[...] and then, they send thanks and sodiers !
On beach, there were mines everywhere.
It blowed up !
In front of, there were germans !
-It were shoot every... -ya ok ok !
Well wait wait wait !
We cool down, we starting to zero
Where did the allies landing happened ?
-So in normandy !! -Well let's go to it
Come on ! In normandy marcel !
-It was right the june 6th 1944 ? -Ya ! the 6th of june
Ok i'll go !
Here ! You should show us where land's beaches are situated.
See you later !
It's simple. We'll have a look on marcel's map.
land's beaches are situated in this zone :
From the down of cotentin's peak, to ouistreham
at the north of caen.
Those land's beach are streach to 80 KM.
So we often speak "land's beaches"
but in fact there are 5.
They always bear name's that allies given them in 1944.
Ie this it's utah beach
further, there is omaha
then, there is gold, juno and sword
So obviously at the time it was forbiden to circulate like this on beaches
because germans has completly re-cover it of mines
and sort of obsatcles to prevent the land.
And then on hills an dunes
it had huge bunkers armed with cannons and machineguns.
All of that looks impregnable even so at the 6th june 1944's dawn
germans soldiers who keep an eye on coast, looks appear in front of them
thousand landing ships.
It's the "overlord" operation. The biggest amphibious operation in history.
Allies attacks normand coast in order to stoping nazi's influence.
Because since 22th june 1940's surrender, france and europe's major part
are occupied by germans troops.
Only england remains free, but bombings on london
make many casualties.
After the japanese's foray, allies of germany
On pearl harbour
united states go to war.
It the conflict's turning.
In 1942 allies set foot in north-africa, they liberated algeria and morocco.
On eastern front, soviet army still resist to the german's march.
And at 6th june 1944's eve, allies come into rome.
Allies landing's commandment is given to an unknow american general :
Dwight Eisenhower.
What is the context in june 1944 ?
Well, nazi germany, in red on the map hold europe's major part.
But in eastern europe , it must face soviet troops
in south, allies have already taken north-africa.
And then, one year ago, in 1943 they landed in sicilia.
And land's eve, half of italy is already liberated.
So, the idea to defeat germany, is to open a new front
somewhere in west to surround German army.
And in those circumstances the best starting point for allies's troops
is england.
But germans aren't stupid.
As well, they had dispose a defend line on all atlantic's coastline
from north of norway to south of france :
the famous "atlantic wall".
The altantic wall's masters part are artillery's batteries
there were dozen in landing's area.
So an artillery's battery is composed, first by a shooting command station
locate forward, facing to sea
with on top, an observation room and below a telemetry room
with devices who permit, to measure shoot distances.
All of that, protected by a 2 meters concrete slab.
so from here we spot targets, we calculate shoots
and we transfer these data to 4 pillbox on backwards
which protecting cannons.
We place pillbox setback in order to hide them
too, they covered them with concealment net
As cannons, they were able to shoot on ships, located 20 KM far
But there were a small problem in this instalation :
Allies's bombing had successfuly cut communication lines
between command postions to pillbox.
So, the landing's day, here we shoot "in the dark"
Altantic wall it's million tons of concrete and steel
spiked with thousands cannons.
Hitler claim it impassable.
However behind propaganda they are some weakness.
It wasn't possible to build a concrete wall from norway's north to spain.
The atlantic wall is similar to a "pearl necklace".
Ie there are some highly fortified areas like pas de calais's coastline
or also france's big harbours, obstructed by artillery's batteries
and they were absolutely unassailable.
But beetwen those highly fortified areas there were intervals were much less.
Beginning 44, marechal rommel take command of normand's coasts defenses.
He covers beachs by millions of mines barbed wires, varied barriers
for prevent a landing
Tell me jamy, i don't understand.
Why allies had choice normandy ?
They could landing at Calais it was far less from england ...
I don't understand !
yep !... beetwen dover to calais there is only 35 km.
And too ... when we are at calais we are on the shorter way to germany.
But Germans know all of that !
So they had strengtenth atlantic wall at this point
and they had concentrate military troops.
so !... where landed ?
Well ... not more to 240 Km from english airports.
Indeed airplanes have limited autonomy.
After, it must find deep and wide beaches for landing men and equipments.
Then, it must find a place where defenses are lower.
well... when we combine all of these conditions we chose :
NORMANDY !
And, for succeeded this landing allies bet on surprise effect :
Germans wait them in the north so they did everything, to make them think!
Allies have developed an immense brainwashing project
for believe to germans a land in pas de calais or in norway.
codename : fortitude
English technicians broadcast on waves fake messages
who make believe to germans that troops are concentrated in front of calais
Germans plane's reconnaissance confirmed that tanks are moving in area
it's in fact, a ghost army form with artificial engines.
Meantime, the real army get ready in south's england harbors.
Tanks, cannons, airplanes an ships
mass outputing from english and american factories.
For men it was last trainings.
Total, more a dozen nationalities :
Americans, English, Canadians, but also Belgians, Polishs or Czechoslovaks.
Confine in barraks for not to betray secret
they are waiting with impatience, the D day while dreaming better days.
Meantime in france resistance networks are preparing also to the landing
listening to "radio londres".
But it must be discreet it will not catch self
because, every days, BBC broadcasted theses famous personal messages.
Messages apparently incomprehensible exept for the resistants.
For example a message can give authorization in order to a sabotage project.
And then... on 1st june's evening we had hearded that :