Breaking the Maginot Line | Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen and 8.8 cm BuFlak ‘Bunkerknacker’

Подписаться 82 тыс.

Просмотров 69 тыс.

50% 1

Before the start of the Second World War, the Germans knew that, at some point, they would have to deal with enemy bunkers and fortified positions. Normally, anti-tank guns and most artillery pieces were not well suited for taking these out. Luckily for the Germans, they had the mighty 8.8 cm (3.46 in) anti-aircraft gun in service, which proved effective at taking out ground targets during the Spanish Civil War. Based on this experience, the German Army came up with the idea of modifying some 88s for use against enemy bunkers. A small production run would be carried out and they would see service during the German invasion of the West in 1940.
Join this channel to get access to exclusive perks:
/ @tanksencyclopediayt
If you liked this video, please consider donating on Patreon or Paypal!
Patreon: / tankartfund
Paypal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/tanke...
Article: tanks-encyclopedia.com/gepanz...
Sources:
8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37 Vol.1 Wydawnictwo Militaria 155
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2001) Panzer Tracts Dreaded Threat The 8.8 cm FlaK 18/36/41 in the Anti-Tank role
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2013) Panzer Tracts No. 22-4 Mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 8t (Sd.Kfz.7)
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2014) Panzer Tracts No. 22-5 Gepanzerter 8t Zugkraftwagen and Sfl.Flak
German 88-mm Anti Aircraft Gun Materiel (29th June 1943) War Department Technical Manual
J. Norris (2002) 8.8 cm FlaK 16/36/37/ 41 and PaK 43 1936-45 Osprey Publishing
W. Muller (1998) The 8.8 cm FLAK In The First and Second World Wars, Schiffer Military
E. D. Westermann (2001) Flak, German Anti-Aircraft Defense 1914-1945, University Press of Kansas.
T. Anderson (2017) History of Panzerjager Volume 1 1939-42, Osprey publishing
www.armedconflicts.com/gepanz...
Reddit: / tankencyclopedia
TE Shop: www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/Goo...
Our website: www.tanks-encyclopedia.com
Gaming News Website: www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/games/
Facebook: / tanksencyclopedia
Twitter: / tanksenc
Discord: / discord
Email: tanks.encyclopedia@gmail.com
An article by Marko P
Narrated by Ashley Shanon
Edited by Brancovich
Sound edited by Gabe

Опубликовано:

8 авг 2024

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 100

@Heike-- 11 месяцев назад

"The 88 MM is basically a gun for firing on moving targets. The crew is also specially trained for firing on highly rapid moving targets, primarily on airplanes. The whole control apparatus is designed for fast moving targets with a very rapid rate of fire: 25 rounds per minute. The gun is capable of great volume fire and extreme accuracy against moving targets of any type. It is equally efficient on targets on the ground as well as in the air. For attacks on armored vehicles, it is provided with a special armor-piercing shell." -- American military observer in Germany, 1940

@JeanLucCaptain 11 месяцев назад

I love the name "Bunkerknacker" 😂. Sounds like something from Victoria Secrets🤣

@juanmc5731 11 месяцев назад

Excellent production. Really like the change of music.

@TallDude73 11 месяцев назад

At 8:54, 15 mm is not 0.19 inches, rather 0.59 inches

@JGCR59 11 месяцев назад

The problem might, as often, have been Herrmann Göring. Heavy Flak was usually Luftwaffe units so a Heer unit making use of them must have been seen as infringing on the Luftwaffe's turf

@jantschierschky3461 11 месяцев назад

Not 100% there were army heavy flak units too, specifically for dual purpose. Vast majority were Luftwaffe.

@tokencivilian8507 11 месяцев назад

Overall a good vid on an interesting topic. Double check your metric to US units. 15mm is not 0.19 inches. It's closer to 0.59 inches. The 15 point something km to feet was off as well. It's customary at that range to go to miles 16.2 km =10 miles, so for the 15 something range, in miles it would be 9 something.. At 1 km, most common would be to yards vs feet. 1km = 1092 yards, give or take.

@TallDude73 11 месяцев назад

I noticed the conversion error too. Good eye.

@marioborkowski5894 11 месяцев назад

Thank You for your comment, poorly executed history channels are not worthy watching or subscribing.

@nathanworthington4451 10 месяцев назад

Get a life

@christopherwebber3804 11 месяцев назад

I'm surprised you didn't mention the version where the gun was mounted on the armoured tractor, though I think only 12 were made. There is some mention of them being used against Maginot Line fortifications.

@DaKea90 6 месяцев назад

They were also used to penetrate the polish defence line that surrounded East Prussia

@steffent.6477 11 месяцев назад

Never heard of the BuFlak. Thx :)

@NativeLanguage02 11 месяцев назад

narrator reminds me of the classic ww2 documentaries narrations. 👍

@travisrolison9646 11 месяцев назад

I remember when the history channel did shows like this before all the aliens and realty show crap

@TanksEncyclopediaYT 11 месяцев назад

Tank Encyclopedia: Like the History Channel before it became shit Mind if we use that for a promo? :))

@travisrolison9646 11 месяцев назад

@@TanksEncyclopediaYT go for it.

@NativeLanguage02 11 месяцев назад

@@TanksEncyclopediaYT did you say conspiracy channel? lol

@jamesedwardladislazerrudo1378 11 месяцев назад

@@TanksEncyclopediaYT definitely "Muh Aliens"

@chost-059 11 месяцев назад

Thinks the 8.8cm gun is too big and hard to conceal* Greenlights jagdtiger production*

@ottovonbismarck2443 11 месяцев назад

The 8,8cm PAK 43 and 17pdr QF AT weren't tiny either. As for Jagdtiger, it didn't really matter because technically it was impenetrable frontally. Of course it was an overall BS design, but lack of protection certainly wasn't an issue. Edit: And from 2 km away, even a Jagdtiger looks tiny. Famous last words of an unknown Sherman gunner: "That thing in the distance looks a hell of a lot like a Jagdtiger."

@jantschierschky3461 11 месяцев назад

Well Jagdtiger needed a 12.8cm and if you see what damage that gun made on bunkers, go to Alsace.

@ptonpc 11 месяцев назад

Interesting video and narration. Thanks :)

@linkfreeman1998 11 месяцев назад

The thumbnail's unit has the tower gun saying "Mickey Mouse" but in German 😂

@ltcitadel 11 месяцев назад

That looks like a Flakbus but they read the instructions wrong

@Mag_Aoidh 11 месяцев назад

Really good video, thanks.

@johnsamu 11 месяцев назад

The armored cabin because of its weight on this SDFZ 7 took away a LOT of its primary objective that is to be a medium/heavy artillery TOWING vehicle. The "normal"FLAK guns already were quite capable of taking out enemy armor so a super specialized version wasn't really needed.

@uio890138 11 месяцев назад

The "normal" flak guns were good at taking out armor from concealed defensive positions. This rig was for moving forward in an offensive role against hardened fixed positions, so once the enemy observed it being brought into firing position, I'm sure they all started shooting at it.

@johnsamu 11 месяцев назад

@@uio890138 And once it was in that CLOSE firing position it was essentially a sitting duck with that light armor. That's why later in the war the "bunker buster" role was taken over by very heavily armored vehicles like the Brummbar etc.

@jantschierschky3461 11 месяцев назад

@uio890138 Well, the protection was very similar, the key was to approach in a dead angle. The french had a problem with it's 360° defence in a lack of range.

@uio890138 11 месяцев назад

@@johnsamu True, it was a stop-gap design until purpose built vehicles could be developed. They probably only moved it forward after the area had been swept of AT guns. The armor was only good against small arms and frags from artillery.

@zippy5131 11 месяцев назад

The Sdkfz 8, was the chappy with the gun mounted on it. Used as you say in Poland and then France. Not many were made, as I can see the problem of gun depression being prominent. I have just made.. well converted three normal Flak 37's and three armoured Sdkfz 7's in 6mm for my 1940's Panzer division, for the good old Firefly rules.

@alangordon3283 11 месяцев назад

The Bob Semple would make mincemeat of the buflak.

@kot0472 11 месяцев назад

This joke about Semple is boring.

@Zigmmaaaaarrssss 11 месяцев назад

@@kot0472It doesn't matter if it's multiple years old, newcomers continue it's legend until the next tank fans come

@travisrolison9646 11 месяцев назад

You know people mock it. And yeah it was useless. But the guy was trying hard to help during very difficult times. I doubt most people could do better

@kot0472 11 месяцев назад

@@travisrolison9646 Well, a planned version with 37mm gun would be a decent tank for 30s standards.

@richardorta8960 11 месяцев назад

Mr. Semple meet Mr. Buflak.

@JGCR59 11 месяцев назад

"Micki Maus" :) at 14:13

@WFHermans 11 месяцев назад

You read my mind:) thank you!

@jantschierschky3461 11 месяцев назад

The 8.8cm was used against polish border bunkers. During the France campaign, it was used to attack small forts, blockhouses, and bunkers. It successfully forced 3 small forts to abandon and disabled blockhouses of the fort Fermont. The 8.8cm was very universal, so dedicated ground attack versions were not needed.

@randyjensrud3122 11 месяцев назад

Half track version was probably the best anti tank gun of ww2 probably whould work well even today

@deck614 11 месяцев назад

In 1940, French artillery made hits with some old WWI 75mm against German early panzers. The Char B1Bis was the most protected tank in 1940. But not against an 88... No Maginot Line bunker was reported to have been noticeably damaged by these guns (but did French observers know?). Note that even heavy US guns lived hard times firing on the rear of Maginot bunkers where German troops were hidden in 1944-45.

@Bowl_of_roses 11 месяцев назад

Great vid. I'd seen one picture of these vehicles from the rear, and this was so informative.

@gregvdl3808 11 месяцев назад

And then they released sdkfz 9!

@mattw785 11 месяцев назад

Good vid - great footage and images

@tasjan9190 11 месяцев назад

Mean cannon that chewed up a lot of Allied troops.

@Ugly_German_Truths 11 месяцев назад

To be pedantic OKH is only the command/staff of the Army OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) was the highest commadn for the armed forces, including Air Force and Navy.

@Ugly_German_Truths 11 месяцев назад

Probably a mixture of too vulnerable with these giant wheels and too slow/immobile) with the halftrack towing it. They liked the 8.8 well enough on all sorts of tracked base...

@christopherwebber3804 11 месяцев назад

The OKW was supposed to promote inter-service co-operation and was, in part, a response to the German amphibious operations in the Baltic in WW1. However, Hitler took it over as his secretariat so it never really fulfilled its intended role. OKH ended up being more like an eastern front command. Yes, there was also an OKL for the Luftwaffe and an OKM for the navy.

@hamishneilson7140 11 месяцев назад

You may have mentioned it in the video and I missed it, but did you say how long it took to set the gun up to a level sufficient for firing. I.e.: From travel to firing without all the camouflage and preparation?

@TanksEncyclopediaYT 11 месяцев назад

No, but it was relatively short. Basically just drop the shortened side outriggers and you're good to go. Don't even have to unhitch from the towing vehicle.

@neiloflongbeck5705 11 месяцев назад

The Flak 18 name is a misdirection. Normally the number refers to the year of entry, so 18 refers to 1918. This was to get around the Versailles Treaty.

@foff3804 11 месяцев назад

Do you honestly think anyone believed that?

@jonowens460 11 месяцев назад

,"traktorn" they won't know....

@neiloflongbeck5705 11 месяцев назад

@@foff3804 it is the truth. Truth is often stranger than fiction.

@JeanLucCaptain 11 месяцев назад

Did this convince anybody?

@neiloflongbeck5705 11 месяцев назад

@@JeanLucCaptain who knows, but the Germans had the 8.8cm Flak 16 in operation from 1916 and so it wouldn't have raised eyebrows for a development of that weapon system from 1918 to have been developed but not produced. Hence the subterfuge.

@jamestregler1584 11 месяцев назад

ja 🧐

@adriantowe278 11 месяцев назад

If I could have a tiger one pulling a flack 88 i would be very happy man

@terrybaird3122 11 месяцев назад

14:22 Humorous photo. The gun is named "Micki Maus", Good video on an unknown-to-me gun. What do I think was their fate? Probably expended in combat. This looks like another case of German overspecialization. The Flak would have served well enough and would have been more versatile as well.

@Hot_Cold_Blue 11 месяцев назад

What was the cost per killed victim?

@PC-coolant-pipe-sucker 11 месяцев назад

Imagine a world in which the 8.8 cm gun wasn't used as an anti-tank weapon.

@Triggernlfrl 11 месяцев назад

Would be no different than current world. The fourth reich is at the moment crumbeling into pieces...

@Damian-03x3 11 месяцев назад

Hearing gun calibers being converted into the incorrect measurement system units and not the other way around is so cursed.

@TanksEncyclopediaYT 11 месяцев назад

Incorrect measurement system?

@Damian-03x3 11 месяцев назад

@@TanksEncyclopediaYT Yup, all the foot fetish units and stuff.

@TanksEncyclopediaYT 11 месяцев назад

@@Damian-03x3 40+% percent of our audience is American.

@Damian-03x3 11 месяцев назад

@@TanksEncyclopediaYT In that case, that's understandable. Still very cursed though.

@Nine-2545 10 месяцев назад

make video about a34 comet please

@hasslefree3527 11 месяцев назад

@8:54 15mm = 0.59"

@stalingaming9304 10 месяцев назад

yeah metric to imperial is off. Honestly just stick with metric if its diffucult to provide both. For example, 15.2 km is about 16600 yards, not 17060 feet (more like > 45,000). Also, converting KM to miles is prolly best for us yanks, we know miles really well. Same w yards, feet tends to be soley for small stuff

@Qureshi00_ 10 месяцев назад

The German tech was supreme so was army but Hitler wasted all. Regards from Pakistan 🇵🇰

@pg259 11 месяцев назад

15mm are not 0.19 inches

@meskisable 11 месяцев назад

No one cares about banana units.

@avilhelm1697 11 месяцев назад

I don't know why they even bothered with inches for every measurement mentioned lol

@pavelalexe9254 11 месяцев назад

@@avilhelm1697cause Americans cry when its not hamburgers per football fields

@CUTECATSTUDIOS 11 месяцев назад

@@pavelalexe9254😂😂😂

@guidor.4161 11 месяцев назад

its 0.59 inches

@PitFriend1 11 месяцев назад

Heavy anti-tank units equipped with 8.8cm guns have those guns taken away and are re-equipped with 3.7cm guns, making them not so heavy anymore. Bureaucracy in action there.

@christophercripps7639 11 месяцев назад

A couple remarks: Imperial Getmany had 8.8 cm Flak weapons. These included the 8.8 cm Flak "1917" army & 8.8 Flak L/45 naval. Versus most mid- late 1930s tanks with less than 2.5 cm armor basis I would exoectva standard 8.8 cm Spgr. (HE) shell to be effective enough to cause ss The Chieftain Nicolas Moran sats "an extreme emotional event." Modification of traverse & elevation controls for single gunner operation makes sense since one would expect traverse rate requirements would be far greater than elevation when engaging hround targets.

@oaples8790 11 месяцев назад

Why did the Germans stop 8.8cm? Why not do a 9 cm Gun?

@TanksEncyclopediaYT 11 месяцев назад

Halfway between 7.5 and 10 cm

@jantschierschky3461 11 месяцев назад

They did after WW2.

@DaKea90 6 месяцев назад

I think, the whole story "the 8.8 proved to be an effective anti-tank gun during the Spanish civil war" is bonkers. Remember: the republicans used T-26 and BT tanks. They are not known to be armoured beasts. The 3,7cm Pak 36 could penetrate the 16mm of the T-26's armour from 1500m. They didn't need the 8.8 for that. I think the truth lies in the versatility. As the republican air force became negligible, the 8.8 was used everywhere, where a high calibre gun was needed - be it troop concentrations (with HE) or field fortifications (with AP) and the 8.8 proved that it was well able to fight both target groups. The Germans concluded afterwards that it could indeed be a good anti-tank gun (i mean, its penetrative potential was needed), when they invaded France and needed a gun that could reliably defeat french armour. To state that "the 8.8 proved to be an effective anti-tank gun during the Spanish civil war" is like saying "Wow, a Javelin can destroy this Honda Civic!".. because yes, obviously!

@nightshade4873 11 месяцев назад

Great, another german AFV with a long af name

@foff3804 11 месяцев назад

That is some horrible German to English translation the got in this one.

@nahornig 11 месяцев назад

Please hire a competent third grader to convert your armor thicknesses. Total loss of credibility (15mm ? 0.19 in. ?). In the script and the graphics? Fail.