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I'm a 2ndWW fanatic aswell. My dad spent 2 years in the only concentration camp on french soil only to be liberated by US troops in Dachau Germany. So i was raised with WW2. This channel is great.
Severloh fired his mg42 like 8 hours straight, and it has said that the lawn lit around him as he changed the barrel again and again.. He started to shoot when the yanks still couldn't run in the water, and he was So close to the beach he could See where the shots he fired hit the water. So I think he got more than 200 kills. .. He has also stated that afterwards his actions on d-day haunted him as long as he lived, so why would he lie..(?) Probably not 1500 kills, but alot more than 200 i think.
I spend my holidays only half a mile from Saint Mere Eglise,,, with my wife and son. We walked the beaches of Utah beach, Omaha beach and visited the American cemetry,,,I told my son that we( as Dutch,Europian people) should be greatfull eternally for all the American (and others) soldiers that died for our freedom . Thank you for your sacrifice, may God bless you. Greetings and love from Holland.
Just like you, I´m aware of the history and I´m a much smaller WWII enthusiast or interested person. My grandpa motherwise was a soldier on the eastern front for Germany. He told me some, but became too emotional all the time and cried about what he experienced. As I see once more the loooooong list of fallen soldiers on both sides, I wonder how different the world would look like with all these people making a civil life like us, being a craftsman or whatever, having a family and raise children and so on. What a waste of resources war was and still is. Thanks for making this view back into history. I hope these memorials and living stories remain forever to show the people, who are shouting for war, what the 'box of pandora' keeps for all of them. From my point of view, there´s not very much of the good inside. Thank you again, and peace!
Gosh. I cannot imagine what those guys on the Eastern front must have experienced. It would be interesting to know more of the stories. Thanks for sharing that.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Well I can tell you what he told me: It must have been in the time where the Wehrmacht was pushed back more and more by the soviet troops. My grandfather and his comrades were trying to 'liberate' a farmlike building that was held by their enemy. The commanding officer, a nasty Lieutenant divided the platoon into 4 groups which made not more than 5-6 men each group to attack the building from different directions. Lt. of course had the shortest and maybe easiest way to the center or court of the structure. My grandpa was one of the members of the most far out attack point, to which they partially had to run over uncovered/unprotected area to get to. Well, the commanded time of attack was almost reached while my grands group haven´t yet reached their attack position. But the Lt. launched the attack anyways and thereby alerted the enemy. They spotted the group of my grandpa and started attacking them from inside the structure by launching grenades with light mortars or so. My grandfather was hit by a shrapnel in his right lower leg but could still walk. While the other men of his group where ripped apart right in front of his eyes, he said with tears in his eyes. In the end, they who were left and survived met inside the court of this farm building. The Lt. was standing there and waiting and as he saw him and some others that may have suffered the same problem he said: 'Why are you still alife? You should have died there in honor to cover my attack!' My grandfather was known as a hotshot so he grabed his knife and wanted to kill his Lt. but was held back by two or three of the remaining comrades. The place was somewhere in what is now the Czech Republik. I think a few days later my grandfather deserted back home, which was in Hungaria near Budapest were his wife brought my mother to life in May 1944 having my uncle and my aunt beside her and another girl that sadely didn´t survive. After the surrender of the German Reich, the so called 'Donauschwaben' (Donau-Swabian-people), which my family belonged to, were expelled from their properties they had since the 17. century. So everything he was fighting for was gone. They were brought to Germany by train where he started a new life with all that was left - his beloved family. From that point on everything finally came to a good. He died in 1986. Thank you for reading also a part of my personal history. I was born in 1973, meanwhile father of two kids, never was in the military but still have the feeling, that there´s something sleeping inside me (as Duke Leto Atreides in 'DUNE' said to his son) - 'The sleeper must awaken!'. But I´m not sure yet if that was a good idea. I often ask myself why I´m so interested in military matters. Take care all of you and keep in mind that those old guys around you often have an interesting history. Ask them about it, as long as they are alife. Maybe there´s something to learn. Peace to all of us.
When I was a kid in 1960 I played in those pill boxes and would look out of the gunners slots and wonder how anyone survived the machinegun fire from this location. My father was in France during WW1 and was in the tranches of Alsace Lorraine where he was shot in the head and blown up by an artillery round. I went into the military (US) in 66 and took with me the memories of those brave souls that had the balls to do what had to be done. I think every politician should go to Europe and Vietnam And some other places that our military has been sent and see with their own eyes what the politicians decisions can mean. I am proud to have served for 14 years and regret nothing. We must never forget these wars and the brave men and women that died defending. And it would also be nice if some French people would visit and see what we did for their freedom.
I live in an English port city that was heavily bombed by the Luftewaffe during WW2. Even today there are pillboxes, air raid shelters, weapons positions etc built along the eastern coast of the UK.
Im sorry but soviet did mostly the job lol... The west front was for a large part mostly very young and old soldiers, elite soldiers were on the east front fighting red army.. In june 1944 it was already the end for the germans
I wanted to add a bit but hit the wrong key this is an add to my previous comment.. I kid you not I walked those beaches 4th 5th and 6th June 2004, when I passed thru the nearby villages one was almost smothered by the American flags flying.I could not pay for any meals those three days. At one cafe at lunch the owner greeted me and welcomed me with kiss on both cheeks ala french custom, took my order and returned with two glasses of wine, asked me to stand and join him in a toast to America, our troops who in 2 wars helped to end the war.There were perhaps 15-20 diners who all stood and applauded .Needless to say it took me a long time to wipe away the tears.He reminded me that France and along with the Dutch were the first to recognize the infant American colonies, and have remained our most loyal allies thru the centuries. Your narrations are spot on
Hello sir. I've always been a ww2 buff and I was brought to your channel when I was searching for band of brothers related videos here on youtube after finally watching the series with my son (12) for the first time (well, his first time...probably my sixth or seventh!). I visited Normandy a few years ago and whilst I went to all the beaches, I regret to say that I saw far less than i would have liked to. It's great to see you present so superbly all these places of historical significance and I thank you for your efforts. I aim to make my way through all your other videos in due course :) All the best.
Thanks so much for that! That means a lot coming from a fellow WWII enthusiast. Hopefully the videos helped to fill in a few gaps for you. Be sure to subscribe if you haven't already. I try to post at least once a week.
@@TheHistoryUnderground yup, already subscribed and looking forward to more though i fully appreciate it may be tricky at the moment for you. I've already noticed a massive jump in your sub count since i subbed a few days ago, which is very well deserved. Best of luck growing the channel, I shall be sure to spread the word as and when i can :)
the rampant hamster - Yeah, it’s hard to figure out his UA-cam works. The channel has kind of exploded in the past week. I figure that if I work hard and earn it, the rest will come. My main goal is just to get as many people exposed to history as I can. Thanks!
This is just amazing to me. Hearing all my life about my Dad in the war and his being there and thinking I’ll never see it. And now I’m seeing it in great depth with amazing explanations! Thank you so much. I’m just in awe. Amazing.
James Reilly Thank you so much. We lost him to cancer in 1981. I so wish I had asked him questions about the war. We have a book called Drive A To Victory by Col. Robert S. Allen, about General Patton’s Third Army. It’s all about my what my Dad did. I would have loved to read it with him!
@Larkin, my great grandfather was in pattons 3rd as well, received the bronze star after his tank was disabled and they dug in and held off Germans until reinforcements arrived.
And to think here in another 19 years will be the 100th anniversary of the beginning WW2, I hope we still recognize and appreciate the lives these men gave, and not take for granted our freedoms we have today
Thank you for this... My dad was part of Fifth Engineer Brigade on D-Day... I wish i could make it there some day to see it for myself but you have done a great job. when you scan the beach I can almost see my young Dad running across the beach.. thank you
At 11 years old I stood next to this first infantry monument. To read the names, look over the area, see the cemetery is hard to take in. Think of the bravery that day. Thanks to my dad stationed in the us army it was easy to see all of this. Patton’s grave and third army cemetery is a must see. Thank you for the memories and videos.
These are wonderful 'tours' of history! You show what the men who fought the battles saw in terms of terrain. That's the reason most of us visit battlefields, to imagine and appreciate what those people faced. Thanks to you, I have looked out from Grant's point of view in Battle Above the Clouds, I've peeked out of a fox hole in the Ardennes where the men were surrounded ("They,ve got us surrounded, the poor bastards") and seen the sniper's net in Bastogne. I know you've recorded so much more for me to discover. Quarantine has just become quite interesting.
I'm an Ulsterman and remember stumbling across a commonwealth graveyard of my fellow countrymen (who were part of the Royal Irish Rifles) at La Délivrande near Caen. They originally landed on the afternoon of the 6 June and all the dead were from that period of combat and the subsequent other battles of the Normandy campaign. I've been to all the US beaches as well as Sword and Juno.
he claimed that he fired all his MG ammo (and used several MG barrels, which have to be removed when too hot) and after that he continued with his rifle...the question is, if the shots were on target or just in the rough direction of the enemy nice video, thank you RIP to all the ones who died there on both sides
Supposedly he fired 12.000 rounds with the MG and 400 rounds with two rifles. How many of those shots were really on target is of course impossible to know.
@@HingerlAlois He claimes in an interview that from 50 shots with the rifle he missed only about 10% cause he could see if they would hit water or flesh.
Thank you for a very concerning story and so well explained! I am a little surprised you left out to tell more details about WN 62 for example that 1st Lt Bernard Frerking also was there who was a firecontrol leader for 1.batt/1.bat/352.Artreg which was deployed in Houtteville. Severlohs fireposition was only 10 metres from his entrance to the observationpost and Severlohs task was also to protect this officer so he could coordinate artillery fire from Houtteville so it was not only direct fire from WN 62 on the beach. I thought you also should explain that 352nd Div had support from 726Reg/719Div with almost 30 soldiers and one of them was Franz Gockel so all together this was one of the strongest WN i the whole area. In the afternoon many where injured and some of 726.reg had retreated up the slopes when Frerking ordered Severloh to abandon WN 62 and he said he will follow but got killed only a few moments later. Both Severloh and Göckel survived this fight but that is a another fantastic concerning story about what they went through after the war. Thank you for a fantastic video!
Another great video of D-Day! Whenever we think we're having a bad day we should try and think back and remember these guys who stormed up that Beach. Interesting story about Heinrich.
What's more important is the we should try and think back to this when looking at the Republican Party and the Trump administration's display of fascism. People don't remember history well enough to realize how dangerous they are.
Thanks for sharing. I have been to many of these locations and when you know the history it's hard not to be humbled, be rewatching your videos with the Ariel shots add immeasurably to understanding the topography, but you choices of soundtracks are inspiring.
My Grandfather is one of six brothers.When WW2 started,two of them went to fight in the European Theater,& the other two went to fight in the Pacific Theater.Of the two,one of them joins the PT boats & saw lots of action everywhere.My Grandfather signs up for the war in 44,but before he could report in/May 45.The war with Germany was over,when WW2 came to an end in Japan.All Four brothers made it home. The youngest brother join the US Military in 52 and saw war & peace in his lifetime,and made it home.
J.D. no matter how many times I watch your videos, I am so amazed at what terror those brave men must have felt going into these meat grinders. For anyone to deny the determination of the Allies and Americans, would be pure folly. I don’t know how many years God will give me at my age but, your contribution to history has been in my estimate priceless. I understand parents wanting to protect their children from the harsh realities of war but, to deny them the history is just unconscionable. Thank you again for what you’ve contributed to this reality.
What a great video! We took a day trip to Normandy when we were in Paris a few years ago. I had read WN 62 before going and was looking forward to seeing the spot where Severloh had been set up. Unfortunately I was told I’d miss the bus if I ventured out that far. Your video showed me what I’d hoped to experience. Well done sir.
Freind, back in 85 found me a bullet head (🇺🇸), bounced down in the sand by that Gerry bunker that today has the US Engineer monument atop it. Also found a couple at the Merrill battery, but that's another story. Trouble is that due to a housing relocation situation ALL my bullet head got mixed up, and there's 'some'. Nice vid, Sir.
I've lived in the Omaha Beach area for 20 years and have spent much time exploring the beaches. Had the privlege of meeting many of the vets who revisited the area. Most of whom are gone now. I agree with your most likely conclusion that Severloh though firing his MG at close range probably thought his kill rate was higher due to soldiers instinctively falling to the ground hearing the gun at close range and seeing the sand around them being chewed up. Of course where he was positioned it was impossible not to cause the death of many soldiers. I believe he was only 17 at the time. Just a kid. Doing a job he had to do. Being in a position of kill or be killed. When he retired he returned to reside in the Omaha Beach area. A quiet and decent fellow, he had always loved the people and the way of life there. I'm not sure if he is still alive now.
As Sherman said. "War is hell" Amazing story! Thanks for sharing. How could you not be quiet after that? Imagine waking up and seeing 5,000 ships? Imagine, having to wade in. At the 50th anniversary of D-day, the men, that were whole enough to return, looked for the scrabble near the beach. The scrabble is defined as large rocks that were driven up by the high tides and strong storms. It was their 1st line of defense after wading ashore. The scrabble was gone, washed out by another storm. But they searched and searched because it saved their lives...
Heinrich told that he had the order of his first lieutenant, at the latest when the Allied soldiers were still in water, to open the fire. Not just on the beach. The soldiers in the boats that followed, did not even want to leave the boat when they saw all the dead floating in the sea and heard the gunshots of the MG 42 Many boats were shot directly at when the hatch was opened and no soldier surrived
thanks for the videos, buddy! as a History Lover and a Content Creator around history myself, I really enjoyed watching the videos on your channel (3 in a row!). I found your channel from your post on Facebook in the UA-camrs group. Will check more of your videos now. wishing you a great day
It was great seeing this video with some of the installations at WN62. I just finished reading Hein Severloh's "WN 62" memoirs earlier today and for those who haven't had the chance to read his book, it's worth noting that Severloh indicated that he did not discuss the number of casualties he believed he inflicted until the 40th anniversary of D-Day when he was repeatedly pressed by an ABC news reporter to estimate the number of casualties, and the reporter asked whether it was more than a thousand and Severloh was apparently greatly affected by this question (and apparently a bit annoyed by the repeated questioning), and he answered that it was almost certainly more than a thousand and likely more than two thousand. Nobody knows how many casualties he inflicted that day firing over 12,000 rounds alone from his MG42 (he estimated this based on the amount of ammo boxes another soldier brought him) over a 9-hour period from 6:30am to 3:30pm (I believe this was the last or one of the last strongpoints to fall on Omaha), but I'm sure he was under a significant amount of strain from everything going on and seeing the amount of bodies lying on the beach in front of his position, so it probably seemed like more than 1,000 to him, when in fact it may have been somewhere in the hundreds (which I can easily believe given the available info). Regardless, he was doing his duty like the other soldiers on both sides that day and this weighed on his conscience for the rest of his life.
I'm 67 and we were taught about WW ll in American History in school. Sadly, the youth of today aren't taught the same thing. Every child in school today should be taught about the sacrifices our fathers and grand fathers made to keep this a Free Nation. We could be speaking German or Japanese you know if not for those sacrifices.
That's why this channel exists. I'm happy for anyone who watches and enjoys it, but the original intent was to provide a resource for history teachers and students. Glad that you share the vision to keep history alive!
I'm a millennial, and I have 2 sons. I agree 100%. I am going to make sure that they understand what happened, regardless of what they learn at school.
@@TheHistoryUnderground very interesting. RIP to the American Engineers. My Uncle was a Royal Engineer 🇬🇧 and went to Normandy too. A little while later he was at Nijmegen when the Allies arrived at the bridge and were fighting to secure it. At night he took a tug boat from the power station and rescued British and American soldiers who were escaping back across the German lines from Arnhem, and needed to cross the river, with up to date information.
Space Skipster ,,, thanks for sharing the story of your uncle. Those stories need to be told and kept alive. Had a relative that served in Egypt. Sadly not much info remains of what he went through personally.
For the British, Canadian, Irish and ANZAC casualties there is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that repair and maintain a lot of the cemeteries mainly in Europe but in India, Singapore and other locations from WW 1 and 2. They have several interesting and poignant You tube videos.
There is a scene in the movie the Big Red One , when one of soldiers says he can’t believe that they already put up a memorial of the guys that lost their lives. Then they explain to him that was from WWI .That scene always gets me.
If it helps, there is an interview from Der Spiegel in German from June 6, 2004. In the interview, he's asked about the TV interview and how many people he shot. Severloh himself says he doesn't know and asks if the number really matters. Enough to make him want to throw up and cry. That day he fired 12,000 MG-42 rounds. Over 400 shots from his Karabiner. One of the men he shot was David Silva, hit him 3 times but he lived. The two of them met years later while Silva was stationed in Germany and became good friends. There is a great history channel episode dedicated to this topic.
Severloh did not want to talk about numbers and once guessed 1,000 to get the interviewer off the subject. He was 20 years old for crying out loud, and you're repeatedly asking him to sensationalize the worst day of his life while he's seeking absolution. SMH.
There is a german Heavy Metal band called "Macbeth" that has witten a song about "WN62". It´s about a german machine Gunner on D-Day, his panic as he saw this big armada, his action on that day, and mainly the nightmares he had after that day by post-traumatic stress disorder that he get from this day. NOW I knew why the band gave this song that title.
@@TheHistoryUnderground it´s a very small and underrated Band. They have a lot of songs about the war, mostly from the view of german soldiers and they suffering and dead.
I talk to my dad about Grandma's dad and the gas attack.He did catch some of it.He and everybody else had to be removed from that part of the line.While growing up,I was with my great uncle who was on the PT Boats.He did talk about his time being on the PT's and it was short,"It Was Bad"and that was it for talking about it.I was still in grade school,years away from being in High School.
These are great think this is my fifth clip over the last few day. Great content and good run time.👍 Still to get over from Scotland and do the Beaches, love all the WWII history.
I just come back home from a WW1 and WW1 tour in France. Went to all d-day beaches, Carentan, Brecourt Manor, Pegasus bridge and Merville battery. Then went the area for battle of Somme. Newfoundland park, the Lochnagar crater and the Thiepval memorial. Such a mindblowing experience
I am making my way through your D-Day videos, and appreciate when only instrumental music is used. I find the music with lyrics distracting. That aside, thank you for taking us there! I'd love to bring my son, another military history buff, here some day.
That MG 42 machine gun was a devastating weapon and he probably did inflict 200 casualties. The Channel was so rough on D-Day that the waves capsized and sank most of the amphibious tanks intended to support the landing. The casualties on Omaha were so immense that at some point General Bradley off shore and Ike considered a withdrawal but miraculously Omaha held on.
You seem like an average dude who works construction or something and decided to make some military history videos. I must say, these videos are some of the best out there. You are respectful of the subject matter and remain fascinated by it. Great stuff. I'm gonna look through your channel now to see if you've visited Hoertgen (sp?) Forest.
I just found your channel and can't get enough. It's always been a bucket list trip for my father and I to travel to the beaches of Normandy. Unfortunately he passed last year. I will be making this trip in honor of my father and as a veteran all that have served as heroes of their time. One question. Without being rushed can you say how long should one plan to visit like you did?
First I will thank you for these episodes for places I didn't see when I visited Normanday. When one takes a bus tour you don't get a chance to see these locations so your explainations go a long way to explain that DDay was a lot more than maybe 6 to 10 hurried stops on a bus. Your work expands the story a great deal. Regarding the number claimed by the gunner--- He may casualties and mean both the killed and the wounded that he thinks he caused. And in that regard he may have wounded that many but I can not think his claimed numbers of 'casualties' means that many who died by his actions. Wounded perhaps, but not killed. But thanks for making these snippets on the beaches.
The comment section is almost as good as the video. What a great channel and community. My Grandad was a Brigadier and Combat Engineer, the other a tail gunner on a Lanc. Never forget.
Very well done and interesting video. Liked the Heinrich story. The mobile home in front of the casement looked totally out of place on such a beautiful and historic beach front. Seems intentional rather than random placement as if hiding the casement.
My dad landed on Omaha beach that morning. He was in the 147th combat engineers, 6th engineers special brigade. He was in the Coast Guard LCI US 91. It struck a mine as it neared the beach then it was pummeled by german 88's. He went back to the beach after the war had ended and took a picture of the US 91, as it was still there. He also took a pic of a bunker near the beach and wrote "we landed 100' from here". He passed away in 2013 but not a day goes by that I don't think of him. He was a good man that helped make up the greatest generation. (PS that pic of me is an old one, I'm 61 yrs old now)
Great history lesson. I went in 2016 and stayed at a campground 8 klicks West of St Mere ...every morning we would drink coffee and eat croissants on the stone wall overlooking the channel.
Amazing videos, I intend to visit France to see where so many gave their lives for us. Thankfully I will never have to witness what they did but I can honour them by visiting and learning more about it, your videos help me achieve this. Thank you. Amazing to think of the horrors that took place in such a beautiful country.
@@simonsaura8138 He passed away in 2010 he was 92 never missed a wink of sleep he also captured Warner von Braun at the power station in Germany they sat by the campsite fire and had beers and Warner said we go to the moon he stood up and got all excited and said we go to the moon my dad said to him Sit down you’re not going anywhere little did he know Warner von Braun was telling the truth
The sacrifice of those brave men, and the impact it has to this day, should always be remembered. God Bless ou r military, past, present and future. Thanks for this.👍
Being a historyteacher having a lifelong interest in WW2, I brought my parents to Normandy in 2013. All three of us nerded the beaches (they were both very interested in WW2 to), and I told them EVERYTHING I know about that place. On my late fathers deathbed, just before he gave up to cancer, he told my mom and me: “We really had the trip of our life right there”😓 Btw: the battledamage on the casemate is unexploded 75mm shells that has been “drilled”, by shear momentum and riffeling, into the concrete…, they are allover the positions along the beaches.
no idea how i found this channel. but love these types of videos! not sure if you went to Juno but that would be great , hello from Cobourg Ontario Canada! liked and subbed!
@@TheHistoryUnderground awesome! your welcome :D you present things very well and are clear and understandable , no wind sounds which is awesome, can't wait for the Juno video, i have checked out your other videos, very good work my dude!
Thank you for writing back.Side note:Grandma show us all the stuff from WW 2 rations cards,each stamp was for a different food item.Listing each week,where to go to get your food.Grandpa's paperwork when he signed up and what Base he was to report in, May of 45.I knew there was something I was forgetting.Grandma also work at the Ammunition Plant in Watertown SD,among other jobs,she was also on the assembly line helping to build the new Proximity fuse. My dad showed me a photo of me"a yr old"my dad almost 20 yrs old & my Grandmother's Father,He signed up for WW 1 in 1917,then off to the front lines in 1918.Fought in the trenches,gassed in the trenches,taken to field hospital,then back to battle until WW 1 was over.That photo was taken in 1968,he pass away a year or two later.
Well, when I served in the German Bundeswehr we were trained shooting the MG-3, which is a later version of the MG-42, the gun Hein Severloh, the so called "Beast", used at "Omaha". Hitting man-high targets was no problem with iron sights at a range of 600 meters. With normal bursts of 4 or 5 rounds, which we were trained as gunners, precision was about 90 per cent. While above this range precision was dropped, because of the ability of eyes. But till 800 meters we achieved 60 per cent or more, anyway. "Omaha" Beach is a wide range on low tide. Can you imagine how long a soldier with full battle dress needs to overcome such a distance, zick-zack crossing under enemy fire? It is a long time. I can imagine casualties - dead and wounded could possibly climb up to that high over a lot of hours, shouting 12.000 rounds. But calling Hein Severloh a "Beast", is wrong chosen, I think. He was a farmer boy, who was called for duty. His whole life he had nightmares what happened at the beach. What he wanted was surviving. He lost many comrades there, was wounded and after the war he entered the Civil Peace Corps. I am pretty sure, if he could make a wish, he wanted to be everywhere, but not where he was, at D-Day! As well as he forced to meet soldiers who fought at the landing beach to get forgiveness. He met David Silva, an US Military chaplain, who was wounded at "Omaha" at D-Day. Both became good friends. A thing just somebody can understand who served with the troops.
Stefan Zweigle - I agree. It’s unfortunate that he was given that nickname. He was doing what he was trained to do and what what anyone would have done in his place.
@@TheHistoryUnderground - exactely. I am sure he has brought a lot of tears and sadness to lots of families. But I have seen the documentary about him and Silva. Hein Severloh cried himself when he arrived at Omaha beach, again. Quiet interesting you say "he has done what anyone would have done in his place". Here in Germany any former Wehrmacht soldier is just seen as a Nazi supporting the Nazi party. Just good our former Enemies are seeing the things more clearly. Crazy irony, isn`t it?
Well, to be fair. Heinrich Severloh, was said to have fired more than 12, 000 rounds of ammo from his MG42...only stopping to let the weapon cool..or to swap out the barrel. Which in the intervening time, he had switched to his Mauser K98. And in regards to his character...whether he made up the casualty numbers, or was mistaken...later in his life, he said he was deeply troubled by what he had done...but he was just a soldier doing his duty for his commanding officer.
Yeah, I agree with all of that. My point wasn’t to try and call him out or anything. As I mentioned in the video, I don’t think he was an outright liar, but I do think that he inflicted fewer casualties than he thinks. The numbers he quoted would account for most of the casualties for the entire beach. He did a lot of damage though. That is for sure.
The thing is, he wasn't the only German gunner on that segment of the beach. On Omaha beach in it's entirety there were 2,000 US casualties. That includes killed, wounded missing etc. So start with that figure as a cap. If Heinrich was responsible for ALL the casualties on Omaha Beach he might have hit the 2,000 mark. Omaha Beach was a good probably 6 miles wide with 8 sectors and like 13 German defensive positions covering the entirety. So yeah, one machine gunner probably did a lot of damage. But there was artillery pieces, mortars, 88s in the rear, mines, drownings from jumping over the side of landing craft loaded with gear. At best Heinrich is exaggerating or embellishing. Probably by a significant number. But that doesn't deminish the horror of a German machine gunner mowing down maybe a hundred or more Americans.
I also recall Heinrich Severloh stating at how much more personal it became for him when he was using his Mauser after he ran out of MG42 ammunition. It's one thing to be spraying machine gun fire, like many other gunners, and seeing many soldiers fall in the melee, but it's a different thing entirely to see the person at the end of your gunsight fall immediately after you pull the trigger.
My grandpa was on a navy ship him and his brother world war 2 and my uncle and my cousin is now serving on a ship so thank you to anyone who served.i never got the chance to serve because they wouldn't take me but given a chance I would of
The fact that the United States Armed Forces has memorial's in France and other locations is amazing to me. I really enjoy your videos, and I hope to be able to visit some of these historical sites.
Enjoying your videos my uncle Eloy Mireles landed that day with the 1 Division Heinrich missed him , he made it through the war and had a good life. Hey would tell us that it was raining lead that day.
I'm an ex French soldier and I have just one thing to say. All my respects to the soldiers that have fought died and get injured during that day. They have fought to liberate my country, his story, and his valours. Once again all my respects and god take care of you where you are now. Those braves boys have made the ultimate sacrifice not only for USA but also for France.
Germany history and valors are not mine. France has his own history and valors. We fought for those during ww2 and we need to now fight against the islamists and the politicians that are destroying this beautiful country that is France.
I knew Hein Severloh, he was not prone to exaggeration. In conversation he used the term 'thousands' as we would in English vernacular, to mean 'a lot'. He wasn't really keeping count, he was a little busy that morning.
I just now came across your channel with talking about Omaha.Some members of my family were looking into this.What we were told,he and some buddies made it off the beach & were killed inland.He is laid to rest at.Location of Interment American Cemetery - Normandy, France Wall/Plot Coordinates Section I, Row 20, Grave 12 Jimmie W.JR. Monteith.
Hello, I've just started looking into the history of my dad's cousin James Allen Machan. Oddly I can only find his grave but no other details of his death. Or even a picture of him. Unfortunately the only family I know of I've never met and they live far away in another country so I haven't been able to contact them. Any suggestions on where to get more information?
Severloh said the one shot that stuck with him the most was when his MG42 was too hot he used his rifle. A US soldier took cover behind the big square concrete block 200m away on the beach and Severloh took an aimed shot when he peered over the top.
Thanks for watching and contributing to the conversation. If you like this or any other video on this channel, be sure to SUBSCRIBE to catch all of the newest content when it comes out.
Another great video bub
I just subscribed to your channel.i really like your history videos which I'm jealous you got to go to Gettysburg but I well get there one day
I'm a 2ndWW fanatic aswell. My dad spent 2 years in the only concentration camp on french soil only to be liberated by US troops in Dachau Germany. So i was raised with WW2. This channel is great.
@@robholleman120 - Oh my goodness!
Severloh fired his mg42 like 8 hours straight, and it has said that the lawn lit around him as he changed the barrel again and again.. He started to shoot when the yanks still couldn't run in the water, and he was So close to the beach he could See where the shots he fired hit the water. So I think he got more than 200 kills.
.. He has also stated that afterwards his actions on d-day haunted him as long as he lived, so why would he lie..(?)
Probably not 1500 kills, but alot more than 200 i think.
I spend my holidays only half a mile from Saint Mere Eglise,,, with my wife and son. We walked the beaches of Utah beach, Omaha beach and visited the American cemetry,,,I told my son that we( as Dutch,Europian people) should be greatfull eternally for all the American (and others) soldiers that died for our freedom . Thank you for your sacrifice, may God bless you. Greetings and love from Holland.
How free are you though?
Yeah freedom lol
@@spacecowboy1438 Pretty easy to google Nazi laws. They were very restrictive.
I have been looking for such historical explorations, and feel lucky to see it through you, as 75 years of VE day rolls over,, Thanks
Just like you, I´m aware of the history and I´m a much smaller WWII enthusiast or interested person. My grandpa motherwise was a soldier on the eastern front for Germany. He told me some, but became too emotional all the time and cried about what he experienced. As I see once more the loooooong list of fallen soldiers on both sides, I wonder how different the world would look like with all these people making a civil life like us, being a craftsman or whatever, having a family and raise children and so on. What a waste of resources war was and still is.
Thanks for making this view back into history. I hope these memorials and living stories remain forever to show the people, who are shouting for war, what the 'box of pandora' keeps for all of them. From my point of view, there´s not very much of the good inside.
Thank you again, and peace!
Gosh. I cannot imagine what those guys on the Eastern front must have experienced. It would be interesting to know more of the stories. Thanks for sharing that.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Well I can tell you what he told me:
It must have been in the time where the Wehrmacht was pushed back more and more by the soviet troops. My grandfather and his comrades were trying to 'liberate' a farmlike building that was held by their enemy. The commanding officer, a nasty Lieutenant divided the platoon into 4 groups which made not more than 5-6 men each group to attack the building from different directions. Lt. of course had the shortest and maybe easiest way to the center or court of the structure. My grandpa was one of the members of the most far out attack point, to which they partially had to run over uncovered/unprotected area to get to. Well, the commanded time of attack was almost reached while my grands group haven´t yet reached their attack position. But the Lt. launched the attack anyways and thereby alerted the enemy. They spotted the group of my grandpa and started attacking them from inside the structure by launching grenades with light mortars or so. My grandfather was hit by a shrapnel in his right lower leg but could still walk. While the other men of his group where ripped apart right in front of his eyes, he said with tears in his eyes.
In the end, they who were left and survived met inside the court of this farm building. The Lt. was standing there and waiting and as he saw him and some others that may have suffered the same problem he said: 'Why are you still alife? You should have died there in honor to cover my attack!'
My grandfather was known as a hotshot so he grabed his knife and wanted to kill his Lt. but was held back by two or three of the remaining comrades.
The place was somewhere in what is now the Czech Republik. I think a few days later my grandfather deserted back home, which was in Hungaria near Budapest were his wife brought my mother to life in May 1944 having my uncle and my aunt beside her and another girl that sadely didn´t survive. After the surrender of the German Reich, the so called 'Donauschwaben' (Donau-Swabian-people), which my family belonged to, were expelled from their properties they had since the 17. century. So everything he was fighting for was gone. They were brought to Germany by train where he started a new life with all that was left - his beloved family. From that point on everything finally came to a good. He died in 1986.
Thank you for reading also a part of my personal history.
I was born in 1973, meanwhile father of two kids, never was in the military but still have the feeling, that there´s something sleeping inside me (as Duke Leto Atreides in 'DUNE' said to his son) - 'The sleeper must awaken!'. But I´m not sure yet if that was a good idea. I often ask myself why I´m so interested in military matters.
Take care all of you and keep in mind that those old guys around you often have an interesting history. Ask them about it, as long as they are alife. Maybe there´s something to learn. Peace to all of us.
When I was a kid in 1960 I played in those pill boxes and would look out of the gunners slots and wonder how anyone survived the machinegun fire from this location. My father was in France during WW1 and was in the tranches of Alsace Lorraine where he was shot in the head and blown up by an artillery round. I went into the military (US) in 66 and took with me the memories of those brave souls that had the balls to do what had to be done. I think every politician should go to Europe and Vietnam And some other places that our military has been sent and see with their own eyes what the politicians decisions can mean. I am proud to have served for 14 years and regret nothing. We must never forget these wars and the brave men and women that died defending. And it would also be nice if some French people would visit and see what we did for their freedom.
I live in an English port city that was heavily bombed by the Luftewaffe during WW2.
Even today there are pillboxes, air raid shelters, weapons positions etc built along the eastern coast of the UK.
Im sorry but soviet did mostly the job lol... The west front was for a large part mostly very young and old soldiers, elite soldiers were on the east front fighting red army.. In june 1944 it was already the end for the germans
@@G_STYLINthe soviets fought on a completely different side of the country lol
@@dakotareid1566 yes but they did the most difficult job and the largest part of the victory , people always put too much light on the americans
@olivier753 ur exactly right
I wanted to add a bit but hit the wrong key this is an add to my previous comment.. I kid you not I walked those beaches 4th 5th and 6th June 2004, when I passed thru the nearby villages one was almost smothered by the American flags flying.I could not pay for any meals those three days. At one cafe at lunch the owner greeted me and welcomed me with kiss on both cheeks ala french custom, took my order and returned with two glasses of wine, asked me to stand and join him in a toast to America, our troops who in 2 wars helped to end the war.There were perhaps 15-20 diners who all stood and applauded .Needless to say it took me a long time to wipe away the tears.He reminded me that France and along with the Dutch were the first to recognize the infant American colonies, and have remained our most loyal allies thru the centuries. Your narrations are spot on
Hey, most of us don’t get chance to visit these places, so thanks for taking us there, researching it and telling the story in words and film
Hello sir. I've always been a ww2 buff and I was brought to your channel when I was searching for band of brothers related videos here on youtube after finally watching the series with my son (12) for the first time (well, his first time...probably my sixth or seventh!). I visited Normandy a few years ago and whilst I went to all the beaches, I regret to say that I saw far less than i would have liked to. It's great to see you present so superbly all these places of historical significance and I thank you for your efforts. I aim to make my way through all your other videos in due course :) All the best.
Thanks so much for that! That means a lot coming from a fellow WWII enthusiast. Hopefully the videos helped to fill in a few gaps for you. Be sure to subscribe if you haven't already. I try to post at least once a week.
@@TheHistoryUnderground yup, already subscribed and looking forward to more though i fully appreciate it may be tricky at the moment for you. I've already noticed a massive jump in your sub count since i subbed a few days ago, which is very well deserved. Best of luck growing the channel, I shall be sure to spread the word as and when i can :)
the rampant hamster - Yeah, it’s hard to figure out his UA-cam works. The channel has kind of exploded in the past week. I figure that if I work hard and earn it, the rest will come. My main goal is just to get as many people exposed to history as I can. Thanks!
An excellent channel. Nothing but education. Just a fantastic presentation.
Wish I had some friends like you who share the same enthusiasm for history ! Great content man keep it up !
Thanks! Appreciate that. Glad that it's resonating with you as well :)
This is just amazing to me. Hearing all my life about my Dad in the war and his being there and thinking I’ll never see it. And now I’m seeing it in great depth with amazing explanations! Thank you so much. I’m just in awe. Amazing.
Eileen Lois - Oh wow. That means a lot. Thank you. Glad that these videos are able to give you something to add to you dad’s story.
James Reilly Thank you so much. We lost him to cancer in 1981. I so wish I had asked him questions about the war. We have a book called Drive A To Victory by Col. Robert S. Allen, about General Patton’s Third Army. It’s all about my what my Dad did. I would have loved to read it with him!
My Dad was with Patton's 3rd Army.
Larkin I wonder if they knew each other. I always felt as if it was all so far away and now I’m seeing the spots and talking to people. Amazing.
@Larkin, my great grandfather was in pattons 3rd as well, received the bronze star after his tank was disabled and they dug in and held off Germans until reinforcements arrived.
And to think here in another 19 years will be the 100th anniversary of the beginning WW2, I hope we still recognize and appreciate the lives these men gave, and not take for granted our freedoms we have today
Thank you for this... My dad was part of Fifth Engineer Brigade on D-Day... I wish i could make it there some day to see it for myself but you have done a great job. when you scan the beach I can almost see my young Dad running across the beach.. thank you
I visited Omaha Beach and Normandy twice in my life and now I'm very grateful that you to let me review these places.
At 11 years old I stood next to this first infantry monument. To read the names, look over the area, see the cemetery is hard to take in. Think of the bravery that day. Thanks to my dad stationed in the us army it was easy to see all of this. Patton’s grave and third army cemetery is a must see. Thank you for the memories and videos.
My pleasure. Haven't been to the cemetery in Luxembourg yet but it's on my list.
These are wonderful 'tours' of history! You show what the men who fought the battles saw in terms of terrain. That's the reason most of us visit battlefields, to imagine and appreciate what those people faced. Thanks to you, I have looked out from Grant's point of view in Battle Above the Clouds, I've peeked out of a fox hole in the Ardennes where the men were surrounded ("They,ve got us surrounded, the poor bastards") and seen the sniper's net in Bastogne. I know you've recorded so much more for me to discover. Quarantine has just become quite interesting.
Thanks so much for that. Hearing that means more to me than you know.
Great job with this. Really a great balanced way of explaining it. So heartbreaking. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much! I enjoy sharing the content with fellow history enthusiasts.
Very interesting. Thanks so much for the history lesson and the footage.
Keep up the fantastic work!! Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed it! Got a lot more from Normandy and Belgium in the coming weeks. Thanks!
I'm an Ulsterman and remember stumbling across a commonwealth graveyard of my fellow countrymen (who were part of the Royal Irish Rifles) at La Délivrande near Caen. They originally landed on the afternoon of the 6 June and all the dead were from that period of combat and the subsequent other battles of the Normandy campaign. I've been to all the US beaches as well as Sword and Juno.
he claimed that he fired all his MG ammo (and used several MG barrels, which have to be removed when too hot) and after that he continued with his rifle...the question is, if the shots were on target or just in the rough direction of the enemy
nice video, thank you
RIP to all the ones who died there on both sides
Supposedly he fired 12.000 rounds with the MG and 400 rounds with two rifles.
How many of those shots were really on target is of course impossible to know.
@@HingerlAlois He claimes in an interview that from 50 shots with the rifle he missed only about 10% cause he could see if they would hit water or flesh.
Rip to those who defended europe, not for those that attacked their own ancestral homeland.
@@fridolfmane1063 fridolf? More like Adolf
@@boltskyline2957 Diddler
I read the book WN62 you mentioned in your narrative. Your video adds a lot to the story. Bravo! Well done!
Thanks! Seeing where he was firing from is actually pretty horrifying.
My Great Grandad was a Georgian MG42 gunner he died from Artillery on D Day. he was apart of the 709th division.
Wow. Tragic on all sides.
Interesting. Can you explain more of his story? I'm very interested in the Foreign Units of the Wehrmacht.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I like to listen more too.i can listen for hours for what they went through
He got what he deserved.
Very distasteful. Not all Germans were nazis btw.
Thank you for a very concerning story and so well explained! I am a little surprised you left out to tell more details about WN 62 for example that 1st Lt Bernard Frerking also was there who was a firecontrol leader for 1.batt/1.bat/352.Artreg which was deployed in Houtteville. Severlohs fireposition was only 10 metres from his entrance to the observationpost and Severlohs task was also to protect this officer so he could coordinate artillery fire from Houtteville so it was not only direct fire from WN 62 on the beach. I thought you also should explain that 352nd Div had support from 726Reg/719Div with almost 30 soldiers and one of them was Franz Gockel so all together this was one of the strongest WN i the whole area. In the afternoon many where injured and some of 726.reg had retreated up the slopes when Frerking ordered Severloh to abandon WN 62 and he said he will follow but got killed only a few moments later. Both Severloh and Göckel survived this fight but that is a another fantastic concerning story about what they went through after the war. Thank you for a fantastic video!
Another great video of D-Day! Whenever we think we're having a bad day we should try and think back and remember these guys who stormed up that Beach. Interesting story about Heinrich.
It definitely gives some perspective.
What's more important is the we should try and think back to this when looking at the Republican Party and the Trump administration's display of fascism. People don't remember history well enough to realize how dangerous they are.
Thanks for sharing. I have been to many of these locations and when you know the history it's hard not to be humbled, be rewatching your videos with the Ariel shots add immeasurably to understanding the topography, but you choices of soundtracks are inspiring.
Wow. Coming from someone who has been there and already appreciates the history, that really does mean a lot to me. Thank you.
My Grandfather is one of six brothers.When WW2 started,two of them went to fight in the European Theater,& the other two went to fight in
the Pacific Theater.Of the two,one of them joins the PT boats & saw lots of action everywhere.My Grandfather signs up for the war in 44,but
before he could report in/May 45.The war with Germany was over,when WW2 came to an end in Japan.All Four brothers made it home.
The youngest brother join the US Military in 52 and saw war & peace in his lifetime,and made it home.
This story turned out much better than I was afraid it would be
That's AMAZING! Wow...
That’s the kind of story that makes your heart pump with pride my friend.
monty81567 . That is why they are called the greatest generation.
My father-in-law landed with the 29th that Omaha his two other brothers landed with the first infantry division, and the third one was in the Navy
Again another big kudos for your vlog. You have taken all of us on another historic journey. I can hardly wait for the next vlog.
Thanks again! Really appreciate that. If you liked the movie Saving Private Ryan, you'll probably find the next one of interest.
J.D. no matter how many times I watch your videos, I am so amazed at what terror those brave men must have felt going into these meat grinders. For anyone to deny the determination of the Allies and Americans, would be pure folly. I don’t know how many years God will give me at my age but, your contribution to history has been in my estimate priceless. I understand parents wanting to protect their children from the harsh realities of war but, to deny them the history is just unconscionable. Thank you again for what you’ve contributed to this reality.
GOD I'm so damn thankful for your channel and these videos. It's my childhood and life interest finally being seen and watched
Thanks 🙏🏼
What a great video! We took a day trip to Normandy when we were in Paris a few years ago. I had read WN 62 before going and was looking forward to seeing the spot where Severloh had been set up. Unfortunately I was told I’d miss the bus if I ventured out that far. Your video showed me what I’d hoped to experience. Well done sir.
This was yet another GREAT video. You are really making quality videos. We always look forward to seeing your historic videos. Thankyou ☺☺
Pamela Kern - Thanks! Really appreciate you all watching.
I really enjoy your in depth coverage of DD Normandy. ❤️
I just want to say again I know I'll never make it there but thank you it's been really interesting to see it as it is today.
Freind, back in 85 found me a bullet head (🇺🇸), bounced down in the sand by that Gerry bunker that today has the US Engineer monument atop it.
Also found a couple at the Merrill battery, but that's another story.
Trouble is that due to a housing relocation situation ALL my bullet head got mixed up, and there's 'some'. Nice vid, Sir.
Oh wow. That's pretty amazing. Thanks for the kind words.
love your videos....you show the site well and then the story goes with it well....thanks
🙏🏼
I stood in those bunkers on the 75th anniversary last summer just after the ceremony ended at the cemetery. What a powerful place to visit.
You were lucky to be there...
Amazing again. Beautiful shots and good history. Thanks for sharing
Many thanks! Appreciate the kind words.
I've lived in the Omaha Beach area for 20 years and have spent much time exploring the beaches. Had the privlege of meeting
many of the vets who revisited the area. Most of whom are gone now. I agree with your most likely conclusion that Severloh
though firing his MG at close range probably thought his kill rate was higher due to soldiers instinctively falling to the ground hearing the gun at close range and seeing the sand around them being chewed up. Of course where he was positioned
it was impossible not to cause the death of many soldiers. I believe he was only 17 at the time. Just a kid. Doing a job he had to do. Being in a position of kill or be killed. When he retired he returned to reside in the Omaha Beach area. A quiet and decent fellow, he had always loved the people and the way of life there. I'm not sure if he is still alive now.
Can't imagine what that was like for either side.
As Sherman said. "War is hell" Amazing story! Thanks for sharing. How could you not be quiet after that? Imagine waking up and seeing 5,000 ships? Imagine, having to wade in. At the 50th anniversary of D-day, the men, that were whole enough to return, looked for the scrabble near the beach. The scrabble is defined as large rocks that were driven up by the high tides and strong storms. It was their 1st line of defense after wading ashore. The scrabble was gone, washed out by another storm. But they searched and searched because it saved their lives...
Heinrich told that he had the order of his first lieutenant, at the latest when the Allied soldiers were still in water, to open the fire. Not just on the beach.
The soldiers in the boats that followed, did not even want to leave the boat when they saw all the dead floating in the sea and heard the gunshots of the MG 42
Many boats were shot directly at when the hatch was opened and no soldier surrived
@@Marvel66666 I can imagine not wanting to leave the Higgins.
thanks for the videos, buddy! as a History Lover and a Content Creator around history myself, I really enjoyed watching the videos on your channel (3 in a row!). I found your channel from your post on Facebook in the UA-camrs group. Will check more of your videos now.
wishing you a great day
Curious Pavel - Thanks! I’ll take that as high praise from a fellow history lover.
It was great seeing this video with some of the installations at WN62. I just finished reading Hein Severloh's "WN 62" memoirs earlier today and for those who haven't had the chance to read his book, it's worth noting that Severloh indicated that he did not discuss the number of casualties he believed he inflicted until the 40th anniversary of D-Day when he was repeatedly pressed by an ABC news reporter to estimate the number of casualties, and the reporter asked whether it was more than a thousand and Severloh was apparently greatly affected by this question (and apparently a bit annoyed by the repeated questioning), and he answered that it was almost certainly more than a thousand and likely more than two thousand. Nobody knows how many casualties he inflicted that day firing over 12,000 rounds alone from his MG42 (he estimated this based on the amount of ammo boxes another soldier brought him) over a 9-hour period from 6:30am to 3:30pm (I believe this was the last or one of the last strongpoints to fall on Omaha), but I'm sure he was under a significant amount of strain from everything going on and seeing the amount of bodies lying on the beach in front of his position, so it probably seemed like more than 1,000 to him, when in fact it may have been somewhere in the hundreds (which I can easily believe given the available info). Regardless, he was doing his duty like the other soldiers on both sides that day and this weighed on his conscience for the rest of his life.
I'm 67 and we were taught about WW ll in American History in school. Sadly, the youth of today aren't taught the same thing. Every child in school today should be taught about the sacrifices our fathers and grand fathers made to keep this a Free Nation. We could be speaking German or Japanese you know if not for those sacrifices.
That's why this channel exists. I'm happy for anyone who watches and enjoys it, but the original intent was to provide a resource for history teachers and students. Glad that you share the vision to keep history alive!
I'm a millennial, and I have 2 sons. I agree 100%. I am going to make sure that they understand what happened, regardless of what they learn at school.
@@TheHistoryUnderground very interesting. RIP to the American Engineers. My Uncle was a Royal Engineer 🇬🇧 and went to Normandy too. A little while later he was at Nijmegen when the Allies arrived at the bridge and were fighting to secure it. At night he took a tug boat from the power station and rescued British and American soldiers who were escaping back across the German lines from Arnhem, and needed to cross the river, with up to date information.
@@atlas_black5784 _ That is great. I hope there are other young parents out there that do the same.
Space Skipster ,,, thanks for sharing the story of your uncle. Those stories need to be told and kept alive. Had a relative that served in Egypt. Sadly not much info remains of what he went through personally.
Someone needs to comeback and redue the names on that site, names are fading and they shouldnt.
It's a pretty important site so I'm sure that they are aware and have plans to maintain it over time.
For the British, Canadian, Irish and ANZAC casualties there is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that repair and maintain a lot of the cemeteries mainly in Europe but in India, Singapore and other locations from WW 1 and 2. They have several interesting and poignant You tube videos.
It is so important that these sites and the fallen never get forgotten. I hope they do maintain it.
There is a scene in the movie the Big Red One , when one of soldiers says he can’t believe that they already put up a memorial of the guys that lost their lives. Then they explain to him that was from WWI .That scene always gets me.
I agree, wonder what the name in gold meant?
Another great one! Can't wait for the ones on where the airborne dropped!
Coming soon! Thanks!
If it helps, there is an interview from Der Spiegel in German from June 6, 2004. In the interview, he's asked about the TV interview and how many people he shot. Severloh himself says he doesn't know and asks if the number really matters. Enough to make him want to throw up and cry.
That day he fired 12,000 MG-42 rounds. Over 400 shots from his Karabiner.
One of the men he shot was David Silva, hit him 3 times but he lived. The two of them met years later while Silva was stationed in Germany and became good friends. There is a great history channel episode dedicated to this topic.
Severloh did not want to talk about numbers and once guessed 1,000 to get the interviewer off the subject. He was 20 years old for crying out loud, and you're repeatedly asking him to sensationalize the worst day of his life while he's seeking absolution. SMH.
There is a german Heavy Metal band called "Macbeth" that has witten a song about "WN62". It´s about a german machine Gunner on D-Day, his panic as he saw this big armada, his action on that day, and mainly the nightmares he had after that day by post-traumatic stress disorder that he get from this day. NOW I knew why the band gave this song that title.
Interesting. I had not heard of them. Glad that this video could fill in a few gaps for you. Thanks for watching.
@@TheHistoryUnderground it´s a very small and underrated Band. They have a lot of songs about the war, mostly from the view of german soldiers and they suffering and dead.
I talk to my dad about Grandma's dad and the gas attack.He did catch some of it.He and everybody else had to be removed
from that part of the line.While growing up,I was with my great uncle who was on the PT Boats.He did talk about his time
being on the PT's and it was short,"It Was Bad"and that was it for talking about it.I was still in grade school,years away from
being in High School.
I finally made it there this past weekend. Just walking along the beaches then going to the cemetery I was in total awe.
Amazing place.
These are great think this is my fifth clip over the last few day. Great content and good run time.👍 Still to get over from Scotland and do the Beaches, love all the WWII history.
Thanks! Appreciate it!
these videos are so great man thank you
I just come back home from a WW1 and WW1 tour in France. Went to all d-day beaches, Carentan, Brecourt Manor, Pegasus bridge and Merville battery. Then went the area for battle of Somme. Newfoundland park, the Lochnagar crater and the Thiepval memorial. Such a mindblowing experience
I am making my way through your D-Day videos, and appreciate when only instrumental music is used. I find the music with lyrics distracting. That aside, thank you for taking us there! I'd love to bring my son, another military history buff, here some day.
That MG 42 machine gun was a devastating weapon and he probably did inflict 200 casualties. The Channel was so rough on D-Day that the waves capsized and sank most of the amphibious tanks intended to support the landing. The casualties on Omaha were so immense that at some point General Bradley off shore and Ike considered a withdrawal but miraculously Omaha held on.
For sure. At least a few hundred....which is crazy already.
You seem like an average dude who works construction or something and decided to make some military history videos. I must say, these videos are some of the best out there. You are respectful of the subject matter and remain fascinated by it. Great stuff. I'm gonna look through your channel now to see if you've visited Hoertgen (sp?) Forest.
Great video. I can't even begin to imagine the absolute horror of storming those beaches. We owe everything to the Allied soldiers of WWII
Thank you for this video. I am a student of history and it was fascinating!
It's nothing short of a miracle that ANYONE made it off the beach. Wow.
Visited few years ago. This brings back memories. Thanks!
Excellent video, you captured the essence of Normandy
I just found your channel and can't get enough. It's always been a bucket list trip for my father and I to travel to the beaches of Normandy. Unfortunately he passed last year. I will be making this trip in honor of my father and as a veteran all that have served as heroes of their time. One question. Without being rushed can you say how long should one plan to visit like you did?
Quality work as always.
Ad usually, a great video! I look forward to when your videos are uploaded!
Appreciate that! Pretty excited for some of the upcoming videos that are lined up.
First I will thank you for these episodes for places I didn't see when I visited Normanday. When one takes a bus tour you don't get a chance to see these locations so your explainations go a long way to explain that DDay was a lot more than maybe 6 to 10 hurried stops on a bus. Your work expands the story a great deal. Regarding the number claimed by the gunner--- He may casualties and mean both the killed and the wounded that he thinks he caused. And in that regard he may have wounded that many but I can not think his claimed numbers of 'casualties' means that many who died by his actions. Wounded perhaps, but not killed. But thanks for making these snippets on the beaches.
It's very sad that this ever occurred, that being said, huge respect to all who gave their lives. You will never be forgotten!
The comment section is almost as good as the video. What a great channel and community. My Grandad was a Brigadier and Combat Engineer, the other a tail gunner on a Lanc. Never forget.
Ha! Always an adventure in the comment section. Thanks!
Very well done and interesting video. Liked the Heinrich story. The mobile home in front of the casement looked totally out of place on such a beautiful and historic beach front. Seems intentional rather than random placement as if hiding the casement.
Yeah, the placement almost seemed spiteful in a way. Thanks for the kind words!
My dad landed on Omaha beach that morning. He was in the 147th combat engineers, 6th engineers special brigade. He was in the Coast Guard LCI US 91. It struck a mine as it neared the beach then it was pummeled by german 88's. He went back to the beach after the war had ended and took a picture of the US 91, as it was still there. He also took a pic of a bunker near the beach and wrote "we landed 100' from here". He passed away in 2013 but not a day goes by that I don't think of him. He was a good man that helped make up the greatest generation.
(PS that pic of me is an old one, I'm 61 yrs old now)
Must be great to live on that property with such a big piece of D-Day history right next to you!
You got that right! Kind of a shame that a big ol' dang trailer is right in front of it.
Makes me wonder what that property might go for?
Loving the videos. Thanks .
Great history lesson. I went in 2016 and stayed at a campground 8 klicks West of St Mere ...every morning we would drink coffee and eat croissants on the stone wall overlooking the channel.
Amazing videos, I intend to visit France to see where so many gave their lives for us. Thankfully I will never have to witness what they did but I can honour them by visiting and learning more about it, your videos help me achieve this. Thank you. Amazing to think of the horrors that took place in such a beautiful country.
Thank you for posting this.
My dad was in the 609 TD company C he was there and was in the Battle of the bulge, he said it was cold Captain Patrick Joseph Troy 💪🇺🇸
Sorry for responding 8 months later, but wow. I thank him for his service. Is he still alive?
@@simonsaura8138 He passed away in 2010 he was 92 never missed a wink of sleep he also captured Warner von Braun at the power station in Germany they sat by the campsite fire and had beers and Warner said we go to the moon he stood up and got all excited and said we go to the moon my dad said to him Sit down you’re not going anywhere little did he know Warner von Braun was telling the truth
respect to your old man from s,wales u.k
The sacrifice of those brave men, and the impact it has to this day, should always be remembered.
God Bless ou r military, past, present and future. Thanks for this.👍
Thank you for these videos
Being a historyteacher having a lifelong interest in WW2, I brought my parents to Normandy in 2013. All three of us nerded the beaches (they were both very interested in WW2 to), and I told them EVERYTHING I know about that place. On my late fathers deathbed, just before he gave up to cancer, he told my mom and me: “We really had the trip of our life right there”😓
Btw: the battledamage on the casemate is unexploded 75mm shells that has been “drilled”, by shear momentum and riffeling, into the concrete…, they are allover the positions along the beaches.
no idea how i found this channel. but love these types of videos! not sure if you went to Juno but that would be great , hello from Cobourg Ontario Canada! liked and subbed!
First off, thanks. I really appreciate the kind words. In one of the later videos, I do make a visit to Juno.
@@TheHistoryUnderground awesome! your welcome :D you present things very well and are clear and understandable , no wind sounds which is awesome, can't wait for the Juno video, i have checked out your other videos, very good work my dude!
I’m went to this exact spot yesterday with my family. Amazing.
Another goody mate I'm just encapsulated watching your work. keep them coming.
Thanks! Got another one coming tomorrow. If you liked the movie Saving Private Ryan, it might be of interest.
@@TheHistoryUnderground definitely will... that is one of my favs. Look forward to it, thank you JD.
Thank you for writing back.Side note:Grandma show us all the stuff from WW 2 rations cards,each stamp was for a different food
item.Listing each week,where to go to get your food.Grandpa's paperwork when he signed up and what Base he was to report in,
May of 45.I knew there was something I was forgetting.Grandma also work at the Ammunition Plant in Watertown SD,among other
jobs,she was also on the assembly line helping to build the new Proximity fuse.
My dad showed me a photo of me"a yr old"my dad almost 20 yrs old & my Grandmother's Father,He signed up for WW 1
in 1917,then off to the front lines in 1918.Fought in the trenches,gassed in the trenches,taken to field hospital,then back to battle
until WW 1 was over.That photo was taken in 1968,he pass away a year or two later.
Interesting!
Well, when I served in the German Bundeswehr we were trained shooting the MG-3, which is a later version of the MG-42, the gun Hein Severloh, the so called "Beast", used at "Omaha". Hitting man-high targets was no problem with iron sights at a range of 600 meters. With normal bursts of 4 or 5 rounds, which we were trained as gunners, precision was about 90 per cent. While above this range precision was dropped, because of the ability of eyes. But till 800 meters we achieved 60 per cent or more, anyway.
"Omaha" Beach is a wide range on low tide. Can you imagine how long a soldier with full battle dress needs to overcome such a distance, zick-zack crossing under enemy fire? It is a long time.
I can imagine casualties - dead and wounded could possibly climb up to that high over a lot of hours, shouting 12.000 rounds.
But calling Hein Severloh a "Beast", is wrong chosen, I think. He was a farmer boy, who was called for duty. His whole life he had nightmares what happened at the beach. What he wanted was surviving. He lost many comrades there, was wounded and after the war he entered the Civil Peace Corps. I am pretty sure, if he could make a wish, he wanted to be everywhere, but not where he was, at D-Day! As well as he forced to meet soldiers who fought at the landing beach to get forgiveness. He met David Silva, an US Military chaplain, who was wounded at "Omaha" at D-Day. Both became good friends. A thing just somebody can understand who served with the troops.
Stefan Zweigle - I agree. It’s unfortunate that he was given that nickname. He was doing what he was trained to do and what what anyone would have done in his place.
There is a documentary of Silva and Severloh meeting at Omaha beach in the1980s or 1990s.
@@TheHistoryUnderground - exactely. I am sure he has brought a lot of tears and sadness to lots of families. But I have seen the documentary about him and Silva. Hein Severloh cried himself when he arrived at Omaha beach, again. Quiet interesting you say "he has done what anyone would have done in his place". Here in Germany any former Wehrmacht soldier is just seen as a Nazi supporting the Nazi party. Just good our former Enemies are seeing the things more clearly. Crazy irony, isn`t it?
@@maxcravero5663 Oh yes, I have seen this documentary, as well as I have read the book about WN 62. Both are well done.
@@moviebrat1 send the link
Another interesting video. Thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it. Thought that it was an interesting story. And one that a lot of people just take a face value.
Love these videos. Is there a chance we'll see Pointe du Hoc?
Stay tuned ...... :)
@@TheHistoryUnderground You know we will!!
@@TheHistoryUnderground thanks! My dad's cousin James Allen Machan died there. I have almost no information except that he died that day.
Thank you for your great work
Well, to be fair. Heinrich Severloh, was said to have fired more than 12, 000 rounds of ammo from his MG42...only stopping to let the weapon cool..or to swap out the barrel. Which in the intervening time, he had switched to his Mauser K98. And in regards to his character...whether he made up the casualty numbers, or was mistaken...later in his life, he said he was deeply troubled by what he had done...but he was just a soldier doing his duty for his commanding officer.
Yeah, I agree with all of that. My point wasn’t to try and call him out or anything. As I mentioned in the video, I don’t think he was an outright liar, but I do think that he inflicted fewer casualties than he thinks. The numbers he quoted would account for most of the casualties for the entire beach. He did a lot of damage though. That is for sure.
The thing is, he wasn't the only German gunner on that segment of the beach. On Omaha beach in it's entirety there were 2,000 US casualties. That includes killed, wounded missing etc. So start with that figure as a cap. If Heinrich was responsible for ALL the casualties on Omaha Beach he might have hit the 2,000 mark.
Omaha Beach was a good probably 6 miles wide with 8 sectors and like 13 German defensive positions covering the entirety. So yeah, one machine gunner probably did a lot of damage. But there was artillery pieces, mortars, 88s in the rear, mines, drownings from jumping over the side of landing craft loaded with gear. At best Heinrich is exaggerating or embellishing. Probably by a significant number. But that doesn't deminish the horror of a German machine gunner mowing down maybe a hundred or more Americans.
GodOfWar221 They said the same thing when they were throwing the bodies in the ovens was just following orders sad but true
I also recall Heinrich Severloh stating at how much more personal it became for him when he was using his Mauser after he ran out of MG42 ammunition. It's one thing to be spraying machine gun fire, like many other gunners, and seeing many soldiers fall in the melee, but it's a different thing entirely to see the person at the end of your gunsight fall immediately after you pull the trigger.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Agreed.
great videos, thank you
Glad you like them!
Another bucket list place for me wow keep these awesome videos coming. Amazing how someone actually lives right next to a 76mm bunker.
Thanks! Will do!
My grandpa was on a navy ship him and his brother world war 2 and my uncle and my cousin is now serving on a ship so thank you to anyone who served.i never got the chance to serve because they wouldn't take me but given a chance I would of
The fact that the United States Armed Forces has memorial's in France and other locations is amazing to me. I really enjoy your videos, and I hope to be able to visit some of these historical sites.
Enjoying your videos my uncle Eloy Mireles landed that day with the 1 Division Heinrich missed him , he made it through the war and had a good life. Hey would tell us that it was raining lead that day.
🇺🇸
Thanks for story about wn62 that's very interesting and mysterious and the same time
Brilliant and informative .
That was Excellent....Thanks....
John Kelsey - Thanks 👊🏻
Been there last summer, very sobering as you say. Great videos and narration
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope that it helps people to remember.
Brilliant information
I'm an ex French soldier and I have just one thing to say. All my respects to the soldiers that have fought died and get injured during that day. They have fought to liberate my country, his story, and his valours. Once again all my respects and god take care of you where you are now. Those braves boys have made the ultimate sacrifice not only for USA but also for France.
Thank you 🇺🇸 🇫🇷
Germany history and valors are not mine. France has his own history and valors. We fought for those during ww2 and we need to now fight against the islamists and the politicians that are destroying this beautiful country that is France.
thank you so much for exploring these sites, so thankful for all of our service men who gave freedom to Europe.
🙏🏼
I knew Hein Severloh, he was not prone to exaggeration. In conversation he used the term 'thousands' as we would in English vernacular, to mean 'a lot'. He wasn't really keeping count, he was a little busy that morning.
Hmmm.....interesting. Thanks.
Steve Zaloga points out how unlikely his story is. He wasn't even an MG gunner. Look up his talk called The Devils Garden.
Adam Mann - Interesting. Will do.
These qre so cool, i can imagine all the chaos going on RIP 🙏
I just now came across your channel with talking about Omaha.Some members of my family were looking into this.What we were told,he and some buddies made it off the beach & were killed inland.He is laid to rest at.Location of Interment American Cemetery - Normandy, France Wall/Plot Coordinates Section I, Row 20, Grave 12 Jimmie W.JR. Monteith.
Hello, I've just started looking into the history of my dad's cousin James Allen Machan. Oddly I can only find his grave but no other details of his death. Or even a picture of him. Unfortunately the only family I know of I've never met and they live far away in another country so I haven't been able to contact them. Any suggestions on where to get more information?
Severloh said the one shot that stuck with him the most was when his MG42 was too hot he used his rifle. A US soldier took cover behind the big square concrete block 200m away on the beach and Severloh took an aimed shot when he peered over the top.