This episode is sponsored by Rise of Kingdoms, a free-to-play mobile strategy game that lets you dive into a world of epic battles. You can choose from 11 different civilizations, each with its own historical characters, buildings, and military units. Some of these civilizations include China, Korea, Japan, Rome, Germany, Spain, Britain, and the Ottoman Empire. In this game, I’ve chosen the powerful Roman Empire, which comes with a special power-up called the Glory of the Empire.
On a single massive map, you can see various cities, barbarians, and non-player characters (NPCs) all battling it out without any loading screens. Unlike other strategy games, Rise of Kingdoms allows you to change directions and send your troops anywhere at any time without restrictions. You can send your forces to fight barbarians, explore new territories, and even change their direction while they’re marching into battle.
Join me in Rise of Kingdoms by clicking the link in the description below. Let’s build our alliance and conquer our enemies together—it’s going to be a blast!
Now, let’s dive back into our main story. Heinrich Severloh, famously known as the “Beast of Omaha,” was born in Germany in 1923 to a farming family. At 19, he was drafted into the German army, known as the Wehrmacht, in 1942. According to his memoir, he initially served in Hanover with the 19th Light Artillery Division before being transferred to France in August 1942. There, he worked as a dispatch rider with the 320th Artillery Regiment before being sent to the Eastern Front in December.
In December 1942, Severloh faced severe punishment for making dissenting remarks, which landed him in the hospital for six months. After recovering, he returned to his family farm but was soon called back to military service. In October 1943, he was sent to Brunswick, Germany, for non-commissioned officer training but ended up with the 352nd Infantry Division. Less than a month later, Severloh found himself in Normandy, stationed with 29 others in a German stronghold at Omaha Beach.
On June 6, 1944, as Allied forces approached, Severloh was positioned in Resistance Nest 62 under Lieutenant Bernhard Frerking’s command. This stronghold was equipped with artillery guns, rocket launchers, and machine guns. At 5:00 AM, the fog lifted, revealing a massive fleet of enemy ships on the horizon. Soon, the sound of bombers filled the air, and Severloh and his comrades took cover as bombs rained down, missing their target but hitting areas behind the strong points. After a brief pause, the ships began bombarding the shore.
Severloh described the scene as chaotic, with thick grey chalk dust, smoke, and dirt filling the air, making it seem like the world was disappearing in the chaos of exploding shells. Despite the bombardment, none of the men in WN-62 were killed, though some were slightly wounded. As the landing craft approached, Severloh returned to his MG42 machine gun, ready to fire at the American soldiers when they were knee-deep in water and unable to move quickly.
When the order was given, all the German weapons opened fire, causing panic among the first wave of American troops. Severloh fired his MG42 for nine hours straight, shooting around twelve thousand rounds, only pausing to reload or let the gun cool down. When his machine gun overheated, he switched to a rifle. After running out of regular ammo, he used anti-aircraft rounds, which led to his detection by the USS Frankfurt. He narrowly avoided being hit by taking cover, though shrapnel injured his face, and his gun was damaged.
Eventually, Severloh was ordered to retreat. Along with another German soldier, Kurt Vonnegut, he made it to the nearby village of Koval, where their battalion headquarters was located. Severloh received medical treatment, and the Germans, including him, surrendered to American troops. On June 7, 1944, Severloh was sent to Boston, Massachusetts, as a prisoner of war before being transferred to England in 1946, where he worked as forced labor until March 1947. He then returned to his family’s farm in Germany.
In 1960, Severloh reached out to American veteran chaplain David Silva, who had been shot three times at Omaha Beach. The two men met several times, and their story is featured in a documentary about their unusual friendship and journey toward forgiveness. Severloh’s memoir, “WN-62: A German Soldier’s Memories of the Defense of Omaha Beach, Normandy, June 6, 1944,” was published in 2000. He claimed to have taken out more than 1,000 men, possibly over 2,000, though many historians question these figures. The total U.S. casualties at Omaha Beach were between 1,900 and 3,000.
Heinrich Severloh became known as the “Beast of Omaha,” a title given to him by post-war media. Despite this, he was deeply troubled by his actions, feeling he had a duty to his commanding officer. While historians recognize his role in the event and the effectiveness of the machine guns at Omaha Beach, the exact number of casualties caused by Severloh remains unknown. He passed away in Northern Germany in 2006 at the age of 82.
Research the events of D-Day, focusing on the different perspectives of the Allied and Axis forces. Prepare a presentation that highlights the strategic importance of Omaha Beach and the role of soldiers like Heinrich Severloh. Use maps, images, and primary sources to support your findings.
Write a short story or diary entry from the perspective of a soldier on either side of the Omaha Beach battle. Consider the emotions, challenges, and experiences they might have faced. Share your story with the class and discuss the different viewpoints.
Participate in a class debate on the ethical implications of war and the actions taken by soldiers during battles like Omaha Beach. Consider the moral responsibilities of soldiers and the impact of their actions on history. Prepare arguments for both sides of the debate.
Watch a documentary about D-Day and the Battle of Omaha Beach, focusing on personal stories and historical analysis. After viewing, engage in a class discussion about the key takeaways and how these stories contribute to our understanding of history.
Participate in a role-playing game where you assume the role of a historical figure or soldier from D-Day. Make strategic decisions and interact with other characters to understand the complexities of war. Reflect on how these experiences shape historical narratives.
This episode is brought to you by Rise of Kingdoms. This free-to-play mobile massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game features 11 civilizations, real historical characters, buildings, and military units. Some of the civilizations include China, Korea, Japan, Rome, Germany, Spain, Britain, and the Ottoman Empire. I have chosen the mighty Roman Empire in this case, with its special Glory of the Empire power-up.
On this single giant map, you can see world views, individual cities, barbarians, and NPCs all fighting on one map with no loading screens. Unlike other strategy games that make you return to the home base before heading to another battle, in Rise of Kingdoms, you can change directions and send different troops anywhere you want at any time with no restrictions at all. I can send troops to fight barbarians, explore the other side of a mountain, and change the direction of a unit while they are marching into battle.
Join me in Rise of Kingdoms by clicking the link in the description below. Let’s build our alliance and overcome our enemies—it’s going to be fun!
Now, back to the episode.
Heinrich Severloh, known as the “Beast of Omaha,” was born in Germany to a farming family in 1923. He was conscripted into the Wehrmacht at the age of 19 in 1942. According to his memoir, he was first stationed in Hanover with the 19th Light Artillery Division before being transferred to France in August 1942. There, he served with the 320th Artillery Regiment as a dispatch rider before being sent to the Eastern Front in December.
In December 1942, Severloh was reprimanded for making dissenting remarks and was punished so severely that he spent six months in the hospital. He was sent home to his family farm before being recalled to military service once more. Severloh was sent to Brunswick, Germany, in October 1943 for non-commissioned officer training but was stationed with the 352nd Infantry Division. After less than a month there, Severloh went to Normandy, where he was stationed with 29 others in a German stronghold at Omaha Beach.
As Allied forces approached on June 6, 1944, he was in Resistance Nest 62 under the command of Lieutenant Bernhard Frerking, which was armed with artillery guns, rocket launchers, and machine guns. At 0500 hours, the fog had faded away, and Severloh could see the assembled mass of enemy ships on the horizon. Then he heard the drone of bombers. Everyone in WN-62 jumped into a dugout as bombs rained down, but they missed their target, hitting areas behind the strong points. After a short pause, the ships opened fire, bombarding the shore.
According to Severloh, thick, bright grey chalk dust filled the air, with smoke and dirt flying around, blackening the sky interspersed with flashes of light. It seemed as if the whole world would disappear in the chaos of exploding shells. Some of the men in WN-62 were slightly wounded, but none were killed. Severloh looked up and returned to his MG42 machine gun, seeing landing craft getting closer to the beach. He and his fellow German troops received orders to fire when the enemy was knee-deep in the water and unable to run quickly.
As the American soldiers waited in the water, the order was given, and all at once, the mortars, machine guns, and field guns opened fire, causing panic among the first wave of enemy troops. Severloh opened fire with the MG42 at the American troops, recalling one of his shots striking an American soldier in the head. He watched as the water sprayed up where the machine-gun bursts landed, and soon, the first bodies began drifting in the waves.
Severloh claimed he fired his machine gun for nine straight hours, firing around twelve thousand rounds, only taking breaks to reload or let the weapon cool down. As his MG42 cooled down, he switched to a rifle. After his regular ammo ran out, he used rounds intended for anti-aircraft fire, which led to his detection by the USS Frankfurt. He took cover just in time before the shells could hit him, although shrapnel hit his face, and his gun was damaged.
Eventually, he was ordered to retreat. Severloh and another German soldier, Kurt Vonnegut, made it to the nearby village of Koval, where their battalion HQ was located. Severloh received medical care, and the Germans, including him, surrendered to American troops. On June 7, 1944, Severloh was sent to Boston, Massachusetts, as a prisoner of war before being sent to England in 1946, where he worked as forced labor until March 1947. He then returned to Germany to his family’s farm.
In 1960, Severloh contacted American veteran chaplain David Silva, who had been shot three times at Omaha Beach. The two men met several times, and their story is featured in a documentary about their unusual friendship and path of forgiveness. Severloh’s memoir, “WN-62: A German Soldier’s Memories of the Defense of Omaha Beach, Normandy, June 6, 1944,” was published in 2000. Severloh claimed that he took out more than 1,000 men, possibly more than 2,000, though many historians doubt the validity of these assertions. The total U.S. casualties at Omaha Beach were between 1,900 and 3,000.
Heinrich Severloh became known as the “Beast of Omaha,” a title given to him by post-war media. However, he was deeply haunted by his actions, noting that he had a duty to his commanding officer. While historians acknowledge his significance in the event and the effectiveness of the machine guns at Omaha Beach, exact totals for one lone gunner remain unknown. Severloh passed away in Northern Germany in 2006 at the age of 82.
Beast – A term often used metaphorically in history to describe a powerful and aggressive nation or force. – During World War II, Nazi Germany was often referred to as a beast due to its aggressive expansion and military tactics.
Omaha – One of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France during the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day. – The battle at Omaha Beach was one of the most intense and pivotal moments of the Normandy invasion.
Germany – A central European country that played a significant role in both World War I and World War II. – Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 marked the beginning of World War II.
Army – A large organized group of soldiers trained for land warfare, especially one representing a nation or state. – The Roman army was known for its discipline and innovative tactics, which helped expand the Roman Empire.
Artillery – Large-caliber guns used in warfare on land, often used to support infantry and cavalry. – The use of artillery during World War I led to devastating effects on the battlefield and changed the nature of warfare.
Normandy – A region in northern France that was the site of the D-Day landings during World War II. – The successful landing in Normandy was a turning point in the Allied efforts to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation.
Casualties – Military term for those killed, wounded, or missing in action during a conflict. – The Battle of Stalingrad resulted in heavy casualties on both the German and Soviet sides.
Memoir – A historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources. – Anne Frank’s diary is a poignant memoir that provides insight into the life of a Jewish family hiding during the Holocaust.
Soldiers – Individuals who serve in an army, especially those who are trained to fight in wars. – The soldiers who fought in the trenches during World War I faced harsh conditions and constant danger.
Warfare – Engagement in or the activities involved in war or conflict. – Trench warfare during World War I led to a stalemate on the Western Front and highlighted the brutal nature of modern combat.
