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NARRATOR: December 1944.
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(gunfire)
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U.S. Rangers capture a Nazi stronghold
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on the German border.
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(explosion)
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But a series of counterattacks
and artillery tree bursts...
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leave just a handful of men
to defend their critical capture.
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In their extreme vulnerability,
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the Rangers must consider
an unthinkable plan
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to ward off the next attack.
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MAN: It's that desperate.
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They have to call the artillery strike
on their own position
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and hope to survive.
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NARRATOR: On June 6, 1944,
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Allied forces finally
land troops in Normandy
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to open the Western Front.
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(yelling in German)
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But Nazi fanatics and diehards
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continue to fight ruthlessly for survival.
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(gunfire)
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D-Day was a battle.
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The Allies still need to win the war.
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December 7, 1944.
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Bergstein, Germany.
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Members of the American
2nd Ranger Battalion
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go behind enemy lines
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to reconnoiter the German stronghold
of Hill 400.
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As second in command,
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Lieutenant Len Lomell
scouts for Dog Company.
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The Rangers are not here to fight.
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They creep through the darkness
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to identify the German bunkers
and machine gun nests
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they will need to capture
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when they launch their assault
on Hill 400 in the morning.
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After the rapid collapse of Nazi forces
in France over the summer,
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the fight moves towards the German border.
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In autumn 1944, the entire situation
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for the German soldier changes.
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It's the first time now in this war
that he's fighting on home ground.
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This is something that gives him
a new motivation to continue.
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NARRATOR: Adolf Hitler orders
defenses to be strengthened
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along Germany's borderlands,
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which run through the Hurtgen Forest.
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The Allies call the 390-mile
series of fortifications
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the Siegfried Line.
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By December 1944,
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German forces have bogged down the Allies
in the Hurtgen Forest
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for nearly three months.
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And Allied armies
have pushed the Western Front
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up to the German border...
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and to the base of Hill 400.
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Hill 400, to some extent,
is the key to the Hurtgen Forest.
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NARRATOR: The hill is a natural fortress--
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rocky, tree-covered,
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and 45 degrees on its steepest slope.
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To these natural defenses,
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German troops have added bunkers
and machine gun nests.
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Holding the hill permits its occupier
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to observe troop movements
for miles around,
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including the Cologne Plain.
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JOHN C. McMANUS: If you get Hill 400,
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you immediately can put
artillery observers atop that hill.
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At that stage,
then you can call down U.S. artillery
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upon any German movement in the area.
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Hill 400 emerges as this,
like, solid-gold real estate
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that both sides understand
they have to have.
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NARRATOR: The Rangers now have
orders to seize the hill.
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Lomell's scout is the first step.
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O'DONNELL: He went up Hill 400
and scouted out the different positions
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and was able to bring back
that crucial intelligence,
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which helps, uh, shape the attack
on December 7th.
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NARRATOR: Lomell and the other scouts
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slip into the town of Bergstein
at the base of the hill.
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Just before 6:00 AM,
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Lomell's men of 2nd Ranger
Battalion's Dog Company
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prepare to jump off.
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SOLDIER: We've got an MG on the left side.
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And there's one on the right.
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NARRATOR: Most have arrived
just in time to move into the line.
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The men have had little or no sleep.
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There's one right
at the end of the road.
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(explosions)
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(gunfire)
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Suppressing fire!
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NARRATOR: At 0600 hours,
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the Rangers charge from their positions.
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They must fight their way
through Bergstein
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to their first objective.
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O'DONNELL: As they move from the cellars,
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they're receiving incoming artillery fire
from the Germans,
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and men are being shredded
by these artillery shells.
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They're also being sniped at.
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NARRATOR: American forces hold
just a sliver of the village.
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They are surrounded on three sides.
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O'DONNELL: And they can easily
be cut off by the Germans
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and annihilated.
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The Germans wanted it back at all costs.
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NARRATOR: They only need
to advance a few hundred yards,
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but combat in built-up areas like towns
is a challenge.
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The walls provide shelter to both sides.
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It is also easy to get disoriented.
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O'DONNELL: Urban combat
is some of the most difficult combat
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that any soldier can encounter.
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It's not a situation
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where you're firing at somebody
a hundred yards away.
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You're firing at them
at point-blank range,
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and in many cases, it's hand-to-hand.
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Move, move, move!
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(soldier yelling)
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NARRATOR: Men from Fox Company
join Dog Company
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as the American Rangers
continue to fight to the edge of town.
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(explosion)
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SOLDIER: Ah! Ah!
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Medic! Medic!
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Medic!
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SOLDIER: Ah!
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NARRATOR: The battle
for Bergstein will rage
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even after the attack
on the hill begins...
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the Germans relentless
in their attempts to drive out U.S. forces
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and the Americans
equally determined to hang on.
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Lomell and the two companies
finally close in on their first objective.
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O'DONNELL: They converge
in front of the hill
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in front of the field,
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and it's been described as a sunken road
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where there's a little bit of cover
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from the defenders on top of Hill 400,
as well as the machine guns
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that are arrayed at the base of the hill.
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NARRATOR: Lomell has fought
with many of these men
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for a long time.
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Six months earlier, on D-Day,
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Lomell,
along with Staff Sergeant Jack Kuhn,
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destroyed five of the Germans'
main artillery guns
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at Utah and Omaha beaches.
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O'DONNELL: Len was shot in the side
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as he was scaling the cliff.
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But despite this wound, this gaping wound,
kept climbing
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and completed the mission.
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He fought through the maze
of fortifications on the top
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and found the guns on top of Pointe du Hoc
and disabled them with thermite grenades.
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NARRATOR: This action
had a profound impact on D-Day,
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saving countless lives.
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Lomell would earn citations
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from the American, British,
and French governments.
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Lomell now eyes their next objective.
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The U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion
must take Hill 400
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and hold it for 24 hours, until relieved.
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By 0700, 120 men
from Dog and Fox Companies
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have made it to the base of the hill.
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Between them and the tree line
is a field 100 yards wide.
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The Rangers know
once they begin, they cannot stop.
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O'DONNELL: Cross an open field
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under machine-gun fire from MG-42s--
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what was called "Hitler's bone saw"
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because it-- it rattled off
over 1,200 rounds per minute.
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The entire field itself
was mined with Bouncing Betty mines,
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and these are mines that would
shoot up into the air
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and then detonate
around the area of your groin
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and-- and sever legs and body parts.
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The odds were definitely
stacked against the Rangers
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on December 7th.
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NARRATOR: German artillery and mortars
begin targeting the Rangers' position.
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The first shells fall 75 yards
behind the Americans.
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The German gunners fine-tune.
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The shells start to drop closer.
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Meanwhile, U.S. artillery responds
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and shells German positions
in the tree line.
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SOLDIER: Fire!
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(explosions)
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O'DONNELL: Basically what's known as
a rolling barrage or a creeping barrage.
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This is American artillery
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that is creeping in front of the Rangers.
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(indistinct conversation)
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NARRATOR: As the German shells drop closer
to Dog and Fox Companies from behind,
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the Rangers are pinned between
the two artillery barrages.
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Among the artillery weapons
aimed at the Rangers
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is the Nebelwerfer 41.
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The German rocket launcher
fires 5.9-inch shells.
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Each salvo fires six rockets
one second apart.
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Concussive force alone can kill,
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even if the high-explosive fragments miss.
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(explosion)
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As the rockets close in
on the American Rangers,
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an unexpected order is given.
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O'DONNELL: These are very
battle-hardened troops,
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but somehow in the mix of this,
there was an unseasoned, untrained officer
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that ordered a scout
to go out and reconnoiter the field.
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NARRATOR: Fox Company's
Sergeant Herman Stein
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is one of several Ranger NCOs
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to question the order given
to one of the enlisted men.
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O'DONNELL: And they universally said,
"Don't go out there. Don't go."
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They said it several times,
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and they tried to stop the man from going.
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NARRATOR: Stein and the others
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knew the order meant
certain death for whoever went.
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Can the weight of their experience
force the officer to back down?
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No. Don't go!
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NARRATOR: December 1944.
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The American 2nd Ranger Battalion
prepares to attack a key position.
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They must take Hill 400,
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which overlooks the town of Bergstein,
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just inside the German border.
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As they wait to jump off,
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a newly assigned officer
orders a man to scout the field out front.
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The non-commissioned officers
argue it is too dangerous.
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00:12:04,724 --> 00:12:06,767
O'DONNELL: The officer then
looked at the man and said,
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"This is a direct order.
Go out into the field."
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And he actually did,
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and as he went into the field,
he was shot in the gut.
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NARRATOR: What might have
triggered a court martial
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in another unit
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00:12:19,739 --> 00:12:22,032
is a hallmark of the 2nd Ranger psyche.
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O'DONNELL: In 1942,
the United States didn't have
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00:12:26,579 --> 00:12:29,290
special operation forces or commandos.
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The Rangers were a new thing.
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They were all volunteers,
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and they had a very tough
weed-out process.
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These men had to march and climb
and shoot and fight.
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Very few people were able to make it
through the actual training.
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00:12:44,346 --> 00:12:46,974
NARRATOR: It molded men
who could think outside the box,
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00:12:46,974 --> 00:12:49,310
question orders, and take initiative
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00:12:49,310 --> 00:12:51,896
if they thought it was
in the best interest of the mission.
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00:12:53,314 --> 00:12:57,318
That mindset would prompt Fox Company
Sergeant William McHugh to action.
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00:12:58,652 --> 00:13:01,655
McHugh realizes
that the German mortars are closing in
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00:13:01,739 --> 00:13:04,074
and would strike them
before their jump-off time.
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00:13:05,618 --> 00:13:08,454
Sergeant McHugh shouts,
"Let's get the bastards!"
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00:13:08,454 --> 00:13:11,624
And then he raises
his tommy gun over his head,
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and they charge across the field.
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00:13:13,751 --> 00:13:15,961
(men yelling)
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(gunfire)
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And it's been described
as like a tsunami--
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a band of screaming, shooting Rangers
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descending on these German
machine gun nests,
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00:13:30,017 --> 00:13:31,685
crossing this open field.
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00:13:32,144 --> 00:13:33,896
NARRATOR: McHugh spurs Dog and Fox Company
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00:13:33,896 --> 00:13:36,065
to charge straight towards
the German guns.
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00:13:41,028 --> 00:13:42,655
Because they jumped off early,
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some of the incoming artillery
they dodge is American.
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00:13:46,325 --> 00:13:50,579
O'DONNELL: There's a real danger
of being hit by their own friendly fire
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00:13:50,663 --> 00:13:52,498
from this artillery,
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00:13:52,498 --> 00:13:56,126
but the fact that they leave
only a-a few minutes early
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00:13:56,210 --> 00:13:57,586
saves many of their lives.
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Men were being hit by the artillery,
by the German bullets,
243
00:14:05,386 --> 00:14:08,055
and then even by mines
as they were crossing the field.
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00:14:08,055 --> 00:14:11,433
But they didn't have a chance to look back
or even help anybody.
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They were just moving forward.
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00:14:12,977 --> 00:14:15,771
(gunfire)
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NARRATOR: Standing in the Rangers' way
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00:14:18,858 --> 00:14:22,528
is a regiment of the 272nd
Volksgrenadier division,
249
00:14:22,528 --> 00:14:25,197
commanded by Captain Adolf Thomae.
250
00:14:30,870 --> 00:14:33,664
The Volksgrenadier divisions are formed
251
00:14:33,664 --> 00:14:35,666
after the assassination attempt
on Adolf Hitler
252
00:14:35,666 --> 00:14:38,335
by senior officers in July 1944.
253
00:14:41,005 --> 00:14:43,173
LIEB: The idea behind
the Volksgrenadier divisions--
254
00:14:43,257 --> 00:14:46,594
you can already see this in the name
"Volks," which means people,
255
00:14:46,594 --> 00:14:49,138
kind of grass-root formation
256
00:14:49,138 --> 00:14:52,182
inspired with Nazi ideology,
257
00:14:52,266 --> 00:14:58,105
with a belief of one community
serving for a common cause.
258
00:14:58,105 --> 00:15:00,900
NARRATOR: As Germany grapples
with manpower shortages,
259
00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:05,738
older men and teenaged boys
are conscripted from civilian life
260
00:15:05,738 --> 00:15:07,781
to form a replacement army
loyal to Hitler.
261
00:15:10,784 --> 00:15:13,078
Members of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine
262
00:15:13,162 --> 00:15:14,997
report for combat service.
263
00:15:15,998 --> 00:15:19,251
Injured soldiers
also return to the lines faster.
264
00:15:21,045 --> 00:15:24,423
Heinrich Himmler mobilizes
49 new Volksgrenadier divisions
265
00:15:24,757 --> 00:15:26,258
in about eight weeks.
266
00:15:26,342 --> 00:15:28,636
Himmler ensures that they are well-armed,
267
00:15:28,636 --> 00:15:30,262
but hurries them into battle.
268
00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,807
While overall results have been mixed,
269
00:15:33,891 --> 00:15:37,311
the 272nd has fought well
in the Hurtgen Forest.
270
00:15:41,273 --> 00:15:42,608
At Thomae's disposal
271
00:15:42,608 --> 00:15:45,736
are 36 pieces of direct artillery support.
272
00:15:47,988 --> 00:15:49,448
Just that morning,
273
00:15:49,448 --> 00:15:51,909
his troops had planned
to retake Bergstein.
274
00:15:53,327 --> 00:15:56,497
LIEB: But the U.S. Rangers
were the first ones to attack,
275
00:15:56,497 --> 00:16:00,542
and this puts Thomae very quickly
into a defensive position.
276
00:16:00,626 --> 00:16:03,045
(explosion)
277
00:16:03,045 --> 00:16:04,922
NARRATOR: The Rangers' premature attack
278
00:16:04,922 --> 00:16:07,424
gives them a slight advantage
over the Volksgrenadier.
279
00:16:08,926 --> 00:16:10,928
The artillery is actually coming in
280
00:16:10,928 --> 00:16:12,888
right as they're crossing,
281
00:16:12,972 --> 00:16:15,557
and it keeps the Germans'
machine gunners' heads down.
282
00:16:15,641 --> 00:16:17,768
NARRATOR: The Rangers
who make it across the field
283
00:16:17,768 --> 00:16:19,561
capture the German outer positions.
284
00:16:21,563 --> 00:16:23,399
(gunfire)
285
00:16:23,399 --> 00:16:24,942
O'DONNELL: The Germans that are overrun,
286
00:16:24,942 --> 00:16:27,903
um, are either bayoneted, in many cases,
287
00:16:27,987 --> 00:16:30,280
or they're fleeing for their lives
288
00:16:30,364 --> 00:16:32,533
up the top of Hill 400.
289
00:16:34,243 --> 00:16:36,203
NARRATOR: The U.S. Rangers press on.
290
00:16:36,203 --> 00:16:38,622
Speed and surprise add to their arsenal.
291
00:16:39,456 --> 00:16:42,209
(explosions)
292
00:16:43,002 --> 00:16:45,754
(gunfire)
293
00:16:46,255 --> 00:16:49,883
Both Allied and German artillery
continue to fall on the base of the hill.
294
00:16:55,973 --> 00:16:57,725
The Rangers have no choice
295
00:16:57,725 --> 00:17:01,020
but to continue to the next line
of German defenses.
296
00:17:04,273 --> 00:17:06,191
NARRATOR: Fighting is heavy
as two companies
297
00:17:06,275 --> 00:17:09,445
of the American 2nd Ranger Battalion
charge up Hill 400,
298
00:17:09,778 --> 00:17:11,989
a stronghold on Germany's border.
299
00:17:11,989 --> 00:17:14,158
(gunfire)
300
00:17:14,992 --> 00:17:17,745
Rangers try to clear German
bunkers and machine gun nests
301
00:17:17,745 --> 00:17:18,871
as they move uphill.
302
00:17:27,921 --> 00:17:30,215
O'DONNELL: This is close-quarters combat.
303
00:17:30,299 --> 00:17:32,176
This is personal.
304
00:17:32,176 --> 00:17:36,180
In some cases,
it's directly hand-to-hand fighting,
305
00:17:36,180 --> 00:17:39,183
with bayonets and knives, pistols.
306
00:17:39,767 --> 00:17:42,936
That's the level of intensity
307
00:17:43,020 --> 00:17:46,065
that these men had to go through
just to get up that hill.
308
00:17:50,194 --> 00:17:52,654
(yelling in German)
309
00:17:54,156 --> 00:17:57,701
NARRATOR: Lieutenant Len Lomell,
second in command of Dog Company,
310
00:17:57,785 --> 00:18:00,370
is amongst the first Rangers
to reach the summit.
311
00:18:03,665 --> 00:18:05,209
Others quickly catch up.
312
00:18:06,085 --> 00:18:07,628
(gunfire)
313
00:18:08,212 --> 00:18:10,631
Their ascent has taken less than an hour.
314
00:18:10,631 --> 00:18:15,677
(gunfire and yelling)
315
00:18:21,850 --> 00:18:24,269
Members of Fox Company
use grenades and gunfire
316
00:18:24,353 --> 00:18:26,814
to force the surrender
of the German hilltop bunker.
317
00:18:26,814 --> 00:18:29,942
(yelling and gunfire)
318
00:18:34,530 --> 00:18:38,033
By 0830, the Rangers
have claimed Hill 400.
319
00:18:40,369 --> 00:18:41,954
To that point in the war,
320
00:18:41,954 --> 00:18:44,498
it is one of the deepest incursions
into Germany
321
00:18:44,498 --> 00:18:46,750
by U.S. or other Western allies.
322
00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,256
O'DONNELL: These men
were all running on adrenaline.
323
00:18:53,382 --> 00:18:58,011
Their nerves were taut
from the-- the charge itself,
324
00:18:58,470 --> 00:19:01,765
the artillery that was falling,
the close-in combat.
325
00:19:02,307 --> 00:19:04,309
Get these bodies
outta here right now.
326
00:19:04,393 --> 00:19:07,604
They get to the top of the hill--
that was an exhilarating feeling.
327
00:19:07,688 --> 00:19:08,939
That's what they told me.
328
00:19:08,939 --> 00:19:12,818
NARRATOR: The capture of Hill 400
is a remarkable achievement.
329
00:19:14,153 --> 00:19:16,155
But it was just the beginning.
330
00:19:17,322 --> 00:19:19,867
NARRATOR: Lieutenant Lomell
orders the Rangers to dig in.
331
00:19:22,161 --> 00:19:25,539
On the exposed hillside,
security is elusive.
332
00:19:27,166 --> 00:19:31,170
The only real refuge that they had
was the command bunker,
333
00:19:31,170 --> 00:19:33,338
an observation bunker
on the top of Hill 400.
334
00:19:33,755 --> 00:19:37,050
NARRATOR: Some Rangers take shelter
in positions captured from the Germans,
335
00:19:37,134 --> 00:19:39,219
but that is not always possible.
336
00:19:40,596 --> 00:19:43,974
O'DONNELL: The German foxholes
that were facing the American lines,
337
00:19:44,308 --> 00:19:46,768
they weren't facing the sides
or flanks of the hill
338
00:19:46,852 --> 00:19:48,645
where the Germans
were going to be coming from.
339
00:19:49,771 --> 00:19:52,900
NARRATOR: New foxholes
prove difficult to dig in the rocky soil.
340
00:19:56,236 --> 00:19:58,780
O'DONNELL: The ground is frozen solid.
341
00:19:58,864 --> 00:20:02,326
They're barely able
to-- to claw through it,
342
00:20:02,326 --> 00:20:04,953
and some of the men
actually use their fingernails,
343
00:20:05,037 --> 00:20:08,665
and they're bloody
as they-- they claw through the dirt
344
00:20:09,082 --> 00:20:10,209
the best they can
345
00:20:10,209 --> 00:20:12,878
to dig this shallow hole
with their trench knives
346
00:20:12,878 --> 00:20:14,713
and their bayonets.
347
00:20:14,713 --> 00:20:18,634
Anything that they can to just
get a little semblance of cover.
348
00:20:19,384 --> 00:20:21,678
NARRATOR: Foxholes
are a critical perimeter defense
349
00:20:21,762 --> 00:20:24,097
against the inevitable
German counterattack.
350
00:20:26,892 --> 00:20:29,645
LIEB: German doctrine very much cherishes
351
00:20:29,645 --> 00:20:32,397
the idea of offensive action.
352
00:20:32,481 --> 00:20:34,316
So even if you lose a position,
353
00:20:34,316 --> 00:20:37,819
you are supposed to attack, counterattack
354
00:20:37,903 --> 00:20:39,321
as quickly as possible.
355
00:20:40,572 --> 00:20:42,866
NARRATOR: German high command
considers Hill 400
356
00:20:42,950 --> 00:20:46,119
to be of vital importance
for a top-secret reason.
357
00:20:46,954 --> 00:20:50,832
Seventeen German divisions,
totaling over 200,000 men,
358
00:20:50,916 --> 00:20:53,085
amass in the nearby Ardennes Forest.
359
00:20:55,462 --> 00:20:58,006
Hitler has been planning
a surprise offensive
360
00:20:58,090 --> 00:21:00,008
in a bid to turn the tide of war.
361
00:21:00,884 --> 00:21:02,469
Their leaders go to great effort
362
00:21:02,469 --> 00:21:04,763
to conceal the build-up
from Allied reconnaissance.
363
00:21:05,639 --> 00:21:08,225
LIEB: If the Americans sit on Hill 400,
364
00:21:08,892 --> 00:21:12,688
they can spot German assembly areas
in the rear.
365
00:21:14,523 --> 00:21:16,733
NARRATOR: Captain Adolf Thomae
receives a battalion
366
00:21:16,817 --> 00:21:18,819
of the 6th Fallschirmjaeger regiment,
367
00:21:18,819 --> 00:21:21,780
an elite group of paratroopers,
as reinforcements.
368
00:21:23,865 --> 00:21:26,076
Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model
369
00:21:26,618 --> 00:21:28,912
offers Thomae's men an added incentive.
370
00:21:29,538 --> 00:21:32,666
LIEB: Field Marshal Model
promises the German unit
371
00:21:32,666 --> 00:21:34,835
re-seizing Hill 400
372
00:21:35,460 --> 00:21:37,796
an Iron Cross for each individual soldier
373
00:21:37,796 --> 00:21:39,715
and a seven-day leave.
374
00:21:40,882 --> 00:21:42,050
NARRATOR: Having pre-ranged
375
00:21:42,134 --> 00:21:44,428
all the positions on the hill
with his guns,
376
00:21:44,428 --> 00:21:46,972
Thomae begins to shell the Rangers.
377
00:21:50,934 --> 00:21:53,061
LIEB: When the Germans attack Hill 400,
378
00:21:53,645 --> 00:21:57,774
the infantry attacks along
the slopes towards the hill,
379
00:21:57,858 --> 00:22:01,862
and the German artillery
is putting fire onto the U.S. soldiers
380
00:22:01,862 --> 00:22:03,155
sitting on top of the mountain.
381
00:22:03,155 --> 00:22:04,740
So there is a danger
382
00:22:04,740 --> 00:22:08,452
that German shells will also kill
German infantrymen.
383
00:22:08,452 --> 00:22:11,246
(gunfire)
384
00:22:11,330 --> 00:22:13,373
NARRATOR: The artillery proves persistent.
385
00:22:14,207 --> 00:22:17,336
This is every minute, this is every hour
386
00:22:17,919 --> 00:22:18,920
it's coming in.
387
00:22:19,546 --> 00:22:21,298
And there's no place to run or hide,
388
00:22:21,298 --> 00:22:24,384
and it's random death from above.
389
00:22:25,344 --> 00:22:27,763
NARRATOR: Along with
standard artillery rounds,
390
00:22:27,763 --> 00:22:30,766
part of Thomae's strategy
is to create tree bursts.
391
00:22:31,850 --> 00:22:34,770
The Hurtgen Forest had conifer trees
that were over a hundred feet high
392
00:22:34,770 --> 00:22:36,229
in some places,
393
00:22:36,313 --> 00:22:39,399
and the Germans designed
their artillery barrages
394
00:22:39,483 --> 00:22:41,777
to strike above the canopy
395
00:22:41,777 --> 00:22:45,906
so that not only would deadly shrapnel
rain down on the Americans,
396
00:22:45,906 --> 00:22:48,617
but also splinters that were razor sharp
397
00:22:48,617 --> 00:22:50,202
that could slice through the body.
398
00:22:51,828 --> 00:22:53,121
NARRATOR: Standard Allied training
399
00:22:53,205 --> 00:22:56,249
was to drop to the ground
in the face of incoming artillery.
400
00:22:56,666 --> 00:22:59,753
During a tree burst,
such a move would prove fatal.
401
00:23:01,004 --> 00:23:04,174
Soldiers had to overcome their instincts
and stay upright
402
00:23:04,508 --> 00:23:06,259
to let their helmets protect them.
403
00:23:07,427 --> 00:23:10,472
If there was a tree nearby,
they'd actually hug the tree
404
00:23:10,472 --> 00:23:12,265
because it would prevent the shrapnel,
405
00:23:12,349 --> 00:23:14,851
and splinters from the wood
wouldn't be able to hit them.
406
00:23:22,442 --> 00:23:24,694
NARRATOR: As the Germans
start to counterattack,
407
00:23:24,778 --> 00:23:26,988
Lieutenant Len Lomell
and his fellow Rangers
408
00:23:27,072 --> 00:23:28,907
are dangerously exposed.
409
00:23:38,375 --> 00:23:43,171
(explosions)
410
00:23:45,841 --> 00:23:49,428
NARRATOR: Captain Adolf Thomae
rallies more than 100 German troops
411
00:23:49,428 --> 00:23:53,348
against the American 2nd Ranger Battalion,
who have just captured Hill 400.
412
00:23:59,980 --> 00:24:02,399
The German Volksgrenadier
and the Fallschirmjaeger
413
00:24:02,399 --> 00:24:04,025
attack in small groups.
414
00:24:05,193 --> 00:24:07,737
The result is brutal close-in fighting.
415
00:24:08,947 --> 00:24:11,366
(grunting)
416
00:24:12,159 --> 00:24:15,078
The Volksgrenadiers possess
an extremely effective weapon
417
00:24:15,162 --> 00:24:16,413
for this kind of battle.
418
00:24:17,956 --> 00:24:19,583
The MP-44.
419
00:24:20,292 --> 00:24:22,294
The world's first assault rifle.
420
00:24:24,087 --> 00:24:26,006
Equipped with a 30-round magazine,
421
00:24:26,798 --> 00:24:29,801
the gun can switch
from single-shot to rapid fire,
422
00:24:29,885 --> 00:24:30,927
with the flick of a lever.
423
00:24:31,428 --> 00:24:33,763
( rapid gunfire)
424
00:24:34,306 --> 00:24:38,101
The MP-44 has an effective
range of 164 yards
425
00:24:38,185 --> 00:24:39,895
in the full-automatic position
426
00:24:39,895 --> 00:24:42,939
and 437 yards in the single-shot mode.
427
00:24:45,108 --> 00:24:49,362
Armed with both MP-44s
and its precursor, the MP-40,
428
00:24:49,446 --> 00:24:54,451
some German forces approach a location
defended by Dog Company Sergeant Ed Secor.
429
00:24:56,036 --> 00:25:00,415
When the Germans counterattack,
they are not running into open fire,
430
00:25:00,499 --> 00:25:02,626
they're trying to infiltrate
the enemy positions
431
00:25:03,043 --> 00:25:05,629
and try to circumvent the strong points.
432
00:25:06,046 --> 00:25:09,633
NARRATOR: Secor and a private
had secured good coverage.
433
00:25:10,050 --> 00:25:11,760
Sergeant Secor was positioned
434
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:15,138
under an overhanging boulder
in a shallow foxhole.
435
00:25:15,222 --> 00:25:18,683
(gunfire)
436
00:25:20,018 --> 00:25:23,438
NARRATOR: But a German bullet
renders Secor's weapon inoperable.
437
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,029
In response,
the usually mild-mannered Secor
438
00:25:31,029 --> 00:25:34,366
charges out to recover guns
from dead German soldiers nearby.
439
00:25:39,621 --> 00:25:44,167
O'DONNELL: He immediately grabbed
two MP-40 machine pistols,
440
00:25:44,251 --> 00:25:46,294
and then with both hands,
441
00:25:46,378 --> 00:25:49,464
fired into the mass of oncoming Germans.
442
00:26:11,194 --> 00:26:12,195
NARRATOR: When they are empty,
443
00:26:12,279 --> 00:26:15,407
he then pulls out his pistol
and continues to fire.
444
00:26:20,495 --> 00:26:22,122
Sergeant Secor's daring actions
445
00:26:22,122 --> 00:26:24,082
thwart the German counterattack.
446
00:26:31,089 --> 00:26:32,549
(speaking German)
447
00:26:33,341 --> 00:26:36,595
Captain Thomae and his men retreat
to regroup and try again.
448
00:26:36,595 --> 00:26:41,099
(speaking German)
449
00:26:45,645 --> 00:26:47,314
During the German attack,
450
00:26:47,314 --> 00:26:50,317
Lieutenant Len Lommel's hand
is injured by shrapnel.
451
00:26:50,317 --> 00:26:51,568
Despite his own wound,
452
00:26:52,110 --> 00:26:54,779
he must devise a defensive
strategy for the Rangers--
453
00:26:54,863 --> 00:26:57,657
now down to about 40 able-bodied men.
454
00:26:58,950 --> 00:27:02,829
He has Herm Stein from Fox Company
bring his men closer to Dog Company.
455
00:27:03,455 --> 00:27:05,624
He also needs more information.
456
00:27:05,999 --> 00:27:09,711
Len Lomell
really understood reconnaissance,
457
00:27:10,170 --> 00:27:14,341
so he sent out two-man scouts
to sort of probe portions of the hill
458
00:27:14,341 --> 00:27:16,134
to find out where the enemy was.
459
00:27:18,970 --> 00:27:21,056
(whistles)
460
00:27:21,056 --> 00:27:23,767
NARRATOR: So many of the Ranger
radios have been damaged,
461
00:27:23,767 --> 00:27:25,560
communication is difficult.
462
00:27:26,478 --> 00:27:30,231
It was hand signals,
or a runner would run up to a position
463
00:27:30,315 --> 00:27:31,816
and say what is going on.
464
00:27:35,820 --> 00:27:37,072
NARRATOR: In response,
465
00:27:37,072 --> 00:27:39,074
Lomell then has the Rangers concentrate
466
00:27:39,074 --> 00:27:40,659
in front of the German build-up
467
00:27:40,992 --> 00:27:43,078
so they can meet the attack
with full force.
468
00:27:47,248 --> 00:27:50,377
When Captain Thomae
leads his troops back up the hill,
469
00:27:52,545 --> 00:27:55,715
Lomell, Stein, and their fellow Rangers
are ready for them.
470
00:28:08,561 --> 00:28:11,523
The Germans, however,
do not attack on a single front.
471
00:28:12,148 --> 00:28:14,484
They probe the Ranger line for weaknesses.
472
00:28:17,362 --> 00:28:20,031
Lomell counters by constantly
shifting his men.
473
00:28:23,410 --> 00:28:26,454
O'DONNELL: This is a situation
of very scarce resources--
474
00:28:26,538 --> 00:28:29,165
the resource being the GI or a Ranger.
475
00:28:29,874 --> 00:28:32,377
So they had to be very smart
in how they defended the hill,
476
00:28:32,377 --> 00:28:34,129
and that's what they did.
477
00:28:34,129 --> 00:28:37,090
They moved his men around
according to the threat.
478
00:28:37,090 --> 00:28:39,968
NARRATOR: Lomell's mobile tactics
lead the Germans to believe
479
00:28:39,968 --> 00:28:42,220
that the Rangers occupy
the hill in great numbers.
480
00:28:43,263 --> 00:28:46,516
Had the Germans realized,
they could have easily overwhelmed
481
00:28:46,516 --> 00:28:47,976
the American forces.
482
00:28:47,976 --> 00:28:48,893
(grunts)
483
00:28:48,977 --> 00:28:51,855
But as the Rangers repel
the second German counterattack,
484
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:54,482
they suffer further casualties.
485
00:28:55,650 --> 00:28:58,027
Just after 1600 hours,
486
00:28:58,111 --> 00:29:01,114
Lomell sends a message
to his superiors in Bergstein
487
00:29:01,114 --> 00:29:02,907
that he's down to 25 men,
488
00:29:02,991 --> 00:29:05,285
who remain surrounded by German troops.
489
00:29:05,910 --> 00:29:07,412
O'DONNELL: It is like king of the castle.
490
00:29:07,412 --> 00:29:10,248
They're holding a-a perimeter
on the top of the hill.
491
00:29:10,832 --> 00:29:13,084
NARRATOR: The Rangers
bring the wounded they can reach
492
00:29:13,168 --> 00:29:16,045
to the observation bunker
at the crest of Hill 400.
493
00:29:18,006 --> 00:29:20,550
O'DONNELL: And that
becomes the field hospital.
494
00:29:20,550 --> 00:29:23,428
They don't have any real medical equipment
or anything like that.
495
00:29:23,428 --> 00:29:25,013
They just have some bandages.
496
00:29:25,013 --> 00:29:28,433
If they're lucky, they might
even have a morphine syrette,
497
00:29:28,433 --> 00:29:30,351
but that's scarce, too.
498
00:29:30,435 --> 00:29:33,021
There's very little in terms
of medical supplies.
499
00:29:34,355 --> 00:29:36,107
NARRATOR: But many others lay out of reach
500
00:29:36,191 --> 00:29:38,568
and remain exposed to incoming shrapnel.
501
00:29:40,236 --> 00:29:42,947
In daylight,
there was no way for the Rangers
502
00:29:43,031 --> 00:29:44,574
to evacuate their casualties.
503
00:29:45,533 --> 00:29:47,202
If they had to bring a wounded man down,
504
00:29:47,202 --> 00:29:49,037
they had to fight their way down the hill.
505
00:29:51,539 --> 00:29:53,291
SOLDIER: Help me!
506
00:29:55,710 --> 00:29:58,171
NARRATOR: The injured
and dying Rangers call out.
507
00:29:58,797 --> 00:30:01,132
SOLDIER: Help me!
508
00:30:04,219 --> 00:30:05,637
SOLDIER: Help me!
509
00:30:05,637 --> 00:30:08,598
NARRATOR: Finally,
Lomell can't take their cries any longer.
510
00:30:09,057 --> 00:30:12,185
O'DONNELL: Len felt completely
helpless on that front,
511
00:30:12,185 --> 00:30:15,396
and then he felt helpless
by the men that were dying in the bunker.
512
00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:16,731
And there was a real question
513
00:30:16,815 --> 00:30:19,025
whether or not they were going
to be able to hold out.
514
00:30:19,025 --> 00:30:23,029
I mean, the whole hill
was about to be overrun at any moment.
515
00:30:23,029 --> 00:30:24,239
LOMELL: Gather round.
516
00:30:30,245 --> 00:30:32,038
I suggest that we leave.
517
00:30:34,332 --> 00:30:36,459
NARRATOR: Lomell proposes the unthinkable.
518
00:30:38,795 --> 00:30:41,089
That the Rangers abandon Hill 400.
519
00:30:49,722 --> 00:30:52,392
NARRATOR: After a series
of German counterattacks
520
00:30:52,392 --> 00:30:53,810
to retake Hill 400...
521
00:30:53,810 --> 00:30:55,937
(explosions)
522
00:30:58,064 --> 00:31:00,525
Lieutenant Len Lomell
proposes a shocking plan
523
00:31:00,525 --> 00:31:03,903
to the remaining members
of the two U.S. Ranger companies.
524
00:31:05,405 --> 00:31:07,240
Desperate to help his injured men,
525
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,743
he suggests handing Hill 400
back to the Germans.
526
00:31:11,244 --> 00:31:12,579
O'DONNELL: There was a real question
527
00:31:12,579 --> 00:31:14,455
whether or not they had
enough men to hold that hill,
528
00:31:15,415 --> 00:31:18,710
because of the constant artillery
and the-- and the counterattacks,
529
00:31:18,710 --> 00:31:22,088
and it was at this point that he was,
you know, proposing a solution
530
00:31:22,088 --> 00:31:23,089
to save his men.
531
00:31:23,548 --> 00:31:26,301
NARRATOR: Lomell explains,
based on his experience,
532
00:31:26,301 --> 00:31:28,428
the Germans would care
for the American wounded
533
00:31:28,428 --> 00:31:30,346
if they surrendered the hill.
534
00:31:30,430 --> 00:31:32,098
His willingness to do so
535
00:31:32,098 --> 00:31:34,893
was an insight
into how bad the battle was becoming
536
00:31:35,435 --> 00:31:38,646
and how slim a chance
some of these guys had
537
00:31:38,730 --> 00:31:40,690
of surviving their wounds.
538
00:31:40,690 --> 00:31:43,192
It's an indicator into what kind
of crisis you're dealing with
539
00:31:43,276 --> 00:31:44,652
at Hill 400.
540
00:31:45,612 --> 00:31:47,447
NARRATOR: Lomell believes
it will be the fastest way
541
00:31:47,447 --> 00:31:49,699
to get Ranger casualties treatment
542
00:31:49,699 --> 00:31:51,868
and save the lives of the dying.
543
00:31:53,161 --> 00:31:55,955
In World War II,
American and German soldiers
544
00:31:56,039 --> 00:31:58,458
generally treat
each other's wounded and prisoners
545
00:31:58,458 --> 00:32:00,585
according to the Geneva Convention.
546
00:32:03,212 --> 00:32:06,132
German soldiers captured
by American and Western allies
547
00:32:06,132 --> 00:32:08,426
had a death rate
of less than one percent...
548
00:32:09,886 --> 00:32:13,139
while four percent of U.S. soldiers
died in German captivity.
549
00:32:14,891 --> 00:32:17,769
Relatively low numbers
by wartime standards.
550
00:32:18,561 --> 00:32:19,771
But...
551
00:32:19,771 --> 00:32:21,064
That would only be the case
552
00:32:21,064 --> 00:32:23,316
after the intensitive combat had ebbed.
553
00:32:24,025 --> 00:32:26,069
NARRATOR: If the hill fell
in heavy combat,
554
00:32:26,402 --> 00:32:29,197
the wounded would likely
be overrun as well.
555
00:32:29,197 --> 00:32:32,659
Lomell was at an inflection point
in the battle.
556
00:32:33,201 --> 00:32:34,911
The men or the mission.
557
00:32:35,411 --> 00:32:37,121
And he floated the idea,
558
00:32:37,205 --> 00:32:41,793
do we move off the hill
and leave the wounded
559
00:32:41,793 --> 00:32:43,962
so that the German medics
can tend to them?
560
00:32:44,462 --> 00:32:45,546
What do you think?
561
00:32:45,630 --> 00:32:49,217
(gunfire in distance)
562
00:32:52,011 --> 00:32:54,222
O'DONNELL: The Ranger
response is unanimous.
563
00:32:54,222 --> 00:32:55,598
It's a no.
564
00:32:56,265 --> 00:32:58,393
No. Absolutely not, no.
565
00:32:59,852 --> 00:33:01,813
I say we stay, too.
566
00:33:01,813 --> 00:33:03,022
NARRATOR: They are outnumbered,
567
00:33:03,106 --> 00:33:04,273
and the wounded vulnerable,
568
00:33:04,357 --> 00:33:06,067
but to abandon the hill
569
00:33:06,067 --> 00:33:07,944
would mean their sacrifices
have been in vain.
570
00:33:11,990 --> 00:33:13,116
Well, all right.
571
00:33:14,659 --> 00:33:15,952
We'll stay.
572
00:33:16,786 --> 00:33:18,454
NARRATOR: At 1652,
573
00:33:18,788 --> 00:33:22,041
Lomell sends an urgent call
to his superiors in Bergstein,
574
00:33:22,125 --> 00:33:24,460
the town below the hill,
for reinforcements.
575
00:33:28,089 --> 00:33:30,591
(gunfire)
576
00:33:31,134 --> 00:33:34,512
Another German counterattack
tries to break the remaining Rangers.
577
00:33:34,512 --> 00:33:36,848
(gunfire)
578
00:33:36,848 --> 00:33:38,224
The Americans hold them off
579
00:33:38,224 --> 00:33:40,393
in hand-to-hand fighting
with fixed bayonets.
580
00:33:43,813 --> 00:33:45,857
O'DONNELL: The forest is so black.
581
00:33:45,857 --> 00:33:48,151
You're not able to see somebody
unless they're right on top of you,
582
00:33:48,151 --> 00:33:50,361
and it's close-in and intimate
583
00:33:50,737 --> 00:33:54,073
because you are face-to-face
with the enemy.
584
00:33:54,157 --> 00:33:56,909
(gunfire)
585
00:34:07,670 --> 00:34:11,049
NARRATOR: A platoon of reinforcements
from the 2nd Rangers Easy Company
586
00:34:11,049 --> 00:34:12,925
finally arrives from the village below.
587
00:34:14,177 --> 00:34:16,387
- It's good to see you.
- Good to see you, sir.
588
00:34:16,471 --> 00:34:19,807
NARRATOR: And help Dog and Fox companies
fight off the next German counterattack.
589
00:34:20,433 --> 00:34:21,517
(gunfire)
590
00:34:21,601 --> 00:34:22,518
Move!
591
00:34:22,602 --> 00:34:25,063
(gunfire continues)
592
00:34:27,815 --> 00:34:28,858
(yelling)
593
00:34:35,490 --> 00:34:36,824
SOLDIER: You all right?
594
00:34:37,617 --> 00:34:41,370
NARRATOR: Lomell sustains another injury,
this time in his upper thigh...
595
00:34:43,623 --> 00:34:45,875
and is now one of the many
Ranger casualties
596
00:34:45,875 --> 00:34:47,251
who needs medical care.
597
00:34:47,335 --> 00:34:49,128
(gunfire)
598
00:34:54,801 --> 00:34:58,096
They hope that some can be evacuated
under the cover of dark.
599
00:35:02,058 --> 00:35:04,936
Rangers from Charlie
and Dog Company's mortar battalion
600
00:35:04,936 --> 00:35:07,105
climb the hill with litters
for the wounded.
601
00:35:08,731 --> 00:35:10,608
The stretcher bearers work silently.
602
00:35:11,192 --> 00:35:14,112
German troops
continue to occupy the slopes.
603
00:35:15,238 --> 00:35:16,906
O'DONNELL: And just picture
604
00:35:16,906 --> 00:35:20,910
the-- the dead weight of a wounded man
on a stretcher,
605
00:35:20,910 --> 00:35:23,329
and you've got to somehow
haul this person down.
606
00:35:23,329 --> 00:35:25,623
It's a broken hill
with tree roots all over the place,
607
00:35:25,623 --> 00:35:27,041
and it's so easy to trip
608
00:35:27,583 --> 00:35:29,710
or get caught by the enemy.
609
00:35:29,794 --> 00:35:31,295
It's extremely perilous.
610
00:35:33,214 --> 00:35:37,552
NARRATOR: Though wounded, Lomell oversees
the evacuation of the Ranger casualties.
611
00:35:39,595 --> 00:35:41,264
At 2140 hours,
612
00:35:41,264 --> 00:35:43,015
he is amongst the last of the injured
613
00:35:43,099 --> 00:35:44,475
to leave Hill 400.
614
00:35:46,102 --> 00:35:48,312
O'DONNELL: Lomell
was-- was losing a lot of blood.
615
00:35:48,396 --> 00:35:51,023
His-- His finger was dangling
from his tendon.
616
00:35:51,899 --> 00:35:53,651
He did not want to leave his men,
617
00:35:53,651 --> 00:35:57,572
but h-his wounds basically
forced him off the hill.
618
00:36:05,788 --> 00:36:08,875
NARRATOR: Sergeant Herm Stein
is now in charge of Fox Company.
619
00:36:09,959 --> 00:36:13,296
The night is broken
by periodic shells and sniper fire.
620
00:36:13,671 --> 00:36:15,548
(gunfire)
621
00:36:15,548 --> 00:36:18,384
If the few dozen Rangers
survive until morning...
622
00:36:20,970 --> 00:36:22,889
they know that
another German counterattack
623
00:36:22,889 --> 00:36:24,515
will surely come.
624
00:36:31,355 --> 00:36:32,773
NARRATOR: The 2nd Ranger Battalion
625
00:36:33,191 --> 00:36:34,817
has kept Hill 400 out of German hands
626
00:36:34,901 --> 00:36:37,195
for much of December 7, 1944.
627
00:36:38,321 --> 00:36:40,740
And by 1700 hours on December 8th,
628
00:36:41,115 --> 00:36:43,826
they've withstood two more counterattacks
629
00:36:43,910 --> 00:36:46,078
coming from three sides of the hill.
630
00:36:46,537 --> 00:36:49,165
McMANUS: Hill 400,
you can't think of it as,
631
00:36:49,165 --> 00:36:51,209
oh, here's the Americans
controlling the whole hill.
632
00:36:51,209 --> 00:36:53,294
It's more like, here's a handful of guys
633
00:36:53,294 --> 00:36:55,796
in little clumps
here and there on that hill
634
00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:58,716
who control the ground
they stand on, kind of,
635
00:36:58,716 --> 00:37:01,469
controlling the entry points,
the exit points,
636
00:37:01,469 --> 00:37:04,180
controlling an area 30 yards away.
637
00:37:04,180 --> 00:37:05,264
That-- That's problematic.
638
00:37:09,602 --> 00:37:12,271
NARRATOR: Another heavy
artillery bombardment begins--
639
00:37:12,897 --> 00:37:15,441
a sign that the next
counterattack is imminent.
640
00:37:15,441 --> 00:37:19,403
(gunfire)
641
00:37:20,947 --> 00:37:24,158
Sergeant Herm Stein of Fox Company
endures the bombardment...
642
00:37:24,242 --> 00:37:25,993
(explosions)
643
00:37:26,077 --> 00:37:28,037
...with an assortment of weapons
at the ready.
644
00:37:30,373 --> 00:37:33,876
The Rangers who remain on the hill
keep the weapons of the killed and wounded
645
00:37:34,418 --> 00:37:38,047
and collect those abandoned by the Germans
to prevent running out of ammunition.
646
00:37:38,756 --> 00:37:40,216
It's risky.
647
00:37:40,216 --> 00:37:43,010
O'DONNELL: There's a real danger
with using captured German weapons
648
00:37:43,094 --> 00:37:44,553
because they make a distinct sound,
649
00:37:45,179 --> 00:37:47,640
and if you're an American combatant
650
00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:49,225
hearing a German weapon,
651
00:37:49,225 --> 00:37:51,269
you could potentially think
it's a German firing that weapon
652
00:37:51,269 --> 00:37:52,395
and fire upon your own men.
653
00:37:52,395 --> 00:37:55,231
(gunfire)
654
00:37:56,482 --> 00:37:59,193
NARRATOR: As the artillery eases,
150 German troops
655
00:37:59,277 --> 00:38:02,363
under the command of Captain Adolf Thomae
charge the hill.
656
00:38:08,577 --> 00:38:11,330
The fifth counterattack
is the strongest yet.
657
00:38:13,791 --> 00:38:16,085
German troops advance to within 30 yards
658
00:38:16,085 --> 00:38:18,045
of the observation bunker
on the top of the hill.
659
00:38:18,671 --> 00:38:21,924
(gunfire)
660
00:38:22,967 --> 00:38:25,094
The Ranger numbers continue to dwindle.
661
00:38:25,428 --> 00:38:29,181
(explosions)
662
00:38:30,308 --> 00:38:33,227
They resort to desperate measures
to hold their position.
663
00:38:34,895 --> 00:38:36,522
They call in artillery support,
664
00:38:37,148 --> 00:38:38,733
virtually onto the hilltop.
665
00:38:40,192 --> 00:38:41,277
O'DONNELL: It's that desperate.
666
00:38:41,277 --> 00:38:44,572
They have to call the artillery strike
on their own position
667
00:38:45,197 --> 00:38:46,449
and hope to survive.
668
00:38:46,449 --> 00:38:47,450
Blow!
669
00:38:50,161 --> 00:38:52,538
NARRATOR: It's a system
the Rangers have a lot of confidence in.
670
00:38:53,914 --> 00:38:55,541
By December 1944,
671
00:38:55,541 --> 00:38:57,960
U.S. artillery is among
the best in the world,
672
00:38:58,044 --> 00:38:59,879
very sophisticated forward observation,
673
00:38:59,879 --> 00:39:02,423
communications equipment,
accuracy.
674
00:39:03,174 --> 00:39:06,886
It certainly is better
and available in more quantity
675
00:39:06,886 --> 00:39:08,095
than German artillery.
676
00:39:10,556 --> 00:39:13,517
NARRATOR: American artillery
rings the Rangers' positions.
677
00:39:14,852 --> 00:39:16,520
While dangerous for the Rangers,
678
00:39:16,604 --> 00:39:18,939
it achieves the desired objective.
679
00:39:19,690 --> 00:39:21,442
Many Germans are killed.
680
00:39:21,442 --> 00:39:23,569
Those that are not are forced to retreat.
681
00:39:24,236 --> 00:39:26,614
(soldiers yelling)
682
00:39:26,614 --> 00:39:28,783
(gunfire)
683
00:39:32,286 --> 00:39:35,039
But the battle still exacts
its toll from the Rangers.
684
00:39:36,624 --> 00:39:39,502
Even with the reinforcements
from Easy Company,
685
00:39:39,502 --> 00:39:42,254
the Rangers are now down
to 22 able-bodied men.
686
00:39:43,214 --> 00:39:44,882
O'DONNELL: Lieutenant Kinnard
687
00:39:44,882 --> 00:39:48,511
went directly
to the commanding officer at corps
688
00:39:49,095 --> 00:39:50,805
to beg for reinforcements.
689
00:39:51,597 --> 00:39:54,225
They're now... it's way past 24 hours.
690
00:39:54,975 --> 00:39:56,477
Corps comes back and says,
691
00:39:56,477 --> 00:39:58,521
you must hold that hill at all costs.
692
00:39:59,397 --> 00:40:01,690
And he goes back and reports back
693
00:40:01,774 --> 00:40:05,027
that the reinforcements
weren't going to arrive.
694
00:40:05,403 --> 00:40:06,445
NARRATOR: Even worse,
695
00:40:06,529 --> 00:40:09,073
they start to run critically low
on ammunition.
696
00:40:17,957 --> 00:40:19,625
As a second night falls,
697
00:40:19,625 --> 00:40:21,961
the remaining Rangers dig in again.
698
00:40:23,254 --> 00:40:25,714
What happens to most people
699
00:40:25,798 --> 00:40:28,342
is that you don't think
about death or life.
700
00:40:28,426 --> 00:40:30,261
You just think
you're going to die anyways,
701
00:40:30,261 --> 00:40:31,303
so it doesn't matter.
702
00:40:31,846 --> 00:40:34,598
And I think that's what
a lot of those Rangers felt.
703
00:40:35,015 --> 00:40:37,601
(gunfire)
704
00:40:44,233 --> 00:40:47,611
NARRATOR: Then out of the darkness,
a relief force finally arrives.
705
00:40:48,279 --> 00:40:52,700
A battalion from the U.S. 13th Infantry,
8th Division, ascends.
706
00:40:53,909 --> 00:40:57,371
Originally tasked to hold Hill 400
for 24 hours,
707
00:40:57,455 --> 00:40:59,582
the Rangers have survived 40.
708
00:41:00,749 --> 00:41:02,710
O'DONNELL: It was all about
the collective sacrifice
709
00:41:02,710 --> 00:41:03,836
that they had made
710
00:41:03,836 --> 00:41:06,714
and all the men that had died
prior to that-- that point in time,
711
00:41:06,714 --> 00:41:10,676
that they said no, absolutely not.
We will not give an inch.
712
00:41:10,676 --> 00:41:12,136
We will hold this hill.
713
00:41:13,262 --> 00:41:15,014
NARRATOR: At 2230 hours,
714
00:41:15,014 --> 00:41:17,391
Sergeant Herm Stein
is one of the last Rangers
715
00:41:17,475 --> 00:41:19,059
to walk off Hill 400.
716
00:41:20,644 --> 00:41:22,980
In taking and holding the position,
717
00:41:22,980 --> 00:41:25,733
the 2nd Rangers suffer 23 men killed
718
00:41:25,733 --> 00:41:27,860
and 106 wounded.
719
00:41:27,860 --> 00:41:29,904
Four are missing in action.
720
00:41:30,821 --> 00:41:33,240
450 German troops are killed
721
00:41:33,616 --> 00:41:35,409
and 64 taken prisoner.
722
00:41:36,452 --> 00:41:39,580
German Captain Adolf Thomae
would receive the Knight's Cross
723
00:41:39,580 --> 00:41:41,165
for his defense of Bergstein
724
00:41:41,165 --> 00:41:43,542
and repeated attempts to reclaim the hill.
725
00:41:45,628 --> 00:41:47,588
Herm Stein from Rangers' Fox Company
726
00:41:47,588 --> 00:41:50,382
is later awarded
the Distinguished Service Cross,
727
00:41:50,799 --> 00:41:53,594
for extraordinary heroism on December 7th,
728
00:41:53,594 --> 00:41:55,513
and serves out the rest of the war.
729
00:41:56,847 --> 00:41:59,225
Len Lomell also survives the war
730
00:41:59,225 --> 00:42:01,185
and was presented with the Silver Star
731
00:42:01,185 --> 00:42:03,562
for his heroic leadership on Hill 400.
732
00:42:05,898 --> 00:42:08,817
O'DONNELL: I think in some ways
it represents like the gold standard
733
00:42:08,901 --> 00:42:10,778
of who we are as Americans.
734
00:42:10,778 --> 00:42:14,782
These are individuals
that are willing to sacrifice their lives
735
00:42:14,782 --> 00:42:18,369
for something larger than themselves.
736
00:42:20,538 --> 00:42:22,039
It's pretty extraordinary.
737
00:42:22,414 --> 00:42:23,707
NARRATOR: While Hill 400
738
00:42:23,791 --> 00:42:26,168
is one of the deepest
penetrations into Germany
739
00:42:26,252 --> 00:42:29,129
by American or British forces
to that point in the war,
740
00:42:29,213 --> 00:42:31,257
the Allies fail to capitalize.
741
00:42:32,925 --> 00:42:35,219
Depleted troops cannot advance further
742
00:42:35,219 --> 00:42:37,638
and do not discover
the massive German build-up
743
00:42:37,638 --> 00:42:39,098
in the Ardennes Forest.
744
00:42:40,099 --> 00:42:42,351
McMANUS: Maybe the best term
is that they are now
745
00:42:42,351 --> 00:42:44,019
combat ineffective.
746
00:42:44,603 --> 00:42:46,647
When you suffer 33,000 casualties
747
00:42:46,647 --> 00:42:48,732
in the space of five weeks or so
748
00:42:48,816 --> 00:42:51,860
and almost all them concentrated
in the rifle companies
749
00:42:51,944 --> 00:42:54,863
among the forward-leaning combat troops...
750
00:42:54,947 --> 00:42:56,907
this is definitely
going to have an effect.
751
00:42:56,991 --> 00:43:00,744
So, in most of those companies
you are talking about anything
752
00:43:00,828 --> 00:43:03,747
from about a 50 to 100 percent
casualty rate,
753
00:43:03,831 --> 00:43:05,833
and especially among the officers.
754
00:43:07,334 --> 00:43:10,588
LIEB: The Germans
are able to slow down significantly
755
00:43:10,588 --> 00:43:13,841
the Allied advance in the Hurtgen Forest.
756
00:43:13,841 --> 00:43:15,593
However, at the same time,
757
00:43:15,593 --> 00:43:20,139
the Germans also suffer drastically
in these battles,
758
00:43:20,139 --> 00:43:21,724
and these are casualties
759
00:43:21,724 --> 00:43:24,018
the Germans actually cannot afford.
760
00:43:24,852 --> 00:43:29,148
NARRATOR: Only eight days later,
on December 16, 1944,
761
00:43:29,148 --> 00:43:32,318
Germany launches
its last major offensive of the war,
762
00:43:32,985 --> 00:43:35,487
which would come to be known
by the Allies as...
763
00:43:35,571 --> 00:43:37,031
the Battle of the Bulge.
764
00:43:37,615 --> 00:43:40,743
The Germans want to drive
a wedge between the Allies,
765
00:43:40,743 --> 00:43:43,203
between the Americans and the British.
766
00:43:43,287 --> 00:43:44,788
(explosions)
767
00:43:45,247 --> 00:43:48,292
NARRATOR: Hitler's army
would take them completely by surprise
768
00:43:49,043 --> 00:43:51,795
and effectively end the fighting
in the Hurtgen Forest.
769
00:43:54,465 --> 00:43:57,718
The Battle of the Bulge would prove to be
one of the largest and bloodiest battles
770
00:43:57,718 --> 00:43:59,595
fought by the U.S. during World War II.
771
00:44:01,639 --> 00:44:02,931
The setbacks suffered
772
00:44:03,015 --> 00:44:05,976
mean the war in Europe
will last another six months.
773
00:44:07,728 --> 00:44:09,521
Captioned by Visual Data Media Services65832
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