I've worked in powerplants in Philadelphia, PA my entire career, specifically with steam turbine maintenance. When I first started back in the late 1980's, there were still WW2 vets as foreman and management. We used heavy pneumatic tooling to disassemble the turbines. We had a 2 1/2" drive pneumatic gun that was used to disassemble the turbine casings during outages. This gun was so large that we had to hang it from the overhead crane to use it, simply because it was so large that we could not hold it up. The sound of this thing was deafening. Imagine the pneumatic guns that are used today in F1 or NASCAR or your local auto shop to remove tires, well those guns usually use a 1/2" or 3/8" drive (at least in America). The gun we used was 2 1/2" drive, It resembled what a jackhammer looks like. The old timers (WW2 Vets) affectionately called that gun the "88". The reason they called it the 88 was because they said it sounded like a German 88 firing during the war. We used that gun into the late 90's, long after all those Vets had retired. Just something I thought I'd share, My little piece of history.
Thank you, for sharing this. My father, born 1919 in germany, was on the other side of the barrel of the 88 during WW2, first operating the gun, than comanding a 88unit in russia, later in france. The 88 saved constandly the asses of the german "Landsers" on the frontline, when a thread due to tanks apeared. My father got decades after the war letters from former WW2 Infantry men, who thank the 88units for thair service. I ve seen several letters of these peronally. War is pure hell, never again. Regards from germany
I was a real estate salesman in the late 1990's and I was extremely lucky to meet and talk with many ww2 vets who told me some of their stories. I met a German U-boat man who later became a US citizen, a b-17 tail gunner who fired at many German planes but couldn't tell if he hit any, a US Army forward artillery observer who lasted 4 hours in combat before being severely wounded, and a guy who served in the occupation force after the war, and fell in love with a woman from Czechoslovakia who he still dreamed about in this late 70's.
Thats why growing up in the 70s and 80s was the best, there was new digital breakthroughs but there was still the cool old stuff to learn from, it lasted till the 90s, after 2000 Y2K nonsense, all that ended...
I went to work in a paper mill right out of high school in 1971 and practically all of the pressman were war vets. During breaks and lunch I used to bug the shit out of them for war stories. About half were European vets and the other were Pacific and man, did they have some fascinating stories to tell. The Euro vets all said that 88 one of the things that they feared the most after Normandy. I loved those guys and they were so patient with me asking one question after another. My Dad was Navy in the Pacific and was onboard the USS Lexington at Coral Sea in 1942. He was wounded, spent a year in a naval hospital, and medically discharged in late '43. I still have his dress blue uniform with the Purple Heart he won. Rest in peace Greatest Generation, we never would have won it and became the nation we did without you.
An 88 story from the American side: My grandfather was gun chief on a 155mm howitzer in the 3rd Army, apparently after they'd crossed the Rhine at Remagen his battery was moving along a mountain road to new firing positions to support the advance, his truck towing his gun being the lead vehicle. As they rounded a curve on the mountain side he looked right down the muzzle of an 88 a few hundred meters ahead. He screamed "everybody out" and they bailed as the 88 blew the truck to pieces. His crew all survived the blast and scooted back around the curve to stop the rest of the convoy. He said what hurt the most was the loss of about a dozen cases of cognac that had been in the back of the truck!
That's good stuff. It's just kind of odd that the whole column's first idea there was trouble was not from scouting, but from the first truck in the convoy.
My wife's grandfather was a member of the Luftwaffe: an NCO in charge of an 88 and its crew stationed near Wilhelmshaven. His military career ended one day when, as he told it, an unexploded shell from another battery fell back to earth and detonated, destroying his emplacement and killing his crew. He had just walked to the far side of a staff car and was shielded from the blast but, as he explained, the car itself was a shredded hulk of burning metal after the explosion. Opa spent the remainder of the war recovering from his near-fatal wounds and he never missed the opportunity to say "I was in the Luftwaffe, but I was never a Nazi."
I’ve told this before, my Father was in the Artillery in WW2, in the Middle East his 25 pounder just plain wore out, they were issued with a new new German 88 mm that had been captured, they fought the 88 for nearly 9 months. He showed me that same 88 over 35 years later, it was in a museum in Australia, it still had shrapnel scars on it from a close burst that put him in hospital for over a month and killed other members of his crew.
@@anthonyburke5656 If I ever get up to Darwin I'll definitely have a look, was hoping you were going to say the IWM in Canberra, it's a bit closer to home(Gosford).👍
@@geoffdyer1150 Hi Geoff, unknown tome, I was a central figure in an exhibit at the IWM for some years, I’ve not been there in over 60 years, but an old comrade informed me a blown up photo of me figured at the entrance to the Vietnam exhibit for some years. I didn’t even recall the pic until reminded of an infiltration we did via cav.
If your father had known what Australia was to become he would have fought for the Germans . Our government is now our enemy ... Would he have surrended his guns ?
Heard in Africa a captured British officer complained that using AA guns against tanks was unsporting. One of the German officers replied that it was unsporting of the British to field tanks that required AA guns to knock out.
No doubt that there were some dinosaur British officers who didn't understand that war is not sport. There was a senior American official (Dulles?) who tried to stop the OSS being formed in WW2 because gentlemen do not read other people's letters. People like this got a lot of their their own people killed.
@@roadie3124 a lot of those dinosaurs were 'disposed of' during the Boer wars and the Boxer rebellions (~1900)... Those that survived that were promoted to mainly desk jobs during WW 1... Then they ran head-long into Winnie... Who had his own ideas about the competence of the senior officers. (All services, not just Army) Why do you think Lord Mountbatten, a Commodore in the Navy was appointed British Commander of the Indian theatre... That's about a 4 rank jump! (And no, it wasn't because he was related to the King)
@@EarlJohn61 There were still some idiots left in WW2. Winston was good at rooting out the idiots in senior ranks, but the captains, majors and colonels were too junior to get his personal attention. Even the ones who were removed were often removed to appointments where they shouldn't have been able to do any serious damage. Perhaps they were left there as initiative tests for junior officers. My family was in the middle of it. My grandfather went from private to lieutenant in WW1. My father joined the British army in 1944 and was a captain by 1945. One of my uncles was a RAF doctor. The other was a lieutenant in the RNVR and was a navigating officer in destroyers on Atlantic and Arctic convoys. After university, my mother worked on guidance systems for guided missiles with her maths degree from 1944. My wife's father was a Battle of Britain fighter pilot. Her step-father was captain (lieutenant RNR) of a landing craft on D-Day. We talked about idiots.
We trained with 88s in Finnish coast artillery back in -88. Often, when you looked at a shell against light, you could see the german eagle shape under the paint. Good and accurate gun. In comparison, we later trained with russian 76mm guns. In that gun, there is an additional crew member, the leaner. And leaner has one job: to lean. You would place a pole to the gun, where there was a factory-made place for it, and the idea was to take away all that extra horizontal movement (there was plenty) and keep the tension to the same side in order to hit something. Also, one crew member had to surrender their trouser suspenders, because the aiming telescope was plagued with the same problem, lots of movement. Suspenders tighten the telescope.
M1 Garand shooters do something similar with a loose rear sight (most have play). One stretches a doubled rubber band over the rear aperture and pull it over the elevation knob, taking out the movement. The splines holding the front sight to the barrel likewise develop play over time and are often peened or lock-tited. One in as-issued condition can usually hit a man-sized target at 300 yds but it isn’t a tack-driver by any stretch.
@@noleshot2713 As much as the M1 Garand had been an advanced weapon at the beginning of the WW2, after it ended, that rifle quickly became obsolete. Far from being the only such weapon but the contrast stands out to me.
The Germans have always engineered and manufactured some incredible machinery, sometimes to a fault. I know people who have been crane operators in Liebherr and Terex cranes and they say they are incredibly well made. In fact one of them told me the US manufacturers should be embarrassed.
My dad was a tank crewman with the Canadian Army in Italy and northern Europe. I heard several horror stories about 88's taking out a Sherman by "going in the front, and out the rear", and still hitting the tank behind..... FEAR is an understatement when the 88 is involved.
@@MelchizedekKohen Sorry pal, you'll have to accept the fact that America won that war, and that your friends, the Nazis lost it big time. America thrived and Germany was destroyed - they signed an official surrender and turned in all their weapons. This may come as news to you, but that constitutes "Losing". We survived and prospered - that defines "Winning." Welcome to English 101. First semester.
So since the 88’s were around since the Spanish Civil War,... why didn’t the Allies copy and manufacture those that were captured in the early part of WW2 ? It’s not like they were made of some secret/unknown alloy, or put together in some fashion that couldn’t be copied ?? Appreciate any thoughts. Cheers
@@teatonaz It´s a complex piece of machinery. They would have to reverse engineer it and build assembly lines. That takes time, material and manpower. It may also mess up logistics. If it does not fit the tactics, the military might not want it - doubly so if they think the war is over before the copy is available.
Wow! I can’t believe you mentioned Colonel Hans von Luck! I have not heard that name in a long time. I actually met him in the early 90s. I took a WW2 history class from Stephen Ambrose at U of New Orleans and he brought him to speak to our class. He was a very nice guy. He also brought Major John Howard from the British 6th Airborne. This was right around the time. Band of Brothers was released. He also put on a seminar where I met Dick Winters, Carwood Lipton and Walter Gordon before they were famous.
My uncle was flying over Normandy one day in June 1944 when one of them showed up outside his gun turret. It had run out of puff, and since it didn't explode, maybe a dud, but it was a huge shell, and there it was, sitting there. Raus and von Luck both write incredibly good books, too, for those interested.
When I was a boy, back in the dark ages, one of my friend's dad was a german immigrant. A really good guy - warm-hearted and fun to be around. After I'd known him a while, he told me he'd been a crew captain of an 88 anti-aircraft gun doing his best to bring American bombers down. I was somewhat taken aback, but he explained that he'd been a conscript, and had he refused duty, he'd have been shot. He came to the USA after the war the first chance he got. That was an important lesson for a young lad - to expand the consideration of what an "enemy" can be. Brings the great song "Brothers in Arms" to mind...
While the 88 was, without a doubt, the most effective artillery piece of WW2 just remember - A gun is only as accurate as the person aiming it. Kudos to the highly trained crews who manned these guns.
Also being employed in a largely defensive role, well concealed and having the advantage of having the first, second and probably the third shots off before the enemy could counter it.
Not 'the most effective' because the German's made the 105mm their standard Artillery gun. Unless you believe the Generals were stupid and decided to use an inferior weapon. Awkward fact-there were only 12 8.8cm guns in a Panzer Division compared to over 200 75mm tubes.
Well, you go right ahead and give kudos to the Nazi pigs who lost the war. Someone ought to teach you that the American 155 howitzers destroyed the 88's. Winning the war - that's "Effective." I'll give my kudos to the brave American crews of the mighty 155 - and WON the war.
My Grandfather and Great uncle fought in France and of the very few things either would talk about was the unique sound of the 88. 30 year after the fact Uncle Al (Cross of Lorraine Div) got goosebumps remembering the sound and fury of those guns. Thank you for yet another piece of history that deserves to be remembered.
@The History Guy I LOVE your Splendid stories of History, but I am even more moved to read the History of WW2. Your depth of knowledge is hard to match. Even more fascinating are the personal accounts of actual WW2 Veterans who comment on your videos. As well as the people who had personal relationships and stories to tell of such men of the Greatest Generation. Your historical literaries, or should I say Visionaries, bring out accounts of such historical personalities that would otherwise been lost to time, now written for all to see, preserve, and of course, remember. Thank you, good Sir, for bringing History alive, and evoking the Memories therein. I have more respect for you than for any other historian that I know of. After you are gone, witch I hope is a LONG time from now, History will Definitely remember You, THG.
My dads main job in WW2 as a Liaison pilot and spotter for an armored artillery battalion was to scout ahead of the columns for just this weapon. He was nearly hit twice by 88's before he discovered them as the Germans had them very well camouflaged and intelligence reports often had them marked as eliminated when they were only slightly damaged and the crews were quickly replaced. Needless to say, those guns were destroyed in short order by 155mm fire called down on them. they were greatly feared by all armored units, but fortunately, they were used as direct fire weapons and the terrain in most situations allowed them to be spotted from the air before they could fire on the armored columns. Dad not only saved hundreds of allied lives, but accounted for several dozen 88's during the final push against Germany.
Fliers called most all the AAA 88s and saying that they were damaged or shot down by “ACK ACK” which comes from the German word for 8 ergo Ack . So ACK ACK meant 88
@@oceanhome2023 Uh ... no ... While AA was referred to as ACK ACK - it was apparently a British Term en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-aircraft_warfare#Terminology Also - the German word for Eight is "acht" not "ack". And - the German word for Eighty eight is "achtundachtzig" not "ack ack". AA - stood for Anti-Aircraft AAA - stood for Anti-Aircraft Artillery Flak - was short for Fliegerabwehrkanone .
A gun with mechanics and optics designed to shoot down fast, high flying aircraft married with a high velocity shell... no wonder they were so murderous against armor.
Unlike most allied AA guns, the 8.8 was equipped with a high quality optical sight for ground targets and ammunition specifically designed for the anti-tank role.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Of course you have to have the appropriate ammunition for AT work, but as I understand it, the ground sight and aerial sight were actually one and the same.... a unitary sight that allowed the gunner to swap from one to the other in just a few moments. The 88L56 of the Flak units, while deadly, was nothing compared to the 88L71 of the King Tiger, the Jagdpanther, the Nashorn, and it's towed version.
@@harlech2 Respectfully, the 88 had a sight specifically designed for direct fire. The US Army technical manual explains: “The sighting and fire control equipment for the 8.8 cm Flak 18 or 36 varies depending on the use to which the weapon is put. The weapon can be used for direct fire as for antitank work, for indirect fire, or for anti aircraft fire.” The Zielfernrohr 20 telescopic gun sight was developed for direct fire. While the Allies had AA guns of comparable quality, they were not designed like the 8.8 to be used in the ground fire role. When eventually adapted to armor, they had to be heavily modified. The distinction of the 8.8 was not that it was an AA gun, but that it was designed- from weight, to carriage, to sights, to barrel design (barrels have to be replaced more often in the antitank role-hence the three part barrel) to crew training to be effective for both AA and direct fire. Allied guns were not. If the reason was “a gun with mechanics and optics designed to shoot down fast, high flying aircraft,” then the US 90 mm gun would have been used similarly. The KWK 36 used on the Tiger I really only modified the gun to fit the turret. Otherwise it was the same as the 8.8 cm Flak. The KWK 43 was an entirely different late war weapon built in competition with the larger 8.8 cm Flak 41.
I enjoy not so much learning, which is always critical, but the way, speech, cadence, and enthusiasm you bring is what makes your videos well worth watching. Thank you.
I live in the Ruhr, where many of the factories that made parts for the „Acht-Acht“ were located. Bochumer Verein (who manufactured barrels for the gun) and Eisen-und Hüttenwerke AG (who also supplied some of the special alloys needed for the U Boats - renamed SWB after the war), among others, are located here. Bochum, Essen (where Krupp was located) Duisburg and the rest of the Ruhr were basically the industrial powerhouse of Nazi Germany, where much of the heavy industry and mining operations were located. So the area was considered crucial for the war effort, making it a prime target for air raids. I saw a photo exhibition recently where pictures were shown, made during the last days of the war as well as the first post-war years. It is such a strange feeling to see these pictures - even more so if you know exactly where they were shot. Some landmarks have not changed much at all. So in some cases you can still go and stand exactly where the photographer stood, 70+ years ago, give or take a few feet.
Dad was RCCS and went through Sicily/Italy. I could tell he was in awe of the '88 by the way he spoke about it. He only did that a few times, after a few drinks, and never told me anything else about his war years.
So close to that 1 million mark‼️ I hope you hit it by end of month, you deserve it. Love the videos and your passion for them. Much love from a fellow Missourian. (I think you are on our side of the river at least).
Rommel used the 88 in North Africa to employ a whole new style of warfare. During his strategic retreat from Montgomery, Rommel had his tanks tow 88's behind them. When he reached desirable terrain, he would turn and dig in his tanks and 88's to decimate the approachings British armour, effectively doubling his firepower. When maximum damage had been achieved, the tanks would hook up the 88's and the retreat continued. Brilliant hit and retreat strategy.
Apparently the Germans were devastating in retreat, and I mean that they were clever and effective. Retreats can be very damaging to the retreating army.
What a myth cause that was not the case . Any pictures as proof of tanks towing the 88 ? Would be pretty funny cause you have no clue at all about the 8,8 and how it had been used cause some things do not really fit for such a role. 8,8 were not towed by tanks.
@@typxxilps First of all, you get the award for being the most obnoxious prick on the internet. Further, there are many. many hours of archival footage of the North Africa campaign that show Rommels's tanks working in close coordination with the 88's. Perhaps if you did a little more research and quit acting like a pompous, bullying twat you might not embarrass yourself like this quite so often. I'll bet your ex let out a sigh of relief the day she cut you loose. What a goof.
Oh yeah, you gotta admire how Rommel got driven right out of the entire continent of Africa by the British. Way to lose a battle, and an entire campaign as a vital element in losing the whole war. Gotta admire those Nazi bastards, ey? "Brilliant" at retreating, dying, and losing.
My story, is from the D day Ohio event in August. A fun reenactment event in Northeast Ohio off lake Erie. I was 20 ft away when they did a test fire of a flat 88. Even a black powder charge felt like a kick to the chest from the muzzle blast and I admit I giggled like a schoolgirl. It was awesome.
@@tripleo4255 yes every august. It is a blast. Tanks, Higgins boats ect. The chieftain and Bernard from military history visualized we're there in 2019 I think and did a few videos about it.
That Luftwaffe guy sounds like a moron. The fact he had to be threatened by a fellow German when there was an imminent attack by Allied tanks is ridiculous.
In an issue of a scale modeling magazine there was a diorama built showing the battle of Halfaya Pass in North Africa in which the German 88's were dug in at ground level with the sun at their back while the British tanks were advancing into it and afterwards the British tankers referred to it as " Hell Fire Pass " . I had a copy of the magazine in the late 1960's .
I just finished reading "To Hell and Back" (again)... Audie Murphy and his men hated, respected and feared these guns... They were especially effective in the German defensive actions at Anzio...
History Guy - APR '45, Dad on team of 6 ordered to attack 4 Tigers stopping advance. 2 SGTs led w/Tommy Guns, 3 GIs had Panzerfaust, but Dad had 2. Both SGTs KIA, 2 GIs KIA leaving PFC Robert Fish of NY, and Dad from Mich. Dad crept up nailing 2 Tigers clearing the 10 crewman. Fish said eff this so fired his weapon in general direction missing. Both Dad & Fish advanced zigzagging to rear at warp speed but Fish suffered hit beneath blasting him 25' in air. Seconds later Dad dove under fence at road when "88" landed between legs penetrating ground beneath & blew him up into the barbwire fence's remains. Dad hung there paralyzed for 2 hours until couple of Thunderbolts slipped thru slit in overcast clearing Tigers in one sweep. Dad cut down & hauled to Field Hospital w/PFC Fish. I guess I was lucky to have been born in '50 as 88mm round had torn up Dad with over 400 holes in long coat, so no BP. Put in dead pile, but rescued by Guard noticing Dad's trigger finger moved each time he paced by. Dragged to intake for triage again, one Guard stayed with him & when Doc said we've already checked him...he's dead. Guard slammed his .45 on table and said "Look again". Upon further review Dad alive, 4 Docs sewed up wounds leaving shrapnel inside to get BP. Whisked to London as Monte intervened reporting his name to Ike on KIA list as Dad had been trainer for D-Day prep.Upon further review, Monte had found Dad KIA list wrong & Dad evacuated to French hospital. Monte ordered flown to London & transported to hospital w/no vitals by insane ambulance driver scaring hell out of both attendants. Driver came to visit with her crew & ice creams few months later as Dad learning to talk & walk. Dad, Nurse, and company made too much noise so Nurse in charge and Asst. came rushing in scolding them...paused... then said "Sorry for the intrusion Your Highness" and left. Afterwards Dad asked his Nurse "So who the hell was "Your Highness"? She replied "That was Princess Elizabeth, ambulance driver that saved your life". Guess she knew how to make somebody "Live Long and Prosper" as Dad passed 1-2-2007!! Long live The Queen!!!
@@gardnep - Yes Sir...hey thanks!! An amusing aside here was commotion that attracted Nurse in Charge's attention...it was precious! Driver was spooning ice cream to Dad while tending her own as well, when she said "Monte mentioned you have Fiancé named Elizabeth waiting for you back home". Dad answered he did, "She was also born in '26, so named Elizabeth in honor of your Princess...have you ever gotten a glimpse of her yourself?". Other 3 there LOL, but Driver stayed in character answering "Oh it's quite impossible for me to glimpse The Princess, but have quite a few photos....in fact I have a collection!!". LOL! Dad said "My Fiancé has a collection of her photos as well!!". LOL! And that was the terrible commotion that attracted attention of the Nurse in Charge!! Her Majesty obvious had lot of composure for young lady just turned 19 doing her duty to The Crown driving ambulance!!!
My grandfather,a medic in France up until Dunkirk and then from D-day until late 1946,said that he remembers the sound of these as distinctive and very 'metallic' but mostly he remembers the first time he encountered an American tank that had been hit by an 88mm field gun. He didn't go into details and never did,but as he was telling me I could see by the change in his facial expression and a distant look in his eye for a second or so that whatever he saw was firmly etched even all those years later,which also told me all I needed to know.Such notoriety is only achievable by success,that success is also measured by how it affected people physiologically,I've never watched a WW2 documentary without at least half of the old veterans mentioning the '88s' and how devestating and morale crushing they were.
Not "Devastating" enough to win a single battle, and only to go on and lose the entire war. Anecdotal remarks from individual soldiers are always moving but utterly unimportant. Any soldier under fire (I'm a combat veteran) is at once impressed and terrified of ANY enemy weapon aimed at them. They are not cognizant of the larger picture or the relative efficacy of a given weapons system and are relating to the attempt to KILL HIM by the mortar, RPG, grenade, or machine gun. What is left of people in a tank after being hit by anything that penetrates the armor will shock anyone - the 88-round was no different. We used to do BDA's (Bomb damage assessments) which involves counting the arms, legs and heads of enemy soldiers by the hundreds. No "88" is necessary to provide horrors. When you get back to base you scrape an eyeball off the sole of your shoe. It's all bad. The only thing the 88 did was kill people and help the Nazis lose the war.
i was a tanker in the army and stories of the 88 were still told [90's]. that the armor core based [took notes on] the 90mm and 105mm on the 88 shows what a good design it was.
Finland used 88s after the war for a long time. Some were used as coastal artillery and were retired as recently as early 2000s. One battery of 88s located at Helsinki Air Defense regiment was pre-aimed at the nearby airport and had a special mission to shell the runways if a hostile force ever attempted a surprise landing there during the Cold War.
Saw an old diagram of the 88’s average accuracy ratings for vehicle targets. @1000m- 93% hits @2000m- 80% hits @3000m- 50% hits Something to that extent. Which is incredible.
@@cdr8031 Yeah, you Nazi lovers need to realize that in the final analysis, war is pretty simple. I'm a combat veteran - I don't know about you. But if you need a more complex response, here it is: Because of the high cost and complexity of the 8.8 Flak gun, the Germans manufactured relatively few of them, 556 in all. The first deliveries were made in March 1943 and, as of August 1944, only 157 were fielded; with 318 in January 1945. You can't win a war against half the world with a few hundred little flak guns. I say 'little' because the U.S. 155mm gun (the REAL legendary big gun of WW II,) pounded the Nazi 88 emplacements into dust when they were discovered. All 88s have been destroyed except for one or two museum pieces. Conversely, the winner, twice the size of the Nazi 88, the M114 is a towed U.S. howitzer first produced in 1942, designated the 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, 10,000 M114s were produced by the Rock Island Arsenal. We were not stupid Nazis The gun was also used by the armed forces of many nations. The M114A1 remains in service in countries around the world to this very day. That is a successful design! But since you are a closet Nazi, I'm betting you know next to nothing about the venerable, powerful, reliable American howitzer that is still in use 81 years later, rather than the 3-year life of the Nazi piece of junk.
The first time I heard of the "88" was when reading Spike Milligan's war memoirs as a child, and reading of the terror and anxiety this gun wrought on the troops in N. Africa with it's fast, low-trajectory projectiles. It caught my imagination and seemed like a near-mythical weapon.
As I viewed this video it gave me pause. In Nam I was tasked with reading "TACREPS" (tactical reports) and consolidating them into a morning briefing for the higher highers. Many read as follows: "Units of the so and so division while on patrol received fire from at tree line at so and so grid coordinates. Result friendly 1 WIA, 1 KIA, enemy unknown." I always thought of the parents or wives or fiancees, whose lives had been radically changed and at the moment I was reading the TACREP, they didn't even know. This video unfortunately brought back to me a little of that same sadness and depression. To hear "within minutes, a half dozen tanks were destroyed or burning" while accurately portraying the results of the engagement, says nothing about the effects on the parents, wives, or fiancees, of the tank crews that were never going home. History Deserves to Be Remembered, but I am compelled to remember it from "inside the tank" and not as numbers on an after action report. That said, great job THG.
As a child growing up, my Father a Battle Of The Bulge veteran, always told us how terrible the "88" was, he got fuc##d up pretty good there. Thanks for this video, I understand better now. (;
@@Jay_Hall If it's the documentary made by the Pa. National Guard "Men of War," I may have met your uncle. I worked on that film. Still looking for a copy that I kept. It's impossible to find on TH-cam, so when I find it I want to post it. One of the Bulge vets with us actually found his old foxhole!
About 30 years ago, I was seeing a WWII veteran as a patient. He told me the story of the Germans were so accurate with the 88. They shot a running American in a large field just because they could. He also said they were more afraid of the 88 than any other weapon.
The magical 88 did not save the Nazi bastards from surrendering by the tens of thousands (In Russia they surrendered by the hundreds of thousands) and losing the war. Their guns were good and yes, they killed people. Our guns were better and so were our people. Anyone would have to be crazy not to fear an enemy howitzer - I can assure you the German soldiers feared the mighty American 155 that slaughtered them just as much. It was just one of the American weapons that terrified them so much, they surrendered. WE did not.
It's a wonder they lost the war. A recent study by German historian Rüdiger Overmans found that the German military casualties were 5.3 million. Gee, makes you wonder how the magical 88 allowed that massacre to occur - we beat the shit out of them, and the fact that they had a few good little weapons had no effect on the fate that befell the Nazi swine. I guess our howitzers (155mm - twice the size of that german piece of junk) destroyed 88 emplacements wherever we found them. Individual foot soldiers had very little knowledge of what was going on in the overall scheme of things.
Hans Von Luck was a true gentleman. After the war he lectured at several schools about the German Tactics and became close friends with many officers he had fought against. Very interesting man.
Yes I've read his book.. Panzer Commander. Hans von Luck. My uncle was R.S.M. of 19 NZ armoured regiment .he was one of a few first echelon to go through to wars end...faced off with Tito's forces that tried to claim Trieste.Dad and another brother were sappers in NZ division from 1940 to wars end.There will never be a generation like them again.❤❤❤
I subscribed to the history guy when there was less than 20 thousand subscribers now he has almost a million I love this channel he does a great job explaining history keep up the good work a fan for life👍👍👍
My Grandfather was an American tank commander, deployed to North Africa in the earliest stages. At some point he found a British 18pdr casing that had been found by a German soldier and decorated with tench art. The art and dates are WW1, he found the casing in WW2. Luckily my dad has it, I think it is really neat with such a history.
I found a 9x21 mm pistol round in my neighbors vegetable garden in Germany. This was probably there since WWI, since the WWII pistil cartridge was 9x19 mm. I rendered it inert, cleaned it up and gave it to them.
@@Absaalookemensch Unlikely. The 9x21 mm is a relatively new cartridge, introduced in the 1980s. What you have found might have been a 9x23 Steyr or 9x23 Bergmann instead. Were there any markings / stampings?
@@joshuaday3980 Nice. Yeah I tore up the back roads of Nashua NH. Had a set of Olds Rally rims off a Cutlass. Baby blue paint job, dark blue landau top and blue rims with the chrome trim rings. Triple blue ha ha. Also had a silver seagull on the hood. Good times. Circa 1992-93
@@GreenChilliD sounds like an awesome ride man! I think I've had every year and version of Cutlass ever made through the years. Once Olds went out of business, every yahoo with a rusted out, Air shocks pumped all the way up, wooden bumper cutlass thinks its a collector car now and you can't afford any of em anymore.
The original 8.8cm gun was as a light gun for use against torpedo boats on German armored warships starting circa-1890 or thereabouts. When the first 88mm/56 guns, later also used in the Tiger I tank, were deployed as AA guns, somebody decided that they, perhaps for self-protection, should have an anti-armor projectile. What they got was a miniature version of the latest naval capped AP round used in such ships as HIPPER, SCHARNHORST, and BISMARCK (and in later coast defense guns up to 16"). This projectile was not designed for high-velocity penetration of armor thicker than the projectile diameter (rarely found in most battleships of that time, though some got pretty thick armor during WWII) and was also specifically designed with thick hardened caps for penetrating face-hardened armor ("Krupp Cemented" and its German and foreign variants used for thick side armor on battleships particularly). Since few tanks had such thick-faced armor, but did use armor that was in some cases as thick as the projectile size (some Russian tanks, as mentioned in the video), these shells turned out to be somewhat weak and subject to breakup at close range against such armor, as that single KV tank showed. Later new shells for this gun, the longer 88mm/71 used in the TIGER II, and the long-barreled PANTHER 75mm gun replaced the naval-type projectiles, using an AP cap with a thinner, more flat-cone front face, a better hardening process, and a much smaller internal cavity for its explosive charge (tanks have small inner compartments, unlike warships, and do not need big explosive charges to cause sufficient damage after penetration). These better projectiles were the ones used by the TIGER and PANTHER tanks and 88mm anti-tank guns during most of WWII.
You should do an episode on the proximity fuse. Maybe its not a "weapon" per se, but it certainly was one of the most important and effective technological innovations of the war.
@@kenanmorg4677 wasn’t that Purple Colored 130 octane. 100 really isn’t much better than the old 85 octane a gas or the 87 car gas I burned in my Cessna.
As being someone else that studies history as closely as myself, you will understand this statement. "The best leaders are those that don't want to be leaders, but instead need to be leaders not for themselves for but for everyone else."
The 88 was also a nasty anti-personnel weapon as well. When my father was in Anzio, he said the sound of 88 shells buzzing through the air was a fearful sound. The airburst would kill and wound even dug in troops.
My father told me during the campaign in North Africa, the Germans would fire the 88mm at a angle so low that the projectile would pull up a “rooster tail “ of sand and dirt 15-20 feet in the air as it passed thru dug in American positions. The pressure wave, dirt, and sound were terrifying as it passed over before it exploded on or near some unfortunate G.I.
@@johnmorris7209 If you've ever pulled buttes at a rifle range you know what it sounds like when rifle rounds pass close overhead. They are loud with a supersonic crack that over time damages your hearing if you don't wear earplugs. Now imagine a much bigger round going just as fast or faster passing even closer. Yikes.
I've been a "history guy" for many years, with particular interest in the world wars. So I am well educated on the German 8.8. And your video was informative, very much so in fact. But, more than your knowledge, what draws me to your channel and thoroughly entertains me is your presentation. Your voice, mannerisms and inflections, the concise yet precise script, the well thought out storyboard, all tied together with that signature bowtie really, really make your videos an exceptionally entertaining experience. I'm "clicking & subscribing" right now. Great work! Thanks for the effort.
I'm not sure if that particular story is true though - if they were assigned just to shoot at aircraft they'd only have HE shells. And if they did have AP they wouldn't just have sat there while the tanks rolled over them.
In his book the Black Bull, Patrick DelaForce tells us, Von Luck threatened the luckless AA commander with his revolver, telling him “Either you will move and shoot those tanks and get a medal or I will shoot you.” To add insult to injury von Luck also deployed two Sherman tanks, captured by the Germans in June, to good effect in Operation Goodwood.
There's one here in New Orleans WWII museum. It's a serious piece of kit no doubt. I always check it out when I visit and I still stand in awe of it's power. If you happen to visit NOLA make sure you take a day and visit that museum. It's incredible to visit especially if you are a WWII nut like me.
1320-1340: That's one ballsy Wehrmacht ground commander. "I'm from the Luftwaffe...killing tanks is your job." Von Lucht's response: "Either You're killing tanks and earning medals, or you're a dead man." That's a statement from a warrior! Although I'm an American whose Grandfather fought on the other side...I salute you sir!
My Dad was with the 7th Armored Division in northern Europe in 1944-45. He did not talk much about the war, but did mention the 88. He told me that the GI's said that it could shoot around corners. I think he was only half joking.
@@bloodybones63 They had a gun with a bent gun barrel to be used from inside the cupola of a Ferdinand tank because the Ferdinand didn't have a machine gun.
My father was in the 8th Armored Division. If I remember correctly, his company was billeted in what was a brick factory. My father said, and the company's monthly news letter, reported the case where a member of the unit was in a building, sitting on the toilet, when an 88mm shell punched through the wall at floor level and skidded across the floor, a dud fortunately.
One memorable cartoon from "Up Front" by Bill Mauldin ( a collection of WWII cartoons from the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper) showed a number of angry GI's hanging around a tent where German POW's were being interviewed. One of the officers that was doing the interviews told the soldiers "We'll let you know if we find the one what invented the '88'."
@@thedungeondelver Agreed. The cartoon THG referred to was drawn by then-Sgt. Bill Mauldin, 45th Infantry Division, then 22 years of age. The great war correspondent Ernie Pyle described Sgt. Mauldin's work: "Sergeant Bill Mauldin seemed to us over there to be the finest cartoonist the war had produced. And that's not merely because his cartoons are funny, but because they are also terribly grim and real. Mauldin's cartoons aren't about training camp life, which is most familiar to people at home. They are about men in the line - the tiny percentage of our vast Army who are up there doing the dying. His cartoons are about the war." One day the Stars and Stripes, the GI newspaper, got a letter asking what Mauldin knew about the war. The editor answered, "Sergt. Bill Mauldin received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered while serving in Italy with Pvt. Blank's own regiment." In later life, Bill Mauldin drew the celebrated cartoon of the Lincoln statue with his head in his hands, following the assassination of President Kennedy. Definitely history that deserves to be remembered.
@@elcastorgrande He also played the memorable part of 'The Loud Soldier 'alongside Audie Murphy in the 1951 movie The Red Badge of Courage. Obviously a man of myriad talents.
The scene I most remember from “Saving Private Ryan” is one where the American officer played by Tom Hanks is describing a battle he and his men had fought as part of their first day at Normandy and you can tell it is very difficult emotionally for him to think about the recent battle and relate to his superior officer what the officer needed to know and he shakes his head and referring to the Wehrmacht soldiers they had undoubtedly killed says “those boys sure didn’t want to give up those 88’s”. That scene to me speaks volumes about the value of the 88’s to the German soldiers and the horrific price each side had to or was willing to pay to keep them or to take them.
The Germans also had 88 mm guns that were regular field artillery. They looked like the normal cannons of the time. My take on that scene was that Hanks was talking about that.
Speaking of Arras, please consider doing an episode on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, aviator, author, and journalist. While probably best known for his novella _The Little Prince,_ he wrote many other harrowing and, occasionally, tragic, works such as _Wind, Sand and Stars,_ _Night Flight,_ and _Flight to Arras._
The 88 was a AWESOME WEAPON. My dad was at Anzio beach head and told me about a couple maybe one 88 was holding up the Invasion because they was mounted into the side of the mountain overlooking the beach. Because of that they could not do much without the 88 DESTROYING anything moving on the beach. Even jeeps were picked off the beach even though they were small and fast. Bombers bombed the mountain but they pulled back into the safety of the mountain. It had to be over runed by troops from above to knock them out. I believe it is TRUE, my dad told me the story. He was a VHF CREW CHIEF and a veteran of 9 CAMPAIGNS in the Atlantic Theatre. 😉😁😎
This was awesome. Wish ad for Magellan service was at end but it is worth getting thru to hear these great stories. I listened to it while running this morning and could picture scenes (esp. the 88 shells going l the corn fields in my mind) Now I will have to watch it. Great job!
Great Episode, History Guy. I'm kind of a military history nerd (WWII specifically) and have read lots of books about WWII and the 88 was definitely a feared weapon that excelled at multiple roles. I really like reading/hearing first hand accounts of action in WWII and am very thankful that I wasn't around to have to fight in it. America's Greatest Generation for sure.
First hand accounts always give a much clearer picture of the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of things. I've noticed a lot of WW2 revisionism lately that counters what the [many] vets I talked to told me. Just that one story about the KV1 really reframed my understanding of that tank. Clearly it was to the Germans early war what the Tigers were to Allies late war. For all its other problems, clearly it caused problems in at least one instance!
Everyone thinks that NAZI ideology died out with the end of the war. It didn't. It's alive and well in HOAs all across the United States. I HATE HOAs!!!
My dad was conscripted in 1944 at 16yrs and was on a crew on an 88 until he was injured in may of 45. I have some photos of him and the crew, with the gun, one of the guys on the crew was so small, and young he was swimming in his uniform as it was way to big for him. A few of the photos have some notes and signatures on the backside. My dad did survive the war, married my mom and moved to Canada, he worked hard and had a successful life, although he did have some demons.
LOTS of Vets on Both sides carried LOTS of Demons..... That NOBODY who hadn't been in those battles could understand. My Dad told me a few stories that he said he would never have told me if I hadn't joined the Military.
Many people believe the 88s were pressed into serving as A.T. guns in an emergency. It was then that Rommel realized they would make great A.T. guns. The fact is they carried armor piercing ammo for just such a purpose. They were designed to act as anti aircraft OR anti tank weapons from the very start. It wasnt just by chance.
The 8.8cm Flak 18 was actually used in an anti-tank role during the Spanish Civil War. The amazing part how accurate the bloody thing was. The Germans would actually use it to blow away individual Allied infantrymen with great effect and demoralizing efficiency. Only a German would think to use a high-velocity cannon as a sniper rifle.
@@montieluckett7036 The "blow away an infantryman" thing has always been a bit of an exaggeration, more realistically is that they could target an individual position, not that they could "hit an individual", that's gotten a little pumped up over the years, by targeting an individual position the explosive in the shell would naturally kill anyone there but they weren't actually shooting an individual person like how a rifle is sighted.
@@montieluckett7036 Germans are not that stupid to waste ammo on a single indvidual. They lost the war formented by parasites that western voting fools still are supporting....
It goes back to WWI and it's origin in the BAK 8.8cm, Balloon Abwehr Kannon 8.8cm or Anti-Balloon Cannon 8.8cm or 88mm, IIRC it was only an L/30, while the Flak 88mm was L/56 & later in WWII L/70 this refers to the length of the barrel of the gun so from about 2.64 metres up to about 5 meters & 6.1 metres long. The BAK were designed in WWI to fire flat & WERE employed in an AT role against Allied tanks, notedly at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917.
The past few years, an "88" has been present at the "D-Day Ohio" reenactment in Conneaut. It is said to be the only one in the world in full working order. When it fires--using a reduced-power charge in deference to its age and rarity--you don't just hear it, you *feel* it.
Thanks for the quick lesson on tank guns History Guy. Your explanation makes it clear why the 75mm gun on the Panther and a similar cannons on the 75mm PAK the 40 L43 and L48 anti-tank guns were so deadly to Allied armor. On the Internet somewhere I came across a Russian evaluation of the Panther where they compared the mission of the Tiger Tanks- "tactical break through" with the apparent mission of the new Panther- "A new type of heavy tank in the tank killer role." I had heard that the 75mm KwK 42 L/70 in the Panther was the better tank killer (over the 88 in the Tigers). You explained the "why" of that perfectly. The 88mm gun in the Tigers had better punch for anti-personnel, fortifications and soft targets with their HE shells and were also very deadly in the tank killer roll. Thanks again History Guy, you are the best!
I read Von Luck's book and saw him in a British reunion video about the same attack. He mentioned the 88 incident when he had to threaten the Luftwaffe officer with slightly different verbiage. The city fighting was some of the worst I have ever read. Great historic video.
This is amazing , 2 nights ago I was talking about the 88s and how unbelievable they were. Thank you again for doing it again. You make me at age 45 still want to learn .
If you get a chance, check out the "Willy and Joe" cartoon with the one grunt talking to an MP POW processers and the MP telling him "We'll let you know when we've found the guy who invented the '88". In fact, "Willy and Joe" would make a great show!
Here in Oklahoma City they have the 45th Infantry Division Museum and they have an entire area dedicated to Willy and Joe - the artist was assigned to the Div. Really interesting smallish museum.
We would be thrilled to see the granite state represented on your program, from the peak of Mount Washington and the home of the world's worst weather with the first Cog Railway, to America's Stonehenge oh, the Great Stone Face- "The Old Man of the Mountain" in Franconia notch ( the anniversary of its demise is coming up on 3rd May), or the Wylie house disaster with the entire family and a couple of guests wiped out by a rockslide in a storm. The various ships that plied the Waters of Lake Winnipesaukee; the Mount Washington, the side-wheeler which sank in the lake or the most recent which originated on the great lakes in the 19th century and is still in service? We have many events which you might find intriguing and worthy of your attention.
I wish my Dad was still alive. He was in the 351st Reg. 2nd Bat. Co.F 88th Inf. Div. WW2 Rome/Arno/ N.Apennines campaign. He could tell you a thing or two about that dastardly gun and the aces that fired it.
I have an actual (inert) flak 18 shell and casing as well as the fuse. It has the original paint and markings denoting its weight for aiming purposes, it's case with non electric fuse is brass. It is a center piece of my collection. You've done an excellent job on the video and I thank you for it.
I just purchased a relic casing of an 88 that was pulled from a pond in the Netherlands. After it was all cleaned up I can make out all the stamps on the base. Including the eagle.
My dad was with the 899th TD co. B during WWII. He liked to send photo letters home. One picture was of a 88 and on the back he wrote this is the gun that scares the sh-- out of us!
Worth mentioning is that a good part of what made this gun effective in the anti-tank role was its high velocity, resulting in a flatter trajectory and greater chance of getting hits at any range.
Just got through reading a book called Panzers on the Eastern Front, the late General Erhard Raus during 1941 - 1945 An extremely ambitious General of his time with remarkable instincts...
No comment on how the 88 also had Connectors so it could be linked to a central fire control system for antiaircraft. I understand to that radar was connected to spotlights for antiaircraft Illumination and always wondered if the flak guns were as well.
I've seen something about that. It wasn't just spotlights, but radar sets too (maybe even sound locators as well). I don't remember the details, but anti-aircraft batteries were highly sophisticated systems that had to lead the bomber formations by like 30 seconds or something. There's a video out there on TH-cam somewhere that goes into the details. It's rather impressive.
@@tyree9055 The radar was called the "Fu-Mg"....Funk-Meßgerät - radio measuring device.....^^ And yes...the timefuse of the 88mm shell (S-30) had a maximum runtime for 30 seconds....:)
I like all your videos, I am a Ammo SGT in the US Army. If a tank round left a blue mark. I believe that is only a practice round, not an Anti-Tank round. Good stories. Keep them coming.
I believe I heard June 18 as the start date when in fact Goodwood started July 18. I do remember seeing a documentary many years ago about the D-Day invasion. A British officer who was a tank commander told a story about being confronted by a Tiger I. He was commanding a Sherman and realizing he was out gunned hid behind a stone building thinking he was safe from the Tiger's 88. His next statement was his description of being, "brewed up" by the Tiger when the Tiger TC had his gunner shoot through both stone walls of the building!
There is a Willie & Joe comic that has the them hand a POW over to intel and the interrogator telling them "If we find the guy that invented the 88, we'll let you know."
0:31 . Yes, both the Flak and Tiger's cannons were 88mm, but the Flak's cannon wasn't used on the tiger. A whole new cannon was developed for the tank.
As many viewers have noted, HEAT means High Explosive Antitank, not High Energy Antitank. I apologize for the error.
I mean, what is an explosion but a high energy release, ya know?
no it's definitely high energy anti tea
@@cjwatts721 Terminology. It has to be correct.
The people correcting you are prob War Thunder nerds dont worry about them too much
@abis9 alpha9 Would have depended on manpower and effective training of manpower. Big crews on the 88’s and needing a tractor unit as well.
I've worked in powerplants in Philadelphia, PA my entire career, specifically with steam turbine maintenance. When I first started back in the late 1980's, there were still WW2 vets as foreman and management. We used heavy pneumatic tooling to disassemble the turbines. We had a 2 1/2" drive pneumatic gun that was used to disassemble the turbine casings during outages. This gun was so large that we had to hang it from the overhead crane to use it, simply because it was so large that we could not hold it up. The sound of this thing was deafening. Imagine the pneumatic guns that are used today in F1 or NASCAR or your local auto shop to remove tires, well those guns usually use a 1/2" or 3/8" drive (at least in America). The gun we used was 2 1/2" drive, It resembled what a jackhammer looks like. The old timers (WW2 Vets) affectionately called that gun the "88". The reason they called it the 88 was because they said it sounded like a German 88 firing during the war. We used that gun into the late 90's, long after all those Vets had retired. Just something I thought I'd share, My little piece of history.
Thank you, for sharing this. My father, born 1919 in germany, was on the other side of the barrel of the 88 during WW2, first operating the gun, than comanding a 88unit in russia, later in france. The 88 saved constandly the asses of the german "Landsers" on the frontline, when a thread due to tanks apeared.
My father got decades after the war letters from former WW2 Infantry men, who thank the 88units for thair service. I ve seen several letters of these peronally.
War is pure hell, never again.
Regards from germany
weird flex, but ok
I was a real estate salesman in the late 1990's and I was extremely lucky to meet and talk with many ww2 vets who told me some of their stories. I met a German U-boat man who later became a US citizen, a b-17 tail gunner who fired at many German planes but couldn't tell if he hit any, a US Army forward artillery observer who lasted 4 hours in combat before being severely wounded, and a guy who served in the occupation force after the war, and fell in love with a woman from Czechoslovakia who he still dreamed about in this late 70's.
Thats why growing up in the 70s and 80s was the best, there was new digital breakthroughs but there was still the cool old stuff to learn from, it lasted till the 90s, after 2000 Y2K nonsense, all that ended...
I went to work in a paper mill right out of high school in 1971 and practically all of the pressman were war vets. During breaks and lunch I used to bug the shit out of them for war stories. About half were European vets and the other were Pacific and man, did they have some fascinating stories to tell. The Euro vets all said that 88 one of the things that they feared the most after Normandy. I loved those guys and they were so patient with me asking one question after another. My Dad was Navy in the Pacific and was onboard the USS Lexington at Coral Sea in 1942. He was wounded, spent a year in a naval hospital, and medically discharged in late '43. I still have his dress blue uniform with the Purple Heart he won. Rest in peace Greatest Generation, we never would have won it and became the nation we did without you.
An 88 story from the American side: My grandfather was gun chief on a 155mm howitzer in the 3rd Army, apparently after they'd crossed the Rhine at Remagen his battery was moving along a mountain road to new firing positions to support the advance, his truck towing his gun being the lead vehicle. As they rounded a curve on the mountain side he looked right down the muzzle of an 88 a few hundred meters ahead. He screamed "everybody out" and they bailed as the 88 blew the truck to pieces. His crew all survived the blast and scooted back around the curve to stop the rest of the convoy. He said what hurt the most was the loss of about a dozen cases of cognac that had been in the back of the truck!
That's good stuff. It's just kind of odd that the whole column's first idea there was trouble was not from scouting, but from the first truck in the convoy.
um,,looting is punishable by death eh,,so,,you got lucky,,looter..
Being an ass should be punishable by death as well...
The Chateaux '38?! *NOOOO YOU BASTARRRRRDS*
*Drops to knees
Ooooo. God bless your Grandad
My wife's grandfather was a member of the Luftwaffe: an NCO in charge of an 88 and its crew stationed near Wilhelmshaven. His military career ended one day when, as he told it, an unexploded shell from another battery fell back to earth and detonated, destroying his emplacement and killing his crew. He had just walked to the far side of a staff car and was shielded from the blast but, as he explained, the car itself was a shredded hulk of burning metal after the explosion. Opa spent the remainder of the war recovering from his near-fatal wounds and he never missed the opportunity to say "I was in the Luftwaffe, but I was never a Nazi."
I’ve told this before, my Father was in the Artillery in WW2, in the Middle East his 25 pounder just plain wore out, they were issued with a new new German 88 mm that had been captured, they fought the 88 for nearly 9 months. He showed me that same 88 over 35 years later, it was in a museum in Australia, it still had shrapnel scars on it from a close burst that put him in hospital for over a month and killed other members of his crew.
Which museum is it in?
@@geoffdyer1150 it was East Point at Darwin
@@anthonyburke5656 If I ever get up to Darwin I'll definitely have a look, was hoping you were going to say the IWM in Canberra, it's a bit closer to home(Gosford).👍
@@geoffdyer1150 Hi Geoff, unknown tome, I was a central figure in an exhibit at the IWM for some years, I’ve not been there in over 60 years, but an old comrade informed me a blown up photo of me figured at the entrance to the Vietnam exhibit for some years. I didn’t even recall the pic until reminded of an infiltration we did via cav.
If your father had known what Australia was to become he would have fought for the Germans . Our government is now our enemy ...
Would he have surrended his guns ?
Heard in Africa a captured British officer complained that using AA guns against tanks was unsporting. One of the German officers replied that it was unsporting of the British to field tanks that required AA guns to knock out.
No doubt that there were some dinosaur British officers who didn't understand that war is not sport. There was a senior American official (Dulles?) who tried to stop the OSS being formed in WW2 because gentlemen do not read other people's letters. People like this got a lot of their their own people killed.
@@roadie3124 a lot of those dinosaurs were 'disposed of' during the Boer wars and the Boxer rebellions (~1900)...
Those that survived that were promoted to mainly desk jobs during WW 1...
Then they ran head-long into Winnie... Who had his own ideas about the competence of the senior officers. (All services, not just Army)
Why do you think Lord Mountbatten, a Commodore in the Navy was appointed British Commander of the Indian theatre... That's about a 4 rank jump! (And no, it wasn't because he was related to the King)
@@EarlJohn61 There were still some idiots left in WW2. Winston was good at rooting out the idiots in senior ranks, but the captains, majors and colonels were too junior to get his personal attention. Even the ones who were removed were often removed to appointments where they shouldn't have been able to do any serious damage. Perhaps they were left there as initiative tests for junior officers. My family was in the middle of it. My grandfather went from private to lieutenant in WW1. My father joined the British army in 1944 and was a captain by 1945. One of my uncles was a RAF doctor. The other was a lieutenant in the RNVR and was a navigating officer in destroyers on Atlantic and Arctic convoys. After university, my mother worked on guidance systems for guided missiles with her maths degree from 1944. My wife's father was a Battle of Britain fighter pilot. Her step-father was captain (lieutenant RNR) of a landing craft on D-Day. We talked about idiots.
Ohhhh SA-NAP!
Betcha that stiff upper lib quivered ever so slightly.
@@roadie3124
"We'll use their guts to grease the tracks of our tanks"
-Gen Patton
"If you kill your enemy...you loose"
-Justin Trudeau
We trained with 88s in Finnish coast artillery back in -88. Often, when you looked at a shell against light, you could see the german eagle shape under the paint. Good and accurate gun. In comparison, we later trained with russian 76mm guns. In that gun, there is an additional crew member, the leaner. And leaner has one job: to lean. You would place a pole to the gun, where there was a factory-made place for it, and the idea was to take away all that extra horizontal movement (there was plenty) and keep the tension to the same side in order to hit something. Also, one crew member had to surrender their trouser suspenders, because the aiming telescope was plagued with the same problem, lots of movement. Suspenders tighten the telescope.
and some people think Russian guns are better wtf...if you want to win employ a Finn. Finnish warriors have my respect 🇫🇮 🇺🇸 🇫🇮
M1 Garand shooters do something similar with a loose rear sight (most have play). One stretches a doubled rubber band over the rear aperture and pull it over the elevation knob, taking out the movement. The splines holding the front sight to the barrel likewise develop play over time and are often peened or lock-tited. One in as-issued condition can usually hit a man-sized target at 300 yds but it isn’t a tack-driver by any stretch.
@@noleshot2713
As much as the M1 Garand had been an advanced weapon at the beginning of the WW2, after it ended, that rifle quickly became obsolete. Far from being the only such weapon but the contrast stands out to me.
The Germans have always engineered and manufactured some incredible machinery, sometimes to a fault. I know people who have been crane operators in Liebherr and Terex cranes and they say they are incredibly well made. In fact one of them told me the US manufacturers should be embarrassed.
General Mannerheim will never be forgotten
My dad was a tank crewman with the Canadian Army in Italy and northern Europe. I heard several horror stories about 88's taking out a Sherman by "going in the front, and out the rear", and still hitting the tank behind..... FEAR is an understatement when the 88 is involved.
The exact same thing happened to the Chinese T-34's in Korea when hit by the U.S.M.C. Pershing's 90mm guns.
Did you hear the horror story about us winning the freaking war?
@Stephen Ryder I just want to hear a whore story 😔
@@stephenryder1995 no winners in war
@@MelchizedekKohen Sorry pal, you'll have to accept the fact that America won that war, and that your friends, the Nazis lost it big time. America thrived and Germany was destroyed - they signed an official surrender and turned in all their weapons. This may come as news to you, but that constitutes "Losing". We survived and prospered - that defines "Winning." Welcome to English 101. First semester.
Not only was the 88 an extremely effective artillery piece, it just looked cool. Points for style.
Yeah the only crime about this gun was it was owned by the Nazis
@@Scorpion-vh8lj Ever heard the saying the lesser of two evils?
So since the 88’s were around since the Spanish Civil War,... why didn’t the Allies copy and manufacture those that were captured in the early part of WW2 ? It’s not like they were made of some secret/unknown alloy, or put together in some fashion that couldn’t be copied ?? Appreciate any thoughts. Cheers
Ask my dad if he gave a hoot about style with those rounds buzzing over his mortar positions.
@@teatonaz It´s a complex piece of machinery. They would have to reverse engineer it and build assembly lines. That takes time, material and manpower. It may also mess up logistics. If it does not fit the tactics, the military might not want it - doubly so if they think the war is over before the copy is available.
Wow! I can’t believe you mentioned Colonel Hans von Luck! I have not heard that name in a long time. I actually met him in the early 90s. I took a WW2 history class from Stephen Ambrose at U of New Orleans and he brought him to speak to our class. He was a very nice guy. He also brought Major John Howard from the British 6th Airborne. This was right around the time. Band of Brothers was released. He also put on a seminar where I met Dick Winters, Carwood Lipton and Walter Gordon before they were famous.
And his book Panzer Commander is excellent
My uncle was flying over Normandy one day in June 1944 when one of them showed up outside his gun turret. It had run out of puff, and since it didn't explode, maybe a dud, but it was a huge shell, and there it was, sitting there. Raus and von Luck both write incredibly good books, too, for those interested.
When I was a boy, back in the dark ages, one of my friend's dad was a german immigrant. A really good guy - warm-hearted and fun to be around. After I'd known him a while, he told me he'd been a crew captain of an 88 anti-aircraft gun doing his best to bring American bombers down. I was somewhat taken aback, but he explained that he'd been a conscript, and had he refused duty, he'd have been shot. He came to the USA after the war the first chance he got. That was an important lesson for a young lad - to expand the consideration of what an "enemy" can be. Brings the great song "Brothers in Arms" to mind...
While the 88 was, without a doubt, the most effective artillery piece of WW2 just remember - A gun is only as accurate as the person aiming it.
Kudos to the highly trained crews who manned these guns.
Also being employed in a largely defensive role, well concealed and having the advantage of having the first, second and probably the third shots off before the enemy could counter it.
Not 'the most effective' because the German's made the 105mm their standard Artillery gun. Unless you believe the Generals were stupid and decided to use an inferior weapon. Awkward fact-there were only 12 8.8cm guns in a Panzer Division compared to over 200 75mm tubes.
Most effective artillery? What about the M101, the 25ldr, the Katyusha, the Bofors?
@@theother1281 Katyusha! Jetzt beginnen die Albtruame!
Well, you go right ahead and give kudos to the Nazi pigs who lost the war. Someone ought to teach you that the American 155 howitzers destroyed the 88's. Winning the war - that's "Effective." I'll give my kudos to the brave American crews of the mighty 155 - and WON the war.
My Grandfather and Great uncle fought in France and of the very few things either would talk about was the unique sound of the 88. 30 year after the fact Uncle Al (Cross of Lorraine Div) got goosebumps remembering the sound and fury of those guns.
Thank you for yet another piece of history that deserves to be remembered.
My great uncle fought (& died) in France...
He's still there, somewhere!
Try to remember that we won the war, turning all of that magnificent Nazi equipment into useless, smoking junk.
The Nazis don't remember the sound of the American 155 - because you never hear the bullet - or the shell - that gets you. We wiped them out.
@The History Guy
I LOVE your Splendid stories of History, but I am even more moved to read the History of WW2. Your depth of knowledge is hard to match.
Even more fascinating are the personal accounts of actual WW2 Veterans who comment on your videos. As well
as the people who had personal relationships and stories to tell of such men of the Greatest Generation.
Your historical literaries, or should I say Visionaries, bring out accounts of such historical personalities that would
otherwise been lost to time, now written for all to see, preserve, and of course, remember.
Thank you, good Sir, for bringing History alive, and evoking the Memories therein.
I have more respect for you than for any other historian that I know of.
After you are gone, witch I hope is a LONG time from now, History will Definitely remember You, THG.
My dads main job in WW2 as a Liaison pilot and spotter for an armored artillery battalion was to scout ahead of the columns for just this weapon. He was nearly hit twice by 88's before he discovered them as the Germans had them very well camouflaged and intelligence reports often had them marked as eliminated when they were only slightly damaged and the crews were quickly replaced. Needless to say, those guns were destroyed in short order by 155mm fire called down on them. they were greatly feared by all armored units, but fortunately, they were used as direct fire weapons and the terrain in most situations allowed them to be spotted from the air before they could fire on the armored columns. Dad not only saved hundreds of allied lives, but accounted for several dozen 88's during the final push against Germany.
Cddèddf Fed feed dc feed c chef c
3 rd Army ?
Fliers called most all the AAA 88s and saying that they were damaged or shot down by “ACK ACK” which comes from the German word for 8 ergo Ack . So ACK ACK meant 88
@@oceanhome2023 Uh ... no ...
While AA was referred to as ACK ACK - it was apparently a British Term
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-aircraft_warfare#Terminology
Also - the German word for Eight is "acht" not "ack".
And - the German word for Eighty eight is "achtundachtzig" not "ack ack".
AA - stood for Anti-Aircraft
AAA - stood for Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Flak - was short for Fliegerabwehrkanone
.
What a great story!, THANKS for sharing!
A gun with mechanics and optics designed to shoot down fast, high flying aircraft married with a high velocity shell... no wonder they were so murderous against armor.
Unlike most allied AA guns, the 8.8 was equipped with a high quality optical sight for ground targets and ammunition specifically designed for the anti-tank role.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel
Of course you have to have the appropriate ammunition for AT work, but as I understand it, the ground sight and aerial sight were actually one and the same.... a unitary sight that allowed the gunner to swap from one to the other in just a few moments.
The 88L56 of the Flak units, while deadly, was nothing compared to the 88L71 of the King Tiger, the Jagdpanther, the Nashorn, and it's towed version.
@@harlech2 Respectfully, the 88 had a sight specifically designed for direct fire. The US Army technical manual explains: “The sighting and fire control equipment for the 8.8 cm Flak 18 or 36 varies depending on the use to which the weapon is put. The weapon can be used for direct fire as for antitank work, for indirect fire, or for anti aircraft fire.”
The Zielfernrohr 20 telescopic gun sight was developed for direct fire.
While the Allies had AA guns of comparable quality, they were not designed like the 8.8 to be used in the ground fire role. When eventually adapted to armor, they had to be heavily modified. The distinction of the 8.8 was not that it was an AA gun, but that it was designed- from weight, to carriage, to sights, to barrel design (barrels have to be replaced more often in the antitank role-hence the three part barrel) to crew training to be effective for both AA and direct fire. Allied guns were not. If the reason was “a gun with mechanics and optics designed to shoot down fast, high flying aircraft,” then the US 90 mm gun would have been used similarly.
The KWK 36 used on the Tiger I really only modified the gun to fit the turret. Otherwise it was the same as the 8.8 cm Flak.
The KWK 43 was an entirely different late war weapon built in competition with the larger 8.8 cm Flak 41.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel thank you for the correction. I was under the impression that it was a unitary sight.
@@harlech2 technical specs here: www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref/TM/PDFs/TME9-369A_Germ88.pdf
I enjoy not so much learning, which is always critical, but the way, speech, cadence, and enthusiasm you bring is what makes your videos well worth watching. Thank you.
I live in the Ruhr, where many of the factories that made parts for the „Acht-Acht“ were located. Bochumer Verein (who manufactured barrels for the gun) and Eisen-und Hüttenwerke AG (who also supplied some of the special alloys needed for the U Boats - renamed SWB after the war), among others, are located here. Bochum, Essen (where Krupp was located) Duisburg and the rest of the Ruhr were basically the industrial powerhouse of Nazi Germany, where much of the heavy industry and mining operations were located. So the area was considered crucial for the war effort, making it a prime target for air raids.
I saw a photo exhibition recently where pictures were shown, made during the last days of the war as well as the first post-war years. It is such a strange feeling to see these pictures - even more so if you know exactly where they were shot. Some landmarks have not changed much at all. So in some cases you can still go and stand exactly where the photographer stood, 70+ years ago, give or take a few feet.
I wonder how frequently the barrel liners wore with that amount of power.
Acht-Acht sounds almost like ack-ack, the British WW1 term for anti-aircraft fire.
Very interesting, danke.
only if you (mis-)pronounce it english ,) @@johanrunfeldt7174
Dad was RCCS and went through Sicily/Italy. I could tell he was in awe of the '88 by the way he spoke about it. He only did that a few times, after a few drinks, and never told me anything else about his war years.
That’s how you can tell he wasn’t lying…
Did he tell you we won the war in spite of the Nazi 88's?
@@stephenryder1995 Jesus dude, you're nearly under every single comment here malding. Go touch grass.
@@vahlen5281 "Malding"? "Touch grass"? Apparently, you smoke a bit too much of it.
Yeah, my brother was a Major in the U.S. Army - he told me we won the war.
Really appreciate the hard work that makes your channel special. Thanks and hopefully we can continue and enjoy our 'History' for years to come.
So close to that 1 million mark‼️ I hope you hit it by end of month, you deserve it. Love the videos and your passion for them. Much love from a fellow Missourian. (I think you are on our side of the river at least).
I had a inflatable 88mm shell from the Tank Museum like you do, then my Granddaughter wanted to play with it... The mighty 88 fell to her assault.
A company in the US used to make a dive flashlight that was “guaranteed against anything except bear attack, shark attack and children under five.”
@@Glove513 LOL!
@@Glove513 Pelican?
@@endutubecensorship Yes.
Patton would have awarded her a medal:)
Rommel used the 88 in North Africa to employ a whole new style of warfare. During his strategic retreat from Montgomery, Rommel had his tanks tow 88's behind them. When he reached desirable terrain, he would turn and dig in his tanks and 88's to decimate the approachings British armour, effectively doubling his firepower. When maximum damage had been achieved, the tanks would hook up the 88's and the retreat continued. Brilliant hit and retreat strategy.
Indeed, a true--" parting shot"!!!
Apparently the Germans were devastating in retreat, and I mean that they were clever and effective.
Retreats can be very damaging to the retreating army.
What a myth cause that was not the case .
Any pictures as proof of tanks towing the 88 ?
Would be pretty funny cause you have no clue at all about the 8,8 and how it had been used cause some things do not really fit for such a role.
8,8 were not towed by tanks.
@@typxxilps First of all, you get the award for being the most obnoxious prick on the internet. Further, there are many. many hours of archival footage of the North Africa campaign that show Rommels's tanks working in close coordination with the 88's. Perhaps if you did a little more research and quit acting like a pompous, bullying twat you might not embarrass yourself like this quite so often. I'll bet your ex let out a sigh of relief the day she cut you loose. What a goof.
Oh yeah, you gotta admire how Rommel got driven right out of the entire continent of Africa by the British. Way to lose a battle, and an entire campaign as a vital element in losing the whole war. Gotta admire those Nazi bastards, ey? "Brilliant" at retreating, dying, and losing.
My story, is from the D day Ohio event in August. A fun reenactment event in Northeast Ohio off lake Erie. I was 20 ft away when they did a test fire of a flat 88. Even a black powder charge felt like a kick to the chest from the muzzle blast and I admit I giggled like a schoolgirl. It was awesome.
Do they do this every year? I'd love to attend next year I live in Mentor and had no idea
@@tripleo4255 yes every august. It is a blast. Tanks, Higgins boats ect. The chieftain and Bernard from military history visualized we're there in 2019 I think and did a few videos about it.
I had the same reaction when firing a wall gun: like a brown Bess but 1.15 cal. with 800 gr powder load.
You ought to try witnessing the recoil of a U.S. Army 155. The artillery piece that blew up every Nazi 88 they came across.
...with doppler proximity fuses. 😮
"Either you're a dead man, or you earn yourself a medal"... Some people just don't know how to take "No" for an answer :-)
Let me think. OK, I'll take the medal.
@@johnstevenson9956 Cake or death?
@@MarcosElMalo2 LOL All these decisions!
That Luftwaffe guy sounds like a moron. The fact he had to be threatened by a fellow German when there was an imminent attack by Allied tanks is ridiculous.
Typical Luftwaffe snobbery.
In an issue of a scale modeling magazine there was a diorama built showing the battle of Halfaya Pass in North Africa in which the German 88's were dug in at ground level with the sun at their back while the British tanks were advancing into it and afterwards the British tankers referred to it as " Hell Fire Pass " . I had a copy of the magazine in the late 1960's .
I just finished reading "To Hell and Back" (again)... Audie Murphy and his men hated, respected and feared these guns... They were especially effective in the German defensive actions at Anzio...
Bill Mauldin said some soldiers believed it could fire around corners.
History Guy - APR '45, Dad on team of 6 ordered to attack 4 Tigers stopping advance. 2 SGTs led w/Tommy Guns, 3 GIs had Panzerfaust, but Dad had 2. Both SGTs KIA, 2 GIs KIA leaving PFC Robert Fish of NY, and Dad from Mich. Dad crept up nailing 2 Tigers clearing the 10 crewman. Fish said eff this so fired his weapon in general direction missing. Both Dad & Fish advanced zigzagging to rear at warp speed but Fish suffered hit beneath blasting him 25' in air. Seconds later Dad dove under fence at road when "88" landed between legs penetrating ground beneath & blew him up into the barbwire fence's remains. Dad hung there paralyzed for 2 hours until couple of Thunderbolts slipped thru slit in overcast clearing Tigers in one sweep. Dad cut down & hauled to Field Hospital w/PFC Fish. I guess I was lucky to have been born in '50 as 88mm round had torn up Dad with over 400 holes in long coat, so no BP. Put in dead pile, but rescued by Guard noticing Dad's trigger finger moved each time he paced by. Dragged to intake for triage again, one Guard stayed with him & when Doc said we've already checked him...he's dead. Guard slammed his .45 on table and said "Look again". Upon further review Dad alive, 4 Docs sewed up wounds leaving shrapnel inside to get BP. Whisked to London as Monte intervened reporting his name to Ike on KIA list as Dad had been trainer for D-Day prep.Upon further review, Monte had found Dad KIA list wrong & Dad evacuated to French hospital. Monte ordered flown to London & transported to hospital w/no vitals by insane ambulance driver scaring hell out of both attendants. Driver came to visit with her crew & ice creams few months later as Dad learning to talk & walk. Dad, Nurse, and company made too much noise so Nurse in charge and Asst. came rushing in scolding them...paused... then said "Sorry for the intrusion Your Highness" and left. Afterwards Dad asked his Nurse "So who the hell was "Your Highness"? She replied "That was Princess Elizabeth, ambulance driver that saved your life". Guess she knew how to make somebody "Live Long and Prosper" as Dad passed 1-2-2007!! Long live The Queen!!!
That is extraordinary!
@@gardnep - Yes Sir...hey thanks!! An amusing aside here was commotion that attracted Nurse in Charge's attention...it was precious! Driver was spooning ice cream to Dad while tending her own as well, when she said "Monte mentioned you have Fiancé named Elizabeth waiting for you back home". Dad answered he did, "She was also born in '26, so named Elizabeth in honor of your Princess...have you ever gotten a glimpse of her yourself?". Other 3 there LOL, but Driver stayed in character answering "Oh it's quite impossible for me to glimpse The Princess, but have quite a few photos....in fact I have a collection!!". LOL! Dad said "My Fiancé has a collection of her photos as well!!". LOL! And that was the terrible commotion that attracted attention of the Nurse in Charge!! Her Majesty obvious had lot of composure for young lady just turned 19 doing her duty to The Crown driving ambulance!!!
What an incredible story! So well told. What a brave man.
God save the Queen!
Outstanding post cheers from Australia
My grandfather,a medic in France up until Dunkirk and then from D-day until late 1946,said that he remembers the sound of these as distinctive and very 'metallic' but mostly he remembers the first time he encountered an American tank that had been hit by an 88mm field gun. He didn't go into details and never did,but as he was telling me I could see by the change in his facial expression and a distant look in his eye for a second or so that whatever he saw was firmly etched even all those years later,which also told me all I needed to know.Such notoriety is only achievable by success,that success is also measured by how it affected people physiologically,I've never watched a WW2 documentary without at least half of the old veterans mentioning the '88s' and how devestating and morale crushing they were.
Not "Devastating" enough to win a single battle, and only to go on and lose the entire war. Anecdotal remarks from individual soldiers are always moving but utterly unimportant. Any soldier under fire (I'm a combat veteran) is at once impressed and terrified of ANY enemy weapon aimed at them. They are not cognizant of the larger picture or the relative efficacy of a given weapons system and are relating to the attempt to KILL HIM by the mortar, RPG, grenade, or machine gun. What is left of people in a tank after being hit by anything that penetrates the armor will shock anyone - the 88-round was no different. We used to do BDA's (Bomb damage assessments) which involves counting the arms, legs and heads of enemy soldiers by the hundreds. No "88" is necessary to provide horrors. When you get back to base you scrape an eyeball off the sole of your shoe. It's all bad. The only thing the 88 did was kill people and help the Nazis lose the war.
Yet another slice of history remembered in a video of High Caliber.
Fantastic
He's bound to get a lot of flak, though!
Rimshot
and a piercing slice it was! betcha felt like an an 88 operator w the itch of that one in the barrel ;]
I would like this, but your at 88. I won't be that guy that ruins your legendary status.
i was a tanker in the army and stories of the 88 were still told [90's]. that the armor core based [took notes on] the 90mm and 105mm on the 88 shows what a good design it was.
Not the case.
Finland used 88s after the war for a long time. Some were used as coastal artillery and were retired as recently as early 2000s. One battery of 88s located at Helsinki Air Defense regiment was pre-aimed at the nearby airport and had a special mission to shell the runways if a hostile force ever attempted a surprise landing there during the Cold War.
Really
Did the Finns mention precisely which "hostile force" they had in mind?
@@fredlougee2807 Soviets.
Saw an old diagram of the 88’s average accuracy ratings for vehicle targets.
@1000m- 93% hits
@2000m- 80% hits
@3000m- 50% hits
Something to that extent. Which is incredible.
That is super good for that era.
@@cdr8031
Then figure in a high rate of fire
Did you ever come across some old diagrams that showed we won the war - and that our 155's destroyed the Nazi 88's?
@@stephenryder1995 what a simpleton take
@@cdr8031 Yeah, you Nazi lovers need to realize that in the final analysis, war is pretty simple. I'm a combat veteran - I don't know about you. But if you need a more complex response, here it is: Because of the high cost and complexity of the 8.8 Flak gun, the Germans manufactured relatively few of them, 556 in all. The first deliveries were made in March 1943 and, as of August 1944, only 157 were fielded; with 318 in January 1945.
You can't win a war against half the world with a few hundred little flak guns. I say 'little' because the U.S. 155mm gun (the REAL legendary big gun of WW II,) pounded the Nazi 88 emplacements into dust when they were discovered. All 88s have been destroyed except for one or two museum pieces.
Conversely, the winner, twice the size of the Nazi 88, the M114 is a towed U.S. howitzer first produced in 1942, designated the 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, 10,000 M114s were produced by the Rock Island Arsenal. We were not stupid Nazis
The gun was also used by the armed forces of many nations. The M114A1 remains in service in countries around the world to this very day. That is a successful design! But since you are a closet Nazi, I'm betting you know next to nothing about the venerable, powerful, reliable American howitzer that is still in use 81 years later, rather than the 3-year life of the Nazi piece of junk.
"The Allies were working with limited intelligence"...I warned 'em about some of those officers ;)
"What did you do during the war?"
"I was in Military Intelligence, which is a contradiction in terms ".
The first time I heard of the "88" was when reading Spike Milligan's war memoirs as a child, and reading of the terror and anxiety this gun wrought on the troops in N. Africa with it's fast, low-trajectory projectiles. It caught my imagination and seemed like a near-mythical weapon.
As I viewed this video it gave me pause. In Nam I was tasked with reading "TACREPS" (tactical reports) and consolidating them into a morning briefing for the higher highers. Many read as follows: "Units of the so and so division while on patrol received fire from at tree line at so and so grid coordinates. Result friendly 1 WIA, 1 KIA, enemy unknown." I always thought of the parents or wives or fiancees, whose lives had been radically changed and at the moment I was reading the TACREP, they didn't even know.
This video unfortunately brought back to me a little of that same sadness and depression.
To hear "within minutes, a half dozen tanks were destroyed or burning" while accurately portraying the results of the engagement, says nothing about the effects on the parents, wives, or fiancees, of the tank crews that were never going home. History Deserves to Be Remembered, but I am compelled to remember it from "inside the tank" and not as numbers on an after action report. That said, great job THG.
I agree. Watching from afar is one thing, surviving that fiasco would be another...
As a child growing up, my Father a Battle Of The Bulge veteran, always told us how terrible the "88" was, he got fuc##d up pretty good there. Thanks for this video, I understand better now. (;
Was he one of the Bulge vets that returned to Luxembourg in (I think 1990) to document their war histories?
@@yepiratesworkshop7997 My Uncle with the 82nd did, my dad wanted nothing to do with it any more. Never touched a gun again.
@@Jay_Hall If it's the documentary made by the Pa. National Guard "Men of War," I may have met your uncle. I worked on that film. Still looking for a copy that I kept. It's impossible to find on TH-cam, so when I find it I want to post it. One of the Bulge vets with us actually found his old foxhole!
When you were growing up in the early 1950's?
@@ray.shoesmith I was born in 50, I was the youngest.
About 30 years ago, I was seeing a WWII veteran as a patient. He told me the story of the Germans were so accurate with the 88. They shot a running American in a large field just because they could. He also said they were more afraid of the 88 than any other weapon.
88’s made a lot of Christian’s
They were brave enough and strong enough to win the war. This man's fear was not enough to stop our path to victory.
Artillery causes roughly 75% of death and damage in war…..
The magical 88 did not save the Nazi bastards from surrendering by the tens of thousands (In Russia they surrendered by the hundreds of thousands) and losing the war. Their guns were good and yes, they killed people. Our guns were better and so were our people. Anyone would have to be crazy not to fear an enemy howitzer - I can assure you the German soldiers feared the mighty American 155 that slaughtered them just as much. It was just one of the American weapons that terrified them so much, they surrendered. WE did not.
It's a wonder they lost the war. A recent study by German historian Rüdiger Overmans found that the German military casualties were 5.3 million. Gee, makes you wonder how the magical 88 allowed that massacre to occur - we beat the shit out of them, and the fact that they had a few good little weapons had no effect on the fate that befell the Nazi swine. I guess our howitzers (155mm - twice the size of that german piece of junk) destroyed 88 emplacements wherever we found them. Individual foot soldiers had very little knowledge of what was going on in the overall scheme of things.
Hans Von Luck was a true gentleman. After the war he lectured at several schools about the German Tactics and became close friends with many officers he had fought against. Very interesting man.
Yes I've read his book.. Panzer Commander. Hans von Luck. My uncle was R.S.M. of 19 NZ armoured regiment .he was one of a few first echelon to go through to wars end...faced off with Tito's forces that tried to claim Trieste.Dad and another brother were sappers in NZ division from 1940 to wars end.There will never be a generation like them again.❤❤❤
Another Excellent short documentary. Thank you Sir. PS . We miss Mrs History Guy. Give her our regards.
She is doing great, and still wholly involved in the channel. She doesn't appear on screen very often because she prefers it that way.
I subscribed to the history guy when there was less than 20 thousand subscribers now he has almost a million I love this channel he does a great job explaining history keep up the good work a fan for life👍👍👍
I do follow the channel since 9000
My husband unearthed an anti-tank round while working in a field near Seimbach, Germany. EOD took it away but warned that finding more was likely.
My Grandfather was an American tank commander, deployed to North Africa in the earliest stages. At some point he found a British 18pdr casing that had been found by a German soldier and decorated with tench art. The art and dates are WW1, he found the casing in WW2.
Luckily my dad has it, I think it is really neat with such a history.
I found a 9x21 mm pistol round in my neighbors vegetable garden in Germany. This was probably there since WWI, since the WWII pistil cartridge was 9x19 mm.
I rendered it inert, cleaned it up and gave it to them.
@@danh8302 That IS history that HAS been remembered..
@@Absaalookemensch Unlikely. The 9x21 mm is a relatively new cartridge, introduced in the 1980s. What you have found might have been a 9x23 Steyr or 9x23 Bergmann instead. Were there any markings / stampings?
@@Uli_Krosse That's right, it was 9x23. Thanks
I had an olds 88 that was just as deadly. It used to just bounce off trees.
Mine was a Delta 88 2 door in baby blue with a 350 Rocket motor. Thing was bullet proof.
@@GreenChilliD nice, I had the exact same car! Greetings from the home of Oldsmobile, Lansing MI.
@@joshuaday3980 Nice. Yeah I tore up the back roads of Nashua NH. Had a set of Olds Rally rims off a Cutlass. Baby blue paint job, dark blue landau top and blue rims with the chrome trim rings. Triple blue ha ha. Also had a silver seagull on the hood. Good times. Circa 1992-93
@@joshuaday3980 RIP OLDSMOBILE 1897-2004
@@GreenChilliD sounds like an awesome ride man! I think I've had every year and version of Cutlass ever made through the years. Once Olds went out of business, every yahoo with a rusted out, Air shocks pumped all the way up, wooden bumper cutlass thinks its a collector car now and you can't afford any of em anymore.
The original 8.8cm gun was as a light gun for use against torpedo boats on German armored warships starting circa-1890 or thereabouts. When the first 88mm/56 guns, later also used in the Tiger I tank, were deployed as AA guns, somebody decided that they, perhaps for self-protection, should have an anti-armor projectile. What they got was a miniature version of the latest naval capped AP round used in such ships as HIPPER, SCHARNHORST, and BISMARCK (and in later coast defense guns up to 16"). This projectile was not designed for high-velocity penetration of armor thicker than the projectile diameter (rarely found in most battleships of that time, though some got pretty thick armor during WWII) and was also specifically designed with thick hardened caps for penetrating face-hardened armor ("Krupp Cemented" and its German and foreign variants used for thick side armor on battleships particularly). Since few tanks had such thick-faced armor, but did use armor that was in some cases as thick as the projectile size (some Russian tanks, as mentioned in the video), these shells turned out to be somewhat weak and subject to breakup at close range against such armor, as that single KV tank showed. Later new shells for this gun, the longer 88mm/71 used in the TIGER II, and the long-barreled PANTHER 75mm gun replaced the naval-type projectiles, using an AP cap with a thinner, more flat-cone front face, a better hardening process, and a much smaller internal cavity for its explosive charge (tanks have small inner compartments, unlike warships, and do not need big explosive charges to cause sufficient damage after penetration). These better projectiles were the ones used by the TIGER and PANTHER tanks and 88mm anti-tank guns during most of WWII.
You should do an episode on the proximity fuse. Maybe its not a "weapon" per se, but it certainly was one of the most important and effective technological innovations of the war.
Also 100 octane aviation fuel and the four-bladed propeller......
I saw that video too
Check out who made U.S. fuses during WW-II - Singer Sewing Machine Company,
W3rd!
@@kenanmorg4677 wasn’t that Purple Colored 130 octane. 100 really isn’t much better than the old 85 octane a gas or the 87 car gas I burned in my Cessna.
History guy for President. Only someone so well studied in history is fitting to lead us into the future.
LOL, I appreciate the support, hut that is not my ambition.
As being someone else that studies history as closely as myself, you will understand this statement. "The best leaders are those that don't want to be leaders, but instead need to be leaders not for themselves for but for everyone else."
Agree!!
The 88 was also a nasty anti-personnel weapon as well. When my father was in Anzio, he said the sound of 88 shells buzzing through the air was a fearful sound. The airburst would kill and wound even dug in troops.
they had High explosive rounds
@@frankb389 they had air bust for flak it was a timed fuse
My father told me during the campaign in North Africa, the Germans would fire the 88mm at a angle so low that the projectile would pull up a “rooster tail “ of sand and dirt 15-20 feet in the air as it passed thru dug in American positions. The pressure wave, dirt, and sound were terrifying as it passed over before it exploded on or near some unfortunate G.I.
@@johnmorris7209 Yes! Even that pressure wave was deadly. Such a menace.
@@johnmorris7209 If you've ever pulled buttes at a rifle range you know what it sounds like when rifle rounds pass close overhead. They are loud with a supersonic crack that over time damages your hearing if you don't wear earplugs. Now imagine a much bigger round going just as fast or faster passing even closer. Yikes.
An old timer I used to know commanded a Sherman in WW2 Europe. He told me what impressed him most about an 88 he examined was the optics of the sight.
I've been a "history guy" for many years, with particular interest in the world wars. So I am well educated on the German 8.8. And your video was informative, very much so in fact. But, more than your knowledge, what draws me to your channel and thoroughly entertains me is your presentation. Your voice, mannerisms and inflections, the concise yet precise script, the well thought out storyboard, all tied together with that signature bowtie really, really make your videos an exceptionally entertaining experience. I'm "clicking & subscribing" right now. Great work! Thanks for the effort.
He got these details from Rommel's and Von Luck's memoirs. Both Amazing. I'll have to watch again to get the Russian Front source.
@@meenki347 👍
Von Luck wrote his memoir titled "Panzer Commander" and is a very fine book. His detailed account of Goodwood is interesting to say the least.
Where he made the "Offer" to the Luftwaffe Officer?
I'm not sure if that particular story is true though - if they were assigned just to shoot at aircraft they'd only have HE shells. And if they did have AP they wouldn't just have sat there while the tanks rolled over them.
@@simonhumby323 von Luck put it in writing, which suggests to me that it was true.
In his book the Black Bull, Patrick DelaForce tells us, Von Luck threatened the luckless AA commander with his revolver, telling him “Either you will move and shoot those tanks and get a medal or I will shoot you.” To add insult to injury von Luck also deployed two Sherman tanks, captured by the Germans in June, to good effect in Operation Goodwood.
That is a book worth reading.
There's one here in New Orleans WWII museum. It's a serious piece of kit no doubt. I always check it out when I visit and I still stand in awe of it's power. If you happen to visit NOLA make sure you take a day and visit that museum. It's incredible to visit especially if you are a WWII nut like me.
1320-1340: That's one ballsy Wehrmacht ground commander. "I'm from the Luftwaffe...killing tanks is your job." Von Lucht's response: "Either You're killing tanks and earning medals, or you're a dead man." That's a statement from a warrior! Although I'm an American whose Grandfather fought on the other side...I salute you sir!
My WWII hero was my father, Merchant Mariner...sunk TWICE by the Germans. He still had great respect as he told me some of his world...
My Uncle was with the RCN on the Corvette HMCS Arrowhead. Might have been in the same convoy at some time.
I find it staggering that you always have a different opening sequence with such quality and creativeness.
😮 well done!
@@efekt412 I use a product called Viddyoze.
My Dad was with the 7th Armored Division in northern Europe in 1944-45. He did not talk much about the war, but did mention the 88. He told me that the GI's said that it could shoot around corners. I think he was only half joking.
Well, it probably could shoot THROUGH corners at least.
Sounds like solid camouflage, positioning and accuracy
Near the end, weren't the Germans working on a rifle to do just that?
@@bloodybones63 They had a gun with a bent gun barrel to be used from inside the cupola of a Ferdinand tank because the Ferdinand didn't have a machine gun.
My father was in the 8th Armored Division. If I remember correctly, his company was billeted in what was a brick factory. My father said, and the company's monthly news letter, reported the case where a member of the unit was in a building, sitting on the toilet, when an 88mm shell punched through the wall at floor level and skidded across the floor, a dud fortunately.
The History Guy's Magellan ad is more compelling than the 30,000 Discovery Plus ads I've seen today on cable.
One memorable cartoon from "Up Front" by Bill Mauldin ( a collection of WWII cartoons from the "Stars and Stripes" newspaper) showed a number of angry GI's hanging around a tent where German POW's were being interviewed. One of the officers that was doing the interviews told the soldiers "We'll let you know if we find the one what invented the '88'."
Would love to see a THG piece on Mauldin. _He_ is history who deserves to be remembered.
My second favorite "Up Front" cartoon was Willie saying to Joe, "Joe you saved my life, so I'm giving you my last pair of dry socks."
@@thedungeondelver Agreed. The cartoon THG referred to was drawn by then-Sgt. Bill Mauldin, 45th Infantry Division, then 22 years of age. The great war correspondent Ernie Pyle described Sgt. Mauldin's work: "Sergeant Bill Mauldin seemed to us over there to be the finest cartoonist the war had produced. And that's not merely because his cartoons are funny, but because they are also terribly grim and real. Mauldin's cartoons aren't about training camp life, which is most familiar to people at home. They are about men in the line - the tiny percentage of our vast Army who are up there doing the dying. His cartoons are about the war." One day the Stars and Stripes, the GI newspaper, got a letter asking what Mauldin knew about the war. The editor answered, "Sergt. Bill Mauldin received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered while serving in Italy with Pvt. Blank's own regiment." In later life, Bill Mauldin drew the celebrated cartoon of the Lincoln statue with his head in his hands, following the assassination of President Kennedy. Definitely history that deserves to be remembered.
@@elcastorgrande He also played the memorable part of 'The Loud Soldier 'alongside Audie Murphy in the 1951 movie The Red Badge of Courage. Obviously a man of myriad talents.
In Up Front, Mauldin describes a class of soldiers who are too close to the front lines to wear a necktie, but too far back to get shot.
Another great by this world class historian !!!
The scene I most remember from “Saving Private Ryan” is one where the American officer played by Tom Hanks is describing a battle he and his men had fought as part of their first day at Normandy and you can tell it is very difficult emotionally for him to think about the recent battle and relate to his superior officer what the officer needed to know and he shakes his head and referring to the Wehrmacht soldiers they had undoubtedly killed says “those boys sure didn’t want to give up those 88’s”. That scene to me speaks volumes about the value of the 88’s to the German soldiers and the horrific price each side had to or was willing to pay to keep them or to take them.
Well, ”Saving Private Ryan ” is just a Hollywood tale.
@ Not that real.
The Germans also had 88 mm guns that were regular field artillery. They looked like the normal cannons of the time. My take on that scene was that Hanks was talking about that.
@ Yes, helping out with detailing etc. Hollywood war movies are action movies made to entertain the audience, and do not have realism as priority.
"They just didn't wanna
give up those 88s."
"It was a tough assignment.
That's why you got it."
Speaking of Arras, please consider doing an episode on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, aviator, author, and journalist. While probably best known for his novella _The Little Prince,_ he wrote many other harrowing and, occasionally, tragic, works such as _Wind, Sand and Stars,_ _Night Flight,_ and _Flight to Arras._
His P38 was recently found in the Med.
Thank you for another wonderful episode. I like the three stories format.
The 88 was a AWESOME WEAPON. My dad was at Anzio beach head and told me about a couple maybe one 88 was holding up the Invasion because they was mounted into the side of the mountain overlooking the beach. Because of that they could not do much without the 88 DESTROYING anything moving on the beach. Even jeeps were picked off the beach even though they were small and fast. Bombers bombed the mountain but they pulled back into the safety of the mountain. It had to be over runed by troops from above to knock them out. I believe it is TRUE, my dad told me the story. He was a VHF CREW CHIEF and a veteran of 9 CAMPAIGNS in the Atlantic Theatre. 😉😁😎
I don't doubt the story. Respect to your father
My late Uncle Ralph was there. He too hated those 88s.
RESPEKT
Very very kool
Did your dad also tell you that we won the war - 88's or no 88's?
This was awesome. Wish ad for Magellan service was at end but it is worth getting thru to hear these great stories. I listened to it while running this morning and could picture scenes (esp. the 88 shells going l the corn fields in my mind) Now I will have to watch it. Great job!
Great Episode, History Guy. I'm kind of a military history nerd (WWII specifically) and have read lots of books about WWII and the 88 was definitely a feared weapon that excelled at multiple roles. I really like reading/hearing first hand accounts of action in WWII and am very thankful that I wasn't around to have to fight in it. America's Greatest Generation for sure.
I still consider that one of the best artillery pieces ever made.
Wow this one is going on the "Best of History Guy" playlist, that tank story was incredible!
First hand accounts always give a much clearer picture of the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of things. I've noticed a lot of WW2 revisionism lately that counters what the [many] vets I talked to told me.
Just that one story about the KV1 really reframed my understanding of that tank. Clearly it was to the Germans early war what the Tigers were to Allies late war. For all its other problems, clearly it caused problems in at least one instance!
I need an 88 to mount on the roof. With one of those I'm sure I could "deter" the HOA before they ever get near the door.
Good for road ragers too.
Everyone thinks that NAZI ideology died out with the end of the war. It didn't. It's alive and well in HOAs all across the United States. I HATE HOAs!!!
I would recommend a quad .50 or a mk19 I hear you can use the 19 like a 40mm mortar
I'm veteran bow tie wearer and yours this episode is awesome.
My dad was conscripted in 1944 at 16yrs and was on a crew on an 88 until he was injured in may of 45. I have some photos of him and the crew, with the gun, one of the guys on the crew was so small, and young he was swimming in his uniform as it was way to big for him. A few of the photos have some notes and signatures on the backside.
My dad did survive the war, married my mom and moved to Canada, he worked hard and had a successful life, although he did have some demons.
LOTS of Vets on Both sides carried LOTS of Demons..... That NOBODY who hadn't been in those battles could understand. My Dad told me a few stories that he said he would never have told me if I hadn't joined the Military.
so your dad was part of the Hitler youth if I’m understanding correctly
Many people believe the 88s were pressed into serving as A.T. guns in an emergency. It was then that Rommel realized they would make great A.T. guns. The fact is they carried armor piercing ammo for just such a purpose. They were designed to act as anti aircraft OR anti tank weapons from the very start. It wasnt just by chance.
The 8.8cm Flak 18 was actually used in an anti-tank role during the Spanish Civil War. The amazing part how accurate the bloody thing was. The Germans would actually use it to blow away individual Allied infantrymen with great effect and demoralizing efficiency. Only a German would think to use a high-velocity cannon as a sniper rifle.
@@montieluckett7036 If ve von dar war, ve vould not have dis problem
@@montieluckett7036
The "blow away an infantryman" thing has always been a bit of an exaggeration, more realistically is that they could target an individual position, not that they could "hit an individual", that's gotten a little pumped up over the years, by targeting an individual position the explosive in the shell would naturally kill anyone there but they weren't actually shooting an individual person like how a rifle is sighted.
@@montieluckett7036 Germans are not that stupid to waste ammo on a single indvidual.
They lost the war formented by parasites that western voting fools still are supporting....
It goes back to WWI and it's origin in the BAK 8.8cm, Balloon Abwehr Kannon 8.8cm or Anti-Balloon Cannon 8.8cm or 88mm, IIRC it was only an L/30, while the Flak 88mm was L/56 & later in WWII L/70 this refers to the length of the barrel of the gun so from about 2.64 metres up to about 5 meters & 6.1 metres long. The BAK were designed in WWI to fire flat & WERE employed in an AT role against Allied tanks, notedly at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917.
The past few years, an "88" has been present at the "D-Day Ohio" reenactment in Conneaut. It is said to be the only one in the world in full working order. When it fires--using a reduced-power charge in deference to its age and rarity--you don't just hear it, you *feel* it.
bs
@@DrLoverLover
stfu
I have seen several supposedly still functional German 88 when I visited Ukraine.
I would highly recommend VonLuck’s book “Panzer Commander .”
A great read
I agree. I recalled VonLuck’s description of the cornfield battle that the History Guy referenced. Many eye opening accounts in his book.
Thanks for the quick lesson on tank guns History Guy. Your explanation makes it clear why the 75mm gun on the Panther and a similar cannons on the 75mm PAK the 40 L43 and L48 anti-tank guns were so deadly to Allied armor.
On the Internet somewhere I came across a Russian evaluation of the Panther where they compared the mission of the Tiger Tanks- "tactical break through" with the apparent mission of the new Panther- "A new type of heavy tank in the tank killer role." I had heard that the 75mm KwK 42 L/70 in the Panther was the better tank killer (over the 88 in the Tigers). You explained the "why" of that perfectly. The 88mm gun in the Tigers had better punch for anti-personnel, fortifications and soft targets with their HE shells and were also very deadly in the tank killer roll. Thanks again History Guy, you are the best!
Great video, the Flak 88 been one of my favorite weapons of all time,thankyou
A single tank crew holding off an entire army. Now that would make a good movie...
Right? Maybe they could get some big names for it, too, like Brad Pitt or so.
I'm sure they did make a movie like that fairly recently. I think it was called 'The Tank that would not calm down'.
Michael Wittman, German tank ace
It has already been made - it is called "The White Tiger"
@@Jorn41
T-34.
I read Von Luck's book and saw him in a British reunion video about the same attack. He mentioned the 88 incident when he had to threaten the Luftwaffe officer with slightly different verbiage. The city fighting was some of the worst I have ever read. Great historic video.
This is amazing , 2 nights ago I was talking about the 88s and how unbelievable they were. Thank you again for doing it again. You make me at age 45 still want to learn .
No one said you are being monitored.
On the other hand ...
@@fjb4932 lol 😆 took me a second to get that.
I always enjoy your take on historical stories. Thank you man, keep it up!!! Hope you and Mrs History Guy are doing Wonderfully!
I knew a WWII vet. He exact words were """That 88 was one wicked gun"".
If you get a chance, check out the "Willy and Joe" cartoon with the one grunt talking to an MP POW processers and the MP telling him "We'll let you know when we've found the guy who invented the '88". In fact, "Willy and Joe" would make a great show!
Here in Oklahoma City they have the 45th Infantry Division Museum and they have an entire area dedicated to Willy and Joe - the artist was assigned to the Div. Really interesting smallish museum.
He should do a ep on Bill Maudlin!
They made 2 movies about them but Bill Mauldin was so disappointed by the results that he returned his consulting fee.
@Mike Cooper Fulda, Downs Kaserne.
Up front, i must have read it cover to cover a dozen times. Would be a good subject here.
We would be thrilled to see the granite state represented on your program, from the peak of Mount Washington and the home of the world's worst weather with the first Cog Railway, to America's Stonehenge oh, the Great Stone Face- "The Old Man of the Mountain" in Franconia notch ( the anniversary of its demise is coming up on 3rd May), or the Wylie house disaster with the entire family and a couple of guests wiped out by a rockslide in a storm. The various ships that plied the Waters of Lake Winnipesaukee; the Mount Washington, the side-wheeler which sank in the lake or the most recent which originated on the great lakes in the 19th century and is still in service? We have many events which you might find intriguing and worthy of your attention.
I used to fire 88mm cannon in ex Yugoslavia army as artillery soldier and I was impressed and I understood why Germans were very effective in WWII.
Fascinating as always ! ! !
I wish my Dad was still alive. He was in the 351st Reg. 2nd Bat. Co.F 88th Inf. Div. WW2 Rome/Arno/ N.Apennines campaign. He could tell you a thing or two about that dastardly gun and the aces that fired it.
I have an actual (inert) flak 18 shell and casing as well as the fuse. It has the original paint and markings denoting its weight for aiming purposes, it's case with non electric fuse is brass. It is a center piece of my collection.
You've done an excellent job on the video and I thank you for it.
I just purchased a relic casing of an 88 that was pulled from a pond in the Netherlands. After it was all cleaned up I can make out all the stamps on the base. Including the eagle.
My dad was with the 899th TD co. B during WWII. He liked to send photo letters home. One picture was of a 88 and on the back he wrote this is the gun that scares the sh-- out of us!
My Dad seldom talked of his WW-2 experiences, but the German 88 was presented to me as a 'dark' memory.
Everything about the Nazi scum was dark.
Worth mentioning is that a good part of what made this gun effective in the anti-tank role was its high velocity, resulting in a flatter trajectory and greater chance of getting hits at any range.
Thanks for the story and keeping history alive.
Just got through reading a book called Panzers on the Eastern Front, the late General Erhard Raus during 1941 - 1945
An extremely ambitious General of his time with remarkable instincts...
I would like to suggest an episode on the fax machine. It is largely obsolete now, but its history stretches surprisingly far into the past.
No comment on how the 88 also had Connectors so it could be linked to a central fire control system for antiaircraft. I understand to that radar was connected to spotlights for antiaircraft Illumination and always wondered if the flak guns were as well.
I've seen something about that. It wasn't just spotlights, but radar sets too (maybe even sound locators as well). I don't remember the details, but anti-aircraft batteries were highly sophisticated systems that had to lead the bomber formations by like 30 seconds or something. There's a video out there on TH-cam somewhere that goes into the details. It's rather impressive.
My Uncle served as a Radar Gun Layer on British Heavy AA guns from mid 1941
Incredible how advanced things were.. Every now and then you hear or read something that totally f's your concept of advancement over time
@@tyree9055 The radar was called the "Fu-Mg"....Funk-Meßgerät - radio measuring device.....^^
And yes...the timefuse of the 88mm shell (S-30) had a maximum runtime for 30 seconds....:)
@@mikeromney4712 There's a man who knows his history (😄)! I can't remember it all personally.
😉👍
I like all your videos, I am a Ammo SGT in the US Army. If a tank round left a blue mark. I believe that is only a practice round, not an Anti-Tank round. Good stories. Keep them coming.
Joined my Regt, 17 port and Maritime RCT in '73. Had a DUKW troop, an old steam powered tank landing craft enclosed to do resupply of BOAR
Just a small correction, 35(t)'s were not much prevalent during Barbarossa, you're talking about the 38(t) (as seen on 9:15).
I believe I heard June 18 as the start date when in fact Goodwood started July 18. I do remember seeing a documentary many years ago about the D-Day invasion. A British officer who was a tank commander told a story about being confronted by a Tiger I. He was commanding a Sherman and realizing he was out gunned hid behind a stone building thinking he was safe from the Tiger's 88. His next statement was his description of being, "brewed up" by the Tiger when the Tiger TC had his gunner shoot through both stone walls of the building!
There is a Willie & Joe comic that has the them hand a POW over to intel and the interrogator telling them "If we find the guy that invented the 88, we'll let you know."
Excellent treatment of the subject matter and without any trace of bias. Good job!
0:31 . Yes, both the Flak and Tiger's cannons were 88mm, but the Flak's cannon wasn't used on the tiger. A whole new cannon was developed for the tank.