Das Reich Division - Hitler's last chance to stop D-Day 1944 Animated
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The 2nd SS Panzer Division (Das Reich) was an elite division ordered by the Führer Adolf Hitler to stop the Allied invasion of France on June 6, 1944 (D-Day). They were ordered to reach the Normandy landings to stop the invasion. Das Reich Division had to pass through small towns that were occupied by the French resistance, also known as maquis. This is a true story about the bravery of the French Resistance.
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And Think about the FEUL Consumption, 1400 Vehicles, 900km..JEEZZZ.and the wear and tear.
@@MichaelRoosendaal especially at a time when the Reich could not afford to waste any. i wonder about the placement of the Division... do you think Hitler was planning to invade Spain? or perhaps heard rumors about Spain joining the allies? I would think Lyon would be a better location.
@AbsurdityViewer it was the only way to the American beaches. The British and Canadian armor had sucked the German armor coming from The Pas-de-Calais into a battle for Caen. The Germans would always have a problem with having to keep their supplies and reserves too far in the rear and having form up to far back in order not to be detected.
I truly hate it when idi*ts segway from their story using stupid, stupid segways. Instantly dislike, comment like this, and LEAVE never to sub ever.
I had no idea the Maquis had this kind of impact, always figured they did some sabotage in the lead up and mopping up later, I should have figured it was a lot more coordinated. Thanks for sharing.
Oh yeah. I had no idea recently until I read a bit more on Wiki about the French Resistance. They didn't do much actual fighting like Tito's men because it was impossible in their terrain and location. But they were all activated and firing on all cylinders when Overlord began and it helped tremendously.
1st contribution of resistance was intelligence, very valuable intel on troop movements, supplies, logistics, fortifications... 2nd contribution was sabotage an disorganisation of production specially on telco and railways, fully activated just before DDay, but also military automobile coal industry... 3rd contribution was targeting killings on important leaders or symbolic figures notably of collaboration (J Ritter head of forced labour in France STO, P Henriot undersecretary of propaganda in Vichy gvt...) 4th contribution was agit prop (posters, graffitis, pamphlets...) as counterinformation
@@jacquesmerley7717 All these claims in video are close to fiction see my comment above. From leaving Eastern Front re-equipping in S France and training several thousand new men, most were from Alsace, the Div lost less than 100 men, around 20 due to accidents. Even the SCNF historian will disagree with these claims on rail network which was simply inadequate and it takes and took almsot 80 train convoys which did in fact take the Das Reich tanks to Normandy last heavy movers arriving in July. It was "so urgent" to get to Normandy that Das Reich infantry were ordered to Bandenbekämpfung not to the front, Video say they fought their way into Tulle and Oradour, no they almost walked in with ineffectual resistance
Read about the Vercors, and the betrayal of the Maquis by the British. "Wrong politics, you see, old boy".
Read about the VERCORS. The place where the Resistance was betrayed by Churchill and CDG. The Nazi slaughter of all the injured Colonial troops, and men, women and children in the hospital caves. The Vercors is also known as the Massif Central. Some details in this report are inaccurate, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vercors#
Makes no sense to me why they were kept at Montauban, but also how a single division was supposed to be able to stop a beachhead from expanding. Awesome video on something I've never heard about before!
Because the town was outside of Allied air range and because the germans also expected an allied landing from the mediterranen sea (which did happen. But just a bit later)
Bridgehead vulnerable to tanks as allies had little in weapons to counter german armour rommel said first 24hrs will be the longest day he wanted armour close to beaches ??
I thought they were in Toulouse.
@@Eric-kn4yn HMS Warspite and friends would like a quiet word in a dark alley. 🤣🤣🤣
@@markstott6689 yes 16inch guns stop tanks but not accurate enough for tatical use on mobile tanks in small groups lucky shots were made very rarely to destroy tanks
Sir Tommy Macpherson, mentioned here, of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was, I believe, the second most decorated British Army soldier of WW2. He spent much of the war on ultra-high risk missions behind the lines. He candidly told me he had three complete nervous breakdowns after such operations. he said it was common among soldiers in the hard fighting of 1942-43. He recovered from each, and promptly went back to battle. If you read his biography you'll be astonished by his escapades. A man in the finest Scottish military tradition..
Will read the book!
wearing skirts doing such risky tasks seems funny to me
@MarktheMole how did you meet him? From France with love.
A kilt is not a skirt.
@@Roach32 in this thread. @cactusplant2686 said: "wearing skirts doing such risky tasks seems funny to me"
A really important part of D day I had never heard about, thank you.
I’m 56. I was today years old when I learned about this aspect of the Normandy campaign in WWII. The Maquis had stones! And that town Das Reich wiped out, like the towns abandoned because of the chemical blight of WWI…was designated by Frances Parliament as POUR LA FRANCE…the highest honor France bestows upon groups that have literally sacrificed all for the liberty of France. Excellent presentation.
So you learned this when you were just 1 years old?
@@ImperatorAugustus Read what I wrote more slowly until you get it.
@@jimreilly917He’s being sarcastic.
Two things the Germans learned in Italy that Rommel missed. One: it was easy to stop the Americans on the beach ( Salerno, Anzio ). BUT, 2, they could never push them into the sea due to the US and Royal Navy.
Interesting, I had never thought of it like that.
The US was not stopped on the beach at Anzio, they stopped themselves despite having complete surprise.
@@grahvis True. Bad general leading poorly-trained troops. The Americans were a liability in North Africa, Sicily and mainland Italy.
I just watched the old movie Anzio with robert mitchem and that is what they showed. he played a journalist and they showed the american in charge as wanting to wait until he got more supplies etc and delayed things. The Germans couldn't believe it and had time to attack which nearly worked for them. There is as scene where mitchem grabs a jeep with 2 other guys and just drives to rome, wonders around until he's noticed, then gets out of there fast, he reports back to the general who can't believe it, but he still won''t do anything. I doubt this really happened but it was a good story. And yes the germans got close to "pushing them into the sea but were wiped out by the navel guns and artillery. That's another thing I did not know was how important our artillery was, we had so much of it no matter what the germans tried to do we just bombed the crap out of them with artillery and planes@@grahvis
@@fredgarv79 . That was the problem, waiting to consolidate before moving inland. I believe at one vital stage, B17s were used for low level bombing. A reconnaissance patrol did find the way was open to Rome so that story about getting to Rome could be true.
By this stage of the war, and arguably at all stages of it, there was nothing “brilliantly eccentric” about anything at Bletchley Park. It was highly professional and produced intelligence product on an industrial scale. David Kenyon’s book “Bletchley Park and D-Day” is a very good examination of this.
Well said it had far moved on from the rudimentary stages by 1944
So sad what happened to Alan Turing. What caused him to commit suicide.
About 7ish years ago I had the pleasure of meeting a codebreaker from Bletchley. She was well into her 80's then, and retired here in South Australia. She was thrilled that I knew a bit about the setup there, but her stories were spellbinding. Sadly she has gone now, but the work that she, and so many others did was beyond amazing.
@@JamesFrost74659 Such was life for homosexuals. There never were any ‘good old days’. Pip pip.
I believe Alan Turing was credited with the breaking of Enigma code but was not responsible for the Colossus electronic computer, which decoded the vital D-day German signals, but Bill Tutte and Tommy Flowers deserve all the credit..
There is a movie, "Georges the Great" (2012) (*Le grand Georges*) about Georges Guingouin. It mentions the agonizing decisions that had to be made in 1944, because every time the Maquis fought the Germans it resulted in mass executions of innocent civilians.
thank you I saw the movie was available on you tube and am going to watch it
Max Hastings, who wrote a book on the march of 2nd SS, argued that armed resistance (as opposed to intelligence gathering) was actually counterproductive due to the afore-mentioned reprisals. Also, the Resistance was also not united with the Gaullist and Communist groups hardly speaking to one another. For what it's worth.
My grandmother was in the French resistance and partook in this operation. She was pregnant at the time, and went into labor soon after blowing up a train. Grandma you are a hero to France and free world! 🫡
Amazing, her courage is astonishing. You are of strong blood.
Hope she is glad that France is being turned brown!!
I guess the Germans would have lost anyway. Is she aware then, she has bloods of over 600 slaughtered French civilians on her hand, due to the provocations against das Reich, like mentioned in this video?
Yea, well my grandmother made the best pot roast, mashed potatoes and peas and carrots ever.
@@navyvet05 sir, invite me. That sounds good!
I've been to Oradour-sur-Glane it has been left as it was ,human ashes in the church, it was chilling.
The "So-Called Brave" Marquis.... Executed Many German prisoners(upwards of 100), and a High Ranking Officer....Soooooooo "Oradour" was the DIRECT German "Retaliation".....to "the Stupidity" of the half assed Marquis Actions. True examples of "Cause and Effect"....Do something "Extremely Stupid", then Expect to Find your town destroyed and many residents Executed. The Russians were NO different(actually worse), in their foul Occupation of Most of Eastern-Central Europe....Back Then or Now!.
A great topic to cover and you did it so well. Thanks
Sensational! This is the first time I've heard about this. The focus was always on D-Day itself and the beach landings. Learning about the other action, especially by the underground, was fascinating.
Wow. What a great narration, script, and animation. Best job I have seen in a long time and absolutely fascinating.
Thank you
Kudos to you and your channel! I was watching this thinking it was some huge channel with an equally huge production budget 😮. Looking forward to see more!
Wow, thank you!
Well done. A change of pace from the Naval vids. Excellent stuff. Cheers from Tennessee
Thanks 👍
@@TheWarline No, no. Thank you. It was brilliant. Cheers
Im from South Australia .I watched this too
Very interesting to know the background behind the Das Reich move north via Tulle and Oradour, both of which I visited and learnt of the atrocities comitted there.
Been there....not a bird sung that day I was there - very eerie ! @@AndyCapt893
Max Hasting wrote a very good account of Das Reich’s March through France.
Trying not to defend the nazis, but thinking with the average hans soldier's head a little, if any french civilian have a chance to be a resistance fighter, that will shoot you on the spot, you either kill some inocents, or let yourself be killed, when civilians and combat troops and not clearly distinguished, inocents die, and the allies and the germans are both to blame
I guess the germans thought the children were resistance fighters@@adamrozsa9923
@@adamrozsa9923A dilemma, commonly faced by an invading and occupying force. You invade a country, you get to face resistance. Only the germans can be blamed for this. Not the allies, and certainly not the french.
I am from the region (living in Bordeaux, but have family in Limoges). So I visited Oradour sur Glane multiple times. They kept the village as it was found after the massacre, this is quite a sad site and memorial.
What an incredible story I knew nothing about, thank you for making this video
Really good videos Love these less common topics getting some attention
Having been a student of the WWII since before high school (51 years ago), I knew of the trouble Das Rich had getting to Normandy but not in this much detail. Thank you for sharing.
you can't really meme about the french surrender when you had these french resistance fighters with balls of steel that stalled the biggest nazi boss of the whole fight
But they didn,t, just pure fantasy.
@@frankvandergoes298 Like D Day is a fantasy ?
@@mrsupremegascon D Day was realiry. The fantasy is the presumtion that Das Reich was ordered to Normandy on June 6 and was seriously delayed by partisans who allegedly inflicted heavy losses on it. That's the fantasy.
Survivors of oradour were involved in the battle of chabanais at the end of July we have a house just outside chabanais and the French locals were immensely brave the popular myth of the French always surrendering is just a caricature of some of the government at the start of the war the local French were heroes
I haven't enjoyed a English speaking narration as good as this since Tim Piggot Smith did the Battlefield series. What a nice treat to come across this channel.
Except its AI...and also probably ChatGPT..."Fuhrer thinks this..." uh huh.
It seems to be autotranslated from another language and narration done with ai. The grammar is all wrong
Aha! The Battlefield Series is my all-time favourite Historical documentary for the exact same reason. Tim Piggot Smith has a wonderful way with words, along with all the maps, illustrations and video footage. No dramtisation of any kind. Just information and lots of it.
Incredible video. You have enlightened me about a topic i once thought i knew much about!
that's a great commentary of what was going on way south of Normandy, it clearly had a great impact to help ensure breakout east towards Paris. I'm going to watch it again
So glad this popped up on my feed. We visited Oradour in 2017, and left with emotions shattered. For some reason, I thought the Waffen SS unit was retreating from Normandy, not rushing to engage. I now understand so much more, and having been in the cemetary in Oradour, it shows why man's inhumanity to man, is so profound. Even though the war touched us in Australia, it was a mere drop in the ocean on what Europe, Africa and Asia went through. Will we ever learn?
To really fix it will require DNA manipulation to lower or eliminate the Tribalism instinct that makes Chimps and Man fight for no good reason at all. Until then it will be a constant education campaign and attempts at getting people to think with higher brain and not emotions to fight the instinct but thanks to heavy bias caused by the instinct it will be hard effort that is never actually won just holding back the instinct this year.
The transition you made into your cyber-security add read was fantastic.
I've read of many parts of this story, you have stitched them together very informativly in relation to the invasion 👍 thx. It's the little tales from history that makes it more...... interesting?
Thank you for the Canadian Red Ensign on the map. 99.9% of You Tubers put in the 1965 Flag which has no relevance whatsoever when the video is about WW 1, WW 2 or Korea.
The Maple Leaf flag was a sop to De Gaulle who wanted Canada back as part of the Frech 'Empire'! Quebec Libre! he shouted. Why? We saved France.
Yeah? Now the Canadian Military can’t support a training contingent in the Baltics/Poland…pretty pathetic!
@@neilritson7445No. Google Suez Canal crisis. With the Union Jack on the flag itself, Canada was not considered a honest broker.
Federal government has declared it a hate symbol now.
great video on one of the more unknown battles of Normandy. It was deserving of being the opening for the classic BBC series 'world at war'.
chilling intro in "World at War" yes.
Thames Television, not BBC, but I get the point.
Lawrence Olivier made the unforgettable narration
I cannot stand the narrative of French surrender and impotence which surrounds WW2; may we honour those brave members of the Resistance who made D-Day possible. Vive la France!
Higher ups in France ignored the evolution of warfare and were still thinking of WW1. De Gaulle had the right idea when it came to taking the initiative and actually secured one of the only successes the French had at the battle of Montcornet. Unfortunately, he was mostly ignored. Also the French tanks with the one man turret were doomed to failure even if they had thick armor. The French turtle doctrine was bypassed, see the useless Maginot line.
@@ShaithMaster Maginot wasn't useless ... Belgium make it useless by breaking treaty with France. Maginot was set to be build from German border to North Sea, but Belgium begins to whine about it, so France ask for a treaty where French troops can enter inside Belgium border if the German attacks, so they can take position along the Rhin river. But in 1938, the Belgium government decide to revoke this treaty, they wanted to stay neutral between France and Germany (it works great ...) France tries to fortifies the border as much as they could, but it was too late.
Incredible. I just found out about this. Excellent video and content. Thank you for sharing.
Welcome!
Interesting content. Hadn't heard this before. Well done!
Thank you for making this!
No problem 😊
I did not know this. Thank you, well done.
Sir Max Hastings wrote an excellent book on DR drive toward the invasion front during overlord and efforts to attrit their forces. It's interesting read and library item.
Brilliant book, titled Das Reich.
Very well made mate! Keep up the great content!
Thanks a lot! I appreciate your support!
I love the colours you make in the video, the little red german officers are really cool 😎
Thank you for posting this story. It deserves more recognition for the sacrifices made. Also thanks for not adding the usual music background.
It was not just Turin please acknowledge the other brilliant people at Station X.
most history buffs are aware of the crime at Oradour sur Glane but not aware of the back story; thank you for this very good video presentation.
Yes I remember the massacre of the whole village of Oradour Sur Glane at the start of The World At War. Pure evil
I thought I knew everything about WW2 and D day but I didn't know this . Amazing how smart, organized and determine the allies and the Maquis were
Great explanation and timeline. very well done and informative.
Brilliant. Never heard this story before. Eloquently done.
Thanks for the video!
Wow, I knew the Maqui had a significant hand in helping the invasion and keeping the Nazis at bay. But never knew how much and at what cost the French paid in lives…”Vive la France”
You would of thought given all the construction in northern France logistics for das could of been located close to the front underground or hidden , just waiting for it’s fighting units to arrive , from das holding/ staging areas
There's something deeply affecting about how these people absolutely knew they were going to lose these fights and probably die, but they did it anyway because they understood that the sacrifice bought time for the allies to secure their beachheads.
Most people don’t know the sacrifices made prior to d day or during d day that does not include paratroopers or landing personnel. A lot of people gave everything just to give d day and subsequent days a chance at victory. Knowing this lost history gives you a better idea of how massive the d day landing operation was; from acts of sabotage, espionage, deception, to infantry fighting and finally the landing.
The British and Canadians faced off against 8 panzer divisions (4 of which were SS) and 3 heavy panzer battalions (2 of which were SS) with Tiger and King Tigers. Despite this they managed to keep the enemy off balance forcing them to commit forces piecemeal and attrit the enemy forces to the stage where the units were shadows of their former selves. The allies supply situation was result of Patton not capturing the Brittany ports as he was ordered. The Brittany ports were to supply the US troops and the Channel ports were to supply the British and Canadians. The Canadian 1st Army having the task of clearing the ports and took Le Harve, Boulogne and Calais before repositioning and clearing the Scheldt. The broad front strategy was another contributing factor to the supply crisis of autumn 1944.
The unsung heroes of Operation Overlord. We hear a lot about Band of Brothers and celebrates them, but imagine how small mobs of civilian-soldiers delayed the German counterattacks.
great video, as a Frenchman, I knew about Oradour but not the whole context and resistance actions that were the origin behind it. It's crazy to think that the SS led by pure hatred and revenge lost so much time in fighting the maquis and organizing massacres when their comrades in Normandy were waiting for support, how stupid and tragic at the same time.
psychotic thugs will always act that way
@@gruntforever7437i mean the maquis tortured soldiers en masse and committed war crimes, both sides are at fault
The story of Das Reich sounds just like recurring nightmares I had as a child. I had to go to school and I forgot this or that and could never get going and then en route I'd be distracted by things I forgot or ran into...
Lmao yes. They were probably also unable to squeeze their triggers as theywere too heavy and when they ran it felt like they were stuxk in mud
Excellent story. I’ve been studying WWII history my entire military career. However, I always learned something new.
spent a week touring D day area - if you have the time and enjoy history well worth a visit ... does get busy in summer and best book accomodation slightly away from the coast hire car is easy // which you need as it is a huge area and difficult to appreciate unless you are there ..
Great informational and captivating video!
The turning point was the second half of 1942 with the battles of El-Alamein in October, and Stalingrad between November 1942 and January 1943 and Midway in June 1942. It was the beginning of the end. But in his madness, Hitler wanted to fight with the last German and burn Germany with him. The German generals knew the real capabilities of the German army. They tried to kill Hitler but unfortunately failed on July 20, 1944. In 1944. The Allies ruled the sky in Normandy and this operation could not fail. The Das Reich division could not change the course of the Battle of Normandy and the war. The actions of the resistance considerably slowed down the progress of this SS division and with other actions (bridges, telephone lines, railways were destroyed...) behind the front line and pressure on the allied forces in Normandy had become weaker. We must remember the enormous losses among French civilians (bombings, deaths in deportation, murders in retaliation and killed in combat). Do not forget their sacrifice against Nazi barbarism and for freedom and all those who have suffered Nazi occupation and persecution throughout Europe.
the report omits the value valuable delaying tactics if the SOE Wheelwright circuit based near Condom in the Lot et Garonne under Maj George Star. Max Hastings book "Das Reich" is an excellent read on this very subject.
" Down this road on a summer's day, the soldiers came.." the opening of the World at war series, telling the story of the massacre at Oradour sour Glen. "They never rebuilt Oradour. Its monument stands for the martyrdom of thousands of villages in Russia, in China, in Greece, in Burma, in a world at war"
I wasn’t aware of these details of the Normandy Invasion. I had no idea that it was so close to failing should the reinforcements have arrived earlier in force.
great stuff mate
The Germans were lucky Normandy succeded or the Red Army would have occupied all of Germany.
They wouldn't stop at Germany, they would have "liberated" France and defeat Italy too. The entire western Europe would be under soviet control.
True. I’d hate to see what Germany would look like now if the soviets took over the entire German nation.
Or the nazis would have conquered the ussr, you mean.
and France
@@rollosnook3031 Very true. If D Day had failed what would have prevented Stalin from ordering the Red Army to steamroll all the way to the Bay of Biscay?
I never knew about this, thank you.
Thanks, awesome to know about this!
1:56 The muzzle breaks are sideways and it doesn't bother me as much as the fact I am immediately aware of this fact.
My great uncle was a panzergrenadier in 2nd SS Panzer Divsion DR and he wrote in his war diary that losing the air war over Europe was the moment that Germany lost the war itself. They were sent to Normandy in May 1944, but all they managed to do was stall the allied advance once they landed, not repel them.
Placing this division so far from any likely landing place was a daft mistake.
They where at a likely landing place. The Germans feared that the Allies would invade southern France from sea. Which actually happened one month later (operation Dragoon).
@@ghostdivision7 Thanks...I'll look into it further.
they were 24hours away without the french resistance factor
Rebuilding a Panzer division near the enmy treat would be a daft mistake too.
they needed to regroup beyond allied air forces, which by june had air dominance/
Excellent history lesson, thank you!
Pls make more of these styled videos, this is the best ww2 video ive seen in the past 10 months!
Working on it..
This would make the best war film or netflix show
Very well explained thank you
read the brilliant " Das Reich " by Max Hastings ....... superbly detailed account of the trek north
Great stuff, i had no idea the French resistance was that active.
6:06 D-Day plus 3 is 9 June.
The division was not able to leave until June 8. It took the division 2 days to prepare to move after getting notice on June 6.
@@TheWarline Thanks, but that changes nothing. D-Day plus 3 is STILL 9 June.
@@FancyMcDancy I know..
Viva la FRANCE!! I've always wanted to hear more about the French Resistance, awesome video! Thanks.
You forgot to mention the french and the 2nd armored division of General Leclerc during D-Day.... my grandpa was one of them... :(
surely they arrived from Algeria via Britain in early August 1944 ?
Is there a good movie aobut these simultaneous events? It's amazing how many things went well for the Allies for the D-Day breach to work
Why had the coastal areas of Flanders - say, between Dunkirk and Ghent - not been considered a potential invasion zone?
Maybe because it is the area the Germans would have thought the landings to happen, because of the short distances between England and France/Belgium.
I LOVE finding videos of history I've never heard of, and Heroes, nay, true Legends, few know about. Sub and scribe no doubt!
good info no one thinks about logistics if they would have ad the rails? thankyou
FANTASTIC!!! This Frenchman salutes your incredible work.
incredible bravery from some French heroes not known enough about in the UK. Great vid.
If the first two tank divisions failed, the third one arriving later couldn’t have changed the outcome at Normandy. Total air and sea superiority was already in place from day 1 and we’re talking about D-Day+3 at the very best. By 1944 half of Italy had gone too and everybody saw the end of the Reich looming at the horizon and more people started to act and fight against them. The Germans could have only won if the Allies landed in the midst of them.
Dude parachuted into enemy territory, in a kilt. 😂😂😂 He gave them quite the show.
I would have thought that the Teja and Totilla would have delivered an extra few thousand soldiers back to the west of the Danube thereby giving an opportunity to shuffle things around at the site of the invasion beaches. Only about 400 personnel survived on these transports from the Crimea in May 1944. It is hard to say whether a complete evacuation of Crimea would have been completed by June 6, 1944 even if Bulgarian bulk cargo vessels, caques, trawlers, and sloops were available. Sit out back, line up, come in at night, and off before dawn.
The best book i have read about the French resistance is "Cruel Victory" by Paddy Ashdown. It is simultaneously an inspiring and heartbreaking of very brave resistance fighters.
Very nice presentation.
Actually, the PzKpfw VII, had been in production since late 1943, was theoretically the most potent German tank (but had its issues) Reference to the Panther (1.59) which was probably the best tank of WW2
Wow, this part of the war needs a movie or series.
Fascinating story, and the first time I have heard it. The actions of the resistance were magnificent. And the commander of the division was a fool for wasting time with retribution when his division was needed at Normandy. That being said, I don't think a single division would have stopped the invasion at that point. The Allies were pouring men ashore at an ever-increasing rate and the breakout was only a matter of time.
The division was not ordered to Normandy, totally false. Remember this unit was under reconstruction and training, lacked men, weapons and vehicles. On June 7 D+1 combat ready elements were ordered to proceed to the area Tulle Brive Limoges to put down a partisan uprising, leaving June 8.. This they did very effectively. They were only ordered to Normandy on June 11. About 8,000 men remained behind in Montauban due to lack of training, equipment and especially vehicles, these followed later.
Your comment is confusing. In your first sentence, you say that the division not ordered to Normandy, then later you say they were. I assume you meant they were not ordered to Normandy until the 11th. But this story got me interested in Hasting's book. Per Hastings, they actually were ordered to begin the move to Normandy on the 7th, but via several different routes that changed on occasion.
@@jwiles545 Max Hastings, page 97. On the morning of June 7 Army Group G ordered 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich is to deploy to the Tulle - Limoges area where substantial formations of gangs appear to be gathered They departed June 8 for Tulle - Limoges, not Normandy. After quelling the partisan uprising they were ordered to Normandy on June 12, departing June 13. Upon arrival in Normandy they were placed in Army Group Reserve as it was thought they were not needed. These dates are confirmed in History of Das Reich volume 5 and comrades to the End, history of Der Fuhrer Regiment.
Nice to see you used the correct Canadian flag for the time ! Most shows are lazy and just use the current flag. Great vid. presentation, am enjoying your content.
Nothing that the Germans had could have stopped that invasion after the first day's landings. It may have taken longer but the allies would have done what they always did and drown the Wehrmacht in airstrikes.
People tend to forget the naval guns off shore. Any tank column operating within range of the big guns of the battleships would have been cut to pieces.
Nonsense. Had British Intelligence not fooled them that the landings were a bluff and the real invasion was still coming in Calais, then the Nazis could have unleashed all the Panzer Divisions around Calais. The Allies would not have got onto the beaches let alone off them. Stick to video games.
Rommell knew that very well, and repeatedly tried to convince Hitler to keep the Panzers close to the shores.
That logistical strike by the resistance is indeed absolutely amazing. However, "Das Reich" being able to re-locate quickly to Normandy wouldnt ve changed much because of the total air superiority the allies had. The german forces fighting there got completely crippled by non stop air strikes. Still a great move by teh allies to bet on multiple horses.
Should have had the tanks further north or had them divided into three groups at each potential landing site.
The bravery of the Maquis came at a cost. Tulle and Oradour.
That would make a great Movie but it wont get done cause it doesn't involve Americans
NIcely animated!
the video is very lively and interesting
Thank you for acknowledging the combat by the Resistance / maquis. In much of suffering Europe, Partisan/Patriot combat behind the lines had been crucial to achieving an earlier Victory, but is not often given its badges of honour.
"April 1944. The course of WW2 hangs in the balance..." LOL Soviets broke Germany's back in 1942 Stalingrad. Allies literally waited and fucked the dog as long as possible then come flying in with the superman cape on... Literally that Olympic medals meme.
No that was the Americans. Late.
@@Hew.Jarsol what?
My grand mother was 12, living west of Caen. Theses 2weeks are of course engraved in her memory. She always talk about how they feared the das reich counter offensive and how oradour massacre was a hard signal for civilians. Luckily allies took over just in time. The bocage fight with das reich took place just outside their village