All language subtitles for Secret.Nazi.Bases.S04E05.Island.Battleship.1080p.UKTV.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-RAWR_track3_[eng]

July 1942.

Two years after the French
seaside town of Saint-Malo

falls to German occupation,

residents notice a flurry of
activity on the rugged isle

just 4km off the coast.

In the span of just a month,

a vertical city of concrete
is now perched on

the windswept overlooks of
the Ile de Cezembre' rocky shores,

part and parcel of
a larger Nazi commitment

to transform Saint-Malo into
a seaside stronghold.

Anyone watching the build up

of Nazi buildings on this island
would be scratching their head.

The island of Cezembre is tiny.
It's remote.

It's mainly uninhabited,

but it has this really interesting
and rich history.

In the 17th century,
it was a garrison for soldiers.

In the 18th century,
it was a quarantine station.

And it's the site of many chapels

and military fortifications.

So, why are the Nazis
so enthralled with this location?

Back on dry land,

Saint-Malo itself becomes the site

of massive Nazi
construction projects upon

the orders of the Fuhrer himself.

Bunkers rise like spectres along
the shoreline,

and the century-old forts take on

new armour clad in steel
and concrete.

The port itself,
the city of Saint-Malo on the coast

is going to be become one of

the most fortified locations in
Europe during the Second World War.

Hitler ordered that the Germans
defend

Saint-Malo at all costs.

Essentially,
they had to go down with the ship.

And defend it they will,

stubbornly and with reckless
abandon.

So much so that top

Allied commanders are
completely perplexed.

Long after white flags are waved
across northern France,

the Germans dig in their heels over

the surrender of their
fortified city.

And even after Saint-Malo falls,

the tiny Ile de Cezembre will
keep fighting.

The fact that the Nazis refused

to give up Saint-Malo is perhaps
one of

the more perplexing episodes in
this phase of

the Second World War.

Why do they continue
to fight when all has been lost?

What are they trying to protect?

Along today's rugged coastline
of Brittany,

the ancient stone walls
of Saint-Malo merge

with what's left of the Nazis'
formidable building project.

Concrete bunkers rise out of
the turbulent waters of

the English Channel.

Off shore, the island fortress
of Cezembre bears

the scars of its trauma,
with more than 2,000 bomb divots,

gnarled steel and crumbling
concrete,

now overgrown with grass that sways
in the seaside air.

For years, the Nazis transformed
this outpost into a fortress,

deploying over 10,000 labourers.

The mainland and the island
are fortified with naval guns,

anti-aircraft and gun turrets.

In addition, the coast is lined

with kilometres of barbed wire
and minefields.

In the centuries before German
forces descended

upon this seaside locale,

Saint-Malo stands as
a glimmering jewel in

the crown of northern France.

A historic city fortified throughout

the ages, bearing traces
of its ancient past.

This ancient 12th-century city
is fortified with

a granite wall that is
12 metres tall.

Prior to the Nazi occupation,

this is a charming little city.

There's cobblestone streets.
There's a castle.

There's a lively beach.
It's a beautiful place to be.

In the 17th and 18th centuries,

Saint-Malo became known as
a home base

for French privateers or corsairs,

and this led to its wealth

and also its notoriety over
the following centuries.

In 1689,

the great military architect
Vauban designed

the Fort National,

which was built just off
the coast of Saint-Malo

to protect the port.

By the 19th century,

Saint-Malo transforms into
a popular tourist destination

for wealthy Parisians

and boasts a casino,
hotels and spas.

But this quaint
and picturesque locale

is soon to receive
a dark Nazi upgrade

in concrete, steel and firepower.

October 9th, 1939, Adolf Hitler
issues Fuhrer Directive Number six,

outlining the necessity
of military campaigns

to defeat Western European nations
using countries like

Belgium, Luxembourg and finally
France as stepping stones.

Germany aims to eviscerate France
and its allies on the Continent.

Northern France's proximity

to Germany's arch-rival
Great Britain adds a shine to

the French cities along the
coastline of the English Channel.

In six weeks,
German forces overrun Luxembourg,

the Netherlands, Belgium and
France.

This culminates in
the capture of Paris

and the surrender of the
French government in June of 1940.

This blitzkrieg strategy is
a turning point in the war,

as not only does it mean
the fall of France

and the conquest
of western continental Europe,

it means that Britain stands alone
to resist the Nazis in Europe.

In June 1940,

the Nazis push the Allies
out of Saint-Malo,

a fortified port strategically
located on the English Channel.

The Fuhrer and his forces now
possess the city,

and they will arm it to the teeth.

The Kriegsmarine establish
a base here,

using the harbour
for coastal operations.

This influx of military
personnel transforms

the once-peaceful city into
a fortified outpost,

the Nazi shadow looming large over
the lives of its inhabitants.

Under the orders of
the Nazi High Command,

Saint-Malo is designated a festung,

which means fortress city.

As a fortress,
it needs to be stocked with food,

ammunition and soldiers

so that it can hold out in
a siege situation.

These cities are to be defended at
all cost.

With neighbouring cities in
France already falling to the Nazis,

Saint-Malo and Ile de
Cezembre surrender to the Nazis

with little resistance.

Atop the rugged cliffs of
Saint-Malo's Pointe de la Varde,

a fort stands as a relic of
the city's war-torn past,

its weathered stone walls
bearing witness

to centuries of maritime defence.

Built more than 250 years before
Saint-Malo's Nazi occupation,

Pointe de la Varde is originally
built as part of

a coastal defence system designed by
French military engineer

Sebastien Le Prestre de Vauban.

France felt the need to protect this
exposed port city

just across the water from Britain,

because France and Britain were
locked in competition

and engaging in a series
of conflicts all over the world.

We had the Nine Years' War,
the Seven Years' War,

even the American Revolution.

So it makes sense that so close
to home,

France would have wanted to protect

this important port from
British incursion.

In stark relief
to centuries-old fortification,

bunkers forged in cement offer
a reminder of

the site's strategic
significance during

the turbulent tides of history.

That the French were
the master architects

of military fortifications in
the Pre-Napoleonic era.

Having all of these
fortifications already in place

would have been very
appealing to the Nazis.

Over the course of five years,

Saint-Malo would become one of the
most fortified cities

in all of France.

In 1941, the Todt Organisation -

the Third Reich's civil
and military engineering group -

receives orders to begin fortifying

the city of Saint-Malo.

Over the next two years,

they will transform strategic
points in the area

into formidable defensive positions.

By the time the organisation breaks
ground on the French islands,

Nazi engineers have already mastered
the design of

the bunkers that make up
the Atlantic Wall.

The standardised model
executed by Todt Organisation

is known as Regelbauten.

These bunkers at this site were
built with up

to two-metre-thick walls.

In addition to those thick walls,
for passages and entries

there were 30mm-thick steel doors.

These bunkers are equipped

with emergency exits
and telephone lines.

According to the specifications,
bunkers

are clustered in groups known as
WNSs or Widerstandsnests.

Bunkers that you can enter from
beneath them.

You would enter it from a trench

that kind
of led you safely below ground.

They often were interconnected to

a larger bunker complex,

and so they went off like fingers,

at the end of which you had

these positions for soldiers.

Several bunkers were built,

and these were built in
the standardised system of

the specifications for the bunkers
that the Nazis had designed.

At Fort de la Varde,

the Organisation Todt installs
a number of its designs,

including an R120 bunker,

R653 casemate,

R622/SK and Tubrok bunkers

to shield the soldiers from
enemy fire.

The R120 bunker was
an artillery observation bunker

with sliding doors
and close-combat viewing window.

The R622/SK was
a bunker specifically built

to house Nazi troops.

The R653 was a casemate for
a five-centimetre Kampfwagenkanone.

Gun emplacements
and bunkers reveal a Germany ready

to hold its new-found position,

employing precise engineering
to upgrade 18th-century designs.

But the ruins of Fort de la Varde

hide another mysterious design
feature

of which the Nazis and Organisation
Todt were particularly fond.

Beneath the imposing structure
of Fort de la Varde is

an intricate network of tunnels

and trenches weaving through
the earth.

These subterranean passages -

designed for concealed movement
and mutual support -

interconnected the various bunkers

and defensive positions,
enhancing the fort's resilience.

Tunnel networks are quite common
across the Reich.

We see them with Project Riese

and beneath many of the castles
that the Nazis conquer.

In Saint-Malo, 1,500m of tunnels are
ultimately dug,

connecting most of the bunkers.

On the nearby Ile de Cezembre,

additional tunnels link bunkers and
gun emplacements.

Construction methods
of tunnelling are gritty.

They're grimy. You have to drill
and blast

and then muck out all of the debris

that's come into the tunnel.

And then you have to reinforce that
tunnel

with either concrete or masonry or
timber shoring.

These tunnels systems end up being
really important

because they not only allow
for spaces for protection,

but they also allow for

the movement
and transportation of goods

and soldiers in
and out of the fortress.

4km off the coast,

it becomes clear the island is
also preparing for an invasion.

In the rough waters of
the Bay of Saint-Malo

the Ile de Cezembre becomes
the sentinel,

poised to become the vanguard.

Cezembre is important

because it's the first line
of defence before reaching

the town of Saint-Malo.

Because of its elevated position

and proximity to the mainland,

it also offered increased
visibility and range.

As France's coastal-port cities
prepare themselves for

an Allied invasion,

the island itself receives

reinforcing by the Organisation
Todt.

The Todt Organisation crammed it
with 27 fortifications,

including numerous bunkers.

Among these 27 fortifications is at
least one

M157 Kriegsmarine bunker built
with four levels within

an armoured dome.

This island also had
a number of ammunition depots

and gun emplacements that
could house a total of 194 guns.

The soldiers' barracks are built
into the ground,

connected by two galleries,

including an infirmary complete
with hospital beds.

Aiming to wield ultimate
firepower against

a cresting Allied advance,

the island becomes
an arsenal of artillery.

The heavy artillery on this island
includes one 150mm cannon

and several 75mm guns.

These have a maximum firing range
of 8km,

so they can strike ships quite
a distance away.

The island has
a series of naval guns

that are positioned in open-ring
emplacements,

with a 360-degree field of fire.

The fortification
and armament of Saint-Malo

and the island of Cezembre are part
and parcel of a much larger project,

one that will see 14 million tons
of concrete poured

to construct a colossal barrier
against invasion.

Along the shores of Western Europe,

the ghostly remnants

of Hitler's most ambitious
construction project

haunt the landscape - designed
to thwart a D-Day invasion.

The whole project is astronomical,

and you only see
a fraction of it, really,

because this tunnel network is
a whole different city underground.

Just the expansiveness
of this construction project,

it's difficult to wrap your
head around.

Two years after
the Nazi conquest of Paris,

symbolised by the infamous
march under

the Arc de Triomphe,

Hitler demands the construction of
a series of colossal

Nazi structures through six
different occupied countries.

His vision -

take over strategic locations along
the western coast of Europe

and transform them into
heavily fortified Nazi strongholds.

Together, they will create
an impregnable barrier -

to defend against
a potential Allied invasion -

known as the Atlantic Wall.

At this stage,

Hitler is engaged in war against
the Soviets,

and at this point the United
States has also entered the war.

Now forced to fight on two fronts,

Hitler demands an insurance policy
against the Allied invasion,

a fortress of steel and concrete
stretching 4,800 kilometres,

manned by 300,000 troops
and fortified by 15,000 bunkers.

This colossal network of death -

a monolith of military might -

must be complete in seven months
in anticipation

of a potential Allied landing.

The wall becomes Hitler's obsession.

Just the materials alone
to construct the Atlantic Wall,

the numbers are astronomical.

We're talking about 1.2 million
tons of steel,

17 million cubic metres
of concrete across many kilometres.

Hitler is convinced that
the British are

going to launch some kind
of amphibious invasion.

And so the
need to reinforce that coastline

for that eventual attack
is critical.

The special status of Saint-Malo

and the Ile de Cezembre as
a fortress carried with it

an expectation that these areas
of high resistance should hold

for 90 days.

The commanders of Saint-Malo
and the Ile de Cezembre -

like all other commanders
assigned to festungen -

were sworn not just to hold
the territory,

but to defend it to the death.

The amount of resources that he's
pouring into

the construction
of this great Atlantic Wall

and the fortifications that he's
building on this western periphery

is really now for the protection
of mainland Europe.

In the days before the Germans
arrived in Saint-Malo,

the city had been the last toehold
of Allied presence on the Continent.

In a desperate evacuation,
as part of Operation Aerial,

more than 21,000 Allied troops
were evacuated from Saint-Malo,

swept from these very shores,

boats borrowed from Jersey
and the other Channel Islands.

The moment that Saint-Malo comes
under German occupation,

there were British troops there

and they had to be evacuated -

similar to Dunkirk.

The war is in its early stages.

Under French occupation,

the port had become crucial
for Allied resupply

and this port allowed for over
a thousand tons of cargo

and thousands of troops per day
to come into France.

The allies are losing
a vital access point to

the continent,

but there's no way that
they can hold on to it.

Recognising the strategic
importance of

the port they're leaving behind,

the Allies send 30 demolition
experts

to Saint-Malo aboard
the HMS Wild Swan.

They detonate eight tons
of explosives,

crippling the city's port facilities
before setting off

for safer shores.

As the city's French citizens watch,

the Allies become points on
the horizon,

they are left alone with
the Nazi swarm.

The fortifications at
Saint-Malo were more important to

the port facilities that
the Germans needed.

That's precisely what
the Germans did,

is they took those
old fortifications

and converted them into their own
use - modernised them.

Concerned that the Allies may make
a forceful return

to their former stronghold,

Cezembre commander Oberleutnant
Richard Seuss fixes his eyes on

the horizon and prepares
for invasion.

His destiny is now intertwined
with that of

the 400-strong garrison of German

and Italian soldiers stationed on
the island.

Seuss is a seasoned officer holding
the rank of corvette captain.

Seuss manages logistics,

including the supply of ammunition
and food

and he also maintains

the island's defences under
Allied bombardment.

Hitler demanded fanatical loyalty

from high-ranking
military commanders.

Their loyalty was to Hitler as
the Fuhrer

and they had to live or die
carrying out his wishes.

Although Seuss will be defending
the shores of Saint-Malo,

German strategy is revealed by what
might at first seem

a surprising chain of command.

Instead of taking orders
from Saint-Malo,

Seuss takes his directives from
further afield -

Jersey's commander,
Vice Admiral Friedrich Huffmeier.

Richard Seuss
the commander of Cezembre

was taking his orders from
authorities

located in the Channel Islands.

This tells you something about
Cezembre's importance.

It was seen as a stepping stone in

the supply chain leading to
the Channel Islands.

Less than 100km north
of Saint-Malo is Jersey,

which is one of the four Channel
Islands occupied by the Nazis.

Control of the Channel Islands
gives

the Germans domination over
the surrounding sea lanes,

and the Channel Islands could also
serve as

a staging ground for

an eventual land invasion of
the United Kingdom.

At this stage of the war,
Hitler is obsessed

with retaining control of
the Channel Islands.

This is the only part

of British territory that is under
Nazi occupation.

To protect the Channel Islands,

the Nazis undertake a vast
fortifying effort

akin to that seen on Cezembre,
but exponential in its scale.

More than 10% of
the steel set aside for

the entire Atlantic Wall project is
used on the Channel Islands.

Saint-Malo and Cezembre offer
a pipeline to resupply

the Channel Islands.

It allows for convoys of ships
to dock at the port.

It can bring goods,
that can bring troops,

that can bring any other supplies
that are required,

and it is a state-of-the-art
facility for either country

to be occupying.

Not only is Seuss responsible
for Saint-Malo and Cezembre,

but he's also responsible
for protecting Germany's position

on the Channel Islands.

Back on dry land,

Saint-Malo boasts
a commander of its own.

In the bowels of
an old fort nicknamed "the Citadel",

Saint-Malo's determined
commander awaits the Allied arrival.

As with Fort de la Varde,

his citadel has seen
a Nazi-calibre upgrade.

The crumbling fortress
with panoramic views becomes

the command centre for
the impending attack.

The Citadel was originally
constructed in

the 12th century,
but then, over the centuries,

additional fortifications were
added to it,

in particular in
the late-17th century by

the famous military architect
Vauban.

The Citadel itself is
an impressive structure.

It has six-metre-thick walls.

Just like the island,

the Citadel stands on
elevated ground,

so it gives its occupants

a panoramic view of
the surrounding area.

Between 1942 and 1944,

the Germans reinforce the fort
and install 32 bunkers

and eight heavy machinegun turrets
at the fort.

1,350 metres of tunnels
link the fort

to underground shelters
and escape routes.

The Germans set about adapting
the old fortifications

to the needs of modern warfare,

and this meant constructing
new bunkers new gun emplacements,

and additional defensive
fortifications

designed to withstand artillery
fire.

They lined the exterior wall
with steel rails

and they coated the perimeter
with land mines

to prevent any approach.

And like so many
German fortifications,

the Citadel was outfitted with
a tunnel system

to protect its occupants from
Allied air raids.

The man tasked with defending
Saint-Malo at all costs -

the commander of fortress
Saint-Malo,

who has sworn an oath to defend his
stronghold to the death -

is Andreas Maria Karl von Aulock.

He'd won the Iron Cross in both
World War I

and World War II,
and he'd served at Stalingrad.

He was known as
the madman of Saint-Malo.

Like Seuss, Von Aulock is tasked

with defending the town to
the very last breath.

By June of 1944,

the tone of the war has changed

as the Germans lose ground on
the Eastern Front.

An Allied landing seems imminent.

In Saint-Malo,

more than 500 military structures
have been erected in

a little less than two years.

Strong points at Fort de la Varde,
the Chateau,

the Citadel and Cezembre keep
a keen eye on the horizon

and extensive tunnel systems stand
at the ready for Allied air raids.

In the bay, Saint-Malo's battleship
-

the Isle of Cezembre - awaits any
sign of Allied advance.

The defences around Saint-Malo

included 10.5cm Howitzers

and also 5cm Kampfwagenkanone,

which were tank guns used in static
defence positions.

All of this artillery covers

and protects any favourable approach
to Saint-Malo.

Strategic mines are also placed

to cover all these favourable
approaches towards the town.

For example, the German S-mine

also known as the Bouncing Betty

would launch upon detonation,

spraying shrapnel over
a large area.

The Nazis knew that
the Allies were planning

a massive invasion

to liberate Western Europe from
Nazi rule,

but they didn't know when,

where or how this invasion
would come.

But they had to protect their
fortifications

for every eventuality.

From the Citadel and Cezembre,

Aulock and Seuss prepare themselves
to face their fates.

But among Nazi high command,

there is little clarity on where

and when the enemy will make
himself known.

The Allies wanted to make sure that

the Germans wouldn't figure
out when, where and how

they were going to launch their
invasion of Western Europe.

So they fooled them. They fooled
them through things like

Operation Fortitude,
which created phantom field armies.

They are convinced that it's either
going to be Pas-de-Calais

or Saint-Malo.

They end up diverting quite
a lot of their resources

to these two sites.

June 6th, 1944.

The Allied plans
for landing are finally revealed.

At 3am, German soldiers raise
the alarm as paratroopers begin

to fall from the sky along
the beaches of Normandy.

By 5am, Allied battleships begin
to bombard the beaches.

By 6:30am, the landings begin.

Allied forces numbering over
156,000 troops

storm the shore under
a relentless barrage of artillery

and machine-gun fire.

The skies darkened
with thousands of aircraft

and the seas churned with
an armada of ships.

Hitler's beloved Atlantic Wall is
under siege.

The tranquil beaches
of Normandy are shattered by

the largest amphibious assault in
history.

D-Day has begun.

Also one of the biggest military
gambles in history,

as the success of the operation
relies on

the Germans not knowing where
the Allies are landing

and the Allies being able to get
a toehold

before they encounter serious
German opposition.

Because the number of Allied
forces landing on those beaches

is far inferior to the number of
Germans defending France.

Caught in a web of confusion
and indecision,

frantic phone calls between
Nazi high command

and local commanders fail
to bring clarity.

In the Bavarian Alps,
Hitler sleeps soundly,

unaware of the unfolding
catastrophe.

German defenders - bewildered and
disorganised -

scramble to respond to Allied
landings.

The Nazis had funnelled all
of these resources into Saint-Malo

because they were convinced that
this is where

an attack would happen.

And yet, the Allies don't even show
any interest

in going into Saint-Malo
and capturing the port.

By June 11th,
more than 326,000 troops,

54,000 vehicles

and 104,000 tons of supplies

have successfully landed on
the beaches of Normandy.

Just 200km away from Omaha Beach,

all remains quiet in Saint-Malo.

The Allies essentially built
a port in Normandy now,

and so they don't need that port
in Saint-Malo.

Certainly, the Allies are ready
to just bypass it.

More than a month goes by, yet still

commanders Seuss
and Aulock remain on guard,

anxiously awaiting the Allies
to breach their shores.

By July 25th,

the Allies have captured
five beachheads,

the French port of Cherbourg
and the port city of Caen.

They're ready to expand their push
into the continent,

surpassing all Atlantic
Wall fortifications.

Hitler's impermeable concrete
fortification has fallen

and the enemy makes no sign
of movement towards Saint-Malo.

At the time of the Allied invasion
of Western Europe,

they're not even convinced

that Saint-Malo is
a port worth capturing.

They have bigger fish to fry

and they want to push into
Nazi-controlled France,

so it wasn't a priority
to capture Saint-Malo.

But as the Allied troops break
out of Normandy,

the strategy regarding
Saint-Malo changes.

Allied General Patton contemplates

the necessity of capturing
the port city at all,

preferring to push straight
for Brest.

It's a far more daunting prospect
for the Allies

to dislodge the Germans from
Saint-Malo than for

the Germans to hold Saint-Malo.

And that's the reason
the Allies really didn't

want to go to Saint-Malo.

They just... They can't spare the
troops.

They can't spare the ammunition.
They don't want to.

By August of 1944,

more than 12,000 troops are present
in Saint-Malo,

pushed into a corner
and raring for a fight.

In Allied War Rooms,
General Omar Bradley decries

Lieutenant General George S Patton's
laissez faire attitude

regarding Saint-Malo.

He believes the
extensive fortifications

and concentration of troops in
the area jeopardises

a potentially vital supply route

and insists the Allies take down
the growing Nazi stronghold.

Allied generals aren't
of one mind on this question

and some generals -
particularly General Omar Bradley -

do think that it's worth
capturing Saint-Malo

because of the German
fortifications there

and the presence of German troops.

So there's a bit of indecision

in terms of whether
capturing Saint-Malo

should be part of the
D-Day invasion.

Ultimately, the decision
was made to send

the 83rd Division to deal
with the problem.

Though the Allied commanders decide

the operations in Saint-Malo are
a necessary evil,

many assume the city will fall
without a fight.

They have no clue what awaits them.

To take Saint-Malo, three infantry
regiments of the 83rd Division

worked together on different fronts
in a coordinated attack,

enlisting air support and
small artillery.

When they approached Saint-Malo,
the Allies were lulled

into a false sense of security

because, as they got close
to Chateauneuf,

the Germans actually
pulled back and retreated.

They were actually on their way
to hunker down in Saint-Malo.

Fearing for their historic city,
the French press Aulock to have

Saint-Malo declared an open city,

sheltering it from bombardment,
and request it is taken up

the chain of command
to Hitler himself,

who declares that, within war,

there is no such thing as
a historic city.

As remaining citizens evacuate
on the island of Cezembre,

the Germans now turn their guns
against Saint-Malo.

The first shot from Cezembre
marks the beginning of

an epic battle for Saint-Malo.

As Allied troops march
towards the old town,

the French guns on Cezembre

fire shells towards the
Allied advance.

In the chaos, the city's cathedral
spire comes toppling down.

Now that the allies are actually
finally advancing on Cezembre,

these 360-degree guns are
finally put to use.

The island now becomes
an elevated artillery platform,

pouring fire down into Saint-Malo.

As Cezembre targets the
historic city,

fires soon begin to break out.

The Allies hadn't fired
a single shot.

And yet, here were the Nazis
burning the city down.

It's a common strategy, to destroy
things as you're retreating,

but also destroying these things
to prevent others from being able

to use them to their advantage.

The following day, on August 6th,

the Nazis undertake yet another
destructive strategy,

detonating explosives
to decimate Saint-Malo's quays,

harbour machinery, and lochs.

The German defenders at
Saint-Malo destroy the harbour,

meaning that the Allies are unable
to undertake an amphibious landing.

This means that the Allies will have
to land outside of Saint-Malo,

and if they wish to capture it,

they now have to come into contact
with its exterior defences.

And any Allied air or naval support
will come under fire from

the defences at Cezembre.

Fort de la Varde is one of the
first of Saint-Malo's strongholds

to come under enemy assault.

After successfully capturing
St Joseph's Hill and St Ideuc,

the 83rd Division arrives at
its gates on August 12th.

When the German saw the Allies
arrive at Fort de la Varde,

that means they knew they had lost
more than Fort de la Varde.

It told them that the Allies had
captured a series of forts

and positions along the way,

so the German position was much
worse than they thought.

Granville A Sharpe
sources a sound truck

and blares victory marches
before initiating a siege.

Allied soldiers scream belligerently
as they stormed the structure.

The Germans quickly surrender.

What is more terrifying
to these men?

Defending Fort de la Varde in
the onslaught of this Allied attack?

Or surrendering and
facing the repercussions?

As the Allies continue to move into
the city along the ancient wall,

the German garrison pelts them
with a hail of bullets

from 20-millimetre guns.

To aid the Allied advance,

RAF medium and heavy bombers
dropped shells to clear a path.

After days of fighting, the Allies
finally make it past the wall

to find a city of fire.

On August 14th, the walled city
of Saint-Malo surrenders,

leaving the Citadel
and island of Cezembre as two of

the last remaining points
of resistance.

Out on the island, Seuss and
his men hunker down amid

violent bombing raids on August 6th,

and again, on August 11th.

The island is pummelled
by RAF bombers.

Men retreat into tunnels,

only to rise again after
the bombs fall.

By August 9th, Allied troops
have moved heavy artillery pieces

into place in Saint-Malo
to support the island's takedown.

The island of Cezembre
is about to become

the most heavily-bombed location
in the Second World War.

At The Citadel,
Nazi defenders entrenched in

their underground bunkers unleash
a relentless barrage,

determined to hold this vital
stronghold at all costs.

As shells explode and smoke billows,

the tranquil coastal town transforms
into a hellish battleground

as the fate of Brittany hangs
in the balance.

The Citadel is attacked
by ten battalions

and subjected to intense bombing
raids of incendiary,

armour-piercing fire.

But Von Aulock, the commander,
refuses to capitulate.

He's holed up in the tunnels
underneath the fort.

The Citadel's 20-foot-thick walls

protect all those inside
from the onslaught.

A team of 30 scales the wall
to examine the damage.

Several soldiers climb up
and look over the wall,

and they realise that the Citadel
looks like it hasn't been touched.

In a last-ditch effort,
the team drops charges into

the tunnel ventilation shafts
before affecting a hasty retreat.

Overhead artillery launched from
Cezembre continues to crash down.

After all of these efforts,
several structures

were destroyed in the city.

However, that Citadel,

it still stands strong.

Encircled and isolated,

the defenders face starvation
and despair.

With supplies dwindling
and hope feeding,

the final stand seems endless.

By holding out, Von Aulock
and the forces in Saint-Malo

are hoping that it will buy time for
other German forces in France

to slow down the Allied assault.

Every day that the town holds out

is another day that the Allies are
not able to use its facilities.

Saint-Malo, of course,
also becomes a message to the enemy.

You know, "You want to resist
to the death? Go ahead."

Today's fortifications reveal
what happened next.

The horrifying evidence of
a new Allied weapon.

The Allies call upon a team of

35 Lockheed P38J
Lightning Dive-bombers,

their auxiliary fuel tanks
carrying napalm.

Napalm is a sticky jelly.

It's a weaponised mix of
various chemicals

that's quite incendiary.

So, when you ignite the napalm
and send it into ventilation shafts,

that's going to cause asphyxiation.

After the Allies dropped napalm
into the ventilation shafts,

605 Nazi soldiers emerged from
the underground tunnels.

A bullet is one thing. Napalm...
HE CHUCKLES AND COUGHS

..you know, "Wait a minute here.

"Let me think about that again,
about, you know,

"fighting to the death.
I'll rethink that."

On August 17th,
white flags are waved,

signalling the Nazi surrender.

The squadron above
does not return to base.

It has another target for
its noxious payload.

As the Citadel falls,

Cezembre stands defiant
and unflinching.

Napalm unleashes its scorching
destruction over the cliffs

and bunkers as the Germans take
cover in expertly-carved tunnels.

As the napalm had its intended
effect at the Citadel,

Richard Seuss,
the commander of Cezembre,

is still holed up on the island.

So, what must he have been thinking
as he watches the fort at Saint-Malo

be taken by the Allies?

He's now alone on a tiny island,

and it must be the start of
this feeling this is where

the entire German war effort
is going to end up.

One day after the napalm bombing,

Allied Major Joseph M Alexander
mans a party to Cezembre,

asking the besieged leader for
his unwavering surrender.

Despite the bleak odds
now facing Seuss and his troops,

Seuss is still steadfast.

The island of Cezembre is
now forced to rely on

the distant Channel Islands
for its support.

And resupply can only be undertaken
under the cover of darkness -

which is dangerous especially,
as Allied forces are closing in.

Starting on August 25th,

the Allies begin a heavy assault
to bring Cezembre to its knees.

Over two days, the RAF pounds the
island with 1,500 air strikes.

On August 26th, an ammunition depot

buried under three metres
of concrete explodes,

silencing three of the six
194-millimetre guns

and seriously hobbling Seuss'
defensive capabilities.

This explosion causes a heat

with such intensity

that it melts concrete
and iron nearby -

the remnants of which can still be
seen on the island's rocks today.

On August 27th, the Allies drop
another round of napalm

on the island's
long-suffering forces.

Simultaneously, the Americans use
203-millimetre guns to take out

the island's three reinforced
concrete water tanks.

By now, 297 of 323 men are wounded,

and shipments of ammunition, food,

water, and medical supplies from
the Channel Islands have ceased.

Under constant assault,
deprived of basics for survival,

Seuss' forces continue the fight.

By this point,
the troops on Ile de Cezembre

are completely isolated.

They're fighting for their lives

with very little chance
of survival.

The question is, why doesn't Seuss
surrender when his supply lines

are compromised from both locations?

And he and his men are essentially
sitting ducks on the island?

Facing death head-on, Seuss and
his troops suffer one final assault

that puts them over the edge.

On September 1st,

more than two weeks after
the fall of the Citadel,

Allies mount a massive bombardment
by British and American bombers,

dropping an additional 33 payloads
of napalm onto the island,

and delivering a barrage of
15-inch armour-piercing shells

from the HMS Warspite.

Field artillery continues
to pillage the windswept isle.

On this day alone, 2,400 heavy
bombs fall over Cezembre.

The Allies continue to bomb

this small island off
the coast of France,

at the same time that
the rest of the country

is almost entirely liberated.

In the wake of the destruction,

evidence pointing to Seuss'
motive goes up in flames.

In the last desperate moments
of resistance on

the island of Cezembre,

Lieutenant Richard Seuss
receives orders from Jersey

to destroy sensitive equipment
and documents on the island

to prevent them from falling
into enemy hands.

By the end of the regime,

it has become incredibly
apocalyptic.

Seuss' actions are typical
of many Nazis

in the final months of the war,

where they're destroying evidence,

but they're also destroying whatever
they can get their hands on.

Seuss sends a final message
to German headquarters

before officially
surrendering his position.

Saint-Malo has fallen.

All the water and food reserves
are used up.

This is a bleak situation,
and the Nazis are left with

no option other than surrender.

On September 2nd, 1944,
the heavy guns of Cezembre

finally fall silent
as white flags are raised.

After a siege nearly a month long,

Seuss' surrender astonishes
the Americans,

who are preparing to embark
on landing barges for

an amphibious operation
planned for the same day.

The moment marks the official end
of the Battle of Saint-Malo -

but it is also a crucial turning
point in the liberation of France.

In the time it has taken for
the Allies to finally subdue

Saint-Malo and
the island of Cezembre,

Normandy's landing forces
capture such major cities as

Rennes, Nantes, Orleans and Paris.

The Allied march on Germany
now seems imminent.

Why did Seuss hold out for so long?

Was he so ideologically committed
that he could not even imagine

a world without this stronghold?

Or was he also terrified of
what the repercussions would be

if he actually surrendered?

After their surrender,

the brazen commanders of
Fort Saint-Malo and Cezembre

are taken in as prisoners of war.

For the two commanders who swore
to defend Festungen Saint-Malo

and Cezembre to the death,

surrender is likely
a bitter pill to swallow.

As more than 10,000 prisoners
of war are carted off

by the Allies from the Nazis'
prized seaside fortress,

the Nazi dream of the Atlantic Wall
is officially toppled.

Despite these two men not actually
laying down their lives

in the defence of their positions,

they are actually recognised for
their actions by the Nazi Party.

They are both awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

with Oak Leaves in absentia.

This is an honour that will
lose its lustre with

the fall of the Nazi regime.

In the aftermath of
the Allied capture of Saint-Malo,

the city lies in shambles.

685 of the 865 old-town buildings

have been completely destroyed.

Although the American Army
attempts to rehabilitate the port,

the destruction is deemed
too extensive to warrant the work.

On the Ile de Cezembre,
the rubble of Nazi-era construction

is left to the elements.

The Nazis had been so intent on
keeping hold of Saint-Malo

and the Ile de Cezembre,

they virtually destroyed them
in the process.

The resistance of Saint-Malo
and Cezembre tested the limits

of Allied resolve, and destroyed a
historic city in the process.

Most of the fortifications at
Saint-Malo were either destroyed

or have been repurposed.

90% of Cezembre remain
forbidden to visitors

due to the danger of
unexploded ordnance.

As a result, Cezembre remains
relatively untouched,

and is one of the
best-preserved battlefields

of the Second World War.

Today, Saint-Malo and
the isolated island of Cezembre

stand as quiet testaments
to a turbulent past.

The ravages of war
have left the battle scars

embedded into the land.

Only a fraction of the once-fierce
Nazi structures remain -

a haunting reminder of
the Nazis' defiant last stand.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media