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April 1944.

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Allied troops prepare
for D-Day in Dorset, England.

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In France, the Nazis reinforce
its fortifications

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along the Norman coast.

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More than 7000 boats

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and 150,000 allied troops
They approach the beaches.

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There they find a terrifying
Nazi defense wall

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in the largest amphibious invasion
of history.

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In this series, we investigate
the most extraordinary events

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of the second world war
from a new perspective.

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Combining stock videos
little seen,

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photographs of the front

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and aerial reconnaissance images
with original locations

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we rebuild
the crucial battles,

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the daring bombings

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and the deadly weapons that changed
the course of history.

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Flying over the battlefields,

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we reveal the secrets
of this war from heaven.

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On June 30, 1943,

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an allied reconnaissance plane
Approaches Normandy.

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Fly on a secret mission

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to photograph the Nazi defenses
along these 80 km of coast.

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Allied forces plan
an invasion here

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to open a new front
in Europe.

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Preparations have begun
for D-Day.

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Flying along the coast of Normandy,

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the reconnaissance plane takes
this photo.

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Shows the location of the cannons
Germans under construction.

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They will be part of what is known
like the Atlantic Wall.

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In June 1943,

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The Nazis and the Axis Powers
They occupy most of Europe.

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Hitler knows that a counteroffensive
It's inevitable.

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Therefore, he orders his commanders

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build an impenetrable wall
of defenses

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5000 km long,
from the border with Spain

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to the extreme north of Norway.

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Allies carry out
thousands of raids

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along the Atlantic Wall

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to determine the positions
and locate weak points.

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Near the town of Merville,
in the north of France,

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This photo was taken in early 1944
which shows a lot of activity.

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From above, it only looks like four
grassy mounds.

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But a closer examination
reveals a secret battery.

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The battery houses
4 100 mm howitzer cannons.

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To protect each barrel,
German engineers build

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some reinforced concrete roofs,
called casemates,

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and they bury them under hundreds
tons of land.

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Howitzers have a range
almost 8 and a half km.

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They are a formidable defense
for a long stretch of coast

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and the nearby port.

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The local historian
Geert Van Den Bogaert

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investigate the battery to decipher
the secrets of its construction.

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With the progress of construction
of the Atlantic Wall,

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increased work here
to protect the cannons.

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130 soldiers guard the battery,
designed to be impenetrable

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both with an aerial bombardment
as with a ground assault.

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we are inside
from the staff bunker.

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You can see where they slept.

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Parts are still preserved
of the bunk beds.

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It is not an ideal place
for claustrophobic people.

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Here they appeared
to see the entry

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and see if anyone was coming.

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The only other way out
It was that way: the escape hatch.

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It was possible to use the periscope
to see what was happening outside,

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especially if the enemy
It was on top of the bunker.

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Hitler has appointed
to Field Marshal Rommel

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inspector general
of Nazi defenses in the west.

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On March 6, 1944,
This one visits Merville for the first time.

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and it is found that only two
of the casemates are finished.

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In March, Rommel was
dissatisfied with progress

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in Merville,
I wanted to speed up the work

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and put a lot of pressure
to local commanders.

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Young men were required
that they would work here

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all day
to prepare things.

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These young people pour concrete
day and night under the lights

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to finish the casemates.

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In addition to the howitzer, also
anti-aircraft defenses are installed

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and machine guns, and they dig
connecting trenches.

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They also dig a trench
100 m long anti-tank

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and surround the battery of two
barbed wire and minefields.

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There are two more positions
with machine guns to the east and south.

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Along the Atlantic Wall
There is a lot of heavy weapons.

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It is reinforced with the latest
military technologies, such as radars,

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and protected with enormous amounts
of reinforced concrete.

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Altogether, it is
a formidable defense front.

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But the allies must penetrate it.

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On the other side of the canal,

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Allied forces prepare
for D-Day in England.

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The generals plan every detail
meticulously.

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Equipment arrives from the US
military and tens of thousands of troops.

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Parachutists practice
large scale jumps

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under the watchful eye of Churchill
and General Eisenhower.

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One of the greatest workouts

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will be done
on the south coast of Dorset.

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The beaches are very similar
to those of Normandy,

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what makes them the stage
ideal for training.

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The surroundings are also
very unpopulated,

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so the land can be used
for shooting training

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ensuring that the exercises
they remain secret.

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In 1944, one of the advances
most important

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which should be tested here
It is the Duplex Drive or DD tank.

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In the landings, the tanks
They will be a key piece of the arsenal.

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But get them to arrive
to the beaches will not be an easy task.

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British engineers carry
months designing and building

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this ingenious hybrid machine.

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It is a tank that floats on water.

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John Pearson is the owner
of this DD tank.

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It is the last one left in the world.

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Personally, I can't imagine
how the inventor of DD managed

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to convince people to put
a tarp around a tank

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so that it floats in the sea.

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The most important part for it to be
amphibian is the propellant,

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that goes here and works
like an outboard motor.

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The other important part
of flotation equipment is the skirt,

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that swells if we press there.

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When these become rigid,
raise the upper frame

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and floats with the tank completely
underwater.

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When it floats,
It looks like an inflatable boat.

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It is surprising that they could persuade
to the crews to go out to sea,

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the truth.

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I wouldn't do it.

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I don't mind restoring it, driving it
and play with him.

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But the idea of sending it into the water
with me inside,

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No, don't even think about it, I wouldn't do it.

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They are braver than me.

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The plan is that these tanks
amphibians be the first

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to reach the beaches of Normandy.
You have to try them.

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Exercise Smash is a dress rehearsal
for D-Day at Stundland Bay,

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complete with destroyers firing
and infantry arriving by barge.

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Private Albert Price, 18,
It goes aboard a DD tank.

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So far, the training
It has only been done in lakes.

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We knew that we were trained
for D-Day,

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but it was all very secret.

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Something they didn't tell us is
than floating in a lake

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and float in the sea are
two totally different things.

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A landing barge carries
Albert's tank and 18 others

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to the mouth of the bay.

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DD tanks disembark
4 and a half km from the beach.

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You always feel vulnerable
in these transfers.

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Doesn't seem very sturdy
in the best of cases.

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When you're in a canvas box
and you see that you rise with each wave

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It's a little scary.

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During the Exercise Smash,
The weather is getting worse.

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The crews fight
to maintain control.

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In my case, it was heard suddenly
a strong blow

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and we ended up on top of a rock
that stuck out of the sea.

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Albert's tank is one of the
six that cannot resist the waves

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and they sink during exercise.

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Six men drown.

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It's a hard setback
for allied commanders.

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Above the bay, at Fort Henry,
General Eisenhower,

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Prime Minister Winston Churchill

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and King George VI are visiting
to see the training.

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They have learned hard lessons
but useful during exercise.

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It won't be long before the troops
disembark

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under fire from the Germans.

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Less than two months left
for D-Day.

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For the invasion, the allied commanders
They have divided the landing areas

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on five named beaches
individually.

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American divisions will lead
the landing in the west,

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on the beaches called in code
Utah and Omaha.

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The British and Canadians
They will attack Gold, Juno and Sword to the east.

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The strategists are
worried about Omaha Beach.

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Views from the air reveal
the why

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Omaha Beach is surrounded
of steep cliffs.

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These offer a formidable advantage
for the Germans.

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Resident Magali Desquesne

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explore one of the fortifications
at the east end of the beach.

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What's awesome from here

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is that you can understand the topography
from Omaha Beach.

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It is clear that the Germans could
take advantage of the high ground.

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Those cliffs measure
about 30 meters high.

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From here, we can see up to
the west end of Omaha Beach.

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It looks like an amphitheater.

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This German complex includes
a labyrinth of trenches.

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Some of them reach positions
hidden called tobruks.

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They are covered in concrete

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and designed to store
mortar or machine guns.

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They are like concrete trenches

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because they offer some protection
for the soldiers

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and for the machine guns themselves.

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And allows them a complete rotation
360˚.

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The only way to capture
this position is dropping a bomb

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right here
or with the infantry.

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But to get here,

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Allied infantry must survive
first to the beaches below.

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The Germans focus their strategy
in defending the beach.

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That is where they concentrate the most
part of his troops

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to get a defense
as efficient as possible.

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Field Marshal Rommel
has ordered the troops

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that cover the beaches
with lethal obstacles.

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This includes vertical posts
with explosive mines on top,

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nicknamed Rommel's asparagus,
trunks over 2m,

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and anti-tank elements
known as Belgian doors.

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Rows of steel beams
criss-crossed, called hedgehogs,

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They cover the landscape.

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Imagine the beach
with thousands of obstacles.

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Along the entire coast of
Normandy there are about 10,000.

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Lock the tanks on the beach
It is a way to stop the infantry.

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Without the help of tanks,
without the help of artillery,

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advances by land
They would be impossible.

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Hitler is confident that the ferocious
Rommel's defenses

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They will stop the allies and prevent
the opening of a new front.

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Despite his cockiness,

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Hitler does not know when and where
The allies will attack.

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Nazi commanders continue to reinforce
your defenses

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along the Atlantic Wall.

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One of the fortifications
most feared is Pointe du Hoc.

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From above,

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It is clear why the peninsula
It's such a crucial position.

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Next to vertical cliffs
30 m high,

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It's a daunting goal.
for any military unit

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00:19:53,923 --> 00:19:56,803
try to launch an attack
from the sea

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00:19:59,563 --> 00:20:04,083
The Germans have dug
six open concrete pits.

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00:20:06,483 --> 00:20:10,923
Each pit houses a cannon
155mm.

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00:20:13,483 --> 00:20:18,283
Upon invading the region, they took
these cannons of the French.

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Now the weapons are used
against the allies

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to help stop
the inevitable counterattack.

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00:20:33,043 --> 00:20:36,123
The site superintendent,
Scott Desjardins,

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investigate why Pointe Du Hoc is
such a powerful defensive position.

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Point Du Hoc is a perfect position
with large caliber weapons

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because they have a free range
on both sides,

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there is no obstacle.

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So it's easy to understand

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why the germans chose
these positions here.

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This is one of the locations
real.

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That piece of steel is where it was
the cannon pinion.

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00:21:09,643 --> 00:21:14,203
From here, turn right and
left in the necessary orientation

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00:21:14,363 --> 00:21:15,923
to hit the target.

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Their weaponry was unique.

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00:21:23,523 --> 00:21:26,523
They have an amazing range
which is incredibly accurate

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00:21:26,683 --> 00:21:28,683
and makes them amazingly
dangerous.

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They will endanger
our invasion

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If we don't leave these weapons
out of service.

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00:21:42,843 --> 00:21:48,603
The six 155 mm guns
They have a range of almost 20 km.

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They can shoot from side to side
from Utah and Omaha beaches.

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00:21:57,283 --> 00:22:02,123
They also pose a serious threat
for any allied ship.

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00:22:04,563 --> 00:22:10,523
Therefore, on April 5, 1944,
a group of A-20 bombers

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00:22:10,683 --> 00:22:16,003
of the ninth division of the forces
aerial attacks the cliffs.

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00:22:18,523 --> 00:22:20,723
The bombing continues
for weeks

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00:22:23,523 --> 00:22:27,203
and turns the peninsula
in a lunar landscape.

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00:22:38,763 --> 00:22:42,163
This is big
and a bombing created it.

243
00:22:43,003 --> 00:22:45,363
This is one of the craters
bigger.

244
00:22:46,683 --> 00:22:48,883
You could put a house here.

245
00:22:51,803 --> 00:22:54,443
It is to be imagined that with the destruction

246
00:22:54,603 --> 00:22:58,643
caused, any German soldier
300 m from here

247
00:22:58,803 --> 00:23:01,123
would be quickly
out of combat.

248
00:23:01,283 --> 00:23:03,043
He suffers a jolt.

249
00:23:07,683 --> 00:23:12,843
There is no doubt that it caused
much mental and physical deterioration

250
00:23:13,003 --> 00:23:15,043
in German soldiers.

251
00:23:15,203 --> 00:23:17,563
It was terrible for morale.

252
00:23:17,723 --> 00:23:19,923
I wouldn't like to have been here

253
00:23:20,083 --> 00:23:21,723
in the month that followed.

254
00:23:21,883 --> 00:23:23,603
I imagine it was horrible.

255
00:23:27,123 --> 00:23:31,043
The continuous bombings damage
seriously three of the cannons,

256
00:23:31,203 --> 00:23:36,363
and force the Germans to move
the others to safer positions.

257
00:23:40,363 --> 00:23:45,803
Along 50 km of coastline,
Allies carry out 18 bombing raids

258
00:23:45,963 --> 00:23:49,243
on Merville's battery
during April and May

259
00:23:51,563 --> 00:23:54,283
and they leave huge craters behind them.

260
00:23:55,443 --> 00:24:00,883
But the bombs have caused no damage
important in howitzer cannons.

261
00:24:02,203 --> 00:24:05,843
The concrete casemates
They have done their job.

262
00:24:07,883 --> 00:24:12,843
This battery is still a serious one
threat to allied invasion.

263
00:24:18,523 --> 00:24:22,763
As D-Day approaches, dozens of
thousands of allied troops

264
00:24:22,923 --> 00:24:26,523
They head to the ports
off the south coast of England.

265
00:24:30,843 --> 00:24:35,843
In the ports and docks,
almost half a million troops

266
00:24:36,003 --> 00:24:42,083
and 144,000 vehicles are loaded
on ships to Normandy.

267
00:24:47,363 --> 00:24:50,323
The infantry arrives
from the nearby fields.

268
00:24:52,643 --> 00:24:55,043
They board ships
and landing barges.

269
00:24:59,923 --> 00:25:04,683
Some of the troops are
destined for Omaha Beach.

270
00:25:09,203 --> 00:25:12,243
They will cross the channel to France
during the night.

271
00:25:15,843 --> 00:25:19,883
Most of the first wave
comes out June 5.

272
00:25:30,883 --> 00:25:34,843
That same day,
on English airfields,

273
00:25:36,163 --> 00:25:40,683
more than 18,000 paratroopers
and assault troops

274
00:25:40,843 --> 00:25:43,843
prepare to join
to the invasion.

275
00:25:45,563 --> 00:25:49,403
In addition to their rifles,
They carry extra rations,

276
00:25:49,563 --> 00:25:51,723
ammunition and grenades.

277
00:25:53,683 --> 00:25:56,643
Some even carry
carrier pigeons

278
00:25:56,803 --> 00:26:00,523
to be able to send reports
on the other side of the canal.

279
00:26:02,683 --> 00:26:08,083
Troops load heavy artillery
in gliders.

280
00:26:10,003 --> 00:26:12,923
These will be towed by plane

281
00:26:13,083 --> 00:26:15,843
and they will let go
near the Norman coast.

282
00:26:18,963 --> 00:26:24,403
At RAF Greenham Common,
the supreme commander,

283
00:26:24,563 --> 00:26:28,843
General Eisenhower,
He arrives to give his orders for the day.

284
00:26:30,403 --> 00:26:35,003
Soldiers, sailors and airmen
of the allied forces,

285
00:26:35,163 --> 00:26:38,403
are about to embark
in a great crusade

286
00:26:38,563 --> 00:26:41,363
for which we have prepared
all these months.

287
00:26:41,523 --> 00:26:43,403
The eyes of the world watch them.

288
00:26:44,523 --> 00:26:47,843
We will accept nothing more
than absolute victory.

289
00:26:48,003 --> 00:26:49,403
Good luck.

290
00:26:50,763 --> 00:26:55,283
Many of these parachutists
They will cross the channel to Normandy

291
00:26:55,443 --> 00:26:57,483
in Dakotas C-47.

292
00:27:01,923 --> 00:27:06,483
On board one of these planes is
Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway,

293
00:27:06,643 --> 00:27:10,163
British commander of the 9th
parachute battalion.

294
00:27:13,163 --> 00:27:19,323
We start around 10:30
at night and I went to the plane.

295
00:27:21,163 --> 00:27:23,083
I spoke to the crew.

296
00:27:23,243 --> 00:27:25,523
I had a bottle of whiskey,

297
00:27:25,683 --> 00:27:28,483
so I drank and we shared it.

298
00:27:29,603 --> 00:27:34,723
The views from above allow you
to Otway to see the magnitude of D-Day.

299
00:27:36,683 --> 00:27:39,363
I looked out the door of my plane.

300
00:27:39,523 --> 00:27:43,763
It was a fantastic sight.
I could see all the ships

301
00:27:43,923 --> 00:27:47,683
and it seemed that they were already sailing
towards the French coast.

302
00:27:51,563 --> 00:27:54,323
The main objective
of the ninth battalion

303
00:27:54,483 --> 00:27:58,203
is to destroy Merville's battery,
controlled by the Nazis,

304
00:27:58,363 --> 00:28:01,763
that threatens the troops
who land on Sworn Beach.

305
00:28:04,003 --> 00:28:08,683
Each group of parachutists
It has a planned drop zone.

306
00:28:09,723 --> 00:28:13,043
The Otway Battalion attempts
descend into zone V,

307
00:28:13,203 --> 00:28:15,723
few kilometers southeast
by Merville.

308
00:28:16,843 --> 00:28:21,803
Field Marshal Rommel
has ordered the fields to be flooded

309
00:28:21,963 --> 00:28:27,643
and it is essential that paratroopers
descend on their objectives.

310
00:28:29,803 --> 00:28:32,923
But night navigation is
an arduous task

311
00:28:34,203 --> 00:28:37,323
and when the Otway Dakota
approaching the French coast,

312
00:28:37,483 --> 00:28:40,523
The German defenses see it.

313
00:28:43,083 --> 00:28:47,323
Suddenly they opened fire
anti-aircraft against us

314
00:28:47,483 --> 00:28:51,083
and was waiting to jump
and there was an explosion.

315
00:28:53,083 --> 00:28:58,363
Otway is thrown from his plane
while other paratroopers

316
00:28:58,523 --> 00:29:01,163
they also descend
near Merville.

317
00:29:02,243 --> 00:29:06,803
It was chaos: the planes were in
all directions

318
00:29:06,963 --> 00:29:09,443
and at all levels
except the right ones.

319
00:29:13,283 --> 00:29:17,163
In the midst of the chaos, the majority
of paratroopers misses its objective.

320
00:29:20,763 --> 00:29:24,123
Many land in the fields
flooded and drown,

321
00:29:25,483 --> 00:29:29,043
unable to escape under the weight
of his soaked equipment.

322
00:29:30,603 --> 00:29:37,163
Of the 750 men in the battalion,
150 arrive at the meeting point.

323
00:29:38,363 --> 00:29:43,043
The decision was: do I continue with 150
or do I give up?

324
00:29:43,203 --> 00:29:47,363
But I didn't hesitate, I said:
we have to continue.

325
00:29:50,603 --> 00:29:53,483
A group of explorers sent
in advance

326
00:29:53,643 --> 00:29:55,763
has made a couple of starts

327
00:29:55,923 --> 00:30:00,723
on the fence and has cleared
two routes through the minefield.

328
00:30:03,643 --> 00:30:07,323
A distraction attack is headed
to the battery input.

329
00:30:08,803 --> 00:30:13,003
At 4:30 in the morning, Otway sends
to the main attack groups

330
00:30:13,163 --> 00:30:16,443
through the two gaps
created by explorers.

331
00:30:18,323 --> 00:30:22,403
The attack continued inside
and there were many machine guns

332
00:30:22,563 --> 00:30:25,483
Germans on both flanks.

333
00:30:26,763 --> 00:30:29,483
The first groups attacked
the casemates.

334
00:30:30,643 --> 00:30:34,523
There was an intense fight
melee.

335
00:30:39,203 --> 00:30:41,843
About five in the morning
from June 6,

336
00:30:42,003 --> 00:30:45,363
the ninth battalion has occupied
completely the battery.

337
00:30:52,043 --> 00:30:54,523
Of the 150 men who entered,

338
00:30:54,683 --> 00:30:58,003
of all ranks,
There were only 75 of us left.

339
00:30:58,163 --> 00:31:01,963
The rest were dead or wounded.
It was horrible.

340
00:31:05,483 --> 00:31:10,603
Despite the losses, Otway is
capable of sending a signal of success.

341
00:31:10,763 --> 00:31:14,283
my signal officer
had a carrier pigeon

342
00:31:14,443 --> 00:31:19,803
and tied a message of victory
to the paw and sent it flying

343
00:31:19,963 --> 00:31:23,203
and came back to Whitehall
that morning.

344
00:31:24,883 --> 00:31:28,603
Shortly after success
in Merville's battery,

345
00:31:29,963 --> 00:31:34,203
the allied ships begin
to bombard the German defenses.

346
00:31:39,043 --> 00:31:43,483
Almost 7000 boats approach
to the north coast of France,

347
00:31:43,643 --> 00:31:46,763
including
more than 1200 warships.

348
00:31:49,603 --> 00:31:53,003
Before the landings,
minesweepers have cleared channels

349
00:31:53,163 --> 00:31:57,283
to allow ships to arrive
into position safely.

350
00:31:57,443 --> 00:32:03,003
The largest ships have
specific objectives.

351
00:32:05,843 --> 00:32:10,643
At 5:23 in the morning,
Allied ships open fire.

352
00:32:20,563 --> 00:32:25,803
One of the English flagships
It is HMS Belfast.

353
00:32:29,123 --> 00:32:34,163
The views from above offer
a unique perspective of this ship.

354
00:32:38,003 --> 00:32:41,283
The boat measures
almost 200 m long.

355
00:32:42,803 --> 00:32:47,843
Its main weapons are
two triple towers

356
00:32:48,003 --> 00:32:51,683
with a range of more than 22 km.

357
00:32:55,043 --> 00:32:59,163
It is also armed with different
anti-aircraft guns

358
00:32:59,323 --> 00:33:03,723
and additional double turrets
along the covers.

359
00:33:07,803 --> 00:33:12,083
Combined, they create
a deadly and formidable weapon.

360
00:33:17,603 --> 00:33:23,683
The main conservator
Rober Rumble studies the arsenal.

361
00:33:25,643 --> 00:33:32,523
The power of big ships
war was essential

362
00:33:32,683 --> 00:33:38,683
to crush the positions
Germans and bunkers.

363
00:33:40,803 --> 00:33:46,243
The projectiles are stored
inside the ship.

364
00:33:47,803 --> 00:33:52,323
A fortified steel cylinder
protect a large ammunition room

365
00:33:52,483 --> 00:33:54,003
under each turret.

366
00:33:57,363 --> 00:34:04,243
Each room can store up to 1000
projectiles, but they are loaded by hand.

367
00:34:06,923 --> 00:34:09,563
The sailors caught
the projectiles,

368
00:34:09,723 --> 00:34:13,443
and these weigh more than 50 kilos,

369
00:34:13,603 --> 00:34:18,283
They are amazingly heavy,
They were loaded by hand here,

370
00:34:18,443 --> 00:34:21,803
and the projectiles went up
by the forklift

371
00:34:21,963 --> 00:34:24,603
even the turret itself

372
00:34:24,763 --> 00:34:27,763
where the crew was ready
to catch them

373
00:34:27,923 --> 00:34:30,003
and load them into the cannons.

374
00:34:31,363 --> 00:34:35,043
Four decks up,
inside the turrets,

375
00:34:35,203 --> 00:34:39,803
eight can be loaded and launched
shells per minute per cannon.

376
00:34:42,963 --> 00:34:49,243
To load it, the barrel is placed
in a horizontal position, it opens,

377
00:34:50,363 --> 00:34:54,883
the loading tray is brought,
the projectile is pushed,

378
00:34:56,523 --> 00:34:59,643
a bag of gunpowder is thrown behind,
30 lb of cordite,

379
00:34:59,803 --> 00:35:01,683
and this is also pushed.

380
00:35:01,843 --> 00:35:07,363
It closes, the tube is put on
In the little opening there,

381
00:35:07,523 --> 00:35:09,083
and this is also closed.

382
00:35:09,243 --> 00:35:13,723
The barrel is then placed in position
correct ready to shoot.

383
00:35:15,083 --> 00:35:18,963
At 5:27 in the morning
from June 6,

384
00:35:19,123 --> 00:35:24,123
HMS Belfast fires all her
cannons against the Norman coast,

385
00:35:25,363 --> 00:35:28,283
launching 96 projectiles per minute.

386
00:35:37,723 --> 00:35:40,883
These cannons were the most important
from Belfast.

387
00:35:41,043 --> 00:35:46,603
The whole ship was shaking with energy
of the 12 cannons firing at the same time.

388
00:35:48,123 --> 00:35:54,163
The noise and flashes
of the explosions were tremendous.

389
00:35:58,883 --> 00:36:03,563
Two hours after the start
of the attack of warships,

390
00:36:05,203 --> 00:36:06,923
the amphibious landing begins.

391
00:36:11,083 --> 00:36:13,683
On British beaches
and Canadians,

392
00:36:14,603 --> 00:36:18,163
each brigade launches first
a Duplex Drive tank.

393
00:36:19,843 --> 00:36:25,003
Behind them, barges
landing with assault vehicles,

394
00:36:25,163 --> 00:36:31,843
followed by the infantry in several
waves of small barges.

395
00:36:33,923 --> 00:36:38,643
Almost 25,000 British soldiers
They head to Gold Beach.

396
00:36:40,323 --> 00:36:43,923
More than 21,000 Canadians
They approach Juno.

397
00:36:45,323 --> 00:36:49,883
And another 28,000 British troops
They arrive at Sword.

398
00:36:51,843 --> 00:36:56,443
Combined with the forces
Americans in Utah and Omaha,

399
00:36:56,603 --> 00:37:02,123
more than 130,000 allied soldiers
they prepare to disembark

400
00:37:02,283 --> 00:37:05,523
with the support of the ships
of war.

401
00:37:09,443 --> 00:37:13,443
They enter a maelstrom
of German shells and bullets

402
00:37:15,923 --> 00:37:17,843
Chaos ensues.

403
00:37:24,043 --> 00:37:25,763
Despite the slaughter,

404
00:37:25,923 --> 00:37:31,043
the waves of infantry arrive
to the coast behind the tanks.

405
00:37:35,603 --> 00:37:36,923
On Gold Beach,

406
00:37:37,083 --> 00:37:41,603
British commanders have learned
the lesson after the Exercise Smash.

407
00:37:43,363 --> 00:37:48,643
Due to rough seas, they launch
the DD tanks from the beaches.

408
00:37:50,483 --> 00:37:54,683
They reach land better
and offer armed support

409
00:37:54,843 --> 00:37:57,643
destructive and powerful
for the infantry.

410
00:38:02,003 --> 00:38:06,883
20 km south,
the situation in Omaha is different.

411
00:38:10,603 --> 00:38:15,723
The Americans have launched their
tanks 4 and a half km from the coast.

412
00:38:15,883 --> 00:38:19,043
With the rough sea,
most sink.

413
00:38:23,403 --> 00:38:27,323
This leaves the infantry
unprotected when arriving at the beach

414
00:38:27,483 --> 00:38:29,363
in the most vulnerable position:

415
00:38:31,963 --> 00:38:33,443
the water line.

416
00:38:39,643 --> 00:38:41,843
When they disembark from the barges,

417
00:38:44,443 --> 00:38:48,843
They are perfect targets for
German cannons on the cliffs.

418
00:38:58,563 --> 00:39:01,483
On June 6, 1944,

419
00:39:02,883 --> 00:39:07,963
most german weapons
It does not target ships at sea.

420
00:39:09,563 --> 00:39:13,523
They point directly
along the Norman beaches.

421
00:39:18,603 --> 00:39:20,203
Here in Omaha,

422
00:39:23,803 --> 00:39:26,123
shooters have easy prey.

423
00:39:29,003 --> 00:39:32,203
More than 34,000 American soldiers

424
00:39:32,363 --> 00:39:36,603
disembark
on this short stretch of sand.

425
00:39:43,763 --> 00:39:46,963
With more German weapons
on the other side of Omaha,

426
00:39:47,123 --> 00:39:52,323
troops enter a deadly web
defensive crossfire.

427
00:39:56,603 --> 00:40:00,563
an american soldier
who manages to get to the beach

428
00:40:01,523 --> 00:40:03,163
It's Harley Reynolds.

429
00:40:05,803 --> 00:40:08,723
The main message
from his training it is clear.

430
00:40:10,443 --> 00:40:13,523
You have to get off the beach
to be safe.

431
00:40:14,723 --> 00:40:18,483
They're going to kill you on that beach.
Get out of it immediately.

432
00:40:22,443 --> 00:40:24,563
When our boats arrived,

433
00:40:24,723 --> 00:40:30,403
there were about 300 meters left
to reach the pebble bank.

434
00:40:31,523 --> 00:40:34,843
It was the only protection
what you had on the beach:

435
00:40:35,003 --> 00:40:36,323
behind the bench.

436
00:40:37,523 --> 00:40:41,963
I was carrying a 35kg piece of equipment.
I ran and didn't miss a step.

437
00:40:42,123 --> 00:40:44,523
I had never moved so fast.

438
00:40:47,363 --> 00:40:51,083
The bullets passed me so close,
that I could feel them in the air.

439
00:40:51,243 --> 00:40:53,603
You could hear the bullets flying,

440
00:40:53,763 --> 00:40:56,723
you could hear how they hit
in your companions.

441
00:41:01,043 --> 00:41:03,443
It's a terrible sound.

442
00:41:08,243 --> 00:41:14,203
I remember thinking that no one was going
to survive on that beach.

443
00:41:16,323 --> 00:41:17,963
my feeling

444
00:41:19,483 --> 00:41:25,043
It was that they were sacrificing us.

445
00:41:39,043 --> 00:41:43,843
One wave of infantry after another
arrives in the deadly zone of Omaha.

446
00:41:47,003 --> 00:41:51,043
The Americans have 2,500 casualties.

447
00:41:59,323 --> 00:42:04,123
Finally, a sufficient number
of soldiers climb the cliffs.

448
00:42:05,203 --> 00:42:07,723
They surpass the German positions.

449
00:42:10,763 --> 00:42:15,563
The morning light allows
the boats approaching the beach

450
00:42:15,723 --> 00:42:19,123
and aim for the bunkers
that contain the great canyons.

451
00:42:25,203 --> 00:42:30,043
In the long run, the magnitude
of the allied invasion is too much

452
00:42:30,203 --> 00:42:32,403
for German defenses.

453
00:42:32,563 --> 00:42:35,723
D-Day is a magnificent success.

454
00:42:39,763 --> 00:42:41,203
In the following days,

455
00:42:41,363 --> 00:42:46,563
tens of thousands of allied soldiers
They move inward.

456
00:42:48,403 --> 00:42:50,483
In most coastal towns,

457
00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:55,283
They receive them as liberators.

458
00:43:02,083 --> 00:43:04,043
Many Germans surrender.

459
00:43:08,043 --> 00:43:09,323
Some don't.

460
00:43:15,403 --> 00:43:18,883
D-Day is a decisive moment
in the war.

461
00:43:21,003 --> 00:43:25,003
Once again, the allies
They have a foothold in Europe.

462
00:43:27,003 --> 00:43:30,803
But this victory has had
a high price.

463
00:43:32,523 --> 00:43:36,163
There have been at least 10,000 casualties
allies,

464
00:43:36,323 --> 00:43:39,803
with more than 4000 confirmed deaths.

465
00:43:42,043 --> 00:43:47,483
Thousands of civilians and Germans too
They have lost their lives.

466
00:43:51,963 --> 00:43:55,563
And there is still ahead
the long road to Berlin.

467
00:44:01,323 --> 00:44:03,323
Translation: Alicia Tapias Soler