Battlegroup Böhm - The Furthest German Advance West, Ardennes 1944
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- A lot has been written about the exploits of Kampfgruppe Peiper in the Battle of the Bulge, but the furthest west attained by any German unit was actually made by the regular army, Battlegroup Böhm of the 2nd Panzer Division. It made it to within 5km of the Meuse River, a major German objective, before being halted.
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Thanks: Flames of War
My Great-Grandfather's war ended here. His name was Sergeant Aubrey L. Barnhart of the 82nd Airborne and he was wounded by shrapnel from a German grenade. He was sent home never to be able to fully run again because of the damage to his leg muscles but he could walk. Later in life it would give him pain to walk as an old man
He had jumped on D-Day and fought his way across France, Belgium, and then fought in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands with the 82nd Airborne
Just thought I'd share that piece of family history and a small, individual piece of history of the Battle
Good on you Sam.
My grandfather was in Holland . During the German invasion they had Napoleonic weapons!
Needles to say they stood no chance.
Was prisoner of war for most of the war and the stories were few and far between but for the funny interesting parts that kept him going. Like two German soldiers arguing with a half a brick getting thrown and my grandpa happen to b in the way and ended up as collateral damage against the head.
Lucky his legs where not blown off.
My father is currently the youngest surviving American POW of WW2 at 92. He was on a Mission to Hammelburg called "Task Force Baum" to free some POW's and all were killed or captured. After the war, it was learned that Patton's son-in-law was in that camp far inside German lines. Dad is credited with 32 days in POW camp. 30 days was required to be an official POW. By that time, food was not getting to the camps so he was hospitalized for malnutrition. While in camp, he saw the very first German jets which despite word the war was almost over....those jets terrified the POW's as they imagined hundreds or thousands of them. He says nobody can understand combat unless there...the noise and smell is unique.
The commander of the 2nd Panzer Division in the Bulge, Meinrad von Lauchert, worked as a technical adviser on the 1965 Hollywood blockbuster movie "Battle of the Bulge." Given the grotesque inaccuracies in that movie, he must have had a frustrating time dealing with the writer, director, and producer.
Its crazy how such a small country managed to gather that many men this late in the war. I mean Germany managed to put up a good fight against the Usa and Russia, two of the biggest countries in the world, and their allies. Thats pretty impressive
You can fight as hard as you like but if you run out of juice you're finished
For a nation with so little and uneven odds they did quite alot.
Kinda like if the russian troops run out of vodka
Amateurs talk tactics. Professionals talk logistics..........................
Where's the Viagra when you Need it!
@@karlbrundage7472 And that ís why the USA cant win a war against insurgance anymore. No Idea of tactics but good logistics = Vietnam 2.0
Also the fuelshortage had nothing to do with bad german logistics at that point. After the surrender of Romania the german fuel production plummated significantly. Also the allies finally started bombing something meaningfull in spring 1944 that could actually harm the german army: german artifical fuel refineries and train lines. Finally somebody realized that (as already proven during the Blitz) citie bombings were useless and heavily counterproductive becasue it actually raised moral. If you are occupied with getting bombed you dont think abaout the future and maybe overthrowing the gouvernement, you only live and think from day to day.
A good point to prove this is propably that the US populatian had comparabley low war moral and wanted a quick end to it while the germans, japanease and soviets not really wavered until the end in "going on".
Back to the main point (sorry :D): In Germanys case you dont need to talk logistics except when you march into russia. From the main factory area to the frontline in France is about 100-300km, there are good roads, good train lines and no oceans to cross. So naturally logistics is much easier. It obviously is very important if you march 3000km on poor infrastructure east.
Americans have to priorities logistics because otherwise they would even reach the bloody battlefield in the first place.
If you have two powerfull nations as your neigbours who are your "enemys" for decades its obviously more important to know how to fight and ideally defeat one of them fast to then procede to defeat the other one. Thats prussian military doctrine chapter 1. IF you dont know tactics but have logistics you still get rekt as germany because longterm france and britain are economically equal (with their empires supirior) and russia "outbleeds" your army by a huge margin thanks to menpower and ressources. What would help germany would be: Amateurs talk logistics, professionells talk Realpolitik.
Have a nice day :)
All the textbooks, documentaries and movies I've ever watched that talk about the Battle of the Bulge only every really talk about the Allies' offensives. Thanks Dr. Felton for bringing to light the German side of the battle.
The reason you don't see much is they don't have alot of archival film of the German side of the action. What we have is mostly German propaganda footage. It doesn't make for good documentaries unless you're doing a documentary about propaganda.
@@readhistory2023 do you really that optimistic that you believe that theres a difference beetween allied and axis footages by means of content reliability?
it's called brainwashing/framing, that's why US citizens think that they are the greatest of the world.
@@readhistory2023 ob allierte propaganda oder deutsche macht doch keinen unterschied..
Damn dude, you're becoming one of my favorite channels. Great presentation, superb subject matter, and excellent narration. I'm reminded of the good 'ol days of war documentaries like Wings of the Luftwaffe or World at War. Thanks so much for putting all this together for us, I absolutely love it!
couldnt agree more! no BS, just straight history
And the footage he uses is excellent too!
That's why I just went ahead and bought basically every documentary made over time. The World at War was expensive. The Complete History of WW2 I would highly recommend to you.
Like Discovery and History channels used to be. A long time ago.
I like that focus is given to lesser known units and their accomplishments often overshadowed by Allied victories. I appreciate these kinds of videos.
Maybe something about German farthest pushes east, or units that got to Moscow suburbs.
Really?
Yes they got wishing 15 km of the Kremlin
@@James-sh8mu
Yes really, a German reconnaissance team managed to get close, they claimed to see Kremlin tower with their binoculars. People today said it's not possible to see the tower.
They stuck at a place called Khimkhi, a monument today marks the furthest and final German advance into Moscow.
@@James-sh8mu
Sure. Why not?
Jawohl, good idea!
Anyone notice the stuffed bear on the tank barrel?
Yes - well spotted. Does anybody have anymore information?
Can you put a time stamp?
@@PU8698 4:59
@@PU8698 4:59 for the teddy bear
@@PU8698 4:59
Loving your presentation of these videos very clear and precise.
Thanks for your commitment
Charlie 🇬🇧
Charlie Manson any relation to Charles???
I had a Great Uncle in that battle. He did not speak of it much but when he did the stories were larger than life. He truly was a member of the Greatest Generation.
@GazB85 haha
>Greatest Generation
>Most horrific genocide humanety has ever seen
Yeah, not shure about that...
My parents, aunts and uncles ( all uncles WW2 combat veterans) were of that generation they are as different from Post Modern Americas as any simile could ever convey. They were good and thoughtful people but too trusting because their scope of understanding could never comprehend how fundamentally corrupt creatures like FDR, Churchill, & Stalin were. These essentially good people were used for what may be the greatest crime in Western Civilization the destruction of their own future generations.
I feel like your channel has more historical context and content then the history channel these days 👍
@mitch there too busy showing garbage shows not only that they show them all day my how the mighty have fallen somewhere is warehouse full of WW 2 films and documents waiting to be found let's hope it's found before it's lost forever stay the course Bruce
Southpark did a brilliant spoof of the History Channel where they suggested the founding fathers of America were eating thanksgiving lunch with aliens because there was no evidence to say they hadn't hehe. Silly but true of the style of rubbish they have on History Channel.
Keep up the great work that you do with all of your videos. Your viewers and myself enjoy all of your work. 😊
really love how much of an effort you put in to pronounce german words correctly
Danke
Even if they had sufficient fuel, the Germans could only advance as long as bad weather kept allied air power grounded. Once the skies cleared, most of the German armored vehicles were destroyed in concentrated air attacks. What the Battle of the Bulge proved was no modern armored offensive could succeed without air superiority. This proved again - twice - in the battles for Kuwait and, later, Iraq.
Your videos are great. I learn more about WW2 from you than I ever did in highschool.
I clicked this video as one of the many historical videos I consume, but I actually said "Ooooh it's a Mark Felton Production too!" when the music started. Keep up the good work man.
Visited Bastogne and the region a couple of weeks ago. This video/channel is amazing accurate and neutral. Love it.
Sadly that was just one more of several mistakes made by the allies in WWII. The shortfall of bombs and artillery have claimed many innocent lives and miscommunication has led to the wrong targets being hit. In every war, I have ever heard of innocents died.
I feel like I’ve gained so much knowledge about the 2nd world war from your channel, especially about individual battles. And I thank you for that because I think about em quite a bit.
4:09 You know you’re in real trouble when the jeep you’re driving is on fire!
Bloody good pronounciation sir. Greetings from Germany.
You’re not using a VPN are you? Often even historical videos on the operations of national socialist Germany in WW2 and before are banned in Germany.
Astoria I‘m German and I have never come across a video that was banned because it has things about Nazism and World War 2 in it
One of the best channels on youtube
Keith Bell Agreed
Yep, great channel and great detail. 👍
I always love talking about the Ardennes. Battle of the Bulge!
@sanity logic check out The Battle of Arracount and Battle of the Bulge American Version on TH-cam hope you like them stay the course Bruce
I want to go camping in the Ardennes and make up ghost stories and eat frankfurters cooked over the fire.
Dr Felton's channel is perhaps becoming *the* go-to channel for WWII history.
There’s a couple for me. This one and Ace Destroyer equally have a similar style. Short, sweet and concise focusing either on parts of specific battles or specific people. If you want a lengthy, in-depth piece of history that questions what you think you know, then TIK is the way to go.
Each respectively have something nice to offer.
That's what I love about your video's mark, I always learn about important WW2 battles and find out about things I never knew happened.
Thanks for a even handed presentation of this battle. So often this action is presented with no detail. Thanks Mark.
Mark, your voice and dedication to explaining history has an almost intoxicating quality! I'm 2:46 into the video and I have tuned out the crazy, current world, and suddenly I'm in 1944. Thank you for your passion! Keep up the amazing work! :)
Taking nothing away from the 101st Airborne's gallant stand at Bastogne, it's high time the other units that dug in and held or held until overwhelmed like the 28th Infantry and 9th Armored were recognized.
Also the Wehrmacht's furthest advance is seldom honored.
I think this has more to do with simplifying history than intentional snubbing.
No one has ignored the 28th or the 9th. Anyone who actually fought in that battle respected all sides and all warriors. My father was a First Sergeant in the 101st who went all the way from Normandy to Berchesgaden. The Bulge was mythical in my family because my father was delivered from it. My mother had cried all night Christmas Eve 1944, she didn't know why. Christmas means hope to my family. The Bulge was as bad as it got, but the French hedgerows and the Belgian bridges were just as bad.
How about the 7th Armoured at St. Vith???
I just moved to Düren last year and this area is packed with WWII history. The Hürtgenwald museum is about 20km away from where I live and it's embarrassing to say that I didn't have the time to pay this very interesting museum a visit, but I surely will.
Thanks for the video Mark! I really enjoyed the old combat footage.
Great detail on The Bulge battle. This is a wider perspective than I have read. Thanks for the research.
3:49 - that guy always makes me giggle - "damn, I smiled, I wanted to be cool"
he probably died days later,so sad.
You have to wonder what a difference all these men and the equipment would have made if they had been used to defend the Rhine instead of being wasted like this.
Interesting coincidence that the last big push in both World Wars came from troops who had fought in the east.
A static defense along the Rhine would have been useless. There weren't enough prepared positions or manpower to hold the entire length of the River. The allies would have used a combination of air strikes and superior troop and armored strength to destroy weaknesses in the line and pour across the river. Once they had enough strength across the river they could turn and destroy the Germans left isolated along the river since they had no escape. Once the D-Day landings succeeded, Germany was doomed.
A more interesting question is what would have happened if Hitler had not attacked the Soviet Union? With a much greater ability to resist attacks in the west and the Soviet Union not part of the Allies, the outcome would have been much different.
I've often thought of what that force could have done around Berlin in 1945
@@sarjim4381 I was thinking more along the lines of Iwo Jima. Having said that though much of Germany equipment was better then the Japanese they never had the chance to prepare in advance.
A counter proposal for you. Germany uses diplomacy to get Poland on its side, remember Russia attacked Poland in 1919, and then they attack the Soviet Union as liberators. Many in the Soviet Union hated Stalin as much as Hitler did, in fact many did join the Germans viewing them as liberators. So proclaiming themselves liberators would have made life much easier for his armed forces. Many countries would have supported Germany, if only indirectly, because the communist had a foothold in their countries. Many would have flocked to Germany to fight alongside them while any communists would probably been arrested.
I would be interested to know your thoughts.
@@sarjim4381 Im pretty sure the allied casualties would have rised way up if they had to conquer the rhine without any bridges
@@BELCAN57 surely they would of made a impact. But by then Germany ran out of tugstun, meaning very limited ammunition of the tanks. Perhaps slowing down the advance and causing a lot more casualties. But they'd probably be straffed by shtrumovik fighter bombers.
So here the British Army got involved in the Ardennes Offensive - something many Americans vehemently deny - and stopped the furthest advanced German Panzers from crossing the Meuse. Good show, old boy !!! 💂
Twas a wizard prang
The untold story of the Battle of the Bulge finally well told. Great footage also. Thank you.
My father was in the 2nd Armored Division and he was at Celles. He would say the reason we won was because the German Tanks ran out of gas and were sitting ducks there. My mother was a Marine and was the secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Officer School at Quantico. Her birthday was on December 16th...the day the battle began. Washington is some 6 hours behind Europe and when she arrived at work the teletypes were clicking non-stop. Her friends had planned a nice party for her but everything was cancelled due to the attack. I remember her saying that Washington was in a near panic as the battle unfolded that day.
I love these vignettes, don't you dare stop! :)
Another amazing video, your absolutely amazing at telling these stories and the footage is pristine. keep up the awesome work
A good interesting vid. I enjoyed it. Thanks
1.2 K views and only published today, i'm not suprised tbh, the best ww2 channel around, keep up the great work
Will do
Mark, I'm in the States, Doctor; but I'd so appreciate being your student to take a university level World War II course where you were the professor.
Oh wait, I enjoy that very insruction through your channel...and I don't have to be concerned about earning a grade.
Thanks with endearment. You, and other people (History Guy) indeed keep history alive and honor those who actually lived those experiences.
With multiple non-history degrees, I always have desired to earn one in the field I truly enjoy: history! Keith
I wish I had YOU as my history teacher.
In response to the guy below, didn't General Patton say "My men can eat their belts, but my tanks gotta have gas!"
Dad was in 29th division .....stories of fight with those forces...some tough guys.....
29th wasn't at the Bulge. My uncle died the month before a mile from the Roer River. One of the few outstanding infantry divisions in the US, according to Ike.
@@MrProsat isnt 29th also called the bloody bucket? or was it the 28th?
Thanks for another great video and an amazing history lesson.
Another FANTASTIC video! Thank you!
Brilliant video Dr Felton!! That force would have been better used defending against the Soviets.
Mark - outstanding video. This is little discussed in many of the history books. All we get is Peiper, Peiper, Peiper; yet it was the Wehrmacht 2nd Panzer Div., which had had experience on the Russian Front, that made the furthest push west. This is truly fascinating Mark!
My uncle was a tank driver in the 2nd Armoured and participated in this battle
Small American and British combat units made up of a mixed bag of troops were able to stop the German advance. These units skillfully frustrated the efforts of the Waffen ss and other armored units. When the Panzers ran out of gas.... the battle was pretty much over. There was a high cost on both sides in men and material
First comment! Great video! We, the Felton Fanatics appreciate your very informative videos.
dakota
Felton Fanatics !!!!!!!! 👍🏼
Wow 😮 never knew any of this. I wonder if these guys running out of fuel and walking home is what I inspired the scene at the end of “Battle of the Bulge” with Robert Shaw?
Solid Channel bruv, proppa narrator and top CONTENT
Fantastic narrative, very informative without any waffle.
the good old second Panzer one of the first 3 Panzerdivisions of the Wehrmacht, headquarters before the war in Würzburg then since 1938 in Vienna. I knew a sergeant who first served in K2, 2nd motorcycle bataillon of the 2nd Panzer and later fought as panzer grenadier in Normandy 1944 and in the Ardennes offensive. He told me lots of stories about his war experiences.
What incredible research it must take to constantly publish such detailed and historically accurate material about WWll and from both sides of the conflict.
Agree. The output is amazing.
Another excellent video. First time I've seen it on the day of. You're right- accounts I read many years ago did go into 2nd Panzer squaring off against 2nd Armored, but downplayed the details of that unit and you rarely hear of the battle group or its commander as such. Peiper really did get more fame. OTOH, the character played by Robert Shaw in the American film clearly is a composite of both.
Just shows you how great smart and tough the United States Army is. Blessings to all who fight for the outstanding country of America.
Most people say the Battle of The Bulge was a German mistake, which wiped out their last great forces that could've defended Germany. But I don't think it was a mistake. Sitting around and never trying to advance will always lead to loss. You'll just continue losing ground until you have none left. At least this way, they tried.
I don't know about information on it, but the large number of u.s. army deserters in paris and the countryside in september1944 to february 1945 that was withheld from the public. The army actually shooting a soldier for desertion shows how serious it was.
I really love this channel well done sir!
Jolly interesting Mark, coincidentally I was listening to "Normandy '44" (by James Holland) when this popped up.👌🏼
Your the best at teaching the history that's is little known to others!
Very interesting, and well made. Excellent stuff Mark.
Nice vid with some good footage. In the various simulations of 'Autumn Mist' the 2nd Pz. Division always makes the furthest gains and a lucky OKW player can sometimes turn the whole front, destroy the allies in detail, and/or get across the meuse with 2nd and 9th Pz.. According to Michael Reynolds in 'Men of Steel' It was Hitler who demanded the schwerepunckt be moved to the northern sector of sixth Pz. Army where unusually poor generalling by the command cadre of 1-SS Pz. corps saw infantry thrown in first, lines of communications in chaos and tanks wasted in urban assaults.. thanks for great posts. peace
“Get this through the headquarters, they’ve abandoned their tanks… And they’re walking back to Germany “ 😔
you get to that gas truck, then open all the valves.....then get the hell away from it.
6:26 Just an interesting fact somebody might care about. The two men in this shot are actually carrying Faustpatrone. You can tell the difference because the faustpatrone is much smaller and has a different shaped projectile than the panzerfaust. The faustpatrone was the predecessor of the panzerfausts, and was less effective but still dangerous. They were used alongside the more well-known panzerfaust until the end of the war.
In the 1980's, I was a member of C Company, 2nd Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment. I volunteered for additional duty on the Color Guard. Part of the job was leaning the unit history.
In 1944, our unit fought in the vicious battles of the Hurtgen forest, getting pretty chewed up. The unit was pulled out, received replacement troops fresh from the US, resupplied, and then was sent to a quiet sector of the front to sort out and integrate all the new troops. That "quiet sector" was in the Ardennes Forest. Few days later, they were dead center in the path of the German offensive. The company started the fight with over 200 troops, and two weeks later, only 17 were still capable of fighting, all the rest having been killed, or wounded.
didnt two divisions have 80% losses or something crazy in hurtgen?
I knew someone that was at the battle of the bulges but he died about a Week ago at 95 years old he was in the timberwolfs His name Bob Huber
wow your channel is really growing fast
These videos keep getting better and better thanks for the great video.
Mark! Could you create a video about the Hitler Youth Tankhunters in the Battle for Berlin
I lived next door to one of the Hitler youth that fought in the battle for Berlin. He was 14. Madness!
@@TheNimshew
People: THINK IF THE CHILDREN!!!
Government: YES ARM THE CHILDREN AND SEND THEM AS WELL!!!
People: That's not what we meant ;-;
@@TheNimshew liar
@@appmagician3240 The question is, was is meant with "fought in the battle of Berlin"? Die Hitlerjugend, as an NSDAP organisation, was subordinatet to the Volkssturm. Aufgebot III was the year's issues of 1925-1928. The year's issues from 1928/29 were conscripted in spring 1945 partialy in the RAD (labor service) and as Flakhelfer. In May 1945 (should) begun the military training for the rest of the year's issues from 1928 as Volkssturm units. The younger Hitlerjungen were used as messenger, couriers and helpers for the party. Like coordination of refugee housig and supply, minor infrastructural cleanups (no heavy work) etc. So, I guess the neighbor from forty two was responsible for the hot tea-supply in his scool for the refugees from the east, or took a trip to Rostock or Prag with a bag of rubber sealings or dental medicine. Of course, when he stayed in Berlin after the encirclement, he was involved like all other people in more or less combat situations as passiv participian, but I doubt highly it was with a Panzerfaust in the rubble of a destroyed cellar.....conclusion: He was at least 16 years old in May 1945, or he was a runner for a military unit and Wasilli Saitzef missed him by an inch - or he spun his yarn.....Of course, there were exceptions when the situation was chaotic (like Wilhelm Hübner), but this were exceptions......my humble opinion.....
@@mikeromney4712 Paragraphs ...great things.
One of your best. Appreciate the detail you've provided. Thank you.
4:28 Logistics wins wars
"Amateurs talk of tactics but professionals study logistics." -Gen. Robert H. Barrow USMC
Excellent.........you are a very gifted historian....so glad I found your channel
Excellent presentation and subject matter. I saw this pop up via notifications and clicked like before watching, so confident I am in your channel. Keep up the great work!
you can see clearly on the map at 2'07" that the detour they had to make north around Bastogne made a critical difference
The British were pretty much written out of the battle after Field Marshal Montgomery's press confrence infuriated the American general officers. The British Army deserves credit it doesn't get
Not really
Montgomery tried to take credit for the whole victory and tried to exaggerate the British contribution. I can understand the Americans being infuriated. Montgomery seemed to have that effect on people.
Just about everyday I get home from work I hear your intro music, and an interesting video follows.
Mark that was a great history lesson! thank you.
Love the videos. Thank you very much.
Part of military strategy includes cutting off enemy supply. A weakened enemy may fight but will eventually lose.
That jeep driving on fire. Now that’s what I call American bald eagle 🦅 driving a jeep on fire through the battle field.
4:09
I guess meh not rly
I wonder if Jeep has ever made a commercial including that clip, and other WW2 Jeep footage!
I find the valiant stand in Clervaux castle to be particularly interesting, it really shows how useful something like a castle can still be, those thick walls are still better than any modern building at withstanding any kind of fire. Truly shows how those castles were made to last, that they'd find use so long after becoming obsolete in any kind of military application.
"at withstanding any kind of fire" Against small arms fire agreed but not against a concerted effort involving cannon fire.
My late uncle was in the US Army artillery fighting in the Ardennes.
From what I've read the US Artillery were the real unsung heroes of the Battle of the Bulge.
Great narrative, in-depth battle descriptions. The fighting was intense and relentless. I honour both sides to this conflict.
Well done, a truly interesting documentary!👍☺
A very informative video of WW 2 little known struggles.
ALLY : we will end this war xmas
German : you are underestimate my power
Another very, interesting story about a footnote in WW2. I am beginning to think that you can make a story about latrines fascinating.
I can her the narration in my head " later that evening the Germans ran out of toilet paper and disinfectant. The troops then walked 110 km to a McDonald's where the only functional toilet was appropriated"
Excellent as always. Thank you Dr. Felton.
Awesome as always!
Amazing to think considering it was the last throw of the DICE that they Did not provide fuel essential for the push further west. a 1 day delay it sounds like may have made the difference In crossing the river muse before Allied units could move to block the path.
tris mer the Germans didn't have much in the way of fuel reserves and what they did have had to travel down poor roads and couldn't keep up with the lead elements. Unlike in May 1940 the Germans could use civilian fuel supplies in the towns and villages they passed through; in 1940 the French hadn't removed fuel supplies from the border areas.
tris mer yeah, on a strategic level I think they had already lost access to Romanian oil as well, which was their main supplier.
Excellent as always! Thank you Mark
Love watching and listening to your documentary, very nicely done
Toujours des sujets extrêmement intéressants !
My Uncle 1StSgt Vic Evans was in this battle, the Battle of the Bulge, he received a purples heart there. I have a picture of him, on my desk, of him in Belgium 1944 photographed with three local Belgian children of an unnamed town they'd liberated.
Man keep these videos coming man, these are great !!
The same force concentration would have been a lot more effective in the East in the defensive in Hungary and Poland, where even without these forces the Russians were suffering massive casualties for every bit of ground taken as they were fighting outside the Soviet Union in hostile territory.
After Stalingrad and the battle of kursk, the soviets were steamrolling the german army, they weren't "suffering massive casualties for every bit of ground taken". The most casulties resulted from the major battles before the turning point of the war.
Patten said "the bass tarts have put their heads in a noose let them get all the way to Paris".
Thank you for your work Mr. Felton