It's pretty unfair to not mention Balthasar Woll. Woll was Wittmann's gunner. While Wittmann commanded the tank and the platoon, Woll was laying the gun expertly scoring hit after hit. Wittmann commanded the tank with a strong sense of situational awareness to put Woll in just the right places to rack up kills. They were a killer team.
Wouldn't it be cool if Wittman and Woll lived long enough to see the first MBTs and modern tank technology like turret stabilization? Just like one of the Wright brothers lived to see their invention modernised.
Yeah, it would be interesting to hear about the dynamic among the entire crew. The driver as well needed to be quite well suited to the crew to pull off those daring maneuvers. Maybe a follow up documentary.
@@dankovac1609 …. I might be wrong…. But I think the Sherman (later models 43-45ish) had stability on the main guns…even slightly remember hear a tanker talk about it… saying that they had it but they weren’t trained to use it… the channel The Chieftain has a lot about tanks… btw
@@ryanotte6737 yep, the drivers were also critical in German tanks - especially later in the war when the tanks suffered from gearbox issues due to the weight of the heavier tanks. Drivers who could drive with mechanical sympathy kept their tanks going when others broke down in critical moments. Bad drivers killed their crews.
This guy was remarkable, but as a former main gun loader on an M551A Sheridan, I speak from experience when I state a great tank crew is a team that works as a single unit. Wittman couldn't have accomplished what he did without a tightly coordinated crew effort.
If u ever get a chance, read the book, "Tigers in the Mud" by: Otto Carrius as well as Panzer Commander by Hans Von Luck Both amazing books, but I enjoyed Hans book immensely. Von luck goes from Highschool, to the labor service to military college, the formal officers life, horse drawn artillery tanks, right through France, North Africa, the Eastern Front, DDay, Defense of Berlin, to the fall of the Reich and Captivity in Russian Labor camps. As well as his post war life going back to Russia,, living in the US, meeting Steven A. Ambrose and such.. One of the most amazing books I have ever read. Good luck!! I couldn't put it down.
Wittman may be the face of the tank ace crew, but the crew as the entirety is what turned an otherwise adept commander into an eternal legend. The gunner, B. Woll, handled the gun with expert precision, with the driver maneuvering the tank to a T. The fact that all of those men were in one single crew is what made that crew dozens of times more effective (and valuable) than most others ever would be back then.
Surely Wittman did not have the same gunner in he crew for the entirety of his career and for every mission he was on and in every engagement for years?
It's good to see all the props in the comments to Wittman's crew because as we military men know, combat is a team effort. Game recognize game. No shame in recognizing & respecting your enemy's strength and expertise. As a matter of fact, you're dead if you don't.
By mastering how to firing whilst moving, even though they'd been specifically told not to, they actually changed tank warfare forever. Because whoever can do it has the advantage..
Wittmann did something he learned from commanding Sturmgeschützen. He spun the Tiger on its tracks as he rotated the turret. This action had the effect of speeding up the Tiger's notoriously slow turret traverse speed and undoubtedly surprising his enemies which were trying to outflank the Tiger. Tigers were supposed to avoid rotating the body in place using tracks because it was very possible to de-track the vehicle that way.
@@Theanimeisforme it was on the Matilda II. I'd like to see you walking at around 15mph in fact I'd like to see how far you could run at that speed in full gear. .
Those are T34s though, the can't really do anything to a Tiger tank unless it gets really close. Another story if its a more powerful soviet tank though.
Shout out to Wittmann's crew, they were all hardened aces. Without his excellent crew Wittmann wouldn't be as recognized as he is. However his superb leadership skills really helped bring out their potential. It's a whole combined effort.
The trick is to accept that you are already dead. Nothing left to fear then. The training of SS elite was to make them accept they were already dead, only the day of their death was unknown.
You live for the moment, anything over that is borrowed time. I like a lot of others have been asked what it is like to be in a foxhole. There is no way to explain that to those that have not been there and those that have don't ask as they know.
As a former tanker myself, it’s the whole crew. Everyone is integral. And anyone who’s ever been in a tank in those cramped conditions, it’s an amazing feat. The Germans were outnumbered almost 10-1 in tanks by the Soviets.
The story of Kurt Knispel is a far better one. A guy that outscored all his comrades (including Wittmann), but was never famous because he never joined the party. And he died fighting in his homeland, more specifically in his Königstiger against a huge force of Soviet T-34-85s and IS-2s.
There is a great youtube video with Dr Toppel here on knispel, he interviewed his commander, in this he was told, from Knispel CO, that Kurt was never put up for the Iron Cross, was a decent tanker and no one knew at all how many kills he had. also that Kurt was a good guy but also know as a thief.
@@bigsmoke6189 Let us say Balthasar Woll. He received the KC, when Wittmann received the OL. He was spilled during the war, he suffered for the rest of his life. I would have liked to see him in the 80s, his wife said: "Better not!".
Wittman was for sure an outstanding tank ace. But most people forget about Kurt Knispel, who had roundabout 160 confirmed tank kills and it is possible, that it was up to 200, because he generously gave numbers to comrades of his tank squadron (if it was a combined attack). He was not decorated as much as others, due to is often displayed insubordinately behaviour. He died 4t h of may 1945 near Prague.
Kurt Knispel's CO specifically stated the number was just a number they came up with when Michael Whitmann was rising in popularity and high command asked units for other commanders to propagandise, the reason he wasnt selected was because while he was popular and well liked among the military he had a propensity to steal things from the supply boxes.
That was one of the factors that they did not succeed in stoping Normandie, they had 45 Tigers and without air support, only 6 made it to their destiny! I can imagine his frustration.
Reto - yes, he must have been so frustrated at not being able to destroy the army that was there to liberate the peoples from the murderous regime he supported.
@@heroscapewarrior4217 So what? Wee can have movies about WW2 Soviet servicemembers, but not about their German counterparts? There is no reason for that kind of double-standard.
@@Siddich A smaller-sized Brock Lesnar, then? To handle that many shells as heavy as those used by the KwK 36 in such a comparatively short time, and for that many days, you'd need to be quite beefy and have to stamina to go with it.
Basically, no soldier is a bad soldier for their duty is to serve, expand and protect their country. Very nice documentary thanks for sharing this with the world.
Some things to keep in mind tank combat is a combination of many factors including things like logistics, manufacturing capabilities, design, leadership, and other factors. While the T-34 was an excellent design in many regards it had serious flaws. It was very slow to load due to space constraints and required the gun to be elevated to load, this resulted in a slow rate of fire. The Russians were taught mass manufacturing techniques by American mass production experts but they did not manufacture to great tolerances and the T-34 suffered from reliability issues as well as poor weatherproofing thus with heavy rain the ammunition got wet and was also unreliable. The Germans suffered as much from manufacturing faults as well but they over-engineered tanks and the production was slowed and the parts were not designed for mass production and often were not easily interchangeable. While the Sherman is much-maligned it came in waves and was very reliable. The Germans could destroy 10 Shermans and there were 100 to take their places. And armies became much more reliant on anti-tank guns to destroy tanks than the actual tank on tank warfare. The Sherman was actually designed as an infantry support weapon. Tank on tank battles became less frequent with the further adoption of man-portable anti-tank weapons. It is often overlooked that the Russians had thousands of US-supplied Ford trucks for logistics while the Germans were often using horse-drawn wagons to supply their tanks. It is the composite of an army's capabilities that contribute to who wins tank battles vs single tank capabilities or leadership. The US ability to destroy the less advanced German logistics systems resulted in so many abandoned German tanks due to no fuel. And the complete air dominance of the Allies also contributed to the logistics breakdown of the Germans.
Mellentin F. V. "Tank Battles 1939-1945: The Combat Use of Tanks in the Second World War." "In addition, the technical equipment of the Russian troops meets their needs. Cars are characterized by minimal weight, and their dimensions are maximally reduced. Horses in the Russian army are hardy and do not require much maintenance. The Russians do not need to carry with them those huge supplies that fetter the actions of troops in all Western armies." "... It is typical for the Russians that their tank divisions have much less vehicles than the tank formations of the Western powers. It would be wrong to explain this by insufficient production of automobiles in the USSR, since even rifle divisions with horse-drawn carts have a small number of horses and carts." "... This lack of motor vehicles leads to important tactical and psychological consequences. Since the number of vehicles in a motorized division among the Russians is much less than in the same formations of the Western armies, the Russian division is more mobile. Such a division is easier to manage, easier to camouflage and transport by rail." "... So a small number of regular vehicles gives the Russians an important advantage. The Russian high command understands well the mindset of the Russian soldier and manages to use the latter's shortcomings in such a way that they become his strength."
Kind of yes and no on that. Experienced tank commanders would sometimes coordinate turret traverse with turning the body of the tank so the gun could be more quickly rotated towards a new target. This is particularly useful in kind of scraps that Wittmann got his tank into because he kept charging into target rich environments. Firing on the move requires some significant coordination between driver and gunner and that coordination goes through the tank commander. Gunner doesn't give move orders to driver.
It's not just the gunner. Commander brings the situation to the other crew, driver positions and moves the tank on the order of commander, gunner shoots on the order of the commander that has picked the targts unless some kind of fire at will order has been given. Loader makes it possible to fire faster. My point is there is a lot more than just gunner or commander (Wittmann) to do with the success of his tank unit. It's the amazing all 5 of the crew that were experts in tank warfare in their era.
Bobby Woll and the rest of the crew certainly deserve respect and praise, but it was Michael Wittmann's strategy. decisions and elan that brought about such amazing and legendary results.
Truth is you have a Breed of Warrior that stands Tall on either side but them on the losing side are rarely acknowledged reason Why the telling of Michael Whitman his Story Told comes Very much Appreciated Enjoyed.. Thank you.
The tank commander assembles the team. He then lays out his plan of operations for the men he has assembled. Not every member can be a commander. But a good commander can get men to fight as one component.
Him and his crew were buried by the tank and the bodies were exhumed years later . A commander's pistol identified Whittmanns body, They were all reburied at la cambe together. You can still see where 007 brewed up in the field by the side of the OLD N 158 Road.
I think legends supercede a soldiers ideologies. At some point you understand they were fighting for what they believed to be right. And at that point appreciating their military prowess becomes easier. Youre not glamourizing the ideals, just admiring the intelligence, bravery and insight of the man/men behind the decisions, regardless of idelogies or the side they were on.
This tank crew was stuffing awesome,the Gunner must've been a weapon unto himself,the driver obviously was unreal and had super quick reactions, Most definitely a legendary crew......
please see the video i posted where Knispels CO was actually interviewed by Dr Toppel and totally shoots this down, he states clearly Kurt was never put up for the Iron Cross, they had no idea at all how many kills Kurt had and they didnt track that. also kurt whil a nice guy was known as a bit of a thief.
Your talking about a Tiger commander on Eastern front that took out a record number in a one day battle. Even when retreating he kept taking out T34s. Can't remember his name.
Amongst many German uniform suppliers, Hugo boss just made clothes in the forties and his son was the famous designer post war. At least you didn’t say Hugo boss designed Wehrmacht uniforms.
@@PeteCourtier I mean. he did design the SS uniforms. Whitch honestly look fairly similar however the wehrmatchts uniforms went through a helluva a lot more changes than the SS.
It's true Michel was only a farm boy, who spoke often to his best friend and fellow Tiger commander Obersturmfuhrer Helmut Wendorff about farming and animal husbandry etc....and how he wished after the war to run a farm. Oddly though Michel's documentation on him and his paybook Had his occupation as a beer brewer !
Like Sgt York - a young rural farmer from the backwoods of Tennessee who captured over 100 Germans, practically single-handed. It’s when skill, timing, and luck come together.
As Commander of many different tanks Michael Wittman stands out with the tactics he used to put his crew in the best positions for success. His experience as the Commander of a Tiger tank while short lived was outstanding ! As a boy growing up on the farm Wittman had the work ethic few other Commanders at that time had. Maybe Otto Carius is the only other German tank Commander to exceed Wittman. Carius gets less attention because his exploits occurred on the Russian front.
"Finally defeated by canadian tankers" - As if Wittmann were commanding an armored division! In fact, he was there with five or six Tigers, isolated against the Canadian advance, no reconnaissance vehicles or infantry support that's why he fell into the ambush. Sooner or later he would be struck down by his boldness and courage. The numbers say it all: During the war 50,000 Shermans were produced for 6000 Panthers and 1347 Tigers. As if that wasn't enough, the Allied air force destroyed any german vehicle on the roads of Normandy.
I lived around the corner of one of the Canadian tankers in Ontario. Didnt know it when I lived there, wish I did I would have loved to speak to him about it
I doubt the man would have talked about it alot though, usually they keep that to themselves, they dont even tell there family besides maybe a few minor things. God save all those veterans.
@@Sarge80 true, you never know tho ive met vets that dont want to speak of it and ive met vets thay absolutely love talking about it although im sure those guys dont talk about everything they saw but you are right
A man fighting for his country. It’s possible to hate the ideology he fought for but respect the bravery and determination of a true warrior. RIP Michael Wittman
Wittman's stellar performance needs full perspective. Wittman built his kill tally on excellent tactics on frequently unprepared enemy columns, like a hot knife through butter. Wittman improvised well as he went, and learned quickly from his mistakes. Wittman faced generally inferior armor in most engagements, until he met a concerted defense on the way to Caen. (And the new Firefly Tiger-killer). Wittman's career would have been cut short much sooner, had Gen. Patton's call for a light, fast troop support tank been ignored in favor of a better battle tank. American Shermans could not hold their own against the Tiger, and Sherman tankers actually told Allied command they were outgunned by not only firepower but effective distance. The only tactic Shermans could devise against the Tigers was to dispatch five Shermans against one Tiger. While the Tiger finished with the fourth Sherman, the fifth Sherman rushed behind the Tiger to fire at the relatively poorly-armored rear. The bravest tankers on the Western front were the Sherman drivers-- they knew how vulnerable they were, but fought as well as they could against superior German armor. * All hail to effective Allied air support as troops advanced from Normandy. They made a critical difference in defending the beachhead.
You could say that about any attack, the element of surprise is often prefered and I doubt that any column would be "unprepared" Wittmans whole ethos was taking advantage and ruthlessly attacking using the element of surprise, so you cant really say that this is "unfair"
@@mikereynoldsguitar502 Wittman found the Allied columns "frequently" unprepared for his attacks, or he would not have built his reputation so quickly-- if at all. No one suggests Wittman was unfair.
Everywhere you fight you find men that have a knack for battle. Every side of every conflict have produced warriors that just have that special quality that makes them stand out above the rest. If you believe in your cause then you will fight with more courage and bravery.
The comments regarding Wittmann by Jochen Peiper who was his CO on the Eastern Front are revealing. Peiper did not consider him all that bright but said he had eyes like an eagle and was an excellent tactician.
My favorite Tank Ace. I love his battle stories. Even if some are maybe exagerating and no true recording was made of a battle or few of his they still sounded amazing
Michael Whitmann, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Hannibal, Erwin Rommel and countless others are shining examples of the lesson that it is important to learn from your opponents and what they did right, even when they lose the war.
@@4713Caineexcept rommel did not do that, he switched his radio off and outran supply trucks then halted his advance to cry for help. Stop believing his diary as fact.
Wittman and crew got lucky for a while one day. They and the Germans in general never really had s chance. They were outproduced and out supplied until they were broken down starving and without ammo. Then they were crushed.
small subtitle mistake: on 23:03 it actually means "we butchered tanks left and right, tank on tank" (could also mean "tank by tank") at least thats what i think
Wittman's crew and he, you must say they fought for the wrong things but how they fought is impressive and that you should compliment, not his believes, and that is what I made up from this docu, that his fighting style was one that almost nobody would dare to do
I watched another interview with a Russian tank commander in which he said many Russian tanks ran out of ammo and reverted to ramming the German tanks. I said it was very effective.
Only sad part is that they have always recognized fair skin war heroes. Little did they mentioned our Indian soldiers who fought for them at front line in totally adverse conditions and contributed in their win. Ypres had a very little mention about Indian soldiers, it is only few years back did they constructed memorial pillar for recognition of their efforts.
Ever noticed how the Americans venerate General McArthur for the Phillipines Campaign and not every single soldier who fought in it? And that's even after he ran away the first time shouting "I'll be back!" The Generals and commanders get the credits, that's always the way!
It took just 30 seconds to find an error in this video. At 25:20 it says Wittman's unit was renamed the 101st Battalion while fighting in the East. That's not true. The 101st was formed in Belgium and never went East. Wittman was still in the old 13th company on this date. There's another error at 46:06. The animator shows the turret flying an enormous distance from the hull, to recreate a photograph. But in fact the photograph was taken after the hull had been rolled along to get the tracks off. The real situation was that the turret landed beside the hull.
At 09:23 they talk about the StuG 3s "high velocity gun" and clearly show a low veloicity short barrel 75mm in the graphic. The longer barrel StuG 3 Ausf. F would not be introduced until almost a year later in 1942
The 101st SS HPB did move east but only the 1st and 2nd company, the rest of the battalion stayed west with the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte until mid-October, these companies weren't ordered back west until April 1944 under anticipation of an allied invasion of Western Europe. As for Wittman at the time December 6th 1943 while he was still 13th company they were already merged under I SS Panzer Corps as the 101st SS HPB with the 1st SS PD Leibstandarte
@@warrenmilford1329 He was a great man. He wasn't involved with the Nazis at all hence the reason why Wittman is more famous even though Kurt had more confirmed kills as a Commander/Gunner.
I don't expect to see either of them. Because Tiger tanks would be needed. They're too well known for fakes to satisfy the audience. The Australian armour museum could *possibly* supply a working rebuilt Tiger, one day. But nothing less would do.
@@daveybyrden3936 I didn't know there was one here at that armour museum, would love to see it. The still operational one they used in "Fury" was from a British tank museum, theres a doco about it on YT. Also the 'Tiger' they used in "Saving Private Ryan" was an apparently disguised T-34, that appeared quite authentic. So it probably could be done, even if they used the British one in an array of markings to show other tanks in Kurt's unit etc. Also the old SFX trick to show masses of Tigers.
@@daveybyrden3936 I actually think the last tank he used was a Tiger II, probably even more rarer in working order. I believe he was hit whilst in it, and died later from shrapnel wounds to the head.
The Black Baron's Crew "The Driver"- a 12x Drift Racing Champion " The Loader"- a 10x Gold Olympic Weight Lifter "The Gunner"- a 20 years Ballistics Technician " The Commander"- The Black Baron himself
"In attacking Russia, Germany is like an elephant attacking a host of ants. The elephant will kill thousands, maybe millions, but in the end their numbers will overcome him, and he will be eaten to the bone".
To have a commander like that would've been awesome know matter who was doing the shooting. His tactics were Impressive. To take on serious overwhelming odds. He knew his stuff. And he was aggressive.
He want's to be a legend, and he know exactly living legends will be forgoten when the years past by.to be a unforgetable legend he must die.that was the perfect day he knows that he didn't had a chance to win but a great chance to die so he do it. I hope his crew thought the same, otherwise they would have died in vain. one can draw parallels here with manfred von richthofen, who also knew dead legends to live longer he would not have had to fly back then they wanted to flaunt him as a model soldier, i think this is one of the reasons why he sought death
After reading several books on the subject, that day... Wittmann's demise you could say started with several things gone wrong. Wittmann did not have one, his usual crew and there were several delays and some of the Tiger's that were also supposed to join in the attack could not. It was a bad start to a tragic day for him and his crew.
You can do no more than to fight to the death for your people and your country. One country fighting the Yanks,Brits, and Soviet Union. Outside of the Confederate States of America, I can think of no braver soldiers.
This man gets the badass medal in my mind! I’ve been to that cemetery personally, and I gave my respects to the men that died…may they Rest In Peace! I don’t care if they “were on the wrong side” they still deserve respect!!
@@bigcoins2320 He got slaughtered by a shoe maker lmao. pathetic. The guy who scraped Wittman's remains from his tank would have made a better tank commander. Also, Dresden was the best thing that happened in the war. The allied bombers were heroes!!
Hervorragende Dokumentation. Sehr schon animiert und erklärt. Wittmann war zweifellos einer der besten Panzermänner, jedoch hatte der leider oftmals unbeachtete Kurt Knispel noch mehr Abschüsse.
My uncle who raised me was an anti tank gunner for the British in France. He was the fastest they had because he was a chimney sweep. No Mary Poppins there.
I'm sure what you said about chimney sweep and Mary Poppins makes perfect sense In england. Not in America, the greatest country in the universe though.
He and his crew were superiour warriors and for that they should be honored. His tragic and heroic end seams only fitting a man of his caliber. Seams like the basis for a good historical movie.
It's pretty unfair to not mention Balthasar Woll. Woll was Wittmann's gunner. While Wittmann commanded the tank and the platoon, Woll was laying the gun expertly scoring hit after hit. Wittmann commanded the tank with a strong sense of situational awareness to put Woll in just the right places to rack up kills. They were a killer team.
Wouldn't it be cool if Wittman and Woll lived long enough to see the first MBTs and modern tank technology like turret stabilization? Just like one of the Wright brothers lived to see their invention modernised.
Yeah, it would be interesting to hear about the dynamic among the entire crew. The driver as well needed to be quite well suited to the crew to pull off those daring maneuvers. Maybe a follow up documentary.
@@dankovac1609 …. I might be wrong…. But I think the Sherman (later models 43-45ish) had stability on the main guns…even slightly remember hear a tanker talk about it… saying that they had it but they weren’t trained to use it… the channel The Chieftain has a lot about tanks… btw
@@dankovac1609 Woll died in 1996.
@@ryanotte6737 yep, the drivers were also critical in German tanks - especially later in the war when the tanks suffered from gearbox issues due to the weight of the heavier tanks. Drivers who could drive with mechanical sympathy kept their tanks going when others broke down in critical moments. Bad drivers killed their crews.
This guy was remarkable, but as a former main gun loader on an M551A Sheridan, I speak from experience when I state a great tank crew is a team that works as a single unit. Wittman couldn't have accomplished what he did without a tightly coordinated crew effort.
And he knew that, that was why he kept the driver with him for most of the war until he felt he was holding him back from due promotions.
If u ever get a chance, read the book, "Tigers in the Mud" by: Otto Carrius as well as Panzer Commander by Hans Von Luck
Both amazing books, but I enjoyed Hans book immensely. Von luck goes from Highschool, to the labor service to military college, the formal officers life, horse drawn artillery tanks, right through France, North Africa, the Eastern Front, DDay, Defense of Berlin, to the fall of the Reich and Captivity in Russian Labor camps. As well as his post war life going back to Russia,, living in the US, meeting Steven A. Ambrose and such.. One of the most amazing books I have ever read. Good luck!! I couldn't put it down.
Absolutely my friend!!!
@@JackG79 was him to have commanding a modified french tanks to becoming self propelled guns in Normandy?
Please tell more about the Sheridan
Wittman may be the face of the tank ace crew, but the crew as the entirety is what turned an otherwise adept commander into an eternal legend. The gunner, B. Woll, handled the gun with expert precision, with the driver maneuvering the tank to a T. The fact that all of those men were in one single crew is what made that crew dozens of times more effective (and valuable) than most others ever would be back then.
Surely Wittman did not have the same gunner in he crew for the entirety of his career and for every mission he was on and in every engagement for years?
It's amazing how they do everything to belittle German celebrities in World War II. Even Rommel they said he wasn't a good general!
It's good to see all the props in the comments to Wittman's crew because as we military men know, combat is a team effort. Game recognize game. No shame in recognizing & respecting your enemy's strength and expertise. As a matter of fact, you're dead if you don't.
Just like the red baron no one truely hated him every militaty person always pays respect where it is due
You said it brother.
Nope. No respect for evil butchers.
@@Clancy192
Well, it's obvious that you never served your country. What I commented about went clean over your head. 🙄
By mastering how to firing whilst moving, even though they'd been specifically told not to, they actually changed tank warfare forever. Because whoever can do it has the advantage..
So the first tanks did change tank warfare forever
The Matilda gunners were taught to fire on the move.
Wittmann did something he learned from commanding Sturmgeschützen. He spun the Tiger on its tracks as he rotated the turret. This action had the effect of speeding up the Tiger's notoriously slow turret traverse speed and undoubtedly surprising his enemies which were trying to outflank the Tiger. Tigers were supposed to avoid rotating the body in place using tracks because it was very possible to de-track the vehicle that way.
@@howardchambers9679 Well i assume so when the tank moves at a speed of a walking soldier
@@Theanimeisforme it was on the Matilda II. I'd like to see you walking at around 15mph in fact I'd like to see how far you could run at that speed in full gear. .
When 300 enemy tanks can't convince him to abandon his nation, I wonder if anything could.
Kim Jong Un Give freedom to your people scoundrel!
That’s real steadfastness. (Kind of inspiring) 😊
Confidence is an amazing tool!!
The Shoemaker : Allow me to end your career
Those are T34s though, the can't really do anything to a Tiger tank unless it gets really close. Another story if its a more powerful soviet tank though.
Shout out to Wittmann's crew, they were all hardened aces. Without his excellent crew Wittmann wouldn't be as recognized as he is. However his superb leadership skills really helped bring out their potential. It's a whole combined effort.
Truly is, keep the hope high and the aim higher.
Wittman shamelessly MADE UP most of his victories, as real documents demonstrate.
"Hardened aces", ROFL
You can shout to them all you want, but they are all dead and will not hear you.
@@manfredconnor3194 You seem like a fun guy at parties
Shouting out Nazis? Ok...
You can only imagine the thoughts and emotions wittmann and his tank crew would have had, being in
So many life and death tank engagements. Amazing.
The trick is to accept that you are already dead. Nothing left to fear then. The training of SS elite was to make them accept they were already dead, only the day of their death was unknown.
After a while it becomes a non issue as you rack up experience and skills
You live for the moment, anything over that is borrowed time. I like a lot of others have been asked what it is like to be in a foxhole. There is no way to explain that to those that have not been there and those that have don't ask as they know.
I’m sure the meth helped
@@JediMastaObi you do have no idea if Whitman and his crew were on meth
My goodness. That resume dominates. Absolute madlad this Wittman. Keep up the unbiased documentaries. Loved this one!
As a former tanker myself, it’s the whole crew. Everyone is integral. And anyone who’s ever been in a tank in those cramped conditions, it’s an amazing feat. The Germans were outnumbered almost 10-1 in tanks by the Soviets.
That's right. But the Germans were outnumbered so high because the Americans sent tanks to the Sowiets.
It was the other way around at the start of ww2
@@netyimeni169For whom?
Cause the french had a way bigger army, with more and heavier tanks than the germans
The story of Kurt Knispel is a far better one. A guy that outscored all his comrades (including Wittmann), but was never famous because he never joined the party. And he died fighting in his homeland, more specifically in his Königstiger against a huge force of Soviet T-34-85s and IS-2s.
Knispel was not as cool because he wasnt part of the party and was used after the war by the allies as some kind of propaganda.
He died a few minutes from his hometown.
There is a great youtube video with Dr Toppel here on knispel, he interviewed his commander, in this he was told, from Knispel CO, that Kurt was never put up for the Iron Cross, was a decent tanker and no one knew at all how many kills he had. also that Kurt was a good guy but also know as a thief.
ruclips.net/video/pfmilK8D0_Y/видео.html
I wouldn’t say far better, Joachim Peiper is better than both. You just favor him probably because you’re a commie.
Credit needs to go to his gunner.
PRECISELY.
Driver/loader/gunner/Commander= Tank
Did he always have the same gunner tho
@@djscottdog1 yes he was Balthazar "Bobby" Woll an exceptionally talented Gunner .
@@bigsmoke6189 Let us say Balthasar Woll. He received the KC, when Wittmann received the OL. He was spilled during the war, he suffered for the rest of his life. I would have liked to see him in the 80s, his wife said: "Better not!".
This is better than 'Fury' by far
Fury is good ... But if they made a movie about this guy ... Would be fantastic
@@axterix2057 Fury is an american propaganda film
This is definitely more realistic than Fury lol.
@@philippekogler It's a war movie, they're all propaganda films no matter who's making them.
@@philippekogler
Well written.
Wittman was for sure an outstanding tank ace. But most people forget about Kurt Knispel, who had roundabout 160 confirmed tank kills and it is possible, that it was up to 200, because he generously gave numbers to comrades of his tank squadron (if it was a combined attack). He was not decorated as much as others, due to is often displayed insubordinately behaviour. He died 4t h of may 1945 near Prague.
Neither of those numbers are credible "or confirmed'
As a former tank commander and platoon sergeant of tanks, i can say its the entre crew that makes it distinguished.
Kurt Knispel's CO specifically stated the number was just a number they came up with when Michael Whitmann was rising in popularity and high command asked units for other commanders to propagandise, the reason he wasnt selected was because while he was popular and well liked among the military he had a propensity to steal things from the supply boxes.
@@ghost-jesussource: Trust me bro
That was one of the factors that they did not succeed in stoping Normandie, they had 45 Tigers and without air support, only 6 made it to their destiny! I can imagine his frustration.
Reto - yes, he must have been so frustrated at not being able to destroy the army that was there to liberate the peoples from the murderous regime he supported.
Those tin cans made good fireworks show when they blew up
@@kevinpitt2203 still dont care
@@chompchompmaster2885 - Why do you think I care that you don't care?
No you can't...none of us can
They should make movies about Wittmann and Knispel instead of about alien zombies.
Yeah...a N@zi protagonist. The popcorn eaters would gobble that up.
@@drmodestoesq I think he conveniently forgot about the whole n@zi thing lol
@@heroscapewarrior4217 So what? Wee can have movies about WW2 Soviet servicemembers, but not about their German counterparts? There is no reason for that kind of double-standard.
I agree totally.
The Russians did (in a way): ruclips.net/video/_yNZsomWa7U/видео.html
That tank crew was insane. Even in video game terms, their kill streaks are insane.
They keep saying "Whitman was used for Propaganda" Its not "Propaganda" when its true. Its Propaganda when truth is called propaganda.
I bet the British were accusing him of using aimhacks.
Right, I have played Tanks Battlefield games i'm lucky if i get 3 kills, this guys is a legend!!
My salute to Michel Wittman. Thank you Time Line.
It's great to be able to get firsthand accounts from the British and Canadian tank crew that were involved in Wittman's final battle.
Wittman will soon have a chance at revenge on Germany enemies the two English of us and British in ww2
@@GPDermawan what?
@@GPDermawan English Please
what a blessing we get to watch stuff like this for free, thanks to everyone involved
His loader must look like Brock Lesnar, just a beast.
i dont know, if such a thing would fit into a tank
@@Siddich good point, Brock is the tank.
Lesnar Is A: PUNK !!!
@@Siddich A smaller-sized Brock Lesnar, then? To handle that many shells as heavy as those used by the KwK 36 in such a comparatively short time, and for that many days, you'd need to be quite beefy and have to stamina to go with it.
@@Briselance
Adrenaline and Pervatin are helluva drug.
Michael Whitman was simply a great tank commander,he died doing what he did best.
LazerPig skewered Wittman in his video about this
Basically, no soldier is a bad soldier for their duty is to serve, expand and protect their country. Very nice documentary thanks for sharing this with the world.
He went out on his sword a great man no one can deny that.
Despite this being 1 day old, I've watched this documentary before like 12 times.
Great doco! What a brave dude, literally went out guns blazing. If there is a Valhalla he is there.
Yes sir
Black Baron will live forever in the heart of every German
Some things to keep in mind tank combat is a combination of many factors including things like logistics, manufacturing capabilities, design, leadership, and other factors. While the T-34 was an excellent design in many regards it had serious flaws. It was very slow to load due to space constraints and required the gun to be elevated to load, this resulted in a slow rate of fire. The Russians were taught mass manufacturing techniques by American mass production experts but they did not manufacture to great tolerances and the T-34 suffered from reliability issues as well as poor weatherproofing thus with heavy rain the ammunition got wet and was also unreliable. The Germans suffered as much from manufacturing faults as well but they over-engineered tanks and the production was slowed and the parts were not designed for mass production and often were not easily interchangeable. While the Sherman is much-maligned it came in waves and was very reliable. The Germans could destroy 10 Shermans and there were 100 to take their places. And armies became much more reliant on anti-tank guns to destroy tanks than the actual tank on tank warfare. The Sherman was actually designed as an infantry support weapon. Tank on tank battles became less frequent with the further adoption of man-portable anti-tank weapons.
It is often overlooked that the Russians had thousands of US-supplied Ford trucks for logistics while the Germans were often using horse-drawn wagons to supply their tanks. It is the composite of an army's capabilities that contribute to who wins tank battles vs single tank capabilities or leadership. The US ability to destroy the less advanced German logistics systems resulted in so many abandoned German tanks due to no fuel. And the complete air dominance of the Allies also contributed to the logistics breakdown of the Germans.
Not to mention that at a certain point, Germany didn't even have enough fuel anyway...
Battles are won by strategy and tactics. Wars are won with logistics.
Mellentin F. V. "Tank Battles 1939-1945: The Combat Use of Tanks in the Second World War."
"In addition, the technical equipment of the Russian troops meets their needs. Cars are characterized by minimal weight, and their dimensions are maximally reduced. Horses in the Russian army are hardy and do not require much maintenance. The Russians do not need to carry with them those huge supplies that fetter the actions of troops in all Western armies."
"... It is typical for the Russians that their tank divisions have much less vehicles than the tank formations of the Western powers. It would be wrong to explain this by insufficient production of automobiles in the USSR, since even rifle divisions with horse-drawn carts have a small number of horses and carts."
"... This lack of motor vehicles leads to important tactical and psychological consequences. Since the number of vehicles in a motorized division among the Russians is much less than in the same formations of the Western armies, the Russian division is more mobile. Such a division is easier to manage, easier to camouflage and transport by rail."
"... So a small number of regular vehicles gives the Russians an important advantage. The Russian high command understands well the mindset of the Russian soldier and manages to use the latter's shortcomings in such a way that they become his strength."
Otto Carius 150+ tanks destroyed , Kurt Knispel 168, Johannes Bolter 139-144, Michael Witman 138, Martin Schroif 168
22:06 such a shame to not tell the viewers that it's the gunner who is the one able to fire on the move, not the commander of the tank..
Kind of yes and no on that.
Experienced tank commanders would sometimes coordinate turret traverse with turning the body of the tank so the gun could be more quickly rotated towards a new target. This is particularly useful in kind of scraps that Wittmann got his tank into because he kept charging into target rich environments.
Firing on the move requires some significant coordination between driver and gunner and that coordination goes through the tank commander. Gunner doesn't give move orders to driver.
Well they say the gunner does it, at 21:58
It's team work. Not the gunners alone.
I think the gunner and driver were mind readers or possibly identical twins!
It's not just the gunner. Commander brings the situation to the other crew, driver positions and moves the tank on the order of commander, gunner shoots on the order of the commander that has picked the targts unless some kind of fire at will order has been given. Loader makes it possible to fire faster. My point is there is a lot more than just gunner or commander (Wittmann) to do with the success of his tank unit. It's the amazing all 5 of the crew that were experts in tank warfare in their era.
This was the best one yet! Great work.
Bobby Woll and the rest of the crew certainly deserve respect and praise, but it was Michael Wittmann's strategy. decisions and elan that brought about such amazing and legendary results.
Wittmann though one of the greatest men in history didn't drive and fire. Everyone forgets his gunner, he gets no mention.
German knocks out over 60 tanks, gets promoted to 1st LT,
American loses war in Afghanistan gets to be the Joint Chief of Staff. 😂
Lol savage
Responsible of the death of thousand white Americans.... Gets promoted to Joint Chief of Staff
SPOT ON. HE CAN PRACTICE HIS WOCE SPEECH IN THE MIRROR
Hmmm... Good one 🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣
different times different ideologies. Today it's about political control.
Any film makers watching this need to make a movie about this guy. I'd pay to see it 4 times.
Indeed it’d be amazing
Or they should make at least a Netflix series! Using artistic black and white or pale colour and deep fake to make everyone look authentic.
🤔 💬 I think they already did back in 2008. Joseph Fiennes was one of the actors in there.
@@Vanilla-r8t
What movie would that be ?
@@Vanilla-r8t what is the name of the movie?
This reminds me of the days when my near friend was obsessed with playing M1 Tank Platoon. Those were the days.
Wittmann and his all in him crew were great soldiers. No matter the side they have been.
Truth is you have a Breed of Warrior that stands Tall on either side but them on the losing side are rarely acknowledged reason Why the telling of Michael Whitman his Story Told comes Very much Appreciated Enjoyed..
Thank you.
The tank commander assembles the team. He then lays out his plan of operations for the men he has assembled. Not every member can be a commander. But a good commander can get men to fight as one component.
Thank you for a most interesting and informative video! It was riveting.
Like you, I also liked it.
Michael Wittman the movie; a solid blockbuster. Any decent instructor step up to the plate. Millions want to watch it. Global audience guarantied.
Him and his crew were buried by the tank and the bodies were exhumed years later . A commander's pistol identified Whittmanns body, They were all reburied at la cambe together. You can still see where 007 brewed up in the field by the side of the OLD N 158 Road.
I think legends supercede a soldiers ideologies. At some point you understand they were fighting for what they believed to be right. And at that point appreciating their military prowess becomes easier. Youre not glamourizing the ideals, just admiring the intelligence, bravery and insight of the man/men behind the decisions, regardless of idelogies or the side they were on.
Interesting 🤔
This tank crew was stuffing awesome,the Gunner must've been a weapon unto himself,the driver obviously was unreal and had super quick reactions, Most definitely a legendary crew......
There was only one other German panzer ace who far surpassed Wittmann, but sadly he did not meet a ending as impressive as Wittmann.
Kurt Knispel.
ruclips.net/video/pfmilK8D0_Y/видео.html
please see the video i posted where Knispels CO was actually interviewed by Dr Toppel and totally shoots this down, he states clearly Kurt was never put up for the Iron Cross, they had no idea at all how many kills Kurt had and they didnt track that. also kurt whil a nice guy was known as a bit of a thief.
Wittmann was Better he defaeted 18 Tanks in a Single day
Far surpassed??? No lol
Your talking about a Tiger commander on Eastern front that took out a record number in a one day battle. Even when retreating he kept taking out T34s. Can't remember his name.
Hugo boss makes the best uniforms.
😂
Okay that was a
funny call out
Amongst many German uniform suppliers, Hugo boss just made clothes in the forties and his son was the famous designer post war. At least you didn’t say Hugo boss designed Wehrmacht uniforms.
@@PeteCourtier I mean. he did design the SS uniforms. Whitch honestly look fairly similar however the wehrmatchts uniforms went through a helluva a
lot more changes than the SS.
@@Toxicrabbit141 he didn’t design any uniforms. He was a uniform contractor. It’s an apocryphal tale.
@@PeteCourtier
Yes, but still... "We are evil. But damn, do we look good."
Some just has somewhat unnatural talent at what they do. And Wittmann was originally a farmer boy.
It does not matter what you begin life as, it only matters what you become. Like this man, the most legendary tank ace in history...
Even himmler was a farmer
It's true Michel was only a farm boy, who spoke often to his best friend and fellow Tiger commander Obersturmfuhrer Helmut Wendorff about farming and animal husbandry etc....and how he wished after the war to run a farm.
Oddly though Michel's documentation on him and his paybook Had his occupation as a beer brewer !
Like Sgt York - a young rural farmer from the backwoods of Tennessee who captured over 100 Germans, practically single-handed. It’s when skill, timing, and luck come together.
Like Major Richard Winters, who grew up on a farm and later owned his own farm after WW2 ended.
As Commander of many different tanks Michael Wittman stands out with the tactics he used to put his crew in the best positions for success. His experience as the Commander of a Tiger tank while short lived was outstanding ! As a boy growing up on the farm Wittman had the work ethic few other Commanders at that time had. Maybe Otto Carius is the only other German tank Commander to exceed Wittman. Carius gets less attention because his exploits occurred on the Russian front.
"Finally defeated by canadian tankers" - As if Wittmann were commanding an armored division! In fact, he was there with five or six Tigers, isolated against the Canadian advance, no reconnaissance vehicles or infantry support that's why he fell into the ambush. Sooner or later he would be struck down by his boldness and courage. The numbers say it all: During the war 50,000 Shermans were produced for 6000 Panthers and 1347 Tigers. As if that wasn't enough, the Allied air force destroyed any german vehicle on the roads of Normandy.
He was the greatest tank commander of all time. His stats, achievements, tank handling, and crew management skills were so impressive.
He was responsible for murder
No Zvika Greengold was better
007, licensed to kill. The superb TIMELINE "cover" illustration/montage literally couldn't be better.
Excellent show. Thankyou.
I lived around the corner of one of the Canadian tankers in Ontario. Didnt know it when I lived there, wish I did I would have loved to speak to him about it
I doubt the man would have talked about it alot though, usually they keep that to themselves, they dont even tell there family besides maybe a few minor things. God save all those veterans.
@@Sarge80 true, you never know tho ive met vets that dont want to speak of it and ive met vets thay absolutely love talking about it although im sure those guys dont talk about everything they saw but you are right
This video answered so many of the questions I have had regarding the german helmets. Thank you.
Replying to Denis CleaverThe German helmet was the best in the world That is why all armies in the world are copying them to this day
A great tank commander of an excellent crew.
A man fighting for his country. It’s possible to hate the ideology he fought for but respect the bravery and determination of a true warrior. RIP Michael Wittman
He fought for his Homeland, not the ideology, just like we did, the Croats!
Fckn allies...
Nice documentary - almost like a movie, combining animation and photos.
Thanks for giving wonderful worthy documentary
Wittman's stellar performance needs full perspective. Wittman built his kill tally on excellent tactics on frequently unprepared enemy columns, like a hot knife through butter. Wittman improvised well as he went, and learned quickly from his mistakes.
Wittman faced generally inferior armor in most engagements, until he met a concerted defense on the way to Caen. (And the new Firefly Tiger-killer).
Wittman's career would have been cut short much sooner, had Gen. Patton's call for a light, fast troop support tank been ignored in favor of a better battle tank. American Shermans could not hold their own against the Tiger, and Sherman tankers actually told Allied command they were outgunned by not only firepower but effective distance.
The only tactic Shermans could devise against the Tigers was to dispatch five Shermans against one Tiger. While the Tiger finished with the fourth Sherman, the fifth Sherman rushed behind the Tiger to fire at the relatively poorly-armored rear.
The bravest tankers on the Western front were the Sherman drivers-- they knew how vulnerable they were, but fought as well as they could against superior German armor.
* All hail to effective Allied air support as troops advanced from Normandy. They made a critical difference in defending the beachhead.
An Ace on the Eastern front and fair game on the Western front.
Fury much?
Oh yes, 7:21
18 Soviet T34 vs 1 Sturmgeschütz III (INFERIOR ARMOR - no tiger, eh)
you're saying about perspective?
You could say that about any attack, the element of surprise is often prefered and I doubt that any column would be "unprepared" Wittmans whole ethos was taking advantage and ruthlessly attacking using the element of surprise, so you cant really say that this is "unfair"
@@mikereynoldsguitar502 Wittman found the Allied columns "frequently" unprepared for his attacks, or he would not have built his reputation so quickly-- if at all. No one suggests Wittman was unfair.
Check out Kurt Knispel with over 160 Tank kills , very interesting too !
Wittman was a great tank commander.
This cat wittman… was just Amazing. Like damn the torpedoes…
Nah bro he was a tank commander not a cat...and he used tank shells not torpedoes
Outstanding video and presentation.
Everywhere you fight you find men that have a knack for battle. Every side of every conflict have produced warriors that just have that special quality that makes them stand out above the rest. If you believe in your cause then you will fight with more courage and bravery.
Another amazing Timeline documentary.
Probably more historical errors than the movie 'Braveheart' and you think this was amazing???. What school did you study History?
The comments regarding Wittmann by Jochen Peiper who was his CO on the Eastern Front are revealing. Peiper did not consider him all that bright but said he had eyes like an eagle and was an excellent tactician.
Peiper was a demigod amongst mere mortals, I trust his assessment.
Hmm piper couldn't have been that bright living in france after the war and been killed in house fire .. his reputation preceded him ..
@@franzreiche5433 I smell a braun shirt.
Peiper was put down like the dog that he was, by French patriots
🥂🍾 Nice one
@@LeePenn2492 French communists found out he lived there. Painted SS runes on his road.
My favorite Tank Ace. I love his battle stories. Even if some are maybe exagerating and no true recording was made of a battle or few of his they still sounded amazing
I can admire skill wherever I see it and isolate the gruesome and grotesque in another box. I'm awesome at that.
Michael Whitmann, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Hannibal, Erwin Rommel and countless others are shining examples of the lesson that it is important to learn from your opponents and what they did right, even when they lose the war.
What, charge forward and outrun your support and your logistics?
@@williamchamberlain2263 yes. trading logistical needs for speed, then beating the enemy using his own supplies.
@@4713Caineexcept rommel did not do that, he switched his radio off and outran supply trucks then halted his advance to cry for help. Stop believing his diary as fact.
@@tripwire3992 I meant stonewall Jackson
Respect for Wittmann for his skill as tank commander but this was a essentially an outstanding crew.
Wittman and crew got lucky for a while one day. They and the Germans in general never really had s chance. They were outproduced and out supplied until they were broken down starving and without ammo. Then they were crushed.
small subtitle mistake: on 23:03 it actually means "we butchered tanks left and right, tank on tank" (could also mean "tank by tank") at least thats what i think
Correct "Panzer auf Panzer" - "Tank on Tank"
It's no mistake. They translated it right.
German here
The best documentaries EVER !!!!!!!
This was good now am hooked to this channel.
Wittman's crew and he, you must say they fought for the wrong things but how they fought is impressive and that you should compliment, not his believes, and that is what I made up from this docu, that his fighting style was one that almost nobody would dare to do
No doubt if this is made into a film the yanks will take the glory for it as always
I watched another interview with a Russian tank commander in which he said many Russian tanks ran out of ammo and reverted to ramming the German tanks. I said it was very effective.
tolle Doku. Danke. Thanks an hug for that Video.
Very impressive. The amount of material and data collected for this video.
Only sad part is that they have always recognized fair skin war heroes. Little did they mentioned our Indian soldiers who fought for them at front line in totally adverse conditions and contributed in their win. Ypres had a very little mention about Indian soldiers, it is only few years back did they constructed memorial pillar for recognition of their efforts.
should also credit his gunner not him alone
Ever noticed how the Americans venerate General McArthur for the Phillipines Campaign and not every single soldier who fought in it? And that's even after he ran away the first time shouting "I'll be back!" The Generals and commanders get the credits, that's always the way!
It took just 30 seconds to find an error in this video.
At 25:20 it says Wittman's unit was renamed the 101st Battalion while fighting in the East. That's not true. The 101st was formed in Belgium and never went East. Wittman was still in the old 13th company on this date.
There's another error at 46:06. The animator shows the turret flying an enormous distance from the hull, to recreate a photograph. But in fact the photograph was taken after the hull had been rolled along to get the tracks off. The real situation was that the turret landed beside the hull.
At 09:23 they talk about the StuG 3s "high velocity gun" and clearly show a low veloicity short barrel 75mm in the graphic. The longer barrel StuG 3 Ausf. F would not be introduced until almost a year later in 1942
The 101st SS HPB did move east but only the 1st and 2nd company, the rest of the battalion stayed west with the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte until mid-October, these companies weren't ordered back west until April 1944 under anticipation of an allied invasion of Western Europe. As for Wittman at the time December 6th 1943 while he was still 13th company they were already merged under I SS Panzer Corps as the 101st SS HPB with the 1st SS PD Leibstandarte
How did it take u 30 seconds if the first error was 25 min in?
@F. Friedrich Kling Hauss Thank you!
@@drsgme69 the largest tank battle in history was at Dubno-Brody
People want a Michael Wittman movie, I want a Kurt Knispel movie.
Me too. I think it would be much more interesting, from what I've read about him.
@@warrenmilford1329 He was a great man. He wasn't involved with the Nazis at all hence the reason why Wittman is more famous even though Kurt had more confirmed kills as a Commander/Gunner.
I don't expect to see either of them. Because Tiger tanks would be needed. They're too well known for fakes to satisfy the audience.
The Australian armour museum could *possibly* supply a working rebuilt Tiger, one day. But nothing less would do.
@@daveybyrden3936 I didn't know there was one here at that armour museum, would love to see it. The still operational one they used in "Fury" was from a British tank museum, theres a doco about it on YT. Also the 'Tiger' they used in "Saving Private Ryan" was an apparently disguised T-34, that appeared quite authentic. So it probably could be done, even if they used the British one in an array of markings to show other tanks in Kurt's unit etc. Also the old SFX trick to show masses of Tigers.
@@daveybyrden3936 I actually think the last tank he used was a Tiger II, probably even more rarer in working order. I believe he was hit whilst in it, and died later from shrapnel wounds to the head.
The Black Baron's Crew
"The Driver"- a 12x Drift Racing Champion
" The Loader"- a 10x Gold Olympic Weight Lifter
"The Gunner"- a 20 years Ballistics Technician
" The Commander"- The Black Baron himself
Do you have names of these people besides the Gunner, Woll?
I really like the 3D animation when compared to the real life black and white photos. nice touch
Rommel, you bastard..I read your book...best line in the movie..Patton..
Patton was a very good general but a nasty piece of work. Anti semetic was only one of his failings. Boastful, and a bully too.
Except Rommel had already left Africa by the time US armored divisions fought the Afrika Korps.
The Wittman scenario in Memoir 44 is my favorite.
I read the book years ago! Great video!
Great video. Thanks
The tiger was such a powerful beast
"In attacking Russia, Germany is like an elephant attacking a host of ants. The elephant will kill thousands, maybe millions, but in the end their numbers will overcome him, and he will be eaten to the bone".
To have a commander like that would've been awesome know matter who was doing the shooting. His tactics were Impressive. To take on serious overwhelming odds. He knew his stuff. And he was aggressive.
Inb4 reddit historians “AKCHUALLY” and then proceeds to talk about an issue 0.1% of all tigers had.
I must it be a German Soldier in a past life, because I get really excited about all this amazing histories of war.
lmao what you said has no sense.
@@spygineer1076 xd
Wittman died easy.
Still, I believe enough that Wittman knew he would die on that field.
He want's to be a legend, and he know exactly living legends will be forgoten when the years past by.to be a unforgetable legend he must die.that was the perfect day he knows that he didn't had a chance to win but a great chance to die so he do it. I hope his crew thought the same, otherwise they would have died in vain. one can draw parallels here with manfred von richthofen, who also knew dead legends to live longer he would not have had to fly back then they wanted to flaunt him as a model soldier, i think this is one of the reasons why he sought death
After reading several books on the subject, that day... Wittmann's demise you could say started with several things gone wrong. Wittmann did not have one, his usual crew and there were several delays and some of the Tiger's that were also supposed to join in the attack could not. It was a bad start to a tragic day for him and his crew.
You can do no more than to fight to the death for your people and your country. One country fighting the Yanks,Brits, and Soviet Union. Outside of the Confederate States of America, I can think of no braver soldiers.
I think he accepted that that would be his fate. He accomplished great achievements but for unworthy masters. Still he was a great warrior
"died easy"
He was always marked not to see the end of the war
Only the dead have seen the end of war - Plato
This man gets the badass medal in my mind! I’ve been to that cemetery personally, and I gave my respects to the men that died…may they Rest In Peace! I don’t care if they “were on the wrong side” they still deserve respect!!
For assisting in murdering Jews they deserve war crime trials
Joe Ekins turned Michael Shittman into mush. LOL.
@@ottomocus8722 turned more yanks and slavs into mush though LOL!
@@bigcoins2320 He got slaughtered by a shoe maker lmao. pathetic. The guy who scraped Wittman's remains from his tank would have made a better tank commander.
Also, Dresden was the best thing that happened in the war. The allied bombers were heroes!!
Hervorragende Dokumentation. Sehr schon animiert und erklärt.
Wittmann war zweifellos einer der besten Panzermänner, jedoch hatte der leider oftmals unbeachtete Kurt Knispel noch mehr Abschüsse.
My uncle who raised me was an anti tank gunner for the British in France. He was the fastest they had because he was a chimney sweep. No Mary Poppins there.
@tom allen Well Tom, you likely killed men on either side of my uncle. He said men died on either side of him. Must have been you.
I'm sure what you said about chimney sweep and Mary Poppins makes perfect sense In england. Not in America, the greatest country in the universe though.
@@thelegion3682 then you must not be too smart, made perfect sense
@@PK__44 yeeeeeaaahh. Maybe THATS... What it is.... 😒
I thought Mary Poppins flew around with an umbrella 🌂 🤔
In war and in peace there are certain people who have greatness in their blood!
He and his crew were superiour warriors and for that they should be honored. His tragic and heroic end seams only fitting a man of his caliber. Seams like the basis for a good historical movie.
Yes it would but modern political culture would not allow it al all!
Interesting documentary, always fun learning something new.
I am very heartened by the comment section, separating the context of ideology and importance of history.