I have watched this video clip for over 40 years now, and this is the first time that I have had someone explain where and how this all took place. You do an excellent job with this channel and I love it!!
Oh cool, glad I was able to add some context to it. The footage has always intrigued me and the photos asscoiated with it. The first time I visited the ite in 2014 I was amazed to see how little it had changed from the war. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this, its my next stop when again in belgium, never really explored the ww2 sites, I know that sounds odd on this channel mainly ww1, BUT I always have that image of the mg42 gunner with the smoke, Since I was kid so over 40 years, Gonna have to stop here and definitely visit
Minor point: the war reporters were not assigned to Hansen. The photographer was Max Büschel and the camaraman was called Schäfer. They accompanied Knittel's Stabskompanie (HQ Company) and arrived at the scene after the skirmish (it wasn't an ambush) was over. Knittel met with Hansen in Recht to discuss their situation and Büschel and with their men loitering around on the road between Recht and Poteau, the reporters too the opportunity to stage some action scenes. Initially with men from the Stabskompanie (the lightly equipped men in the early photos and footage) then with some of Hansen's grenadiers (the guys with the heavy equipment). Meanwhile Knittel was ordered to link up with Peiper in Stavelot so they doubled back to Kaiserbaracke and the reporters went with them.
It was an ambush, but the footage was taken after the ambush itself. It was probably a turkey-shooting on retreating americans. You know that the allies suffered more casualties than the germans in the battle of the bulge? Hollywood-made series like Band of Brothers do not depict the reality as it was.
That Waffen SS soldier with the ammunition around his neck and the pointed nose is literally in every stock photo or footage in just about every WWII program I have seen! They use him over and over again! My grandfather was up against Peiper, so don't know much of this group. Thank you for this.
He is one of the most iconic faces of the battle of the bulge. Supposedly, his name was given to one of the museum's in the area by his decedent's. The museum is not divulging the name of the soldier. Many theories of who he was. Hans Tragarsky is the name that comes up the most.
@@RickJZ1973 its not Tragasky. I have his BDC file. The real Tragarsky looked nothing like him and served in an artillery unit attached to Kampfgruppe Sandig (not Hansen). He's not Walter Armbrust either (one of the other names which often pop up).
From 7:40, in a brief clip, we see the face of one of the SS soldiers. To me, he has a very staring, unblinking gaze. I wonder if this is the "1000 Yard stare" of combat, or lack of sleep, or even the affect of amphetamines. As the in-situ force, the Americans had billets and HQ's, etc., but the Germans had to eat and sleep on the move, constantly fighting, so even only 48 hours into the offensive they must have been suffering the effects of sleep deprivation and lack of food. Without reserves, surely it was inevitable that the would run out of steam long before the could achieve their objectives. There's nothing like sleep deprivation for weakening a man, his resolve as well as his abilities. I never hear this aspect of the battle and its affect on the outcome discussed.
They all look so badass in that footage and the photos they were just a bunch of hard young men looking for a fight I know they were our enemy but you got to respect how tough and how fierce they were they all were hardened combat vets at that point in time
That's me ! Hello Gerhard ! They should have definitely come and ask me some questions, I would have give them more information. I think I still have the email of the previous owners of the museum. They have all the information this channel needs about this specific battle. They studied it their whole life, pretty much.
@@manumanu4991 Hello Manu, yes, it is your garden where it is all about. Yeah, I am fine. Would be nice to visit you again and read some or all of that information. Maybe you can do something with that Info for ww2 tourists so that they can still know more about what happened where you live.
Thank you for watching and I’m glad it helped give you an understanding of what took place and why. Like you for years I saw this footage and knew it was the Ardennes but didn’t know where so was really pleased to visit it for the first time several years ago.
Very interesting. I'm read many books on this battle and the circumstances that led up to it. These photos and videos I'm see many times, so it's nice to now know exactly where they were taken. Great program. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! It's a fascinating action given the coverage from the German point of view and the work done in the 1970's by the After the Battle team really help to piece it all together. I also like how for the most part the area has remained unchanged in the past 79 years.
They’re amazing images aren’t they. It’s an amazing spot to visit given how largely unchanged that whole area is as well. Glad you enjoyed the episode!
I love this footage and the soldier named was I believe was Hans or Karl but it looked so cool with the mg42 belt links around his neck, the cigarette in his mouth, the knife in his chest pocket, and the way he's holding a captured browning pistol is a very catching photo.
It’s an iconic photo isn’t it. I first saw it years ago and was drawn to that whole series of photos so it’s been great to be able to visit the actual location. And also nice to see it remains largely as it was in 1944
There is/was a small museum there that offered a short area tour in an original American halftrack. We visited it in ‘07 when we brought our Bulge veteran Dad (11th U.S. Armored Div) in the hopes of putting him back in the type vehicle in which he crossed NW Europe. Sadly, the ground was too wet for the vehicle to operate, so we settled w/a pic of the old warrior in it.
Sadly it’s no longer there but I know of the one you mean although I never got to visit it I have a lot of friends that did and said it was amazing! Glad your Father got revisit his old battleground and you were able to go with him. I bet it was an incredible experience!
We called it the ‘Trip of a Lifetime.’ Last stop was Mauthausen, which the 11th liberated on 5 May 45. Dad wanted to see it again, and we are grateful we made it happen.
Nice! Sadly the museum has closed down now. I never had the chance to visit it but heard it was exceptional and who doesn’t want a tour in a half track?!!!!
@@WW2Wayfinder Gosh! I am surprised it closed down. The owner was very enthusiastic, and was the driver/commentator for the 1/2 track tour. There was also a Sherman and other vehicles there.
It’s a shame as I’d heard excellent things about it. A lot of people I know who had been touring the Ardennes for years said it was the best museum in the region.
@@WW2Wayfinder Blessings friend. My grandfather was wounded during the Ardennes counteroffensive. He carried the scars and shrapnel with him the rest of his days.
Thank you Rick! It’s a great place to visit and very atmospheric. In the woods opposite the road are foxholes too which are always interesting to look around!
Thank you for this short but very informative video. As a European born ex-military (Para) the old black & white footage gave a completely different perspective until you see the locations in their natural color and environment.
You're most welcome. The comparison between the wartime footage and today is stark! It's a great location though especially given how little it's changed over the years.
What an excellent video, I had always seen this footage and photos, but I had no idea that they had taken place in this place, thank you very much for sharing.
I wonder if the small museum near the center of the village is still open? Last I recall he had a running Jagdpanzer in his collection. Essentially he turned a barn into a museum. There’s a few other incredible things that happened there during the battle that were interesting.
@@WW2Wayfinder I remember when he was restoring that and finally got it running, that was one happy farmer! Lol. And that’s a tough vehicle to find to begin with!
Very interesting. As a collector of 1/6 scale figures, a number of the SS pictured have been issued by DML over the years; Facepool have released the 'soldier with no name' which outshines the DML release in every way.
Oh cool. I have a couple, one random Fallschirmjäger and the Forrest Guth figure released years ago. I’ll have a look for those companies though, thank you!
This was a great episode! I served with the 14th from Dec. of 1964 to June of 67 (in Fulda Germany) and this part of the history of the unit was never mentioned. You always put out great episodes.
Another excellent video. Of particular interest to me and of much use as I'm currently working on a 1/35th scale diorama of this action. It's given me a better idea of the height of the road, pespective etc. It's taking forever to build due to the amount of vehicles involved before I even start on the figures!
Once it's finally completed I'll email some pics to you. I'm working from the footage taken by the German propaganda cameraman for the positions of vehicles etc so not the easiest of tasks haha...@@WW2Wayfinder
Thank you so much for this 🙏 I've always adored these images and film from that ambush .Thank you truly.Is there any more to learn about those soldiers? What happened to the mystery man I want to know
This sort of disaster is why recon is so important ahead of a movement, this was a gross failure in leadership to get caught on a route march and shot up like this.
@@WW2Wayfinder I totally get it, just speaking from my experience as an armored cavalry scout, one of my most important jobs was to make sure disasters like that didn't happen. That things were so fluid would be a hint that you REALLY needed recon out front. Of course the Germans also had several disastrous meeting engagements like this where they were on the losing end of the fight, hence why the US Army still studies these lessons to this day.
@@howardgleaveok? They fought half of the world and like it or not, the allies suffered greater casualties than the germans in 1944, despite the germans being low on all kinds of supply. This is not”band of brothers” or other cocky american war movies depicting their enemies as dumb rabbits.
nice video as usual!! Are you coming to the Netherlands again? I had already seen a few videos of you here in the Netherlands, but if you come back again, I would like to join you for a day to learn and experience it. I'm just starting out myself, and I get a lot of knowledge from your videos!!
I've not found any as of this moment but I'll confess I haven't searched too hard as I've always been more interested in the propoganda footage taken by the Germans and how they manipulated the situtation for the cameras.
When I first went to Poteaux over 40 years ago I had a British periodical called After the Battle. The author identified that area through use of a number of aerial photos taken during an after the battle. All if the destroyed and disabled vehicles could clearly be seen in the field and on the road. The “clincher” in identifying the exact spot was the iconic while birch tree clearly visible at the bend in the road going in the direction of Recht where German troops were running across the road. One apparently smiling contributing to the theory these shots were all staged for propaganda purposes. The birch was still there on my first visit but was gone on subsequent visits. Perhaps taken out by a vehicle accident. The cut off stump however could clearly be found level with the ground by poking around in the grass by the side of the road. Great video!
Thank you! It's a same the iconic barn has now broken and collapsed as on my first visit it was still standing strong but time has marched on sadly. I do love however that there is no new builds there so it still largely retains it's wartime view.
@@WW2Wayfinder Yes. The beauty of the Ardennes is that they can really do a great Battle of the Bulge movie without having to special sets. The 60/70s movie Battle if the Bulge was a travesty and should be redone with real names places and real scenes
Paul thank you that’s very kind of you to say! It’s always intrigued me having seen the footage years ago so always good to visit the site. When I read about how the Germans filmed it and how staged it was given the direction in which they’re ‘attacking’ it amazed me even more! Thanks again for watching!
Been fortunate enough to tour the Ardennes for many years so quite well known to me now. But it’s not obvious and sadly the information Baird that had stood for years has been broken down either through being outside in the Ardennes weather or vandals.
Oh wow! I’m always amazed at how the Ardennes remained so untouched as a battleground for so long relatively. I’ve found a few 30.06 cases before but that’s about it.
There was once a marker noting the event along the roadside, not too long ago actually. Sadly it's no longer there. Maybe due to roadwork, and the advancement of time.
Do you have a source that describes how the battle took place? For me, the big question is still whether it was as you described or whether it was an actual ambush. The foxholes I found and the terrain suggest that it was an ambush rather than an encounter.
Sadly it isn't. I think it closed around 2015 (although I'm not 100% certain on that) but its now just the location left. I had heard the museum was incredible.
Greeting's, another great show. I have seen this German propaganda video many times over the years but seeing it in your show helped me get a better overall picture. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of the first pieces of wartime footage that really stuck in my mind year ago and couldn’t believe it when I finally visited the location for the first time in 2014 so I felt like I had to cover it on my recent trip. Thanks again for watching!
The image of a young ss trooper eating while in a rush is the clear depiction of the Battle of the Bulge as the German army was always on the move against a waiting US ARMY without any suspection and filled with mostly replacements
The battle of the Bulge was 1 of the most famous battles of WW2. It was Hitler's Waterloo. Both Napoleon and Hitler's dreams came to an end in the Same country, Belgium. History will always repeat itself.
In december, will i (together with my girlfriend) will look for this road. (Almost) Every december i participate an re-enactment event in the Ardennes. 1 Day the event and the other days visit museums. This year we will visit Diekirch. Seen enough of Manhay, Foy and Bastogne. The battles of the South flank of the Ardennes are also impressive.
It’s a great place to visit so I highly recommend it! I’ve not been to Diekirch yet but it’s on the list of places to visit. If you are there this year you might see me wandering the road or the woods with my camera as I’m going for a week to film. What reenactment event do you attend there? Back in the day I did the Bastogne March with the 2nd Armored in Europe group and it was always a good time and have done the 82nd Airborne March several times too
Ah ok, I’ll miss it sadly as I’m not there until the 15th! I’ll have to try and make it to the Manhay event next year for the 80th but couldn’t get time off work to travel sooner sadly. Hope you have a great trip!
@@WW2Wayfinder I was indeed a nice museum , with lots of real things from the battle itself, they also found a pistol in the waterthrunk , it was a Browning GP 35 (commonly known as the Browning H(igh)P(ower), but made in Herstal, Belgium), it was believed that it came from the famous MG-gunner. Greeting Berrie Tromp
Oh wow! That’s incredible! I’ve had the chance to fire Browning HP’s on numerous occasions and always found them a nice pistol to shoot but have never handled a Herstal manufactured one. I would love to have seen it!
History in the raw. Thanks for finding this German propaganda film of the aftermath of an attack launch by Hanson against the 14th US cavalry's military convey, during of the Battle of the Bulge. Music is well chosen.
I think that was the train of thought for a number of years but I think in recent years that’s been disproven by people who have really gone into it. Or at least as I understand it that’s the current view on the topic.
I have the BDC file of the real Hans Tragarsky. Not only does his portrait pic show that its not him, he also had the wrong rank and he was assigned to KG Sandig (not Hansen)
That is questionable as it came from an internet forum a few years ago from someone who said they spoke to him but the person who made the claim never backed it up or pasted again, and no members of his unit verified it was him when the claim was made in 2011 so I think realistically his true identity will never really be known
AWESOME! would love to visit this site. I noticed that in the footage there are no bodies of dead Americans, I know it's a propaganda film wonder if they were removed prior to filming. Also was the group that filmed this also the group that filmed King Tiger 222 at the cross roads with Piper in the Schimmwagen?
It could quite easily have been the same Kriegsberichter as Kaiserbaracke crossroads leads directly to Recht then Poteau where the ambush against the 14th Cavalry Group took place!
At the time this action is going on My Uncle Oscar Scott is being cut off. He was a Sgt. with the 106th he was not captured he hid in a barn and found long cigarette buts of GI smokes left by the Germans. His lighter was out of fluid and he needed a smoke real bad so he took a piece of wool yarn out of his sock rubbed in his boot polish stuck in his lighter and flicked until it lit. That's about the only story he would tell. He was hit in the upper thigh pretty bad and a Wonderful Belguin family took care of him and kept him in their attick until the army retook the area. What is really weird is i am writing this from his parents former home in Poteau Oklahoma USA. Cool huh.
That’s been widely disproven in recent years from everything I’ve read - however every chance that could be incorrect. I think the true name of the soldier will never be known
The photos and video footage of this famous ambush and engagement were recreated forvthe benefit of a German Heer propaganda unit who were just a mile from the site of that days engagement.
The footage of the SS Grenadier giving the " mir nach" command wearing the 44' Erbsentarn jacket . All of that footage by the burning US vehicles was staged by SS Kriegsberichter Camera men. They are also marching in the wrong direction. All of the Germans that plundered the Cav's vehicles were later shot when found wearing US Boots, Cold Pacs, Cigarettes and equipment. " Wacht am Rhein" was a slog for everyone involved . I've walked all of those " brennpunkte" for decades and you find Stull laying around to this day. I found a Sherman drivers hatch not far from Houfalize and it's today I the LeGleize museum.
There's a whole genre of videos showcasing the Wehrmacht's "achievements". I'm not decrying their skill or courage. But I think of the failure to take Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, the annihilation of Army Group Centre in 1944, the Falaise pocket, the invasion of Italy, the Western drive across the Rhine to the Elbe. Basically, once the boot was on the other foot, the Germans always lost. From 1941 the Germans won tactically and lost every single operation. And the war.
Very much so. With Hitler taking overall control his ineptitude and incompetence was a huge benefit to the Allies. Clearly lots of other issues in there too but it definitely played into their loss in a significant way.
The Soviet Union received from the USA a total of: 77.900 jeeps, 151.000 light transport vehicles, 200.000 Studebaker US6 trucks for transport Stalins Katusha, 14.795 airplanes, 7056 tanks 8218 anti-aircraft guns 131.633 machine guns 105 submarine hunters 197 torpedo boats. Also the kerosene for the US airplanes, since the Soviets could not produced it . " Stalin : “The United States … is a country of machines. Without the use of those machines through Lend-Lease, we would lose this war.” Khrushchev, agreed with Stalin’s assessment. In his memoirs, Khrushchev described how Stalin stressed the value of aid: “He stated bluntly that if the United States had not helped us, we would not have won the war.”
For all their faults, they were tough fighting men. Not as elite as people like to make out but definitely fanatical which made them a formidable opponent
@@WW2Wayfinderplus they had lots of elite soldiers, nazi Germany had the best trained and battle hardened soldiers in ww2. If you denie this you actually dont acknowledge the strength and greatness of the Alies (specially the us army force and paratroopers )who fought hard with lots of losses to stop them.
Apparently the Americans exaggerated the number of Dead Germans, and played down American casualty's. I read somewhere the Germans lost 12.000 killed. The Americans double that number. American casualties were highest in April 1945 in the European theatre of War.
I have watched this video clip for over 40 years now, and this is the first time that I have had someone explain where and how this all took place. You do an excellent job with this channel and I love it!!
Oh cool, glad I was able to add some context to it. The footage has always intrigued me and the photos asscoiated with it. The first time I visited the ite in 2014 I was amazed to see how little it had changed from the war. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this, its my next stop when again in belgium, never really explored the ww2 sites, I know that sounds odd on this channel mainly ww1, BUT I always have that image of the mg42 gunner with the smoke, Since I was kid so over 40 years, Gonna have to stop here and definitely visit
Minor point: the war reporters were not assigned to Hansen. The photographer was Max Büschel and the camaraman was called Schäfer. They accompanied Knittel's Stabskompanie (HQ Company) and arrived at the scene after the skirmish (it wasn't an ambush) was over. Knittel met with Hansen in Recht to discuss their situation and Büschel and with their men loitering around on the road between Recht and Poteau, the reporters too the opportunity to stage some action scenes. Initially with men from the Stabskompanie (the lightly equipped men in the early photos and footage) then with some of Hansen's grenadiers (the guys with the heavy equipment). Meanwhile Knittel was ordered to link up with Peiper in Stavelot so they doubled back to Kaiserbaracke and the reporters went with them.
Can you please point me in the direction to read in detail what you just said please ?
Bravo pour cette superbe mise en situation . C’est exactement les scénarios de cette époque .
It was an ambush, but the footage was taken after the ambush itself. It was probably a turkey-shooting on retreating americans. You know that the allies suffered more casualties than the germans in the battle of the bulge? Hollywood-made series like Band of Brothers do not depict the reality as it was.
That Waffen SS soldier with the ammunition around his neck and the pointed nose is literally in every stock photo or footage in just about every WWII program I have seen! They use him over and over again! My grandfather was up against Peiper, so don't know much of this group. Thank you for this.
He is one of the most iconic faces of the battle of the bulge. Supposedly, his name was given to one of the museum's in the area by his decedent's. The museum is not divulging the name of the soldier. Many theories of who he was. Hans Tragarsky is the name that comes up the most.
@@RickJZ1973 its not Tragasky. I have his BDC file. The real Tragarsky looked nothing like him and served in an artillery unit attached to Kampfgruppe Sandig (not Hansen). He's not Walter Armbrust either (one of the other names which often pop up).
@@timoruimteaapje4384 It is quite possible that his name will not be known.
He’s textbook Aryan/Nordic features that Hitler had a hard on about.
From 7:40, in a brief clip, we see the face of one of the SS soldiers. To me, he has a very staring, unblinking gaze. I wonder if this is the "1000 Yard stare" of combat, or lack of sleep, or even the affect of amphetamines. As the in-situ force, the Americans had billets and HQ's, etc., but the Germans had to eat and sleep on the move, constantly fighting, so even only 48 hours into the offensive they must have been suffering the effects of sleep deprivation and lack of food. Without reserves, surely it was inevitable that the would run out of steam long before the could achieve their objectives. There's nothing like sleep deprivation for weakening a man, his resolve as well as his abilities. I never hear this aspect of the battle and its affect on the outcome discussed.
They all look so badass in that footage and the photos they were just a bunch of hard young men looking for a fight I know they were our enemy but you got to respect how tough and how fierce they were they all were hardened combat vets at that point in time
Absolutely. They were tough and determined not to mention ruthless, and that deserves recognising for sure!
Can’t recommend this channel enough 10 out of 10 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks mate! Really kind of you to say so!
🎯🎯🎯
@@WW2Wayfinder
What do you think about the 1946 trial at Dachau for what Peiper and his SS men did to American POWs at Malmedy?
Cool. My collegue lives in the former museum building in Poteau. His garden is where the Germans walked and filmed in 1944.
That's me ! Hello Gerhard ! They should have definitely come and ask me some questions, I would have give them more information. I think I still have the email of the previous owners of the museum. They have all the information this channel needs about this specific battle. They studied it their whole life, pretty much.
@@manumanu4991 Hello Manu, yes, it is your garden where it is all about. Yeah, I am fine. Would be nice to visit you again and read some or all of that information. Maybe you can do something with that Info for ww2 tourists so that they can still know more about what happened where you live.
Wow...is on the street that run Recht to Poteau ? Thanks
I see this footage on many videos but they never explained where or what was happening. Now I know what these images are about. Another great video.
Thank you for watching and I’m glad it helped give you an understanding of what took place and why. Like you for years I saw this footage and knew it was the Ardennes but didn’t know where so was really pleased to visit it for the first time several years ago.
Very interesting. I'm read many books on this battle and the circumstances that led up to it. These photos and videos I'm see many times, so it's nice to now know exactly where they were taken. Great program. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! It's a fascinating action given the coverage from the German point of view and the work done in the 1970's by the After the Battle team really help to piece it all together. I also like how for the most part the area has remained unchanged in the past 79 years.
Seen those pictures many times and to see where they were actually taken is awesome. Thanks for posting!
They’re amazing images aren’t they. It’s an amazing spot to visit given how largely unchanged that whole area is as well. Glad you enjoyed the episode!
Thanks for the video. Greetings from Belgium. 🇧🇪👍🏻
I love this footage and the soldier named was I believe was Hans or Karl but it looked so cool with the mg42 belt links around his neck, the cigarette in his mouth, the knife in his chest pocket, and the way he's holding a captured browning pistol is a very catching photo.
It’s an iconic photo isn’t it. I first saw it years ago and was drawn to that whole series of photos so it’s been great to be able to visit the actual location. And also nice to see it remains largely as it was in 1944
@@WW2Wayfinder ikr!
Used on the dustcover of Battle of the Bulge Then and Now.
He’s also holding a 9mm Browning Hi Power.
He looks a fearsome fellow.
The Browning high power was the only pistol used on both sides during the war
There is/was a small museum there that offered a short area tour in an original American halftrack. We visited it in ‘07 when we brought our Bulge veteran Dad (11th U.S. Armored Div) in the hopes of putting him back in the type vehicle in which he crossed NW Europe. Sadly, the ground was too wet for the vehicle to operate, so we settled w/a pic of the old warrior in it.
Sadly it’s no longer there but I know of the one you mean although I never got to visit it I have a lot of friends that did and said it was amazing!
Glad your Father got revisit his old battleground and you were able to go with him. I bet it was an incredible experience!
We called it the ‘Trip of a Lifetime.’ Last stop was Mauthausen, which the 11th liberated on 5 May 45. Dad wanted to see it again, and we are grateful we made it happen.
While stationed in Germany I went to the museum that goes along that road. The tour was conducted while we all rode in a WW2 German half track.
Nice! Sadly the museum has closed down now. I never had the chance to visit it but heard it was exceptional and who doesn’t want a tour in a half track?!!!!
@@WW2Wayfinder Gosh! I am surprised it closed down. The owner was very enthusiastic, and was the driver/commentator for the 1/2 track tour. There was also a Sherman and other vehicles there.
It’s a shame as I’d heard excellent things about it. A lot of people I know who had been touring the Ardennes for years said it was the best museum in the region.
Another excellent video. The standard I have come to expect from your channel. Well done.😊
Thanks David! Still lots to come from the Battle of the Bulge then some cool USAAF stuff before Normandy next month!
@WW2 wayfinder This has to be one of My Favorite Channels. Absolutely love your presentations. Keep up The tremendous work 🙏
Thank you! Very kind of you to say so!
Absolutely love your channel, so informative and captivating
Thank you so much!
As far as I'm concerned , that wrecked shed is gold!
Couldn’t agree more! It’s as much a marker of the events there as any piece of armour or equipment! Thanks for watching!
Thank you. I truly appreciate your efforts. As you said, this has become the quintessential representation of the Battle of the Bulge.
Glad you enjoyed it! Visiting that stretch of road is always a stark reminder to me just how brutal the Battle of the Bulge was.
@@WW2Wayfinder Blessings friend.
My grandfather was wounded during the Ardennes counteroffensive. He carried the scars and shrapnel with him the rest of his days.
Thanks for bringing those scenes back to life. Very interesting. I love these now and then videos.
You're most welcome! Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Excellent video. Very well presented. I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Hopefully one day, I will visit the area.
Thank you Rick! It’s a great place to visit and very atmospheric. In the woods opposite the road are foxholes too which are always interesting to look around!
man what better way to enjoy a beer , watching ww2 wayfinder....thank you for this excellent education, and hard work
Thanks! Really appreciate it. Hope the beer was good too!🍻
Thank you for this short but very informative video. As a European born ex-military (Para) the old black & white footage gave a completely different perspective until you see the locations in their natural color and environment.
You're most welcome. The comparison between the wartime footage and today is stark! It's a great location though especially given how little it's changed over the years.
Great video. Thank you
You’re most welcome!
I'm really glad that I stumbled across this channel. So very interesting. Thanks for sharing this!
Parabéns por seu excepcional e maravilhoso trabalho! 👏🏻👏🏻✌🏼🇧🇷
Thank you!
What an excellent video, I had always seen this footage and photos, but I had no idea that they had taken place in this place, thank you very much for sharing.
You’re most welcome! Thanks for watching and glad I was able to show you what it looks like now and just how relatively unchanged it is from 1944!
Great video…. BTW What paints are you wearing?
Thank you! My trousers are from Falljraven, I grabbed them second hand on eBay 2/3 years ago I think.
@@WW2Wayfinder Cheers! Keep up the great videos!
One photo has a german soldier with a souvenir M1 Garand on his back.And another ,eating a piece of bread has an M1 carbine.
Quite incredible isn’t it!
Thanks for watching!
The M1 carbine (but not the Garand) was one of the Germans favorite weapons to acquire due to its light weight and rapid fire qualities.
I wonder if the small museum near the center of the village is still open? Last I recall he had a running Jagdpanzer in his collection. Essentially he turned a barn into a museum. There’s a few other incredible things that happened there during the battle that were interesting.
Sadly it’s long gone. I never had the chance to visit but as you say I’d heard the same about the Jagdpanzer. Would have been incredible to see it!
@@WW2Wayfinder I remember when he was restoring that and finally got it running, that was one happy farmer! Lol. And that’s a tough vehicle to find to begin with!
Very interesting. As a collector of 1/6 scale figures, a number of the SS pictured have been issued by DML over the years; Facepool have released the 'soldier with no name' which outshines the DML release in every way.
Oh cool. I have a couple, one random Fallschirmjäger and the Forrest Guth figure released years ago. I’ll have a look for those companies though, thank you!
@@WW2Wayfinder avoid the DML Rudolf figure, awful. The Facepool, although a ltd edition, can still be found bnib.
This was a great episode! I served with the 14th from Dec. of 1964 to June of 67 (in Fulda Germany) and this part of the history of the unit was never mentioned. You always put out great episodes.
Thank you, and glad you enjoyed it. Am I right in assuming that was the Fulda Gap area?
Yes you are correct. I was stationed at Fulda. Thanks for asking@@WW2Wayfinder
Thank you for your superb videos , I love the clarity of them and your interesting commentary.
You're most welcome!
Another excellent video. Of particular interest to me and of much use as I'm currently working on a 1/35th scale diorama of this action. It's given me a better idea of the height of the road, pespective etc. It's taking forever to build due to the amount of vehicles involved before I even start on the figures!
Oh cool! That would be great see when finished! I’m also into 1/35 armour but haven’t had much time recently to get to my bench. Thanks for watching!
Once it's finally completed I'll email some pics to you. I'm working from the footage taken by the German propaganda cameraman for the positions of vehicles etc so not the easiest of tasks haha...@@WW2Wayfinder
Outstanding video/coverage of this action. Where else do you find this detail? No where would be my guess. Five stars*****
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and there’s a lot more similar videos lined up for future episodes!
I really like and appreciate your Presentations and great information. Lots of great pictures and details. Thank you for sharing this!👍👏
just came across this one - fantastic research
Thank you!!!
Extra le documentaire parfait merci
Great video!
Thank you! It’s a great place to visit given how it’s remained basically the same as it was in 1944
Thank you for the great video!
You’re most welcome!
Great Video!!!
Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it! Still more episodes to come from the Ardennes over the next few weeks!
Gut gemacht, vielen Dank !
Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for this 🙏 I've always adored these images and film from that ambush .Thank you truly.Is there any more to learn about those soldiers? What happened to the mystery man I want to know
J ai pris des photos il y a 30 ans au même endroit.....des poteaux d electricité était visibles a certains endroits ,disparus depuis.
Thanks for this Video 😊👍
You’re most welcome! Thank you for watching
@@WW2Wayfinderthanks you😊
This is a great and informative video. Thank you.
You are most welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thanks!
Thank you Mike that’s very kind of you!!!
Great stuff. Thank you.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it and thank you for watching!
The guy you’re talking about who
glances at the camera then walks off, is one bad hombre
Another great episode 👌👍
Thank you!
This sort of disaster is why recon is so important ahead of a movement, this was a gross failure in leadership to get caught on a route march and shot up like this.
Very much so but in their defence the situation was so fast moving that on those first couple of days it was almost changing by the minute
@@WW2Wayfinder I totally get it, just speaking from my experience as an armored cavalry scout, one of my most important jobs was to make sure disasters like that didn't happen.
That things were so fluid would be a hint that you REALLY needed recon out front. Of course the Germans also had several disastrous meeting engagements like this where they were on the losing end of the fight, hence why the US Army still studies these lessons to this day.
Imagine what a treat the American cigarettes were to these tired, cold, and probably hungry men!
Wonderful, thankyou .
Glad you enjoyed it!
another great vid
Thank you!
Very inteserting , Great work.Thank you for helping showing us this area. I am developing tour to this area from US. Can you help?
You’re welcome. Just let me know how I can help.
What happened to the snow?
Loved this particular episode,you just bring it back to life.And yes those Germans looked really mean.
Thank you! Always a good day to visit Poteau and see that spot. I’m just grateful it’s remained virtually the same as it was 80 years ago!
They looked really mean....and lost.
Looks as the large birch tree to the right of the grenadiers running across the road has been felled?
@@howardgleaveok? They fought half of the world and like it or not, the allies suffered greater casualties than the germans in 1944, despite the germans being low on all kinds of supply. This is not”band of brothers” or other cocky american war movies depicting their enemies as dumb rabbits.
nice video as usual!! Are you coming to the Netherlands again? I had already seen a few videos of you here in the Netherlands, but if you come back again, I would like to join you for a day to learn and experience it. I'm just starting out myself, and I get a lot of knowledge from your videos!!
0:41 شكرا شكرا جزيلا لكم صديقي العزيز ❤❤❤
You’re most welcome!
@@WW2Wayfinder ❤❤
Keep Going!
Thank you!
Are there any American firsthand accounts of the battle available?
I've not found any as of this moment but I'll confess I haven't searched too hard as I've always been more interested in the propoganda footage taken by the Germans and how they manipulated the situtation for the cameras.
When I first went to Poteaux over 40 years ago I had a British periodical called After the Battle. The author identified that area through use of a number of aerial photos taken during an after the battle. All if the destroyed and disabled vehicles could clearly be seen in the field and on the road. The “clincher” in identifying the exact spot was the iconic while birch tree clearly visible at the bend in the road going in the direction of Recht where German troops were running across the road. One apparently smiling contributing to the theory these shots were all staged for propaganda purposes. The birch was still there on my first visit but was gone on subsequent visits. Perhaps taken out by a vehicle accident. The cut off stump however could clearly be found level with the ground by poking around in the grass by the side of the road. Great video!
Thank you! It's a same the iconic barn has now broken and collapsed as on my first visit it was still standing strong but time has marched on sadly. I do love however that there is no new builds there so it still largely retains it's wartime view.
@@WW2Wayfinder Yes. The beauty of the Ardennes is that they can really do a great Battle of the Bulge movie without having to special sets. The 60/70s movie Battle if the Bulge was a travesty and should be redone with real names places and real scenes
Love this ..Fantastic episode ,I’ve found this propaganda clip so fascinating you diid a Great job explaining Well Done 👏🏻👍🏻
Paul thank you that’s very kind of you to say! It’s always intrigued me having seen the footage years ago so always good to visit the site. When I read about how the Germans filmed it and how staged it was given the direction in which they’re ‘attacking’ it amazed me even more!
Thanks again for watching!
Really well done. ✊
Thank you!
excellent 👏👏
Thank you!!!
Hello everyone, do you have any information? about Alfred Fischer seen here in this film in 2:03 and 2:52 ????????
Ok. How did u find that place. Either I missed it or drive by it. I really tried finding it.
Been fortunate enough to tour the Ardennes for many years so quite well known to me now. But it’s not obvious and sadly the information Baird that had stood for years has been broken down either through being outside in the Ardennes weather or vandals.
20 + years back one could find still lots of equipment strewn on the ground in the woods and ditch.
Oh wow! I’m always amazed at how the Ardennes remained so untouched as a battleground for so long relatively. I’ve found a few 30.06 cases before but that’s about it.
Max Hansen von Niebüll, der blonde Hüne aus Nordfriesland, er ist dort geboren und gestorben von Beruf war er Schmied!
Dude I don’t know u were able to find that spot. I could not there’s no memorial for it, I look at maps n gps and couldn’t.
There was once a marker noting the event along the roadside, not too long ago actually. Sadly it's no longer there. Maybe due to roadwork, and the advancement of time.
Do you have a source that describes how the battle took place?
For me, the big question is still whether it was as you described or whether it was an actual ambush.
The foxholes I found and the terrain suggest that it was an ambush rather than an encounter.
I visited the location 10 years, is the museum still there
Sadly it isn't. I think it closed around 2015 (although I'm not 100% certain on that) but its now just the location left. I had heard the museum was incredible.
Thanks, keep up the great work.@@WW2Wayfinder
Greeting's, another great show. I have seen this German propaganda video many times over the years but seeing it in your show helped me get a better overall picture. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
It’s one of the first pieces of wartime footage that really stuck in my mind year ago and couldn’t believe it when I finally visited the location for the first time in 2014 so I felt like I had to cover it on my recent trip. Thanks again for watching!
Fans from Indonesia
The image of a young ss trooper eating while in a rush is the clear depiction of the Battle of the Bulge as the German army was always on the move against a waiting US ARMY without any suspection and filled with mostly replacements
The battle of the Bulge was 1 of the most famous battles of WW2. It was Hitler's Waterloo. Both Napoleon and Hitler's dreams came to an end in the Same country, Belgium. History will always repeat itself.
In december, will i (together with my girlfriend) will look for this road.
(Almost) Every december i participate an re-enactment event in the Ardennes. 1 Day the event and the other days visit museums.
This year we will visit Diekirch.
Seen enough of Manhay, Foy and Bastogne.
The battles of the South flank of the Ardennes are also impressive.
It’s a great place to visit so I highly recommend it!
I’ve not been to Diekirch yet but it’s on the list of places to visit.
If you are there this year you might see me wandering the road or the woods with my camera as I’m going for a week to film.
What reenactment event do you attend there? Back in the day I did the Bastogne March with the 2nd Armored in Europe group and it was always a good time and have done the 82nd Airborne March several times too
@@WW2Wayfinder The re-enactment event will be at Manhay, 8till 10 december.
I am there on Saterday only
Ah ok, I’ll miss it sadly as I’m not there until the 15th!
I’ll have to try and make it to the Manhay event next year for the 80th but couldn’t get time off work to travel sooner sadly. Hope you have a great trip!
@@WW2Wayfinder Thanks, and i really enjoy your video's. 👍
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying them, next one will be on WW2 camouflage 😃
The museum at Poteau has long gone, that's a pitty
The owners were from Oosterbeek
I had heard it was really good but sadly never got the chance to visit it. I’d heard the collection they had was first class too!
@@WW2Wayfinder
I was indeed a nice museum , with lots of real things from the battle itself, they also found a pistol in the waterthrunk , it was a Browning GP 35 (commonly known as the Browning H(igh)P(ower), but made in Herstal, Belgium), it was believed that it came from the famous MG-gunner.
Greeting
Berrie Tromp
Oh wow! That’s incredible! I’ve had the chance to fire Browning HP’s on numerous occasions and always found them a nice pistol to shoot but have never handled a Herstal manufactured one. I would love to have seen it!
👍
Do a Hurtgenwald episode please mate?🤔🤞🛡⚔️🧐👌😎👍
It’s on the cards. I first visited there just before I started the channel so didn’t film but definitely want to go back!
The wife of Max hansen was called by her maiden name FICK....which means....exactly 🤣😂🤣🤣
😬😂
History in the raw. Thanks for finding this German propaganda film of the aftermath of an attack launch by Hanson against the 14th US cavalry's military convey, during of the Battle of the Bulge. Music is well chosen.
He has a name...and survived the war.
Was his name not : Hans Tragarsky? Of the "Famous" german soldier, we seen alot on covers of books
I think that was the train of thought for a number of years but I think in recent years that’s been disproven by people who have really gone into it. Or at least as I understand it that’s the current view on the topic.
I have the BDC file of the real Hans Tragarsky. Not only does his portrait pic show that its not him, he also had the wrong rank and he was assigned to KG Sandig (not Hansen)
@@timoruimteaapje4384
Thanks for clarifying that sir.
I must drove on it just didn’t realize it. 🤷
This makes me indescribably proud to bear the name Hansen. Looks like my ancestors did some good work!
I've watched this video many times, and I've never seen a single corpse, strange
Very good point. Perhaps they were cleared away by the Germans prior to the filming for reasons now unknown
The name of the soldier is Hans Tragarsky and he survived the war.
That is questionable as it came from an internet forum a few years ago from someone who said they spoke to him but the person who made the claim never backed it up or pasted again, and no members of his unit verified it was him when the claim was made in 2011 so I think realistically his true identity will never really be known
AWESOME! would love to visit this site. I noticed that in the footage there are no bodies of dead Americans, I know it's a propaganda film wonder if they were removed prior to filming. Also was the group that filmed this also the group that filmed King Tiger 222 at the cross roads with Piper in the Schimmwagen?
It could quite easily have been the same Kriegsberichter as Kaiserbaracke crossroads leads directly to Recht then Poteau where the ambush against the 14th Cavalry Group took place!
👍👍👍👌
Thank you!
At the time this action is going on My Uncle Oscar Scott is being cut off. He was a Sgt. with the 106th he was not captured he hid in a barn and found long cigarette buts of GI smokes left by the Germans. His lighter was out of fluid and he needed a smoke real bad so he took a piece of wool yarn out of his sock rubbed in his boot polish stuck in his lighter and flicked until it lit. That's about the only story he would tell. He was hit in the upper thigh pretty bad and a Wonderful Belguin family took care of him and kept him in their attick until the army retook the area. What is really weird is i am writing this from his parents former home in Poteau Oklahoma USA. Cool huh.
That German solider I’ve seen in another photo , with another solider wearing a luffwaffe helmet , next to him , so was they all ss
10:09يا صديقي العزيز ترجمه الى العربيه يكون افضل لاني انا عربي ومتابعك جدا ❤
I’ll add it to the list. All takes time but I’ll endeavour to do that for you 😃
@@WW2Wayfinder انا اشكرك جدا على هذا المجهود الرائع توثيق جميل ودقيق اشكرك مرة أخرى 🌺🌺🌺🌺
Now with Arabic subtitles (from Google Translate) 😃
Excellent. If you watch Peipers trial and Nuremberg his name is pronounced peeper. Everyone says it differently.
I can't even say on RUclips what my grandfather called him. But everyone in the 82nd agreed.
Peiper wasn't tried at Nuremberg. The Malmédy trial was held in Dachau
@@timoruimteaapje4384 ok,thanks for the advice. Shame it was not a fair trial
Hans traagarsky was the German in the photo
That’s been widely disproven in recent years from everything I’ve read - however every chance that could be incorrect. I think the true name of the soldier will never be known
Evidently not.
The photos and video footage of this famous ambush and engagement were recreated forvthe benefit of a German Heer propaganda unit who were just a mile from the site of that days engagement.
Those Jadgpanthers have a very low 'profile'...and look very sinister
The footage of the SS Grenadier giving the " mir nach" command wearing the 44' Erbsentarn jacket . All of that footage by the burning US vehicles was staged by SS Kriegsberichter Camera men. They are also marching in the wrong direction. All of the Germans that plundered the Cav's vehicles were later shot when found wearing US Boots, Cold Pacs, Cigarettes and equipment. " Wacht am Rhein" was a slog for everyone involved . I've walked all of those " brennpunkte" for decades and you find Stull laying around to this day. I found a Sherman drivers hatch not far from Houfalize and it's today I the LeGleize museum.
There's a whole genre of videos showcasing the Wehrmacht's "achievements". I'm not decrying their skill or courage. But I think of the failure to take Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, the annihilation of Army Group Centre in 1944, the Falaise pocket, the invasion of Italy, the Western drive across the Rhine to the Elbe. Basically, once the boot was on the other foot, the Germans always lost. From 1941 the Germans won tactically and lost every single operation. And the war.
Very much so. With Hitler taking overall control his ineptitude and incompetence was a huge benefit to the Allies. Clearly lots of other issues in there too but it definitely played into their loss in a significant way.
The Soviet Union received from the USA a total of:
77.900 jeeps, 151.000 light transport vehicles, 200.000 Studebaker US6 trucks for transport Stalins Katusha, 14.795 airplanes, 7056 tanks 8218 anti-aircraft guns 131.633 machine guns 105 submarine hunters 197 torpedo boats. Also the kerosene for the US airplanes, since the Soviets could not produced it . " Stalin : “The United States … is a country of machines. Without the use of those machines through Lend-Lease, we would lose this war.” Khrushchev, agreed with Stalin’s assessment. In his memoirs, Khrushchev described how Stalin stressed the value of aid: “He stated bluntly that if the United States had not helped us, we would not have won the war.”
@@WW2Wayfinder a classic instance of Napleon's dictum that one should never interrupt one's enemy when he's making a mistake. Or words to that effect.
Yeah, I wouldn’t want to bump into those hardened German soldiers- they look tough!
For all their faults, they were tough fighting men. Not as elite as people like to make out but definitely fanatical which made them a formidable opponent
Their leading superior commanders made the mistakes not the soldiers
@@WW2Wayfinderplus they had lots of elite soldiers, nazi Germany had the best trained and battle hardened soldiers in ww2. If you denie this you actually dont acknowledge the strength and greatness of the Alies (specially the us army force and paratroopers )who fought hard with lots of losses to stop them.
The wasn't any acting going on in the battle of the bulge my friend,100,000 and 81,000 allied soldiers died😮
Well aware of that but these scenes filmed by the Germans were staged post the firefight between KG Hansen and the 14th CG
Apparently the Americans exaggerated the number of Dead Germans, and played down American casualty's. I read somewhere the Germans lost 12.000 killed. The Americans double that number. American casualties were highest in April 1945 in the European theatre of War.