Battle of Sokal - 22 June 1941 | Pionier Battalion 51 launches Operation Barbarossa

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  • Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
  • On 22 June 1941, Pionier batallion (Mot.) 51 attacked the bunkers on the heights east of Sokal. In this video, we will take a closer look at how this Engineer battalion spearheaded Operation Barbarossa on the frontline of the 57th Infantry Division. Armed with flamethrowers and explosive charges, and supported by the StuG of StuG-Abteilung 197, the German pioniers managed to capture the Soviet defences one bunker at a time.
    Sources:
    KTB und Anlagen 57. Infanterie Division - 11 Panzer Division - 48 Armee-Korps (mot.). Report by Oberstleutnant Mikosch, dated 30 June 1941.
    Laugier, D. (2022). A l’assault des bunkers de Sokal. Ligne de Front, 95, 29-37.
    www.google.be/...
    Footage :
    Die Deutsche Wochenschau - 20/08/1941 - Nr. 572
    Die Deutsche Wochenschau - 25/06/1941 - Nr. 564

Комментарии • 49

  • @incomitatus
    @incomitatus 11 месяцев назад +21

    My grandmother was born in the Polish town of Sokal in 1925. During the German occupation she worked as a kitchen helper in a small military bakery that baked bread for German troops passing through the town on their way back to Germany on leave.. She emigrated to the states in 1947. In her effects were an identity card with her photo & eye color. Next to her signature was a swastika stamp. We still have it today & had it laminated to protect it. Our family still have relatives over there living on both sides of the border. I wish she was still alive so I could ask about those days.

  • @DanFraser1984
    @DanFraser1984 11 месяцев назад +27

    It’s so great to see you’re uploading again! Thank you for sharing with us!

  • @Chiller11
    @Chiller11 11 месяцев назад +14

    Fascinating episode. In the West the initial stages of Barbarossa are seen as a bit of a walk over. This video illustrates that the Soviet defences, at least in places, was better organized and more tenacious than is widely understood.

  • @LactusTheIntolerant
    @LactusTheIntolerant 11 месяцев назад +21

    All the work that you do, both on and off RUclips, is indeed appreciated, Ace🙏

  • @vitaliiriznyk57
    @vitaliiriznyk57 10 месяцев назад +6

    I live close to Sokal and regularly go for a walk in and around the Sokal forest, which is currently known as "Romanivsky forest". The view from the hights to the East from Sokal and Potorytsia are very nice. Two world wars went through this area. During the First World War, Sokal was first lost by the Austria-Hungary in 1914 and then reconquered again one year later. The Austrians were not able to hit Sokal directly and chose to use double envelopment strategy. They crossed the river to the South and North from the town and captured it. Days later, they fought a bloody battle for the hights 254, 237, and 234. A famous Czech author, Yaroslav Hashek, fought in this area too. Overall, the echo of the wars is still present in Sokal and in the wider area. The bunkers are still there. Some of them are destroyed, the others are in tact. The forests and fields in the area are littered with bullets and pieces of shells.

  • @docdyer
    @docdyer 11 месяцев назад +12

    Superb coverage of the first day of Operation Barbarossa. Excellent map description. Much appreciated Ace!

    • @neilwilson5785
      @neilwilson5785 11 месяцев назад +1

      The importance of Stug to the assault is really apparent here. Mobile artillery in concert with the infantry was very effective.

    • @frenzalrhomb6919
      @frenzalrhomb6919 11 месяцев назад

      @@neilwilson5785 Ahh, the Assault Gun, the idea of General Heinz Guderian.

  • @objectiveopinion1566
    @objectiveopinion1566 11 месяцев назад +12

    Long time no see.
    Very nicely done new video.
    Congrats and thanks !

  • @ColinFreeman-kh9us
    @ColinFreeman-kh9us 11 месяцев назад +3

    Still blown away the Ace Destroyer is back……. That articulate yet smooth voice that you just know is about to re tell some.brutal hellish battle with armor and brave men performing heroic yet violent deeds . It’s like Barry White met WW2 .

  • @gma729
    @gma729 11 месяцев назад +4

    THE GREATEST NARRATION I HAVE EVER HEARD !! MAGNIFICENT !!!! ❤❤❤

    • @TheYeti308
      @TheYeti308 11 месяцев назад

      This Man has the gift of gab .

  • @5kyEye
    @5kyEye 11 месяцев назад +9

    The music seems a bit out of place

  • @gary6300
    @gary6300 11 месяцев назад +8

    Hi buddy, a very interesting video. Keep them coming, mate cheers, Gary 🇬🇧

  • @gregquinn9429
    @gregquinn9429 11 месяцев назад +9

    Great video - really upped your game on the graphics! As a sad additional fact of note, the town of Sokal had 5200 Jews at the onset of war, of which only 30 survived the mass murder.

    • @jackd1582
      @jackd1582 11 месяцев назад +2

      And now ..they revisit those horrors on the Palestinians

    • @Babrbarossa
      @Babrbarossa 11 месяцев назад

      ​@@jackd1582"They" were murdered 80 years ago.

  • @dictatormanjones
    @dictatormanjones 11 месяцев назад +3

    HE'S BACK! THE MAN IS BACK!

  • @Paras_Pertti
    @Paras_Pertti 3 месяца назад

    Thank you for covering these lesser known smaller unit actions during the war. Most documentaries just cover superficially the big events that lasted for months, like operation Barbarossa, giving them detail like this makes those events much more interesting and it really makes one understand how huge these conflicts were.

  • @adamkailani3062
    @adamkailani3062 11 месяцев назад +1

    Thank you!!! ❤🇩🇪

  • @mikaelkarlsson4678
    @mikaelkarlsson4678 11 месяцев назад +5

    tnx :)

  • @coachhannah2403
    @coachhannah2403 11 месяцев назад +3

    Soviets used 45mm AT weaponry at this stage. Germans used 50mm.

  • @jasonshull3106
    @jasonshull3106 11 месяцев назад +3

    Great video, as always. Thanks again.

  • @Xylo58
    @Xylo58 11 месяцев назад +2

    Excellent! Thanks Ace

  • @adoramus
    @adoramus 4 месяца назад

    Fascinating video. Thank you. Greetings from Poland.

  • @kerrydennison7947
    @kerrydennison7947 11 месяцев назад +5

    Good to see you back. How about do one on the American tank ace sgt pools of the 3rd armored division. And Captain Jimmy Leach of the 4th armored division.

  • @thechief043
    @thechief043 8 месяцев назад

    Oh, I didn't even realize you'd uploaded new videos. That's awesome, thank you.

  • @derpitt8788
    @derpitt8788 11 месяцев назад +2

    Sehr beeindruckend!!

  • @warci
    @warci 11 месяцев назад +1

    missed your content, thanks!

  • @WarblesOnALot
    @WarblesOnALot 11 месяцев назад +3

    G'day,
    Yay Team !
    Ah,
    1941...,
    When the German Army
    Knew what it was doing,
    And liked doing it so well,
    That they literally couldn't imagine any
    Opponent failing to be
    Easily overwhelmed,
    By their
    Superior weapons, training, numbers, experience and
    Ideological and
    "Racial"
    Purity...(?).
    So, they were
    Happily
    Doing it,
    Anyway....
    One wonders how many of the
    Germans who fought there, in this
    Battle of Sokal on the Bug ;
    Were still
    Breathing in and out, in
    June 1945,
    And 1955, and then
    Each decade for 70 years...;
    There might even still be one or two alive (?).
    My mother in law, in Duisberg, is 93, but she was 15 at War's end though ; and any Veteran of Sokal would have to be at least 102, or so, today...
    Such is life,
    Have a good one...
    Stay safe.
    ;-p
    Ciao !

  • @batouranger2553
    @batouranger2553 11 месяцев назад +2

    The Germans who fought 1939-1941 were truly elite. These soldiers conquered (west) Europe, one Russian officer says later.
    After many hard battles, most of them were killed or wounded and replaced by fresh recruits. Those were barely better trained than the Russians.

  • @constitutionalist6817
    @constitutionalist6817 11 месяцев назад +4

    cool

  • @thetankcommander3838
    @thetankcommander3838 11 месяцев назад +1

    ACE MY FRIEND!!! Where’ve you been, mate? 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

    • @TheAceDestroyer
      @TheAceDestroyer  10 месяцев назад

      I took a brake to focus on my university studies and my project to identify unknown graves. But, it feels great to be making videos again though!

    • @thetankcommander3838
      @thetankcommander3838 10 месяцев назад

      @@TheAceDestroyer if you need any advice or anything, Ace, let me know. I just graduated myself last year. I’m more than willing to assist.

  • @stephenhunt2806
    @stephenhunt2806 9 месяцев назад

    Thanks for an excellent and succinct account of one of the opening battles of Barbsrossa. Great maps too. I can't open the Google link in the Sources though.

    • @TheAceDestroyer
      @TheAceDestroyer  9 месяцев назад +1

      Thanks! Oh how odd, me neither. It did work when I originally uploaded it. It was a link to a forum with some additional photos and information. The forum must have been taken down or something.

    • @stephenhunt2806
      @stephenhunt2806 9 месяцев назад

      Michiel thanks. Can you recommend any books on this particular battle ?​@TheAceDestroyer

    • @TheAceDestroyer
      @TheAceDestroyer  9 месяцев назад +1

      @@stephenhunt2806 Unfortunately not. I find that most of the books about Barbarossa rarely touch upon small-scale unit actions. There are a few books about Barbarossa, but not about this particular battle. At least, I haven't come across any during my searches.

    • @stephenhunt2806
      @stephenhunt2806 9 месяцев назад

      @TheAceDestroyer OK thanks anyway and keep up the great work!

  • @blitzy3244
    @blitzy3244 9 месяцев назад

    No wonder the infantry guys adored the Stug.

  • @Stripedbottom
    @Stripedbottom 11 месяцев назад +2

    How exactly does one erect a trench?

  • @duncancurtis5108
    @duncancurtis5108 7 месяцев назад

    Fortress of War starts the same day.

  • @MoonBerryShrimp
    @MoonBerryShrimp 11 месяцев назад +2

    No wonder they lost the town, the NKVD Border Guards were holed up in a McDonalds the whole time

  • @francescasilvia9799
    @francescasilvia9799 10 месяцев назад

    *Promo SM*

  • @JuanPerez-vv5lk
    @JuanPerez-vv5lk 11 месяцев назад +3

    how come did the nazi was in the border of Ukraine when the soviets had half of Poland ?

  • @Whatisthisstupidfinghandle
    @Whatisthisstupidfinghandle 11 месяцев назад +4

    Welcome back !
    Bunkers. AT ditches. It looks well set up. But they don’t seem to have use AT guns, only AT rifles. The Stugs seemed to be effective at suppressing the bunkers