All language subtitles for D-Day.Normandy.1944.2014.UHD.BluRay.2160p.DTS-HD.MA.5.1.HEVC.REMUX-FraMeSToR.eng
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♪♪
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♪♪
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♪♪
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TOM BROKAW [voice-over]:
Normandy...
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For many, this was the end.
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♪♪
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00:01:03,999 --> 00:01:05,249
For many more,
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it was the beginning.
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But for all of us,
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everything changed here,
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in Normandy, on these sands.
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The day they all embarked
to come here,
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they received a letter
from their Supreme Commander,
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General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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It was June 5, 1944.
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GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER:
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen
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of the Allied
Expeditionary Force!
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You are about to embark
upon the Great Crusade,
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toward which we have striven
these many months.
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The eyes of the
world are upon you.
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The hopes and prayers
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00:02:00,291 --> 00:02:04,249
of liberty-loving people
everywhere march with you.
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In company
with our brave Allies
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and brothers-in-arms
on other Fronts...
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00:02:11,999 --> 00:02:13,457
...you will bring
about the destruction
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00:02:13,499 --> 00:02:15,166
of the German war machine,
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00:02:15,207 --> 00:02:17,041
the elimination of Nazi tyranny
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over the oppressed peoples
of Europe,
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and security for ourselves
in a free world.
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Your task will not be
an easy one.
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Your enemy is well trained,
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well equipped
and battle-hardened.
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He will fight savagely.
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But this is the year 1944!
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Much has happened since
the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41.
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The United Nations
have inflicted upon the Germans
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great defeats, in open battle,
38
00:02:52,624 --> 00:02:54,666
man-to-man.
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Our air offensive has seriously
reduced their strength
40
00:02:58,666 --> 00:03:02,166
in the air and their capacity
to wage war on the ground.
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00:03:02,207 --> 00:03:05,999
Our Home Fronts have given us
an overwhelming superiority
42
00:03:06,041 --> 00:03:07,416
in weapons and munitions of war,
43
00:03:07,457 --> 00:03:10,374
and placed at our disposal
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00:03:10,416 --> 00:03:12,624
great reserves
of trained fighting men.
45
00:03:12,666 --> 00:03:15,416
The tide has turned!
46
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The free men of the world are
marching together to Victory!
47
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I have full confidence
in your courage,
48
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devotion to duty
and skill in battle.
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[gunshots,
airplane engines humming]
50
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We will accept
nothing less than full Victory!
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Good Luck!
52
00:03:40,582 --> 00:03:43,082
And let us all beseech
the blessing of Almighty God
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upon this great
and noble undertaking.
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♪♪
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WOMAN [voice-over]:
"Liberty Ship" is the name
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00:04:14,499 --> 00:04:18,166
that President Roosevelt gave
to the nearly 3,000 cargo ships
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00:04:18,207 --> 00:04:22,207
built in the United States
from 1941 until 1945.
58
00:04:22,249 --> 00:04:25,082
To ensure the supplying
of the Allied Forces,
59
00:04:25,124 --> 00:04:28,124
the pace of production rose
to one per day.
60
00:04:28,166 --> 00:04:30,499
Braving all the dangers
of the North Atlantic,
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00:04:30,541 --> 00:04:32,457
these ships transported
the means
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to bring Europe its liberty.
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[ship's horn blaring]
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BROKAW:
There have always been wars,
65
00:04:43,582 --> 00:04:46,582
in one place or another,
on our planet.
66
00:04:46,624 --> 00:04:48,582
But during the 20th century,
67
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war extended
to the entire world twice
68
00:04:51,666 --> 00:04:53,624
in the space of 20 years.
69
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[explosions thundering]
70
00:04:58,291 --> 00:05:00,166
Having started in Europe,
71
00:05:00,207 --> 00:05:02,666
it is here, too,
that the Second World War
72
00:05:02,707 --> 00:05:04,666
began to come to an end...
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in France, and to be precise,
in Normandy.
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♪♪
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♪♪
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♪♪
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It was here in Normandy,
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00:05:43,582 --> 00:05:46,999
that a new balance for the world
as we know it today was forged.
79
00:05:49,582 --> 00:05:51,582
But during the war,
80
00:05:51,624 --> 00:05:55,166
Normandy was not as welcoming
as it is today...
81
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...because from 1940,
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France, like most of Europe,
83
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was occupied by German troops
84
00:06:02,707 --> 00:06:04,416
of the Third Reich,
85
00:06:04,457 --> 00:06:07,166
led by Adolf Hitler,
86
00:06:07,207 --> 00:06:09,166
with Italy as its ally,
87
00:06:09,207 --> 00:06:10,457
forming the Axis.
88
00:06:12,582 --> 00:06:14,624
Only the United Kingdom
remained free
89
00:06:14,666 --> 00:06:17,082
after its victory
in the Battle of Britain.
90
00:06:20,416 --> 00:06:22,374
[indistinct radio chatter]
91
00:06:23,582 --> 00:06:25,582
[engine stalling]
92
00:06:25,624 --> 00:06:26,582
In June, Hitler broke
93
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his pact with Stalin
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and triggered
a massive offensive
95
00:06:30,541 --> 00:06:32,291
against the Soviet Union,
96
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opening up
an enormous battlefront
97
00:06:33,749 --> 00:06:36,249
in the east of Europe.
98
00:06:36,291 --> 00:06:39,582
In December, after Japan's
surprise attack on Pearl Harbor,
99
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the United States
entered the war
100
00:06:41,624 --> 00:06:43,291
along with the British
and the Russians
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00:06:43,332 --> 00:06:45,457
against the Axis forces.
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Despite Japan's infamy,
103
00:06:49,582 --> 00:06:52,041
Franklin Roosevelt agreed
with Winston Churchill
104
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to liberate "Europe First."
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Hitler knew this.
106
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To concentrate his best troops
on the eastern front,
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he had to protect
his western flank
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from a seaborne attack.
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00:07:03,124 --> 00:07:04,082
In March,
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he ordered the building
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of a defensive system
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00:07:06,291 --> 00:07:08,207
along 4,000 kilometers
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00:07:08,249 --> 00:07:10,624
of coastline: the Atlantic Wall.
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00:07:10,666 --> 00:07:12,499
By that August,
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00:07:12,541 --> 00:07:13,541
construction had only got
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00:07:13,582 --> 00:07:15,041
as far as the foundations
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when the Canadian troops
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attempted a first
landing operation at Dieppe.
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[engines rumbling]
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ROBERT BOULANGER:
August 18, 19 and 20, 1942.
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Dear Mom and Dad,
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There is enough moonlight
for me to continue my letter
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aboard our assault barge.
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[moose grunts]
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if I should be
among the casualties,
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Jacques will let you know
what happened to me
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00:07:36,499 --> 00:07:38,124
as we have promised
to do this for one another,
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00:07:38,166 --> 00:07:40,249
in case one of us
does not return.
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I love you
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from the bottom of my heart,
Robert.
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[explosion thunders]
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BROKAW:
The landing was a disaster.
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Of the 6,000 soldiers present,
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00:07:55,166 --> 00:07:58,124
more than half were wounded,
killed or taken prisoner.
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This led Hitler to believe
136
00:07:59,416 --> 00:08:01,249
his own propaganda,
137
00:08:01,291 --> 00:08:02,332
describing the Atlantic Wall
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00:08:02,374 --> 00:08:05,249
as an impenetrable barrier.
139
00:08:05,291 --> 00:08:08,374
[men singing in German]
140
00:08:08,416 --> 00:08:10,082
The artillery batteries were
141
00:08:10,124 --> 00:08:11,457
the strongest elements
142
00:08:11,499 --> 00:08:13,249
of the Atlantic Wall.
143
00:08:16,999 --> 00:08:20,124
Hidden back from the shoreline,
each bunker housed a cannon
144
00:08:20,166 --> 00:08:23,332
that could destroy a ship
20 kilometers away.
145
00:08:23,374 --> 00:08:24,957
[men continue singing in German]
146
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[soldier speaking
over radio in German]
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[explosion thunders]
148
00:08:29,541 --> 00:08:32,082
[turret whirrs and clicks
as solider speaks over radio]
149
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[explosion thunders]
150
00:08:33,749 --> 00:08:35,624
The exact position of the ships
151
00:08:35,666 --> 00:08:39,124
was given by the Command Post
overlooking the sea.
152
00:08:39,166 --> 00:08:41,457
Each battery was
a small fortress
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00:08:41,499 --> 00:08:43,457
capable of devastating a fleet.
154
00:08:43,499 --> 00:08:46,291
[soldier speaking German
over radio]
155
00:08:46,332 --> 00:08:48,291
[explosion thunders]
156
00:09:00,041 --> 00:09:01,999
[man speaking German]
157
00:09:06,999 --> 00:09:08,541
After inspecting
the Normandy beaches,
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00:09:08,582 --> 00:09:11,249
General Rommel oversaw
their reinforcement.
159
00:09:11,291 --> 00:09:13,582
He covered them
with millions of mines
160
00:09:13,624 --> 00:09:15,582
and all kinds of obstacles.
161
00:09:15,624 --> 00:09:19,291
Many were immersed at high tide
to destroy landing craft
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00:09:19,332 --> 00:09:22,124
and stop a naval attack
at the beaches.
163
00:09:22,166 --> 00:09:24,541
Field Marshal Von Rundstedt
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00:09:24,582 --> 00:09:25,999
had 58 divisions
165
00:09:26,041 --> 00:09:27,124
under his command
166
00:09:27,166 --> 00:09:28,166
on the western front.
167
00:09:28,207 --> 00:09:29,707
39 of these,
168
00:09:29,749 --> 00:09:32,082
averaging 14,000 men each,
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00:09:32,124 --> 00:09:33,666
were placed
under Rommel's orders.
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00:09:33,707 --> 00:09:36,041
Well protected behind the wall,
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an army of engineers
developed new weapons
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00:09:39,124 --> 00:09:41,666
that could tip the war
in favor of the Axis.
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00:09:41,707 --> 00:09:43,124
[solider shouting orders
in German]
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00:09:43,166 --> 00:09:46,166
V1's, the first cruise missiles,
175
00:09:46,207 --> 00:09:49,082
and V2's,
the first rocket missiles,
176
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could be aimed at England.
177
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And once operational,
178
00:09:55,124 --> 00:09:57,082
the first jet aircraft
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00:09:57,124 --> 00:09:58,207
would be able to surpass
180
00:09:58,249 --> 00:10:00,332
the fastest Allied fighters.
181
00:10:02,166 --> 00:10:03,124
[indistinct radio chatter]
182
00:10:12,041 --> 00:10:13,291
The Russians pushed the Germans
183
00:10:13,332 --> 00:10:14,957
back to their borders.
184
00:10:14,999 --> 00:10:17,624
The Allies retook North Africa
185
00:10:17,666 --> 00:10:19,957
and surged
into Southern Italy.
186
00:10:19,999 --> 00:10:20,957
The opening of a second front
187
00:10:20,999 --> 00:10:22,124
in Western Europe
188
00:10:22,166 --> 00:10:23,499
would allow them
189
00:10:23,541 --> 00:10:25,541
to take the Third Reich
in a pincer attack.
190
00:10:25,582 --> 00:10:29,374
But first, they needed
to breach the Atlantic Wall.
191
00:10:29,416 --> 00:10:30,457
That was the aim
192
00:10:30,499 --> 00:10:32,457
of Operation Overlord,
193
00:10:32,499 --> 00:10:35,416
commanded by
an American general:
194
00:10:35,457 --> 00:10:37,416
Dwight D. Eisenhower.
195
00:10:43,249 --> 00:10:45,124
[radio static]
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00:10:45,166 --> 00:10:46,707
WOMAN [voice-over]:
Two-and-a-half-ton truck.
197
00:10:46,749 --> 00:10:49,541
A real all-rounder,
this six-wheel drive truck
198
00:10:49,582 --> 00:10:51,249
was involved everywhere,
199
00:10:51,291 --> 00:10:53,374
for all uses during
the Second World War.
200
00:10:53,416 --> 00:10:56,499
Of the 800,000 trucks made
in four years,
201
00:10:56,541 --> 00:10:59,624
more than 100,000 went
to the Soviet Army.
202
00:11:09,041 --> 00:11:10,541
BROKAW:
Since entering the war,
203
00:11:10,582 --> 00:11:13,124
the United States had developed
its military effort
204
00:11:13,166 --> 00:11:15,624
with an enormous
industrial capacity.
205
00:11:15,666 --> 00:11:18,582
The Allies had won the
Battle of the Atlantic and now,
206
00:11:18,624 --> 00:11:20,457
even England's numerous ports
207
00:11:20,499 --> 00:11:23,624
were not enough to accommodate
all the arriving ships.
208
00:11:23,666 --> 00:11:24,707
For the military forces
209
00:11:24,749 --> 00:11:27,374
of 12 different nations,
210
00:11:27,416 --> 00:11:28,541
the whole of England
211
00:11:28,582 --> 00:11:30,332
became a gigantic training camp.
212
00:11:30,374 --> 00:11:31,957
[indistinct shouting
and grunting]
213
00:11:31,999 --> 00:11:33,957
[gunfire, explosions]
214
00:11:36,457 --> 00:11:37,416
MAN:
Fire!
215
00:11:37,457 --> 00:11:38,416
[gunshot]
216
00:11:41,499 --> 00:11:43,457
[airplanes flying over]
217
00:11:52,499 --> 00:11:55,374
While the largest military
gathering in history
218
00:11:55,416 --> 00:11:57,124
prepared to invade Europe,
219
00:11:57,166 --> 00:11:58,332
the Allied Commanders
220
00:11:58,374 --> 00:11:59,624
kept the date and the place
221
00:11:59,666 --> 00:12:01,124
of the landings a secret
222
00:12:01,166 --> 00:12:03,624
until the eve of D-Day.
223
00:12:03,666 --> 00:12:08,041
The location had to
combine different imperatives:
224
00:12:08,082 --> 00:12:10,582
be near a large deep-water port
225
00:12:10,624 --> 00:12:13,541
and within the operational
radius of fighter planes
226
00:12:13,582 --> 00:12:15,249
taking off from England.
227
00:12:15,291 --> 00:12:17,041
[radar beeping]
228
00:12:17,082 --> 00:12:18,541
It had to have flat,
229
00:12:18,582 --> 00:12:22,124
wide and deep beaches
to enable thousands of men
230
00:12:22,166 --> 00:12:25,957
and their equipment to land
and quickly move inland.
231
00:12:25,999 --> 00:12:27,416
The countryside had
to be suitable
232
00:12:27,457 --> 00:12:29,457
for the construction
of makeshift airfields.
233
00:12:35,541 --> 00:12:38,374
In the end, two French locations
234
00:12:38,416 --> 00:12:40,249
fit all the criteria best:
235
00:12:40,291 --> 00:12:41,249
the Calais area
236
00:12:41,291 --> 00:12:44,457
and Western Normandy.
237
00:12:44,499 --> 00:12:46,541
By deciphering
the codes generated
238
00:12:46,582 --> 00:12:48,624
by the Reich's coding
machine, Enigma,
239
00:12:48,666 --> 00:12:50,666
the Allies knew
that Hitler's generals
240
00:12:50,707 --> 00:12:53,624
were expecting a landing
around Calais.
241
00:12:53,666 --> 00:12:54,957
[man speaking German]
242
00:12:56,624 --> 00:13:00,707
This big port was on
the quickest route to Germany.
243
00:13:00,749 --> 00:13:03,374
Thus, it was the most
heavily protected section
244
00:13:03,416 --> 00:13:05,249
of the Atlantic Wall.
245
00:13:05,291 --> 00:13:08,666
So the Allied planners
chose Normandy.
246
00:13:08,707 --> 00:13:10,499
Although further from England,
247
00:13:10,541 --> 00:13:13,124
it was also
more lightly defended.
248
00:13:13,166 --> 00:13:16,249
And if the bridges
over the Loire and the Seine
249
00:13:16,291 --> 00:13:18,499
were destroyed,
it would be difficult
250
00:13:18,541 --> 00:13:21,207
for German reinforcements
to access.
251
00:13:25,541 --> 00:13:27,499
♪♪
252
00:13:36,749 --> 00:13:38,707
[indistinct radio chatter]
253
00:13:47,666 --> 00:13:49,541
[fighter plane engines
fading into distance]
254
00:13:49,582 --> 00:13:52,124
To increase the element
of surprise,
255
00:13:52,166 --> 00:13:54,457
the Allies launched
Operation Fortitude,
256
00:13:54,499 --> 00:13:57,582
an elaborate deception plan
to encourage the Germans
257
00:13:57,624 --> 00:14:00,624
to concentrate their troops
away from Normandy.
258
00:14:02,457 --> 00:14:04,249
Double agents
reported information
259
00:14:04,291 --> 00:14:05,707
on the First U.S. Army Group
260
00:14:05,749 --> 00:14:07,541
amassing just across
from Calais,
261
00:14:07,582 --> 00:14:10,999
commanded by the legendary
General Patton.
262
00:14:11,041 --> 00:14:14,416
But these armies were fake.
263
00:14:14,457 --> 00:14:16,624
In addition,
clouds of metallic strips
264
00:14:16,666 --> 00:14:19,332
were dropped to deceive radars
spread along the coast
265
00:14:19,374 --> 00:14:22,541
and create the illusion
of a large-scale attack.
266
00:14:22,582 --> 00:14:25,582
At dawn on D-Day,
267
00:14:25,624 --> 00:14:28,666
big clouds of this chaff
were dropped around Calais.
268
00:14:28,707 --> 00:14:32,082
At the same time, the Allies
did everything possible
269
00:14:32,124 --> 00:14:34,291
to get intelligence on Normandy.
270
00:14:34,332 --> 00:14:36,624
They collected millions
of postcards
271
00:14:36,666 --> 00:14:38,499
and family photographs
of the coastline
272
00:14:38,541 --> 00:14:40,457
from before the war.
273
00:14:40,499 --> 00:14:43,166
They took aerial photographs
and sent in commandos
274
00:14:43,207 --> 00:14:45,957
to collect sand samples
from the beaches.
275
00:14:56,166 --> 00:14:57,374
But it was the French Resistance
276
00:14:57,416 --> 00:14:58,457
that supplied
277
00:14:58,499 --> 00:15:00,124
invaluable detailed information
278
00:15:00,166 --> 00:15:02,999
on the German troop
and defense positions.
279
00:15:10,457 --> 00:15:12,416
Exiled in London,
280
00:15:12,457 --> 00:15:13,541
General De Gaulle appealed
281
00:15:13,582 --> 00:15:15,249
to French men and women at home
282
00:15:15,291 --> 00:15:16,624
to rise up
283
00:15:16,666 --> 00:15:17,999
against the German occupation...
284
00:15:18,041 --> 00:15:21,291
[De Gaulle speaking French]
285
00:15:21,332 --> 00:15:23,166
...and form the Resistance,
286
00:15:23,207 --> 00:15:24,957
a real shadow army.
287
00:15:24,999 --> 00:15:26,541
Risking their lives,
288
00:15:26,582 --> 00:15:28,457
they carried out orders
sent from London.
289
00:15:28,499 --> 00:15:31,041
[train whistle blowing]
290
00:15:31,082 --> 00:15:32,707
Every evening,
291
00:15:32,749 --> 00:15:34,707
in the greatest of secrecy,
292
00:15:34,749 --> 00:15:37,457
they listened to a special
British radio program.
293
00:15:37,499 --> 00:15:39,457
[clock chiming]
294
00:15:44,207 --> 00:15:46,207
[radio static]
295
00:15:46,249 --> 00:15:48,082
[man speaking French over radio]
296
00:15:48,124 --> 00:15:51,666
These ordinary French phrases
were actually coded messages.
297
00:15:51,707 --> 00:15:54,541
And this verse
from a French poem
298
00:15:54,582 --> 00:15:56,249
formed the first part
of the signal
299
00:15:56,291 --> 00:15:58,041
that Violette and her companions
300
00:15:58,082 --> 00:16:00,249
had been expecting
for four years.
301
00:16:02,166 --> 00:16:05,207
The landing would take place
in five days' time.
302
00:16:07,041 --> 00:16:08,499
Never had an invasion
303
00:16:08,541 --> 00:16:11,082
been as well prepared
as that of Normandy.
304
00:16:11,124 --> 00:16:12,541
General Montgomery,
305
00:16:12,582 --> 00:16:15,041
who had beaten Rommel
in North Africa,
306
00:16:15,082 --> 00:16:16,957
designed the final plan.
307
00:16:16,999 --> 00:16:19,999
More than 130,000 men
308
00:16:20,041 --> 00:16:22,249
would land
on five code-named beaches:
309
00:16:22,291 --> 00:16:25,041
"Utah" and "Omaha"
for the Americans,
310
00:16:25,082 --> 00:16:27,207
"Gold" and "Sword"
for the British,
311
00:16:27,249 --> 00:16:28,999
and "Juno" for the Canadians.
312
00:16:29,041 --> 00:16:30,457
These beaches stretched
313
00:16:30,499 --> 00:16:32,541
80 kilometers along the coast.
314
00:16:32,582 --> 00:16:35,082
For the Americans,
315
00:16:35,124 --> 00:16:36,999
objective number one
was Cherbourg.
316
00:16:37,041 --> 00:16:38,457
Impossible to capture
from the sea,
317
00:16:38,499 --> 00:16:39,707
they needed to seize
318
00:16:39,749 --> 00:16:42,249
this important port
from the land.
319
00:16:48,666 --> 00:16:50,416
For the British and Canadians,
320
00:16:50,457 --> 00:16:52,582
objective number one was Caen,
321
00:16:52,624 --> 00:16:55,457
to ensure an anchor
for the Allies on the Continent
322
00:16:55,499 --> 00:16:57,624
and open the route to Paris.
323
00:16:57,666 --> 00:17:01,499
The Resistance had to carry out
sabotage operations
324
00:17:01,541 --> 00:17:04,582
to isolate Normandy
and disturb communications
325
00:17:04,624 --> 00:17:06,957
between the German
command posts.
326
00:17:06,999 --> 00:17:10,624
The date of the assault
would also be determined
327
00:17:10,666 --> 00:17:13,416
by a combination
of favorable conditions.
328
00:17:13,457 --> 00:17:15,582
Right before the landing
on the beaches,
329
00:17:15,624 --> 00:17:18,041
paratroopers would need
the darkness of night
330
00:17:18,082 --> 00:17:20,249
to secure the flanks
of the assault zone.
331
00:17:20,291 --> 00:17:22,041
But the bombers
would need a full moon
332
00:17:22,082 --> 00:17:23,541
to find their targets.
333
00:17:23,582 --> 00:17:26,457
So that night,
the full moon had to rise,
334
00:17:26,499 --> 00:17:28,249
but late.
335
00:17:29,749 --> 00:17:31,624
The morning of the landings,
336
00:17:31,666 --> 00:17:34,082
a high tide would hide
the obstacles,
337
00:17:34,124 --> 00:17:37,207
but a low tide would extend
the distance to cross.
338
00:17:37,249 --> 00:17:41,041
So the tide had
to have started rising.
339
00:17:44,666 --> 00:17:47,166
In June 1944,
340
00:17:47,207 --> 00:17:49,457
the right conditions
for both tide and moon
341
00:17:49,499 --> 00:17:51,291
would only happen in Normandy
342
00:17:51,332 --> 00:17:53,457
between the 5th and the 7th.
343
00:17:53,499 --> 00:17:57,249
A never-ending wait
in the rain began.
344
00:17:57,291 --> 00:17:59,582
[men shouting]
345
00:17:59,624 --> 00:18:03,332
ALFRED BIRRA: June 5, 1944.
346
00:18:03,374 --> 00:18:05,582
My darling Barbara,
347
00:18:05,624 --> 00:18:08,374
there aren't many men able
to sleep tonight.
348
00:18:08,416 --> 00:18:11,999
Most of us are
sitting around talking,
349
00:18:12,041 --> 00:18:16,249
generally doing what men do
when they're anxious,
350
00:18:16,291 --> 00:18:19,249
a little afraid
and not wanting to show it.
351
00:18:22,707 --> 00:18:25,207
BROKAW:
"Okay, we'll go."
352
00:18:25,249 --> 00:18:27,541
With these words
at dawn on June 5,
353
00:18:27,582 --> 00:18:31,166
after a final weather report
promising marginal conditions,
354
00:18:31,207 --> 00:18:32,624
Eisenhower launched the largest
355
00:18:32,666 --> 00:18:36,124
and most important
military operation ever.
356
00:18:36,166 --> 00:18:39,124
His letter was read
by tens of thousands of men
357
00:18:39,166 --> 00:18:41,041
embarking
on the European assault,
358
00:18:41,082 --> 00:18:43,541
and he went in person
to encourage some of them.
359
00:18:45,249 --> 00:18:46,999
In France that day,
360
00:18:47,041 --> 00:18:49,082
the German weather bureau
had not forecast
361
00:18:49,124 --> 00:18:51,207
a break in the Channel storms.
362
00:18:51,249 --> 00:18:55,457
Reassured,
Rommel left France for Germany.
363
00:18:55,499 --> 00:18:56,957
The next day, June 6,
364
00:18:56,999 --> 00:18:58,666
was his wife's birthday.
365
00:18:58,707 --> 00:19:00,624
[laughter, man speaking German]
366
00:19:02,291 --> 00:19:05,124
In Southern England,
the greatest armada of all time
367
00:19:05,166 --> 00:19:08,082
finally set sail,
heading for Normandy.
368
00:19:11,166 --> 00:19:13,124
More than 6,000 vessels
369
00:19:13,166 --> 00:19:15,416
gathered in the middle
of the Channel.
370
00:19:15,457 --> 00:19:17,124
Except for
the easily-recognizable
371
00:19:17,166 --> 00:19:19,124
four-engine bombers,
372
00:19:19,166 --> 00:19:20,666
all Allied aircraft were painted
373
00:19:20,707 --> 00:19:23,541
with white and black
invasion stripes
374
00:19:23,582 --> 00:19:25,332
that could be seen
from a great distance,
375
00:19:25,374 --> 00:19:27,541
and thus avoid friendly fire
from the ground.
376
00:19:35,999 --> 00:19:37,957
♪♪
377
00:19:44,374 --> 00:19:46,332
[man broadcasting in French]
378
00:19:52,582 --> 00:19:54,541
♪♪
379
00:20:04,457 --> 00:20:07,207
The landing would take place
the next day.
380
00:20:07,249 --> 00:20:10,457
June 6 would become...
381
00:20:10,499 --> 00:20:12,457
history.
382
00:20:16,207 --> 00:20:18,332
WOMAN [voice-over]:
C-47 Skytrain.
383
00:20:18,374 --> 00:20:20,541
This military version
of the DC-3
384
00:20:20,582 --> 00:20:22,332
was nicknamed "Dakota"
by the British.
385
00:20:22,374 --> 00:20:26,249
It was used for parachuting,
glider-towing, troop transport,
386
00:20:26,291 --> 00:20:29,624
casualty evacuation,
freight and postal delivery.
387
00:20:29,666 --> 00:20:31,457
With over 10,000 made,
388
00:20:31,499 --> 00:20:34,374
it is the most produced
transport plane in history.
389
00:20:40,332 --> 00:20:42,166
BROKAW:
The night before the landings,
390
00:20:42,207 --> 00:20:44,582
the Resistance carried out more
than 1,000 sabotage operations
391
00:20:44,624 --> 00:20:49,707
to disrupt German communications
and isolate Normandy.
392
00:20:49,749 --> 00:20:52,249
Meanwhile, in England,
393
00:20:52,291 --> 00:20:54,374
Allied airborne troops
were embarking.
394
00:21:02,082 --> 00:21:03,666
Just after midnight,
395
00:21:03,707 --> 00:21:06,207
six gliders
carrying 30 men each,
396
00:21:06,249 --> 00:21:09,666
landed between the Caen Canal
and the Orne River bridges.
397
00:21:13,374 --> 00:21:17,541
They had been mined and it was
crucial to seize them intact.
398
00:21:20,166 --> 00:21:22,457
The forces arriving later
from the beaches
399
00:21:22,499 --> 00:21:26,416
would use them to quickly
reinforce the eastern flank.
400
00:21:26,457 --> 00:21:28,416
Taken by surprise,
401
00:21:28,457 --> 00:21:31,082
both bridges were captured
and demined
402
00:21:31,124 --> 00:21:32,541
within a few minutes.
403
00:21:32,582 --> 00:21:34,457
An hour later, to the west,
404
00:21:34,499 --> 00:21:37,041
the arrival of two
American Airborne divisions
405
00:21:37,082 --> 00:21:39,041
was much tougher.
406
00:21:43,332 --> 00:21:45,291
[artillery thundering]
407
00:21:49,249 --> 00:21:51,957
The 13,000 American paratroopers
408
00:21:51,999 --> 00:21:53,957
were dropped from their C-47s
409
00:21:53,999 --> 00:21:56,457
over a huge area
behind Utah Beach,
410
00:21:56,499 --> 00:21:58,166
many far from their targets
411
00:21:58,207 --> 00:21:59,999
around Sainte-Mere-Eglise
412
00:22:00,041 --> 00:22:01,624
and Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont.
413
00:22:01,666 --> 00:22:06,291
The Germans had flooded much
of the area behind the beaches,
414
00:22:06,332 --> 00:22:09,624
and dozens of paratroopers
drowned on landing.
415
00:22:11,249 --> 00:22:13,624
Undetected by the Germans,
the armada,
416
00:22:13,666 --> 00:22:15,666
led by cruisers and battleships,
417
00:22:15,707 --> 00:22:17,166
dropped anchor about
418
00:22:17,207 --> 00:22:19,249
20 kilometers from the coast,
419
00:22:19,291 --> 00:22:22,624
most of them out of range
of German artillery batteries.
420
00:22:28,749 --> 00:22:30,582
Despite their famous "crickets,"
421
00:22:30,624 --> 00:22:32,666
which were intended
to help paratroopers
422
00:22:32,707 --> 00:22:34,707
find each other at night,
nearly half were missing.
423
00:22:34,749 --> 00:22:36,207
["Cricket" clickers clicking]
424
00:22:36,249 --> 00:22:38,041
But Sainte-Mere-Eglise was taken
425
00:22:38,082 --> 00:22:40,707
and thus, the Americans
controlled the Cherbourg road.
426
00:22:40,749 --> 00:22:42,957
The position had to be held
427
00:22:42,999 --> 00:22:45,457
until reinforcements
could arrive from Utah Beach.
428
00:22:47,082 --> 00:22:48,207
Soldiers were transferred
429
00:22:48,249 --> 00:22:50,166
from troop ships
to landing craft,
430
00:22:50,207 --> 00:22:52,249
each with 32 men.
431
00:22:53,624 --> 00:22:55,582
The Longues-sur-Mer
artillery battery
432
00:22:55,624 --> 00:22:58,707
was right in the middle
of the Allied landing zone.
433
00:23:02,166 --> 00:23:04,999
At dawn on June 6,
434
00:23:05,041 --> 00:23:06,957
the horizon was hidden by fog.
435
00:23:12,332 --> 00:23:13,541
[gasps]
436
00:23:17,124 --> 00:23:19,457
[whispering]:
Oh, my God.
437
00:23:19,499 --> 00:23:21,041
[speaks German]
438
00:23:21,082 --> 00:23:23,249
Sie kommen.
439
00:23:32,207 --> 00:23:33,707
[explosion thunders]
440
00:23:33,749 --> 00:23:36,624
BROKAW: While the landing craft
approached the shore,
441
00:23:36,666 --> 00:23:39,499
Allied ships blasted
the German coastal defenses.
442
00:23:39,541 --> 00:23:41,666
The firepower became apocalyptic
443
00:23:41,707 --> 00:23:45,291
when hundreds of bombers
took over from the fleet.
444
00:23:48,082 --> 00:23:50,499
Flying along the coastline,
445
00:23:50,541 --> 00:23:52,707
medium-size bombers dropped
their bombs
446
00:23:52,749 --> 00:23:54,541
on Utah Beach fortifications--
447
00:23:54,582 --> 00:23:56,249
targeted strikes that destroyed
448
00:23:56,291 --> 00:23:58,249
most positions along the shore.
449
00:24:02,582 --> 00:24:05,041
At the same time,
over Omaha Beach,
450
00:24:05,082 --> 00:24:07,416
heavy bombers attempted
a frontal attack.
451
00:24:07,457 --> 00:24:09,957
Lack of visibility
and fear of hitting
452
00:24:09,999 --> 00:24:12,166
their own landing craft
delayed their bombing
453
00:24:12,207 --> 00:24:13,541
for a few seconds.
454
00:24:15,749 --> 00:24:17,541
So, despite the bombing,
455
00:24:17,582 --> 00:24:21,457
the defenses of Omaha Beach
remained intact.
456
00:24:21,499 --> 00:24:23,582
Strong currents pushed
457
00:24:23,624 --> 00:24:26,624
the first assault waves
nearly two kilometers south,
458
00:24:26,666 --> 00:24:28,166
fortunately for them.
459
00:24:28,207 --> 00:24:30,207
Here, the German defenses
were lighter.
460
00:24:30,249 --> 00:24:33,666
The follow-on convoys were
directed to the same location.
461
00:24:39,207 --> 00:24:42,124
Many of the amphibious tanks
leading the attack
462
00:24:42,166 --> 00:24:43,624
sank with their crew.
463
00:24:43,666 --> 00:24:46,457
Just behind,
the first waves of infantry
464
00:24:46,499 --> 00:24:48,457
were sent
into a ten-kilometer front
465
00:24:48,499 --> 00:24:50,457
without any protection.
466
00:24:58,666 --> 00:25:00,374
The battery at the top
467
00:25:00,416 --> 00:25:02,041
of Pointe Du Hoc
468
00:25:02,082 --> 00:25:03,166
was still a threat
469
00:25:03,207 --> 00:25:04,541
to both Utah and Omaha beaches.
470
00:25:04,582 --> 00:25:07,332
After sustained bombing,
225 U.S. Rangers
471
00:25:07,374 --> 00:25:10,291
stormed the eastern flank
of the cliff
472
00:25:10,332 --> 00:25:12,541
to neutralize those guns.
473
00:25:12,582 --> 00:25:14,166
The climb to the cliff top
474
00:25:14,207 --> 00:25:16,166
and the subsequent fighting
were murderous...
475
00:25:16,207 --> 00:25:17,707
[gunshot, soldier grunts]
476
00:25:17,749 --> 00:25:20,541
...but 20 minutes after
the start of the assault,
477
00:25:20,582 --> 00:25:22,082
the bunkers were captured.
478
00:25:22,124 --> 00:25:24,082
[gunfire]
479
00:25:28,499 --> 00:25:29,999
The brave Rangers discovered
480
00:25:30,041 --> 00:25:32,499
the feared cannons were not
in the bunkers.
481
00:25:32,541 --> 00:25:34,707
Hidden a kilometer away,
482
00:25:34,749 --> 00:25:37,416
they would be found
and destroyed.
483
00:25:46,499 --> 00:25:47,582
In the British sector,
484
00:25:47,624 --> 00:25:49,166
the tide had begun to rise.
485
00:25:49,207 --> 00:25:51,374
At last, the assault began.
486
00:25:51,416 --> 00:25:54,666
JACKIE LANDREAUX:
June 6, 1944.
487
00:25:54,707 --> 00:25:57,332
Papa went to look on the beach
and shouted,
488
00:25:57,374 --> 00:25:58,999
"English ships!
489
00:25:59,041 --> 00:26:00,166
The Allies are coming!"
490
00:26:00,207 --> 00:26:02,291
Shells whistled
and burst over us.
491
00:26:02,332 --> 00:26:04,249
Our final hour had come.
492
00:26:04,291 --> 00:26:05,999
Suddenly,
the shots were further apart.
493
00:26:06,041 --> 00:26:08,124
We went outside, and Papa went
to check on Mrs. Dumont.
494
00:26:08,166 --> 00:26:09,957
He returned quickly.
495
00:26:09,999 --> 00:26:11,416
"She has a wounded Englishman."
496
00:26:11,457 --> 00:26:12,999
We were to nurse him.
497
00:26:13,041 --> 00:26:14,249
He gave me four sweets,
498
00:26:14,291 --> 00:26:16,124
and I heard
my first English words.
499
00:26:16,166 --> 00:26:18,624
"Thank you."
500
00:26:22,499 --> 00:26:24,957
BROKAW:
Close to 25,000 British soldiers
501
00:26:24,999 --> 00:26:27,041
landed
on a five-kilometer front
502
00:26:27,082 --> 00:26:30,124
to the east of the planned site.
503
00:26:30,166 --> 00:26:32,582
Their mission
was to capture Bayeux,
504
00:26:32,624 --> 00:26:35,582
but first to take the high
ground overlooking Arromanches.
505
00:26:48,374 --> 00:26:50,541
With French soldiers
from Kieffer's Commando leading,
506
00:26:50,582 --> 00:26:52,124
29,000 men landed
507
00:26:52,166 --> 00:26:53,457
at the set time.
508
00:26:54,624 --> 00:26:56,624
[gunfire]
509
00:27:00,582 --> 00:27:02,541
After crossing Pegasus Bridge,
510
00:27:02,582 --> 00:27:05,457
they were set up
on both banks of the Orne River.
511
00:27:05,499 --> 00:27:08,291
Then, joining up with
the Canadians of Juno Beach,
512
00:27:08,332 --> 00:27:11,124
they had to capture Caen
before nightfall.
513
00:27:11,166 --> 00:27:14,374
In Juno's western sector,
514
00:27:14,416 --> 00:27:17,374
seven amphibious tanks
out of 29 sank.
515
00:27:17,416 --> 00:27:19,041
But the Canadians,
516
00:27:19,082 --> 00:27:21,124
determined to take
their revenge for Dieppe,
517
00:27:21,166 --> 00:27:23,291
overcame fierce
German resistance.
518
00:27:23,332 --> 00:27:25,541
[soldiers shouting]
519
00:27:29,582 --> 00:27:31,207
Their mission:
520
00:27:31,249 --> 00:27:33,124
Join up with the British
from Sword Beach
521
00:27:33,166 --> 00:27:35,124
and capture the Caen airfield.
522
00:27:35,166 --> 00:27:38,249
At the German headquarters,
confusion reigned.
523
00:27:38,291 --> 00:27:41,082
[men speaking German]
524
00:27:41,124 --> 00:27:43,249
They were awaiting
Hitler's orders,
525
00:27:43,291 --> 00:27:44,666
yet the only order he had given
526
00:27:44,707 --> 00:27:47,666
was to not be awaken
before 9:00 a.m.
527
00:27:50,707 --> 00:27:53,124
Still trapped
between German crossfire
528
00:27:53,166 --> 00:27:54,582
and the rising tide,
529
00:27:54,624 --> 00:27:57,707
American troops
were being decimated.
530
00:27:57,749 --> 00:28:00,124
Then, eight destroyers
charged toward the beach
531
00:28:00,166 --> 00:28:01,457
at flank speed from the sea.
532
00:28:01,499 --> 00:28:02,624
They came in close
533
00:28:02,666 --> 00:28:04,582
to fire on the deadly cannons.
534
00:28:04,624 --> 00:28:07,124
The shots were spot on.
535
00:28:07,166 --> 00:28:08,499
Taking advantage
536
00:28:08,541 --> 00:28:10,249
of this unexpected support,
537
00:28:10,291 --> 00:28:11,374
small groups broke through
538
00:28:11,416 --> 00:28:13,707
the German defense lines.
539
00:28:13,749 --> 00:28:15,582
Aiming for
the Orne River bridges,
540
00:28:15,624 --> 00:28:17,582
heavy bombers dropped more
541
00:28:17,624 --> 00:28:20,374
than 150 tons of bombs on Caen.
542
00:28:25,332 --> 00:28:27,207
DENISE HAREL: We heard
aircraft hovering above.
543
00:28:27,249 --> 00:28:29,541
Boom! We hid in the bathroom.
544
00:28:29,582 --> 00:28:30,666
I was facing my cousin,
545
00:28:30,707 --> 00:28:32,457
who smiled at me one last time
546
00:28:32,499 --> 00:28:34,707
as a second bomb fell
on the house next-door.
547
00:28:34,749 --> 00:28:36,666
Everything collapsed.
548
00:28:36,707 --> 00:28:38,541
Therese and I were buried
under the rubble.
549
00:28:38,582 --> 00:28:40,666
We fell all the way
through the cellar
550
00:28:40,707 --> 00:28:43,624
and we had two floors
and the attic on top of us.
551
00:28:43,666 --> 00:28:45,999
Therese said nothing.
552
00:28:46,041 --> 00:28:50,207
She was next to me and her
right arm was around my waist.
553
00:28:50,249 --> 00:28:52,124
I was begging
to get me out of there
554
00:28:52,166 --> 00:28:53,166
as quickly as possible...
555
00:28:53,207 --> 00:28:54,957
[bombs thundering, rumbling]
556
00:28:54,999 --> 00:28:56,082
...and they brought me here,
557
00:28:56,124 --> 00:28:58,249
into the shelter.
558
00:29:01,041 --> 00:29:02,957
BROKAW: Now back in France,
559
00:29:02,999 --> 00:29:05,166
Rommel learned that Hitler
had finally agreed
560
00:29:05,207 --> 00:29:07,624
to release some of
the reserve armored divisions.
561
00:29:07,666 --> 00:29:09,707
The 21st Panzer Division
562
00:29:09,749 --> 00:29:11,082
launched a counterattack
563
00:29:11,124 --> 00:29:12,499
and reached the coast,
564
00:29:12,541 --> 00:29:14,624
but outnumbered and surrounded,
565
00:29:14,666 --> 00:29:16,957
it withdrew
to the north of Caen.
566
00:29:18,166 --> 00:29:19,124
Sainte-Mere-Eglise
567
00:29:19,166 --> 00:29:20,457
was now seized,
568
00:29:20,499 --> 00:29:21,957
the road to Cherbourg
569
00:29:21,999 --> 00:29:23,957
was in the hands
of the U.S. Army,
570
00:29:23,999 --> 00:29:25,124
and around Sainte-Marie Du Mont,
571
00:29:25,166 --> 00:29:26,957
the bridgehead
was firmly secured
572
00:29:26,999 --> 00:29:28,624
behind Utah Beach.
573
00:29:36,999 --> 00:29:39,124
Mission accomplished.
574
00:29:39,166 --> 00:29:41,249
Arromanches was liberated,
and the British reached
575
00:29:41,291 --> 00:29:44,249
the outskirts of Bayeux,
miraculously spared.
576
00:29:44,291 --> 00:29:46,166
[bells tolling]
577
00:29:48,207 --> 00:29:49,249
Of all the Allied troops
578
00:29:49,291 --> 00:29:51,374
that landed at dawn,
579
00:29:51,416 --> 00:29:53,957
the Canadians pushed deepest
into the countryside,
580
00:29:53,999 --> 00:29:56,166
but they were stopped
north of Caen.
581
00:29:57,374 --> 00:29:59,541
The troops landed on the beach,
582
00:29:59,582 --> 00:30:02,082
succeeded in joining
the Airborne Division.
583
00:30:02,124 --> 00:30:04,624
Near Pegasus Bridge,
584
00:30:04,666 --> 00:30:06,166
the cafe Gondree
585
00:30:06,207 --> 00:30:08,499
became the first
liberated house in France.
586
00:30:12,249 --> 00:30:14,207
The eastern flank was secured,
587
00:30:14,249 --> 00:30:16,457
but Caen remained
out of reach.
588
00:30:16,499 --> 00:30:19,041
As soon as the battles
were over on the beaches,
589
00:30:19,082 --> 00:30:21,249
reinforcements arrived
without waiting
590
00:30:21,291 --> 00:30:23,249
for a real port to be seized.
591
00:30:24,999 --> 00:30:26,582
At Omaha, the bridgehead
592
00:30:26,624 --> 00:30:28,582
was very thin.
593
00:30:28,624 --> 00:30:31,457
Soldiers and civilians
suffered heavy losses,
594
00:30:31,499 --> 00:30:33,416
but the landing was a success.
595
00:30:33,457 --> 00:30:35,624
By the evening of June 6,
596
00:30:35,666 --> 00:30:38,082
the Allied forces
had opened up a large breach
597
00:30:38,124 --> 00:30:40,082
in the Atlantic Wall.
598
00:30:55,249 --> 00:30:58,249
MELVIN B. FARRELL:
June 6, 1944.
599
00:30:58,291 --> 00:31:00,124
It all seemed unreal.
600
00:31:00,166 --> 00:31:01,999
This section was
under intense fire
601
00:31:02,041 --> 00:31:04,332
from the pillboxes
we could see on the hill.
602
00:31:04,374 --> 00:31:08,249
Every fifth machine gun bullet
is a tracer, glowing red.
603
00:31:08,291 --> 00:31:10,499
They're so dense
and crisscrossed.
604
00:31:10,541 --> 00:31:13,207
You can't believe anyone
can get through it alive.
605
00:31:13,249 --> 00:31:16,374
I wonder if I'll ever be able
to forget all this.
606
00:31:18,207 --> 00:31:20,999
BROKAW: The "Longest Day"
was finally over,
607
00:31:21,041 --> 00:31:22,541
but in Normandy,
608
00:31:22,582 --> 00:31:24,957
the "Longest Summer"
was just beginning.
609
00:31:27,332 --> 00:31:29,166
WOMAN [voice-over]:
Bulldozer.
610
00:31:29,207 --> 00:31:31,291
This humble workhorse,
neglected by history,
611
00:31:31,332 --> 00:31:34,374
played a vital role in
the early hours of the landing,
612
00:31:34,416 --> 00:31:37,124
clearing obstacles
and leveling the beaches.
613
00:31:37,166 --> 00:31:40,457
Later, it cleared roads,
dug passages through hedges,
614
00:31:40,499 --> 00:31:42,124
plowed under the mine fields,
615
00:31:42,166 --> 00:31:45,541
and most importantly,
created makeshift runways.
616
00:31:51,291 --> 00:31:52,999
BROKAW:
Now the Allied Forces
617
00:31:53,041 --> 00:31:55,541
had to fight Hitler's armies
on their own ground.
618
00:31:55,582 --> 00:31:58,082
A major port was essential,
619
00:31:58,124 --> 00:32:00,124
but Cherbourg
was not yet taken,
620
00:32:00,166 --> 00:32:03,541
and that's why the Allies
brought two artificial ports
621
00:32:03,582 --> 00:32:07,124
over from England and
began setting them up on June 7:
622
00:32:07,166 --> 00:32:09,582
Mulberry A and Mulberry B,
623
00:32:09,624 --> 00:32:12,374
also known as Port Winston.
624
00:32:12,416 --> 00:32:15,666
The breakwaters were made
of 6,000-ton concrete blocks,
625
00:32:15,707 --> 00:32:17,457
built in England.
626
00:32:17,499 --> 00:32:20,249
These floating caissons
were towed across the Channel.
627
00:32:20,291 --> 00:32:21,582
Once in Normandy,
628
00:32:21,624 --> 00:32:23,666
their bottoms opened up
to allow water in,
629
00:32:23,707 --> 00:32:25,999
and they sank to the seabed.
630
00:32:28,124 --> 00:32:30,457
Having demarcated
the calm water area,
631
00:32:30,499 --> 00:32:32,457
the floating piers
were installed.
632
00:32:34,291 --> 00:32:35,249
The piers were built
633
00:32:35,291 --> 00:32:36,999
on a special sliding system
634
00:32:37,041 --> 00:32:38,166
that allowed them to float
635
00:32:38,207 --> 00:32:39,624
up and down with the tide.
636
00:32:39,666 --> 00:32:42,124
The harbor was large
and deep enough
637
00:32:42,166 --> 00:32:43,624
to accommodate
the biggest ships.
638
00:32:48,499 --> 00:32:50,582
Only ten days after D-Day,
639
00:32:50,624 --> 00:32:52,291
each Mulberry was able
640
00:32:52,332 --> 00:32:54,582
to disembark thousands
of equipped men,
641
00:32:54,624 --> 00:32:56,207
hundreds of vehicles
642
00:32:56,249 --> 00:32:58,957
and up to 7,000 tons
of supplies a day.
643
00:33:02,374 --> 00:33:06,124
Mulberry A was destroyed
by a violent storm on June 19.
644
00:33:08,166 --> 00:33:10,457
Desperate to reach
their top priority objective,
645
00:33:10,499 --> 00:33:12,166
the Americans,
led by General Collins,
646
00:33:12,207 --> 00:33:14,124
captured fortress Cherbourg
647
00:33:14,166 --> 00:33:16,124
just 20 days after D-Day.
648
00:33:17,707 --> 00:33:20,249
The Cherbourg harbor,
badly damaged by the Germans,
649
00:33:20,291 --> 00:33:22,249
was once again
made functional by August,
650
00:33:22,291 --> 00:33:25,082
and for months, it was
the busiest port in the world.
651
00:33:25,124 --> 00:33:28,999
Fuel came via a pipeline
under the Channel.
652
00:33:31,999 --> 00:33:34,457
The Germans tried to use
the railway lines,
653
00:33:34,499 --> 00:33:36,541
but Allied aerial supremacy
was total.
654
00:33:45,624 --> 00:33:47,999
♪♪
655
00:33:54,332 --> 00:33:56,457
[gunshots]
656
00:34:04,707 --> 00:34:06,666
Montgomery's main objective
657
00:34:06,707 --> 00:34:08,624
was finally captured on July 9,
658
00:34:08,666 --> 00:34:10,374
after several attempts,
659
00:34:10,416 --> 00:34:13,582
and with considerable
British and Canadian losses.
660
00:34:21,749 --> 00:34:25,124
MAJOR EDWARD R. HARGREAVES:
Sunday, 23rd of July.
661
00:34:25,166 --> 00:34:26,999
Many French civilians
have returned
662
00:34:27,041 --> 00:34:28,999
to what remains
of their villages.
663
00:34:29,041 --> 00:34:31,457
It is very touching to see
how they take care
664
00:34:31,499 --> 00:34:34,041
of the graves of our soldiers.
665
00:34:34,082 --> 00:34:36,582
It was often impossible
to bury them in the cemetery
666
00:34:36,624 --> 00:34:38,999
during the heat of the battle...
667
00:34:42,124 --> 00:34:45,374
...and the men are often buried
where they fell.
668
00:34:49,499 --> 00:34:51,416
BROKAW: When preparing Overlord,
669
00:34:51,457 --> 00:34:54,457
the Allied commanders
had not taken into account
670
00:34:54,499 --> 00:34:57,207
the height and the thickness
of the Normandy hedgerows.
671
00:34:57,249 --> 00:34:59,249
The Germans
knew this terrain well
672
00:34:59,291 --> 00:35:01,582
and used the hedgerows
to carry out ambushes
673
00:35:01,624 --> 00:35:05,416
and to set up stubborn defenses.
674
00:35:05,457 --> 00:35:07,207
The deadly
Battle of the Hedgerows
675
00:35:07,249 --> 00:35:09,124
lasted until late July.
676
00:35:09,166 --> 00:35:10,957
On the 19th, Saint-Lo,
677
00:35:10,999 --> 00:35:12,624
or what was left of it,
678
00:35:12,666 --> 00:35:14,666
was liberated by the Americans.
679
00:35:14,707 --> 00:35:16,957
95% destroyed,
680
00:35:16,999 --> 00:35:19,457
it had become a martyr city.
681
00:35:22,499 --> 00:35:25,666
After the American
breakthrough on July 25,
682
00:35:25,707 --> 00:35:27,999
Hitler ordered
four armored divisions
683
00:35:28,041 --> 00:35:30,582
into a counterattack
west toward Mortain
684
00:35:30,624 --> 00:35:33,249
in an attempt to split
the American advance.
685
00:35:34,666 --> 00:35:36,624
The Tiger was
the most powerful German tank
686
00:35:36,666 --> 00:35:38,624
and the most feared.
687
00:35:50,082 --> 00:35:52,291
But the Allied forces had become
688
00:35:52,332 --> 00:35:54,124
real "tank killers."
689
00:36:04,624 --> 00:36:07,124
The Germans had to fall back
to the east,
690
00:36:07,166 --> 00:36:09,207
giving the Allies
an opportunity
691
00:36:09,249 --> 00:36:12,166
to capture several
German divisions in a trap:
692
00:36:12,207 --> 00:36:14,166
the Falaise pocket.
693
00:36:14,207 --> 00:36:17,124
Spearheaded by Polish
and Canadian divisions,
694
00:36:17,166 --> 00:36:18,332
the Allied pincers eventually
695
00:36:18,374 --> 00:36:20,624
snapped shut on August 19.
696
00:36:28,291 --> 00:36:31,707
40,000 Germans had surrendered
by August 21.
697
00:36:31,749 --> 00:36:34,082
100 days after D-Day,
698
00:36:34,124 --> 00:36:36,499
the Battle of Normandy
was finally over.
699
00:36:36,541 --> 00:36:39,166
The road to Paris was now open.
700
00:36:43,291 --> 00:36:44,957
WOMAN [voice-over]:
The Jeep.
701
00:36:44,999 --> 00:36:47,624
Today, we might argue
about how the Jeep got its name,
702
00:36:47,666 --> 00:36:50,957
but everyone considers
this four-wheel drive vehicle
703
00:36:50,999 --> 00:36:52,707
a symbol of the liberation
of Europe.
704
00:36:52,749 --> 00:36:54,957
According to Eisenhower,
705
00:36:54,999 --> 00:36:57,332
the bulldozer,
the two-and-a-half-ton truck,
706
00:36:57,374 --> 00:37:00,249
the C-47 Skytrain and the Jeep
707
00:37:00,291 --> 00:37:02,249
are the keys to victory.
708
00:37:04,999 --> 00:37:06,374
BROKAW:
The human cost
709
00:37:06,416 --> 00:37:09,082
of the Battle of Normandy
was enormous:
710
00:37:09,124 --> 00:37:12,249
more than 200,000
Allied dead or wounded,
711
00:37:12,291 --> 00:37:14,957
and nearly 400,000 dead,
712
00:37:14,999 --> 00:37:17,124
wounded or captured
on the German side.
713
00:37:17,166 --> 00:37:21,124
The Norman civilian toll
was also very heavy:
714
00:37:21,166 --> 00:37:22,999
up to 20,000 dead,
715
00:37:23,041 --> 00:37:25,207
mostly victims of the bombing
of their cities.
716
00:37:25,249 --> 00:37:27,499
But the course
of the Second World War
717
00:37:27,541 --> 00:37:30,457
had definitively shifted
in favor of the Allies.
718
00:37:38,291 --> 00:37:40,124
On August 25,
719
00:37:40,166 --> 00:37:41,624
General Leclerc's
2nd Armored Division
720
00:37:41,666 --> 00:37:42,666
helped Parisian insurgents
721
00:37:42,707 --> 00:37:44,666
to liberate their city,
722
00:37:44,707 --> 00:37:45,957
and General De Gaulle,
723
00:37:45,999 --> 00:37:47,332
leader of a Free France,
724
00:37:47,374 --> 00:37:48,541
could march triumphantly
725
00:37:48,582 --> 00:37:50,541
down the Champs-Elysees.
726
00:37:50,582 --> 00:37:51,582
Throughout winter,
727
00:37:51,624 --> 00:37:53,332
the Allied forces fought on
728
00:37:53,374 --> 00:37:56,082
in severe conditions
in Belgium and the Netherlands.
729
00:37:56,124 --> 00:37:59,666
It was not until May 1945
that they finally forced
730
00:37:59,707 --> 00:38:02,957
the Third Reich
into an unconditional surrender.
731
00:38:02,999 --> 00:38:06,541
And on September 2, 1945,
732
00:38:06,582 --> 00:38:08,457
with Japan's surrender,
733
00:38:08,499 --> 00:38:10,999
six years exactly
after its beginning,
734
00:38:11,041 --> 00:38:13,707
World War ll finally ended.
735
00:38:13,749 --> 00:38:17,624
It resulted in over
60 million victims worldwide,
736
00:38:17,666 --> 00:38:20,082
military and civilian.
737
00:38:20,124 --> 00:38:22,082
♪♪
738
00:38:37,582 --> 00:38:39,541
♪♪
739
00:38:47,582 --> 00:38:49,541
♪♪
740
00:38:57,582 --> 00:39:00,457
♪♪
741
00:39:16,249 --> 00:39:18,207
♪♪
742
00:39:27,666 --> 00:39:29,624
♪♪
743
00:39:38,707 --> 00:39:40,666
♪♪
744
00:39:48,749 --> 00:39:51,207
Today, there still are wars,
745
00:39:51,249 --> 00:39:54,207
in one place or another
on our planet...
746
00:39:54,249 --> 00:39:56,624
but most of us live freely,
747
00:39:56,666 --> 00:39:58,957
in a relatively peaceful world.
748
00:39:59,707 --> 00:40:01,291
While the last witnesses
749
00:40:01,332 --> 00:40:03,957
of the Second World War
are departing forever,
750
00:40:03,999 --> 00:40:07,124
let us not forget what millions
of men and women
751
00:40:07,166 --> 00:40:09,666
had to suffer
in order to leave us
752
00:40:09,707 --> 00:40:11,666
a better world.
753
00:40:16,749 --> 00:40:18,582
Let us be grateful to those
754
00:40:18,624 --> 00:40:20,166
who gave everything,
755
00:40:20,207 --> 00:40:22,124
including their lives,
756
00:40:22,166 --> 00:40:24,124
for our liberty.
757
00:40:26,582 --> 00:40:29,124
♪♪
758
00:41:04,166 --> 00:41:06,124
♪♪
759
00:41:34,166 --> 00:41:36,124
♪♪
760
00:42:04,166 --> 00:42:06,124
♪♪
761
00:42:34,166 --> 00:42:36,124
♪♪
762
00:42:41,999 --> 00:42:44,249
[music ends]
55255
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