The World at War 19 -- Pincers, August 1944 - March 1945

Despite the bombing and despite the privations the morale of the German people that autumn of one hundred forty four was surprisingly high that it's funded well every propaganda call his limit this one was for collecting winter clothing for the Eastern Front. It'll reduce the call at the age that autumn to sixteen of the heart and raked in those who would so far escaped it on grounds of essential work some seven hundred thousand new recruits were raised partly for the folks term sort of Home Guards and parted to replace his terrible losses in both east and west. But he also had in mind. Modelling use for his new recruits. Ever since his defeat in Normandy. Hitter the been planning a major come to the town hoping not just to hold the allies before they reach the Rhine but rather to turn them back so decisively that they would want to sue for peace a peaceable to give him a breathing space in which to stem the Russian advance before it got too close to Berlin. Such was his fantasy. To that end to it being conserving his pants are reequipping them after their mauling a norm and that went to strike. That autumn of one hundred forty four the allies in the West had closed up to the German border along a thousand miles from to live even penetrated the Siegfried line in one of two places but supplies still remains a problem for Antwerp was not yet open to the north of and well played the bulk of the British forces. If fire daring blow hypocrite capture and worth and reach the sea he would not only eliminate the Allies mains supply board he would also have split the Allies in two and the British might once again have to contemplate a dung Kirk. Eisenhower in manning his thousand mile front that have to spread its forces Finley in place is one such place was just one hundred twenty five miles from Antwerp the odd den of nine hundred forty eight magical mystical memory for Hitler if only history could repeat itself for him. In war over us one must remember that you convert strong everywhere. Does I'm a group that was my group was given certain tusks and he had to decide. Ladies doing Be Strong was going to be weak and he says the situation and decide who gets enough on the M six. We were told by some of the man who were in the houses that we took over the ever so very quiet sector nothing happened once in a while a patrol were sent out they were here. Sometimes sekret going up a gun in the distance and there's nothing to it. I was. Not exactly grain but there weren't too many in our particular unit that has had much in the way of any combat experience. Under strain to fall shock talk about I've also all that to come to you to last year's headquarters in East Prussia. And he's developed as you. General crayfish of Army looked into center we accompanied me if you go to get end of the of them by of beginning of December. Strong reinforcements in named. Twenty infantry divisions ten are mighty visions and a lot of special troops and deeper missed it for bits out thought it by G. F. OSS is about streets house and planes. But since we have are totally surprised he experienced. That's objectives and twelve presence there are some sing of a risk and might see in beyond the capacity of the forces of evil and second decisions. Nevertheless he had decided to speak every sing on the one cut because Germany needed to have greasing space defense struggle he said. Cut along the first funds a decision and not Shands general situation for Germany. For his attack on the odd and hip glad I'm known to realize that assembled more than half a million troops. Opposing them are just eighty thousand elect with an experienced American. It seems like Maine nine hundred forty eight all over again. Similar I was in German a techie Faustus was high and discontented in my opinion. Comparative weakness in weapon. We saw this buildup of forces tanks. Not more tanks down we had seen and the last two here we even saw aircraft and then we saw that the preparation where way kept in secrecy. G'day December the sixteenth right. About ours lasted an hour and gave the allies a taste of what they had themselves meted out to the casino. Some months and of the elements for. The last great attack of the Germans in the West to begun it's less most desperate gamble was on. Campus and yet everything is on the road and you would think is he's on board division and that therefore we have the feeling that good. Force might and able to reach the final goal which was and the. Film as I was talking to American and British air superiority didn't matter in that type of battle and therefore we relieved that we would be successful. Surprise was total it was the beginning of the day of money mental confusion for the allies the worst experience of the whole European war. Even as the first very marked waves were overrunning the American positions along the odd then talk at Allied headquarters backups outside was focused more on the news of the band leader Glenn Miller as death then of the possibility of the biggest German offensive in the West since nine hundred forty. It was the day Eisenhower was promoted five star general and the day Field Marshal Montgomery happen to apply for leave to go home to England for Christmas. Ike was in fact attend a good show for his wedding that you only one month it was playing God. As the day wore on the resemblance is the main one hundred forty group the overwhelming German mites that are limitless speed above all the chaos and the allied Greer as they will the untried troops dash for safety. Clogging the road them both entering reinforcements reaching the from. Aluminum was glad that the American Swart hand over part of the prisons of water is a fashion and deaths have to build up more outlandish and so we're going to fight. Seven thousand Americans are rendered in one go. The biggest mass surrender of American arms in the European campaign. German newsreel cameraman at a field. Left wing a little bit in the area where we were but by about twelve o'clock we found that we couldn't go any further that if it's just a question of surrendering. The. Lieutenant went down and made arrangements with the German officer in charge and came back up and told us that we had one hour to dismantle and destroy our weapons or dig holes and bury whatever you want to bury and be ready. Come off by the hill I'm with him one hour. The first American prisoners didn't know what was going on they came to us they were asking for bread and we have bread enough so we kept them bread and they gave us chocolate. And have it has. A. Rabbit after two or three days and he saw that so it was it resists of the American to force the most and we have believed. And. The reason they have been able to break through in the first place was that we could get no fight a mama support you know the weather was sitting right on the tree tops and we couldn't pick up any and they're moving troops and buy it from the air what on Christmas Eve the clouds left it. And they're asked to fight a bombers came in and they simply destroyed the German armor. Month trifles tonsils and run off to fill some seventy miles shorter than. Motionless they were sitting ducks for the on. It was a great slaughter the American divisional commander wrote of this revolt. Hip left it was more than the beginning of the end. To feed also so frenzy for effect at some wire and Jeffers of hey we also saw us and. Civilians alike and just may have contributed to speeding. C. and toss you all. With the German offensive definitely holds the Americans from the south of the British from the north. Press down on the bones that have been formed within the odd and from the boats that gave this particular battle its puppet on names. They met in mid January one thousand nine hundred five by which time the German army was in total disarray for the Russian winter the fence if it become four days before. Now it's less gamble in the West was seen to be. Supremes falling but to do it you didn't need it is defensive. With its carefully hoarded reserves of fuel and equipment and of course of men to go on. The German war machine began to disintegrate. I would say that Hitler was attacked in the ball and she brought the war to an end. Perhaps six months earlier than it would otherwise have ended because the Germans could have fallen back to the Rhine which was a real obstacle but they had nothing with which to whole arriving because essential A The German army and they were in the reserves of the government army the mobile tropes in the Reserves the German army were destroyed in the battle of the Bulge to job and charge of OS X. host it and they had only one desire to ensure of all but he was willing to fight for on to cover. Off the eastern front. General of the twentieth one thousand nine hundred five to cost tanks and to Germany proper for the first time a mere one hundred miles from voting the occasion being celebrated by particularly savage second I'm a bit village in sight. Thousands upon thousands of German civilians took to the roads westward away from the dreaded Russian producing scenes reminiscent of those long lines of French and Belgian refugees five years before. The allied bombing intensified motor more German citizen reduced to rubble. It sort of even if we come up conquer we should drag the world into destruction whether. The Russian guns could be heard. Then they can't really determine taking by taking out their meant the whole of the heavy bombers put a gun to kill. Now I knew the plea for the find our historical jammed. And of clique and one of him it's five K. There. Were a lot of civilians men women and children. If I said no they would live if I said yes they would that terrible decision you've got to take everything depended. Getting higher. The German reserves would have to come and we would have to feed line. And your allies your own troops must come first so I said yes I did want to hear. That well as well there for the night just before zero to take out. I felt better and I had an awful lot of nightmares. There's always sleep. Thanks. Or are. The novice it is west of the Rhine but cleared of German troops. Bomb. Good land mines and of course the load. Pull the trigger six. German soldier from west of the run. All of the Rhine between the Western Allies and the heartland of Hitler's job. Preparations began straightaway to gross. War. Room. Thanks. Nine o'clock in the. Out of member weighty fifteen and come on this then the new schemes the Black Watch over the rise of raw historic in a way that is of why. Who put her. The. August the twenty fifth nine hundred forty four. Patton was a little bit. That same day to the east. Rumania changed. With her depiction when to close only natural on. The Getty I had already Chretien and Finland to again negotiating with the Russian. General to go the Free French leader and to Cisco. Capital for us before we had left and competitive it on themselves. Now he was being greeted as the vet is sold. But presumed for Doc years of German occupation but over. That it belongs that for the rest of you to was freed too. August. The fifteenth one thousand forty four operation and that the Allies didn't vision of southern front. With the breakout from the Normandy Beach had under way to the north and Bill was meant to begin the pincer movement on hitters Germany from all sides the pincer movement that was to squeeze the Third Reich. Dr. Lee left and for Sam Yes some trouble at last this is that they're going to open up any minute and suddenly out was amiss an operative attach a beach there came a French man and he carried a tray of champagne glasses and we all stopped quite clear this is actually an expect and he smiled and turned to me said slay libero the news is welcome but if I venture a little criticism you are somewhat silly. And from there on interest known to the troops of the champagne campaign. During those mad joyful weeks of all just nine hundred forty four the Germans were being driven back towards the borders of their own country. Those French been who had collaborated with the hated song became ever more desperate. Those French women who had consulted the tech companies when I was singled out for specialty. Thousands upon thousands of solemn it will good judgments were taken prisoner. Sometimes code divisions at a time. Approximately twenty thousand German troops that surrounded by that and I know my general and I else that. Can allow star hands always pestilence a tall enough surrounding. General outstay command of the hour right after I got from the parenting is mountains to the Bay of Biscay. To many in the Allied camp the wall seemed of quarter so indeed there was talk of being back home for Christmas. But the top brass didn't always see eye to eye on just how the final victory but to be one of. The Germans it had a very heavy defeat in Normandy. They'd lost proximately five hundred thousand troops forty three divisions have been smashed and two thousand and ten. This was the moment to really hit them and what he advocated was a strong drive up the coast or play with the right on the left probably almost on the coastline. Never letting up never giving them time to recover and of course he would be in command this ivory go right through crossing of the Rhine come round behind the rock or more from the war be over nine hundred forty four but he said. Eisenhower said no I don't like this defense like France Germany touching a lot of the troops which fans I prefer stood vamps on a broad front right up to the Rhine and then crossing of the Rhine and finish the war there but that was perhaps safer but it meant of the war couldn't they finish nineteen forty four. I think the villagers were very slow. To realize the main effort. Warren your lawyer was the Americans. I six the British press was published low was well I think people forgot to wait to veterans. And saw where American. To be broke from the bridgehead supplies a very long time to come over the beaches or be carried by their groups and often I couldn't do what they wanted to let the suppliers to clip it for. Each tank used a gallon of petrol. The trucks carrying the stuff stretched back two hundred fifty miles to the Normandy beaches. Such and been the speed the Allied break out the pockets of German troops had been left behind and so the road convoys had offered to run a gauntlet of any bit sniping along the way. Lot a driver's head nicknamed the area between Paris and the planets align engine country. Artist fighting of all was along the coast. Every port to didn't get us into my hip hop with orders to fight to them. But there be a last rock. Following. Some can hide all to be assaulted into by separate set piece battle. Hitler new supply would be the allies main headache. Hence it's a time a nation to hang on to the Channel ports as long as possible and then finally yielded to see there but destroyed absolutely. One third of Montgomery's forces were engaged in clearing the Germans from the channel called by the rest. Stone into Belgium. Really big was when we crossed the front because you see I had come on to the river god joined withdrawal to done I was in the battalion commander and I've been doing flank and read God to the division among the past certain feel much more than a general. And I was there myself. We did stuff to the cheers of the Belgian people and not a few days later back we were going through the face. Crowns terribly despondent they knew they were going to be occupied again by the Germans and I kept on saying don't worry we'll come back. And as we crossed a friendship we head back. And a young man. Read round my hat to now and he ran across my tank. There were tears. Pouring down the street and he held out his hand like this and he said I knew you'd come back I knew you'd come back. Now a friend of mine in Russia that he heard the sound of tearing the little quiet you. Looked out of the window and he said to Mrs Rowland from to see. And hear from the window and lent out and somebody waved. British. Tour now into the street and so did everybody in busts there has NEVER be to just see so many liberals for staff and some of the really tough thirty Corps veteran still black think of things that have. So far so good. Now we come to the state we will hold. The reason was that throughout running our supply Now this was wrong because we had a hundred kilometres worth a picture without their clothes and another hundred kilometer. Within about twenty four and they should have in my opinion of taking a chance because that day that we were all said. Anything between us and the Rhine was one cat division a very. We call no stomach to be because they were some of my age and they will head things wrong with the time is they being God being the coast of they never seen a shot fired in anger need to be in delight. Prisoner of war camps without having to indulge in this war that was a sort of mental plus one S.S. battalion. Nothing we can to brush them gone on balance the crossing to the Rhine and cut. From the room and then go from behind the roof and question it was a visit to my mind a very bad mistake we should have taken the risk. When we were allowed to have bombs which was the seventh of September we made ten miles in food that. We had previously done two hundred fifty mile in seven days we were no longer pursuing now find. The eleventh of September I got my oldest. The three main waterways of the Rhine lay between the Allied spearheads in Germany proper of the MAS The vile and that made all right. I'm going to plan was to lay on ABOL him cough it across these waterways capture the bridges and Russia mobilize force from the left flank of the Siegfried line to cut off the road. And so and German resistance is for Christmas nine hundred forty four. Many people will tell you. That the platen was wrong. Too many objectors shoals of powder shooters were not landed and probably shouldn't show on the weather of course was not going to interrupt you but I think to do more attention being paid to what you might call it and it was just position. Then I was just a plan would have been all right. On troops landed on them suddenly found themselves up against some German and units is refitting there and just happened to be there to time. Among the first officer who are landed among the parachute the Germans found a complete copy of our class and this was switched off to the German commander on the spot and of course from then on he had all the information you're trying to do. Is anyone's guess whether having a bridgehead over the line at that time was the with the bad weather setting in. Well the weight of being able to maintain them for several months during. As well knew from experience. Numbers in the new new treating critical situation. The better. Went on for a full day is and we couldn't really make any progress. Benjamin Cameron decided. He couldn't go on and that day operations because a lot of kids and many people there was a rhyme it's possible she did we lost quite a lot that I think one's got to be quite honest and say that it failed in its object it's a cheap partial success you know is hate using that expression. Glorious failures I wouldn't call it that but it was a failure to point the failure than meant the war would now definitely not be of by Christmas nine hundred forty four. It meant to that the initiative for the moment had been lost by the Western Allies. But I'm a student front it was a vastly different story there the red army was advancing everywhere the centre one hundred thousand Germans have been surrounded at Minsk in the north Finland of been knocked out of the wall as Tony a recaptured laughing and that's when you had cleared of German troops and the borders of East Prussia reached in the south the Ukraine had been freed Romania had capitulated now Gary I had been overrun. Greece cutoff and the link up affected with Tito's partisans in Yugoslavia it was a story of gigantic triumph of overwhelming success everywhere in the east. Save in one near forgotten city where the war had first begun five years before. Poland's capital was so. I jus line nine hundred forty four the Red Army occupied the eastern half of the program that's hard. Allocated to them in the Hitler starving pack of August nineteenth and. The exiled Polish government in London was anxious to assert itself before the Russians over around the rest of that country otherwise in their eyes it would merely be an exchange of occupiers rather than true liberation as the Red Army approached Warsaw the German Garrison seems ready to leave. On July the twenty ninth a Russian broadcast talked of Warsaw's impending liberation and birds the workers of the resistance to rise against the retreating Germans. On August the first the Polish underground army inside was old did rhyme though they did not all support the London government however the aim of those who did was to fly in the government in exile once they control the city and set up a legitimate regime before the Russians arrived. At the uprising coincided with the Russian offensive running out of steam a coincidence that nevertheless suited starlings book Sandro suspicious of the underground but it was utterly cruel or he wouldn't even try to get supplies in any profuse let our planes fly trying to drop supplies for several weeks and that was a shock to all of us and I think it played a role in all of our minds as to the heartlessness of me. Russians. We had to very strong underground dog and I was Asian with a civilian government and all the military command and that was organized during the four years of the German occupation and to just share faced and took its functions the postal service which will stand by scouts was their only means of communications between their various districts of war so which were completely cut off by enemy fire there. Discolored stood to get from one district to another I had sometimes to go through sewers and R. and R. Danny me fire. At the very. Beginning of their pricing we had ammunition for one minute and ten or twelve days and then we had to rely on their I mean ition taken from the Germans are. The water sector is a feminist and and and sing war still going on and they were delayed producing their own nomination. Yes. To something in Polish national collected you know we just optimistic and we did not give up but you see I would have given you know how to MY life of the treaty litter of puppies to pity you know one thing but actually there was a tremendous an intensification you know off tomorrow. Life intellectual life and motion the life you know the best type of people are calling for going on. The. We had lots of good eyesight does the two I would watch them so the question. But there were people who. Took for those single handed actions against against the tanks the people who told him so sad and then me a machine gun like that there was plenty of in do you do I've heard. The London polls almost pulled it off for by the end of the first week they controlled most of the city and the audience was step to fly in the Polish government in exile than Hitler. Realizing stallion was going to do nothing. Order of the S.S. to crush the uprising which they proceeded to do with great relish and with great ruthlessness. But the bombing was very bad. We talked interrupts you know the new bombing we had that's to let me also we would call that all their new faces just think always you see before this you know that you are. Not good enough to fight them on are. Getting the last days of their pricing for a new one district bus left and occupied by the Germans there were three to four of perhaps five thousand people it was sometimes a funk if you perceive been going around the room now that the Germans were bombarding cust with Dan dies numbers. We had less and less for the oh so we had some soft tissue didn't have the day we had spaghetti things of that song and at the end you know who's with the we would keep horses. Yes you haven't taught of Smith you know and knocks lethal from. The London polls became ever more frantic and their hopelessness and blames the British for their plight. They are yes. Couldn't fly in much supplies as long as Starlin refused to let them refuel and Soviet tell tell a tree. By the time you've been persuaded to relent so little was left of Warsaw that the supplies dropped fell more often than not into German happens. Terribly disappointed the whole world for that about us. I feel this pollen was betrayed by our life. Was the end military that there was absolutely no help for us and we want to get any help from the Russians and the Germans and their set on absolutely anything late into and therefore I I didn't I didn't bother to that than I was going to under the fire. I think a lot of it I just one had the feeling that I should die sooner or later still no better. Germans even brought up their biggest siege guns the dreaded Giants mortar nicknames for each of whom shells weighed more than two tons. Was a hopeless battle now that have been going on for ten long weeks and they're already cost the lives of more than two hundred thousand posts. The time had come to call a full. Surprisingly the Germans allowed the post to surrender and treated the not as part of Sanskrit for the media to execution but isn't listed comfort and do the rights of prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. Clearly some of the German generals already had their eyes on possible war crimes. Trials off to the wall. Or war or lure or with one sort of meaning citizens have been driven from the city for so was just a magical and raise to the poor poor poor. Poor. Poor. Kids I was determined it should never rise again. Bourque your poor poor poor dogs and one of the boys most tragic at this. War.