The Battle of Normandy: Walking Cherbourg | History Traveler Episode 293

Building off of our previous episode (link below), we're continuing our walk through Cherbourg to explore what remains from the battle that took place here in June of 1944 as the 4th, 9th, & 79th Infantry Divisions moved to secure the deep water port. Much to see and learn from this often overlooked part of the Battle of Normandy!
This episode was produced in partnership with The Gettysburg Museum of History. See how you can support history education & artifact preservation by visiting their website & store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory...
Support the effort to expand history education on PATREON: / historyunderground
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Other episodes that you might enjoy:
- Storming the Toughest Fort of Cherbourg (Fort du Roule in Normandy) | History Traveler Episode 292: • Storming the Toughest ...
- Exploring a V-1 Missile Launch Site in Normandy!!! | History Traveler Episode 291: • Exploring a V-1 Missil...
- BLOODSTAINED! Bringing a Paratrooper Jump Jacket Back to Normandy!!! | American Artifact Episode 95: • BLOODSTAINED! Bringing...
- Purple Hearts & Paratrooper Brawls at The Bloody Gulch of Carentan | American Artifact Episode 94: • Purple Hearts & Paratr...
- The Charge of the 101st Airborne at Purple Heart Lane | History Traveler Episode 290: • The Charge of the 101s...

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

⭐ If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com.

[@cobaltgazer]

We are going to Cherbourg in 6 weeks for 1 day, thanks for sorting my itinerary. Long time subscriber

[@jamesbodnarchuk3322]

My dad was a sapper in the CEF 1944-1947 England & North West Europe Much respect to your Grandfather❤

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@ub1953]

Thank you for ever increasing our WW2 knowledge and so glad getting your gear ripped off awhile back hasn't deterred you one bit !!

[@jetsons101]

As always, a great watch from start to finish, a true tribute to the Greatest Generation. How ironic, the image at (7:45) shows the RMS Queen Mary, I live only 20 minutes from where she is today. Just think of all the backstories of the soldiers in the B&W film footage that could be told. JD, thanks again for keeping history alive.

[@dandesch]

Thank you,Another very interesting account of ww2 , watching this from canada

[@firstcitytraveler]

Another excellent video. I am glad you were able to return to Europe after your Greek adventure. Keep these videos coming as they are very informative.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👊🏻

[@colbyt9967]

Morning JD. Thanks for the great new Normandy video! My great grandfather was at Normandy and landed on Utah Beach after the beaches were secured. He was in a AAA battalion.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🇺🇸

[@Chiller11]

Really nice episode. Cherbourg looks beautiful. I recall the German commander, von Schlieben, refusing to surrender and ordering his men to fight to the death. That order included everyone but himself of course as he did eventually surrender.

[@patrickmccrann991]

Actually, Hitler ordered him not to surrender and fight to the death. He basically said, "Screw you Fuhrer we are not dieing just to suit you!" He delayed as long as possible, but refused to order his men to fight to the death.

[@G1D1B2]

I love hearing about the lesser known, or even unknown, events. I had heard of the importance of the harbor at Cherborg but had never heard any details of what happened there. These lesser known stories help to paint a more complete picture of the conflict that took place in Europe in WW2. These also serve to put the spotlight on the unsung heroes. Keep bringing them to us.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@nbgrooms]

Thank you JD. for another fantastic episode! So love your content. So glad you're not letting the recent setback put a stop to this channel. I'd love an episode where you talk at length about you grandfather's service in World War II. That would be fascinating! Thank you for bringing us these virtual tours of historic sites around the world.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👊🏻

[@Dellboy56]

As soon as I get the notification, I stop whatever it was I was doing, and steam this to my TV. With biscuits and a cuppa to hand. Thank you. 👍

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👊🏻

[@Shawnroberts1980]

I still watch EVERY video JD. Thank you for doing all the work so I can see this awesome content from my couch...lol. Take care buddy

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I appreciate that!

[@duanebuck193]

This would be the views of France that I'd like to go see. Hearing you talk about the importance of the port, and seeing not only the view of today but the clips of during the war makes the area more understandable for it's importance. Thank you, JD for taking us along!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@Azzahawk22]

Nice video. I used to watch your videos while I put my daughter to bed as a baby now we watch them together now she’s 2. It’s like your voice puts her to sleep lol.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Ha! I probably put lots of people to sleep. 😄

[@steveb5341]

Quality vid as always JD! So glad you could return and shoot all of this material again. Story telling history at its finest 👏🏻🪖

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🙏🏼

[@chrishunter3917]

As usual this episode does not disappoint. Thank you and keep up the good work.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Hairnicks]

Interesting place Cherbourgh, visited when I was following my tank driver fathers route with the 4th and 7th Royal Dragoon Guards, took my two teenage sons with me, they were fascinated throughout the whole trip.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Heck of a place that doesn’t get near the attention that it deserves.

[@bobbyl6972]

Thanks for another great video JD! You’re the best man

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Appreciate it!

[@woodcutter2479]

The best channel on KZbin…thank you for all your hard work producing brilliant content

[@patrickmccrann991]

One of the ships that bombarded the Cherbourg defenses was the USS Texas. She is the only surviving battleship from World War I. She is in the middle of a major overhaul in Texas to repair years of neglect. She will then return to her berth at San Jacinto Park near Houston.

[@OTDMilitaryHistory]

I can't wait to see Texas finished up.

[@thebattlefieldhistorian8990]

I'm curious, is this footage from your earlier trip this summer and somehow spared from the tragic events in Greece? Either way, I am very happy you have been able to provide some excellent videos about Normandy.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Unfortunately, that footage is gone forever. This is footage that I shot on a return trip in July.

[@wayside70]

It's gone forever because some thief stole his bag with all of jd's equipment and he needs to be prayed for.

[@ralphsimon7439]

And will praying bring his footage back? I think you know the answer!@@wayside70

[@Mark-pd8mu]

​@@TheHistoryUnderground So you got some new Equipment from the crowdfunding? This is really nice to hear, I'm happy for you and for us🎉

[@OldFrontLine]

Really excellent film JD, covering one of the lesser known parts of the Normandy campaign.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks! Appreciate that. There certainly isn't much on KZbin that tackles this part of the campaign. I've got some obscure stuff in the next one, some of which deals with WWI, that could use some expertise from The Old Front Line :)

[@MrCliner96]

JD I dont know if its ever been mentioned to you before. But, the cinematography of your videos is outstanding!!!! I really enjoy watching your commetarys and insight to the events your covering. Very informative and entertaining!!!! Keep up the good work!!! God bless you in your future endeavors!!!!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Appreciate that.

[@tomsassa9013]

Excellent video JD. This is an area I don't know much about in the war so thanks for educating me and showing me around Cherbourg!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@haroldgardner9463]

Thank you J.D. i just love your channel and love learning about history!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@garybarrere7552]

My dad was in the 79 th Inf. And landed d day + 8 he fought to Cherbourg and then through France into Germany. He earned a Purple Heart in Germany escaping a German MG 42 machine gun and ended up in Paris as an MP.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🇺🇸

[@obizzil]

Another great video JD i like that you incorporated some past footage, thank you for keeping history alive.it’s great you get to follow in your grandfather’s footsteps i also was a combat Engineer in the Army. God bless 🙏🇺🇸

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👊🏻

[@camdodge9891]

Hello JD another brilliant video thank you and greetings from United Kingdom 🇬🇧

[@tundranomad]

Great Sunday morning everyone!!

[@bradmiller3367]

As always, yeoman’s work, JD! These are incredibly enjoyable and almost always threaten to add to my already large reading list, but you still deserve thanks!

[@lyndabarnaby5253]

Bravo… your commentary and current video and old photos and reels mixed together to tell the story. Masterful!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thank you very much!

[@dfusit]

Great episode JD, love the video clips and photos from that that timeframe interspersed with your footage as it really helps putting us there through your eyes.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks 👍

[@cyndiebill6631]

Another great video for Sunday morning viewing. Thanks JD and have a great Sunday.

[@melvinolsen3171]

Great video, my granddad was in the 79th

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🇺🇸

[@kenmurphy2051]

Thanks for this video, my father was in the 79th infantry division 310 field artillery

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🇺🇸

[@BekindRewind71]

I’m not an expert, but the editing and the music are so incredibly professional and powerful. Thank you!❤❤❤

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🙏🏼

[@Peter-gv2gn]

Thanks a ton, super video you have put together, informative, I will watch more, all the best to you from Liverpool.

[@pauldouglas3084]

Really enjoyed the video mate can't wait for the next one

[@chrisl211]

Hi JD thanks for the upload. Querqueville is pronounced "Kerkeville" :)

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

The odds of me winning the lottery were better than me pronouncing that name correctly. 😅

[@Mallum-mapple]

@@TheHistoryUnderground ahahah don't worry about that, in any case there was recently the regrouping of Cherbourg-Octeville, Équeurdreville-Hainneville, la Glacerie, Querqueville and Tourlaville to become one and the same city = Cherbourg-En-Cotentin . Besides, it's quite funny because if you ask a Tourlaville person (like me) where he comes from when you're in a town far away, you'll say "we're from Cherbourg", but if it's a person from Cherbourg who asks you where you live we will say “we are from Tourlaville”.

[@ronmullins8208]

Very cool video. Loving all your videos. My uncle was a POW in WWII in Cherbourg for a short time.

[@beckybanta126]

So appreciate the film footage, pictures & maps that you add as you take us along on your tour & sharing history. 😊

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ronmoore5827]

My dad was in the 79th, thanks for sharing this video.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you enjoyed it! Feel free to share it out.

[@mattmacfarlane2202]

all the best from paisley,scotland bud!! brilliant content!!! keep up the good work!!!😍😍

[@user-zp2ms8cv5r]

Simply amazing

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks!

[@reloadncharge9907]

Thank you, excellent overview….an often forgotten corner of the war. St Malo next….? Thank you, Andrew

[@1psychofan]

Sorry to be viewing so late, just got home ~the very idea of picnicking in a WW2 anti -aircraft placement-HELLO! That’s freaking cool!

[@bobleicht5295]

Dad’s unit, 151st Armored Signal Company (11th U.S. Armored Div) was aboard LST 510 on 20 Dec 44, when upon entering Cherbourg harbor the ship struck an underwater obstacle which holed the hull. In fear of sinking, the skipper ordered the soldiers to be taken ashore in small craft, after which emergency repairs allowed the LST to beach. The next day the troops were allowed back on board to offload their vehicles and equipment, and their war began. LST 510 - a D-Day veteran, having transported 29th Inf Div troops to Omaha Beach later that day - was surplussed off post-war and became a car ferry, first between Delaware and New Jersey, and now , 80 years later, it makes daily runs from the north shore of Long Island, NY to Connecticut.

[@docem3537]

Love this channel! Thanks for sharing such interesting part of the history of ww2.

[@MayorOfGoodells]

Love the channel. Keep up the great work. 👊🏼

[@jacquelinebloom4339]

Thank you for this account.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks for watching!

[@HistorySavior1941]

Awesome episode man. Learned so much that I did not know from this. It is so neat to see the remnants of bunkers and these places you see in photos from the war. Can’t wait for the next episode man!

[@jondoe399]

I missed you man. I hope all is well.

[@defiantirl34]

JD I have on a few occasions sat in my car having lunch by that Pier, while waiting for the ferry back to Ireland. I've also visited the sub, it's very cool.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@janf.vanachtern]

If you like bunkers, you have to check out the U-Boot bunkers in Lorient, Saint-Nazaire and Bordeaux. The bunkers in Brest and La Rochelle are unfortunately on private property.

[@don-e4838]

Well done presentation as always sir.

[@Infinitegrowth-zt1mh]

Awesome as always

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thank you so much 😀

[@phyllishershkowitz3806]

Another fascinating video! Thanks JD!

[@garyaugust1953]

Hey JD, we're those bunkers part of the Atlantic Wall? So did they have a WN number attached? Love your Dang's, can only imagine the smell you endured. Back in the old days it was inevitable at British Football stadia public toilets within stadiums..not nice.

[@chrism3872]

As a kid in 1952, my family lived in London, but we traveled through Europe visiting. We entered France through Cherbourg, which was still mess. There were sunken ships scattered throughout the harbor (I am guessing that the Germans scuttled many of the to sabotage the use of the harbor by the Allies). I was only 9 years old at the time so the destruction throughout Europe made a huge impression on me.

[@sparkplug5481]

Excellent

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks

[@jay34ever54]

Thats really amazing, thanks for sharing this with us

[@carlasammons5407]

Informative and beautiful content. I love history! God bless you! 🙏🏻💖

[@philkaiser6025]

Love that the Resistance memorial's concentration camp plaques are set in a "V" shape. V for Victory was the message back then, but sadly forgotten now....

[@rebelscumspeedshop8677]

It's good to see a commonly overlooked part of WW2 being added to the picture. Maybe one day JD you can get over to the Hurtgen Forrest. That battle is often overlooked, it was a bloodbath and like Pelelu .. totally pointless.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

All on my list.

[@rebelscumspeedshop8677]

​@@TheHistoryUndergroundawesome sauce .

[@randomname7636]

Excellent video. Love your content, please keep it coming.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👊🏻

[@peterthebellhop7961]

My father, at age 19, was a seaman second class in the Kriegsmarine stationed there when DDay happened in 44. He was on a minelayer while there. Obviously, prior to the invasion, his vessel was sunk and he was assigned to the garrison when Cherbourg surrendered. His last tasks there was to make the harbor unusable. There was a three star General and a two star Admiral in command. My father was captured on either June 26th or 27th and rapidly sent to the UK to relieve the occupation of prisoners. And somewhere in July, sent to America to serve his POW time at Camp Opelika in Alabama with 3000 other Germans. They kept him there till 1946 when he was repatriated back to Bremen, Germany. He passed in 2014 near his 90th birthday.

[@bobgrewe988]

My wife and I did a transatlantic cruise from Port Canaveral Fl to Amsterdam. But before arrival to Amsterdam, we stopped at Cherbourg and docked at their main pier and saw some bunkers and knew what they were. We did take a bus tour from the ship to Utah beach through Ste Mer eglise (sic). Amazing trip

[@Hew.Jarsol]

Nice. The Battle of Caen was much bigger than Cherbourg. The Brits and Canadians were fighting most of the elite heavy SS Panzer divisions around Caen and beyond. 7 elite heavy SS Panzer divisions, 3 Heavy Tank Battalions, and 7 Infantry Divisions. USA were fighting mostly stomach divisions. At Cherbourg Collins launched a general assault on 22 June. Resistance was stiff at first, but the Americans slowly cleared the Germans from their bunkers and concrete pillboxes. Allied naval ships bombarded fortifications near the city on 25 June. On 26 June, the British elite force No. 30 Commando also known as 30 Assault Unit launched an assault on Octeville - a suburb to the south west of Cherbourg. This was the location of the Kriegsmarine naval intelligence HQ at Villa Meurice which the Commandos captured along with 20 officers and 500 men.

[@geoffthiessen646]

Thanks again for the great video - to bad those bunkers aren’t open for the public to see

[@geoffcapp7257]

Good morning JD

[@Wreckdiver59]

Definitely a lot to see there. Did you have a local guide or did you do your own research?

[@pelon3104]

THANKS FOR THE VIDEO 👍😳 ♥️🙏🇺🇸

[@canix_fpv940]

Love these movies you post on KZbin. Always been into history and certainly the World War effort. All these places you can visit keeping history alive and for everyone to see. Thank you all.

[@dakotalayinlow]

Keir-kuh-veel.. pretty close though!

[@larryburwell8550]

thanks JD you continue to show us places in france from ww2 that we just can see unless we travel there if we can. its all great history for sure. i have my dads diary and mission logs from his 9th Airforce 455 bs 323 bg b26 bombers and thru june 1944 they bombed this are 9 times. rail yards port areas and took heavy flak on most of the missions. thank you for posting. well enjoyed

[@Brendanno100]

When you're next in Normandy, you should hop over to Jersey & Guernsey some interesting sites there

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I would love that.

[@sailor32170]

My father was in the 1056th Port Construction and Repair Group that was tasked with making the port operational after the Germans destroyed it. Later they rebuilt a bridge across the Rhine.

[@cindyrussell7017]

So cool

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you liked it!

[@markhewitt4307]

My grandfather was 28th infantry division 112 infantry regiment. All i know is he was at Utah Beach and The Battle of the Bulge. Could you do a video on the 28th Infantry (The Bloody Buckets)? He never really spoke about the war so anything I can find out will help my family out. Thanks

[@geraldblackburn4883]

Good Show, interesting, I really hope you make a chronological battle video of Gettysburg, that would help a LOT, and I would pay to get it on CD.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I have a massive amount of Gettysburg content on here. You can see it via this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLNo4QcrwvqRlaj4ZoRPtOA2jB5NTEFetD

[@frankmarullo228]

Good video JD. When a person thinks about how much money over the course of time has been spent on war implements to kill other humans it is mind boggling ! Money time advancements for better weapons to kill people it. Is sickening ,,, but yet there is a definite attraction to the weapons , machines , tanks helmets etc ,etc ,etc , I for one love to collect anything to do with WW2 .. THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA...

[@thelocalmaladroit8873]

“We can’t go inside-which is a shame .” You’re so funny!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I was being serious. 😅

[@stevecooke7492]

I’m surprised you haven’t visited Trebah Garden in Cornwall, England yet, especially with it being where the U.S 29th Infantry launched their D-Day assault on Omaha Beach from Polgwidden Beach at the bottom of the garden, some of the structures that were purpose built are still there to this day!

[@mr.tall-man1573]

My grandpa was also an engineer in the 487th Engineers Water Supply Battalion. From what I know, he followed the infantry through towns checking the water because the nazi's would poison the water supplies before pulling out. I think it's a fire fighter battalion now though.

[@jakobgrimminger]

The bunker at 8:39 actually held a 4.7cm Festungs PaK 36(t) anti-tank gun. The H650 bunker at 9:30 was actually armed with a 7.5cm Flak M22-24(f) anti-aircraft guns (not 10.5cm) and were re-used by the Germans to form Marine-Kusten-Batterie Seebahnhof. The "Tobruk" at 14:21 is actually a Ringstand Type U for an ex- French FT 17 tank turret. What can i say? I love all things Atlantikwall....

[@jodychalk5879]

The small forts are commonly referred to as redoubts

[@CrossOfBayonne]

They also unloaded Army steam locomotives here mainly 2-8-0 freight engines to help the Allied railroad network

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Interesting.

[@CrossOfBayonne]

@@TheHistoryUnderground S160 type built by Baldwin ALCO and Lima

[@kathleendaugherty4218]

The Titanic picked up passengers at Cherbourg. Was that the same harbor?

[@davidm.1150]

Yes, it is the same harbour.

[@defiantirl34]

Yup it was the second last port Titanic stopped at.

[@clintonbock9976]

Liked the music with the historic footage. What is the track called?

[@paulmellon7598]

I shudder to think of the work, travel and logistics you have had to put into keeping your magnificent content ongoing. I don't doubt you've had some invaluable help along the way, but still, a magnificent effort! A very separate observation: being a long term subscriber, your videos would always come up in the top suggestions page even when I wasn't signed in. Since you recently had some issues with subject content and de-monetization, I've noticed that your videos only appear in my feed now if I am signed in. That seems wrong to me, and questionable behaviour by those supposedly moderating?

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thank you. And yeah, we’ve been having multiple people reporting that they are seeing the videos in their recommendations. Hopefully people are sharing the content to help compensate.

[@paulmellon7598]

@@TheHistoryUnderground You will always have my support. I know good peeps when I see them!

[@michaeltorpy3366]

Was cherburg closed the day you went there looks like a bit of a ghost town it was busy when I went there 30 years ago doing same as you have you been to jersey it was part of the Atlantic Wall and not far away I'm from there but left in 2019 I've been to most of the places you over in Europe very interesting 🎉🎉😊😊

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

No. I just wake up before everyone else. 🙂

[@PelicanIslandLabs]

What does the tattoo on the left arm translate into?

[@BCH320]

The port at the beiginning is not the deep water port and was made later on. A lot of ship were scuffle by the german in the deep water port and everywhere. There was a beach (plage verte) were dukw arrive to unload supply from ship in the harbourg

[@l.r.stewart960]

I sure hope you had the time to tour that submarine and we have a video on it coming. I've only ever been in a WWII sub (USS Requin, when it was in Tampa and Pittsburgh). I'd love a chance to tour a nuke.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Unfortunately, it was closed while I was there.

[@l.r.stewart960]

@@TheHistoryUnderground Sorry to hear that. I know you enjoyed your night on a sub and would have like to have seen that. If you ever hit Cowpens and Kings Mountain or Camden I'd love to give you a hand if needed.

[@brunol-p_g8800]

If you get the chance to tour it I highly recommend it. You get to see France’s first nuclear powered submarine, which is a SSBN, and a look into what it was like to be a submariner ready to unleash hell on your opponent during the Cold War.

[@MoDave82]

My uncle might have walked them streets I don't know but he was in the 29th infantry division 115th regiment he was killed after the capture of st.lo

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

If he was in the 29th, he wouldn’t have been in this sector. This was all 4th, 9th and 79th territory. I do have some videos on this channel over the 29th though.

[@justinweaver8107]

❤❤

[@matthewwitmer380]

Where are the people? Looks like a nice day to be outside.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I was out early.

[@user-in8ep9tz9r]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jimshoe402]

Ka-Bar Shave 😁😁😁

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

😅

[@jimshoe402]

@@TheHistoryUnderground Be Honest why don't u Post the Bills of the New gear u Brought ?? Maybe someone will Kick in $$$.. I bt Travel Ins $225 saved me $8K on a Med Flight home from ORD . Help people out by ur mistake.. ALOHA 😁😁😁😁