Eisenhower's Final Push: The Battle For Germany | Battlezone | War Stories

[Music] my [Music] so [Music] summer 1944 57 000 german prisoners are assembled in the outskirts of moscow [Music] for three years these soldiers have dreamt of parading in moscow but not like this as prisoners of war the battle of russia is over the battle of germany is about to begin [Music] russian water trucks clean the streets after the germans of paris the last retreating german soldiers have abandoned the crimea the ukraine white russia the baltic sebastopol odessa jittermir [Music] and [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] autumn 1944 in the east the soviet armies have entered poland but they mark time outside warsaw romania and bulgaria are occupied chito and his partisans have liberated belgrade in the west the allies have liberated france belgium and most of holland but several ports are still in german hands ryan nora shell laurion brest and above all dunkirk on the western front held in the north by the british in the center by the americans and in the south by the french the allies are now on germany's doorstep how will this last blow to the third right be delivered opinion in the allied supreme command is divided general eisenhower supreme commander wants to attack along the whole front field marshall montgomery wants to concentrate his forces on one point the roar and to make a grand coup beating the russians with a turn of speed this is churchill's own old obsession but eisenhower won't give in his obsession is with the lines of communication the thousands of provision lorries which night and day carries supplies munitions and above all fuel across france and belgium the drivers have nicknamed this infernal round trip the red ball express mid-september 1944 the american first army under general hodges penetrates german characters and quickly discovers that this isn't going to be a military parade [Music] in one month the americans advance only six miles it's the 10th of october before they enter the first big german town arkham a german division sent from east prussia receives hitler's personal order to defend the town street by street house by house [Music] but after ten days of fighting in the streets the capital of charmander's first empire the town where hitler proclaimed the third reich falls into the hands of the americans eisenhower should be content but he's still worried each battle costs dearly in human lives now that the vermont is defending german soil and winter is coming the mechanized divisions are already paralyzed by the muddy conditions and to crown everything american presidential elections are being held in november delegations of representatives and senators follow each other up to the front politicians are suspicious of those two glamorous generals like patton for example who slaps his soldiers faces and gets away with it claire build loose is a charming lady however her husband henry loose is one of the biggest american magazine publishers and the electors don't love those who send their boys to be slaughtered the soldiers themselves vote on the first tuesday in november 1944 and together with the whole of america they choose as president franklin delano resident his fourth term of office [Music] since october eisenhower has slowed up his land operations he believes he has a trump card to play the use of unrestricted aircraft which has been embodied in one englishman air marshal sir arthur harris nicknamed bomber harris he has two objectives to break german morale and to destroy nazi industry for two years 8 000 british and american bombers based in britain has systematically bombed germany 24 hours a day seven days a week by night the british four injured lancaster bombers by day the american flying fortresses an air offenses which since 1942 bomber harris's stove has made more and more effective [Music] [Music] a 1 000 plane strike over germany is a gigantic operation timed to the last second in the briefing room the teams are told at the last moment their objective today it's the roar the happy valley as it's called it's a difficult target but at least it's not far away synchronize your watches depart 0-5-10 one plane a minute thank you and good [Music] luck [Music] and one thousand boeing b-17s the flying fortresses take off from 20 different aeroderms scattered throughout the south of england [Music] they rendezvous at 0-630 over the suffolk coast those who arrive first must circle and wait for the last to arrive everyone's here let's go estimated time over the target 07.47 the eleven crew members are dry mouthed the pilot comes from texas and has done scarcely a hundred flying hours he's been told just follow the man in front of you and everything will be all right the gunners are in the open air in a temperature of minus 30 degrees none with coal one seconds in attention and the german fighters will be on them at 400 miles an hour [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] after the measurements they meet the anti-aircraft defenses flak no way of avoiding it one must go straight through trying to forget that one plane in ten will not be coming back [Music] only the lucky could survive 30 missions before finishing their tour [Music] at last the target area the bomb aimer takes his time if he's unsuccessful they'll have to make a second trip to this deadly place [Music] back at base the ground crews who've been waiting for hours count the returning planes first the crippled ones [Music] in the control tower the urgent voices of the pilots come through on the radio short of fuel request priority landing gear jam request priority three wounded on board request priority of the 11 000 american airmen who left this morning how many will return to their bases [Music] in a few months the american air force has lost 4 700 men a british bomber cruise only one in six survive [Music] several allied machines were outstanding the mosquito a british two engine plane faster than the german fighters made of wood and flying low it could evade the radar screen [Music] it climbed rapidly and destroyed its targets with pin brick accuracy it lived up to his name [Music] the lightning the mustang and the thunderbolt were the long-range american escort fighters since the summer of 44 they've covered the bombers and savage the german fighters [Music] the allies are inventing bigger and more powerful bombs the british inventor barnes wallis invents the blockbuster a 10 ton monster just one of these bombs is capable of destroying an entire [Music] factory [Music] [Applause] from the roar to silesia german industry is in ruins the essen steelworks the ball bearing factories of shrinefoot the synthetic petrol refineries of products are reduced to twisted steel skeletons but air marshal harris is mistaken the air force cannot win the war dispersed throughout germany machines are still turning faster than ever german industry has never been more productive one man is responsible for this phenomenon albert spear 36 years old an architect hitler had appointed him to reorganize german war production it was because i had found another system of organization for example under the military production was directed purely by the officers who were responsible for the production of arms for the various forces whereas i chose the most competent industrialists and the best technicians and it was a new organization of technicians who were placed in charge of all the industries yes but given that there were so many germans at the front that there were so many taken prisoner wounded or dead how was it that in spite of everything production was able to continue naturally it was a problem we needed workers and thousands were brought in thousands of workmen from the occupied countries at that time the german industrialists are pleased with hairspear and the nazi party who furnish them with a free workforce millions of forced workers and refugees at the price of millions of lives germany multiplies her production of armaments 10-fold 41 000 guns 8 times more than in 1940 and 27 000 tanks 12 times more than in 1940 in the autumn of 1944 hitler swears he won't be defeated while his generals consider the war is lost and secretly dream of a separate peace with the western allies so that they can attack russia together hitler thinks about a dramatic coup the object of hitler's plan is to take the port of antwerp and to cut off the british forces in the north from the american forces in the south for that he wants to use the old invasion route taken in 1914 and again in 1940 the ardenne using the same route marshall von renschtedt led the german armies as far as paris in 1940 and hitler chooses him again to command the offensive in the ardell which is to become the von rundstep offensive to keep an eye on this soldier of the old school hitler places one of his faithfuls marshall model a yes man who never questions the fuhrer's orders he entrusts the shock troops the ss panzer army to sep dietrich who is one of hitler's oldest accomplices a butcher boy become ss general and to complete the team general asso eckhart von mis name is celebrated in the denmark and who commands the fifth army at the beginning of december 1 000 tanks and 200 000 men who form the attacking force assemble behind the front in greatest [Music] secrecy [Music] ironically at this time general eisenhower summons a representative of each allied nation in front of them he records his christmas message in advance speaking for the people of the united nations i should like to say thank you men now a merry christmas to all of you if it doesn't happen to be so very married this year next year we'll be sure that he will be good luck to all of you on the night of december the 15th eight divisions of the vox grenadier and five panzer divisions advance in line along a 75 kilometer front while they're infiltrating across the arden the german soldier believes he will change the outcome of the war a young officer commanding the leading squadron of the panzer leah division lieutenant aries von schermeren i was part of the first line of attack here and with my three armored cars and my nine men i had to take bastan dino [Music] [Music] at 5 30 a.m the grenadiers attack objective the river mers 70 miles away it must be taken in three days the german retreat is halted it's the end of humiliation this is the blitzkrieg all over again [Music] american equipment is legendary but the volks grenadiers are no longer afraid of american tanks and they begin to count up the prospective booty the americans have taken completely by surprise ten thousand men are surrounded eight thousand are taken prisoner the raw recruits of the 106th infantry division who reached the front only three days before have never been under fire the veterans of the 28th infantry division had recently taken arkhan where they lost six thousand men cruel irony they were sent to the ardennes for a rest in a quiet sector the ss are laughing again they really are the master race colonel piper's ss group doesn't take prisoners it massacres them nineteen unarmed americans at huntsville in the morning at midday piper's men order the 50 american guards at the burlington fuel depot to fill their tanks then machine gun them on the spot finally in the afternoon 125 american prisoners are waiting in a field at bonies close to malmedy a passing tank sees them stops and shoots them all 86 dead it was sunday everyone had left for massive malmedy except the manageress of the cafe madame bodav the ss took her no one ever saw her again with the bodies of the 86 dead of malmedy the americans experienced for the first time the horror of nazi atrocities it's a shock to the united states [Music] [Music] with the news of germany is again on the march there is panic in belgium across newly liberated europe from lies to namur from brussels to rings and from dreams to palace the news resounds like an alarm bell there is chaos in the american lines regiments have lost their command posts communications are cut units circle aimlessly where are the germans everyone is suspect civilians and soldiers alike friend or enemy no one knows there's a rumor that german paratroopers are disguised as american soldiers and it's true colonel scott cena's commanders have infiltrated behind the lines in american uniform scotceni the specialists and surprise tactics it was he who rescued mussolini he who kidnapped the hungarian regent admiral houghty this time hitler has given him a very special mission operation griffin it was necessary to save at least one or two bridges on the mers and it was my first task to take two intact bridges in order to get there in advance of the german army we had to be disguised as allies in the american uniforms we passed for american troops with the object of arriving at the bridge then changing out of american uniform and defending the bridge after we'd taken it in german uniform uniform was that hitler's idea hitler personally whose idea this was yes where did you find these uniforms uh uh partly in the prison camps they were found in the allied shops ones that had been retaken near paris for example you had american equipment too yes a few trucks a few jeeps but i reserve those for a special commando unit who went up to the front on reconnaissance missions and to destroy the roads bridges fuel depots etc etc this company had specially trained men who spoke in perfect american idiom the little habits of the american soldier chewing gum how to open a pack of cigarettes how to offer a light etc these were the things my men learned because really details like that are the most important it's only pretty important the car comes up there were only 300 german commanders but in the message to all units general hodges commander of the american first army decrees thousands of germans in american uniforms are operating behind our lines the military police are ordered to stop all convoys all officers and all soldiers to verify their identity and will unmask the spies by asking them specific american questions for example who won the world series who is dick tracy who is babe ruth in spite of special precautions only four scott zane's fake americans were ever caught and executed december the 18th the third day of the attack in the center of the front the armored troops of general von manteufel's grenadiers have succeeded in getting through and are marching on best point at the head of the panzer lea division are the machine gunners of lieutenant von zurmulin we were advancing into the middle of the americans retreat and i saw that there was strong resistance we couldn't just walk into the town investor the young recruits of the american 28th division hold out well under the avalon general middleton who commands the army group whose command post moved four times in 48 hours decides to stay in the town whatever happens but his troops are wiped off 110th infantry regiment covering the town has lost 2 750 men his entire effective force by the evening of december the 18th that stoin is on the point of falling [Music] so [Music] but at dawn on the 19th reinforcements arrived the paratroopers the eleven thousand men of the 101st airborne division who come from reams and who have kept going all night veterans of the normandy landings they take on this suicidal mission to hold bastoyn against three german [Music] divisions [Music] december the 19th eisenhower summons all the generals to verdu bradley simpson patton divas and montgomery his adjutant general bradley was rather embarrassed i've been saying to uh general eisenhower general smith his chief of staff that i wished i could get him to counter tag get him out in the open because it'd be easier to kill them there than it would the way we'd been doing it in fortified villages and of course when it came and so strong i remember smith saying to me well there's your counter-attack brad and i said yes but i had no idea it could be this strong field marshall montgomery sees the situation with british humor i sent the war off is telling them giving a story and saying what we were doing about it and the last sentence read we can't come out through dunkirk this time as the germans hold that place eisenhower doesn't even consider pulling out on the contrary he decides to counter attack and unfolds his plan by the fourth day of the attack germany has advanced 20 miles it's obvious now that the game is going to be played out around best point there's only one solution to bring up patton's third army which is in luxembourg 65 miles to the south everything depends on them and in particular on patton the charger the most talked about general in the american army admired by some detested by others he's made an incredible confidence he will make a 90 degree turn with his entire army to bring them facing the enemy in three days over 85 miles in spite of the cold and frost [Music] [Music] and on the third day december the 22nd patton pivots his men to the north towards bestowing on the snow-covered roads of the rdf [Music] [Music] december the 22nd patton is blocked by a snowstorm exasperated he orders his chaplain to compose a special prayer for a change in the weather saying get god on our side a prayer which the allied airmen fully endorse they've been grounded by bad weather since the start of the offensive [Music] december the 22nd in bestowing the paratroopers are still holding out after three days and nights of bitter fighting in the morning the front is calm for the first time under the snow storm but it's an uneasy calm the night before the paratroopers learned that savit the other point of resistance has fallen from now on they're alone completely alone and surrounded [Music] all morning the reconnaissance patrols look for the key what are the germans planning they are there all around five divisions now there can be no illusions unless there's a miracle the paratroopers must die in defense of destruction [Applause] [Applause] now at midday a patrol brings in two german officers to the divisional command post they carry an ultimatum they've arrived at the wrong moment general mcauliffe was in command of the paratroopers they said we have a surrender demand from the german commander and they handed me the paper one copy in english one in german i took the english copy and read it and after i read it i just said nuts so they went out and typed it up to the german commander nuts signed the american commander and colonel harper who had brought in the surrender to man took that message back to the germans and uh handed it to them and took them back the outpost line the german colonel said if this commit if this reply is favorable i have authority to conduct further negotiations having to do with the surrender and harper said it the reply is not favorable it consists of a single word nuts the german said i understand english but i don't understand nuts in this connotation harper says it means the same as go to hell do you understand that and the german says yes i do [Music] december the 22nd fateful day for the germans that stone is still resisting hitler hasn't foreseen that von renstead was given three days to succeed in his offensive and he's already three days late the plan has miscarried while three german divisions besiege bastogne two armored divisions the second panzer and the panzer layer attack again in the west towards the river murders and there's a further advance 40 miles in two days on december 24th the leading troops of lieutenant gonzalo mullin clash with the british outside rockford i decided to attack there my friend who was commanding another group was to attack but long afterwards he confessed to me that he'd been scared he was afraid of the anti-tank guns like those we'd seen in russia what did you think of that won't get further than this bridge their hearts are no longer in it it's been a long road from moscow to westown there's one thing we refused absolutely one didn't want to speak to them to have a personal relationship to start a friendship because one knew that these young people these very young people without experience had no chance of survival it was best not to know them so we old veterans kept to ourselves how old were you the next day is christmas day a sad christmas [Music] for the english and canadians it's a truce time for a cup of tea for the besieged defenders of bastoyn this christmas the artillery pounding is the worst of the siege [Music] for the germans this christmas a cigarette an american cigarette [Music] no one had slept since december the 15th we were able to rest on christmas night but the next day there was a change in the weather do you want to thank this hombre on the morning of december the 25th the sky was a clear blue not a cloud and immediately the american air force attacked it was absolutely terrible [Music] von renstedt had told hitler everything depends on the air force he wasn't mistaken [Music] for the defenders of bastoyn it's just in time they have no more shells and are on emergency rations when at last they see the waves of dakotas [Music] by the end of the next day december the 26th the advanced guard of patton's armored division commanded by colonel crichton abrams breaks through the german circle and enters bastogne [Applause] thanks to the defenders of bestowing sanvi malmedy [Music] offensive is held [Music] on january 1st 1945 hitler throws all his available planes into a last strike a thousand fighters and bombers are ordered to annihilate the allied air force on the ground [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] the allied pilots who were celebrating the new year at the time take off in a rush [Music] british spitfires and american thunderbolts bring down 300 planes in an air battle which lasts five hours [Music] [Applause] all 27 aerodromes in belgium and holland are caught in the surprise attack how many allied aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground that day the allies acknowledged 200 the germans estimate 700 the truth is that germans are still dangerous [Music] the battle you have just seen was one of the decisive battles of the second world war a war that affected the destinies of manded nations the world over the film you have just witnessed was discovered in film libraries all over the world and painstakingly edited to show you the incredible impact these individual battles had on the outcome of this most devastating of wars the world thanks to these films will never forget the tremendous effort put forth by all people included in the big battles

Channel: War Stories

Views: 154,137

Rating: 4.7538128 out of 5

Keywords: military history, war, war documentary, military tactics, war stories, history of war, rhine, hitler, stalin, churchill, eisenhower, allied invasion of europe, archive, ww2 documentary, war films, archive footage websites

Id: yVC5b9M3ojE

Length: 49min 39sec (2979 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 24 2021