Pudgey was exactly right, when Renee threw Eugene some chocolate and said "Pour vous!" that was 'For you!". The African nurse from the Congo who was assisting Renee actually survived the war and only died in 2015 at the age of 94, still in Belgium. The Congo was a Belgian colony in Africa in the 1940s. They became independent from Belgium in 1960.
Congo? Heard Burundi. Anyway, both of them were nicknamed the angels of Bastogne even if Renée became more famous due to her tragic death on christmas eve... also, Augusta refused to talk of the siege until the 90'S i think. After that, she finally received the recognition she deserved being decorated by the US Army and the Belgium governement. Renée and her were close friend.
Both Renee Lemaire and Augusta Chiwy are buried in same cemetary. Not next to each other but strangely close given the time between their passing. I remember reading somewhere that Chiwy was thrown through a wall by the Getman bombings
The character of the nurse, Renée, was inspired by the real life character Renée Lemaire, The American Troops called her the angel of Bastogne. Lemaire was from the Bastogne area, her parents owned a hardware store there, throughout much of the war, prior to this moment, she had been a nurse in Brussels, where she helped take care of the wounded. She just happened to be going home to see her parents in Bastogne for Christmas 1944, and little could she have realized that this battle would erupt in her front yard. He further states there's no evidence to suggest that she interacted with Doc Roe. Renée did lose her life during German bombing of Bastogne, but she was not in the Church basement, she was actually in a store basement that wasn't too far away. A building had caught fire, and she was taking part in an effort to evacuate men who had taken refuge in that building, an aid station in the basement of the Sarma Store. She was able to pull six men out of the fire and when she went back in to get a seventh, she lost her life. She was 30 years old. Her body was later delivered to her parents wrapped in a white parachute. Also the Belgian Congolese nurse, Augusta Chiwy, was also a real figure in Bastogne. She survived the war, and died in 2015. Keep up the good work.
@@relaidjacherifi4494 according to Wikipedia she born in Belgian Congo, and her foundation page and the Airborne also said that she born in Belgian Congo
there is a monument to Renee in Bastogne and all of the nurses who sacrificed during that battle. Near the road to the Bastogne War Museum. it was a privilege to see it in person and stand where heroes on their level stood.
French wiki ( according to belgian sources ) say she was born in Muvabu, Burundi. Perhaps there s some confusion because Burundi wasn t part of Belgian Congo altough under Belgian control.
I was a US Navy Hospital Corpsman. (Navy counterpart to Doc Roe) Desert Storm . Served 10 years. In 2005, my son's best friend (a Marine) came home from Fallujah just in time for Christmas. He had been in the 2nd battle the year before. We went to a local VA Home. One old man in the dining area was utterly inconsolable. Everyone else was singing and happy. I heard a little girl ask her dad why he was so upset. I knelt beside him and simply asked where? His answer- Bastogne. Through tears he told me he was the sole survivor of his platoon. They died Christmas day. He was not an Easy Company member, but for him Christmas was forever a nightmare. I held his hand and hugged him. My friend said Doc it's time to go. The old man looked me in the eyes and said God Bless you, you guys paid a higher cost than most of us. I will not argue against his expert knowledge.
Probably my favorite episode of Band of Brothers. I love the perspective from the medic's story, and I love how focused and dependable Eugene is when taking care of the men.
HS history teacher was in 101st. Not Easy Co, but his obituary read like a list of BoB episodes- Normandy, Eindhoven, Bastogne, Berchtesgaden, etc. He was adamant that they did not need to be rescued; they just needed more supplies & to have their wounded evacuated. RIP Mr Hurt. Curahee!
Every year, the city of Bastogne celebrates "Nut's Day" in December to pay homage to the soldiers who defended the city during the Battle of the Bulge. I was lucky enough to attend one year while I was stationed in Germany. The folks in Bastogne are some of the most wonderful folks you'll ever meet.
So true about the people of Bastogne. The first time I was there was during the Euro Cup tourney in 2016. I forget who Belgium was playing that night, but they won and went to the next round. The whole city was out in McAluiffe Square partying hard until about 1am when everything went dark. Walking back to my hotel about 20 mins later was very eerie. The only people were us Americans in a place that just a few minutes before was filled with a couple thousand people was quite remarkable. Even the screen that everyone was watching the game on was gone.
The Spartans reply to Philip of Macedonia is probably more so. As Philip II of Macedon was conquering Greek city-states left and right, Sparta was left standing alone. Philip sent a surrender message to the Spartans saying “If I invade Lakonia you will be destroyed, never to rise again.” The Spartans replied with one word, “If.”
@@okmickey232”nuts!” Is the most known and famous by far. People only know the If quote if they care ab ancient history. A lot of people ignore that part of history
@@jefferygreen2846 In America maybe. The USA is not the world. Outside of your little USA bubble, the rest of the world knows much more about world history, and cares little about US 'history'. You are wrong.
Pretty sure the response from the 5th Marines when ordered to retreat before the Battle of Belleau Wood in WWI ("Retreat? Hell, we just got here!") is more famous...especially considering it became the official motto of the 5th Marines
The cut off British paratroopers response in Arnham was pretty good. The Germans approach under a truce flag and say "My general says there is no point continuing this fighting. He wishes to discuss terms of surrender." Their reply "I am sorry. We cannot accept your surrender. We don't have the facilities to take you all prisoner I am afraid."
I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman (Medic) in Vietnam (3 Tours). I had 4months of basic medical training and two months of combat medical training when I was assigned to the Marines. The army medical training is similar. They don't just say you're a medic. There are not enough men that volunteer to be a medic. Tests are taken while you are in training. If your test shows an aptitude for medicine, then they ask you to volunteer or just send you to school to be a medic. If you are not good at it they send you back to infantry. Most medics that have been in combat can do the job as well as or better than some doctors or nurses. According to the Geneva Conventions medics are not to carry offensive weapons. I never carried a weapon. During times not in combat the medic is supposed give first aid lessons to his whole platoon frequently. So, anyone can take over basic first aid if the medic is killed. They can carry a pistol for their own protection and the protection of the one they are working on. Those two medics in the same fox hole should never be close to each other during combat (That’s one of the first things you learn). One of my tours in Vietnam I was on a ship on the Co Chien River in the Mekong Delta. Me and another corpsman were the only medical personnel on board. Being the only medical person onboard I did everything medical. If you were on a ship or with the Marines, you were called Doc. We were taught that during combat conditions we were to be on opposite ends of the ship. The 2 corpsmen we replaced were together during a fire fight and they both got killed. You never remember all the ones that you have treated but you never forget the ones you can’t save.
4:34 The thing to remember is that the General (who incidentally is filling in for his superior who was on leave when they all raced to Bastogne to stop the Germans from breaking through) is in the same boat as the rest of them. They are *cut off* i.e. surrounded by the enemy, and as the gentlemen said earlier, they can't even be resupplied by air. Gen. McAuliffe literally has nothing to give them. He has no stores of ammo hidden away, no winter clothing and especially no more men. Much as they would all like it, he can't just pull a division of men out of his ass to fill in the gaps on the line. All he can do is what he did do: tell them to hold the line. Either that or surrender to the Germans and become prisoners of war.
Also maybe a little ass-covering, as tends to happen in chains of command. "Well, I told them what to do. If they didn't do it, it's not on me." (especially common in the corporate world)
@@GK-yi4xv I guess but what is he supposed to say? "Try your best, but it's okay if you don't hold the line." No, if one part of the line breaks everyone inside is fucked. You can compare it to the corporate world, if you like, but the stakes are significantly higher here. There were like 20,000 people in Bastogne, and the German army was perfectly willing and capable to kill or capture them all. That was a pretty common thing in this war, on the Eastern Front especially, huge enveloping movements that surrounded and destroyed whole divisions, armies even. I understand you want to be empathetic and kind to your men as a leader but sometimes you gotta use some tough love and just say what needs to be said: hold the line at all costs or we will all die here.
My Uncle was a medic in WWII. On Christmas Eve 1944 he was headed to Bastogne for the Battle of the Bulge. The convoy of ships crossing the English Channel were attacked by German U-Boats. The largest ship, the Leopaldville was destroyed. My Uncle witnessed the devastating destruction and death. They never made it to Bastogne. They were sent to France. He was later awarded the bronze star with valor for running into a fire fight and saving a wounded soldier during the battle of Brittany France.
My grandfather was Danish and young when the war started. He was recruited into the OSS, and he delayed German reinforcements to Normandy by 6 days by sabotaging rail roads.
So Winters promotion puts him in charge of several companies I think dog through foxtrot. Dog, easy and foxtrot (D,E,F) which is called 2nd battalion. Dike is the leader of Easy company now and he reports directly to Winters.
The winter scenes in the woods were actually filmed in a large warehouse. Rather than being cold,the temperature was warm and the actors did a great job of pretending to be freezing.
Spartan and Pudgy, I truly love your empathy for the men and women in battle. Your emotions are honest and heart felt for people that actually experienced these events. You make a lovely couple and you complement each other perfectly. I'm looking forward to more reactions.😊
My father was in the Third Army. He was one of the soldiers who relieved Bastogne. I was in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day and got to visit Bastogne. There is a plaque outside a building there in memory of Renee.
Renee Lamarie was a real person. She was known as one of the Angels of Bastogne. The black nurse was inspired by Augusta Chiwy, another of the Angels. It's really worth looking them up online. Renee was always looking for a white silk parachute for a wedding dress. She was wrapped in one when she was returned to her parents.
One of my family members was a combat medic with Patton's 3rd Army which relieved the troops surrounded at Bastogne, among other remarkable actions. I was quite young when I knew him and he never talked about his experience with me, or anyone else as far as I know. He came back to the states started a successful small business and raised a family. Great hard working but easy going guy.
We have been to Bastogne last year, impressive village. Tank tourets at every entrance road, many pictures of the streets back than. It always does something to me, going to these famous war places. The Normandy giant bunkers, fields riddled with holes from World War 1 in Northern France, as far as you can see. The creepy dark woods, imagining how dangerous it would have been. I live in Eindhoven, (episode 4) nearby is where the 101st parachuted down during operation Marker Garden. Few kilometers away are some WW2 musea, including plains and memorials.
The general wasn't there to blow smoke up their butt's. They knew how dire it was, and saying otherwise would be an insult. He said give it to me straight, and he did the same in return.
"They must be numb to it." Well, no. In fact, that's the entire point of the episode. Roe has to treat massive traumatic wounds of friends and men he knows and do it with no supplies. In order to do that, he has to compartmentalize, separate what he's doing from his emotional bonds. That's why you see Roe always separate from the rest of the men because getting closer makes dealing with the pain more difficult. The PTSD is cumulative. It's a form of self-survival. I was in the military as a medic and the guys come to you for everything. Watching them get mangled and even die starts eating at you inside and if you can't find a way to cope with it, you become a liability.
Huh I feel dumb. I've watched Band of Brothers countless times and I always thought Roe was just a distant loner. It never occurred to me he did that to avoid emotional pain.
My granddad fought in Burma during the war. He was part of the 124th Cavalry Special, PBS actually did a documentary with him in it called The Last Horse Soldiers, but they were only 9 days into their March to clear the Burma road when it was time for Christmas in 1944. They were up on a mountain looking down at the town of Bhamo on Christmas Eve when all the men decided to say a prayer and sing amazing grace. The next morning on Christmas they charged down the mountain to attack the town but in the night the Japanese cleared out. Every Christmas until he died in 2009 he would tell that story and just burst into tears.
Smokey Gordon, the guy who was shown being paralyzed actually recovered around 80% mobility if I remember correctly. The bullet grazed his spine, instead of severing it.
:grins: I was thinking how does anyone not know that! But I'm old so we were taught French and German at school (and Esperanto too in my case :D). I'm going to guess that such things are not the norm any more.
The man who was paralyzed fortunately recovered, not just from the wound but from the paralysis. The bullet didn't actually sever his spinal cord, I can't remember if it just grazed it and caused nerve shock, or the wound channel caused some sort of pressure on it as it was made, something along those lines. Whatever it was, the effects were temporary and he fully recovered.
This is the "Battle of the Bulge." The 101st Airborne Division was inserted into the Bastogne area to slow down or stop the German surprise advance into Holland in December of 1944. The 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions were considered to be elite troops.
I have always heard that the 101st were temporarily stationed in the Ardennes to get some relief after the fighting in the Netherlands ? Not knowing the Gernans would soon launch a surprise attack precisely in their sector.
@@ysinvangulik1004 the 101st was definitely not stationed in the area of Bastogne for relief. They had to be rushed in with trucks, because the actual units stationed in this expected "quiet sector" were overrun and massacred
The reason that they told Eugene to stay back was because it was a combat patrol which meant that they would be probing the line to find where the German positions were...essentially, they were looking to pick a fight and see what would happen and if there were any weak points. Since they expected to see action, it wouldn't be a good idea to bring the medic and risk him being shot. Second, they had to leave Julian behind because they were short of ammunition and lacked the firepower to suppress the enemy to retrieve him. Suppressing fire uses a lot of ammo.
So Winters shaving is indeed something ge did in Bastogne. It was a way to boost moral. His men would see him keeping his shaving routine and think, well shirs bad but it cant be too bad if Winters is still shaving.
Major Robert Henry Cain VC did the same to look respectable and like and officer on his way back from Oosterbeek after being completely battered performing his VC winning actions.
14:34. That soldier (Julian) actually survived. When they left the German machingun crew came forward and took him to a German hospital. After the war he contacted his friend Heffron who was thought he was dead.
That was a very cold winter. The battle of the bulge. My dad talked about how he had to order his men to set fires, in the 80's, during troop operations. Second coldest winter since the battle of the bulge. Troops matter more than combat exercises. The bulge is a German counter attack that pushed a bulge into the Allied line. Bastogne was surrounded because you don't abandon a valuable position.
Everyone always misreads the General McAluiffe scene. He's doing his job, visiting his subordinate commanders and finding out who needs what and where to send it. He has to see the big picture so he can make the most informed decision possible because in 5 minutes he's having the exact same conversation with the next unit in the line. He had very limited resources that need to get to the right people at the right time. He also needs to be honest to his men with what they are facing. By telling them to hold and close the gaps, he's telling Col. Strayer that he trusts him to do what he thinks is right without having to micromanage his troops, instilling confidence in the men and officers under him.
My grandfather fought in the Bulge, on the far end of the line. Even though it wasn't as "hot" as the area Easy company was in, he described it as the absolute hardest fight of his life. Something this series doesn't show as much is that Bastogne was the last hurrah of the Nazi armored divisions; the Germans had saved up as many tanks and vehicles and gasoline as they could and hurled them at the Americans in a desperate last attempt to break the lines. My grandfather was a mortar team sergeant and told me stories of how good his guys got at nailing half-tracks and tanks.
Bastogne was the crucible where the 101st Airborne earned their place in WWII history. This was the last gasp attempt by Hitler to turn the tide of the war back in Germany's favor. Germany was running out of fuel (Allies were bombing their synthetic fuel factories and oil fields they held in Eastern Europe). The Germans had 3 days' worth of fuel to take Bastogne and planned on seizing Allied fuel depots to further their advance to the port of Antwerp, where they could cut off Allied supplies. Fortunately, retreating US forces took what fuel they could, then destroyed any left behind so the Germans could not fuel their tanks as planned. It was a month of hellish cold winter for the 101st (and other divisions), holding the line. Some historians called the 101st one of the MVPs of the war, as they halted Hitler's advance.
Really important episode. I was a medic during OEF. Pudgey really nails it with some of her insights. You have to take care of yourself but really you have to take care of your soldiers. Make sure they have been taking care of their health, they have their aid kits on them, manage your supplies. I was lucky to be further back from the line but even still. Everyone is looking to you. They believe that you can help them with anything from a runny nose to a bullet. You have to protect that confidence so they can do their jobs.
Spartan mentioned the coughing at the end, and yeah malnutrition and illness would definitely be part of it, but something a lot of people who don't experience cold like this don't realize is that when it does get cold enough, the air hurts to breathe. You can feel the moisture in your throat and lungs start to freeze for a moment when you inhale. It makes a lot of people (myself included) cough, and then you get more of that freezing air in your lungs and you cough even more. They did such a good job of making the cold feel believable in this episode, we regularly get to -40c in the winter where I am from, I've even slept in the snow before. Cold like this is absolutely brutal to endure, and I can't imagine doing it with as few resources as these men had. Band Of Brothers did such a fantastic job of depicting the cold in this episode, incredibly realistic
The part where Spartan is talking/plugging something and Pudgey is sitting there cracking up. Spartan just stops speaking and gives us the Spartan stare into the camera 🤣
Doc Roe and the Nurse never actually met, but everyone still alive who knew him said the episode captured him very well. The Congolese nurse actually lived into this century; passing away about a decade, having married a Belgian Army Officer. Also, the guy that got shot in the neck survived the war; was evacuated to a German Military Hospital, and the one that was paralysed got to return to the foxhole he was in when he got shot; actually recovering the very coffee mug he dropped. There's footage from a documentary (or news feature) where he finds it I believe, kerk
So, I understand when you said "finally" for the supplies. Just need to understand that the weather was so bad for a while that air drops could not take place, safely. In the scene where there was the drop, the weather finally cleared enough to allow a drop.
One thing u guys should know about doc. ROE... Roe was helping anyone he could, no matter the situation. He ran out into the open during a German artillery strike. He ran out into the open without weapons and dragged a wounded man back. Roe was described as the most dependable. caring person in Easy Company. Malarkey even recommended him for a silver star but the citation was set aside and forgotten about. He was known for getting to anyone who needed help, even if they weren’t sure how he got there. Easy company said that... "its amazing how He was always there when we needed him"... and one thing more the miniseries didnt shw is the fact that... Roe was also injured in his jump into Holland. He landed on barbed wire and cut open his leg. He received another purple heart for that..
6:43. No. The guy complaining was Lt. Dyke, the officer that took over for Winters. 13:13. Joe Toye. 25:50. He couldn't, Pudgey. That's why he didn't know until he looked at it.
The only time there was Peace during Christmas was in WWI on Christmas Eve 1914. It was and is in history called, "The Christmas Truce," one day of peace on Christmas Eve in No Man's Land in WWI, when enemies became friends and brothers. Just for one day of Peace before going back to war. You can look it up and also the heavy metal band Sabaton did a music video about the Christmas Truce.
Best episode in a series of amazing episodes where no a single episode is bad. While the show focuses on a main protagonist Maj Winters it also has a lot of major characters in this ensemble cast & it wisely changes the POV at times. In episode 6 of Band of Brothers we follow one of the Easy Company Medics Eugene “Doc” Roe. From Roe’s POV with the backdrop of the Bastogne countryside during winter & fierce German fighting & artillery you really get immersed here. You feel the cold & shell-shocked. “Dear John” letters is a term for letters soldiers received while deployed training or at war. Military life is hard-you work a lot, move every 2-3 years & cheating is common. There is a risk of war & dying too. I was in armor - tanks - and we spent half the year training in the field. Plus you could have a female subordinate & cheating can happen there which gets people in a lot of trouble. When I had like 6 months left in service I got an easy job in Garrison Support where I supervised soldiers getting discharged esrly other than honorably when they were processing out & soldiers who just got brought back from being AWOL - they left without permission. A guy was deployed in Iraq & he got a Dear John letter. His wife emptied the bank account, took the kids & bailed. So dude went awol to find her. You understand it but you are literally government property. Dear John letters are usually BRUTAL. Spouses think they can handle military life but some get lonely when their spouse is deployed for months or at war. Plus there are always vultures circling around looking to steal wives or girlfriend. In the Army they are called “Jody.” In basic the drill sergeant would be like “You’re in the Army now. The army’s your girlfriend. You can kiss Suzie back home good bye. Jody is wearing your robe, driving your car & sleeping next to your girl now so time to move on!”😆🤣 As a US Army veteran I wish I could explain more on the tactics, myriad acronyms, Army slang, etc but it’d be too wordy & extraneous for a YT comment. The show does a good job of showing context & explaining things though. However it is pretty shocking how many people aren’t more shocked & disgusted at atrocities & war crimes. WW2 was a brutal war but what separates us from others is that we try to be moral. However we did a lot of reprehensible things in WW2 that would get you shot or hung these days. Many aren’t fazed by the shooting of prisoners which is a war crime or looting. Also the post war calamities & atrocities are arguably as bad or worse than what happened during the war like the rapes & displaced persons forced migrations, etc. Pudgey & Spartan seem to be learning a lot about WW2 from these war movies & shows which is great because it seems our modern education system is failing kids. I’m guessing Spartan & Pudgey’s interest in history has been piqued by watching these shows & hope they learn & read more about WW2. WW2 & Ancient Greece & Rome are some of my favorite eras in history. Glad you two are loving the show! Cheers from NY!🙂👍
31:00 "That's against the rules"... in WWII entire cities were bombed into dust. It was "total war", the allies fire bombed Dresden burning it to the ground along with 25000 civilians. The Germans had started carpet bombing British cities so the Allies had little choice but to do the same. Many cites by the end of the war were basically piles of rubble.
"I'm glad I'm not in Bastogne." My maternal grandfather was Finnish and served in the Winter War against the Soviet Union during WWII. When I was a kid and we'd visit him and his family, I always had a hard time sleeping cause they'd have the heating cranked up to the max. In addition, my grandfather would wear a full set of cotton pyjamas, a heavy woolen vest and woolen socks to bed, even in summer. I didn't understand it at the time, but as I grew up it became clear enough. He had just done his life time worth of freezing, and woved to never be even a little cold again.
Just a bit of information. What we think of as the "rules of war" were put in place at the Geneva Convention in 1949. At the time of these events those rules were not commonly recognized. Hence the bombing of hospitals, etc.
Renee, the nurse, was actually from Bastogne. She was only there visiting her family for Christmas when she volunteered at the hospital. According to the doctor of the hospital after the bombing Renee was seen going back into the hospital three times to rescue patients before it collapsed on her and she died.
Bastogne is the prime example of airborne training. They are surrounded, cut off from reinforcements and regular supply chains depending on the thinnest line of help by air. Under normal doctrines, most generals would have left Bastogne as lost. The elite training of paratroopers shows how much resolve these men have over normal infantry riflemen
The Germans employed several tactics with artillery. Not only did they send it and hit the ground BOOM. They also had timed fuses so some rounds would detonate in the trees. This caused the trees to splinter creating extra shrapnel as was indicated with the one guy and the stuff sticking out his leg but also the trees would fall and block access for jeeps and mechanized units. Then after a barrage they would wait, let guys get out of their holes to check on people and then send a second round of artillery.
Yes, when Patton arrived, among other things, he said he rescued the 101st implying they couldn't successfully do their job and he had to come in and help them. That's why the 101st said they were doing their job and didn't need to be rescued. They didn't need to be rescued, they just needed men and supplies. Patton was well supplied and armed...he was a very successful General and got things done for sure, but he had a mouth and an ego that was way over the top. It takes all kinds to win a war and war seldom plays by the rules. General Sherman, during our own civil war, marched across Georgia burning, terrorizing, stealing and killing soldiers and civilians alike and eventually said " War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it". He altered that phrase at a commencement ceremony to " War is hell ".
The temps at Bastogne were so cold that the lubricating oil for all their weapons froze. Some men resorted to urinating on them to get them to function. One part of the Battle of the Bulge that gets overlooked in the series is Operation Grief (Griffon). English-speaking German SS commandos disguised as Americans would infiltrate the Allied lines and conduct espionage, sabotage, and assassination missions. Lack of captured uniforms and materials plus few soldiers who could pass as Americans led to the operation being canceled. However, one commando was captured and told his interrogators that there were hundreds of SS infiltrators as far back as Paris and they had plans to assassinate General Eisenhower on Christmas Day. Ike spent his Christmas in a bunker with a body double riding around Paris.
My relatives fought in the Winter War(1939-40) and it was one of the coldest winters on record, went as far as -40c. Can only imagine what a freezing hell it must have been 😶🌫️😥
Lack of supplies (logistics) is usually what ends up dooming an army. If you can deprive the enemy of food, water, gasoline or ammo then you defeat the army. This is something the Americans excelled at. They would keep their soldiers supplied because they had incredible, mechanized (Jeeps and Trucks) supply lines whereas many other armies still relied on Horses to a degree and they kept the enemy from being supplied through their use of Air Power. This was especially common in the Pacific Theater where every army was completely reliant on their Navy to bring them supplies. Since the American Navy ended up dominating later in the war the Japanese suffered pretty horribly of poor supplies. It's something most people don't think about because we're used to video games where it's not a thought but typically it is the better supplied Military that wins. Omar Bradley, an American General, once said "Amateurs talk Strategy and Professionals talk Logistics." Doesn't matter how good your strategy or well-trained your army is if they don't have food to eat, water to drink, ammo to shoot, or fuel to get them there. One of the first big battles between the Japanese and the Americans was Guadalcanal. Neither Navy was able to establish superiority for the opening stages of the battle so they were consistently fighting to see who could get supplies dropped off, either in the dead of night or other creative means. The Japanese got so desperate at one point that they would try to float barrels of rice on the current to the island for their soldiers. The American Planes would spot them and shoot them so they sank to try and starve the Japanese. Seems brutal but if the enemy can't eat then they won't have the strength to kill you or your buddies and maybe they surrender or get so desperate that they make an ill-advised attack to try and end the battle quicker. War is brutal.
Keeping light and noise discipline are real things. It's so you don't give away your location to the enemy. Even the tip of a lit cigarette can give away your position. Especially now days with things like NVG's (Night Vision Goggles).
You guys should watch Searching for Augusta. Its a documentary about the black nurse in Bastogne and it is amazing to hear all the things she did for the Allies and it shows how strong people can be even in the darkest days
History lesson- The battle of the bulge was the main German counter attack after D Day to try to drive the allies back to the sea. It made significant success in its early phases cutting off and surrounding several areas including Bastogne. Ultimately the german attack slowed as german forces struggled against overwhelming allied numbers, armour and air power. It was the last time the German army was able to mount a meaningful offensive in the west before the end of the war.
I think that men that were in a cold setting in war, especially back in the day, when clothing and coats and stuff like that werent nearly as effective at keeping you warm as the synthetic fibers or today, men kinda get traumatized by the weather as well. Mainly because of the consequence of being on the front lines of a war, you couldn't make fires, or shelters, or have hot coffee, or anything like that. You were just as cold as you could possibly be, and you just had to put up with it, and all of that is aside from being surrounded by the enemy, with your best protection being a rock hard cold as shit hole in the ground. I remember my grandpa who was in Korea say the same stuff about the cold. "Korea was hell frozen over"
Renée is also the only one giving him a little more humanity in this mess my calling him by his name. All the other times and everywhere else, he became just "Medic", and that call also announces always something terrible to watch and an enormous responsability.
20:30 the reason the planes started shooting was they had visual of Germans on the other side. By shooting the ground, easy company retreated back into the woodline where they were much safer.
Lieutenant Foley, one of the platoon leaders in Easy Company, recommended Eugene "Doc" Roe for the Silver Star for his bravery during this battle. For reasons unknown it was never approved.
Something I noticed after watching this dozens of times: the pile of corpses in front of the church gets bigger and bigger on each successive trip into town. Subtle but effective.
The german 88 mm gun was a terrifying weapon. The Shell were supersonics so it was no way to notice the incoming first salvo before it was too late. Moreover, in a forest, the Shell exploded in the tree, turning the shards of Wood into dangerous fragmentation weapons.
The Germans' other artillery pieces were no less devastating. The 150mm Schwerhaubitze used rocket fuel as a propellant for its shells. Not to mention the 283mm K5E railroad gun...
The thing that makes me the saddest I think when I watch reactions to this series now is that all these incredible men who survived the war are now gone as well. The realities of the inexorable march of time.
31:35 Technically, yes, deliberately targeting medics or hospitals is a violation of the Geneva Convention, and Germany did sign and agree to follow the Geneva Convention before WWII broke out (unlike the Japanese)...but with artillery equipment at the time, they didn't really have the pinpoint accuracy to be capable of bombarding a town and specifically avoid hitting a particular building, especially without forward observers calling in corrections (same goes with bombings, they were unguided bombs so there was no correcting it once it was out of the plane). It's just one of those "shit happens" things in warzone. One positive bit of trivia about this episode: the guy that was paralyzed, "Smokey" Gordon, actually regained the use of his legs after the war, mostly out of spite....one of his doctors noticed that he was severely depressed and losing the will to fight through the physical therapy, so he decided to rile him up with some snide comments about Smokey being a "goldbricker" (aka a slacker, lying about his injury to get out of service). It pissed Smokey off big-time and lit a fire under him to work through the physical rehab therapy (he later realized what the doctor was doing and became friends with him). Gordon did regain full mobility but had severe back pain for the rest of his life.
"I think hes dead"... Yes, they are cuddeling with a dead soldier in a foxhole... They also cut dead soldiers open and used them as sleeping bags (thats what later inspired the Tauntaun scene in Star Wars Ep 5). .... .... ....
Best series ever. Every episode is so good. I rewatch this series at least once a year. I always watch episodes 6 and 7 around Christmas. I think you two should react to Attack on Titan if you haven’t seen it before.
19:50 yes those are USAAF P47 Thunderbolts flying escort for a flight of Transport planes trying to parachute in supplies. Just so you know, now that the weather has cleared the Allied Air forces (RAF's No.2 Tactical Airforce; the US 9th Tactical Airforce and the US 8th Airforce (The US bomber force that was bombing Germany up to that point) can now be committed to supporting the US ground forces--it's "The BIG stick": thousands of fighters, fighter-bombers, light, medium and heavy bombers, as well as transports are available to fly missions. It's a totally overwhelming force that the Germans can't come close to contesting.
According to History Professor Jared Frederick, the character of the nurse, Renée, may have been inspired by the real life character Renée Lemaire, Lemaire was from the Bastogne area, her parents owned a hardware store there, throughout much of the war, prior to this moment, she had been a nurse in Brussels, where she helped take care of the wounded. She just happened to be going home to see her parents in Bastogne for Christmas 1944, and little could she have realized that this battle would erupt in her front yard. He further states there's no evidence to suggest that she interacted with Doc Roe. Renée did lose her life during German bombing of Bastogne, but she was not in the Church basement, she was actually in a store basement that wasn't too far away. A building had caught fire, and she was taking part in an effort to evacuate men who had taken refuge in that building, an aid station in the basement of the Sarma Store. She was able to pull six men out of the fire and when she went back in to get a seventh, she lost her life. She was 30 years old. Her body was later delivered to her parents wrapped in a white parachute. Also, when you talk about a military isn't supposed to hit this or that target. The technology at that time wasn't great. The accuracy of weapons was nothing like it is today. When they bombed a target, they're just trying to drop lots of dumb bombs in a general area, and hope they hit what they want to hit. They couldn't pick out specific buildings and spare others, that was just beyond their capability during that time. Not shooting medics, if you're on the battlefield, you can get shot. Military, civilian, doesn't matter.
24:48 that machine gunner was Walter 'Smokey' Allen. and the one who was jumping in was Moe. Assistant gunner. many years late Smokey retrieved back his coffee mug from the fox hole. that particular fox hole still exist.
The one thing that I always remember, even though this series is amazing and all the veterans raves about it they all agreed on one criticism, they did not come close to how awful Bastogne actually was, let that sink in. Renee the nurse was a real person, like many almost all of the characters, look up her story.
wow this was pure chaos..
Watch up to Episode 10 Reaction EARLY & UNCUT over on Patreon! www.patreon.com/spartanandpudgey
If you guys have finished the series you realize it has just begun.
"Theyre not allowed to do that right?"...
what you mean like the same thing Russia is doing every day.. right now?
Pudgey was exactly right, when Renee threw Eugene some chocolate and said "Pour vous!" that was 'For you!". The African nurse from the Congo who was assisting Renee actually survived the war and only died in 2015 at the age of 94, still in Belgium. The Congo was a Belgian colony in Africa in the 1940s. They became independent from Belgium in 1960.
Congo? Heard Burundi. Anyway, both of them were nicknamed the angels of Bastogne even if Renée became more famous due to her tragic death on christmas eve... also, Augusta refused to talk of the siege until the 90'S i think. After that, she finally received the recognition she deserved being decorated by the US Army and the Belgium governement. Renée and her were close friend.
Nice
@@Curraghmore Belgians used to cut their arms to distinguish them
@@dcornejoyhorrific chapters in history
Both Renee Lemaire and Augusta Chiwy are buried in same cemetary. Not next to each other but strangely close given the time between their passing. I remember reading somewhere that Chiwy was thrown through a wall by the Getman bombings
The character of the nurse, Renée, was inspired by the real life character Renée Lemaire, The American Troops called her the angel of Bastogne. Lemaire was from the Bastogne area, her parents owned a hardware store there, throughout much of the war, prior to this moment, she had been a nurse in Brussels, where she helped take care of the wounded. She just happened to be going home to see her parents in Bastogne for Christmas 1944, and little could she have realized that this battle would erupt in her front yard.
He further states there's no evidence to suggest that she interacted with Doc Roe. Renée did lose her life during German bombing of Bastogne, but she was not in the Church basement, she was actually in a store basement that wasn't too far away. A building had caught fire, and she was taking part in an effort to evacuate men who had taken refuge in that building, an aid station in the basement of the Sarma Store. She was able to pull six men out of the fire and when she went back in to get a seventh, she lost her life. She was 30 years old. Her body was later delivered to her parents wrapped in a white parachute.
Also the Belgian Congolese nurse, Augusta Chiwy, was also a real figure in Bastogne. She survived the war, and died in 2015.
Keep up the good work.
I worked in the medical field and I have very high regard and respect for nurses and medics!!!!! Love them all!❤❤❤❤❤❤
God bless them all!!!
Augusta was from Burundi it seem, not from Congo ( well... according to wikipedia, i Had a doubt, so i checked ).
@@relaidjacherifi4494 according to Wikipedia she born in Belgian Congo, and her foundation page and the Airborne also said that she born in Belgian Congo
there is a monument to Renee in Bastogne and all of the nurses who sacrificed during that battle. Near the road to the Bastogne War Museum. it was a privilege to see it in person and stand where heroes on their level stood.
French wiki ( according to belgian sources ) say she was born in Muvabu, Burundi. Perhaps there s some confusion because Burundi wasn t part of Belgian Congo altough under Belgian control.
I was a US Navy Hospital Corpsman. (Navy counterpart to Doc Roe) Desert Storm . Served 10 years. In 2005, my son's best friend (a Marine) came home from Fallujah just in time for Christmas. He had been in the 2nd battle the year before. We went to a local VA Home. One old man in the dining area was utterly inconsolable. Everyone else was singing and happy. I heard a little girl ask her dad why he was so upset. I knelt beside him and simply asked where? His answer- Bastogne. Through tears he told me he was the sole survivor of his platoon. They died Christmas day. He was not an Easy Company member, but for him Christmas was forever a nightmare. I held his hand and hugged him. My friend said Doc it's time to go. The old man looked me in the eyes and said God Bless you, you guys paid a higher cost than most of us. I will not argue against his expert knowledge.
Probably my favorite episode of Band of Brothers. I love the perspective from the medic's story, and I love how focused and dependable Eugene is when taking care of the men.
Even more impressive that the entire episode was filmed indoors, inside a giant building in England.
HS history teacher was in 101st. Not Easy Co, but his obituary read like a list of BoB episodes- Normandy, Eindhoven, Bastogne, Berchtesgaden, etc. He was adamant that they did not need to be rescued; they just needed more supplies & to have their wounded evacuated. RIP Mr Hurt. Curahee!
Every year, the city of Bastogne celebrates "Nut's Day" in December to pay homage to the soldiers who defended the city during the Battle of the Bulge. I was lucky enough to attend one year while I was stationed in Germany. The folks in Bastogne are some of the most wonderful folks you'll ever meet.
So true about the people of Bastogne. The first time I was there was during the Euro Cup tourney in 2016. I forget who Belgium was playing that night, but they won and went to the next round. The whole city was out in McAluiffe Square partying hard until about 1am when everything went dark. Walking back to my hotel about 20 mins later was very eerie. The only people were us Americans in a place that just a few minutes before was filled with a couple thousand people was quite remarkable. Even the screen that everyone was watching the game on was gone.
I think i went there in 2004. I am almost certain that the "nuts" reply confused the German generals back in 1944.
"Nuts!" is the most famous reply to a surrender request in military history.
The Spartans reply to Philip of Macedonia is probably more so. As Philip II of Macedon was conquering Greek city-states left and right, Sparta was left standing alone. Philip sent a surrender message to the Spartans saying “If I invade Lakonia you will be destroyed, never to rise again.” The Spartans replied with one word, “If.”
@@okmickey232”nuts!” Is the most known and famous by far. People only know the If quote if they care ab ancient history. A lot of people ignore that part of history
@@jefferygreen2846 In America maybe. The USA is not the world. Outside of your little USA bubble, the rest of the world knows much more about world history, and cares little about US 'history'. You are wrong.
Pretty sure the response from the 5th Marines when ordered to retreat before the Battle of Belleau Wood in WWI ("Retreat? Hell, we just got here!") is more famous...especially considering it became the official motto of the 5th Marines
The cut off British paratroopers response in Arnham was pretty good. The Germans approach under a truce flag and say "My general says there is no point continuing this fighting. He wishes to discuss terms of surrender." Their reply "I am sorry. We cannot accept your surrender. We don't have the facilities to take you all prisoner I am afraid."
I was a Navy Hospital Corpsman (Medic) in Vietnam (3 Tours). I had 4months of basic medical training and two months of combat medical training when I was assigned to the Marines. The army medical training is similar. They don't just say you're a medic. There are not enough men that volunteer to be a medic. Tests are taken while you are in training. If your test shows an aptitude for medicine, then they ask you to volunteer or just send you to school to be a medic. If you are not good at it they send you back to infantry. Most medics that have been in combat can do the job as well as or better than some doctors or nurses.
According to the Geneva Conventions medics are not to carry offensive weapons. I never carried a weapon. During times not in combat the medic is supposed give first aid lessons to his whole platoon frequently. So, anyone can take over basic first aid if the medic is killed. They can carry a pistol for their own protection and the protection of the one they are working on.
Those two medics in the same fox hole should never be close to each other during combat (That’s one of the first things you learn). One of my tours in Vietnam I was on a ship on the Co Chien River in the Mekong Delta. Me and another corpsman were the only medical personnel on board. Being the only medical person onboard I did everything medical. If you were on a ship or with the Marines, you were called Doc. We were taught that during combat conditions we were to be on opposite ends of the ship. The 2 corpsmen we replaced were together during a fire fight and they both got killed. You never remember all the ones that you have treated but you never forget the ones you can’t save.
4:34 The thing to remember is that the General (who incidentally is filling in for his superior who was on leave when they all raced to Bastogne to stop the Germans from breaking through) is in the same boat as the rest of them. They are *cut off* i.e. surrounded by the enemy, and as the gentlemen said earlier, they can't even be resupplied by air. Gen. McAuliffe literally has nothing to give them. He has no stores of ammo hidden away, no winter clothing and especially no more men. Much as they would all like it, he can't just pull a division of men out of his ass to fill in the gaps on the line. All he can do is what he did do: tell them to hold the line. Either that or surrender to the Germans and become prisoners of war.
Also maybe a little ass-covering, as tends to happen in chains of command.
"Well, I told them what to do. If they didn't do it, it's not on me." (especially common in the corporate world)
@@GK-yi4xv I guess but what is he supposed to say? "Try your best, but it's okay if you don't hold the line." No, if one part of the line breaks everyone inside is fucked. You can compare it to the corporate world, if you like, but the stakes are significantly higher here. There were like 20,000 people in Bastogne, and the German army was perfectly willing and capable to kill or capture them all. That was a pretty common thing in this war, on the Eastern Front especially, huge enveloping movements that surrounded and destroyed whole divisions, armies even. I understand you want to be empathetic and kind to your men as a leader but sometimes you gotta use some tough love and just say what needs to be said: hold the line at all costs or we will all die here.
My Uncle was a medic in WWII. On Christmas Eve 1944 he was headed to Bastogne for the Battle of the Bulge. The convoy of ships crossing the English Channel were attacked by German U-Boats. The largest ship, the Leopaldville was destroyed. My Uncle witnessed the devastating destruction and death. They never made it to Bastogne. They were sent to France. He was later awarded the bronze star with valor for running into a fire fight and saving a wounded soldier during the battle of Brittany France.
My grandfather was Danish and young when the war started. He was recruited into the OSS, and he delayed German reinforcements to Normandy by 6 days by sabotaging rail roads.
@@DoughnutJelly55 True hero
So Winters promotion puts him in charge of several companies I think dog through foxtrot. Dog, easy and foxtrot (D,E,F) which is called 2nd battalion. Dike is the leader of Easy company now and he reports directly to Winters.
Just 'Fox'. 'Foxtrot' was a post-war version of the phonetic alphabet (along with 'Delta' and 'Echo').
The winter scenes in the woods were actually filmed in a large warehouse. Rather than being cold,the temperature was warm and the actors did a great job of pretending to be freezing.
Spartan and Pudgy, I truly love your empathy for the men and women in battle. Your emotions are honest and heart felt for people that actually experienced these events. You make a lovely couple and you complement each other perfectly. I'm looking forward to more reactions.😊
My father was in the Third Army. He was one of the soldiers who relieved Bastogne. I was in Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day and got to visit Bastogne. There is a plaque outside a building there in memory of Renee.
Renee Lamarie was a real person. She was known as one of the Angels of Bastogne. The black nurse was inspired by Augusta Chiwy, another of the Angels. It's really worth looking them up online. Renee was always looking for a white silk parachute for a wedding dress. She was wrapped in one when she was returned to her parents.
One of my family members was a combat medic with Patton's 3rd Army which relieved the troops surrounded at Bastogne, among other remarkable actions. I was quite young when I knew him and he never talked about his experience with me, or anyone else as far as I know. He came back to the states started a successful small business and raised a family. Great hard working but easy going guy.
We have been to Bastogne last year, impressive village. Tank tourets at every entrance road, many pictures of the streets back than.
It always does something to me, going to these famous war places. The Normandy giant bunkers, fields riddled with holes from World War 1 in Northern France, as far as you can see. The creepy dark woods, imagining how dangerous it would have been.
I live in Eindhoven, (episode 4) nearby is where the 101st parachuted down during operation Marker Garden. Few kilometers away are some WW2 musea, including plains and memorials.
The general wasn't there to blow smoke up their butt's. They knew how dire it was, and saying otherwise would be an insult. He said give it to me straight, and he did the same in return.
"They must be numb to it." Well, no. In fact, that's the entire point of the episode. Roe has to treat massive traumatic wounds of friends and men he knows and do it with no supplies. In order to do that, he has to compartmentalize, separate what he's doing from his emotional bonds. That's why you see Roe always separate from the rest of the men because getting closer makes dealing with the pain more difficult. The PTSD is cumulative. It's a form of self-survival. I was in the military as a medic and the guys come to you for everything. Watching them get mangled and even die starts eating at you inside and if you can't find a way to cope with it, you become a liability.
Thank you for your service.
That's F'ing heavy. Thank you for doing what you could. That's all any of those people could've asked for.
Huh I feel dumb. I've watched Band of Brothers countless times and I always thought Roe was just a distant loner. It never occurred to me he did that to avoid emotional pain.
My granddad fought in Burma during the war. He was part of the 124th Cavalry Special, PBS actually did a documentary with him in it called The Last Horse Soldiers, but they were only 9 days into their March to clear the Burma road when it was time for Christmas in 1944. They were up on a mountain looking down at the town of Bhamo on Christmas Eve when all the men decided to say a prayer and sing amazing grace. The next morning on Christmas they charged down the mountain to attack the town but in the night the Japanese cleared out. Every Christmas until he died in 2009 he would tell that story and just burst into tears.
Smokey Gordon, the guy who was shown being paralyzed actually recovered around 80% mobility if I remember correctly. The bullet grazed his spine, instead of severing it.
French lad here: one point for Pudgey, "pour vous" mean for you.
:grins: I was thinking how does anyone not know that! But I'm old so we were taught French and German at school (and Esperanto too in my case :D). I'm going to guess that such things are not the norm any more.
Formal "you" too
@@dallassukerkin6878 Man, Esperanto! Haven't heard of that for a while.
@@aaaht3810 😊 I can report that I have never met anyone else who studied Esperanto who wasn't in my class at school :D
The man who was paralyzed fortunately recovered, not just from the wound but from the paralysis. The bullet didn't actually sever his spinal cord, I can't remember if it just grazed it and caused nerve shock, or the wound channel caused some sort of pressure on it as it was made, something along those lines. Whatever it was, the effects were temporary and he fully recovered.
Totally the little things. Doc calling Eugene "Babe" or giving him a bite of chocolate. That's what made them BROTHERS
I love how this episode shows what medics go through. I did 9 years as an army medic
This is the "Battle of the Bulge." The 101st Airborne Division was inserted into the Bastogne area to slow down or stop the German surprise advance into Holland in December of 1944. The 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions were considered to be elite troops.
advance into Belgium, not Holland ;)
@@4nthr4x Oops. Thanks for the correction Belgium is correct as Antwerp was their main target if memory serves.
I have always heard that the 101st were temporarily stationed in the Ardennes to get some relief after the fighting in the Netherlands ?
Not knowing the Gernans would soon launch a surprise attack precisely in their sector.
@@ysinvangulik1004 the 101st was definitely not stationed in the area of Bastogne for relief. They had to be rushed in with trucks, because the actual units stationed in this expected "quiet sector" were overrun and massacred
We probably all had the same reaction at first, but yes, it's wood shards from a tree exploding, not an open fracture. 10:50
My grandfather was wounded and in the church when it was bombed. He was wounded again and evacuated back to the States after they were relieved.
The reason that they told Eugene to stay back was because it was a combat patrol which meant that they would be probing the line to find where the German positions were...essentially, they were looking to pick a fight and see what would happen and if there were any weak points. Since they expected to see action, it wouldn't be a good idea to bring the medic and risk him being shot. Second, they had to leave Julian behind because they were short of ammunition and lacked the firepower to suppress the enemy to retrieve him. Suppressing fire uses a lot of ammo.
So Winters shaving is indeed something ge did in Bastogne. It was a way to boost moral. His men would see him keeping his shaving routine and think, well shirs bad but it cant be too bad if Winters is still shaving.
Major Robert Henry Cain VC did the same to look respectable and like and officer on his way back from Oosterbeek after being completely battered performing his VC winning actions.
Lol, I saw this scene as a kid and still today, when I don't have shaving cream left, I use soap and say to myself "can't be worse than Bastogne".
This episode had amazing set design - the forest scenes were filmed inside a London studio.
This entire episode, even the bombing of the town, was filmed indoors.
12:40 our introduction to the Angels of Bastogne. It was clever for the writers to have the soldier say “I’m in heaven Doc”
14:34. That soldier (Julian) actually survived. When they left the German machingun crew came forward and took him to a German hospital. After the war he contacted his friend Heffron who was thought he was dead.
That was a very cold winter. The battle of the bulge. My dad talked about how he had to order his men to set fires, in the 80's, during troop operations. Second coldest winter since the battle of the bulge. Troops matter more than combat exercises. The bulge is a German counter attack that pushed a bulge into the Allied line. Bastogne was surrounded because you don't abandon a valuable position.
Every episode after this makes me cry.
Everyone always misreads the General McAluiffe scene. He's doing his job, visiting his subordinate commanders and finding out who needs what and where to send it. He has to see the big picture so he can make the most informed decision possible because in 5 minutes he's having the exact same conversation with the next unit in the line. He had very limited resources that need to get to the right people at the right time. He also needs to be honest to his men with what they are facing. By telling them to hold and close the gaps, he's telling Col. Strayer that he trusts him to do what he thinks is right without having to micromanage his troops, instilling confidence in the men and officers under him.
My grandfather fought in the Bulge, on the far end of the line. Even though it wasn't as "hot" as the area Easy company was in, he described it as the absolute hardest fight of his life. Something this series doesn't show as much is that Bastogne was the last hurrah of the Nazi armored divisions; the Germans had saved up as many tanks and vehicles and gasoline as they could and hurled them at the Americans in a desperate last attempt to break the lines. My grandfather was a mortar team sergeant and told me stories of how good his guys got at nailing half-tracks and tanks.
This is the episode where shit gets real, and remains real for a good few eps
Bastogne was the crucible where the 101st Airborne earned their place in WWII history. This was the last gasp attempt by Hitler to turn the tide of the war back in Germany's favor. Germany was running out of fuel (Allies were bombing their synthetic fuel factories and oil fields they held in Eastern Europe). The Germans had 3 days' worth of fuel to take Bastogne and planned on seizing Allied fuel depots to further their advance to the port of Antwerp, where they could cut off Allied supplies. Fortunately, retreating US forces took what fuel they could, then destroyed any left behind so the Germans could not fuel their tanks as planned. It was a month of hellish cold winter for the 101st (and other divisions), holding the line. Some historians called the 101st one of the MVPs of the war, as they halted Hitler's advance.
33:28 That snow on the ground is just beautiful.
Really important episode. I was a medic during OEF. Pudgey really nails it with some of her insights. You have to take care of yourself but really you have to take care of your soldiers. Make sure they have been taking care of their health, they have their aid kits on them, manage your supplies. I was lucky to be further back from the line but even still. Everyone is looking to you. They believe that you can help them with anything from a runny nose to a bullet. You have to protect that confidence so they can do their jobs.
The winter of '44-'45 was the coldest on record, and, "pour vous" does mean "for you".
"I think more of it was shrapnel, not bone" - It was wood chunks from a tree burst. The 88's would explode the trees and yeah...
I love Pudgey’s pronunciation, I have never heard “Scenario” with so many vowels in it! Beautiful!
Spartan mentioned the coughing at the end, and yeah malnutrition and illness would definitely be part of it, but something a lot of people who don't experience cold like this don't realize is that when it does get cold enough, the air hurts to breathe. You can feel the moisture in your throat and lungs start to freeze for a moment when you inhale. It makes a lot of people (myself included) cough, and then you get more of that freezing air in your lungs and you cough even more.
They did such a good job of making the cold feel believable in this episode, we regularly get to -40c in the winter where I am from, I've even slept in the snow before. Cold like this is absolutely brutal to endure, and I can't imagine doing it with as few resources as these men had. Band Of Brothers did such a fantastic job of depicting the cold in this episode, incredibly realistic
The part where Spartan is talking/plugging something and Pudgey is sitting there cracking up. Spartan just stops speaking and gives us the Spartan stare into the camera 🤣
Gordons who was paralysed actually made a full recovery at the end of the wall
It's actually a nice tale of opposing soldiers spending Christmas together. It changes some but supposedly very true.
Doc Roe and the Nurse never actually met, but everyone still alive who knew him said the episode captured him very well. The Congolese nurse actually lived into this century; passing away about a decade, having married a Belgian Army Officer. Also, the guy that got shot in the neck survived the war; was evacuated to a German Military Hospital, and the one that was paralysed got to return to the foxhole he was in when he got shot; actually recovering the very coffee mug he dropped. There's footage from a documentary (or news feature) where he finds it I believe, kerk
So, I understand when you said "finally" for the supplies. Just need to understand that the weather was so bad for a while that air drops could not take place, safely. In the scene where there was the drop, the weather finally cleared enough to allow a drop.
One thing u guys should know about doc. ROE...
Roe was helping anyone he could, no matter the situation. He ran out into the open during a German artillery strike. He ran out into the open without weapons and dragged a wounded man back. Roe was described as the most dependable. caring person in Easy Company. Malarkey even recommended him for a silver star but the citation was set aside and forgotten about. He was known for getting to anyone who needed help, even if they weren’t sure how he got there. Easy company said that... "its amazing how He was always there when we needed him"... and one thing more the miniseries didnt shw is the fact that...
Roe was also injured in his jump into Holland. He landed on barbed wire and cut open his leg. He received another purple heart for that..
Doc eased pain like his grandmother, like he told Renee. It is a gift from God 🙏
6:43. No. The guy complaining was Lt. Dyke, the officer that took over for Winters.
13:13. Joe Toye.
25:50. He couldn't, Pudgey. That's why he didn't know until he looked at it.
The only time there was Peace during Christmas was in WWI on Christmas Eve 1914. It was and is in history called, "The Christmas Truce," one day of peace on Christmas Eve in No Man's Land in WWI, when enemies became friends and brothers. Just for one day of Peace before going back to war. You can look it up and also the heavy metal band Sabaton did a music video about the Christmas Truce.
So did Paul McCartney with his song "Pipes of Peace".
Best episode in a series of amazing episodes where no a single episode is bad. While the show focuses on a main protagonist Maj Winters it also has a lot of major characters in this ensemble cast & it wisely changes the POV at times. In episode 6 of Band of Brothers we follow one of the Easy Company Medics Eugene “Doc” Roe. From Roe’s POV with the backdrop of the Bastogne countryside during winter & fierce German fighting & artillery you really get immersed here. You feel the cold & shell-shocked.
“Dear John” letters is a term for letters soldiers received while deployed training or at war. Military life is hard-you work a lot, move every 2-3 years & cheating is common. There is a risk of war & dying too. I was in armor - tanks - and we spent half the year training in the field. Plus you could have a female subordinate & cheating can happen there which gets people in a lot of trouble. When I had like 6 months left in service I got an easy job in Garrison Support where I supervised soldiers getting discharged esrly other than honorably when they were processing out & soldiers who just got brought back from being AWOL - they left without permission. A guy was deployed in Iraq & he got a Dear John letter. His wife emptied the bank account, took the kids & bailed. So dude went awol to find her. You understand it but you are literally government property. Dear John letters are usually BRUTAL. Spouses think they can handle military life but some get lonely when their spouse is deployed for months or at war. Plus there are always vultures circling around looking to steal wives or girlfriend. In the Army they are called “Jody.” In basic the drill sergeant would be like “You’re in the Army now. The army’s your girlfriend. You can kiss Suzie back home good bye. Jody is wearing your robe, driving your car & sleeping next to your girl now so time to move on!”😆🤣
As a US Army veteran I wish I could explain more on the tactics, myriad acronyms, Army slang, etc but it’d be too wordy & extraneous for a YT comment. The show does a good job of showing context & explaining things though. However it is pretty shocking how many people aren’t more shocked & disgusted at atrocities & war crimes. WW2 was a brutal war but what separates us from others is that we try to be moral. However we did a lot of reprehensible things in WW2 that would get you shot or hung these days. Many aren’t fazed by the shooting of prisoners which is a war crime or looting. Also the post war calamities & atrocities are arguably as bad or worse than what happened during the war like the rapes & displaced persons forced migrations, etc. Pudgey & Spartan seem to be learning a lot about WW2 from these war movies & shows which is great because it seems our modern education system is failing kids. I’m guessing Spartan & Pudgey’s interest in history has been piqued by watching these shows & hope they learn & read more about WW2. WW2 & Ancient Greece & Rome are some of my favorite eras in history. Glad you two are loving the show! Cheers from NY!🙂👍
Correct Pudgy it means "For you"
Another good true story from ww2 is in a movie called Hacksaw Ridge
31:00 "That's against the rules"... in WWII entire cities were bombed into dust. It was "total war", the allies fire bombed Dresden burning it to the ground along with 25000 civilians. The Germans had started carpet bombing British cities so the Allies had little choice but to do the same. Many cites by the end of the war were basically piles of rubble.
wow, that was an amazing take, "they paint their face white for camo," so glad you realised your mistake so soon
Doc Roe, what a legend among legends.
"I'm glad I'm not in Bastogne."
My maternal grandfather was Finnish and served in the Winter War against the Soviet Union during WWII. When I was a kid and we'd visit him and his family, I always had a hard time sleeping cause they'd have the heating cranked up to the max. In addition, my grandfather would wear a full set of cotton pyjamas, a heavy woolen vest and woolen socks to bed, even in summer. I didn't understand it at the time, but as I grew up it became clear enough. He had just done his life time worth of freezing, and woved to never be even a little cold again.
Just a bit of information. What we think of as the "rules of war" were put in place at the Geneva Convention in 1949. At the time of these events those rules were not commonly recognized. Hence the bombing of hospitals, etc.
Renee, the nurse, was actually from Bastogne. She was only there visiting her family for Christmas when she volunteered at the hospital. According to the doctor of the hospital after the bombing Renee was seen going back into the hospital three times to rescue patients before it collapsed on her and she died.
Bastogne is the prime example of airborne training. They are surrounded, cut off from reinforcements and regular supply chains depending on the thinnest line of help by air. Under normal doctrines, most generals would have left Bastogne as lost. The elite training of paratroopers shows how much resolve these men have over normal infantry riflemen
The Germans employed several tactics with artillery. Not only did they send it and hit the ground BOOM. They also had timed fuses so some rounds would detonate in the trees. This caused the trees to splinter creating extra shrapnel as was indicated with the one guy and the stuff sticking out his leg but also the trees would fall and block access for jeeps and mechanized units. Then after a barrage they would wait, let guys get out of their holes to check on people and then send a second round of artillery.
The guy with the "splinters" in his leg is "Skinny" Sisk.
Yes, when Patton arrived, among other things, he said he rescued the 101st implying they couldn't successfully do their job and he had to come in and help them. That's why the 101st said they were doing their job and didn't need to be rescued. They didn't need to be rescued, they just needed men and supplies. Patton was well supplied and armed...he was a very successful General and got things done for sure, but he had a mouth and an ego that was way over the top. It takes all kinds to win a war and war seldom plays by the rules. General Sherman, during our own civil war, marched across Georgia burning, terrorizing, stealing and killing soldiers and civilians alike and eventually said " War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it". He altered that phrase at a commencement ceremony to " War is hell ".
Spartan you must see Hacksaw Ridge.
The temps at Bastogne were so cold that the lubricating oil for all their weapons froze. Some men resorted to urinating on them to get them to function.
One part of the Battle of the Bulge that gets overlooked in the series is Operation Grief (Griffon). English-speaking German SS commandos disguised as Americans would infiltrate the Allied lines and conduct espionage, sabotage, and assassination missions. Lack of captured uniforms and materials plus few soldiers who could pass as Americans led to the operation being canceled. However, one commando was captured and told his interrogators that there were hundreds of SS infiltrators as far back as Paris and they had plans to assassinate General Eisenhower on Christmas Day. Ike spent his Christmas in a bunker with a body double riding around Paris.
My relatives fought in the Winter War(1939-40) and it was one of the coldest winters on record, went as far as -40c. Can only imagine what a freezing hell it must have been 😶🌫️😥
22:30 The Congo was a Belgian colony at the time.
Lack of supplies (logistics) is usually what ends up dooming an army. If you can deprive the enemy of food, water, gasoline or ammo then you defeat the army. This is something the Americans excelled at. They would keep their soldiers supplied because they had incredible, mechanized (Jeeps and Trucks) supply lines whereas many other armies still relied on Horses to a degree and they kept the enemy from being supplied through their use of Air Power. This was especially common in the Pacific Theater where every army was completely reliant on their Navy to bring them supplies. Since the American Navy ended up dominating later in the war the Japanese suffered pretty horribly of poor supplies.
It's something most people don't think about because we're used to video games where it's not a thought but typically it is the better supplied Military that wins. Omar Bradley, an American General, once said "Amateurs talk Strategy and Professionals talk Logistics." Doesn't matter how good your strategy or well-trained your army is if they don't have food to eat, water to drink, ammo to shoot, or fuel to get them there.
One of the first big battles between the Japanese and the Americans was Guadalcanal. Neither Navy was able to establish superiority for the opening stages of the battle so they were consistently fighting to see who could get supplies dropped off, either in the dead of night or other creative means. The Japanese got so desperate at one point that they would try to float barrels of rice on the current to the island for their soldiers. The American Planes would spot them and shoot them so they sank to try and starve the Japanese. Seems brutal but if the enemy can't eat then they won't have the strength to kill you or your buddies and maybe they surrender or get so desperate that they make an ill-advised attack to try and end the battle quicker.
War is brutal.
I really enjoy your reactions to the Band of Brothers! Thank you!
I think 'the line' refers to the frontline, so the separation between the two opposing sides. Beyond the line is the enemy.
Keeping light and noise discipline are real things. It's so you don't give away your location to the enemy. Even the tip of a lit cigarette can give away your position. Especially now days with things like NVG's (Night Vision Goggles).
10:45 no those a tree splinters from 'air burst' artillery.
You guys should watch Searching for Augusta. Its a documentary about the black nurse in Bastogne and it is amazing to hear all the things she did for the Allies and it shows how strong people can be even in the darkest days
History lesson- The battle of the bulge was the main German counter attack after D Day to try to drive the allies back to the sea. It made significant success in its early phases cutting off and surrounding several areas including Bastogne. Ultimately the german attack slowed as german forces struggled against overwhelming allied numbers, armour and air power. It was the last time the German army was able to mount a meaningful offensive in the west before the end of the war.
I think that men that were in a cold setting in war, especially back in the day, when clothing and coats and stuff like that werent nearly as effective at keeping you warm as the synthetic fibers or today, men kinda get traumatized by the weather as well. Mainly because of the consequence of being on the front lines of a war, you couldn't make fires, or shelters, or have hot coffee, or anything like that. You were just as cold as you could possibly be, and you just had to put up with it, and all of that is aside from being surrounded by the enemy, with your best protection being a rock hard cold as shit hole in the ground. I remember my grandpa who was in Korea say the same stuff about the cold. "Korea was hell frozen over"
Renée is also the only one giving him a little more humanity in this mess my calling him by his name. All the other times and everywhere else, he became just "Medic", and that call also announces always something terrible to watch and an enormous responsability.
20:30 the reason the planes started shooting was they had visual of Germans on the other side. By shooting the ground, easy company retreated back into the woodline where they were much safer.
Lieutenant Foley, one of the platoon leaders in Easy Company, recommended Eugene "Doc" Roe for the Silver Star for his bravery during this battle. For reasons unknown it was never approved.
Something I noticed after watching this dozens of times: the pile of corpses in front of the church gets bigger and bigger on each successive trip into town. Subtle but effective.
Yes, "pour vous" means "for you".
The german 88 mm gun was a terrifying weapon. The Shell were supersonics so it was no way to notice the incoming first salvo before it was too late. Moreover, in a forest, the Shell exploded in the tree, turning the shards of Wood into dangerous fragmentation weapons.
The Germans' other artillery pieces were no less devastating. The 150mm Schwerhaubitze used rocket fuel as a propellant for its shells. Not to mention the 283mm K5E railroad gun...
The thing that makes me the saddest I think when I watch reactions to this series now is that all these incredible men who survived the war are now gone as well. The realities of the inexorable march of time.
31:35 Technically, yes, deliberately targeting medics or hospitals is a violation of the Geneva Convention, and Germany did sign and agree to follow the Geneva Convention before WWII broke out (unlike the Japanese)...but with artillery equipment at the time, they didn't really have the pinpoint accuracy to be capable of bombarding a town and specifically avoid hitting a particular building, especially without forward observers calling in corrections (same goes with bombings, they were unguided bombs so there was no correcting it once it was out of the plane). It's just one of those "shit happens" things in warzone.
One positive bit of trivia about this episode: the guy that was paralyzed, "Smokey" Gordon, actually regained the use of his legs after the war, mostly out of spite....one of his doctors noticed that he was severely depressed and losing the will to fight through the physical therapy, so he decided to rile him up with some snide comments about Smokey being a "goldbricker" (aka a slacker, lying about his injury to get out of service). It pissed Smokey off big-time and lit a fire under him to work through the physical rehab therapy (he later realized what the doctor was doing and became friends with him). Gordon did regain full mobility but had severe back pain for the rest of his life.
I have been to the 101st museum in Bastogne and seen the letter or a copy of it, that says Nuts to the surrender proposal.
"I think hes dead"...
Yes, they are cuddeling with a dead soldier in a foxhole...
They also cut dead soldiers open and used them as sleeping bags (thats what later inspired the Tauntaun scene in Star Wars Ep 5).
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You got it right "pour vous" means for you
Best series ever. Every episode is so good. I rewatch this series at least once a year. I always watch episodes 6 and 7 around Christmas.
I think you two should react to Attack on Titan if you haven’t seen it before.
I think they may have seen it, or perhaps just spartan im not sure. If they haven't then hell yeah i agree
Silent Night was written in Germany couple hundred years ago
19:50 yes those are USAAF P47 Thunderbolts flying escort for a flight of Transport planes trying to parachute in supplies. Just so you know, now that the weather has cleared the Allied Air forces (RAF's No.2 Tactical Airforce; the US 9th Tactical Airforce and the US 8th Airforce (The US bomber force that was bombing Germany up to that point) can now be committed to supporting the US ground forces--it's "The BIG stick": thousands of fighters, fighter-bombers, light, medium and heavy bombers, as well as transports are available to fly missions. It's a totally overwhelming force that the Germans can't come close to contesting.
According to History Professor Jared Frederick, the character of the nurse, Renée, may have been inspired by the real life character Renée Lemaire, Lemaire was from the Bastogne area, her parents owned a hardware store there, throughout much of the war, prior to this moment, she had been a nurse in Brussels, where she helped take care of the wounded. She just happened to be going home to see her parents in Bastogne for Christmas 1944, and little could she have realized that this battle would erupt in her front yard.
He further states there's no evidence to suggest that she interacted with Doc Roe. Renée did lose her life during German bombing of Bastogne, but she was not in the Church basement, she was actually in a store basement that wasn't too far away. A building had caught fire, and she was taking part in an effort to evacuate men who had taken refuge in that building, an aid station in the basement of the Sarma Store. She was able to pull six men out of the fire and when she went back in to get a seventh, she lost her life. She was 30 years old. Her body was later delivered to her parents wrapped in a white parachute.
Also, when you talk about a military isn't supposed to hit this or that target. The technology at that time wasn't great. The accuracy of weapons was nothing like it is today. When they bombed a target, they're just trying to drop lots of dumb bombs in a general area, and hope they hit what they want to hit. They couldn't pick out specific buildings and spare others, that was just beyond their capability during that time. Not shooting medics, if you're on the battlefield, you can get shot. Military, civilian, doesn't matter.
24:48 that machine gunner was Walter 'Smokey' Allen. and the one who was jumping in was Moe. Assistant gunner. many years late Smokey retrieved back his coffee mug from the fox hole. that particular fox hole still exist.
Walter "smokey" Gordon and "Moe" Alley, who was the guy who was hit by a German grenade on the dike at the start of the previous episode.
You two are great at reaction. Good insights. Enjoying these..
The one thing that I always remember, even though this series is amazing and all the veterans raves about it they all agreed on one criticism, they did not come close to how awful Bastogne actually was, let that sink in. Renee the nurse was a real person, like many almost all of the characters, look up her story.
@13:25 "Pour Vous" means "For you." So "Chocolate for you."
Against the rules against the rules, you keep saying this lol. Its not a tickle fight. This is global conflict.
Supply chains were messed up due to the war, and supplies being shipped from overseas were being torpedoed by U-boats.
Silent night was written by a German Pastor.