Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:03,461 --> 00:00:05,046
Normandy, France.
2
00:00:05,130 --> 00:00:06,798
One month after D-Day.
3
00:00:07,757 --> 00:00:11,428
A Canadian regiment confronts
a notorious SS Panzer unit...
4
00:00:13,722 --> 00:00:16,182
accused of horrific war crimes.
5
00:00:17,475 --> 00:00:20,687
The Canadians
and the 12th SS Hitler Youth had clashed,
6
00:00:20,687 --> 00:00:22,647
uh, since the 7th of June.
7
00:00:24,607 --> 00:00:29,195
So, the Canadians and the 12th SS
have a very vicious personal war.
8
00:00:35,076 --> 00:00:38,538
For the Germans,
this leaves no room for compromise.
9
00:00:38,538 --> 00:00:40,290
It's only victory or death.
10
00:00:46,171 --> 00:00:49,007
On June 6th, 1944,
11
00:00:49,007 --> 00:00:52,135
allied forces finally
land troops in Normandy
12
00:00:52,135 --> 00:00:53,887
to open the western front.
13
00:00:59,851 --> 00:01:01,978
But Nazi fanatics and diehards
14
00:01:02,062 --> 00:01:05,023
continue to fight ruthlessly for survival.
15
00:01:08,777 --> 00:01:10,403
D-Day was a battle.
16
00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,824
The allies still need to win the war.
17
00:01:27,670 --> 00:01:30,048
July 8th, 1944.
18
00:01:30,048 --> 00:01:31,758
Outskirts of Caen, France.
19
00:01:36,721 --> 00:01:39,641
The Canadian Regina Rifles
prepare to do their part
20
00:01:39,641 --> 00:01:41,142
to liberate the French city.
21
00:01:41,935 --> 00:01:45,230
They scout the approach to their
objective in the northwest sector.
22
00:01:46,231 --> 00:01:49,192
And what they saw they didn't like.
It was extremely flat.
23
00:01:49,317 --> 00:01:50,693
There was very little cover.
24
00:01:53,071 --> 00:01:55,490
Lieutenant Colonel
Foster Matheson
25
00:01:55,490 --> 00:01:57,617
has brought along his company commanders--
26
00:01:57,742 --> 00:02:02,413
Acting Major Gordon Brown,
Major Eric Syme, and Major Stuart Tubb,
27
00:02:02,497 --> 00:02:04,207
to find the best way forward.
28
00:02:04,207 --> 00:02:08,419
And they're driving around in universal
carriers and at one point they get lost.
29
00:02:10,171 --> 00:02:11,965
The driver takes a wrong turn...
30
00:02:16,136 --> 00:02:18,388
and they find themselves
in the midst of fighting.
31
00:02:21,808 --> 00:02:24,477
The Regina Rifles
quickly come under attack.
32
00:02:35,738 --> 00:02:37,574
One of the drivers is shot and killed...
33
00:02:41,077 --> 00:02:42,871
the passengers dive for cover.
34
00:02:58,052 --> 00:03:01,848
As the battle rages around them,
the vehicles try to reverse course.
35
00:03:16,696 --> 00:03:17,822
In the confusion,
36
00:03:17,989 --> 00:03:21,743
the carriers start to pull away
leaving the officers behind.
37
00:03:25,788 --> 00:03:29,834
It proves to be yet another setback
in the quest to take Caen.
38
00:03:33,338 --> 00:03:35,340
Only 12 miles from the coast
39
00:03:35,340 --> 00:03:38,468
allied forces had planned to take
the city on D-Day.
40
00:03:41,137 --> 00:03:45,099
But more than a month later,
the goal has proved stubbornly elusive.
41
00:03:46,851 --> 00:03:50,021
Both sides understood
that the capture of Caen was crucial to
42
00:03:50,021 --> 00:03:52,815
going through the rest of the country,
that if you could capture Caen,
43
00:03:52,941 --> 00:03:54,442
you could enter the rest of France.
44
00:03:54,901 --> 00:03:59,280
860,000 allied troops
are bottled up at the Normandy beachhead.
45
00:04:01,282 --> 00:04:04,327
The allies need their forces
to break out into France,
46
00:04:04,452 --> 00:04:05,745
then east for Paris.
47
00:04:08,790 --> 00:04:11,167
Caen is a critical road and rail hub.
48
00:04:12,252 --> 00:04:14,462
The Germans understood,
if you can defend Caen,
49
00:04:14,462 --> 00:04:16,005
you can block the Allies' advance.
50
00:04:17,298 --> 00:04:20,009
These are armored divisions
that had hundreds of tanks.
51
00:04:20,093 --> 00:04:21,427
They needed good roads
52
00:04:21,511 --> 00:04:23,721
and so they were going to be
passing through Caen
53
00:04:23,805 --> 00:04:26,808
to strike at the Allies
who were on the beaches
54
00:04:26,975 --> 00:04:28,685
and who of course were very vulnerable.
55
00:04:31,813 --> 00:04:34,190
The Regina Rifles
have landed in a battle
56
00:04:34,315 --> 00:04:36,901
between the German 12th SS Panzer division
57
00:04:37,443 --> 00:04:38,653
and other Canadian forces.
58
00:04:39,529 --> 00:04:43,366
This is not the first time
the rifles have encountered the 12th SS.
59
00:04:46,035 --> 00:04:48,162
A month earlier, on D-Day plus one,
60
00:04:48,746 --> 00:04:52,542
the Reginas had seized
the town of Bretteville, not far away.
61
00:04:53,459 --> 00:04:58,131
The Reginas withstood four counterattacks
from the 12th SS Panzer division,
62
00:04:58,548 --> 00:05:01,551
inflicting 152 German casualties
63
00:05:01,551 --> 00:05:04,220
and destroying six tanks to hold the town,
64
00:05:04,345 --> 00:05:06,681
and earned battle honors for their unit.
65
00:05:09,726 --> 00:05:13,604
At a distinct disadvantage here,
the trucks make a desperate escape.
66
00:05:15,064 --> 00:05:18,943
The officers of the Regina Rifles
are in danger of being left behind.
67
00:05:19,110 --> 00:05:20,528
Go, Go! Go!
68
00:05:28,953 --> 00:05:30,913
They haul themselves
onto the back of a vehicle
69
00:05:32,332 --> 00:05:33,708
loaded to their surprise,
70
00:05:34,334 --> 00:05:35,752
with crates of explosives.
71
00:05:38,212 --> 00:05:41,632
They duck for cover as enemy fire
riddles the vehicle,
72
00:05:42,258 --> 00:05:43,676
and can only hope,
73
00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,679
that a bullet doesn't
ignite a fatal explosion.
74
00:06:06,574 --> 00:06:08,534
After finally clearing the battle scene
75
00:06:08,618 --> 00:06:10,703
the officers take up their
reconnaissance position
76
00:06:10,787 --> 00:06:12,997
in the nearby village of Authie.
77
00:06:16,834 --> 00:06:19,545
Earlier that day,
General Bernard Montgomery
78
00:06:19,629 --> 00:06:21,047
launched Operation Charnwood,
79
00:06:21,589 --> 00:06:24,717
the British Second Army's
latest attempt to seize Caen.
80
00:06:31,099 --> 00:06:32,558
To support the operation,
81
00:06:32,725 --> 00:06:35,561
the Regina Rifles must take
the Abbaye D'ardenne,
82
00:06:35,645 --> 00:06:37,688
which guards the northwest approach.
83
00:06:40,942 --> 00:06:42,568
A high stone wall surrounds
84
00:06:42,652 --> 00:06:45,113
the 12th century church
and its adjoining buildings.
85
00:06:46,197 --> 00:06:50,243
It was a stone fortress.
It had a large tower.
86
00:06:50,368 --> 00:06:54,622
And from the heights of that tower
they could see the entire countryside.
87
00:06:54,622 --> 00:06:57,583
And so, it's a really critical position.
88
00:06:57,708 --> 00:07:00,086
A strong point that the Germans will use
89
00:07:00,086 --> 00:07:02,588
both to observe the Allies
coming off the beaches
90
00:07:02,672 --> 00:07:05,466
and from where they will launch
their counterattacks.
91
00:07:08,845 --> 00:07:11,806
Flat grain fields
surround the Abbaye on all sides,
92
00:07:11,931 --> 00:07:14,809
providing clear lines of sight
for German snipers.
93
00:07:18,813 --> 00:07:21,315
The Germans occupy the only cover--
94
00:07:21,441 --> 00:07:24,402
a dirt mound, that once held
anti-aircraft guns,
95
00:07:24,527 --> 00:07:25,862
partway across the field.
96
00:07:30,450 --> 00:07:33,035
Matheson plans for
Major Syme's B Company
97
00:07:33,119 --> 00:07:36,956
to advance 400 yards from the village of
Authie and take the mounds.
98
00:07:37,832 --> 00:07:41,878
Brown's D Company on the left along with
Tubb's C Company on the right
99
00:07:41,878 --> 00:07:46,424
are to pass the mounds and advance
the remaining 700 yards to the Abbaye.
100
00:07:49,927 --> 00:07:54,098
At 1700 hours allied artillery
begins to shell the Abbaye D'ardenne,
101
00:07:54,182 --> 00:07:56,017
in preparation for the assault.
102
00:07:57,643 --> 00:08:00,396
The barrage is meant to soften up
German defenses
103
00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,608
and keep German heads down
as the Canadians approach.
104
00:08:05,276 --> 00:08:07,528
The artillery will last for 30 minutes,
105
00:08:07,653 --> 00:08:10,323
after which the Regina Rifles
will launch their attack.
106
00:08:11,157 --> 00:08:14,827
The Abbaye D'ardenne is the headquarters
of the 12th Panzer division
107
00:08:14,911 --> 00:08:16,412
they had encountered earlier.
108
00:08:16,913 --> 00:08:20,625
Their commanding officer
is Standartenfuhrer Kurt Meyer.
109
00:08:21,501 --> 00:08:25,796
The 33-year old colonel is one of
Germany's youngest divisional commanders.
110
00:08:25,922 --> 00:08:30,593
Kurt Meyer is an extremely
courageous and brave officer.
111
00:08:30,718 --> 00:08:34,388
But at the same times,
he's also extremely ruthless.
112
00:08:34,931 --> 00:08:40,102
He's very much determined to
the cause of Nazism and is also
113
00:08:40,186 --> 00:08:44,982
determined to instill this
ideology into his men.
114
00:08:47,151 --> 00:08:50,696
Meyer's Panzer division
is made up of former Hitlerjugend.
115
00:08:51,489 --> 00:08:56,202
The infamous "Hitler Youth" movement
Raised a generation of German children
116
00:08:56,202 --> 00:08:58,287
to believe in their Aryan superiority.
117
00:09:00,039 --> 00:09:04,168
For the SS leadership,
12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Youth
118
00:09:04,293 --> 00:09:08,881
is a kind of symbol for
the next generation of Nazism.
119
00:09:12,176 --> 00:09:15,346
Meyer withstands the barrage
inside the Abbaye complex.
120
00:09:18,140 --> 00:09:19,392
The main building, as such,
121
00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,479
would be too much exposed to
allied artillery fire
122
00:09:23,563 --> 00:09:25,523
or allied air bombardment.
123
00:09:25,648 --> 00:09:29,902
So, he situates his headquarters
in a secondary building, in the cellar,
124
00:09:29,986 --> 00:09:30,945
so that he's protected.
125
00:09:37,076 --> 00:09:39,745
As the allied shelling
of the Abbaye continues,
126
00:09:41,289 --> 00:09:45,251
Brown, and the rest of the Regina Rifles
try to move into the field
127
00:09:45,251 --> 00:09:46,752
from which they are to attack.
128
00:09:48,504 --> 00:09:49,922
But it proves difficult.
129
00:09:51,173 --> 00:09:53,009
Well the Regina Rifles
are pinned down
130
00:09:53,009 --> 00:09:56,304
because the village of Authie
is not cleared.
131
00:09:56,304 --> 00:09:58,014
This means that the Germans
are also able to
132
00:09:58,014 --> 00:10:00,182
bring fire to bear down on the Rifles.
133
00:10:01,225 --> 00:10:04,145
German counter
battery fire also opens up.
134
00:10:10,318 --> 00:10:13,237
Several allied tanks
position themselves nearby.
135
00:10:15,990 --> 00:10:18,326
But as their jump-off time approaches
136
00:10:18,326 --> 00:10:20,995
a hidden German 88
begins to launch shells.
137
00:10:23,956 --> 00:10:26,000
The 88 millimeter gun
138
00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,836
is the most effective artillery piece
in the Nazi arsenal,
139
00:10:28,961 --> 00:10:31,339
and feared by allied tankers everywhere.
140
00:10:32,506 --> 00:10:33,716
In ground combat,
141
00:10:33,924 --> 00:10:37,219
it has a maximum range
of over 16,000 yards.
142
00:10:37,511 --> 00:10:41,390
And a well-trained crew can fire a round
every three seconds.
143
00:10:55,237 --> 00:10:58,074
The 88 quickly destroys
three Sherman tanks.
144
00:11:04,205 --> 00:11:05,539
As their crews escape,
145
00:11:05,623 --> 00:11:08,834
they draw German machine gun fire
from the nearby mound.
146
00:11:10,586 --> 00:11:13,422
Unwilling to stay exposed
to the German artillery,
147
00:11:13,798 --> 00:11:15,758
the remaining tanks retreat.
148
00:11:16,926 --> 00:11:19,512
The fighting in Normandy
is often envisioned
149
00:11:19,512 --> 00:11:21,514
as a slashing tank assaults,
150
00:11:21,681 --> 00:11:24,850
um, and almost blitzkrieg
like attacks on the enemy.
151
00:11:25,017 --> 00:11:27,603
But, this was combined arms warfare
152
00:11:27,687 --> 00:11:30,314
and if the tanks got too far
in front of the infantry,
153
00:11:30,439 --> 00:11:32,775
they were easily knocked out
by anti-tank guns
154
00:11:32,775 --> 00:11:35,111
that are very effective
at this point in the war.
155
00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:42,743
With their tank support gone,
156
00:11:42,827 --> 00:11:45,788
all three Regina Rifle companies
are trapped in the open.
157
00:11:46,956 --> 00:11:48,958
The German barrage continues.
158
00:11:55,297 --> 00:11:59,885
The Canadians risk being wiped out
before they can even leave their lines.
159
00:12:05,516 --> 00:12:07,560
July 8th, 1944.
160
00:12:09,228 --> 00:12:12,189
German artillery targets
the Regina Rifles' position
161
00:12:12,732 --> 00:12:15,359
as they prepare to attack
the Abbaye D'ardenne,
162
00:12:15,443 --> 00:12:18,070
which blocks access
to the French city of Caen.
163
00:12:31,041 --> 00:12:35,129
The Regina Rifles are dubbed
"farmer johns" by other Canadian units
164
00:12:35,129 --> 00:12:37,465
because they come
from a rural part of Canada.
165
00:12:38,090 --> 00:12:42,344
Obviously the Farmer John's
is meant as, a, a bit of a put down.
166
00:12:42,553 --> 00:12:45,181
But ah, the John's they seem
to have shortened it,
167
00:12:45,181 --> 00:12:48,392
they got rid of the farmer part
and they proudly, they embraced it.
168
00:12:52,730 --> 00:12:54,857
Pinned down due to enemy fire,
169
00:12:54,857 --> 00:12:58,068
the Johns miss the jump-off time
for their attack against the Abbaye.
170
00:12:58,861 --> 00:13:03,365
In the chaos and the confusion,
units are late arriving to the front
171
00:13:03,449 --> 00:13:06,577
and in fact most of
the, the three attacking,
172
00:13:06,702 --> 00:13:08,913
um, Regina companies get there,
173
00:13:08,913 --> 00:13:11,123
um, after the barrage has gone off.
174
00:13:11,207 --> 00:13:14,084
And so, with communications broken down
175
00:13:14,251 --> 00:13:16,754
there's really a dire situation here.
176
00:13:17,129 --> 00:13:20,716
The Reginas are looking at
attacking this fortress
177
00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:22,593
with almost no artillery support.
178
00:13:23,969 --> 00:13:26,222
The Reginas can only take cover
179
00:13:26,222 --> 00:13:28,224
and wait for the German barrage to ease.
180
00:13:39,527 --> 00:13:40,778
When it finally does,
181
00:13:40,778 --> 00:13:43,906
acting Major Gordon Brown
and his fellow officers
182
00:13:43,906 --> 00:13:45,825
hurry to organize their men.
183
00:13:49,745 --> 00:13:53,249
At 1800 hours, 30 minutes
after their jump off time,
184
00:13:53,249 --> 00:13:55,751
the Reginas commence their assault,
185
00:13:57,711 --> 00:14:00,464
with Major Eric Syme's
B Company in the lead.
186
00:14:05,010 --> 00:14:08,013
The Germans have put the time to good use.
187
00:14:08,722 --> 00:14:10,015
During this pause,
188
00:14:10,099 --> 00:14:11,934
the German defenders are able to regroup
189
00:14:12,434 --> 00:14:15,771
and sight their machine guns,
sight their anti-tank guns.
190
00:14:15,855 --> 00:14:19,942
And this is the worst-case
scenario for any army.
191
00:14:20,442 --> 00:14:23,904
As the three Regina companies
start out Baker Company
192
00:14:23,988 --> 00:14:27,324
is to advance 400 yards from the village
and take the mound,
193
00:14:27,408 --> 00:14:29,201
the only cover, in the field.
194
00:14:36,917 --> 00:14:40,588
German forces open fire on them
from all directions.
195
00:14:50,472 --> 00:14:54,226
Caen is considered so critical,
General Field Marshall Erwin Rommel
196
00:14:54,310 --> 00:14:56,395
has assigned elite units to defend it.
197
00:14:57,229 --> 00:14:59,440
Overseeing the defense of Normandy,
198
00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,526
Rommel had invested heavily
in the Atlantic wall.
199
00:15:02,985 --> 00:15:06,196
It is a series of bunkers,
block houses,
200
00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:07,948
casements, fortified positions
201
00:15:08,032 --> 00:15:12,411
along the French, Belgian,
Dutch, Danish and Norwegian coast.
202
00:15:13,203 --> 00:15:17,541
It is supposed to ward
off an Allied invasion.
203
00:15:18,250 --> 00:15:19,960
Based on Rommel's experience
204
00:15:20,085 --> 00:15:21,754
with the allies in North Africa
205
00:15:22,755 --> 00:15:26,091
he knew German tanks were vulnerable to
allied air superiority.
206
00:15:28,010 --> 00:15:31,013
Rommel believed the allies had
to be defeated on the beaches
207
00:15:31,013 --> 00:15:33,557
in the earliest hours of the invasion.
208
00:15:35,809 --> 00:15:40,481
The German failure to do so on D-Day,
makes the fighting more desperate.
209
00:15:40,481 --> 00:15:42,942
Germans are still
determined to fight,
210
00:15:42,942 --> 00:15:45,694
because they think
if the Allies win the war,
211
00:15:45,778 --> 00:15:49,323
this would mean the annihilation
of the German people.
212
00:15:50,407 --> 00:15:53,702
This was especially true
of German military leadership,
213
00:15:53,786 --> 00:15:54,787
like Kurt Meyer,
214
00:15:54,954 --> 00:15:58,624
who commands the 12th SS Panzer division,
which holds the Abbaye.
215
00:16:00,709 --> 00:16:02,419
How they understand war
216
00:16:02,503 --> 00:16:05,965
is that it must be fought
in the most ruthless way
217
00:16:06,382 --> 00:16:08,884
because it is a struggle for survival.
218
00:16:09,843 --> 00:16:12,972
Meyer has encountered
Canadian units before.
219
00:16:13,514 --> 00:16:16,892
The Canadians and the 12th
SS Hitler Youth had clashed,
220
00:16:16,976 --> 00:16:18,769
uh, since the 7th of June.
221
00:16:18,894 --> 00:16:21,355
So, really the second day of the fighting.
222
00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,066
Um, and there had been fierce
battles all over the front.
223
00:16:32,783 --> 00:16:34,535
On June 7th and 8th,
224
00:16:34,910 --> 00:16:38,122
Meyer's unit executed
18 Canadian prisoners of war
225
00:16:38,122 --> 00:16:39,748
at the Abbaye D'ardenne,
226
00:16:39,832 --> 00:16:42,751
in flagrant violation of
the Geneva Convention.
227
00:16:43,711 --> 00:16:47,589
For people like Meyer
or for SS officers,
228
00:16:48,048 --> 00:16:49,550
it's all or nothing.
229
00:16:50,134 --> 00:16:53,595
And there is no way of
compromising with the enemy
230
00:16:53,679 --> 00:16:55,389
so it's only victory or death.
231
00:17:04,606 --> 00:17:07,317
Now, the 12th SS Hitlerjugend
232
00:17:07,401 --> 00:17:09,862
believed that if they are captured
or surrender to the Canadians,
233
00:17:09,862 --> 00:17:12,740
they will be executed in retaliation.
234
00:17:15,576 --> 00:17:17,953
And so, the Canadians and the 12th SS
235
00:17:18,037 --> 00:17:20,414
have a very vicious, personal war.
236
00:17:27,796 --> 00:17:30,340
Regina rifles B Company,
still leads the advance
237
00:17:30,424 --> 00:17:34,053
towards the German occupied mound
partway across the field.
238
00:17:36,889 --> 00:17:40,392
Faced with heavy gunfire,
B Company must run, or crawl,
239
00:17:40,476 --> 00:17:43,103
in short bursts to avoid being hit.
240
00:17:44,521 --> 00:17:48,525
The Germans open up with mortar fire,
machine gun fire, sniper fire.
241
00:17:48,650 --> 00:17:51,487
And the Regina Rifles are
being picked off one by one.
242
00:18:10,172 --> 00:18:14,343
As they inch their way forward,
the company suffers heavy casualties.
243
00:18:14,843 --> 00:18:17,179
There's no easy way
to take out machine guns.
244
00:18:17,179 --> 00:18:21,725
Machine guns firing 500 bullets a minute,
firing on an arc.
245
00:18:22,643 --> 00:18:26,313
You have to sacrifice soldiers
to take that out.
246
00:18:30,192 --> 00:18:32,903
They have no choice
but to keep moving.
247
00:18:38,700 --> 00:18:41,203
Three companies
of the Regina Rifles commence
248
00:18:41,203 --> 00:18:43,372
an assault against the Abbaye D'ardenne.
249
00:18:46,125 --> 00:18:48,836
Across more than 1100 yards of open field,
250
00:18:49,211 --> 00:18:50,504
without tank support,
251
00:18:50,754 --> 00:18:53,966
and one half hour after
their artillery barrage lifts.
252
00:18:57,594 --> 00:18:59,346
B Company leads the way.
253
00:19:00,389 --> 00:19:04,560
Baker Company advances slowly
and using whatever cover is available.
254
00:19:04,852 --> 00:19:06,103
But there's not a lot of cover.
255
00:19:06,103 --> 00:19:07,813
So, this means you gotta stay low.
256
00:19:07,813 --> 00:19:09,314
You gotta stay in the grass.
257
00:19:09,398 --> 00:19:13,277
You gotta try to stay out of sight
of any sort of German sniper,
258
00:19:13,277 --> 00:19:15,362
German artillery, or German machine gun.
259
00:19:15,362 --> 00:19:19,366
So, it is a very slow process
and it causes significant casualties
260
00:19:19,491 --> 00:19:21,994
because every time
they pop up, they get shot.
261
00:19:22,411 --> 00:19:26,832
As the casualties mount
weeks of strain also take their toll.
262
00:19:28,667 --> 00:19:31,211
The Regina Rifles
were very weak at this point.
263
00:19:31,295 --> 00:19:33,130
They had lost a lot of soldiers
264
00:19:33,130 --> 00:19:35,340
in the fighting
in the first month of Normandy.
265
00:19:45,225 --> 00:19:47,436
As frontline
troops at the sharp end,
266
00:19:47,561 --> 00:19:49,146
they get very little sleep
267
00:19:49,313 --> 00:19:51,315
and endure unimaginable stress.
268
00:19:52,691 --> 00:19:53,942
There's no question that
269
00:19:54,151 --> 00:19:56,570
the lack of sleep
and the continual engagement
270
00:19:56,570 --> 00:19:59,615
with the enemy that just
combined will wear anyone down.
271
00:19:59,615 --> 00:20:03,368
It has been four
weeks of constant combat.
272
00:20:04,578 --> 00:20:07,331
So as these soldiers are
engaged with the German enemy,
273
00:20:07,497 --> 00:20:08,665
as they're approaching the Abbey,
274
00:20:08,790 --> 00:20:10,500
there are soldiers that are breaking down.
275
00:20:10,584 --> 00:20:11,627
There are soldiers that are crying.
276
00:20:11,752 --> 00:20:14,463
There are soldiers that are
catatonic and can't even move.
277
00:20:14,463 --> 00:20:18,675
This now includes
baker company's commander, Major Syme,
278
00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,762
who succumbs to what is called,
battle exhaustion.
279
00:20:24,848 --> 00:20:27,309
Major! Major!
280
00:20:28,352 --> 00:20:29,519
I need a medic!
281
00:20:31,605 --> 00:20:33,106
Though the Canadian division
282
00:20:33,190 --> 00:20:36,151
had undertaken psychiatric screening
prior to deployment
283
00:20:37,569 --> 00:20:41,448
conditions like battle exhaustion
or battle fatigue
284
00:20:41,448 --> 00:20:44,076
prove unpredictable
and claim many soldiers.
285
00:20:47,329 --> 00:20:49,915
By late July 1944,
286
00:20:49,915 --> 00:20:53,043
battle fatigue makes up 25%
287
00:20:53,043 --> 00:20:55,754
of all non-fatal casualties to the allies.
288
00:20:59,549 --> 00:21:02,261
After D-Day the British
and Canadian army group
289
00:21:02,261 --> 00:21:06,431
established front-line centers
to treat battle exhaustion.
290
00:21:07,975 --> 00:21:11,353
Therapy is simple-- sedation and sleep.
291
00:21:12,145 --> 00:21:13,480
You want to treat them quickly.
292
00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,023
You want to treat them effectively
293
00:21:15,148 --> 00:21:16,733
and then you want them back
in the front line.
294
00:21:25,158 --> 00:21:28,120
As Major Syme
is carried from the field
295
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:31,206
the remainder of B Company
continues to press to the mound.
296
00:21:33,750 --> 00:21:38,213
As they are making those hard yards,
Riflemen would lay down fire,
297
00:21:38,672 --> 00:21:41,883
Bren machine gunners
would lay down heavier fire.
298
00:21:48,557 --> 00:21:51,184
The way they knocked out
those machine guns
299
00:21:51,268 --> 00:21:53,020
was to use grenades for the most part.
300
00:21:53,020 --> 00:21:54,604
And those grenades explode
301
00:21:54,688 --> 00:21:56,690
and they send shrapnel of course,
302
00:21:56,690 --> 00:21:59,484
and that's how,
ultimately, they knock out the mound.
303
00:22:15,292 --> 00:22:18,337
The Germansare forced
to retreat back towards the Abbaye.
304
00:22:31,975 --> 00:22:36,146
To achieve the objective,
Baker Company is gutted.
305
00:22:36,146 --> 00:22:39,524
Sixty-one out of 100 men
become casualties.
306
00:22:50,202 --> 00:22:52,496
With the mound finally in Canadian hands,
307
00:22:52,496 --> 00:22:56,750
C Company and D Company
now continue the advance
308
00:22:56,750 --> 00:22:58,960
and pass through the remains of B Company.
309
00:22:59,086 --> 00:23:01,380
From that position,
Baker Company can then provide
310
00:23:01,380 --> 00:23:03,256
covering fire for the other two companies.
311
00:23:03,340 --> 00:23:05,884
You have Dog Company on the left,
Charlie Company on the right.
312
00:23:06,218 --> 00:23:09,346
And Baker Company will provide
very important covering fire,
313
00:23:09,346 --> 00:23:11,807
which will allow the other
troops to move up slowly.
314
00:23:11,932 --> 00:23:15,018
So, the idea simply here is what we call
fire and movement.
315
00:23:15,102 --> 00:23:17,562
Someone's shooting. Someone's moving.
316
00:23:22,776 --> 00:23:25,946
To prevent his men
from meeting B Company's fate,
317
00:23:26,446 --> 00:23:29,616
Major Stu Tubb,
the commander of C Company,
318
00:23:30,075 --> 00:23:33,286
orders high explosive mortars
against the Abbaye complex.
319
00:23:35,705 --> 00:23:40,085
He hopes the distraction
will provide his men much needed coverage.
320
00:23:41,420 --> 00:23:43,255
But Tubb receives word
321
00:23:43,380 --> 00:23:46,425
that the Reginas have no high
explosive mortars available,
322
00:23:46,425 --> 00:23:48,760
and he is offered smoke instead.
323
00:23:53,473 --> 00:23:57,060
This works for a while,
until the wind comes up.
324
00:23:58,270 --> 00:24:01,982
They're now wide open
and exposed completely to German fire.
325
00:24:01,982 --> 00:24:03,692
All hell breaks loose.
326
00:24:21,626 --> 00:24:23,128
Facing heavy enemy fire
327
00:24:23,128 --> 00:24:26,965
C and D Companies
of the Canadian Regina Rifles
328
00:24:26,965 --> 00:24:31,428
must attack the Abbaye D'ardenne
across 700 yards of open field.
329
00:24:31,553 --> 00:24:33,138
They have just learned
330
00:24:33,138 --> 00:24:35,015
that they've run out of
high explosive mortars
331
00:24:35,140 --> 00:24:37,350
to subdue the German counter fire.
332
00:24:38,435 --> 00:24:41,897
Such shortages have
proved a problem across the allied front.
333
00:24:47,194 --> 00:24:51,323
Just three weeks before
a Major storm struck the Normandy coast.
334
00:24:52,073 --> 00:24:57,329
800 ships and vessels were stranded,
damaged or destroyed on June 19th.
335
00:24:57,329 --> 00:24:59,581
To further cripple allied supply lines,
336
00:24:59,581 --> 00:25:02,375
already hindered,
by a lack of a deep-water port.
337
00:25:02,792 --> 00:25:04,836
All units were having to make do.
338
00:25:09,716 --> 00:25:12,385
Advancing in the open would be suicidal.
339
00:25:12,469 --> 00:25:15,347
So, the Reginas fire
smoke to cover their advance.
340
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,352
Once more, acting Major Gordon Brown
and D Company
341
00:25:20,352 --> 00:25:22,395
press forward on the left flank.
342
00:25:26,316 --> 00:25:29,444
But with the men still 500 yards
short of the Abbaye,
343
00:25:30,111 --> 00:25:31,655
wind clears the smoke.
344
00:25:33,990 --> 00:25:36,159
With the companies now exposed.
345
00:25:38,036 --> 00:25:39,663
The Germans have clear shots.
346
00:25:53,510 --> 00:25:58,557
In the chaos C company's
13th platoon stumbles into a minefield.
347
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:09,985
You don't know where to step,
348
00:26:10,110 --> 00:26:11,820
and they are set up
for a number of reasons.
349
00:26:11,987 --> 00:26:14,114
One is to cause casualties of course.
350
00:26:14,239 --> 00:26:16,324
But secondly to slow an advance.
351
00:26:18,243 --> 00:26:20,453
The minefield creates
a shooting gallery.
352
00:26:21,580 --> 00:26:23,915
Riflemen and snipers
and machine gunners
353
00:26:23,999 --> 00:26:26,835
will turn upon those isolated soldiers
354
00:26:26,835 --> 00:26:30,505
who are stuck in the middle,
unsure of where is safe.
355
00:26:33,341 --> 00:26:35,468
As their losses mount,
356
00:26:35,552 --> 00:26:39,097
Major Stu Tubb enters the minefield
to help extract his men.
357
00:26:42,267 --> 00:26:44,644
Tubb falls to German machine gun fire.
358
00:26:47,355 --> 00:26:49,983
His second-in-command
moves forward to help,
359
00:26:50,859 --> 00:26:52,360
and is killed.
360
00:26:54,863 --> 00:26:58,158
C company's third in command
is wounded moments later.
361
00:26:59,326 --> 00:27:03,413
Wiping out the enemy's leadership
is a time honored military strategy.
362
00:27:03,413 --> 00:27:06,791
And that is a technique
that the Allies and the Germans use,
363
00:27:06,875 --> 00:27:11,796
that snipers would aim for those NCOs
or those lieutenants or those captains
364
00:27:11,921 --> 00:27:16,676
to try to in, in effect
decapitate the unit.
365
00:27:26,811 --> 00:27:30,690
Without leadership,
C Company retreats to the mound.
366
00:27:31,149 --> 00:27:34,569
They have lost 85 out of 106 men.
367
00:27:36,905 --> 00:27:39,491
General Bernard Montgomery's
stated goal at Caen
368
00:27:39,491 --> 00:27:41,618
was to draw in German troops to kill,
369
00:27:41,618 --> 00:27:44,120
wound or capture as many as possible.
370
00:27:44,204 --> 00:27:45,497
A war of attrition.
371
00:27:46,706 --> 00:27:48,541
But the campaign to capture Caen
372
00:27:48,708 --> 00:27:50,794
proves costly to everyone involved.
373
00:27:53,213 --> 00:27:56,716
Allied aerial bombing to
support Operation Charnwood
374
00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:58,843
began the night before, on July 7th.
375
00:28:02,138 --> 00:28:06,726
More than 460 aircraft dropped
6000 bombs on the city.
376
00:28:09,938 --> 00:28:13,233
While the bombing improved
the morale of allied soldiers,
377
00:28:15,193 --> 00:28:18,446
the strategic impact
on German troops was minimal.
378
00:28:18,530 --> 00:28:19,739
The rubble created
379
00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:23,868
hinders the allied advance
and retreat by German forces.
380
00:28:25,704 --> 00:28:28,957
It also has got an impact on French
civilian population.
381
00:28:29,124 --> 00:28:34,421
Because, French civilians perished
and this had a negative influence
382
00:28:34,421 --> 00:28:37,465
on the attitude of the French
population towards the Allies.
383
00:28:42,053 --> 00:28:44,305
Now, to the northwest
of the city,
384
00:28:44,389 --> 00:28:47,642
the remaining 15 able-bodied
members of C Company
385
00:28:47,726 --> 00:28:51,813
retreat to Authie to bring back
stretchers for their wounded.
386
00:29:00,572 --> 00:29:02,949
Almost three hours after
commencing their attack
387
00:29:02,949 --> 00:29:03,867
on the Abbaye D'ardenne,
388
00:29:04,576 --> 00:29:06,578
Gordon Brown's D Company
389
00:29:06,786 --> 00:29:09,456
remain the only Regina Rifles
left in the fight.
390
00:29:15,044 --> 00:29:17,547
Still hundreds of yards
from their objective,
391
00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:21,676
the covering smoke has also
just cleared on their position.
392
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,929
And leaves them dangerously
exposed to enemy fire.
393
00:29:28,183 --> 00:29:31,561
The 12th SS quickly pin down
Brown and his men again.
394
00:29:38,902 --> 00:29:40,528
Several of the Reginas are hit.
395
00:29:49,037 --> 00:29:50,830
To limit the company's casualties,
396
00:29:50,914 --> 00:29:53,416
Brown and his men push forward
in short bursts,
397
00:29:53,500 --> 00:29:56,127
often gaining just a few feet at a time.
398
00:30:02,634 --> 00:30:05,637
German troops at the Abbaye
have the ideal weapon
399
00:30:05,637 --> 00:30:07,555
to prevent Brown from
achieving his objective.
400
00:30:10,183 --> 00:30:14,229
The MG-42 is arguably the best
machine gun of World War II.
401
00:30:16,147 --> 00:30:18,024
At 1200 rounds per minute,
402
00:30:18,024 --> 00:30:22,153
its rate of fire outpaces
comparable allied machine guns.
403
00:30:23,863 --> 00:30:26,741
Light, reliable and easy to deploy,
404
00:30:27,075 --> 00:30:31,120
the MG-42 has a range of
nearly 1,100 yards.
405
00:30:39,379 --> 00:30:41,422
To avoid the German machine guns
406
00:30:41,548 --> 00:30:43,466
D company's number 16 platoon
407
00:30:43,675 --> 00:30:46,010
makes a flanking move
to the left of the Abbaye.
408
00:30:51,266 --> 00:30:54,102
The remaining Regina Rifles
continue their frontal assault.
409
00:30:59,148 --> 00:31:01,067
But at 2100 hours,
410
00:31:01,317 --> 00:31:03,903
his runner reports to
acting Major Gordon Brown,
411
00:31:04,237 --> 00:31:07,282
that number 16 platoon has vanished.
412
00:31:13,746 --> 00:31:16,040
July 8th, 1944.
413
00:31:16,749 --> 00:31:18,293
As darkness falls,
414
00:31:18,418 --> 00:31:21,504
the Regina Rifles continue their assault
on the Abbaye D'ardenne.
415
00:31:22,088 --> 00:31:26,467
A fortified position that controls access
to the French city of Caen.
416
00:31:27,302 --> 00:31:30,096
With reports that some of his men
are missing
417
00:31:30,096 --> 00:31:33,016
and knowing he needs them all
to seize the Abbaye,
418
00:31:35,935 --> 00:31:39,898
acting Major Gordon Brown
goes in search of his 16th platoon.
419
00:31:42,150 --> 00:31:43,526
Searching the battlefield,
420
00:31:43,610 --> 00:31:45,820
he makes a disturbing discovery.
421
00:31:46,779 --> 00:31:50,033
And he Stumbles into
a small ditch area,
422
00:31:50,325 --> 00:31:51,659
which is a scene of a, a nightmare.
423
00:31:51,868 --> 00:31:54,913
There are wounded soldiers bleeding,
424
00:31:55,079 --> 00:31:56,956
um, dying, crying out
425
00:31:57,248 --> 00:31:59,334
and he thinks that's his lost platoon.
It's not.
426
00:31:59,334 --> 00:32:01,252
It's a group of the Can Scots,
427
00:32:01,336 --> 00:32:03,796
who have stumbled into the battle somehow,
428
00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:06,382
and there are many wounded there.
429
00:32:08,593 --> 00:32:09,886
Brown tries to help.
430
00:32:10,345 --> 00:32:13,014
He bandages some of the more
seriously wounded.
431
00:32:13,765 --> 00:32:15,016
And he's not sure what to do,
432
00:32:15,141 --> 00:32:17,894
of course human instinct
is to care for them,
433
00:32:18,019 --> 00:32:20,772
but that's not the role
of a company commander.
434
00:32:20,939 --> 00:32:23,816
And so, he rightly gives them his water.
435
00:32:25,735 --> 00:32:27,445
He must have been parched.
436
00:32:29,364 --> 00:32:31,491
Unable to do any more for them,
437
00:32:32,951 --> 00:32:35,954
Brown turns back
to rejoin the rest of his company.
438
00:32:37,330 --> 00:32:40,124
He did the right thing.
He did what he had to do.
439
00:32:40,208 --> 00:32:41,834
He did what a soldier had to do,
440
00:32:41,918 --> 00:32:44,462
was to keep pushing
on to the final objective.
441
00:32:48,299 --> 00:32:49,842
When he returns,
442
00:32:50,259 --> 00:32:52,637
Brown finds D Company
in the thick of battle.
443
00:32:54,931 --> 00:32:58,393
D Company is spread
out over the battlefield.
444
00:32:58,518 --> 00:33:00,687
They're facing a
fortress a stone fortress,
445
00:33:00,853 --> 00:33:02,772
the Germans are firing at them non-stop.
446
00:33:04,732 --> 00:33:07,068
I'm amazed at how they could
have pushed their way forward.
447
00:33:08,820 --> 00:33:11,698
They make a daring
charge for the Abbaye walls.
448
00:33:16,953 --> 00:33:20,373
They do call in some smoke,
and the smoke is quite effective.
449
00:33:20,498 --> 00:33:24,043
It obscures the front,
uh, for precious minutes.
450
00:33:28,881 --> 00:33:31,426
The men shoot
and throw grenades on the run.
451
00:33:48,026 --> 00:33:50,153
Their bold initiative pays off.
452
00:33:52,196 --> 00:33:56,159
At 2200 hours, D Company
reaches the Abbaye walls.
453
00:34:00,705 --> 00:34:03,082
With the Regina Rifles closing in,
454
00:34:03,166 --> 00:34:06,419
Colonel Kurt Meyer had made plans
to protect his fighting strength
455
00:34:06,419 --> 00:34:08,463
and asks for permission to retreat.
456
00:34:11,382 --> 00:34:14,719
He gets the answer, no.
There is no way to retreat.
457
00:34:15,386 --> 00:34:18,514
The, reason for that is in the mindset
458
00:34:18,639 --> 00:34:22,101
of the German leadership is
where does our retreat end?
459
00:34:25,772 --> 00:34:27,023
But Meyer withdraws anyway.
460
00:34:27,648 --> 00:34:30,651
He would later claim that he
knew Caen could not be held.
461
00:34:30,777 --> 00:34:34,030
Hitler's order to hold
the city to the last bullet,
462
00:34:34,030 --> 00:34:37,075
would mean the needless
and futile sacrifice of his men.
463
00:34:37,784 --> 00:34:40,870
Thus, the desperate fighting on July 8th,
464
00:34:40,870 --> 00:34:44,082
was to bide time for the evacuation
of Meyer's wounded soldiers
465
00:34:44,082 --> 00:34:45,792
under the cover of darkness.
466
00:34:46,375 --> 00:34:49,128
They devise a plan to delay
the capture of the Abbaye,
467
00:34:49,212 --> 00:34:52,340
and make it as costly as
possible for the Canadians.
468
00:35:01,182 --> 00:35:02,767
The Regina Rifles encounter
469
00:35:02,934 --> 00:35:05,186
the German soldiers left
to cover the withdrawal.
470
00:35:11,609 --> 00:35:13,694
They launch one final assault
471
00:35:13,903 --> 00:35:16,072
and they find a way through
472
00:35:16,197 --> 00:35:19,325
and around those walls
and drive the Germans out.
473
00:35:24,622 --> 00:35:27,792
Some of the Canadians
begin to push into the Abbaye courtyard.
474
00:35:29,335 --> 00:35:31,129
Captain Brown
calls the soldiers back
475
00:35:31,254 --> 00:35:32,880
and he tells them to dig
in outside of the walls.
476
00:35:34,048 --> 00:35:36,175
Having fought
the Germans for a month now
477
00:35:36,300 --> 00:35:38,177
Brown knows they are not safe yet.
478
00:35:39,137 --> 00:35:41,597
The Germans will have
pre-ranged their guns.
479
00:35:43,057 --> 00:35:45,560
One of the nice things about
occupying a position
480
00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:46,936
when you're on the defense is
481
00:35:46,936 --> 00:35:48,688
you have it perfectly placed
on your map,
482
00:35:48,688 --> 00:35:51,440
which means your artillery
knows exactly where to hit it.
483
00:35:54,819 --> 00:35:57,655
Learning that allied
troops have reached the walls,
484
00:35:57,780 --> 00:36:00,950
Meyer orders an artillery
barrage against the Abbaye.
485
00:36:05,705 --> 00:36:06,998
Brown's shrewd orders
486
00:36:06,998 --> 00:36:09,167
prevent further casualties
amongst his men.
487
00:36:13,838 --> 00:36:16,507
But they have yet to completely
achieve their objective
488
00:36:16,674 --> 00:36:18,801
to occupy the Abbaye itself.
489
00:36:29,729 --> 00:36:33,191
Heavy German shelling
prevents acting Major Gordon Brown
490
00:36:33,191 --> 00:36:35,735
and the rest of
the Regina Rifles' D Company
491
00:36:35,943 --> 00:36:37,987
from fully capturing the Abbaye D'ardenne.
492
00:36:47,330 --> 00:36:51,209
As the men endure the barrage,
their lost platoon finally reappears.
493
00:36:55,796 --> 00:36:59,383
During their absence,
16th platoon has been busy.
494
00:37:01,510 --> 00:37:04,555
16th Platoon is able to achieve
something pretty remarkable.
495
00:37:13,314 --> 00:37:16,609
They've knocked out
a battery of German 88 guns.
496
00:37:17,902 --> 00:37:20,363
This means that any Sherman tanks
coming up behind them
497
00:37:20,363 --> 00:37:23,115
are now free to move
in the open countryside.
498
00:37:27,370 --> 00:37:28,996
The platoon's reappearance
499
00:37:29,163 --> 00:37:31,540
brings the company's strength
to 70 soldiers
500
00:37:32,083 --> 00:37:34,085
but Brown knows he needs more men,
501
00:37:34,210 --> 00:37:37,463
if he's going to take and hold the Abbaye.
502
00:37:37,588 --> 00:37:40,591
They've fought for
five and a half hours.
503
00:37:40,716 --> 00:37:44,345
They've lost about 200
soldiers killed and wounded.
504
00:37:44,345 --> 00:37:47,014
Many of them left strewn
over the battlefield.
505
00:37:47,139 --> 00:37:50,184
And now in the dark crying out for help.
506
00:37:50,726 --> 00:37:53,479
Um, but there's no communication
from front to rear.
507
00:37:53,479 --> 00:37:56,274
Um, though, there's no wireless.
There's no telephones.
508
00:37:57,817 --> 00:37:59,652
Brown, and a lieutenant
509
00:37:59,652 --> 00:38:01,696
return to the village of Authie on foot
510
00:38:01,696 --> 00:38:05,616
to request reinforcements
and inform headquarters of their progress.
511
00:38:15,376 --> 00:38:16,585
But on their way,
512
00:38:16,711 --> 00:38:19,171
the two men are caught
in a sustained mortar attack.
513
00:38:28,055 --> 00:38:30,683
They endure the 80-round bombardment.
514
00:38:32,518 --> 00:38:35,813
The shelling is another phase
of Colonel Kurt Meyer's plan
515
00:38:35,813 --> 00:38:39,108
to cover the German retreat of
the 12th SS from Caen.
516
00:38:41,110 --> 00:38:45,114
Meyer's withdrawal proves sensible,
to protect the unit's fighting strength.
517
00:38:47,992 --> 00:38:49,744
By the second week of July,
518
00:38:50,077 --> 00:38:52,038
German battle casualties in western Europe
519
00:38:52,288 --> 00:38:54,540
totaled more than 100,000 men.
520
00:38:55,791 --> 00:38:58,002
Yet German command had managed to replace
521
00:38:58,002 --> 00:39:00,254
only 9% of their manpower losses.
522
00:39:03,424 --> 00:39:04,633
Late into the night,
523
00:39:04,842 --> 00:39:07,970
Brown returns to the Abbaye walls
with reinforcements...
524
00:39:08,429 --> 00:39:12,308
the Regina Rifles A-Company,
which had been held in reserve.
525
00:39:25,821 --> 00:39:30,159
In the early morning hours of July 9th,
the German shelling stops.
526
00:39:34,747 --> 00:39:35,873
It's an eerie calm.
527
00:39:36,916 --> 00:39:39,001
I couldn't imagine what
it'd be like to look around
528
00:39:39,085 --> 00:39:41,670
and not hear bullets
whizzing by your face.
529
00:39:41,796 --> 00:39:44,173
And not hear artillery
rounds exploding around you.
530
00:39:44,590 --> 00:39:47,760
And suddenly realize
that for a brief period there's some calm.
531
00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:48,886
You've done it.
532
00:39:58,187 --> 00:40:02,191
At first light,
the Regina Rifles A and D Companies
533
00:40:02,191 --> 00:40:04,652
advance cautiously into the courtyard.
534
00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:10,408
So, when Meyer retreats,
535
00:40:10,533 --> 00:40:14,745
he tries to delay the enemy's advance
by leaving snipers.
536
00:40:14,829 --> 00:40:19,166
This gives his own troops
time to withdraw in good order.
537
00:40:19,959 --> 00:40:25,840
With snipers and booby traps,
the enemy doesn't feel secure.
538
00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,134
He doesn't know where the enemy is,
where he's coming from,
539
00:40:28,134 --> 00:40:30,636
so he must be very
cautious when he advances.
540
00:40:33,889 --> 00:40:35,558
It takes them until
mid-afternoon
541
00:40:35,683 --> 00:40:37,977
to clear the Abbaye of German snipers.
542
00:40:54,034 --> 00:40:58,080
Inside the Abbaye they discover
the headquarters in the cellar.
543
00:41:19,477 --> 00:41:22,188
Captain Brown who himself
is beyond exhaustion.
544
00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:26,734
He--he later talks about
almost being delirious, uh, hallucinating.
545
00:41:37,411 --> 00:41:39,997
An exhausted Gordon Brown
pours a drink,
546
00:41:42,625 --> 00:41:44,001
climbs into the bed,
547
00:41:45,878 --> 00:41:47,421
and falls asleep.
548
00:42:01,644 --> 00:42:04,313
The western half of Caen to the Orne River
549
00:42:04,772 --> 00:42:07,691
would fall to the allies
by the end of July 9th.
550
00:42:11,153 --> 00:42:12,988
During Operation Charnwood,
551
00:42:13,113 --> 00:42:16,867
the Regina Rifles suffer 216 casualties,
552
00:42:16,951 --> 00:42:19,328
including 36 men killed.
553
00:42:20,246 --> 00:42:22,915
In terms of
the casualties on that day,
554
00:42:22,915 --> 00:42:26,335
something like 50% of the combat soldiers
555
00:42:26,335 --> 00:42:28,587
were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
556
00:42:28,671 --> 00:42:32,508
The casualties were so severe for
Charlie Company and Baker Company
557
00:42:32,925 --> 00:42:35,344
that after this combat
on the 8th and 9th of July,
558
00:42:35,469 --> 00:42:36,679
they were non-operational.
559
00:42:39,223 --> 00:42:41,767
French civilians
are also deeply affected.
560
00:42:42,351 --> 00:42:45,604
Up to 75% of Caen lay in ruins
561
00:42:45,729 --> 00:42:47,189
and hundreds were killed.
562
00:42:54,196 --> 00:42:55,155
After the war,
563
00:42:55,239 --> 00:42:57,783
Colonel Kurt Meyer faces trial
for war crimes
564
00:42:57,783 --> 00:43:01,328
for his part in the execution of
Canadian prisoners of war
565
00:43:01,412 --> 00:43:02,997
at the Abbaye D'ardenne.
566
00:43:05,124 --> 00:43:08,711
Meyer would be sentenced to death
later commuted to life imprisonment.
567
00:43:11,130 --> 00:43:13,757
He serves nine years
before being released.
568
00:43:15,259 --> 00:43:17,636
The two Canadian company commanders,
569
00:43:17,761 --> 00:43:19,471
Majors Stuart Tubb and Eric Symes,
570
00:43:19,597 --> 00:43:21,432
recover and survive the war.
571
00:43:22,975 --> 00:43:26,103
Major Tubb is later awarded
the Distinguished Service Order
572
00:43:26,103 --> 00:43:29,231
for his leadership and coolness
in the face of enemy fire.
573
00:43:30,316 --> 00:43:33,527
Gordon Brown continues to
serve throughout the war,
574
00:43:34,361 --> 00:43:36,655
and would earn
the Distinguished Service Order
575
00:43:36,780 --> 00:43:39,450
for personal valor and devotion to duty.
576
00:43:40,909 --> 00:43:43,120
While ultimately successful,
577
00:43:43,245 --> 00:43:45,289
the capture of Caen, confirms that
578
00:43:45,289 --> 00:43:48,542
allied gains could be slow and sometimes
measured only in yards.
579
00:43:49,251 --> 00:43:51,295
It is clear to the Allies
580
00:43:51,295 --> 00:43:54,214
the road to Berlin
is not a simple walkover.
581
00:43:54,590 --> 00:43:57,801
It will be a costly and bloody campaign.
582
00:43:59,511 --> 00:44:03,641
And the war in Europe
would continue for another 10 months.
583
00:44:07,353 --> 00:44:09,355
Captioned by Visual Data Media Services
50072
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.