideshow like the Western Desert.
This is one of the biggest weakness of dictatorships. The fear of being executed for disturbing the leader is a crippling effect.
@@BHuang92 Hitler was caught napping as usual. 😲
Never trust Bi-polar Weather.
Because my grandpa was there on that beach. That’s why he failed
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors Damn straight!!!
A Toast to and a Salute for your Grandpa...
I knew it!
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors most respect
@@Zippofanatic77outdoors your grandpa fought for communism while the Germans fought against it. Nothing to be proud of
Because the Fuhrer needed his beauty sleep..."Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops," Eisenhower wrote. "My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commander. This was his other speech. D-Day was never a guarantee..
I saw that for the first time on a D-Day documentary last week. Thankfully, he never needed to issue that statement.
I miss when leaders had a real sense of responsibility. Looking at the pos Trump and him always vying for victimhood and never taking any responsibility for his actions. Supported predominately by boomers too. Here we have the bravest people of our generation fighting for freedom in WWII and their children supporting the most cowardly of people today. Disgusting.
If I were one of the men I'd ask him as he's walking away "Mein Fuhrer, should we refrain from waking from you even if the allies in the West invade?" but for some reason no one did.
@@krisfrederick5001 no they failed because the red army annihilated the Wehrmacht on the eastern front where the vast majority of their forces were. Americans never give credit to the Russians for being the true heroes of ww2, by the time of d-day Germany had already lost the war
@@Sahm.tattoo The VAST majority of Russian tanks after 1943 were, wait for it, American. The Potsdam conference ensured the USA armed the Russians.
We literally couldn’t have had a better opportunity to carry out this attack. As an American, I thank god Canada and Britain were there too. Rest in peace to the souls we won’t get back.
The British thank God everyday, for the Americans, because if it weren't for them, their children would be speaking German today.
@@thatguyjoe007 That's a myth. The Germans had no prospect of invading the UK.
@@thatguyjoe007people always say “speaking German” as if it’s so horrible to speak a different language. I think what they mean is that they’d be brutalized by the invading armies.
@@thatguyjoe007 I've never thanked god so that's a lie. I do however thank the soldiers and civilians who either risked, or did sacrifice themselves for world peace.
@@roddydykes7053 Correct. Their children would be speaking Nazi German, because they would be under the Nazi German authority.
All your content is amazing, but can I just add in how much I enjoy listening to the narrator too. Excellent.
The narrator has an EXCELLENT voice
Miracle of miracles, it seems as though it's a human voice. Puts this channel in my gold medal category.
I visited the American cemetery in Normandy and it's beautiful. But, what really moved me was the British cemetery in Bayuex. The inscriptions on the markers were far more personal and heartbreaking. It really gave me a sense of how horrific a loss to the families it was. D-Day was a "success", but many died also. I'm grateful to all these men who helped liberate Europe from the Nazis.
Why would you visit dead people you don’t know
Another great video! The additional background information truly enhanced the quality of this program. Thank you!
Great video and visual presentation of D-Day 👏
My great uncle Junius Severeid was part of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and was tasked with landing ahead of D-Day landing to clear the way for the troops. I’m not sure where he landed, but regretfully he died a few days after the big day. He was a sniper up in a tree and was hit with a German flamethrower. I am fortunate to have his medals.
May he and the countless others who paid the ultimate sacrifice rest in peace.
My homeboy was a ranger and landed at Normandy to fight in the hedge rows. Raised on the homestead with nothing but family and work, we defeat our enemies from one fight to another eternally. My homeboy returned to his sweet spot here in the Louisiana Purchase to fight his daily battles for 65 more years. Realistic fighters never lose. R.I.P. J.R.
An immense undertaking by heroic people joined together to defeat evil. I was honored to be able to visit Normandy, and the sites of these battles. The scars of battle still remain as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the soldiers and brave fighters in that area and time.
I love that you can still see DUKW vehicles driving and sailing around as tour vehicles. It's just so darn awesome that the public can ride these historic machines. Plus it's fun to yell "quack quack" at them as they drive by.
They seem to have a reputation for sinking.
At Omaha Beach, parts of the Mulberry harbour are still visible, and a few of the beach obstacles remain. A memorial to the U.S. National Guard sits at the location of a former German strongpoint. Pionte du Hoc is little change from 1944, with the terrain covered bunkers still in place. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is nearby, in Colleville-sur-Mer. A museum about the Utah landings is located at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, and there is one dedicated to the activities of the U.S. airmen at Sainte-Mere-Eglise. Two German military cemeteries are located nearby.
Same on Juno, I was there in 2009(?) - they don't smell great now but still impressive to see
In 2000. I had the honor to visit all 5 beaches, Sait Mer Eglise, Pegasus Bridge, The American Cemetery, Pont du Hoc, and other locations. Also got to see the Bayon Tapestry as well as a BONUS!! Then headed to the WW1 battlefield at Verdun. Awesome!!!
The German battery at Longues sur mer is a must see. Perfectly preserved with guns still in the casemates. At D day this battery engaged the allied ships and took by enfilade fire the landing beaches of Omaha and Juno. Hit many times by naval gunfire during the day, the Germans repaired the damages and kept firing until the evening. The next day it was taken by inland.
Please don't call Canadians Commonwealth. They landed and died as Canadians on Normandy with their own beach assigned to Canada.
@@johnmcclellan9020 agreed. That’s hard to hear. Canada’s soldiers already get far too little credit for what they did during that invasion and the war overall.
@@johnmcclellan9020 what do you expect from pomms
They do the same thing to us Aussies
@@johnmcclellan9020 the King of England is your head of state
@@tinnedtuna8242being a pointless figurehead is even more humiliating than being forgotten.
What saved Omaha beach was the navy. When the fog lifted Destroyers put naval gunfire into German emplacements. Those emplacements could not withstand direct fire from five inch guns
That's sadly allied propaganda, the truth is the enemy had largely run out of ammunition. Machineguns could only be targeted when they switched to anti aircraft ammunition and the tracers gave away their positions. Otherwise Omaha would have been a defeat
@@JohnMahonI was given this very version of events in a battlefield tour of Normandy when I was the there with the joint staff college. Essentially, there was no ammo left to kill any more troops with.
@@JohnMahon Rangers scaled a cliff and got behind the nests that were up high. Finally silencing the guns that were mowing everyone down.
@Idahoguy10157 Those gun emplacements withstood fire from battleships.
@@JohnMahon thats completely silly. too often people exchange simplistic explanations for equally simplistic counter-narratives. the americans were able to progress off omaha beach in certain sectors, mainly by climbing the bluffs and then flanking the german positions from there. in other sectors, the soldiers were pinned down for basically the entire day, but obviously in cover from the mg emplacements. the casualties incurred by these men were mostly from artillery.
One of the best, condensed accounts, I have seen on this platform.
❤ HUGE respect to your pops!! he saw every day as a gift after surviving all that in his youth and lived more fully in each moment afterwards than most people can comprehend. he knew himself as few ever do.
Yes the causualties on Omaha, especially when contrasted with Utah, were horrible BUT, in planning, SHAEF were concerned that there would be that many or more on EVERY beach.
My father landed in Normandy on D-Day+19. When he hit the beaches the front lines were barely a mile away. His group was tasked with cutting down the hedge rows so the heavy equipment could pass through. Snipers were a constant danger. He said he had no trouble understanding the Germans. Both his parents spoke plattdeutsch even though all were born in the U.S.
I have read Stephen Ambrose's amazing book 'Pegasus Bridge' many times and in it are interviews with the men at the bridge. One account is of the tank that got destroyed. From all accounts the tanks first brought to bare on the British paratroopers were captured French tanks, so not Tigers and not the normal panzer mk2 & 3.
As for the tank that was destroyed, the man responsible, Sergeant Thornton, states he fired three PIAT shells at the tank. The first two failed to explode and with just one left and the tank already passing his hidden position he fired the last shell and hit the rear of the tank where extra fuel canisters and ammo had been stored. When that all exploded, taking the tank with it, the explosion was big enough to fool the Germans into thinking the paratroops had anti-tank guns.
@breamoreboy A brave man indeed, as all of the soldiers, sailors and airmen were on that day.
@ukmediawarrior I read Stephen Ambrose's account of D-Day. It was the most inaccurate account I've ever read. Disputed by all those who were actually there.
@@Poliss95 So a historian and documentarian is wrong, even though he interviewed all the men who were there ... but you are right?
@breamoreboy 21st Panzer was a very different entity from the one that had been a heavy hitter in DAK, finally lost in Tunisia. It was initially Schnelle Brigade West, renamed first Schnelle Div. West then 21st Panzer.
There had not been German vehicles available to form this unit, so it was formed around up-armoured and up-gunned captured French half tracks and light tanks.
It's worth looking up Alfred Becker, an engineer and artillery officer who converted the Hotchkiss plant to convert these obsolete vehicles (by 1943) into far more useable gear. Prior to that, he had converted his artillery regt into the first fully motorised one and had explored up arming captured Bren Carriers and British Light Tanks,
@@davethompson3326The majority of the tanks in 21st Panzer were Mk IV's. There were a few French Souma tanks, mainly in the 2nd Panzer Abt. Becker's conversions were mainly Lorraine Schleppers, converted to SP Artillery, and some panzerjaeger types.
I am surprised that General Morgan wrote the original plan. All along I thought it was Field Marshall Montgomery's idea.
But I have the highest respect for the Veterans of WWII. They were by far the most courageous men who have ever lived
El Alamein wasn't his either; but lesser men would have tinkered and stuffed it up or ummed and aghed examining it over a few days and stuffed it up. Weygand taking over from Gamelin comes to mind. Montys mouth could run away with him and he was rather up his own arse; but a good general for all that.
Monty would still be holding back to this day. How could you possibly think he was able to think of actually attacking?
@@stevewatson6839 Montgomery was overconfident but he was a very good leader of men
@@BraveryMakuvaro While morgan wrote the original plan monty made the final changes to it such as expanding the beach heads on a wider front and added more units than the original plan.
They had to fight. No choice. If you don’t go to war, you’re a coward as far as society is concerned. I would say they went and hoped they would return in one piece. They’re not braver or better than any other generation.
This was a well laid out show with good maps, footage and narration. Good job!
Yes, plus it succinctly covered a lot of information, with balance, in a relatively short video.
Totally agree!
The account of the German soldier who states he killed 1000 - 2000 soldiers on D-Day aren't just strongly contested, they are ludicrous to anyone thinking logically. The beach itself is six miles long and landing took place all along it. Yes, some units were landed incorrectly and bunched up, but even so this German was at one fixed position on the day and would have only had hundreds of soldiers storming ashore in front of him.
Although total casualties sustained by the 1st and 19th infantry divisions were hard to corroborate it has been stated that the Americans lost around 2000-2500 men, but only around a third to a half of those were killed. In any way you look at it is is impossible for this one German to have done what he stated.
He may have seen 1000 soldier "fall" when he started shooting at them but didn't count that most of them got back up again when he shifted his fire.
His claim should be discounted and I'm not sure why they felt the need to repeat it on this video.
His testimony is laugahable. In his book, he states he stood on Frerking's bunker smoking 'between waves'. He said the first craft he saw was an LCI (which would mean he was hiding until about 10am). So many discrepancies that I mistrust anything he has said. He was an orderly for Lt Frerking and by his own admission a poor soldier yet he manned an MG42. It's interesting to note that his arc on D-Day was to the west of WN62, over Easy Red. Which is where Robert Capa took his famous photos and Lt Spalding's men walked up the beach with only one casualty. Fire on that sector was 'light' in comparison to other sectors of Omaha. .
Just to clarify, the D-Day front spanned approximately 60 miles across all five beaches. The British and Canadians were there, too, although you would never know it listening to some commentaries who would have you believe that D-Day was an All-American operation.
Well done effort, summarizing a lot of disparate material. I'm glad we are still aware of these important events and that they brought us here, even if we're arguing about where that is. God Save the King!
Thanks for saving the world guys.
Saving the world in order for it to turn into a terrible place.
@@storm___ The world is what you make of it! It's called existence. Exist!
@@timtim4664 unhinged ah comment
It's a credit to the engineers that parts of the mulberry harbour can still be seen 80 years later.
I appreciate the comment near the end that D Day was not a turning point in the war. Too many Americans think it was THE turning point in Europe, but they fail to appreciate everything else that had already happened in that vast theater of the war.
For the western allies D Day was the turning point of their part of the war.
I don't understand why, at 23:10 the narrator says D-Day was "by no means a turning point in the war" but rather was a new phase. I would consider the invasion one of the key turning points for multiple reasons, not least the opening of the second front.
@davidalexander-watts6630 Could be argued as a turning point, but the war had already turned at that point. Also, the scale of the Western Front was minuscule compared to the Eastern Front - while pressure on Germany was most definitely increased, it didn't change what was most likely about to come anyway, only accelerated it.
DDay wasnt a turning point, the western front led to an allied victory in 1945. Without it, the russians would had win by 1946 or 1947.
The bombing of german industry by the UK and US had much more impact in shortening the war.
I’d argue the war at that point was already lost, the real Turing point is Britain staying in the war, even without lend lease the combined bomber offensive tied up thousands of 88s and tens of thousands of men that could have been used on the Soviets, with Britain still in the war it all but guarantees that eventually the US gets involved, and with the royal navy still in play lend lease of weapons but more importantly raw materials and logistical materials flowed into the Soviet Union at a rate that outpaced attrition on the front. I’d argue the real turn in the war was the invasion of the Soviet Union while Britain was still in play.
@@captiancholera8459 It may not have been a turning point for the war against Germany but I would still contend that moving from not having allied troops on the continent, to having allied troops on the continent was a turning point. Until then the only land threat was from the Soviets, D-Day turned that around and saved Western Europe from Soviet domination.
It was not a turning point at all... At that point Germany already lost the war, it was just a matter of time. D-Day did speed up Germany's collapse by a lot, that is true.. But with or without D-Day, or any second fronts, Germany had already lost the war at Stalingrad, they were on borrowed time since then
The problem with the mg42 was that it's rate of fire was so high that those positions on the forward slopes ran out of ammunition and because they were on the forward slopes they had difficulty with resupply.
"Oopsy!"
Meta: recently it seems to be trendy to speak in emotionless, monotone voice. But not here. I love how expressive the lector is.
Canadian. The word you’re looking for regarding the “other” beach is Canadian.
The generations to come should not be allowed to forget what happened this day. The monumental sacrifices that were made and the freedoms we enjoy today, because of it. We will remember them.....
They are already forgetting. Sadly. How else can we explain the rise of the new right wing parties? Even the old right wing party FPÖ, the successor party to the nazis here in Austria is gaining votes and is going to win this autum's election, according to surveys.
Don’t forget the other lesson: united democracies had better doctrine, better tools, better economies, and a political will that utterly proved to be unstoppable against a dictatorship. Lessons we need to remember. While some talk up the German army, they were blown out by the Allies. Recall, too, our Allied troops were always on the attack and brought our own gear, across an ocean. Finally, our men, far from home, fought very well without the punitive punishments the Germans inflicted on their own men. We did not waste many lives, the Germans threw them away. One statistic revels all: the Germans executed about 20,000 men for desertion, the US one (and we’re a bit conflicted about that one).
The teens now deface war memorials to show support for Hamas.
@@alanzoarne6530 That is so sad. Who is teaching them that that is OK to do?
😂😂😂😂
Another great presentation from our Allies at the IWM.
I see the name Jonathan Feguson, I click
Us too
@@RoyalArmouriesMuseum😂Too right.
Ah yes, Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the royal armouries museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons throughout history
Who???
I'm a simple man; I see the name Jonathan Feguson and I get the snake out 🐍
Heroic. And Sunak couldn't even stay for the afternoon.
"We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." Unless I have a TV interview. In that case I shall run back home. Winston S Sunak 🤣
Good grief what a fantastic production ! The effort and skill that went into this video is second to none. Subbed ! 👊😎
My dad was 3rd Army, 90th Infantry, landed 2nd wave Utah on D-Day, and fought all the way through Battle of the Bulge with Patton. My uncle was Army Air Force, shot down and killed over France in 1943, now buried at Colleville-sur-Mer. God rest their souls.
Bad weather in most of June on the Atlantic coast of France was always a given,
which meant "No invasion would happen before late in June at the earliest".
Concealing the possibility of a short early June unusual good weather break
being a possibility to achieve a full surprise Allied landing, was a card well played.
On the other hand bad weather would have severely disadvantaged the attackers and nullified their greatest advantage, their almost total air superiority. An early June invasion was a great risk. The question is whether the Germans could have done anything to stop the landings if they had occurred on a later date.
The good weather was just a lucky break. The invasion was going ahead anyway - it’s just that the early bad weather was really bad. Imagine if they had gone on June 5 and lost many ships… You have to wonder if Germany could have beaten Russia if the Western Allies had pulled out.
@@Jimmy911ism , If the invasion of Normandy was delayed yet another year, the Atlantic wall would have been manned by the Red Army when the Americans finally arrived.
@@pyotrberia9741 I meant pulled out altogether after losing the fleet ala Spanish Armada, after a disaster. No fighting and no more support for the USSR. It wouldn’t have happened though, as Japan had to be dealt with.
@@Jimmy911ism , Whether the Soviets could still have defeated Germany without the Lend Lease supplies in the first years of the war is a difficult question to answer but by mid 1944, the Red Army was far stronger than the Wehrmacht. Operation Bagratian was the biggest defeat in German military history. Operation Overlord shortened the war and prevented all of Western Europe from falling under Soviet control after the war.
The logistics alone are mind boggling. The pipelines for diesel and gasoline that were laid on the floor of the channel were quite an engineering feat.
the obsession with Stalingrad helped with their downfall
Red Army destroyed army after army, at great cost, but their sacrifice helped us.
@@julianshepherd2038 yes indeed
As did their fixation with Caen...
Stalingrad was only one of the objectives required to reach the Baku oil fields. Do you think the obsession with securing oil supplies was misguided?
@@pyotrberia9741 mucking around in stalingrad did not get them any oil (stupid move)
Wow! That 20+ minutes flew by because I was so enthralled. Great video
My dad English royal marine commando, told me the Canadian troops were always given the tough jobs, not only France,but Italy, and Holland. Especially the peninsula guarding the inland canel to Amsterdam, why I asked, because they were fit men. Tougher it got the tougher they got,
Deception is a corner stone of war!
Much as gracias, Agent Garbo! 😏
@eaphantom9214 Was Admiral Canaris a double agent, or at least wanting the allies to win, because the intelligence Garbo was sending him was obviously garbage. As I remember, one of the things Garbo told the Abwehr was that the English parliament had moved to their summer location on the coast.
@@Poliss95
Possibly
Great video, my great uncle Thomas Gallagher drove an Ambulance off one of the British landing craft on D-day, he served as a medic in WW2 and went on to take part in Operation Market Garden. After the war he served as a Dectective Sergeant in the CID. He was one of my heroes as a kid.
Lest we forget.
Jonathan Ferguson, actual national treasure (:
*international* treasure
@@SeanCMonahan *Galactic treasure*
I own a second home just South of St Lo, around 50 miles south of Cherbourg. The roads away from the D-Day beaches are marked with markers showing the progress of the Road To Liberty. Even now 80 years after D-Day there are still so many reminders of this important battle-front and how it changed the course of the war so decisively.
Over the years we have visited and paid our respects at all of the Cemeteries, visited pretty much all of the museums, visited the gun batteries and cliff-top re-inforced gun emplacements and spent time at places like Pegasus Bridge (which is a full history lesson itself in one short battle)
I'm a Brit aged 57. I was born 22 years after VE day in 1945. I grew up in NW England in the aftermath of WW2 where there were still bombed out remnants of buildings and clear scars of war, and yet, my parents never spoke about the war and it was never taught as a subject in school. The only indicator that a great world war had taken place were the Sunday afternoon war movies on TV
The stated "Commonwealth Forces" that landed on the left with British forces was Canada on Juno beach.
Proud to be from Waterbury, Conn- the brass capital of the world- where the factories ran 24/7/365 churning out munitions for the War Effort. You cant understand or appreciate the dedication of your elders until you grow older and see how your own life challenges pale in comparison. The Greatest Generation.
A single reason? Isn't it reasons?
1. Broken codes - The Allies knew what The Enemy knew.
2. Deception - The Enemy was convinced the attack would occur elsewhere.
3. Confusion - The Enemy didn't have a clear picture nor understanding of what was going on.
4. Indecision - No one wanted to wakeup mr. mustache.
5. Command and Control - mr mustache was calling the shots.
6. Leadership - Rommel, who designed the defenses, wasn't on the scene.
7. Manpower & material - Were these in short supply at the landing sites?
8. The Fat Lady was on the stage - It was just a matter of time.
4. Even if they had woken up mr. moustache I doubt if anything would have changed. Remember that he thought the real invasion would be at Calais. He wouldn't want to move his tanks to repel a diversionary attack.
6. The defences were never going to work. You can't be strong along the whole Atlantic coast. Once breached at one point all the rest of the coastal defences become useless.
7. As I remember most of the German troops were 'belly brigades'. Men who were unfit for front line duty because of medical conditions, and also Russians and other foreign troops fighting for the Germans.
8. The Germans had already lost the war by D-Day. The soviets destroyed out a whole German army group later in June. Wiping out 28 of 34 divisions.
@@Poliss95 excellent points on not being strong everywhere and I didn't realize they were already scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of troop quality.
@@Poliss95 Ironically, this quote is attributed the Frederick the Great, the famous Prussian (German) king:
"Those who try to defend everything, defend nothing".
My great grandfather didn’t fight on dday but he did serve in the European assault. He was a cavalryman. He never spoke much about the war, and we never asked much, as we didn’t want to resurface any unpleasant memories. He was a good man.
This is a superb video, really excellent. Thanks for the work guys.
18 U boats were ordered to sink the Allied ships off of Normandy. No ships were sunk. But the U boats were sunk with the top secret homing torpedo named Mark 24, code named "FIDO". FIDO was first used in March, 1943. It was hugely successful. That's why the supplies for the invasion began being shipped to England in April, 1943.
Thanks for this video, appropriate indeed. May God bless all those brave people.
Looks like F.M Montgomery got the timing right: Paris was liberated on Aug 25 and the Allies were well across the Seine and attacking Antwerp on September 6, three months to the day after D-Day.
@professorsogol5824 Montgomery was supposed to take the vital port of Caen on D-Day.
@@Poliss95 Can't have been that vital if the battle was still won without it, can it? The Americans didn't capture St Lo until weeks after they were meant to, but you don't hear them whining about that, for some reason.
What gets missed in the video is that while there was an expectation that the Germans would do the sensible thing and withdraw to the Seine, getting across the Seine abd through the Germans would be a fight and a half. As it was, the Germans decided to fight forward and got chopped to bits. The Seine became little more than a speed bump on the Great Swan up to Belgium.
Before you make any crass statements about the vital port of Caen,I suggest you look at a map.You will find Caen is well inland,the last time I was there I didn't see a single ship there
@@Poliss95 I believe the actual plan was for the British 3rd Infantry Division to seize Caen on D-Day OR TO DIG IN SHORT OF THE CITY [emphasis added] if the Germans prevented its capture, temporarily masking Caen, maintaining the Allied threat against it and thwarting any potential German counter-attack from the city. (Wikipedia)
11:00 The two entangled paratroopers must've been terrified, getting stuck while in the air. Looks like a training exercise, not the actual drops though.
It might even be three. Two canopies open, one is twisted up with its owner dangling from the other paratroopers. Maybe one deployed a reserve, if they even had one?
On screen, just above and left of centre, for about 2 seconds.
They dropped with reserve parachutes. Having enough time to disentangle and deploy a reserve would be the issue. Sometimes altitude was such that even if there was simply a failure of the main parachute to open then deploying the reserve would be a challenge. In some drops in the Pacific, the drops were at only 150 feet so there was no real chance of using a reserve.
@@wbertie2604 Thanks, I wasn't sure they had reserves. 150 foot drop is crazy. To me, similar to the HALO jumpers. I met one of them. Equal parts madman and legend.
I wonder how the guys in the video ended up lading. Looks like it could've been fairly decent, although painful.
You keep releasing so much quality videos on topics im interested about. Im addicted!
The world hated Hitler, and commiserated with Stalin. Hitler conquered half of Europe and the rest of the world declared war against him. Stalin conquered half of Europe and the world sent him greetings. To ensure that Hitler could not hold on to the conquered European countries, the West sank German ships, bombed German cities, and then landed a massive and powerful army on the European continent. To enable Stalin to conquer and hold on to the other half of Europe, the West gave Stalin hundreds of warships, thousands of war planes and tanks, hundreds of thousands of the world’s best vehicles, and millions of tons of its best fuel and ammunition, and supplies.
Viktor Suvorov, Soviet GRU defector.
Ok, this is what I do not understand. First, Rommell gets his ass chased out of Northern Africa and then to Sicily and then to Normandy to meet the allies on D-Day. Second, Rommell should have been relived from duty after the African campaign. Third, why is history always praising Rommell as being such a great general when he failed in the previous two I just mentioned? I don't get it.
I'm always in for a video featuring good ol Johnny Fergs
This is why my father was part of the greatest generation. Good strategies backed up by a population that was unified.
My understanding of the US casualties on D-Day was attributed more to German mortars than machine gun fire. The MG42 was an iconic weapon - no doubt. The US M60 MG of Vietnam time period was based on the MG42 design. The feed tray covers are almost identical. But I doubt a single MG Gunner claim of a thousand casualties - interested to know here he was positioned and the casualty rate of the units in his sector.
His arc was covering the area of Easy Red where Robert Capa took his photos, and where Lt Spalding walked up the beach and got on to the bluffs. Spalding said one MG was firing from a bunker, Severloh was not in a bunker. Spalding was likely refering to the lower casemate, whcih had a MG crew placed. The 75mm gun was not in the casemate.
thank you bros 🙏 i also love going through your online collection for interesting pictures and items
11:40 The same Ronald Speirs who later lead the famous Easy Company from "Band of Brothers"
I love the video!! It’s a nice touch to see actual firearms and machines used during the time… Keep up the good work!!😄
I had lunch at a small restaurant at Pegasus Bridge in 2015. My girlfriend and I were touring the Normandy beaches by bicycle.
My main thought. . . “At least nobody is shooting at us”
The film clips in this video is a marvelous supplement to the Stephen Ambrose book I've just read about D-Day. That book went into tremendous details about the preparations and landings of D-Day; which told of broad accounts of combat units and was interspersed with personal stories of hardships, gallantry, and tragedies.
Another informative and engaging video, many thanks! My thoughts are with all those involved with D-Day on this 80th anniversary.
I am a military historian. I am not certain I will learn much new, but I really like Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, so I will watch.
11:04 is wrong. It is a myth that I too believed until two days ago, when I listened to Al Murray's and james Holland's podcast where Jim gave the actual numbers in one of the D-Day episodes. They were not actually widely scattered. It was, however, very dark, and thus 300 m equates "widely" cause you cannot see where you are or where your mates are. Thus giving rise both to confusion and the myth.
Also, there were very few MG42s defending; it was mostly French, Czech and Polish MGs. The DDs on other beaches did well; Utah the land provided lee for the wind, and on the Commonwealth Beaches it was the Navy that was responsible for when to release them, and they thought the sea was too high, and sailed further in. On the US beaches, it was the Army, and they knew nothing of sailing so let them loose to far out.
I believe there was a BBC documentary which mentioned that many tanks got close to the shore of Omaha beach before sinking. They were doing okay until the inexperienced tank crews attempted to change their course in order to land at the designated spot. When they turned to the side the the DD tanks were swamped by the heavy swell.
@@richardnewns15 that too. Al and Jim has part of one of their pods talking about it.
@@richardnewns15 34 DD tanks were ashore in the first wave. Two battalions had DDs. The sinking DDs were from one battalion. The other battalion landed theirs directly on the beach (mostly Dog Green and Dog White).
The 352nd were equipped with MG42s, but you're correct the static units had MG34 and mostly captured MGs. Gockel at WN62 had a Polish water cooled MG 08.
@@richardnewns15 about half sank within a few hundred metres of launch. Even if launched as close as the British forces launched them, relatively few would have got to shore. The currents at Omaha were very problematic.
Credit for the mention of Gen. Frederick Morgan and his vital work.
It’s amazing that with all the problems that the allies encountered they were still able to persevere.
22:16 The Germans sent A LOT more armoured divisions than that. A map on June 30th for Operation Overlord shows at least 7 Panzer divisions stationed around Caen. Alongside the 21st, Panzer Lehr and the 12th SS there was the 1st SS Panzer division, 9th SS Panzer division, 2nd SS Panzer division plus the Heavy Panzer battalions of the 102nd SS, 101st SS and the 503rd.
Yes more Panzer divisions did arrive but not quite at that time. The 9th and the 2nd took around 3 weeks to get there while the 101st SS arrived on the 12-13 June and the other two arrived after that. So considering the image only shows up to the 12th and it only show Divisions the picture is correct.
still got battered, ;) ay?
@@keithskelhorne3993 I'm British lol.
They didn't arrive on time though... this video was on Dday itself
@@A1Kirazz Of course I just wish it was talked about more, all we ever hear is mostly the amphibious landings never about the colossal armoured battles that took place further inland. Which are just as interesting like Operation Epsom.
The Dunkirk evacuation was indirectly helpful., the British had the means to rearm its rescued troops.
The garrison sacrificed at Calais held the german armour from being sent to Dunkirk.
Thank you for mentioning the Canadian contribution! The Germans learned to fear the Canadians real quick.👍🏻
As in WW I , the canadian troops were also recognized by the Germans as strong fighters.
I think the real reason why Germany lost during d day was because it was a 1v15
Percy Hobart was the architect of the German blitzkrieg. The British military thought it to be ineffective because he was trying to replace calvary. When it rampaged through north Africa his unit pushed the Germans back and he was finally called back to get the alies ready for d-day. The unsung hero of D-Day, Sir Percy Hobart!
My grandfather and great grandfather were both WW2 vets. Papa Greg was a bombardier on the BOTTOMSUP, a B24 liberator. He pounded the beaches with bombs days before D-day.. my grandpa Earl was a big gun gunner in the navy off the coast. Real men. I miss Tyngsboro
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE
Indeed, glad they can’t see Western Europe now.
@bushwhackeddos.2703 Hi there yes but a lot will have seen Germany and Japan win the peace in the 50' s and 60's look at manufacturer of engineering and electronics. We gave them all the information and help they asked for and they ran with it .
Some of the best video battle maps (animation) I've seen.
Montgomery always said there would be a three month fight in Normandy. He said Paris by D plus 90. He did better. He was 400km beyond that and liberating Brussels, Belgium on September 3rd.
However, it wasnt only Caen that was taken well behind it's initial schedule. St Lo was as well. One of the main reasons why Caen dragged on into July was because Bradley's US 1st Army gave up on St Lo in June due to the bocage. The fact that the Americans gave up applying any real pressure on St Lo after a while meant that all German panzer divisions sent to Normandy concentrated around Caen and none were needed to deploy to the St Lo frontage.
When the Americans finally applied pressure on St Lo in July the Germans sent 2nd SS and Panzer Lehr to defend that sector. Had the Americans done this in June then the Germans would have had to lessen the concentration of their armour around Caen and disperse it over a wider frontage.
Too many people focus on the little details "Caen Dday" and not the bigger picture.....Paris and the Seine reached in 90 days.
What was that other thing the Yanks were supposed to do ?
Clear the Cotentin peninsula, which meant going north.
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- Caen on D-Day was a major part of the bigger picture. You can't do anything without supplies and Caen was the only major port available to the allies. A port that Montgomery said he was going to capture on D-Day. Instead he rushed off into the Netherlands where Operation Market Garden failed.
@@Poliss95 Just as the major ports of Britanny were not captured either which was one of Pattons objective 🤷♂ The bottom line is that Paris and the Seine were reached 2 weeks earlier than Monty had predicted, hence the "bigger picture" who cares if the ports are captured later than usual if ultimately the MAIN OBJECTIVES of the entire campaign of liberating France are still achieved.
@@Poliss95Even if Caen had been taken on D, it would've been no use as a port as ships would have been sailing pretty much along the front line. Remember that SWORD was closed down after a while as it remained in range of German artillery.
great video, well done, excellent insight into the Allied Success in Normandy
The real question is, did Jim make it?
Major Jim sounds like a badass ngl
had some bigs nuts jim
The 741 battalion DD tanks - they were half way in on their 6km run, they tried to steer straight to the target but had a strong cross current and swell that swamped their sides and sank them but most crew had time to abandon, if they had sailing knowledge they would have steered more WITH the side current and so land a bit off target - other DD tank landings went correctly
It really SHOULD be titled "How the Allies beat the Germans on DDay with numbers".
So my any great accounts of D Day are available This one is very good providing new info to me. Never heard the Fuurer was sleeping in til the afternoon!
I'd recommend D-Day: Piercing the Atlantic Wall by Robert Kershaw. Not the most recent book but a useful and well-illustrated overview.
Salute to all the allied soldiers, sailers and airmen on that day. The greatest generation ❤
I really wish the old footage shots were longer. They make the whole video immersive and the quick cuts hurt that
I am really surprised that the guy reading the original letters in this vid is not wearing gloves. Due to the oil in the skin, paper is easily destroyed over time. Oddly, later on, he is seen wearing gloves to show two metal helmets, lol. Usually at a museum handling rare, important or perishable items gloves are insisted upon.
I think the curator at the museum knows what he's doing
I have one of these letters. I don't wear gloves either.
That used to be the policy, but they’ve decided it’s safer to have freshly-washed hands over gloves that dull the sensitivity of their hands and might make them handle something with less dexterity than with bare hands
@@rugbymeat And yet he wears gloves in a later scene to handle a metal helmet ... are you telling me metal is more likely to fall apart over time than paper?
@@billbest9483 But you don't work for a museum .... or do you, lol? :)
I cant imagine what these men went through. Incredible. Rest in Peace brave warriors.
They lost D Day as they had fewer soldiers and little air cover…
This was mostly due to fighting the Soviets on the Eastern Front.
If they were only fighting on the Western front they would have repelled the beach assaults.
@robgreen2197 If the Germans weren't fighting the Soviets then there wouldn't have been any beach assaults on D-day as we know it. Things would've been completely different on every level.
Which side was USSR on when Germany rolled over most of Europe ?
"Molotov summoned me this evening to his office and expressed the warmest congratulations of the Soviet Government on the splendid success of the German Armed Forces."
The German Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Schulenburg) to the German Foreign Office; June 18, 1940 Avalon
@@nickdanger3802 That's when the USSR still thought they were safe. After all, they struck an "anti-aggression pact" with Germany, which meant they both invaded Poland and divided up the country between them in 1939. BTW, this is where I think Chamberlain keeps getting a raw deal by historians. He is supposed to have known better than to trust the Germans with the Munich Agreement. But Stalin was "completely surprised" when the Nazis invaded the USSR. This in spite of having hindsight that Germany broke the Munich agreement. Yet the USSR still believed they were safe with the 1939 anti-aggression pact. Stalin should've known better, just like Chamberlain.
@VikingKong
Indeed. And if the Germans (well European Axis) were only fighting the Soviets they probably would have won in 1942.
All those who fought in WWII rightly deserve the title, "The greatest generation". God help us if this present generation faced the same enemy!
You would be surprised how professional the young women and men are in todays armed forces. They would fare very well in combat..
Even the ancient Romans were already talking about how their youth was soft compared to previous generations...
And I'd add that yes, they were the greatest generations, but they weren't any braver than the young Marines and GIs who fought in Vietnam for instance.
Brilliant as always!! Thank you
its so hard to say Canadian forces on the left...tired of these video's by UK just can't admit how important and significant Canadians were.
I'm British but I absolutely agree. Give the Canucks their credit, please. It was a beach almost as deadly as Omaha. Maybe one day we'll get a Juno movie.
@@wbertie2604 TY Sir
That’s fair enough, but the commentary does say Britain and Commonwealth forces
@@wbertie2604 Sword was by far the 2nd most deadly sector on D-Day
@@OldWolflad It's not clear cut as figures are not available for all units and sometimes casualties and deaths are confused in reported figures in books. Sometimes the airborne element behind the beaches is added as most was behind Sword. I've seen figures for Sword for casualties range from 670 to 1400 and deaths up to 680 - more than the bottom range of casualties. For Omaha I've seen deaths numbers reported from 770 to 2400 and casualties from 2400 to 4000.
I recently watched Saving Private Ryan and what struck me was how the allied beach assault at Normandy could have used a lot more air support.