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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:02,460 --> 00:00:05,672 As an American private covers the retreat of his fellow soldiers, 2 00:00:08,258 --> 00:00:11,302 a blast from a German tank throws him off his feet. 3 00:00:14,556 --> 00:00:18,518 The explosion destroys his machine gun and breaks his glasses. 4 00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:23,189 He retrieves a rifle and continues to hold the line. 5 00:00:26,484 --> 00:00:32,532 On June 6th, 1944 allied forces finally land troops in Normandy. 6 00:00:33,575 --> 00:00:35,702 {\an8}To open the western front. 7 00:00:38,580 --> 00:00:40,957 But Nazi fanatics and diehards continue 8 00:00:41,332 --> 00:00:43,793 to fight ferociously for survival. 9 00:00:49,257 --> 00:00:51,468 D-Day was a battle. 10 00:00:53,178 --> 00:00:55,722 They still need to win the war. 11 00:01:06,274 --> 00:01:08,860 January 9th, 1945. 12 00:01:10,653 --> 00:01:12,781 The Alsace region, France. 13 00:01:15,658 --> 00:01:18,536 American Private First-Class Glenn Schmidt scrambles through 14 00:01:18,536 --> 00:01:21,664 the snow clutching a Browning automatic rifle. 15 00:01:23,792 --> 00:01:27,754 Germans ambushed his patrol outside the French town of Hatten. 16 00:01:28,797 --> 00:01:32,884 In the firefight, Schmidt�s B.A.R. jammed and he�s shot twice. 17 00:01:32,884 --> 00:01:37,055 One blast knocked off his helmet and another bloodies his face. 18 00:01:38,181 --> 00:01:39,974 He�s the sole survivor. 19 00:01:39,974 --> 00:01:44,521 The patrol Schmidt is on is extraordinarily unlucky. 20 00:01:44,521 --> 00:01:46,731 {\an8}They're doing something that's pretty routine, 21 00:01:46,731 --> 00:01:49,192 {\an8}and they just happen to be out there when the Germans are about 22 00:01:49,192 --> 00:01:50,944 to launch their attacks. 23 00:01:51,820 --> 00:01:53,738 With enemy soldiers in pursuit, 24 00:01:53,738 --> 00:01:57,242 Schmidt must get word to a commanding officer. 25 00:01:57,242 --> 00:02:02,664 In this case, the information you've gathered is firsthand information. 26 00:02:02,664 --> 00:02:04,874 Schmitt is kind of lucky to even get out of there 27 00:02:04,874 --> 00:02:07,961 more or less unscathed compared to many others. 28 00:02:09,170 --> 00:02:12,382 The Germans are in the midst of the Battle of the Bulge. 29 00:02:12,382 --> 00:02:15,093 As Wacht Am Rhein loses momentum, 30 00:02:15,093 --> 00:02:19,514 Hitler decides to attack at a weaker part of the front. 31 00:02:19,514 --> 00:02:24,102 {\an8}This would mean that the American and the British attention 32 00:02:24,102 --> 00:02:27,147 {\an8}is drawn away from the northern battles. 33 00:02:28,439 --> 00:02:31,276 For this operation, known as Nordwind, 34 00:02:31,276 --> 00:02:33,111 Hitler appoints Heinrich Himmler, 35 00:02:33,111 --> 00:02:37,407 Reichsfuhrer and head of the SS, in his first military command. 36 00:02:38,658 --> 00:02:42,745 As the war progresses, Hitler trusts less and less people. 37 00:02:42,745 --> 00:02:45,165 However, there's one exception, Himmler, 38 00:02:45,165 --> 00:02:48,751 and he knows for sure that Himmler will always be loyal to him. 39 00:02:49,878 --> 00:02:54,507 Himmler is eager to impress and mark Hitler�s anniversary as Fuhrer. 40 00:02:54,507 --> 00:02:58,887 Himmler's goal is to recapture Strasbourg and present it to 41 00:02:58,887 --> 00:03:02,849 Hitler as a gift for the 12th anniversary of the seizure 42 00:03:02,849 --> 00:03:05,768 of power on the 30th of January. 43 00:03:07,020 --> 00:03:09,731 As the capital of the Alsace region, 44 00:03:09,731 --> 00:03:14,485 Strasbourg had been liberated in late November by free French troops. 45 00:03:14,485 --> 00:03:16,404 Himmler�s success... 46 00:03:16,404 --> 00:03:18,406 Would mean a major blow for 47 00:03:18,406 --> 00:03:21,034 the American French alliance. 48 00:03:24,454 --> 00:03:26,831 25 miles northeast of Strasbourg, 49 00:03:26,831 --> 00:03:28,416 outside the village of Hatten, 50 00:03:31,044 --> 00:03:33,922 Private Schmidt races for the American line. 51 00:03:38,885 --> 00:03:41,429 Suddenly the night erupts in white light. 52 00:03:43,932 --> 00:03:45,850 Schmidt is struck. 53 00:03:45,850 --> 00:03:50,521 His back burns and he rolls over in the snow to cool the heat. 54 00:03:52,565 --> 00:03:54,192 He must have been frightened out of his wits. 55 00:03:54,192 --> 00:03:57,654 He's wounded in several places. 56 00:03:57,654 --> 00:03:59,948 He's tattered and torn up. 57 00:04:01,115 --> 00:04:03,576 The new wounds are from American phosphorus grenades 58 00:04:03,576 --> 00:04:07,997 and mortars fired by U.S. defenders into the Germans behind him. 59 00:04:14,754 --> 00:04:20,301 Still smoldering, he stumbles toward the safety of a bunker to join defenses there. 60 00:04:23,846 --> 00:04:28,726 At Pillbox nine, Schmidt reaches a section of the famous Maginot Line. 61 00:04:31,104 --> 00:04:33,439 {\an8}The Maginot Line is a fortified line 62 00:04:33,439 --> 00:04:36,276 {\an8}that the French army erected after World War I, 63 00:04:36,276 --> 00:04:38,820 {\an8}and it covered from roughly the Swiss border 64 00:04:38,820 --> 00:04:40,613 {\an8}all the way up to the Belgian frontier. 65 00:04:42,740 --> 00:04:46,411 It contains massive reinforced concrete bunkers. 66 00:04:46,411 --> 00:04:49,789 Some of these bunkers were essentially underground cities. 67 00:04:49,789 --> 00:04:51,791 {\an8}You'd have large personnel bunkers. 68 00:04:51,791 --> 00:04:54,127 {\an8}You'd have all sorts of gun herds that would pop up 69 00:04:54,627 --> 00:04:56,045 on top of the bunkers. 70 00:04:56,045 --> 00:04:59,590 You'd have tunnels that would go between bunkers. 71 00:04:59,590 --> 00:05:03,094 The concrete could be more than 11 feet thick. 72 00:05:03,094 --> 00:05:05,471 So, they could be bombarded by aircraft bombs, 73 00:05:05,471 --> 00:05:09,726 by artillery, and yet the troops within would still be protected. 74 00:05:10,768 --> 00:05:14,105 The problem was when Germany invaded in 1940, 75 00:05:14,105 --> 00:05:15,982 they just went around it. 76 00:05:15,982 --> 00:05:18,735 So, the Germans never got through the Maginot Line. 77 00:05:18,735 --> 00:05:20,695 They instead avoided the Maginot Line and went through 78 00:05:20,695 --> 00:05:23,364 Belgium where the Maginot Line did not exist. 79 00:05:24,991 --> 00:05:27,452 American forces now occupy the bunkers which must 80 00:05:27,452 --> 00:05:33,374 once again protect the French border against German attackers from the east. 81 00:05:44,469 --> 00:05:48,765 Oberstleutnant Karl Proll and his 35th Panzergrenadier Regiment 82 00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:51,309 spearhead the assault into Hatten. 83 00:05:55,021 --> 00:05:58,566 Karl Proll is a former NCO who commissioned later. 84 00:05:58,566 --> 00:06:02,278 He gets promoted very quickly due to his command performance 85 00:06:02,278 --> 00:06:04,280 on the eastern front. 86 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:08,284 And he's the holder of some of the highest German military decorations. 87 00:06:17,377 --> 00:06:19,796 From the woods, the Panzergrenadiers cross 88 00:06:19,796 --> 00:06:22,590 a large field toward the pillboxes. 89 00:06:26,219 --> 00:06:29,097 The Germans believe that the bunkers are unmanned, 90 00:06:29,097 --> 00:06:32,308 but suddenly, they run into a fierce resistance. 91 00:06:34,352 --> 00:06:37,188 The lead elements come under fire from American mortar, 92 00:06:37,188 --> 00:06:39,399 machine guns and artillery. 93 00:06:43,361 --> 00:06:46,739 They suffer very heavy casualties in the frontal attack. 94 00:06:58,751 --> 00:07:01,587 The survivors retreat back to the trees. 95 00:07:03,423 --> 00:07:06,426 Proll, who is a veteran from the eastern front, 96 00:07:06,426 --> 00:07:08,302 knows he must be flexible now and 97 00:07:08,302 --> 00:07:10,721 change his tactics and pivot. 98 00:07:17,186 --> 00:07:19,397 Proll�s men and tanks must find a path between 99 00:07:19,397 --> 00:07:22,525 the American bunkers to attack Hatten directly. 100 00:07:25,570 --> 00:07:28,281 {\an8}Pillbox nine is one of a series of fortifications which 101 00:07:28,281 --> 00:07:31,784 {\an8}extend out up to a mile from the eastern edge of Hatten. 102 00:07:34,871 --> 00:07:36,747 {\an8}From a command post in the village, 103 00:07:36,747 --> 00:07:39,417 {\an8}A Company commander captain William Corson, 104 00:07:39,417 --> 00:07:41,252 coordinates the defenses. 105 00:07:41,252 --> 00:07:43,171 Pillbox five, come in. 106 00:07:43,171 --> 00:07:46,632 They�re connected through telephone lines with radio back up. 107 00:07:46,632 --> 00:07:50,803 Word trickles in from across the front about the German attacks. 108 00:07:52,013 --> 00:07:54,015 {\an8}Corson is doing what any commander wants to do in this 109 00:07:54,015 --> 00:07:56,476 {\an8}kind of circumstance, which is to gather as much 110 00:07:56,476 --> 00:07:58,436 {\an8}relevant information as he can. 111 00:07:58,436 --> 00:08:00,521 {\an8}And to do that, you have to stay in touch. 112 00:08:01,814 --> 00:08:04,734 His unit from the 242nd Infantry Regiment, 113 00:08:04,734 --> 00:08:09,113 of the 42nd Division, only recently arrived in Europe. 114 00:08:10,823 --> 00:08:13,576 American command sent them to the Alsace to finish 115 00:08:13,576 --> 00:08:16,537 their training in what should�ve been a quiet sector. 116 00:08:19,248 --> 00:08:21,709 The 42nd Division has these kind of strengths 117 00:08:21,709 --> 00:08:23,085 and weaknesses in that respect. 118 00:08:23,085 --> 00:08:26,255 The weakness is the inexperience, the kind of lack of organization, 119 00:08:26,255 --> 00:08:27,882 maybe the lack of confidence. 120 00:08:27,882 --> 00:08:32,136 But I think the strength is the, the newness of it might create a 121 00:08:32,136 --> 00:08:35,431 level of enthusiasm for fighting that may not be present in, 122 00:08:35,431 --> 00:08:37,266 in more hard-bitten units. 123 00:08:40,019 --> 00:08:44,315 In response to the attacks, headquarters staff of the 242nd prepare 124 00:08:44,315 --> 00:08:47,026 improvised defenses in the village. 125 00:08:50,321 --> 00:08:54,909 Personnel lay mines to prevent German vehicles from passing through. 126 00:09:00,373 --> 00:09:02,041 Their minefield blocks the road in front of 127 00:09:02,041 --> 00:09:05,419 the first battalion command post just across from the church. 128 00:09:12,385 --> 00:09:15,972 Above the minefield, soldiers with bazookas take up position 129 00:09:15,972 --> 00:09:18,057 in the church steeple. 130 00:09:25,731 --> 00:09:29,151 They join an American artillery observer who has been there all morning. 131 00:09:29,151 --> 00:09:32,280 To direct fire in support of the Pillboxes. 132 00:09:32,738 --> 00:09:35,366 The Artillery Observer, besides maybe the Commander, 133 00:09:35,366 --> 00:09:39,036 is arguably the most important person in a, in a World War II fight. 134 00:09:39,036 --> 00:09:40,955 The Artillery Observer is the person controlling 135 00:09:40,955 --> 00:09:44,625 the most important firepower, the deadliest firepower, 136 00:09:44,625 --> 00:09:46,419 especially on the American side, 137 00:09:46,419 --> 00:09:49,130 where the artillery is just a fearsome weapon. 138 00:09:51,257 --> 00:09:55,219 Back at Pillbox nine, Sergeant Alvin Cahoon, 139 00:09:55,219 --> 00:09:59,890 of A Company, had thrown back the first waves of 140 00:09:59,890 --> 00:10:02,268 the German assault against third Platoon�s position... 141 00:10:02,268 --> 00:10:04,186 Fire! 142 00:10:04,937 --> 00:10:07,523 With help from artillery and mortar fire. 143 00:10:08,482 --> 00:10:12,778 But to the south, he observes a dangerous development. 144 00:10:12,778 --> 00:10:17,575 German tanks and infantry break through between Pillboxes four and five. 145 00:10:25,875 --> 00:10:29,920 As the German tanks roll up, they have a chance to flank the bunkers, 146 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,173 and make a straight shot into Hatten. 147 00:10:40,806 --> 00:10:46,646 But suddenly, American bazooka rounds blast into their armor 148 00:10:46,646 --> 00:10:49,023 from high in the village church. 149 00:10:49,523 --> 00:10:51,484 It�s the best place to see any German units 150 00:10:51,484 --> 00:10:52,693 that are on the move. 151 00:10:52,693 --> 00:10:54,528 {\an8}German commander would certainly grasp that, 152 00:10:54,528 --> 00:10:56,822 {\an8}appreciate it, and would fixate immediately on that 153 00:10:56,822 --> 00:10:59,992 {\an8}church steeple as the, as the likely spot for an observer. 154 00:11:00,618 --> 00:11:02,328 The Germans return fire, 155 00:11:04,789 --> 00:11:06,874 and destroy the tower. 156 00:11:08,250 --> 00:11:10,336 The shots eliminate the bazooka teams 157 00:11:10,336 --> 00:11:13,172 and the U.S. Artillery observer posted there. 158 00:11:14,090 --> 00:11:16,258 This means the Americans can no longer count on 159 00:11:16,258 --> 00:11:18,135 accurate artillery support. 160 00:11:18,135 --> 00:11:21,305 The losses weaken their defenses in the village. 161 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,770 Below the steeple, personnel at the first Battalion Command Post 162 00:11:27,770 --> 00:11:30,815 take up positions to actively defend Hatten. 163 00:11:41,033 --> 00:11:45,496 Private First-Class Vito Bertoldo is one of the guards. 164 00:11:45,496 --> 00:11:48,499 He has bad eyesight, which obviously can be an issue 165 00:11:48,499 --> 00:11:50,292 and yet he wants to be there. 166 00:11:50,292 --> 00:11:51,794 So, he had volunteered. 167 00:11:51,794 --> 00:11:53,546 He had tried very hard to get into the Army. 168 00:11:53,546 --> 00:11:54,547 Initially, they turned him away. 169 00:11:54,547 --> 00:11:58,092 Of course, as the war unfolds the standards get a little lower 170 00:11:58,092 --> 00:12:01,178 and they need more people, so he gets in on that basis, 171 00:12:01,178 --> 00:12:02,972 but he becomes a cook. 172 00:12:03,514 --> 00:12:06,726 Bertoldo wasn�t really happy in this supporting role. 173 00:12:06,726 --> 00:12:09,770 Bertoldo has already been something of a problem child 174 00:12:09,770 --> 00:12:11,397 for his Mess Sergeant. 175 00:12:11,397 --> 00:12:14,567 If you have a soldier you perceive as a problem or 176 00:12:14,567 --> 00:12:17,027 not that good, you�re going to want to put him where you think 177 00:12:17,027 --> 00:12:18,237 he�s going to do the least harm. 178 00:12:18,654 --> 00:12:20,030 After arriving in Europe, 179 00:12:20,030 --> 00:12:23,242 Bertoldo�s senior officer, Captain William Corson, 180 00:12:23,701 --> 00:12:26,454 transfers him to guard duty in Hatten. 181 00:12:27,246 --> 00:12:29,373 The transfer is not a promotion at all. 182 00:12:29,373 --> 00:12:31,667 It�s kind of a sidelining in a way. 183 00:12:36,422 --> 00:12:39,091 But for Bertoldo, as a guard he�s one step closer 184 00:12:39,091 --> 00:12:40,718 to fighting Germans. 185 00:12:42,136 --> 00:12:44,054 Bertoldo has been bragging to his buddies 186 00:12:44,054 --> 00:12:47,308 about how, you know, if he gets a crack at the Germans, man, 187 00:12:47,308 --> 00:12:49,351 what a hero he�s going to be. 188 00:12:49,351 --> 00:12:50,853 There�s so many stories like that, 189 00:12:50,853 --> 00:12:54,398 and the end of that story is almost always this guy talked 190 00:12:54,398 --> 00:12:56,901 a big game, but when the bullets flew, 191 00:12:56,901 --> 00:12:58,986 he was, you know, in a ditch. 192 00:13:00,029 --> 00:13:02,281 The former cook now sets up a machine gun in 193 00:13:02,281 --> 00:13:04,074 the doorway and waits. 194 00:13:11,665 --> 00:13:14,293 As German rounds pepper the Battalion Command Post... 195 00:13:22,843 --> 00:13:23,886 Sergeant! 196 00:13:23,886 --> 00:13:27,348 Enemy artillery knocks out the communication system. 197 00:13:27,848 --> 00:13:30,643 Before the attack, Captain Corson had direct lines 198 00:13:30,643 --> 00:13:32,436 to each of the Pillboxes. 199 00:13:34,647 --> 00:13:36,732 Now he�s cut off. 200 00:13:36,732 --> 00:13:41,237 The Commander always has to decide where to place himself on the battlefield. 201 00:13:41,237 --> 00:13:43,405 So, where is it appropriate for him to be? 202 00:13:47,618 --> 00:13:49,495 Corson leaves the command post. 203 00:13:51,205 --> 00:13:55,459 He sets out to re-connect with his forward troops in the Pillboxes. 204 00:13:59,088 --> 00:14:03,217 As American artillery falters, Oberstleutnant Karl Proll�s men 205 00:14:03,217 --> 00:14:06,011 renew their attacks on the northern bunkers. 206 00:14:11,725 --> 00:14:14,270 Pillbox nine holds out, 207 00:14:15,729 --> 00:14:18,274 but other U.S. positions give way. 208 00:14:30,619 --> 00:14:32,746 Further south... 209 00:14:32,746 --> 00:14:35,624 {\an8}The Jagdtiger was the largest, most powerful 210 00:14:35,624 --> 00:14:37,376 {\an8}armored vehicle of World War II. 211 00:14:38,961 --> 00:14:42,590 {\an8}The basic chassis was the same as the Royal Tiger heavy tank, 212 00:14:42,590 --> 00:14:46,010 {\an8}except that instead of having a turret with an 88-millimeter gun, 213 00:14:46,010 --> 00:14:50,097 {\an8}it had a fixed superstructure with even thicker armor and 214 00:14:50,097 --> 00:14:53,851 an even more powerful 128-millimeter gun. 215 00:14:53,851 --> 00:14:56,520 {\an8}Used to attack and kill enemy tanks, 216 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,441 {\an8}the 128-millimeter gun weighs five and a half tons 217 00:15:00,441 --> 00:15:03,736 {\an8}and can penetrate seven and a half feet of concrete at a range 218 00:15:03,736 --> 00:15:05,738 {\an8}of over half a mile. 219 00:15:07,489 --> 00:15:09,575 During the time of the fighting in Alsace, 220 00:15:09,575 --> 00:15:11,869 the German troops started to run into 221 00:15:11,869 --> 00:15:14,788 the old Maginot Line bunkers for defense. 222 00:15:14,788 --> 00:15:17,082 Adolf Hitler heard about this, and he said, 223 00:15:17,082 --> 00:15:19,209 "Ah-ha, I have the ideal weapon. 224 00:15:19,209 --> 00:15:22,338 Send some Jagdtigers down and have these powerful Jagdtigers 225 00:15:22,338 --> 00:15:24,340 blast away at the bunkers." 226 00:15:30,054 --> 00:15:32,097 As tanks and Panzergrenadiers attack 227 00:15:32,097 --> 00:15:35,267 along the line, the American Pillboxes fall. 228 00:15:41,315 --> 00:15:44,610 Captain William Corson speeds toward Pillbox nine, 229 00:15:44,610 --> 00:15:47,071 hoping to re-establish communications. 230 00:15:48,697 --> 00:15:49,990 As he nears the bunker... 231 00:15:51,617 --> 00:15:53,369 The jeep comes under fire. 232 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:58,040 They bail out and find refuge in an empty mortar position. 233 00:16:01,710 --> 00:16:04,713 Corson decides to make a run for the Pillbox. 234 00:16:05,881 --> 00:16:08,550 This incident is a classic example of 235 00:16:08,550 --> 00:16:10,344 something you see in ground combat. 236 00:16:10,344 --> 00:16:13,138 Simple things become really difficult. 237 00:16:13,138 --> 00:16:15,516 He gets pinned down; he doesn�t know what�s going on. 238 00:16:15,516 --> 00:16:17,518 The communications are spotty. 239 00:16:17,518 --> 00:16:19,269 {\an8}Now, the simplest things become 240 00:16:19,269 --> 00:16:21,188 {\an8}extraordinarily difficult and deadly. 241 00:16:22,231 --> 00:16:23,941 He leaves a walkie-talkie with one of 242 00:16:23,941 --> 00:16:27,152 his men at the jeep, to act as a relay for messages back 243 00:16:27,152 --> 00:16:29,697 to first Battalion in Hatten. 244 00:16:33,242 --> 00:16:35,953 With the Americans at the Pillboxes in a fight for their lives, 245 00:16:35,953 --> 00:16:37,955 German tanks and Panzergrenadiers 246 00:16:37,955 --> 00:16:40,374 press further into the village. 247 00:16:41,917 --> 00:16:44,128 This is supposed to be in a rear area. 248 00:16:44,128 --> 00:16:46,088 I mean, technically, okay? 249 00:16:46,088 --> 00:16:47,756 So, here�s the first thing that�s gone wrong, 250 00:16:47,756 --> 00:16:50,968 all of a sudden, the Germans are there at this command post, 251 00:16:51,343 --> 00:16:53,637 a place where they were never supposed to be. 252 00:17:22,958 --> 00:17:25,377 {\an8}Fortunately, the makeshift minefield outside 253 00:17:25,377 --> 00:17:28,338 {\an8}the U.S. 242nd Infantry Regiment, 254 00:17:28,338 --> 00:17:32,051 first battalion command post halts the German advance. 255 00:17:45,314 --> 00:17:48,567 Oberstleutnant Karl Proll�s Panzergrenadiers move out front 256 00:17:48,567 --> 00:17:50,736 to clear the mines. 257 00:17:55,991 --> 00:17:58,077 Private First-Class Vito Bertoldo doesn�t have 258 00:17:58,452 --> 00:18:01,080 a clear shot from the command post doorway. 259 00:18:04,124 --> 00:18:06,543 He decides to find a better angle. 260 00:18:06,543 --> 00:18:11,048 They take the machine gun into the middle of the street and set it up. 261 00:18:25,479 --> 00:18:26,396 Here! 262 00:18:26,396 --> 00:18:28,690 In full sight of attacking enemy soldiers, 263 00:18:28,690 --> 00:18:31,485 American Private First-Class Vito Bertoldo 264 00:18:31,485 --> 00:18:33,987 opens fire with his machine gun. 265 00:18:39,827 --> 00:18:42,454 He targets the German panzer units who attempt to clear 266 00:18:42,454 --> 00:18:45,624 a minefield that blocks the advance of their tanks. 267 00:18:53,132 --> 00:18:56,343 Bertoldo forces their retreat. 268 00:19:00,514 --> 00:19:03,976 He and his assistant pick up the machine gun to relocate. 269 00:19:05,936 --> 00:19:08,814 {\an8}Bertoldo, has been trained like any other soldier, 270 00:19:08,814 --> 00:19:12,234 {\an8}that a, an effective machine gunner displaces. 271 00:19:12,234 --> 00:19:14,778 Because of course, a machine gun is the target for the enemy. 272 00:19:14,778 --> 00:19:16,864 It's a deadly weapon. 273 00:19:20,784 --> 00:19:23,745 Outside Hatten, Captain William Corson breaks 274 00:19:23,745 --> 00:19:27,124 through the German fire and arrives at Pillbox nine. 275 00:19:28,750 --> 00:19:32,254 He finds Sergeant Alvin Cahoon and other members of A Company, 276 00:19:32,254 --> 00:19:35,424 of the 242nd Infantry Regiment. 277 00:19:37,551 --> 00:19:38,719 But they�re low on ammunition and 278 00:19:38,719 --> 00:19:41,597 have many wounded who need evacuation. 279 00:19:44,349 --> 00:19:46,810 By this time, most of the American defenses along 280 00:19:46,810 --> 00:19:49,563 {\an8}their sector of the Maginot Line have crumbled, 281 00:19:50,022 --> 00:19:53,233 {\an8}but Pillbox nine in the north continues to resist. 282 00:19:55,402 --> 00:19:58,238 Corson relays the regimental orders; 283 00:19:58,238 --> 00:20:01,533 to continue to hold at all costs. 284 00:20:01,867 --> 00:20:03,994 We are requesting artillery support. 285 00:20:03,994 --> 00:20:05,162 Copy. 286 00:20:05,162 --> 00:20:07,748 He also tries to contact his relay man at 287 00:20:07,748 --> 00:20:11,168 the jeep but can�t get through. 288 00:20:13,587 --> 00:20:15,255 He decides to wait until dark and 289 00:20:15,255 --> 00:20:17,758 then return to Hatten to get help. 290 00:20:21,220 --> 00:20:23,555 {\an8}If the Pillbox falls and Hatten can be flanked from 291 00:20:23,555 --> 00:20:26,516 {\an8}the north, it makes the Alsace region 292 00:20:26,516 --> 00:20:29,895 {\an8}and its newly liberated capital Strasbourg, vulnerable. 293 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,776 In the early part of operation Nordwind, 294 00:20:35,776 --> 00:20:37,778 Supreme commander Dwight D. Eisenhower 295 00:20:37,778 --> 00:20:42,115 was ready to yield territory here, including Strasbourg. 296 00:20:43,450 --> 00:20:45,911 Eisenhower is really focused on attacking Germany from 297 00:20:45,911 --> 00:20:49,331 the north and the Alsace region is too far south 298 00:20:49,331 --> 00:20:52,751 {\an8}he doesn't consider it to be particularly important and so 299 00:20:52,751 --> 00:20:54,503 {\an8}for Eisenhower it would actually make more sense just 300 00:20:54,503 --> 00:20:56,922 to simply withdraw from that front all together, 301 00:20:56,922 --> 00:21:00,842 and really put the focus on the rush to Berlin. 302 00:21:03,053 --> 00:21:06,473 The proposal nearly causes a mutiny amongst French forces. 303 00:21:09,268 --> 00:21:11,645 The Alsace region, it's been going back and forth 304 00:21:11,645 --> 00:21:14,398 between the French and the Germans for centuries, 305 00:21:14,398 --> 00:21:17,567 but what's so very important about it in this period is that 306 00:21:17,567 --> 00:21:21,905 the free French have liberated Strasbourg and so of course it's 307 00:21:21,905 --> 00:21:25,033 emotionally very, very important and a potent symbol 308 00:21:25,033 --> 00:21:28,912 for the French and they're damned if they're going to give it up again. 309 00:21:40,841 --> 00:21:42,926 In Hatten, German infantry and tanks 310 00:21:42,926 --> 00:21:46,763 launch a fresh attack against the first Battalion headquarters. 311 00:21:49,266 --> 00:21:50,892 Under covering fire, 312 00:21:50,892 --> 00:21:55,522 Panzergrenadier troops once again move forward to clear the minefield. 313 00:21:56,815 --> 00:21:59,818 Which anchors the American defenses in the sector. 314 00:22:01,111 --> 00:22:03,739 The minefield is how you're going to restrict German mobility, 315 00:22:03,739 --> 00:22:05,240 it's how you're going to buy time. 316 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:06,908 And that's a big part of the battle of Hatten, 317 00:22:06,908 --> 00:22:09,786 is to, to buy time, to get reinforcements. 318 00:22:10,620 --> 00:22:12,331 And it could be better. 319 00:22:13,665 --> 00:22:15,250 {\an8}What you hope, from the American standpoint, 320 00:22:15,250 --> 00:22:17,294 {\an8}is that a tank comes in and blows off a mine, 321 00:22:17,294 --> 00:22:19,171 blows a tread, is immobilized, 322 00:22:19,171 --> 00:22:21,923 and now becomes a kind of a nice roadblock there. 323 00:22:23,050 --> 00:22:24,926 In a house from which they can monitor the approach to 324 00:22:24,926 --> 00:22:29,473 the command post and the minefield, 325 00:22:29,473 --> 00:22:31,641 Private First-Class Vito Bertoldo and 326 00:22:31,641 --> 00:22:34,227 his assistant set up their machine gun. 327 00:22:35,562 --> 00:22:37,105 {\an8}The gunner's assistant does a number of things. 328 00:22:37,564 --> 00:22:40,984 {\an8}The most obvious is that he helps feed the ammunition into 329 00:22:40,984 --> 00:22:44,363 {\an8}the machine gun, but he has a secondary role of defending 330 00:22:44,821 --> 00:22:48,325 the machine gun against approaching enemy troops. 331 00:22:49,076 --> 00:22:51,286 They secure the weapon to a table. 332 00:22:52,996 --> 00:22:55,415 A light machine gun is usually mounted on a tripod. 333 00:22:55,415 --> 00:22:58,210 It has little feet on the end of it to dig into the ground. 334 00:22:58,210 --> 00:23:00,295 So, by strapping it to the table, 335 00:23:00,295 --> 00:23:02,297 he could keep the machine gun stable 336 00:23:02,297 --> 00:23:04,341 and therefore, fire more accurately. 337 00:23:11,807 --> 00:23:15,185 Bertoldo opens up with his tabletop machine gun. 338 00:23:25,862 --> 00:23:27,864 Once more, his fierce fire forces 339 00:23:27,864 --> 00:23:30,367 the German troops to pull back. 340 00:23:33,870 --> 00:23:37,749 But this time, the enemy tank pinpoints Bertoldo�s position. 341 00:23:38,417 --> 00:23:42,045 And from 75 yards, fires directly at his window. 342 00:23:42,045 --> 00:23:43,088 Fire! 343 00:23:48,885 --> 00:23:51,555 The tank round punches through the room. 344 00:23:53,723 --> 00:23:54,683 As the dust settles, 345 00:23:54,683 --> 00:24:00,564 Private First-Class Vito Bertoldo and his assistant are thrown back, 346 00:24:00,564 --> 00:24:02,774 but amazingly, remain unhurt. 347 00:24:03,316 --> 00:24:06,111 He gets a little lucky because the tank is firing 348 00:24:06,111 --> 00:24:08,113 an armor piercing round. 349 00:24:08,113 --> 00:24:12,033 {\an8}It's not pleasant when a shell comes into your room like that. 350 00:24:12,033 --> 00:24:14,661 {\an8}Uh, the concussive effect is, is terrific. 351 00:24:15,078 --> 00:24:17,956 But it's not as deadly as it would be if it were 352 00:24:18,373 --> 00:24:19,833 a high explosive round. 353 00:24:20,625 --> 00:24:23,378 Bertoldo crawls back to the table. 354 00:24:24,629 --> 00:24:27,716 The tank still sits just beyond the minefield. 355 00:24:30,135 --> 00:24:33,472 When he reaches the machine gun, he opens fire again. 356 00:24:36,099 --> 00:24:37,642 Firing a machine gun at a tank, 357 00:24:37,642 --> 00:24:39,978 there's a level of insanity to that. 358 00:24:40,395 --> 00:24:42,397 You are not going to penetrate the tank. 359 00:24:42,814 --> 00:24:44,858 You're going to give away your position. 360 00:24:47,486 --> 00:24:51,698 A German Tank Commander emerges from the hatch to get a better look. 361 00:24:53,450 --> 00:24:55,827 Bertoldo grabs a rifle. 362 00:24:56,203 --> 00:24:59,122 At a range of 75 yards, he takes a shot... 363 00:25:00,916 --> 00:25:03,251 And kills the German officer. 364 00:25:08,006 --> 00:25:10,550 Bertoldo continues his defense of the minefield to 365 00:25:10,550 --> 00:25:13,094 hold the German armor at bay. 366 00:25:14,763 --> 00:25:16,473 How the battle is going to turn out, 367 00:25:16,890 --> 00:25:19,976 that's really still up in the air at this stage. 368 00:25:19,976 --> 00:25:24,064 A lot�s going to depend on what happens next with Bertoldo, 369 00:25:24,481 --> 00:25:26,983 whether he's able to, to stop any kind of German push deeper 370 00:25:26,983 --> 00:25:29,778 into Hatten and whether there's going to be any reinforcements 371 00:25:29,778 --> 00:25:32,280 in a reasonable amount of time. 372 00:25:35,283 --> 00:25:38,161 Meanwhile at Pillbox nine, 373 00:25:38,161 --> 00:25:41,957 Captain William Corson waits for dark to sneak back into Hatten. 374 00:25:43,875 --> 00:25:46,586 He moves to an aperture to observe the German assault and 375 00:25:46,586 --> 00:25:49,506 gauge the status of the nearby Pillboxes. 376 00:25:51,466 --> 00:25:54,803 He hopes when he gets back to the village, with access to a radio, 377 00:25:54,803 --> 00:25:58,265 he can call in artillery positions, send ammunition, 378 00:25:58,265 --> 00:26:00,850 and alleviate the pressure on the Pillbox. 379 00:26:05,105 --> 00:26:09,693 Without warning, an artillery blast hits the turret and sends Corson flying. 380 00:26:20,787 --> 00:26:21,997 As the sun sets, 381 00:26:21,997 --> 00:26:25,709 German Panzergrenadiers close in on Pillbox nine. 382 00:26:26,376 --> 00:26:28,044 As an elite infantry unit, 383 00:26:28,044 --> 00:26:31,214 Oberstleutnant Karl Proll�s troops fill the gaps between 384 00:26:31,214 --> 00:26:33,466 tanks and other armor with their weapons 385 00:26:33,466 --> 00:26:36,303 and respond quickly as the battle evolves. 386 00:26:40,473 --> 00:26:44,853 Armor is rarely effective in fighting directly against bunkers. 387 00:26:44,853 --> 00:26:48,607 Much better, suited are armored infantry, 388 00:26:48,607 --> 00:26:52,277 or Panzergrenadiers, because when they fought dismounted, 389 00:26:52,277 --> 00:26:56,114 {\an8}they can recognize better the weak spot in the defense system 390 00:26:56,114 --> 00:26:59,701 {\an8}and also protect tanks in the flanks. 391 00:27:11,254 --> 00:27:12,839 With Captain Corson wounded, 392 00:27:12,839 --> 00:27:16,509 Sergeant Alvin Cahoon faces difficult choices. 393 00:27:19,137 --> 00:27:21,931 The intensity of the German fire increases. 394 00:27:26,603 --> 00:27:28,938 With the men outside running out of ammunition 395 00:27:28,938 --> 00:27:30,940 and the wounded piling up, 396 00:27:30,940 --> 00:27:34,944 Cahoon orders them to return to the relative safety of the bunker. 397 00:27:36,529 --> 00:27:37,822 We tend to think of these bunkers 398 00:27:37,822 --> 00:27:39,407 and Pillboxes in World War II 399 00:27:39,407 --> 00:27:42,452 as these incredible, impervious fortifications. 400 00:27:42,452 --> 00:27:44,579 But I think it's important to kind of step back and remember, 401 00:27:44,579 --> 00:27:47,624 there's just scared groups of men in there. 402 00:27:47,624 --> 00:27:53,296 And their view of the world is really limited to the small apertures they got. 403 00:27:58,259 --> 00:28:01,304 In the darkness, Cahoon and his men hear sounds around, 404 00:28:01,304 --> 00:28:03,807 and on the roof of their bunker. 405 00:28:16,236 --> 00:28:20,198 Trapped inside the Pillbox, they listen as German engineers stuff 406 00:28:20,198 --> 00:28:22,867 explosives down the ventilation tubes. 407 00:28:24,619 --> 00:28:25,912 Between the time they were built in the 1930s 408 00:28:26,371 --> 00:28:30,583 {\an8}and the time they saw combat in 1945, in many cases, 409 00:28:30,583 --> 00:28:33,837 {\an8}the German army had come in and stripped out a lot of the steel work 410 00:28:34,254 --> 00:28:37,882 to be put into the Atlantic wall along the Normandy coast. 411 00:28:37,882 --> 00:28:40,301 And so, they suddenly became vulnerable to attacks 412 00:28:40,301 --> 00:28:42,345 from unusual directions. 413 00:28:42,345 --> 00:28:46,725 On some of these bunkers, the ventilation shafts could be an Achilles heel. 414 00:28:48,017 --> 00:28:50,562 Cahoon has no way to fight back. 415 00:28:50,562 --> 00:28:53,815 If the explosives detonate, they won�t survive. 416 00:28:55,442 --> 00:28:57,944 He's run out of ammo, he's not in communication with 417 00:28:57,944 --> 00:29:00,989 larger units that he knows are going to come and help him. 418 00:29:00,989 --> 00:29:03,116 He can't get his people out of there. 419 00:29:06,161 --> 00:29:08,747 He consults with his Captain William Corson, 420 00:29:08,747 --> 00:29:10,749 who�s injured, but alive. 421 00:29:11,875 --> 00:29:13,168 The Germans are basically everywhere, 422 00:29:13,168 --> 00:29:15,170 and he feels there's no purpose in, 423 00:29:15,170 --> 00:29:18,673 {\an8}you know, just dying there and destroying the lives of his men. 424 00:29:18,673 --> 00:29:20,884 {\an8}And so, he decides to surrender. 425 00:29:29,225 --> 00:29:31,227 Corson agrees. 426 00:29:38,735 --> 00:29:41,654 Cahoon shouts to the Germans on the roof. 427 00:29:45,492 --> 00:29:48,870 The remains of A Company file out of Pillbox nine with 428 00:29:48,870 --> 00:29:51,414 their wounded comrades and commander. 429 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,839 As the last of the Maginot Line defenders in the sector, 430 00:29:59,839 --> 00:30:02,300 they�re captured as prisoners of war. 431 00:30:07,222 --> 00:30:10,433 With the American resistance eliminated outside of the village, 432 00:30:10,433 --> 00:30:13,520 the Germans can sweep into Hatten unopposed. 433 00:30:19,609 --> 00:30:22,195 On the night of January 9th, 1945, 434 00:30:22,195 --> 00:30:24,614 in northeastern France, 435 00:30:27,116 --> 00:30:29,452 the new main line of resistance for U.S. forces 436 00:30:29,452 --> 00:30:32,747 in the region becomes the village of Hatten itself. 437 00:30:37,418 --> 00:30:39,504 {\an8}After the fall of Pillbox nine, 438 00:30:39,504 --> 00:30:41,965 {\an8}command posts of the first and second Battalions, 439 00:30:41,965 --> 00:30:44,509 {\an8}242nd Infantry Regiment, 440 00:30:44,509 --> 00:30:47,387 {\an8}still hold the line in the eastern part of town. 441 00:30:49,097 --> 00:30:51,266 But they need reinforcements. 442 00:30:53,810 --> 00:30:55,812 When the Germans launched one of these local attacks, 443 00:30:55,812 --> 00:30:57,981 the Americans then react and then they come back 444 00:30:57,981 --> 00:31:00,817 with more stuff, more firepower, more people. 445 00:31:00,817 --> 00:31:03,278 {\an8}So, it's a very uncomplicated, unambiguous. 446 00:31:03,695 --> 00:31:06,948 {\an8}Go back in, take the town and just sort of reverse the situation. 447 00:31:08,950 --> 00:31:11,578 In the meantime, first Battalion relocates its 448 00:31:11,578 --> 00:31:15,415 command post away from the church to a more secure position. 449 00:31:20,086 --> 00:31:22,547 Private First-Class Vito Bertoldo volunteers to 450 00:31:22,547 --> 00:31:26,009 remain on guard duty through the night to cover the move. 451 00:31:32,849 --> 00:31:34,851 Why does he do it? 452 00:31:34,851 --> 00:31:37,687 I would doubt that he does it because he has a death wish. 453 00:31:38,938 --> 00:31:44,068 But I think that he�s ready to embrace death if that�s what it takes. 454 00:31:44,068 --> 00:31:47,614 And that is a really amazing thing to consider. 455 00:31:51,743 --> 00:31:54,412 Just after dawn, the Germans are first off 456 00:31:54,412 --> 00:31:58,583 the mark and launch their own attack before the Americans get started. 457 00:31:59,959 --> 00:32:02,962 The Germans are eager to push the Americans out of Hatten 458 00:32:02,962 --> 00:32:06,090 and advance further towards Strasbourg. 459 00:32:06,507 --> 00:32:10,136 {\an8}It has got a very high symbolical value. 460 00:32:10,136 --> 00:32:13,973 The capital of Alsace should remain German, 461 00:32:13,973 --> 00:32:17,185 this is the way the Nazis think. 462 00:32:24,192 --> 00:32:27,695 Arriving American reinforcements block the German advance, 463 00:32:29,030 --> 00:32:31,074 but can�t push far enough into Hatten to relieve 464 00:32:31,074 --> 00:32:33,368 Bertoldo and the command posts. 465 00:32:40,124 --> 00:32:45,129 As the day wears on, Bertoldo remains in his position in front of the minefield. 466 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:58,184 German troops try repeatedly to clear the mines which block 467 00:32:58,184 --> 00:33:00,937 the road and hold back the tanks. 468 00:33:04,607 --> 00:33:09,320 Bertoldo uses bursts from his machine gun to drive them off. 469 00:33:17,328 --> 00:33:20,456 The German soldiers scatter and the tank backs away. 470 00:33:23,084 --> 00:33:27,547 Bertoldo and his assistant gunner reload and wait for the next assault. 471 00:33:28,923 --> 00:33:30,133 Bertoldo and his buddy are, 472 00:33:30,133 --> 00:33:32,385 you know, chalking on the wall or writing on the wall, 473 00:33:32,385 --> 00:33:35,888 to keep track of the damage they think they've inflicted. 474 00:33:35,888 --> 00:33:38,266 If that helped pass the time, 475 00:33:38,266 --> 00:33:39,392 if that helped keep the, the mind, 476 00:33:39,392 --> 00:33:42,478 you know, all good, great. 477 00:33:43,938 --> 00:33:48,985 All of a sudden, the lull is shattered, 478 00:33:48,985 --> 00:33:50,945 and the room ripped apart. 479 00:33:50,945 --> 00:33:53,948 A blast knocks Bertoldo down. 480 00:33:57,827 --> 00:34:01,414 After the explosion he crawls over to aid his assistant gunner, 481 00:34:01,414 --> 00:34:03,624 despite being injured himself. 482 00:34:07,587 --> 00:34:10,465 His buddy is pretty badly wounded, and so, 483 00:34:10,465 --> 00:34:13,760 he helps patch him up and get him out of there, 484 00:34:14,177 --> 00:34:16,262 all of which had to be very difficult. 485 00:34:22,018 --> 00:34:25,730 With his assistant out of harm�s way and the dust clearing, 486 00:34:25,730 --> 00:34:31,611 Bertoldo looks out and sees the barrel of an enemy tank 487 00:34:31,611 --> 00:34:33,654 which had crept up a side road. 488 00:34:34,947 --> 00:34:39,744 Before he can act, the tank bursts into flames. 489 00:34:41,871 --> 00:34:43,873 An American bazooka team on the second floor 490 00:34:43,873 --> 00:34:46,459 scores a direct hit. 491 00:34:48,086 --> 00:34:51,005 Blazing, the panzer kicks into reverse. 492 00:34:54,050 --> 00:34:56,928 Bertoldo opens up with his machine gun. 493 00:35:00,264 --> 00:35:03,017 There's an anger side to what he does. 494 00:35:06,354 --> 00:35:07,855 It's time to inflict damage on the Germans because of what 495 00:35:07,855 --> 00:35:10,024 they had done to his buddy. 496 00:35:11,984 --> 00:35:14,195 The battle's just become personal for Bertoldo. 497 00:35:21,369 --> 00:35:22,954 Holding them responsible for the wounds 498 00:35:22,954 --> 00:35:24,747 suffered by his assistant gunner, 499 00:35:24,747 --> 00:35:27,291 Private First-Class Vito Bertoldo targets 500 00:35:27,792 --> 00:35:30,628 the German soldiers who flee the burning tank. 501 00:35:45,059 --> 00:35:48,187 By 2300 hours on January 10th, 502 00:35:50,398 --> 00:35:55,194 orders come down for the remains of the 242nd Infantry Regiment 503 00:35:55,194 --> 00:35:59,490 to retreat from Hatten to the safety of another village to the west. 504 00:36:00,241 --> 00:36:02,451 The depleted battalions have held out since the attack 505 00:36:02,451 --> 00:36:04,871 started early the day before. 506 00:36:06,289 --> 00:36:07,832 They come back in small groups. 507 00:36:07,832 --> 00:36:10,710 They're, one person covering another, 508 00:36:10,710 --> 00:36:13,754 filtering through the buildings, going through the shadows. 509 00:36:13,754 --> 00:36:15,089 Take it out with a grenade. 510 00:36:15,089 --> 00:36:17,425 However you can escape, you are going to do it. 511 00:36:17,425 --> 00:36:18,843 Move! Move! Move! 512 00:36:18,843 --> 00:36:20,386 To add to the confusion, 513 00:36:20,386 --> 00:36:23,681 replacement units fight their way forward at the same time. 514 00:36:34,859 --> 00:36:37,195 Bertoldo, now without his assistant, 515 00:36:37,195 --> 00:36:42,116 once more volunteers to provide covering fire for the retreating troops. 516 00:36:43,951 --> 00:36:47,246 {\an8}The looming question for anybody who's covering withdrawal is, 517 00:36:47,246 --> 00:36:48,623 {\an8}you know, when the time comes, 518 00:36:48,623 --> 00:36:51,125 {\an8}am I myself going to be able to get away? 519 00:36:53,836 --> 00:36:55,546 In the dark, German soldiers reach 520 00:36:55,546 --> 00:36:59,800 the battalion command post and advance beneath Bertoldo�s line of fire. 521 00:37:01,552 --> 00:37:05,514 From this position, he doesn�t have a shot with his machine gun. 522 00:37:11,062 --> 00:37:14,398 Instead, he reaches for some phosphorus grenades. 523 00:37:16,567 --> 00:37:19,320 Weapons containing the element phosphorus are often 524 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,365 used to create smokescreens for concealment. 525 00:37:23,699 --> 00:37:27,161 When phosphorus comes into contact with oxygen in the air, 526 00:37:27,161 --> 00:37:29,956 it ignites spontaneously and burns at temperatures over 527 00:37:30,414 --> 00:37:34,335 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit to create thick smoke. 528 00:37:36,128 --> 00:37:38,673 Phosphorus grenades and artillery rounds can also be 529 00:37:38,673 --> 00:37:42,301 used as an incendiary to set targets on fire. 530 00:37:42,468 --> 00:37:45,263 Humans are often caught up in the flames. 531 00:37:45,263 --> 00:37:47,014 It's a terrifying weapon too, 532 00:37:47,014 --> 00:37:49,475 because it doesn't take much to cause some damage. 533 00:37:49,475 --> 00:37:53,229 The white phosphorous grenade has a pretty decent radius of, 534 00:37:53,229 --> 00:37:56,732 you know, 20 or so yards in which the shards could come 535 00:37:56,732 --> 00:37:59,777 and get on you and start to burn through your skin. 536 00:38:00,403 --> 00:38:02,363 While water puts the flames out, 537 00:38:02,363 --> 00:38:05,491 phosphorus will reignite when it evaporates. 538 00:38:23,175 --> 00:38:26,429 Soldiers scatter from Bertoldo�s salvo. 539 00:38:29,015 --> 00:38:31,809 The Germans must eliminate the American opposition which still 540 00:38:31,809 --> 00:38:33,811 holds up their advance. 541 00:38:39,900 --> 00:38:43,404 And once more, Bertoldo�s thrown from his feet. 542 00:38:45,364 --> 00:38:46,699 It's possible that maybe there is, 543 00:38:46,699 --> 00:38:51,495 on the German side, somebody directing the fire of the tank to where he is. 544 00:38:51,495 --> 00:38:53,873 Especially after the white phosphorous grenades 545 00:38:53,873 --> 00:38:57,960 have come into play, and this creates perhaps more urgency to get the guy. 546 00:38:59,211 --> 00:39:02,048 A German tank has locked on to his window. 547 00:39:04,550 --> 00:39:07,136 Concussion again had to be terrific. 548 00:39:07,136 --> 00:39:10,056 I don't know what it meant on an auditory level, 549 00:39:10,056 --> 00:39:13,851 but it couldn't have done anything good for his ears and his hearing. 550 00:39:15,311 --> 00:39:19,148 But of course, more immediate, for him, is it destroys his glasses. 551 00:39:20,232 --> 00:39:23,110 And renders his machine gun inoperable. 552 00:39:23,110 --> 00:39:26,364 Bertoldo refuses to concede. 553 00:39:26,364 --> 00:39:31,035 He switches to a rifle and continues to target German soldiers in the street. 554 00:39:39,335 --> 00:39:41,712 Bertoldo has fought with everything he has. 555 00:39:41,712 --> 00:39:44,215 He's used some nice, innovative thinking. 556 00:39:44,215 --> 00:39:47,468 He's brought plenty of courage to the table. 557 00:40:09,532 --> 00:40:11,909 Finally, after defending the minefield for 558 00:40:11,909 --> 00:40:16,455 two days, Bertoldo is told to withdraw himself. 559 00:40:42,565 --> 00:40:46,277 Bertoldo and members of the 242nd Infantry Regiment, 560 00:40:46,277 --> 00:40:49,238 prevent the Germans from sweeping through Hatten. 561 00:40:53,576 --> 00:40:57,204 The grueling battle continues in the village for ten more days. 562 00:40:59,206 --> 00:41:02,418 The delay thwarts the march to recapture Strasbourg. 563 00:41:04,003 --> 00:41:09,133 Fighting throughout January in 1945 is absolutely vicious. 564 00:41:09,133 --> 00:41:12,428 {\an8}There's bitter street to street, house to house fighting. 565 00:41:12,428 --> 00:41:14,930 And of course not only is this terribly destructive for 566 00:41:14,930 --> 00:41:18,726 the population, but also for the infrastructure of these beautiful towns. 567 00:41:18,726 --> 00:41:20,811 Some of them are completely destroyed. 568 00:41:21,437 --> 00:41:23,689 Himmler�s plan ultimately fails, 569 00:41:23,689 --> 00:41:26,400 and he can�t deliver Strasbourg to the Fuhrer to commemorate 570 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:29,653 the 12th anniversary of the third Reich. 571 00:41:31,989 --> 00:41:35,034 This doesn't hinder Hitler from promoting Himmler 572 00:41:35,034 --> 00:41:40,080 again to take over command of army group Weichsel on the eastern front. 573 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:43,584 {\an8}So, Himmler pursues his military career despite the fact 574 00:41:43,584 --> 00:41:46,837 {\an8}that he has utterly failed in his first job. 575 00:41:48,631 --> 00:41:50,216 Captain William Corson, 576 00:41:50,216 --> 00:41:54,345 Sergeant Alvin Cahoon, Private First-Class Glenn Schmidt 577 00:41:54,345 --> 00:41:57,890 and the other Americans captured at Pillbox nine serve out the war 578 00:41:57,890 --> 00:42:00,226 in prisoner of war camps. 579 00:42:03,562 --> 00:42:07,149 First Battalion of the 242nd earns a distinguished unit 580 00:42:07,149 --> 00:42:10,277 citation for their staunch defense of Hatten, 581 00:42:10,861 --> 00:42:14,865 to acknowledge the casualties of more than 500 men and officers, 582 00:42:14,865 --> 00:42:17,952 nearly 70% of the rookie battalion�s strength. 583 00:42:22,289 --> 00:42:28,087 Oberstleutnant Karl Proll continues the attack into Hatten until January 19th. 584 00:42:28,212 --> 00:42:32,925 His first Battalion is also devastated, with only 100 survivors. 585 00:42:33,842 --> 00:42:37,388 He earns the Iron Cross with oak leaves for the operation 586 00:42:37,388 --> 00:42:41,642 and the citation reports he repelled 35 American attacks. 587 00:42:42,726 --> 00:42:45,604 They announce the honor before the end of January. 588 00:42:46,272 --> 00:42:47,940 There can be various reasons for that. 589 00:42:47,940 --> 00:42:51,735 First, one might be that his performance was so outstanding 590 00:42:51,735 --> 00:42:56,115 that it was clear cut that he must be awarded with this higher decoration. 591 00:42:56,115 --> 00:42:59,118 Or quite often, it�s the contrary. 592 00:42:59,118 --> 00:43:01,287 The Germans just want to conceal, um, 593 00:43:01,287 --> 00:43:04,832 an actual defeat, but award someone with a higher medal 594 00:43:04,832 --> 00:43:07,918 so that it looks like a heroic defeat. 595 00:43:10,004 --> 00:43:12,381 Private First-Class Vito Bertoldo earns 596 00:43:12,381 --> 00:43:16,677 the highest award; the Congressional Medal of Honor 597 00:43:16,677 --> 00:43:19,430 for his tenacity and bravery. 598 00:43:21,682 --> 00:43:24,685 His commanding officer, Captain William Corson learns of 599 00:43:24,685 --> 00:43:28,188 the award from the newspapers, when he returns stateside. 600 00:43:28,731 --> 00:43:34,069 His ne�er-do-well cook had proved himself a formidable soldier. 601 00:43:35,904 --> 00:43:37,781 It had to be a bit of a head spinner. 602 00:43:37,781 --> 00:43:40,659 "How did I, get this guy so wrong?� 603 00:43:41,702 --> 00:43:43,120 Hitler�s operations; 604 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:48,626 {\an8}Wacht am Rhein and Nordwind continue into January of 1945, 605 00:43:48,626 --> 00:43:52,755 {\an8}but they don�t deal the decisive blow Hitler had hoped for. 606 00:43:52,755 --> 00:43:56,300 {\an8}Instead they�re forced back to the German border to prepare 607 00:43:56,300 --> 00:44:00,679 {\an8}and make the Allies pay heavily for every advance onto German soil. 608 00:44:03,724 --> 00:44:07,811 {\an8}The war in Europe will still rage f or another three and a half months. 609 00:44:10,811 --> 00:44:14,811 Preuzeto sa www.titlovi.com 56228

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