The Man with 1,000 Kills - The Terrifying Beast of Omaha
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 кві 2024
- On June 6, 1944, after years of grueling conflict, the first Allies to land on Omaha Beach in occupied France were immediately met with stiff opposition from German defenders.
Central to this conflict was Heinrich “Hein” Severloh, stationed at WN 62, a key defensive position among the German fortifications along this vital beachfront. Armed with the MG 42, renowned for its rapid-fire capabilities, Severloh tirelessly engaged the advancing American forces.
Severloh's precision was merciless as he targeted the Americans disembarking from their landing crafts, and entire platoons were cut down within moments of exposure. Countless GIs caught knee-deep in the surf struggled under the weight of their gear and the unyielding fire, and some attempted to evade the direct assault by leaping from the sides, only to meet the same fate.
After six relentless hours of gunfire, and with his comrades beginning to withdraw and regroup, Private Severloh emerged as the sole survivor of his fortified position, single-handedly holding off the enemy. In the face of overwhelming odds and dwindling ammunition-having expended nearly 13,000 rounds-Severloh confronted a chilling realization. In the grim aftermath of the day's events, he had become the Beast of Omaha.
-
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -
Cousin landed on omaha beach, shot in the arm went on to fight the battle of the bulge. Jeep he was in hit a land mine, he woke up face down in the ditch and could hear germans talking. He waited till dark and crawled 7 miles to get help. Was in hospital for 1.5 years and married the nurse who cared for him.
God bless your cousin for doing what he had to do and having an amazing life to tell about it. I hope they make a movie about him one day.
A man of steel
nice story, bot
What a fucking unit. Absolute legend
What was that movie called again??
In 1988 as a young cardiac surgical tech I cared for a man who was on Omaha Beach 44 years previously. I listened to him for an hour, knowing it would be one of the greatest privileges of my life as it has remained. One thing he said, with tears in his eyes, haunts me: "I saw things on that beach the devil wouldn't look at but I promise you something brother- he was there".
Was his name sherlock?
Thank you for your work as a surgical tech... you guys are the unsung heroes of the OR especially in emergency situations.
The Americans had over 2500 men killed on D-Day but only 777 killed on Omaha Beach. (Total casualties were 3,686) There was no way that any single German soldier killed that many people. If we posit that some of the soldiers he shot were only wounded then he is claiming to have personally been responsible for 54% of Americans killed or wounded on Omaha Beach. I call B.S.
Ya, it's not unusual for his videos to have some errors in them. Most people don't catch them, because it all makes for good cinematography, and sparks a real interest in history for others... So we must forgive him his errors, and enjoy the history he shares with us... Just be sure to check the facts for yourself....
its a fact that all sides including the us have falsely reported deaths!
@@johngaltmanDark Docs is not a history channel not even the slightest bit I remember this guy almost deleting his channel because historians ate him up on his inaccuracies 😅
@@LemonHead-sq5ws Didn't say it was, also, many "history" documentaries have errors in them also. That doesn't mean they are not useful.
@@johngaltman it’s a bot channel half the time what’s on screen isn’t even correct to what he’s saying lol 😝
My grandfather was here, he seen alot an was always reminded of his past. The greatest generation, an i thank him.
Yes sir,
And so do I.
Glad to hear that you are proud of your grandfather for his role in protecting freedom and liberty.
just think about it. he was mms, and centimetres away from a bullet to the head that whole battle. You could have easily not been born!
My grandfather took German shrapnel through his thigh on an Italian mountainside. I’m obviously thankful he survived, unlike so many of his comrades who perished right beside him.
However, seeing what’s become of our country, he, like Patton, would say we fought the wrong people.
It should be noted that the estimated 1,000+ enemy kill-count was “his” estimate made in “his” book.
1000+ LOL when in fact the US Army has lost 3,686 casualties including around 777 killed. 777 yet hes claiming over 1000! So he killed them all? 😅🤔🤪
like 40% of the total casualties on Omaha
@hoosierhiver And 6 million jews were killed during the holocaust
@@hoosierhiver he didnt get close to 40% LOLOL
i love that half of the top comments are calling out the total horseshit that is this video
My dad was in the second wave at Omaha beach. Whenever we asked him about his service, he made it sound like a bad camping trip. He told me a story about how his platoon was stationed in a farm house near a Germain observation post. When one of the Germains came out to smoke one of the GI's in his platoon tried to take him out with a BAR and missed. The Germans called in their position and the farmhouse was hit by artillery. Half of his platoon was wiped out including his CO.
Jesus Christ bro
@@javiermartinezjr8849 My dad really had an angel looking out for him. His divison had been staying in Liege for a few days before moving out. The Germans bombed the city about a day after they left. My dad also managed to miss the battle of the bulge by getting really bad case of trench foot. At one point the docs were thinking about amputating the foot, but my dad told them no. He managed to keep his foot, but he had permanent nerve damage because of the trench foot.
My grandfather was a bombardier for B-24s in the pacific. He was shot down 7 times. He was rescued one time by a Russian sub one time so dehydrated that they started them off with thimbles of water. 7 fucking times. He was one of the 60% of men during WWII that were drafted. I guess the amazing part was that he kept getting back in the next plane.
@@nocturnalverse5739 My dad was drafted as well. His one aim was to make it out alive. I don't think your grandfather had a choice about getting on the plane.
Where do you go camping? Because that's not like any camping trip I've been on.
The MG 42 was so good that 80 years later, it and variants are still in use !
The Maxim is still in use as well apparently.
Those MG42s were lightyears ahead of their time as far as weapons technology.
no not really they were much like the browning .50 and colt 1911 optimized to the point that its very difficult to improve on them
@@paktahn IDK, man. Their fire rate was insane...
@@The_Ghost923
Agreed!
Our M-60 was heavily influenced by the MG42 design.
@@The_Ghost923 high fire rate is not necessarily a good thing the mg 42 had a fire rate of around 1200 rpm but they realized that one that troops were going through ammo far too fast and two the barrels heat up a lot faster and wear out quicker so they lowered it to around 900 rpm after the war the usa took the fg42 and the mg 42 and frankensteined them together to create the m60 and gave it what they considered at the time the optimal fire rate of 600 rpm and was so controllable that you could if experienced with it fire it standing with one hand and keep it under control my father carried one in vietnam and said it would slowly climb at a 45 degree angle that was easy to correct for and hold on target
@@paktahn I understand. I simply meant for the times it was impressive.
I have read that if the Germans had concentrated more MG-42’s that the Normandy invasion could have failed due to such massive casualties. But of course, Armchair General’s hindsight is always 20/20.
The Northern half of the Italian campaign provided a natural defense as the Germans used the mountainous landscape and canyons in conjunction with MG-42's to provide cross-cover fire.
A great shout to be fair, Concentrated arks of fire interlocking and more strength in depth could have soaked up a lot of the inward waves. The 352nd were convalescents and not combat troops per se, the white bread division in fact, with many dietary needs. Its so fascinating looking up all these fats mate. greetings from England West Yorkshire.
The allies did everything they could to prevent a troop concentration at Normandy beforehand to be fair. The german high command always suspected that the landings would take place at pas-de-calais. The allies reinforced that belief and it worked.
I am totally dumbfounded that Sgt Heinrich Severloh's heroic memoire account of his exploits on Omaha beach was featured in this show. This account is pure fiction as Sgt Severloh was investigated by historians a few years ago. They concluded that much of his account was lies, he was not an infantryman but artilleryman and so his weapon would have been an MG-34. His position had limited view of the beach and at that particular location there had only been around 200 casualties within possible range of his gun. Severloh's account claimed between 1,000 and 2,000 men. While a simple fact chech will show the actual casualties for all 6 miles of Omaha Beach was 2,400, with only 776 KIA.
It’s why I’ve been unsubscribing from all their “Dark ____” channels. They scraping the barrel for any 10-12 minutes that can be cranked out.
He was a communications soldier given the MG to use. If he fired that many rounds the barrel would have melted. Doubt he would have had enough ammo at his position to kill so many. How did he manage without someone to help feed the rounds and change barrels.
Its a ludicrous claim. He would have needed countless amounts of ammo plus exchange barrels either for the Mg 42 or Mg 34
Its a hook for this channel.
@@J_McPhearsom Yes the channel has gone down hill. But this was entirely fake and pure NAZI propaganda. But to be fair he is not the only one playing these fake memoirs from disgruntled Germans
Both my grand dads were machine gunners from winter war till the end of continual war . Just weeks before the end, both were wounded. I have no idea how many they have killed, and both were at Lemetti and Kollaa. Given Soviet human wave tactics, I recon many.
I think a lot of us forget that although the Germans were our enemy, they were just kids, doing what they were told by the country they grew up in and the military they joined, just like our soldiers (american) were doing.
Wow! My grandfather was there with the Big Red One, lucky to have made it through!
He didnt tho man.. he died..
Which means.. you dont exist.
@@obamasteeth My mother was already born before he left the US for WWII, and he did make it through. The Korean War too! When his outfit got orders for Vietnam, he said two wars was enough and retired.
My dad was in the 1st divisiond 18th regiment, 1st Battalion, Company A ,First Platoon. I think he was in squad C.
@@nutrinutbob A likely story. Exactly as I anticipated.
@@obamasteeth Truth is easy to anticipate.
It’s impossible to know how many casualties you’ve caused in this type of warfare. From an Australian veteran.
The causalities are on the beach mate. They either got treated or were dead. No mystery there. It’s completely possible to know.
Are you saying as a veteran you’ve got no idea where your mates are??
Heinrich Severloh and Simo Häyhä true patriots fighting against communism❤
So, he killed more than were actual KIA during the landing? War is hell.
Yeah, makes no sense. I dont got the numbers, but from what i remember it less than 1k deaths, and 3.5k casualties
this is jewish propaganda lol dont believe the bs
That was intense! Wild to think he survived the war
Thanks, very interesting. ✌🏻👊🏼
@dark docs 1:58 is a Slovak soldier from 1st Division in eastern front. I would very much like to know what was your source of that video for editing. Thank you in advance.
There was supposed to be four battalions of a coastal division at Omaha. Hitlers intuition placed a regiment of the 352nd Infantrie Division at Omaha one week before. So the American were facing eight battalions of infantry.
What a horrible thing to do. What a horrible thing to ask a person to do. What a weight to live with! May we learn from our mistakes.
The man was dedicated to his mission as were ours.
Right or wrong - his country...!
this case has been very disputed and hasn't actually had any hard evidence backing it also Severloh himself never stated these numbers to be accurate just tired assumptions and seeing how this would mean a single man from a single bunker with a single MG caused almost all the 2000 casualties on Omaha Beach. (when we know there were many more bunkers, dugouts, and positions with mg's plus the mines and artillery) This would be VERY highly unlikely and with all the veteran testimonies stating otherwise too. I hate how this dumb rumor gets passed around as fact.
correct sir. He would have been responsible for amlost all the casualties at omaha at that point, ive seen other numbers thrown around. either way he he got a lot
Imagine shaking hands with a thousand people. Ten seconds for shaking and turn to the next one. If doing continuously you are almost 3 hours busy in a row. I bet most people think after maybe one hour though, they must have shaken the hand of at least a thousand people.
Thanks for the interesting content
Omaha was staffed with regular German troops, the other beaches with Russian and Polish conscripts. This is why Omaha was so tough for the allies.
The unit had also just come from the Russian front and were in Normandy for R&R.
In addition to your comment, the amphibious and assault-borne tanks were significantly more successful on the other beaches, giving the troops valuable tank support while advancing. Something that, without, would have been a serious disadvantage for the troops at Omaha.
No, there were no Polish conscripts. In Poland there were many Polish citizens that were ethnically German or had some German heritage. If they signed the Folksliste (Peoples letter) they got better rations, rights, property protection. If they didn't sign, they risked being sent to a concentration camp. Signing meant conscription for males.
Thankyou for telling both sides
Wow. Definitely highest kill rate ever. Surprisingly, he lived to tell about it. Many were against it.
I dont know, there are spoken books story about the east front here on UA-cam. And some mazis seem to shoot endless groups of russians day in day out for years. I mean if this stuka pilot rudel can make 2500 missions there must be a nazi who kllled thousans maybe tens of thousands in all those years with a machine gun
Thanks, Dark Docs.
I landed on Omaha, it was nuts.
Good to see a 94 year old using UA-cam.
me too it was some bull-ass-shit. i need substantial financial compensation immediately
I am curious how you knew his political beliefs (Nazi). Maybe just a kid caught up in the German war machine.
Great point
Not all Germans were nazis. And, not all nazis were German.
Well they didn’t exactly force people to become nazis…
he is bowing for his masters
What? You mean he was faking being a nazi, while in a nazi uniform, every other person singing about nazi songs, being surrounded by other fanatical nazis, etc. I guess that can happen😂.
I really find it interesting and telling, by people who make excuses for nazis.
The 6th commandment
This German guy: Sorry, I don't follow that.
The beast of omaha.claimed to put down over 2000 men and fired 12000 rounds of ammo in 9 hours.
What most people don't know is that he suffered severe psychological trauma because of his experiences.
Well I think most people would come to that conclusion rationally. But then again... people these days lack critical thinking
He didnt get anywhere near that, how could he!? The US Army has lost 3,686 casualties including around 777 killed. SO how did he claim over 2000 LOL
@@TheFunkhouser Those were the claims made, As I said he claimed to put down over 2000 men. Most historians have been in debate about the actual number for years since there is no way to tally the precise number of kills for a machine gunner.
And 6 million jews were killed during the holocaust
War is hell❤
D-Day was horrifying
Thats almost half the total amount think he'd be to hard on the Schnapps
3:23 - Before going into battle, always have "notifications" turned on.
Before watching this video i know it's Heinrich Severloh right?
I bet he got a big ass iron cross for that,what a patriot for the fatherland.
He was just Defending his country.
@@tigerboy60 All of Europe
If he got one it was awarded after the war as he became a POW within a couple days of retreating from the beach. He spent the next three years as a prisoner.
@@tigerboy60wrong. He was in France you fool. A country invaded by him and the Nazis. Grow up
Wow this is such an amazing story I’ve known forever I’m glad that it’s finally getting some publicity as it’s pretty unknown in America since it makes us look bad. Haven’t even watched the video yet but clicked so fast lol
Without the music this channel would be tolerable.
I don't know how many MG42 barrels he had, but we can calculate the number he surely went through firing all those rounds........no way he had over ten MG42 barrels. No way.
I want you to know, with thousands of ships, planes, and troops. I'm TERRIFIED of a little machine gun.
The only aspect of these documentaries i find difficult is the tone of the narrator.
Like he is in a hurry to catch the last train!
A great story and well told. Just a couple of comments: firstly, you show a lot of MG34s when talking about MG42s; and, you show footage of Canadians storming Juno Beach. Other than these minor issues, great video!
I suspect the Americans severely under reported their losses.
It is called propaganda, exactly the same as what Germany did.
Germany lost the war when the allies established dominion over the sky, after that it was over.
Nope. They lost the war after Japan screwed with American boats, then we declared war on Japan. Then Germany declared war on America. America said you can die also.
"nope" lol... a know nothing.. trying to tell a casual historian.. how it all worked. a bunch of children trying to pretend that theyve grown up and understand complicated things and have firm opinions on those things... while talking about them at the adult dinner table.. trying to convince eachother that theyve earned the right to be considered an adult. while they all know they dont really understand jack shit and subconciously know, that everyone is just bullshitting eachother. youre just a grown child with no understanding of the world or history but you feel like you have to talk like you have important understandings and have drawn firm conclusions from those sophisticated understandings.
LOL
He definitely did not kill 1,000 American soldiers. I've watched so many d day veteran interviews in the last few months, and what these men experienced and went through on d day and for months after d day, was absolute, unimaginable hell. We owe that generation everything wanna we're blessed to still have some around telling their stories on camera. Crazy that we have video interviews of soldiers that served as far back as the civil war.
Hmmm, most of the Atlantic wall was gaurded by wounded troops from the Eastern front or low skill troops from Romania and other parts of the affiliated with the Reich. Also if they hadn't held back the Panzer divisions the beach head would probably of been destroyed. Notmandy looked big but the fights in the Pacific were way more bloody because Japanese did not surrender.
Whether 250 kills or 1000, the numbers don't matter much. What's surprising is that this German survived to tell his story.
Thing is there were only around 3,686 total casualties of which less than 780 KIA, so yes the MG-42 was a deadly gun this individual did not have 1,000 kills at Omaha. Oh and around 34,000 troops were landed that day from two US Divisions; 1st Inf Division and the 29th Inf Division. So Hollywood has made it appear that a US Infantry man was highly likely to get killed at Omaha with their movies; Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, The Big Red One and any other movie about D-Day when that is not the case at all.
There wasn’t even an mg42 in his position!
He claimed to have fired 400 rounds from a 98k too. He reloaded 80 times!!
Absolute rubbish
What I don’t understand. Is how the Canadian mine sweepers, did their work. Ahead of the Omaha landings
They just politely asked for permission and it was granted.
this is insanity, Americans being cut down by the 1,000s and 1,000s, many not even exiting the landing crafts or getting out of the water, with no shields? even Romans and Greeks soldiers 1,000s of years ago had shields [shields could have deflected some shells if not stopping them completely, it made the body of shield bearer harder to determine position]. Just keep piling up the bodies like fodder until the enemy runs out of Ammo, more insanity, why didn't the landing crafts turn around and when they saw soldiers weren't even leaving the landing craft alive, or until Bombers could see on a clear day and be able to bomb a visible enemy. more insanity. If the generals had to land on the beaches with to soldiers the rules and safety would have changed.
No Tanks at Omaha, where they were needed the most to supress and destroy the machine guns. They were put into the water too early and never made it to the beach.
I dont understand why they didnt put barbed wire on the landing areas
They did. It was above the high tide line. If it was in the tidal zone it would just get buried.
7:50 the long day ahead. You might say… The Longest Day?
2:37 The MG-42 is not the most accurate machine gun, the British Bren was apparently accurate enough for sharpshooting.
You don't need to be too accurate with a mg. It defeats the purpose
You want some spread on it.
Thats why mg3 is still used on tanks today and used as a infantry MG.
@@christuspilatus I understand however the video said the MG had 'excellent accuracy'.
@johnnyhates and it did have excellent accuracy. An experienced MG gunner with scopes could engage targets up to 3,500 meters (3,828yd). That's pretty good.
I used mg3 both in hand and in a tank while I was in the army. It's a pretty lethal weapon if used correctly. Not just lead waster as the ww2 American propaganda claimed.
I dont think he is lying on his number. I imagine it sure felt like he did in a horrendous event like that. He said he doesnt really know. It is just his estimate. Im sure it was realistically over 200. Hell of a thing for a 20 year old to be forced to do. Sad.
There was 900 Kia at Omaha and 1400 wounded. This man did not unalive 1000 at Omaha.
Literally all the machine gun footage during the description of the MG42 is actually of the MG34, an older weapon. Not a single correct second.
Funny that in those videos they mix up clips of the MG42 and the MG34 together. Talking about the 42, while a 34 is shown…Can‘t be that difficult to distinguish between them.
He later went on to catch a Bass that was 10 feet long, he had to shoot it with a promptly made bow and arrow.
this man did kill a lot of men but no where near 1000
It's crazy to think that if you had a family member die during D-Day this man might have been the one that killed them.
There is a two hour interview of him and a Tommy (Cornelius Ryan) who got 3 bullets in his chest that day. Ryan found Severlohs name in he “the longest day”
Its anzac day here tomorrow and injust cant watch this. I did try
In later life Severloh went to America to specifically meet the "wild man" of Mutual of Omaha, Marlin Perkins.
He who fires fastest longest hardest and more accurately usually wins
great story from the german side of omaha beach you seldom hear about⚛😀
I shot the MG 3 when i was in german army service, can tell even this "buffed" slower son of the original is still a fast spitting beast, not easy to manage a burst under 4 rounds.
Only few words sticks with me, Old man decide, when and where young man die
There were only two people on the Enola Gay truly aware of the nature of the mission. It could be reasonably argued then that each man was responsible for 50,000 kills.
Of course Rachel Carson wrote the book Silent Spring which led to the Banning of DDT which led to 50 million people from the continent of Africa dying from malaria.
Probably mostly non Africans as the Africans had managed to live for thousands of years without it.
War is one of the punishments for sin.
First of all; What?
Second; You got an eagle as your profile picture.
Sorta looks like a paratrooper badge.
@@christuspilatus it is "screaming eagle`s" Badge 100%
I have a feeling that man had Pervitin coming out of his ears. Great story though!
You'll forgive me, I hope, for saying that it is pitiful to single out a single soldier in this way, and to glamourise his role on 6/6/1944. I wonder how (assuming the story here is not a complete fiction) he managed to sleep at night afterwards.
To be fair, that was a machinegunner's wet dream. Sucks to be offense on an amphibious raid or assault.
He made this estimate when he was 81 years old, 60 years after the landings in Normandy. I think a more realistic number would be 20.
200 to 300 more realistically.
I couldn't imagine having even a 240B at my disposal with an enemy coming to shore out in the open...absolute turkey shoot.
He is a distant relative of mine actually.... like he was my great grandma's 3rd cousin twice removed or something like that
Must be an honor to be related to greatness
@@llamalamb6741 all I know, it would explain why I'm such a beast on the M240B 💁♂️🤣. My family and machine guns 🤣🤣🤣🤣 most of my relatives who served in WW2, regardless of German, American or Canadian, were gunners. We know how to shoot 💁♂️. Ran a round of clays using slugs... perfect score, sorta we know how to shoot.
Going back to earliest records of ancestry, ancestors were noted for skills with crossbows... so it goes waaay back.
So you had a 1 in 13 chance to live with him firing, that 7.7% hit rate or less if you were hit multiple times.
I’m sure the fog of war accounted for the outrageous claim of 1000 KIA by Sgt. Severich
Based on
Why a beast? Just a soldier defending his and his comrades lives.
Capt Tibbets, 1k, that ain't shit
Thats what i call a killstreak! Was he at least allowed to call an air strike? I mean 1000 kills without dying 1 time he could even ask for a nuke😂
My great Grandfather was a Georgian in the OST division.
Who writes the script?
He most likely wasn't a "nazi." Rather just a soldier doing whatever he could fighting off the invader.
Most soldiers were doing their duty, and did not hold any political thoughts.
Wait...!?!?
Smells like...
Compared to my lai when
Defenceless civilians were
Gunned down he was fighting
An armed enemy!
I met him in 1982 .
It wasnt 30 men on those barges but 80 men just like in the scene with the movie saving prvt ryan they cant show it so good but those barges are more loaded then people think at least some amd some dont ofcourse men got chopped down also in the barges.
LCVP (landing craft, vehicle, personnel) or Higgins boats can’t hold 80 men with full gear standing.
The pronunciation of Knochensäge is KA-NOKEN-SEEGA.
Why in the world was there not a more tactical set up for that beach to provide barriers from large vehicles or something for the men to hide behind or do something to prevent thousands of deaths like that when they knew the fortifications we’re going to be an issue from the MG 42s etc. this was a monumental tactical failure if you really look at the logistics there are so many ways to cut these deaths in half or even down to 20%
Fantasy
The MG-42 did not have "excellent accuracy", it sprayed lead all over the place.
Apparently part of a German engineering battalion 15-18 armed with with 3 machine guns, that due to range needed were probably MG 42's. Not only did the US bombing raid to create craters for cover miss the fookin beach completely, they should have bombed down the beach not across it!!! They left craters in the break water that saw heavily loaded troops step into 20ft deep pits not sand as they left the landing craft. Critical of British engineering vehicles, what DD Sherman's were sent to support the assault, sank as they were dropped a mile from the beach in choppy seas. And Tom Hanks did not get your guys off the beach..... that was a British Radar/Targetting team who assumed command and hauled US asses out of the firing line. Omaha was considered a soft target, mucked up by US Commanders.
Target rich environment
Couldn't the landing craft have had their best snipers at the back to keep the machine gunners heads down ?
in 1000 there includes civilians and as you say friendly fire