Foxholes (Military Tactic)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 พ.ค. 2021
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    Today most modern armies still train their troops in entrenchment techniques, especially in using Foxholes in defensive positions.
    Copyright: DO NOT translate and re-upload our content on TH-cam or other social media.
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    Credit:
    Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
    Script: Conan White
    Narrator:
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    vocalforge.com/
    Sources:
    Technical Manual: TM.
    By United States Department of the Army
    Notes on the Construction and Equipment of Trenches
    By Army War College (U.S.)
    Combat Training of the Individual Soldier and Patrolling
    By United States. Dept. of the Army
    The R.O.T.C. Manual; Infantry: A Text Book for the Reserve Officers Training Corps, Volumes 3-4

ความคิดเห็น • 1.6K

  • @Thickcurves
    @Thickcurves 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2305

    Only someone who has never dug a fox hole by hand, would think you could dig one in 30 minutes.

    • @unkledoda420
      @unkledoda420 3 ปีที่แล้ว +304

      Right. I've never dug a foxhole but I've dug plenty of holes for deck footers at work (typically at least 24 inches wide, 36 inches deep) so a foxhole is gonna take at least a couple hours. Even longer if the ground is frozen or hard and full of rocks and roots.

    • @georgesakellaropoulos8162
      @georgesakellaropoulos8162 3 ปีที่แล้ว +146

      @@unkledoda420 In completely frozen ground, empty a full magazine in one spot, dig out the chips, and place a 3-4 ounce charge of C4 in the hole. Set off the charge and start digging. Remember to keep a safe distance from the charge and only use this if the enemy already knows you are there or is nowhere around.

    • @boondocker7964
      @boondocker7964 3 ปีที่แล้ว +275

      After you have dug a nice hole, they tell you to saddle up, we are moving for the night.

    • @them4309
      @them4309 3 ปีที่แล้ว +92

      Right? A 4 x 5 hole with what is basically a hand shovel with a wobbly joint? Maybe if they are shooting at you RIGHT NOW you could dig that fast.

    • @hermand
      @hermand 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Haha, thank god for that! I've done a lot of digging foundations and stuff it's damned hard going!

  • @cheriefsadeksadek2108
    @cheriefsadeksadek2108 3 ปีที่แล้ว +740

    When the Desert Fox Gets out of his Foxhole to attack the Desert Rats know they are in trouble

  • @garmenlin5990
    @garmenlin5990 3 ปีที่แล้ว +701

    Band of Brothers, episodes 6 and 7. I swear, every 10 mins the company is running to a foxhole because the German artillery never stops!

    • @thanosmaster-abel559
      @thanosmaster-abel559 3 ปีที่แล้ว +42

      Great recall. If I remember correctly I think it was the Bastogne episode where it just straight up artillery every second

    • @Akirashiro407
      @Akirashiro407 3 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Man.... I love band of brothers series

    • @heatherjt79
      @heatherjt79 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      It was a great show. Imagine they didn’t dig foxholes and just sat

    • @lukainbeks7776
      @lukainbeks7776 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@thanosmaster-abel559 yeah bastogne. And i think it was the real malarky that said the bombing in the show is nowhere near the real deal. In real life it was a much bigger spectacle with way way way bigger explosions and deafening sounds.

    • @StormLaker
      @StormLaker 3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      One of my dad's friends was in the battle of the bulge. He told me one time about how he was digging a fox hole in the fog and thought the guy next to him was from his own platoon doing the same thing. He looked over again and it was a german kid (soldier) digging his foxhole- they both dove in their holes, neither would come up. He the kid whispered to not shoot at him....he figured neither one of them wanted to die at that moment, lol. So both eventually fell asleep and when he woke up in the morning he yelled to the kid to put his hands up and come out...but he had slipped out sometime during the night.

  • @wattsnottaken1
    @wattsnottaken1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1652

    “Now I don’t know if I really believed all that, but as company First Sargent it was my job to protect the integrity of Easy Company”

    • @jonathanschmidt9774
      @jonathanschmidt9774 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Is that a quote from a vet or a video game?

    • @SkySky-dk7si
      @SkySky-dk7si 3 ปีที่แล้ว +101

      1st Sgt. Lipton
      Alright I want mortars and grenades launchers on that building until it’s gone, when it’s gone I want 1st to go straight up, forget going around, everybody else, with me!

    • @marcoquintero7154
      @marcoquintero7154 3 ปีที่แล้ว +51

      @@SkySky-dk7si Lt. Speirs was the goat, I’m hoping I spelled his name right

    • @jonathanschmidt9774
      @jonathanschmidt9774 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      What game is this?

    • @satanogo
      @satanogo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +67

      Is not a game, "Band of Brothers" HBO Miniseries

  • @jmanj3917
    @jmanj3917 3 ปีที่แล้ว +703

    I can still hear my Drill Instructor almost thirty years ago, after I had said "foxhole".
    Marines don't build 'foxholes'! Foxes run and hide!!
    The Army digs 'foxholes'; Marines build 'fighting holes'!"..lol..good times

    • @gusthavo15yearsand98
      @gusthavo15yearsand98 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Ok J man J

    • @JimmyDelRio
      @JimmyDelRio 3 ปีที่แล้ว +53

      But you're still hiding in a hole, right? hahaha

    • @HollywoodMarine0351
      @HollywoodMarine0351 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      J man J... you beat me to it. YUT! 😉

    • @peterlonergan
      @peterlonergan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      Marines are just soldiers who think they're better.

    • @mjo0311
      @mjo0311 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Good times right Devil?!

  • @jasonhorton
    @jasonhorton 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1804

    A little weekend education why not

  • @ihavetowait90daystochangem67
    @ihavetowait90daystochangem67 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3233

    Of course Japan of all nations calls foxholes “Octopuses”
    Edit: Octupi*

  • @_Abjuranax_
    @_Abjuranax_ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +536

    Foxholes also had small pits at the bottom, for drainage and for grenades to be kicked into. Also, all Trench networks started out as Foxholes that were eventually linked up and expanded.

    • @willd6515
      @willd6515 3 ปีที่แล้ว +50

      Spot on, I expected a more in depth video on all the details on this subject.
      Lazy video imho................

    • @Hank1371
      @Hank1371 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yep.

    • @buddywalstad7658
      @buddywalstad7658 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Thank you!!! Finally someone who served!

    • @chaotixthefox
      @chaotixthefox 2 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      @@willd6515 "I expected a complex explanation out of channel called Simple History"

    • @willd6515
      @willd6515 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@chaotixthefox I never wrote "complex explanation".

  • @D_Rexo
    @D_Rexo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +277

    1:35 This guy trying to not get bombarded by playing minecraft in real life too early.

    • @ninjafoxy8868
      @ninjafoxy8868 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      You cant dye Diamond shovel or shovels at alls

    • @thegermanbasket732
      @thegermanbasket732 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Idk my brain hurts

    • @Randomgamer-di3ow
      @Randomgamer-di3ow 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Dude was shoveling dirt but can't break stone because he forgot his pickaxe, so he had to put a dirt block over his head to stop raining creepers

    • @kuveytprensi8638
      @kuveytprensi8638 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      he was lucky and didnt fell into a lava

    • @galaxyowl1111
      @galaxyowl1111 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      i was going to say the same thing lol

  • @atrociousbean4096
    @atrociousbean4096 3 ปีที่แล้ว +237

    A foxhole’s worst nightmare: *Flamethrower*

    • @tommyboy1504
      @tommyboy1504 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      @Mette B Flamethrower and Grenade

    • @tremedar
      @tremedar 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      @Mette B Grenades can be thrown back, a stream of fire that sticks to you...is going to result in a crispy critter no matter what you do.

    • @Sir_Stalwart
      @Sir_Stalwart 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      *rain*

    • @The_UPD.
      @The_UPD. 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      *stuka aka Dive bombers or any type of plane*

    • @madmarvshighwaywarrior2870
      @madmarvshighwaywarrior2870 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Hey don't forget the napalm. I love it's smell in the morning

  • @Sniperm0n
    @Sniperm0n 3 ปีที่แล้ว +161

    I spent a lot of time digging holes in different places and sitting in them getting rained on and questioning my life choices.

    • @Jets1713
      @Jets1713 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Band of brothers: “first time, kid?”

    • @howardbaxter2514
      @howardbaxter2514 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      When your parents tell you to not get a job digging ditches when you grow up, only for you to do just that in the Army...

    • @hughsmith4464
      @hughsmith4464 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Like, should have gone in the Navy

    • @Sniperm0n
      @Sniperm0n 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@hughsmith4464 no thanks, I might be a homoerotic marine but I'm not gay, I should've joined the airforce

    • @hughsmith4464
      @hughsmith4464 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Sniperm0n Na, you did to put the sticker you have on your car.,,

  • @keithbohon2438
    @keithbohon2438 3 ปีที่แล้ว +204

    HALF AN HOUR? Spending 6 years of my life in the light infantry, unless you are digging in banana pudding, it takes HOURS to dig a deep enough "fraidy hole to stand inside.

    • @Kav82a
      @Kav82a 3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      I can relate. Its even harder when you have to dig on rocky or forest terrain. This guy probably timed himself while digging a foxhole on the beach.

    • @dankim7488
      @dankim7488 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      I absolutely agree. I too was a light infantryman and it takes hours to dig one for sure. Especially in rocky forest ground when youre hitting tree roots every three scoops

    • @Lattamonsteri
      @Lattamonsteri 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Or frozen ground :F It's not fun either.

    • @markfryer9880
      @markfryer9880 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I thought 1/2 an hour was a bit optimistic.

    • @demonprinces17
      @demonprinces17 3 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      That's how long a staff officer thinks it takes

  • @dnoblemoney
    @dnoblemoney 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1499

    It is important to have a sense of humor in a foxhole. What a frightening place to be.
    Note: This is a joke, a reference to an old TH-cam of U.S. Troops in foxholes. I know it’s a bit late to say this, just putting it out there to deter negative comments.

    • @nandinhocunha440
      @nandinhocunha440 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      That's why you need Bobba

    • @Alexq79-
      @Alexq79- 3 ปีที่แล้ว +29

      @@nandinhocunha440 bubba*

    • @Gamer88334
      @Gamer88334 3 ปีที่แล้ว +70

      It’s important to have a sense of humor during war in general.

    • @nandinhocunha440
      @nandinhocunha440 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Alexq79- oh my

    • @Callsign_Bear
      @Callsign_Bear 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Gamer88334 otherwise what you see will consume you

  • @andreidegrastien4218
    @andreidegrastien4218 3 ปีที่แล้ว +159

    Within 6 minutes of an upload? Last time I was this early, I ended up in a German pillbox in Normandy.

    • @dylanthegpoplayer1885
      @dylanthegpoplayer1885 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @Owen Yea les jus leave them there and not focus on the literal ALLIED ATTACK HANS WHY WOULD U THINK DAS GUD IDEA HANS (meant to be POV of the German commanders sorry if this offends u)

  • @gcnelite5983
    @gcnelite5983 3 ปีที่แล้ว +207

    0:21 damn his animation quality is evolving

    • @iteor7320
      @iteor7320 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      At 0:27 there’s a guy eating a rat... I was not expecting that

    • @robertg.durant8489
      @robertg.durant8489 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      It looks the same as all the others

    • @Nietabs
      @Nietabs 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@robertg.durant8489 ye

  • @Sir_Stalwart
    @Sir_Stalwart 3 ปีที่แล้ว +118

    In my military service I dug a few really great foxholes that I was very pleased with. I impressed a few if my comrades with the speed of my construction, but I never got the opportunity to hold any of them, which still vexes me. I made deep and homely foxholes with plenty of cover, space and camouflage, with pockets for 'nades and spare ammo and even a ledge for sitting and quick exit, but I never got to use'em. But I got really good at it.

    • @ClickClack_Bam
      @ClickClack_Bam 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

      Did you have pits dug for grenades to fall into?
      What are your feelings about today's drones dropping grenades & mortars into the trenches?
      Would you change things up with the design?
      In Ukraine both sides are getting DECIMATED in the trenches from the drone warfare.

    • @AlexKarasev
      @AlexKarasev 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      ​@@ClickClack_Bamconsumer drones dropping little grenades is very much a Ukrainian thing - the Russians tend to just direct 152mm (or 203mm) artillery fire with drones or employ loitering munition drones like Lancet. Those won't go into a little hole - they make their own.
      I think this war will more likely change drones than it will tanks & foxholes. Those will stay, but we may get drone-hunting drones, shotgun shell machine guns (filled with iron shot like for hunting ducks or with expanding nets) etc.

    • @ClickClack_Bam
      @ClickClack_Bam 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@AlexKarasev There are armored machines that the US placed in Ukraine that specifically target drones.

    • @AlexKarasev
      @AlexKarasev 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@ClickClack_Bam there are a lot of different & sophisticated machines the US has provided to Ukraine. I mean it sounds like a lot until you divide the quantity by frontline duty cycle and 1000km of front line to calculate coverage per km.
      Point being, just like panzerfaust / bazooka / RPG utterly changed things on the battlefield (but when you think if it, things really stayed the same, just evolved) it'll be the same with drones. I'm not well familiar with the psrticular machine you mention, but I'm sure there'll be more of that type, and other countermeasures, and drones will chsnge to try to defeat those, but in the end things will settle to about the same status quo as before at an enhanced level. We like to think gunpowder changed warfare (and it sure did) but there's not a lot of range difference between what a soldier can hit in Ukraine's level of combat stress (ask any elite US soldiers that went) with an AR or AK vs. say a well-thrown spear - and there's at least 3,000yrs between those weapons systems.

    • @C.A._Old
      @C.A._Old 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      *this is amazing idea ever made it.*

  • @critical_crunch
    @critical_crunch 3 ปีที่แล้ว +81

    “Remember when you dig these, 6 feet apart guys!”

    • @veng3r663
      @veng3r663 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      But I'm tired of digging holes grandpaw... :(

    • @abbytran8514
      @abbytran8514 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Builds character!

  • @dylan2k217
    @dylan2k217 3 ปีที่แล้ว +236

    i love to impress my dad with these facts from his channel lol

    • @DARPAinterner
      @DARPAinterner 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Wait, hol up

    • @mr.vietnam1575
      @mr.vietnam1575 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Do you mean "this" not "his"

    • @dylan2k217
      @dylan2k217 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@mr.vietnam1575 yes

    • @buddywalstad7658
      @buddywalstad7658 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      this guy does not know what he's talking about FYI Sounds like he's never served in the Military!

    • @Foxtrot-51
      @Foxtrot-51 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@buddywalstad7658 have you watched *ANY OTHER* videos from this channel, if u haven't your judging someone just because they haven't done enough research for *one* video

  • @edwardhoops6197
    @edwardhoops6197 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    My uncle saw a guy in WW2 who had dug a hole the right depth but not nearly wide enough. He told the guy his was big enough for two and nearby. He invited him to share his and they used the abandoned one for a crapper.

  • @nicholasleaf3646
    @nicholasleaf3646 3 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    30minutes?! When I was in the Finnish Army, at winter when ground was frozen it took couple hours to dig foxhole. I still remember sparks flying when I hit my shovel to stones in the soil.

    • @W0DAN88
      @W0DAN88 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      To be fair Finland is frozen hellhole in winter

    • @arushreddi5419
      @arushreddi5419 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@W0DAN88 winter war and 1943 intensifies

  • @stephenpowstinger733
    @stephenpowstinger733 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    I dug a few in Vietnam and it is hard work even if the soil is not rocky. We usually supplemented foxholes with sandbags (filled,with the same dirt). If we stayed somewhere for more than a couple days it would get some kind of sandbagged roof with a cleared firing position facing the likely line of attack.
    If it rained, the whole business of digging and sitting in one became a nightmare.

    • @TiocfaidhArLa34
      @TiocfaidhArLa34 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      now imagine being 101st airborne in the battle of the bulge digging a foxhole in the coldest winter recorded in decades. you at least got to dig in a warm and wet place lol.

    • @C.A._Old
      @C.A._Old 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      *this is amazing idea ever made it.*

    • @obi-wankenobi8446
      @obi-wankenobi8446 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      You shouldn't have been there.

  • @gareththompson2708
    @gareththompson2708 3 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    The shallow shell scrape is the first stage in the construction of a modern foxhole/trench. The construction of a foxhole/trench is divided up into several stages. Each stage leaves you with a useful defensive position that can be used if the enemy arrives before you have finished the fully tricked out stage 6 foxhole/trench. You might be able to dig a shell scrape in a half hour, but you will not dig a fully completed foxhole/trench inside a half hour (especially if you are digging on hard ground).
    Also, and I get that the definitions for these things can be pretty fuzzy, but calling a turret emplacement a foxhole is a bit of a stretch don't you think?

    • @michaelccozens
      @michaelccozens 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I think it depends on what you mean by "turret emplacement". If it's an actual mobile turret, that'd be one thing, but it sounds like these were immobile and obsolete turrets thrown-on more as an afterthought. I can see the "this will offer some protection and at least one very narrow field of fire, and we have them and we're desperate, so why not?" logic of the latter approach, but it would still qualify it as a modified foxhole, not a proper turret emplacement that could actually change its direction of fire at all.

    • @C.A._Old
      @C.A._Old 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      *this is amazing idea ever made it.*

  • @sargeinamerica
    @sargeinamerica 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Many years ago I was training with the Canadian special forces and we were conducting war games and I made a fox hole that was so well camouflaged because I was able to cut out these large square pieces of Moss and I camouflaged my fox hole so well With these small saplings that I replanted so they would last a long time. when I went to go inspect it from the front I couldn’t find it on my way back since it was getting dark I was confused as to exactly where my hole was. I found it but was a little embarrassed about it.

  • @serijas737
    @serijas737 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    The foxhole is a very efficient tactic. Since, when the soldiers die, they're already conveniently burried in the ground.

  • @gageoverbo8086
    @gageoverbo8086 3 ปีที่แล้ว +108

    Ay nice job as always!!

  • @ninogaggi
    @ninogaggi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    That soldiers expression as he was eating the rat had me on the floor 🤣🤣🤣🤣

  • @kingjoe3rd
    @kingjoe3rd 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    The skirmishers trench (what you called "shell scrapes") is still used and is considerably better than the alternative which is no cover at all. The reason that it exists is for when you don't have time to dig a regulation sized fighting hole ("foxhole") which can take hours to dig depending on the terrain and can exhaust the man digging it to a considerable degree.

  • @DreDrePlays
    @DreDrePlays 3 ปีที่แล้ว +77

    I see that there has been a lot of improvements throughout the animations!

  • @mspicer3262
    @mspicer3262 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    As a former infantryman, I have never dug a foxhole. I served from 88-90, we dug shell-scrapes, usually as a listening/observation post out front of defensive positions, or for heavy weapons like mortars. We were also taught to use them as a rapid defensive position since they only took 2 men 10-15 minutes or so to carve out.
    For a sturdier defense, we dug 2-man slit-trenches with an overhead cover. Each trench would be supported using corrugated steel, angle iron and barbed-wire. It could survive being run over by a tank. The overhead cover was at least 60 cm of wood and dirt, in layers, over one half of the trench. The overhead cover area is where you go to stay alive in an artillery barrage. It can withstand a 155-mm shell at low angles, and can have a tank drive over it without collapsing as well. Now, all of that isn't to say that a 2-man slit-trench is a safe place to be when tanks are rolling at you or there is artillery incoming, but they increase your chances of survival a lot. The biggest danger is enemy infantry. They can throw grenades into your hole, or jump in and fight to the death close-quarters. Luckily, I never had to actually fight from a slit-trench.

    • @magikarpusedsplash8881
      @magikarpusedsplash8881 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      To counter the grenades and give an advantage at close quarters:
      - dig the uncovered part a couple feet deeper
      - slope it towards the 1-2 foot step so that a (hopefully uncooked) grenade rolls towards the ledge and the shrapnel is deflected away from occupants in the covered area
      - the covered part being raised might also help with drainage in case of rain
      I don't have military experience, but these improvements could be nice if someone had a few extra minutes with the shovel.

    • @miguelurrutdarkorangefan2750
      @miguelurrutdarkorangefan2750 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@magikarpusedsplash8881 That is how the manual tells you in BCT.

    • @magikarpusedsplash8881
      @magikarpusedsplash8881 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@miguelurrutdarkorangefan2750 oh neat, guess I gotta enlist now lol.

  • @lukiegaming4272
    @lukiegaming4272 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    One of the best and simple history channel and easy to learn and understand.

  • @erwinrommel4229
    @erwinrommel4229 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    my great great grandpa got pined down in a foxhole during WWII, but he still come out with a smile on his bloody face. how he done, I have got no clue.

  • @J-Station4
    @J-Station4 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    It's truly amazing how much your animation has developed over all these years. Never fails to amaze 👍

  • @Aureus_
    @Aureus_ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +80

    One of the best history channels!

    • @jole0000
      @jole0000 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Agreed

    • @Al-Is-Gaming
      @Al-Is-Gaming 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I like how they talk about just history and not about direct politics

    • @Rodeo_Wizard
      @Rodeo_Wizard 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Yes definitely. No doubt one of the great ones on youtube.

    • @anoriginalname410
      @anoriginalname410 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Al-Is-Gaming Well it is called Simple History and not Simple Politics

    • @slingshot99
      @slingshot99 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Al-Is-Gaming I'd agree with you but politics is an intrinsic part of history.

  • @slipangel
    @slipangel 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    New Simple History video lets go!

  • @sayagarapan1686
    @sayagarapan1686 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Not mentioned were grenade kick holes, sandbags, forward observation slit channels with trap doors, rifle ports with interlocking fields of fire, advanced camouflage techniques, anti-trenchfoot platforms and overhead fire protection methods. But, hey...

  • @greenrena8503
    @greenrena8503 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Everyone:"Foxholes are a very simple concept."
    German engineer: "Allow me to introduce myself."

  • @PapiChuloJR93
    @PapiChuloJR93 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Half an hour to dig a 4-5ft hole with a little shovel (Etool) is actually pretty tiring.

  • @wallywheezer8256
    @wallywheezer8256 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Man, the artstyle is getting better and better every video, keep up the great work!

  • @michaelflinn2791
    @michaelflinn2791 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    When my dad was alive, I used to ask him about the war ( WW2 ) I asked him, how was it possible to dig a foxhole with that puny little shovel they gave you? He said, you would be surprised at how fast you can dig a fox hole big enough to hide in with that shovel when people are shooting at you.

    • @TiocfaidhArLa34
      @TiocfaidhArLa34 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      mans got a point lmao

  • @Nisezzy
    @Nisezzy 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    "uhh did i join the military just to dig my own grave?" i bet most of us who enlisted will ask yourself that when digging xD

    • @dog_boy5123
      @dog_boy5123 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sounds about as fun as digging a hole

  • @blueskull6481
    @blueskull6481 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Bro they ate rats I'm surprised people didnt just call it a day and go home.

    • @immortal_p1ckle279
      @immortal_p1ckle279 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      If they did, it would be considered deserting and they would have been executed.

    • @nandinhocunha440
      @nandinhocunha440 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@immortal_p1ckle279 Russians "allow me to introduce myself"

    • @habibi_bloxxxberg
      @habibi_bloxxxberg 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      war isn´t a job you can simply cancel

    • @blueskull6481
      @blueskull6481 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@immortal_p1ckle279 have you seen the peter muler single player mission from bf5?

    • @blueskull6481
      @blueskull6481 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@habibi_bloxxxberg and ik that it was just a joke lol didnt mean to offend you in any way XD

  • @bushwacker2048
    @bushwacker2048 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Foxhole digging had a very exact process in the army infantryman's handbook we had in 2006 (I got washed out of basic thanks to a knee injury)
    If I remember right, they were to be two rifles long by one rifle wide, something like that, as deep as armpit height to the shortest man- that way he could stand and shoot out of it, the taller guys just had to suck it up and crouch a little- and there was to be a trench along the full length of the back of it to kick grenades into. Also, you were to use the dirt you dig out of it to create a slope leading up to the edge of the hole, to make it harder for grenades to roll into it. Finally, if possible, you were to create a solid roof over the top with some of the dirt you dug on top of said roof.
    There was a process for shell scrapes too, but we called them hasty holes or hasties. A helmet deep, long and wide enough to lay in with your rucksack at your feet, and the dirt you dug out was to be used to create a slope facing the front, to prevent grenades rolling in. You didn't shoot straight out, over said slope- you were to shoot from it at an angle, from the front corners, creating a crossfire with the men in their hasties on either side of you. You were to stab sticks in the ground for rifle stops, so that you wouldn't swing too far over and shoot towards the hasty next to you in the heat of the moment. Finally, the slope was to be camouflaged to the point where it couldn't be easily identified from 30 paces (I think) in broad daylight. A "pace" being two large steps.

  • @VERRATENMEMESANDCOD
    @VERRATENMEMESANDCOD 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Everyone gangsta till a real fox pops up from a foxhole

    • @W0DAN88
      @W0DAN88 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Was ein Verräter der Fuchs

  • @pr04em49
    @pr04em49 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Good stories, polite words, nice graphics, and friendly environments. Love this channel

  • @kennerdelacruz7471
    @kennerdelacruz7471 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I love your content!!!

  • @SAMAYDOSTDAR
    @SAMAYDOSTDAR 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Great to see you so soon

  • @ta_motogp_0431
    @ta_motogp_0431 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    It's crazy to see how much the editing has improved over the years, the hard work is really paying off!! keep it up SimpleHistory💪

  • @micahdadbeh5955
    @micahdadbeh5955 3 ปีที่แล้ว +99

    “The argument that there are no atheists in foxholes is not an argument against atheism, it’s an argument against foxholes.”

    • @ksanbahlyngwa1998
      @ksanbahlyngwa1998 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Any context to that?

    • @LookUsArts
      @LookUsArts 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes. It's a joke

    • @micahdadbeh5955
      @micahdadbeh5955 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@LookUsArts Actually it’s a quote I got from one of the old call of duty games. Also, it’s apparently used as an argument against those who think that during times of extreme stress in combat, that they pray to a higher power

    • @boondocker7964
      @boondocker7964 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      There is no argument about it, if you have enjoyed such accommodations under delightful conditions.

    • @micahdadbeh5955
      @micahdadbeh5955 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@boondocker7964 Yeah, but most the time when you’re digging a foxhole, you’re not under delightful conditions

  • @TheKillerfish
    @TheKillerfish 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    1:19
    *tank about to crush the soldier*
    Soldier: this is fine

  • @sergeantwillyt8860
    @sergeantwillyt8860 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    1:37 he’s been playing a lot of Minecraft if he digs that fast

  • @ninjacted
    @ninjacted 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Ive been watching you guys since 40k and never has history been so interesting and fun for me

  • @koinodiscoqueen
    @koinodiscoqueen 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love how the animations has changed, it's really beautiful

  • @kairosdoe386
    @kairosdoe386 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    I'm a simple man:
    I see Simple History upload
    *I click.*

  • @unkledoda420
    @unkledoda420 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I love how the one soldier in the beginning is just chowing down on a rat.🤣😂

  • @ShadowXII
    @ShadowXII 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love your improving visuals and animations.

  • @christopherosment6862
    @christopherosment6862 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I used to work in the countryside service, just digging a tiny hole takes half an hour! A fox hole would take a few hours to dig!

  • @Dsdcain
    @Dsdcain 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Ok. The guy nibbling on the rat near the start had me laughing so loud my wife started staring at me like I was nuts. 🤣
    I was watching with headphones, and she couldn't see what I was watching.

  • @josephsnyder2333
    @josephsnyder2333 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Videos like this are the reason I subscribed to this channel. Short videos (without one minute paid promotions) about realistic, historical and pragmatic topics. PLEASE make more videos like this, not 11 minute human interest stories.

  • @SusCalvin
    @SusCalvin 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Further instructions on dugouts related to how they could support one another and be further improved. Dig out a little elbow rest or simple earth shelves for your stuff or make a little drainage pit for the rain. You can dig out a pit for larger stuff as well, like a mortar position, command position or other company-level support elements.

  • @philRminiatures
    @philRminiatures 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Informative and very nicely done, a pleasure to watch! 👍

  • @fernandogonzales493
    @fernandogonzales493 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    In the Austrian Bundesheer our squad leader used to say "Alone we are cowards, together we are heroes" while observing us digging our foxholes, man, am I missing that time

  • @Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache
    @Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    You gotta pay the troll toll, if you want to get into that foxhole! You gotta pay the troll toll to get in!

  • @introvertedweeb5684
    @introvertedweeb5684 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    The vehicle and weapon models are getting better

  • @TKHarris1967
    @TKHarris1967 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You’re getting a lot better at animations great video

  • @dogsdreamtoo8427
    @dogsdreamtoo8427 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    "War is an honorable and noble cause"
    War:

  • @entarr2604
    @entarr2604 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I served in the Army coming up on 20 years ago. We never dug foxholes because it took too long. We dug hasties. Really shallow pit (about 18" deep) and lay your rucksack directly front of you. Took maybe 30 seconds to do.

    • @erwin669
      @erwin669 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Only time I ever dug a foxhole was in Basic and that was in 2002. After that you only dug a hasty because you weren't going to be there long enough to dig a proper hole. Support company or lower enlisted from headquarters would dig them around the battalion TOC when we were doing FTXs, but it was only like 1 or 2 at the checkpoint going to the TOC

  • @ArtHoundStudio
    @ArtHoundStudio 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love this channel!

  • @taxidermypolarbear1724
    @taxidermypolarbear1724 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow the animation has improved so much
    I give props

  • @johnrandolph1989
    @johnrandolph1989 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I've got myself a collapsible E-tool for this kind of work, but only because I don't have access to shape charges to blast a hole.

  • @really_dont_know1681
    @really_dont_know1681 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Some of the most miserable days of my life have been spent in the field sitting in my fighting hole during the rain or humid days taking fire watch from balls to 0300

  • @hassamito
    @hassamito 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This was interesting and I like how you told us about the foxholes being like the foxholes ima go watch after I watch this again and then watch the trenches

  • @ArtHoundStudio
    @ArtHoundStudio 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This channel is awesome!

  • @Imnotsmg4bob
    @Imnotsmg4bob 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Foxholes: **actually containing soldiers instead of foxes**
    Me: *Reality is often disappointing.*

    • @RandomHandleLol1738
      @RandomHandleLol1738 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Man, not to sound politically unaware but Fox News has no news about foxes

  • @Adam.Rushing
    @Adam.Rushing 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Good video overall. US Army Infantry from 1997-2000, I have dug a LOT of these things. There is however, a small but rather consequential correction that needs to be mentioned.
    Foxhole's sides go straight up/down, they're not sloped to make the bottom wider as is stated at 1:34.
    Also, there are grenade sumps at each end that are the depth and width of the issued E-Tool. The sides to those go straight up as well - though these were a later addition.
    The straight up and down walls of the foxhole (and grenade sumps) direct the concussive force straight up. If you slope the walls inward as they go up, it is going to concentrate the force at the top and redirect it angling down and back towards the opposite end of the foxhole. You don't want that...you want it to go straight up and out because you're most likely going to be as small as possible at the other end - if you weren't able to jump out.

    • @Lattamonsteri
      @Lattamonsteri 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Could you dig one in 30 minutes? :P It seems like a very short amount of time.

    • @Adam.Rushing
      @Adam.Rushing 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Lattamonsteri In looser soil with no obstructions and two guys, sure. In hard soil, absolutely not. It is very dependent on things like soil type, rocks, tree roots, etc. I have spent several hours (4 I think) digging one (because the captain said it had to be "right there damnit!") and on a separate occasion, 4 of us got together and dug one in less than 15 minutes.
      Also, there are different types of these. The one for the machine gun is dug differently and takes considerably more time...but the one this video is covering is the standard two rifleman foxhole.

    • @Lattamonsteri
      @Lattamonsteri 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Adam.Rushing( when i was a conscript in the finnish army we weren't allowed to dig proper holes because we didn't always practice on the army's own land. I think we got to dig "hasties" or those shallow scrapes though. Dunno what the difference is to a landowner but apparently a proper foxhole ruins the environment and a feet-deep hole is absolutely fine - according to our officers :D but boy was it hard.)
      I guess it's faster to build a 2-person foxhole than 2 foxholes for a single soldier in each? Or is there a more combat-related reason to have more soldiers in a single hole?

    • @Adam.Rushing
      @Adam.Rushing 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@Lattamonsteri I think you're right, one 2-person foxhole would be faster than digging two separate holes...unless we're talking about those hasties you spoke of.
      The Foxhole (for the US Army anyway) is always a 2 person fighting position. There are many reasons for this but a few are:
      Two people can scan/monitor the sector of fire much more efficiently.
      One can sleep/eat/go to the bathroom/etc while the other is on guard and no one need get out of the foxhole.
      If engaged with the enemy and one has a weapon malfunction, the position can still be defended by the other while the malfunction is addressed.
      Twice as many supplies, like ammo/rifles/food, in each fighting position.
      If you get injured, you have someone right there to help, like slapping on a tourniquet.
      A hole is harmful to the environment???? Someone better tell that to all the volcanoes and rivers cutting their way through rock! Sounds like some political garbage to me. Now, I will say that for something like a training ground, we would always fill them back in when we left. This way the next group got to dig theirs and no one accidentally fell into one. In combat, we didn't care, if we moved forward, we usually just left the foxhole as is. This is mainly because we didn't want to take the time to fill them in, also because if we needed to fall back, we had a fighting position already there.
      How long were you in? Most of the conscripts I've talked to it was a 2 year deal.
      I always wanted to make it to Finland, never did though...the closest I got was Holland.

    • @Lattamonsteri
      @Lattamonsteri 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Adam.Rushing The environmental damage may have been just an excuse :D Can't say for sure. We weren't really pressed for time usually, since we stayed overnight at the same position, so that couldn't have been the reason. But who knows :D Sometimes military things don't make sense to a young man who's still just couple of months into training.
      In Finland, if one is chosen for leadership training (they become squad or platoon leader, ranking from corporals to ensign 2nd lieutenants if Google translated the ranks correctly), the service time is 12 months. Some grunts like drivers also stay for 12 months but usually privates only serve 6 months. I was there for 12. And then there are the extra rehearsals but how often, it depends widely, I think.
      Of course after that one can choose to stay in the army as a professional trainer or a peacekeeper for the UN or go to military academy. :P
      I didn't really enjoy being in the leadership training cuz I struggle under pressure, but I liked to be bossed around cuz I was very fit and liked physical exercise back then :D Nowadays I kinda wished I had pursued a military career. :P
      Can you still count with fingers and toes the number of real combat situations you've had or are they so numerous that one loses count?

  • @bruhism173
    @bruhism173 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I'm gonna need this in the near near future.

  • @ArtHoundStudio
    @ArtHoundStudio 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I LOVE THIS CHANNEL!

  • @SuccessforLifester
    @SuccessforLifester 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    1:40 half an hour? I started digging with my buddy at dusk and still could not finish the foxhole by dawn

  • @gradymoxley2925
    @gradymoxley2925 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    "Never share a foxhole with someone braver then you"

  • @liltoaster7308
    @liltoaster7308 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Troops in the Pacific had a rough time with foxholes. In places like Tarawa and Iwo Jima, the loose sand made it hard to dig them. On Cape Gloucester and Okinawa, it rained so much that some men drowned in their holes and on Peleliu, the ground was so had that their shovels snapped before they could try and dig.

  • @arijansaj6530
    @arijansaj6530 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    MAN this is awesome, i learned more history from this in 3 minutes then whole 7 years school.

  • @square1509
    @square1509 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Nice! Howbout you make video about pillboxes?

  • @azj_
    @azj_ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    While me listening to my friend opinion about doing shrimp business after war

  • @piggsy20
    @piggsy20 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Best informative channel on youtube

  • @rangerdave9255
    @rangerdave9255 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Being a Grunt from 72-79 when I got smart and became a Huey Pilot. We took Pioneer tools off jeeps and 2 and 1/2 ton trucks to dig foxholes. Additionally. Our wooden handle etools were better than the aluminum ones issued later that broke easily in rocky soil.

  • @lampssin4593
    @lampssin4593 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    WOOOOHOOO

  • @David-jf3uf
    @David-jf3uf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    “Standard entrenching tool.”
    I think that we call em shovels now a days.

  • @zawisiak3708
    @zawisiak3708 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This video is a nice birthday gift for me, thank you Simple History!

  • @foxkey3194
    @foxkey3194 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    we goin need this soon..

  • @LibertyNOTPoverty
    @LibertyNOTPoverty 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Yea the only way I'm digging 5'×5' hole in 30 minutes , is under fire lololol.

  • @SAJ.deltaYT
    @SAJ.deltaYT 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Now I can say to my history teacher how does trench and foxhole work.

  • @raiman306legends2
    @raiman306legends2 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    2:04 It was called the Pantherthurm

  • @jacobbuxton932
    @jacobbuxton932 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent video

  • @matthewmurtha6523
    @matthewmurtha6523 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Haha you thought you were gonna be first 😂 to many people love this channel so everyone is waiting for there new video

  • @agnosticatheist7634
    @agnosticatheist7634 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    "There are no atheists in foxholes isn t an argument against atheists, its an argument against foxholes"

    • @oliverstransky4254
      @oliverstransky4254 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Man knows how to steal quotes from other man this is what happend to his reputation

  • @NickariusSN
    @NickariusSN 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I see you have improved your animation great video!

  • @ReZnMusic
    @ReZnMusic 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I f****** love this channel!!!!!

  • @astro-jj5tm
    @astro-jj5tm 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    where's hussein??

  • @liamallan3540
    @liamallan3540 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    i love this channel

  • @ezrabrooks12
    @ezrabrooks12 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Good Info.

  • @bravo-six1941
    @bravo-six1941 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video, informative, short, and sweet. No beginning sponsor words too!