eng sub // c'est pas sorcier : le debarquement en normandie (1/3)

documentaire france 3

[...] 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 :