NOTE - I mistakenly said that Operation Barbarossa began on 22 June 1942, when I meant to say '1941'. Please don't feel that you have to point this out in the comments section! Many thanks.
My father was an American POW at Stalag IIB in Pomerania. In January 1945 as they were marched west away from the advancing Soviet Army my dad and his buddy who were both captured at Anzio said there was a French SS unit marching the opposite way heading to the front. They were surprised to hear them all speaking French. I told my dad later on that this must have been the Charlemagne Division. Checking the history of the unit at this time, it indeed placed them where my father was in Pomerania in January of 1945.
@@gordonsmith8899 Me too...or I wouldn't be writing this today. He came close to getting killed on Feb 19, 1944.....knocked unconscious with a severe concussion from artillery.
My friend grandpa was a b24 pilot over Italy and Germany in 1944-5 he was shoot down over Germany he said since his grandfather was of German heritage the guard at the camp who I think were SS tortured him
"we didn't think of death at all. At all. Just fighting. Keep on fighting. Loyal to the end...loyal to the end" - Henri Fennet from a documentary describing his experience at the end of WW2.
@@fuerstmetternich1997 Not really. He was cocksucking for the same country that murdered 643 of his innocent countrymen, women, and children at Oradour-sur-Glane. Just because he was fighting against Russia does not automatically justify fighting for a fascist, genocidal regime
If you are interested, I recommend the memoir On the Devil's Tail: In Combat with the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front 1945, and with the French in Indochina 1951-54 by Paul Martelli. He served in the SS Charlemagne.
@@HateTheIRS Eh still they could run re-enactments of the events that followed as well as detailed maps. I remember they did that with the story of some legendary Canadian guy in WWll.
I know for a fact they could run non stop history, most of their documentaries are on TH-cam. They just get more people watching alligator fishing or pawning their grandfathers pistol
I work as a professional tour guide in Paris , specializing in WW2 history and the occupation of France and Paris and I can tell you that this period still fascinates people more than any other ,despite all the famous landmarks , history and architecture of Paris , this period 'les annee's noir' are the most popular tour people will take outside of the Louvre and Versailles I love Marks channel because he dives into the more obscure or niche subjects of this epoch and sometimes subjects people would rather forgotten about because of a few uncomfortable truths! I heard one interesting anecdote about the capture of those 12 French SS soldiers which Mark didn't mention Maybe Its just a rumor but it's a good one never the less Apparently LeClerc himself had them lined up and presented to him and angrily asked one of them " What are French men doing in German uniforms?" To which the French SS Grenadier rather unwisely considering his predicament responded "What are French men doing in American uniforms!?" They were shot pretty soon after this little exchange though rumor has it once again that one captured French SS Grenadier was excused execution owing to his father being a close friend of De Gaulle ? Again I don't know if anyone else has heard this story? De Gaulle of course was not averse to being slightly selective in his choice of who to pardon and who to make an example of in the immediate aftermath but that's another story entirely!
De Gaulle was a traitor to France. Now France is an awful country Paris is no longer a French city, the government is totally corrupt, France lost all its colonies, France is losing French culture, traditional art is being replaced by ugly modern art and architecture etc. It is an objective undeniable fact that there will be no “France” in 100 years and it will be mostly an African and Arab country with a French minority kind of like South Africa with its Dutch white minority. And Frenchmen will have no say in elections due to being only a tiny % of the population
You may be interested in reading the Winking Fox, a factual story of the life of a french national who became an american citizen, and found himself exiled from france for training Ho Chi Minh to fight the Japanese. France certainly has some dirty politics over the ages.
One very important factor: most of the Frenchman enlisting in the Wehrmacht had high anti-British feelings; for centuries France and England engaged in several wars. The bombardments endured by the French-Vichy fleet at Oran by the British Navy fueled outrage on the French population; prompting recruitment to the Germans.
@@aurorasdawn4681 Certainly they didn't, the problem was not all the targets were really military. Probably the goal was to push the French people against the German occuppants; nothing really justifies to frighten the civilian population!
@Elvia Darkgrape I guess you could say that of many other countries too when you look at their history. I also guess that you are referring to more recent matters ? I was just pointing out that the best interest of the Vichy regime and the nazis during the occupation of my country was that the french people didn't feel any sympathy for the British and rather see them as an ennemy.
@@loveisintheair8003 ... yeh, pretty sur the brits gave them [french] the option of scuttling their ships rather than going in guns blazing sort of thing - they [the vichy] refused that - n so a lot died for no good reason
Charlemagne ( king of the Holy Roman Empire since 800 ) is seen both by germans as by the french as the origine of their nations history. From that point of view a well chosen name for a french/SS combat unit.
👍 But he was king and since 800 emporer of the empire of the franks , not of the holy roman Empire of the german nation (962-1806). Empire of the franks = later- west part= france ,east part = holy roman empire german nation/germany. And true ,Charlemagne / Karl der Grosse ( the Great) was the Father of this two great nations .
@@kriegshammer2161 The Franks were still a Germanic people though, they did not originate from geographical France for which they were named after. They were one of the many Germanic "barbarian" tribes that crossed into the Roman Empire and sacked it (in their case they crossed the Rhine into then called Gaul.)
Though the Franks like many of the other tribes that conquered the Western Roman Empire became more like the Romans. They became Christians and their languages were latinized which is why they changed from the more Germanic Franks to the more Latinized French, and ultimately separated as a different culture and people people. This is ironic because when the Vikings (Danes another Germanic people) came raiding they both hated and were terrified of the Vikings like the Romans were before them for not being Christian as and barbaric. Then the cycle repeated itself as the vikings also became more like the locals they settled with. Some examples include the Normans in Normandy when they became more French or when the Normans in Sicily became more Italian. And of course the Normans who conquered England and helped evolve old English into the modern English we know and love today by introducing some French and words. 🇮🇹🇩🇪🇫🇷🇳🇴🇩🇰🏴
@@JBGARINGAN In fact it's the contrary. France was named after the name of the germanic tribe called the Franks. Franks arrived in a place who was then called Gaul, the Roman province of Gaul.
When the surrendered French SS were turned over to the French Army, an officer asked them, "Why are you wearing a German uniform?" One of the French SS replied, "Why are you wearing an American one?"
So the French SS enjoyed being under German thrall and occupation? At least the Americans gave the French the tools and resources to take their country back. A 'cute' little anecdote doesn't make the SS all warm and fuzzy and somehow the 'same' as the Americans.
There was an autobiography written by a Frenchman who joined the German Army, he said it was because he lived on the border between France and Germany and considered himself to have German heritage. His father was French and his mother was German. It just happens that his home became French territory after WW1 then annexed again by Germany in 1940 I think the book was Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer
Hi, you are right, the title in french is 'Le soldat oublié". I am french and i will never forget this book. Things during wars are not so simple, good side, bad side.....
I've read a lot of comments about France burying its past. I am French myself and I must say that the existence of SS Charlemagne is well known, it was even teached in class so I must disagree. There was on the other hand for the 30 years after the war the teaching of the myth of a resisting population, while everyone did like in every war: live on with it.
Well the French population weren’t particularly fond of either side. Both Germany and England are historical rivals, France tangled itself in defending Poland and corresponding with the soviets while the population was protesting the war. WW1 was a disaster mostly fought on French soil and the people were tired of war at that point. On top of that, the Germans for the most part tried to not be too harsh in their dealings after France surrendered, so that the French would cooperate more. I don’t really think there’s anything to burry or apologize for, most people can’t put themselves in that situation and understand things from the perspective of France.
A lot of valiant French men and women died resisting German occupation. I'm British, and like many British I admire their incredible bravery. French resistance of all kinds is constantly portrayed in British dramas.
A Spanish unit is very interesting. I thought they were occupied with their own country's war. I did not know they were involved any where else. I'm going to have to do some reading.
@@josematamoros596 La Div Azul JAMÁS participó en la batalla de Berlín porque se había retirado del frente del Este hacía casi dos años. Eran unos pocos voluntarios fascistas españoles que no quisieron volver a España y siguieron combatiendo con los SS franceses. Un puñado escaso
That's not entirely true; some joined at the very end of the war but the French government quickly cracked down. There were far more German civilians and German army veterans who joined.
Mark is more of a showman and TH-cam vloger than a real historian. Real historians are doing hard work by teaching at many universities, doing complex research in national archives, writing thesises, publishing scientific articles and books. And they are conducting intelectual discussions with other historians, philosophers, writers and intellectuals. And not doing TH-cam admiration videos about SS and Adolf Hitler.
@@northernstar3960 I mean there’s nothing wrong with him retelling parts of history and from my experience usually in college you have to use the works and other writings of other historians and first hand accounts; which is what his doing. I wish he would show his sources though. As for him being a show man, he needs to make a living somehow.
@@northernstar3960 that's a bit unfair. He's written over 20 books, lectured in shanghai for years, and volunteered for the Royal British Legion, and is doing a pretty good job of educating a great number of people on TH-cam, according to the view counters.
contrary to what people may think the nazi's employed a lot of foreign volunteers in the Waffen SS. Most people probably don't realise this but there was even a division from India.
The Indian Legion was regimental size not a division and described as a joke by Hitler and saw almost no combat. The Free Arabian Legion were not part of the SS
I was stationed in (then West) Berlin between 1974 and 1977. I actually met a veteran of the SS Charlemagne Division. He had survived the war, remained in Germany as a German citizen, married a German woman and had two children. When I met him, he was just a year or two away from retiring from a civil service job. Interestingly, he was given civil service credit for the time he spent in uniform during the war. He never returned to France. He stated his reason for joining SS Charlemagne as his hatred for Bolshevism. He thought we Americans were pretty great guys for being in Berlin facing the Soviets. At least he was consistent.
I knew one too that was also paid for his time in the SS. But here's the fun part. He got paid as a victim of Nazism by Germany - and as a veteran of the French Army by France. Both of which got revoked a few years back when a scandal came to light regarding another SS Charlemagne survivor in the same situation.
I've been reading and learning about WW2 all my life but I have to say that these videos are amazingly insightful and offer so much knowledge and information which I'd previously had absolutely no idea about. Wonderful work Mark Felton. Thank you
The detail of your stories is fascinating. You are able to broaden the scope of knowledge concerning specific battles and their outcomes. I have especially appreciated the way you follow the lives of individual fighters into their postwar years. Thank you!
I must say that I've seen a bunch of different videos on WW2 and military history, but Mark is in a league of his own, I appreciate how he doesn't stray away from the facts and while giving you great detail about a topic he keeps it simple. Love this channel and I hope one day soon the history channel or smithsonian channel give you a show or series on WW2 and military. Keep up the great work.
Well done video! Mark Felton Productions channel is one of the best of the World War II video series I've ever seen. And I seen many hundreds if not thousands over the years. I am now 62 years old.. my father was with the United States Navy during World War II. Dad joined the US Navy at the age of 16 in 1943 and served in the South Pacific. I credit him with introducing me to the subject of Nazism and World War II with William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" published in the early/mid-1960s. I found that a good and thorough understanding of World War II, its origins and it's aftermath to be essential to understand the formation of our modern post-war world, it's geopolitics, and the possibly regrettable domination of the United States of America in the decades following that global war. Great work thank you.
I really love how Mark Felton talks about the other countries that men joined waffen-ss units from. It really shows the viewer the broad picture then focuses into the small picture to tell the Storu. good work man!
@@Zretgul_timerunner There were plenty of French volunteers in several German organisations, but as far as I can tell there was just one Waffen-SS division at a time. By the end of the war it was called SS Charlemagne; however, it consisted of survivors of an earlier French SS division, the Franzoische SS-Freiwilligen Sturmbrigade, which in 1943 was a new name for what was left of the original French SS division, the Franzoische SS-Freiwilligen Grenadier Regiment, and the survivors of the Legion des volontaires francaise (LVF). My source is the book "SS: Hitler's Foreign Divisions," by Chris Bishop.
@@magistrumartium my point was that Volunteers filled out a bunch of diffrent divisions of ss as was needed when they where either merged with others or reformed. There existed french ss in number of diffrent divisions. Such as Wallonien Legion, Panzer division Wiking amongst others.
My father was in the Charlemagne and amongst the few that voluntered to get into Berlin even knowing it was a lost cause... In his memories he had this sentence : "I never felt better than at this moment, when fully knowing that I was going to die"... My dad joined the German Army through the Légion des Volontaires Français "against bolchevism", in march 1943, after having spent more than a year in the 6th bataillon of Chasseurs Alpins in Grenoble. He fought in Russland in between june 1943 to september 1944, when the LVF was disbanded after the big Bagration offensive of june 1944 that smached to smitherens the whole of the German Central Front. He then voluntered to join the newly formed Division Charlemagne. After his departure to the Wallalah which occured in 2011, I gathered his memories which now are in a book that came out in 2018. Unfortunately only in french for the moment, but who knows... May be one of these day it might come out in english. Here is the title : "Sous Uniforme Allemand"
@@NSResponder My father was, on the contrary a true lover of his country and was ready to die for it!... something we certainly cannot tell of the majority of the "followers" like you, so it seems... the sort that repeat the "history" that's been put into their minds not knowing anything of who was, and still is, at the controles behind... The same criminals that rule our societies and "supposedly civilized" countries nowaday... To me, the reel traitors as you say, traitors to humanity, are the people like you repeating the lessons that's been put into their minds and repeating them like... Parotts!... Good day to you and good luck, I wish you to awaken to another reality one of those days.... the quicker the better...
It's very interesting though very sensitive topic. I was always wondering the motivation of the people, who decided to switch sides. Did your father left any information about what his motivation was? In my homeland, Russia, there was a very famous (in USSR) Normandie-Niemen group of french pilots, who joined the Red Army. Some joined british, US forces. Some joined the SS. I'm curious, who were this people and how the war ripped the nation apart so terribly, that the citizens became enemies.
Ironically, the French SS were the last troop to enter Berlin before the city was surrounded by the Soviets and to defend Hitler's bunker. The Charlemagne battalion, with 90% of the victims, laid down their arms on the orders of the German commander on May 2, preventing the Soviets from taking the city for the May 1 celebration.
alan deweld, Thank You, I agree, please let us not forget our Spanish Heroes, in SS- the *Blue-Division.. as i had had 1968, the *Honour, the opportunity see and speak with this - as - came as Delegation to the French HQ*s - in BadenBaden ( Germany) The Invitation was from General Massu.
@@AnEnemy100 Murdering civilians is always a crime - but most of them did not. And german civilians were aklso mordered, millions. Also japanese civilians, later civilians in Korea, Vietnam, Algeria, .....
I am greatful for Mark and these Videos and it is so good to see all you folks who have the passion to learn more about WW2 like me. I feel blessed that I did not have to endure that horror.
Another great story about a frenchman on the eastern front (not about the Charlemagne division in particular) is Guy Sajer's book The Forgotten Soldier. He recounts his time on the eastern front with the Großdeutschland division from being a soldier in a supply unit in late 1942 to his surrender to the British in the summer of 1945... really great read.
@David Nemeth Yes, but he and his mates shot a jeep full of British soldiers down ,they did not give them a chance. Then they all surrendered. I would have shot all the murderous bastards down
@Otto Skorzeny if you join your enemy then you're a traitor, even if you don't directly fight against your own country. Larry Thorne as an example was a traitor because he joined a military force who were in a war with his country
The Italians were under rated as soldiers by the British propaganda machine. Rommel thought they were really ok, apart from the poor training, the poor weapons, supply and officers. They fought really bravely on the Eastern Front. In the early North African campaigns they were incredibly poorly led. Many of the mass surrenders in that time were caused by lack of drinking water. Thier commanding generals had put soldiers into positions without possibility of supply, especially of drinking water in a desert. I don't blame them for surrendering at all. What a cock up!
11.01.1941 Italian Air Force disables HMS Ilustrious, allowing the safe arrival of the Afrika Korps. 24.01.1941 BCS fight the first sucessfull action against a British armoured force near Derna. 25.01.1941 Bersaglieri fight a sucessfull delaying action near Derna. 27.01.1941 Bersaglieri mount a very strong counterattack on the Australians, buying much valuable time. ??.04.1941 Ariete captures Msus 08.04.1941 Ariete captures Mechili. Bersaglieri capture 3,000 Allied troops. 01.05.1941 Ariete & Brescia capture overrun 7 Australian strongpoints ( R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8) outside Tobruk 04.05.1941 Australians counterattack but the Trento, Pavia & Ariete defeat the attacks. 17.05.1941 Brescia penetrates the sectors of the Australian 2/9th and 2/10th Battalions, forcing the Australians to abandon the S8, S9 and S10 strongpoints. 24.05.1941 Brescia defeats an attacking infantry force, supported by tanks. 02.08.1941 Bersaglieri defeat the 2/43rd and 2/28th Battalions, in a final Australian attempt to recover the lost strongpoints. 15.05.1941 Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners derail the British offensive, known as Operation Brevity. A German Colonel later praised the Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners, saying they defended Halfaya Pass "...with lionlike courage until the last man against stronger enemy forces. The greatest part of them died faithful to the flag." Mid-June 1941 Italian anti-tank gunners under Major Leopoldo Pardi destroy several British tanks, derailing Operation Battleaxe in the process. 27.05.1941 Ariete overruns the British-officered 3rd Indian Brigade. 29.05.1941 Ariete successfully defends the Afrika Korps rearguard 30.05.1941 Trieste successfully delivers food and provision to the Afrika Korps preventing their entire capitulation. 05.06.1941 Ariete again successfully defends the Afrika Korps rearguard 26.08.1941 Italian troops repell several Russian attacks on the Don front. 27.10.1941 Italians repell strong Russian attack in the Donets Basin, capturing several hundred. 10.11.1941 Italians defeat a Russian attempt to cross the Don River. 19.11.1941 Ariete blunts British offensive named Operation Crusader. 40 Crusader tanks are knocked out. 19.11.1941 Pavia repell column of British tanks in the area of El Adem. British forced to retreat. 20.11.1941 Bologna infantry and anti-tank gunners derail advance of the British 7th Armoured Brigade. 21.11.1941 Bologna defenders of the 'Tugun' strongpoint derail the advance of the British 70th Division 22.11.1941 'Tugun' defenders successfully defend their postion again. 23.11.1941 Pavia defeats British attempt to smash through the Bologna 25.11.1941 The Trento successfully defends the 'Bondi' strongpoint outside Tobruk. 26.11.1941 Bersaglieri defeat renewed British attempt to smash through the Bologna 29.11.1941 Ariete overruns the 21st New Zealand Battalion. 29.11.1941 Bersaglieri capture 1,800 Allied wounded, medical staff & guards. 200 German POWs are freed. 01.12.1941 Trento defeats an armoured attack outside Tobruk 01.12.1941 Trieste cuts off the link the New Zealanders had established with the Tobruk defenders. 04.12.1941 Pavia and Trento recapture ‘Plonk and ‘Doc’ strongpoints outside Tobruk. 06.12.1941 Pavia makes a successful stand on Point 157 07.12.1941 Bologna covers the retreat of the German Afrika Division 10.12.1941 Brescia covers the German retreat from Acroma Hill. 12.12.1941 Bologna, Brescia, Pavia, Trieste & Trento successfully hold the Gazala Line 13.12.1941 Trieste successfully defends Point 208 15.12.1941 Brescia, Pavia & Trento repell a stong Polish-New Zealand attack 15.12.1941 Ariete overruns The Buffs 12.06.1942 Trieste helps destroy the British 2nd & 4th Armoured Brigades by cornering them. 16.06.1942 Italians overrun & capture 6, 000 Allied troops outside Tobruk. 17.01.1942 Savona surrenders. It had defeated several Allied attacks. Rommel is very impressed. 11.07.1942 Bersaglieri overrun part of the Australian 2/48th Battalion. 14.07.1942 Colonel Angelozzi's 1st Battalion from the supposedly destroyed Sabratha recaptures Tel el Eisa from the Australians. 15.07.1942 Colonel Angelozzi's men defeat the Australian 2/23rd Battalion's attempt to recapture the position. 15.07.1942 Pavia & Brescia successfully defend their principal positions on Ruweisat Ridge. New Zealander battalion caught out on the open as a result and is captured with the arrival of German tanks. 17.07.1942 A battalion of the Trento overruns part of the Australian 2/32nd Battalion. 21.07.1942 Trieste & Brescia sucessfully defend their main positions on Ruweisat Ridge. Several hundred New Zealanders are captured thanks to their efforts, that allow German tanks to mount a counterattack. 27.07.1942 3rd Battalion of the 61st Trento Infantry Regiment derails the attack of the 2/28th Battalion. 27.07.1942 Armoured car squadron of the Brescia encircle and capture the Australian 2/28 Battalion 30.06.1942 Littorio surrounds Mersa Matruh & Bersaglieri capture 6,500 Allied soldiers. 01.07.1942 1,000 New Zealanders captured ??.09.1942 Bologna overruns defenders of Point 211 during the Battle of Alam el Halfa. ??.09.1942 Trieste, Brescia, Ariete & Littorio force British & New Zealanders to retreat several kilometres. 04.09.1942 Folgore defeat the 6th New Zealand Brigade & capture 200 attackers, including Brigadier G.M. Clifton. 14.09.1942 San Marco Marines defeat Allied seaborne landings aimed at recapturing Tobruk. 1,000 Allied killed, wounded or captured. 30.09.1942 Fogore defeat 131st Queens Brigade, over 300 British killed or captured. 24.10.1942 Ariete, Brescia & Folgore successfully hold the Alamein line. 25.10.1942 12th Bersaglieri overruns the Austalian 2/17th Battalion. 28.10.1942 Littorio overruns part of the British 133rd Brigade 29.10.1942 7th Bersaglieri derails the advance of the Austalian 26th Brigade and creates a salient in the Australian sector. 30.10.1942 7th Bersaglieri defeats several Australian attacks to force them out of this salient. 03.11.1942 Ariete successfully covers the retreat of Rommel 03.12.1943 Bersaglieri capture part of the British 2nd Parachute Battalion. 12.12.1942 Italian troops attack Russian battalions capturing prisoners a much equipment 18.02.1943. While the Germans fail taking Sbiba Pass, the 7th Bersaglieri smash the US lines at Kasserine Pass. 18.02.1943 Centauro Division overruns the US 19th Combat Engineers Regiment. 24.02.1943 5th Bersaglieri successfully covers the retreat of Rommel *****3,000 Allied troops surrendered at Mechili. About 500 Australians were captured manning the Tobruk defences. Some 3,500 Allied troops fell into Italian hands during Operation Crusader. 1,000 Indian troops surrendered to the Ariete on 27 May 1942. 6,000 Allied troops surrendered to the Italians outside Tobruk on 16 June 1942. Some 7,000 Allied troops surrendered to the Italians in the area of Mersa Matruh in late June and early July 1942, including 1,000 New Zealanders abandoned in the desert. During the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the Bersaglieri and Centauro Division overran some 2,500 Americans.
@John Online 11.01.1941 Italian Air Force disables HMS Ilustrious, allowing the safe arrival of the Afrika Korps. 24.01.1941 BCS fight the first sucessfull action against a British armoured force near Derna. 25.01.1941 Bersaglieri fight a sucessfull delaying action near Derna. 27.01.1941 Bersaglieri mount a very strong counterattack on the Australians, buying much valuable time. ??.04.1941 Ariete captures Msus 08.04.1941 Ariete captures Mechili. Bersaglieri capture 3,000 Allied troops. 01.05.1941 Ariete & Brescia capture overrun 7 Australian strongpoints ( R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8) outside Tobruk 04.05.1941 Australians counterattack but the Trento, Pavia & Ariete defeat the attacks. 17.05.1941 Brescia penetrates the sectors of the Australian 2/9th and 2/10th Battalions, forcing the Australians to abandon the S8, S9 and S10 strongpoints. 24.05.1941 Brescia defeats an attacking infantry force, supported by tanks. 02.08.1941 Bersaglieri defeat the 2/43rd and 2/28th Battalions, in a final Australian attempt to recover the lost strongpoints. 15.05.1941 Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners derail the British offensive, known as Operation Brevity. A German Colonel later praised the Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners, saying they defended Halfaya Pass "...with lionlike courage until the last man against stronger enemy forces. The greatest part of them died faithful to the flag." Mid-June 1941 Italian anti-tank gunners under Major Leopoldo Pardi destroy several British tanks, derailing Operation Battleaxe in the process. 27.05.1941 Ariete overruns the British-officered 3rd Indian Brigade. 29.05.1941 Ariete successfully defends the Afrika Korps rearguard 30.05.1941 Trieste successfully delivers food and provision to the Afrika Korps preventing their entire capitulation. 05.06.1941 Ariete again successfully defends the Afrika Korps rearguard 26.08.1941 Italian troops repell several Russian attacks on the Don front. 27.10.1941 Italians repell strong Russian attack in the Donets Basin, capturing several hundred. 10.11.1941 Italians defeat a Russian attempt to cross the Don River. 19.11.1941 Ariete blunts British offensive named Operation Crusader. 40 Crusader tanks are knocked out. 19.11.1941 Pavia repell column of British tanks in the area of El Adem. British forced to retreat. 20.11.1941 Bologna infantry and anti-tank gunners derail advance of the British 7th Armoured Brigade. 21.11.1941 Bologna defenders of the 'Tugun' strongpoint derail the advance of the British 70th Division 22.11.1941 'Tugun' defenders successfully defend their postion again. 23.11.1941 Pavia defeats British attempt to smash through the Bologna 25.11.1941 The Trento successfully defends the 'Bondi' strongpoint outside Tobruk. 26.11.1941 Bersaglieri defeat renewed British attempt to smash through the Bologna 29.11.1941 Ariete overruns the 21st New Zealand Battalion. 29.11.1941 Bersaglieri capture 1,800 Allied wounded, medical staff & guards. 200 German POWs are freed. 01.12.1941 Trento defeats an armoured attack outside Tobruk 01.12.1941 Trieste cuts off the link the New Zealanders had established with the Tobruk defenders. 04.12.1941 Pavia and Trento recapture ‘Plonk and ‘Doc’ strongpoints outside Tobruk. 06.12.1941 Pavia makes a successful stand on Point 157 07.12.1941 Bologna covers the retreat of the German Afrika Division 10.12.1941 Brescia covers the German retreat from Acroma Hill. 12.12.1941 Bologna, Brescia, Pavia, Trieste & Trento successfully hold the Gazala Line 13.12.1941 Trieste successfully defends Point 208 15.12.1941 Brescia, Pavia & Trento repell a stong Polish-New Zealand attack 15.12.1941 Ariete overruns The Buffs 12.06.1942 Trieste helps destroy the British 2nd & 4th Armoured Brigades by cornering them. 16.06.1942 Italians overrun & capture 6, 000 Allied troops outside Tobruk. 17.01.1942 Savona surrenders. It had defeated several Allied attacks. Rommel is very impressed. 11.07.1942 Bersaglieri overrun part of the Australian 2/48th Battalion. 14.07.1942 Colonel Angelozzi's 1st Battalion from the supposedly destroyed Sabratha recaptures Tel el Eisa from the Australians. 15.07.1942 Colonel Angelozzi's men defeat the Australian 2/23rd Battalion's attempt to recapture the position. 15.07.1942 Pavia & Brescia successfully defend their principal positions on Ruweisat Ridge. New Zealander battalion caught out on the open as a result and is captured with the arrival of German tanks. 17.07.1942 A battalion of the Trento overruns part of the Australian 2/32nd Battalion. 21.07.1942 Trieste & Brescia sucessfully defend their main positions on Ruweisat Ridge. Several hundred New Zealanders are captured thanks to their efforts, that allow German tanks to mount a counterattack. 27.07.1942 3rd Battalion of the 61st Trento Infantry Regiment derails the attack of the 2/28th Battalion. 27.07.1942 Armoured car squadron of the Brescia encircle and capture the Australian 2/28 Battalion 30.06.1942 Littorio surrounds Mersa Matruh & Bersaglieri capture 6,500 Allied soldiers. 01.07.1942 1,000 New Zealanders captured ??.09.1942 Bologna overruns defenders of Point 211 during the Battle of Alam el Halfa. ??.09.1942 Trieste, Brescia, Ariete & Littorio force British & New Zealanders to retreat several kilometres. 04.09.1942 Folgore defeat the 6th New Zealand Brigade & capture 200 attackers, including Brigadier G.M. Clifton. 14.09.1942 San Marco Marines defeat Allied seaborne landings aimed at recapturing Tobruk. 1,000 Allied killed, wounded or captured. 30.09.1942 Fogore defeat 131st Queens Brigade, over 300 British killed or captured. 24.10.1942 Ariete, Brescia & Folgore successfully hold the Alamein line. 25.10.1942 12th Bersaglieri overruns the Austalian 2/17th Battalion. 28.10.1942 Littorio overruns part of the British 133rd Brigade 29.10.1942 7th Bersaglieri derails the advance of the Austalian 26th Brigade and creates a salient in the Australian sector. 30.10.1942 7th Bersaglieri defeats several Australian attacks to force them out of this salient. 03.11.1942 Ariete successfully covers the retreat of Rommel 03.12.1943 Bersaglieri capture part of the British 2nd Parachute Battalion. 12.12.1942 Italian troops attack Russian battalions capturing prisoners a much equipment 18.02.1943. While the Germans fail taking Sbiba Pass, the 7th Bersaglieri smash the US lines at Kasserine Pass. 18.02.1943 Centauro Division overruns the US 19th Combat Engineers Regiment. 24.02.1943 5th Bersaglieri successfully covers the retreat of Rommel *****3,000 Allied troops surrendered at Mechili. About 500 Australians were captured manning the Tobruk defences. Some 3,500 Allied troops fell into Italian hands during Operation Crusader. 1,000 Indian troops surrendered to the Ariete on 27 May 1942. 6,000 Allied troops surrendered to the Italians outside Tobruk on 16 June 1942. Some 7,000 Allied troops surrendered to the Italians in the area of Mersa Matruh in late June and early July 1942, including 1,000 New Zealanders abandoned in the desert. During the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the Bersaglieri and Centauro Division overran some 2,500 Americans.
Growing up in the Netherlands my history teacher once said, don’t have any heroic image of the Netherlands during the war, there was active resistance, but more Dutch where fighting on the eastern front.
@Otto Skorzeny Everyone disagree going out killing citizen of another country. The only one glorifying invasion and crime against humanity are people like you.
@@thefloridamanofytcomments5264 You called that one bro. Anything about WW2 gets these cocksuckers to wipe off their hands and turn off the porn for a minute so they can dream of being superior and leaving mommy's basement behind.
So glad I found this channel, amazing history videos that your keeping little known history alive in a world that doesnt seems to want or care about historic events. will subscribe
@4:32 "The situation in Berlin was, by the time of Hitlers last birthday on the 20th of April 1945, critical." Well, theres an understatement if I ever saw one. Great video as always, Mark!
I recently watched the account of events by the Belgian SS General who escaped to Spain and lived out his years as successful businessman till his death. From his account it did it become really clear to me what the SS were as a fighting force made up of different nationalities who swore strong allegiance to the Nazi ideology. Their understanding of the world was quite different from what I had previously imagined and many viewed themselves custodians of the European ideal and defenders against communism from the East. Interesting.
A good Friend of mine Hstuf. Heinz Gentsch was badly wounded during this battle, a member of Charlemagne rescued him and got him to aid with a Wheelborrow.I thank these Frenchmen for this.
My father was in the Charlemagne and amongst the few that voluntered to get into Berlin even knowing it was a lost cause... In his memories he had this sentence : "I never felt better than at this moment, when fully knowing that I was going to die"... My dad joined the German Army through the Légion des Volontaires Français "against bolchevism", in march 1943, after having spent more than a year in the 6th bataillon of Chasseurs Alpins in Grenoble. He fought in Russland in between june 1943 to september 1944, when the LVF was disbanded after the big Bagration offensive of june 1944 that smached to smitherens the whole of the German Central Front. He then voluntered to join the newly formed Division Charlemagne. After his departure to the Wallalah which occured in 2011, I gathered his memories which now are in a book that came out in 2018. Unfortunately only in french for the moment, but who knows... May be one of these day it might come out in english. Here is the title : "Sous Uniforme Allemand"
You also had Swedes fighting in Berlin, Panzergrenadier-Kompanie 3 in SS-Panzeraufklärungsabtelung 11 was known as Schwedenkompanie (the Swedes served in 4. zug of this unit, it was known as Schwedenzug)....
Not too many people know but MANY Western and Eastern Europeans, and Scandinavians fought for the Nazi's, The Ukrainians had a whole 14th waffen SS Division, a 30th grenadiers division and a death battalion. The finns had an SS division, the Estonians & Latvians Belarussians joined German SS divisions, The Romanians had several german army divisions. The Wiking division was Germans, Norwegians, Danish, Swedes, Finns, Estonians, Dutch and Flemish. Handschar division was Bosnians, Croats and ethnic Germans from Croatia. The horst Wessel was a Division of Hungarians of Ethnic German origins. The Kosachen Division were Russian cossacks. Up until the end of 1943, more than 60,000 Romanians youths of german ancestry enlisted in Waffen SS units, and approximately 15,000 in the Wehrmacht and the Organization Todt.
I knew an old Latvian many years ago who was a lieutenant in the S.S. He told me he fought the Germans when they entered his country but joined them to fight the Russians after they invaded. He said the Russians would petition the U.S. every four years to have him extradited to stand trial for war crimes.
"He said the Russians would petition the U.S. every four years to have him extradited to stand trial for war crimes" : I guess that the Soviet authorities had some evidences about his heroic youth in Belorussia or Ukraine and he never told you anything about this glorious past.
@@hannibalbarca4372 Yes, he did tell me about his "heroic youth." I debated whether or not to add it to my previous comment, but given how many skim through replies, I just gave it the extreme condensed version. This is how he told it to me (this after another co-work pointed Karl's military background out to me). Karl; I was told to take my men and capture this certain hill, after taking control and having prisoners, I get another order, move to the next hill. I have nowhere to send these prisoners and I can't just leave them as I advance, they could attack my rear. I order the prisoners to their knees, I have my second in command start from one side, and me on the other and proceed down the line to the center, each a bullet in the back of the head. And it happened each time he took a hill. I guess he could see my disbelief, he said, Ken, it was war what the hell else was I supposed to do, you follow orders and do what you need to in order to survive. I never condoned what he did, I was and still am astonished about how casual he spoke about it.
I knew a guy at work whose Dad was from Latvia. He had flown as a bomber crewman with the Luftwaffe, against the Communists on the Eastern Front. He did not want Stalin's Red Army and NKVD to return to Latvia! An interesting book: "Latvian Legion", by Arthur Silgailis
We had a neighbor when I was a child who in 1940 was a citizen of the Irish republic who had made his way to Nazi germany and joined the Norland division hoping to participate in the invasion of England. Instead he ending up fighting against the Soviets for 4 years. As described in this video he was captured in Berlin. His bad luck changed because Ireland was neutral so he wasn’t shot as a traitor or imprisoned like anyone from an axis country. Amazingly a few weeks later he was back in Ireland!
@@Daniel-qz3pk Ha. Except for the whole genocide thing the Germans happily did everywhere they occupied. In French towns they'd raise the whole thing if a German solider got shot. Just imagine the fighting they'd have with the IRA groups.
Exactly the 33rd Charlemagne div had a total strength of 11/12,000 men wich qualified her as a division ,the 7,000 men were actually from the 8th ss-brigade "Franckreich",the men from the sturmbattalion were not the only survivors of the division Charlemagne,a kampfgruppe named "Hersche" (numbering around 1,000 men) were sent to the west to take part in the defense of Lower Germany (Bavaria) together with 38th ss brigade Nibelungen against Us troops, then it became fragmented,some fought in Austria others in South Tyrol and finally surrender on the 8th may 1945 to the British.
Out of the idea of a crusade against communist scum and the red terror this concept was born and was also the for runner of NATO really for it too united people against a common threat . Never before did european combatants fight for a true common cause which was the crusade against communism. What followed later during the cold war was similar united against the soviet threat. If only.....
SS Charlemagne destroyed 62 Soviet tanks out of 108 knocked out , and later on they also destroyed 21, that was a very brave good try , got to give them a little credit.
@@22.calibermaster98 There are even greater absurdities and lies written in historical books written by SS generals and former Adolf Hitler officials. For example how one peasant from Finland named Simo Heyha killed 10.000 Russian soldiers with his hunting rifle without a scope.
Hi Mark, I just wanted to say that recently I found your channel and I have been binge watching it. I love your story telling and research, I find your channel to be professional and enjoyable
"Why do you wear a Germany uniform?" ""Why do you wear a American one?" Conversation between a SS Charlemagne and French officer, May 1945 after the surrender.
I met and talked to Fenet in Brussels in the 90's, got his and Remi Schrijnen's KC photos autographed. He was a character.. like a Cat with 9 lives, he said he had no idea how he survived all that. The French weren't screwing around.. that photo you show of French troops in US uniform confronting French troops in German uniforms, they were summarily executed moments after that photo was taken.
The french officer with the stick is Général Leclerc. It was at this moment that Leclerc asked them, "Why are you wearing a German uniform?" One of the French SS replied, "Why are you wearing an American one ?" Leclerc was irritate by the response (but its was not for this response they was shot) According to the witness, the conversation was not bad beetween the general and the SS.
"that photo you show of French troops in US uniform confronting French troops in German uniforms, they were summarily executed moments after that photo was taken." So, a good result, then.
@@retornaz That´s not true, it was not a trial and others witnesses said diferent things, and they dont fought against France, only against the Soviet Union. Few years after, General Leclerc die an accident of aviation.
Some German war songs were ported to the French Army, through the French Foreign Legion. After 1945, the majority legionnaires were ex-German servicemen including a lot of SS men. Apparently, the Legion still counts in German, especially when drinking beer.
Adaptation of "SS walk in stranger country", translated to French by collaborators who - did not know the French military song heritage - did not understand that they were the foreigners that SS walked on. The song was redeemed by the Legion.
It's suspected that he made the whole story up, I don't know but it's an amazing story, wesrediu ,Hal's , and the groesduetchland division,if he's making it up he's an amazing talented writer,if he's been through that than omg, respect
03:58 He fought in Pomerania region in Danzig (Gdansk) too. Sayer wrote in his book "I don't know what is going on our commanders told us to dig in west of Danzig". Actually seeinh geography of the place (east flooded areas, north sea, south forest hills) Soviet Rokossowski Army attacked Danzig Area from West First then from Sputh West
Read that twice. At one time that book was required reading for the cadets at West Point. Well done Mark. I really enjoy the factual presentations you create.
It amazes me how you find video footage I haven't seen on other programs or shows. Don't know how many times I've seen the guy in the burning jeep on shows like the history channel!
How unimaginable it must have been to face the Soviets! One volunteer Frenchman knocked out over 20 soviet tanks in close quarters... they must have heard tank tracks clicking away all around them all day.
The Soviets were in rush to "liberate" the whole of Berlin alone before any Western intervention...If any motorised western allies column had been sighted inside outskirts of that city the History itself would be written some other way...When Tito's partisans after heavy battle took Trieste from fascists they did not know that New Zealanders were close on the western side and once the city was "liberated" ..they got themselves busy pillaging around and killing ..New Zealanders crossed the bridge from the western side and entered the city that has already being captured by their allies..Now communists had to share the power with their western Allies which in turn ment that both military patrols were killing each other over the spoils of the war..One old Tito's fighter from that time shared this with me while we were both recovering in the hospital ..
The French would've had to engage in street fighting and that meant the destruction of Paris. A view shared by General Von Choltiz, the garrison commander who surrendered the city in August 1944. Cowardice or lack of fighting spirit had nothing to do with it.
@Alberto Is it trolling or delusion. Britain in the past 600 years is pretty famous for getting others to fight in their stead because they couldn't stand up to any one european power one on one.
My grandfather enlisted in army in 1938, he was in Africa (french colonies) in may/june1940 with his régiment.He was stunned by the defeat of our army and its english allies (at Dunkirk).The glorious french army who fought in Verdun and from 1914 to 1918 vanished. Later he joined free french army (général De gaulle) and fought along US army in Tunisia and France. He was wounded twice. When he came back to his little village Champagney near Belfort in 1946, half of his family, friends were dead (deported, starved, executed as resistant or hostage). Later he fought in colonial french wars. He died at 54, half crazy (ptsd). My family doesn't like germans and french who fought with them...but it was difficult times, no countries were ready to face Germany and Japan, who knows how he would have behaved.... We are lucky not to know same events for the moment.
One country faced Germans and defeated them. Not just Germans, but also French, Belgians, Romanians, Italians, Finns, Hungarians, Dutch, Spanish, Poles etc. You never come to our country one on one. Always need to bring your friends.
@@igorverevkin7709 i think you speak about USSR or Russia. You have the best Ally : russian winter. Even Napoleon couldn't win against winter, he took Moscow though. Don't forget France was russia ally in 1914, and during ww2 french pilots fought and died with USSR in Normandie Niemen squadron. Général De gaulle always wanted to be a friend of Russia. I wish i had a president as Putin. Vive la France, vive la Russie.
Igor Verevkin in a war your country started together with Hitler in September 1939. Never forget the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact, the unjust invasions of Poland, Finland and the Baltic’s. The USSR became an ally only after Hitler’s betrayal of the pact with Russia in June 1941. No wonder Russians don’t have monuments for thousands for Soviet troops killed 1939-1941.
Once again I am amazed at the excellent work of Mark Felton . I pride myself as a good history buff with alot of knowledge and Mr. Felton's videos always blow me away with how much I don't know. You should have a show on TV! An excellent book is "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer about a Frenchman fighting the Soviets in a French speaking unit.
Could you make a video of the SS Wiking and about their actions during the war? Maybe even about the Finnish volunters In the SS Wiking. Since they are usually overlooked.
Sksk K they were also there in Berlin at the end of the war. There’s a famous photo of a half track destroyed while attempting to break out from Berlin, with corpses of Swedish SS Nazis near it
Yes, Fenet. I watch his interview. There were a lot of modern far right saying " what a hero". I just though ' nasty little fascist'. That not me being over simplistic. He was quite happy to wear that badge and knew what would likely happen if he fell into Soviet hands. I'm afraid I say Guilty by association. Lucky to escape with his life.
It seems that those who had a particularly tough life died at a very old age. I wonder if that is an example of 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' ?
Excellent as always. The 1969 French documentary The Sorrow and The Pity (Le Chagrin et la Pitie) includes a very interesting interview with a Charlemagne survivor. Of course The Forgotten Soldier is an account of being a French volunteer fighting for Germany on the Eastern Front.
@alanrtment porter That's not a reason to call them idiots tbh. You gotta respect both allies and axis, even those who "betrayed" their own country, fighting for what they believe was right for them
Wrong. More like a fatalistic character ... they were traitors and in the losing side; what else were they going to do other than fight to the bitter end?
It was mostly Belgians, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, and French who fought during the last days of fighting for Berlin. Very few Germans were left, except children and the elderly.
General de Gaulle resided in a village near me during most of the war. I've seen a picture in a book of the place showing him there. Apparently a 'safe' location.
Thanks Mark for keeping the commentary unbiased and factually informative - the way history should be told. We have all had quite enough of the hideously biased propaganda that has swamped us for so long. Time to simply look at what happened in an objective light.
I grew up in Alsace I knew of two families who's grandfathers were conscripted into the wehrmacht and died in Poland. Apparently they weren't volunteers but considered German as alsace was annexed not occupied. This why the alsatians I knew were fiercely French although retained German surnames and spoke patches of alsatian. Complex identity and allegiances
There were many spaniards fighting with Charlemagne at this point in Berlin. They were the remnants of the Wehrmacht "Blauen Division", composed entirely of spaniards that fought in the Leningrad Area. Franco requested very specifically that they were not to be used against the western allies. When Franco recalled the "División Azul" back to Spain, under U.S/ U.K pressure, many chose to stay. They were transferred to the SS, specially to Charlemagne. Of special note Is "Kampfgruppe Miguel Ezquerra", who defended Berlin to the last day, near the Fuhrerbunker.
When Henri Fenet was turned over to the British a French general yelled at him saying "why are you wearing a German uniform" Fenet snapped back "why are you wearing an American uniform"
I have heared about Charlemagne and their resistance in Berlin about 20 years back. My history teacher (germany) at the time did not believe me and i could not find sources to convince him to believe such a unit ever existed. Thank you.
This reminds me of General LeClerc’s encounter with captured French SS. When he asked why were they wearing German uniforms one of them asked whey was he wearing an American one. His response was to tell his men to get rid of them. Which of course meant being shot.
He did to them what they probably did to any POW that would have talked to them in a similar manner. That is, if they even TOOK prisoners. Wearing a uniform furnished by an allied nation is just logistics, not a political statement. The Free French and the Americans were on the same side, whereas these guys were wearing the uniform of the country that murdered thousands, if not millions, of their countrymen.
Mark my father Lt William H. Counts was a B24 pilot shot down June 29 1944, interred in Stalag Luft 3. Was liberated by Patton in 45. He never talked about it until East Germany fell. He sat in his recliner and said Germany would have wiped the sky's of all our bombers and fighters if they had massed produced the me 262, 1 year earlier. He watched as 1 just one came thru their formations 1 pass and got 4 B24's he said they would run out of fuel and 30mm ammo, He said we thought the P51 could shoot them down by diving on them from behind but they had radar and could turn and Take them out like a nuisance, they wanted Bombers as they were shooting us down left and right. He said we just overwhelmed them. Never read that in history books
Probably because school books are looking at History with a macro view. I doubt any school book, no matter the country, will focus on one specific unit during a conflict. 🤦🏼♂️ I was in high school almost 30 years ago, and we didn’t learn about the LVF, or the Charlemagne regiment. We learned about WWII as a global picture. I learned about foreign volunteers units in the SS because I had an interest for conflicts history. And quite frankly, what would be the point in teaching that particular point? That some French people were bad? Wow, groundbreaking news... As for bad Germans vs good allies, the same applies. I learned about exactions committed by allied troops on my own. Nobody taught me during my school years. Because it’s a detail of History (when you are looking at the big picture). Doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant, but it’s not to be taught in general History classes. It’s for people who are going to study History as a job or a hobby/passion.
It would interesting to see an episode about the Spanish Republicans in the Foriegn Legion. First at Paris City Hall and first to Eagle’s Nest. See: “Espana Cani” on the front of a Bradly fighting vehicle.. etc.
@@roadwary I see your point. The post was more in jest than fact. Truth is there probobly isn't a whole lot of film on the Legion to do much with. I did find a story about Nazis trying to infiltrate their ranks though.
@@roadwary I agree with you.. If anything, he's been highlighting the fact that the defeat of the French isn't because of their lack of bravoure, but because of poor tactics and bad commanders (higher echelon, mostly made up of old WWI generals, stuck in tranche warfare mentality). I would love to hear few examples, where ppl felt Mark was unflattering towards the French.
There is an extensive interview with a French SS man in the 1969 documentary "The Sorrow and the Pity". This French film explores French collaboration and with some surprising faces.
NOTE - I mistakenly said that Operation Barbarossa began on 22 June 1942, when I meant to say '1941'. Please don't feel that you have to point this out in the comments section! Many thanks.
Mark Felton Productions how many hundreds of pedants have already commented about this?!
Don't sweat it, Mark. Nobody reads the comments _before_ commenting... :)
PS - another great educational video.
Greetings from Hong Kong. We’ve been staying home for two months already. Don’t worry, it gets easier. ;-)
I read it with your voice kind sir
Hahaha😂
My father was an American POW at Stalag IIB in Pomerania. In January 1945 as they were marched west away from the advancing Soviet Army my dad and his buddy who were both captured at Anzio said there was a French SS unit marching the opposite way heading to the front. They were surprised to hear them all speaking French. I told my dad later on that this must have been the Charlemagne Division. Checking the history of the unit at this time, it indeed placed them where my father was in Pomerania in January of 1945.
Amazing!
Thank you for sharing this, amazing
Pleased to know your father survived and got home.
@@gordonsmith8899 Me too...or I wouldn't be writing this today. He came close to getting killed on Feb 19, 1944.....knocked unconscious with a severe concussion from artillery.
My friend grandpa was a b24 pilot over Italy and Germany in 1944-5 he was shoot down over Germany he said since his grandfather was of German heritage the guard at the camp who I think were SS tortured him
Who needs the history channel when you have Mark Felton.
They are not mutually exclusive. I'll take Mark Felton and the old History Channel.
cohen< nuff said,
Felton is much better than New History Channel with their emphasis on Space Aliens and finding Elvis.
Felton is a liar.
Mark doesn’t do conspiracies tho
Imagine being a Russian and hearing french, Scandinavian, and Dutch during the battle, imaging the pure confusion that must have been
Or English Free Corps !
And if SS Charlemagne fight vs FFL, in the Head of FFL, why the Germans speak French.
are you sure Russian could understand another language ?
In battle the language spoken by enemy is material
Russians were always half drunk, nothing confused them.
"we didn't think of death at all. At all. Just fighting. Keep on fighting. Loyal to the end...loyal to the end" - Henri Fennet from a documentary describing his experience at the end of WW2.
@@fuerstmetternich1997 Not really. He was cocksucking for the same country that murdered 643 of his innocent countrymen, women, and children at Oradour-sur-Glane. Just because he was fighting against Russia does not automatically justify fighting for a fascist, genocidal regime
Кому "ВЕРНЫ" и до когого "КОНЦА",если "КОНЦА" Гитлера так советский солдат помог гитлеру "СТАТЬ РАКОМ" и застрелиться..
@@fuerstmetternich1997 Ahh and of course , Ukrainian hero admiring SS Scums who Whose conscience did not allow them to give up ! Nazi scum.
@@fuerstmetternich1997That’s a Nazi you’re talking about
@@john2432would it have been different if he was a communist?
If you are interested, I recommend the memoir On the Devil's Tail: In Combat with the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front 1945, and with the French in Indochina 1951-54 by Paul Martelli. He served in the SS Charlemagne.
And also the book : LA BRIGADE FRANKREICH by Jean Mabire
That book's author is considered suspect.
is there an ebook version?
Thanks, will check it out
Read, devils guard by George Robert elford,
History Channel: We've run out of WW2 subjects, let's run 19 episodes of Pawn Stars today
Mark Felton: Hold my tea
Tob Raham theres a lack of footage though.
@@HateTheIRS
Eh still they could run re-enactments of the events that followed as well as detailed maps. I remember they did that with the story of some legendary Canadian guy in WWll.
Nolan Currenly re enactments aren’t that exciting tbh.
I know for a fact they could run non stop history, most of their documentaries are on TH-cam. They just get more people watching alligator fishing or pawning their grandfathers pistol
"The French can't fight."
"Hold my wine."
I work as a professional tour guide in Paris , specializing in WW2 history and the occupation of France and Paris and I can tell you that this period still fascinates people more than any other ,despite all the famous landmarks , history and architecture of Paris , this period 'les annee's noir' are the most popular tour people will take outside of the Louvre and Versailles
I love Marks channel because he dives into the more obscure or niche subjects of this epoch and sometimes subjects people would rather forgotten about because of a few uncomfortable truths!
I heard one interesting anecdote about the capture of those 12 French SS soldiers which Mark didn't mention Maybe Its just a rumor but it's a good one never the less
Apparently LeClerc himself had them lined up and presented to him and angrily asked one of them " What are French men doing in German uniforms?" To which the French SS Grenadier rather unwisely considering his predicament responded "What are French men doing in American uniforms!?"
They were shot pretty soon after this little exchange though rumor has it once again that one captured French SS Grenadier was excused execution owing to his father being a close friend of De Gaulle ?
Again I don't know if anyone else has heard this story?
De Gaulle of course was not averse to being slightly selective in his choice of who to pardon and who to make an example of in the immediate aftermath but that's another story entirely!
De Gaulle was a traitor to France.
Now France is an awful country Paris is no longer a French city, the government is totally corrupt, France lost all its colonies, France is losing French culture, traditional art is being replaced by ugly modern art and architecture etc.
It is an objective undeniable fact that there will be no “France” in 100 years and it will be mostly an African and Arab country with a French minority kind of like South Africa with its Dutch white minority.
And Frenchmen will have no say in elections due to being only a tiny % of the population
You may be interested in reading the Winking Fox, a factual story of the life of a french national who became an american citizen, and found himself exiled from france for training Ho Chi Minh to fight the Japanese. France certainly has some dirty politics over the ages.
Yes, I agree. What were the French doing wearing American uniforms ? Honestly, they served honorably in the struggle against Bolshevism.
De Gaulle was Churchill lapdog
One very important factor: most of the Frenchman enlisting in the Wehrmacht had high anti-British feelings; for centuries France and England engaged in several wars. The bombardments endured by the French-Vichy fleet at Oran by the British Navy fueled outrage on the French population; prompting recruitment to the Germans.
And I doubt that the British refrained from bombing France. At least Anne Frank was frightened by bombing runs on Amsterdam.
@@aurorasdawn4681 Certainly they didn't, the problem was not all the targets were really military. Probably the goal was to push the French people against the German occuppants; nothing really justifies to frighten the civilian population!
Anyway, there was a big anti-British propaganda during the occupation of France, by the Vichy and the Nazi regimes.
@Elvia Darkgrape I guess you could say that of many other countries too when you look at their history. I also guess that you are referring to more recent matters ? I was just pointing out that the best interest of the Vichy regime and the nazis during the occupation of my country was that the french people didn't feel any sympathy for the British and rather see them as an ennemy.
@@loveisintheair8003 ... yeh, pretty sur the brits gave them [french] the option of scuttling their ships rather than going in guns blazing sort of thing - they [the vichy] refused that - n so a lot died for no good reason
Charlemagne ( king of the Holy Roman Empire since 800 ) is seen both by germans as by the french as the origine of their nations history.
From that point of view a well chosen name for a french/SS combat unit.
Fred de Groot Indeed,well said.
👍
But he was king and since 800 emporer of the empire of the franks , not of the holy roman Empire of the german nation (962-1806).
Empire of the franks = later- west part= france ,east part = holy roman empire german nation/germany.
And true ,Charlemagne / Karl der Grosse ( the Great) was the Father of this two great nations .
@@kriegshammer2161 The Franks were still a Germanic people though, they did not originate from geographical France for which they were named after. They were one of the many Germanic "barbarian" tribes that crossed into the Roman Empire and sacked it (in their case they crossed the Rhine into then called Gaul.)
Though the Franks like many of the other tribes that conquered the Western Roman Empire became more like the Romans. They became Christians and their languages were latinized which is why they changed from the more Germanic Franks to the more Latinized French, and ultimately separated as a different culture and people people. This is ironic because when the Vikings (Danes another Germanic people) came raiding they both hated and were terrified of the Vikings like the Romans were before them for not being Christian as and barbaric. Then the cycle repeated itself as the vikings also became more like the locals they settled with. Some examples include the Normans in Normandy when they became more French or when the Normans in Sicily became more Italian. And of course the Normans who conquered England and helped evolve old English into the modern English we know and love today by introducing some French and words. 🇮🇹🇩🇪🇫🇷🇳🇴🇩🇰🏴
@@JBGARINGAN In fact it's the contrary. France was named after the name of the germanic tribe called the Franks.
Franks arrived in a place who was then called Gaul, the Roman province of Gaul.
When the surrendered French SS were turned over to the French Army, an officer asked them, "Why are you wearing a German uniform?" One of the French SS replied, "Why are you wearing an American one?"
So the French SS enjoyed being under German thrall and occupation? At least the Americans gave the French the tools and resources to take their country back. A 'cute' little anecdote doesn't make the SS all warm and fuzzy and somehow the 'same' as the Americans.
@funkmasterjee well said, however the hardest place was being in the middle... That's what has happened to my country.. ;-)
Well i’m a french living in Lorraine and in my heart Lorraine should be german
French officer fought for the french flag, French SS for the german one. But the SS did not get the difference.
@funkmasterjee Too bad they did not see the German hordes invadng France.
There was an autobiography written by a Frenchman who joined the German Army, he said it was because he lived on the border between France and Germany and considered himself to have German heritage. His father was French and his mother was German. It just happens that his home became French territory after WW1 then annexed again by Germany in 1940
I think the book was Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer
Alsace Lorraine
Hi, you are right, the title in french is 'Le soldat oublié". I am french and i will never forget this book. Things during wars are not so simple, good side, bad side.....
I have the book. It was a great read.
After the war he slipped back home and into normal life like nothing had happened
Yes, The Forgotten Soldier - gives an unforgettable account of the day to day realities of war, particularly when you're on the losing side.
I've read a lot of comments about France burying its past. I am French myself and I must say that the existence of SS Charlemagne is well known, it was even teached in class so I must disagree. There was on the other hand for the 30 years after the war the teaching of the myth of a resisting population, while everyone did like in every war: live on with it.
Well the French population weren’t particularly fond of either side. Both Germany and England are historical rivals, France tangled itself in defending Poland and corresponding with the soviets while the population was protesting the war. WW1 was a disaster mostly fought on French soil and the people were tired of war at that point. On top of that, the Germans for the most part tried to not be too harsh in their dealings after France surrendered, so that the French would cooperate more. I don’t really think there’s anything to burry or apologize for, most people can’t put themselves in that situation and understand things from the perspective of France.
A lot of valiant French men and women died resisting German occupation. I'm British, and like many British I admire their incredible bravery. French resistance of all kinds is constantly portrayed in British dramas.
@@vikare7849 even if they were neutral they would of been invaded
@@vikare7849 "defending" Poland? When was that?
I can only sympathize with the French people who endured the Nazi occupation.
Long live France, long live lovers of Freedom.
I read about these guys in Antony Beevor's book on the battle. Some of the last Knight's Crosses of the war were awarded to the French SS.
Their was a also a Spanish unit named Ezquerra that made the last stand in Berlin.
and nobody noticed
Spanish Blue Division
A Spanish unit is very interesting. I thought they were occupied with their own country's war. I did not know they were involved any where else. I'm going to have to do some reading.
@@gengis737 they wer all ghey
@@josematamoros596 La Div Azul JAMÁS participó en la batalla de Berlín porque se había retirado del frente del Este hacía casi dos años. Eran unos pocos voluntarios fascistas españoles que no quisieron volver a España y siguieron combatiendo con los SS franceses. Un puñado escaso
Thanks!
And then a lot of former Waffen SS joined the French Foreign Legion.
There's a bar/ restaurant in Frisco started by a former Legionnaire. Some of his writings/letters mention that and are posted on the wall.
Some joined the regular French Army and fought in Indochina.
That's not entirely true; some joined at the very end of the war but the French government quickly cracked down. There were far more German civilians and German army veterans who joined.
@@Jermster_91 They were members of a penal battalion recruited from prison.
They were forced to.
There is no better WW2 historian than Mark Felton.
Mark is more of a showman and TH-cam vloger than a real historian. Real historians are doing hard work by teaching at many universities, doing complex research in national archives, writing thesises, publishing scientific articles and books. And they are conducting intelectual discussions with other historians, philosophers, writers and intellectuals. And not doing TH-cam admiration videos about SS and Adolf Hitler.
@@northernstar3960 I mean there’s nothing wrong with him retelling parts of history and from my experience usually in college you have to use the works and other writings of other historians and first hand accounts; which is what his doing. I wish he would show his sources though. As for him being a show man, he needs to make a living somehow.
@@northernstar3960 he does publish books though ?
@@northernstar3960 that's a bit unfair. He's written over 20 books, lectured in shanghai for years, and volunteered for the Royal British Legion, and is doing a pretty good job of educating a great number of people on TH-cam, according to the view counters.
@Jeroen Melsen JEALOUS! :o
contrary to what people may think the nazi's employed a lot of foreign volunteers in the Waffen SS. Most people probably don't realise this but there was even a division from India.
There was a "Muslim" SS unit "Schar" from Bosnia.
And an English one!
Had to make up for the able and willing soldiers that they decided to send to work camps out of stupid racism.
The Indian Legion was regimental size not a division and described as a joke by Hitler and saw almost no combat.
The Free Arabian Legion were not part of the SS
Because, oddly, the Heer wasn't allowed to recruit other nationalities.
I hear this opening music in my sleep and I wake up to a fire documentary every time. Mark, keep it up. Thank you!
When I see one of your videos has been released, I drop everything and make time to watch it. This was another excellent piece.
This is extremely well researched, and nicely presented. Thank you for making the internet a better place!
I was stationed in (then West) Berlin between 1974 and 1977. I actually met a veteran of the SS Charlemagne Division. He had survived the war, remained in Germany as a German citizen, married a German woman and had two children. When I met him, he was just a year or two away from retiring from a civil service job. Interestingly, he was given civil service credit for the time he spent in uniform during the war. He never returned to France. He stated his reason for joining SS Charlemagne as his hatred for Bolshevism. He thought we Americans were pretty great guys for being in Berlin facing the Soviets. At least he was consistent.
I knew one too that was also paid for his time in the SS. But here's the fun part.
He got paid as a victim of Nazism by Germany - and as a veteran of the French Army by France.
Both of which got revoked a few years back when a scandal came to light regarding another SS Charlemagne survivor in the same situation.
@@tywinlannister8015 Uh-Oh! Did the veteran get caught up in a payback demand? Prosecuted or anything?
@@jasondaniel918 Not that I know of. I was his geriatric aide for while but ever since I haven't kept in touch.
@@jasondaniel918 Did he say anything more?
Swift Strike
I've been reading and learning about WW2 all my life but I have to say that these videos are amazingly insightful and offer so much knowledge and information which I'd previously had absolutely no idea about. Wonderful work Mark Felton. Thank you
Mr Felton is a generous soul for suffering us fools gladly on this perfect April Fools' Day, where we get a treat instead of a prank.
fuferito: Mark ROCKS!
The detail of your stories is fascinating. You are able to broaden the scope of knowledge concerning specific battles and their outcomes. I have especially appreciated the way you follow the lives of individual fighters into their postwar years. Thank you!
I must say that I've seen a bunch of different videos on WW2 and military history, but Mark is in a league of his own, I appreciate how he doesn't stray away from the facts and while giving you great detail about a topic he keeps it simple. Love this channel and I hope one day soon the history channel or smithsonian channel give you a show or series on WW2 and military. Keep up the great work.
Well done video! Mark Felton Productions channel is one of the best of the World War II video series I've ever seen. And I seen many hundreds if not thousands over the years.
I am now 62 years old.. my father was with the United States Navy during World War II.
Dad joined the US Navy at the age of 16 in 1943 and served in the South Pacific.
I credit him with introducing me to the subject of Nazism and World War II with William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" published in the early/mid-1960s.
I found that a good and thorough understanding of World War II, its origins and it's aftermath to be essential to understand the formation of our modern post-war world, it's geopolitics, and the possibly regrettable domination of the United States of America in the decades following that global war.
Great work thank you.
I really love how Mark Felton talks about the other countries that men joined waffen-ss units from. It really shows the viewer the broad picture then focuses into the small picture to tell the Storu. good work man!
I saw you change it from "French SS" to "SS Charlemagne" I see you
Same thing. It was the voluntary French SS division, called the SS Charlemagne.
@@magistrumartium no not really there where plenty of french ss volunteers outside of Charlmange as a regiment* and outside the ss even.
Gotta factor in the ignorant woke culture, can't make everything sound too direct or risk too much butt hurt.
@@Zretgul_timerunner There were plenty of French volunteers in several German organisations, but as far as I can tell there was just one Waffen-SS division at a time. By the end of the war it was called SS Charlemagne; however, it consisted of survivors of an earlier French SS division, the Franzoische SS-Freiwilligen Sturmbrigade, which in 1943 was a new name for what was left of the original French SS division, the Franzoische SS-Freiwilligen Grenadier Regiment, and the survivors of the Legion des volontaires francaise (LVF). My source is the book "SS: Hitler's Foreign Divisions," by Chris Bishop.
@@magistrumartium my point was that Volunteers filled out a bunch of diffrent divisions of ss as was needed when they where either merged with others or reformed.
There existed french ss in number of diffrent divisions.
Such as Wallonien Legion, Panzer division Wiking amongst others.
My father was in the Charlemagne and amongst the few that voluntered to get into Berlin even knowing it was a lost cause...
In his memories he had this sentence : "I never felt better than at this moment, when fully knowing that I was going to die"...
My dad joined the German Army through the Légion des Volontaires Français "against bolchevism", in march 1943, after having spent more than a year in the 6th bataillon of Chasseurs Alpins in Grenoble. He fought in Russland in between june 1943 to september 1944, when the LVF was disbanded after the big Bagration offensive of june 1944 that smached to smitherens the whole of the German Central Front. He then voluntered to join the newly formed Division Charlemagne. After his departure to the Wallalah which occured in 2011, I gathered his memories which now are in a book that came out in 2018. Unfortunately only in french for the moment, but who knows... May be one of these day it might come out in english. Here is the title : "Sous Uniforme Allemand"
What made your father hate his country enough to become a traitor?
@@NSResponder My father was, on the contrary a true lover of his country and was ready to die for it!... something we certainly cannot tell of the majority of the "followers" like you, so it seems... the sort that repeat the "history" that's been put into their minds not knowing anything of who was, and still is, at the controles behind... The same criminals that rule our societies and "supposedly civilized" countries nowaday... To me, the reel traitors as you say, traitors to humanity, are the people like you repeating the lessons that's been put into their minds and repeating them like... Parotts!... Good day to you and good luck, I wish you to awaken to another reality one of those days.... the quicker the better...
It's very interesting though very sensitive topic. I was always wondering the motivation of the people, who decided to switch sides. Did your father left any information about what his motivation was? In my homeland, Russia, there was a very famous (in USSR) Normandie-Niemen group of french pilots, who joined the Red Army. Some joined british, US forces. Some joined the SS. I'm curious, who were this people and how the war ripped the nation apart so terribly, that the citizens became enemies.
@@jeancroisile9982 ..
@@NSResponder read the book i suppose?
FINALY! If waited years for someone tell this allmost forgotten story, thank you Mark!
Ironically, the French SS were the last troop to enter Berlin before the city was surrounded by the Soviets and to defend Hitler's bunker. The Charlemagne battalion, with 90% of the victims, laid down their arms on the orders of the German commander on May 2, preventing the Soviets from taking the city for the May 1 celebration.
alan deweld, Thank You, I agree, please let us not forget our Spanish Heroes, in SS- the *Blue-Division..
as i had had 1968, the *Honour, the opportunity see and speak with this - as - came as Delegation to the
French HQ*s - in BadenBaden ( Germany) The Invitation was from General Massu.
There were no heroes in the SS.
Murdering civilians is not heroism.
@@AnEnemy100 so no one was the hero by your logic. Of course it’s hard to see the heroism through your blind hatred
@@PorWik What part of murdering civilians do you not understand? They were cowards.
@@AnEnemy100 Murdering civilians is always a crime - but most of them did not.
And german civilians were aklso mordered, millions. Also japanese civilians, later civilians in Korea, Vietnam, Algeria, .....
I really enjoy these videos. I am learning so much more than I ever knew. I never knew there were foreign regiments of the SS. Thank you Mark!
I am greatful for Mark and these Videos and it is so good to see all you folks who have the passion to learn more about WW2 like me. I feel blessed that I did not have to endure that horror.
Thanks for always posting such great, and fascinating content. Much appreciated!
Another great story about a frenchman on the eastern front (not about the Charlemagne division in particular) is Guy Sajer's book The Forgotten Soldier. He recounts his time on the eastern front with the Großdeutschland division from being a soldier in a supply unit in late 1942 to his surrender to the British in the summer of 1945... really great read.
I own this book and you are absolutely right
Guy wager the forgotten soldier
@David Nemeth Yes, but he and his mates shot a jeep full of British soldiers down ,they did not give them a chance. Then they all surrendered. I would have shot all the murderous bastards down
@@jamescarr3328 .
Last time I was this early going outside was still legal
Sort of, how it was like for anyone in occupied Europe........h'mmm
This has got to be the funniest ‘last time I was this early comment...’ on TH-cam
@@michaelevans8697 sad truth unfortunately
The last time I was this early, nobody was making pandemic memes.
Oh, You!
Dr Felton is the Man.
My ww2 favorite history scholler.
Continue your awesome Work Dr Felton.
Congratulations from Portugal.
Always heard about this division they fought like devils.
@C D I think he meant that they had put up a good fight.
They had no choice, they were traitors, if they returned to france, they would be tried and executed, which actually happened.
C D is a nazi sympathizer.
@Otto Skorzeny if you join your enemy then you're a traitor, even if you don't directly fight against your own country. Larry Thorne as an example was a traitor because he joined a military force who were in a war with his country
@Otto Skorzeny Im pretty sure no one object Russian killing other Russian. You are the weird one glorifying French man killing another Russian.
They probably proved to be more helpful than the Italians.
The Italians were under rated as soldiers by the British propaganda machine. Rommel thought they were really ok, apart from the poor training, the poor weapons, supply and officers. They fought really bravely on the Eastern Front. In the early North African campaigns they were incredibly poorly led. Many of the mass surrenders in that time were caused by lack of drinking water. Thier commanding generals had put soldiers into positions without possibility of supply, especially of drinking water in a desert. I don't blame them for surrendering at all. What a cock up!
Romania was Germany's true second ally.
@@matro2 Romania changed side two times
11.01.1941 Italian Air Force disables HMS Ilustrious, allowing the safe arrival of the Afrika Korps.
24.01.1941 BCS fight the first sucessfull action against a British armoured force near Derna.
25.01.1941 Bersaglieri fight a sucessfull delaying action near Derna.
27.01.1941 Bersaglieri mount a very strong counterattack on the Australians, buying much valuable time.
??.04.1941 Ariete captures Msus
08.04.1941 Ariete captures Mechili. Bersaglieri capture 3,000 Allied troops.
01.05.1941 Ariete & Brescia capture overrun 7 Australian strongpoints ( R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8) outside Tobruk
04.05.1941 Australians counterattack but the Trento, Pavia & Ariete defeat the attacks.
17.05.1941 Brescia penetrates the sectors of the Australian 2/9th and 2/10th Battalions, forcing the Australians to abandon the S8, S9 and S10 strongpoints.
24.05.1941 Brescia defeats an attacking infantry force, supported by tanks.
02.08.1941 Bersaglieri defeat the 2/43rd and 2/28th Battalions, in a final Australian attempt to recover the lost strongpoints.
15.05.1941 Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners derail the British offensive, known as Operation Brevity. A German Colonel later praised the Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners, saying they defended Halfaya Pass "...with lionlike courage until the last man against stronger enemy forces. The greatest part of them died faithful to the flag."
Mid-June 1941 Italian anti-tank gunners under Major Leopoldo Pardi destroy several British tanks, derailing Operation Battleaxe in the process.
27.05.1941 Ariete overruns the British-officered 3rd Indian Brigade.
29.05.1941 Ariete successfully defends the Afrika Korps rearguard
30.05.1941 Trieste successfully delivers food and provision to the Afrika Korps preventing their entire capitulation.
05.06.1941 Ariete again successfully defends the Afrika Korps rearguard
26.08.1941 Italian troops repell several Russian attacks on the Don front.
27.10.1941 Italians repell strong Russian attack in the Donets Basin, capturing several hundred.
10.11.1941 Italians defeat a Russian attempt to cross the Don River.
19.11.1941 Ariete blunts British offensive named Operation Crusader. 40 Crusader tanks are knocked out.
19.11.1941 Pavia repell column of British tanks in the area of El Adem. British forced to retreat.
20.11.1941 Bologna infantry and anti-tank gunners derail advance of the British 7th Armoured Brigade.
21.11.1941 Bologna defenders of the 'Tugun' strongpoint derail the advance of the British 70th Division
22.11.1941 'Tugun' defenders successfully defend their postion again.
23.11.1941 Pavia defeats British attempt to smash through the Bologna
25.11.1941 The Trento successfully defends the 'Bondi' strongpoint outside Tobruk.
26.11.1941 Bersaglieri defeat renewed British attempt to smash through the Bologna
29.11.1941 Ariete overruns the 21st New Zealand Battalion.
29.11.1941 Bersaglieri capture 1,800 Allied wounded, medical staff & guards. 200 German POWs are freed.
01.12.1941 Trento defeats an armoured attack outside Tobruk
01.12.1941 Trieste cuts off the link the New Zealanders had established with the Tobruk defenders.
04.12.1941 Pavia and Trento recapture ‘Plonk and ‘Doc’ strongpoints outside Tobruk.
06.12.1941 Pavia makes a successful stand on Point 157
07.12.1941 Bologna covers the retreat of the German Afrika Division
10.12.1941 Brescia covers the German retreat from Acroma Hill.
12.12.1941 Bologna, Brescia, Pavia, Trieste & Trento successfully hold the Gazala Line
13.12.1941 Trieste successfully defends Point 208
15.12.1941 Brescia, Pavia & Trento repell a stong Polish-New Zealand attack
15.12.1941 Ariete overruns The Buffs
12.06.1942 Trieste helps destroy the British 2nd & 4th Armoured Brigades by cornering them.
16.06.1942 Italians overrun & capture 6, 000 Allied troops outside Tobruk.
17.01.1942 Savona surrenders. It had defeated several Allied attacks. Rommel is very impressed.
11.07.1942 Bersaglieri overrun part of the Australian 2/48th Battalion.
14.07.1942 Colonel Angelozzi's 1st Battalion from the supposedly destroyed Sabratha recaptures Tel el Eisa from the Australians.
15.07.1942 Colonel Angelozzi's men defeat the Australian 2/23rd Battalion's attempt to recapture the position.
15.07.1942 Pavia & Brescia successfully defend their principal positions on Ruweisat Ridge. New Zealander battalion caught out on the open as a result and is captured with the arrival of German tanks.
17.07.1942 A battalion of the Trento overruns part of the Australian 2/32nd Battalion.
21.07.1942 Trieste & Brescia sucessfully defend their main positions on Ruweisat Ridge. Several hundred New Zealanders are captured thanks to their efforts, that allow German tanks to mount a counterattack.
27.07.1942 3rd Battalion of the 61st Trento Infantry Regiment derails the attack of the 2/28th Battalion.
27.07.1942 Armoured car squadron of the Brescia encircle and capture the Australian 2/28 Battalion
30.06.1942 Littorio surrounds Mersa Matruh & Bersaglieri capture 6,500 Allied soldiers.
01.07.1942 1,000 New Zealanders captured
??.09.1942 Bologna overruns defenders of Point 211 during the Battle of Alam el Halfa.
??.09.1942 Trieste, Brescia, Ariete & Littorio force British & New Zealanders to retreat several kilometres.
04.09.1942 Folgore defeat the 6th New Zealand Brigade & capture 200 attackers, including Brigadier G.M. Clifton.
14.09.1942 San Marco Marines defeat Allied seaborne landings aimed at recapturing Tobruk. 1,000 Allied killed, wounded or captured.
30.09.1942 Fogore defeat 131st Queens Brigade, over 300 British killed or captured.
24.10.1942 Ariete, Brescia & Folgore successfully hold the Alamein line.
25.10.1942 12th Bersaglieri overruns the Austalian 2/17th Battalion.
28.10.1942 Littorio overruns part of the British 133rd Brigade
29.10.1942 7th Bersaglieri derails the advance of the Austalian 26th Brigade and creates a salient in the Australian sector.
30.10.1942 7th Bersaglieri defeats several Australian attacks to force them out of this salient.
03.11.1942 Ariete successfully covers the retreat of Rommel
03.12.1943 Bersaglieri capture part of the British 2nd Parachute Battalion.
12.12.1942 Italian troops attack Russian battalions capturing prisoners a much equipment
18.02.1943. While the Germans fail taking Sbiba Pass, the 7th Bersaglieri smash the US lines at Kasserine Pass.
18.02.1943 Centauro Division overruns the US 19th Combat Engineers Regiment.
24.02.1943 5th Bersaglieri successfully covers the retreat of Rommel
*****3,000 Allied troops surrendered at Mechili. About 500 Australians were captured manning the Tobruk defences. Some 3,500 Allied troops fell into Italian hands during Operation Crusader. 1,000 Indian troops surrendered to the Ariete on 27 May 1942. 6,000 Allied troops surrendered to the Italians outside Tobruk on 16 June 1942. Some 7,000 Allied troops surrendered to the Italians in the area of Mersa Matruh in late June and early July 1942, including 1,000 New Zealanders abandoned in the desert. During the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the Bersaglieri and Centauro Division overran some 2,500 Americans.
@John Online 11.01.1941 Italian Air Force disables HMS Ilustrious, allowing the safe arrival of the Afrika Korps.
24.01.1941 BCS fight the first sucessfull action against a British armoured force near Derna.
25.01.1941 Bersaglieri fight a sucessfull delaying action near Derna.
27.01.1941 Bersaglieri mount a very strong counterattack on the Australians, buying much valuable time.
??.04.1941 Ariete captures Msus
08.04.1941 Ariete captures Mechili. Bersaglieri capture 3,000 Allied troops.
01.05.1941 Ariete & Brescia capture overrun 7 Australian strongpoints ( R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8) outside Tobruk
04.05.1941 Australians counterattack but the Trento, Pavia & Ariete defeat the attacks.
17.05.1941 Brescia penetrates the sectors of the Australian 2/9th and 2/10th Battalions, forcing the Australians to abandon the S8, S9 and S10 strongpoints.
24.05.1941 Brescia defeats an attacking infantry force, supported by tanks.
02.08.1941 Bersaglieri defeat the 2/43rd and 2/28th Battalions, in a final Australian attempt to recover the lost strongpoints.
15.05.1941 Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners derail the British offensive, known as Operation Brevity. A German Colonel later praised the Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners, saying they defended Halfaya Pass "...with lionlike courage until the last man against stronger enemy forces. The greatest part of them died faithful to the flag."
Mid-June 1941 Italian anti-tank gunners under Major Leopoldo Pardi destroy several British tanks, derailing Operation Battleaxe in the process.
27.05.1941 Ariete overruns the British-officered 3rd Indian Brigade.
29.05.1941 Ariete successfully defends the Afrika Korps rearguard
30.05.1941 Trieste successfully delivers food and provision to the Afrika Korps preventing their entire capitulation.
05.06.1941 Ariete again successfully defends the Afrika Korps rearguard
26.08.1941 Italian troops repell several Russian attacks on the Don front.
27.10.1941 Italians repell strong Russian attack in the Donets Basin, capturing several hundred.
10.11.1941 Italians defeat a Russian attempt to cross the Don River.
19.11.1941 Ariete blunts British offensive named Operation Crusader. 40 Crusader tanks are knocked out.
19.11.1941 Pavia repell column of British tanks in the area of El Adem. British forced to retreat.
20.11.1941 Bologna infantry and anti-tank gunners derail advance of the British 7th Armoured Brigade.
21.11.1941 Bologna defenders of the 'Tugun' strongpoint derail the advance of the British 70th Division
22.11.1941 'Tugun' defenders successfully defend their postion again.
23.11.1941 Pavia defeats British attempt to smash through the Bologna
25.11.1941 The Trento successfully defends the 'Bondi' strongpoint outside Tobruk.
26.11.1941 Bersaglieri defeat renewed British attempt to smash through the Bologna
29.11.1941 Ariete overruns the 21st New Zealand Battalion.
29.11.1941 Bersaglieri capture 1,800 Allied wounded, medical staff & guards. 200 German POWs are freed.
01.12.1941 Trento defeats an armoured attack outside Tobruk
01.12.1941 Trieste cuts off the link the New Zealanders had established with the Tobruk defenders.
04.12.1941 Pavia and Trento recapture ‘Plonk and ‘Doc’ strongpoints outside Tobruk.
06.12.1941 Pavia makes a successful stand on Point 157
07.12.1941 Bologna covers the retreat of the German Afrika Division
10.12.1941 Brescia covers the German retreat from Acroma Hill.
12.12.1941 Bologna, Brescia, Pavia, Trieste & Trento successfully hold the Gazala Line
13.12.1941 Trieste successfully defends Point 208
15.12.1941 Brescia, Pavia & Trento repell a stong Polish-New Zealand attack
15.12.1941 Ariete overruns The Buffs
12.06.1942 Trieste helps destroy the British 2nd & 4th Armoured Brigades by cornering them.
16.06.1942 Italians overrun & capture 6, 000 Allied troops outside Tobruk.
17.01.1942 Savona surrenders. It had defeated several Allied attacks. Rommel is very impressed.
11.07.1942 Bersaglieri overrun part of the Australian 2/48th Battalion.
14.07.1942 Colonel Angelozzi's 1st Battalion from the supposedly destroyed Sabratha recaptures Tel el Eisa from the Australians.
15.07.1942 Colonel Angelozzi's men defeat the Australian 2/23rd Battalion's attempt to recapture the position.
15.07.1942 Pavia & Brescia successfully defend their principal positions on Ruweisat Ridge. New Zealander battalion caught out on the open as a result and is captured with the arrival of German tanks.
17.07.1942 A battalion of the Trento overruns part of the Australian 2/32nd Battalion.
21.07.1942 Trieste & Brescia sucessfully defend their main positions on Ruweisat Ridge. Several hundred New Zealanders are captured thanks to their efforts, that allow German tanks to mount a counterattack.
27.07.1942 3rd Battalion of the 61st Trento Infantry Regiment derails the attack of the 2/28th Battalion.
27.07.1942 Armoured car squadron of the Brescia encircle and capture the Australian 2/28 Battalion
30.06.1942 Littorio surrounds Mersa Matruh & Bersaglieri capture 6,500 Allied soldiers.
01.07.1942 1,000 New Zealanders captured
??.09.1942 Bologna overruns defenders of Point 211 during the Battle of Alam el Halfa.
??.09.1942 Trieste, Brescia, Ariete & Littorio force British & New Zealanders to retreat several kilometres.
04.09.1942 Folgore defeat the 6th New Zealand Brigade & capture 200 attackers, including Brigadier G.M. Clifton.
14.09.1942 San Marco Marines defeat Allied seaborne landings aimed at recapturing Tobruk. 1,000 Allied killed, wounded or captured.
30.09.1942 Fogore defeat 131st Queens Brigade, over 300 British killed or captured.
24.10.1942 Ariete, Brescia & Folgore successfully hold the Alamein line.
25.10.1942 12th Bersaglieri overruns the Austalian 2/17th Battalion.
28.10.1942 Littorio overruns part of the British 133rd Brigade
29.10.1942 7th Bersaglieri derails the advance of the Austalian 26th Brigade and creates a salient in the Australian sector.
30.10.1942 7th Bersaglieri defeats several Australian attacks to force them out of this salient.
03.11.1942 Ariete successfully covers the retreat of Rommel
03.12.1943 Bersaglieri capture part of the British 2nd Parachute Battalion.
12.12.1942 Italian troops attack Russian battalions capturing prisoners a much equipment
18.02.1943. While the Germans fail taking Sbiba Pass, the 7th Bersaglieri smash the US lines at Kasserine Pass.
18.02.1943 Centauro Division overruns the US 19th Combat Engineers Regiment.
24.02.1943 5th Bersaglieri successfully covers the retreat of Rommel
*****3,000 Allied troops surrendered at Mechili. About 500 Australians were captured manning the Tobruk defences. Some 3,500 Allied troops fell into Italian hands during Operation Crusader. 1,000 Indian troops surrendered to the Ariete on 27 May 1942. 6,000 Allied troops surrendered to the Italians outside Tobruk on 16 June 1942. Some 7,000 Allied troops surrendered to the Italians in the area of Mersa Matruh in late June and early July 1942, including 1,000 New Zealanders abandoned in the desert. During the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the Bersaglieri and Centauro Division overran some 2,500 Americans.
Love your WW2 documentaries. Filled with a lot of information people don’t hear about
Absolutely fascinating, Dr. Felton. Thank you.
Growing up in the Netherlands my history teacher once said, don’t have any heroic image of the Netherlands during the war, there was active resistance, but more Dutch where fighting on the eastern front.
I think fighting on the Eastern front is about as heroic as it gets..those boys were misinformed and can't be blamed for being on the wrong side.
@UCYXIDciJ6oIbHzZlAgJYAmQ
Pure Evil
damn bruh I never knew a comment could be like catnip for neo-nazis but look at em' crawling out from under the dumpsters...
@Otto Skorzeny Everyone disagree going out killing citizen of another country. The only one glorifying invasion and crime against humanity are people like you.
@@thefloridamanofytcomments5264 You called that one bro. Anything about WW2 gets these cocksuckers to wipe off their hands and turn off the porn for a minute so they can dream of being superior and leaving mommy's basement behind.
So glad I found this channel, amazing history videos that your keeping little known history alive in a world that doesnt seems to want or care about historic events. will subscribe
@4:32 "The situation in Berlin was, by the time of Hitlers last birthday on the 20th of April 1945, critical." Well, theres an understatement if I ever saw one. Great video as always, Mark!
The correct word HOPELESS comes to mind.
An excellent report on this little-known event. Above all, fairly portrayed. A very big thank you from a Berliner
I recently watched the account of events by the Belgian SS General who escaped to Spain and lived out his years as successful businessman till his death. From his account it did it become really clear to me what the SS were as a fighting force made up of different nationalities who swore strong allegiance to the Nazi ideology. Their understanding of the world was quite different from what I had previously imagined and many viewed themselves custodians of the European ideal and defenders against communism from the East. Interesting.
Wonder what they would make of Europe today...
@@visionist7Tossing and Turning in their graves.
Belgian SS General? May I ask who? As a Belgian I never heard of a Belgian SS General.
@@rolle16 Leon Degrelle.
@@Obetv01 Ah thanks! Well as far as I remember he became a Standartenfuhrer, which is equal to a Colonel
A good Friend of mine Hstuf. Heinz Gentsch was badly wounded during this battle, a member of Charlemagne rescued him and got him to aid with a Wheelborrow.I thank these Frenchmen for this.
@The Dude I Interviewed him in 1984.
that's a good person. Your friend is lucky.
Hi Fritz would there be somewhere I could get a recording or transcript? Is this the Heinz Gentsch who passed away in 2018?
My father was in the Charlemagne and amongst the few that voluntered to get into Berlin even knowing it was a lost cause...
In his memories he had this sentence : "I never felt better than at this moment, when fully knowing that I was going to die"...
My dad joined the German Army through the Légion des Volontaires Français "against bolchevism", in march 1943, after having spent more than a year in the 6th bataillon of Chasseurs Alpins in Grenoble. He fought in Russland in between june 1943 to september 1944, when the LVF was disbanded after the big Bagration offensive of june 1944 that smached to smitherens the whole of the German Central Front. He then voluntered to join the newly formed Division Charlemagne. After his departure to the Wallalah which occured in 2011, I gathered his memories which now are in a book that came out in 2018. Unfortunately only in french for the moment, but who knows... May be one of these day it might come out in english. Here is the title : "Sous Uniforme Allemand"
@@jeancroisile9982 Qu'est-il devenu après la guerre ?
the effort at berlin by so few is crazy vs the outcome
С этим охотно соглашусь
Excellent as always! Mark ALWAYS produces TOP NOTCH, informative doc! Thank You, Sir!
Thanks for the entertainment during these hard times
You also had Swedes fighting in Berlin, Panzergrenadier-Kompanie 3 in SS-Panzeraufklärungsabtelung 11 was known as Schwedenkompanie (the Swedes served in 4. zug of this unit, it was known as Schwedenzug)....
Not too many people know but MANY Western and Eastern Europeans, and Scandinavians fought for the Nazi's, The Ukrainians had a whole 14th waffen SS Division, a 30th grenadiers division and a death battalion. The finns had an SS division, the Estonians & Latvians Belarussians joined German SS divisions, The Romanians had several german army divisions. The Wiking division was Germans, Norwegians, Danish, Swedes, Finns, Estonians, Dutch and Flemish. Handschar division was
Bosnians, Croats and ethnic Germans from Croatia. The horst Wessel was a Division of Hungarians of Ethnic German origins. The Kosachen Division were Russian cossacks. Up until the end of 1943, more than 60,000 Romanians youths of german ancestry enlisted in Waffen SS units, and approximately 15,000 in the Wehrmacht and the Organization Todt.
@@cheswick617 Countries that suffered Holodomor and NKVD policies or that were the next ones on Stalin's list fought against Soviet Russia ? Shame !^^
There were also Sikhs.
@@edlawrence5059 Also blacks and muslims lmao irl niggawaffen WE WAZ SS AND SHIE
Interesting that some Swedes fought for the SS as Sweden was neutral in WW2.
When you you're not going to see tomorrow, it's better to go down swinging.
But Swing was illegal in Nazi Germany :(
And boy did they go down swinging, those stats about their fighting in Berlin were very impressive
They "went down swinging" because they feared what would happen to them if they were caught and returned to the French. This is what the video stated.
Remember that in the coming months.
Heneral Artikulo Uno, ano po ang ginagawa nyo dito?
I knew an old Latvian many years ago who was a lieutenant in the S.S. He told me he fought the Germans when they entered his country but joined them to fight the Russians after they invaded. He said the Russians would petition the U.S. every four years to have him extradited to stand trial for war crimes.
"He said the Russians would petition the U.S. every four years to have him extradited to stand trial for war crimes" : I guess that the Soviet authorities had some evidences about his heroic youth in Belorussia or Ukraine and he never told you anything about this glorious past.
@@hannibalbarca4372 Yes, he did tell me about his "heroic youth." I debated whether or not to add it to my previous comment, but given how many skim through replies, I just gave it the extreme condensed version. This is how he told it to me (this after another co-work pointed Karl's military background out to me).
Karl; I was told to take my men and capture this certain hill, after taking control and having prisoners, I get another order, move to the next hill. I have nowhere to send these prisoners and I can't just leave them as I advance, they could attack my rear.
I order the prisoners to their knees, I have my second in command start from one side, and me on the other and proceed down the line to the center, each a bullet in the back of the head. And it happened each time he took a hill.
I guess he could see my disbelief, he said, Ken, it was war what the hell else was I supposed to do, you follow orders and do what you need to in order to survive.
I never condoned what he did, I was and still am astonished about how casual he spoke about it.
I knew a guy at work whose Dad was from Latvia. He had flown as a bomber crewman with the Luftwaffe, against the Communists on the Eastern Front. He did not want Stalin's Red Army and NKVD to return to Latvia!
An interesting book: "Latvian Legion", by Arthur Silgailis
We had a neighbor when I was a child who in 1940 was a citizen of the Irish republic who had made his way to Nazi germany and joined the Norland division hoping to participate in the invasion of England. Instead he ending up fighting against the Soviets for 4 years.
As described in this video he was captured in Berlin. His bad luck changed because Ireland was neutral so he wasn’t shot as a traitor or imprisoned like anyone from an axis country. Amazingly a few weeks later he was back in Ireland!
Good for him.
Shame he didn't hang for it. Sealion planned to invade and genocide Ireland just as much as the UK.
@@1993Crag got any evidence?
@@1993Crag genocide? Bullshit. Just capture the greedy brits and make them pay.
@@Daniel-qz3pk Ha. Except for the whole genocide thing the Germans happily did everywhere they occupied. In French towns they'd raise the whole thing if a German solider got shot. Just imagine the fighting they'd have with the IRA groups.
It wasn't 'some' the European volunteers had whole divisions.
yep, Division Viking
Exactly the 33rd Charlemagne div had a total strength of 11/12,000 men wich qualified her as a division ,the 7,000 men were actually from the 8th ss-brigade "Franckreich",the men from the sturmbattalion were not the only survivors of the division Charlemagne,a kampfgruppe named "Hersche" (numbering around 1,000 men) were sent to the west to take part in the defense of Lower Germany (Bavaria) together with 38th ss brigade Nibelungen against Us troops, then it became fragmented,some fought in Austria others in South Tyrol and finally surrender on the 8th may 1945 to the British.
Out of the idea of a crusade against communist scum and the red terror this concept was born and was also the for runner of NATO really for it too united people against a common threat . Never before did european combatants fight for a true common cause which was the crusade against communism. What followed later during the cold war was similar united against the soviet threat. If only.....
@@robertmanfredthurrigl9424 Ok but what about the Nazi scum?
Muslims from Yugoslavia and Croatians had 2 waffen SS divisions
SS Charlemagne destroyed 62 Soviet tanks out of 108 knocked out , and later on they also destroyed 21, that was a very brave good try , got to give them a little credit.
So 350 ppl knocked out around than 200 tanks.wow
@@22.calibermaster98 It doesnt matter cuz russian tactic is have more man than enemy has bullets.
@@jozefpisudski1637 it is pure bulshit,what I sad was sarcastic.
Human life is the cheapest commodity in Russia.
@@22.calibermaster98 There are even greater absurdities and lies written in historical books written by SS generals and former Adolf Hitler officials. For example how one peasant from Finland named Simo Heyha killed 10.000 Russian soldiers with his hunting rifle without a scope.
They knew that they didn,t have a chance but after receiving an SOS from Berlin, they went anyway, not planning on coming back.
Hi Mark, I just wanted to say that recently I found your channel and I have been binge watching it. I love your story telling and research, I find your channel to be professional and enjoyable
Broke: Breaking out of Berlin because it is encircled
Woke: Breaking into Berlin because it is encircled
I would have been woke
Best comment here
I don't Get it.
Still was hopeless . . . Go woke, go broke . . .
Yea that was a really high IQ move
It feels like I'm watching a History Channel show from 1994, when it was good.
Your videos are works of art.
"Why do you wear a Germany uniform?"
""Why do you wear a American one?"
Conversation between a SS Charlemagne and French officer, May 1945 after the surrender.
@Rob With One B "Traitor"
@@yourneighbourhooddoomer " Tractor "
So were to take it that the SS man had never seen a uniform from his own country before then
There's no proof that the traitor said that, french officers wore french uniforms when serving with the western allies
Those 14 French soldiers in German uniform, after one said this, the officer (gen Leclerc himself) had them shot on the spot.
I never heard The hisotry french SS... Thanks for uploading this vid!
I met and talked to Fenet in Brussels in the 90's, got his and Remi Schrijnen's KC photos autographed. He was a character.. like a Cat with 9 lives, he said he had no idea how he survived all that. The French weren't screwing around.. that photo you show of French troops in US uniform confronting French troops in German uniforms, they were summarily executed moments after that photo was taken.
The french officer with the stick is Général Leclerc. It was at this moment that Leclerc asked them, "Why are you wearing a German uniform?" One of the French SS replied, "Why are you wearing an American one ?" Leclerc was irritate by the response (but its was not for this response they was shot) According to the witness, the conversation was not bad beetween the general and the SS.
"that photo you show of French troops in US uniform confronting French troops in German uniforms, they were summarily executed moments after that photo was taken."
So, a good result, then.
@@harbourdogNL not much glory in executing unarmed Men.
@@retornaz That´s not true, it was not a trial and others witnesses said diferent things, and they dont fought against France, only against the Soviet Union. Few years after, General Leclerc die an accident of aviation.
@@Bigsky1991 agreed. I heard there is a memorial for the french ss who were executed. Which is a good thing.
Let's be honest, none of us here could imagine living through any of that.
I can imagine it
My family did in Germany.
True
I can
My family also did in Germany.
Song of Charlemagne, "Le Diable marche avec nous". (The Devil walks with us)
Song of the Foreign Legion.
Some German war songs were ported to the French Army, through the French Foreign Legion. After 1945, the majority legionnaires were ex-German servicemen including a lot of SS men. Apparently, the Legion still counts in German, especially when drinking beer.
SONG OF THE 1 REGIMENT PARATROOPS LEGION.
Adaptation of "SS walk in stranger country", translated to French by collaborators who
- did not know the French military song heritage
- did not understand that they were the foreigners that SS walked on.
The song was redeemed by the Legion.
@@marclandreville6367 Weerchmacht soldiers were incorporated in the Legion. Not SS.
for a fantastic account of a Frenchman serving in the Grossdeutschland Division, try reading Guy Sajer's "The Forgotten Soldier".
Excellent book.
Excellent book
It's suspected that he made the whole story up, I don't know but it's an amazing story, wesrediu ,Hal's , and the groesduetchland division,if he's making it up he's an amazing talented writer,if he's been through that than omg, respect
03:58 He fought in Pomerania region in Danzig (Gdansk) too. Sayer wrote in his book "I don't know what is going on our commanders told us to dig in west of Danzig". Actually seeinh geography of the place (east flooded areas, north sea, south forest hills) Soviet Rokossowski Army attacked Danzig Area from West First then from Sputh West
Read that twice. At one time that book was required reading for the cadets at West Point.
Well done Mark. I really enjoy the factual presentations you create.
It amazes me how you find video footage I haven't seen on other programs or shows. Don't know how many times I've seen the guy in the burning jeep on shows like the history channel!
Mr. Mark,thanks for good work!
Hello from Scotland
How unimaginable it must have been to face the Soviets! One volunteer Frenchman knocked out over 20 soviet tanks in close quarters... they must have heard tank tracks clicking away all around them all day.
D: What's referred to as a "Target Rich Environment". :)
The Soviets were in rush to "liberate" the whole of Berlin alone before any Western intervention...If any motorised western allies column had been sighted inside outskirts of that city the History itself would be written some other way...When Tito's partisans after heavy battle took Trieste from fascists they did not know that New Zealanders were close on the western side and once the city was "liberated" ..they got themselves busy pillaging around and killing ..New Zealanders crossed the bridge from the western side and entered the city that has already being captured by their allies..Now communists had to share the power with their western Allies which in turn ment that both military patrols were killing each other over the spoils of the war..One old Tito's fighter from that time shared this with me while we were both recovering in the hospital ..
And people say the French are cowards.
20 танков?..
Басни..
Не верю
@@phyo1716 It was (some of) their leadership.
French put up more of a fight in Berlin than they did Paris, ironic.
They had more to lose personally at that point... oops
The French in Berlin were REAL French w/something to actually fight for!
The French would've had to engage in street fighting and that meant the destruction of Paris. A view shared by General Von Choltiz, the garrison commander who surrendered the city in August 1944. Cowardice or lack of fighting spirit had nothing to do with it.
@Alberto 😂
@Alberto Is it trolling or delusion. Britain in the past 600 years is pretty famous for getting others to fight in their stead because they couldn't stand up to any one european power one on one.
My grandfather enlisted in army in 1938, he was in Africa (french colonies) in may/june1940 with his régiment.He was stunned by the defeat of our army and its english allies (at Dunkirk).The glorious french army who fought in Verdun and from 1914 to 1918 vanished. Later he joined free french army (général De gaulle) and fought along US army in Tunisia and France. He was wounded twice. When he came back to his little village Champagney near Belfort in 1946, half of his family, friends were dead (deported, starved, executed as resistant or hostage). Later he fought in colonial french wars. He died at 54, half crazy (ptsd). My family doesn't like germans and french who fought with them...but it was difficult times, no countries were ready to face Germany and Japan, who knows how he would have behaved.... We are lucky not to know same events for the moment.
One country faced Germans and defeated them. Not just Germans, but also French, Belgians, Romanians, Italians, Finns, Hungarians, Dutch, Spanish, Poles etc. You never come to our country one on one. Always need to bring your friends.
We’re not far from it now.
The Chinese are buying influence around the world, rewriting maps, pushing pushing.
@@igorverevkin7709 it's Not an unsolved mystery of Who that country would be! Hope you good luck this time around..👌🏿
@@igorverevkin7709 i think you speak about USSR or Russia. You have the best Ally : russian winter. Even Napoleon couldn't win against winter, he took Moscow though.
Don't forget France was russia ally in 1914, and during ww2 french pilots fought and died with USSR in Normandie Niemen squadron.
Général De gaulle always wanted to be a friend of Russia. I wish i had a president as Putin. Vive la France, vive la Russie.
Igor Verevkin in a war your country started together with Hitler in September 1939. Never forget the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact, the unjust invasions of Poland, Finland and the Baltic’s. The USSR became an ally only after Hitler’s betrayal of the pact with Russia in June 1941. No wonder Russians don’t have monuments for thousands for Soviet troops killed 1939-1941.
Once again I am amazed at the excellent work of Mark Felton . I pride myself as a good history buff with alot of knowledge and Mr. Felton's videos always blow me away with how much I don't know. You should have a show on TV! An excellent book is "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer about a Frenchman fighting the Soviets in a French speaking unit.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I will have a look for that.
Excellent book
Could you make a video of the SS Wiking and about their actions during the war?
Maybe even about the Finnish volunters
In the SS Wiking. Since they are usually overlooked.
Especially mentioning their war crimes that came out a few years ago.
Sksk K they were also there in Berlin at the end of the war. There’s a famous photo of a half track destroyed while attempting to break out from Berlin, with corpses of Swedish SS Nazis near it
Ooohhh I second this
a French SS vetaran said:
"Now, I have only one regret,
I wished an earlier involvement."
Yes, Fenet. I watch his interview. There were a lot of modern far right saying " what a hero". I just though ' nasty little fascist'. That not me being over simplistic. He was quite happy to wear that badge and knew what would likely happen if he fell into Soviet hands. I'm afraid I say Guilty by association. Lucky to escape with his life.
@Fal Treas is he ? he lost, and now he's a rotten corpse, nothing else.
@@pedroeldiablo811 Yeah and be glad he did otherwise you would be living under nazi regime lol
@@knightawz Yeah, democratic regime is much better w o w.
@@rolandhunter its not really, but he was making fun of a dead man
It seems that those who had a particularly tough life died at a very old age. I wonder if that is an example of 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' ?
Excellent as always. The 1969 French documentary The Sorrow and The Pity (Le Chagrin et la Pitie) includes a very interesting interview with a Charlemagne survivor. Of course The Forgotten Soldier is an account of being a French volunteer fighting for Germany on the Eastern Front.
Anyway for whom you are fighting, to fight hopelessly outnumbered to last ditch like these young french men you need an outstanding heroic character.
The video literally explained why the traitors fought "to last ditch". Please do try and watch it before commenting next time.
arthurneddysmith hahaha angry Frenchmen tears
@alanrtment porter That's not a reason to call them idiots tbh. You gotta respect both allies and axis, even those who "betrayed" their own country, fighting for what they believe was right for them
@alanrtment porter Anyone willing to die than to live in a world with Bolshevism should be a hero to you
Wrong. More like a fatalistic character ... they were traitors and in the losing side; what else were they going to do other than fight to the bitter end?
You can't help but imagine how creative those lucky German survivors had to be to when they managed to slip past a 3 million Soviet encirclement.
LOOK OVER THERE!
*ENTIRE SOVIET ARMY LOOKS*
@@totallynotalpharius2283 The ENTIRE ARMY: crack’s neck’s in succession
Didn't know the Germans had a French unit fighting in Berlin in the last days of WW2. Learn something new.
They fought the last stand by the bunker so the red army didn't claim victory on May 1st.
Check out Henri fenet , you'll be surprised at his bravery my friend
It was mostly Belgians, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, and French who fought during the last days of fighting for Berlin. Very few Germans were left, except children and the elderly.
Belguians, hollands, brits, balticos, italians, spanisch, croatians, turkeys, cosas abd Even a corean and indonesian guys in the ss
If those french man were fighting for their country may be France will liberate faster.
This is just amazing g !Thank you Dr Felton
General de Gaulle resided in a village near me during most of the war. I've seen a picture in a book of the place showing him there. Apparently a 'safe' location.
I used to live in Orpington and he lived about a mile away in Petts Wood. I think there is a blue plaque on the house.
@@caw25sha "Petts Wood"! Sounds like a bit of dialog from an Austin Power's movie.
More confortable than eastern front
His family lived in North Shropshire during the war
Thanks Mark for keeping the commentary unbiased and factually informative - the way history should be told. We have all had quite enough of the hideously biased propaganda that has swamped us for so long. Time to simply look at what happened in an objective light.
I grew up in Alsace I knew of two families who's grandfathers were conscripted into the wehrmacht and died in Poland. Apparently they weren't volunteers but considered German as alsace was annexed not occupied. This why the alsatians I knew were fiercely French although retained German surnames and spoke patches of alsatian. Complex identity and allegiances
I'm always impressed by Mark Feltons use of real event footage, maps,amd photos of the men he's talking about. Really top notch stuff
There were many spaniards fighting with Charlemagne at this point in Berlin. They were the remnants of the Wehrmacht "Blauen Division", composed entirely of spaniards that fought in the Leningrad Area. Franco requested very specifically that they were not to be used against the western allies. When Franco recalled the "División Azul" back to Spain, under U.S/ U.K pressure, many chose to stay. They were transferred to the SS, specially to Charlemagne. Of special note Is "Kampfgruppe Miguel Ezquerra", who defended Berlin to the last day, near the Fuhrerbunker.
Americans would've hanged them. Personally I would stand and fight to the last man over a hanging.
When Henri Fenet was turned over to the British a French general yelled at him saying "why are you wearing a German uniform" Fenet snapped back "why are you wearing an American uniform"
Really? Can you citate?
I have heared about Charlemagne and their resistance in Berlin about 20 years back. My history teacher (germany) at the time did not believe me and i could not find sources to convince him to believe such a unit ever existed. Thank you.
Superb detail. Thanks for upload.
This reminds me of General LeClerc’s encounter with captured French SS. When he asked why were they wearing German uniforms one of them asked whey was he wearing an American one. His response was to tell his men to get rid of them. Which of course meant being shot.
When you lost a debate, what next you have got to do is "Silent" your adversary forever! Face saving!
@@jagdpanther2224 Perfect analysis except for the fact that it wasn't a debate.
He did to them what they probably did to any POW that would have talked to them in a similar manner. That is, if they even TOOK prisoners. Wearing a uniform furnished by an allied nation is just logistics, not a political statement. The Free French and the Americans were on the same side, whereas these guys were wearing the uniform of the country that murdered thousands, if not millions, of their countrymen.
@@jagdpanther2224 yah, he got owned lmfao.
I doubt he wore an american uniform though 🤔
Henri Fenet before dying : My only regret is that I haven't involved earlier in the movement
@Jeff Mitchell It's still there. I saw it 2 says ago.
Correction: This quote is NOT from Henri Fenet but from Christian de La Mazière who became Rottenführer in the LvF
Mark my father Lt William H. Counts was a B24 pilot shot down June 29 1944, interred in Stalag Luft 3. Was liberated by Patton in 45. He never talked about it until East Germany fell. He sat in his recliner and said Germany would have wiped the sky's of all our bombers and fighters if they had massed produced the me 262, 1 year earlier. He watched as 1 just one came thru their formations 1 pass and got 4 B24's he said they would run out of fuel and 30mm ammo, He said we thought the P51 could shoot them down by diving on them from behind but they had radar and could turn and
Take them out like a nuisance, they wanted Bombers as they were shooting us down left and right. He said we just overwhelmed them. Never read that in history books
History is rewritten by the victors.
Mr.Felton thank you for the fantastic video. Every single one is a history lesson .
A story you are not going to find in modern French school books.
wouldnt fit the narrative of the bad germans and the good french..
I'm french and I'm literally doing homework on it rn you should stop lying
@@mats7492 As if that were a false narrative.
@Mumpel Tier Genau,hahahaha
Probably because school books are looking at History with a macro view. I doubt any school book, no matter the country, will focus on one specific unit during a conflict. 🤦🏼♂️ I was in high school almost 30 years ago, and we didn’t learn about the LVF, or the Charlemagne regiment. We learned about WWII as a global picture. I learned about foreign volunteers units in the SS because I had an interest for conflicts history. And quite frankly, what would be the point in teaching that particular point? That some French people were bad? Wow, groundbreaking news...
As for bad Germans vs good allies, the same applies. I learned about exactions committed by allied troops on my own. Nobody taught me during my school years. Because it’s a detail of History (when you are looking at the big picture). Doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant, but it’s not to be taught in general History classes. It’s for people who are going to study History as a job or a hobby/passion.
Have you done anything on the French Forgein Legion?
I don't think Mark feels that warmly about France.
@@gwarscout1825 Sadly, that's the case for many english-speaking history TH-camrs, some don't even try to hide it like Lindybeige
It would interesting to see an episode about the Spanish Republicans in the Foriegn Legion. First at Paris City Hall and first to Eagle’s Nest. See: “Espana Cani” on the front of a Bradly fighting vehicle.. etc.
@@roadwary I see your point. The post was more in jest than fact. Truth is there probobly isn't a whole lot of film on the Legion to do much with. I did find a story about Nazis trying to infiltrate their ranks though.
@@roadwary I agree with you.. If anything, he's been highlighting the fact that the defeat of the French isn't because of their lack of bravoure, but because of poor tactics and bad commanders (higher echelon, mostly made up of old WWI generals, stuck in tranche warfare mentality).
I would love to hear few examples, where ppl felt Mark was unflattering towards the French.
8:07 oof, in slow motion you can see the shockwave blasting off the dust from the guy standing behind the panzerfaust.
Very interesting as usual. Thank you Mark Felton
There is an extensive interview with a French SS man in the 1969 documentary "The Sorrow and the Pity". This French film explores French collaboration and with some surprising faces.
Can you share the link please?
@@mig25foxbat73 "SS Charlemagne last berlin defenders" on TH-cam. Short vid