American Reacts D-Day from the British Perspective | Bird's Eye View
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- Опубліковано 31 жов 2024
- Original Video: • D-Day from the British...
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The Hollywood perspective - In the film The Longest Day, the British are only featured for 20 minutes and the entire Canadian beach (Juno) only gets mentioned for a few seconds in a caption as two German planes strafe Gold, Juno and Sword beaches. Even the screen time devoted to the British beaches is largely two comic relief incidents. This from a film lasting 3 hours.
You can add just about every American documantary on D-Day to your assessment. They always promore their films and videos as "Normandy/Normandy Landings/D-Dat etc etc, but they're always only about Omaha and Utah. The trrouble with the Americans is that they "HAVE" to promote themselves over and above any and every Ally. They are the most vainglorious people in the world, giving little to no credit to the British, Canadian or even the French. At no time do they ever give more than a few minutes to any British Forces, but will generally give more screentime to the Germans - purely to show how difficult they made it for the Americans!
Miost American "armchair generals" habe fought with me over this, and have lost every argument when I've told them the facts, because in truth, none of them have ever studied the British side of things, and have no knowledge other than what they've been taught via their own propaganda.
Hi Connor, the tanks had zero buoyancy without the canvas skirt. They would sink like a brick if enough water got inside the skirt, which a lot of them did. The reason the Germans didn't concentrate their fire on them, was because all they saw was an oblong canvas shape, they had no idea there was a tank inside each one.
You beat me to it. A German gunner was spoilt for choice for targets. With all those landing craft coming ashore, what appeared to be a medium sized dinghy would not have seemed a high priority.
The "failure" to take Caen of the first day, turned out not to be so costly for the Allies as it was for the Axis. Montgomery adapted the plan and used Caen to pin the enemy and suck them into a fight there, while the Americans secured the right flank of the beachhead; Before launching a right hook, encircling advance around Caen to trap the Germans in the Falaise pocket.
To all those who say Montgomery failed in the Battle of Normandy because of Caen, I say:
_No plan survives contact with the enemy. Only the layman believes that the course of the campaign has followed a predetermined course, which has been planned in detail far in advance, and has been clung to tenaciously to the bitter end_ :Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke (and pretty much any other field commander of any note through out history)
Friggin hell not one minute in and they already wrong it was the ox's and bucks light infantry that took the bridge...
"up the Ox and Bucks" shouted by Richard Todd in the longest day during the storming of the bridge before his character is relieved by someone playing Richard Todd
My Dad was Royal Artillery and landed on sword beach on D-day plus 1. He received a head wound within hours of landing and ended up in a French hospital, He never really spoke much about it but told me the Americans had it much worse. He told me they were very brave. Wish I'd asked him more when he was alive, Most of his stories avoided about the fighting and were more about eating contests and suchlike,
Something that always gets missed is the fact that months before the invasion, engineers were secretly swimming onto the beaches at night and taking sand samples, using an auger. They were so close to the German beach patrols, they could here them talking.and singing at Xmas/New years eve.
Connor did know the British actor Richard Todd who played the leader of the Parachute regiment at Pegasus Bridge in the film The longest Day was a soldier at the real event
I was part of the 50th Anniversary of D Day on HMS Fearless in 1994, I will avoid we the Brits did this, the yanks did etc, I had privilege, honour of meeting and chatting to those brave men who ran up the beaches that day, the ordinary soldiers. Who did extraordinary things that day and the coming days, still all very sprightly in their late 60's and early 70's. All very humble not one considered themselves a hero, all were their to visit their mates, the real hero's who lie sleeping in a foreign land. A humbling experience, who are the greatest generation, a few beers and few more beers were supped, stories told, some tears, 27 years late their numbers are now few and soon they will all be gone, consigned to history. Lest we Forget, We will Remember them
617 (dam busters) played a critical part in the D-day landings. For hours, they flew down the coast, dropping foil, which helped confuse german radar, and make them believe that a fleet of ships were moving towards the coast of calais. Helping to make them believe the real invasion would be taking place here and not Normandy.
If you’ve not already seen it, The Longest Day is a fantastic film about D-day, adapted from the non-fiction book of the same name. Following real many real persons (American, British, German, Free French, French Resistance) through the events of the day. The scene in the German bunker where they’re looking out to the channel and see the Allied ships is an excellent one.
The D Day landings were very much a British affair. All the planning, choosing the appropriate beaches to land on, the secret scoping-out of the beaches to ensure their suitability for landing were all done by the British and before Eisenhower become overall commander (because the Americans had the most troops).
The special “Mulberry” harbours were a British idea and built in Britain. They had to be assembled during the landing. The American got theirs erected first, but unfortunately they messed up and the thing fell apart. They blamed it on the stormy weather but the British Mulberry survived, funny that. The landing continued with just the one Mulberry. But that wasn’t the end of it. The Americans actually landed on the wrong beach at the named Utah. This - even though the British had offered to guide the Americans in. (The British used mini-submarines to act as guides).
Then on Omaha beach the Americans got bogged down, getting nowhere until two British Destroyers took it on themselves without orders to move dangerously close to the beach to attack the German defences. That’s not mentioned much now, the nationality of those ships in particular.
The British invented and employed a variety of devices to help the landings. For instance tanks with “flails” beating the ground to blowup mines.
The British also invented “floating” tanks so that they could land themselves on the beaches. But the weather was stormy so the British didn’t use that particular device. But - of course - the Americans did, most sank and crews drowned.
Also in the film “Saving Private Ryan” the British were denigrated for being slow, but no one mentioned that - for instance - the crews managing the landing craft at that beach were all British.
And all the really clever stuff, like making the Germans think the landings were taking place near Calais (hundreds of miles away) was done by the British, including the RAF 617 squadron flying with unbelievably accuracy using very complicated techniques which convinced the Germans to send armies to there rather than Normandy. It took them days to realise the truth.
Oh. And the British managed to land their paratroops in the correct place and carried out their objective while the Americans dropped their troops in the wrong place. (As ever.)
Montgomery was overall commander of land forces on D-Day
@@monza1002000. There was doubt about when the invasion should take place. It had been delayed by a day due to the weather.
It was Eisenhower who decided when to go. He was in overall command.
@oldman1734 But Montgomery inch argentine of land forces and a RAF N.Z. in charge of the air forces
My wifes Grandfather went ashore with the Canadians on Juno Beach. He was a British Military Policeman attached to the Canadian army, His first job after landing was to assist in selecting a house for demolition so that it could be bulldozed into a ramp to get transport off the beach.
He was from the UK Territorial Army, essentially volunteers, his unit coming from the Automobile Association employees. If you look carefully at some film from the D-day landings you might just notice that some of the Army road signs have the 'AA' badge on them.
My father was on a ship that went into Port-en-Bassen on D+1.
My Grandad was a veteran of WW2. He fought in Italy, France and Belgium. He only ever mentioned snippets of what he experienced. I have his war medals and will pass them on to my children,.The Germans were seriously dug in all along the French coast. It was a miracle it succeded, but thankfully it did.
My brother and I visited Normandy on the anniversary of D-day a few years ago. We walked the beaches and visited the cemetaries and many museums. The locals and military put on recreations all over in uniform and with military vehicles. The highlight for me was Pegasus Bridge.
Connor...there were 2 US infantry divisions that landed on Omaha Beach...plus other attached units. One was the 1st Infantry Division, which was known as The Big Red One, and was one of the most experienced divisions in the US Army at that point. The other division that landed was the 29th Infantry, which had been training for the landings in England since late 1942, but which had not participated in any combat operations in WW2 before D-Day. ✌
The movie Longest Day would be a good watch for you, its very close to Actual events
I don’t if it’s been suggested elsewhere, but check out the Hobart Funnies, the various adapted tanks that took part in and after the D-Day landings.
Connor in the film ' The Longest Day ' the part of Major John Howard leading the attack on Pegasus Bridge was taken by actor Richard Todd who in real life was in fact actually part of the actual attack on the bridge in 1944. Excellent film by the way !
In 1999 I had the accidental privilege of meeting Richard Todd at our local Post Office when we were both inhibited from leaving by not having umbrellas. We spoke for 15-20 minutes and I remember that at one stage I had to counter his suggestion that my four children would never have heard of him by telling him that they were the children of a dedicated film fan! We had neither of us been to the cinema for many years. Major John Howard had only very recently died and, knowing that they were friends, I commiserated with him. Afterwards I reflected on the fact that I had discussed Major Howard with ‘Major Howard’!
Richard Todd was part of the relief column and was probably one of the first to cross Pegasus Bridge. There is is character in that particular scene that could have been Richard Todd.
My great uncle was one of the Paras in the 6th Airborne and was in one of the gliders. He survived D-Day but was killed with less than a month before the end of the war.
Love your channel ❤
My late farther-in-law landed on Gold beach. He made it to the end of the war and lived until his 70's. Few years ago I went over to France and retraced his steps of ww2.
The D D or Duplex Drive tank was unknown to the Germans a total surprise. Cheers.
One group of commandos were dropped short into the Channel, 150 died ... the majority of that particular attack ... the ones who were on target still took their target (East of Pegasus bridge attack)! All of the swimming tanks heading for Omaha were sunk in heavy swells before they could land ;-((
In one section of Omaha, yes...the DD tanks of the 741st Tank Battalion were put into the water too far out, and 27 of 29 sank before reaching shore. But part of the 741st still made it to the beach because they landed directly from LCT onto the shore, and most of the 743rd, the other tank battalion that landed at Omaha Beach, made it ashore. So the idea that none of the armor made it to the beach has always been largely mythological.
But the sacrifices of the British Commandos definitely need to be marked and remembered, so thank you for your comment. ✌
The only DD tanks that sank were the ones meant for the centre. The tanks came ashore on Omaha as planned elsewhere. There is a lot of propaganda written about Omaha to cover the utter disaster it became, bombers missed the beach by miles, DD tanks launched miles out to sea, ship bombardment missed the targets, ships not taking up their assigned gun positions, etc.
@@iKvetch558 I don't think the sinking tank crews or the unsupported men on the beach were happy about it! I wouldn't even know about the special commandos East of Pegasus, except there was a documentary on it. Many such blocking or sabotaging or recon operations were highly classified at the time, and Pegasus gets a nod because they made a movie about it.
@@williambranch4283 I definitely did not suggest that they enjoyed the experience...I was only speaking to the fact that the tanks that sank were not close to all the tanks at Omaha Beach. As I understand it, the men in the 2 tank companies that were decimated by sinking KNEW that the conditions were too rough, but they followed their terrible orders and tried to get ashore. The only consolation for them was that the commanders of the other 2 DD tank companies saw them sinking, and chose not to put their tanks in the water...instead driving their LCTs in close to shore to drop them off.
@@iKvetch558 Good reaction on the part of the second group, in which case cancel Omaha until condition improve?
My Dad landed at Arromanche Gold beach and went on to the battle for Caen then all the way through crossing the bridge at Nijmegen and on to liberate Belsen etc
Its a war crime to fire on a falling parachutist, you can fire at the planes dropping them but not the parachutes. Both british and german troops observed this rule.
Get your hands on "The Devil's Own Luck" - By Denis Edwards. Brutal yet fantastic read.
I think it was pretty scary being a German. Firstly they aren't top echelons troops on the beaches and the first waves are the allies most hardened troops, remember the Germans were facing the USSR at the same time. They then were on the receiving end of a naval bombardment. The largest guns on the battleships dwarfed the largest land based guns so it would have been pretty terrifying. Then you have thousands of troops coming at you.
Your manning an MG knowing that if the allies catch you they'll probably just shoot you for causing so many casualties...
The problem the British had is that several of the elite panzer units were recuperating from the Eastern front in the Caen area.
What isn't mentioned here is the huge deception campaign that kept the German high command thinking that the attack was coming on the Pays de Calais, which is 70.miles west of Normandy. So they kept their better troops at the east end of the French coast.
The Germans had years, virtually unopposed and able to use slave labor to construct defences absolutely certain they would be attacked one day. Many of those Germans would have first hand experience or at least known soldiers who fought in the trenches of WW1 where two opposing armies held a stalemate for years dug into impenetrable lines. The Allies had better intelligence by far, support from the French Resistance, Experienced British/Colonial soldiers and fresh well equipped American allies and a new kind of fighter in the special forces and commandos. It was always going to be a long, difficult and bloody conflict but just as the Germans had swept across Europe in 1939 so the Allies would take back place by place all the way to Berlin.
Despite the fact that British and Canadian troops numbered 75,216 with 57,500 from the USA involved in the D Day landings of June 6th 1944 and that 17,556 Brits and 5,316 Canadians losing their lives in the assault on the beaches their part was largely overlooked during the French Celebrations commemorating the 65th year of the D Day landings in 2009.
The French President Sarkozy in inviting President Obama and even Tom Hanks to the celebrations but refusing to extend an invitation to Queen Elizabeth II the Head of State of the other two countries who's massive contribution helped win the day despite overtures from Buckingham Palace and the only living Head of state who actually served in the war was not surprisingly taken as a snub by Britain.
The celebrations were described by the French as Sarkozy and Obama paying homage to the thousands of Americans who lost their lives on the Normandy beaches with the French president hailing U.S. help in beating Hitler but no mention of Britain's sacrifice.
Eventually Gordon Brown the UK P.M. at the time after making a request and the Canadian P.M were invited to take part in some of the celebrations but according to the press at the time were made to feel like extras to the main event of the Sarkozy Obama show.
It seems due to the history over the centuries between the two nations the French are somewhat embarrassed and don't like to acknowledge the British contribution in helping to acheive their liberty.
13 hours that saved britain. You need to watch mate!
this study missed the embarrassment that American forces went to the wrong beach, initially, and had to withdraw before correcting their bearings.
That was reported on in their video covering D-Day from the American Perspective. Just like they did not talk about British mistakes in that one, they do not talk about US mistakes in this one. ✌
@@iKvetch558 many thanks
@@stirlingmoss4621 Also, at Utah, they realized they had landed at the wrong place, but then just carried on the rest of the landings from there...they did not have to withdraw and go again. 😉
@@iKvetch558 Veh !
Watch the movie The Longest Day Connor, there's scenes where command wants to release the tanks but Hitler had taken a sleeping pill and no one had the balls to try and wake him or take initiative and give the order themselves.
A lot of the gun Batteries are still there in Normandy, also there is a lot of Hitlers Atlantic wall still in place/ I`ve been to see the parts in France and Belgium
It was not Paratrooper in capturing Pegasus Bridge it wa) and 'D' 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry joined with The King,s Royal Rifle Corp and The Rifle Birgade to become The Royal Green Jackets which My oldest brother and I serve in Royal Green Jackets.
Why would you shoot a parachute when you can shoot the guy dangling below it?
Yo nice vid
The channel The Operations Room has a great series on The Battle of the Bulge, that I highly recommend, please react to it.
Watch Jeremy Clarkson : The greatest raid and do a video on it
Can you react to curiouse archive videos about Serina the natural history of the world of birds.
Oh great, it's the 21st Panzer Division!....said no British forces at all..
Fab review and interesting to take the Long View as we look forward to the Ukrainian D-Day when they push Russia out of their Country.
How dumb can people be? I HATE " Gift for FREE ". Any comments?
Tautology.
Gets me too.
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They couldn't depend on the para's, they used infantry regiments they could hold ground.