I love these shows where battles are discussed by fantastic historians while we are shown live footage of the scenes of these battles. They add an important layer to our understanding of the events.
Came back to watch this for a second time. Really good combination of knowledgeable guests and 'live' video from the battle area to give some perspective. Always learn something from these shows. The conversations in the sidebar are always worth working through again as well.
I keep pushing the thumbs up button in a futile attempt to demonstrate my absolute sense of awe i have of this production. So unfortunate i missed the live broadcast.
Probably already said, but will say it anyway. The tower is a known grid Reference. Great for Artillery to adjust fire and fire for effect missions and also good for aerial bombing of all kinds.
So we have an interesting bit of information from the German perspective here. A 12th SS Hitlerjügend panzer ace by the name of SS-Oberscharführer Rudolf Roy, who was under the command of Brigadeführer Meyer, was responsible with his gunner for 26 Allied tanks getting destroyed during this operation. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his battlefield bravery and him flanking the attacking Allied tanks on his own initiative. Of the 15 attacking in one day only 2 managed to escape.
Didn't Eric Le Fevre/Jean Paul Pullard actually discover the Wittmann site as written up in Panzers In Normandy + Then and Now (After the Battle series) ¿?
18:30 Some notes about the Wittmann sideshow. Wittmann and his tigers were under the command of Wünche, who was commander of 12.SS panzer regiment. They were far from insignificant on 8 and 9 August. They (Tigers and Wünche's panthers) knocked out 50 some odd tanks in the area of Hill 140, and near Cintheaux. The allies there were nearly completely destroyed and the German counter attack, in their eyes delayed, the Falaise Gap by crucial days...Wittmann's advance was reconnaissance by force to attempt to even further make fortune of the allied disaster near Cintheaux. How exactly is that insignificant? I mean, seriously? How? Are the lives of all the canadians and poles ended near Cintheaux meaningless sacrifices? I should think not. Yea. The very moment he was knocked out, sure, even so they were conducting vital reconnaissance because unlike the allies, the germans could mostly only conduct reconnaissance on the ground..and the battlefield in this area was quite open...yea, using tigers for recce has some unfortunate downsides, but so would sending panzergrenadiers through the open country side...what a bloodbath that would've been. Wünche and Meyer didn't have much at their disposal to ascertain the full scope of the 'totalize'.... but what was there were some of the best and most experienced small unit leaders who did a lot, with very little. What gets me, is the total lack of awareness about the allies that were knocked out at hill 140, if anything, it's the allies and allied centric historians that often fail to acknowledge the sacrifices of their own but, love to point out the fruitless sacrifices of germans. Odd. I understand the virtual rolling of the eyes of Wittmann fanboyism, especially since panzer commanders like Wünche deserve at least as much credit for brilliant tactical moves, not just raw aggression and careless attacks into the enemy that Wittmann seemed accustomed to.
I completely understand your points and we were not dismissing the German movements. We were just saying that the never-ending speculation over Wittmann's death sadly overshadows everything else. The concept of the show was to talk about Operation Totalize at an Operational level. I would love to do another show focussing on Wünche's decision making that day
Piotr, The Tigers of SS101 and Panthers of 12th SS were mostly responsible for the 44 Shermans of the Canadian 28th Armoured Regiment that were knocked out near Estrees la Campagne on 9th August, not anti tank guns. There is a strange tendancy now to downplay anything German armour achieved in WW2. If you listen to some people, nearly all of the circa 400 allied tanks knocked out or disabled during Goodwood were by a handful of 88mm flak guns. 😂
Hi, thanks for the comment.. There were plenty of unused V1 sites in La Manche, notably near Cherbourg, but I don't recall any in the area south of Caen. But, I'm not sure what point you are making, what is the connection between V1 sites and Totalise?
@@WW2TV The map was of the area that Operaion Totalise took place..but of a larger area out to the channel coast..i was surprised to see the location of the V1 sites on the map
@@lesgl Hmm, I'd like to see that map because all the V1 sites I know about were in La Manche, notably south of Cherbourg and none of course were ever used. I have never read about any V sites anywhere near Caen
I've found the map..it's in German..''V1 Anlage Im Ausbau'' which translates as ''from in the expansion''..maybe ''Under construction''??? it's located in the Canadian area at the limit of the advance of the Royal Hamilton Light Infanrty on the first day and there's a knocked out Brumbar SPG nearby..
The Germans couldn’t see the night attack, but they certainly would hear those Detroit engines- Did the Germans posses illumination flares shot by mortars?
The gentleman stated operation Totalize was the first use of armoured personnel carriers, completely false, the Germans had been using them since the outset of the war. Another new idea was the use of artificial moonlight where the Allies bought up searchlight batteries shined them up at the clouds which reflected them creating an artificial light. Why no mention of this.
@@WW2TV Usually I don't have a problem with that approach, but sometimes the live feed from the field can be quite distracting (perhaps even annoying), especially when what is being shown is not directly related to what you or your guests are discussing and also when the video quality is poor as it was in many parts of this episode. Basically what I am getting at is you should only show the ground when there is something noteworthy to see. Otherwise, the focus should be maintained on your expert guests who, I assume, are supposed to be the stars of your show.