Back around 1980 I had the privilege of working for a fine old Bavarian gentleman in Munich who was part of the detachment that scaled Elbrus during the war.
This is, I guess, what you call absurdity of war. While a few hundred kilometers north the biggest battle of history (Stalingrad) took place, these soldiers were busy climbing up that mountain three times to take some pictures.
4:25 If the hotel had been staffed with a proper registration desk, the Germans would have been repelled. "I'm sorry, do you have a reservation. No? I'm very sorry, but we're full up until next week. Conference in town. I don't care what your supervisor told you, we have no rooms available. Thank you."
I would love to hear more stories about the Gebirgsjäger, they are some of the toughest and most skilled troops in the German Army, but they are so rarely covered in media
Before Hitler invaded Russia he said speed was the single most important factor! He also said that he must take the oil field at Baku or loose the war, and there his men are climbing a mountain.
“Commanded by a former hairdresser, the troops surprised Germans on the mountain with their full-bodied and silky smooth hair. Their commanding officer attempted to rally his soldiers to no avail. Whenever the commander raised his rifle, Soviet troops blinded him with the sun reflecting off their gorgeous locks. After escorting their Nazi prisoners for incarceration, the platoon celebrated by shampooing one another’s hair. The smell of gunpowder mixed with the odor of peaches and cream”
Imagine how pissed these men had to have been when told they needed to climb Europes tallest mountain not once, but twice more. Then again it sure as hell beats fighting on the eastern front
A desperate battle with the Soviets to the finish, a massive rant from Adolf, confusion and failed efforts, and a hairdresser, this could be a prequel to Downfall.
Hitler orders mountain climbers to take the oil fields in the caucuses. The climbers stumble on the largest Mt in Europe. "Oil can wait we gotta climb this thing!". As a rock climber myself I'm pleased to see that little has changed in regards to priorities and climbing
Mark. I loved this video. I am a British military mountain leader who has served in the Georgian Caucasus as a UN Military Observer. I would have loved to have been able to cross into Russia to climb Elbrus; but, never had the opportunity. There are some other interesting mountaineering related instances from WW2 that you could cover if you wanted a follow up. The battle for the Vallee Blanche below Mont Blanc between France and Italian mountain troops is one. But, perhaps, my favourite is the story of Italian POWs who escaped from their POW camp, climbed Mount Kenya, then broke back into the POW camp. There’s a good account in the book ‘No Picnic on Mount Kenya’ by Fenice Benuzzi. Away from WW2, the WW1 battles in the Dolomites are the stuff of legend!
Mr Felton I recently discovered your channel, and I must say that I find your videos very interesting. So many different topics... I am from Macedonia Greece and I was blown away when I saw the photo of Germans raising Swastika on mount Olympus. I live only one hour drive away from the mountain and as you understand I got very intrigued. I wonder if you could please find and share some more information about this topic. Greetings from Greece and congratulations for your amazing videos sir...
I've been in Priyut 11 and on the Elbrus summit. Even at the exact spots with German machine gun nests. The ex-hairdresser's name was Gurgen Grigoriants. His was a recon officer and his squad was hastily put together and sent to recapture Elbrus. No mountain warfare experience, no proper equipment. The hopes were put into surprise factor and cover of the mist (which happen there often). They've waited for the mist and advanced, but the mist cover was suddenly blown over by wind. After two waves of desperate attacks over 200 men were left on the glacier. Next time Soviet High Command had put together a squad of experienced mountain climbers, some of them used to train Germans who now sat at Priyut 11. Germans had to retreat after boiler hut was destroyed by Soviet aviation bomb. Recently, in 2010s, the remains of Grigoriants' platoon had started to show up in pieces as glacier melts. Every year now they are buried with honors.
Being in army myself, I just can imagine how they felt when they got the order to climb the summit for the 3rd time, because of propaganda video. Like it's some kind of joke. And in the meantime, there's a friggin' war to be fight.
Dr Mark, congratulations for another great video. As a communications professional myself, I always emphasized on the essentials of symbolism, not substance (only few cared about things that mattered). The capture of Mount Elbrus remained a great inspiration for us the propagandists, not the military strategists I suppose. I never missed your lectures, please keep them coming.
The wallet might not be for me but I must say that the presentation of the wallet was excellent. I usually have an issue with being "advertised too" but in your/this case it was great and I will gladly look forward to the next product or service you suggest. Oh.. and I cannot forget to add that the video was excellent as always. Concise, no-nonsense historical info set to fantastic images.
Shelter 11 survived the war but was lost due to a fire in 1998. A fire accidentally caused by a tourist's stupidity to boil gasoline on a stove to which he/she thought was water.
Mark when are you going to start presenting your videos?😊 Give a thumbs up if you want to see Mark with his own series...At last a historian who can hold peoples attention for more than the opening credits!
Well done again Mr Felton, superb work. It must have been arduous conditions fighting Winter and Russians at the same time, but this highlights another setback where the Germans might have been able to gain useful ground instead of propaganda rights on a mountain. Cheers
Another astounding video, Mark! Your work continuously entertains and educates your audience, those who take your work with great pride and hold you in high esteem! Do you have plans to discuss the Laconia Incident? It was a very curious case that so few seem to know little about despite it having a tremendous impact in naval warfare in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. It would be nice to hear your perspective and even more facts and bits I have not found myself!
Der Feuhrer: I want oil, not feats of mountaineering!..............The different joys men get from life...?! And where did those artillery shells land? I’m picturing a poor sap doing a cliffhanger and here comes a 37mm high explosive.
Very nice, Mark! Many thanks for this. We need more videos about the Caucasus Campaign! Few people talks about the details of it and it seems to be one of the most interesting campaings in the war. Hope to see more content in future! Perhaps Kleist's last offensive across the Terek and the Soviet counter-attack. Or the battles around Novorossiysk.
Very interesting as always but where did you take that information of a former hair dresser as being the Soviet commander from ? To the best of my knowledge there were two Soviet detachments involved in taking down the German flags and reoccupying the surroundings of Elbrus. Both were commanded by professional and highly experienced and decorated mountain climbers. The first was lieutenant Nicolai Afanasievich Gusak (1910-1978). He was a professional mountain climber, sportsman (with a diploma of "Sports champion of the Soviet Union") and mountaineering instructor and guide. Few people had known Elbrus better than him. Between 1934 and 1941 he climbed Elbrus 13 times , including 7 climbings in winter. This beside climbing in the meantime all possible peaks and landmarks like the glaciers of Upper Swanetia in the Caucasus or the highest peak of the Pamir Mountains 7495 m. Incidentally, he died of heart attack while guiding a tourist expedition around Elbrus along the paths of his own war time experiences. He volunteered in August 1941 , fought near Moscow and later was sent to the Caucasus. For the part he played in the defence of the passages and for removing the Nazi flags from Elbrus he was awarded a Red Star Medal. His two other medals won in the Caucasus included 'For Combat Merits" and "For the Defence of the Caucacus". The second Soviet commander was Captain Alexander Mikhilovich Gusev ( 1912- 1994). He was a geoscientist, oceanogrpher and meteorlogist in charge of a weather station under Elbrus. He was and a professional mountain climber and sportsman, too. His first winter climbing of Elbrus occurred in 1934 and then was repeated in 1936. From 1939 he was in charge of a weather station on Dikson island in the Arctic. As a Red Army captain he took part in the fighting in the Caucaus from September 1942 on. His war time experiences were described in his book "Elbrus ablaze". After the war he worked on various geoscientific and oceanographic projects including those in the Antarctica and on the North Pole.
8:27 interestingly in the mountain warfare of WW1 in the Alps. Most Mountain Troops were killed in avalanches than by gun shot wounds. The opposing side would try to deliberately cause an avalanche by light artillery.
I loved climbing when I was younger . I felt so alive . I have climbed out in Alberta Canada . Climbed a live volcanoes in Guatemala. I then did some climbing in South America . To bad they did this in war time .
Dang, that advertisement was surprising, but glad you finally choose to go in a monetary direction with your channel, otherwise it'd be potential lost.
That ad was a specific one-off sponsored clip. If it could, I think this channel would get normal ads to generate some revenue, but practically all videos that include War, Nazis, etc get demonitoried by UA-cam even when there is no footage of violence.
I'm surprised the men didn't cover there asses by saying there climbing Mt. Elbrus to setup a radio interception station on the highest mountain in Europe. I bet Hitler would have been less furious if the men said that and if they told him by listening into the radio traffic we can find the less defended approaches to capture the ports. The fact that the Germans didn't take advantage of the mountains elevation baffles me.
I like how there are 3 firsts (they prob never watched the video even...) And here I am at 1,231st... Love the videos Mark. Keep them up! I never even heard of this expedition.
Back around 1980 I had the privilege of working for a fine old Bavarian gentleman in Munich who was part of the detachment that scaled Elbrus during the war.
This is, I guess, what you call absurdity of war. While a few hundred kilometers north the biggest battle of history (Stalingrad) took place, these soldiers were busy climbing up that mountain three times to take some pictures.
I do have to say, the footage they got of mount elbrus is amazing
"Cigarettes are bad for your lungs", German mountain troops "hold my cigarettes while I climb the highest mountain in Europe."
Climbers tend to do their own thing. But defying Hitler, that's impressive. Glad the leader survived the war.
3:58 "if I'm climbing into this thin mountain air, better not cut back on my unfiltered cigarettes"
The footage from the battle is better quality than most fight vids on YT
4:25 If the hotel had been staffed with a proper registration desk, the Germans would have been repelled. "I'm sorry, do you have a reservation. No? I'm very sorry, but we're full up until next week. Conference in town. I don't care what your supervisor told you, we have no rooms available. Thank you."
You’re hands down my favorite UA-camr. I hope you never stop making such amazing videos
I would love to hear more stories about the Gebirgsjäger, they are some of the toughest and most skilled troops in the German Army, but they are so rarely covered in media
Mountain Troops: Can we cross Caucasus
Hitler: To Capture ports?
Mountain Troops: To capture ports
Actually summits Elbrus three times like a boss
Before Hitler invaded Russia he said speed was the single most important factor! He also said that he must take the oil field at Baku or loose the war, and there his men are climbing a mountain.
“Commanded by a former hairdresser, the troops surprised Germans on the mountain with their full-bodied and silky smooth hair. Their commanding officer attempted to rally his soldiers to no avail. Whenever the commander raised his rifle, Soviet troops blinded him with the sun reflecting off their gorgeous locks. After escorting their Nazi prisoners for incarceration, the platoon celebrated by shampooing one another’s hair. The smell of gunpowder mixed with the odor of peaches and cream”
Great pronunciation of "Gebirgsjäger"! Greetings from a former Gebirgsjäger (5./233)
Imagine how pissed these men had to have been when told they needed to climb Europes tallest mountain not once, but twice more. Then again it sure as hell beats fighting on the eastern front
I'm starting to think Mark is some kind of ever present immortal actually in all of these situations
Loved the footage of a guy climbing a mountain with a machine gun on his back. Images are so visceral.
A desperate battle with the Soviets to the finish, a massive rant from Adolf, confusion and failed efforts, and a hairdresser, this could be a prequel to Downfall.
Hitler orders mountain climbers to take the oil fields in the caucuses. The climbers stumble on the largest Mt in Europe. "Oil can wait we gotta climb this thing!". As a rock climber myself I'm pleased to see that little has changed in regards to priorities and climbing
Well, at least the Gebirgsjäger finally got something to do that fit their training
Mark. I loved this video. I am a British military mountain leader who has served in the Georgian Caucasus as a UN Military Observer. I would have loved to have been able to cross into Russia to climb Elbrus; but, never had the opportunity. There are some other interesting mountaineering related instances from WW2 that you could cover if you wanted a follow up. The battle for the Vallee Blanche below Mont Blanc between France and Italian mountain troops is one. But, perhaps, my favourite is the story of Italian POWs who escaped from their POW camp, climbed Mount Kenya, then broke back into the POW camp. There’s a good account in the book ‘No Picnic on Mount Kenya’ by Fenice Benuzzi.
Away from WW2, the WW1 battles in the Dolomites are the stuff of legend!
Mr Felton I recently discovered your channel, and I must say that I find your videos very interesting. So many different topics...
I am from Macedonia Greece and I was blown away when I saw the photo of Germans raising Swastika on mount Olympus.
I live only one hour drive away from the mountain and as you understand I got very intrigued. I wonder if you could please find and share some more information about this topic. Greetings from Greece and congratulations for your amazing videos sir...
I've been in Priyut 11 and on the Elbrus summit. Even at the exact spots with German machine gun nests. The ex-hairdresser's name was Gurgen Grigoriants. His was a recon officer and his squad was hastily put together and sent to recapture Elbrus. No mountain warfare experience, no proper equipment. The hopes were put into surprise factor and cover of the mist (which happen there often). They've waited for the mist and advanced, but the mist cover was suddenly blown over by wind. After two waves of desperate attacks over 200 men were left on the glacier.
Next time Soviet High Command had put together a squad of experienced mountain climbers, some of them used to train Germans who now sat at Priyut 11. Germans had to retreat after boiler hut was destroyed by Soviet aviation bomb.
Recently, in 2010s, the remains of Grigoriants' platoon had started to show up in pieces as glacier melts. Every year now they are buried with honors.
Being in army myself, I just can imagine how they felt when they got the order to climb the summit for the 3rd time, because of propaganda video. Like it's some kind of joke. And in the meantime, there's a friggin' war to be fight.
german high comand: get over the mountins ASAP
german crack bois: time for some hiking & mountaineering
German propaganda machine: "wanna see me climb that mountain?"
"Wanna see me do it again?"
but... but I like my ugly leather bi-fold Mark!
Plus if you live outside the US where do you put your coins?
i no longer need a wallet per the treaty with my ex-wife
Sounds more like a „threaty“. Is she also supposed to dangle from some gallows or is this position reserved for my ex exclusively?
I don't often find war stories that I've never heard about so I really appreciate everything that was done to make this video. Great job!
"Capture the port."
Did you say *Climb the mountain?*
Dr Mark, congratulations for another great video. As a communications professional myself, I always emphasized on the essentials of symbolism, not substance (only few cared about things that mattered). The capture of Mount Elbrus remained a great inspiration for us the propagandists, not the military strategists I suppose. I never missed your lectures, please keep them coming.
"Those crazy mountaineers..." seems to be said about every country's mountain troops.
I didnt even want a new wallet, but the voice has power
Soviets be like.... "send in the hairdresser!"
Damn even the ad read sounds good when mark is giving it
Keep up the awesome videos Mark! Amazing info put into fantastically edited videos with incredible footage!
And again a very good Mark Felton Video
The wallet might not be for me but I must say that the presentation of the wallet was excellent. I usually have an issue with being "advertised too" but in your/this case it was great and I will gladly look forward to the next product or service you suggest. Oh.. and I cannot forget to add that the video was excellent as always. Concise, no-nonsense historical info set to fantastic images.
Mark, another excellent presentation. Your channel is superb and I hope UA-cam doesn't mess it up.
Greetings from Mt Elbrus's natives! And thanks for the rare content!
"we need someone who can withstand the harshest weather on this planet, and small talk" "get me a hairdresser"..
Trying to take Moscow was a big misstake. They should have headed straight for the caucaus and recruited some chechen mujaheddins
Shelter 11 survived the war but was lost due to a fire in 1998. A fire accidentally caused by a tourist's stupidity to boil gasoline on a stove to which he/she thought was water.
Another amazing episode Mark. Really enjoyed this. Great idea for a movie.
German mountain divisions: Its over, Red Army, we have the high ground
Mark when are you going to start presenting your videos?😊
Give a thumbs up if you want to see Mark with his own series...At last a historian who can hold peoples attention for more than the opening credits!
Well done again Mr Felton, superb work.
It must have been arduous conditions fighting Winter and Russians at the same time, but this highlights another setback where the Germans might have been able to gain useful ground instead of propaganda rights on a mountain.
Cheers
Reminds me of the opening scenes of the great movie ''Cross of Iron''.
Awesome piece of the history of mountain combat during WW the Second !!!! Thank you Mark !!!! I love it ))))))
Another astounding video, Mark! Your work continuously entertains and educates your audience, those who take your work with great pride and hold you in high esteem!
Do you have plans to discuss the Laconia Incident? It was a very curious case that so few seem to know little about despite it having a tremendous impact in naval warfare in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. It would be nice to hear your perspective and even more facts and bits I have not found myself!
Another excellent historical video Dr. Felton - on the way to 500,00 subscribers!
Der Feuhrer: I want oil, not feats of mountaineering!..............The different joys men get from life...?! And where did those artillery shells land? I’m picturing a poor sap doing a cliffhanger and here comes a 37mm high explosive.
Could you image how hard it was to get heavy equipment up there...
Very nice, Mark! Many thanks for this. We need more videos about the Caucasus Campaign! Few people talks about the details of it and it seems to be one of the most interesting campaings in the war. Hope to see more content in future! Perhaps Kleist's last offensive across the Terek and the Soviet counter-attack. Or the battles around Novorossiysk.
Hitler considered Mt. Elbrus a waste, yet squandered thousands of troops and vast amounts of material occupying the Jersey Islands.
Very interesting as always but where did you take that information of a former hair dresser as being the Soviet commander from ? To the best of my knowledge there were two Soviet detachments involved in taking down the German flags and reoccupying the surroundings of Elbrus. Both were commanded by professional and highly experienced and decorated mountain climbers.
The first was lieutenant Nicolai Afanasievich Gusak (1910-1978). He was a professional mountain climber, sportsman (with a diploma of "Sports champion of the Soviet Union") and mountaineering instructor and guide. Few people had known Elbrus better than him. Between 1934 and 1941 he climbed Elbrus 13 times , including 7 climbings in winter. This beside climbing in the meantime all possible peaks and landmarks like the glaciers of Upper Swanetia in the Caucasus or the highest peak of the Pamir Mountains 7495 m. Incidentally, he died of heart attack while guiding a tourist expedition around Elbrus along the paths of his own war time experiences. He volunteered in August 1941 , fought near Moscow and later was sent to the Caucasus. For the part he played in the defence of the passages and for removing the Nazi flags from Elbrus he was awarded a Red Star Medal. His two other medals won in the Caucasus included 'For Combat Merits" and "For the Defence of the Caucacus".
The second Soviet commander was Captain Alexander Mikhilovich Gusev ( 1912- 1994). He was a geoscientist, oceanogrpher and meteorlogist in charge of a weather station under Elbrus. He was and a professional mountain climber and sportsman, too. His first winter climbing of Elbrus occurred in 1934 and then was repeated in 1936. From 1939 he was in charge of a weather station on Dikson island in the Arctic. As a Red Army captain he took part in the fighting in the Caucaus from September 1942 on. His war time experiences were described in his book "Elbrus ablaze". After the war he worked on various geoscientific and oceanographic projects including those in the Antarctica and on the North Pole.
Everytime I hear that "Dun...Dun Dun Dun Dun", my day improves dramatically.
The hotel at the top of the mountain looks like a building from Spongebob
8:27 interestingly in the mountain warfare of WW1 in the Alps. Most Mountain Troops were killed in avalanches than by gun shot wounds. The opposing side would try to deliberately cause an avalanche by light artillery.
I'm really glad you got a sponsor!
According to Albert Speer in his memories, A.H. wasn' t content of that - called it kind of " touristic privite initiative"...
I love how you give BOTH KG and pounds on everything! Nice job.
0:48 I hope the best channel I had found on UA-cam doesn’t become ruined by commercials
Mark------outstanding work as usual....thank you
I loved climbing when I was younger . I felt so alive . I have climbed out in Alberta Canada . Climbed a live volcanoes in Guatemala. I then did some climbing in South America . To bad they did this in war time .
nice vidéo! I actually visite Mount Elbrus in 2018 and on it, there is a museum and some remains of equipment of the battles fought there!
glad to see you're getting sponsors mark!
Fascinating stuff.
Thank you very much for creating and posting this video.
49 seconds of uploading time and auto-like at once, only to your channel I do this Mark!
the Treaty of Versailles has banned me from owning a metal wallet
That music from the footage seems like something which inspired music for german Stalingrad movie.
GOOD VIDEO!!!! Poor Horses,packing all that gear,they look'd overloaded and I'm sure they were!!!!!
Shelter 11 was burned in 1998 by a hiker. Great video, Mark!
These videos are so incredibly interesting
Great video once again. Thanks so much
"no opposition was encountered" .... no shit Sherlock :D You expected a Russian battalion at an altitude of 5,642 meters ?
Dang, that advertisement was surprising, but glad you finally choose to go in a monetary direction with your channel, otherwise it'd be potential lost.
That ad was a specific one-off sponsored clip. If it could, I think this channel would get normal ads to generate some revenue, but practically all videos that include War, Nazis, etc get demonitoried by UA-cam even when there is no footage of violence.
I wonder if former "hair dresser" was one of the 4 soviets to survive the failed attempt to recapture mountain summit?
No worries,
He did not survive Stalin.
The Boss does not like failure.....
No
Love your videos Mark!
More on the mountain units, please
I'm surprised the men didn't cover there asses by saying there climbing Mt. Elbrus to setup a radio interception station on the highest mountain in Europe. I bet Hitler would have been less furious if the men said that and if they told him by listening into the radio traffic we can find the less defended approaches to capture the ports. The fact that the Germans didn't take advantage of the mountains elevation baffles me.
"Hitler ranted for hours" .... history doth repeat itself.
I like how there are 3 firsts (they prob never watched the video even...) And here I am at 1,231st... Love the videos Mark. Keep them up! I never even heard of this expedition.
I feel so special being the first here. what gems this channel has
More of those Mountain-Episodes!
Can you do a episode on the elite Italian mountain troops?
"Fight, or climb?"
"Hand me those crampons."
Guten morgen from the philippines
Yay Efren Reyes!
Guten morgen comrad, from Mindanao
If I was Hitler I'd have been pissed too.
Love your videos mark
Last time I was this early, this video hadn't been reuploaded
Some German climbers actually practiced in Caucasus mountains in interwar period.
Last time i was this early the treaty of Versailles wasnt a thing
Moses hadn't gotten the Commandments from God yet.
Last time i was early comments weren't trying to desperatly get likes
Hats off to the German mountain troops. True warriors!!! Determination like no other.
Intro and outro music gets me everytime.
I shimmy
Thanks A Bunch....Interesting Stuff by all means...Once again Thanks Doc. !
Though missed the details of that "fighting ground" part....boom again!!! 👍
Makes you wonder if the weapon at the end (8:28) caused any avalanches.
3 times LOL. Good video Mark!
That combat footage was surreal.