Omaha Beach From the GERMAN Perspective | History Traveler Episode 181 

My grandfather landed on Omaha beach in world war 2. He didn't talk about the war much when he came home, but when he got older, he told some incredible stories. He was eventually wounded in Germany. He lived to be 94 years old and was a real hero to me.

My Dad was shot on that beach. His purple heart is in my office, I see it everyday and hold it in deep respect

My Dad was a Sargent in A Company of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th ID, and landed on Dog-Green Sector of Omaha Beach. He's quoted at the D-Day Museum in NOLA. (I haven't been there, but it's supposed to be in the entry lobby. - Sargent Thomas Valance.) I could tell you his stories of D-Day, and WWII in general in about 5 minutes. It took me nearly 25 years to get him to tell me these stories. Among some of the details of D-Day were his Lieutenant was shot as the landing craft door opened. Which is also when he was first shot. The bullet entry point was the first knuckle on his left index finger, and exit point was on his wrist right around where you measure your pulse. Shot in the hip with an Armor Piercing bullet. Shot multiple times in the back. His pack, and gear (effectively) worked as a bullet proof vest. The chin strap on his helmet was shot off. A few other stories about some friends being killed right beside him. One "funny" story is that the 29th was a Virginia National Guard unit, and my Dad, and his best friend were from Connecticut and NYC, respectively. They were in the same landing craft, and George was an Assistant Flame Thrower operator. So he was in the back of the craft. Anyway, George continued the fighting, while my Dad was medically evacuated to England. Since they were separated on D-Day, they never saw each other again, until the Spring of 1947 when they were both heading home from work, and bumped into each other on Madison Avenue in NYC, going into Grand Central Terminal to get on their respective subway rides home. Until their deaths (my Dad died in 1997) they always called each other on June 6th, just to talk. ( A city of 8 million and they bump into each other!! WOW!! - Which once again proves my theory that the world is made up of 300 or so people, and the other 7 Billion + are simply smoke and mirrors.!! :-) )

This is one of the best channels on RU-vid.

My grandfather was in the 29th infantry 116 regiment. He was drafted from the Atlanta area. He was there on d day and spent 3 years over in Europe. He had a framed letter with his name and D Day "29 let's go" in the frame was his ribbons/purple heart hung on the outside was his dog tags. Thank you for making this video.

"D DAY Through German Eyes" by Holger Eckhertz has interviews with German soldiers conducted just 10 years after the end of the war. Two defenders from each of the 5 beaches are interviewed. Very readable.

I watch this and I try to compare the most difficult and challenging day of my life to June 6... and there are simply no words for the amount of humility I feel.

I didn’t get to the tiny home area, but I walked everywhere else you went in this video almost step for step. I had the same thought, I wanted to see what the Germans saw. When you stand on those cliffs and look down, it’s hard to imagine anyone survived. When I came down the trail by the last gun emplacement you showed, I stopped on the beach and took my shoes off and walked out into the water. I had to know, in some small way, what it was like to walk out of the water onto that beach. It was windy, freezing cold, but I didn’t care. I’m sure lots of people have done the same thing, but it’s a memory of an experience that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

Thank you for mentioning that the 29th ID was a National Guard Division. So many people don't realize that the National Guard gets activated, deploys, and fights in America's wars. Many people think that the National Guard just stays home and responds to natural disasters. Many National Guardsmen (Army and Air) have sacrificed so much, including paying the ultimate sacrifice in wartime. So, thank you for shining that light on the 29th ID and the Army National Guard.

I would love to add something to this . I was hoping to have interviews of German soldiers from the day , But I want to share with you all a story . I am a US veteran and combat soldier . Not from D Day and every soldier has a story to tell. I served in the US army In Germany in the Cold War 1986-1992. I stayed in Germany after Desert storm and I have been integrated into Germany and France . I am lucky enough to be fluent in both languages. About 10 years ago I visited this beach . I can tell you I was totally geared up to stand here and to try to imagine what these boys went through . I honestly cannot imagine and I still cry thinking about this. What struck me is there are still people who leave flowers photos and post cards here. It gives me great hope in humanity to see people have not forgotten . Mt story is really from the other side . I was with Michele he is a French Man proud truck driver and worked in his adult years driving for the US military supplying US troops to Germany well into his 80’s he spoke German which was amazing and I spoke with him that day of my visit to Normandy Michelle was a 5 year old boy in Deauville France not far away from the beaches . On the day of the embankment he and his family packed up what they had and went further inland with all they could carry on their backs to avoid what was to come . The French adults knew what was happening as people do . Michelle remembered his times learning German from the German soldiers stationed there . He at the age of 5 was pretty much buddies with German soldiers. He told me he would play soccer, run errands and felt safe with his German friends . When he and his family left Deauville to live in the woods and fields he remembered seeing smoke and fires in the horizon . A few weeks later he and his family returned to Deauville only to see his village was destroyed and the German soldiers he called his friends were stacked high with corpses . He at his age could not understand how his life his village lay in ruins and the people of his village were happy to see these American GI’s marching in and everyone was happy however for him it was very confusing and he needed to accept the reality of the times . And this was the story of Michelle . I have been blessed to listen to stories of the other side , and I have seen the other side where modern youth idolize the Nazi’s , they are punks and they do not see both sides of the story . History is always written by the victorious , I again have been blessed to be a US combat veteran, and to learn the other side of the story. So I thought I would share this with you all and the story of Michelle. And also to warn all of you .. If you go to the beaches of Normandy and you stand there looking up and try to imagine these impossible odds … it will change your life forever and make you realize the bravery of these young men and still to see that there are still people out there who still lay memories of these days .

I have read Stephen Ambroses book on D-day. After seeing these videos, I can't believe that the men who landed on Omaha beach were able to establish a beach head and overcome all of that fire power.

I am surprised this channel doesn’t have millions of subscribers. This are the best videos so far and the quality is amazing!

Back in the early 1980's I worked with a man, who himself as a young 29th ID soldier landed on Omaha in the second wave. When I asked him about it, he said as their landing craft neared the beach, bullets were pinging off the front and had so unnerved everyone that when the ramp dropped they about trampled each other getting out. He was a communications guy and carried a spool of telephone wire, and most of the other men in the craft were engineers and all carried explosives. He said he was more worried about getting blown up by their charges than the bullets flying about. He lost his spool of wire after getting off the craft and reflected he was so scared he's not sure when he dropped it.

Incomprehensible bravery. Heroes All!

I may not be a ww2 history geek but I've always liked watching documentaries, shows and movies about it. Here's to more success to you and your channel!

Brave American men fought in these battles. Thanks for the tour of the area.

RiP to these brave men. My grandfather fought with the US Army thru the Pacific Campaign against Japan. He was wounded in the battle of Attu in Aleutian islands. His brother was a DDay veteran though. I dont know what he did there but I know he was a Seabee in the navy. He never spoke about it and most of us didn't know he was there at DDay until after he died and we read his obituary.

I've seen pics of Omaha Beach before but this was amazing. To see it from above and how clear the fields of fire were I'm amazed the invasion succeeded. In the end the sheer numbers of allied troops, their training, and bravery just overwhelmed the Germans in the end.

I am reading a book in preparation for my bucket list adventure to Normandy this July (I am soooo jealous of what you are able to do for a living dude!). On Sword the Brits had a Sexton armored vehicle, essentially a tracked howitzer. This guy and his crew were following three Shermans that were blown up from a bunker like these. A soldier ran up and told them where the enemy was. After thinking for a moment the crew chief said that they were going to attack at their fastest speed, then stop on a dime and try to put a round into the embrasure. They of course were going to be sitting ducks if they missed. The guy related that the odds were very small they could accomplish this. The first shot hit close to the opening which stunned the gun crew inside the bunker. The chief ordered the gun up slightly and to the left and the second shot went right in. Amazing heroism.

Company C boys were absolute studs for rushing those cliffs. Depicted incredibly well in SPR.

The commercial before this video was for Walmart. It depicted a six year old boy that was super excited to receive neon pink shoes as a gift. How much has changed since 1944.😢

Very interesting and educational video. My dad worked for the Battle Monuments Commission in the 50's. We visited those beaches in 1953 staying with close friends of his who lived near Normandy. Dad spoke fluent French making their acquaintance shortly after D-Day. They stayed in touch up until Marcel passed. From a French prospective both of Marcel's parents died from the allied bombings, he held no animosity towards the allies blaming their deaths on the Germans. Lastly to those who served on both sides it took a terrible toll on the survivors. My dad relived that war every night in his sleep for the rest of his life.

I've been watching your channel for a a long time now but I couldn't put my finger on why I enjoyed it more than so many others . Well it finally occurred to me after watching the Hillman episode . Many other channels just talk about the dates , use diagrams or animations and they tend to sound like a boring history teacher going through the motions . Your channel offers so much more . You are at the locations telling me a story and it feels much more like being invited along on a journey with you rather than being lectured . The passion you have for the subject is infectious and I enjoy the fact that while most documentarians tell When something happened you tell me how and where it happened , how they overcame a challenge and what they had to fight through . Although you might not have the subscribers of some others I think you are far and away one of the best channels and hope you have a lot of sucsess

My wife and I visited Omaha Beach a few years ago. Her uncle died there on D Day. We were unable to hold back the tears when we stepped onto the beach. I came away with this: Omaha Beach today there is no blood in the sea no fallen soldiers on the beach no sniper fire no incoming rounds from battleships parked miles off shore no landing crafts overturned in the surf no enemy machine gun fire piercing the air no cries of medic no young lives seeping into the sand I cup my hands raise the cold Atlantic to my lips taste the salt of a nation's tears

A very good friend of my husband was a RANGER that went up that cliff. They were from different wars, but had a lot to talk about. So much of their conversations was just between them, we always respected that.

Looking on the beach at low tide clearly shows the numerous runnels that greatly hindered the landing craft and men wading ashore. Many craft were stranded between these lines of deeper water on the sand and it took great skill for the pilots to avoid this hazard throttling down before the sand bar before throttling up and allowing the wash to carry them over. Men would emerge from landing craft and find themselves in a deep water runnel or would make some progress only to encounter a hidden one further on.

On a visit to the American cemetery at Colleville overlooking Omaha beach a few years ago my wife just happened to say "I wonder if anyone with our surname is buried here?" Literally 5 seconds later we passed the grave of PFC Derril G Mellon of the 116th regt of the 29th Div died 7th June 44 RIP. Great channel by the way!

I was so confused when I visited Omaha as a youngster with no real understanding of military tactics - where were all the gigantic pillboxes I saw in SPR and MOH that made easy targets to shoot back at? Surely they were such big targets they'd be easy to take out? The reality is what made it such a massacre was the defences were so small and well camouflaged you'd have been lucky to even see muzzle flashes among the smoke, shells, and sheer chaos with saltwater in your eyes and abject horror going on all around you. I know in media its simply to give the audience perspective, but I was truly humbled to stand at the shore line when my dad pointed out one of the REAL pillboxes on the drawer and I couldn't even see it. Gave me shivers, and this video illustrates the disadvantage those poor lads were at so well. Good job!

I've been waiting for this, and you upload at the same time as Sidestep Adventure.

Thanks for this video, good to see a different view of that day. My Dad's best friend survived the invasion, never said anything about it until I asked him in my later years. Dad served in the Pacific Theatre. They were, indeed, the Greatest Generation.

It was so awesome to walk on all the D Day beaches last month. If you are interested in the D Day invasion I can't stress enough going here for a few days. It's one thing to watch videos like this on RU-vid, but standing in these places is something that is hard to put in to words. I remember standing at the waters edge in front of WN62 and my eyes welled up with tears. My Son had walked down the beach and I was standing alone just listening to the waves and slowly panning my video camera back and forth. Quite a moving experience.

Love this, thank you so much.. Never get tired of military history.. I used to sit and listen to my dad tell me stories of his military days, I always found it very interesting, of course I am myself a history buff.. Your videos have helped me in my recovery ((had a massive heart attack back in March))... once again, thank you so much.. Have an awesome day..

My uncle told us his experience on Omaha Beach but it's very interesting to see it from the German side. Great job JD. 👍

In 1987 I took a buddy of mine who I served with in the 82nd airborne to Normandy. He was from Nigeria and had no idea of the history of that place. At low tide I took him to the edge of the water line and scooped up the sand and "pebbles" . What I actually scooped up were spent rounds. 42 years later and still inky spent rounds. Giving me pause and making me imagine the hell those poor men, those absolute heroes went through on D Day. Thought it was worth sharing with you. Fantastic RU-vid site.

The 88 was fearsome indeed. The projectile was about 3.5 inches in diameter and was a high velocity round. It was conceived as an antiaircraft weapon but became anti-tank and all around artillery weapon.

Videos like these give me goosebumps. Just looking at an area where 100s upon 100s of men gave they’re lives. History is so important and I think more people should know at least the basics…for the simple reason of not forgetting and teaching people the sacrifices these men made. Anyway…love the video again!!! Cant get enough of the new upload schedule 🙌

Cannot imagine being in that house, talk about a front row seat to history!!

My last trip to France I was able to walk from the water to the hills at Omaha beach. I could just imagine what those brave soldiers went through. But what really shook me was the American cemetery. The price of liberty and freedom.

Excellent presentation. Let us not forget their sacrifice so we can live free.

I have been to this area in your video. You can feel the significance of Omaha while your there. I was standing almost on top of WN 71 looking towards the beach and, for the life of me, still cannot see how those brave men got off that beach.

Great channel 10/10 … Thanks 🙏

My great uncle when he was dying a few years back, relived his experience on Omaha beach while on his death bed before he died. First time he ever talked about it and last. I have his dog tag he wore that day, besides my family, it's the most important thing to me

Thanks for sharing My Uncle was a Paratrooper in the D-Day Invasion and Miraclousy Survived He Also Did Time in the Bulge He and Bastonge

I had the absolute honor and privilege to visit these beach heads in 2014 when I was stationed in Germany. Definitely puts into perspective, or rather gives some perspective, as to what both sides had to deal with it. Thank you for doing what you do.

the contrast is breathtaking. Such an incredibly beautiful place that holds some of the darkest moments in human history.

There is a documentary on this very subject. It was covered by an American and a German who met in the heat of battle. The German was wounded and was captured by the American. They remembered each other and had not seen each other since D-Day. The German was in the Wehrmacht and was drafted at 17. He said they had used them as slave labor for 2 years to build the fortifications. He was an ammo runner on the fortification. He said they ran out of ammunition for the heavy machine guns. Then it was all small arms and the American Army overran them. He was severely wounded, and the American saved his life and would not let the others execute him. The German said when he saw all those ships that morning he prayed he would live through this. He spent the next 3 years as a POW in America somewhere in Alabama.

I remember watching another documentary about from the German side on tv. Where they were interviewing a German machine gunner. He said something very stunning about that morning and shooting at all the landing craft when the ramps would come down. “There comes a point where you just get tired of killing.” What horrendous nightmares that day must have produced for both sides. You would have thought that we could have learned to trade and “get along” After the first one.

This is no doubt the best channel on RU-vid ,I thoroughly enjoy every video.

Brilliant video mate.. I too like to see the defences from the German side.. I used to work with a guy in Birmingham UK who’s father was a an SS Kopfjager during the war and was captured by commonwealth troops in Normandy and was imprisoned in Ludlow. He settled in the UK after the war and I met him only once in the early 90’s shortly before his death. He recalls being moved up to shore defences as the invasion was taking place, but couldn’t get to the German lines right on the coast because the Royal Navy had destroyed so many of the roads leading up to the coast. He said that manyGermans were glad of the invasion because they accepted defeat was imminent, but he couldn’t get over the relentless shelling from the Navy. He recalled some German soldiers being executed by the advancing allied troops who made it off the beach, but he never forgot the amount of allied bodies who he saw piled up on the beeches just before he was shipped to the Uk.

Great video.. really enjoyed it. During my time in the Air Force, I was at the 45th Anniversary DDay commemoration. Those are sacred sites for those who appreciate the massive sacrifices our troops paid that day. Thanks for posting!

Great tribute to the Greatest Generation.......

Once again the best documentary of WWII

Been there and done this myself ! one of hardest things that come to my mind was the loss of life on these sights ! Yet if you realize what it is all about at that time in 1944 and the war ! Well you must admit it was a great undertaking experience of the 20th century ! For all the men who gave of their lives shall never gp unforgotten For the ones who survived the war I give total salute of thanks ! One must remember freedom comes with a price and never I said never forget what was done here !

JD, incredible narrative. I’m not an emotional guy but thinking about the weaponry and the defeating noise must have been unbelievable for 17-19 yr old kids getting through that sand.

Was there in 2012 with my wife and two daughters. Was very moved by the experience. Many thanks for making this.

I have met and interviewed one of these Germans. He was right there shooting 10 000 rounds down on the beach and as a senior citizen he had a summer house there. Met him on June 6, 2004

Better content than what’s on TV. Put this man in charge of the history channel

I can’t understand how this isn’t hallowed ground. It should have been left undisturbed for eternity. Future generations would have benefited from seeing the actual battlefield without a rich frenchie’s villa desecrating the ground where Americans died to liberate a continent. Your video bring perspective and tears to my eyes. Truly the greatest generation ever.

You would wrap a towel round your gead, tighten it up, put the helmet on, plug your ears and keep your mouth wide open. It will reduce the shelling noise a bit and avoid pressure. However the fear is something you can't physically fix it.

300 yards of beach to run across from the waterline to the bluffs and nothing to hide behind. Amazing that anybody made it to the top of those bluffs.

Always interesting to see the other sides perspective

I love how you show case what happened during WWII from both sides, American & German, great job JD

When I think of the German perspective on the invasion at Omaha beach I think of Plukat in his bunker from 'The Longest Day'.

Thank you for your ground level treatment of this large complex subject. Your attention to detail, the effort and the research you have put in, makes the history real and personal.

"D-Day through German Eyes" is a great book. There is some question to it's veracity - but, wonderful perspective that is worth a read.

Thanks again. Great job. And hope you are having fun.

My best friend's grandpa died about a year ago today. He was 99. A twin. We took care of him the last few years of his life. His twin brother died on the USS Strong after the Japanese blew it up in the Philippines. He along with another guy who was in the ship and a few other men, were injured by an under seat mine and eventually washed on an island nearby. He died of internal injuries on the island and they buried him in the sand.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T MENTION SOME SPECIFIC UNIT FROM AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAR!" or whatever insanity the online haters always comment😆 awesome video man.

Absolutely great job at showing a different prospective

What an awesome video, thank you for this. You gave a great detailed explanation of what took place in the invasion. I commend you for not only telling the story but showing the land marks and being there on the spot where a timeless and unforgiving battle took place. Like the great Churchill said “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” please keep up with doing what you do. I’ll sit and listen to you any day explain history sir.

I heard one German said he didn't want to keep firing but he was told keep shooting or he would be shot

I often wonder how long it would take to run from the waters edge to the sea wall , and then imagine trying to do it with full pack and under fire .. truly heroic .

Amazing video. Truly gave me goosebumps thinking about what those men went through taking those beaches. Thank you for the education!

These Men are truly National Treasures! Heart Touching to see this Video. Thank you for a good job!

Very good job young man. That this is being remembered makes me proud of the generations behind me and hopefully those yet to come. Many thanks.

I never knew how gorgeous the terrain is. Thank you for the video!

My grandfather was there, all he would tell me about it was that was the scaredest he ever been

You might want to read “D Day Through German Eyes” books 1 & 2 by Holger Eckhertz. Amazing first person accounts from German soldiers who manned the lines resisting the invasion.

What I enjoy about your documentaries is your pleasant tone. It makes listen to it very easy. You do good work thank you

Good video. I'll be watching more of your output in future.

I was inside that 75mm gun emplacement area in October 2022. It was an awful feeling seeing the advantage the enemy had over the landing troops. It really had an effect on me and still does to this day. We are so lucky to live in North America and so lucky that these selfless people came before us and gave us our freedom in exchange for their lives.

Thanks JD, another great one. Makes you wonder what the Germans thought At the sight of the armada.

I often wondered when watching "Saving Private Ruan" or "Band Of Brothers", what it must have been like that morning from an enlisted German soldier's aspect. Waking up that day, putting on the uniform, having breakfast, arriving at your post, like every other day... not realizing what was about to go down. Then... seeing his reaction when he looks over the horizon and sees the monster that was approaching. It had to be a "change my shorts" moment! The movies "Flags Of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima" were interesting from that aspect. It would be nice to see something like that about D-Day. I look forward to your videos each day! It's refreshing to see a channel about history that really explains it.. not just a "name & date" point of view. Yours has a realness to it that makes history come alive. Thank you for that!

At 5 minutes: those bunker wings could protect from naval fire, but more importantly they were also used to hide the muzzle flashes that could give away their positions. Major advantage to the Germans who could hold up longer in those bunkers without being spotted from the sea. They also had soldiers spread out and some were solo ran, or only 2 man teams, as to not be bombed / killed at once. They used trenches to run between them. It also appeared that way more were there when in actuality they didn't have a lot of men defending that beach. Crazy

Well done, JD! I enjoy how you take a small location and tell a story with, that gives us a new perspective on how it was!! Thank you, brother!

I often wondered this as well. Not many survivors were left of course to tell the tale, but I'm sure we can imagine the amount of relief the had left in their trousers. Terrififying!

My father landed on Omaha Beach D-Day on June 6th, 1944 He was 23 years old, He passed away on December 30th, 2021 First town St Glees, on to St Lo, in his words they got the sh-t kicked out of them in St Lo.

Absolutely excellent production.Provided information about D Day that I never ever was told. Really well thought out script, interesting details, delivered in a manner that is a blend of reality, authenticity and spoken like a guy who might just be sitting beside you in a bar just sharing his I was there perspective!

Once again, well told. I'm in awe and grateful for your perspective, time and effort that went into making this!

Speechless ….. Thank you so so so much! Another great and informative video!! Thank you for taking us along 🥰

Thank you for these videos. My Grandpa, Mjr Anthony Barker Royal Engineers, had a hand in designing the Mulberry Harbours and his Port and Bridges team were responsible for visiting all the Ports and Bridges to assess their structural viability, replacing any bridges that needed to and what equipment the Ports needed to stay open. He wasn't all that complimentary of how the US Forces assembled and maintained Mulberry Harbour A. He felt they were in too much of a hurry and he believes had they assembled A in the same way B was then it would've withstood the storm.

OMG What an amzaing sight !! Thanks so much JD! !!

Your videos are perfectly in sync with your narration. Awesome job, I really enjoy and appreciate your work. Such a sacred site in world history.

Thank you for looking at both perspectives. My father fought in World War II as an airman. But I also think about the people fighting on the other side and the loss that they felt.

Thanks JD for another excellent video, loving this series.

Brilliant presentation, I love the respectful manner in which this video was presented. History should always be presented in a fair and true manner. You have done just that.

It's so beautiful there makes it really hard to imagine what this looked like during D Day

As a German i say thank you for showing our perspective too .Well done history lesson like always .

Thank you for the awesome content! I have always been into wartime history and this channel gives so much insight

Another great video. Having Uncles that fought in WWII I love watching these. It brings their stories to life for me. Love these and thank you again for doing them👍😊