The Final Year Of World War 2 | World War 2: The Last Heroes | Battle for Caen |Documentary Central 

I complain about my junky boots when I deployed in the mountains of afghan, then I watch this legend complain about how junky the tanks were made. I swear these interviews humble me to the core.

Thank you for your sacrifices, services, and Valor, Greatest Generation!

One of the best documentaries about Caen, if not the best. Well done.

My great grandfather was a tank driver in France, he died before i was old enough to even talk to him so I never got o to hear his stories but he was a Purple Heart recipient after his tank was hit and forced to evacuate. Unfortunately that’s all I’ve heard about him and his time in WW2, he was a sweet southern boy from NC training out of Fort Brag, and was married to my great grandmother for over 50 years. Just wish I could have heard some of his stories or experiences as I have grown up to be so fascinated with what was WW2. RIP Grant Miller and all men and women who’ve died or lost there life serving. Never forget!!

The 12th SS were mostly former Hitler Youth who had been together since the mid 1930s when they were ages 7 -11. This was their first battle. Theirs was a military schooling. Long marches, camaraderie, tough physical challenges, Nazi ideology, teamwork, and sacrifice was all they knew. By the time of the battle of Caen they were mostly ages 16-18. They had witnessed their cities back home being carpet bombed and fire bombed with little regard to civilian areas. They were hardened exceptionally well trained soldiers who eagerly went into the fight to avenge what they saw happening back home. Most likely, the determination to avenge the deaths of their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, etc., back home in the German cities played much more into the intensity, violence, and unwillingness to take prisoners than their indoctrination into Nazi ideology. This is just a fact that victors are rarely going to put out to consider but a fact to consider none the less. This group of mere boys were able to repulse around 50 attacks over a period of three weeks. The 12th SS was wiped out in the end. The few survivors were sent to the eastern front after Caen. Of 12,000 who were sent to Caen only around 200 survived the war.

An incredibly powerful presentation. Hearing the men that were boys sharing their experiences along with the great archive films and realistic pyrotechnics, moved me more than most shows I've seen. Thanks Fellas! You will never think so, but you are heroes for many of us.

That was fantastic, true history, unbelievable courage, most lost to time but these few men have left a story for the ages. Bravo

As a Dutch native I can only say thank you to these heroes. 🙏🏻

American author, Steven Zaloga author and proponent of the Sherman tank, needs to see this. He constantly creates the myth of how great the Sherman Tank was, which it never was. I received enough of an education from my dear Uncle, whom was stuck in one of them fighting in the Canadian Army. He lasted one month in them, and said no more and volunteered to be a Motorcycle Scout/ Dispatch rider in the 7th Recce battalion, also known as the 17th Duke of Yorks Royal Canadian Hussars. He told me he would rather be shot than burned alive.

First class documentary. Really enjoyed watching this.

From everything I have read,the British troops were outstanding…highly motivated, very gutsy. As an American who is in awe of our vets from that era, I am very impressed with the Brits. The Red Devils in Holland were amazing and were extremely respected by the US Airborne fighting nearby. Band of Brothers did not tell their story, just did the “rescue” across the river. These guys had been abandoned by Montgomery et al and hid out for a month after fighting hand to hand practically for a long time. Very brave

All the generation's this is by far the bravest an best generation ever I'm so honored and proud to call myself and others American because if not for them an thousands of others we wouldn't be free thank you for your service an God bless you and your families an God bless America

Forever remembered..

12th Was impressive just to finally make it out because Hitler told His Gen to stay till last man , But someone changed and one of the other Gen .led them out the Pocket

Incredible thank you, my Welsh uncle "Hoppy" was killed in Caen, burred in Ranville ,he had been married just months before in our village of Ackworth ,These men were so special. thank you

One minute: “How can people do that to other human people?” The next minute: “So I saw this German kid, couldn’t have been twenty, conscripted, no political affiliations, his mom sitting at home worried sick over him, and I shot him, and watched him fall like a sack of potatoes. I felt nothing.”

So Very Well Done ......................... HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE KIDS NEED TO SEE THIS ........................... MAYBE THEY WILL UNDERSTAND .......... EVEN JUST A LITTLE............ EVEN ALMOST 80 YEARS AGO ........ NEVER FORGET !!!!!

Only thing I can say is thank you to the greatest generation.so few left.

It is almost becoming tedious listening to the Canadians complain about the 12th SS murdering Canadian captives, not because it isn't true and criminal but, rather, no-one seems to quite get around to pointing out that the Canadians were guilty of doing the same thing as far back as the battle for Sicily. The commander of the 12th SS - Kurt "Panzer" Meyer had his death sentence commuted after the war by none other than the Canadians who knew their own men were just as guilty of doing exactly the same thing. Cheers!

Very good documentary. Thank you. And great thanks to those who served and told their story.

Well done. Re-enactments well done as well. Worth watching for sure.

How old is this? I personally don't know any WW2 vets alive. My grandfather is a marine PFC Frank Eugene Bradley. He obviously fought in the Pacific, many major battles. He died in 2006. I rarely see any WW2 vets alive these days. Heck... Vietnam vets are now in their late 60's to mid 70's.

god bless them all

22:33 not the highest decoration. It could be further raised with swords, and then with diamonds, and then the highest of all, golden oak leaves instead of bronze. This top award, knights cross with golden oak leaves with swords and diamonds, was awarded in the fewest numbers. One of whom was the Stuka pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel who was credited with more than 500 tank kills, heavily damaged a battle ship, destroyed a cruiser and a destroyer, and even more trucks, trains and troops

God bless our veterans!

The narrator of this documentary had announced in it that American troops/units had also taken part in the Battle for Caen. This is absolutely incorrect & inaccurate! No US formations were ever directly involved in combat situations in either the British or Canadian sectors at anytime during this campaign for capturing this city between June to August 1944!!

bit different from hollywood movies isn't it

Full blown Men.. every one who took part. My Grandpa fought in France WW2. His son my Dad was combat Veteran Vietnam 11th Cavalry 1966-67. Gött Segne dich to our Veterans

Content of this documentary is good but I can live without the slow motion explosion scenes

Very good video, thank you for uploading it.

Fantastic documentary!!

They “failed to take Caen in a day.” Montgomery failed in every battle other than Alemain where his superiority was greater than 10-1 in tanks. Sicily, failed. Caen, failed. Falaise, failed. Market Garden, failed. He was the best general the Germans ever had.

You guys should add more commercials in this, because, as it is, it's still watchable. Thanks

Honestly VERY FEW Allied Soldiers ever saw a Tiger in Action, although if they did, I am sure it was a day to remember. Semper Fi Veterans, RIP. The Pz IV would look somewhat similar at a distance though. Although Villers Bocage was damaged, the Allies BOMBED it a bit later after the Germans had left. So it was the Allies who really devastated Villers Bocage. If we are being factual. Caen was the same way the Germans had left and they Bombed the hell out of it.

I was born fifteen years after WW2. I'm blessed I wasn't around for it, it was literally Hell for all who were affected. How lucky I'm not so sure now. The way the some leaders are behaving there is the possibility of another war. Will my blessing hold and peace prevail. I'm praying wishing and hoping for a miracle. We need the planet to come out and demand this stops. We have the numbers and Morally right on our side, we lack the will. We need hero's any kind who can light the fuse and exsite the people to come out., 🤔☘️

Never has commercials been more out of place…

Seen a lot of the WWII footage that exists out there, but I believe this is the most brutal I’ve ever come across. Yikes man. Yikes.

The great confusion in Normandy it was the allied "Paranoid" abaut the Tiger Tank. The majorety of allied tank crews never Saw a Tiger in Normandy because only abaut 120 Tigers were sent to cover all that area,and barely half of them got there in fighting conditions. They where few and far between. They were confused by the Panzer IV all the time. PS:just love that brittish private words and gesture abaut Montgomery Said that Caen was to be taken on the first day.

poor Bill ❤

37:18 Count Dooku!

Caen had been part of the original COSSAC plans and were not changed when Montgomery rewrote the COSSAC plan to become what it was for Overlord. It was expected that Caen would be taken on that first day, but there were always doubts that it was possible, as made explicitly clear by the operational orders for 3rd Div, which quite clearly state that if it can't be taken, then at least make sure that the enemy can't make use of Caen, either. 3rd Div were always going to have a hard time of it, given the congestion at Sword Beach. Those operational orders are shown here: (I Corps Operations Order No. 1, WO 171/258) 3 British Division a) The task of 3 British Division is to capture CAEN and secure a bridgehead over the R ORNE at that place. b ) The enemy may develop his counter-attack-- i) Through CAEN ii) Across R ORNE at RANVILLE - BENOUVILLE having established himself in the area East of R ORNE from which he can dominate the beaches West of OUISTREHAM and the Northern approaches to CAEN. iii) West of Caen, between R MUE and the CAEN Canal iv) Any combination of the above In cases (ii) and (iii) using CAEN as a pivot, if he suceeds in forestalling us there. c) To counter these enemy measure 3 British Division should, before dark on D-Day, have captured or effectively masked CAEN and be disposed in depth with brigade localities firmly established. i) North-West of BENOUVILLE, in support of 6 Airborne Division operating East of R ORNE (having relieved the airborne troops West of the canal and taken over the defence of the BENOUVILLE-RANVILLE crossings. ii) North-West of CAEN, tied up with the LEFT forward brigade locality of 3 Canadian Division. Should the enemy forestall us at CAEN and the defences prove to be strongly organised thus causing us the fail to capture it on D-Day, further direct frontal assaults which may prove costly will not be undertaken without reference to I Corps. In such an event 3 British Division will contain the enemy in CAEN and retain the bulk of its forces disposed for mobile operations inside the covering position. CAEN will be subjected to heavy air bombardment to limit its usefulness and to make its retention a costly business." (Richard Anderson - "Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall: the 1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers on D-Day" ) So the INTENTION in the order is quite clear, here - take it, if possible, but if it's going to be problematic, then at the very least, ensure that the enemy doesn't use it as a mean of counter-attacking. Caen was not THE goal, the goal was to draw the German Armour Reserves onto 2nd Army frontage and grind them down with that aim to prevent them from interfering in Bradley's breakout into Brittany and the taking of Cherbourg. The fact that the Germans had to fight for it so long kept almost approximately 80% of the armour in Normandy including ALL the elite Panzer Divisions and all the heavy armour away from the US who took the same amount of time to take their D-Day Objectives.

They didn't produce that many Tigers...

Caen was planned to be bloody by the generals, they realised that the uS and Brit troops had to link up but the geography of the landings by the US forces made it hard for them and easy for the Germans, so the British had been ordered to take Caen and the fighing man didnt know why they were kept being fed in, it was to attract the Germans CLOSEST reserves, the troops in front of the Americans, this still made the American fight to link up hard, but it gave them the chance they needed at the right time.

But the P 47s And Spitfires.with those rockets and no Opposition even out your blindness sir All y'all got Our Admiration Sir

The Allied leveled Caen with every artillery shell and airplane bomb they had at that time. A war crime if you ask me.

The film sequences featuring the use of the 40mm Bofors for urban street fighting were the best sequences of the entire production. The studio-produced pyrotecnique scenes, on the other hand, were largely overdone.

what have we learned? Not much. We continue to disrepect their memory

Theirs is the glory.

It is a dstructive project despite as citizens of the desiros torise above their to enjoy the luxury of aging whic the youth could not have ebjoyed inamenanability to the priniciple to renounce war

Killing prisoners was done equally by both side

Hello:) I think my Dad was there in a tank

The bocage is mostly south of the Cotentin peninsula. Not between beaches and Caen.

Civilians suffered enormously in Normandy. The bombardments were terrible. Cean was 90% razed to the ground and the victims numbered in the thousands. The reception of the allies by the population was not as enthusiastic as in Paris for example, one can understand them.

I don’t think there were enough commercials

And decades later the same infantry against infantry and tank against tank in Ukraine.

it is a myth that Caen was a D Day objective.

And the generals who ordered the bombing did not get punished. Imagine all the innocent lives - children lost. Understandable that they had to take the city, but at cost of civilian lives?

it is a myth that Caen was meant to be taken on d day

👍👍👍

Hardly an accurate documentary. What US units were involved in encircling Caen, does anyone know because this is the first I've heard about it?

correction, the German 101st SS Heavy tank was not a division but a Heavy Tank battalion

Great documentary. Cannot figure the facial close ups tho', cuts better than 50% of what these brave men are saying. Dang stupid.

Is it not possible for them just to by-pass the bocage country?

Documentário medíocre... E que tal menos FX e mais factos? E que tal o lado alemão da batalha? A única coisa que se aproveita é os depoimentos dos veteranos, pelos quais tenho o maior respeito.

It probably was unnecessary except that it would have the effect on the Germans that the inevitible was happening, that probably made it a reason, BUT fancy oppressors of other poeples wanting to do this?

They saved the world

And we now face socialismen again. But this time from the inside.

German Heroes

Not very professionell warfare, I think....2000 Bombers because a complete outnumberd group of Hitler Youth, a few Panther and Tiger Tanks won't surrender. That's when the 17 Year old Grenadier Said: Oh, Churchill sends a Bomber For each of us.... My Father was a Tank Commander in the 101 heavy Tank Batallion at the age of 18. The Documentary is Missing also the Desaster of the Dessert Rats, getting completely wasted by one single Tiger (Wittmann) on the Road to Villargs Bocage. After that, something in His head got Out of Order. ? Driving a Tiger in a Village with narrow streets was a stupid thing to do

j6

Most of the Werhmacht units where crap. The Pegasus Bridge was defended by polish conscripts. Would you fight hard for a country that occupied your land five years ago? Some local defense divisions where manned by soliders got battlewounds like onelegged, one eyed wounds. Some units where surplus italian submarine crews. One of many units en.wikipedia.org/wiki/716th_Static_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Ostfront .... Thats what WWII was all about !!..