Exploring A Forgotten WW2 Tank Graveyard! | Normandy | WW2
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ค. 2024
- In this video I show you a forgotten tank graveyard in Normandy, near the port city of Cherbourg. WW2 tanks from the US Army are left where they stood in the sand dunes, rusting away.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Normandy are a group of abandoned WW2 US armoured vehicles, including Sherman tanks. How did they get there and why haven't they been recovered?
Forgotten Normandy Tank Graveyard! | Cherbourg | WW2
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#tactical #guns #military #history #army #soldier #ww2 #germany #usa #history #hellletloose #veteran
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Thank you for this informative video. In case your viewers don't know, your thumbnail/cover photo shows the likeness of American tanker Sgt. John Parks, 4th Armored Division. He was killed on the day that photo was taken in 1944. The 4th Division landed on Utah Beach in July. The photo is so touching that I placed it in my file for World War II photography, feeling a need to keep it as a memorial to him. There probably isn't a World War II documentary that's ever been on U.S. television that I haven't seen, starting when I was around ten years old in 1952. Also, I collected WWII articles from LIFE, LOOK and THE SATURDAY EVENING POST magazines. It truly was an era of heroes.
It’s an amazing picture. Thank for you the background information on it, I wasn’t aware of that either
@@thehistoryexplorer It's an honor to give this hero's face a name.
And he is still listed as MIA.
@@bryanterry415 Apparently that was how those soldiers who died in all-consuming tank fires were listed until our era of DNA extraction and confirming modern video. General Sherman's phrase, "War is Hell" is most assuredly correct.
I used to receive an email periodically from Bill Warnock, author of the excellent book “The Dead of Winter”, and in one of them, it described exactly what happened to Sgt Parks.
Its just so depressing seeing these tanks abandoned from 1944. Like even when they are just metal, iron, copper it rings and brings alot of memories. Good job man you are protecting history
Glad you enjoyed the video buddy
What is truly amazing is how much cleaning up was needed to restore the beaches and landscapes in places like Normandy, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Peleliu, Tarawa, etc.
What still lies beneath the waves just offshore, under the sand, and under the beach grass is both amazing and in many cases, deadly.
I hope to visit the Pacific- I’ve got big plans! Thanks for the comment
The Bivial dunes Normandy 👌🏻
Correct
Wow - that place is crazy
It’s a lovely spot to visit, the bunkers are outstanding too but I’m trying to keep the videos a bit shorter
Outstanding job!
Appreciate you buddy!
The "G" Shield on the front of the Sherman M4A1 76w is a manufacturers mark from the company that produced the hull casting, in this instance the Pressed Steel Car Company
Outstanding! Thank you for the additional info. Everyday is a school day 👍
Nope! Sorry that is wrong... due to the demand for tanks after the fall of France, some Sherman tanks were built in Canada. The result was the Grizzly or "G" tank, an M4A1 Sherman tank with a few minor modifications. Only 188 Grizzly tanks were built, which were used as training vehicles. The Grizzly found greater success in two variants. Canadian tanks (M4A1 Shermans w/wider treads 76 mm gun T23 turret vvss suspension) all had that "G" mark on them.
Great video Rob!
Thank you very much, really appreciate it
Brilliant video Rob. Love following your trips. Keep up the good mork mate
Thank you mate. Really appreciate it 👍
Good work! 🇵🇱
Thank you my friend, much appreciated
Very good video
Thank you so much. Really appreciate it
The “Shop Number” is stamped on the front of the hull, just below the General Steel (G in a shield) caster's logo.
with an avater like that of course you'd know! thank you so much for sharing. Appreciate it
@@thehistoryexplorer lol
Great video Rob, nice to see Mrs History Explorer getting stuck in clambering over the tanks 😂
Thanks Willie. The Long Haired Colonel mate 😎
Glad she is interested... any time Im near a tank, APC, plane, artillery my wife yawns and goes looking for clothes shops... LOL
@@MilHistRLlife is about balance mate. If she comes and trudges around trenches and bunkers then I have to take her for a nice meal afterwards 😂
@@thehistoryexplorer thats a win win in my book. :)
Top work mate... loving it!
Thanks a ton! Appreciate it mate.
The Sherman had four different motors. The GM 6046 ‘twin’ diesel, the A57 multibank, R975 radial, and the Ford GAA V8. And first one has R975 radial engine. it's unique. I'm from far east S.korea , But i love to study of WW1 and WW2 history. and i enjoy your channel, just found and subscribed. thank you
So glad you enjoy the channel and thank you iso much for the additional information, I really do just want to learn more!
Hello from Thailand, I really like your video.
Thanks and welcome!
The tanks you see sitting low in
some of the depressions, with what would be their main gun
sort of pointing out, or over the top of the depression, are in what is known as either full defalade or partial defalade.
(deff-uh-lade)
It gives an advantage of surprise
when it’s time to fire. Or, when it’s time to move on the enemy.
Absolutely! 👍
Thank you.
You're welcome! I hope you enjoyed it?
That's really cool pretty sure they are still there as the areas now a nature reserve or something like that and they can't take recovery gear in there to remove them the second one was particularly interesting as it looked like it has a bulldozer type arrangement bolted to the front wonder if that one was involved in breaking though the bocarge country very sad they can't be salvaged great vid thanks
That’s a very interesting thought. Thanks for sharing, I think you’re right about the recovery efforts being a few factor in leaving these in place
👋Merci pour le partage👍🐾🐾🏞️
You are most welcome!
Shame about the graffiti on them
yes it is a real shame. Seen quite alot of that about recently actually
It's not ww2 relic... it's wreck from 60's.
I thought the second m4a1 with graffiti would make a great model project . Hmm
Yes indeed , I LOATHE IT..THE DIRTY BULLSHITS GRAFFITI….NO RESPECT!!!!!!!
Not graffiti. Urban camouflage
The first 2 tanks are M4A1 late model 76 mm gun T23 turret vvss suspension.
3rd tank, same as first two
Thanks for the info, really appreciate it 👍
Loved this video, very well done! Is bespoke camouflage the same as graffiti Rob? Just clarifying. I hope the people that climb on those rusty tanks are up to date on their tetanus shot! Thanks again! 🇬🇧🇺🇲🇨🇵
I wonder why they were left there, is it for the reminder of war days or by accident? I mean obviously there must have been much more of them but all the rest have been removed and these ones left… we have some small fortifications left in the ground nearby in a park where I live (St Petersburg, former Leningrad, Russia) which were built for defending Leningrad in WWll and also in the forests at the outskirts of the city which were used in Soviet-Finland war in 1939 but I’ve never seen an actual tank from that era left somewhere! that is awesome artefact of history. Thanks for sharing and making those videos! I’ve been watching a documentary about day D and came across your footage..
Thanks for the comment Anna, I hope you watch more videos on the channel! They were allegedly bought by a museum after the war but it proved too expensive to move them. They remain there to this day
@@thehistoryexplorer alright.. i see. Thanks for explanation
someone buddy just turn into pieces inside... rotten with rusty steel
They could all be recover and repair for museum
That would be great wouldn’t it
Thank you for a look at this site. I know you said you wouldnt share the location but is it easy to find? I think its out of the way from where I will visit
It’s near Cherbourg. You can find its location online but I won’t share the specific location buddy
I would suspect that many of these tanks were working tanks after the war and ended up being disposed of by the French army some years later. When they had served their time then they would have been moved there and used as targets.
Very possibly, tow of them were made late in the war and very likely made it to Normandy at the end of the war
What this must of been like 80 year's ago heavy enemy fire 💥💥💥 shelling from the sea with battleships and ship's pounding the place 💥💥💥💥 from the air 💥💥💥 good work 🫶🤝🙏 didn't know these where still in situation 🫶🤝🙏💥🙌
Thanks buddy, by all accounts they were only used from 1970-2014 and used for small calibres. Can you imagine the dmamge if they used naval gunfire!
@@thehistoryexplorer unthinkable with bombs and gun fire 💥💥🔥🔥 coming down and around all over the place the start of the push for freedom all the way to Berlin.A lad I used to work with was a commando from the start of World war 2 did all of them European campaign landed in France got evacuated from Dunkirk then back again for the long battles for freedom by the time he got to Germany he was the first man into one of the concentration camps the British freed he couldn't believe what he was seeing after the war John my friend said he never spoke about it. He was a quiet man who could look after himself with been a commando put it this way he took No prisoners if people started playing up. John told me when he was 14 his Dad and him waited for the bus 🚐 3 blokes moved them out of the way in the 1950s said get out of the way old man piled onto the bus 🚐🚌 pushed John and his Dad out of the way as quick as a flash straight onto the bus 🚌 these 3 blokes chucked out on a heap outside of the bus 🚌 the bus driver said can you travel every night 🌃 on my bus we need someone like you 😂the moral of the story respect people and never mess with someone who is about 5foot 8 it could be your last especially a war veteran 🙏🤝🫶💥
👍👍
Thank you buddy
Generally speaking the "G" symbol on the front of a Sherman tank during World War II represented the British Guards Armoured Division.
I never knew that! It never made it to the Guards Armoured. Thanks for sharing.
Those are US Sherman’s not British tanks.
And the numbers are casting numbers then and where they were made
There were very few if any German tanks in the Cotentin Peninsular facing the Americans. Almost all German armour, 8 Panzer Divisions, of Rommel's Army Group West, were facing the British 21st Army Group around Caen.
Very true.
Yup that’s the answer you get when you ask about the vehicles left behind in the sand dunes in Iraq, and deserts of Afghanistan. For years after WWII the main export of Libya was scrap metal.
@@andrewwood6285 I think that with modern tanks they do their best to recover them. But I can well believe the Libyan story, at the battle of El Alamein in 1942 there were over 1,000 tanks destroyed 50/50 split between British and German/ Italian. They like to call Patton the "Tank General" but the most tanks he ever faces was 120 lol
Cheaper to leave them I guess.
Yes apparently they were purchased but it would cost a great deal to recover them
Where is location?
It’s near Cherbourg on the western coast of the Cotentin peninsula, Normandy
@@thehistoryexplorer I m very excited to see this place (location) but I from India and poor femily belong I have no Visa
Don't tell Bruce Crompton, lol. He will buy the whole lot!!
I’m not sure they can be recovered due AoNB
Going to Normandy, and unfortunately being buffeted by winds. I think back in 1944 the real heroes, didn't give a shit about audio and a go pro. Get real.
Jeez I hope life gets better for you buddy. You must be in a pretty dark place to be offended by this
@@thehistoryexplorer That's a nice response.
انَا اختكمَ مَن اليمَن وّالَلَه ماتكلمتَ الَا من جوّع وًّمن الفقر انَا وًّامَيَ وًّخَوًّاتَيَ تَشَرَدَنَا مَنَ بَيَوًّتَنَا بَسَبَبَ الَحَرَبَ نَحَنَ فَيَ حَالَهَ لَايَعَلَمَ بَهَا الَا الَلَهَ حَسَبَنَا الَلَهَ وًّنَعَمَ الَوكيَلَ فَيَ مَنَ اوًّصَلَنَا الَى هَاذا الَحَالَ 💔💔وًّالَلَهَ الَعَظَيَمَ مَا كتَبَتَ هَذا الَمَنَاشَدَهَ غَيَرَ مَنَ الَضَيَقَ وّالَفَقَر يَاعَالَمَ حَسَوّا فَيَنَا ارَجَوّكمَ وّالَلَهَ الَعَظَيَمَ رَبَ الَعَرَشَ الَعَظَيَمَ انَه الَاكلَ مَا فَيَ عَنَدَيَ بَالَبَيَتَ وًّالَلَهَ يَا اخَوّانَيَ انَهَ خَوًّاتيَ بَقَعَدَوًّ بَالَيَوًّمَيَنَ مَافَى اكلَ وًّالَلَهَ وًّضَعَنَا كثَيَرَ صَعَبَ نَحَنَ 6 نَفَرَ دَاخَلَ الَبَيَتَ وًّابَيَ مَتَوًّفَيَ وًّلَا يَوًّجَدَ مَنَ يَعَوًّلَ عَلَيَنَا وًّسَاكنَيَنَ فَيَ بَيَتَ اجَارَ لَانَسَتَطَيَعَ دَفَعَ الَاجَارَ الَلَيَ بَاقَيَ عَلَيَنَا ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' اخي اول كلامي انا اقسم بالله على كتاب الله اني لااكذب عليك ولا انصب ولا احتال اني بنت يمنيه نازحين من الحرب انا واسرتي بيننا ایت الشهرب 15 الف يمني والان علينا 45 الف حق 3 شهور وصاحب البيت من الناس الي ماترحم والله يا اخي انه يجي كل يوم يبهدلنا ويتكلم علينا ويريد من البيت للشارع لانناماقدرنا ندفعله الأجار شافونا الجيران نبكي ورجعو تكلمو الجيران ومهلنالاخره الأسبوع معادفعنا له حلف يمين بالله هذا بيخرجنا إلى الشارع رحمه واحنا. بلادنا بسبب هذا الحرب ولانجد قوت يومنا وعايشين اناوامي وخواتي سفار والدنا متوفي الله يرحمه ومامعنا أحد في هذا الدنيا جاانبنا في هذه الظروف القاسيه خواتي الصغار خرجو للشارع وشافو الجيران ياكلو واوقفو عند بابهم لجل يعطوهم ولو كسره خبز والله الذي له ملك السموات والارض انهم غلفو الباب وطردوهم ورجعو یبکو ایموتو من الجوع ما احد رحمهم وعطلة ردها لقمت عیش والان لوما احدنا ساعدنا في إيكيلو دقيق اقسم بالله انموت من الجوع فيا اخي انا دخيله على الله ثم عليك واريد منك المساعده لوجه الله انشدك بالله تحب الخير واتساعدني تراسلي واتساب على هذا الرقم 00967717415667 وتطلب اسم بطاقتي وترسلي ولاتتاخر وايعوضك الله بكل خير ساعدنا وأنقذنا قبل أن يطردونا في الشارع تتبهدل أو نموت من الجوع وانا واسرتي نسالك بالله لولك مقدره على مساعد لاتتاخر علينا وجزاك الله خيرا،.،.،:^:؛^:🎉°~°~^~°^π√^π√~π~√~√~π^~^~π~π~√√~~ππ~π√~~^^°^°€€لب🎉🎉❤❤🎉......،
I can’t translate this message so I’m not sure what it means
I nearly never saw you, in your tank-stalking jacket!
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My wind smock 😂 although sunny, the wind was freezing
🟥 🟥
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@thehistoryexplorer Speak soon Dude 👍🏻