Just to clarify. Guarnere opened fire on the German patrol before Winters gave the command because he was hurt by the news of his brothers death and wanted revenge
True for the story, but not an actual event. The ambush at the crossroads that scene is meant to represent was nothing like this depiction. The rest of this episode is very true to reality; that ambush is 95% creative license.
the true story is Guarnere didn't even have a weapon during the real ambush which also took place at a T - intersection, but he did pick up 2 P-38 Pistols which he used later in another ambush along with an incident which earned him his nickname "Wild Bill" that never was in any of the books or series.
The true story from Malarky himself about the German POW. It's sorta long but well worth it. The German even admits he made a mistake coming back to Germany. “Where the hell are you guys from, Brooklyn?” asked some wise guy in our company. “No, Portland, Oregon,” said a German master sergeant, just off my shoulder. What? I couldn’t believe it-that the guy not only spoke perfect English, but said he was from Portland (not Eugene, as the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers showed him saying, for reasons beyond me). “No kidding, Portland?” I said eagerly. “I’m from Astoria.” The company walked on. I hung back, amazed at this coincidence. “I worked in Portland until 1938,” he said, “and came home when Hitler called all loyal Germans to return to the fatherland.” “So where’d you work in Portland?” I asked. “Schmitz Steel Company.” “You gotta be kidding,” I said. “The owners of that company were friends of my family. And I worked for Monarch Forge and Machine Works right across the street.” By now, a few of my fellow soldiers passing by were giving me the eye. “Well now, what do you think about that decision now to return to your homeland?” I asked, scanning his POW pals around him. “I think I made a big mistake,” he said. “Malark, let’s go,” yelled Guarnere, peeved that I was fraternizing with the enemy. I nodded at the soldier. “You take care,” I said, and walked on.
The reason the allied planes had the 3 white stripes on each wing was due to the airborne's experience in Sicily in 1943. Anti-aircraft guns on board coastal ships mistaken their own planes for the enemy. They shot down over 20 of their own planes carrying paratroopers. It was a horrible case of friendly fire.
I was a US High School History teacher for twenty years. When I would get to WWII I would use BOB clips to give visual reference points. Great reaction and review 👊🏻
"I didn't know war would be so friendly......Oh....." Please!! clip that whole scene and your reaction and make that a short, that was so priceless lol
I was in E/506th Reenacted back 90's got to met and know the Real men of Easy- 1:16 mark I was there when we gave XXX the E/ 506 guidon (Flag) on the wall behind him, got to meet him many times and his wife he was always so much fun to listen too. i have flown in Whisky 7 (W7) the C47 that was the lead plane for the 2nd wave for the 82nd we had the door on so it was warm and not too noisy inside. The troopers would also be wearing their Wool uniform under their jump uniform so they were warm. 3:49 mark thats LT Meehan's plane crash there is now a monument in that spot honoring all those on that plane, 6:56 mark Officers were issued escape kits which they then hid the items in their uniforms (map, compass, saw, ect) 7:51 mark - SO the ambush scene is wrong - there were 3 ambushes that night. during the 1st Guarnere didn't have a weapon either during this ambush he took 2 P-38 Pistols off some dead Germans then he used those in a 2nd ambush later that morning , Were Guarnere earned the nickname "Wild Bill" then he picked up the Thompson SMG later. the Ambushes took place at a T intersection and they weren't even German troops but Georgian's Troops fighting in the service of Germany . having talked with XXX & XXXX that were there at those ambushes they were ok and understood why they had to portray it as shown for the show. Guarnere while in Normandy earned the nickname "Wild Bill" as he killed every German soldier for revenge of his brother (i had a drunk grunt too grunt talk with XXX on how Bill really earned it but i won't say here) oh you will come to like him lol 13:16 mark Yes Spier's did kill POW's BUT not as shown here, it did happen alot on both sides esp during the opening hours as there was an order "No Prisoners" many E co troopers also killed POW's on D-Day but some didn't fully trust Ambroes when he was doing the dook so they didn't say anything. I had the honor of being walked through this attack by a few who were there and it's dam close to how it was .aside from the trenches weren't that deep and t was closer to the buildings 17:04 mark he didn't fumble the grenade another trooper was moving behind him and knocked his arm making him drop it. Yes it was a stew made with rations and some items they found per XXX who was there
Thank you for such and honest and respectful reaction. Your emotions said it all. For reference, the Allied armies stormed the Normandy beaches the morning of June 6. The night before, the 101st and 82nd Airborne were dropped behind enemy lines, in an effort to take out as much artillery as possible, before the beach landings. Throughout the war, airborne troops were dropped behind enemy lines. "Easy Company" was part of the 101st PIR (Parachute Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion " A thru I" Company., Platoon, and Squad! Hope that helps. Aultman, William T. SMSgt USAF (Ret)
Its worth mentioning that the jump into normandy went far, far better than what was actually expected. They were dropped in essentially as a distraction to draw german attention away from the beaches and force the germans to commit forces to dealing with them. They suffered roughly 20% casualties in reality and command was fully expecting at least 70% casualties if not having to completely write them off. They were essentially committed with the expectation that they would be more or less sacrificed to make things easier for the beach landings. Not that any of the people jumping into normandy were told or knew this at the time for obvious reasons but it shows how vital they were and how committed they were, knowing something like that could happen when they signed up
This is the best miniseries ever produced. This show is going to give you some gut punches, it gets more and more intense witch each episode and gets harder because you become attached to these men and so very few will get through unscathed.
Great reaction Kate like always, 15:59 fun fact: Buck's handsignals to Malarkey and Guarnere were as such He signaled 1, 4, 2, and then 2, 5, with his fingers. Then a closed fist and pointed in the direction of the MG. Translated: "1 MG42, 25 Feet, throw grenades that way." An MG42 is a preferred machine gun that the German army used. The 25 feet was helpful for Malarkey and Guarnere to gauge how far they needed to throw the grenades. (BTW there was no hand signals in ww2, The real soldiers stated that there were no hand signals. They were a post WW2 thing introduced into the show by Dale Dye.) I remember reading a book called "Geronimo" based on the Airborne troops of WW2, and it has a section from the German side of D-Day. It talk about how soldiers patrolling noticed an abnormal amount of frogs and crickets during the night. What they actually heard was the cheap toy clicker you see in Lt. Winters hand. It shows you how close some of these guys were to the enemy. The show actually underplayed the battle for the guns due to time and dramatic constraints. The fighting lasted about 3-4 hours and there were something like 50-100 German defenders. The paratroopers were at constant risk of being flanked and annihilated. Winter's tactics kept the enemy confused and dispersed and many feel that he should have received the Medal of Honor for his actions there rather than "just" the Distinguished Service Cross. We often forget how completely foreign the rest of the world was to this generation. In our modern times we have the internet and easy access to travel the world; back then travel was much less frequent and information was mainly supplied through newspapers and some tv news.... just crazy thought to consider these young kids traveling to completely strange lands to fight a virtually unknown enemy. Thanks to all vets out there, from back then to present day, thanks for your service! Keep up the good work.
The famous leg bag, between 90 and 95% lost the bag going out the door. Whether the designer didn't test enough or they didn't tell the paratroopers they needed to hold the bag until the chute deployed.
The thing that always needs to be remembered, is that Winters and Nixon were considered "old" men being that they were in their mid 20's. The general age of these men were right around 20, and that's not counting the number of men that lied about there age to join when they were maybe 16 and seeing war at 18
Lipps, if you haven't seen SAVING PRIVATE RYAN this would be a good time to see what is happening on the beach landings and why it was so important to take out the gun inplacements and secure bridges to prevent the Germans from breaking into the beach heads with armor.
My Grampa drove a tank in WW2. A friend dies and you take his boots if they are better. Hard men, that hid the pain, built a country, and seek no fame.
Easy Company has more leaders than just Lt. Winters. When they come upon the dead paratroops and are scrounging up weapons and ammo, one of the privates looks mesmerized by the carnage. At 10:18 Lipton says "McDowell, you OK?" "Yes, Sergeant" is the reply. "Well, let's go." It gets heavier as we go. Keep the Kleenex handy.
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.” General Dwight D. Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commanders other speech, D-Day was never a guarantee as it seems to be today...
Basic paratroop strategy: drop behind enemy lines capture whatever objective planned (usually, but not always, a bridge or town where roads meet) then your forces catch up to them and all is hunky'dory. Problem is, if your forces don't win elsewhere you have light infantry that is surrounded and they have only the supplies they carried with them. They can't very well take prisoners. And you probably over estimate tanks. It's OK, everyone does, even them. ruclips.net/video/taHFUKKKmJM/видео.htmlsi=88KitHMIrDHfliKn 13:24 training film on facing tank Oh, if I hadn't told you, minor spoiler, have a blanket n studio. 1 future episode- I won't say which- can make the suggestable feel cold. Oh before coming out, if you listen closely, Winters uses a toy cricket with one click and it is answered with 2 clicks. Flash/Thunder was chosen because there isn't a "TH" sound in German. If they figured it out it would sound like "Dunder"
Malark's brother was killed at Monte Casino, one of the bloodiest battles of the European War. The conquest of Italy was brutal and unfortunately not as well known as the re-conquest of France.
That trooper didn't jump because just prior to that, he was the guy who shouted that he'd been hit in the plane. His name is Cobb and you will see him in the next episode.
The only way they had to 'cope' with the situation ('seeing death and then having to eat, and then sleeping') was to bury it all deep inside. The ultimate danger of doing that is that it all has to come out, sometime or another, sooner or later. Most of the men suffered after the war with what was called 'shell shock', and now is called 'PTSD'. And still, to this very day, everyone has to deal with it in their own way at their own time, and only the strongest with the best support system and the will of God, come through it in good shape, but none come through it unscathed.
The story of Easy Company is the story of all who have served in combat. We owe them a debt we can never repay. It's because of these ordinary men who intended to lead ordinary uneventful lives who were called to literally save the world that we were born in a free society.
I’m keeping this purposely vague to avoid spoilers, but one of the books written by one of the veterans told the story of Malarkey and the prisoner. They didn’t meet until D+3, so the prisoner was not on the business end of Lt Speirs’ Thompson. Lt Compton lost his equipment with his leg bag on the jump, so he had to scrounge a weapon. The Thompson he picked up from a wounded paratrooper had a broken firing pin, but he didn’t know that until the attack on the guns which is why you see him using so many grenades. He was a catcher for UCLA before the war, so he had a really good arm.
The producers changed and condensed Malarkey meeting the person he knew. In reality, he had been a neighbor, not 100 miles away. Also, he had met him on D Day +3 or 4. Not in the first 24 hrs. Spiers was a cold blooded killer, no doubt about it. So much so, he almost didn't come to the Premier in Nomandy because he thought there would be a chance he'd get arrested for war crimes. That said, Sink and higher command didn't want them to take prisnors those first 24 hrs or so simply because they didn't have the man power or resources to deal with them. Also, it's important to remember this concept of parachute infantry was new, and original estimates had the paratroopers losing 80% of their men. Obviously, losses weren't that high, but it does give a window into the thinking of why they were told not to take prisnors.
That’s a very interesting window. Hard to imagine the predicaments these men were put into and the quick choices they had to make. Some that would aid and some that would hurt surely.
@@LippsReacts many other Troopers in Easy Co also killed POW's but they never mentioned it while working on the book and series esp after seeing the flak Speirs got they were glad they kept t quite. now another E co officer from 3rd Plt did some stuff that even his men considered War Crimes and he was hated for it even years after the war they had a beef with him.
A lot of 16 year olds were lying about their age to get into the military. Some got caught some did not. In the case of my grandfather he did not know his real name or age when he signed up. He was on his second year in Germany when the military contacted him to let him know they had finally figured out who he was and where he family he did not know were located.
I think the most impactful point in the scene with the German prisoners of war was to begin showing us how even the "good guys" in the war could and did engage in what were essentially war crimes. Those soldiers had surrendered or were otherwise captured, not active. You're not supposed to just shoot prisoners. The bit with the American whose family had moved to Germany to support the N*zi regime seems like a fairly rare thing that nevertheless actually happened to Malarkey in real life, so they included it. I don't know how common it was for German-Americans to actually move to Germany in order to SUPPORT the N*azi regime. But it probably shouldn't surprise us that at least a few actually did that.
I didn’t know that was a war crime. It makes sense tho I just don’t know the rules of war so it’s possible if the show doesn’t explain it I simply won’t know until I’m told. I didn’t expect them to shoot but I also didn’t expect a yap session so I was more confused that it felt like 2 friends meeting. Felt rather kind Which felt like a big contrast to what I would’ve assumed war to be like
@@LippsReacts I definitely think that the whole scene is supposed to show how war is morally complicated -- especially when it's two enemy foot soldiers who accidentally run across each other and happen to realize they have a lot in common. Rules of war, which are often referred to as "The Geneva Convention" are also interesting. In some ways it seems bizarre to set rules for how armies are allowed to behave when they are wholesale killing each other. But there are incentives for every side in a war for everyone to agree to certain ground rules. If you treat surrendered soldiers with a very basic decency, it's an encouragement for people to actually consider giving up when they are losing, rather than fighting to the death no matter what. Also, it makes it more likely that YOUR soldiers will be better treated when the enemy captures them. Of course, as we see here, those rules aren't always respected. But there is more to them than just being kind.
@@apulrang According to the findings of a German historian Peter Lieb, many Canadian and American units were given direct orders on D-Day to take no prisoners. If true, that might help explain the mystery of how only 66 of the 130 Germans taken prisoner on Omaha Beach made it to captured collecting points. Its a cruel fact that processing any surrendered German soldiers would have slowed down the Allies advance and for the first 24 to 48 hours the forward momentum had to be maintained. Bottom line - war is not a game.
They wanted to highlight Lt. Spiers’s execution of the prisoners. It is thought the order was out to take no prisoners as it was early in the invasion and they couldn’t manage them.
Well, this is when the sh*t gets real. No more Captain Sobel. Nor more training. "We're not lost Private...we're in Normandy." This one line displays Winter's ability to instill confidence in his men, even unarmed in the face of all adversity on D-Day. And this soldier wasn't even a member of Easy Company. Currahee ♠
The one thing they couldn't replicate in the show was that the attack on the guns lasted around three hours. Obviously, that had to be condensed for the show.
Unsolicited reading recommendation: "D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Battle for the Normandy Beaches" by Stephen E. Ambrose (Band of Brothers author) excellent account of the first 24 hours
I told you in the 1st episode that you would start to feel as if you were part of Easy. I can see that starting to happen. This will not get any easier but I believe you are strong and can handle it .Thank you for this and God bless you.
Hello Ms Lipps, I hope you are having a Merry Blessed Christmas!!! The conversation between Malarkey and the German soldier is unique not only for it's human connection but because the German soldier was American born, him and Malarkey are from Oregon. The soldiers family moved back to Germany to answer the patriotic call. I was worried for you, you kept grasping your chest almost like an anxiety attack. The war genre took a big step in the late 90s, when Spielberg directed Saving Private Ryan, and changed the way war is filmed. The war genre in my opinion is probably the most human of all, it show the bad, the good, and the horror of humanity. I hope that this series doesn't scare you away from amazing films and series. Well take care and God bless you and your family... Merry Christmas!!!!
you are so emotional, realize each step is who they are! The next wil be more, hold fast! next is more then you realize! see beforeyou learn, each step, grow with each moment! YOu shine!
The Canadians and British didn't have any problems with the famous leg bag. That's what happens when you over load them and jump out of a plane moving too fast.
they also had training with them the 101st was just given them right before the jump with real no instruction or even 1 training jump with them (granted some troopers did as they had some cross training jumping with the brits while n England)
Flash and Thunder were the challenge and response words for D-Day. Saving Private Ryan got it wrong, reversing the words. Thunder was the reply because the German language pronounces the TH like a hard T, as in test. The words were changed the next day, so would not have been the same in Carentan days later. To avoid confusion, the series stuck with Flash & Thunder.
@@LippsReactsYES I was just about to jump on here and comment just what the person ahead of me commented which is in the Pacific theater against theJapanese the passwords would have L or R which were difficult for the Asian/ Japanese people to pronounce!! ALSO if you want to see John Wayne explain the use of the little clicker device that Winters had to signal to the other soldiers, then you should see the movie The Longest Day, which has a star-studded cast for the time and is about the D-Day invasion!!!❤ Actually a pretty good movie about that invasion which was made in the 1950s or late forties so the definite memories and experiences were fresh!!
your confusion over Malarkey's reaction to the murder of disarmed P.O.W.'s actually confuses me. typically, one does not execute captured enemy soldiers! however, what i will say about it is that i have thought long and hard about this situation and have yet to find a tactically sound alternative. i do not condone the murder of captured enemy soldiers but given the circumstances of this situation i am open to suggestions from anybody as an alternative. also, love that you're reacting to this awesome series. in my honest opinion it's the greatest mini series ever made and some of the best television ever made. thanks also for showing respect to those who built the foundations upon which we all can thrive today.
Forces on the offensive usually never take prisoners because they don't have the resources to guard or take care of them. Here, they did have orders to not take prisoners.
The scene showing Spiers shooting the prisoners appears to be spraying .45 caliber bullets into the legs of the prisoners. If that was actually the case, then it was a more humane treatment rather than killing them. Of course this may have been a quirk in the production of the film. Other than firmly tying each soldier to a tree, perhaps cutting the prisoners achilles tendon would suffice to take them out of action and not require any resources to guard them in the first 24-hours.
I’d imagine so. Makes sense why they were all supposed to learn the sand tables. Feels like a healthy dose of imitative and knowledge goes a long way for a soldier
Great reaction, young lady. There are so many amazing things about this series, but the one thing that will stay with you is the price paid by our greatest generation to help save the world from tyranny. Enjoy the ride. Looking forward to the next one. CURRAHEE.
I'm kinda confused by your confusion with the Malarky scene. You're not supposed to shoot prisoners, although all sides did it (for logistical reasons, retribution) - it's a war crime. And at the end of the day, people are still people. Many of them were just kids who didn't want to be there, though sure many were also die hard Nazis etc. There's no one answer. The Allies were much less likely to treat you well or be friendly if you were SS - the paramilitary wing of the Nazi party. Unlike the Eastern Front, which was a genocidal war, there was general respect in a military sense between the Americans/Brits/Canadians and the Germans in both directions.
To be fair, I don’t know the rules of war. Stopping to converse with a Nazi soldier felt so odd to me. It just felt like this long moment of peace and kindness amongst the war and gunfire of it all that felt jarring. But also felt human and made my heart ache.
Don’t forget that General Taylor was the man who ordered the shooting of prisoners, they had no logistics to hold, or rear to send them back too because the beaches weren’t secured. Spiers didn’t shoot them outta no reason.
after Christmas! My partner is home from work for 2 weeks and my recording setup is in our living room so recording time is cut really tight until he goes back
Just to clarify. Guarnere opened fire on the German patrol before Winters gave the command because he was hurt by the news of his brothers death and wanted revenge
True for the story, but not an actual event. The ambush at the crossroads that scene is meant to represent was nothing like this depiction. The rest of this episode is very true to reality; that ambush is 95% creative license.
the true story is Guarnere didn't even have a weapon during the real ambush which also took place at a T - intersection, but he did pick up 2 P-38 Pistols which he used later in another ambush along with an incident which earned him his nickname "Wild Bill" that never was in any of the books or series.
The true story from Malarky himself about the German POW. It's sorta long but well worth it.
The German even admits he made a mistake coming back to Germany.
“Where the hell are you guys from, Brooklyn?” asked some wise guy in our company.
“No, Portland, Oregon,” said a German master sergeant, just off my shoulder.
What? I couldn’t believe it-that the guy not only spoke perfect English, but said he was from Portland (not Eugene, as the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers showed him saying, for reasons beyond me).
“No kidding, Portland?” I said eagerly. “I’m from Astoria.”
The company walked on. I hung back, amazed at this coincidence.
“I worked in Portland until 1938,” he said, “and came home when Hitler called all loyal Germans to return to the fatherland.”
“So where’d you work in Portland?” I asked.
“Schmitz Steel Company.”
“You gotta be kidding,” I said. “The owners of that company were friends of my family. And I worked for Monarch Forge and Machine Works right across the street.”
By now, a few of my fellow soldiers passing by were giving me the eye.
“Well now, what do you think about that decision now to return to your homeland?” I asked, scanning his POW pals around him.
“I think I made a big mistake,” he said.
“Malark, let’s go,” yelled Guarnere, peeved that I was fraternizing with the enemy.
I nodded at the soldier. “You take care,” I said, and walked on.
The reason the allied planes had the 3 white stripes on each wing was due to the airborne's experience in Sicily in 1943. Anti-aircraft guns on board coastal ships mistaken their own planes for the enemy. They shot down over 20 of their own planes carrying paratroopers. It was a horrible case of friendly fire.
I was a US High School History teacher for twenty years. When I would get to WWII I would use BOB clips to give visual reference points.
Great reaction and review 👊🏻
I wish I could have seen BoB in my history class when I was in high school. Unfortunately I was born too early.
"I didn't know war would be so friendly......Oh....." Please!! clip that whole scene and your reaction and make that a short, that was so priceless lol
I was in E/506th Reenacted back 90's got to met and know the Real men of Easy- 1:16 mark I was there when we gave XXX the E/ 506 guidon (Flag) on the wall behind him, got to meet him many times and his wife he was always so much fun to listen too. i have flown in Whisky 7 (W7) the C47 that was the lead plane for the 2nd wave for the 82nd we had the door on so it was warm and not too noisy inside. The troopers would also be wearing their Wool uniform under their jump uniform so they were warm. 3:49 mark thats LT Meehan's plane crash there is now a monument in that spot honoring all those on that plane, 6:56 mark Officers were issued escape kits which they then hid the items in their uniforms (map, compass, saw, ect)
7:51 mark - SO the ambush scene is wrong - there were 3 ambushes that night. during the 1st Guarnere didn't have a weapon either during this ambush he took 2 P-38 Pistols off some dead Germans then he used those in a 2nd ambush later that morning , Were Guarnere earned the nickname "Wild Bill" then he picked up the Thompson SMG later. the Ambushes took place at a T intersection and they weren't even German troops but Georgian's Troops fighting in the service of Germany . having talked with XXX & XXXX that were there at those ambushes they were ok and understood why they had to portray it as shown for the show. Guarnere while in Normandy earned the nickname "Wild Bill" as he killed every German soldier for revenge of his brother (i had a drunk grunt too grunt talk with XXX on how Bill really earned it but i won't say here) oh you will come to like him lol 13:16 mark Yes Spier's did kill POW's BUT not as shown here, it did happen alot on both sides esp during the opening hours as there was an order "No Prisoners" many E co troopers also killed POW's on D-Day but some didn't fully trust Ambroes when he was doing the dook so they didn't say anything. I had the honor of being walked through this attack by a few who were there and it's dam close to how it was .aside from the trenches weren't that deep and t was closer to the buildings 17:04 mark he didn't fumble the grenade another trooper was moving behind him and knocked his arm making him drop it.
Yes it was a stew made with rations and some items they found per XXX who was there
Thank you for such and honest and respectful reaction. Your emotions said it all. For reference, the Allied armies stormed the Normandy beaches the morning of June 6. The night before, the 101st and 82nd Airborne were dropped behind enemy lines, in an effort to take out as much artillery as possible, before the beach landings. Throughout the war, airborne troops were dropped behind enemy lines. "Easy Company" was part of the 101st PIR (Parachute Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion " A thru I" Company., Platoon, and Squad! Hope that helps. Aultman, William T. SMSgt USAF (Ret)
Its worth mentioning that the jump into normandy went far, far better than what was actually expected. They were dropped in essentially as a distraction to draw german attention away from the beaches and force the germans to commit forces to dealing with them. They suffered roughly 20% casualties in reality and command was fully expecting at least 70% casualties if not having to completely write them off. They were essentially committed with the expectation that they would be more or less sacrificed to make things easier for the beach landings. Not that any of the people jumping into normandy were told or knew this at the time for obvious reasons but it shows how vital they were and how committed they were, knowing something like that could happen when they signed up
This is the best miniseries ever produced. This show is going to give you some gut punches, it gets more and more intense witch each episode and gets harder because you become attached to these men and so very few will get through unscathed.
Great reaction Kate like always, 15:59 fun fact: Buck's handsignals to Malarkey and Guarnere were as such He signaled 1, 4, 2, and then 2, 5, with his fingers. Then a closed fist and pointed in the direction of the MG.
Translated: "1 MG42, 25 Feet, throw grenades that way." An MG42 is a preferred machine gun that the German army used. The 25 feet was helpful for Malarkey and Guarnere to gauge how far they needed to throw the grenades. (BTW there was no hand signals in ww2, The real soldiers stated that there were no hand signals. They were a post WW2 thing introduced into the show by Dale Dye.)
I remember reading a book called "Geronimo" based on the Airborne troops of WW2, and it has a section from the German side of D-Day. It talk about how soldiers patrolling noticed an abnormal amount of frogs and crickets during the night. What they actually heard was the cheap toy clicker you see in Lt. Winters hand. It shows you how close some of these guys were to the enemy.
The show actually underplayed the battle for the guns due to time and dramatic constraints. The fighting lasted about 3-4 hours and there were something like 50-100 German defenders. The paratroopers were at constant risk of being flanked and annihilated. Winter's tactics kept the enemy confused and dispersed and many feel that he should have received the Medal of Honor for his actions there rather than "just" the Distinguished Service Cross.
We often forget how completely foreign the rest of the world was to this generation. In our modern times we have the internet and easy access to travel the world; back then travel was much less frequent and information was mainly supplied through newspapers and some tv news.... just crazy thought to consider these young kids traveling to completely strange lands to fight a virtually unknown enemy. Thanks to all vets out there, from back then to present day, thanks for your service! Keep up the good work.
The famous leg bag, between 90 and 95% lost the bag going out the door. Whether the designer didn't test enough or they didn't tell the paratroopers they needed to hold the bag until the chute deployed.
Feel free to pause the text at the end of each episode in the future and take your time to fully read it. I agree, it disappears rather quickly.
I may do just that! Don't want it to fly by so fast and miss it
The thing that always needs to be remembered, is that Winters and Nixon were considered "old" men being that they were in their mid 20's. The general age of these men were right around 20, and that's not counting the number of men that lied about there age to join when they were maybe 16 and seeing war at 18
The average age of the combat soldier in WWII was 24 in Vietnam that had dropped to 19
Tissues will be needed as the series progresses 😊
Lipps, if you haven't seen SAVING PRIVATE RYAN this would be a good time to see what is happening on the beach landings and why it was so important to take out the gun inplacements and secure bridges to prevent the Germans from breaking into the beach heads with armor.
its not easy signing a Will at that age
Definitely not
My Grampa drove a tank in WW2. A friend dies and you take his boots if they are better. Hard men, that hid the pain, built a country, and seek no fame.
Easy Company has more leaders than just Lt. Winters. When they come upon the dead paratroops and are scrounging up weapons and ammo, one of the privates looks mesmerized by the carnage. At 10:18 Lipton says "McDowell, you OK?" "Yes, Sergeant" is the reply. "Well, let's go." It gets heavier as we go. Keep the Kleenex handy.
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.” General Dwight D. Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commanders other speech, D-Day was never a guarantee as it seems to be today...
Basic paratroop strategy: drop behind enemy lines capture whatever objective planned (usually, but not always, a bridge or town where roads meet) then your forces catch up to them and all is hunky'dory. Problem is, if your forces don't win elsewhere you have light infantry that is surrounded and they have only the supplies they carried with them. They can't very well take prisoners. And you probably over estimate tanks. It's OK, everyone does, even them. ruclips.net/video/taHFUKKKmJM/видео.htmlsi=88KitHMIrDHfliKn 13:24 training film on facing tank Oh, if I hadn't told you, minor spoiler, have a blanket n studio. 1 future episode- I won't say which- can make the suggestable feel cold. Oh before coming out, if you listen closely, Winters uses a toy cricket with one click and it is answered with 2 clicks. Flash/Thunder was chosen because there isn't a "TH" sound in German. If they figured it out it would sound like "Dunder"
Malark's brother was killed at Monte Casino, one of the bloodiest battles of the European War. The conquest of Italy was brutal and unfortunately not as well known as the re-conquest of France.
That trooper didn't jump because just prior to that, he was the guy who shouted that he'd been hit in the plane. His name is Cobb and you will see him in the next episode.
Cobb had also fought in N. Africa with the 2nd Armor , his troop ship was sunk on it's return voyage and then he joined the airborne joining Easy Co.
The first men to land in Normandy were the Pathfiders. They were to mark the way for the Airborne troops. The were expecting 80% casualties.
A classic movie about D-DAY: THE LONGEST DAY.
The only way they had to 'cope' with the situation ('seeing death and then having to eat, and then sleeping') was to bury it all deep inside. The ultimate danger of doing that is that it all has to come out, sometime or another, sooner or later. Most of the men suffered after the war with what was called 'shell shock', and now is called 'PTSD'. And still, to this very day, everyone has to deal with it in their own way at their own time, and only the strongest with the best support system and the will of God, come through it in good shape, but none come through it unscathed.
That is surely so. The mental capacity and strain feels very prominent.
The story of Easy Company is the story of all who have served in combat. We owe them a debt we can never repay. It's because of these ordinary men who intended to lead ordinary uneventful lives who were called to literally save the world that we were born in a free society.
I’m keeping this purposely vague to avoid spoilers, but one of the books written by one of the veterans told the story of Malarkey and the prisoner. They didn’t meet until D+3, so the prisoner was not on the business end of Lt Speirs’ Thompson.
Lt Compton lost his equipment with his leg bag on the jump, so he had to scrounge a weapon. The Thompson he picked up from a wounded paratrooper had a broken firing pin, but he didn’t know that until the attack on the guns which is why you see him using so many grenades. He was a catcher for UCLA before the war, so he had a really good arm.
Lt. Winters I think you meant.
@ Nope. Buck had to use grenades in Brecourt. Winters had a functioning M1 by that time.
Both lost their leg bags, as did many paratroopers.
The producers changed and condensed Malarkey meeting the person he knew. In reality, he had been a neighbor, not 100 miles away. Also, he had met him on D Day +3 or 4. Not in the first 24 hrs.
Spiers was a cold blooded killer, no doubt about it. So much so, he almost didn't come to the Premier in Nomandy because he thought there would be a chance he'd get arrested for war crimes.
That said, Sink and higher command didn't want them to take prisnors those first 24 hrs or so simply because they didn't have the man power or resources to deal with them. Also, it's important to remember this concept of parachute infantry was new, and original estimates had the paratroopers losing 80% of their men. Obviously, losses weren't that high, but it does give a window into the thinking of why they were told not to take prisnors.
That’s a very interesting window. Hard to imagine the predicaments these men were put into and the quick choices they had to make. Some that would aid and some that would hurt surely.
@@LippsReacts many other Troopers in Easy Co also killed POW's but they never mentioned it while working on the book and series esp after seeing the flak Speirs got they were glad they kept t quite. now another E co officer from 3rd Plt did some stuff that even his men considered War Crimes and he was hated for it even years after the war they had a beef with him.
A lot of 16 year olds were lying about their age to get into the military. Some got caught some did not. In the case of my grandfather he did not know his real name or age when he signed up. He was on his second year in Germany when the military contacted him to let him know they had finally figured out who he was and where he family he did not know were located.
Richard D. Winters, the example of what real leadership is and should always be.
Thunder was used because of the th sound, and the Germans couldn't say in the same way.
Hall was played by the same guy who played the sexy priest in Fleabag.
I think the most impactful point in the scene with the German prisoners of war was to begin showing us how even the "good guys" in the war could and did engage in what were essentially war crimes. Those soldiers had surrendered or were otherwise captured, not active. You're not supposed to just shoot prisoners.
The bit with the American whose family had moved to Germany to support the N*zi regime seems like a fairly rare thing that nevertheless actually happened to Malarkey in real life, so they included it. I don't know how common it was for German-Americans to actually move to Germany in order to SUPPORT the N*azi regime. But it probably shouldn't surprise us that at least a few actually did that.
I didn’t know that was a war crime. It makes sense tho I just don’t know the rules of war so it’s possible if the show doesn’t explain it I simply won’t know until I’m told. I didn’t expect them to shoot but I also didn’t expect a yap session so I was more confused that it felt like 2 friends meeting. Felt rather kind Which felt like a big contrast to what I would’ve assumed war to be like
@@LippsReacts I definitely think that the whole scene is supposed to show how war is morally complicated -- especially when it's two enemy foot soldiers who accidentally run across each other and happen to realize they have a lot in common.
Rules of war, which are often referred to as "The Geneva Convention" are also interesting. In some ways it seems bizarre to set rules for how armies are allowed to behave when they are wholesale killing each other. But there are incentives for every side in a war for everyone to agree to certain ground rules. If you treat surrendered soldiers with a very basic decency, it's an encouragement for people to actually consider giving up when they are losing, rather than fighting to the death no matter what. Also, it makes it more likely that YOUR soldiers will be better treated when the enemy captures them. Of course, as we see here, those rules aren't always respected. But there is more to them than just being kind.
@@apulrang According to the findings of a German historian Peter Lieb, many Canadian and American units were given direct orders on D-Day to take no prisoners. If true, that might help explain the mystery of how only 66 of the 130 Germans taken prisoner on Omaha Beach made it to captured collecting points. Its a cruel fact that processing any surrendered German soldiers would have slowed down the Allies advance and for the first 24 to 48 hours the forward momentum had to be maintained. Bottom line - war is not a game.
They wanted to highlight Lt. Spiers’s execution of the prisoners. It is thought the order was out to take no prisoners as it was early in the invasion and they couldn’t manage them.
Well, this is when the sh*t gets real. No more Captain Sobel. Nor more training. "We're not lost Private...we're in Normandy." This one line displays Winter's ability to instill confidence in his men, even unarmed in the face of all adversity on D-Day. And this soldier wasn't even a member of Easy Company. Currahee ♠
The one thing they couldn't replicate in the show was that the attack on the guns lasted around three hours. Obviously, that had to be condensed for the show.
Unsolicited reading recommendation:
"D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Battle for the Normandy Beaches"
by Stephen E. Ambrose (Band of Brothers author)
excellent account of the first 24 hours
You're doing a great job on this. I enjoy your view point. Thanks for taking me on this journey.
I told you in the 1st episode that you would start to feel as if you were part of Easy. I can see that starting to happen. This will not get any easier but I believe you are strong and can handle it .Thank you for this and God bless you.
The cricket noise-makers they use are still being made and can be purchased online.
Hello Ms Lipps, I hope you are having a Merry Blessed Christmas!!! The conversation between Malarkey and the German soldier is unique not only for it's human connection but because the German soldier was American born, him and Malarkey are from Oregon. The soldiers family moved back to Germany to answer the patriotic call. I was worried for you, you kept grasping your chest almost like an anxiety attack. The war genre took a big step in the late 90s, when Spielberg directed Saving Private Ryan, and changed the way war is filmed. The war genre in my opinion is probably the most human of all, it show the bad, the good, and the horror of humanity. I hope that this series doesn't scare you away from amazing films and series. Well take care and God bless you and your family... Merry Christmas!!!!
I love the new room! its really coming together!
you are so emotional, realize each step is who they are! The next wil be more, hold fast!
next is more then you realize!
see beforeyou learn, each step, grow with each moment! YOu shine!
The Canadians and British didn't have any problems with the famous leg bag. That's what happens when you over load them and jump out of a plane moving too fast.
they also had training with them the 101st was just given them right before the jump with real no instruction or even 1 training jump with them (granted some troopers did as they had some cross training jumping with the brits while n England)
Flash and Thunder were the challenge and response words for D-Day. Saving Private Ryan got it wrong, reversing the words. Thunder was the reply because the German language pronounces the TH like a hard T, as in test. The words were changed the next day, so would not have been the same in Carentan days later. To avoid confusion, the series stuck with Flash & Thunder.
This is fascinating. The strategy of using the TH is smart.
@@LippsReacts For the Japanese, passwords were composed of pronounced "Ls." This was a sound difficult for a native speaker of Japanese to duplicate,
@@LippsReactsYES I was just about to jump on here and comment just what the person ahead of me commented which is in the Pacific theater against theJapanese the passwords would have L or R which were difficult for the Asian/ Japanese people to pronounce!!
ALSO if you want to see John Wayne explain the use of the little clicker device that Winters had to signal to the other soldiers, then you should see the movie The Longest Day, which has a star-studded cast for the time and is about the D-Day invasion!!!❤
Actually a pretty good movie about that invasion which was made in the 1950s or late forties so the definite memories and experiences were fresh!!
your confusion over Malarkey's reaction to the murder of disarmed P.O.W.'s actually confuses me. typically, one does not execute captured enemy soldiers! however, what i will say about it is that i have thought long and hard about this situation and have yet to find a tactically sound alternative. i do not condone the murder of captured enemy soldiers but given the circumstances of this situation i am open to suggestions from anybody as an alternative.
also, love that you're reacting to this awesome series. in my honest opinion it's the greatest mini series ever made and some of the best television ever made. thanks also for showing respect to those who built the foundations upon which we all can thrive today.
Forces on the offensive usually never take prisoners because they don't have the resources to guard or take care of them. Here, they did have orders to not take prisoners.
The scene showing Spiers shooting the prisoners appears to be spraying .45 caliber bullets into the legs of the prisoners. If that was actually the case, then it was a more humane treatment rather than killing them. Of course this may have been a quirk in the production of the film. Other than firmly tying each soldier to a tree, perhaps cutting the prisoners achilles tendon would suffice to take them out of action and not require any resources to guard them in the first 24-hours.
Because of crosswinds and other factors, few paratroopers land where they're supposed to in an airborne drop.
I’d imagine so. Makes sense why they were all supposed to learn the sand tables. Feels like a healthy dose of imitative and knowledge goes a long way for a soldier
Notice you will hear them say follow me a lot that is the motto of the infantry
Great reaction, young lady. There are so many amazing things about this series, but the one thing that will stay with you is the price paid by our greatest generation to help save the world from tyranny. Enjoy the ride. Looking forward to the next one. CURRAHEE.
A steep price
13:02 bro 😂😂
I was so caught off guard
You are entering a very complicated relationship with Ronald Speirs.
13,000 men fall out of midnight on top of the German Army. It doesn't go well for the Germans.
They were not supposed to take prisoners the first day, not enough extra men to guard them.
Especially with so many missing at that point
@LippsReacts fortunately most of them turned up in a few days.
Welcome the France!
Last male then last cigarette!
Hey, are you ever going to watch back to the future 3
I’ve watched it! The full lengths on Patreon it just has some audio issues so is a bit of a hassle to edit
I'm kinda confused by your confusion with the Malarky scene. You're not supposed to shoot prisoners, although all sides did it (for logistical reasons, retribution) - it's a war crime. And at the end of the day, people are still people. Many of them were just kids who didn't want to be there, though sure many were also die hard Nazis etc. There's no one answer. The Allies were much less likely to treat you well or be friendly if you were SS - the paramilitary wing of the Nazi party. Unlike the Eastern Front, which was a genocidal war, there was general respect in a military sense between the Americans/Brits/Canadians and the Germans in both directions.
To be fair, I don’t know the rules of war. Stopping to converse with a Nazi soldier felt so odd to me. It just felt like this long moment of peace and kindness amongst the war and gunfire of it all that felt jarring. But also felt human and made my heart ache.
Don’t forget that General Taylor was the man who ordered the shooting of prisoners, they had no logistics to hold, or rear to send them back too because the beaches weren’t secured. Spiers didn’t shoot them outta no reason.
Speaking of Military, when you gonna play Black Ops 6?
after Christmas! My partner is home from work for 2 weeks and my recording setup is in our living room so recording time is cut really tight until he goes back
Y'all enjoy your time together and happy holidays.