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October 1944, northern Italy.
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A Canadian Private from an
experimental Tank Hunter platoon
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faces down a German Panther tank,
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armed only with a PIAT.
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He knows the best range to make
his shot is less than 20 yards.
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It’s an absolutely terrifying ordeal.
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You had to practically stand right up in
front of the tank in order to hit it.
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The soldier waits until the tank
is within ten yards
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00:00:37,914 --> 00:00:39,332
...before he launches.
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00:00:42,126 --> 00:00:47,715
On June 6th, 1944. Allied forces
finally land troops in Normandy
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{\an8}to open the Western Front.
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But Nazi fanatics and die-hards
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continue to fight ferociously
for survival.
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D-Day was a battle.
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They still need to win the war.
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October 21st, 1944.
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The Savio river, northern Italy.
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Soldiers from the Seaforth Highlanders
of Canada wade warily through the water.
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As the Seaforths enter the river,
it's really dark,
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{\an8}it's raining really hard,
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{\an8}and the water levels of the Savio River
are beginning to rise rapidly.
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Platoon Leader Lieutenant D.H. McKay
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scans the far shore.
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More than the mud and cold current
make the crossing a challenge.
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While under fire from the enemy,
he must also locate soldiers from
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Princess Patricia’s Canadian
Light Infantry Regiment on the other side.
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The PPCLI have crossed before them.
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They're being shelled
quite heavily and frankly
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the Seaforths don't know if the
PPCLI have been overrun or not.
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The Canadians had landed
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in Italy more than a year earlier.
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They started in Sicily, long before D-Day.
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Sicily is the supposed soft underbelly
of Europe because Churchill, above all,
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does not want to invade France
and Normandy at this particular time.
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He doesn't think the
western Allies are ready for it,
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{\an8}and yet there's tremendous
pressure from Stalin and
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{\an8}the Soviets to draw away
pressure from the Eastern Front.
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But the progress has been very slow.
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{\an8}The Germans incorporate
the Italian terrain
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{\an8}into their defense lines.
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And they built bunkers,
barbed wire, minefield and so on.
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And this makes it extremely
difficult for the Allies to
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proceed from bottom
of the boot up to the north.
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Despite the effort of American
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{\an8}and Commonwealth troops, the bitter
fighting means that 15 months later,
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{\an8}the Germans still occupy
a swath of northern Italy,
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{\an8}including its industrial heart.
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By October 1944, the
Canadians who fight with
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the British Eighth Army emerge
from the Apennine mountains.
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The mountains have been such
a terrible barrier with river after river.
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From the western
edge of the Adriatic sea...
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It looks as if they're just
finally going to be able to get
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to flat ground and
actually make a run for Bologna.
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But numerous rivers still cut across
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the plain, and the
enemy remains determined.
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In response to the Canadian
breakthrough the Germans know that
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this is extremely dangerous
for the entire position in northern Italy.
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So, they bring in reinforcements
to stop the Canadian advance.
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To exploit the natural defenses,
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they have withdrawn to
the west side of the Savio river.
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The German ninth Panzergrenadier Regiment
defends a sector about five miles long,
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along the Savio,
north of the city of Cesena.
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The Commander of second Battalion,
Captain Ekkehard Maurer,
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has been assigned here
as part of his officer training.
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Captain Ekkehard Maurer is
only 25 years of age during this time.
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He got posted into this thing
only a couple of days earlier.
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He pursues a General Staff Officer corps.
And at this moment,
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he's on a front-line posting,
which is rotational.
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Maurer knows
Canadians have crossed the Savio.
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But he has no idea
how far they’ve advanced.
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From the village of Pieve Sestina,
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Maurer will dispatch
the heavily armored vehicles
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of a Kampfgruppe towards
the river to intercept them.
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Still under fire,
and despite the darkness,
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Canadian Lieutenant McKay and his men
link up with the Princess Patricias.
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The Seaforths must've been
pretty excited to connect.
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That means that the
Canadians had a bridgehead.
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They were holding out and the
Seaforths weren't going to be
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alone in fighting against the Germans.
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The Princess Patricia’s
point out enemy positions
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including six machine gun nests,
that had kept them pinned down.
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Drake, hand over your guns.
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They also volunteer to exchange weapons
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with McKay’s men after the wet crossing.
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They know that the Seaforths are going to
leapfrog over them to engage the Germans.
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And to do that they need clean, dry guns.
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Move out.
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Companies D and B must clear
the enemy within 500 yards of the river.
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Germans have occupied the local
farmhouses and outbuildings
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and protect each one with up
to three machine gun posts.
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Many remain concealed until
the Canadians step too close.
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But the flashes of their guns
in the dark...
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allow the Seaforths to outflank them...
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and eliminate the
machine gun nests from behind.
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As company B and company D secure their
objectives on the west side of the Savio,
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two more Seaforth Highlander
companies A and C arrive and
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position themselves
to continue the advance.
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00:08:03,567 --> 00:08:07,613
{\an8}Their mission is to cut off the
main north south road to Cesena
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{\an8}which runs parallel to the river.
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{\an8}This route is an important
transportation corridor for
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{\an8}the enemy and they
expect defenses to be heavy.
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A platoon of Tank Hunters
is attached to C company.
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Like so many of these things in war time,
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{\an8}the Canadian Tank Hunting
strategy came out of failure.
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Commanders reported
soldiers often panicked at just
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the threat of enemy tanks.
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And so it was very important
for commanding officers and
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the soldiers themselves
to have strategies as
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to how to attack these tanks.
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Tank Hunters train to trap and destroy
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all kinds of armored vehicles like
tanks and self-propelled guns.
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They use only weapons
they can carry; anti-tank mines,
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and Thompson sub-machine guns,
and the armor piercing rounds
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of the Projector Infantry Anti-Tank;
the PIAT.
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{\an8}The strategy starts
with immobilizing the prey.
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{\an8}Tank hunters bury mines
across roads in front of
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{\an8}the armored advance.
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{\an8}When triggered, the
mines destroy the tank tracks
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to stop it.
PIAT teams move in to fire bombs
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straight into the tank’s hull.
The ideal range is just 20 yards.
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{\an8}Soldiers with Tommy guns
protect the PIAT operators
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{\an8}and take out any escaping tank crew.
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After the Germans blew the bridges,
the rising Savio river means
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the Canadians can’t bring
their own armor into the fight.
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These platoons are their best
chance against German tanks.
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C company closes in on
the crossroads located beside
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the parish church of Pieve Sestina.
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With reports of enemy armor,
the Commander of the Seaforths
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new tank hunting platoon,
Sergeant Keith Thompson,
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must dispatch his teams.
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He positions his men in ditches
on either side of the approach
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and rushes into the road himself,
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to bury the mines before
the German tanks arrive.
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According to Canadian Tank
Hunter strategy, Sergeant Keith Thompson
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must stop, or at least slow down,
the approaching enemy column.
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{\an8}As a first step, he moves
to bury Hawkins grenades into the road
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{\an8}to cut off access
to the intersection.
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The Tank Hunters use the number 75
or Hawkins anti-tank grenade.
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It was developed after Dunkirk for the use
of the British army and the Home Guard.
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A Hawkins grenade is
a two pound explosive charge.
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It's rectangular in shape
and kind of looks like a flask.
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{\an8}It can be buried like a mine,
it can be attached to something
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{\an8}like an explosive charge,
and it can even be thrown like a grenade.
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Multiple Hawkins grenades can be strung
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together for a more explosive result.
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One grenade might not do the trick,
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but you know that a string of
them will most likely disable
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any sort of armored vehicle
that rolls across them.
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Thompson finishes laying his trap.
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As the sound of the
armored vehicles gets closer,
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he camouflages the
grenades with leaves and dirt.
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His check complete,
Thompson jumps in the ditch
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with the other Tank Hunters from
the Canadian Seaforth Highlanders.
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The lead German vehicle
approaches the road junction.
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Thompson watches as the wheels
roll between the grenades...
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...and fail to detonate the explosives.
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Well, Sergeant Thompson's reaction
was probably of disbelief.
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He had just set up this
minefield and somehow this
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German staff car goes right through
it without triggering one mine.
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Thompson and some of his soldiers spray
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the moving vehicle
with their machine guns.
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While another Tank Hunter
jumps up with a PIAT.
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At just the right moment,
he launches a bomb at very close range.
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{\an8}The PIAT is a hand-held weapon that fires
a two and a half pound bomb,
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{\an8}filled with RDX and TNT explosives.
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{\an8}The force of impact can tear through
up to four inches of armor.
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The explosion of the PIAT bomb stops
the car and kills the driver.
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A German officer escapes
the wreckage and attempts to alert
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the armored column behind him.
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But Thompson and the
others move in for the kill.
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- Fall back!
- Then reset the trap.
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It doesn’t take long.
Not far behind the lead staff car,
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a German self-propelled gun
bears down on the crossroads.
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Self-propelled guns, or SPG,
look much like tanks.
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But their gun is in a fixed case-mate
instead of a rotating turret.
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But in these conditions, operating both
vehicles would be a challenge.
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Given the rain and the darkness,
visibility was extremely poor.
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{\an8}We can assume that the driver of
this self-propelled gun didn't
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understand and didn't see what
was going on in front of him.
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Most likely unseen, a Canadian Private
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00:15:29,513 --> 00:15:32,015
takes aim with his PIAT.
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But his bomb misses the mark,
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00:15:38,105 --> 00:15:42,484
and the enemy self-propelled gun
continues to rumble toward them.
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00:15:51,159 --> 00:15:54,037
As the German armor nears the crossroads,
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the Tank Hunters hold back to see
if Sergeant Keith Thompson’s minefield
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can stop the self-propelled gun.
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The vehicle’s track
crosses the Hawkins grenades.
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This time, it sets off an explosion.
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00:16:15,017 --> 00:16:18,687
What's interesting is that in retrospect
Sergeant Thompson is probably pretty happy
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00:16:18,687 --> 00:16:22,107
{\an8}the staff car didn't set off the mines,
because now what happens
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00:16:22,107 --> 00:16:26,153
{\an8}of course is he's immobilized
the higher value target.
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00:16:26,611 --> 00:16:31,408
With damage to its track, the
self-propelled gun comes to a standstill.
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00:16:31,408 --> 00:16:34,911
Bringing the vehicle to
a stop is ideal for tank hunting.
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00:16:34,911 --> 00:16:37,706
You have a better chance of hitting it
and causing more damage
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00:16:37,706 --> 00:16:40,751
from the PIAT if you're
aiming at a stationary target.
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00:16:43,420 --> 00:16:48,008
The Canadian Tank Hunters move
into the open to finish the job.
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00:16:49,885 --> 00:16:52,512
A PIAT team lines up their shot.
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00:16:58,185 --> 00:17:02,981
With an armor piercing hit,
the SPG ceases to be a threat.
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00:17:05,650 --> 00:17:09,988
Other tank hunters scramble
onto the gun to finish its crew.
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00:17:14,409 --> 00:17:17,871
- They drop a grenade into the hatch.
- Fire in the hole!
201
00:17:35,263 --> 00:17:40,060
The self-propelled gun is inoperable
and blocks the road.
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00:17:51,863 --> 00:17:55,534
The armored column has been dispatched
by Captain Ekkehard Maurer,
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00:17:55,534 --> 00:18:00,330
second Battalion Commander of
the German ninth Panzergrenadier Regiment.
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00:18:01,873 --> 00:18:04,668
The ninth Panzergrenadier Regiment
is the successor
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00:18:04,668 --> 00:18:09,631
{\an8}of the Old ninth Infantry Regiment,
the traditional Prussian Regiment
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00:18:09,631 --> 00:18:15,762
{\an8}that was based in Potsdam near Berlin,
and was seen as a source for
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00:18:15,762 --> 00:18:20,100
the aristocratic German
or Prussian Officer Corps.
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00:18:23,353 --> 00:18:27,232
They had arrived in
Italy during the summer of 1943.
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00:18:27,357 --> 00:18:32,779
And moved into defensive position near
the east coast in September of ’44.
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00:18:33,905 --> 00:18:38,451
Maurer needs more information about the
Canadian advance in order to thwart it.
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00:18:38,451 --> 00:18:41,079
The Germans are on their back-foot here,
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00:18:41,246 --> 00:18:45,125
and they are extremely
surprised to see how far
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00:18:45,125 --> 00:18:48,795
the Canadians have already
penetrated into their lines.
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00:18:49,671 --> 00:18:52,174
In addition, the
Canadian artillery barrage has
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00:18:52,674 --> 00:18:56,219
disrupted communication lines,
compounding the problem.
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00:18:56,219 --> 00:19:00,182
German Commanders cannot
communicate with each other, so,
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00:19:00,348 --> 00:19:03,852
the left neighbor doesn't know what his
right neighbor is doing and...
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00:19:03,852 --> 00:19:08,356
Or even communication further up
the chain of command is barely possible.
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00:19:10,150 --> 00:19:13,695
But Maurer still has significant
weaponry at his disposal,
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00:19:13,695 --> 00:19:16,865
including Mark V Panther tanks.
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00:19:20,452 --> 00:19:23,580
The Panzerkampfwagen or Mark V Panther
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00:19:23,747 --> 00:19:27,667
is one of the most powerful and
feared tanks in Hitler’s army.
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00:19:28,460 --> 00:19:30,962
The Germans developed the
medium sized tank rapidly
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00:19:30,962 --> 00:19:36,885
in 1941 in response to the
threat posed by the Soviet T-34.
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00:19:38,053 --> 00:19:42,474
{\an8}The Mark V stormed onto
the battlefield in 1943 topped
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00:19:42,474 --> 00:19:46,394
{\an8}with a powerful
75 millimeter high velocity gun,
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00:19:46,394 --> 00:19:49,064
{\an8}and a pair of MG34 machine guns,
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00:19:49,064 --> 00:19:52,525
{\an8}capable of unleashing
hundreds of bullets per minute.
229
00:19:52,525 --> 00:19:56,780
{\an8}At 45 tons, this
Panther is heavy but fast.
230
00:19:57,322 --> 00:20:03,078
A 700-horsepower motor generates
a top speed of 28 miles per hour.
231
00:20:14,089 --> 00:20:17,509
As a Mark V tank grinds up the road,
232
00:20:19,511 --> 00:20:23,556
another team of Canadian Tank Hunters
dashes across a field.
233
00:20:27,936 --> 00:20:32,023
Private Ernest Smith scouts
for the best possible position.
234
00:20:32,023 --> 00:20:35,402
Private Smith is an interesting guy.
He's clearly brave.
235
00:20:35,402 --> 00:20:37,112
And he's clearly a natural leader.
236
00:20:37,279 --> 00:20:39,906
When things get hot, even
though he's not in command,
237
00:20:39,906 --> 00:20:42,617
he takes the initiative
and people follow him.
238
00:20:43,910 --> 00:20:45,704
Smith’s natural
fighting instincts have been
239
00:20:45,704 --> 00:20:51,126
rewarded with numerous promotions.
But they don’t seem to stick.
240
00:20:51,126 --> 00:20:55,630
Private Smith earned a reputation for
being a troublemaker. Being insubordinate.
241
00:20:55,630 --> 00:21:01,219
He was promoted to Corporal nine times
and demoted to Private nine times.
242
00:21:01,219 --> 00:21:04,556
He clearly had a problem with authority,
243
00:21:04,556 --> 00:21:07,809
but there was no question
that he was a hell of a soldier.
244
00:21:07,809 --> 00:21:10,687
With his Commander and
fellow Tank Hunters occupied
245
00:21:10,687 --> 00:21:12,981
with the German self-propelled gun;
246
00:21:15,108 --> 00:21:18,695
Smith has his eyes on the
Panther tank further ahead.
247
00:21:27,704 --> 00:21:32,083
He directs his PIAT team
into a ditch with a view of the road.
248
00:21:36,129 --> 00:21:41,176
But as the tank creeps closer, he decides
that a single PIAT isn’t enough.
249
00:21:42,635 --> 00:21:48,266
With the operator set, Smith and Private
James Tennant hurry to fetch another.
250
00:21:49,559 --> 00:21:53,104
Leaving that one operator
by himself is a risky move.
251
00:21:54,939 --> 00:21:59,569
When you are firing a PIAT half
of your vision is blocked by the weapon.
252
00:22:02,906 --> 00:22:05,867
{\an8}Normally they work in twos so that
if a German does sneak up on you,
253
00:22:05,867 --> 00:22:08,703
{\an8}you have someone watching
your back to defend you.
254
00:22:09,829 --> 00:22:12,040
{\an8}Smith’s company
needs to reach the main highway
255
00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:16,711
{\an8}to cut off German reinforcements
to the city of Cesena to the south.
256
00:22:18,630 --> 00:22:22,842
But instead, they encountered
part of a German tank Kampfgruppe.
257
00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,805
To coordinate their action,
C company has established
258
00:22:26,805 --> 00:22:29,891
a headquarters in the rural parish church.
259
00:22:31,559 --> 00:22:35,688
With the tank closing in,
Smith and Tennant must be quick.
260
00:22:35,688 --> 00:22:39,192
They locate another
PIAT at the headquarters.
261
00:22:39,901 --> 00:22:44,030
With the weapon in tow,
the duo races back to their position.
262
00:22:50,954 --> 00:22:52,914
As they near the road...
263
00:22:57,419 --> 00:23:00,547
...machine gun bullets rip
into the ground around them.
264
00:23:14,436 --> 00:23:16,104
From the protection of a ditch,
265
00:23:16,104 --> 00:23:20,024
Canadian Private
Ernest Smith gets his bearings.
266
00:23:20,358 --> 00:23:24,821
He sneaks a peek over the edge and
sees the tank getting closer.
267
00:23:25,822 --> 00:23:28,616
The Panther sweeps the
road with its machine gun.
268
00:23:30,910 --> 00:23:32,912
{\an8}Smith is probably
worried about two things,
269
00:23:33,079 --> 00:23:36,166
{\an8}first of all his own position
with his friend James Tennant
270
00:23:36,166 --> 00:23:39,043
{\an8}but also the lone PIAT
operator that he left behind.
271
00:23:42,172 --> 00:23:45,758
A minefield like the one which
stopped the self-propelled gun earlier
272
00:23:45,758 --> 00:23:49,512
would have been helpful.
But it’s too late now.
273
00:23:49,512 --> 00:23:53,725
James Tennant must get the
PIAT charged and ready to fire.
274
00:23:55,226 --> 00:23:58,938
Private James Tennant is one of Smith's
closest friends in the Regiment.
275
00:23:59,105 --> 00:24:02,525
The sources identify
them as thick as thieves.
276
00:24:04,903 --> 00:24:08,031
A machine gun blast strikes Tennant.
277
00:24:12,744 --> 00:24:18,875
He’s alive but seriously wounded,
and can no longer operate the PIAT.
278
00:24:21,211 --> 00:24:23,963
Smith likely considers his options.
279
00:24:24,422 --> 00:24:28,009
He can hide in the ditch with Tennant
and hope he doesn't get shot.
280
00:24:28,009 --> 00:24:30,220
He can bring Tennant to
a medical aid station and
281
00:24:30,220 --> 00:24:36,601
expose themselves to German fire,
or he can take matters into his own hands.
282
00:24:36,768 --> 00:24:41,272
He has a split second to make the choice
and he decides to engage the Germans.
283
00:24:44,192 --> 00:24:48,988
Smith grabs the PIAT and
readies himself at the edge of the ditch.
284
00:24:53,993 --> 00:24:56,579
At this moment,
Smith is one man,
285
00:24:56,746 --> 00:24:59,165
against perhaps one of
the most powerful tanks of
286
00:24:59,165 --> 00:25:01,543
the entire Second World War.
287
00:25:03,670 --> 00:25:06,673
If he misses his shot,
it's unlikely he will survive.
288
00:25:09,092 --> 00:25:13,263
He charges the weapon as he
waits for the German Mark V Panther tank.
289
00:25:16,015 --> 00:25:20,770
Smith has no back up, and while
the PIAT has armor piercing capabilities,
290
00:25:20,895 --> 00:25:24,274
its reputation with soldiers is mixed.
291
00:25:26,150 --> 00:25:31,281
It was really first used by the Canadians
in Sicily and it wasn't yet perfected.
292
00:25:32,031 --> 00:25:34,701
{\an8}The shells would hit the
sides of tanks and not explode,
293
00:25:34,701 --> 00:25:37,120
{\an8}of course this meant it was
still very dangerous
294
00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:40,582
and so the initial use
of the PIAT was not really
295
00:25:40,582 --> 00:25:43,042
inspiring a lot of confidence.
296
00:25:43,042 --> 00:25:45,878
And even as reliability increases,
297
00:25:45,878 --> 00:25:49,632
one thing stays the same;
the range.
298
00:25:49,632 --> 00:25:52,635
The maximum range of a PIAT is 100 yards.
299
00:25:52,635 --> 00:25:55,513
And worse, the Tank Hunters determined
300
00:25:55,513 --> 00:26:00,226
the optimal distance for a hit,
to be only 20 yards at night.
301
00:26:02,937 --> 00:26:06,649
You had to practically stand right up
in front of the tank in order to hit it.
302
00:26:06,649 --> 00:26:10,361
And so, it's an
absolutely terrifying ordeal
303
00:26:10,528 --> 00:26:14,282
and it really required heroism
from these Canadian soldiers.
304
00:26:14,657 --> 00:26:17,160
Tank Hunters even
customize their PIATs
305
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,747
by drilling new sights to
accommodate the tight range.
306
00:26:23,291 --> 00:26:28,588
Smith waits until the tank is 30 feet,
or just ten yards, away.
307
00:26:29,547 --> 00:26:33,259
Then jumps from the
ditch and into the road.
308
00:26:41,809 --> 00:26:45,063
With a bomb in the
spigot and barely time to aim,
309
00:26:45,063 --> 00:26:47,982
Smith launches his attack on the Panther.
310
00:26:51,027 --> 00:26:53,988
As they fight for control of the sector,
311
00:26:54,572 --> 00:26:58,368
the Germans begin to appreciate the
scale of the Canadian offensive.
312
00:26:59,452 --> 00:27:04,332
Captain Ekkehard Maurer is
forced to further bolster defenses.
313
00:27:06,709 --> 00:27:10,421
To the north, the Canadians are
overrunning the German lines
314
00:27:10,421 --> 00:27:13,424
{\an8}so that the Germans are
in such a desperate position
315
00:27:13,424 --> 00:27:17,387
{\an8}that they need to deploy their
battalion HQ into the battle.
316
00:27:23,476 --> 00:27:25,728
Maurer finds himself under attack.
317
00:27:33,569 --> 00:27:37,240
If headquarter troops
are deployed into fighting,
318
00:27:37,407 --> 00:27:41,077
it means the situation
is extremely critical.
319
00:27:41,411 --> 00:27:45,456
And this is actually one of the
last resorts for the defenders.
320
00:27:47,291 --> 00:27:49,419
The Canadians storm his position,
321
00:27:49,419 --> 00:27:52,797
and Maurer is injured by a hand grenade.
322
00:27:56,801 --> 00:27:59,095
He must withdraw from the fight.
323
00:28:12,567 --> 00:28:16,988
On the road beside the
parish church at Pieve Sestina,
324
00:28:17,572 --> 00:28:19,240
Private Ernest Smith...
325
00:28:22,952 --> 00:28:25,580
...scores a direct hit on
the German Panther tank.
326
00:28:27,874 --> 00:28:30,126
The giant beast grinds to a halt.
327
00:28:31,502 --> 00:28:34,672
The wrecked Panther V tries to reverse.
328
00:28:34,672 --> 00:28:37,633
When Smith hits the
Panther he immobilizes it.
329
00:28:38,176 --> 00:28:41,262
{\an8}The problem is he now has
to deal with about ten Germans
330
00:28:41,262 --> 00:28:42,805
{\an8}who were riding on the back,
331
00:28:42,972 --> 00:28:46,017
who now hop off and start
moving forward towards him.
332
00:28:48,644 --> 00:28:51,355
At very close range and all alone,
333
00:28:51,355 --> 00:28:53,649
Smith doesn’t have a lot of options.
334
00:28:58,196 --> 00:29:02,742
The PIAT that Canadian Private
Ernest Smith had used against the tank,
335
00:29:02,742 --> 00:29:05,953
is useless against multiple
advancing enemy soldiers.
336
00:29:07,705 --> 00:29:10,500
He reaches for his
Thompson submachine gun.
337
00:29:16,088 --> 00:29:18,674
Here, Smith does something
kind of incredible.
338
00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:25,181
{\an8}Instead of retreating, he moves out
farther on the road and engages
339
00:29:25,181 --> 00:29:27,350
{\an8}the German Grenadiers with his Tommy Gun.
340
00:29:29,393 --> 00:29:31,938
Arguably the most notorious firearm ever,
341
00:29:33,064 --> 00:29:36,567
the Thompson submachine gun was
designed as an automatic weapon
342
00:29:36,567 --> 00:29:39,111
that could be
operated by a single soldier.
343
00:29:41,572 --> 00:29:45,910
{\an8}The sub of submachine refers to
compact bullet caliber relative
344
00:29:45,910 --> 00:29:51,916
{\an8}to those fired by rifles.
New box magazines deliver 30 rounds,
345
00:29:51,916 --> 00:29:56,337
{\an8}with a staggering rate of fire
up to 700 rounds per minute.
346
00:29:58,089 --> 00:30:01,175
The American weapon was first
sold to the British military for
347
00:30:01,175 --> 00:30:04,971
about $225 per unit in 1940.
348
00:30:06,389 --> 00:30:08,683
Winston Churchill himself would quip;
349
00:30:08,683 --> 00:30:11,727
“General Thompson’s gun
may be, pound for pound,
350
00:30:11,727 --> 00:30:14,939
the most devastating
weapon devised for war.”
351
00:30:17,859 --> 00:30:19,986
Efficiencies to lower the cost make
352
00:30:19,986 --> 00:30:22,947
the Thompson ubiquitous
among the allies in Europe.
353
00:30:27,326 --> 00:30:31,163
Smith fires into the attacking
German soldiers at very close range.
354
00:30:41,674 --> 00:30:48,055
In the firefight, he kills four.
The others fall back in disarray.
355
00:30:59,901 --> 00:31:02,069
As Smith continues to hold the line...
356
00:31:03,946 --> 00:31:07,783
...a 75 millimeter tank
shell explodes nearby.
357
00:31:11,287 --> 00:31:16,083
He sees another tank approach,
while more German infantry charge through
358
00:31:16,083 --> 00:31:19,086
- the fields in his direction.
- Well at this point,
359
00:31:19,086 --> 00:31:22,006
Smith figures that the second
German tank is out of range.
360
00:31:22,006 --> 00:31:26,969
So, in fact the most pressing problem are
the German grenadiers bearing down on him.
361
00:31:30,473 --> 00:31:33,935
Smith maintains a steady stream
of fire against the soldiers...
362
00:31:40,024 --> 00:31:45,863
Until he runs out of bullets.
He returns to the ditch to find more,
363
00:31:46,906 --> 00:31:50,576
and locates a spare magazine
near Private James Tennant.
364
00:31:51,369 --> 00:31:52,578
Smith is certainly fighting to defend
365
00:31:52,578 --> 00:31:55,998
the Seaforths hard won position,
but he's also fighting to defend
366
00:31:55,998 --> 00:31:59,001
his friend James Tennant,
who's lying there wounded.
367
00:32:00,086 --> 00:32:04,173
Smith reloads and jumps back
on the road, staying close to Tennant.
368
00:32:14,183 --> 00:32:16,852
The German infantry retreats.
369
00:32:22,858 --> 00:32:26,404
But once again the
advancing tank opens fire.
370
00:32:30,574 --> 00:32:32,535
And forces Smith to re-focus.
371
00:32:36,497 --> 00:32:40,418
At this point in the battle, he decides to
grab his friend and take him to
372
00:32:40,418 --> 00:32:42,586
a medical aide post at a nearby church.
373
00:32:45,172 --> 00:32:49,635
Often when we think of battles,
we think of faceless soldiers
374
00:32:49,635 --> 00:32:53,389
sort of firing at each other
in a melee of combat and chaos,
375
00:32:53,389 --> 00:32:56,183
but in reality, a lot
of battles are made up
376
00:32:56,183 --> 00:32:58,978
of these little human moments.
And this is one of those.
377
00:33:00,021 --> 00:33:03,649
Smith needs to be patient.
He must wait for a lull
378
00:33:03,649 --> 00:33:06,569
that will allow him to assist Tennant.
379
00:33:07,903 --> 00:33:11,490
When the tank pauses its attack,
Smith uses the opportunity to
380
00:33:11,490 --> 00:33:14,869
help his friend out of the
relative safety of the ditch.
381
00:33:34,430 --> 00:33:37,183
The battle continues in
the surrounding fields and
382
00:33:37,183 --> 00:33:40,686
along the road, as the rest of
C Company and the Tank Hunters
383
00:33:40,686 --> 00:33:43,606
try to stave off the German counterattack.
384
00:33:49,236 --> 00:33:53,157
The two move as quickly as
they can to the nearby church.
385
00:33:53,157 --> 00:33:56,911
The Seaforth Highlanders C Company
Commander, Major Stewart Lynch,
386
00:33:56,911 --> 00:34:01,540
has established his headquarters
with an aid post at the crossroads.
387
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:07,379
Smith arrives with the injured Private
James Tennant to get help from the medics.
388
00:34:09,048 --> 00:34:13,260
{\an8}When a soldier is injured in battle,
he's normally taken to the rear,
389
00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:16,722
{\an8}taken care of either in a
temporary medical facility
390
00:34:16,722 --> 00:34:20,851
or brought back to hospital.
But when they were at the Savio River,
391
00:34:20,851 --> 00:34:24,313
the river was so swollen there
was so much water going through
392
00:34:24,313 --> 00:34:27,608
it that it was simply impossible
to get the wounded back and so
393
00:34:27,775 --> 00:34:32,321
they were left there, uh, in
terribly vulnerable situations.
394
00:34:32,655 --> 00:34:37,034
With no way to cross the river,
the wounded can’t be evacuated.
395
00:34:37,034 --> 00:34:40,287
And the flooding creates
other difficulties for Lynch.
396
00:34:40,287 --> 00:34:44,375
At this point, Major Lynch's
biggest concern is reinforcements or
397
00:34:44,375 --> 00:34:48,712
{\an8}the lack thereof. The simple fact is the
Savio river water levels have
398
00:34:48,712 --> 00:34:53,259
{\an8}risen so rapidly that he can't
get any reinforcements across.
399
00:34:53,259 --> 00:34:55,344
This has been a re-current problem for
400
00:34:55,344 --> 00:34:58,389
the allies throughout
their fighting in Italy.
401
00:35:04,270 --> 00:35:08,816
Proper Italian bridges were built high
above potential flood waters.
402
00:35:08,816 --> 00:35:12,778
But many have been destroyed.
Some by allied aerial attacks
403
00:35:12,778 --> 00:35:16,949
to prevent German retreat,
others blown up by the Germans to cut off
404
00:35:16,949 --> 00:35:23,330
access to the other bank.
Either way, civilians pay the price.
405
00:35:24,665 --> 00:35:27,877
The allies must often rebuild
during the rainy season when
406
00:35:28,043 --> 00:35:30,504
the rushing waters complicate the job.
407
00:35:32,590 --> 00:35:37,052
As before, allied forces battle
the weather and the Germans.
408
00:35:37,219 --> 00:35:39,513
With the Savio flooding...
409
00:35:39,513 --> 00:35:41,932
The banks are so
muddy the engineers can't find
410
00:35:41,932 --> 00:35:45,186
a good spot to build a bridge.
So no infantry's coming across.
411
00:35:45,186 --> 00:35:47,521
No supplies and no armor.
412
00:35:47,521 --> 00:35:50,566
The Seaforths are on their own.
413
00:35:53,861 --> 00:35:56,238
Men are taking a beating.
414
00:35:56,238 --> 00:35:58,657
Smith would later
recall how dire things were.
415
00:35:59,325 --> 00:36:02,661
According to Smith,
in the church Major Lynch turned
416
00:36:02,661 --> 00:36:06,290
to him and said,
"We're surrounded, what should we do?"
417
00:36:06,290 --> 00:36:10,169
And Smith replies, "Take a
window and get your head down."
418
00:36:12,087 --> 00:36:15,090
Whether it happened
exactly like that or not,
419
00:36:15,090 --> 00:36:17,218
there's no question that Smith
was a good guy to listen to and
420
00:36:17,218 --> 00:36:21,096
a good guy to rely on for
advice in such a hot situation.
421
00:36:21,805 --> 00:36:25,017
But Smith himself leaves the sanctuary
422
00:36:25,017 --> 00:36:27,853
to be ready for more enemy activity.
423
00:36:31,857 --> 00:36:35,319
The Canadians have slowed down the
German’s armored column,
424
00:36:35,319 --> 00:36:37,029
but they need to destroy it.
425
00:36:37,196 --> 00:36:40,282
Just outside the church,
Sergeant Keith Thompson and
426
00:36:40,282 --> 00:36:44,245
other Tank Hunters hold off
German infantry who pour across
427
00:36:44,245 --> 00:36:46,872
the fields and down the road...
428
00:36:55,881 --> 00:36:59,677
When a German self-propelled
gun swerves towards them.
429
00:37:06,350 --> 00:37:10,938
As the rain continues,
Canadian Sergeant Keith Thompson
430
00:37:11,105 --> 00:37:13,732
confronts yet another threat in the dark.
431
00:37:17,403 --> 00:37:22,074
A German self-propelled gun needs to avoid
the wreckage of the Kampfgruppe.
432
00:37:26,287 --> 00:37:30,291
{\an8}The next German self-propelled gun is
kind of stuck at the road.
433
00:37:30,291 --> 00:37:33,043
{\an8}There's wrecked vehicles,
there's bodies.
434
00:37:33,419 --> 00:37:38,841
So the Germans attempt to out flank the
Canadians by moving towards the church.
435
00:37:45,973 --> 00:37:49,143
As the teams ready their PIATS,
the supporting Tank Hunters
436
00:37:49,143 --> 00:37:52,146
open fire with
their Thompson machine guns.
437
00:37:57,568 --> 00:38:00,654
But the bullets ricochet
harmlessly off the armor.
438
00:38:03,657 --> 00:38:10,372
As the self-propelled gun comes into range
the Tank Hunters unleash their PIAT bombs.
439
00:38:21,717 --> 00:38:26,221
There’s a direct hit and
a second SPG is put out of action.
440
00:38:37,566 --> 00:38:42,363
With Captain Ekkehard Maurer injured,
first Lieutenant Strangen is the
441
00:38:42,363 --> 00:38:46,825
only German officer available to
assume control of the battalion.
442
00:38:48,035 --> 00:38:53,624
{\an8}Maurer is wounded by a grenade blast,
his adjutant, a First Lieutenant,
443
00:38:53,624 --> 00:38:57,378
takes over command.
And this is quite rare that
444
00:38:57,378 --> 00:39:00,631
a First Lieutenant takes command
over an entire battalion.
445
00:39:00,756 --> 00:39:05,552
It just shows you what a desperate
situation the Germans found themselves.
446
00:39:08,389 --> 00:39:10,974
But while the Canadians
prove tenacious...
447
00:39:14,728 --> 00:39:17,314
...the battle isn’t over yet.
448
00:39:19,483 --> 00:39:24,696
Sergeant Thompson and his men mop up from
the earlier attack on the SPG.
449
00:39:26,198 --> 00:39:29,868
They strain to see what will
emerge next from the darkness.
450
00:39:31,954 --> 00:39:34,748
In time, another Panther
tank crawls forward
451
00:39:34,748 --> 00:39:37,626
also trying to move around
the back of the church.
452
00:39:42,089 --> 00:39:45,592
Thompson’s PIAT teams resight and reload.
453
00:39:48,011 --> 00:39:52,891
The tank slows as it reaches the destroyed
self-propelled gun blocking its path.
454
00:39:54,101 --> 00:39:58,772
Operating a 45 ton Panther tank at
the best of times would be difficult.
455
00:39:58,772 --> 00:40:02,192
But in this situation, it's dark out.
456
00:40:03,777 --> 00:40:06,113
It would've been extremely
difficult to navigate around
457
00:40:06,113 --> 00:40:09,616
this battlefield that was
strewn with so much debris.
458
00:40:21,712 --> 00:40:23,630
The conditions prove disastrous.
459
00:40:24,715 --> 00:40:30,429
It's wet, it's muddy and the
Panther ends up sliding into a ditch.
460
00:40:33,557 --> 00:40:37,853
Thompson seizes the opportunity
and motions his PIAT team forward...
461
00:40:38,687 --> 00:40:42,191
- Tank! Tank!
- PIAT! PIAT!
462
00:40:47,029 --> 00:40:48,655
Flanked by the machine gunners.
463
00:40:54,536 --> 00:40:57,164
They knock out the tank with their PIATS.
464
00:41:08,050 --> 00:41:11,762
As the German crew tries to flee,
two are killed.
465
00:41:11,929 --> 00:41:14,223
Others escape into the darkness.
466
00:41:25,984 --> 00:41:31,573
By 0-600, the Germans withdraw after
losing over 100 men and many vehicles,
467
00:41:32,491 --> 00:41:36,370
including the two self-propelled
guns and two Panther tanks.
468
00:41:39,289 --> 00:41:44,419
Casualties for the Seaforth Highlanders
during the operation amount to 106 men;
469
00:41:44,419 --> 00:41:47,798
including 18 killed and 61 wounded.
470
00:42:00,769 --> 00:42:04,314
The Canadian victory is
so quick and so complete...
471
00:42:04,314 --> 00:42:05,732
Hey!
472
00:42:05,732 --> 00:42:09,653
A group of German soldiers who had
been bypassed in the dark,
473
00:42:09,653 --> 00:42:12,698
turn up at their former
command post for breakfast,
474
00:42:12,698 --> 00:42:15,659
not aware it had been captured overnight.
475
00:42:21,707 --> 00:42:26,003
56 are rounded up
and taken as prisoners of war.
476
00:42:39,224 --> 00:42:40,767
For his coolness and tenacity,
477
00:42:41,184 --> 00:42:44,605
Sergeant Keith Thompson earns
a distinguished conduct medal.
478
00:42:45,647 --> 00:42:48,734
He’s credited with the preservation of
the Canadians’ bridgehead
479
00:42:48,734 --> 00:42:53,280
in the face of a determined
and strongly supported counterattack.
480
00:42:56,408 --> 00:43:00,662
Ernest Smith earns the Commonwealth’s
highest military honor;
481
00:43:00,662 --> 00:43:02,873
The Victoria Cross.
482
00:43:03,248 --> 00:43:06,043
{\an8}Smith was the
only Canadian Private to earn
483
00:43:06,043 --> 00:43:08,337
{\an8}the Victoria Cross
during the Second World War.
484
00:43:08,337 --> 00:43:13,175
{\an8}And this is an incredible achievement,
but he was also a very colorful character.
485
00:43:13,175 --> 00:43:16,553
{\an8}For instance, before he
was to meet King George VI
486
00:43:16,553 --> 00:43:19,431
they supposedly locked him
in jail with a few beers to
487
00:43:19,598 --> 00:43:25,479
make sure that he would show up the next
day. And when he did he refused to bow.
488
00:43:25,479 --> 00:43:28,774
He saluted instead.
And I think this was a testament to his
489
00:43:28,940 --> 00:43:32,694
rather complicated
relationship with authority.
490
00:43:40,869 --> 00:43:43,789
{\an8}Smith was Canada’s last living
Victoria Cross recipient
491
00:43:43,789 --> 00:43:50,545
{\an8}when he passed away in 2005.
He was honored as a national hero.
492
00:43:52,422 --> 00:43:55,759
{\an8}Despite allied hopes for a
quick victory in northern Italy,
493
00:43:55,926 --> 00:43:58,387
{\an8}after the breakout from
the Apennine mountains,
494
00:43:58,387 --> 00:44:03,392
{\an8}Bologna wouldn’t be
liberated until April 1945.
495
00:44:03,392 --> 00:44:06,061
{\an8}And by then, Seaforth
Highlanders of Canada would be
496
00:44:06,061 --> 00:44:07,979
{\an8}fighting the Germans in the Netherlands.