1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,440 [somber music] 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:07,240 ♪ 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:08,920 - When the United States enters the war, 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:10,800 it's understood that a second front 5 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,120 is needed to defeat Nazi Germany. 6 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,079 The Red Army and Soviet people have 7 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,000 taken the brunt of the Nazi onslaught 8 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:19,360 for nearly a year, 9 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:22,600 and now Soviet leader Joseph Stalin demands 10 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,360 that the Western Allies do their part. 11 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,160 The Allies disagree where to attack. 12 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,640 American military leaders want to invade France, 13 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,640 the most direct route to Berlin. 14 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:34,680 But Churchill and his generals, 15 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,320 still haunted by the horrible cost of World War I, 16 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,200 are reluctant to invade Europe before they're ready. 17 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,160 And so the decision is made to attack 18 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,440 the Germans in North Africa, 19 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:50,800 in an invasion codenamed Operation Torch. 20 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:55,360 The Americans, inexperienced and untested, 21 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:56,960 are about to battle the Wehrmacht 22 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,840 for the very first time. 23 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:00,000 [dramatic music] 24 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,120 - All wars changed the world, 25 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,080 but none of them changed the world 26 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,160 like the Second World War did. 27 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:07,600 - Japan's on the march. 28 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,400 Germany is on the march. 29 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,240 No one can imagine a nightmare they're about to unleash, 30 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,920 the most destructive war in human history. 31 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:19,800 - Suddenly, the world is turned upside down, 32 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:21,880 and all hell is let loose. 33 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:23,560 ♪ 34 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,920 - The West is stunned by the speed of the advance. 35 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:31,080 - You get the Allies led by the big three-- 36 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,760 Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin-- 37 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,560 men who were dealing with 38 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,680 immensely complicated questions. 39 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:43,040 - It's the biggest military operation of human history. 40 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:44,640 -The Allies have to come together 41 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,040 not just militarily, 42 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:47,520 but industrial scale 43 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,760 it's a global perspective. 44 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:51,720 - They have to fight in every climate 45 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,160 from the Arctic to the jungles of the Pacific 46 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,760 to the deserts of Africa and the depths of the ocean. 47 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,440 ♪ 48 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,320 - But there was no certainty of victory. 49 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,760 It was going to be a horrific bloodbath. 50 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,800 - We see humans at their absolute worst, 51 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,280 how they treat other human beings. 52 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:13,920 And we see them at their absolute best, 53 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,280 willing to give their lives that others might live. 54 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,320 - World War II was a struggle in which there could be 55 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,760 one victor and one vanquished. 56 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:28,360 ♪ 57 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,200 [air-raid siren blaring] 58 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,440 ♪ 59 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,160 [tense music] 60 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:46,080 ♪ 61 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,160 - The British base of Gibraltar 62 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,120 has long guarded the opening to the Mediterranean. 63 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:53,560 ♪ 64 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,080 - Steady as a rock. 65 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:56,840 For nearly 240 years, 66 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,000 Gibraltar has stood sentinel above the harbor, 67 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:00,960 watching over the Mediterranean fleet, 68 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,320 the strongest fortress in the world. 69 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:04,960 [airplane rumbling] 70 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,400 - On November 5, 1942, 71 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,320 Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower 72 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,560 lands at the military airstrip. 73 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:13,960 He's arrived to take command 74 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,160 of a joint U.S.-British ground operation 75 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,600 in North Africa, codenamed Torch. 76 00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:23,920 ♪ 77 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:25,520 [seagull chirping] 78 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,440 This campaign will eventually open a second front 79 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:30,800 against German and Italian forces 80 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:32,720 already fighting in Africa. 81 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:37,760 ♪ 82 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,480 - Operation Torch is an extremely complex landing. 83 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:42,280 ♪ 84 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,320 - In all, we're gonna be depositing a force 85 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:47,400 of around 100,000 troops. 86 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,200 And in order to deliver that force, 87 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,280 we've got to use 300 merchantmen 88 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,920 guarded by roughly 300 warships. 89 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:55,680 ♪ 90 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,080 - Three Allied task forces are involved 91 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,480 in the complex maneuver. 92 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:02,320 ♪ 93 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:07,520 The east and center forces will land in Algiers and Oran. 94 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,760 The west task force, sailing from America, 95 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,320 will land on the beaches of Casablanca. 96 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,720 ♪ 97 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,399 - They have to rendezvous at sea, 98 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:19,760 hundreds of miles away, 99 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,160 and then carry out simultaneous landings 100 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,760 across nearly 1,000 miles of North African Coast. 101 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:30,440 Nothing remotely like it had ever been carried out before. 102 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,440 - Eisenhower is hand-picked by President Roosevelt 103 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,160 to lead the alliance, to the surprise 104 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,440 of many American and British military commanders. 105 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,440 He's been a high-level staff officer for years, 106 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,360 but this will be his first wartime operation. 107 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,960 - Dwight Eisenhower, a year ago, had been a colonel. 108 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,880 And now, he's been advanced to lieutenant general. 109 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,720 Eisenhower has never held a combat command. 110 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,960 He was not actively involved in World War I. 111 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,640 - Never seen the Somme. 112 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:04,520 Never seen Passchendaele. 113 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:09,560 Never seen a man die in their arms, in combat. 114 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,800 Who is this man, Eisenhower? 115 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:14,960 - Eisenhower is wickedly competitive 116 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,600 and really intelligent. 117 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:18,840 And the other thing is, he's not an ego. 118 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,360 He's pretty humble. 119 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,600 He gets along with people, which is utterly important 120 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:24,440 when you think about the center of gravity 121 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,040 for the Allies in World War II, is the alliance. 122 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:28,920 ♪ 123 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:30,960 - From day one, in Eisenhower's new role 124 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,360 as supreme commander, he has a pile of problems on his plate. 125 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,800 He has to run this gigantic operation. 126 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:39,320 Nothing on this scale has ever been done before. 127 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:42,120 He has to keep it secret. 128 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,240 - Eisenhower will need to coordinate 129 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:45,880 the American and British commands 130 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:50,240 and synchronize all elements of Torch. 131 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:53,400 Ultimately, every aspect of the operation, 132 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,640 including preparing unproven American soldiers for combat, 133 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,360 is on his shoulders. 134 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,440 ♪ 135 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:03,680 - One of the reasons they've chosen North Africa 136 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,160 as a theater for American troops 137 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:07,960 is because it will give them an opportunity 138 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:09,880 of blooding them-- they're inexperienced. 139 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,760 Most of them hadn't even seen combat up to this point-- 140 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,720 against an incredibly formidable foe. 141 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,480 - The German troops were battle hardened. 142 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,800 They'd been in the field now for two full years. 143 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:24,240 They'd conquered various kinds of climbs, 144 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:27,560 various kinds of terrain, various kinds of enemies, 145 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,760 and they'd beaten them all. 146 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:35,160 - By the summer of 1942, the Nazi empire is huge. 147 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,880 It goes all the way from the western coast of France 148 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,040 to well inside the borders of the Soviet Union. 149 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,240 So that's the whole of continental Europe, 150 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:47,160 effectively, is controlled by the Nazis. 151 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,280 - The Germans control most of Europe, 152 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,600 but that's not the sum total of Hitler's ambitions. 153 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,280 Germany has to be a global empire, 154 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:56,880 he says many times. 155 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,760 And so now, the focus turns outside of Europe 156 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:01,840 to North Africa. 157 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:03,640 - German and Italian forces 158 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,800 are already fighting the British in North Africa, 159 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:08,880 threatening the Suez Canal, 160 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:13,680 the vital supply line between Britain and India. 161 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,880 - British imperial strategists 162 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:17,720 have always been obsessed with the Suez Canal. 163 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:19,800 It is the great artery of the British Empire. 164 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,240 It joins Britain and its empire in the East, 165 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:26,800 particularly India, the jewel of the British Empire. 166 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,320 [horn blares] 167 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,760 - The danger is that the Axis forces move 168 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,920 from there to control of the oil fields of the Middle East. 169 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:35,840 And if all of that happens, 170 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:37,720 they're gonna sever the supply lines 171 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:39,520 to the rest of the empire. 172 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:41,280 - Prime Minister Winston Churchill 173 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:43,640 also wants to get the Americans in the fight 174 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,360 against the Axis as soon as possible. 175 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,640 - Roosevelt believed that American troops 176 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,360 need to be in the field against the Axis powers 177 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,480 in 1942. 178 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,760 The people needed to feel that we were striking back. 179 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,040 ♪ 180 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,960 - We need to figure out how to fight a modern battle. 181 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:06,960 And this is where the army is gonna use 182 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:08,960 as its proving ground. 183 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,480 There are valuable lessons to be learned. 184 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,480 North Africa might be a place to do it. 185 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:14,960 ♪ 186 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,920 - But there's an immediate challenge. 187 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,960 The future landing spots on North Africa's coast 188 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,360 are on Vichy French territory. 189 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,400 - The French empire is the second largest in the world, 190 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:28,120 behind only that of Great Britain, 191 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:32,840 with immense manpower and resources at its disposal. 192 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:34,919 The French still control 193 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:38,840 Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. 194 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:40,679 ♪ 195 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,120 - After France surrenders to Germany in 1940, 196 00:08:44,159 --> 00:08:46,440 the country is split in two. 197 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,440 The southern half of France is ruled by the Vichy government, 198 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,400 which collaborates with Nazi Germany. 199 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:55,400 [cheers and applause] 200 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:59,880 It's led by World War I hero Marshal Philippe Pétain. 201 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:03,320 ♪ 202 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,800 Eisenhower is anxious. 203 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,320 ♪ 204 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,680 Will the French in North Africa 205 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:14,360 resist the American landing? 206 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,840 [airplane whooshes] 207 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,320 - No one's clear exactly how many soldiers 208 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,920 and how much military asset the French have in North Africa. 209 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,720 What they do know is that the French have a lot 210 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,840 of very modern warships there. 211 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,080 They also have about 120,000 soldiers, 212 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,880 although no one knows exactly how well trained they are 213 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:36,920 or, most crucially, what their morale is, 214 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,400 what they're inclined to do. 215 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,440 - American diplomats in North Africa believe 216 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:46,120 the French are unlikely to resist the invasion, 217 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:49,280 but cannot guarantee it. 218 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,160 Eisenhower has been sending messages 219 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,480 to various Vichy governors in North Africa, 220 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:57,040 hoping for cooperation. 221 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:02,520 ♪ 222 00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:06,560 On November 7, over 600 ships gather 223 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,880 at their meeting points out at sea. 224 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:14,600 The warning order is flashed to the waiting ships. 225 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,720 H-Hour is confirmed-- November 8. 226 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,760 ♪ 227 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:22,880 The Allies are ready to land. 228 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:24,520 ♪ 229 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:34,720 ♪ 230 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:39,200 - On November 7th, 231 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:41,520 more than 100,000 Allied troops 232 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:44,360 are waiting off the coast of North Africa. 233 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:49,800 ♪ 234 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:51,280 - There's risk. 235 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:53,480 Amphibious operations require 236 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,960 detailed, advance preparation. 237 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,360 What are the tides? What's the footing gonna be? 238 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,040 How close can landing craft get? 239 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:02,280 Are there mines? 240 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:03,880 Are there underwater obstacles? 241 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:10,560 ♪ 242 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,440 - The first wave of landing craft 243 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:14,680 from East and Center task forces 244 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,480 set off for the beaches at Algiers and Oran. 245 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:20,320 ♪ 246 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,000 Shortly after, fighter support takes off from Gibraltar. 247 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:28,560 ♪ 248 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,560 - Ike Eisenhower must have been incredibly nervous 249 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,800 and was nervous, we know, from his naval aide, 250 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:40,000 who writes that Ike is like a "cat on bricks." 251 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,920 - Even though the weather was kind of bad the night before, 252 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,200 when they actually started unloading their landing craft 253 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,640 and moving those craft up to the beaches, 254 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:50,200 the surf is low enough that they're able 255 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:52,360 to get their initial landing forces 256 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,400 onto the beaches successfully. 257 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,800 - The first reports Eisenhower receives 258 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:02,120 from the landing craft on the beaches are encouraging, 259 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:04,520 but when large Allied warships enter the ports 260 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:08,360 of Algiers and Oran, the French open fire. 261 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,600 [booming] 262 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,640 ♪ 263 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:16,240 The Allies keep moving 264 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,720 and overcome the French a day later. 265 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,840 On the Atlantic landing point at Casablanca, 266 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,520 it's a different story. 267 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:28,840 Eisenhower entrusts this force to his old friend, 268 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:32,120 Major General George S. Patton Jr. 269 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,560 - George Patton is an aggressive commander 270 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:36,960 who believes aggressive leadership. 271 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,280 He is a fast-talking disciplinarian, 272 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,320 a character easily recognizable 273 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:43,720 to the average soldier. 274 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:45,320 ♪ 275 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,840 - As the Western Task Force nears shore, 276 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:51,320 Patton delivers a speech to his troops 277 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:55,040 over each ship's public address system. 278 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:57,720 - Soldiers and sailors, 279 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,480 it is not known whether the French African Army 280 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:04,520 will contest our landing, but all resistance, 281 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:08,400 by whomever offered, must be destroyed. 282 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:10,400 ♪ 283 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:11,920 - In the early morning, 284 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:17,400 Allied warships enter the harbor at Casablanca. 285 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,560 [booming] 286 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,720 - The French do as they've been instructed to do. 287 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:24,000 They resist. 288 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,320 [booming] 289 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,600 This was an invading force, 290 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,680 and the French open fire on the ships. 291 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:33,360 - It's the last thing in the world 292 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,800 that an amphibious operation needs. 293 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,600 Just a couple of heavy shells can destroy a landing. 294 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,000 ♪ 295 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,400 - Despite French resistance, 296 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:46,560 Americans continue their attack, 297 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,440 from the air as well as by sea. 298 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,680 - The result is actually the largest naval battle 299 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:53,960 in the Atlantic during the war. 300 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,040 [guns rattling] 301 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,680 [shouting] 302 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,320 - Despite Eisenhower's diplomatic efforts, 303 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,080 the troop landings face heavy French opposition. 304 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:07,080 [booming] 305 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:08,880 - Nobody on the American or British side, 306 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:11,240 least of all Eisenhower, wants American forces 307 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,920 fighting French forces and does not want that to go on 308 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,920 for any extended period of time at all. 309 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,400 - Eisenhower writes what he calls 310 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:22,560 the "Worries of a Commander." 311 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,920 "No Frenchman immediately available, 312 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:26,880 "no matter how friendly toward us, 313 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,600 seems able to stop the fighting." 314 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:31,480 ♪ 315 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,920 Then, with Operation Torch in danger of failing, 316 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:39,080 the Allies contact a senior French military officer 317 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,360 with the power to provide a solution. 318 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,520 - It just so happens that 319 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:46,520 the commander in chief of French forces, 320 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:48,080 Admiral Francois Darlan, 321 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:49,840 is in North Africa at this time, 322 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,760 visiting his son, who's stricken with polio. 323 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,960 - Although Darlan is a key Vichy collaborator, 324 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,000 he is the only man with the authority 325 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,640 to stop the French counterattack. 326 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,600 - Darlan had been a deep collaborator 327 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,840 with the Germans and the Nazi presence in Vichy, France. 328 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:12,600 And as distasteful as a figure he is, 329 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,240 he holds the key to stopping 330 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,360 Vichy French resistance in North Africa. 331 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:22,120 - Eisenhower authorizes negotiations with Darlan. 332 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:28,760 ♪ 333 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:33,560 The Allies will put him in charge of French North Africa 334 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:37,080 if he agrees to an armistice. 335 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,680 - It's a dirty deal. It's an unpleasant one. 336 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:40,960 It's a nasty one. 337 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:42,560 It's one that American journalists were 338 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,360 absolutely appalled by. 339 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,160 - That evening, Darlan orders a general ceasefire 340 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,320 and tells all French forces to join the Allies. 341 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,440 And so on November 11th, 342 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:57,760 in the port city of Casablanca, 343 00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:59,640 French guns fall silent. 344 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:03,880 ♪ 345 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:05,920 - Algeria and French Morocco have joined hands 346 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,280 with the Allies against Germany and Italy, 347 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:10,320 and this fact has immensely eased the difficulties 348 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:12,280 that face our united nations' commanders 349 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:13,960 in French North Africa. 350 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,920 - Eisenhower thought it would save lives on both sides, 351 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:18,120 and it would allow them 352 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:21,160 to get on to the military mission at hand. 353 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,320 - The Allies had landed in North Africa 354 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,600 and have convinced the French to fight alongside them. 355 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,280 ♪ 356 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,360 Now, as they push east, 357 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,480 they will face tough, battle-hardened Axis forces. 358 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,920 ♪ 359 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:47,000 After the Allied landings, General Eisenhower moves 360 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:50,320 his combined force across the North African desert. 361 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,280 ♪ 362 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:58,320 The Allied plan is not simply to approach from the west. 363 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,640 Their strategy is more ambitious. 364 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,520 - The ultimate goal, if Torch works, is, 365 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:05,520 the United States and the British that land 366 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:09,359 in the western part of Africa will drive to the east. 367 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,480 The British that are in the east, in Egypt, 368 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:13,319 will drive to the west, 369 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:15,800 and they will capture a German-Italian army 370 00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:17,720 in between those two pincers. 371 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:19,480 ♪ 372 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:22,280 - The British fighting in the east, The Eighth Army, 373 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:24,760 has been battling the Afrika Korps-- 374 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,079 [airplane rumbles] 375 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:28,359 [booming] 376 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:32,520 --led by the Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel. 377 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:34,560 - He had a mystique about him. 378 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:37,080 He had a World War I reputation. 379 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:39,160 He was a feared leader. 380 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,160 He had the fingertip feel of a battle. 381 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:43,760 ♪ 382 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:46,000 - For months, Rommel has pursued the British 383 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,560 through Libya into Egypt, capturing vital supplies 384 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,840 and threatening the Suez Canal. 385 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,680 ♪ 386 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,800 The Afrika Korps' success has left 387 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:00,520 Prime Minister Winston Churchill depressed 388 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,240 and politically vulnerable. 389 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:07,160 - Churchill looks like he's lost his touch. 390 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,640 He faces two no confidence motions in Parliament, 391 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,120 both of which he wins. 392 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:13,880 But as one Labour MP says, well, 393 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,120 you keep winning the debates, but you lose the battles. 394 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:19,840 Winston Churchill is in need of victories. 395 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:21,600 ♪ 396 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,120 - For Churchill and for Operation Torch, 397 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:28,200 one battle in North Africa will be critical. 398 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,040 Just weeks before the Allied landings, 399 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:32,560 the British Eighth Army, 400 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,800 led by General Bernard Montgomery, 401 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:37,960 prepares his troops at a little-known 402 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,920 railway junction called El-Alamein. 403 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,280 ♪ 404 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,920 From here, Montgomery plans to launch 405 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,920 a massive counteroffensive against the Afrika Korps. 406 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,120 ♪ 407 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,560 - El-Alamein shouldn't be viewed in isolation. 408 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,720 It's part of a broader Allied plan. 409 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,000 Montgomery's Eighth Army attacking Rommel from the east, 410 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:04,520 and meanwhile a vast amphibious landing 411 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:06,320 in the western half of North Africa, 412 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:10,400 Operation Torch, converging on Rommel from two directions 413 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,480 and eventually presenting him 414 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:15,440 with an insoluble operational dilemma, 415 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,640 trying to maintain himself against not just one, 416 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:21,960 but two superior enemies. 417 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:23,480 - Montgomery is reinforced 418 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,600 with American Sherman and Grant tanks, 419 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:30,240 plus troops from India, New Zealand, South Africa, 420 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:33,600 and the rest of the British Commonwealth. 421 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,920 At last, Montgomery, who has been fighting the Wehrmacht 422 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:38,880 since the invasion of France, 423 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:44,400 has the opportunity to go on the offensive against Rommel. 424 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:51,760 ♪ 425 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,720 [booming] 426 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,920 On the night of October 23, 1942, 427 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:03,480 Montgomery opens the battle with a massive barrage. 428 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:06,000 [booming] 429 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:09,480 - Montgomery knows he's got to proceed step by step, 430 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,000 1,000 yards by 1,000 yards. 431 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:14,040 Get the infantry in. 432 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:18,200 Clear the minefield. Open the way for the tanks. 433 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:19,840 Hold the ground. 434 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,680 [airplane rumbles] 435 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,880 ♪ 436 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:28,600 - Rommel fights back, 437 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,680 but he's hampered by lack of fuel. 438 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:33,560 ♪ 439 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,960 After days of fighting, the Eighth Army prevails. 440 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,600 ♪ 441 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,440 - By the 11th day of the fighting, 442 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,400 Montgomery's superior numbers and material 443 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:47,400 finally begin to take effect. 444 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,000 ♪ 445 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:51,400 - The British infantry and the New Zealand infantry 446 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:53,880 finally break their way through the German lines 447 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:55,840 and open things up for the armor. 448 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,960 [booming] 449 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,000 - Tens of thousands of men, thousands of tanks, 450 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,800 hundreds of heavy artillery-- heavy losses on both sides. 451 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:09,360 ♪ 452 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:10,840 Inevitably, 453 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:14,240 the better supplied and armed force win out, 454 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,240 and that's Montgomery's Eighth Army. 455 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:18,840 ♪ 456 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:20,480 - Winston Churchill is absolutely thrilled. 457 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:22,120 This is years of planning and preparation. 458 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:23,800 He bounces in for lunch with the king and queen, 459 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:25,600 and he says, "I bring you victory." 460 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,000 And they think he's gone mad. 461 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,200 They haven't heard of any victories for years. 462 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,800 - In London, at the Lord Mayor's luncheon, 463 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,400 Winston Churchill frames the victory at El-Alamein 464 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,960 and puts it into context. 465 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,320 - This is not the end. 466 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:45,800 No, it is not even the beginning of the end, 467 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,960 but it is perhaps the end of the beginning. 468 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,440 [applause] 469 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,720 ♪ 470 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:57,920 - Montgomery's win here is one of the most 471 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,680 significant British victories of the entire war. 472 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,440 - Montgomery has beaten Rommel at El-Alamein, 473 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,360 and Rommel is retreating as fast as he can. 474 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,880 - The critical pincer plan, the ultimate goal of Torch, 475 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:14,600 is underway. 476 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,640 - Montgomery certainly undertakes an epic pursuit 477 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,840 from El-Alamein over the wire, the Egyptian-Libyan border, 478 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:25,360 and now heading towards Tripoli. 479 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:27,960 - In the west, Eisenhower's troops 480 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,960 have moved hundreds of miles. 481 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,080 [rumbling] 482 00:22:34,120 --> 00:22:35,520 Three weeks after landing, 483 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,400 they're only 12 miles outside Tunis, 484 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,600 the capital of Tunisia. 485 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,240 When he learns this, 486 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:45,760 Adolf Hitler is determined to stop the Allies. 487 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,080 - The war is not going the way he thought it was going to go, 488 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:51,320 and now all of a sudden, you've got these Allies 489 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:54,080 messing around in North Africa. 490 00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:56,120 This isn't supposed to happen. 491 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,920 ♪ 492 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:02,120 - Hitler sends reinforcements, 493 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,200 including an entire Panzer division, 494 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,360 to the ports and air bases around Tunis. 495 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,960 ♪ 496 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:11,120 Combined with Rommel's Afrika Korps, 497 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,320 there are now 100,000 German and Italian troops 498 00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:15,720 on the continent. 499 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:17,600 ♪ 500 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,840 - No one in either camp had ever envisioned 501 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:25,720 a gigantic continental battle being fought for Tunisia. 502 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,600 But that's where the fortunes of war 503 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,520 have brought the two adversaries. 504 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:33,760 ♪ 505 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,240 [airplane rumbling] 506 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,000 ♪ 507 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,480 - Thanksgiving, 1942. 508 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,080 ♪ 509 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:48,280 Near Tunis, American tanks clash with German Panzers 510 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:50,760 for the first time. 511 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,520 - The tank is the modern manifestation of land warfare. 512 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:55,560 The idea that tanks, American tanks, 513 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,120 are fighting German tanks-- 514 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:58,840 this is what FDR said was gonna happen. 515 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,920 We're now pushing back against Germany. 516 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:03,880 - This is the actual battlefield, 517 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,200 Germans on the left, Americans on the right. 518 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,680 P-38s move ahead of the advancing forces. 519 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,200 ♪ 520 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,160 These scenes were photographed from a hill 521 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,280 overlooking the battlefield. 522 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:18,720 - All logic would tell you, 523 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:20,400 this is gonna go badly for the Americans. 524 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,640 They have no experience of warfare at this stage. 525 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,360 The Germans are hardened combat veterans. 526 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:27,200 A lot of them have fought in Western Europe, 527 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:29,080 in all those victorious battles. 528 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:31,680 - These are German Mark IV tanks. 529 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,560 - These are Panzer IVs with 75-millimeter guns-- 530 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:36,080 very effective. 531 00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:37,440 And up against them, 532 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,080 you've got relatively light American tanks. 533 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:42,160 They've only got 37-millimeter guns, 534 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,840 and the skin of the armor isn't very effective. 535 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:46,600 ♪ 536 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,280 - The skirmish begins badly for the Americans, 537 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,040 who are supported by British troops. 538 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,120 - A British ammunition lorry is hit. 539 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:55,760 [guns booming] 540 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:57,840 - At the start of it, they get knocked back. 541 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,840 A whole troop of tanks gets wiped out. 542 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:02,560 [booming] 543 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:07,080 - But the Allies have a second company of tanks in reserve. 544 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:09,000 - They're able to fire into the position 545 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:10,680 of the German armor that is very weak, 546 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:12,160 which is really around the belt, 547 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:13,800 and also at the back of the tank. 548 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,200 And they knock out, in the space of a few minutes, 549 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:17,960 eight German Panzers. 550 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,120 - Watch the tank in the center of the picture. 551 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,800 [booming] 552 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:24,400 A blast on the left of the screen 553 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:25,840 has struck the center tank. 554 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:27,880 It spins around, disabled. 555 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:29,880 [booming] 556 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,600 There it goes. 557 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:33,560 - The Panzers now withdraw. 558 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:37,080 In this very first tank-to-tank skirmish, 559 00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:40,000 the Americans beat back the Germans. 560 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,480 - Black smoke indicates the end. 561 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,200 ♪ 562 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:47,280 - But the offensive stalls. 563 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,200 ♪ 564 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:53,400 Reinforcements sent by Hitler pummel them from land and air, 565 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:57,600 while the winter rains impede movement. 566 00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,760 Just before Christmas, 567 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:01,600 General Eisenhower visits the front 568 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,280 to consult with his troops and commanders. 569 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,640 He concludes that there's no chance 570 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,040 of reaching Tunis in the current conditions 571 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,640 and calls off the advance. 572 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:14,200 - The U.S. Army report from this era, which says, 573 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,400 "At present, the Germans are making war better than we are." 574 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:24,760 ♪ 575 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:28,200 - In the new year, President Roosevelt 576 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,120 and Prime Minister Churchill meet in Casablanca. 577 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:35,920 ♪ 578 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,640 President Roosevelt flies in, 579 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,680 the very first president to fly while in office. 580 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:47,480 ♪ 581 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:49,840 - The code name of Roosevelt's secret meeting with Churchill 582 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,120 in Casablanca is Don Quixote. 583 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:53,800 ♪ 584 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,080 This is the first time that an American president 585 00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:59,640 has left the United States during wartime. 586 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,200 ♪ 587 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:03,800 - Moving a president of the United States 588 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:05,600 and his entourage is always a difficult thing. 589 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:07,160 In this case, they can't send him 590 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:08,760 by ship across the Atlantic Ocean 591 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:10,640 because of the presence of German U-boats. 592 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,720 So they send him on this insane trip by rail 593 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:15,400 from Washington to Miami, 594 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,160 then by a Clipper flying boat from Miami to Trinidad, 595 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:20,320 Trinidad to Brazil, Brazil to Gambia, 596 00:27:20,360 --> 00:27:21,920 Gambia to Casablanca. 597 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,080 It's an incredibly arduous journey that Roosevelt 598 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:27,240 believed he had to make. 599 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,240 - Roosevelt and Churchill will meet numerous times 600 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,000 throughout the war and derive great benefit 601 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:36,720 from face-to-face meetings. 602 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:38,680 - Churchill can now play the part 603 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,800 of the great imperial warlord 604 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,960 that, so far, he's been only through his speeches. 605 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:45,800 Now he can do it on the ground. 606 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:47,320 And he does what he does best, which is, 607 00:27:47,360 --> 00:27:50,000 he rolls out the maps and talks about grand strategy 608 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:51,320 with the U.S. president. 609 00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:53,560 ♪ 610 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:56,280 - Over 10 days, the two leaders and their staffs 611 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:00,320 discuss the progress of Operation Torch 612 00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:03,080 and plan the Allies' next steps. 613 00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:05,240 ♪ 614 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,040 - It's really the high water mark 615 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:09,600 of the Roosevelt-Churchill relationship. 616 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:11,720 They're statesmen, 617 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:15,520 moving chess pieces around on a board. 618 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,920 - Just before they leave, they talk to reporters 619 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,360 from around the world. 620 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:22,840 - The North African conference is the fourth occasion 621 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:24,360 on which the two great men have met 622 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:26,920 since the beginning of the war. 623 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:30,280 - To the surprise of many, including Churchill, 624 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:34,480 Roosevelt announces a new war aim. 625 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,160 - A new phrase was born, 626 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:39,120 "unconditional surrender" for the Axis. 627 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,800 - "Unconditional surrender" meant that Nazi Germany 628 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:44,360 would have to fall. 629 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,600 That did not mean that Germany had to be destroyed, 630 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:51,360 but Nazi power had to be smashed. 631 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,840 We would now call this "regime change." 632 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:56,680 - There will be no armistice. 633 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:58,560 There will be no soft surrender. 634 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,840 There will be no repetition of World War I. 635 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,160 This is unconditional surrender. 636 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,040 ♪ 637 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:07,640 - It's quite something. 638 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:09,800 We're in early 1943, 639 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,080 and it is not at all clear that the Allies 640 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:13,560 are even winning the war. 641 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:15,800 They're having trouble taking Tunis, 642 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,680 which is a very long way from Berlin. 643 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,840 Yet Roosevelt and Churchill know that 644 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,320 they can produce more than their adversaries. 645 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:28,560 And if production goes as they think it will, 646 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,360 they will be able to swamp the armies 647 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:34,600 that the Axis puts in the field against them. 648 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:36,000 ♪ 649 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:37,640 - As the conference ends, 650 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,880 Allied intelligence reveals Rommel's army, 651 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:43,320 pursued by Montgomery, 652 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,640 has joined with Hitler's reinforcements. 653 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,720 ♪ 654 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:51,400 But the Americans and the British 655 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:53,120 now have them surrounded. 656 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:54,480 [dramatic music] 657 00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:58,640 [airplanes rumble] 658 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,360 - By the end of January 1943, 659 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:05,120 the Allies are finally gaining ground against the Axis powers 660 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,720 of Germany, Italy, and Japan. 661 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,480 [booming] 662 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:14,280 In the Pacific, the Americans have secured Guadalcanal. 663 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:17,480 The Allies successfully landed in the west, 664 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,360 and Montgomery's Eighth Army has pressed 665 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,640 Rommel's Afrika Korps across a wide front. 666 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:31,000 ♪ 667 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:38,600 The Allies now surround the Axis army deep inside Tunisia. 668 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:41,080 ♪ 669 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:42,880 But before they can get far, 670 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,440 Rommel plots a counteroffensive. 671 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,200 ♪ 672 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:50,880 He's identified a weak point in the Allied line, 673 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,840 at Kasserine Pass. 674 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:56,200 - Kasserine is this very narrow pass. 675 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:59,040 It's only about 2 miles wide, and it leads into 676 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:00,920 the Dorsale Mountains, they call them, 677 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:04,120 the mountain range in the center of Tunisia. 678 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:07,320 You've got heights on either side of it. 679 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:10,800 - If Rommel can drive deep enough through Kasserine 680 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:14,000 and into the rear areas of the Allied army, 681 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:17,840 he can possibly turn the whole thing round. 682 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,400 - From there, he'll have all sorts of choices 683 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:22,680 about what to do next-- 684 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,080 overrun Allied supply dumps, 685 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:27,320 perhaps drive straight north to the sea 686 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:31,760 and cut off the entire Allied force in Tunisia. 687 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:36,440 - There are 30,000 Allied troops in the region, 688 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:41,480 but the narrow pass itself is guarded by just 2,000 men, 689 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:45,200 spread thinly across the terrain. 690 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:47,360 - The Allied troops in the Kasserine Pass 691 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:49,320 are the U.S. II Corps-- 692 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:51,400 infantry, engineers, artillery-- 693 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,600 men who, by and large, are completely inexperienced. 694 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:58,400 - The Allied forces are distributed and dispersed, 695 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:00,200 lacking mutual support. 696 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,320 Air support is not dominant at this point. 697 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:09,560 ♪ 698 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:13,360 - On February 19th, Rommel launches his attack. 699 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,280 ♪ 700 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,160 Until now, the Americans have had skirmishes with 701 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:21,160 the Germans but haven't faced a full-scale Panzer assault. 702 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:23,160 ♪ 703 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:27,200 [booming] 704 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:31,960 - This attack comes in with heavy artillery, 705 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,560 rapid movement of German armor, 706 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:39,680 and effective use of motorized infantry to clear positions. 707 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:41,520 ♪ 708 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:44,040 The American forces are caught off guard. 709 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:47,360 ♪ 710 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,000 - Not only is this their first major fight, 711 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,400 but their commander is far behind the lines 712 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:55,520 and doesn't communicate with the front. 713 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,200 The results are devastating. 714 00:32:58,240 --> 00:32:59,520 [booming] 715 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:01,680 - These troops, slowly but surely, 716 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:06,520 are being outgunned, outmaneuvered, outfought. 717 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,360 What starts out as a defeat becomes a bit of a route. 718 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,080 ♪ 719 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,960 - And the Axis now begins streaming up this pass. 720 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,400 It's just a steamroller. 721 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,840 - By the evening of the second day, 722 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,040 U.S. defenses in the pass have collapsed. 723 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:26,080 Around 2,500 soldiers are wounded, 724 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:29,520 another 2,500 taken prisoner. 725 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:32,320 Others abandon their vehicles and flee over the hills. 726 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,280 ♪ 727 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:40,200 Rommel's plan is working, but then he pushes too far. 728 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:42,280 He sends his troops forward, 729 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,120 seeking a way through the mountains 730 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,720 and allowing his supply lines to get dangerously long. 731 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:50,080 - Rommel might have thought he had 732 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:51,840 the U.S. Army on the run, 733 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:53,880 but the momentum that he had established 734 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:57,640 from that opening is now beginning to wear down. 735 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:00,400 His losses are mounting, his supplies are running out, 736 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,160 especially tank ammunition and fuel. 737 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:04,640 ♪ 738 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,200 - As Rommel weakens, 739 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:08,960 the U.S. Army steadies itself and regroups, 740 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,520 blocking Rommel's breakout with a wall 741 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:14,199 of U.S. artillery and air support-- 742 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:16,920 [airplanes roaring] 743 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:21,360 ♪ 744 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:23,880 [booming] 745 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:27,239 --which ultimately forces Rommel to retreat. 746 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:29,480 ♪ 747 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:33,320 - The Americans lose casualties and POWs taken. 748 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:37,280 This is a real black eye for them. 749 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:39,280 - It is the punch in the face 750 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,760 that the American doctrine isn't where it should be. 751 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,760 We aren't fighting the way we should. 752 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:45,679 We need better training. 753 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:47,840 We need better leadership. 754 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:50,760 Kasserine Pass condemns all of those weaknesses. 755 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,400 - The result of this is gonna be that Americans become 756 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:55,239 much more serious about making sure 757 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,240 their forces remain concentrated, 758 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:58,920 particularly armored forces, 759 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,400 that we're not going to allow them to be doled out 760 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:04,560 in little bits and pieces. 761 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:07,440 - General Eisenhower takes responsibility 762 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,280 for the initial breakdown at Kasserine Pass 763 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:12,920 and makes changes to address logistical 764 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,360 and operational issues. 765 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:19,360 He also reorganizes the Allied force in North Africa. 766 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:22,960 His first move is to give General George Patton 767 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,080 command of the U.S. II Corps. 768 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:27,800 - Patton's a swashbuckler, 769 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:30,720 and he's been waiting in the wings, 770 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:32,640 and now it's his moment. 771 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:34,960 He's a man who is a strong leader, 772 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,560 and troops respond to strong leaders. 773 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:41,360 - His subordinate commanders all know 774 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:43,800 that he will be up there on the battlefield, 775 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:45,440 looking over their shoulders. 776 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:48,480 And if they are not performing up to expectations, 777 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:50,080 they're gone. 778 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:51,960 - He tells his troops, famously, 779 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:56,160 "You're not all going to be killed, only about 4% of you." 780 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,800 He reassures them, you're probably gonna survive this, 781 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:01,760 but death is going to be your companion going forward, 782 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:03,480 and I'm not going to spare you. 783 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:07,520 We're gonna hit the Germans face to face and toe to toe. 784 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,640 - Eisenhower's troops are now prepared and in position 785 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:15,320 to deal a final blow to the Axis powers in North Africa. 786 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:17,480 [dramatic music] 787 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,000 ♪ 788 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:26,200 [tank rumbling] 789 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:30,560 - After five months of combat, the combined Allied troops 790 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,400 have become an effective fighting force. 791 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:35,240 ♪ 792 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,360 General Eisenhower now marshals these troops 793 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:41,600 for what he hopes will be a final confrontation 794 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:43,920 with Rommel and the Axis. 795 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:49,480 - The Allied plan is to bleed Rommel's strength off. 796 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:52,440 Anytime he faces the British, theoretically, 797 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:55,720 he can have the Americans advancing into his rear. 798 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:58,080 And every time he turns against the Americans, 799 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,800 he can have Montgomery advancing into his rear. 800 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:06,240 ♪ 801 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:09,480 - On March 20th, the Allies are ready to attack 802 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,640 in a place called El Guettar. 803 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:15,040 ♪ 804 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:18,360 Patton tells his men, "We must be eager to kill. 805 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:20,560 "If we fight viciously enough, we will live 806 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:25,360 to return to our family as conquering heroes." 807 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:28,440 - The Germans become aware of that position 808 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:30,520 and say to themselves, 809 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,680 we think we can eject the Americans fairly easily. 810 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:35,880 We did it before at Kasserine, right? 811 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:38,760 ♪ 812 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,640 - As German Panzers burst onto the plains 813 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:44,760 at El Guettar with Stukas plunging down, 814 00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:47,360 Patton deploys U.S. field artillery 815 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:49,320 and tank destroyers. 816 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:52,800 ♪ 817 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:56,720 - Patton is very aware of how to use 818 00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:00,040 armor, infantry, and artillery all together. 819 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,280 And when the Germans put in that attack, 820 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:06,400 the Americans greet them with a true example of combined arms. 821 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:08,680 ♪ 822 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:10,280 And they absolutely shellac them. 823 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:13,760 [booming] 824 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:20,280 ♪ 825 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:22,920 - Having come right after Kasserine Pass, 826 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:25,560 it has gone from failure to success. 827 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:32,920 ♪ 828 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:35,760 - Over the next month, 829 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:38,720 the Allies squeeze the Axis armies. 830 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:41,560 And by early April, Eisenhower's forces 831 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:45,360 and Montgomery's Eighth Army finally joined. 832 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:47,200 Eisenhower rejoices. 833 00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:49,160 ♪ 834 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,840 We are at last operating on a single battle line. 835 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:54,640 ♪ 836 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:57,800 Now the Allies set their sights on Tunis. 837 00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:00,520 German resistance is ferocious. 838 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,760 Every hill and pass is a struggle. 839 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:05,800 ♪ 840 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:08,640 But gradually, with concentrated firepower 841 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:10,280 from two sides, 842 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:13,680 the Allies continue to move forward. 843 00:39:13,720 --> 00:39:15,920 [booming] 844 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,360 ♪ 845 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:20,160 - Almost inch by inch, 846 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:24,960 the Axis position in Tunisia shrinks 847 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,160 till it's little more than an arc 848 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:28,920 around the city of Tunis itself. 849 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:36,160 ♪ 850 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:40,920 - On May 7, Allied troops entered Tunis 851 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:44,720 and the Axis forces surrender. 852 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:46,560 - After the capture of Tunis, 853 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:48,800 North Africa is finally free of the Nazis 854 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:51,080 and their fascist Italian allies. 855 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:53,560 The North African Campaign is over. 856 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:55,360 ♪ 857 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:58,120 - By tens, by hundreds, 858 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:00,560 by thousands, they came. 859 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:04,000 And at the end, 15 full divisions. 860 00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:07,320 266,000 of their best men 861 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:10,280 laid down their arms. 862 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:13,360 - Over a quarter of a million Germans and Italians 863 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:16,120 are captured. 864 00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:20,440 - Prisoners as far as the eye can see. 865 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:22,800 This is a great moment for the Allied cause. 866 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:26,760 There had been one disastrous encounter with the Germans 867 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:28,960 after the other since this war began. 868 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,920 And now, I think everyone on the Allied side, 869 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:33,640 especially Roosevelt, would say, 870 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:36,280 the home folks can see that something 871 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:39,560 was going right in this war. 872 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:46,240 ♪ 873 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:50,120 - Many high-ranking Axis commanders are captured, 874 00:40:50,160 --> 00:40:52,400 but not Rommel, who has been recalled 875 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:54,520 to Germany by Adolf Hitler. 876 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:57,920 ♪ 877 00:40:57,960 --> 00:40:59,920 The success of Operation Torch, 878 00:40:59,960 --> 00:41:02,880 combined with British victory at El-Alamein, 879 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:06,160 push the Nazis out of North Africa. 880 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:09,240 It is the first step toward Allied victory 881 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:11,600 over the Third Reich. 882 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:13,200 - To give you a sense of the scale 883 00:41:13,240 --> 00:41:14,880 of the victory in Tunisia, 884 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,200 Churchill orders the church bells to be rung. 885 00:41:17,240 --> 00:41:20,600 They haven't been rung during the course of the whole war. 886 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:24,600 It's an unbelievable victory for the Allies. 887 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:27,200 - The tide of the war is turning, 888 00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:29,240 but it's unclear what's next. 889 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:33,880 ♪ 890 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:36,120 - This great victory is a monument 891 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:38,160 to the perfection of cooperation among 892 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:40,480 the fighting services of several nations. 893 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:42,520 I know you would be proud of the way 894 00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:45,400 our own boys, your husbands, brothers, sons, 895 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:49,240 and sweethearts have delivered here for you. 896 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:53,760 ♪ 897 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:55,480 - Winston Churchill said, 898 00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:57,640 "The only thing worse than fighting with allies 899 00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:00,120 is fighting without them." 900 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:04,760 Operation Torch demonstrates that General Eisenhower 901 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:08,400 could command the multinational coalition of military forces 902 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:11,120 necessary to topple the Third Reich. 903 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:14,200 There are many fronts in modern war. 904 00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:16,120 Because of its very nature, 905 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:18,640 the role of gathering intelligence 906 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:20,800 is often obscure and misunderstood. 907 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:24,040 But when it's successful, it can be decisive. 908 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:27,080 That's why a small English hamlet, 909 00:42:27,120 --> 00:42:31,120 purposefully located between Cambridge and Oxford, 910 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:34,400 becomes a crucial front in World War II.