Manx Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Showing on the BBC IPlayer now. A decent overview of the battle for Normandy. It gives a pretty good account of what it was like fighting in bocage country and the allies struggle to break out. This is part 1 of 3. I think there will be viewing restrictions for those outside the UK, but here's the link anyway: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007cbgl/DDay_to_Berlin_The_Struggle_to_Break_Out/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt Cliff Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 The Discovery Channel had another great show called "Surviving D-Day". Mostly about Omaha but about the most acturate showing I have ever seen. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Javaslinger Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I wish more shows like this are available on demand... Any suggestions where you can watch some good WWII documentaries on the internet? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smershbloke Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 search torrent sites. lots of TV stuff on there 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 And viruses. Not sure which is more toxic. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stikkypixie Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I found the documentary on google videos, but I don't know how legal it is. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Watched part of the director's preview; OK I suppose, for a docu-drama, better than most of those. I prefer real footage whenever possible. I do take issue with the opening where it is mentioned that Ike bet Monty that the war would be over by Christmas, then goes on to talk of the "rosy glow" of optimism about the invasion fading after the invasion lodgement battle went on and on. While Ike did make such a wager to Monty, I don't think it really reflected the Overlord planners' actual concerns that the invasion might be very risky. I think Ike made the bet as a sort of friendly gesture of optimism. In fact, Ike was deeply concerned about the possibility of failure and even prepared a note accepting personal responsibility for the failure of D-Day and kept it in his pocket in the event he needed to release a disaster statement to the press. OTH I have not seen the whole thing so there may be more good to say about it than I have seen in just a few minutes. I do appreciate any show that allows some of the few remaining war vets an opportunity to tell their stories while they are still here to share them with us. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadiemullet Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Showing on the BBC IPlayer now. A decent overview of the battle for Normandy. It gives a pretty good account of what it was like fighting in bocage country and the allies struggle to break out. This is part 1 of 3. I think there will be viewing restrictions for those outside the UK, but here's the link anyway: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b007cbgl/DDay_to_Berlin_The_Struggle_to_Break_Out/ I watched this last night in bed - I nearly fell out of bed and out the window on the opposite side of the room when I realised it was about BRITISH forces for once (actually US and German as well, but mainly brits). I don't think I've seen anything like this in ages - normally all we get is stuff on History Channel on Freeview from decades ago. If you are an American count yourself very lucky for the amount of WW2 stuff you guys get, from feature films, documentaries and yes, even WW2 computer games are dominated by the American side. Its a bit annoying for us brits because its seems to be nothing is made about WW2 in our country and any interest there might be in the general public seems to be happily fed by the media powers by showing us American programmes - which they can get away with because they are in English and the Americans were on our side. This means the vast majority of the stuff we get concentrates on American or Anglo-American operations - I'm yet to see a programme about say, Bill Slim (EASILY on par with the famed Western theatre Generals Monty or Patton etc). It's annoying but then again US shows are made for the US market - not for the UK, who in turn does zilch when it comes to WW2. Oh yeah, we do get our much hammered tried and tested dramas about the Blitz, but never any combat. I don't know if its because the combat side is a mixture of embarrassing defeats thanks to inept leadership in the early years or if the whole war is seen as a very very dark chapter in our European history. Of course I should mention the 'Battle of Britain' re-run every 5th year anniversary. Woo! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadiemullet Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 *Should be pointed out this docu-drama has a fair bit on the Panzer Lehr division for those thinking of using them in maps or campaigns etc 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tank Hunter Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Google may be illegal but Youtube is not 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manx Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 I found this programme quite informative and refreshing after all the Discovery/History Channel documentaries that have been put out that rehash bits of the same old combat footage to go into making yet another. The talks with the vets was great - the Panzer Lehr guys gave a pretty good account at what it was like in Normandy, being short on supplies and ammo, and to be pounded into destruction by the allied airforce while wandering where their own planes were. Also, it highlights the severe drop in British/Commonwealth morale after the disasterous battles for Caen, and the strain in put on Anglo-American relations after Monty had failed to take it. I've read and heard recollections of how badly some of the Commonwealth units got chewed up, but never to the extent that this programme points out. It also contains quite a few combat footage scenes i've never seen before, as well as some clips that i never want to see again. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Good to hear, I may have to revisit it. I do know that the UK replacement situation was so desperate in 1944 that they were disbanding infantry divisions to generate replacements. Manpower shortages were one of the reasons that the Brits had comparatively so many armored divisions and tank brigades...it took fewer men to form them and they had good a good firepower to manpower ratio. If the docu-drama goes into their side of things for a change, that is good too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wego McPbem Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Cheers for posting this, watched it earlier today. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tank Hunter Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Off Topic but interesting in its own way. A documentary about Wehrmacht Part 1 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmar Bijlsma Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Lots of good footage I hadn't seen before. Note also the M3 Lee making an appearance. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manx Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Does anyone know if this has been shown before? The one on Youtube has a History Channel mark on it and has a American narrator. The BBC programme has Sean Bean doing it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Does anyone know if this has been shown before? The one on Youtube has a History Channel mark on it and has a American narrator. The BBC programme has Sean Bean doing it. The BBC (Sean Bean narrated) programme has been on before. I'm pretty sure i saw it a couple of years ago at least. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manx Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 The BBC (Sean Bean narrated) programme has been on before. I'm pretty sure i saw it a couple of years ago at least. Yeah your right. Looking at the programme info it says it was first shown on BBC2, 1st June 2009. I missed it the first time round. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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