Hitler's Last Stand (2018) s03e02 Episode Script
Hell in Hoven
1
♪
NARRATOR:
November 1944.
(gunfire)
As Allied forces fight to break
through the Siegfried Line
(gunfire)
- and further into Germany,
- (tank rumbling)
a British captain fires on German armor
with a hand held PIAT
(pop, explosion)
but suffers a misfire.
He quickly finds that he has
attracted unwanted attention.
(exploding)
(gunfire)
On June 6th, 1944,
Allied forces finally land
troops in Normandy
to open the Western Front.
(speaking in German)
- (gunfire)
- But, Nazi fanatics and diehards
continue to fight
ferociously for survival.
- (gunfire)
- (explosion)
- (gunfire)
- D-Day was a battle.
They still need to win the war.
♪
November 18th, 1944
(bombing)
near the Dutch-German border.
After a 250-gun bombardment lifts,
members of the Duke of Cornwall’s
light infantry regiment rush ahead.
(gunfire)
British Major Michael Lonsdale
moves cautiously along the deserted road
of the German village of Hochheid.
(distant gunfire)
His men advanced so fast,
he sees no sign of them.
- (gunfire)
- JIM TANNER: The two leading platoons
had taken great advantage
of the British barrage,
and had therefore swept
through very quickly indeed.
NARRATOR:
As Lonsdale surveys his surroundings,
a movement catches his eye.
♪
TANNER:
It's easy to miss
enemy dug into buildings,
perhaps still recoiling from the great
artillery barrage that they'd suffered.
NARRATOR: He makes out
a shape in a nearby window,
which he believes to be a German soldier.
Before Lonsdale can act,
another Cornwall appears on the road.
The private has been
wounded in fighting up ahead,
†and now returns to
the regimental aid post to the rear.
TANNER:
He says to the private soldier,
"You will cover me with your rifle,
while I go and investigate."
NARRATOR: With the man’s rifle
trained on the entrance,
Lonsdale sneaks towards the house.
♪
Once at the door,
he pauses and draws his pistol.
When he is ready,
he forces his way inside.
(yelling)
♪
Lonsdale and his men advanced
into Germany from the Netherlands
less than eight hours before.
KEN FORD:
After five long years of war,
they had finally taken
the fight to Germany.
For the first time since
the Battle of Minden in 1759,
British soldiers were about to do battle
inside Germany.
NARRATOR: Their advance forms
part of the broad front strategy,
devised by Supreme Allied Commander
General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
FORD: The broad front strategy
was intended to bring all of
the Allied armies up to
the line of the River Rhine.
The British in the north,
the American and French
in the center and the south,
and when they were lined up,
they could move in unison
into the Third Reich.
NARRATOR:
Near the fortified town of Geilenkirchen,
about 6 miles from the border,
the plan is for Americans
from the 84th infantry division
to capture positions to the north-east,
while British troops
will attack from the west,
through Hochheid, to encircle the town.
♪
For Major Lonsdale,
this means taking Hochheid
one house at a time.
Lonsdale bursts through the door
- (yelling in German)
- and barrels inside.
TANNER: He's rather surprised
to find something like
18 German soldiers,
all armed
and becoming alert.
- MICHAEL LONSDALE: Hände hoch!
- NARRATOR: Lonsdale waves his pistol
and threatens.
The standoff lasts for a moment.
- He gestures again
- LONSDALE: Hände hoch!
NARRATOR:
and to his great amazement,
the Germans yield.
TANNER:
At stages like this,
they could come across pockets
of German soldiers,
especially if they were
away from their officers and NCOs
who were too ready to surrender.
LONSDALE:
Raus!
NARRATOR: Lonsdale ushers
the Germans out to the street
and the wounded Duke of Cornwall private.
♪
He orders the man to take
the prisoners to the rear.
TANNER:
Major Michael Lonsdale
is a 37-year-old Irishman,
who'd come in from
the North Staffordshire regiment.
He very quickly endears
himself to these men.
Long after the war,
a young officer in
the North Staffordshire regiment
describes him as wild,
terrifying,
but warm to the young.
- (distant gunfire)
- (gunshot)
(explosion)
(bullets flying)
♪
NARRATOR: Lonsdale gathers his
company at the end of the road.
LONSDALE:
Let’s move out, boys. Follow me.
NARRATOR:
And with Hochheid now apparently secure,
the Cornwalls spread through
the surrounding forest.
(distant gunfire)
This region forms one
of the strongest sectors
of Hitler’s infamous Siegfried Line.
DR. PETER LIEB:
You've got strong points,
you've got anti tank ditches,
interlocking arcs of fire,
and, as a natural barrier,
you've got even the River Wurm.
When you read German documents,
when they fell back onto
the German borders,
psychologically, the Siegfried Line
is extremely important for them
because it's the first time
that they have got something.
A prepared defense line.
Even though, in reality,
it's outdated and obsolete.
But, psychologically it's an important
factor, an important element.
♪
NARRATOR:
As the Allies plan to smash through,
the Cornwalls' next objective
is to cut off the road
leading out of Geilenkirchen.
By holding this position,
they can block German
reinforcement from the north
and harass those who retreat
as the Americans advance from the south.
- (flames crackling)
- (distant gunfire)
But the breakthrough at Geilenkirchen
takes longer than hoped for.
Two days later,
the Cornwalls remain fanned out
in shallow ditches
on either side of the road.
(whistling, explosions)
The ground around them erupts
with intermittent artillery bursts.
(distant bang)
Lonsdale stays low as he moves
between his soldiers.
Some try to rest
and others clean their weapons
just to stay busy
despite the miserable weather.
♪
Finally, early in
the afternoon of November 20th,
they detect movement.
(footsteps)
Initially, they spot a few enemy soldiers.
Lonsdale readies his men.
(inaudible)
As the Germans
come into view from the south
(gunfire)
the British open fire.
(bullets flying)
(gunfire continues)
(tank rumbling)
(explosion)
Explosions reverberate
around them from German tanks
and self-propelled guns in the distance.
(rumbling)
(bang)
- (gunfire)
- (explosion)
DR. LIEB:
The German troops around Geilenkirchen
have held out for quite a while,
but now, they need this road
as their escape route as
pressure is building up on them.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: Lonsdale and the Cornwalls
continue to counter the attack
as more Germans appear out of the forest,
determined to break out.
(bang, explosion)
(gunfire)
♪
(explosion)
British casualties mount.
(gunfire continues)
It is not clear how long
they can withstand the onslaught.
(explosion)
- (gunshot)
- Suddenly,
despite the heavy enemy fire,
a young corporal
from the Cornwalls breaks rank
and runs away from the British position.
Then disappears from view.
(gunfire)
- (gunfire)
- November 20th, 1944.
♪
About six miles from Germany’s
border with the Netherlands
(gunfire continues)
British forces try to cut off
- a determined German retreat.
- (rumbling)
(bullets flying)
FORD: The Americans
advancing through Geilenkirchen
push more of the Germans northwards.
(bang, explosion)
But, the first obstacle
they came to was the crossroads
where the Cornwalls
had established a stop line.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR:
During this critical fight,
a corporal from the Duke of Cornwall’s
light infantry regiment,
bursts from the safety
of their line and takes off.
Major Michael Lonsdale
urges his men to stay down,
even as the corporal vanishes from sight.
Dodging gunfire,
Lonsdale focuses his attention
on the German break out attack
all along the British line.
(gunfire)
♪
(explosion)
(gunfire)
(explosion)
(explosions)
But slowly,
the Cornwalls reduce the enemy forces
(gunfire continues)
joined in their attack by US troops
pushing up from the south.
The young corporal had spotted them
and evaded the crossfire to make contact.
FORD: Well at this point,
Corporal Lynch was very brave.
He moved towards the Americans
to let them know that they were
approaching British positions,
and he was afraid of friendly fire.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR:
Their arrival signals that the objective
for this phase of the operation
has been achieved.
The Americans have secured Geilenkirchen.
The link up with the British forces
clears the area of German resistance.
(gunfire)
♪
Lieutenant Colonel George Taylor
monitors the progress of the Cornwalls
from his headquarters.
FORD:
He took over the battalion of
the fifth Duke of Cornwall’s light
infantry after they had lost
their previous two commanders in battle.
He had to take in a whole host
of new reinforcements
and mold the battalion
into a fighting unit.
NARRATOR: He now receives word to
prepare the Cornwalls for more action.
This request is unusual.
The Duke of Cornwalls normally practice
a fighting rotation of four days on,
four days off, so Taylor is concerned.
TANNER:
The battalion's been in Hochheid
for four days now.
They've been under a lot
of German artillery fire
and the Germans constantly
are trying to infiltrate and attack,
so the soldiers were very tired out.
NARRATOR:
The fatigue is made worse by the weather.
According to sources, November 1944
brings double the normal
rainfall to the region.
The men themselves
are soaked and covered in mud.
The inundation turns dirt roads
and paths into a quagmire.
Stuck vehicles create
endless traffic jams.
Faced with similar
problems in the First World War,
the British adopted a technology
called continuous tracks.
In the simplest designs,
the wheels turn along a moving track
instead of directly on the ground.
In the same way a snowshoe
distributes weight over a wider area,
a continuous track helps heavy machinery
to float on a soft surface.
But, as the Cornwalls discover,
the mud is inescapable.
Even their tracked vehicles have problems.
FORD:
Everything had to be carried by hand.
Ammunition, supplies, food, everything.
And even the casualties had to be
brought out by hand on stretchers.
♪
NARRATOR: Lieutenant Colonel George Taylor
knows his companies are under strength.
To make it worse
TANNER: Before any
reinforcements will get to them,
his battalion's going to conduct
another attack on its own.
NARRATOR: Taylor surveys the destruction
of a recent battle with concern.
It is the location they call the Gap.
Other British units have
tried to fight across.
The wreckage litters the battlefield.
Now, Taylor’s battalion has orders
to capture the village
of Hoven to the north.
To get there,
the Cornwalls must cross the Gap
in full view of the German
defenders who hold the woods.
TANNER:
George Taylor is particularly apprehensive
about this next operation.
The soldiers are tired, worn out,
and he's lost quite a lot of men.
And now, he's being told
that the battalion has got to go forward
and attack the village of Hoven.
♪
NARRATOR:
But when Taylor relays his concerns
to his commanding officer,
they are dismissed.
TANNER: The Brigade
Commander Hubert Essame,
he understands George Taylor's concerns,
but he has to dismiss them.
The battalion is attacking
on the left flank
of the American attack
that's going on towards Wurm,
and, therefore, it's a very
important attack to take place.
NARRATOR: It is a small unit approach
to Eisenhower’s broad front strategy.
The Allies advance in lock step
to protect the flanks
and all important supply lines,
and the broad front requires the Germans
to spread out their forces
rather than concentrate them.
The next day, as the
battalion prepares to jump off,
prisoners of war
are brought through the line.
The Cornwalls had been briefed that one of
Hitler’s new Volksgrenadier divisions
defended the woods.
But closer inspection reveals
that they face an old nemesis instead.
The 10th SS Panzergrenadier regiment.
- (gunfire)
- DR. LIEB: The presence of the SS troops
clearly indicates that,
from a German perspective,
there is danger.
They are mostly fanatical Nazis,
and they believe
in what they are fighting for.
♪
NARRATOR: The appearance of this
elite regiment of battle-hardened soldiers
demonstrates the German’s ability
to bring in reinforcements,
even if the Allies cannot.
♪
♪
November 22nd, 1944.
As British Lieutenant
Colonel George Taylor
prepares to capture
the German village of Hoven,
he learns the 10th SS
Panzergrenadier regiment
has been moved into the area
as reinforcements.
FORD:
The Cornwalls had first come across
the tenth Panzer division in Normandy.
Later on in the Arnhem operation,
the Cornwalls once again came up
against the Panzer division.
And when Taylor heard that some of
the Panzergrenadiers
were moving into Hoven,
it did not bode well for him and his men.
NARRATOR:
But there is no time to make changes.
Taylor lays out the battle plan
to his company commanders.
C Company will secure the northern woods,
opening the way for B Company
to advance to Hoven.
Major Michael Lonsdale’s D Company
will use the distraction
to capture the village of Kraudorf.
♪
But Lonsdale will not lead them.
TANNER:
George Taylor understands
how to get the best out of his men.
He understands that men do need rest.
NARRATOR: Taylor decides
to have his company's
second-in-commands initiate the attack.
TANNER:
He realizes, too, that taking Hoven
is just one part of the problem.
Holding onto it against
inevitable German counterattacks
was part of the Cornwall's battle.
NARRATOR:
This means having leaders well-rested
and ready to continue the fight.
Lonsdale departs to the rear.
In his absence,
Captain John Spencer will lead D Company.
Taylor had given Spencer some rest
after he was wounded at Arnhem.
This is his chance to get back in command.
By 12 noon,
the Cornwalls’ C Company lines up
along the edge of the open field,
ready to jump off.
♪
But they must wait
for the bombardment to finish.
If all goes well,
the Allied artillery
will knock out enemy guns
and shatter any fortifications
to give the Cornwalls first crack
while the Germans’ heads are still down.
- (explosions)
- Timing is key.
Move too soon,
and you get hit by your own shells.
Move too late,
and you allow the enemy to re-group.
(explosion)
Knowing the exact moment
the barrage ends is critical.
They need a clear sign.
The signal is delivered by grenade.
Instead of an explosion,
it releases colored smoke.
As the guns fall silent,
they see a wafting of red and blue.
C Company starts off.
TANNER:
C Company is Taylor's strongest company.
(explosion)
So it now leads the attack
across the Gap on
the near side of Hoven.
(gunfire)
But as soon as C Company
gets out into that gap,
they are withered
by German machine gun fire.
♪
NARRATOR:
Hoven is currently defended by members
of the 104th Panzergrenadier regiment.
Hauptmann Heinrich Wolf commands
the second battalion,
from the battalion headquarters.
DR. LIEB:
Panzergrenadiers are armored infantries,
so this means they often
cooperate with tank troops.
You need the infantry
in order to hold ground,
and in order to attack areas,
which are not suitable for tanks.
NARRATOR: Critical to the success
of the Blitzkrieg offenses
(gunfire)
as the war drags on,
the heavily armed troops
are often used to stabilize
the lines in vulnerable sectors.
♪
Only about 700 yards
south of the village, where C
Company tries to cross the Gap,
the preliminary bombardment
has clearly failed to knock out
the German guns.
Enemy mortar and artillery shells
reply to the Allied barrage.
B Company now moves up
to try and break through.
Suddenly, another salvo of shells
lands just behind the line.
It knocks the occupants in
Taylor’s command post off their feet.
November 22nd, 1944.
About six miles into Germany
from the Netherlands.
British Lieutenant Colonel George Taylor
watches his men,
the Duke of Cornwall’s light infantry,
succumb to machine gun fire.
TANNER: George Taylor has
a forward command post,
dug just some 40 yards
behind his battalion start line,
and from Taylor's own description,
it sounds like a desperate affair.
♪
NARRATOR:
They are so close to the action,
an incoming shell
strikes the command post.
The force blasts Taylor
and his signaler from their feet.
TANNER:
He describes it as feeling like
a boxer having been
knocked down in the ring
and desperately trying to stand up again.
NARRATOR: The signaler beside
him would not be so lucky.
♪
In the meantime,
both the “B” and “C” Company advances
have now faltered.
- (explosion)
- (gunfire)
TANNER: They went forward
under this withering fire,
received so many casualties.
The Sherman tanks that meant
to have accompanied them
have failed to turn up,
and now, Taylor changes his plan.
NARRATOR: Taylor’s misgivings
about the attack prove correct.
He must adapt quickly to bring
about the capture of Hoven.
He abandons the plan to seize Kraudorf.
TANNER: Taylor understands
that he's got to use D Company
to do a right hook to leave
the protection of the woods,
to come out to the right,
and attack Hoven village from the east.
NARRATOR:
With smoke masking their advance,
the Cornwalls creep into
the northern part of the woods.
♪
Cover provided by trees
allows Spencer and D company
to sneak into the village,
defended with a headquarters
of the 104th Panzergrenadier regiment.
DR. LIEB: So, the fact that we've got
the battalion headquarters in Hoven means
that the Germans consider Hoven
as the crucial point of the battle.
NARRATOR:
The Cornwalls advance carefully,
checking doors and windows as they go.
As the afternoon wears on,
Spencer’s men attempt to clear the houses
of the German defenders.
One by one, they encircle the German
strongholds and attack.
(muffled gunshots)
(yelling in German)
♪
NARRATOR: The Cornwalls discover
that the German commander
from the 104th Panzergrenadiers,
Hauptman Heinrich Wolf,
has been seriously wounded.
Now a prisoner of war,
he is taken to the British
aid post for care.
The fight for Hoven continues.
As another platoon of Spencer’s men
move ahead on the left flank
(gunfire)
a hail of machine gun
bullets sprays over them.
(gunfire continues)
The Cornwalls return fire
(gunfire)
but many are struck.
Bullets wound some.
Others are killed.
♪
Spencer commits his
few reinforcements to the fight
and directs the wireless operator
to send a message to headquarters.
"D Company made it into Hoven."
But, they will need more men to hold it.
Back at his command post,
Taylor receives word that
Spencer’s men occupy the village.
But across the entire line
and to the rear,
the Cornwalls’ hold on all their
positions remains precarious.
Taylor has not received the promised tanks
and has little to offer as support.
He orders a couple of units across the Gap
to secure the woods between
his command post and Spencer,
but some get lost and German
fire interferes with others.
♪
A platoon from A Company
finds their way in the darkness
to retrieve wounded men from Hoven,
and escort back
some of the captured Germans.
Taylor prepares for
the long hours until morning.
TANNER:
5t h DCLis spent the night dug into
those woods, and George Taylor,
he says that even in his command post,
they cannot raise their voices
above a whisper
without attracting severe
German machine gun fire.
NARRATOR:
After dark, D Company commander,
Major Michael Lonsdale, arrives
at the battalion command post.
Under orders to rest for the night,
Lonsdale insists that he be
allowed to rejoin his company.
Taylor tries to assign him
to another company,
which requires a commanding officer.
TANNER: Lonsdale was
very clear that he wanted
to go back to D Company
to command his own men.
NARRATOR:
Reluctantly, Taylor agrees
and sends him away
with some reinforcements
to help relieve D Company.
TANNER:
But as Lonsdale walks off,
he remembers George Taylor
referring to him
as that bloody Irishman.
♪
NARRATOR: Lonsdale
and the platoon set out in the dark.
Taylor had warned him that they need
to cross nearly a mile of no man’s land,
where most others have failed.
Around 2200 hours,
they finally arrive at the edge of Hoven,
after a tense advance through the woods.
SOLDIER: Halt!
♪
NARRATOR:
November 1944.
Hoven, Germany.
British Major Michael Lonsdale
and reinforcements
for the Duke of Cornwall’s
light infantry regiment,
stealthily approach the village of Hoven.
TANNER:
We can imagine
his concern as he comes through the dark,
through an area that is still
infested by German soldiers.
SOLDIER: Halt!
NARRATOR: Lonsdale steps forward
and the soldier recognizes him.
FORD: The first person
that Lonsdale met in the village
was Sergeant Williams,
who greeted him with a broad grin
and an outstretched hand and said,
"Thank God you've arrived, sir."
NARRATOR:
He meets with Captain John Spencer
and learns that D Company shares
control of the village with the Germans.
(gunfire, flame crackling)
TANNER:
The situation is pretty chaotic.
♪
Lots and lots of casualties,
but Lonsdale gets a grip of the situation,
reorganizes his soldiers
because he knows that
as soon as the Germans
get themselves organized again,
they will counterattack.
NARRATOR:
He creates a company HQ,
and two platoons of about 15 men.
He assigns each platoon to a house
on either side of the road,
and hopes he has pointed them
in the direction of the coming attack.
With defensive positions set,
he checks in on the wounded.
Lonsdale enters the makeshift aid station
in the cellar of a nearby house,
filled with injured soldiers.
A German doctor provides care.
TANNER: The German doctor
speaks very good English,
and it turns out that he had worked
at Saint Thomas' Hospital
in London before the war.
They actually get on very well.
NARRATOR: Amongst the wounded
who receive treatment
is Hauptman Heinrich Wolf,
captain of the Panzergrenadier regiment
that had defended the town of Hoven.
DR. LIEB:
Let's remember this war
is not like the war on the Eastern Front.
This is not a war of annihilation.
Generally speaking, the Geneva Convention
is adhered to by both sides.
NARRATOR: The doctor updates Lonsdale
on the condition of his men.
Many require more
urgent care than he can provide,
and he advises Lonsdale to evacuate them.
Having assessed the wounded,
Lonsdale asks the doctor about
the location of German troops.
TANNER:
We suspect that Mike Lonsdale's
perhaps pushing his luck a little,
and the German doctor,
he says that he serves the wounded
and the sick
and is not a combat officer.
But at the same time, being
a professional German officer,
he is not going to give
any information away,
as he would expect Lonsdale
would do the same.
NARRATOR:
Lonsdale returns to his work.
♪
DR. LIEB:
The Germans are the Germans,
and they will counterattack
as soon as possible.
NARRATOR: As D Company
waits for dawn to break,
their enemy begins to move into position.
(gunfire)
(explosion)
A grenade strikes
the Cornwall’s wireless radio
and German armor tears up a phone line
laid the night before.
It is now more difficult
for the British to communicate.
(gunfire)
TANNER:
Lonsdale would've known very clearly
that unless some communication
could be established,
they were on their own.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: The Germans target
the outpost of the two platoons.
DR. LIEB: Before the Germans
launch their big counterattack,
they are trying to probe,
trying to test the Allied
defense positions.
♪
(gunfire)
NARRATOR:
About 45 minutes later,
infantry and a German
self-propelled gun appear.
The armor begins to lob shells
at the houses in Hoven.
Members of D Company return fire
and fall back in the direction
of their headquarters.
(gunfire)
As they retreat,
a second self-propelled gun arrives.
The Cornwalls line up
a shot with their PIAT
(gunfire)
and knock out the German armor.
NARRATOR: As day breaks, Lonsdale
and his men prepare for the next attack.
♪
They discover enemy soldiers
massing behind a hedgerow
in the northwest section of the village.
TANNER:
D Company's resources are now finite.
For every man lost,
there is no replacement.
For every round fired,
there is no replacement.
No expectation of reinforcement.
NARRATOR:
Lonsdale must use everything he has left
to its best advantage.
He places his last Bren gun in
an upper window overlooking the position.
Lonsdale signals the gunner
to sweep the hedge line,
which conceals the German soldiers.
(gunfire)
When the operator reaches the last tree,
he runs the weapon back along
the same line for good measure.
Lonsdale watches carefully.
As the Bren stops, it is eerily quiet.
♪
He realizes more German soldiers
have begun to gather along the hedge.
Lonsdale does not hesitate.
The Bren gun opens up
again from the window.
(gunfire)
TANNER:
Lonsdale realizes
that these are just building in strength,
and when the next attack comes,
he reported later that it
comes from every direction,
and he has very little left to stop them.
NARRATOR:
Soon, there is the deep rumble
of an approaching German
self-propelled gun.
- (rumbling)
- Much like a tank,
these armored vehicles
deliver the potential for death
and destruction with every round.
♪
Suddenly, German soldiers are all over.
Lonsdale and his men are surrounded.
(gunfire)
They fire at the Germans behind them
and retreat back to company headquarters.
Captain John Spencer
spots one of the German
self-propelled guns closing in.
Seeing an upper window,
he realizes he can get a better shot.
Once upstairs, he pauses.
♪
As it rolls to within 20 yards,
Spencer hoists the PIAT to his shoulder
and releases.
His shot is wide. It is a misfire.
Now aware of his position,
the German swings
towards Spencer’s window.
Spencer drops down,
just in time to avoid a direct hit.
But he is momentarily blinded,
and severely wounded.
The captain has to drag himself
down from the upper floor.
(gunfire)
At company HQ,
Major Lonsdale finds complete chaos.
They have no communication links,
and reinforcements have failed to arrive.
Enemy shells drop outside
- (gunfire)
- (glass shattering)
and the machine guns
burst against the walls and windows.
They locate only half a magazine
of Bren ammunition between them.
They have fought to
practically their last bullet.
Lonsdale faces a terrible choice.
♪
♪
NARRATOR:
November 23rd, 1944.
Hoven, Germany.
(gunfire)
After facing a series of
fierce counterattacks,
British Major, Michael Lonsdale,
must decide.
Surrender or retreat.
TANNER:
He has next to no ammunition,
and he's not the sort of character
who is going to surrender,
and so he decides he's going to get
what men he has left, out.
NARRATOR: But if they are
to have any chance of escape,
they must leave their wounded behind.
♪
Lonsdale gestures to a hole in the wall.
Through the opening,
he sees that the thick smoke
from burning buildings will provide cover.
He urges his men forward.
They sprint towards the woods.
One of the German armored vehicles
spots their movement, and opens fire.
LONSDALE:
Move!
FORD:
Because they were so close to the gun,
it couldn't depress the barrel low enough
to engage them, and the shot
whistled over their head.
NARRATOR: They make their way back
towards the battalion command post,
through the forest both sides
have fought to control for many days.
TANNER:
Friendly fire is a big risk here,
and Lonsdale
is very aware that he is coming back
into a situation that remains chaotic.
NARRATOR:
They approach a soldier
whom he recognizes from his own brigade.
TANNER:
Lonsdale shouts back,
"Stop, stop, stop!"
And the soldier doesn't fire,
and they all come in safely.
♪
NARRATOR:
It is only when Major Lonsdale
and his remaining fighters
arrive back at the command post
that Lieutenant Colonel George Taylor
realizes something terrible has happened.
FORD: Once Taylor had lost
contact with the men in Hoven,
he had no idea what was going on.
He couldn't detect
the battle was in full swing
because between his headquarters
and the village,
all the small arms fire merged
into the darkness and the rain.
NARRATOR:
Only 10 men remain from D Company
and the reinforcements sent into Hoven.
FORD:
Taylor is rather shocked that Lonsdale
and so few survivors come out of Hoven.
He had no idea that the battle had reached
such a critical point.
Taylor felt he should have
followed his instincts,
but after making his objections known,
he felt he had no other option
than to comply.
NARRATOR: For his leadership in
the attacks and the defense of Hoven,
Major Michael Lonsdale earns
the Distinguished Service Order,
which noted two enemy deserters
complained bitterly
of the fierce resistance
met in the village.
In the six days of fighting,
the 5th battalion of the Duke
of Cornwall's light infantry
sustains heavy losses.
24 are killed,
134 are wounded,
and 73 declared missing.
♪
TANNER:
The missing will be accounted for
by the large numbers of prisoners of war.
These are men that Lonsdale
and, indeed, George Taylor
have to leave behind.
They include Captain Spencer.
All of them badly wounded
and left in the care of
the approaching Germans.
NARRATOR:
Two British stretcher-bearers,
who had remained behind to care
for the injured in Hoven,
are also captured.
(gunfire)
In an unexpected turn,
German Prisoner of War
Hauptman Heinrich Wolf,
is liberated by his own forces.
DR. LIEB:
Evidently, he's so seriously wounded
that he cannot rejoin the battle.
He's being sent back
into a hospital in Germany.
♪
NARRATOR:
The Allies successfully seize
and hold the German
fortifications at Geilenkirchen,
but exhausted troops
cannot maintain the offensive
against elite reinforcements.
Further advances are called off.
Only weeks later,
Hitler launches a major attack
just beyond Geilenkirchen
in the opening of what will become known
as the Battle of the Bulge.
And the war in Europe would continue
for another four and a half months.
Captioned by Point.360
♪
NARRATOR:
November 1944.
(gunfire)
As Allied forces fight to break
through the Siegfried Line
(gunfire)
- and further into Germany,
- (tank rumbling)
a British captain fires on German armor
with a hand held PIAT
(pop, explosion)
but suffers a misfire.
He quickly finds that he has
attracted unwanted attention.
(exploding)
(gunfire)
On June 6th, 1944,
Allied forces finally land
troops in Normandy
to open the Western Front.
(speaking in German)
- (gunfire)
- But, Nazi fanatics and diehards
continue to fight
ferociously for survival.
- (gunfire)
- (explosion)
- (gunfire)
- D-Day was a battle.
They still need to win the war.
♪
November 18th, 1944
(bombing)
near the Dutch-German border.
After a 250-gun bombardment lifts,
members of the Duke of Cornwall’s
light infantry regiment rush ahead.
(gunfire)
British Major Michael Lonsdale
moves cautiously along the deserted road
of the German village of Hochheid.
(distant gunfire)
His men advanced so fast,
he sees no sign of them.
- (gunfire)
- JIM TANNER: The two leading platoons
had taken great advantage
of the British barrage,
and had therefore swept
through very quickly indeed.
NARRATOR:
As Lonsdale surveys his surroundings,
a movement catches his eye.
♪
TANNER:
It's easy to miss
enemy dug into buildings,
perhaps still recoiling from the great
artillery barrage that they'd suffered.
NARRATOR: He makes out
a shape in a nearby window,
which he believes to be a German soldier.
Before Lonsdale can act,
another Cornwall appears on the road.
The private has been
wounded in fighting up ahead,
†and now returns to
the regimental aid post to the rear.
TANNER:
He says to the private soldier,
"You will cover me with your rifle,
while I go and investigate."
NARRATOR: With the man’s rifle
trained on the entrance,
Lonsdale sneaks towards the house.
♪
Once at the door,
he pauses and draws his pistol.
When he is ready,
he forces his way inside.
(yelling)
♪
Lonsdale and his men advanced
into Germany from the Netherlands
less than eight hours before.
KEN FORD:
After five long years of war,
they had finally taken
the fight to Germany.
For the first time since
the Battle of Minden in 1759,
British soldiers were about to do battle
inside Germany.
NARRATOR: Their advance forms
part of the broad front strategy,
devised by Supreme Allied Commander
General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
FORD: The broad front strategy
was intended to bring all of
the Allied armies up to
the line of the River Rhine.
The British in the north,
the American and French
in the center and the south,
and when they were lined up,
they could move in unison
into the Third Reich.
NARRATOR:
Near the fortified town of Geilenkirchen,
about 6 miles from the border,
the plan is for Americans
from the 84th infantry division
to capture positions to the north-east,
while British troops
will attack from the west,
through Hochheid, to encircle the town.
♪
For Major Lonsdale,
this means taking Hochheid
one house at a time.
Lonsdale bursts through the door
- (yelling in German)
- and barrels inside.
TANNER: He's rather surprised
to find something like
18 German soldiers,
all armed
and becoming alert.
- MICHAEL LONSDALE: Hände hoch!
- NARRATOR: Lonsdale waves his pistol
and threatens.
The standoff lasts for a moment.
- He gestures again
- LONSDALE: Hände hoch!
NARRATOR:
and to his great amazement,
the Germans yield.
TANNER:
At stages like this,
they could come across pockets
of German soldiers,
especially if they were
away from their officers and NCOs
who were too ready to surrender.
LONSDALE:
Raus!
NARRATOR: Lonsdale ushers
the Germans out to the street
and the wounded Duke of Cornwall private.
♪
He orders the man to take
the prisoners to the rear.
TANNER:
Major Michael Lonsdale
is a 37-year-old Irishman,
who'd come in from
the North Staffordshire regiment.
He very quickly endears
himself to these men.
Long after the war,
a young officer in
the North Staffordshire regiment
describes him as wild,
terrifying,
but warm to the young.
- (distant gunfire)
- (gunshot)
(explosion)
(bullets flying)
♪
NARRATOR: Lonsdale gathers his
company at the end of the road.
LONSDALE:
Let’s move out, boys. Follow me.
NARRATOR:
And with Hochheid now apparently secure,
the Cornwalls spread through
the surrounding forest.
(distant gunfire)
This region forms one
of the strongest sectors
of Hitler’s infamous Siegfried Line.
DR. PETER LIEB:
You've got strong points,
you've got anti tank ditches,
interlocking arcs of fire,
and, as a natural barrier,
you've got even the River Wurm.
When you read German documents,
when they fell back onto
the German borders,
psychologically, the Siegfried Line
is extremely important for them
because it's the first time
that they have got something.
A prepared defense line.
Even though, in reality,
it's outdated and obsolete.
But, psychologically it's an important
factor, an important element.
♪
NARRATOR:
As the Allies plan to smash through,
the Cornwalls' next objective
is to cut off the road
leading out of Geilenkirchen.
By holding this position,
they can block German
reinforcement from the north
and harass those who retreat
as the Americans advance from the south.
- (flames crackling)
- (distant gunfire)
But the breakthrough at Geilenkirchen
takes longer than hoped for.
Two days later,
the Cornwalls remain fanned out
in shallow ditches
on either side of the road.
(whistling, explosions)
The ground around them erupts
with intermittent artillery bursts.
(distant bang)
Lonsdale stays low as he moves
between his soldiers.
Some try to rest
and others clean their weapons
just to stay busy
despite the miserable weather.
♪
Finally, early in
the afternoon of November 20th,
they detect movement.
(footsteps)
Initially, they spot a few enemy soldiers.
Lonsdale readies his men.
(inaudible)
As the Germans
come into view from the south
(gunfire)
the British open fire.
(bullets flying)
(gunfire continues)
(tank rumbling)
(explosion)
Explosions reverberate
around them from German tanks
and self-propelled guns in the distance.
(rumbling)
(bang)
- (gunfire)
- (explosion)
DR. LIEB:
The German troops around Geilenkirchen
have held out for quite a while,
but now, they need this road
as their escape route as
pressure is building up on them.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: Lonsdale and the Cornwalls
continue to counter the attack
as more Germans appear out of the forest,
determined to break out.
(bang, explosion)
(gunfire)
♪
(explosion)
British casualties mount.
(gunfire continues)
It is not clear how long
they can withstand the onslaught.
(explosion)
- (gunshot)
- Suddenly,
despite the heavy enemy fire,
a young corporal
from the Cornwalls breaks rank
and runs away from the British position.
Then disappears from view.
(gunfire)
- (gunfire)
- November 20th, 1944.
♪
About six miles from Germany’s
border with the Netherlands
(gunfire continues)
British forces try to cut off
- a determined German retreat.
- (rumbling)
(bullets flying)
FORD: The Americans
advancing through Geilenkirchen
push more of the Germans northwards.
(bang, explosion)
But, the first obstacle
they came to was the crossroads
where the Cornwalls
had established a stop line.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR:
During this critical fight,
a corporal from the Duke of Cornwall’s
light infantry regiment,
bursts from the safety
of their line and takes off.
Major Michael Lonsdale
urges his men to stay down,
even as the corporal vanishes from sight.
Dodging gunfire,
Lonsdale focuses his attention
on the German break out attack
all along the British line.
(gunfire)
♪
(explosion)
(gunfire)
(explosion)
(explosions)
But slowly,
the Cornwalls reduce the enemy forces
(gunfire continues)
joined in their attack by US troops
pushing up from the south.
The young corporal had spotted them
and evaded the crossfire to make contact.
FORD: Well at this point,
Corporal Lynch was very brave.
He moved towards the Americans
to let them know that they were
approaching British positions,
and he was afraid of friendly fire.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR:
Their arrival signals that the objective
for this phase of the operation
has been achieved.
The Americans have secured Geilenkirchen.
The link up with the British forces
clears the area of German resistance.
(gunfire)
♪
Lieutenant Colonel George Taylor
monitors the progress of the Cornwalls
from his headquarters.
FORD:
He took over the battalion of
the fifth Duke of Cornwall’s light
infantry after they had lost
their previous two commanders in battle.
He had to take in a whole host
of new reinforcements
and mold the battalion
into a fighting unit.
NARRATOR: He now receives word to
prepare the Cornwalls for more action.
This request is unusual.
The Duke of Cornwalls normally practice
a fighting rotation of four days on,
four days off, so Taylor is concerned.
TANNER:
The battalion's been in Hochheid
for four days now.
They've been under a lot
of German artillery fire
and the Germans constantly
are trying to infiltrate and attack,
so the soldiers were very tired out.
NARRATOR:
The fatigue is made worse by the weather.
According to sources, November 1944
brings double the normal
rainfall to the region.
The men themselves
are soaked and covered in mud.
The inundation turns dirt roads
and paths into a quagmire.
Stuck vehicles create
endless traffic jams.
Faced with similar
problems in the First World War,
the British adopted a technology
called continuous tracks.
In the simplest designs,
the wheels turn along a moving track
instead of directly on the ground.
In the same way a snowshoe
distributes weight over a wider area,
a continuous track helps heavy machinery
to float on a soft surface.
But, as the Cornwalls discover,
the mud is inescapable.
Even their tracked vehicles have problems.
FORD:
Everything had to be carried by hand.
Ammunition, supplies, food, everything.
And even the casualties had to be
brought out by hand on stretchers.
♪
NARRATOR: Lieutenant Colonel George Taylor
knows his companies are under strength.
To make it worse
TANNER: Before any
reinforcements will get to them,
his battalion's going to conduct
another attack on its own.
NARRATOR: Taylor surveys the destruction
of a recent battle with concern.
It is the location they call the Gap.
Other British units have
tried to fight across.
The wreckage litters the battlefield.
Now, Taylor’s battalion has orders
to capture the village
of Hoven to the north.
To get there,
the Cornwalls must cross the Gap
in full view of the German
defenders who hold the woods.
TANNER:
George Taylor is particularly apprehensive
about this next operation.
The soldiers are tired, worn out,
and he's lost quite a lot of men.
And now, he's being told
that the battalion has got to go forward
and attack the village of Hoven.
♪
NARRATOR:
But when Taylor relays his concerns
to his commanding officer,
they are dismissed.
TANNER: The Brigade
Commander Hubert Essame,
he understands George Taylor's concerns,
but he has to dismiss them.
The battalion is attacking
on the left flank
of the American attack
that's going on towards Wurm,
and, therefore, it's a very
important attack to take place.
NARRATOR: It is a small unit approach
to Eisenhower’s broad front strategy.
The Allies advance in lock step
to protect the flanks
and all important supply lines,
and the broad front requires the Germans
to spread out their forces
rather than concentrate them.
The next day, as the
battalion prepares to jump off,
prisoners of war
are brought through the line.
The Cornwalls had been briefed that one of
Hitler’s new Volksgrenadier divisions
defended the woods.
But closer inspection reveals
that they face an old nemesis instead.
The 10th SS Panzergrenadier regiment.
- (gunfire)
- DR. LIEB: The presence of the SS troops
clearly indicates that,
from a German perspective,
there is danger.
They are mostly fanatical Nazis,
and they believe
in what they are fighting for.
♪
NARRATOR: The appearance of this
elite regiment of battle-hardened soldiers
demonstrates the German’s ability
to bring in reinforcements,
even if the Allies cannot.
♪
♪
November 22nd, 1944.
As British Lieutenant
Colonel George Taylor
prepares to capture
the German village of Hoven,
he learns the 10th SS
Panzergrenadier regiment
has been moved into the area
as reinforcements.
FORD:
The Cornwalls had first come across
the tenth Panzer division in Normandy.
Later on in the Arnhem operation,
the Cornwalls once again came up
against the Panzer division.
And when Taylor heard that some of
the Panzergrenadiers
were moving into Hoven,
it did not bode well for him and his men.
NARRATOR:
But there is no time to make changes.
Taylor lays out the battle plan
to his company commanders.
C Company will secure the northern woods,
opening the way for B Company
to advance to Hoven.
Major Michael Lonsdale’s D Company
will use the distraction
to capture the village of Kraudorf.
♪
But Lonsdale will not lead them.
TANNER:
George Taylor understands
how to get the best out of his men.
He understands that men do need rest.
NARRATOR: Taylor decides
to have his company's
second-in-commands initiate the attack.
TANNER:
He realizes, too, that taking Hoven
is just one part of the problem.
Holding onto it against
inevitable German counterattacks
was part of the Cornwall's battle.
NARRATOR:
This means having leaders well-rested
and ready to continue the fight.
Lonsdale departs to the rear.
In his absence,
Captain John Spencer will lead D Company.
Taylor had given Spencer some rest
after he was wounded at Arnhem.
This is his chance to get back in command.
By 12 noon,
the Cornwalls’ C Company lines up
along the edge of the open field,
ready to jump off.
♪
But they must wait
for the bombardment to finish.
If all goes well,
the Allied artillery
will knock out enemy guns
and shatter any fortifications
to give the Cornwalls first crack
while the Germans’ heads are still down.
- (explosions)
- Timing is key.
Move too soon,
and you get hit by your own shells.
Move too late,
and you allow the enemy to re-group.
(explosion)
Knowing the exact moment
the barrage ends is critical.
They need a clear sign.
The signal is delivered by grenade.
Instead of an explosion,
it releases colored smoke.
As the guns fall silent,
they see a wafting of red and blue.
C Company starts off.
TANNER:
C Company is Taylor's strongest company.
(explosion)
So it now leads the attack
across the Gap on
the near side of Hoven.
(gunfire)
But as soon as C Company
gets out into that gap,
they are withered
by German machine gun fire.
♪
NARRATOR:
Hoven is currently defended by members
of the 104th Panzergrenadier regiment.
Hauptmann Heinrich Wolf commands
the second battalion,
from the battalion headquarters.
DR. LIEB:
Panzergrenadiers are armored infantries,
so this means they often
cooperate with tank troops.
You need the infantry
in order to hold ground,
and in order to attack areas,
which are not suitable for tanks.
NARRATOR: Critical to the success
of the Blitzkrieg offenses
(gunfire)
as the war drags on,
the heavily armed troops
are often used to stabilize
the lines in vulnerable sectors.
♪
Only about 700 yards
south of the village, where C
Company tries to cross the Gap,
the preliminary bombardment
has clearly failed to knock out
the German guns.
Enemy mortar and artillery shells
reply to the Allied barrage.
B Company now moves up
to try and break through.
Suddenly, another salvo of shells
lands just behind the line.
It knocks the occupants in
Taylor’s command post off their feet.
November 22nd, 1944.
About six miles into Germany
from the Netherlands.
British Lieutenant Colonel George Taylor
watches his men,
the Duke of Cornwall’s light infantry,
succumb to machine gun fire.
TANNER: George Taylor has
a forward command post,
dug just some 40 yards
behind his battalion start line,
and from Taylor's own description,
it sounds like a desperate affair.
♪
NARRATOR:
They are so close to the action,
an incoming shell
strikes the command post.
The force blasts Taylor
and his signaler from their feet.
TANNER:
He describes it as feeling like
a boxer having been
knocked down in the ring
and desperately trying to stand up again.
NARRATOR: The signaler beside
him would not be so lucky.
♪
In the meantime,
both the “B” and “C” Company advances
have now faltered.
- (explosion)
- (gunfire)
TANNER: They went forward
under this withering fire,
received so many casualties.
The Sherman tanks that meant
to have accompanied them
have failed to turn up,
and now, Taylor changes his plan.
NARRATOR: Taylor’s misgivings
about the attack prove correct.
He must adapt quickly to bring
about the capture of Hoven.
He abandons the plan to seize Kraudorf.
TANNER: Taylor understands
that he's got to use D Company
to do a right hook to leave
the protection of the woods,
to come out to the right,
and attack Hoven village from the east.
NARRATOR:
With smoke masking their advance,
the Cornwalls creep into
the northern part of the woods.
♪
Cover provided by trees
allows Spencer and D company
to sneak into the village,
defended with a headquarters
of the 104th Panzergrenadier regiment.
DR. LIEB: So, the fact that we've got
the battalion headquarters in Hoven means
that the Germans consider Hoven
as the crucial point of the battle.
NARRATOR:
The Cornwalls advance carefully,
checking doors and windows as they go.
As the afternoon wears on,
Spencer’s men attempt to clear the houses
of the German defenders.
One by one, they encircle the German
strongholds and attack.
(muffled gunshots)
(yelling in German)
♪
NARRATOR: The Cornwalls discover
that the German commander
from the 104th Panzergrenadiers,
Hauptman Heinrich Wolf,
has been seriously wounded.
Now a prisoner of war,
he is taken to the British
aid post for care.
The fight for Hoven continues.
As another platoon of Spencer’s men
move ahead on the left flank
(gunfire)
a hail of machine gun
bullets sprays over them.
(gunfire continues)
The Cornwalls return fire
(gunfire)
but many are struck.
Bullets wound some.
Others are killed.
♪
Spencer commits his
few reinforcements to the fight
and directs the wireless operator
to send a message to headquarters.
"D Company made it into Hoven."
But, they will need more men to hold it.
Back at his command post,
Taylor receives word that
Spencer’s men occupy the village.
But across the entire line
and to the rear,
the Cornwalls’ hold on all their
positions remains precarious.
Taylor has not received the promised tanks
and has little to offer as support.
He orders a couple of units across the Gap
to secure the woods between
his command post and Spencer,
but some get lost and German
fire interferes with others.
♪
A platoon from A Company
finds their way in the darkness
to retrieve wounded men from Hoven,
and escort back
some of the captured Germans.
Taylor prepares for
the long hours until morning.
TANNER:
5t h DCLis spent the night dug into
those woods, and George Taylor,
he says that even in his command post,
they cannot raise their voices
above a whisper
without attracting severe
German machine gun fire.
NARRATOR:
After dark, D Company commander,
Major Michael Lonsdale, arrives
at the battalion command post.
Under orders to rest for the night,
Lonsdale insists that he be
allowed to rejoin his company.
Taylor tries to assign him
to another company,
which requires a commanding officer.
TANNER: Lonsdale was
very clear that he wanted
to go back to D Company
to command his own men.
NARRATOR:
Reluctantly, Taylor agrees
and sends him away
with some reinforcements
to help relieve D Company.
TANNER:
But as Lonsdale walks off,
he remembers George Taylor
referring to him
as that bloody Irishman.
♪
NARRATOR: Lonsdale
and the platoon set out in the dark.
Taylor had warned him that they need
to cross nearly a mile of no man’s land,
where most others have failed.
Around 2200 hours,
they finally arrive at the edge of Hoven,
after a tense advance through the woods.
SOLDIER: Halt!
♪
NARRATOR:
November 1944.
Hoven, Germany.
British Major Michael Lonsdale
and reinforcements
for the Duke of Cornwall’s
light infantry regiment,
stealthily approach the village of Hoven.
TANNER:
We can imagine
his concern as he comes through the dark,
through an area that is still
infested by German soldiers.
SOLDIER: Halt!
NARRATOR: Lonsdale steps forward
and the soldier recognizes him.
FORD: The first person
that Lonsdale met in the village
was Sergeant Williams,
who greeted him with a broad grin
and an outstretched hand and said,
"Thank God you've arrived, sir."
NARRATOR:
He meets with Captain John Spencer
and learns that D Company shares
control of the village with the Germans.
(gunfire, flame crackling)
TANNER:
The situation is pretty chaotic.
♪
Lots and lots of casualties,
but Lonsdale gets a grip of the situation,
reorganizes his soldiers
because he knows that
as soon as the Germans
get themselves organized again,
they will counterattack.
NARRATOR:
He creates a company HQ,
and two platoons of about 15 men.
He assigns each platoon to a house
on either side of the road,
and hopes he has pointed them
in the direction of the coming attack.
With defensive positions set,
he checks in on the wounded.
Lonsdale enters the makeshift aid station
in the cellar of a nearby house,
filled with injured soldiers.
A German doctor provides care.
TANNER: The German doctor
speaks very good English,
and it turns out that he had worked
at Saint Thomas' Hospital
in London before the war.
They actually get on very well.
NARRATOR: Amongst the wounded
who receive treatment
is Hauptman Heinrich Wolf,
captain of the Panzergrenadier regiment
that had defended the town of Hoven.
DR. LIEB:
Let's remember this war
is not like the war on the Eastern Front.
This is not a war of annihilation.
Generally speaking, the Geneva Convention
is adhered to by both sides.
NARRATOR: The doctor updates Lonsdale
on the condition of his men.
Many require more
urgent care than he can provide,
and he advises Lonsdale to evacuate them.
Having assessed the wounded,
Lonsdale asks the doctor about
the location of German troops.
TANNER:
We suspect that Mike Lonsdale's
perhaps pushing his luck a little,
and the German doctor,
he says that he serves the wounded
and the sick
and is not a combat officer.
But at the same time, being
a professional German officer,
he is not going to give
any information away,
as he would expect Lonsdale
would do the same.
NARRATOR:
Lonsdale returns to his work.
♪
DR. LIEB:
The Germans are the Germans,
and they will counterattack
as soon as possible.
NARRATOR: As D Company
waits for dawn to break,
their enemy begins to move into position.
(gunfire)
(explosion)
A grenade strikes
the Cornwall’s wireless radio
and German armor tears up a phone line
laid the night before.
It is now more difficult
for the British to communicate.
(gunfire)
TANNER:
Lonsdale would've known very clearly
that unless some communication
could be established,
they were on their own.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: The Germans target
the outpost of the two platoons.
DR. LIEB: Before the Germans
launch their big counterattack,
they are trying to probe,
trying to test the Allied
defense positions.
♪
(gunfire)
NARRATOR:
About 45 minutes later,
infantry and a German
self-propelled gun appear.
The armor begins to lob shells
at the houses in Hoven.
Members of D Company return fire
and fall back in the direction
of their headquarters.
(gunfire)
As they retreat,
a second self-propelled gun arrives.
The Cornwalls line up
a shot with their PIAT
(gunfire)
and knock out the German armor.
NARRATOR: As day breaks, Lonsdale
and his men prepare for the next attack.
♪
They discover enemy soldiers
massing behind a hedgerow
in the northwest section of the village.
TANNER:
D Company's resources are now finite.
For every man lost,
there is no replacement.
For every round fired,
there is no replacement.
No expectation of reinforcement.
NARRATOR:
Lonsdale must use everything he has left
to its best advantage.
He places his last Bren gun in
an upper window overlooking the position.
Lonsdale signals the gunner
to sweep the hedge line,
which conceals the German soldiers.
(gunfire)
When the operator reaches the last tree,
he runs the weapon back along
the same line for good measure.
Lonsdale watches carefully.
As the Bren stops, it is eerily quiet.
♪
He realizes more German soldiers
have begun to gather along the hedge.
Lonsdale does not hesitate.
The Bren gun opens up
again from the window.
(gunfire)
TANNER:
Lonsdale realizes
that these are just building in strength,
and when the next attack comes,
he reported later that it
comes from every direction,
and he has very little left to stop them.
NARRATOR:
Soon, there is the deep rumble
of an approaching German
self-propelled gun.
- (rumbling)
- Much like a tank,
these armored vehicles
deliver the potential for death
and destruction with every round.
♪
Suddenly, German soldiers are all over.
Lonsdale and his men are surrounded.
(gunfire)
They fire at the Germans behind them
and retreat back to company headquarters.
Captain John Spencer
spots one of the German
self-propelled guns closing in.
Seeing an upper window,
he realizes he can get a better shot.
Once upstairs, he pauses.
♪
As it rolls to within 20 yards,
Spencer hoists the PIAT to his shoulder
and releases.
His shot is wide. It is a misfire.
Now aware of his position,
the German swings
towards Spencer’s window.
Spencer drops down,
just in time to avoid a direct hit.
But he is momentarily blinded,
and severely wounded.
The captain has to drag himself
down from the upper floor.
(gunfire)
At company HQ,
Major Lonsdale finds complete chaos.
They have no communication links,
and reinforcements have failed to arrive.
Enemy shells drop outside
- (gunfire)
- (glass shattering)
and the machine guns
burst against the walls and windows.
They locate only half a magazine
of Bren ammunition between them.
They have fought to
practically their last bullet.
Lonsdale faces a terrible choice.
♪
♪
NARRATOR:
November 23rd, 1944.
Hoven, Germany.
(gunfire)
After facing a series of
fierce counterattacks,
British Major, Michael Lonsdale,
must decide.
Surrender or retreat.
TANNER:
He has next to no ammunition,
and he's not the sort of character
who is going to surrender,
and so he decides he's going to get
what men he has left, out.
NARRATOR: But if they are
to have any chance of escape,
they must leave their wounded behind.
♪
Lonsdale gestures to a hole in the wall.
Through the opening,
he sees that the thick smoke
from burning buildings will provide cover.
He urges his men forward.
They sprint towards the woods.
One of the German armored vehicles
spots their movement, and opens fire.
LONSDALE:
Move!
FORD:
Because they were so close to the gun,
it couldn't depress the barrel low enough
to engage them, and the shot
whistled over their head.
NARRATOR: They make their way back
towards the battalion command post,
through the forest both sides
have fought to control for many days.
TANNER:
Friendly fire is a big risk here,
and Lonsdale
is very aware that he is coming back
into a situation that remains chaotic.
NARRATOR:
They approach a soldier
whom he recognizes from his own brigade.
TANNER:
Lonsdale shouts back,
"Stop, stop, stop!"
And the soldier doesn't fire,
and they all come in safely.
♪
NARRATOR:
It is only when Major Lonsdale
and his remaining fighters
arrive back at the command post
that Lieutenant Colonel George Taylor
realizes something terrible has happened.
FORD: Once Taylor had lost
contact with the men in Hoven,
he had no idea what was going on.
He couldn't detect
the battle was in full swing
because between his headquarters
and the village,
all the small arms fire merged
into the darkness and the rain.
NARRATOR:
Only 10 men remain from D Company
and the reinforcements sent into Hoven.
FORD:
Taylor is rather shocked that Lonsdale
and so few survivors come out of Hoven.
He had no idea that the battle had reached
such a critical point.
Taylor felt he should have
followed his instincts,
but after making his objections known,
he felt he had no other option
than to comply.
NARRATOR: For his leadership in
the attacks and the defense of Hoven,
Major Michael Lonsdale earns
the Distinguished Service Order,
which noted two enemy deserters
complained bitterly
of the fierce resistance
met in the village.
In the six days of fighting,
the 5th battalion of the Duke
of Cornwall's light infantry
sustains heavy losses.
24 are killed,
134 are wounded,
and 73 declared missing.
♪
TANNER:
The missing will be accounted for
by the large numbers of prisoners of war.
These are men that Lonsdale
and, indeed, George Taylor
have to leave behind.
They include Captain Spencer.
All of them badly wounded
and left in the care of
the approaching Germans.
NARRATOR:
Two British stretcher-bearers,
who had remained behind to care
for the injured in Hoven,
are also captured.
(gunfire)
In an unexpected turn,
German Prisoner of War
Hauptman Heinrich Wolf,
is liberated by his own forces.
DR. LIEB:
Evidently, he's so seriously wounded
that he cannot rejoin the battle.
He's being sent back
into a hospital in Germany.
♪
NARRATOR:
The Allies successfully seize
and hold the German
fortifications at Geilenkirchen,
but exhausted troops
cannot maintain the offensive
against elite reinforcements.
Further advances are called off.
Only weeks later,
Hitler launches a major attack
just beyond Geilenkirchen
in the opening of what will become known
as the Battle of the Bulge.
And the war in Europe would continue
for another four and a half months.
Captioned by Point.360