Battle of the Bulge: Then and Now LA GLEIZE
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ค. 2023
- La Gleize was known as the cauldron to the men of Kampfgruppe Peiper who fought here in late December 1944 during the Battle of The Bulge.
In this episode I track down some of my favourite Then and Now locations from La Gleize that feature tanks from Kampfgruppe Peiper and the Americans who fought here.
#ww2 #thenandnow #battleofthebulge #ardennes #lagleize #kingtiger #tiger2 #tigertank #tankbattle #ww2tanks #wwiihistory #wwii #thenandnowchallenge #panthertank
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as a former professional cyclist I trained around all of these area. Would sometimes stop off in La Gleize for coffee. 'chapeau'
Now if you ever return you can visit the King Tiger - well worth seeing and touching in person.
Liege-Bastonge-Liege is my favourite race of the season. So much history both for the race and the area it travels through. Would love to ride that area
This man never disappoints, a fantastic historian, first class research, excellent descriptive stories of the world war . thank you sir, so much respect.
Thanks Kevi, always fun to be in La Gleize and soak up the history so it’s great to be able to share it with you!
I agree! Excellent videos.
In American Civil War enthusiast terminology that tree would be called a “witness tree”.
@@richardmardis2492
How fitting is that.
Thank you.
those German Tiger tanks were beasts nobody wanted to tangle with those things in combat. these are excellent videos .thanks
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it and agreed, seeing that German armour must have been utterly terrifying!
Excellent as always,your attention to detail is second to none.
Thank you Frank! Really appreciate it. Getting geared up for Normandy now so there’s lots more to come!
Awesome ,will look forward to seeing more
Great…
Rare images of the battle of the Bulge .
Thank you very much for sharing.
I visited the La Gleize Tiger back in 1997 after watching Michael Schumacher win the Belgian Grand Prix in his Ferrari! A great addition to a memorable weekend!
Fantastic! I miss seeing Schumacher in F1! It’s great that Spa is so close to these locations! Thanks for watching!
@@WW2Wayfinder didn't Germany build two versions of the Tiger Tank ,the second version was bigger and stronger than the first. the one in the photo looks to be the big cat
@@zcam1969Well you could say three if you count the Jagdtiger (Hunting tiger) which had a slightly stretched King tiger chassis, and largest gun as it didn't have a turret. Tiger 1 was first made and box shaped, Tiger II was later war with sloped armor as shown in the pictures, and Jagdtiger looked similar but top section was more box shape.
I served in the Marine Corps and the the Army National Guard. I was one of the soldiers from the 28th infantry division that march through the streets of Belgium and Luxemburg, to celebrate their freedom of 50 years. There was I believe three of the remaining band of Brothers, who marched behind us. It was truly an honor to help in that celebration. I truly enjoy the countryside and the people. Thank you for keeping the memories alive of what went on. The bravery, the blood that was sacrificed may we never forget. 🇺🇸
I bet that was an incredible experience! Belgium is still very grateful towards its American liberators and each year the anniversary of the battle seems to become more popular with people which is great to see.
@1stPatriot Wow! My respects to you sir! God bless you🙏
@1stPatriot How I would like to meet you and chat with you Sir.
@@bettylaselli2048❤
I would enjoy and look forward to that.
At 7:33 The Panzer I believe was sitting where that newer tractor is sitting. Nice job 👍🏻
La Gleize is a pretty sleepy town and it amazed me that it’s barely changed since the war, most towns grow over the years but not so much in Belgium so it’s a pleasure to visit and study the terrain. Walking the battlefield is the best way to see just what each side was dealing with at a tactical level and what obstacles they had to deal with. Bastogne was essentially what we call today a “DIP” mission or; Die In Place mission and once the men learn of this a lot goes through the mind and it changes a man a lot. I’ve come close to having one during the Gulf War but thankfully the Air Force wiped out the two Iraqi Divisions headed our way. So when we won the battle, the elation was palpable.
I’ve always been curious about what the civilians in La Gleize did during the battle, where they hid and what the town went through during the German invasion in 1940 and then again in 1944? And that region has seen conflict many times over the centuries so there must be some incredible stories about what happened there and even how the town began is a curiosity. Often military bases or forts will gradually turn into a town and then the military part is long forgotten.
Again, great video and thank you for your time.
Kevin
Thanks for watching Kevin, and you’re right La Gleize is a sleepy place and as such you really get the feeling not a lot has changed from that day in December when Pieper walked his men out of the cauldron back to the safety of his own lines!
Great video! Thank you for this. I visited the town and the museum last year, really interesting and worth visiting. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Jasper. It’s a great place to visit isn’t it?! And the museum there is my favourite in the whole region, plus the staff who work there are very friendly and love to talk about the collection which is always great.
Thanks for watching 😃
Superb as always buddy! Definitely an area I need to tick off!
Thanks dude. It’s a cracking area for food and wine/beer, even without the history there. And there’s loads of AT places open in the summer too so could make for a multipurpose holiday if needed 😉
@@WW2Wayfinder haha mate sold to me.
I’ll have to tell the Mrs and she’ll be all over that!
La Gleize is a nice little place.
Certainly is! The museum is a great place to visit and the restaurant/bar at the top of the village is great for food and drinks after a few hours touring the former battlefield! Thanks for watching.
Amazing then and now video mate, keep them coming.
Thanks bud! Roll on Normandy!!!!!
@WW2Wayfinder can't wait brother
It’s going to be epic!
I think you're right about that tree but by the looks of all that ivy growing on it, sadly it won't be there for too much longer.
We were there one week ago , nice museum, and some trances in the stone woods🫡
Hope you had a great trip there!
Another great video! and another place for me to visit! Thanks.
Enjoy! La Gleize is a great location.
Man those are some fantastic pictures and recollections of what was happening at the time those pictures were taken!👌😎👍 great job and history!
Thank you!
Iam going to Bastonge and the area and iam finding you films so interesting and will be watching them again when iam on the battlefield of the Ardennes. Keep up the great films you make.
I hope you have a wonderful time while you’re over there! Bastogne is a great place to visit and the 101st Airborne Museum in the heart of the town (just a couple of minutes walk from McAuliffe Square) is an absolute must see!!!
My father's late cousin fought at the Battle of the Bulge. When he came home, his PTSD was so severe he spent almost the rest of his life in VA psychiatric hospitals.
Sorry to hear that.
I was very fortunate to visit the town and spend time with the Tiger II. What a beast! Earlier that day I visited the Panther at Houfileze (?), and the armor seemed minimal in comparison.
Every time I’ve been to Houfallize the Panther was either absent for restoration or under cover while they built the shelter it’s now under!!!
Glad you’ve been able to see both, they’re impressive vehicles up close!
@@WW2Wayfinder I was there 03/04. Would love to see it after restoration.
Well done! Excellent, very interesting video.👏😀
Thanks David, really appreciate it!
Congrats fantastic video.
Thank you Chris, always a lot of fun to uncover Then and Now locations! Thanks for watching.
I was just there and had no idea that Pieper made his escape from La Gleize. I did not check out Stoumont with the famous tank/infantry battle.
Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoyed La Gleize and were able to visit the museum there. There’s so much history in that place, you’ll just have to go back for another visit!
The 'massive window' in the building with the Sherman in the foreground is a stable door.
I know but now it's a window!
Fantastic videos! One of the best creators on youtube!
Thank you! I just hope I can do these incredible stories and events some justice and it encourages younger people to take an interest in this amazing period of history!
Very touching
I visited the village about 10 years ago and only now with your background information the story has come alive, thank you.
Glad you’ve been able to visit there yourself. It’s a wonderful place isn’t it! Thank you for taking the time to watch!
Great Video !👍
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it. Always a great time visiting La Gleize and that area!
This is Fantastic! Thank You
Thank you!
Fabulous video! It would be great if you could do a video about the battle for Stoumont involving kampfgruppe peiper and the 30th infantry division.
It’s in the queue for editing 😉 Just not got around to piecing it all together yet but it’s all there!
It was one heck of a fight in that village!
@@WW2Wayfinder yes, it was a big battle for Stoumont. I have the book Dual In The Mist volume 1 which is a great book. I will look forward to the video.
Brilliant video again. It's amazing how you seem to find all these places.
Thank you!
You are doing a great job buddy 👍👋
Greetings from Poland 🇵🇱
Thank you so much!
Hoping to film in Poland next year so can’t wait for that!
@@WW2Wayfinder Of course you are welcome to Poland and as soon as possible 🙂 !!!
I find his videos and historical content amazing. He brings back to life a time when the world was at war and how thing remained the same from what they looked like during the war. Great job
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch. Glad you enjoyed the episode!
Very impressed by your research and what has been revealed. One could walk through those streets and would never know there had been fighting there. Many thanks for your hard work .
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. La Gleize is a very interesting place to visit and I only just scratched the surface so I plan to go back and cover it in more detail for a future episode. Thanks again for taking the time to watch!
Many thanks for your advice. Keep up the great work you do to teach ww2 history 👏.
great pictures and comparisons. you do great research and i know i appreciate it. hope others do as well
Thank you
Great stuff thanks for a really interesting video.
Glad you enjoyed it
👋 Hello, I just recently stumbled across your channel today.
Thank You for sharing all of your historically accurate related content with other mutual historical enthusiasts alike within the community as a whole , And for your other incredible content I have yet to go through Thank You So Much ! 🙂
This seems a great source for anyone who wishes to learn & absorb knowledge from our past, This is that hands on feeling of almost being there like you can almost reach out and touch history,
I truly enjoy this uniformed way of learning while watching you Hold up the photos from the past and sharing the story in history behind them without the numbness of A-DD blur from constant reading of textbooks that some may find obscured.
This is Both Fun & Informative similar to how a field trip should feel. 👏👏👍 AWESOME.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the episode! 😃
Man after my own heart, what a great idea and content for a channel. Expecting your channel to blow up (excuse the pun) in subs, hoping to be able to follow your footsteps in the future. One of my favourite channels on YT, thanks for the footage Wayfinder.
Thank you that’s very kind of you to say so!!! I’m just grateful I can share my passion for these places and the history with so many likeminded people!!!
Fantastic video.
I have been there on a battlefield tour and never had the detail you are providing. I wish I had all of this when I went.
It would have been so much better.
Thank you
And the remnants of Kampfgruppe Peiper surrounded by strong elements of 3 Elite American divisions still slipped out of the bag to fight another day.... simply Amazing!!!
And on Christmas Eve too! Crazy to think he led nearly 800 men back to German lines.
@@WW2Wayfinder and no gas ,no heavy weapons,and right under the noses of 3rd Armored,30 Inf.and the 82nd Airborne!! Peiper,Poetschke,Westernhagen,Diefenthal....Damn could you imagine what it was like with those officers leading you!!
La Gleize is one of those towns that is not given the recognition that it deserves
Agreed! It’s a fascinating place and the fighting there was brutal. The King Tiger, Courtney side, history of the town and the museum make it my favourite place in the Ardennes to visit.
Also a great restaurant in the village with a great local beer which helps!
@@WW2Wayfinder I agree the museum was a great visit, have been to the one that is next to dead man’s corner?
Also standing next to that king tiger was an unbelievable moment for me
Brilliant work. BZ
Thank you!
A lot of those pictures I’ve never seen before
Great video
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great Video my friend, looks like Panther 221 Is a super rare G Steel Wheels version!
Good spot! Thanks for that!
It is , sad they sent it with the scrapman back then , would be a nice museum piece today - and that would also be nice if they not sent all but one Kingtiger to the Iron yard.
my guess is that it is a Panther II prototype, smaller turret as well , but i can not see from the picture if it had the 88mm gun, this looks like the regular 75 mm in the pic. Very interesting.
Is this gentleman an historian who did much of the work for Tom and Nick Ragone? The work for his videos must have been a great challenge, matching 2 images. Great respect for all concerned.❤
Sorry for the delay in replying. I'm not sure who those chaps are that you've mentioned but this is just me on my travels in Europe doing all of this as a hobby rather than any professional full time work (I'd love to do it full time though!)
Another outstanding short documentary that man , full of facts and comparison photography. Nicely researched with a lot of care and attention to detail. Well impressed and well done that man 🫡👌
Thank you so much! La Gleize is always a great place to visit and being able to document some of the photos from there was a great time even if some of them were tricky to find!
Thanks for that, really interesting to see these recreations. and I’m very interested in this subject
Glad you enjoyed it. It’s a wonderful village to visit if you have the opportunity
Excellent as always. I followed your foot steps and photos at La Fierre, it made the visit awesome. Many thanks for your work.
Thank you! Glad you were able to visit La Fiere too.
Sure glad that I found this channel. Terrific detail and fresh data concerning WWII. Many thanks.
You’re most welcome! Hope it provides a bit of an insight into these incredible places!
Amazing how the areas haven't changed much. Great video!! Love the Tiger tanks
Thank you! It’s a wonderful part of Belgium and the history there makes even better! Highly recommend the museum in the village too if you have the chance to visit there!
Thank you so much for sharing these photos, and clearly and very interestingly explaining what happened in the different locations.
You’re most welcome!
I absolutely love military anoraks; done a bit myself over the years and this chap (hope he's not offended ) is one of the best I've come across. I've used them and now photographs with my (very patient) mates on our motorcycle tours but never got close to this level of detail and I would seriously like to know how he tracks down those original photographs ... excellent ... that's me happy for a few hours viewing !!!
You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoy my work and great to know you’ve used photos on your tours too! I always get a thrill knowing your in the same spot as where these iconic images were taken!
Hope you’re able to get on your bike and visit more places soon!
Thank You!
You’re most welcome!
Awesome detailed information of the vehicles after the Battle..
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome content as usual. Keep up the good work!
Thanks mate!
Such a beautiful, peaceful little town. The Belgium countryside is very pretty. I would love to live there in one of those old houses. This was another great video ! Your knowledge and story telling is wonderful and your hat is cool.
La Gleize is a wonderful village and hard to imagine now the devastation that it saw 79 years ago. The museum there has a fantastic collection of items all directly from the battle and the King Tiger just makes it a great place to visit!
Finally found what i was searching
Really well done. Excellent attention to historical detail (without sensationalisation), clear descriptions and confident narration. I learnt a lot. Please bring us more! (Only tiny criticism would be overusing the word 'cool'!)
Thank you very much!
Magnifique vidéo très instructive de la situation avant et après 🇨🇵👍👍👍👍
Thank you!
Excellent!! 👍👍
Thank you!!!
Nice Video ❤
Thank you!!!
Very well done
Thank you!!!
Great job thanks very much !
You’re lost welcome! Thanks for watching!
Really interesting and many thanks indeed
You’re most welcome!
I would be a tremendous help in your quest to discover these places in history. Like you I have an eye for detail and understanding of old architecture. You are spot on. I would be tempted to pull away the growth from that tree to see if there are still any signs of penetration marks from stray bullets and shells. I live in USA so I can only see such things that might be relatable to our Civil War. Much older. To live there where Joaquin Piper probably traveled during The Bulge would cause me to drop to my knees in prayer. I read the Book on Piper who’s life is very interesting. I am not enamored with him but have great respect for the warrior in him. His demise is also one of interest. But to see these before/after thrills me beyond words. Thank you
The things you're doing are right up my street. Excellent😊
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying the channel!
@@WW2Wayfinder . Very much so, thank you.
3:58 note the location of the chimney, all of these photos were taken at the back of the building
The chimney has been repositioned . The huge former stable door and geography of the house and surrounding buildings shows where the images were taken from
Exellent. I hope one day you or someone else does a video on Peiper's retreat from La Gleize to Wanne in this thorough style.
Thank you! And that’s on the list 😉
Another nice, interesting video. See the pictures from before and today in comparison. You do a very good job and I like that. The many vehicles left behind certainly have something to do with the chronic lack of fuel.
Thank you! La Gleize is a wonderful village to visit now and hard to imagine the events that unfolded there all those years ago.
@@WW2Wayfinder , that's right, my ancestors, my paternal grandfather, came from Belgium. In addition to German, my father also spoke French. We lived in Germany, in the city of Berlin. My father often talked on the street with French soldiers who were stationed there. I remember that from my childhood.
I love this it's very interesting 😊
Thank you!
Aw - wish i had seen this a couple of weeks ago - is the footage of the firing at the king tiger on youtube?
Hi Matthew yes it is, it’s the original Pathe News footage of memory serves me right. Hope you manage to find a copy of it and thanks for watching!
One hell of a beautiful area! I have been there 3 times.
One slight error.....you accidently referred to Panther 221 as King Tiger 221. 😉
I do kind of wish that Panther 221 had been preserved as she was a very rare steel road-wheeled variant. She would have made a great tourist attraction just like King Tiger 213.
I thought Muzzle Brakes from captured German Tanks were looted by Souvenir Hunters but i guess i was wrong.
A great video though, most enjoyable to watch.
Thank you and I probably had the King Tiger on my brain 🤣
Enthralling video, very well researged. Unfortunately I can't find the Panzerfaust vs Tiger footage on your channel.
Thanks for watching!
Sadly I had to remove the footage of them firing the Panzerfaust but if you search for it you should be able to find it on TH-cam.
Thanks for watching!
Fantastic historian , top research, exellent ! 1000 merci
You’re most welcome! Thank you for taking the time to watch!
Super:)
Thank you! I’ll have another similar but more in-depth episode from La Gleize in the next few weeks!
I didn't see your video about the panzerfaust practice on the tiger on your channel.
Sadly it’s covered with copyright but if you google it, it should come up.
Many thanks for your work, only one time at La Gleize museum visit, so great with the Koenigs colosse panzer... !! I remember pictures from musem ( also appeard on a table map of the battle.....always inside museum ) a schwimwagen complety destroyed cause hidden in a barn wich have been burn during battle, and schwim is visible on small size on museum table map, it's stick with your informations ( 11.10 min : vehicles used by 501st ) but big BRAVO! for final map of all vehicules abandonned there, not easy to have ! take care, and more movie like this dear Fellow ; )
Many thanks! It’s a great place isn’t it and the museum is first class and my favourite one in the Ardennes region.
@@WW2Wayfinder like so much the armored jeep, and Kubelwagen inside museum...if there's always there ? and I remember the Graal : an MP 38 !! take care Bro, thanks again for your involving ; )
Excellent work.. Thanks
I'm probably wrong. Judging by the shadows in your photos and video I believe the first one would have 213 parked with it's right side almost inline with the sunlit side wall, backed up close to the present day blue road sign. Compared to your second photo it would be hard to get that much distance and angle on the man on the left. Also in the 2nd the front right of 213 is in the shade.
I've seen 2 other photos of 213 by the present location of the memorial. 1 has it parked just a few feet short of the rain gutter downpipe where you have your photos laid beside. It is 4-5 ft from the wall and has 9 Brits sitting on it. 2 has it parked with drive sprocket just past the pipe, tight beside the wall and covers the full length it.
To me it is as if someone was not sure where they liked it best.. Like hanging pictures with the Mrs. Here? No. Here? No. ............... Thank God for 3m Command hooks.
Quite possible as it's hard to judge the depth of the image with all the shadows on it and the subtle changes that have happened in that small village square!
Increible y admirable la capacidad que tienes para explicar gracias amigo eres un genio
Thank you that’s very kind of you to say so!
WW2 Wayfinder can you make video about Rocherath-Krinkelt battle ?
I had planned to film there when I was last in the Ardennes in February BUT it was Carnival and the place was manic Lt busy so it wasn’t possible. I’ve learnt my lesson though to avoid that time in any European town! Next time however…😃
This channel needs to be more found
Thank you! Hopefully it grows in time and I can bring more of these amazing locations and stories to people. Thanks for watching!
I always chucked the missing muzzle breaks to the American ability to pick up souvenirs at rapid pace all over Europe.
where di you find thr photos? Great job!!!
Thank you! All the images are available online or from scans of originals I’ve been given over the years.
Respect to all soldiers from Allies and Axis countries that fallen in WW2.
Peace and peace for their souls in the Heavenly, Amen.
Regards from Indonesia
🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩
Thank you for watching!
The photos you use were do you get them they are very good.
Thank you! They’re all open source from archives so easy to come by
I have seen a lot of pictures from Battle of the Bulge so where do these new pictures originating from ?
Excellent content, probably almost as good as actually being there. I live in Dorset and will get round to visiting at some point - how do you get there yourself? Drive or Fly/drive?
Dorset is beautiful and I plan to document the UK defences when the time permits. for the locations in Europe, just lots of driving!
or Dom Butgenbach 12ss panzer debacle ?
Je suis allée voir se fameux blindée à gleize
It’s amazing isn’t it! Can’t imagine how it felt seeing one driving towards your position if you were in the infantry!!!
Oui
👍👍👍👌
Thank you
When you lined up the German aid station. Everything seems to match except the chimney? Do you think its the moved the heating 🤔
I think a bit of remodelling was done but not a huge amount. Quite incredible to think given how brutal the fighting was in the village! Thank you for watching!
@WW2Wayfinder excellent channel. You do fantastic work. We really appreciate it.
Thank you! That’s very kind of you to say so! It’s my passion and it’s a privilege to be able to share it with so many likeminded people such as yourself! Thanks again!
I think I have seen some footage on YT of American GI test firing those anti rockets at a captured German tank it might very well be the one in your photos ?
That’s men from the 504th PIR, who in previous days were fighting Kampfgruppe Peiper at Cheneux in a fierce battle to take the village!
@@WW2Wayfinder Thank you for the info.
I wonder if the anti tank rockets managed to penetrate the thick amour the holes look quite deep and would have been very nasty if with the molten metal flying around inside.
@@itsonlyme9938No the test firing just confirmed what American soldiers already knew.
Neither there own bazooka or the panzerfaust would penetrate frontal armour of a Tiger II.
What does a commanding officer, like Pieper, say to his men after they were so utterly defeated they had to abandon their vehicles and walk back to Germany?
Can’t imagine the brief to his men especially after they were so hyped up for the attack by their own propaganda and given some of the best weaponry Germany had left!
Thanks for watching!
It wasn't so much as they were defeated as they ran out of fuel. No resupply reached them, and their vehicles ran low on fuel. Once they were no longer mobile, they were cut off and surrounded.
As a citizen of La Gleize, I wouldn´t be keen on living with such an eternal monstrum in the middle of the village. Is it Stockholm syndrom?
You might be when you realise the wealth it helps generate for the village! And it’s part of their rich history and they are proud of it!
Sir, people in foreign countries keep well preserved old houses like they were years ago.
Great film 📽️! Thanks.
I would like to ask You about something.
When U successfully find the exact location and U hold a B&W photo in Your hand - why don't U try to talk with the people who live in there (i.e. 3:58) Even if they are aware of general history of their building, it is still possible that they have never seen those photos (with a tank parked at its door) and they would be very thankful for such information from You and showing (giving) such a photo print.
It is also possible, that in their family album they have more photos which can make Your entire journey throughout the area even more interesting to You and to us.
Why?
I would but these places are very rural and I only speak English and some pigeon French and German! I have had locals help me on the odd occasion though which is always appreciated!
Thanks for watching!
Are there Now and Videos WWII Poland? Thank you
Sadly not yet but I do plan to visit Poland. I just haven’t been able to get there yet!
@@WW2WayfinderThank you @WW2Wayfinder. May be a good place among a lot in Poland would be the town of Mlawa. Northwest from Warsaw. This town was one of the fronts nazis entered Poland on September 1st 1939, from were part of my father's family was. My father was from a small town south of Mlawa, a few kilometers from there, called Zuromin, were all his family except him were killed. Just it, I wanted to tell why mi interest in Poland. Congratulations for your job! I can't stop watching. Jorge. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Good stuff but what shame you don’t superimpose one image over the other and then fade between the two. Not hard to do and far more effective and easier for the viewer to read.