![]() If you’re interested in touring this historic site, here’s what you need to know about planning a visit to the D-Day beaches in Normandy. D-Day represented a pivotal moment in the war, as it opened a crucial front against Nazi Germany and ultimately led to the liberation of Western Europe from the control of the Axis powers. On this day, a massive amphibious assault was launched on the beaches of Normandy, France, by British, American, Canadian, and other Allied forces. It marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II – which continued until July 24, 1944. When was the D-Day Invasion?ĭ-Day, also known as Operation Overlord, was a significant event in history that took place on June 6, 1944. Not only did he stay back and defend his section of Omaha beach even past the point where the rest of his compatriots ran away, but he also showed resilience towards a task set to protect the interests of his home nation.Over one million people visit the beaches of Normandy every year to pay respects to the soldiers who lost their lives and experience the site of one of World War II’s most crucial turning points. If you were on the German side at the time of this attack, you would think of Severloh actions as the actions of a hero. This is why I mentioned at the beginning of the article that there is a clear difference between who we call a monster and a hero depending on what side we are on. ![]() In this time he killed an estimated 1000+ American soldiers with some estimates putting that number up as high as 2000. Overall after 9 hours of continuous fighting Severloh would fire 13,500 bullets out of his MG42 with another further 500 fired out of two Karabiner 98k rifles. As well as letting the barrel cool down in between waves of troops Severloh would take breaks and shoot at the oncoming wave with his Karabiner 98k to allow the MG to cool down. Source: Wikimedia Commonsīetween the waves of American troops, the barrel of his MG42 had to be swapped out with one of the 3 spare barrels he cycled throughout the defensive often the just-used barrel would burn the grass that it was rested on due to the sheer amount of ammunition which passed through it. German MG42 machine gun bunker at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, 1944. The defense was hectic with Severloh manning an MG42 which was supplied with ammunition by a sergeant that Severloh didn’t know. Severloh would take the initiative here with his Lieutenant telling him not to stop firing until they ran out of ammo. ![]() Wave after wave of American Higgins Boats landed on the beach. the first shots started to ring out across Omaha beach. This break wouldn’t last long as he would be immediately recalled for service in Normandy where he would make his name well known to the Allied troops. Later into his service on the Eastern Front, he would become dissatisfied with the life of a Wehrmacht soldier leading to him making “dissenting remarks” which led to him being forced to perform strenuous physical tasks which left him with permanent health problems and put him in hospital for the next 6 months.Īfter leaving the hospital, he took a break to help his parents with the 1943 harvest. He was then transferred to France in August to be trained until December after which he was sent to the Eastern Front where he was assigned to drive the sleighs of his division. Severloh was assigned to the 19th Light Artillery Replacement Division in Hanover. Like most other men of fighting age, Severloh was conscripted into the Wehrmacht on July 23, 1942, at the age of 19. He did not lead a remarkable life in his younger years, with his family benefiting from Hitler’s push to rearm which led to much money being poured into farmers such as Severloh’s family. Severloh was born into a farming family in Metzingen, Lüneburg Heath situated in North Germany.
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