What British Paratroopers Did When a German Major Refused to Surrender at Pegasus Bridge скачать в хорошем качестве

What British Paratroopers Did When a German Major Refused to Surrender at Pegasus Bridge

#ww2history #dday #worldwar2 In June 1944, British paratroopers landed in occupied France with an impossible mission: capture Pegasus Bridge intact before German defenders could blow it up. The bridge was critical to D-Day success—whoever controlled it would control the invasion's fate. Major John Howard led 181 men in six gliders on a silent night assault that would determine the outcome of the entire Normandy invasion. What happened in the first 21 minutes of D-Day shocked everyone—including the German major who arrived expecting a routine incident and found himself captured by enemy troops 6 miles behind his own lines. Instead of conventional bombardment, Howard used speed and darkness. Instead of frontal assault, he used surgical precision. Instead of hours of battle, his men took the bridge in 4 minutes. When German sector commander Major Hans Schmidt arrived to investigate, he refused at first to believe the bridge had fallen. Surrounded by armed British paratroopers and cut off from his men, Schmidt was forced to surrender, becoming one of the first German officers captured during the Normandy landings. This is the true story of how 181 British paratroopers changed the course of WWII in 21 minutes, why their glider assault became the model for modern special operations, and how the German major who lost the bridge later called their tactics "brilliant and devastating." It's a story about unconventional thinking in warfare, the power of speed over firepower, and how the first minutes of any operation determine its outcome. From the airfields of England to the fields of Normandy, this is the story of Pegasus Bridge—the first objective captured on D-Day and the operation that proved special forces could achieve what conventional armies could not. 📢 What D-Day story should we cover next? Let us know in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe for more untold stories from military history. 👍 Like if you learned something new today. #ww2history #dday #worldwar2 #history #ww2 #pegasusbridge #britishparatroopers #specialoperations #normandy #militaryhistory ⚠️ Note: This narrative is based on historical events and archival sources. Some details have been dramatized for storytelling. For academic research, consult professional historical archives. Thanks for watching.