Are These the Rarest Vehicles of World War Two?
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- 'Are These the Rarest Vehicles of World War Two?'
In their latest challenge video, Luke Tomes and Louee Dessent attempt to track down the greatest monster vehicle of World War Two at Armour & Embarkation 2022, an immersive historic event which brings together dozens of original vehicles from the Second World War.
In June 1944, the sleepy country lanes of Dorset were awakened by the deafening
noise of men and machinery as the Allies prepared for their invasion
of Nazi-occupied Europe. Not only hundreds of thousands of men,
but also tens of thousands of vehicles would need to be shipped
across the channel to Normandy.
In this video, History Hit presenters Luke Tomes and Louee Dessent travel to the south coast of England, where roughly 70 to 80 genuine World War Two vehicles (including jeeps, motorcycles, trucks, halftracks, wreckers, armoured vehicles and even Sherman tanks) would, perhaps for the last time, be heading in convoy from Broadmayne village though the leafy back roads of Dorset, passing by the world famous Bovington Tank Museum for a static display and demonstration runs before heading to Dorchester to be met by crowds of military enthusiasts.
The team's challenge was to find
some of the biggest, rarest and most impressive vehicles of the Second World War.
Among the contenders were the M26 Pacific Dragon Wagon, the M4 High Speed Tractor, the Lloyd Carrier and the Mack NO 7½-ton 6x6 truck pulling a "Long Tom".
But who would find the ultimate monster vehicle of World War Two?
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#worldwartwo #secondworldwar #ww2
00:00 Introduction
01:19 Vehicle Preparations For D-Day
04:54 Moreton Forest
06:00 Bovington Tank Museum
06:32 M3A1 Halftrack
07:52 Military Training Ground
10:31 Convoy Enters Dorchester
11:24 Vehicle: Loyd Carrier
15:43 Vehicle: Mack NO Truck & "Long Tom"
17:51 Vehicle: M26 Pacific Dragon Wagon
21:37 Vehicle: M4 High-Speed Tractor
26:20 Monster Vehicle Challenge Winner
Hope you enjoyed the vehicle guys! What’s your favourite WW2 vehicle? 🤔
I enjoyed every one shown. Got the tinglies seeing them moving along from above. 💖 Thanks for sharing this very special event with all of us!
M4A3E8 Sherman tank, specifically the one from "Fury".
Quad 50 half track, is my favorite. Amazes me how much equipment was left after the war.
I agree with you guys: The dragon wagon. That thing looks so Mad Max, and it could potentially still go to work on the road today. Can you imagine it hauling a broken down modern truck on its trailer, while that truck still has its trailer attached? That's an actual freaking road train. Very impressive video, great stuff.
the Dragon Wagon goes to the top
My dad was a tracked vehicle mechanic with the 4th Armored Division. He used all sorts of recovery vehicles including the Dragon Wagon. There were Sherman's fitted with cranes and also some pretty massive wreckers.
He got shelled somewhere between Nancy and Metz and almost died. He was in a coma for more than a year. He said the first thing he remembers is seeing a very attractive nurse standing at the bedside taking notes. He just said, "Well hello there!".
The poor nurse promptly fainted.
He said he always felt bad about that as she hit her head quite badly.
He did ask her to dinner later but she turned him down...... LOL!
Dad died on his 70th birthday in 1979. I miss him to this day.
God bless all of the brave but terrified souls that stepped off those ships. Truly the greatest generation.
Sounds like an awesome dad. I had an uncle who was buried alive in New Guinea, when a Japanese shell collapsed his trench.lucky his mates were there to dig him out. He was a true gentleman. Physically tough but an amazing heart of gold. He'd spent his youth travelling Australia of horseback before the war as a stockman and him and his brother used to preform at the local shows or fairs. As professional trick riders and whip crackers. When I was a kid we used to spend Christmases visiting him and his wife ,my mum's oldest sister on their big sugar cane farm beside the ocean. I miss him and my aunt
Your dad sounds like he was a really cool guy. my gpa was a us soldier captured at the battle of the bulge by nazi forces. i reckon by the time frame in his journal that he arrived to combat around the time of the normandy invasion. he was horribly underweight when he got rescued and unfortunately passed before i was born, but my mom says we would have really liked each other. also very cool to see a fellow machinist in the comments :)
A huge thank you to your father, and the rest of The Greatest Generation for a "JOB WELL DONE."👏🇺🇸
My dad, Jack Keith was a 19 year old WW2 U S army medic at D day, he drove an ambulence on to a landing tank craft in southern England. He landed that ambulence on the 2nd day at Omaha beach. The ambulance was full of medical supplies for a mobile hospital. His medical battallion was attached to a signal corp unit.
I was the same age as your dad when I joined up as a combat medical technician with the RAF. I eventually trained up to paramedic grade where I moved squadron onto the Medical Emergency Response Team, serving in Afghanistan. That was one heck of a baptism of fire, but nothing compared to what Jack must have experienced.
I have the utmost and heartfelt respect for men like you dad, who (like all frontline military medical personnel who came after his generation) we consider trailblazers in the field of saving lives when so many were being taken on such a horrific scale. Then there is the monumental advancements in battlefield medicine and casualty evacuation we had in Afghanistan and Iraq... I can't even begin to imagine the overwhelming odds those D-Day medics endured and overcame, getting so many men back home to their families...
It would have been quite the privilege to talk to him and compare our experiences should he have been so inclined.
All the very best to you and yours Keith, from Yorkshire, England.
Edit:
_"In_ _Ardius_ _Fidelis"_ 🇬🇧🇺🇸
@@residentelect years ago I worked at a local casino and hotel there also a college in town 2 students were talking about nothing good came out of WW2 or the military needless to say I schooled their DUMB arses asked them were they though trauma center technology came where the US interstate system came from and many other things people take for granted
it's spelled 'Ambulance'!!!
I have to agree, out of the vehicles you featured, the Dragon Wagon goes to the top. Thanks for the video, and thank you to all the vehicle owner and restoration crews.
I haven't even watched the video yet but it makes no difference. Even once I do see every vehicle my opinion simply cannot be changed:
"Dragon Wagon wins 'greatest' vehicle of all time, regardless of what it's competing with, on name alone".
The owner/operator was WAY off on nomenclature. It is the M26 Tank recovery tractor and the trailer is the M15 Trailer. This combination was called the M25 Tank Transporter and used from 1941-1955.
I couldn’t agree more, that’s why I will be featuring a LEGO version of the Dragon Wagon & trailer I designed pretty soon. The design looks so far ahead of it’s time.
Surprised how modern it looks
Dragon Wagon has always looked to me like something out of a science fiction movie. Its hard to believe its an 80 year old design.
My grandfather was a sgt in the 5th infantry division in ww2, and I had complained one day about having to walk 5 miles home from school ,he looked at me and said try walking from France to Germany. My grandfather said that his favorite vehicle, like many other vets was the jeep . that tiny little vehicle did more for the troops on the ground, and in the foxholes than any other. It got them to aid stations when injured, it brought them supplies and ammo when pinned down. but as you saw in this video it was just another tooth in a giant sprocket.
My guy smoking a ciggy whilst standing up on the back of a halftrack on a training grounds really is the pinnacle of man
Excellent video guys. We all love to see the 'usual' Sherman's etc in this type of video, but it's great to see the lesser known support vehicles for a change. To be honest, I was completely unaware of most of the vehicles you showed, so it was a education for me personally. Also, well done to all those who restored the vehicles to working order and then take them out to show to the public. Many thanks to you all.
I agree, if most of them didn't keep the vehicles around. I think most would never know about them.
Beautiful Canadian, British and American Machines. Great video chaps! Thank you both for teaching and showing the world what our WWII Soldiers would’ve saw. Much love from across the pond in Ohio, USA.
The Dragon Wagon is like something I'd draw as a kid, so gloriously chonky and oversize.
Great video! I love anything WWII related, European arena not too much Asian. My father served during the war he was in England Belgium France and Germany and I’m sure there were more countries, but I forget them. I’m pleased to see all the restored vehicles and guns. I bet he would have loved to see this video as well! Great job stay safe
Wow this must have been an incredible experience!
Man, i can't imagine what it must have been like to ride along in this convoy, seeing all those ww2 vehicles trudging along down the narrow country lanes, it really must have felt like driving through Normandy, to experience just a small snippet of what it must have been like 76 years ago!
Absolutely incredible sight, and i do hope one day i get to see it as well and experience this fascinating piece of history!
I agree! They must have had the best time filming this one😁
My grandad was a fireman in Londons docks, when the troops were loading up he was putting out a building fire that was full of cigarettes so they were throwing them up to the troops on the lorries.
@@LordInter
Not all heroes wear capes mate 😉
Bet those packs of Seniour Service and Capstan Navy Cut steadied a few nerves on the journey across the Channel!!
@@residentelect and the night before because this would of been the original day before it was pushed back when they were moving them all forward to then be loaded up. Him and my other grandparents all knew something BIG was up but no one said a thing 😊
@@LordInter Great place for the cigarettes. Troops always found a use for cigarettes. We did the same when I served in the US Army during the Vietnam era.
Brilliant, what a sight! The amount of dedication to maintain and showcase these vehicles could never be found outside of the UK
Overall, that's a pretty amazing collection of WW2 vehicles!
History hit no doubt one brilliant future
I guffawed at the gent grinning and drawing on his heater while they griped about the dust! 😶🌫️😮💨😂
Yeah, a proper chap compared to these two :)
Yeah, I saw that. It was hilarious.
That's honestly a dream day out for any war nut fan! Awesome show of might 👊💪🇬🇧🇨🇦🇺🇸
You have to hand it to the people who own these things, The time and money spent to keep these things running. For what ever reasons they do this in the end they keep History Alive!
Yes, a very expensive labour of love.
You may not have noticed but the 'Dragon-Wagon' is apparently chain driven. There are
shots of chain drive at 21:07, and 21:28, and possibly other shots too.
I think you will find the Mack truck is also chain drive.
@@bigboy9693 Mack No is with drive shafts, no chains for the wheels. 👍
Mack and Sterling As well as Cook Bros.. Cheap rugged way to increase final drive reduction.
@@vastylebbq5203 But not Mack No as in this video. It has normal axles driven by cardan shafts.
For what it's worth, every tracked vehicle in the video is chain driven.
I had the privilege of meeting a WW2 6 pdr anti-tank gunner many years ago. I asked him about his experiences and he said going into action was terrifying. He elaborated that the two main reasons for that remark was that the 6pdr was seriously outranged by the armament of the German tanks they were up against and when they fired it the propellant charge created a massive muzzle flash and a big cloud of white smoke that instantly gave away their position, so it was one shot then limber up and get away as fast as possible before counter fire came in. He lost a lot of mates due to return fire.
He said the 6pdr round had a solid tungsten core so it gave no indication of impact unless it triggered a secondary fire or explosion which meant they had no idea if they had hit the target. If it was a moving target it might continue trundling along even if the crew had been incapacitated.
That sounds absolutely horrible.
@@GetDougDimmadomed Aye, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like to go to war, least of all in that capacity.
Would have been nice if we looked more at the vehicles and a lot less chit-chat.
It's sad we lost lives and a rare WW 2 B-17 a few weeks ago. They can never be replaced. R.I.P.
Gents always remember a third class ride is better than a first class walk.
That old timer is just standing there smoking his cig and these two panzies are complaining of the dust.
My Grandfather worked at the Bedford factory, transmission shop, making army trucks & Churchill tanks. He was also home guard (dad's army) too.
Great videos and interviews with the men that keep these monsters alive! Without them, none of us could see them. Cheers! from Minnesota.
I wish you could of got on a tank. I was a tank commander in Vietnam. 1968/1969 M48A3.
loved the video guys and the m26 dragon wagon! THANK YOU to the greatest generation for defending freedom and using these vehicles to give me the opportunity to live as a free person today! God Bless from the USA!
Our pleasure!
The "Dragon Wagons" were built in my Hometown, of Renton, Washington U.S.A., along with the Shermans they towed. PC&F is still around today, known as "PACCAR" and build among other things, Kenworth, Peterbilt, DAF, and Leyland trucks!
Fantastic video. Thanks guys 😊
back then "no man left behind" now "convoy needs to keep rolling"
Interesting fact about the Dragon Wagon, the rear wheels aren't driven by a traditional axle. Instead of turning both rear axles, the transmission runs to a single axle located between the two rear axles, which in turn runs massive chains, and the drive wheels have sprockets on them.
They also had 2 brake pedals, so you could brake driver and passenger sides independently, which helps hooking to a trailer in rough terrain.
The German 18T Famo and the Dragon Wagon would be mine top 2 non tank. Thanks for showing.
Of course you continue your exellent job
Fantastic guys
I'm a bit jealous guys. I wish I knew that was going on 👍👍
My dad had two Fords with the Marmon Harrington 4 wheel drive conversions. To my knowledge they were the first 4 wheel drive pick ups ever made for Ford. Some people call them “Marmies” I’ve heard. I knew a man who had a dodge 4 wheel from that era, a 1942. It’s nickname was the “War Baby”! Both were very handsome and drew crowds no matter how many other pickups there were!
18:05 That's a handy piece of kit! You could make a living recovering broken down HGVs today.
Pretty good but I wish we could have seen more pictures that showed the entire vehicle… I saw bits and pieces of them and guys riding around on them and talking
Try doing a little on line research. Very easy to do.
@@larryzigler6812 obviously I’m going to have to, usually these type of video’s are educational…. Not this one. I have a 1964 M-37 military truck and have done plenty of research on it
Thanks for posting your excellent video of an impressive collection of operating WW2 tanks and vehicles!
Love these lads, great video.
I remember coming back form Devon and finding myself at the back of a convoy of American Willys jeeps and other random WW2 vehicles. I did look a bit out of play with 2 sea kayaks on the roof of my car but needless to say it was a fun journey home.
I've been in a few military convoys, which were usually going from or to a firing range. Eating the dust is never pleasant, but if you can be on a paved road, it was always so much better.
VW Schwimmwagen is my favourite WWII vehicle.
Love your work 👍
Why would this convoy be the last of its kind? These living pieces of history are so important to remembering those who served.
Probably because of the amount of vehicles that take part
Half truck was my number one! I live in northern Michigan and a 4 wheel drive with tracks on the back would get me through anything Mother Nature threw🥰👍
I've always had a thing for the half tracks. This past summer I bought property outside of Lake City and thought yep, half track would be great up here. Not only for the ORV trails but I'd have a way to get around during the winter. I have a jeep cherokee but the half track would be better. (I reside 20 miles north of Lansing but plan on building up north in a couple of years.)
Amazing content! The tanks with Canadian engines, fun fact, 1st DID go faster. Problem is they out did the fuel trucks. So they made the engines to match what the already working fuel trucks most of the Armed Allied forces had in the field.👍😎👍
Tanks with Candian engines?? Fuel trucks? Strange story you are telling..
The US choose petrol only for easier fuel logistics. The prefered the Ford GAA V8 engine and used 9-cil. radial to fill up the numbers.
So they send the diesel versions (and the version with the odd petrol 30-cil A57 Multibank engine) to the British and Ruzzians for the Lend Lease program..
@@CarLos-yi7ne Did you not watch the mechanic TELL US HE USED CANADIAN ENGINES IN THE 🇬🇧BRITISH TANKS??? It's not " my " story. It is literally the content of his episode. Maybe you should watch ALL of it. Take notes. Don't attack people who appreciate how the British and Canadian forces worked together, to fight the war , for almost 4 years , before 🇺🇸 joined in. Of COURSE there were better supplies, fresh equipment when 🇺🇸United with the rest of the World, After Pearl Harbour. But before 🇺🇸, they did the best they could , with the supplies that came from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.And I do know a little something about the Canadian Tanks. Been inside and had a few rides. My Dad was a D. I. And Small arms specialist. Taught survival skills, live off the land. My Uncle was a pilot for 🇺🇸, invented an adaption used on the Radar set ups. Another Uncle was a pilot for Canada. 3 uncle's Navy. Father in law. Marines🇺🇸 , my husband Viet Nam🇺🇸. I appreciate ALL the stories these men have to tell. Esp. Since some are still alive to tell them.
I have heard many stories , and I try to learn from a guy who was there🌟 Look. at General Patton . He was racing another General,( Montgomery) to see who could get to Berlin 1st. He got so far into Germany, so fast , he ran out of gas, because the supply trucks were slower. They even put it in the George C Scott Movie of Patton . It's Part of. History!-👍🙏😇🙏💓🇬🇧🇺🇸💓🙏😇🙏
@@tada6672 The challenge for any military, going back to the Greeks in the B.C. era, was to ensure the logistics were able to supply the troops with the needed items when they needed them.
@@Harry-zz2oh TRUE! "Storming Norman" Schwarzkopf , who said , at the end of the day, " keep your feet dry, and the food plenty, and it better taste good" . My Dad was out on Winter survival training (ww2) and the supply guy sent boxes and boxes of food. Once at destination, eager for a hot meal, EVERY box was full of canned salmon! They are a hundred miles from anywhere, Dad being one of the few who knew how hunt and fish , " well we ARE here for survival training" , ended up being the guy teaching, who had any real practical experience. But don't EVER open a can of salmon in our house!!!😂
@@tada6672 I served during the Vietnam War. One item we had plenty of was Spam or its equivalent. We would get about 5 five pound cans of it to serve to the troops (I was a cook). Fried up it wasn't too bad but a little goes a long way.
I particularly like the attention you paid to one undersung hero the carden carrier used everywhere but without the glamour of some others
My grandfather was a Bren carrier driver, still my favourite ww2 vehicle 👍🏻
@@meme4one they’re another great vehicle which gets overlooked you know they mounted a 57mm anti tank gun on some of those !!!
What an experience, I wish we got to see these type of things on our side of the ocean
I loved the part on the half track when the boys are complaining about the dust and the gent in the back is just smiling and smoking 🤣
Where men are men and boys hide away from all the nasty dust . Wimps .
Keep it coming gents!
The last one of its kind... 😢
Absolutely superb !
Great video, What a fantastic initiative - that convoy was! Also the 2 pints of Guinness to finish the video was perfect :)
Great video of excellent armour and utility vehicles✌️
There is a photo of a Dragon Wagon pulling a trailer with a Jagdtiger (70 ton) German tank destroyer on the back. IMPRESSIVE machine!!!
Wow. Great video! Thank you!!!
Thanks again.
Great video!
This was great guys! I learned about the Lloyd having a Ford V8 and I never new that!
I would like to comment on the M26 tank recovery vehicle. There are about 6 in the UK including static display. I know that in the Netherlands there is also a M26 (working order) and a M25 (unarmoured) version in a static display (war museum Overloon). I guess the largest ww2 vehicle convoy must be the Operation market-garden convoy 2019 about 600 Allied vehicles there was also an other convoy XXX-corps convoy 2019 only vehicles and tanks used by XXX-corps and also marked as and all participants dressed in the correct British uniforms. In 2024 both organisations will do it again. Would be nice to join. Also includng several parachute drops on several former dropzones.
I will be there again with the Dodge 6x6!💪🏼
The M25 and M26 were originally designed and built by The Knuckey truck company but they couldn’t keep up with demand so most were built by Pacific trucks another logging truck company in California
Since 2014 there have been 2 large convoys between the French beaches and Nijmegen in the Netherlands. About 400 vehicles were present. And in the last Bovington Museum took part.
By any chance do you have anymore information? It would be great to go see it if they do it again
@@wizardoofoz in September there still are small groups of historical visiting parts of the highway to hell, the corridor from Belgium to Nijmegen. And the dropzone near Arnhem.
Incredible video guys! gave me shivers when you were on those back roads
Glad you enjoyed it!
what a great video! thank you very much.
Very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up
its good to see history is repeating it self
As a kid on the east coast of the U.S. during the mid to late ‘40s, I can remember sales lots offering jeeps, 3/4 tons, Deuce and a Halfs, DUKWs, etc.
That was absolutely fantastic a joy to watch.
Many thanks!
All the British people dressed up as Americans in American vehicles, is really funny to me.
Thank You , That is a Very Rare collection .
The dragon wagon definitely is amazing, I had the opportunity to mess with the new age wreckers armored and unarmored while I was in the Marines and I gotta say the dragon definitely was a amazing restoration and amazing contribution to the war in clearing and recovering foreign and domestic tanks and vehicles
Semper Fi, fellow 3536 here
The Dragon Wagon were the vehicles that Wynns Heavy Haulage bought and converted to Cummins diesel and recabbed them to their own distinctive design, and, I'm sure there is at least one on the vintage rally scene.
Very well done God Bless All may Peace Prevail ✌️
Excellent, this is first time I've seen the inside a DRAGON WAGON!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍
Perfect place to debrief.🇬🇧🍻👍
Last week I was at the war museum at the Bordem base in Ontario, greetings, excellent video
Exellent channel no doubt
The wrecker m1 and m1a1 wreckers made by kenworth and word LaFrance with the federal truck frame and built for for towing and recovery tanks and other vehicles as well and the sherman tanks where converted into tank recovery vehicles as well
The m25 and m26 "dragon wagon" was manufactured by the Pacific car and foundry corporation they are the same company that owns "kenworth" trucks . The company produced 2100 of the
m26's the m15 trailer was made by another company I think it was frehaugh (most likely I spelled that wrong).
That “Dragon Wagon” is just amazing!
Ford was the first company able to cast a v8 block. His engineers told henry it was impossible but henry told them to keep working on it. I worked with a guy who was a seebee in the pacific in ww2. He said some of their heavy equipment had chain final drives on them for building runways. My mother welded Sherman tanks here in Detroit during the war.
Cool, thank you 👌🤗
You guys need to visit dragonman's museum
Bravo to the team nice atmosphere
Great stuff
All I can think about seeing the bush land is someone from ww2 coming out and shooting them up I got chills just from watching that part
That was epic
I like the allis M4 tractor. I know they are pretty dang rare.
Damn; good show!
Otsvof fun. Thanks lads.
Amazing line up
Really shows how intricate military organization has remained for century
Very little change in the thought process and detail too
Just advances in technology that allowed previous generations to look different and be more efficient
I'm kind of proud I recognize all the vehicles shown :P
Very interesting video and some very rare vehicles.
To add to the history a little point you possibly weren't aware of. The ford that you crossed I recognised and it is in the village where T E Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia is buried
Spectacular all, but my vote must also go to the Dragon Wagon.
A famous quip was that all the equipment that was shipped to England would soon sink the island !
I was lucky enough be around an M26 and an M4 some years ago. Because they were in the Pacific Northwest they had been set-up for use in logging.
Why is your channel so underrated? The content is so amazing
Thanks!
Nice like all of it
My grandfather once told me a story about kludged halftrack when he was serving in New Guinea campaign. on this Hlaftrack, on the front bumper had welded-on crane with hand crank pulley system. Because once stuck, you cant exactly turn around and pull jeeps or 2 and 1/2 ton out of rocky and/or mud ruts way up in the mountains. so these half tracks had cranes on BOTH front and rear. it was interesting. He told me albeit funny story, Either you gotta drive fast under gunfire and risk burst tires or sliding right into ravines. or drive slowly and risk being shot at. Such a life, he took a swig of his coffee.
Interesante video sobre estas maquinas de la 2WW Saludos desde Chile
I was brought up on the pride of winning the War. It is an incredible experience to see how brave our men were to continue the fight against the evil of Hitler and his persecution of others.
The problem with anything really useful like a dragon Waggon or a Bren gun carrier is they got used and worn out like something really useful and that made them rare :o)
The Loyd carrier or the Universal carrier. Which was derived from it. Could be configured as a Bren gun, or machine gun carrier, a scout carrier, and a troop and supply carrier. They were made in the UK Canada Australia and New Zealand. Based on standardised specifications for military vehicles and equipment. As agreed to at the Commonwealth Defence Meetings in London. Which were part of the pre war re-armament programs. These carriers were shipped to all the war theatres. North Africa Europe Asia and the Pacific. Their standard power unit was the flat head Ford V8.
The way that track vehicle works is there is clutches on the final drives and when you pull the right stick it locks up the right clutch which causes the track to stop rotating and allow the left track to push the vehicle around in the turn the only thing with a tracked vehicle is when you steer you got to apply power you can't Coast into a steer like you can in a motor car