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If anything this engagement shows that the contribution of the western allies to the defeat of Germany was overall minor and the western front was a side-hustle for the Wehrmacht. Compare this operation with a single battle at the eastern front, obviously Kursk comes to mind, the figures show how tiny the resources were the western allies put in compared to those the Red Army contributed.
@@Ryan_Winter You might be surprised to know that the density of German Armour per square mile, around Caen was actually 16 times higher than on the Eastern front. ua-cam.com/video/ZXkA-bvjySA/v-deo.html
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- lol , no if you ever looked at the map you would have guessed it. My argument stands as your comment is irrelavant in relation to it.
@@Ryan_Winter You haven't seen the numbers then on the utube video i just posted. There were 32 German tanks per square mile at Caen in June 1944 and only 2 German tanks per square mile in Belarus. Hence "Density of German Armour" The British faced a greater concentration of German Armour in a 20 miles frontage than the Eastern front.
Tremendous! New viewer, here. Your combination of maps / drone footage is a great use of technology to illustrate events! And then, your story-telling around the individuals / groups involved returns the listener's attention to the human effects of those events. Kudos! And my thanks
Thank you for making this documentary. A battle close to my heart, as my grandfather fought in it as a part of the 11th Armoured Division. We retraced his steps across the battlefield, including Le Mesnil-Frémentel where his pal was killed in a half track by an AT gun. We covered the ground in our Jeep, marked up as grandad’s unit, just me and my dad. A special day indeed.
Your use of information from the soldiers who were there and creative use of maps and photographs, both period and current, bring the battle to life. I never really had a grasp of what happened during Operation Goodwood until I saw this video. Well done!
This is a great 'warts and all' posting, without the gung ho of some other contributors. Some Americans were highly critical of the slow progress of the Brits and Canadians, but they never had to face such concentrated opposition and certainly never faced Tiger tanks. Almost all American versions of their advances through the Contenin Peninsula refer to fighting Tiger tanks when in reality there were none. That's why I prefer a 'no bullshit' presentation that describes it as it really was. Excellent work.
@@jhindle7883 I think the Tiger tank was one of the biggest propaganda victories of the Third Reich. It's reputation was so fearsome that Allied soldiers, especially Americans, were seeing them everywhere, even though there were never more than 1,300 of them anywhere on either the Western or Eastern front.
An amazing presentation! Thanks for explaining Operation Goodwood in such a well documented and visually detailed way, especially the stories of individual soldiers and with unique colour photos I had not seen before. No doubt this was many hours of devoted work in tribute to those involved, on both sides. Thanks again for this excellent documentary!
But like most other German WW2 equipment, in practice the Flak 88s were too expensive to be used as AT guns, and rather logistics-unfriendly with its large size and weight needing large prime movers to deploy in the battlefield.
One fact that you may not be aware of was that 3RTR had two Tp Ldrs killed whilst having a final smoke at the front of one of the tanks as the first bomber wave dropped their bombs too close to the lead tanks. I had the privilege, as the final Second in Command of 3RTR, to run a battlefield tour of Goodward from the perspective of 3 RTR. I arranged guest speakers; Col Hans von Luck, Maj Bill Close and Major Robin Lemon (Tp Ldr Recce Tp for Op Goodward); it was a fascinating example of how history can be brought to life by the interaction between the three speakers. At one point, mention was made about King Tigers being involved in the first day’s action, Hans von Luck immediately stated that he did not have any King Tigers and they played no role in this battle. There are still some claims to the opposite, however I believe Hans’ statement to be the truth. I had the honour to entertain the guest speakers for 3 nights and it was a very enjoyable experience where they all interacted, maybe not as best friends, but recognising their shared experience. I last had dinner with Bill and Robin in 1999, both now having gone to “The Green Fields”.
My father served with 3RTR in Calais, then was shipped to North Africa, then to Greece where he was captured. Spent the rest of the war in Stalag 18a with a load of ANZAC’s.
Major Becker’s guns were 75mm PAK or 105mm Howitzers mounted on the chassis of French H39 light tanks with conversions designed by Becker, an engineer by trade. He was part of the 21st Panzer Division of North Africa fame that was rebuilding in Normandy before the invasion. There was a shortage of vehicles with Somua S39 medium tanks and PzIV D’S with the short barrel 75mm guns pressed into service.
There is no evidence that 21st PD used Pz IV Ausf. C (no Ds !) and S39s in combat. II. Abt./PR22 was a mere training unit on D-day. There is some evidence that II.Abt. received one company of Pz IV (most probably Ausf. H) from Panzerlehr-Division surplus (!) only a few days before D-day, but again no traces if or where these were used. Major Becker also converted French Somua haftracks into APCs, some of which were fitted with a 7,5cm PAK40.
There's a book called Windswept Lies of War, and it talks from censored history and hidden secrets to lost files and classified documents about World War II, it's the real deal.
Great News are going to check it out ! Beacuse now we have so much info that you hear the videos or PRO allied ( I love alot of them, and I am greatfull to be able to watch soem of them but come on its been soon 100 years ) And yes What Hitler did was unforgivable, but his generals and soldiers should get the credit they deserve or we are telling the history we want ! I understand the cold war after and what that mus have done......
Excellent job, well done. First of your videos I've happened upon. The transformation from map to drone and actual viewpoints gives a far better perspective and reality than most if any other accounts. I grew up in Fife - when I was young this was still often talked about, the Yeomanry were hammered but the old ones were still proud. Subscribed and much appreciated. C.
@@BattleGuideVT - You forgot to mention in your script that Colonel Hans von Luck was in 1942 one of the main Aides in Rommel's highest Staff in the Afrika Korps...
Kurt Meyers book about the fighting around Caen is insightful. He fielded a demand from higher HQ as to why the 12th SS was not able to halt the allied advance, and Kurt remarked that all his men were dead, at their posts, killed by artillery (naval main and secondary batteries). Cruisers and Battleships fielded large number of secondary batteries that had about 15km of reach inland. By land artillery standards, these naval secondary batteries were still "heavy artillery".
And yet some people still believed German command should have put all its Panzer divisions right around the beaches that would somehow "stop the invasion"
Excellent episode! The maps combined with drone footage help me understand the battle much more. I also appreciate how you share the personal stories of some of the men who fought. They make the video even more powerful. Great work again, Battle Guide Team😊. Have a nice weekend!
Amazing video once again it's incredible how the technology enables the viewer to see everything and what it was like at that time what amazing effort once again thank you...
Oh BattleGuide, that was an excellent documentary. Knowing Normandie since more than 55 years now, having lived there for about 5 years, I remember some stories french locals and german soldiers (they were captured and stayed in Normandie for the rest of theire life) told me about wartime.......but never I heard about the fightings in such a detailed way. Even the names of french towns and villages are pronounced correctly, which is extremly seldom in german or english documentaries. In about 2 weeks I´m returning to Normandie, to pass christmas with my french children and grandchildren. I will remember your informations when I´m passing the region. merry christmas, thank you very much, merci beaucoup, vielen Dank
Well done. Your use of a drone's eye view is very effective in giving a sense of the reality of what was being fought over. It gives a sense of the landscape that is missing in most maps that are used to describe the battle.
always quality content that gives those with just a little perspective such as myself of these vicious fights for fields so much of a fuller picture. thank you.
The Anglo British Canadian troops plus Polish I think drew the bulk of the German panzer divisions onto them which allowed the Americans to break through at Saint Lo , I don’t think they and the French give them the credit they deserve.
@@UsuallyTrolling Yes. The British, Canadians and Poles faced massive amounts of German Armour on the Caen front. Both the 1st and 2nd SS Panzer Corps equipped with 675 tanks on a 20 miles sector. Imagine being in a Sherman tank squadron and you've got 5 Tigers in a single wheatfield. That's what the Battle of Caen was like.
Initially I thought Goodwood was the largest in Normandy, but then I looked at Operation Epsom ( 26-30 June 1944) which involved around Six German Panzer Divisions as opposed to 3 German Panzer Divisions in Goodwood.
People should also take a moment to appreciate just how crisp and true-to-life those old photographs were. Digital is only just barely beginning to approach the sharpness and clarity of film, and that is after a 25+ years of consumer level development cycles. Nobody has albums of photos any more and thanks to the sheer quantity of pics, nobody values them and countless get lost with an unbacked-up phone. In 20 more years, there will be a huge hole in normal people's visual memory to show the grandkids etc. With film, every photo is planned and kept and has meaning, so I highly recommend that everyone gets an old 35mm SLR and uses it along with your phone camera, just for the special stuff. Or else we will have a disconnect and important moments will just get lost in the noise of a squillion pics.
Stories we’ve heard over and over again. But y’all make them personal by actually telling the individual story within the overall narrative. Bravo truly appreciated, you guys and gals are keeping the history and personal sacrifices alive 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
JACK TURNER!! As an after school job I worked with with his brother Jim!! I was an after school lad in the 1980s and he was near retirement. Omgosh.. Jim used to tell me sometimes of his time in WW2 as I said I wanted to join the NZ 1st Scots Armoured when I graduated school. I always remember him saying, go for it in peace time, leave it alone in war... I joined after high school and spent 5 years now knowing they were some of the best years of my life! Will never forget Jack, his brother Jim who fought in the pacific as Bren gunner, Tom also and the rest 😢😢🙏 ❤
Great video. I realize that the RTR is the focus. Viewers should be aware that the Canadian II Corps conducted a supporting offensive at the same time.
Having walked the terrain,using modern maps fails to give a proper impression of the terrain at the time. Caen is four times bigger than it was then . Otherwise ok.
I am well aware; it was at Verrières Ridge just west of Bourgebois. They met the Panzer IVs of Leibstandarte and one regiment was overrun and very badly mauled. Couldn't get their 6 and 17pdrs deployed in time and lacked any serious tank support to begin with. The Panzers couldn't push any further, because they lacked any serious infantry support to begin with ...
Ah. . . Caen. My lady and I toured the invasion beaches on our bicycles in 2015. Utah, and then Omaha. As I pedalled up the road to the top of the bluff, I thought “well, at least no one is shooting at us” (memories of “Saving Private Ryan). .. I was wearing my “Canada Jersey”, featuring a large Red Canadian Maple Leaf (I’m a Dutch Born Proud Canadian). . . A little later, my Lady (girlfriend, truth be told), developed a problem with her gear shifting mechanism, which, with the tools and expertise at my disposal, was beyond my capabilities. With limited linguistic capabilities, we managed our downhill progress to Caen, where Wifi at a McDonalds directed us to a local bike shop. Roughly translated, I indicated that “the bike is broken”. We were directed to to mechanic in the shop behind, where, he dropped everything and repaired girlfriend’s bike. . . including “shop parts”. When I inquired “Combien” (how much). . . He replied, looking at my Maple Leaf Jersey “Rien” (nothing). More than 70 years later, THEY remember!
I really like how clearly the clip paints the picture of the battle with the efficient and combined use of maps and footage. The narration works well to.
I had the privilege of meeting Colonel Hans von Luck, Commander of Panzer Regiment 125 during a Swedish War College study tour in 1989. Very interesting to hear him describe his experience during Goodwood. Thanks for a great video and for those interested I can highly recommend von Lucks book Panzer Commander.
@@MrFregger Das ist mir dann in der 2 ten Sekunde auch auf gefallen. Meine einstellung zur Thematik liegt wohl auch darann, das ich um einiges älter bin. Hab im Laufe meines daseins mit vielen Kregs Teilnehmern Des WW 2 als auch andere Kriege sprechen und mich austauschen dürfen. Es gibt eh schon genug Elend auf der Welt. Grad jetzt fast vor unserer Haustür. Wenn ich den Panzer Toni Flack Zimmermann von dem Leiden und wie Sie alle plären. Kein krich Waffen in Krisengebiete. Sie veraeschen alle . Warum , weil sie kein Oliv tragen müssen : Auch aber hauptsächlich weil Sie Rückrat lose gestalten sind Menschen Ohne Emphatie und Seele mit ganz großen /Zeichen in den Augen. Das System Merkel hat fast alle Demos Parteien erfaßt. Manchmal könnt ich nur Kotsen. Die Syrischen Befreier rufen Ihre Landsleute zurpck, Damit sie den Frauen endlich wieder den Schleier verpassen können. Und zum Dank Pflügen Ami, Türkei und Isral Jet´s die Wüste um. Seit tausenden Jahren das gleiche Spiel, wie bei Adolf churchill und Stalin. Sie scheißen auf uns geostategische positionen sind natürlich wichtiger als geschundene Kinder Seelen. Grad unse besten !Verbündeten - Sklaventreiber von der anderen Seit des gar nicht mehr so großen Teiches. Drohnen Morde seit dem Nobelpreis für den Massenmörder Obahma, ein Kavaliers delikt. Setzt euch huch husch in den Flix bus , Selenski die korute Sau, Darf ich sagen, weils die Wahrheit ist, spielt die Rolle seines Lebens. könnt gar nicht soviel mampfen wie raus will Voe etwa 6 Jahren hatte ich die Ehre einen der letzten damals noch überlebenden der Stalingrad kapitulation im Rahmen meiner rbeit , Sauerstoff versorgung für sehr Kranke Menschen mit Schlauch in der Nase kennen zu lernen. Wie er die Last auf seine Schultern Jahrzente mich sich Trug. So verbrachte ich gern einen Teil meiner nur extrem kurzten Lenkpausen bei Ihm. Am bewegensten war es für mich zuzuhören und das Gespräch allein mit Ihm so zu lenken. das es sich traute und heemungslos Anfing zu Weinen. So half ich Ihmm sich auf seinen Gang in die Ewigkeit vorzubereiten. Ca. 3 Wochen später schlief er endlich friedlich ohne die Narben auf seiner Seele ein. Das schönste Geschenk machten mir Später seine Angehörigen als Sie mir Dankten, das er so friedlich einschlafen konnte. Wie sagt mal ein alter Gay Autor trffend zu mir : Blut hat nur eine Farbe. Schlimm finde ich bei dieser doku deutscher Film tittel und dann jungen Sprecher der alle ubersetzt nacxhplappert.
An excellent video. Many, but not all, of the Germans that survived the battle were caught at the battle of the Falaise Gap. More losses that the Germans could ill afford. With the Allies in Europe in force and air superiority largely obtained, and the Russians beginning their Vilnius Offensive in Belarus/Eastern Poland, the writing was on the wall.
Thank you very much, it was easy to understand this battle. With actual view of what the fighters would see and feel, even how the Germans saw the battle.
Nice to see and hear two old battle hardened advisories, met many years after the war and no doubt swapped War stories, without animosity. Both just doing the job their country ordered them to do.
The topic is always about tanks, but the Normandy campaign was an Artillery and Infantry battle for the most part. It wasn't until the breakout that the qualities of the Sherman were brought out. Even then, the great performance of the Sherman owed a great deal to American 2.5- and 5-ton trucks that no other country could match in quality, performance, or quantity.
@@michaelkenny8540 😁, been posting with you since The History Channel forum was a thing. You still looking for Wehraboos and that "Riviera to the Rhine" guy? Jim Lankford or something? Called himself "Tanker" among other names he used. Those were the days... Anyway, point is the conversation usually revolves around tanks, when its the rest of the team that made victory happen. Like Cobra doesn't happen without the sacrifices made in Goodwood.
@@Mitch_Richards Jim is still active. He has had dozens and dozens of IDs since those days. He slipped up once (on AHF) by using his latest ID but signed off with his old ID, It was really funny
A misconception I recently discovered was that the Sherman was an inferior tank because the tiger and panzer were tougher with a bigger cannon, but I came across a memoirs by a German tank battalion commander who said he hated Sherman tanks. He was jealous of their manuverability and cheap and easy manufacturing- not to mention they were run on diesel vs German tanks petrol fuel - his estimation was that the smaller tank was a superior fighting machine for modern warfare
I absolutely love this channel! It’s so awesome how you break down the events that happened. It definitely makes it more immersive knowing where and how different engagements played out. So keep up the great work man i definitely see you going big places. Because your model is really hood and unique. 💯💪🏻
WOW. THIS IS SO GOOD I’m a history teacher in my 21st year. I use PowerPoints and use a lot of pictures and photos and maps and I play music and I have two 65” big screen TVs, I write well, and speak through my Fender Acoustasonic 90 amplifier so I sound a little like God himself. I also have two sets of Harmon/Kardon Soundstick III speaker systems plugged into my Apple MacBook Pro, playing carefully chosen soundtracks from the best motion pictures and gaming titles I can find. The room thunders with history. But this was PERFECTION! CHEF KISS! I’m much better than any teacher I’ve ever even heard about. But I hand my crown to you. This is what I try to do. I use lots of Google Earth “fly in”s, like you do. So good.
What is very important to understand about Goodwood though, is that 200+ of those allied tanks that were knocked out were retrieved, repaired and put back into the firing line again. This was a major advantage of the Allied way of war, as opposed to the Germans who suffered greatly in their efforts to procure sufficient parts required to repair even simple problems. The operation (in my humble opinion) was a success. It served its role of tying down extremely large amounts of German troops, especially the vitally needed panzers. This meant these troops were unavailable when the eventual assaults during COBRA and subsequent operations, which greatly assisted in the success of those operations. Regardless, love the video! Absolutely love this style of portraying combat from famous engagements! Plus, thank you so much for the subtitles and other audio tracks!
@@TheIrishvolunteer Yes, despite heavy losses in Allied tanks ( half of which were repaired in 24 hours) there were still gains made. VIII Corps managed to seize control of the towns of Four, Soliers, Bras, Hubert-Folie, and Le Poirier, and partial control of the Bourguebus Ridge so the British were able to consolidate their gains even if they did advance just 7 miles.
The germans repaired a lot of their armoured vehicles and where very good at doing so. But when you are being pushed back, its much harder to retrieve your gear, as it is not within your controlled zones anymore.
I can, personally, relate to the Brigadier's friendship with his former enemy, during the War. I had my own, back in 1997. Reminds me that IF TWO FORMER BITTER, IDEALOGICAL ENEMIES CAN MAKE PEACE, BREAK BREAD, WHY, THEN, CAN'T WHOLE GOVERNMENTS????
12:06 oh wow! is this the same Silvertop that died in the netherlands? there's a street in a nearby town named after a Colonel Silvertop who died near there
Regarding the point on whether Goodwood can be considered a victory: I think it's perfectly reasonable to acknowledge that the stubborn and resourceful defence of the 21st Panzers gave the Germans a well-deserved win, even if the broader campaign ended in an Allied victory. I don't think we need to qualify it with equivocations like calling it 'a tactical defeat, but a strategic victory' - no, the Germans won, fair and square. We are not made less by acknowledging the successes of our opponents: rather, our final victory is made all the greater by remembering the skill and tenacity that we faced along the way.
By no standard can it be claimed the Germans 'won'. The Allies did not achieve all their objectives and nor did the Germans achieve theirs. It is beyond dispute the Germans lost ground.
@@stephenwood6663 As even you noted the German 'defence in depth' of Normandy was a total failure. GOODWOOD was one example of their failure to defend.
@@stephenwood6663 Yes. Can you understand that stopping an attack several miles into your heavily fortified front line is not a victory/win?. Surviving an attack is not the same as beating it.
Short but great documentary. To me, this battle description is a great modern example of an offensive utterly failing due to almost no reconnaissance. The British ran into a quite predictable ambush. Plain and simple.
As Yanks we were raised that only our boys liberated France. We knew the Brits were there, but never did we have a comprehensive view encompassing our Allies. Thanks for showing this, I'll educate my children and my grandchildren about the sacrifices of the British,Canadians in June- July 1944
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If anything this engagement shows that the contribution of the western allies to the defeat of Germany was overall minor and the western front was a side-hustle for the Wehrmacht.
Compare this operation with a single battle at the eastern front, obviously Kursk comes to mind, the figures show how tiny the resources were the western allies put in compared to those the Red Army contributed.
@@Ryan_Winter You might be surprised to know that the density of German Armour per square mile, around Caen was actually 16 times higher than on the Eastern front. ua-cam.com/video/ZXkA-bvjySA/v-deo.html
Great battle guide as always! Would you mind telling your source about the casualty numbers (including the tanks)? Thanks!
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- lol , no if you ever looked at the map you would have guessed it. My argument stands as your comment is irrelavant in relation to it.
@@Ryan_Winter You haven't seen the numbers then on the utube video i just posted. There were 32 German tanks per square mile at Caen in June 1944 and only 2 German tanks per square mile in Belarus.
Hence "Density of German Armour" The British faced a greater concentration of German Armour in a 20 miles frontage than the Eastern front.
Tremendous!
New viewer, here. Your combination of maps / drone footage is a great use of technology to illustrate events! And then, your story-telling around the individuals / groups involved returns the listener's attention to the human effects of those events.
Kudos!
And my thanks
Thank you for making this documentary. A battle close to my heart, as my grandfather fought in it as a part of the 11th Armoured Division. We retraced his steps across the battlefield, including Le Mesnil-Frémentel where his pal was killed in a half track by an AT gun. We covered the ground in our Jeep, marked up as grandad’s unit, just me and my dad. A special day indeed.
Your use of information from the soldiers who were there and creative use of maps and photographs, both period and current, bring the battle to life. I never really had a grasp of what happened during Operation Goodwood until I saw this video. Well done!
Thanks so much.
I second your comment. That’s why BattleGuide is the best on YT.
This is why I'm one of their Patreon members, their work is brilliant and skill amazing. Cheers.
This is a great 'warts and all' posting, without the gung ho of some other contributors. Some Americans were highly critical of the slow progress of the Brits and Canadians, but they never had to face such concentrated opposition and certainly never faced Tiger tanks. Almost all American versions of their advances through the Contenin Peninsula refer to fighting Tiger tanks when in reality there were none. That's why I prefer a 'no bullshit' presentation that describes it as it really was. Excellent work.
@@jhindle7883 I think the Tiger tank was one of the biggest propaganda victories of the Third Reich. It's reputation was so fearsome that Allied soldiers, especially Americans, were seeing them everywhere, even though there were never more than 1,300 of them anywhere on either the Western or Eastern front.
Man so many times the men who once faced one another in combat end up becoming Friends and it truly shows how pointless all that killing was
Sometimes I with that the politicians that startet those wars would be forced to be the ones serving on the very frontline...
Not pointless unless you'd like to be living under the Nazis.
When people slavishly follow someone insane, they reap the results
The vast majority of Germans supported Hitler to the end
An amazing presentation! Thanks for explaining Operation Goodwood in such a well documented and visually detailed way, especially the stories of individual soldiers and with unique colour photos I had not seen before. No doubt this was many hours of devoted work in tribute to those involved, on both sides. Thanks again for this excellent documentary!
"If there were no kings, there would be no wars." Thomas Paine "Common Sense"
The German 88 was the finest light artillery weapon of the war without a doubt. Superb anti aircraft and anti tank
And to think it was first developed in 1916.
But with out an optic sight.
siempre un arma es importante, pero quien le dá vida son los hombres, los buenos soldados e equipos veteranos.
But like most other German WW2 equipment, in practice the Flak 88s were too expensive to be used as AT guns, and rather logistics-unfriendly with its large size and weight needing large prime movers to deploy in the battlefield.
@@chrisschultz8598
Kein Sprit, keine Munition, abgekämpfte/ müde Soldaten, keine Lufthoheit und trotzdem dieser Widerstand und diese Kampfkraft! Beeindruckend!
Unsere Ahnen!
J’habite à bellengreville très heureux de de découvrir toute c,est info.❤🇨🇦🇬🇧🇫🇷
Shame such courage and sacrifice was wasted in such a shitty cause
@@paulharper6464Ja, stimmt! Die Angloamerikaner hätten dem Kontinent lieber fern bleiben sollen.
The allies were better in everything, Fritz...
One fact that you may not be aware of was that 3RTR had two Tp Ldrs killed whilst having a final smoke at the front of one of the tanks as the first bomber wave dropped their bombs too close to the lead tanks.
I had the privilege, as the final Second in Command of 3RTR, to run a battlefield tour of Goodward from the perspective of 3 RTR. I arranged guest speakers; Col Hans von Luck, Maj Bill Close and Major Robin Lemon (Tp Ldr Recce Tp for Op Goodward); it was a fascinating example of how history can be brought to life by the interaction between the three speakers. At one point, mention was made about King Tigers being involved in the first day’s action, Hans von Luck immediately stated that he did not have any King Tigers and they played no role in this battle. There are still some claims to the opposite, however I believe Hans’ statement to be the truth.
I had the honour to entertain the guest speakers for 3 nights and it was a very enjoyable experience where they all interacted, maybe not as best friends, but recognising their shared experience. I last had dinner with Bill and Robin in 1999, both now having gone to “The Green Fields”.
My father served with 3RTR in Calais, then was shipped to North Africa, then to Greece where he was captured. Spent the rest of the war in Stalag 18a with a load of ANZAC’s.
I salute you.... to fight against evil ❤
Major Becker’s guns were 75mm PAK or 105mm Howitzers mounted on the chassis of French H39 light tanks with conversions designed by Becker, an engineer by trade.
He was part of the 21st Panzer Division of North Africa fame that was rebuilding in Normandy before the invasion. There was a shortage of vehicles with Somua S39 medium tanks and PzIV D’S with the short barrel 75mm guns pressed into service.
There is no evidence that 21st PD used Pz IV Ausf. C (no Ds !) and S39s in combat. II. Abt./PR22 was a mere training unit on D-day. There is some evidence that II.Abt. received one company of Pz IV (most probably Ausf. H) from Panzerlehr-Division surplus (!) only a few days before D-day, but again no traces if or where these were used.
Major Becker also converted French Somua haftracks into APCs, some of which were fitted with a 7,5cm PAK40.
This is the way ALL battle breakdowns should be done, excellent explanation of the battle!
There's a book called Windswept Lies of War, and it talks from censored history and hidden secrets to lost files and classified documents about World War II, it's the real deal.
Great News are going to check it out ! Beacuse now we have so much info that you hear the videos or PRO allied ( I love alot of them, and I am greatfull to be able to watch soem of them but come on its been soon 100 years ) And yes What Hitler did was unforgivable, but his generals and soldiers should get the credit they deserve or we are telling the history we want ! I understand the cold war after and what that mus have done......
Excellent job, well done. First of your videos I've happened upon. The transformation from map to drone and actual viewpoints gives a far better perspective and reality than most if any other accounts. I grew up in Fife - when I was young this was still often talked about, the Yeomanry were hammered but the old ones were still proud. Subscribed and much appreciated. C.
They got on well, and left as friends.
They shared a common bond of “rainy marching in the painful fields”.
Only they could understand.
Indeed
@@BattleGuideVT - You forgot to mention in your script that Colonel Hans von Luck was in 1942 one of the main Aides in Rommel's highest Staff in the Afrika Korps...
Kurt Meyers book about the fighting around Caen is insightful. He fielded a demand from higher HQ as to why the 12th SS was not able to halt the allied advance, and Kurt remarked that all his men were dead, at their posts, killed by artillery (naval main and secondary batteries). Cruisers and Battleships fielded large number of secondary batteries that had about 15km of reach inland. By land artillery standards, these naval secondary batteries were still "heavy artillery".
And yet some people still believed German command should have put all its Panzer divisions right around the beaches that would somehow "stop the invasion"
I might be wrong but IMHO it was GenLt. Bayerlein of Panzerlehr-Division to address the HQ.
The worst part about your channel is having to wait for more videos since I've watched every minute available. Perfectly done as always!
Wow, high praise, thank you, and good timing: we just released a new video 30 mins ago!
Excellent episode! The maps combined with drone footage help me understand the battle much more. I also appreciate how you share the personal stories of some of the men who fought. They make the video even more powerful.
Great work again, Battle Guide Team😊. Have a nice weekend!
Thanks!
Thanks very much Robert! :)
I can’t get enough of your documentary’s they are always grabbing my attention the second it starts
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Very nice video. Maps, footage and colorized photos are really great.
Glad you like them!
Amazing video once again it's incredible how the technology enables the viewer to see everything and what it was like at that time what amazing effort once again thank you...
Thank you very much!
Thank you. An excellent video. Really like your format.
Thank you very much!
Excellent. Well narrated. Good images and maps! Thank you!
Glad you like them!
Oh BattleGuide, that was an excellent documentary.
Knowing Normandie since more than 55 years now, having lived there for about 5 years, I remember some stories french locals and german soldiers (they were captured and stayed in Normandie for the rest of theire life) told me about wartime.......but never I heard about the fightings in such a detailed way. Even the names of french towns and villages are
pronounced correctly, which is extremly seldom in german or english documentaries.
In about 2 weeks I´m returning to Normandie, to pass christmas with my french children and grandchildren. I will remember your informations when I´m passing the region.
merry christmas, thank you very much, merci beaucoup, vielen Dank
Thanks for the kind comments.
Incredible. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Well done. Your use of a drone's eye view is very effective in giving a sense of the reality of what was being fought over.
It gives a sense of the landscape that is missing in most maps that are used to describe the battle.
always quality content that gives those with just a little perspective such as myself of these vicious fights for fields so much of a fuller picture. thank you.
Thanks for the kind comment!
Boy, those well camouflaged 88s were deadly. Veterans I talked to said they opened those allied tanks like a can opener...
Bonjour exactement la même le chose a chaque carrefour il en pèté 2 en début de colonne un ancien de Cher nous nous a raconté comme boîte de conserve
The Anglo British Canadian troops plus Polish I think drew the bulk of the German panzer divisions onto them which allowed the Americans to break through at Saint Lo , I don’t think they and the French give them the credit they deserve.
They never get any credit.
@@UsuallyTrolling Yes. The British, Canadians and Poles faced massive amounts of German Armour on the Caen front. Both the 1st and 2nd SS Panzer Corps equipped with 675 tanks on a 20 miles sector.
Imagine being in a Sherman tank squadron and you've got 5 Tigers in a single wheatfield. That's what the Battle of Caen was like.
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- As I understand it the American's faced virtually no German armour due to most being involved in the battle for Caen.
Initially I thought Goodwood was the largest in Normandy, but then I looked at Operation Epsom ( 26-30 June 1944) which involved around Six German Panzer Divisions as opposed to 3 German Panzer Divisions in Goodwood.
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- and, I’m off….
Well done. This is one of the few documentaries that I watched to the end...,
People should also take a moment to appreciate just how crisp and true-to-life those old photographs were. Digital is only just barely beginning to approach the sharpness and clarity of film, and that is after a 25+ years of consumer level development cycles. Nobody has albums of photos any more and thanks to the sheer quantity of pics, nobody values them and countless get lost with an unbacked-up phone. In 20 more years, there will be a huge hole in normal people's visual memory to show the grandkids etc. With film, every photo is planned and kept and has meaning, so I highly recommend that everyone gets an old 35mm SLR and uses it along with your phone camera, just for the special stuff.
Or else we will have a disconnect and important moments will just get lost in the noise of a squillion pics.
Top quality content. Commenting for the algorithm gods.
Thank you! Every comment helps.
This is a comment
Exacto !!! Políticamente correcto PERO imágenes que nos dicen otra cosa...
Yet another fantastically narrated video👏🏻👏🏻
Please keep up the great work..
Thanks so much.
And... No loud annoying music or sound effects.
@@BillyTwoKnives just checking ... did you find our music and sound effects loud and annoying? If so we apologise.
@@BattleGuideVT I meant it as a compliment for not being annoying. Very good DOC.
Stories we’ve heard over and over again. But y’all make them personal by actually telling the individual story within the overall narrative. Bravo truly appreciated, you guys and gals are keeping the history and personal sacrifices alive 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
What a brilliant video.
Babe wake up, Battle guide posted again!
LOL... we actually wait for this post now. :)
JACK TURNER!! As an after school job I worked with with his brother Jim!! I was an after school lad in the 1980s and he was near retirement. Omgosh.. Jim used to tell me sometimes of his time in WW2 as I said I wanted to join the NZ 1st Scots Armoured when I graduated school. I always remember him saying, go for it in peace time, leave it alone in war... I joined after high school and spent 5 years now knowing they were some of the best years of my life! Will never forget Jack, his brother Jim who fought in the pacific as Bren gunner, Tom also and the rest 😢😢🙏 ❤
The 2nd TAF air support squadrons were busy this day, and it was a combination of R/P and Bombphoons that attacked positions in and around the area.
Great video. I realize that the RTR is the focus. Viewers should be aware that the Canadian II Corps conducted a supporting offensive at the same time.
Having walked the terrain,using modern maps fails to give a proper impression of the terrain at the time. Caen is four times bigger than it was then . Otherwise ok.
@@Anthony-h6l Hence the attack through an industrial estate. :)
I am well aware; it was at Verrières Ridge just west of Bourgebois. They met the Panzer IVs of Leibstandarte and one regiment was overrun and very badly mauled. Couldn't get their 6 and 17pdrs deployed in time and lacked any serious tank support to begin with. The Panzers couldn't push any further, because they lacked any serious infantry support to begin with ...
Thank you for all of your good works.
Wonderful historical coverage episode
Thank you so much!
Brilliant video, made more powerful by showing us the actual ground.
Hammer gute Recherche, die Animation ist super, das ganze Paket hat mich stark beeindruckt.
i hate youtube ads.....much worse then regular tv
Then pay for premium subscription. They can’t do this for free.
@@boxsterman77 not worth it ....same reason I never go to a Regal cinema....much rather support an indy theater that isn't one giant coca-cola ad....
Just get the cracked Version lil bro
Play store and add block app. That's it.
Use Brave browser to ad free UA-cam watching
Proud to have served Her Majesty, from September 76 - August 92 in the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
Y, los alemanes , con poco, les volaron el orgullo , Grande el 88 mm.
Thank you from California.
Nice job. Cool channel. Keep it up!
Thank you very much!
Excellent presentation!
Thank you kindly!
Ah. . . Caen. My lady and I toured the invasion beaches on our bicycles in 2015. Utah, and then Omaha. As I pedalled up the road to the top of the bluff, I thought “well, at least no one is shooting at us” (memories of “Saving Private Ryan). ..
I was wearing my “Canada Jersey”, featuring a large Red Canadian Maple Leaf (I’m a Dutch Born Proud Canadian). . .
A little later, my Lady (girlfriend, truth be told), developed a problem with her gear shifting mechanism, which, with the tools and expertise at my disposal, was beyond my capabilities.
With limited linguistic capabilities, we managed our downhill progress to Caen, where Wifi at a McDonalds directed us to a local bike shop.
Roughly translated, I indicated that “the bike is broken”.
We were directed to to mechanic in the shop behind, where, he dropped everything and repaired girlfriend’s bike. . . including “shop parts”.
When I inquired “Combien” (how much). . . He replied, looking at my Maple Leaf Jersey “Rien” (nothing).
More than 70 years later, THEY remember!
Caen paid the very heavy price for freedom.
" Liberté, égalité, fraternité "
three words with meanings.
three words woth no prices. 😉
Very well done. You have anew subscriber. I really, really wish that this was MUCH LONGER !!!!!!
Sehr gut veranschulicht, technisch kombiniert umgesetzt und gut recharchiert bzw. zusamaengestellt. 👌
I really like how clearly the clip paints the picture of the battle with the efficient and combined use of maps and footage. The narration works well to.
A great video presentation, enjoyed this very much
Glad you enjoyed it
I had the privilege of meeting Colonel Hans von Luck, Commander of Panzer Regiment 125 during a Swedish War College study tour in 1989. Very interesting to hear him describe his experience during Goodwood. Thanks for a great video and for those interested I can highly recommend von Lucks book Panzer Commander.
I'm busy reading it! Such a great book. I'm only now where he's transferred to North Africa
@ 🙏
Sehr gute Dokumentation ! Vielen Dank für diese und ihre sehr gute Arbeit.
Warum erzählt eine deutsche Stimme nicht über Deutsche Soldaten das ist doch paradox.
@ Es geht doch um den Angriff der Alliierten?
@@MrFregger Das ist mir dann in der 2 ten Sekunde auch auf gefallen. Meine einstellung zur Thematik liegt wohl auch darann, das ich um einiges älter bin. Hab im Laufe meines daseins mit vielen Kregs Teilnehmern Des WW 2 als auch andere Kriege sprechen und mich austauschen dürfen. Es gibt eh schon genug Elend auf der Welt. Grad jetzt fast vor unserer Haustür. Wenn ich den Panzer Toni Flack Zimmermann von dem Leiden und wie Sie alle plären. Kein krich Waffen in Krisengebiete. Sie veraeschen alle . Warum , weil sie kein Oliv tragen müssen : Auch aber hauptsächlich weil Sie Rückrat lose gestalten sind Menschen Ohne Emphatie und Seele mit ganz großen /Zeichen in den Augen. Das System Merkel hat fast alle Demos Parteien erfaßt.
Manchmal könnt ich nur Kotsen. Die Syrischen Befreier rufen Ihre Landsleute zurpck, Damit sie den Frauen endlich wieder den Schleier verpassen können. Und zum Dank Pflügen Ami, Türkei und Isral Jet´s die Wüste um. Seit tausenden Jahren das gleiche Spiel, wie bei Adolf churchill und Stalin. Sie scheißen auf uns geostategische positionen sind natürlich wichtiger als geschundene Kinder Seelen. Grad unse besten !Verbündeten - Sklaventreiber von der anderen Seit des gar nicht mehr so großen Teiches. Drohnen Morde seit dem Nobelpreis für den Massenmörder Obahma, ein Kavaliers delikt. Setzt euch huch husch in den Flix bus , Selenski die korute Sau, Darf ich sagen, weils die Wahrheit ist, spielt die Rolle seines Lebens. könnt gar nicht soviel mampfen wie raus will Voe etwa 6 Jahren hatte ich die Ehre einen der letzten damals noch überlebenden der Stalingrad kapitulation im Rahmen meiner rbeit , Sauerstoff versorgung für sehr Kranke Menschen mit Schlauch in der Nase kennen zu lernen. Wie er die Last auf seine Schultern Jahrzente mich sich Trug. So verbrachte ich gern einen Teil meiner nur extrem kurzten Lenkpausen bei Ihm. Am bewegensten war es für mich zuzuhören und das Gespräch allein mit Ihm so zu lenken. das es sich traute und heemungslos Anfing zu Weinen. So half ich Ihmm sich auf seinen Gang in die Ewigkeit vorzubereiten. Ca. 3 Wochen später schlief er endlich friedlich ohne die Narben auf seiner Seele ein. Das schönste Geschenk machten mir Später seine Angehörigen als Sie mir Dankten, das er so friedlich einschlafen konnte. Wie sagt mal ein alter Gay Autor trffend zu mir : Blut hat nur eine Farbe. Schlimm finde ich bei dieser doku deutscher Film tittel und dann jungen Sprecher der alle ubersetzt nacxhplappert.
Fantastic video thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
An excellent video. Many, but not all, of the Germans that survived the battle were caught at the battle of the Falaise Gap. More losses that the Germans could ill afford. With the Allies in Europe in force and air superiority largely obtained, and the Russians beginning their Vilnius Offensive in Belarus/Eastern Poland, the writing was on the wall.
Great coverage really look forward to following your battle guides
merci pour le doublage ❤
Excellent. You have made a much forgotten part of WWII and explained how the Caen battles were fought. Thank-you. Mike in Oz
I have met both Hans von Luck and John Howard and listened to them discussing the D-Day operations, near the Pegasus Bridge. An honour indeed!
Very good sir.
So nice of you
Excelente Video !!! Te Felicito !
Uso correcto y adecuado de la tecnología y magníficas imágenes...
Muchas gracias!
Excelente trabajo.
Muchas gracias.
Thank you very much, it was easy to understand this battle. With actual view of what the fighters would see and feel, even how the Germans saw the battle.
Impressive levels of detail, yet accessibly presented. You're a natural at narration.
Thanks so much.
Always good lectures👍👍👍
Thank you.
Nice to see and hear two old battle hardened advisories, met many years after the war and no doubt swapped War stories, without animosity. Both just doing the job their country ordered them to do.
Just obeying orders is no excuse,
I walked Bourguebus Ridge in '02 whilst at Wolves Uni. We undertook a TEWT there, and you can see just what a killing field it would have been.
Excellent video.
Gr8 stuff. New subscriber
Welcome aboard!
Thank you for making this documentary
Great history. Love the details.
Another great video... Huzzah!! 😊
Thanks again!
Great video! Excellent editing, and well written.
superb, very, very much obliged!!!!!!!!!!
The topic is always about tanks, but the Normandy campaign was an Artillery and Infantry battle for the most part. It wasn't until the breakout that the qualities of the Sherman were brought out. Even then, the great performance of the Sherman owed a great deal to American 2.5- and 5-ton trucks that no other country could match in quality, performance, or quantity.
So its not about tanks but rather about the USA saving the day-as it always does?
@@michaelkenny8540 😁, been posting with you since The History Channel forum was a thing. You still looking for Wehraboos and that "Riviera to the Rhine" guy? Jim Lankford or something? Called himself "Tanker" among other names he used. Those were the days...
Anyway, point is the conversation usually revolves around tanks, when its the rest of the team that made victory happen. Like Cobra doesn't happen without the sacrifices made in Goodwood.
@@Mitch_Richards Jim is still active. He has had dozens and dozens of IDs since those days. He slipped up once (on AHF) by using his latest ID but signed off with his old ID, It was really funny
@@michaelkenny8540 lol, wow... He's a character for sure. Cheers, good to run into you.
A misconception I recently discovered was that the Sherman was an inferior tank because the tiger and panzer were tougher with a bigger cannon, but I came across a memoirs by a German tank battalion commander who said he hated Sherman tanks. He was jealous of their manuverability and cheap and easy manufacturing- not to mention they were run on diesel vs German tanks petrol fuel - his estimation was that the smaller tank was a superior fighting machine for modern warfare
I am struggling to think of a major seaborne invasion in recent history that achieved its objective of fast advance inland; only Inchon comes to mind.
Boah the picture at the end! Really Powerful!
The late Col Von Luck has written memoirs Panzer Commander. It is a very good read.
Another brilliant video! Never forget 🪖
Glad you enjoyed it
I absolutely love this channel! It’s so awesome how you break down the events that happened. It definitely makes it more immersive knowing where and how different engagements played out. So keep up the great work man i definitely see you going big places. Because your model is really hood and unique. 💯💪🏻
The music reminds me of the great war channel
WOW. THIS IS SO GOOD
I’m a history teacher in my 21st year. I use PowerPoints and use a lot of pictures and photos and maps and I play music and I have two 65” big screen TVs, I write well, and speak through my Fender Acoustasonic 90 amplifier so I sound a little like God himself.
I also have two sets of Harmon/Kardon Soundstick III speaker systems plugged into my Apple MacBook Pro, playing carefully chosen soundtracks from the best motion pictures and gaming titles I can find.
The room thunders with history.
But this was PERFECTION!
CHEF KISS!
I’m much better than any teacher I’ve ever even heard about.
But I hand my crown to you.
This is what I try to do.
I use lots of Google Earth “fly in”s, like you do.
So good.
Turn your volume up. Couldn't hear anything you were saying. Thanks for the attempt.
What is very important to understand about Goodwood though, is that 200+ of those allied tanks that were knocked out were retrieved, repaired and put back into the firing line again.
This was a major advantage of the Allied way of war, as opposed to the Germans who suffered greatly in their efforts to procure sufficient parts required to repair even simple problems.
The operation (in my humble opinion) was a success. It served its role of tying down extremely large amounts of German troops, especially the vitally needed panzers.
This meant these troops were unavailable when the eventual assaults during COBRA and subsequent operations, which greatly assisted in the success of those operations.
Regardless, love the video! Absolutely love this style of portraying combat from famous engagements!
Plus, thank you so much for the subtitles and other audio tracks!
Yeah we do mention this in the documentary. :)
@@BattleGuideVTOh damn it, sorry!
Too trigger happy to rant about history!
@@TheIrishvolunteer Yes, despite heavy losses in Allied tanks ( half of which were repaired in 24 hours) there were still gains made. VIII Corps managed to seize control of the towns of Four, Soliers, Bras, Hubert-Folie, and Le Poirier, and partial control of the Bourguebus Ridge so the British were able to consolidate their gains even if they did advance just 7 miles.
Defenders who lose ground lose the equipment located on that ground. That's the problem the German's had.
The germans repaired a lot of their armoured vehicles and where very good at doing so. But when you are being pushed back, its much harder to retrieve your gear, as it is not within your controlled zones anymore.
Well done. Excellent documentary. Very interesting and informative. Thanks for posting.
Thank you
I can, personally, relate to the Brigadier's friendship with his former enemy, during the War. I had my own, back in 1997. Reminds me that IF TWO FORMER BITTER, IDEALOGICAL ENEMIES CAN MAKE PEACE, BREAK BREAD, WHY, THEN, CAN'T WHOLE GOVERNMENTS????
très beau documentaire. mais quelle tristesse de voir tant d'hommes si jeunes mourir
Je suis d'accord. Ce fut ma première réflexion.
Brave souls on both sides.. we have a Sherman tank (moulded hull) in a museum here in NZ🇳🇿
12:06 oh wow! is this the same Silvertop that died in the netherlands? there's a street in a nearby town named after a Colonel Silvertop who died near there
It is! Can you imagine. Sad ending to a wonderful soldier.
@@gerhardcronje8915 yeah quite the coincidence! but thats war and war never changes...may they rest in peace!
Regarding the point on whether Goodwood can be considered a victory: I think it's perfectly reasonable to acknowledge that the stubborn and resourceful defence of the 21st Panzers gave the Germans a well-deserved win, even if the broader campaign ended in an Allied victory. I don't think we need to qualify it with equivocations like calling it 'a tactical defeat, but a strategic victory' - no, the Germans won, fair and square.
We are not made less by acknowledging the successes of our opponents: rather, our final victory is made all the greater by remembering the skill and tenacity that we faced along the way.
By no standard can it be claimed the Germans 'won'. The Allies did not achieve all their objectives and nor did the Germans achieve theirs. It is beyond dispute the Germans lost ground.
@@michaelkenny8540 Traditionally, that *is* how defence in depth works.
@@stephenwood6663 As even you noted the German 'defence in depth' of Normandy was a total failure. GOODWOOD was one example of their failure to defend.
@@michaelkenny8540 You understand how you can win a battle but lose the campaign in which that battle was fought, right?
@@stephenwood6663 Yes. Can you understand that stopping an attack several miles into your heavily fortified front line is not a victory/win?. Surviving an attack is not the same as beating it.
Wonderfully researched and PERFECTLY narrated--thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Heard a comment by a German tank commander, "The Panzer is worth five Shermans, the problem was, they always had six".
Short but great documentary. To me, this battle description is a great modern example of an offensive utterly failing due to almost no reconnaissance. The British ran into a quite predictable ambush. Plain and simple.
Channel, podcasts, all amazing!
Glad you like them!
As Yanks we were raised that only our boys liberated France. We knew the Brits were there, but never did we have a comprehensive view encompassing our Allies. Thanks for showing this, I'll educate my children and my grandchildren about the sacrifices of the British,Canadians in June- July 1944
not only your boys for sure, but without the help of the US , it would have taken so much more time to free ourself.
Pearl Harbor was the key.
A tout les hommes du premier au dernier jour ayant combattu de près ou de loin, MERCI
Did not know the germans had Königtigers at this time.
Yes, there was one knocked out in the battle (rammed by a Sherman!)
@metalmadsen Yes the King Tigers saw their first ever deployment during Goodwood.