KZhead

The Tank Ace Who Took On A German Armoured Column

Battle Guide
2024 ж. 14 Мам.
265 851 Рет қаралды
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By mid-May 1940 the Western Allies were in serious trouble. Just days earlier several powerful armoured thrusts had been unleashed across the German border through the weakly defended Ardennes Region, which threatened to split the allies in two. All that stood in their way was the determination of exhausted units with little idea of the larger picture. Only in one place were the Germans at real risk of disaster, the hilltop village of Stonne. This video explores the brutal fight for that sleepy village, one which ultimately would decide the fate of France.
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Video/Audio Sources:
• US National Archives (NARA)
• S.Tigneres,, Stonne, le Verdun de 1940 (2010)
• D. Lormier, La Bataille de Stonne 14-25 Mai 1940
Illustrations & Animation:
• World of Tanks
• Google Earth
• Google Earth Pro
• Colourising History (Doug Banks)
General Archive Sources:
• Bundesarchiv (German National Archives)
• US National Archives (NARA)
• Chars-francais.net
• CptBocquier, Forgotten Hope 2, Stonne (Mapping)
Credits:
• Research: Camille Vargas, Dan Hill
• Script & Narration: Dan Hill
• Editors: Shane Greer & Linus Klassen
• Sound Design: Shane Greer
• Thumbnail Design: Linus Klassen
• Music & Sound Effects: Epidemic Sound

Пікірлер

  • Rather than further slipping into historic obscurity, I think it's great that stories like this are being broadcast to a larger audience. I guess the internet isn't all bad...

    @benclark1423@benclark14238 ай бұрын

    • Thanks Ben... certainly one of the lesser known stories. And Bilotte had an interesting post war career too which we didn't delve into!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • I would like to add a few details about Pierre Billotte's incredible career: Captain Pierre Billotte was wounded and taken prisoner on 12 June 1940. He escaped from the prison camp on 1 February 1941 and managed to reach the USSR (where he was interned because the USSR and Germany were not at war at the time). After 22 June 1941, Billotte became a Free French representative in Moscow. He was then appointed General de Gaulle's Chief of Staff and Secretary to the French National Defence Committee in London. In August 1944, Colonel Billotte landed in Normandy with General Leclerc's 2nd French armoured division and took part in the liberation of Paris (he convinced German General Dietrich von Choltitz to spare Paris). At the end of the war, Billotte was a general and commanded a French infantry division. He was one of France's representatives at the UN in 1946. After leaving the army, he became a member of parliament and then minister of Defence in the 1950s, and mayor in the 1960s and 1970s. In politics, he supported a rapprochement between the United States and Western Europe (Atlanticism) and was in favour of French Algeria, while denouncing t.orture during the Algerian War (1954-1962). Pierre Billotte died in 1992.

    @MarquisVincentBissetdeGramont@MarquisVincentBissetdeGramont6 ай бұрын

  • Merci de rendre hommage aux courageux soldats français face à l'attaque de Guderian . L'incompétence de certains généraux de l'Etat Major sont beaucoup plus à blâmer que l'attitude des pauvres soldats subissant une attaque d'une armée beaucoup mieux organisée en moyens de communication , très offensive et sans scrupule . Merci and thank uou for this video about Stonne:

    @saintleger858@saintleger8588 ай бұрын

    • Ceux qui pensent que les Français n’ont pas bien combattu en 1940 n’ont tout simplement pas étudié l’histoire et, dans de nombreux cas, une vision excessivement critique de l’armée française en 1940 était un moyen de détourner l’attention de l’incompétence catastrophique des commandants britanniques et américains. à Singapour et aux Philippines. Il est intéressant de noter que dans les trois cas, les soldats ordinaires sur le terrain - et les officiers subalternes qui les commandaient - ​​se sont battus avec une endurance surhumaine et un courage et une imagination incroyables. (avec excuses pour mon francais 😊 )

      @andyandson3700@andyandson37008 ай бұрын

    • Same thing happened in 1870 and 1914

      @kremepye3613@kremepye36138 ай бұрын

    • @@andyandson3700 Right you are! Your French is much better than mine. Your point about the bungled defense of the Philippines and Singapore is also well taken.

      @shawngilliland243@shawngilliland2438 ай бұрын

    • @@kremepye3613 and in 1944. Remember 1944?

      @andyandson3700@andyandson37008 ай бұрын

    • @@kremepye3613 demography

      @Septimanien@Septimanien8 ай бұрын

  • People saying that France just surrendered to the Germans have no idea how much the French fought back. They just had insufficient equipment and outdated tactics. The Germans literally bypassed the Maginot Line because the Germans knew that if they were to take it head on, it would have led to a meatgrinder.

    @thuyazin6319@thuyazin63198 ай бұрын

    • There was hard fighting by some, no doubt. For the most part they were out-manoeuvred because of heavy reliance on static defenses (maginot line). There was also the issue of low morale, there had been infiltrators to the armed forces to sow discontent and kill the desire for the French troops to fight another war. Though how effective this was is up for debate. A lot of their woes or issues can be summed up by saying they had poor leadership.

      @phillydelphia8760@phillydelphia87608 ай бұрын

    • Alote of countries are under ratted for what they did the sacrafices they did it is easy to judge but we were not there to see our selves so hats off too every body who put some of them in this time periode

      @laurentjrtherrien5131@laurentjrtherrien51318 ай бұрын

    • The French had more tanks and better quality tanks than the Germans... Look it up.

      @Crow_Friend@Crow_Friend8 ай бұрын

    • @@Crow_Friend u're right, thts on me

      @thuyazin6319@thuyazin63198 ай бұрын

    • they are scattered and suprised

      @jeezreelarticulo1185@jeezreelarticulo11858 ай бұрын

  • Lions led by donkeys : Not the BEF in 1916, but the French Army in 1940.....

    @ronti2492@ronti24928 ай бұрын

  • Thank you for respecting France in your WW2 documentaries. As someone with a great grandfather who fought in WW1 and helped Jews in WW2, it saddens me to see stereotypes that are largely untrue about one of my Countries.

    @atomic4650@atomic46508 ай бұрын

    • Hi, thanks for the kind comment.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Defending your country in a metal coffin against all odds is true bravery. Respect to this crew and all the brave soldiers, airmen/airwomen, seamen/seawomen who died needlessly through one of the most influential and bloodiest wars the world has seen. It doesn't just take superior equipment to win, it requires guts and determination from those in the fight.

    @mikenolan9440@mikenolan94408 ай бұрын

    • Thanks @mikenolan9440 we are glad you enjoyed the video!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • Also, in the Char... The commander had to command, load, and shoot. Horrible design. To spot, he would have to get halfway out the turret, use binoculars, and upon spotting the target, get back inside, aim and fire. Horrible ergonomic design. This is the main reason, I think, they did so terribly in battle. It was a WW1 tank fighting the next war.

      @cameronrich5204@cameronrich52044 ай бұрын

  • Such incredible bravery shown by the French Tank Crews. Trying to hold off the German advance. Truly a horrific battle involving many tanks. A well done video detailing what transpired. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨

    @thomasgumersell9607@thomasgumersell96077 ай бұрын

  • My Grandad was with the BEF and still in France after Dunkirk in the South still fighting, when he passed away I found his diary's and in them all it said was BEF 1939-1940. He would never talk about the places he'd been, so sadly so much historyand personal stories have been lost. The majority of the French army melted away, you just have to read the accounts, but some amazingly brave men stood and fought to the last. As you said the rot came from the top. It would be interesting to here about Arras.

    @zippy5131@zippy51318 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for the comment and sharing your story!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • The colonials ( Algerians) fought so intensely, near Dunkirk, that when they did surrender , Having no ammunition left. They were marchedinto captivity by the Germans, to the tune of a band, respecting their bravery. Palefaces, were, jelly fish.

      @pratapbalakrishna3036@pratapbalakrishna30367 ай бұрын

  • I really enjoy the format you use and appreciate the valor the French showed when faced with a form of warfare that nobody on the planet had ever seen. The Blitzkrieg was revolutionary and the French and British did the best they could under the circumstances.

    @antonleimbach648@antonleimbach6488 ай бұрын

  • I wanna say thanks you for this formidable vidéo. People often don’t know how french bravely fought during 1940, that’s a shame.

    @CharlesDeGoat@CharlesDeGoat8 ай бұрын

    • Thanks @degaulle6069 , glad you enjoyed it!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • hallo brother im Daniel from Zimbabwe.Your documentaries inspire me.We adopted British culture in our army ,in the midst of all our political instabilities there are unsung heroes within our army,I got discharged some years back but i love your work

    @DanielMasawi-fl4gr@DanielMasawi-fl4gr8 ай бұрын

    • Thank you for watching.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Can we have the KV-1 last stand as well? If I'm not mistaken it is an achievement in World of Tanks known as "Kolobanov's Medal". Great video and I hope for more!

    @aldreenbautista2375@aldreenbautista23758 ай бұрын

    • Interesting action!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Just want to say what a fantastic voice you have. How you tell these interesting stories are just brilliant, Thank you BG❤️

    @joshclarkethemudlark8048@joshclarkethemudlark80488 ай бұрын

    • Glad you enjoy them Josh!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • I my opinion the battle of France saw some the most brutal fighting of ww2. It was short but still had shit tons of casualties.

    @phyo1716@phyo17168 ай бұрын

    • We will no doubt revisit it again in the future.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • @@BattleGuideVT That's good to hear.

      @phyo1716@phyo17168 ай бұрын

  • My Dear LORD! This was GOOD! This is the second epic account I have seen from Battle Guide! Packed with information, reports and stories about battles and men that I had NEVER heard of before. The research here is just outstanding. BRAVO! Thank you, Battle Guide, or the brains behind Battle Guide, for going where few have dared to tread before. I have one suggestion, if I may? Not a criticism! Just a suggestion? Battle Guide has alerted all of us to a real hero by the name of Pierre Billotte. I had never heard of this man before. I was not aware of what he had done. But, at the end of this most excellent documentary, I was left to wonder. What happened to Pierre? Did he survive the battle? Survive the war? As it turns out, he did. It's just one of those things you may want to chip in at the end. But otherwise, my gosh, ten out of ten stars! Thank you!

    @BillBird2111@BillBird21118 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for the kind comment Bill... yes he had quite a life after this!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • @@BattleGuideVT I cannot thank you enough. You're not only diving into battles that I had never heard of before. you are also writing to video. That is such a lost art. Yet, you've managed to not only do it, but do it very well. Writing script to match video is so much more difficult than writing something for radio broadcast, for example, which is what I did for ages. That was much easier. Writing to video? Incredibly difficult. Yet, BG has managed to do this time and again.

      @BillBird2111@BillBird21118 ай бұрын

    • 1 month after the Battle of Stonne, Pierre Billotte was seriously injured and taken prisoner by the Germans. When he recovered from his wounds, he escaped from OFLAG and managed to join the Soviet Union where he was interned until 1941: at that time he was exchanged for Russian refugees from London and joined the Free French forces of General de Gaulle of which he became chief of staff. After the 6 june 44, he joined the 2nd Armored Division of General Leclerc. It seems that thanks to a very severe dispatch that he sent to General von Choltitz before the arrival of the 2nd DB in Paris, that he had a great influence on the decision Germans to disobey Hitler, not destroy Paris and not resist uselessly...After the war he launched into politics until becoming Minister of the Armed Forces in 1955 and 1956 and later minister of french overseas territories and finish hes carrer as mayor fro the city of Créteil up to 1977

      @leneanderthalien@leneanderthalien8 ай бұрын

    • @@leneanderthalien Thank you for adding this. Much appreciated. It is this battle, and those that would follow, that would press my American father into service via the Canadian Army. He would later be captured at Dieppe.

      @BillBird2111@BillBird21118 ай бұрын

    • Captain Pierre Billotte was wounded and taken prisoner on 12 June 1940. He escaped from the prison camp on 1 February 1941 and managed to reach the USSR (where he was interned because the USSR and Germany were not at war at the time). After 22 June 1941, Billotte became a Free French representative in Moscow. He was then appointed General de Gaulle's Chief of Staff and Secretary to the French National Defence Committee in London. In August 1944, Colonel Billotte landed in Normandy with General Leclerc's 2nd French armoured division and took part in the liberation of Paris (he convinced German General Dietrich von Choltitz to spare Paris). At the end of the war, Billotte was a general and commanded a French infantry division. He was one of France's representatives at the UN in 1946. After leaving the army, he became a member of parliament and then minister of Defence in the 1950s, and mayor in the 1960s and 1970s. In politics, he supported a rapprochement between the United States and Western Europe (Atlanticism) and was in favour of French Algeria, while denouncing t.orture during the Algerian War (1954-1962). Pierre Billotte died in 1992.

      @MarquisVincentBissetdeGramont@MarquisVincentBissetdeGramont6 ай бұрын

  • This is a fantastic video! This story should better known. We need to focus more on the bravery and daring defences in 1940.

    @OTDMilitaryHistory@OTDMilitaryHistory8 ай бұрын

    • Thanks Brad!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • @@BattleGuideVT Keep up the excellent work!

      @OTDMilitaryHistory@OTDMilitaryHistory8 ай бұрын

  • This is easily my world war channel.

    @kingdaniel69@kingdaniel698 ай бұрын

    • Hi @kingdaniel69 thanks for the kind comment.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Good video. I really like how you showed maps, aerial images, and video game footage of the village and tanks. They are all well done. The B-1 Bis is incredibly strong. I'm sure I heard of it before. However, I find it incredible how durable it is. Superb point at the end. I agree with you that there are many stories of bravery. I wonder how many stories have been lost. You're spot on that we cannot forget the sacrifices and bravery of soldiers on the battlefield. Excellent video. Keep up the nice work

    @alex4833@alex48338 ай бұрын

    • A lot of French bravery stories during May/June 40 are not very known :Lille, Dunkerque, Abbeville, Saumur, les Alpes, etc...

      @serpentissanguis978@serpentissanguis9788 ай бұрын

    • @@serpentissanguis978 Thanks for the info! Do you have book suggestions to read more about French bravery stories? I would love to read and learn more. Thank you.

      @alex4833@alex48338 ай бұрын

    • French and brits were still thinking about WW1 - so a tanks job was to move between the trenches with the infantry to take the enemy trench. B1 would have been great at that, and that's kind of what it did in this fight - moved slowly absorbing fire and shooting at close range. Not many battles like that in WW2 however.

      @NamesAreRandom@NamesAreRandom7 ай бұрын

  • Excellent video mate. Well produced and very informative. Thank you very much!

    @jemc4276@jemc42768 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for watching Jem!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • An incredible retelling of the battle of Stonne thank you.

    @kymvalleygardensdesign5350@kymvalleygardensdesign53508 ай бұрын

    • Thank you.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • An excellent production. Thank you.

    @daniellebcooper7160@daniellebcooper71608 ай бұрын

    • Thanks Danielle

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • This just can’t be done any better!

    @thepolarbear8449@thepolarbear84498 ай бұрын

    • Thank you!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Thrilling and spectacularly put together! Drew me right in to the foray.

    @arniet1@arniet18 ай бұрын

    • Thanks @arniet1 we are glad you enjoyed the video!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Again, absolutely superb video my friend.

    @kgillmore1@kgillmore18 ай бұрын

    • Thank you! Cheers!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Now this is an excellent documentary. Didn't know much about this battle and the geography of this place, but now it's all crisp and clear what happened. Superbly explained and well visualised. Thanks for all the effort. Looking forward to your other videos!

    @toonverberg1313@toonverberg13137 ай бұрын

  • Fascinating and absorbing narration. Thank you.

    @mozart579@mozart5795 ай бұрын

  • Fantastic history channel! My heart goes out to the young men - on both sides - who gave their lives for their country.

    @moistmike4150@moistmike41508 ай бұрын

    • Thanks.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Excellent video! Well researched and presented! Thank you!

    @johnsullivan6560@johnsullivan65608 ай бұрын

  • Thank you for your in depth, and respectful retelling of this battle and these trying times.

    @Blitz9H@Blitz9H8 ай бұрын

    • Thank you Blitz.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • By far the best channel on the web related to graphic accounts of WW2 battles. Well done. Thank you.

    @neibiasetto3478@neibiasetto34788 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for the kind words Neil.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Great job! Enjoyed this before sleep! Good research and a nice voice!

    @Jahoeishet@Jahoeishet4 ай бұрын

  • Thanks for bringing this history of brave French tankers at Stonne to light.

    @richarddietzen3137@richarddietzen31378 ай бұрын

    • Thank you for your kind donation!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Just chucked this in my ‘watch later’ playlist but I’ll like it now 🍻

    @Itjustdoesntmatter@Itjustdoesntmatter8 ай бұрын

    • Thanks... we hope you enjoy it!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Absolutly love your videos man! Keep it up! Cheers from Sweden!

    @VinnieHndrx@VinnieHndrx8 ай бұрын

    • Greetings to Sweden and thank you for the comment!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Amazing job on this Gents thank you

    @SunKing968@SunKing9683 ай бұрын

  • Panzer 4 was a support vehicle. The Russians, when they saw it, were amazed that this was the best they had to offer in a prewar visit by Russian officials.

    @MrNaKillshots@MrNaKillshots8 ай бұрын

    • Thank you for watching.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • So very well researched and presented - keep up the splendid work.

    @BlackandWhiteshorts72@BlackandWhiteshorts726 ай бұрын

    • Thank you kindly!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT6 ай бұрын

  • exceptional coverage!!thank you!

    @jdhart111@jdhart1118 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for taking the time to watch the documentary.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Love this channel. Thanks

    @ToddiusMaximus@ToddiusMaximus8 ай бұрын

    • Thank you!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Je suis natif de Sedan. Merci d'avoir si bien rapporter ces événements souvent méconnus, comme les combats de la HORGNE et le Fort de VILLY la Ferté.

    @Rbgsana08@Rbgsana088 ай бұрын

  • Very enjoyable and highly informative presentation! Thank you !

    @rjo2020@rjo20208 ай бұрын

    • Glad you enjoyed it!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Excellent video. The overall situation is well summarized and allows to realize the importance of the sector. Live views allow you to understand the lay of the land and visualize the action.

    @tromxuasnoc@tromxuasnoc8 ай бұрын

    • Thank you and we are glad you enjoyed it.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • WAY TO GO BOIS!!!

    @lightyami5934@lightyami59348 ай бұрын

    • Glad you liked it.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • @@BattleGuideVT MAN,you don't know how I love the channel for finally making it possible for the simple mind of mine,understand the processes and the weight all these battles had in the war... Hope to see more and that the channel will get more recognition for the wonderful work uploaded by you guys! WAY TO GO!!!

      @lightyami5934@lightyami59348 ай бұрын

    • Too often battles are just names... we enjoy delving into them. :) @@lightyami5934

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Great content, this story would make a great movie!

    @TokyoCraftsman@TokyoCraftsman7 ай бұрын

  • Excellent video. I was a little surprised though, when you mentioned the number of Panzer 3' & 4's. I always thought the Germans had mostly Panzer 1's & 2's, with just a handful of the others. I'm pretty sure I saw a Zeppelin poking it's nose in at one point too. Not sure about that one. Subscribed now, thank you.

    @theeaselrider4032@theeaselrider40328 ай бұрын

    • LOL.. we will fire our editor. :) Regarding the Pz III & IV they were indeed used in the Battle of France and were vastly outnumbered by the Pz II's (nearly a thousand Pz II's were used) compared to approx. 350 Pz III's and approx. 280 Pz IV's.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Really good stuff thank you.

    @gunhojput@gunhojput7 ай бұрын

  • Perhaps someone could help me, When I was very young my grandfather told me a story about the time he won the bronze star. He said that it was winter of '44 I believe and in the early morning a group of sherman tanks started up to head out hunting, he said two of the shermans could not get their engines started when they were attacked by German tanks, he said he and his Lt ran to their 105 and turned it on the tanks coming out of the tree line and knock out two of them, his Lt. got the silver star. MANY MANY years later I saw an episode of a documentry on the History Channel where I swear it was this tank fight but for the life of me I can not find that episode or even the shows name. Is anyone able to help or point me in a direction that could help find out more about that fight? one of my lifes greatest regrets was not paying attention to him at that young age when he shared his stories...

    @RG1001@RG10018 ай бұрын

  • An excellent comprehensive video. I was aware of Pierre Billote and the battle of Stonne, but learned much more here about the battle in general and busting the myth that many British especially have about the bravery of the ordinary French troops who were totally let down by their High Command. The way many look at the battle of France they make it out that the Germans had some kind of gentle stroll through Rural France, this video shows the intensity of this battle was incredible, as was the bravery at Lille which held out to a massive German Armoured Force, without this action The British could not have escaped in such numbers at Dunkirk. A lot of the time this battle and Lille seems to be airbrushed from history. Thanks again for documenting this so well and remembering this amazing bravery.

    @killianlpc@killianlpc5 ай бұрын

  • That was some battle . Thanks for this great history lesson .

    @basingstoke63@basingstoke638 ай бұрын

    • One of the lesser known stories... we are glad you enjoyed it!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Absolutely SUPERB....So we'll presented and produced. You put many MS to shame...please keep this wonderful work coming

    @robertchubb5602@robertchubb56028 ай бұрын

    • Many thanks!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • @@BattleGuideVT fed up with YT doing the spellchecker.. as you know..should have been WELL...not we'll Grrrr

      @robertchubb5602@robertchubb56028 ай бұрын

  • Excellent video. Thanks 👍

    @mikedevere@mikedevere8 ай бұрын

    • Glad you liked it Mike.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • The B-1 is a really good example of a tank built by committee. It looks impressive on paper, and it had a few scattered successes, but overall it was a miserable failure. See The Chieftain's walkaround video for more details.

    @st3vorocks290@st3vorocks2908 ай бұрын

    • Thank you for watching.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • a "miserable failure" You didn't watch the video, did you? 😁

      @andyandson3700@andyandson37008 ай бұрын

    • I did indeed. Why do you ask?@@andyandson3700

      @st3vorocks290@st3vorocks2908 ай бұрын

    • The one man turret was it's main weakness as the commander was overworked.

      @simonkevnorris@simonkevnorris5 ай бұрын

  • I thought the original was great and this one is great as well! Keep up the amazing work!

    @Andyb2820@Andyb28208 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for taking the time to watch the documentary.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Superb video mate, my compliments

    @zenger74@zenger748 ай бұрын

    • Many thanks!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • The stories of French resistance fighters are crazier than any movie. Fascinating stuff.

    @spaceforce3643@spaceforce36432 ай бұрын

  • Amazing as always.

    @thermomeds@thermomeds8 ай бұрын

    • Thank you for watching.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Great story and thankyou

    @Roberto-tu5re@Roberto-tu5re6 ай бұрын

  • Very good video thanks for your efforts ❤

    @jockster5525@jockster55258 ай бұрын

    • Thanks @jockster5525 we are glad you enjoyed the video!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Fascinating story, thanks

    @pavlovshouse77@pavlovshouse778 ай бұрын

    • Thank you for watching.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Great reporting - no drfamatic music or over-exaggerated text with balanced viwes from both sides , thanks - much appreicated

    @seandezart8294@seandezart82948 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for the kind comment Sean.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Thank you. I appreciate learning more. Saying the French didn't put up a fight doesn't make sense.

    @betterlatethannever7337@betterlatethannever73378 ай бұрын

    • We agree... and thanks for the comment.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Great storytelling...

    @neighbor-j-4737@neighbor-j-47378 ай бұрын

    • Thank you for watching.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • 140 hits wow! Great vid.

    @MauriceTarantulas@MauriceTarantulas8 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for taking the time to watch the documentary.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Really good presentation 👍🏼🏴‍☠️✌🏼

    @pirated8557@pirated85578 ай бұрын

    • Thanks @pirated8557, glad you enjoyed it!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Thank You.

    @JustAllinOneResource@JustAllinOneResource3 ай бұрын

  • this is excellent content. may the youtube algo bless your channel.

    @lurklurkyeah@lurklurkyeah8 ай бұрын

    • Here is hoping. :)

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Great video. Dunkirk would have have failed if it were not for the bravery of the French troops who held the line.

    @snacks1184@snacks11848 ай бұрын

    • Glad you enjoyed it mate.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • The French Army was very brave during World War II, both in their homeland and in exile. Great documentary

    @HistoryHaty@HistoryHaty2 ай бұрын

  • Excellent, I've studied the battle of France because my father was fighting there with the BEF. The French were at the time considered the best Army in Europe and the best equipped. However, they were undermined by, 1/ Poor leadership 2/ Poor Communications. 3/ No coordination between the Army and Airforce, in fact they despised each other. 4/ Their leaders were expecting to return to fighting WWI, while the Germans were determined not to repeat it. 5/ Because of poor communications they missed many opportunities to halt the German advance but by the time they realised, the opportunity had passed. The Germans on the other hand had excellent communications and could react quickly to exploit a situation and unlike the French they also used their Airforce in support of their troops. However, many French soldier's fought hard and bravery, General De Gauls determined attack springs to mind as another example.

    @johnbrereton5229@johnbrereton52292 ай бұрын

  • Great video. I've visited Stonne and your coverage was excellent.

    @steveparker576@steveparker5768 ай бұрын

  • Excellent video!! This needs to be a Sabaton song :) \m/

    @madDdog67@madDdog677 ай бұрын

  • It's about time that someone had the time and effort to put this together. Personally I'm sick of the Americans blowing their trumpet.

    @johncheetham4607@johncheetham46078 ай бұрын

    • Thanks John.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Legendary battle. Damn i love ww2

    @neymarmessironaldo5881@neymarmessironaldo58818 ай бұрын

    • Thank you for watching.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Thanks for a French Perspective Video. as a Brit I have never forgotten just what the French did to enable Dunkirk.

    @Rabmac1UK@Rabmac1UK8 ай бұрын

    • Hi @Rabmac1UK thanks for the kind comment.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • @@BattleGuideVT So grateful for the response, thank you. It is a real shame that the historical data (and teaching in our schools) nowadays portrays the French Forces as somehow sub-standard. This could not be more untrue, the problems lay with your Generals, and our Generals. Thanks for the spirited defense of Dunkirk, without which the Miracle might never have happened

      @Rabmac1UK@Rabmac1UK8 ай бұрын

  • Never mind about "Fury" the real deal was "Vienna"

    @camrenwick@camrenwick5 ай бұрын

  • Early in the war the Panzer 4 was premium only and shot 150mm HESH. Then they rebalanced it a month later and lost HESH to be replaced by shells made of hard cheeses.

    @hicknopunk@hicknopunk8 ай бұрын

    • German mains only see movement

      @davidoconnell1590@davidoconnell15908 ай бұрын

  • Interesting video The peculiar piano(?) notes toward the end were really distracting though - I kept halting the video thinking its something external 🙄

    @Farweasel@Farweasel8 ай бұрын

    • Noted and apologies.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Is this a re upload? I feel déja vù but I feel like this video has been improved as well

    @cdntrooper3078@cdntrooper30788 ай бұрын

    • Yes it is a reupload. We revisited it to clarify the actual attack by the French which we believed needed improved on the original.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Bravo - such an important story to remember, especially against the tide of pro-Nazi stuff KZhead offers.

    @KurtZorch@KurtZorch8 ай бұрын

    • Thanks Kurt

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Interesting to note, that in the 1938 French Military games, a French tank Captain sent his tank force through these same Ardennes to win the practice battle. The French High Command then shelved the results of this successful attack. Also Ironic was that in the Franco Prussian War of 1870, the Germans decisively defeated the French at the battle of Sedan. So, you would think the French would have placed much stronger Army divisions at Sedan.

    @richpontone1@richpontone18 ай бұрын

    • Hi @richpontone1 that is interesting thanks for sharing!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • It all becomes clear if you have been in the military. Idiots are promoted, especially in peacetime. Then when the war comes, the idiots Are defeated. In government, and of course that includes the military, meritocracy is a theory seldom practiced.

      @steveperreira5850@steveperreira58507 ай бұрын

    • If what you say is correct, it was far too late (in 1938) to change anything in French defensive doctrine... The Maginot Line had already been built.

      @MarquisVincentBissetdeGramont@MarquisVincentBissetdeGramont6 ай бұрын

    • @@MarquisVincentBissetdeGramont Interesting things about how military plans can change quickly. Several months before the German attack on France, a high level German officer with the German attack plans crash landed in France, and the Allies had their plans to attack through Northern France. The Germans realized this and had to change their plans quickly. Hitler okayed the attack plans through the Ardennes and from then, he was convinced of his own Military Genius. From this, Hitler did the same thing again by attacking through the Ardennes with the Battle of the Bulge. In 1942 British Intelligence stopped all their plans to assassinate Hitler as he constantly over ruled the German High Command with the wrong Military plans to attack the Russians and the Americans and British, contributing to the doom of The Third Reich.

      @richpontone1@richpontone16 ай бұрын

  • Germans racing to the Meuse River? French having a bad time fighting at Sedan? Fuck that battle was ironic as fuck

    @jakegarvin7634@jakegarvin76348 ай бұрын

  • Thank you for this video. All too often, ignorant idiots say stupid things about the French, calling them 'cheese eating surrender monkeys', etc. The French held significant advantages over the Germans at the start of the war, but the political will and strategic leadership were lacking. I gave read stories of the 'Phoney War' where British pilots were forbidden to attack the German lines. One reply to this ludicrous refusal was something like: "Do they know there is a war on?" My reading has been mostly limited to the brave French pilots and the Resistance as I have found few books relating to the French Army and its operations.

    @robert-trading-as-Bob69@robert-trading-as-Bob696 ай бұрын

  • Good to see a fresh perspective on the myth of the cowardly French

    @tanfosbery1153@tanfosbery11538 ай бұрын

    • Thanks for the comment.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • I have a more educated appreciation of the French soldier. I thank you for this rendering of history.

    @1imusos@1imusos7 ай бұрын

  • As an Ex squaddie I always found it a bit strange and disrespectful to call The French surrender monkeys. There are countless examples of real French heroes and how they gave their all to defend their homeland. Like all of the Too Brass at the time they thought themselves incapable of defeat and that their own soldiers were expendable. This is a great video, I absolutely loved this story.

    @schuletrip@schuletrip4 ай бұрын

  • In 2023, I'll never understand how Europeans can go to war against other Europeans.

    @moistmike4150@moistmike41508 ай бұрын

    • We agree. History has taught no lessons.

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

    • All you have to Do is visit Germany and you can understand why these aggressive people are a danger to humanity.

      @steveperreira5850@steveperreira58507 ай бұрын

  • Never heard about this battle

    @slypen7450@slypen74508 ай бұрын

  • I have one of those tanks in my collection. It would be interesting to know roughly how many men have died in battle on European soil in last 2-3 thousand years. The ground in some places must of been watered in blood numerous times. New subscriber.

    @Spartan902@Spartan9025 ай бұрын

  • You have to feel for these brave French soldiers who put up such heroic defences and have had very little light shine on there actions!! I know more about there old incompetent generals then i do the actual fighting mens actions on the ground!! Thank you for high lighting this it would be great to see more about these brave men!!

    @martynjones3978@martynjones39782 ай бұрын

  • I am an Indian in eighty didn't know anything of these things. Been wondering " how the tradition of General nepoleon's army gone". Nepoleon was general of French revolution. He gave Nepoleon code to the world.... Thanks for bright Sparks.

    @mathsinmarathibyanillimaye3083@mathsinmarathibyanillimaye30837 ай бұрын

  • My great grand-father was a conscript during the phoney war. He was guarding a French airfield near Paris. He said that aircraft were stored on one airfield, ammunition on another airfield and fuel on a 3rd airfield. The German bombed the airfield with the fuel. Aircraft and ammunition are useless if there's no fuel.

    @joker_g7337@joker_g73378 ай бұрын

  • Um....you're describing Pz IV & Pz III vehicles, but you showed Pz III & Pz II vehicles during the description! At 11:54, you even showed a PANTHER turret.

    @Sithspit_Rogue@Sithspit_Rogue6 ай бұрын

  • It's tragic that France had been prepared to defend itself by a static line of defense. De Gaulle had wanted to have groups of tanks in battalions for a defense force. But he was only a junior officier. The French had put their faith in a series of forts around the city of Verdun connected by the Maginot line. Unfortunately, the Second World War would not be a static war as in WW1. Once over the Somme, the game was over. If up to date artillery had been created and been placed on hill tops, then tanks could have been stopped, and tanks would not have been destroyed, and defense eliminated.

    @gregorybezanson@gregorybezanson7 ай бұрын

  • You could have used Postscriptum trailer update in some clips better portrayal than the WoT footage

    @SpittingBritTeaEarlGrey@SpittingBritTeaEarlGrey8 ай бұрын

    • Hi @SpittingBritTeaEarlGrey that is interesting thanks for sharing!

      @BattleGuideVT@BattleGuideVT8 ай бұрын

  • Strategy baby

    @89volvowithlazers@89volvowithlazers8 ай бұрын

  • There were only a couple hundred panzer IV’s in 1940. Most were panzer I, II, and III’s.

    @paulredinger5830@paulredinger58302 ай бұрын

  • When war planners said tanks couldn't negotiate the Ardennes, they were thinking of the B1 Bis, not the Panzers.

    @avnrulz8587@avnrulz85878 ай бұрын

  • Also known as the german villers- bocage

    @gotanon9659@gotanon96598 ай бұрын

  • Good comparison with the KV 1 in Russia. You could of also listed the Matilda 2 in the beginning of the African campaign, except for the gun.

    @John14-6...@John14-6...7 ай бұрын
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