ZDF - WWII Battles for Europe (2019) Part 6 Battle for the Siegfried Line

– 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 6 Battle for the Siegfried Line

The Allies entered Germany and ran into the Siegfried Line. American troops fought to a gruelling, bloody standstill in the Huertgen Forest at a terrible cost. November 1944 – As the Allies advance into Germany they run into formidable concrete bunkers, pillboxes, minefields, and tank traps. German soldiers fight tenaciously to defend their homeland. We hear from veterans on both sides fighting in the Huertgen Forest, so notorious it was nicknamed 'the Death Factory'. Tank expert David Willey shows us the King Tiger tank, and the cheap but lethal Panzerfaust. Historians David Silbey and Stephen Bull discuss the effects of combat fatigue and trauma.

Full Version Available Upon Request