If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com. Thanks!
Sorry I do know know your name or email. As you observe this fortifications, I strongly recommend you get a good book that covers them. There are some books that cover the Molotov Line. One I can recommend is only available from the publisher until June which describes the Molotov Line and many others. The title is FORTRESS EUROPE: From Stone to Steel. The other book is twenty years old, but still available: FORTRESS EUROPE: European Fortifications of World War II. It is not as good as the new book, but does cover the Molotov Line and many others (Stalin, Mannerheim, Salpa, Metaxas, Maginot, Rupnik, etc). There are better examples of the fortifications of that line which have not been destroyed. Some are in Poland (the part returned by the Russians). The Molotov casemates and blockhouses are similar to, but a modified version, of those of the Stalin Line.
Quite worrying to see that practically all over Eastern Europe Soviet war memorials are either being left to decay or town apart altogether. This is some dangerous misjudgement of history and leaves me feeling again "What have we learned from history? - Nothing apparently"
I love that your son is wearing the WCK beanie. What you two did and the Chef and his foundation continue to do around the world is so inspiring! We have donated several times and will continue to help them! They are truly doing such blessed work! Chef and all who help him are worldclass heroes! Thank you two for doing your part! And this is another wonderful video. We in the west know SO little about the eastern front of WWII.
I love your signature sign-off phrase: "Off to the next place." The anticipation of where you'll take us next! Glad you didn't hit your head while you exploring inside btw.
From what I remember from reading. The bunkers were built in sections to aid in mutual support. They were supplied with machine guns and anti tank equipment. Many were left unfinished. Great job… thank you.
Your son is the luckiest persona alive. Not only does he get to go on great adventures, but by going with Dad he gets the experience to help him with excited future children on trips.
I have to agree. To be given the gift of history appreciation from a knowledgeable father will ever stay with him. Thank you for sharing and creating footage that will forever stay for the future
So much of our military history is condensed into “popular” WWII campaigns. These stories are what is so fascinating about history. I had no idea this even happened. I have tons to learn.
A few words about Russian military cemeteries in Poland. These cemeteries were owned by the soviet union at the time it existed. After its collapse and regaining independence in Poland in the 90s, they were left unattended. Russia was not eager to take the remains of its soldiers to their homeland, so they remained on Polish soil. It is only thanks to the local community that someone, out of sheer decency for the dead, somehow nurtures these forgotten places. Unfortunate but true, Russia shows rather for "show" respect for the heroes fighting for their country ... but the reality is quite different. An example is how he treats his fallen soldiers in Ukraine. The case of bunkers. They lasted the war in better or worse condition. After the war, these facilities were rather "undesirable" in the newly occupied Poland by the Soviet army, so most of them were simply destroyed (blown up) by the Russians and the new Polish army under the supervision of the Russian army. All for purely political reasons. Every object that could be a resistance for the occupant was a reason for destruction. simple thinking of simple people (I mean the Russian occupiers here). This was the case throughout Poland and in every place where Russian troops were stationed. It is so briefly for the sake of explanation. I hope, however, that the visit to my homeland was pleasant for you and your relatives, except for some unfortunate incidents. However, Poland is a nice country and very hospitable. I could prove it to you if I had a chance to meet you when you visited my country.
“A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.” - Joseph Stalin Stalin’s quote typifies the Soviets utter disregard for it’s soldiers and peoples. The only ones who grieved for those soldiers are gone now too. Very sad.
@@1RiderPale Russians never in any armed conflict in which they took part had no respect for their soldiers, the enemy and the civilian population. For the achievement of even the most stupid goals, they are able to sacrifice any number of human lives.
Great episode on this little talked about front of the war. As to the poor condition of the cemetery…after the Soviet incursion and “partitioning” of their country it’s not hard to understand the Poles wouldn’t be into keeping this cemetery and the resting places of the invaders in better condition. It is still there. That’s something.
Would love to see the design plans and layout for the bunkers. Apparently, many of the bunkers were unfinished when Operation Barbarossa kicked off. And it was Stalag 327 (for what its worth lol).
Thanks JD for your most interesting videos. You just gave me something to google for the rest of the night. What an amazing find. I wish I could go to half of the places you've been.
Awesome history. Also enjoyed reading the history from the Polish citizen who sent a response in comments thank you! So sad that all mankind has not learned from history. Guess there will always be evil in the world. My heart breaks for all the innocent lives lost, past and present. Sue from Pennsylvania, USA
Love your videos! Me and my dad are HUGE WW2 buffs, he’s a collector of all things WW2, guns, uniforms, medals, you name it, my dad has it…we’re getting ready to go to Louisville for a gun and military show next weekend…and they have countless artifacts from WW2 as well as all the other wars….if you ever get the chance, should check it out, it happens once a year
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. While the history is being lost and that’s unfortunate, it is very telling that this is the legacy and results of the Soviet Union and it’s impact on the eastern block countries and how the Polish view that history. I can’t blame them for their lack of effort in maintaining those facilities as it’s never a top priority to preserve a nightmare.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I agree with you completely but I certainly understand the thinking. The pain becomes no more clear than watching you walk through that cemetery, especially when you walked up to the memorial after showing the broken bottles and trash everywhere to then record candles burning. Whatever was the motive to do that, it’s a poignant example of the struggle to honor and remember and still trying to forget a time that I’m sure for them isn’t that long ago, especially in light of recent events.
I saw this vid pop up, but I was busy at the time, so it naturally got buried, like a Soviet Bunker. Finally remembered to go back to it. Fantastic stuff. I bet there's still some nice artifacts buried in the dirt around there. It would be neat to see some sort of restoration group come in and do what they can, even if it meant rebuilding one from scratch, just to allow people to see what was there. Thanks, again, JD!
This is very interesting! Many channels about military historie talk about German or English and American perspective. It's awesome to see the Sovjet side for a change, well done!
Another great video! Not being a structural engineer, but I have been involved in the civil engineering field for many years, the lack of steel reinforcement is apparent. It appears that they builders had more access to concrete that they did to reinforcement. I agree with you observation that the construction of these bunkers lack the quality of the German installations. Thanks again for showing this part of WW II history!
I love your videos. If you're looking for something new, the channel island of Alderney has an incredibly rich and largely intact WW2 history. Forts, bunkers, PoW camp, you should absolutely take a look in to it. As a kid I remember picking bullets out of rockpools. It's a fascinating part of WW2 history.
Also very interesting to note the differences of respect countries have for other countries of WWII. For instance- how the French treat the US cemetery in Normandy vs this one.
Yeah, they should light candles every day and pray for their souls. After years of persecutions, looting, murdering and raping plain and ordinary civilians. Let russian embassy do that with their money.
Very cool. Amazing how one bit of info leads to another. After watching your video I researched Ribbentrop - Molotov agreement, which pre-dated Russia's Winter War with Finland in which Russian propaganda stated they weren't bombing Finland but were in fact air-dropping food supplies to the starving Finns. The Finns called the bombs Russian Molotov picnic baskets. So when the Finns started throwing gasoline filled bottles at the Russian armor, they called them Molotov cocktails. I also found out that the Molotov line was divided into 13 regions, with each region designing and constructing its own fortifications. Many had not been completed by the time War started. Some were poorly made, with air vents and periscope tubes being vulnerable points for grenades.
Hey JD love all your videos so informative. Do you think you'll ever get up to the Hudson Valley in up state NY? Lots of history here you may find interesting. Keep up the great work.
Well thanks for this great video it's something we wouldn't have ever seen with out your great humanity visit to help the victims of Russian brutality now. I can assure you the polish people don't care about those Russian Graves. They suffered for years under Russian oppression
@@TheHistoryUnderground You can, but it takes a lot of $$$ for those that can grant it. My good friend Paul used to do Stalingrad battlefield tours, till his russian contacts ripped him off.
@@bradsellers5075 Tigers in the Mud by Otto Carrius I haven’t gotten through to that part of his story….so I am not sure how much he fought there…..maybe a lot or not so much
@@bradsellers5075 one thing I’ve noticed is that some names of towns and regions are different from that used on modern maps. I have used the internet a lot to research these places. I am currently on the part of the book relating to the battle of Varna. I know so little of this era I am not much help. But I am working on fixing that
So sad to see the state of the cemetery. Compared to the ones on the Western Front they just seemed to have forgotten the sacrifice these men and women who fought made.
This may reflect how Poland doesn’t have a high regard for how the U.S.S.R/Russia treated them historically. And even now is a threat to their peace and prosperity.
This was very interesting. I learned something new today. I really think these sites should be better maintained for historical reasons. Great video JD.
This Russian POW cemetary is in Poland. It holds the remains of the soldiers of one of their invaders, murdered by their other invader. I'm not surprised that there isn't a lot of respect or effort put into making it pretty. Same goes for the bunkers that are overgrown. There must have been a lot of anger and animosity after the war from the Polish people.
@@TheHistoryUnderground They have volounteer groups still recovering the dead (German and Russian) from Eastern front battlefields (In competition with the "BlackHat" groups who dig up soldiers remains just to sell the relics) but as far as I know nothing official like the Commonwealth War graves or the US equivallent. They seem to view lives very cheaply (nothing recently seems to have changed), and at the time were prone to punish repatriated POW's for not fighting to the death - thats why so many Russian POW's ended up in Wermacht units.
Really interested in that video mate I wonder guns German news it minds me that bunker in Normandy that one got deasored but can't wait for next video mate
Wish you could visit the Stalin line outside Minsk Belarus, it’s amazing with a very impressive tank collection and armored train etc Some of the bunkers in the line have been well preserved
JD another great video but why did you have your bad camera man stand under the Wile E. Coyote rock? Personally I think most of the damage to the bunkers were either from the war or done by the Polish people after the Soviets finally left.
Ha! The cameraman is expendable. I had a Polish person comment today that the Soviet destroyed them after the war so that the Polish people couldn't use them.
My guess is that the Nazis bombed these bunkers thus the severe damage to them. Another guess is that the reason the area is so trashed and grown up may be because of Poland's effort to put the war behind them meaning no one wanted to maintain this area, kind of like sweeping the dirt under the carpet so to speak.
Have you ever watched WW ll history hunter underground? He and his son finds the most amazing bunkers and some had helmet and gun in in it It's so amazing most are in real good shape a person could actually live in them The Germans really knew concrete.🇺🇸❤️👍
When we consider the evidence that the Soviet Union exercised brutality upon the Polish people and nation as invaders, equal in measure to that dished out by Nazi Germany, we cannot really be surprised that the Soviet grave site would not be cared for. We in the west should not be quick to judge when thankfully we never had to go through the experience of being simultaneously overrun by these two cruel dictatorships. The bravery and steadfastness exhibited by the Polish nation during WW2 and beyond into their eastern block days should be rightfully recognised. In my view It was certainly not the finest hour of my own country the UK and the western allies in general when we failed to back up our ally Poland in its bid for genuine freedom from Stalin’s regime; instead in effect selling them down the river, in the post war carve up of Europe.
You would think that the Russians would care for the cemetery in the same way that Germany maintains the cemeteries in places like France and Belgium. I don't know. Just seemed kind of sad.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Hi JD……I may be wrong on this, but I was led to believe the German graves in France and the Low Countries are actually maintained by local authorities/people in those areas. Now It may be that Germany contributes to their grave site upkeep in some way, I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that British sites are maintained by the Commonwealth War graves Commission. Fascinating stuff none the less….best wishes
Those bunkers were part of one of the Soviet Union's Fortified Regions, and would've been defended with machine guns, anti-tank guns, and artillery. However, in 1941 these bunkers would've been just a negligible obstacle, when Operation Barbarossa commenced. Most were simply, bypassed.
JD maybe you can research about the bunkers find out if they were destroyed by the Germans but keep up the good work catch you later next time still enjoy your history
@@TheHistoryUnderground yes, maybe you can do a video where you review this video and talk about what you have found out about these bunkers. Would be interesting!
Great video! On that first bunker, wouldn't the cave like area benford storage of ammunition and explosives? To me it looks like it was a supply area what the heavy steel walls. More of a question than an answer I guess!
Regarding the Soviet POW cemetery: considering that most of those POWs would have been occupiers of Polish territory, and considering what those Soviet occupiers did to the Polish population during and after the war, I am not at all surprised that the local populous would have nothing but disdain for those buried there.
The reason most of those were blown up is because a) either the soviets couldn’t resist blowing them up before handing them over before surrendering them to either the germans as they are wont to usually do, or b) the Germans blew them up before surrendering them to the allies. The first one was super cool, omg looked like maybe a command bunker. In that spot I really wouldnt be sutprised. I bet if you had a bit more time to wander there, you’d find a bunch of smaller defensive outworks, mg and mortar tobruks, etc. truly is a shame they were all demolished.... if you have never been to the massive semi-demolished (of course by the soviets when they were in charge in that part of Germany after the war . They were so big, so well constructed and so damn stubborn , the soviets figured it wasn’t worth the sheer amount of explosives needed to do the job) either and gave up after managing to completely demolish only one. of the smaller ones. and gave up) German concrete Me-262 assembly hangars at Weingut 1. It is.... extremely impressive. That’s the only way o can think to describe it. You’d love it, judging from the read I get from you in your content.
If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out.
Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com. Thanks!
Sorry I do know know your name or email. As you observe this fortifications, I strongly recommend you get a good book that covers them. There are some books that cover the Molotov Line. One I can recommend is only available from the publisher until June which describes the Molotov Line and many others. The title is FORTRESS EUROPE: From Stone to Steel. The other book is twenty years old, but still available: FORTRESS EUROPE: European Fortifications of World War II. It is not as good as the new book, but does cover the Molotov Line and many others (Stalin, Mannerheim, Salpa, Metaxas, Maginot, Rupnik, etc). There are better examples of the fortifications of that line which have not been destroyed. Some are in Poland (the part returned by the Russians). The Molotov casemates and blockhouses are similar to, but a modified version, of those of the Stalin Line.
Thank you for finding this in your "spare" time in Poland. How sad that earth is scarred from the many wars that have occurred.
Definitely. Thanks for watching.
JD you have a gift my friend. you can make a lawn interesting by telling its history. Please keep making videos
Enjoyed it as always
Ha! Thank you.
Fact.
Great to see some Eastern Front content! Ive never heard about the Molotov line... you learn something new everyday! Thanks
Yeah, I learned a lot. Need to try and do some more Eastern Front stuff at some point.
Quite worrying to see that practically all over Eastern Europe Soviet war memorials are either being left to decay or town apart altogether. This is some dangerous misjudgement of history and leaves me feeling again "What have we learned from history? - Nothing apparently"
Love history, If we forget history we may repeat mistakes from the past. Thanks to JD and his son for posting their fine work......
I love that your son is wearing the WCK beanie. What you two did and the Chef and his foundation continue to do around the world is so inspiring! We have donated several times and will continue to help them! They are truly doing such blessed work! Chef and all who help him are worldclass heroes! Thank you two for doing your part!
And this is another wonderful video. We in the west know SO little about the eastern front of WWII.
Definitely a great organization. And I certainly plan on going back at some point to explore more of these eastern front spots.
I love your signature sign-off phrase: "Off to the next place." The anticipation of where you'll take us next! Glad you didn't hit your head while you exploring inside btw.
😅 Thanks. It was nice to make it through a video without sustaining further brain damage.
Glad to see you were able to take a little bit of time for some history while you were over there!
Thanks. Got a chance to hit up a few places in what little spare time we had there.
Thank you for these stories, J.D. War is so sad...
Glad to bring some of these places to light. Thanks for watching.
From what I remember from reading. The bunkers were built in sections to aid in mutual support. They were supplied with machine guns and anti tank equipment. Many were left unfinished. Great job… thank you.
Thanks!
Your son is the luckiest persona alive. Not only does he get to go on great adventures, but by going with Dad he gets the experience to help him with excited future children on trips.
Appreciate that. It was good to have him along. He’s a good photographer too, which is helpful.
I have to agree. To be given the gift of history appreciation from a knowledgeable father will ever stay with him. Thank you for sharing and creating footage that will forever stay for the future
So much of our military history is condensed into “popular” WWII campaigns. These stories are what is so fascinating about history. I had no idea this even happened. I have tons to learn.
👍🏻
I loved your video! I couldn’t stop from thinking on how in the world they made these bunkers in the middle of a war near their enemy.
A few words about Russian military cemeteries in Poland. These cemeteries were owned by the soviet union at the time it existed. After its collapse and regaining independence in Poland in the 90s, they were left unattended. Russia was not eager to take the remains of its soldiers to their homeland, so they remained on Polish soil. It is only thanks to the local community that someone, out of sheer decency for the dead, somehow nurtures these forgotten places. Unfortunate but true, Russia shows rather for "show" respect for the heroes fighting for their country ... but the reality is quite different. An example is how he treats his fallen soldiers in Ukraine.
The case of bunkers. They lasted the war in better or worse condition. After the war, these facilities were rather "undesirable" in the newly occupied Poland by the Soviet army, so most of them were simply destroyed (blown up) by the Russians and the new Polish army under the supervision of the Russian army. All for purely political reasons. Every object that could be a resistance for the occupant was a reason for destruction. simple thinking of simple people (I mean the Russian occupiers here). This was the case throughout Poland and in every place where Russian troops were stationed.
It is so briefly for the sake of explanation. I hope, however, that the visit to my homeland was pleasant for you and your relatives, except for some unfortunate incidents. However, Poland is a nice country and very hospitable. I could prove it to you if I had a chance to meet you when you visited my country.
Thank you for the extra information. I loved your country and the people in it and can't wait to return someday.
“A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.” - Joseph Stalin
Stalin’s quote typifies the Soviets utter disregard for it’s soldiers and peoples. The only ones who grieved for those soldiers are gone now too. Very sad.
Thank you for the explanation.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Maybe someday we will be able to meet in Poland and visit some interesting places with a camera.
@@1RiderPale Russians never in any armed conflict in which they took part had no respect for their soldiers, the enemy and the civilian population. For the achievement of even the most stupid goals, they are able to sacrifice any number of human lives.
Great episode on this little talked about front of the war. As to the poor condition of the cemetery…after the Soviet incursion and “partitioning” of their country it’s not hard to understand the Poles wouldn’t be into keeping this cemetery and the resting places of the invaders in better condition. It is still there. That’s something.
My thoughts exactly..I know a lot of Poles and they generally detest Russians
I’m sorry the viewers have fallen off so hard. You put out amazing content. Keep it up. They will come back. We love you!
Would love to see the design plans and layout for the bunkers. Apparently, many of the bunkers were unfinished when Operation Barbarossa kicked off. And it was Stalag 327 (for what its worth lol).
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The best history lesson is one that causes us to ask questions and seek more answers. The history you have shared today has done just that. Awesome!
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Your son looks like you, JD!! So glad your family can be with you on your travels!!
Another great bit of forgotten lives lost and a country destroyed.....thank you
Another great video! Not sure how you have the time for everything you’ve been doing, but grateful you can!
Thanks JD for your most interesting videos. You just gave me something to google for the rest of the night. What an amazing find. I wish I could go to half of the places you've been.
Glad you enjoyed it! Lots to learn here.
Great video JD. The eastern front is often forgotten or overlooked in the US. Thanks for sharing your passion for history with us!
The state of these sites might indicate the lack of interest the polish nation has for the remnants of the soviet occupation
Agreed.
I’m surprised there were candles in the cemetery considering historically relations between soviets and polish were frosty at best
Just seeing this is enough-and thanks for sharing.
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Great Stuff. Thank you very much.
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Love it mate, awesome content as usual! Keep it up JD!
Your videos make me legitimately nerd out watching them..AMAZING content as always!!!
Thanks!
Awesome history. Also enjoyed reading the history from the Polish citizen who sent a response in comments thank you!
So sad that all mankind has not learned from history. Guess there will always be evil in the world. My heart breaks for all the innocent lives lost, past and present.
Sue from Pennsylvania, USA
Great stuff, thanks for sharing.
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Love your videos! Me and my dad are HUGE WW2 buffs, he’s a collector of all things WW2, guns, uniforms, medals, you name it, my dad has it…we’re getting ready to go to Louisville for a gun and military show next weekend…and they have countless artifacts from WW2 as well as all the other wars….if you ever get the chance, should check it out, it happens once a year
Awesome! Decent chance that I'll be roaming about there.
Completely fascinating!
Glad that you thought so too!
Great job JD, thank you for the content.
Thank you for watching. Appreciate it!
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. While the history is being lost and that’s unfortunate, it is very telling that this is the legacy and results of the Soviet Union and it’s impact on the eastern block countries and how the Polish view that history. I can’t blame them for their lack of effort in maintaining those facilities as it’s never a top priority to preserve a nightmare.
I thought about that. It’s important to preserve and remember the bad as much as the good though.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I agree with you completely but I certainly understand the thinking. The pain becomes no more clear than watching you walk through that cemetery, especially when you walked up to the memorial after showing the broken bottles and trash everywhere to then record candles burning. Whatever was the motive to do that, it’s a poignant example of the struggle to honor and remember and still trying to forget a time that I’m sure for them isn’t that long ago, especially in light of recent events.
As always, I enjoyed watching this content!
Thanks!
Awesome piece of history. I love what you do.
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Very informative episode sir.
Wow JD that's neat see eastern front relics . Very interesting can't wait see next trip there .
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Great job. Really enjoyed this video. Thanks.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for your work.
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I saw this vid pop up, but I was busy at the time, so it naturally got buried, like a Soviet Bunker. Finally remembered to go back to it. Fantastic stuff.
I bet there's still some nice artifacts buried in the dirt around there. It would be neat to see some sort of restoration group come in and do what they can, even if it meant rebuilding one from scratch, just to allow people to see what was there. Thanks, again, JD!
Agreed. Thanks for coming back around to watch!
Fascinating and new to me, thanks
glad your keeping safe out there
You are also in prime 'WWI in the East' territory. This is amazing to see!
Stay tuned 🙂
Another great job
Excellent video , very interesting ! 👍
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This is very interesting! Many channels about military historie talk about German or English and American perspective. It's awesome to see the Sovjet side for a change, well done!
Thanks. Definitely hope to return and do more in the future.
Another great video! Not being a structural engineer, but I have been involved in the civil engineering field for many years, the lack of steel reinforcement is apparent. It appears that they builders had more access to concrete that they did to reinforcement. I agree with you observation that the construction of these bunkers lack the quality of the German installations. Thanks again for showing this part of WW II history!
The quality of the concrete also looked to be seriously lacking. Pretty interesting to explore.
Keep in mind that it’s probably freezing a lot more in Poland which takes it’s toll on concrete. Just a thought.
@@olivierblistein8668 could be natural damage, agree
New to the Channel and I absolutely Love your videos!
Thanks!!!
Wonderful!
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I love your videos. If you're looking for something new, the channel island of Alderney has an incredibly rich and largely intact WW2 history. Forts, bunkers, PoW camp, you should absolutely take a look in to it. As a kid I remember picking bullets out of rockpools. It's a fascinating part of WW2 history.
Oh dang. I'll have to check that out. Thanks!
Until this war started I never knew polish people were so generous and helpful
I love your videos JD and I love everything history.
great video love the content.
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Also very interesting to note the differences of respect countries have for other countries of WWII. For instance- how the French treat the US cemetery in Normandy vs this one.
Russia occupied them for 45 years they couldve dine ssomething to commemorate their dead but they didnt.
Yeah, they should light candles every day and pray for their souls. After years of persecutions, looting, murdering and raping plain and ordinary civilians. Let russian embassy do that with their money.
hey JD looks like the hole with a ladder coming out of the ground could. most probably be escape tunnels.
Great video 👍🏻😎
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Very cool. Amazing how one bit of info leads to another. After watching your video I researched Ribbentrop - Molotov agreement, which pre-dated Russia's Winter War with Finland in which Russian propaganda stated they weren't bombing Finland but were in fact air-dropping food supplies to the starving Finns. The Finns called the bombs Russian Molotov picnic baskets. So when the Finns started throwing gasoline filled bottles at the Russian armor, they called them Molotov cocktails.
I also found out that the Molotov line was divided into 13 regions, with each region designing and constructing its own fortifications. Many had not been completed by the time War started. Some were poorly made, with air vents and periscope tubes being vulnerable points for grenades.
Hey JD love all your videos so informative. Do you think you'll ever get up to the Hudson Valley in up state NY? Lots of history here you may find interesting. Keep up the great work.
Definitely hope to get up there at some point.
Well thanks for this great video it's something we wouldn't have ever seen with out your great humanity visit to help the victims of Russian brutality now. I can assure you the polish people don't care about those Russian Graves. They suffered for years under Russian oppression
Never heard about this line of defense! Yes I agree the cement seems to be of very low quality with the big rocks mixed in!
Very interesting and fascinating, JD. How did you find these bunkers and the cemetery?
Stumbled across the bunkers on Google maps. The cemetery was a complete accident.
I wish you guys would do a tour of the Stalingrad battle sites as well as Kursk.
Me too!
@@TheHistoryUnderground You can, but it takes a lot of $$$ for those that can grant it. My good friend Paul used to do Stalingrad battlefield tours, till his russian contacts ripped him off.
Since you are in Poland you really need to see the wolfs lair and make a video . great work as usual !
Definitely need to go back and check that out at some point.
I would venture there is no great love lost from the Polish for the Soviets or the Germans as they were massacred by both sides .......
Probably not.
Love these documentaries very well spoken and informative. Thank you.
Thank you!
Wile e Coyote rock, set be the Road Runner "Meep Meep" ! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🏴🇬🇧
😅
I am currently reading a memoir of a German Tiger Tank commander who fought there! It was brutal!
What is the title of this book
@@bradsellers5075 Tigers in the Mud by Otto Carrius I haven’t gotten through to that part of his story….so I am not sure how much he fought there…..maybe a lot or not so much
@@bradsellers5075 one thing I’ve noticed is that some names of towns and regions are different from that used on modern maps. I have used the internet a lot to research these places. I am currently on the part of the book relating to the battle of Varna. I know so little of this era I am not much help. But I am working on fixing that
So sad to see the state of the cemetery. Compared to the ones on the Western Front they just seemed to have forgotten the sacrifice these men and women who fought made.
Yeah, pretty sad.
This may reflect how Poland doesn’t have a high regard for how the U.S.S.R/Russia treated them historically. And even now is a threat to their peace and prosperity.
Amen to that! Okay, i understand that maintaining such things cost money and effort. But to my mind it's national heritage and should be protected.
@@PathfinderHistoryTravel - You would think that Russia would be maintaining these cemeteries in the same way that Germany does in France and Belgium.
This was very interesting. I learned something new today. I really think these sites should be better maintained for historical reasons. Great video JD.
Thanks. And yeah, I wish that there was a bit more preservation work going on with these.
I wonder if harsh winters and constantly thawing and freezing tore these things up.
This Russian POW cemetary is in Poland. It holds the remains of the soldiers of one of their invaders, murdered by their other invader. I'm not surprised that there isn't a lot of respect or effort put into making it pretty. Same goes for the bunkers that are overgrown. There must have been a lot of anger and animosity after the war from the Polish people.
After the Katyn massacre I doubt many Poles would have much appetite to keep in good shape for a memorial to Soviet soldiers
I get it. Just surprises me that the Russians don’t have a war graves commission that maintains it.
@@TheHistoryUnderground They have volounteer groups still recovering the dead (German and Russian) from Eastern front battlefields (In competition with the "BlackHat" groups who dig up soldiers remains just to sell the relics) but as far as I know nothing official like the Commonwealth War graves or the US equivallent. They seem to view lives very cheaply (nothing recently seems to have changed), and at the time were prone to punish repatriated POW's for not fighting to the death - thats why so many Russian POW's ended up in Wermacht units.
Wild E indeed….. thank you!
Really interested in that video mate I wonder guns German news it minds me that bunker in Normandy that one got deasored but can't wait for next video mate
Thanks 👊🏻
WWII Soviet Union was the biggest “Wolf in Sheep’s clothing” of the history of the world!
Looks like ravaged by time. If they tried to destroy it post war all they did was make it dangerous. Thanks again.
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Wish you could visit the Stalin line outside Minsk Belarus, it’s amazing with a very impressive tank collection and armored train etc
Some of the bunkers in the line have been well preserved
I'd certainly like to see that at some point.
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Thank you for sharing
Glad that you enjoyed it!
JD another great video but why did you have your bad camera man stand under the Wile E. Coyote rock? Personally I think most of the damage to the bunkers were either from the war or done by the Polish people after the Soviets finally left.
Ha! The cameraman is expendable. I had a Polish person comment today that the Soviet destroyed them after the war so that the Polish people couldn't use them.
I bet that ladder in the hole was their emergency escape . Like a lot of German bunkers.
Good hypothesis.
Sad to see the graves littered and unkept. Underneath the grounds lies the body of a mother’s and father’s child.
My guess is that the Nazis bombed these bunkers thus the severe damage to them. Another guess is that the reason the area is so trashed and grown up may be because of Poland's effort to put the war behind them meaning no one wanted to maintain this area, kind of like sweeping the dirt under the carpet so to speak.
Have you ever watched WW ll history hunter underground? He and his son finds the most amazing bunkers and some had helmet and gun in in it It's so amazing most are in real good shape a person could actually live in them The Germans really knew concrete.🇺🇸❤️👍
It's a good channel hes mostly on the atlantic wall in Denmark and a big in france sometimes
The soldiers that were in those bunkers are probably in that cemetery. Cool video
"The Soviet bunkers don't seem to be built with the same quality of German bunkers..." Color me NOT surprised.
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I think that the writing on that last bunker says "Speak Friend and enter".
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@@TheHistoryUnderground JD, I appreciate the fact that you're getting better about not hitting your head these days! Hope you both had a great trip.
be interesting to learn more about the Eastern Front as most of us(Americans)were concerned about the western area of combat
When we consider the evidence that the Soviet Union exercised brutality upon the Polish people and nation as invaders, equal in measure to that dished out by Nazi Germany, we cannot really be surprised that the Soviet grave site would not be cared for. We in the west should not be quick to judge when thankfully we never had to go through the experience of being simultaneously overrun by these two cruel dictatorships. The bravery and steadfastness exhibited by the Polish nation during WW2 and beyond into their eastern block days should be rightfully recognised. In my view It was certainly not the finest hour of my own country the UK and the western allies in general when we failed to back up our ally Poland in its bid for genuine freedom from Stalin’s regime; instead in effect selling them down the river, in the post war carve up of Europe.
You would think that the Russians would care for the cemetery in the same way that Germany maintains the cemeteries in places like France and Belgium. I don't know. Just seemed kind of sad.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Hi JD……I may be wrong on this, but I was led to believe the German graves in France and the Low Countries are actually maintained by local authorities/people in those areas. Now It may be that Germany contributes to their grave site upkeep in some way, I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that
British sites are maintained by the Commonwealth War graves Commission. Fascinating stuff none the less….best wishes
Those bunkers were part of one of the Soviet Union's Fortified Regions, and would've been defended with machine guns, anti-tank guns, and artillery. However, in 1941 these bunkers would've been just a negligible obstacle, when Operation Barbarossa commenced. Most were simply, bypassed.
Id be interested to know how those bunkers got destroyed, if you ever find out!
JD maybe you can research about the bunkers find out if they were destroyed by the Germans but keep up the good work catch you later next time still enjoy your history
Definitely want to do a bit more research on these.
@@TheHistoryUnderground yes, maybe you can do a video where you review this video and talk about what you have found out about these bunkers. Would be interesting!
@17:20 those like to be escape places from with in the bunker
Great video! On that first bunker, wouldn't the cave like area benford storage of ammunition and explosives? To me it looks like it was a supply area what the heavy steel walls. More of a question than an answer I guess!
Thanks! Good possibility.
Regarding the Soviet POW cemetery: considering that most of those POWs would have been occupiers of Polish territory, and considering what those Soviet occupiers did to the Polish population during and after the war, I am not at all surprised that the local populous would have nothing but disdain for those buried there.
Good video JD. Tell me did your son get the history bug like you have ?? Thank you Frank from montana.......PS I hope he did ....
Yeah, he enjoys exploring.
In Poland you should go to see Wolfschantze and Riese Hitler command places
The reason most of those were blown up is because a) either the soviets couldn’t resist blowing them up before handing them over before surrendering them to either the germans as they are wont to usually do, or b) the Germans blew them up before surrendering them to the allies. The first one was super cool, omg looked like maybe a command bunker. In that spot I really wouldnt be sutprised. I bet if you had a bit more time to wander there, you’d find a bunch of smaller defensive outworks, mg and mortar tobruks, etc. truly is a shame they were all demolished.... if you have never been to the massive semi-demolished (of course by the soviets when they were in charge in that part of Germany after the war . They were so big, so well constructed and so damn stubborn , the soviets figured it wasn’t worth the sheer amount of explosives needed to do the job) either and gave up after managing to completely demolish only one. of the smaller ones. and gave up) German concrete Me-262 assembly hangars at Weingut 1. It is.... extremely impressive. That’s the only way o can think to describe it. You’d love it, judging from the read I get from you in your content.
12:00 Reinforced ammo bunker that suffered a direct heavy artillery hit? or a heavy gun emplacement?
Very much a possibility.
There's not a lot of rebar in that for a bunker. Looks like it was built cheap and fast.
I thought the same thing. Not high quality.
I'm sure all the bunkers were TRIps (target reference points) and heavily shelled/ bombed during German offensive operations.
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