The World at War s01e17 Episode Script

October of 1940.
Winston Churchill dirige to the defeated Frenchmen: Then, good night.
They sleep to recoup forces for the morning, therefore the morning will come.
It will go to shine strong in the brave ones and the right ones, e to be gentile stops with that they had suffered with the cause.
France lives There! Then, good night.
They sleep well.
They recoup forces for the morning, therefore the morning will come.
Finally, passed almost four years, the dawn went to blunt.
The invasion of the Continent was imminent.
World in War Morning June - August of 1944 Dieppe, 1942, first the great attempt of to put allied forces in France it was a disaster.
Almost half of the assault force of 7 a thousand it was lost when trying to attack powerful defenses of the port.
Many soldiers had not passed of the beach.
Hundreds of others had been soon made prisoners.
We learn very with Dieppe, therefore, it was very valuable in relation to the final invasion.
Everything what it could run badly in that operation it ran badly.
The result was that.
in the end, we are completely made an impression with the perigos of an operation joint to that scale.
We had never made one operation of these to that scale e nobody wise person as well as making.
It has three necessary conditions for a good invasion.
First, to arrive the land whichever the opposition.
Second, to be in land is which they will be the atmospheric conditions.
E third, to hinder the enemy to reconstruct the forces against us more fast possible, senão repels them for the sea.
Having this in account, the two areas of landing they would be Pas-de-Calais, in the point narrowest of the English Canal, e Normandy the West.
The choice fit to lieutenant-general Frederick Morgan e to the COSSAC, special command of the Allies, assigned in 1943 to plan the initial invasion.
Since 1941 that invasion plans became.
In the end, the COSSAC chose Normandy, a coast of 90 km to This of the peninsula of Cherbourg.
Normandy had several advantages on Pas-de-Calais.
Although to be more far from England was less fortified.
Its beaches, almost without cliffs, minimum e with land and depressions, more they were adjusted to the landing of troops e to the fast advance for land.
E was close to Cherbourg e of the British ports.
In Quebec, August of 1943, the Plan for the Invasion of the COSSAC it was approved by Churchill and Roosevelt.
The assault for the canal would go now to become reality, the code name would be Overlord, the pointed date:May of 1944.
The starting point for invasion would be England.
The British, already a time moved away for the German bombs, they were of new in change, of this time to open sections it stops the great armies of the invasion.
For many, this meant change, financial losses and personal problems.
But the cause was important, very waited Second Front.
The American troops already were the way for the Atlantic.
The Americans in England they were almost 1 million and way.
In the streets of London, they were seen all the uniforms allies.
In this great quarter, the moral one was very important.
We made good trips, but he was wonderful and I am it contents for being here.
I do not have new features of U.
S.
A.
They know what it is? Churchill lives there.
But it fulls itself to travel, right? He has given good returns.
Already the Casablanca was more times how the Humphrey Bogart! In one palco different, another American, general Dwight David Eisenhower, she was Supreme Commander of Overlord, for order of Roosevelt.
Eisenhower leads the expedition in the North of Africa in 1942.
Beyond the military ability it needed diplomacy, because it now went to lead immense a multinational force.
I find that we always have problems, but General Eisenhower, as Supreme commander of the Allies, it had an incredible skill if to give with people of other countries.
It was not seen as American, it was not seen as British, or Frenchman or Pole or nothing of this.
It only thought about what he was better for the effort of the allies.
The known assistant more she was General Montgomery, victorious person in El Alamein.
Celebrity for the speeches sincere to its troops, Monty asked for now to workers a maximum effort.
Because it is that.
Because it is that today, the tide moved e we are winning the Germans e to advance for the final climax of the war? I say reason.
Because we have far of optimum equipment, we have far of the best men e women, clearly! If in the battle front and here if to initiate confrontations this year, we go to obtain to finish almost with everything, we go to give to an advance such that, in the following year, it is alone to give retouchings.
Good bye to all and thanks a lot.
The glad optimism of Monty was contagious.
But England, as America, already the gas worked all, with or without music.
The enormous effort was directed to the final targets of the Overlord: aviation:13 a thousand, tanks and vehicles:17 a thousand, parachute:90 a thousand, bombs and the ammunition:millions.
of assault and landing.
But, to the beginning, them they did not exist.
The thing most crucial in the invasion it was to put the soldiers in land, e for this we needed of landing vehicles.
They had that to be drawn e made in great amounts in a similar way that the shipyards were used in the Battle of the Atlantic.
In the Spring of 1944, the landing vehicles they were made and ready for intensive treinos e constant in hard conditions.
Many troops of the Overlord would come for air.
More than 20 a thousand were destined for the biggest airborne operation in a war until the moment.
Some troops of assault they would have to scale cliffs.
The trainings in waters of the Canal were so dangerous as the reality.
Of the other side of these same waters, von Runstedt and Rommel divergiam in the opposition to the invasion.
Von Runstedt, the commander-head, it wanted a mobile reserve for the battles in land.
Rommel, commander of the forces anti-invasion, it wanted to make front to the attack in beaches.
But the "Atlantic Wall" of Hitler, a chain of blockhouses of steel and concrete that if they had to extend of Denmark to the Spanish border, she was incomplete.
Rommel was strengthenn to finish everything when forming lines of obstacles subaqueous formidable, including millions of hidden mines.
To win these defenses, the Allies had invented several you scheme ingenious.
To help the tanks to pass for the sand, mud and gravel, the "Swiss Coil", e the "Spear Carpet".
The "Panjandrum", that it had to destroy obstacles in the beach he was not successful.
PLUTO, pipe-lines under the ocean, a pipe-line that if extended for kilometers.
PLUTO would go to minimize the risks of to carry oil to France.
It would take a million daily of tons for the continent.
Gasoline bombs in the coast had been camouflaged under innocent forms.
Still more incredible it was Mulberry, two artificial ports, each one with the size of the Port of Dover.
All the components had had that to be towed by the Canal.
The problem to be in land was difficult, because of the conditions atmospheric of the Canal.
We could not count on more that three, four days followed of good time that of this stops to carry everything for beaches, therefore, we had that to have a port.
Therefore, we try Dieppe, but we discover in Dieppe that we could not control a port without bombing, but this would go to destroy the installations that we wanted to use the most obvious e to make would be to take an artificial port with us, which we call Mulberry e that all found simply a maluquice.
Eisenhower and the commanders they delineated the strategies.
Its assistant, Aerial Commander Tedder, Admiral Ramsey, Generals Bradley and Montgomery e Aerial Commander Leigh-Mallory.
The biggest concern was the time that if it could wait at the beginning of the Overlord.
General Eisenhower left clearly that it wanted to gain confidence, not only in what we could make as meteorologistas, mainly I stop it, but it wanted to know that confidence could give in the proper words that I used and in my tone of voice.
Before I presenting the forecast, it already wise person always what I went to say.
It used my face as a species of barometer.
The Supreme Command also it thought about the defeat plans.
One of the most elaborated, he was a false one has attacked the Norway, that it would be launched of the Escócia, e one the Pas-de-Calais, more credible, of the ports the Southeast.
The bombing plan also it was crucial to cut the communications Germans in the invasion areas, "Interdiction".
We had to intervene with the communications e I find that this was a lesson that we learn in Dieppe.
What we do not perceive in Dieppe it is that it was essential to have one weight tremendous of artillery, aerial as in such a way terrestrial.
The result was, and this caused difficulties the high instances, aerial Commander Harris, that it found that could be successful the alone war, it had of being persuaded to use the bombers to attack the German communications for road and railway.
I find that it resisted sufficiently, because it found that it was moved away of the objective of the war, but he was obliged to make it e was made with much success.
The Spring of 1944 had attacks aerial in railway roads and ways e in aerodromes.
At the same time, all the South of England, fields grew, ready for the sets of ten of thousand of invading troops.
The areas of trainings for the Overlord they spread for all the width of the English south coast, close to the ports of Falmouth, Dartmouth, Weymouth, Portsmouth e Newhaven.
It was all chemical preparation to advance for the south.
The way was free for the invasion.
The confusion of military plates enters, an indicating signal is distinguished.
FOR THE SOUTH The vast concentration arrived to the point of meeting in the Canal.
A joke only said that the barrage balloons floating they hindered that England if it sank.
Ends of May of 1944.
The troops were in the rows, ready to advance.
But an interval was imposed.
The fear is fed of the time that passes.
E we did not know when we went to leave.
We played data, letters, we lost the money all.
Some gained money, I lost everything.
It did not advance very, not it had where spending in the beach.
Rations, money, the ammunition, kit.
To make and to remake the luggages.
To verify the equipment.
The accurate date of the invasion not yet it are disclosed.
Many men nor knew that beaches went to attack.
The officers and sergeants only knew of the landing areas.
the landing area incluía five beaches: of West for This:Utah e Omaha for the Americans, e Gold, Juno and Sword for the British and Canadians.
But now, everything depended on the time.
In the night of that Wednesday, 31 of May, There I informed General Eisenhower that the conditions for following end-of-week, mainly in the sunday night e in the morning of second, the crucial hours of the Overlord, they went to be stormy, but we continue congregating in them.
It had that to speak for the General Eisenhower and its commanders, that two times per day were congregated in these fatídicos days, In 3 of June, although the concern with the time, the embarkment continued.
The troops did not know nothing of a possible impediment, although some to find that it was only one exercise.
When we enter in the boat we did not know where day we went.
We had entered in the boat as many times.
During six months, we entered and we left the boats.
In the ports of the coast of the Canal of England, the complex one occurred vast and load process and embarkment.
But in the Canal bad weather it placed a serious crisis in the hands of the Supreme Commander.
It was one hour of great tension.
All we knew that only we could postpone one day.
If it had that to postpone as a day, then the landing vehicles they would have to return to the base, therefore, if it could not postpone for as a day.
It would have of being postponed 15 days, until the tides allowing, e in the hour, our letters they were so ominous in the Atlantic that it did not seem to have hypothesis to advance with the operation.
We did not know for how much time it went to be postponed.
Because the time was so bad, we interrogated ourselves if some day would be good, if everything would go to be cancelled e we were led for the boats.
The troops were anxious for action.
A ready armed to leave e later, anti climax.
They had said them that the invasion it are postponed during 24 hours.
Clearly, this increased the apprehension e we had long colloquies ones with the others on the type of things that could happen, if we would go to leave the beach livings creature.
The routine continued on the shade of the uncertainty.
The troops alone could wait.
With passing of the hours, it seemed that alone a miracle it would give advance to the Overlord.
For favor of skies, the impossible one happened, for return of the sunday noon.
We notice that it could have a calmness between two depressions.
At night, my confidence in the forecast for this period of calmness it had increased in such a way with the following reports that I convinced the General Eisenhower and the commanders that the good time would arrive in the end of the monday after the sunday storm e of the morning of second.
It would arrive in the end of the monday, e continued during terça e perhaps during fourth.
In the following morning, day 5 of June, they had congregated themselves to confirm this decision e when it said that we were more confident that in the previous day, that the calmness would come exactly, the joy in the face of the Commander Supreme and its commanders, after being cabisbaixos in the previous days, she was simply wonderful.
I remember very well.
They were 4h15 of the morning of day 5 of June.
It was not in the meeting, but I took the general for there.
When it left, was with a air so serious when he entered in the car e said:"Day D arrived.
Now, nothing it can in it withhold".
It was a historical decision.
Another adjournment of the Overlord it could lead to the total cancellation.
The commanders had read something of General Eisenhower: "God is with you" and these things.
We read a great message of the Monty on "a good one hunted in the fields of the Europe" e these things all e, clearly, as soldier, we find that they were authentic rumors.
The waters of the Canal never had seen a force so powerful.
the type went the way of France.
in rows and escorted by the allied navy.
Gliders were to the wait with the marks of Day D.
The first division would go to arrive of glider and parachute, releasing them after beaches of the invasion.
One expected that the decreases they were of seven in each ten, as Eisenhower well wise person.
They had the spotted face because they went to jump in the busy Europe e alone we thought:"How many they will go to come back" Later, General Eisenhower said: "Kay, is very difficult to look at a soldier in the eyes knowing that we are ordering for the death".
In the last hours of day 5 of June, the aerial troops left for France.
We felt the stomach pressed e we thought about what we would make there.
"Because I am here? Because I offered myself? I will be maluco?" We thought about everything and we were worried e we knew what it was for happening.
I had fear.
It had 19 years and I had fear.
In this night, many men had had fear.
They went to assault the well protecting one "Festung Europe" of Hitler, the "Europe ortaleza".
In land, the Germans waited, without knowing when or where it would go to be the blow.
Day D.
To the front, the beaches of Normandy.
After four years, the way was this.
He was something pretty of if seeing.
As many ships of as many forms and shapes all in the same direction.
Some youngsters had written letters e had given to the friends, so that they received them to the parents.
It was a farewell letter.
The sea was brave and boats were with layers for they had been dry and youngsters had been nauseated, for not catching cool air.
Many of my men had been nauseated e vomited in the helmets.
We shot everything for the side, we washed and we returned.
Physically, we were very badly e we asked for the God who that finished fast or that, at least, we arrived the land.
To 5h30, the armed was to the plaza of the French coast.
After intense an aerial assault, a naval bombing.
We were encircled with ships of all the sorts, that they send projectile after projectile of the towers.
The Germans had been surpresos e estupidificados, but they had fast recovered.
It was more than what nauseas.
Some men splodged the pants.
It never turns nothing thus.
Wise person that was sick, many of them were sick.
The waves made to raise the boats one or two meters.
Many youngsters had been imprisoned in the nets and he was difficult to free them.
The legs were imprisoned.
Smoke and smoke, of the projectiles that they came in our direction.
Only smoke.
Black smoke.
As a volcano of those that it is seen in the films.
The race for beaches.
for the British and Canadians.
After all the wait, of the trainings, e of the bad conditions, the hour arrives.
We were the first aggressors, we were the first wave.
It always has great decreases in the first wave, therefore, they had given them Protected for the aerial supremacy, the first waves of assault they ran for five beaches.
The soldiers had been so happy to leave the ships, to escape of the nauseas that they were ready stops to make what she was necessary.
For the men of five divisions of assault, the first hours of Day D had been hours of death, fear and courage, of plans that had run badly, of fast improvisation.
We waited an unimpeded beach with indications of as we had to advance.
Until they had said that the military policy it would be there stops receiving in them.
He was obvious that the beach was in a state of authentic chaos.
In the entrance, some vehicles they had beaten in obstacles and mines.
One of them stepped on a mine e the part of the front, including the occupants, they had raised flight literally.
The sea was of a different color when that vehicle blew up.
Units had disembarked in the missed zones, others had found little resistance, others had still been confined to the line of the coast.
Worse it was kept for the Americans.
I found that it did not go to obtain to cross the beach e to survive.
I found that it was the last day of my life.
The first man, the sergeant, it was arisen to see when it lacked to arrive the land e fell dead.
They had said them that the Air Force it went to make bombings e to make craters in the beach we to be able hiding in them e this did not happen.
It was simply horrible.
To the uprising me it found that it was fear made that me to vergar the knees until I arrived at the shelter e vi that it had 50 kilos of sand in the pockets.
I remember well to catch in my bayonet e to touch on the back of with it colleagues to see if were livings creature.
If they were livings creature, said for capsize.
Vi two or three livings creature that nor if they moved, were in panic.
They did not want to turn itself.
It was an authentic panic.
In three British beaches e Canadian the opposition varied.
In the Gold, while a unit it attacked a point during 8 hours, another unit left the beach in 40 minutes.
In Juno, the Canadians had suffered great decreases, but had advanced.
In Sword, the fight was bloody, but soon.
Many defenders had left of bunkers to surrender.
In Utah, the end of the day, the Americans were well.
They had made prisoners, had created one But in Omaha, the Americans they had had difficulties.
Brave sea, strong defenses e a German division of combat that it finishes to arrive.
Me it seemed a failure.
In the hour, they were as many people in the beach that if it could literally walk in the bodies of a side to the other, it wants in deceased wants in the wounded.
Vi lying people without head e some without arms.
Some were my friends.
It was horrible.
In Omaha, they had delayed one entire day with serious decreases to control a beach with 1,5 km of length.
It was the experience more frightful that already I had.
I never more wait to pass thus for nothing.
To see the remaining portions of a battalion spread in the beach.
Men floating in the water of face for top.
If to think until was good for being inexperienced, because one knew what I know now, it entered in a boat and it came back toward England.
One day entire thinking about the native land.
One day of conjunct.
E without a doubt, the day longest of my life.
We feel that.
we obtain to make something and that probably we did not go to live more after making.
In certain way, we are proud for terms obtained e for the army where we were it has as much time, with all the experiences of as it could finish badly, to have obtained to make this invasion.
We are very contented, very contented.
It was optimum day of my life.
I find that yes.
How it is that it is said in English? The biggest joy of our life.
We admire the courageous soldiers that they had come of so far stops freeing in them e demons to them everything what we could give.
Cider and.
Calvados liquor also.
E our friendship.
He was very emotivo e in sentimo very free.
To the midnight, 130 a thousand troops were in land.
They had profit bases in five beaches.
Decreases:9 a thousand.
One day after Day D, construía the port of Mulberry.
The ticket of provisionses was vital for the success of the Overlord.
It was essential to restitute the reinforcements of men and material more fast than the enemy.
E was this that had made.
In the seventh day, after Day D, they were in land many vehicles, they went of beaches for the interior, glue some to the others.
In certain height, the lines of transit km was extended for 25.
In this critical phase, two ports of Mulberry, Arromanches for the British, Saint Laurent for the Americans, they had been the only ports to the disposal of the allies.
In the four days before day 18 of June, the daily average of transport was: troops:almost 35 a thousand, vehicles:5 a thousand, provisionses:25 a thousand tons.
If it had invented device stops the Overlord with good results it was Mulberry.
Only the insistence of Eisenhower e of the proper king they had hindered Churchill of to go to Normandy in Day D.
Few days after landing, it was there.
The commanders knew that the Overlord was delayed.
They were anxious for Second Phase of the operation: the Battle of Bridgehead.
The allies disputed fierce space to receive the men e material that if they accumulated.
It was a slow advance against one enemy who recouped fast.
The surrounded arvoredo was difficult for the tanks allies.
In 10 of June, the Allies alone had the opposition of three divisions of Panzers.
The others seven available divisions they had not been granted the Rommel for the High German Command.
Although this, the invaders they advance little by little.
In 12 of June, the five beaches they had been on to make a base of 100 length km e 30 depth km.
The old city of Bayeux it received the leader from the Frenchmen Free, General de Gaulle, that it entered in France for the first time since 1940.
In 19 of June, the unexpected one English canal attacked.
During 4 days, a storm, the worse one of June in 40 years, Mulberry punished almost until a destruction.
Sunk boats, been shipwrecked vital equipment.
The unloadings had been tragically interrupted, the tonnage scrumbled it 4/5.
Great efforts had been made to repair the estragos, therefore the interruption threatens the continuation of the Overlord.
Soon, the transit was free.
The vital line of the Overlord it are restored.
A main objective stops to provide the ports with Mulberry it was the port of Cherbourg, in the American sector.
In 19 of June, the Americans they had blocked Cherbourg e was directed for North in direction to the port.
Cherbourg sufficiently was strenghtened.
The Germans wanted to be slow allies when simulating the resistance.
But in day 21, after a hard combat, the Americans had arrived at the limits of the port.
In day 26, the garrison surrendered, leaving only some points for cleaning.
The prisoners had left running, between them she was the commander of the garrison.
Cherbourg was the first target to be captured in the campaign.
in the area of Cherbourg.
Some Frenchmen lost the loving Germans.
In front of Cherbourg it was the city of Caen.
The German troops who advanced for the beach they congregated themselves in Caen.
Montgomery wanted to attack the city since Day D.
Finally, at the beginning of July, it prepared itself for the attack.
First, they had advanced the bombers.
In 18 of July, more than 2 a thousand average bombers heavy and they reached Caen with 8 a thousand almost tons of high explosives e spalling bombs.
It was the aerial attack more intense and concentrated in support of terrestrial troops some done time.
Caen was baptized "the Test of Effort".
When one surrendered, the troops capsize a full crater city, with accumulated of destroços.
Half of the city was destroyed, with thousand of its inhabitants died or wounded.
For the people of Caen it was the release, to a cost very raised.
After seven weeks horrible, the advances started.
The Americans had advanced on Avranches.
They had exhausted for West and South in direction to Britain, e to This for Mortain e they were directed for Argentan.
To the North, British e Canadians went for Falaise, trying to close a circle that it now threatened to enclose the German forces.
It had many practical difficulties in this fast wall of Falha de Falaise.
It was difficult for a side, British, Canadians and Poles, to understand the point of view of the other side, the Americans.
We came of the North, come of the congested area, bombed and difficult of Caen.
Second, the Germans who faced in them to the north of the corridor that tried manter acessível para fugirem, they were in areas where they had fought against us, during two months or more.
The Americans came until come us of the South, in a zone more it frees e against a German resistance well less prepared.
Falaise:one of the battles bloodier of the campaign.
This age the next target to Montgomery.
Hundreds of Typhoons that went off rockets they bombed communications e transports of the enemies, leaving a track of vehicles ardendo.
In 6 of August, the Canadians they were in the limits of Falaise.
They had entered in the city in day 16.
A narrow corridor only separated the Canadians of the Americans.
The remaining portion of 7º German Army, with 15 divisions of attack, it was pushed for a very small circle.
Finally, the trap was closed.
For the Germans, Falaise is one bigger disaster that Stalingrado.
The number of prisoners it showed the magnitude of the defeat.
More than 40 a thousand German troops had run away e this caused some attritions between the Allies.
If the forces British and Canadian if they moved more fast, we would have obtained to enclose more German in Falaise.
They had much little equipment to the disposal, but some Germans still they had run away for the river Sena e this was very bad.
I find that perhaps the main reason it was that England was in the war it has more time that we e had had many decreases e the Americans were cool e comparing, did not have almost low.
While we were anxious to advance, in them they did not worry the decreases since that we had success.
I find that it was natural the forces British and Canadian to act in a calmer way.
Perhaps it was a characteristic of Monty and one of the defects of it.
For other words, it never led as the American commanders.
It was thus, finds I.
He was more cautious.
E if could not give to the luxury to have decreases, e we could, if it was necessary.
Falaise was known as "The Zone of the Slaughter".
The carnage and the destruction were incredible.
Eisenhower visited the field of battle and it wrote: "Literally possible Age to walk hundreds of meters of each time stepping on only something died or in decomposition".
Paris.
The main allied route it went to pass for the French capital.
The parisienses, under domain nazista has four years, they felt finally the release.
When the Germans if had removed, the forces of the Resistance they had appeared to be avenged.
Remembering the oppression, the offenses, the humilhações, the parisienses gave wing to an old hatred.
In 1940, they turn Paris to fall without an only shot.
Now they compensated this with a violence explosion never seen in Paris during the war.
The parisienses ones only thought about a thing: revenge against the enemy, one to adjust of old accounts.
The morning arrives.