ZDF - WWII Battles for Europe (2019) Part 3 Normandy Breakout

– German title “Der Zweite Weltkrieg – Schlacht um Europa” –

This compelling eight-part series tells the story of the war in the West's most iconic moments the D-Day landings; the ill-fated airborne operation at Arnhem; the great German offensive in the Ardennes; and the dash to the last bridge over the River Rhine. WWII — Battles for Europe tells the grand narrative through eye-witness veteran testimony from men who served under fire on the front line — some many times over. Each programme conveys the fast-moving life or death nature of one of 8 key battles. In a conflict where boots and winter coats were as important as guns and ammunition, experts will profile the kit of the ordinary soldier, as well as the fearsome weaponry and iconic armoured vehicles. Renowned historians detail the plans and decisions of the generals, and animated strategic maps show us the big picture of each battlefield. Every step is personalised by the testimony of Allied and German veterans who give us a unique insight into the epic events in Western Europe in the final months of the war.

Part 3 Normandy Breakout

While elite German forces were locked in a brutal slugging match with the British and Canadians around Caen, further west, American forces planned a major offensive codenamed Operation Cobra. This episode examines the work of the American forces who launched a huge offensive to blast a gap in the German lines and break through to liberate France. July 1944 – American forces plan a major offensive codenamed Operation Cobra. They would attack near St. Lo, achieve a breakthrough, then unleash General Patton and US Third Army to exploit the opening. In this episode, veterans from all sides tell the story of the treacherous fighting amid the Normandy hedgerows, Patton's lightning advance into Brittany, the liberation of Paris and the devastating German defeat at Falaise. Expert historians discuss the bomb plot that nearly killed Hitler.

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