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NARRATOR: January 1945. Eastern France.
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(yells in pain)
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When defiant Nazi forces
threaten a newly captured position,
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an American soldier
runs towards the onslaught
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to put himself between
his unit and the attack.
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But when the enemy closes in...
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JOHN: The battle has gotten bad enough
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that he's going to call down artillery
basically on his own position.
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NARRATOR: Will saving the battalion...
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cost him his life?
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On June 6th, 1944,
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Allied forces finally
land troops in Normandy
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to open the western front.
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(speaking German)
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NARRATOR: But Nazi fanatics and diehards
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continue to fight ruthlessly for survival.
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D-Day was a battle.
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The Allies still need to win the war.
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January 23rd, 1945.
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The Colmar Forest, eastern France.
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Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Ramsey
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leads Third Battalion of the American
Seventh Infantry Regiment
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through the woods.
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By his side is First Lieutenant
Garlin Conner,
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Ramsey's intelligence officer.
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The battalion spearheads
an attack on German forces,
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launched the night before
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with a surprise crossing over
the Fecht River.
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The fighting conditions are terrible.
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The winter of 1944 and '45
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was one of the coldest ever on record.
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There had been quite a bit of snow,
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which, uh, of course makes the environment
that much more miserable for the soldiers.
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NARRATOR: Their advance
proves relatively quick.
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MAN: Down!
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NARRATOR: Until they are hit
with fire from a German tank
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on the southern edge of the forest.
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Shells explode all around,
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(gunfire)
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then the Germans open up
with rifle and machine gun fire.
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With the battalion under pressure
from its left front...
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Ramsey must hold their position
against a determined enemy.
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(speaks indistinctly)
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NARRATOR: The Americans had crossed
on foot bridges the night before,
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which could not support
the weight of armor.
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Without tank support,
Ramsey relies on American artillery
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positioned to their rear for back up.
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With detailed maps
of the French countryside, soon,
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American shells begin to
drop into the German positions.
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But Nazi soldiers will not
just give up this place
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they believe is a part of Germany.
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Alsace had been a source of
contention between
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Germany and France for centuries.
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The local population
speaks a German language,
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but at various times in history Alsace
has been under the French kings.
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In more recent times,
after the Franco-Prussian war,
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Alsace went back to Germany.
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And then when World War I ended,
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Alsace went back to France.
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NARRATOR: Nazi forces occupied
the region in 1940
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reclaiming it as German ethnic soil
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and some of its people as members
of the new Reich, or empire.
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After D-Day, the Allies push hard
to liberate France,
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and drive out Hitler's soldiers.
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In autumn 1944,
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Alsace is the last French part
occupied by the Germans.
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And when the US and French forces
push towards Strasbourg and seize it,
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Colmar to the south
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is the only part
that is left over in German hands.
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A bridgehead to the west
of the River Rhine.
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NARRATOR: The Germans now defend
roughly 850 square miles
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around the city of Colmar.
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This stubbornly held region becomes known
as the Colmar Pocket.
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The Allies had tried to, to overrun
the Colmar Pocket
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in December 1944
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and fought several, very,
very bloody battles
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and did not succeed
in reducing the pocket.
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NARRATOR: After the Nazis
launch two counter attacks
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from the area in January,
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Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower
orders a full scale effort
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to expel the Germans from Alsace.
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The operation will complete
the liberation of France
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and set the stage for the Allied invasion
of Germany from the west.
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The effort is led by the French first army
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plus several American divisions.
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Lieutenant Garlin Conner
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serves as part of
Seventh Infantry Regiment,
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within the American
Third Infantry Division.
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He has already earned three Silver Stars
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for valor in combat,
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to go along with three Purple Hearts.
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His most recent injury
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was a shot to the thigh while on patrol,
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just a few days before.
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Conner refuses
to stay in a field hospital,
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and insists on rejoining his unit.
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JOHN: He's the kind of person
who feels that
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if he leaves before the job is done
that perhaps he's shirking.
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If I'm there, I'll save more lives
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and if I'm not there,
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I'll have to then live with
the guilt of what might happen
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especially to my guys
in the unit if something happens to them.
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NARRATOR: Conner has been with
Third Infantry Division since 1942.
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STEVEN: The Third Infantry Division
was one of the more experienced divisions
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and one that saw the most combat
in World War II.
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NARRATOR: They had fought in North Africa,
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landed in Sicily and battled up
the Italian boot.
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After action in Rome and Anzio,
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they land in occupied France
in August 1944,
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and fight to Alsace from the south,
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rather than Normandy to the west.
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JOHN: If you were a guy who was
in the invasion of North Africa
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and you were still with the unit
as of Colmar two plus years later,
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you were a real fugitive
from the law of averages.
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MAN: Stay low!
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NARRATOR: Conner is now
just a little more than
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ten miles from the Rhine River
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and the border with Germany.
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Finally, American artillery
shells and mortar
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extract their toll from the enemy.
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Third battalion have cleared
the strong points
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in their sector of the Colmar Forest.
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JOHN: These kind of bloody brawls
of attack
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and counter attack and the Allied advance
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kind of trying to move forward
in very slow increments
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is really very, very common throughout
much of the Colmar Pocket.
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NARRATOR: Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey
orders his battalion
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to advance towards its next objective,
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another patch of forest
called the Brunnwald Woods.
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He must hold here
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until the other two battalions arrive
to cover his right flank.
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Then all three will capture
the town of Houssen together.
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But they must ensure the woods are secure.
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As they make their way through the trees,
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Ramsey's men spot
what looks like an bunker.
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It belongs to members
of the German 64th corps,
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under the command of
General Der Infanterie Helmut Thumm,
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which defends the pocket.
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PETER: Helmut Thumm is a general
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who sees things very realistic.
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He understands that the time
of big offensives are over.
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The only thing he can do
is hold the Colmar Pocket.
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NARRATOR: Along with the weather,
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Thumm's greatest advantage
may be the terrain itself.
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It is very flat and criss-crossed with
rivers and canals
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patches of forest provide
the only sources of cover.
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(gunfire)
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Thumm's men have added to these.
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PETER: The Germans have had a lot of time
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to prepare for the defense.
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So every little town, every little village
is a kind of hedgehog.
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So with barbed wire, minefields,
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and so forth.
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NARRATOR: The bunker is
yet another fortification.
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MAN: Ramsey.
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NARRATOR: Ramsey's men are cold and tired.
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Ready to hunker down and wait
for reinforcement,
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but they must assume it is occupied.
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NARRATOR: Ramsey sends
a squad forward...
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to see if anyone is home.
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NARRATOR: January 23rd, 1945.
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Eastern France.
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American and French forces attack
and press towards the city of Colmar.
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American Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Ramsey
sends a squad forward
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to investigate a dugout
in the Brunnwald Woods.
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His men make their way
to the bunker's entrance.
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Hearing nothing, they force their way in.
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(speaking German)
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(speaking German and laughing)
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- Hey, you!
- (glass shatters)
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NARRATOR: The Americans surprise
a group of German soldiers.
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Get up. Get up!
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NARRATOR: Who then surrender.
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Ramsey sets up his command post
in the bunker
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to prepare for their attack
on the town of Houssen
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when the other battalions of
the Seventh Infantry Regiment arrive.
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They fight in Alsace,
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a region of eastern France,
occupied by the Germans in 1940.
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STEVEN: De Gaulle desperately
wants to liberate the last section
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of what they consider France.
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And likewise, the Germans who regard
Alsace as German want to defend it.
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NARRATOR: German General Helmut Thumm
soon receives word
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that Americans have captured
the woods near Houssen.
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PETER: According to German
military doctrine,
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if you lose a position,
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you have to counter attack immediately,
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in order to exploit
the weaknesses of the enemy
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when he's still trying to consolidate.
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NARRATOR: When Thumm
asks for reinforcements for the task,
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he learns he has been assigned battalions
from the Second Mountain Division.
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Second Mountain Division
is a specialized infantry division
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fighting in cold weather conditions.
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Their soldiers hail from Austria
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and the division
had been fighting in Norway.
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NARRATOR: The Second Mountain Division
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have held off British and Soviet forces
in the Arctic since 1940.
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They have hard-won experience
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in utilizing terrain
and weather conditions to their advantage.
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They are now sent in to defend against
an Allied winter offensive in France.
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PETER: Sending a specialized formation
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like Second Mountain Division
to the Colmar Pocket
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shows that this area has got
a high military priority.
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NARRATOR: Thumm knows he must
force the Americans back at all costs.
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He plans to sneak a battalion
of the German Mountain Division soldiers
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to within few hundred yards
of Ramsey's position
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and launch a surprise counter attack
to retake the woods.
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While unaware of the elite German forces
being mobilized against him,
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Ramsey does expect
a German counter attack
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and organizes defense
of his exposed flanks.
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He sends companies to the west,
south, and eastern edges of the woods.
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They dig into their defensive positions
in the bitter cold and wait.
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The fighting for the Colmar Pocket
was very heavily shaped by the weather.
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It was extremely cold.
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The rivers were freezing,
which is unusual in that sector.
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It was a particularly stiff winter.
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NARRATOR: Meanwhile...
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Seventh Infantry Regiment's
second battalion
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fight to advance to protect
Ramsey's right flank.
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But the company's become separated.
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JOHN: Visibility's just really bad
for the second battalion.
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Now add the fog to it, the fear.
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It's kind of a dark and brooding place
at that point of the year.
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NARRATOR: In the confusion,
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German soldiers infiltrate
the battalion's rear elements.
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MAN: Hey, you!
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NARRATOR: The Americans must flush out
the intruders in their midst.
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MAN: Get him!
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NARRATOR: Some are captured.
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MAN: Drop it!
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NARRATOR: By afternoon,
second battalion is clear to advance.
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Later that day,
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Private Robert Dutil,
an intelligence aide in third battalion,
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approaches Ramsey
and Lieutenant Garlin Conner
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with some fresh information.
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A POW taken prisoner by second battalion
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revealed that the Germans
plan a counter attack
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on the Brunnwald Woods
at 0630 the next morning.
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Ramsey radios for immediate artillery
and armor reinforcement.
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Defensive preparations
take on a new urgency.
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Soldiers dig in
and camouflage their machine guns,
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but with the ground frozen,
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it proves difficult
for all the men to entrench.
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As 0630 approaches,
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the riflemen are alert to
any movement in the fields ahead.
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But visibility is poor
in the pre-dawn darkness.
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The expected time of attack passes.
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JOHN: The typical mindset would be,
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oh, intelligence thinks
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00:16:05,017 --> 00:16:07,084
that there's going to be an attack coming
at 6:30 this morning.
250
00:16:07,092 --> 00:16:09,013
Man, I hope they're wrong.
251
00:16:10,005 --> 00:16:12,042
NARRATOR: After more
than an hour of waiting,
252
00:16:12,051 --> 00:16:14,043
their vigilance wanes.
253
00:16:15,018 --> 00:16:17,081
JOHN: But if you had any
experience as a rifleman
254
00:16:17,089 --> 00:16:21,048
by that point in time you would've known
the Germans well enough to know
255
00:16:21,056 --> 00:16:23,035
they're not going to just give up
this terrain easily.
256
00:16:24,031 --> 00:16:26,006
There's going to be another fight,
257
00:16:26,015 --> 00:16:27,056
and you better be ready for it.
258
00:16:28,044 --> 00:16:31,065
NARRATOR: The Nazi Mountain Division
just now moves into position.
259
00:16:32,082 --> 00:16:34,061
They leave from the town of Houssen
260
00:16:34,070 --> 00:16:36,062
via a long irrigation ditch,
261
00:16:37,070 --> 00:16:40,041
and occupy a concealed position
behind a dyke.
262
00:16:47,067 --> 00:16:49,071
Inside the American command post,
263
00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,071
Ramsey remains wary.
264
00:16:52,072 --> 00:16:55,009
He is sure the Germans are up to something
265
00:16:55,018 --> 00:16:57,059
and wants to send out
some scouts to confirm,
266
00:16:58,072 --> 00:17:00,056
but none are available.
267
00:17:00,093 --> 00:17:02,093
Garlin Conner volunteers.
268
00:17:03,073 --> 00:17:08,006
Conner and Ramsey had
fought together since January of 1944.
269
00:17:08,052 --> 00:17:10,048
When Ramsey had transferred in,
270
00:17:10,057 --> 00:17:12,074
wanting to serve in a combat unit
271
00:17:12,082 --> 00:17:16,003
after serving as an aide de camp
to a British general.
272
00:17:16,078 --> 00:17:19,070
He witnessed Conner earn
multiple battlefield honors,
273
00:17:19,078 --> 00:17:21,045
as well as numerous wounds.
274
00:17:22,012 --> 00:17:24,075
Knowing Conner qualifies to be sent home,
275
00:17:24,083 --> 00:17:26,079
Ramsey wants to keep him safe
276
00:17:26,087 --> 00:17:28,075
and ensure he makes it back alive.
277
00:17:29,033 --> 00:17:31,034
As Ramsey considers his options...
278
00:17:35,097 --> 00:17:37,047
(explosion)
279
00:17:40,055 --> 00:17:41,068
(explosion)
280
00:17:41,076 --> 00:17:43,039
...mortar shells crash outside.
281
00:17:43,047 --> 00:17:44,060
MAN: Get ready.
282
00:17:45,010 --> 00:17:47,052
NARRATOR: Their battalion is under attack.
283
00:17:54,011 --> 00:17:56,074
January 24th, 1945.
284
00:17:56,082 --> 00:17:57,078
MAN: You, go! Go!
285
00:17:57,086 --> 00:17:59,003
NARRATOR: Eastern France.
286
00:17:59,087 --> 00:18:03,062
A battalion of the US Seventh
Infantry Regiment surges ahead
287
00:18:04,016 --> 00:18:08,029
in an attack on the last
German occupied territory in France--
288
00:18:08,092 --> 00:18:10,025
The Colmar Pocket.
289
00:18:12,067 --> 00:18:14,084
Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Ramsey's men
290
00:18:14,092 --> 00:18:18,038
occupy a small patch of forest
with exposed flanks.
291
00:18:20,059 --> 00:18:21,080
(explosion)
292
00:18:24,085 --> 00:18:27,056
And the enemy has just
announced its presence
293
00:18:27,064 --> 00:18:31,015
with a round of mortar and artillery
shells in the woods outside.
294
00:18:32,011 --> 00:18:34,036
(vehicle approaching)
295
00:18:36,007 --> 00:18:39,024
The men of K Company report
a Mark Six Tiger Tank,
296
00:18:39,074 --> 00:18:42,087
one of the most potent
of all German war weapons,
297
00:18:43,028 --> 00:18:44,095
emerging from some trees.
298
00:18:47,012 --> 00:18:51,017
9 feet high, 27 feet long
and 12 feet across,
299
00:18:51,025 --> 00:18:53,054
the Allies have nothing like it.
300
00:18:53,063 --> 00:18:56,009
Some of its armor is four inches thick.
301
00:19:00,093 --> 00:19:02,080
But it is not a Tiger Tank.
302
00:19:04,060 --> 00:19:07,035
STEVEN: There were no Tiger Tanks
in the Colmar Pocket.
303
00:19:07,043 --> 00:19:09,023
Even though there's many accounts from
304
00:19:09,031 --> 00:19:11,006
the American side
and from the French side.
305
00:19:11,048 --> 00:19:15,036
NARRATOR: Enemy armor often creates
fear and confusion in soldiers,
306
00:19:15,077 --> 00:19:18,011
making misidentification more likely.
307
00:19:18,074 --> 00:19:23,012
STEVEN: They never received any specific
identification training,
308
00:19:23,078 --> 00:19:26,066
so to them a German tank
whether it's a Panther
309
00:19:26,074 --> 00:19:28,091
or a Tiger or Panzer 4 or StuG III.
310
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:29,096
It's a Tiger.
311
00:19:31,075 --> 00:19:34,079
NARRATOR: It is probably
a StuG III armored fighting vehicle,
312
00:19:35,017 --> 00:19:38,059
built on a Panzer tank chassis,
the gun does not rotate.
313
00:19:38,096 --> 00:19:41,034
But still discharges a deadly salvo.
314
00:19:47,018 --> 00:19:50,010
NARRATOR: And rakes the American lines
along the edge of the woods.
315
00:19:52,023 --> 00:19:53,090
As it fires,
316
00:19:54,073 --> 00:19:57,069
the German Mountain Division soldiers
swarm over a dyke
317
00:19:57,077 --> 00:19:59,074
about 200 yards away,
318
00:20:00,049 --> 00:20:01,086
charging across the field
319
00:20:01,095 --> 00:20:03,057
towards the American infantry.
320
00:20:05,012 --> 00:20:08,033
Ramsey's companies unload
on the advancing Germans
321
00:20:08,041 --> 00:20:10,033
with machine gun and rifle fire.
322
00:20:18,005 --> 00:20:19,080
Back at the battalion command post,
323
00:20:20,055 --> 00:20:23,026
as the mortar and artillery
shatter the woods outside,
324
00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,076
Ramsey gets word that
six of these Tiger Tanks
325
00:20:27,085 --> 00:20:30,010
along with an entire battalion of soldiers
326
00:20:30,018 --> 00:20:32,002
close in on his position.
327
00:20:34,090 --> 00:20:36,061
It is not a welcome development.
328
00:20:36,069 --> 00:20:38,073
It has to be dealt with somehow.
329
00:20:39,061 --> 00:20:43,007
You want to make sure that your
battalion doesn't break and run,
330
00:20:43,015 --> 00:20:46,049
uh, that probably isn't going to happen
in the, in the 7th infantry.
331
00:20:46,057 --> 00:20:48,066
But still, how do you fight back?
332
00:20:56,067 --> 00:21:00,055
NARRATOR: With his men facing a crisis,
Conner approaches Ramsey
333
00:21:00,063 --> 00:21:03,026
with a plan to set up
a forward artillery position
334
00:21:03,034 --> 00:21:06,039
between the American line
and the oncoming enemy.
335
00:21:06,084 --> 00:21:08,047
If he can get out front,
336
00:21:08,055 --> 00:21:11,031
perhaps he can bring down
the big American artillery pieces
337
00:21:11,039 --> 00:21:13,002
against the German attack.
338
00:21:15,019 --> 00:21:16,085
Ramsey hesitates.
339
00:21:17,056 --> 00:21:19,061
If there's anybody
in whom you'd have confidence
340
00:21:19,069 --> 00:21:22,090
to go forward and do
this kind of thing it's Conner,
341
00:21:22,099 --> 00:21:24,065
but there's another dynamic.
342
00:21:24,074 --> 00:21:27,091
One of the reasons why Ramsey
has assigned him to a staff job
343
00:21:27,099 --> 00:21:30,012
is to keep him out of danger.
344
00:21:30,066 --> 00:21:33,029
NARRATOR: Ramsey struggles
to find another option,
345
00:21:33,037 --> 00:21:34,091
but Conner insists.
346
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:36,071
JOHN: You're kind of throwing him
to the wolves, maybe,
347
00:21:36,079 --> 00:21:40,009
and knowing how he courts danger,
348
00:21:40,063 --> 00:21:43,071
there's a really good chance that
he's not coming back from this.
349
00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,068
All that must've rushed through his mind
in a hurry, I would think.
350
00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,060
NARRATOR: Without another word,
Conner grabs a radio,
351
00:21:50,068 --> 00:21:53,006
a reel of wire and a sound power telephone
352
00:21:53,014 --> 00:21:54,093
and takes off into the woods.
353
00:21:55,064 --> 00:21:57,085
He has two ways to communicate.
354
00:21:58,081 --> 00:22:02,032
The main means
of tactical communication in World War II
355
00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:03,053
was field telephones.
356
00:22:03,061 --> 00:22:05,074
Everyone thinks, oh, we have
radios by now,
357
00:22:05,082 --> 00:22:07,049
why isn't everybody using radios?
358
00:22:07,057 --> 00:22:09,095
But the radios in World War II
weren't very reliable,
359
00:22:10,053 --> 00:22:12,008
they didn't carry very far.
360
00:22:13,041 --> 00:22:15,025
NARRATOR: But to use field telephones
361
00:22:15,033 --> 00:22:17,012
a physical line must be laid
362
00:22:17,021 --> 00:22:20,008
sometimes for hundreds,
or thousands of yards,
363
00:22:20,017 --> 00:22:21,084
without a break in the wire.
364
00:22:24,030 --> 00:22:27,009
Conner charges ahead, unspooling the line,
365
00:22:28,018 --> 00:22:31,064
Private Robert Dutil in pursuit to help,
if he can.
366
00:22:35,018 --> 00:22:38,081
They dash through the forest
towards the battalion's front line.
367
00:22:42,002 --> 00:22:44,048
German artillery explodes all around.
368
00:22:49,074 --> 00:22:52,020
Garlin Conner is on a mission.
369
00:22:59,071 --> 00:23:02,042
NARRATOR: January 24th, 1945.
370
00:23:04,021 --> 00:23:05,055
Eastern France.
371
00:23:06,017 --> 00:23:10,013
American Lieutenant, Garlin Conner
races towards an enemy attack
372
00:23:10,022 --> 00:23:12,022
of incoming artillery and mortar fire.
373
00:23:16,068 --> 00:23:20,027
He is determined to set up
a forward observation position.
374
00:23:20,085 --> 00:23:23,019
An intelligence aide follows close behind.
375
00:23:24,027 --> 00:23:27,023
It had to be so awkward,
the dash to the front line.
376
00:23:27,032 --> 00:23:31,074
Radio strapped along and then
stringing the telephone wire.
377
00:23:33,012 --> 00:23:35,087
You're weighted down
with all this camo gear.
378
00:23:36,058 --> 00:23:41,016
You're moving the telephone line yourself,
which isn't generally done, uh,
379
00:23:41,025 --> 00:23:44,008
by an officer, much less an intel officer.
380
00:23:49,059 --> 00:23:51,093
NARRATOR: As the enemy
artillery hits the forest,
381
00:23:52,001 --> 00:23:54,026
some shells land within 25 yards.
382
00:23:56,022 --> 00:23:58,072
Debris from the tree bursts
shower the soldiers.
383
00:24:00,077 --> 00:24:02,023
JOHN: It's a very single-minded thing.
384
00:24:05,002 --> 00:24:08,011
Because that's what's going to be needed
to break up this enemy battalion's attack.
385
00:24:08,019 --> 00:24:09,015
Simple as that.
386
00:24:16,045 --> 00:24:19,058
NARRATOR: Conner pauses for a moment
at the edge of the American line,
387
00:24:19,091 --> 00:24:22,066
surrounded by the riflemen protecting
their position.
388
00:24:24,042 --> 00:24:27,000
Then breaks out about 30 yards beyond.
389
00:24:28,067 --> 00:24:29,075
MAN: Cover him!
390
00:24:39,097 --> 00:24:41,081
NARRATOR: And throws himself into a ditch.
391
00:24:42,073 --> 00:24:45,035
Private Robert Dutil is not far behind.
392
00:24:50,061 --> 00:24:53,020
JOHN: He doesn't have a lot of cover.
393
00:24:53,028 --> 00:24:57,016
It's a very shallow kind of
ditch or indentation,
394
00:24:57,024 --> 00:25:01,012
which is by all accounts
a foot and a half two feet, maybe.
395
00:25:02,004 --> 00:25:06,058
You'll often hear in the descriptions his
cheeks, quote unquote, the butt cheeks,
396
00:25:06,067 --> 00:25:08,008
could've been exposed
397
00:25:09,013 --> 00:25:13,001
but also having to raise your head above
in order to observe,
398
00:25:13,009 --> 00:25:16,009
just a really, really wild situation.
399
00:25:17,018 --> 00:25:20,022
NARRATOR: Conner gets the phone to his ear
and calls Ramsey.
400
00:25:26,094 --> 00:25:29,002
JOHN: Communications are
the whole key to this thing,
401
00:25:29,011 --> 00:25:30,082
beyond his own courage,
402
00:25:30,090 --> 00:25:33,015
uh, and the courage of the accompanying
riflemen with him.
403
00:25:34,028 --> 00:25:38,041
To make sure that you can access
the kind of firepower you need
404
00:25:38,049 --> 00:25:39,099
in order to destroy the enemy.
405
00:25:40,070 --> 00:25:44,000
NARRATOR: Conner calls in coordinates
to target the attacking soldiers,
406
00:25:45,054 --> 00:25:48,092
which Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey
relays to the artillery battery.
407
00:25:55,042 --> 00:25:56,088
Fire!
408
00:26:00,022 --> 00:26:02,026
NARRATOR: The shells shriek in overhead,
409
00:26:03,039 --> 00:26:06,048
and land amid the charging
German Mountain Division soldiers.
410
00:26:09,010 --> 00:26:12,023
Conner stays focused
and determines the next target--
411
00:26:12,057 --> 00:26:15,011
A skirmish line about 100 yards ahead.
412
00:26:15,053 --> 00:26:18,082
He adjusts fire
and calls in another barrage.
413
00:26:19,091 --> 00:26:22,028
The American artillery crew responds,
414
00:26:22,037 --> 00:26:25,012
firing off another round from
their field artillery piece.
415
00:26:27,071 --> 00:26:32,004
The 105 millimeter Howitzer was one of
the most important weapons
416
00:26:32,013 --> 00:26:33,030
in the American arsenal.
417
00:26:33,067 --> 00:26:35,076
With a range of up to 7 miles,
418
00:26:36,059 --> 00:26:40,055
each shell could create chaos
within a 33 yard radius
419
00:26:40,064 --> 00:26:43,026
at a rate of two
to four strikes per minute.
420
00:26:47,089 --> 00:26:51,090
Conner's coordinates direct the shell
in the midst of the advancing Germans.
421
00:26:53,082 --> 00:26:56,057
But some of the Nazi
Mountain Division soldiers
422
00:26:56,065 --> 00:26:58,040
continue towards Conner's position
423
00:26:58,049 --> 00:27:00,020
in front of the American line.
424
00:27:02,003 --> 00:27:05,058
He estimates the distance between
the last shell and their advance...
425
00:27:08,079 --> 00:27:10,050
and calls in an adjustment.
426
00:27:16,017 --> 00:27:18,080
Conner hears the shell
flying in over his head.
427
00:27:24,055 --> 00:27:25,085
He is spot on.
428
00:27:26,085 --> 00:27:30,002
JOHN: Conner's ability to act
as a forward artillery observer
429
00:27:30,010 --> 00:27:32,015
is every bit on par
with someone who's been trained
430
00:27:32,052 --> 00:27:34,002
and it's not an easy job.
431
00:27:34,011 --> 00:27:35,094
Mastering trigonometry
432
00:27:36,002 --> 00:27:39,032
and the properties of the projectiles
and all this kind of stuff.
433
00:27:39,099 --> 00:27:43,016
But he has obviously picked that
up under the school of combat.
434
00:27:48,091 --> 00:27:52,004
NARRATOR: Conner calls in
another round to target the skirmish line.
435
00:28:04,039 --> 00:28:06,047
And the accurate shelling eventually sends
436
00:28:06,055 --> 00:28:08,077
the soldiers of the German
Mountain Division
437
00:28:08,085 --> 00:28:10,052
back to the cover of the dyke.
438
00:28:12,023 --> 00:28:14,044
But the German tank still fires.
439
00:28:18,048 --> 00:28:22,036
An American tank destroyer commanded by
Lieutenant Leonard Lebo
440
00:28:22,045 --> 00:28:25,087
arrives at the woodline to protect
the American defenders.
441
00:28:27,028 --> 00:28:30,037
Lieutenant Lebo lines up
his three inch gun,
442
00:28:30,045 --> 00:28:31,096
and with an accurate shot...
443
00:28:34,042 --> 00:28:36,029
takes out the troublesome tank.
444
00:28:37,075 --> 00:28:39,075
Conner remains in his ditch.
445
00:28:40,063 --> 00:28:43,013
A lot of people would've
just sort of retired back
446
00:28:43,022 --> 00:28:46,018
to being the intel officer
and gone back to the command post,
447
00:28:46,026 --> 00:28:47,055
we leave it at that.
448
00:28:47,064 --> 00:28:50,047
I think he understands, enough about,
449
00:28:50,056 --> 00:28:52,027
the pace and the nature of combat
450
00:28:52,035 --> 00:28:54,048
that the Germans probably
aren't finished yet.
451
00:28:55,015 --> 00:28:57,027
NARRATOR: Conner eyes the field and beyond
452
00:28:57,036 --> 00:28:58,069
for any signs of movement.
453
00:28:59,061 --> 00:29:02,094
He spots more German armor
hidden in the trees.
454
00:29:09,078 --> 00:29:13,025
Conner tells Ramsey he will be
out of contact for a few minutes
455
00:29:15,017 --> 00:29:18,013
and takes off towards
the American tank destroyer.
456
00:29:25,022 --> 00:29:28,039
Conner directs the volley
of the tank destroyer's gun...
457
00:29:34,073 --> 00:29:36,098
and the hidden tank is eliminated.
458
00:29:39,065 --> 00:29:44,007
Then Conner dives back
into his ditch under heavy fire.
459
00:29:46,061 --> 00:29:49,012
The Germans ready themselves
behind the dyke.
460
00:29:51,016 --> 00:29:54,016
Another wave of counter attack
is about to begin.
461
00:29:57,087 --> 00:30:00,096
NARRATOR: January 24th, 1945.
462
00:30:01,038 --> 00:30:02,075
Eastern France.
463
00:30:04,096 --> 00:30:07,093
American troops of the Seventh
Infantry Regiment
464
00:30:08,026 --> 00:30:10,051
fight to clear the Colmar Pocket--
465
00:30:10,060 --> 00:30:13,026
The last German-occupied territory
in France.
466
00:30:16,002 --> 00:30:19,023
STEVEN" The military reason
that it's important is
467
00:30:19,031 --> 00:30:21,040
Eisenhower and the Allied high command
468
00:30:21,048 --> 00:30:25,053
want to push across the Rhine
sometime in early 1945.
469
00:30:25,061 --> 00:30:27,040
And in order to do it in southern France
470
00:30:27,049 --> 00:30:29,066
they need to capture the Colmar Pocket.
471
00:30:31,020 --> 00:30:34,020
NARRATOR: American Lieutenant
Garlin Conner occupies a ditch
472
00:30:34,029 --> 00:30:36,029
in front of his men's forest position.
473
00:30:41,025 --> 00:30:43,084
Operating as a forward artillery observer,
474
00:30:48,026 --> 00:30:50,093
Conner has successfully
turned back the first attacks
475
00:30:51,001 --> 00:30:53,022
by German Mountain Division soldiers.
476
00:31:10,066 --> 00:31:13,091
Rather than retreat to the relative safety
of the command post,
477
00:31:13,099 --> 00:31:16,008
Conner remains on high alert.
478
00:31:17,025 --> 00:31:19,050
JOHN: Lieutenant Conner
has decided to stay put
479
00:31:19,058 --> 00:31:22,046
because it's apparent to him
that he's probably still needed there.
480
00:31:22,054 --> 00:31:23,075
The battle isn't over.
481
00:31:23,084 --> 00:31:24,079
(gun cocking)
482
00:31:25,021 --> 00:31:29,009
NARRATOR: The Germans regroup
and prepare for a second wave of attacks.
483
00:31:41,069 --> 00:31:44,048
Conner himself, might
be one of their targets.
484
00:31:48,023 --> 00:31:50,053
As the Germans rush
toward the American line,
485
00:31:50,061 --> 00:31:54,028
a soldier with a grenade appears to break
for Conner's position.
486
00:31:55,062 --> 00:31:58,070
JOHN: Conner just continues to
call in more very witheringly
487
00:31:58,079 --> 00:32:01,016
accurate artillery fire
and that's the job.
488
00:32:01,025 --> 00:32:02,037
That's why he's there.
489
00:32:03,088 --> 00:32:05,029
NARRATOR: A shell shrieks overhead...
490
00:32:08,088 --> 00:32:11,059
taking out some of the rear
elements of the German attack.
491
00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,072
Conner quickly calls in another,
492
00:32:17,022 --> 00:32:18,081
and hits his target again.
493
00:32:20,068 --> 00:32:22,094
But the determined
Mountain Division soldier
494
00:32:23,002 --> 00:32:24,031
continues his dash,
495
00:32:25,031 --> 00:32:27,040
and closes in on Conner's ditch.
496
00:32:33,028 --> 00:32:34,045
JOHN: The grenade carrying German
497
00:32:34,053 --> 00:32:35,074
seems to be in a position
498
00:32:35,082 --> 00:32:37,066
to throw the grenade at Conner's position.
499
00:32:38,041 --> 00:32:41,012
At the same time though he's been
spotted by American riflemen,
500
00:32:41,020 --> 00:32:42,091
we don't know who, shoots him.
501
00:32:47,004 --> 00:32:50,005
And kills him before he can
throw the grenade at Conner.
502
00:32:54,084 --> 00:32:58,055
NARRATOR: Unfazed,
Conner calls in another fire mission.
503
00:33:00,056 --> 00:33:03,052
JOHN: He's got this kind
of single-minded purpose
504
00:33:03,060 --> 00:33:04,069
and tunnel vision
505
00:33:05,027 --> 00:33:07,040
of staying right in that spot,
506
00:33:07,048 --> 00:33:10,023
which is apparently a very good
observation spot
507
00:33:10,032 --> 00:33:11,057
and calling in the artillery
508
00:33:11,065 --> 00:33:14,045
and also, quite significantly
his communications hold out.
509
00:33:17,082 --> 00:33:21,045
NARRATOR: Conner's fire adjustments
continue to take out the Germans,
510
00:33:21,079 --> 00:33:24,058
and send others back towards
the cover of the dyke,
511
00:33:25,046 --> 00:33:28,008
while his men hold their positions
at the woodline.
512
00:33:35,005 --> 00:33:37,030
The field is silent for a few minutes,
513
00:33:37,039 --> 00:33:41,026
and Conner watches closely
for evidence of a retreat.
514
00:33:43,047 --> 00:33:47,060
But instead, he sees another
huge wave break over the dyke.
515
00:33:53,044 --> 00:33:55,057
Conner calls in shell after shell,
516
00:33:55,065 --> 00:33:58,087
adjusting on the fly
as the surge advances.
517
00:33:58,095 --> 00:34:00,028
MAN: Fire!
518
00:34:03,070 --> 00:34:06,000
NARRATOR: But the number
of German Mountain Division soldiers
519
00:34:06,008 --> 00:34:07,033
is too great.
520
00:34:07,079 --> 00:34:09,025
He cannot target them all...
521
00:34:14,001 --> 00:34:15,063
they are getting too close.
522
00:34:19,039 --> 00:34:22,093
The Germans begin to move in
to what had been the American lines
523
00:34:23,001 --> 00:34:25,052
and to threaten that entire
position of Third Battalion.
524
00:34:26,006 --> 00:34:28,035
NARRATOR: Conner must
make a difficult decision.
525
00:34:29,065 --> 00:34:31,052
The Germans are so close,
526
00:34:31,061 --> 00:34:35,032
that the only solution is to target
the edge of the American line.
527
00:34:36,011 --> 00:34:38,020
JOHN: The battle has gotten bad enough
528
00:34:38,028 --> 00:34:41,028
that he's going to call down artillery
basically on his own position.
529
00:34:44,024 --> 00:34:47,041
It's very possible, you're going to
get killed by your own shells.
530
00:34:52,067 --> 00:34:55,013
So, you're really choosing,
self-sacrifice...
531
00:34:56,001 --> 00:34:57,030
to destroy the enemy attack.
532
00:35:09,023 --> 00:35:11,040
NARRATOR: His commanding officer
is concerned.
533
00:35:11,073 --> 00:35:13,065
When Ramsey asks Conner
534
00:35:13,073 --> 00:35:16,032
if he is bringing in the fire
too close to his own position...
535
00:35:19,015 --> 00:35:20,091
Conner is matter of fact.
536
00:35:21,091 --> 00:35:24,099
JOHN: He says it's fine.
I'm calling it where it needs to be.
537
00:35:25,008 --> 00:35:27,033
Kind of understated. (laughing)
538
00:35:27,041 --> 00:35:28,062
He really is.
539
00:35:31,025 --> 00:35:34,004
NARRATOR: As shells continue to explode
all around him...
540
00:35:34,013 --> 00:35:35,013
MAN: Get down!
541
00:35:38,055 --> 00:35:40,072
NARRATOR: Conner's
intelligence aide is hit.
542
00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,009
(gunfire)
543
00:35:42,018 --> 00:35:43,043
Private Robert Dutil,
544
00:35:43,051 --> 00:35:46,001
who had followed Conner from
the battalion command post
545
00:35:46,010 --> 00:35:47,027
earlier that day,
546
00:35:47,035 --> 00:35:49,060
is severely wounded by the friendly fire.
547
00:35:52,031 --> 00:35:54,048
But the German onslaught falters.
548
00:35:58,032 --> 00:35:59,086
After three hours,
549
00:35:59,094 --> 00:36:03,024
the attack of the elite
Nazi Mountain Division finally breaks.
550
00:36:06,053 --> 00:36:07,087
MAN: Medic!
551
00:36:08,091 --> 00:36:11,033
NARRATOR: Medics tend to
the wounds of Private Dutil.
552
00:36:15,021 --> 00:36:18,017
Incredibly, Garlin Conner is unhurt.
553
00:36:19,059 --> 00:36:23,009
JOHN: Garlin Conner's actions
are extraordinary.
554
00:36:24,093 --> 00:36:26,089
It's just remarkable,
555
00:36:26,097 --> 00:36:28,076
in so many ways and yet,
556
00:36:28,085 --> 00:36:31,035
maybe they wouldn't have
seemed like it at the time.
557
00:36:32,085 --> 00:36:34,006
Calling in artillery,
558
00:36:34,015 --> 00:36:36,023
doing his thing
throughout the whole crisis,
559
00:36:36,031 --> 00:36:38,032
many hours long at this battle.
560
00:36:38,090 --> 00:36:41,090
From our vantage point
all these decades later,
561
00:36:41,099 --> 00:36:43,099
it is just an extraordinary moment.
562
00:36:51,079 --> 00:36:54,033
NARRATOR: January 24th, 1945.
563
00:36:55,033 --> 00:36:58,009
The Alsace region, eastern France.
564
00:36:59,055 --> 00:37:01,063
American Lieutenant Garlin Conner
565
00:37:01,071 --> 00:37:04,038
climbs out of a ditch
at the edge of a field
566
00:37:04,047 --> 00:37:08,047
strewn with the aftermath
of a brutal, bloody battle.
567
00:37:09,006 --> 00:37:11,089
Conner's calm courage and accurate calls
568
00:37:11,097 --> 00:37:16,015
has turned back an attack by a battalion
from an elite German Mountain Division.
569
00:37:17,090 --> 00:37:21,082
The precise artillery fire
kills some 50 German soldiers
570
00:37:22,024 --> 00:37:24,007
and wounds about 100 more.
571
00:37:25,049 --> 00:37:27,037
But the fight at Brunnwald Woods
572
00:37:27,045 --> 00:37:30,003
is just one battle for the Colmar Pocket.
573
00:37:30,074 --> 00:37:33,058
It is the last remaining region of France,
574
00:37:33,066 --> 00:37:35,050
occupied by Nazi Germany.
575
00:37:39,021 --> 00:37:41,092
The next day Conner's commanding officer,
576
00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:44,034
Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Ramsey advances
577
00:37:44,042 --> 00:37:46,018
and encounters a German patrol.
578
00:37:53,052 --> 00:37:54,073
(speaks indistinctly)
579
00:37:56,069 --> 00:38:00,023
In the fighting, a German soldier
lobs a potato masher,
580
00:38:00,031 --> 00:38:02,019
a type of percussive grenade.
581
00:38:02,057 --> 00:38:06,095
With quick reflexes,
Ramsey snatches it and throws it back.
582
00:38:10,024 --> 00:38:11,087
He is wounded by a second.
583
00:38:12,020 --> 00:38:16,000
It explodes,
sending razor sharp tin slivers outwards,
584
00:38:16,008 --> 00:38:17,087
to slash the Lieutenant Colonel.
585
00:38:28,001 --> 00:38:31,097
The Germans are killed in the skirmish,
and Ramsey needs medical care.
586
00:38:34,002 --> 00:38:36,089
He walks back
to the battalion aid station.
587
00:38:39,085 --> 00:38:43,015
The surgeon there removes
the shrapnel without anesthetic...
588
00:38:48,090 --> 00:38:51,078
and Ramsey walks back
to the observation post.
589
00:38:56,066 --> 00:38:59,062
But the war for
the Colmar Pocket continues.
590
00:39:00,058 --> 00:39:03,013
The men of Seventh Infantry Regiment,
591
00:39:03,021 --> 00:39:06,017
including Garlin Conner
remain in American lines
592
00:39:06,026 --> 00:39:08,059
to drive the Germans
back across the Rhine.
593
00:39:10,089 --> 00:39:12,055
In the early days of February,
594
00:39:12,064 --> 00:39:17,002
Conner volunteers to take command
of L Company when its C.O. is killed.
595
00:39:17,064 --> 00:39:20,060
The rifle companies have
absorbed terrible causalities
596
00:39:20,069 --> 00:39:22,036
and it tends to be among the leaders
597
00:39:22,094 --> 00:39:28,032
and so you need somebody to step in
and lead this sort of ad hoc unit.
598
00:39:29,045 --> 00:39:33,024
NARRATOR: Third battalion attempts to
liberate the French village of Biesheim.
599
00:39:34,053 --> 00:39:36,079
Where K Company has been cut off,
600
00:39:36,087 --> 00:39:40,029
encircled by Nazi forces
in a section of German trenches.
601
00:39:40,037 --> 00:39:41,079
MAN: Keep firing!
602
00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:50,017
NARRATOR: With 20 men
and backed by two Sherman tanks,
603
00:39:50,026 --> 00:39:52,030
Conner and the remainder of L Company
604
00:39:52,039 --> 00:39:53,059
enter the trenches...
605
00:39:57,001 --> 00:39:59,073
and proceed to advance
by hand to hand fighting.
606
00:39:59,081 --> 00:40:02,056
(indistinct chatter)
607
00:40:02,065 --> 00:40:04,036
(groaning)
608
00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:09,028
JOHN: That means with whatever weapons
or implements we happen to have,
609
00:40:09,069 --> 00:40:14,045
this isn't the sort of combat,
that the Americans like to think about.
610
00:40:15,091 --> 00:40:19,066
Once again, here we have Conner
right in the middle of this.
611
00:40:21,021 --> 00:40:22,021
MAN: Hey!
612
00:40:23,017 --> 00:40:26,054
JOHN: We've just seen him use
heavy firepower, heavy technology,
613
00:40:26,063 --> 00:40:28,038
in a way to bring about victory.
614
00:40:28,092 --> 00:40:32,047
Now we seem him in a little bit
different context of right there,
615
00:40:32,055 --> 00:40:36,060
at this worst level of combat,
fighting and maybe dying.
616
00:40:38,089 --> 00:40:40,056
NARRATOR: They relieve K Company.
617
00:40:42,010 --> 00:40:45,015
JOHN: They kill 12 Germans,
but 75 others surrender.
618
00:40:45,023 --> 00:40:46,065
That tells us something, doesn't it?
619
00:40:46,073 --> 00:40:48,036
It tells us those other 75
620
00:40:48,044 --> 00:40:51,015
have looked at what's happened
and they're like, I'm done with this.
621
00:40:51,024 --> 00:40:53,007
You can have this town.
622
00:40:53,015 --> 00:40:55,066
That's the kind of
the fighting that it's been.
623
00:40:56,095 --> 00:40:59,012
This is what goes on just on that day
624
00:40:59,020 --> 00:41:01,033
in that little corner
of the Colmar Pocket battle.
625
00:41:06,096 --> 00:41:09,038
NARRATOR: Conner earns
a fourth Silver Star
626
00:41:09,046 --> 00:41:11,055
for his heroic leadership at Biesheim.
627
00:41:15,072 --> 00:41:17,093
The American Third Infantry Division
628
00:41:18,001 --> 00:41:21,043
finishes its longest stretch
of combat February 19th,
629
00:41:21,052 --> 00:41:24,014
having fought since they landed
in southern France
630
00:41:24,023 --> 00:41:26,023
on August 15th the year before.
631
00:41:29,027 --> 00:41:32,007
As for Lieutenant Conner's
actions at Brunnwald,
632
00:41:33,099 --> 00:41:35,053
Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey
633
00:41:35,061 --> 00:41:38,003
intends to request
the highest award possible
634
00:41:38,012 --> 00:41:39,091
for an American army soldier.
635
00:41:41,058 --> 00:41:46,017
But Ramsey is still on active duty,
while recovering from wounds of his own.
636
00:41:46,092 --> 00:41:49,021
He cannot track down the witness accounts
637
00:41:49,029 --> 00:41:50,088
required for the Medal of Honor.
638
00:41:52,076 --> 00:41:56,055
Instead, he recommends Conner
for the second highest award--
639
00:41:56,063 --> 00:41:58,068
the Distinguished Service Cross.
640
00:41:59,035 --> 00:42:03,089
On February 10th,
Garlin Conner receives the D.S.C.
641
00:42:03,097 --> 00:42:07,077
from General Alexander Patch,
Commander of the Seventh Army.
642
00:42:08,044 --> 00:42:11,011
Conner finally leaves Europe on March 4th,
643
00:42:11,073 --> 00:42:15,053
returning home to Aaron, Kentucky
to a hero's welcome.
644
00:42:16,086 --> 00:42:19,041
JOHN: Then he goes back
to just being a farmer.
645
00:42:19,049 --> 00:42:22,028
A farmer in Kentucky, and that's his life.
646
00:42:23,054 --> 00:42:26,000
He was pretty deeply affected,
as you might expect.
647
00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:30,050
I don't know that the war
was ever too far away from his mind.
648
00:42:31,038 --> 00:42:33,088
NARRATOR: After his death in 1998,
649
00:42:33,096 --> 00:42:36,022
the quest to get Garlin Conner
the Medal of Honor
650
00:42:36,030 --> 00:42:38,018
was taken up by supporters.
651
00:42:38,072 --> 00:42:41,072
Witness accounts of
the dramatic events were found
652
00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:44,064
and after decades of delays
and technicalities,
653
00:42:44,072 --> 00:42:47,056
Conner finally receives
the posthumous award
654
00:42:47,064 --> 00:42:50,056
on June 26th, 2018, at the White House.
655
00:42:52,040 --> 00:42:54,015
It makes Garlin Conner
656
00:42:54,023 --> 00:42:58,020
possibly the second most decorated
American soldier of World War II,
657
00:42:58,057 --> 00:43:02,003
but his proud commanding officer
did not live to see it either.
658
00:43:04,037 --> 00:43:07,075
JOHN: Ramsey had a long career,
led many combat soldiers,
659
00:43:07,083 --> 00:43:09,079
from World War II through Vietnam.
660
00:43:09,087 --> 00:43:12,008
Uh, he had Colin Powell under his command,
661
00:43:12,017 --> 00:43:15,005
he had Norman Schwarzkopf
under his command.
662
00:43:15,013 --> 00:43:17,097
He'd seen and he'd done
a lot of valorous things.
663
00:43:18,005 --> 00:43:20,093
And he felt that
Garlin Conner had no peer.
664
00:43:21,001 --> 00:43:23,047
That there was no one who exceeded him,
665
00:43:23,055 --> 00:43:26,010
in terms of bravery, dedication to duty.
666
00:43:26,018 --> 00:43:29,035
He saw Garlin Conner
as being really in the first rank
667
00:43:29,044 --> 00:43:31,065
among all the combat soldiers he had led.
668
00:43:34,011 --> 00:43:36,073
NARRATOR: On February 8th, 1945,
669
00:43:37,015 --> 00:43:40,045
Nazi forces finally conceded
the Colmar Pocket.
670
00:43:41,003 --> 00:43:43,020
PETER: When the battle for
the Colmar Pocket is over,
671
00:43:43,028 --> 00:43:46,016
19th army is virtually wiped out.
672
00:43:46,024 --> 00:43:49,012
And the Germans withdrew
over the River Rhine.
673
00:43:49,046 --> 00:43:51,046
The Rhine is now the new front line.
674
00:43:51,054 --> 00:43:52,079
(explosion)
675
00:43:52,088 --> 00:43:55,046
NARRATOR: With Allied forces
lined up for hundreds of miles
676
00:43:55,054 --> 00:43:58,005
along the west wall, or Siegfried Line,
677
00:43:58,084 --> 00:44:01,068
the stage is set for a desperate showdown
678
00:44:02,034 --> 00:44:06,047
and the war in Europe will
continue for three more months.
679
00:44:06,056 --> 00:44:08,043
- ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
- Captioned by Visual Data Media Services
57363
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