Steve has done an incredible job in reexamning the Pointe du Hoc gun emplacements. I prefer the term reexamine to revision because in my mind revision means changing something to fit a particular point of view versus reexamine which is looking at something with fresh eyes.
Engaging, informative and thought provoking are adjectives that come to mind after watching this superb presentation. It's another one I must watch again to make sure I capture all the details. I knew that the Allied planners had good intelligence, but never knew that it was so detailed as Steve has discovered. Amazing work.
Absolutely phenomenal presentation. Mr. Zaloga is one of the best. His facts are well researched, he doesn't fake what he doesn't know, and is an engagingly confident presenter. Can't wait for Part. 2. 😉
Révision is good. History is not a pristine moment set in time. There is always a perspective that will allow us to see/understand the past with fresh eyes. Really great presentation.
Backing up the idea construction on the site was happening right up to DDay, I have a photo somewhere, taken there ten years ago, of what looks like a sandbag wall but on closer looking is actually a pile of bags of cement that over the years and rain have turned into “concrete sandbags” As Steve said, Pointe du Hoc was a construction site in progress.
I really, really hope that Duchez and his family didn't get too much hassle 'cos he was a "collaborator" putting up wallpaper for the occupying forces. Hero!
That was a very a informative presentation by Steven Zaloga, I really enjoyed all the battery technical information, I can’t wait for part 2. Thank you both, another book to buy 👍
Sometimes it's great to move away from the grand strategy and to get right down in amongst the weeds of one particular action. Really enjoyed the granularity in this part 1. Many thanks Steven and WW2TV. Hope your other (equally excellent) vid is re-instated by the silly UA-cam algorithm soon!
My first WWII enthusiast trip (traveling from the US) if that's the way to say it was to Normandy in 2009. Another gentlemen on my tour group was a child in England before the invasion he remembered the decoy inflatables (I assume Patton's faux army). Still I learned more today than the whole week including my guided tour that took me to the guns and beaches. What a fantastic program, with CV19 on the wane its time to see more of this sort of thing. Simply wonderful.
Sorry I wasn't able to watch this one live! Wow Steve has done some really incredible research to weave all the parts together, both from the Allied side and the German side. By far the best explanation of Point du Hoc, the Ranger mission, and the preparations prior to the landings. Outstanding program-outstanding content-outstanding presentation. Thanks Paul for bringing another top notch historian to WW2TV!!!
I’ve just watched this after catching up on Michaels latest input. The information is fantastic and will help me deliver a much better input at Vierville in the future. Thank you Woody and Michael. I’m off to follow Michael on other platforms. 👍❤
As a child,I saw Fort Louisbourg. There was a shortage of fresh water,and sand used in the mortar had salt water in it. In the muzzle loader black powder days,firing the guns caused parts of the crenellations to self destruct. The Germans using sand from the beach in the days of modern high explosives would have been true desperation.
That was one informative presentation. Steven Zaloga is always thorough and authoritative. I am always impressed at the ease with which he cites his sources just reflective of his mastery of the subject matter.
Stevens book is a must for every WWII history buff and pro . I'm still waiting for Niels book to be released which will be an excellent book to make the whole picture much clearer from the military logistic and deployment point of view.
Paul, thank you for all the great programmes on the Normandy campaign. We are visiting in September and the information gathered from these great programmes will be put to good use.
Fantastic episode from Steven as usual. In depth detail and research. Thank you. Learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Looking forward to Part 2
The US Army also used the French 155 MM GPF GUN as a towed artillery piece with modern tires as well as the M12 self propelled gun on a M3 tank chassis before the modern Long Tom 155mm gun was adopted
very enjoyable,normally this history stuff is just over views so interesting to have access to more detailed information and its picture it creates to your understanding of events
good evening, at 1h01minute 12 seconde, sorry, you indicated the placement of the cannons in the wrong place the precise place is located near the apple tree field on a path that we see on the right edge of the photo
Just started Reading Smashing Hitlers Guns, So far a great read with plenty of detail which i like. are their any other books out there with detail like this on how the Wn's were taken?
I saw this area in 2009. The bomb craters were very impressive. They were huge, deep, wide & many. My question has always been why didn't anyone relay to the allies the guns were not there?
No mention of the tunnels? Snipers? I guess I’ll stick to older books about the subject. Still I’m gratified that these historians are dedicated to task of keeping the memory of those men and their deeds in focus
Well, there was no mention of tunnels because there were none finished at Pointe du Hoc. Trenches yes, but no tunnels. As a Normandy historian of 20 years myself, I can assure you that Steve absolutely knows this subject and if you have books stating there were tunnels they are incorrect. Indeed there are now Lidar and GPR scans of the site proving this. Now it is true the Germans planned to connect some of the positions by tunnel, but like lots of other work on the Atlantic Wall it never happened. As for snipers, like 88s and Tigers, it is one of the most overused words in Normandy writing. Among the Artillery defenders at PdH there would have been zero snipers. That's not to say there wasn't return fire from single riflemen, but not snipers as we understand the term. One of the best things about Steve Zaloga's book is that it DOESN'T repeat mistakes and false narratives from earlier works. Pointe du Hoc is a fascinating battle but lots of myths endure that with 78 years of historiography need addressing.
Well I learned more than a few things and Steve was able to confirm details that have been hazy, for example the reason for the lack of Schwere Drehbettung 32 mounts was interesting. There were also a couple of photos I had not seen before and I had not realised that on some maps WNs 73, 71 and 72 at Vierville sur Mer were classed as a Stp.
@@WW2TV yeah... interesting, but hardly a revelation- I was thinking that there must be a ground-breaking statement coming up in part two? Interesting that Stephen quoted PdH being the allies number one target resulting in the heaviest pre-invasion bombardment - I always thought that was Longues - will have to dig out the after action report for Flashlamp when I get the chance. I may be wrong but so could Stephen (he did publish that post D-day the allies assessed that Omaha had the highest defensive weapons density - as we know, that is incorrect, the reports concluded Sword to have such). Sorry if it sounds like I'm nit picking, but as I'm sure youll agree, it's best to clarify and correct.
As for the Stp status at Omaha. As early as 1943, the 'Omaha' defences had been broken down in to 3 Stp (Vierville, St Laurent and Colleville) [source Chazette, page 5], this was before the expansion of the WNs in the area so it is unclear as to whether or not the Germans retained this catergory after such (its a shame that the map on page 113 of Chazette's Omaha book is not dated). Its clear that much of Stephen's research and claims are based on Chazette's Atlantikwall - Omaha Beach book (you must have it Paul, if so and you havent read it for a while I'd thoroughly recommend giving it a reread). A few years ago I spent a couple of rainy Normandy winter months vainly attempting to translate Chazette's books - its such a shame that there has never been a full translation as it really is incredible work, I'm sure, just like with Zetterling, there will be detractors, but I reckon it has to be the best we have (so far).
Big guns removed to rear lanes before 6644. Troops left manning were mainly Russian conscripts enforced to Wermacht, manning mg positions. PdH was a non threat.
As an Australian I am very thankful for what the Russians did so D-day could happen. Because without the Russians D-DAY would never of happened.. the Russians were taking the full brunt of the Germans on the Eastern Front.. I do believe that the Eastern Front was the turning point in WW2 and this proven because the Russians made it to Berlin Germany first and won WW2 and I'm very thankful for that .. Yeah the Allies UK and America also played a big part but without the Russians I don't think we would of beaten the Germans.. the Germans just had the best battle tactics of the war it was even that good America still use them today !! The German military and Military equipment most of be n very impressive because America after WW2 stole it and used it for themselves ( operation paperclip ) the Germans after the war even put the first Americans on the moon .. Another interesting fact the biggest land battles ever on earth was on the eastern Front. The biggest tanks battles ever on earth was on the eastern Front, the biggest air battles on earth was on the eastern Front.. them Russians sure proved they were a Super Power ..
This is an excellent presentation by a very knowlegable historian
Steve has done an incredible job in reexamning the Pointe du Hoc gun emplacements. I prefer the term reexamine to revision because in my mind revision means changing something to fit a particular point of view versus reexamine which is looking at something with fresh eyes.
excellent point, Scott. I agree completely with your perspective
Another stunning presentation. Well done!
Engaging, informative and thought provoking are adjectives that come to mind after watching this superb presentation. It's another one I must watch again to make sure I capture all the details. I knew that the Allied planners had good intelligence, but never knew that it was so detailed as Steve has discovered. Amazing work.
Absolutely phenomenal presentation. Mr. Zaloga is one of the best. His facts are well researched, he doesn't fake what he doesn't know, and is an engagingly confident presenter. Can't wait for Part. 2. 😉
Yes indeed
The missing Drehbettung 32 gun mounts explain a lot of the mystery of Pointe Du Hoc. Another fact filled presentation, great work.
Révision is good. History is not a pristine moment set in time. There is always a perspective that will allow us to see/understand the past with fresh eyes. Really great presentation.
Backing up the idea construction on the site was happening right up to DDay, I have a photo somewhere, taken there ten years ago, of what looks like a sandbag wall but on closer looking is actually a pile of bags of cement that over the years and rain have turned into “concrete sandbags”
As Steve said, Pointe du Hoc was a construction site in progress.
Fascinating! You're so right that this is essential viewing/reading for anyone wishing to understand the context of the Rangers' assault.
Wow Steve, that may be the largest collection of editions from the U.S. Army Green Book series I have ever seen!!!!!
Very impressive show. Looking forward to actually read the book.
thanks for the great work Paul, I will be buying Zalogas book together with yours in my next Amazon order! Grüße
It's a super book
Excellent, thanks.
I really, really hope that Duchez and his family didn't get too much hassle 'cos he was a "collaborator" putting up wallpaper for the occupying forces. Hero!
That was a very a informative presentation by Steven Zaloga, I really enjoyed all the battery technical information, I can’t wait for part 2. Thank you both, another book to buy 👍
Our pleasure!
Hoc is a Saxon word meaning cape or headland. The english word hook comes from it.
Sometimes it's great to move away from the grand strategy and to get right down in amongst the weeds of one particular action. Really enjoyed the granularity in this part 1. Many thanks Steven and WW2TV. Hope your other (equally excellent) vid is re-instated by the silly UA-cam algorithm soon!
My first WWII enthusiast trip (traveling from the US) if that's the way to say it was to Normandy in 2009. Another gentlemen on my tour group was a child in England before the invasion he remembered the decoy inflatables (I assume Patton's faux army). Still I learned more today than the whole week including my guided tour that took me to the guns and beaches. What a fantastic program, with CV19 on the wane its time to see more of this sort of thing. Simply wonderful.
Thanks very much
Amazing details. I am definitely getting this book and can't wait for part 2. Thanks again!
BZ . . . a truly informative show as always. Peeling back the historical narrative layers to reveal facts and truths.
Superb episode (and part 2 still to come :-)). Cleared up so much I didn't know about the Germans at Pointe du Hoc before D-day.
Great to hear!
Sorry I wasn't able to watch this one live! Wow Steve has done some really incredible research to weave all the parts together, both from the Allied side and the German side. By far the best explanation of Point du Hoc, the Ranger mission, and the preparations prior to the landings. Outstanding program-outstanding content-outstanding presentation. Thanks Paul for bringing another top notch historian to WW2TV!!!
I’ve just watched this after catching up on Michaels latest input. The information is fantastic and will help me deliver a much better input at Vierville in the future. Thank you Woody and Michael. I’m off to follow Michael on other platforms. 👍❤
As a child,I saw Fort Louisbourg. There was a shortage of fresh water,and sand used in the mortar had salt water in it. In the muzzle loader black powder days,firing the guns caused parts of the crenellations to self destruct.
The Germans using sand from the beach in the days of modern high explosives would have been true desperation.
That was one informative presentation. Steven Zaloga is always thorough and authoritative. I am always impressed at the ease with which he cites his sources just reflective of his mastery of the subject matter.
Do a job diligently for fifty years, you get decent at it. If you haven't, you really should have had a different job. :)
Great show and very interesting! Liked it so much, I just bought the book.
A real eye opening show, Steve was fantastic, always new things to learn.
Loved the detail, and some fantastic images!
Thank you! Cheers!
Great show! Looking forward to Part 2. Bought the book in time to read before my June journey to Normandy:-)
Stevens book is a must for every WWII history buff and pro . I'm still waiting for Niels book to be released which will be an excellent book to make the whole picture much clearer from the military logistic and deployment point of view.
Paul, thank you for all the great programmes on the Normandy campaign. We are visiting in September and the information gathered from these great programmes will be put to good use.
Have a great trip Gary
Bloody brill Paul, very good ,and a big thankyou to Mr Zaloga .
Good to see Steve Zaloga again.
Absolutely enjoyable discussion!!
Excellent, thank you!
Fantastic episode from Steven as usual. In depth detail and research. Thank you. Learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Looking forward to Part 2
Excellent, looking forward to the 2nd one
In May 1984, I was impressed with how much the site was damaged...
Great, Great presentation.
very very interesting where can i get the book. love all the detail
All good book shops, plus the links in the description
The US Army also used the French 155 MM GPF GUN as a towed artillery piece with modern tires as well as the M12 self propelled gun on a M3 tank chassis before the modern Long Tom 155mm gun was adopted
Amazing channel and video 💯💯
This was amazing! Thank you, learned so many new things, myths etc. Look forward to the next video. Cheers
very enjoyable,normally this history stuff is just over views so interesting to have access to more detailed information and its picture it creates to your understanding of events
Audio was a bit off, lots of pauses in the video. Great information
From my end the audio wss perfect, are you sure it wasn't your connection?
I’ve not had this issue before, I’ll double check. Thanks for the reply, keep up the great work, I really enjoy your show!
I stand corrected, video now works seamlessly, must have been the connection. A great video, I highly recommend it, thanks WWII TV!
good evening, at 1h01minute 12 seconde, sorry, you indicated the placement of the cannons in the wrong place the precise place is located near the apple tree field on a path that we see on the right edge of the photo
Just started Reading Smashing Hitlers Guns, So far a great read with plenty of detail which i like. are their any other books out there with detail like this on how the Wn's were taken?
Just ordered the book
I saw this area in 2009. The bomb craters were very impressive. They were huge, deep, wide & many. My question has always been why didn't anyone relay to the allies the guns were not there?
Do you mean ahead of DDay? If so, the French Resistance told the Allies in April. How that information was processed is another story
Duchez took the map from Todt in Caen
Is there anywhere I can find this PowerPoint presentation?
It's Steve Zaloga's based on his book
@@WW2TV I forgot to subscribe...thanks for the awesome information.
No mention of the tunnels? Snipers? I guess I’ll stick to older books about the subject. Still I’m gratified that these historians are dedicated to task of keeping the memory of those men and their deeds in focus
Well, there was no mention of tunnels because there were none finished at Pointe du Hoc. Trenches yes, but no tunnels. As a Normandy historian of 20 years myself, I can assure you that Steve absolutely knows this subject and if you have books stating there were tunnels they are incorrect. Indeed there are now Lidar and GPR scans of the site proving this. Now it is true the Germans planned to connect some of the positions by tunnel, but like lots of other work on the Atlantic Wall it never happened.
As for snipers, like 88s and Tigers, it is one of the most overused words in Normandy writing. Among the Artillery defenders at PdH there would have been zero snipers. That's not to say there wasn't return fire from single riflemen, but not snipers as we understand the term.
One of the best things about Steve Zaloga's book is that it DOESN'T repeat mistakes and false narratives from earlier works. Pointe du Hoc is a fascinating battle but lots of myths endure that with 78 years of historiography need addressing.
Cool intro..
I'm not sure what the great revelation is? Have I missed something - is Stephen stating anything that hasn't already been published?
Well I learned more than a few things and Steve was able to confirm details that have been hazy, for example the reason for the lack of Schwere Drehbettung 32 mounts was interesting. There were also a couple of photos I had not seen before and I had not realised that on some maps WNs 73, 71 and 72 at Vierville sur Mer were classed as a Stp.
@@WW2TV yeah... interesting, but hardly a revelation- I was thinking that there must be a ground-breaking statement coming up in part two? Interesting that Stephen quoted PdH being the allies number one target resulting in the heaviest pre-invasion bombardment - I always thought that was Longues - will have to dig out the after action report for Flashlamp when I get the chance. I may be wrong but so could Stephen (he did publish that post D-day the allies assessed that Omaha had the highest defensive weapons density - as we know, that is incorrect, the reports concluded Sword to have such). Sorry if it sounds like I'm nit picking, but as I'm sure youll agree, it's best to clarify and correct.
As for the Stp status at Omaha. As early as 1943, the 'Omaha' defences had been broken down in to 3 Stp (Vierville, St Laurent and Colleville) [source Chazette, page 5], this was before the expansion of the WNs in the area so it is unclear as to whether or not the Germans retained this catergory after such (its a shame that the map on page 113 of Chazette's Omaha book is not dated). Its clear that much of Stephen's research and claims are based on Chazette's Atlantikwall - Omaha Beach book (you must have it Paul, if so and you havent read it for a while I'd thoroughly recommend giving it a reread). A few years ago I spent a couple of rainy Normandy winter months vainly attempting to translate Chazette's books - its such a shame that there has never been a full translation as it really is incredible work, I'm sure, just like with Zetterling, there will be detractors, but I reckon it has to be the best we have (so far).
@@stuartrobertson2407 Yes I have the Chazette book, although not looked at it for a while
Big guns removed to rear lanes before 6644.
Troops left manning were mainly Russian conscripts enforced to Wermacht, manning mg positions.
PdH was a non threat.
I would need to see your soirce tjey were Russian
The allies didn’t plan to land at Omaha 😉
What do you mean by this please?
@@WW2TV I mean that they didn’t land in the intended locations
@@michaelmulligan0 what's that got to do with Pointe du Hoc?
@@WW2TV was just in reaction to a comment about planned landings at Omaha and Utah… was a joke
Excellent episode
As an Australian I am very thankful for what the Russians did so D-day could happen.
Because without the Russians D-DAY would never of happened.. the Russians were taking the full brunt of the Germans on the Eastern Front.. I do believe that the Eastern Front was the turning point in WW2 and this proven because the Russians made it to Berlin Germany first and won WW2 and I'm very thankful for that ..
Yeah the Allies UK and America also played a big part but without the Russians I don't think we would of beaten the Germans.. the Germans just had the best battle tactics of the war it was even that good America still use them today !!
The German military and Military equipment most of be n very impressive because America after WW2 stole it and used it for themselves ( operation paperclip ) the Germans after the war even put the first Americans on the moon ..
Another interesting fact the biggest land battles ever on earth was on the eastern Front. The biggest tanks battles ever on earth was on the eastern Front, the biggest air battles on earth was on the eastern Front.. them Russians sure proved they were a Super Power ..
I don't disagree with you and that's exactly why we often cover the Eastern Front on WW2TV
I sono stato il 2 Giugno con mio figlio. Luogo storico ed è incredibile l eroismo dei Rangers