166 - Nazi General Dies of Heart Attack - WW2 - October 30, 1942

The Allies may be on the verge of a breakthrough in North Africa, but they're losing at sea to the Japanese this week, and the Axis are also advancing in the Caucasus, though the street by street struggle at Stalingrad continues as always.
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[@WorldWarTwo]

Naval Battles are crucial to the war in the Pacific. Major battles are unfolding several thousands of kilometres away from the imperial nuclei which are waging this conflict. To fight a battle all the way at Guadalcanal requires the ability to bring in everything, from boots to bullets, on a boat that has to traverse the sea for thousands of kilometres. Should the US manage to obtain total naval supremacy over Japan, then the prospect of winning the war for the island nation will be hopeless.

[@barnaclebob1182]

Have you guys considered doing an episode on the domestic situation in Japan during this period? It's not something that is talked about a lot.

[@Wayne.J]

Guys... Mikawa sat this battle out (Chokai and Kinugasa). Distant Cover. DesRon 4 (Rear Admiral Takama Tamotsu) of the 2nd Fleet (under Kondo) with flagship light cruiser Yura, AA destroyer Akitsuki and 3 destroyers of DesDiv 2 were the bombardment force this time. They were designated Attack Force 2 Yura was sunk by the planes in the retreat as Indy indicated when they realised the airfield was still in US hands. Attack Force 1 was made up of 3 destroyers which were steaming off Guadalcanal at dawn and well into the morning (Akatsuki, Shiratsuyu and Ikazuchi). They attacked and sank Seminole and YP284 and drove off old DDs Trever and Zane. They were there as counter bombardment when Japanese captured the airfield and expected counter attack by the Marines. The Japanese only needed to temporarily put the airfield out of action, as the Japanese needed it in the afternoon or tomorrow to land their aircraft and then attack the Americans from there. Hence a light cruiser and 4 destroyers was "enough" fire-power for this. 2 heavy cruiser was "too much" firepower

[@Wayne.J]

And US has 2 battleships. Though not in the battle itself. USS Washington under Vice Admiral Willis Lee is 200 miles SW of Task Force 61 acting as a decoy to try and lure an attack onto themselves rather than the carriers. A Japanese plan in reverse if u like. Washington has no air cover but does have AA light cruiser Atlanta as an escort, and a destroyer ring.

[@Wayne.J]

Japanese claims varied depending on who you asked. Combined Fleet intel put the American Fleet at 3 CVs, 1 BB, 8 CCs, 18-20 DDs pre-battle. Combined Fleet HQs after it, had called 4 CVs and 2 BBs sunk on the day of the battle but resubmitted Nagumo number; which was 3 CV and 1 BB with a dragon “cage” mast (ie. an old one), 1 CA, 1 DD and another cruiser sunk. Nagumo and his communication team did a great job on this day on misdirecting, running interference and general disruption of US planes in battle on this day. They were reading all the US planes radio channels with US lax security and general chit chat over it. Nagumo's team had figured out through radio, that they took on Hornet (Blue Base) and Enterprise (Red Base) while the other carrier “was not Saratoga” but Carrier “River Base” (Japanese had no kanji for REAPER which was actually Hornets callsign in this battle, Blue Base being Hornets the old one from last month). Japanese had 2 spotters at the start of the 2nd attack, (one spotter leaving the scene after the first attack and one arriving) tell Nagumo two different stories but both were true. One report was a carrier was immobilised condition (Hornet) near the Vanguard Force and another carrier running away to the SE (Enterprise). The second report later was a carrier sinking (Hornet with huge list) and 2nd carrier afire to SE (after the attack on Enterprise). So it could justifiable that they took on possible 3 carriers maybe 4 were in the area. So it can be seen to be a great victory without knowing who or what they were taking on specifically. The Japanese were convinced they had taken on 4 carriers with one getting away, 2 sunk for sure and a 3rd ablaze after the last attack near 5pm, sinking after dark as the IJN found no trace of any carrier the next morning ala Hiryu at Midway.

[@JoTheSnoop]

Have you considered a special episode about the Merchant Navy? Arctic Convoys, Atlantic Convoys, Australian coastal shipping.

[@joshuaevans4301]

I love the idea of the Americans at Guadalcanal finding the Japanese tactics so confounding and ridiculous that they actually ask them wtf they are doing

[@pluemas]

Sadly there are many accounts of Americans asking Japanese (civilians and military) why they launch suicidal attacks and kill themselves for no possible gain. There's a tragic account of an American officer pleading with Japanese civilians to not kill themselves and that they will be respected and cared for. He then bursts into tears and is heard muttering "WHY do they do this???" When they do kill themselves. It was bizarre behaviour to the yanks and a lack of understanding of the strict culture and death cult of the Japanese lead to the confused despair or cold resentment from Americans. It is probably the only "true" contributing factor (the other factors being propaganda and racism) as to why a lot of the Americans considered japanese "subhuman". Not realising that they would be killed or their family subject to complete social rejection if they did not behave like this.

[@poiuyt975]

@@GaldirEonai Basically the Japanese government told the civilians that the Americans would do to them the same thing that the Japanese were actually doing to all the nations they conquered themselves. Basic projection. Freud works for all cultures and civilisations.

[@fromulus]

@@GaldirEonai it's no different than the German citizens supporting all the nazis did for more than a decade. A vast system of indoctrination, and the time to implement it is all that's required.

[@penultimateh766]

Americans asked similar questions to surrendering Chines soldiers at Chosin in Korea and got similar answers. It's my fate, I would never think of not going along with the group, life is meaningless without belonging to some crowd, etc.

[@yourstruly4817]

Japan hasn't ever fought and lost a total war against a Western country before. In the end, the Japanese were rather surprised that the American occupation force didn't behave like the Huns or Mongols

[@Billy-I-Am-Not]

Japanese pilots: "We sank 4 aircraft carriers and 3 battleships!" Japanese high command: "Seems legit"

[@HaloFTW55]

Even if they actually did, the US industry will make good on that in a few short years.

[@jasondouglas6755]

Nimitz said after the battle “ I which I had as many ships as they claim to have sunk”

[@davidwright7193]

@@GaldirEonai the IJA had a good week at Guadalcanal they may not have displaced the US troops but the enemy lost a cruiser and had to withdraw their main force to Truck lagoon after Santa Cruz.

[@Duke_of_Lorraine]

Japanese propaganga : "we sank 4 carriers and 3 battleships" American counter-propaganda : "so bad, my weekly production gone... no wait, my daily production"

[@leeboy26]

Japanese pilots: 'We sank a Dinghy this morning' Head of the IJN: 'A US battleship you say?'

[@excelon13]

Ah I see the Japanese Army received their tactical warfare training from famed Italian general Luigi Cadorna.

[@JHF_Gaming]

Better him than Conrad von Hötzendorf

[@andyreznick]

Good one!

[@davidsigalow7349]

"If first you don't succeed, try again... If second you don't succed, try again... (Repeat eleven times in total.)

[@JHF_Gaming]

@@davidsigalow7349 If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

[@loetzcollector466]

What is crazy to me is the Japanese were the first nation on Earth to learn this lesson in the russo-japanese war.

[@alexamerling79]

"Every soldier sees himself as a condemned man. The only hope is to be wounded and taken to the rear."- Wilhelm Hoffman, October 28, 1942.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Wonder what they'll be saying once the weather turns colder, say late-January through early February.....

[@kimok4716]

@@Raskolnikov70 By then Stalingrad will have been taken so they will only be celebrating Paulus' genious tactics

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@kimok4716 Of course, I look forward to watching the rose petal parades in Astrakhan in a few months....

[@oldesertguy9616]

I read about a GI that was fighting in the miserable conditions of the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded in the leg and was told to try to get back to an aid station. He fashioned a crutch from a branch and started to hobble off. He then turned and shouted at his fellow troops, who were unwounded but had to stay in their frozen, miserable foxholes, "Clean sheets you bastards! Clean sheets!" He knew he was done with the war.

[@alexamerling79]

@@kimok4716 surely nothing disastrous will happen to the 6th army by then

[@brotlowskyrgseg1018]

"We have received orders for a new attack." "Would this involve a suicidal frontal assault?" "How can you possibly know that? That's classified information!"

[@jamesrogers47]

A Blackadder reference...

[@fabianzimmermann5495]

„It‘s the same plan we used last time. And the 17 times before that.“

[@restropot1305]

Exactly! And that is what is so brilliant about it! It will catch the watchful Yank totally off guard Doing precisely what we've done eighteen times before is exactly the last thing they'll expect us to do this time!

[@hansgruber788]

@@restropot1305 There is however, one small problem... That everyone always gets slaughtered in the first 10 seconds

[@restropot1305]

That's right And General Hyakutake is worried this may be depressing the men a tad So he's looking for a way to cheer them up

[@wh8787]

Whenever I hear about Stalingrad, I can't help but get the impression that a big reason the Red Army won is that they were just more willing to adapt to urban warfare. It was obviously hell for both sides, but I get the impression that it was a hell that the Red Army saw as being to their advantage, but a hell that the Wehrmacht saw as entirely hostile.

[@Rendell001]

Probably because the Germans realised that such warfare is extremely attritional and they couldn't afford to get into that kind of game whilst the Soviets could...

[@angelonunez8555]

The big reason (by far) that the Soviets won is that they were able to continue reinforcing the 62nd Army, because its location on the Volga made it difficult for the Germans to surround Stalingrad. Cities that are cut off from reinforcements and re-supply typically fell fairly quickly.

[@TukozAki]

This and as Rendell001 said, maybe the germans managed to bring in half the required ammunitions for this monstruous battle but I doubt it. Why sending your men take each room after another if you *could* have shelled the buildings to the ground? But the Germans/Nazi suppremacist ideology sure seem to have forbidden their high command to grasp a tenth of the Soviet determination and capabilities.

[@МихаилЧерников-п2т]

@@angelonunez8555 *ahem* Leningrad

[@danielmocsny5066]

@@МихаилЧерников-п2т - Leningrad, like Stalingrad, remained open to resupply over water (or over ice, in the winter). The Germans were not able to completely stop shipment to Leningrad over Lake Ladoga although they did make it hard for the Soviets and supplies were insufficient to prevent mass starvation among civilians. However, enough supplies got through for the Red Army to hold the city.

[@thebigdrew12]

"Stumpy and The Army" sounds like the name of a band that would be interesting to see in concert

[@andyreznick]

Or a movie title for a Tim Conway/Don Knotts film.

[@davidsigalow7349]

"Stumpy" was the Walter Brennan character in "Rio Bravo."

[@Chiller01]

That band would be from Kentucky.

[@yes_head]

Sounds like a fitting name for a blues and R&B group with Indy blowing a mean harmonica up front.

[@davidsigalow7349]

@@yes_head Is it in bad taste to suggest that most of the members would be Great War veterans?

[@carlford323]

I'll never think of removing a corset the same way again.

[@sirllamaiii9708]

Yeah lol I was caught off guard by that metaphor

[@ScooterWeibels]

The Japanese on Guadalcanal sound like a rehash of the Italians at the Isonzo 25 years earlier. Mass charges on well defended positions. I guess generals never learn.

[@Themaxwithnoname]

They did it earlier on Guadalcanal as well, Battle of The Tenaru / Alligator Creek. Japanese soldiers charge into dug in Marine positions on the other side of the creek, marines with water cooled M1917A1's and normal M2 Browning's, and 37mm anti tank guns with canister. Plus mortars and artillery. And in the morning tanks & strafing aircraft. Something like 200 Japanese soldiers are found dead caught on the barbed wire. The other details get worse. Look up General Vandegrift's account commenting upon how much of a disaster it was. The only Japanese survivors were the rear guard, who fled. Everyone else, dead.

[@garcalej]

The moronic ones don’t

[@kemarisite]

Whaddaya mean, it works just fine against the Chinese.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@kemarisite That was what I was thinking, but the Chinese had bolt-action rifles and a relative shortage of machine-guns. Only their best units had anything close to American firepower, and Japanese frontal attacks often succeeded in China.

[@francesconicoletti2547]

My guess is that until a country actually starts loosing with mass charges they will keep doing it. For Japan this is that moment. They did not participate in WW1 anywhere where mass chargers were necessary and where they were demonstrated to be a disaster.They won the Russo Japanese War. They have been taking territory throughout the 30’s and 40’s against Chinese, British, Dutch, American forces and they were using close masses attacks. When should they have learned that massed charging was a mistake ? By the end of the war the Japanese were fighting their battles like the Russians at Stalingrad. The difference being of course they were on the wrong end of the battle of attrition.

[@jasondouglas6755]

Enterprise is is the last operational American carrier Enterprise : So it is an even fight

[@mariusionita266]

All cruisers fire at will! Burn their mongrel hides.

[@forthencholordofadmirals2763]

Ah historical Halo quotes

[@Perkelenaattori]

Let's make sure history never forgets the name.. Enterprise.

[@LordVader1094]

@@forthencholordofadmirals2763 Don't you mean Star Trek?

[@forthencholordofadmirals2763]

@@LordVader1094 no. Halo 3. Elite: Shipmaster! Brute ships staggered line they outnumber us 3 to 1 Shipmaster: then it is an even fight, order all ships to fire at will

[@antoncid5044]

It's strange to think the war, which is now hinged on fighting in Stalingrad, El Alamein, and Guadalcanal, started with the fall of Poland and France.

[@pocketmarcy6990]

And Next month it all comes to head

[@angels2online]

@@pocketmarcy6990 I suppose we're about 2 weeks away from Operacia Uran.

[@pocketmarcy6990]

@@angels2online torch kicks off next month too

[@danielmocsny5066]

One could argue that the fighting on Guadalcanal started even earlier with the Japanese invasion of China, but the "official" start of WWII is commonly taken as the German invasion of Poland in September 1939.

[@robertkras5162]

And remember - a year ago few Americans ever heard of Guadalcanal.... indeed a year ago few Americans had even heard of Perl Harbor... I guess Yamato's 6 month window of opportunity after Perl was accurate... still some work to do on Guadalcanal, and it's still a long way to Tokyo.

[@MisterJackTheAttack]

14:11 If this war was a war of mustache power, Semyon Budyonny would probably win. He can grow better hair on just his upper lip than I can my entire face.

[@nozecone]

If only they could have just put Hitler's moustache and Budyonny's moustache in a ring and let them fight it out ... !

[@podemosurss8316]

He was the perfect weapon for the wrong war. The one which was a war of mustache power was WW1...

[@Arashmickey]

@@podemosurss8316 Budyonny vs Mackensen -Clash- 'Stache of the Titans!

[@nozecone]

@@podemosurss8316 Classic example of fighting the next war with the moustaches of the last war.

[@danielmocsny5066]

Even with my chest hair entering the battle as a reserve I lose the war of hairtrition.

[@mattmckrell5544]

My uncle was a heavy weapons company sergeant in that Americal division unit at this point (he was a regular army soldier assigned to help bring the National Guard unit up to strength). He finished out the war at the top enlisted rank. He didn't talk about the combat, but did have various stories around being a soldier. Great guy; he died in his 90s about 10 years ago.

[@dfsengineer]

The Hornet will be back in just over a year. The Essex-class carrier Kearsarge (CV-12) currently under construction will shortly be renamed Hornet, and the ship will have a long career in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and will recover the Apollo 11 capsule.

[@grekiki]

Eh don't bother finding a new name for a ship, just reuse the one that was destroyed

[@danielmocsny5066]

The USN should have known that its annoying habit of re-using ship names would complicate Wikipedia searches 80 years later.

[@spaceman8935]

Between the Japanese thinking they've sunk ships they hadn't actually sunk and the US renaming new ships after sunk ships, the Japanese must've been very confused.

[@lylecampbell9036]

That does make Hornet coming back. It still a different ship.

[@pnutz_2]

@@grekiki when you have hundreds of the fuckers it makes sense to reuse some names, unless you want to see people using past and present tense verbs (and perfect, imperfect etc etc) as their ship names

[@Spindrift_87]

Farewell, Hornet, youngest sister of a legendary three A more renowned sorority of fighting ships scarcely put to sea Three bombs, two torpedoes, two suicidal enemy plans you withstood Almost back on your feet, despite the loss in steel and blood Another air torpedo hit and your fate was sealed The captain left you last, as further to starboard you heeled Your allies tried to to send you down, with nine more torpedoes and over 400 five-inch rounds Still you clung to the ocean surface, as an enemy fleet did surround Four more torpedoes finally sent you to your watery grave In 2019 that grave was found, still you remain upright, defiant and timelessly brave

[@fezparker2401]

this of course finally forces the british to lend the americans a carrier uss robin

[@f3nn3lgaming]

May she rest defiantly, yet peacefully underneath the waves, secure in the knowledge that her sister led the charge and kept the torch alive.

[@jeffreygalus5417]

🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@828enigma6]

Sounds like the decision to abandon ship was premature.

[@ewok40k]

@@828enigma6 they had to, because IJN surface forces were coming (and indeed they sent the Hornet finally to the bottom with long lances salvo)

[@hannahskipper2764]

Hyakutake: I must continue the strategy that Mr. Luigi taught me at the Academy. Never give up, never change, no matter how many men I lose. I must persist with the same battle plan, time after time after time. It is the only way to victory. Hitler: See? I told you last week. I would personally call Rommel and get him back to the front. Germans in Stalingrad: Yeah, we did it! See, there's the Volga right over there! Victory is ours!! Russians in Stalingrad: Uhh...your feet still look dry to me. Just sayin'.

[@Valdagast]

Dammit Japan, von Hötzendorf is not someone to emulate. 14:50 von Mackensen... now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time.

[@Aakkosti]

Eberhard von Mackensen is the son of WWI field marshal August von Mackensen. No cool hat, though.

[@noobster4779]

Good old prussian military family

[@Valdagast]

@@Aakkosti If you don't get the hat, what's even the point?

[@KimmoKM]

>Unfortunately, when it ends, he is driven off and loses a cruiser Consolation prize for Imperial Japanese Army to be sure

[@pnutz_2]

02:00 Stumme lost his monacle as the car drove off, RIP

[@podemosurss8316]

0:51 *Luigi Cadorna likes this*

[@tejesedeny]

Japanese did some brilliant Cadorna tactics at Guadalcanal. :D

[@scottaznavourian3720]

Seems more like Burnside at fredricksburg...but with no one to reel them in

[@srinivasgorur-shandilya1788]

“It is only in Stalingrad that people know what a kilometer is. A kilometer is one thousand meters. It is one hundred thousand centimeters”

[@Stand_By_For_Mind_Control]

These episodes always blow my mind at how much shit went down each week of that way.

[@igorbobrik7625]

14:52, you say that the overwhelm the 257 division while the map shows they engage the 275 division

[@Raskolnikov70]

I think he also called the 64th Soviet division the 74th in there too. Whoops. It gets confusing with all those numbers sometimes.

[@Marcus280898]

Boy I hope somebody got fired for that blunder.

[@Dustz92]

Jun'yo being separated from the rest of the carriers makes sense. While carrying as much planes as a fleet carrier, it was about 30% slower than the others at max speed as it was a conversion from a civilian ship. Thus it's better to keep it separated so the fast carriers can move as an unit faster.

[@champagnegascogne9755]

Not gonna lie, I have to commend Junyou for having the guts to attempt in bringing down the Enterprise, despite being a light carrier.

[@noobster4779]

It has also the additional advantage of eather beeing the bait for the enemy or the one carrier left that isnt attakced by the enemy. Eather the light carrier gets attacked by the allies main carrier force or the main carrier fleet. In eather case one carrier group can launch all its planes for a counter attack undisturbed.

[@Dustz92]

@@champagnegascogne9755 I don't think it's fair to call it a light carrier, it carried 40+ planes, as much as most British fleet carriers. The authors of Shattered sword for example consider it a fleet carrier. In other places its classified as light carrier because it had a subpar performance compared to the other ones, but as said the main issue of its class was its low speed, but in combat it could punch way harder than say the Ryujo. Thus it wasn't unreasonable that it could successfully sink the Enterprise.

[@dpeasehead]

@Nano92: The problem is that the amount of separation that the Japanese navy imposed on its naval units left them unable to provide effective mutual support to each other while on the attack, or while being on the defensive. The Japanese were so fearful of the combination of carrier air groups and land based airpower operating out of Henderson Field that they played into American hands by scattering their ships in such small units that they were unable to defend themselves from even small numbers of attacking planes. I believe that if they had been operating as part of larger units that the Japanese cruisers, destroyers, and battlecruisers, as well as the carriers large and small would have been less vulnerable and would probably have survived even repeated air attacks, though not without taking some damage.

[@georgemariatos-metaxas7780]

The way you explained the Nazi officer's death is bloody hilarious

[@aaroncabatingan5238]

Dumb ways to die on the battlefield

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@aaroncabatingan5238 Later in the war, a German general's staff car will accidentally drive into a unit of British paras near Arnhem and he and his driver will die in a hail of submachine-gun bullets. The general was photographed hanging out of his car, his brains spilling out onto the road.

[@rodafowa1279]

It’s time for the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo River, baby.

[@casparcoaster1936]

Hey that finale, w/ the impaled quotes and your commentary re: Chui & 62nd realizing they'd (probably) just won by not losing, was great, not overdonel! TGA docs often the most entertaining and illuminating of WW2 docus I've watched in my sweet short life. Much obliged!!!

[@VindicAlpha]

Imagine the men on the ground's relief when they hear the news "The 45th is crossing the river. Our reinforcements are arriving. One last effort, comrades." and then... the calm on the 29th and 30th... And they know at that moment that the Germans are at the end of their strength.

[@maxdurk4624]

I love describing your own life as a sweet short life. Definitely stealing that

[@maxscholts8649]

The actions and reactions at El Alamein shows that Rommel has finally met his match with Montgomery. Very well presented TG team!

[@MyILoveMinecraft]

Honestly I wouldn't put Montgomery on to high of a pedastol. He benefited alot from work done beforehand and worsening axis logistics and avaliable recourses

[@noobster4779]

Not really. It shows that the allies have a massive supply advantage that gives them more movemeant do to having no supply harrasment and beeing close to their main base at egypt while the axis forces are streched redicilously far from their supply points in Lybia and also get their supply intercepted regulary. Montgomery simply moves the main point of the attack so often until the german armor cant react anymore do to fuel shortage. Its simply checking each others moves until one side cant move anymore. Doesnt take a genius to do that. The battle was basically won for the allies when the royal airforce sunk the two oil freighters in front of the Lybian cost resulting in the german amor not beeing able to move according to the battles situation. Rommel isnt really outplayed. He simply cant respond to his enemies moves because his foces literally cant move anymore. The only thing he can do is basically pray the italian forces int he south create a miracle and hold their ground while his tanks can only watch. The main commander beeing ill and in germany when the battle started while his deputy dies of a heart attack shortly after the battle started didnt help eather.

[@zeitgeistx5239]

Not really his match per say, British nationalists like to play up his brilliance and also that of Rommel. Rommel was wreck less and several times found his command car behind British lines for example. Montgomery merely played it safe and didn't engage Rommel in maneuver warfare until he was ready with overwhelming numbers and firepower, Monty also planned at great lengths to counter German armored counter attacks to prevent breakthroughs. British nationalists also dont like to point out how bad the army was in terms of securing their codes and you had Rommel reading battlefield orders the same time British generals were reading them. The eventually realized this and tracked down that particular code breaking unit but the damage was done. Plus British divisions were extremely bad at communications and had no situational awareness unlike the Germans.

[@yourstruly4817]

Rommel has met his match with the Allied industrial capacity, not Montgomery

[@chriscox3460]

@@zeitgeistx5239 do you mean the American code that used by the U.S. military attaché in Cairo that was broken and was broardcasting Allied intelligence straight to the Italians which the British pressed and pressed the US to change.but they refused to do until it was absolutely proven to be broken? Also it was Rommel who chose to out run his logistics against orders from German high command taking the front far further east than he could realistically support back in June 1942. Conversely Monty was pragmatic and patient and made sure that his moves when they came would win a battle of attritional warfare that was pretty much guaranteed given the fortification of the front into the relatively narrow gap between El Alamein and the Qattara Depression.

[@nicolasbroaddus8819]

My god, Budyonny’s mustache is fucking glorious

[@Raskolnikov70]

This war definitely needs more weaponized facial hair.

[@poiuyt975]

The very reason why The Great War was "better" - everyone had epic mustache. ;-)

[@W1se0ldg33zer]

All he had to do was lay down and face the Germans. Make one heck of a tank trap.

[@CruelDwarf]

@@GaldirEonai Budyonny being old-fashioned is kinda a myth. He was actually pretty progressive in terms of military hardware and equipment and was in favor of automatic weapons, motorization and mobile warfare. His problem was not obsolete views really but simply being not good front/army group level commander. He would be amazing division commander I think, but sadly Soviets never had the luxury of putting people that old and experienced on mere divisions.

[@RaymondCore]

I began growing my mustache during the series on the Great War. I call it my, "Mackensen". I am now the same age as he was in 1917. Now if I could just get a Totenkopf Hussaren hat like Mackensen...

[@mybadluckcharm]

I really like this coverage of the war. I've read about all those battles, but always apart from each other: Pacific War, Desert War, Eastern Front. Guadalcanal, El Alamein and Stalingrad are all considered turning points, but i did not realize they were going on concurrently. Thanks!

[@cobbler9113]

As I learned listening to a WWII podcast recently (We Have Ways by James Holland and Al Murray) the Western Allies had a strategy of "steel not flesh". In North Africa, we are seeing that pay dividends.

[@danielmocsny5066]

One American artillery officer will later say as he unleashes thousands of shells on a German position, "I'm letting the American taxpayer take this hill."

[@ewok40k]

and Japanese on Guadalcanal wnt opposite wway, flesh over steel, with disastrous effect

[@elektrotehnik94]

Damn that's a great quote... "steel not flesh"

[@MrNicoJac]

You still see it today in western militaries. Well, arguably only the US has a real military. But they certainly prefer technology over blood! (in sharp contrast to Russia in Ukraine)

[@gardreropa]

Great episode! Loved the end quote! Cheers from Slovenia!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you!

[@pnutz_2]

17:28 German Divisions: GG EZ it ain't gg until the music plays guys

[@tommonk7651]

Indy, I don't know whether you have pointed out how vulnerable Japanese planes were at this point in the war. Yes, they were extremely maneuverable and had great range, but they had no armor and no self-sealing fuel tanks. They were flying, highly flammable targets for the American fighters and anti-aircraft fire. They could withstand practically no damage. And the Japanese were losing more experienced pilots and crew at an enormous pace as the war progressed. I don't think the Japanese were able to solve the problems to their air corps or mass produce any changes. And those "banzai" attacks depended solely on their "superior fighting spirit". Maybe that worked in China against relatively poorly armed and unorganized troops, but not against the Americans. It was suicidal and stupid....

[@drno4837]

thank you for skipping the voice on the other end of the telephone, Indy's comic timing does not need a straight man to explain itself. this is about the most exciting time of the war for the allies and with everything in the balance makes for exciting viewing. Well done for capturing that excitement you all .

[@akondofswat209]

Never forget general Cholesterol..

[@danielmocsny5066]

And Colonel tobacco, and Major lack of exercise.

[@stanbrekston]

you know, now I've just realized what makes this series so popular, & to continue to grow in popularity. it's because it's a 'talking book'. it's like it's an 'audio/(visual)' book on WW2, (& WW1), history. well done, gentlemen, (& ladies). brilliant.

[@mgway4661]

I’m extremely proud of the Pearl Harbor special you guys made as well 😊 Thankyou guys for all you do

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you!

[@McDragoneer]

amazing how the three big turningpoints in the war is happening at the same time, Guadacanal, El Alamein and Stalingrad, crazy month

[@danielmocsny5066]

Also interesting: the Russians take more casualties at Stalingrad than the US takes in the entire war.

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

I've always loved the picture of the Bofor crew at 13:07. I like to imagine the guy yelling on the left is yelling "Man, these guns are pretty damn awesome!"

[@merdiolu]

Finally an Allied general, Montgomery , remembers and successfully uses "Bite and Hold" tactic developed for attriton warfare of Western Front during World War I , 25 years later during World War II first time in El Alamein , North Africa : Attack and capture a position of enemy defence line (a critical or irritant one) and provoke Germans to an instant counter attack to recover the place and get them open by forcing them to leave their defensive positions in their own counter attack and crush them with defensive firepower and repulse them. Do that constantly over and over and German reserves run out eventually. German operational culture (Mission Oriented Approach) is most effective one in active combat BUT it is also kind of predictable. When enemy makes a penetration , German knee jerk reaction is make an immediate hasty improvised counter attack to drive them off and seal the gap at least , this is set in stone in their operational doctrine. Once Allied military tacticians figure that out , they can figure out their own tactics to counter them and voila. Then it becomes who runs out of manpower and machines and material first and Allies have more. The trick in attrition warfare is increasing enemy casaulties as much as possible using every asset including firepower while keep your own as low as possible though you can not escape casaulties in this kind offensive. In this case better to lose tanks which you can replace easily (tank crews have higher rate of survival also) instead of infantry which is much harder to replace unless you have massive manpower reserves like Soviet Union. Same in Stalingrad. Chuikov and 62nd Soviet Army literally perfected house to house combat and street fight. Move in small detachments equipped for hand to hand combat and explosives , make use of ambushes , fortfied positions that are hard to outflank , snipers , wear , get your frontline as close as to enemy lines so the enemy can not use their superior firepower not to hit friendly units , use high ground for fighting and artillery observing and wear and tear the advancing enemy in every inch of ground in a demoralising time consuming and frustriting slog for the advancing enemy. Sooner or later it would extend whole Battle of Stalingrad to the winter and gaining Soviet time for counter offensive from flanks of Don salient. US Marine tactics in South West Pacific is simpler but also effective. Prepare of defences and defensive lines with an open clear killing ground and let enemy come to you in bamboo spear tactics and slaughter them on open in your own killing zone (like "bite and hold" tactic) with superior firepower. Cruder but no less effective because Japanese ground tactics is clearly insane. Same in Kokoda Track , extend Japanese rear supply lines as much as possible to a breaking point then push them back. No matter how courageous , high morale , motivated Japanese were , without food and against bullets and mortars who were fired on them by men with food , it makes all the difference.

[@cobbler9113]

In regards Montgomery, he's praised for that in North Africa but gets heavily criticised for doing the same thing in Normandy. As you say, he knows he has more men and materials than the Axis so why waste them trying to make a costly breakthrough which is what the Soviets more often than not did?

[@davidwoody5228]

Monty is critiqued in Normandy for his failures to achieve the breakthrough that was needed to expand the lodgment. Whereas in the desert he could afford the luxury of attriting the Axis forces, in Normandy the need was for offensive action to expand the space so more troops could land and more airfields built. The sad fact is that the British never fully mastered the art of combined arms.

[@cobbler9113]

@@davidwoody5228 Indeed he is, but it is also clear that the British and Canadian forces under his command were facing well dug in and very determined German resistance on that eastern side of the landing area. They had to contend with eight Panzer Divisions including SS ones and the Panzer Lehr who were battle hardened and would fight to the last. Had the British broke through there, the way into the heart of France, the Low Countries and even Germany would have been clear which is of course what happened. British air support was every bit as capable and helpful as their American allies and there were few issues with coordination between armour and infantry. While Allied tanks (particularly British ones) come in for heavy criticism compared to German ones as the former often took heavier casualties, this doesn't take into account a couple of factors. The first is that German tanks were incredibly complicated. Tigers and Panthers were pretty much impossible to repair in the field and were unreliable at the best of times. Allied tanks on the other hand were easy to repair by comparison and even if they couldn't, they were far easier to replace than German ones. It was very common for Allied tanks to take heavy damage and be registered as a "loss" in a battle and yet still be repaired and be able to take part in another one shortly after. It also didn't help with the Bocage which both British and American forces had to tackle was very easy to defend. All you needed was the right equipment, discipline and courage and you could defend those positions all day long. Bearing in mind German troops were threatened with execution for abandoning their posts, it's not surprising that it took so long. At the end of the day, the Allies didn't need to throw masses of men and vehicles at the Germans in the same way the Soviets did for example. It's worth remembering that these were mostly civilian armies from democratic countries. There was no way either their governments or peoples would tolerate absurd losses when there was a perfectly viable alternative.

[@merdiolu]

@@cobbler9113 I will explain Normandy Campaign when it is due. Suffice to say. When you face from a shallow bridgehead and recently deploying forces from seaborne transport against entire Panzer Group West (six or seven panzer divisions) deployed in depth , the delays would be unavaoidable.

[@cobbler9113]

@@merdiolu Indeed and I’m sure we’ll come back to this at the time and probably before hand. Despite the criticisms, they managed to achieve their aim of taking Paris in around 90 days. They obviously expected stiff resistance but that the gains would be more gradual and that the Germans would retreat beyond the range of the Allied Naval guns after the landings which they didn’t. I really don’t get that. It just shows it’s not quite as simple as “Allies incompetent” and “Germans good” which gets thrown around a lot.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Interesting tid-bit to add, in the aftermath of the Battle of Santa Cruz this left the US with only the damaged Enterprise, so HMS Victorious was transferred and renamed USS Robin however still with her Royal Navy crew to sure up the US Pacific fleet for the time being.

[@Philip271828]

Armoured Carriers has a full timeline. Getting her there isn't a quick job. King should be happy to get the loaner he wanted earlier this year.

[@nickdanger3802]

Which aircraft were used by the FAA at that time?

[@nicholasconder4703]

Yes, the US Navy ended up "Robin" a Royal Navy carrier.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@nickdanger3802 I know they had some sea spitfires with them, but not sure what else

[@Philip271828]

@@nickdanger3802 On departure, Victorious had Martlets and Albacores.While at Norfolk, she acquired 21 Avengers. The main American ones, which I'm sure you want to hear about, were the Martlet, Hellcat and Corsair but two of those don't exist yet.

[@maa324]

Would have loved to see a special episode about the North African battles. Some amazing details that were mentioned in the daily posts on Facebook. I know it was a minor part of the war in some ways, especially compared to the German soviet front, but an entire episode on a pivotal battle for North Africa would be amazing. (I appreciate you have only so much time) Thanks for all the content and loving the details on Facebook daily posts!

[@Kay2kGer]

dying by heart attack in war time in active combat, what a way to go

[@mjbull5156]

He was hanging off a moving vehicle that was under fire, if it is any consolation.

[@abdulmasaiev9024]

WAR IS STRESSFUL, OKAY

[@Rendell001]

Georg Stumme had high blood pressure and a heart condition to begin with, he was also a bit older than most of his peers at that level. He was by all accounts quite an able commander and had plenty of experience in armoured warfare. Interestingly he was the second choice as replacement for Rommel - Heinz Guderian was Rommel's suggestion but Guderian was currently out of favor and Stumme was chosen instead.

[@Kay2kGer]

@@Rendell001 thanks for those informations

[@Rendell001]

@@Kay2kGer It's nice to be able to contribute something to what is a very fine channel.

[@peterh5165]

Well done as usual! Thanks for putting video out to the general public.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching!

[@R2Manny]

Chuikov is a legendary figure!

[@gunman47]

_Queen Six, this is King Six. Enemy tanks sighted leaving the depot. We're commencing our attack. Out._ - British soldier talking into radio This week on October 29 1942, the eighth and ninth missions of the 2005 video game *Call of Duty 2* , *The Diversionary Raid* and *Hold the Line* levels under *Sergeant John Davis* begins near El Alamein in Northern Egypt as part of the Second Battle of El Alamein. In *The Diversionary Raid level* as part of the 7th Armoured Division, you are tasked with destroying enemy hardpoints, destroy enemy supplies and fuel stockpiles, as well as searching for enemy documents. At the end of the level, you will link up with Captain Price. Next in the *Hold the Line level* , you will head to a small town in a Bren Carrier with Captain Price and Private MacGregor and defend its approaches from the Germans who are approaching in multiple directions. German tanks will eventually close in on your position and you will need to call in artillery to destroy them.

[@oldesertguy9616]

I miss that game. When I went to Windows 10 it got all buggy and I gave my copy to my brother to use on his old computer. Great storylines and missions.

[@gunman47]

@@oldesertguy9616 Aye, Call of Duty 2 was good. It's gonna be a busy next few weeks with more and more missions involved, so stay tuned!

[@Ronald98]

god i love that game.. i also loved the part where you had to throw flares at german tanks so the british artillery could destroy them... that was COD in it's peak

[@cringlator]

Someone give that heart a medal

[@robertkras5162]

Seems like the Allies in North Africa have sufficient forces to wear down DAK by attrition.... It's a game of chess and Monty has twice the number of pieces on the board to work with.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Plus the Allies are a lot closer to their logistics and support areas right now. One of the deciding factors throughout the entire North Africa campaign was the distances and the lack of rails. Everything the armies brought in had to be driven hundreds of miles across open desert which required a huge expenditure in fuel and other resources. And as soon as one of them advanced, those expenditures got exponentially larger while their opponent's job of resupply got easier.

[@robertkras5162]

It'll be the "Duce and a half" truck that will win this war in Europe - maybe more so than tanks.

[@wazzupdj98d61]

@@Raskolnikov70 El alamein was comparatively close for logistics for the allies and at the edge of logistical capabilities far for the Axis, the conditions prevented a war of maneuvre, and the Axis force was running out of resources to keep fighting. This holds true IMO for the battle of El Alamein, the battle of Stalingrad, and the battle for Guadalcanal.

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@wazzupdj98d61 True for all of those campaigns too, but the African theater was unique because the front lines shifted by such a huge distance a number of times. And each time it happened because the army with the shortest supply lines - when both armies had such long lines to begin with - had an overwhelming advantage.

[@danielmocsny5066]

Allied air power is also increasing in North Africa, thanks in part to largesse from America reaching the front at last, making it even harder for German supply trucks to cross vast expanses of open desert with no cover while throwing up huge dust clouds making them even easier to spot from the air.

[@bearclawthegreat7600]

I love these weekly ones

[@jonatasarruda2824]

Valeu!

[@dynguskhan]

Man Hyakutaki’s tactics are really bringing me back to the good old great war days 😢

[@jonbaxter2254]

"Nazi General Dies of Heart Attack" Oh no! Anyway...

[@seabrain1212]

You're laughing? The dude rolled a critical failure on that constitution check and you're laughing?

[@jonbaxter2254]

@@seabrain1212 You want to hear another joke Rom-Mel...

[@mrnobody5669]

@@seabrain1212 Yes, its funny, and I'm tired of pretending its not.

[@EffequalsMA]

Excellent work, as always. Best part of Saturday morning!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you!

[@mjbull5156]

Chesty Puller: Why do you keep attacking this strong point in our lines? Japanese soldier: We have a plan... Chesty Puller: It is a terrible plan.

[@GiulioBalestrier]

On the El Alamein front there had been attacks on the southern sector held mainly by the Italians. In paricular the Folgore's paratroopers repelled three attacks inflicting heavy losses to vastly superior allied force. As told by Indy, this seems a British vs Germas battle only.

[@CongerDerp]

Thanks

[@emperor_sunshine]

Pearl Harbor coverage really WAS legendary. I love you, In-D!

[@simongleaden2864]

Excellent video. Indy's presentational style is just right and he tells the story very well.

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Glad you learned something new!

[@theprfesssor]

15:20 a pretty interesting photo here That's 2 Russian soldiers one of them is using a MP40 the very famous ( or infamous) sub-machine gun of the Wehrmacht that pretty cool it was caught in picture

[@hellickr.6498]

In my WW2 class in university, my professor used a photo of a German soldier with a PPsh41 to show how insane the battle was..I guess you just used what you could find.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Scouts (razvedchiki) liked the MP40. It was lighter than the PPSh.

[@mochaholic3039]

Ahhh yes, Fireball Stumme. That's what the troops called Stumme, for his face was constantly bright red from high blood pressure, plus the general tended to show up for inspection tours while panting and perspiring heavily from slight exertion. Stumme's staff figured the general was moribund and had a morbid bet on what was going to kill Stumme first, enemy bullets or heart attack.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

I don't think they had blood pressure medication at the time, and the only remedy was to lose weight and avoid stress.

[@kevinbourke1847]

The battle of Santa Cruz Island is a Japanese Pyrrhic victory

[@brucetucker4847]

The Americans were building carriers to replace the Hornet a dozen times over. But the Japanese could never replace the highly trained and experienced naval aviators they were losing at a staggering rate in each of these battles. This was the last battle where the Japanese carrier fleet could hope to compete with the Americans on anything remotely approaching an equal basis.

[@RoboticDragon]

Your episodes always shed new light on things I have yet to come across. Thanks so much, I am proud to be a timeghost member.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you so much! Glad to hear this.

[@hugmynutus]

In the pacific we face two enemies; our ability to communicate with one another and the Americans - Yamamoto most likely

[@W1se0ldg33zer]

The Kido Butai scourge was finally put to an end at Santa Cruz. If you had to choose who was Darth Vader in WW2, it'd be Kido Butai.

[@stephenwood6663]

To be fair, the Japanese willingness to keep advancing in the face of stiff opposition was what won them the battle at Singapore. Japanese forces *have* proven their ability to remain functioning at levels of attrition which would break an Allied division. Unfortunately for them, such an outlook is predicated on being able to cause damage to the enemy at at least the same rate at which they're causing damage to you, and at Guadalcanal, that's simply not the case.

[@stephenrickstrew7237]

Guadalcanal … El Amin …Stalingrad …. We are gonna need a bigger boat … oops …I mean a 30 minute episode.. Thanks Time Ghost History…!

[@Perkelenaattori]

Last week I said that it looks like Monty and the 8th Army is about to give the Gerries a rodgering. Well this week it seems that it's happening and Monty is going in dry. Those Italians at the Qattara flank are going to suffer badly by the looks of things. Pavia division especially looks like it's toast.

[@tigertank06]

Was there a chance that Rommel could have won at El Alamein? And if he had won, what would have happened?

[@danielmocsny5066]

@@tigertank06 - The worst outcome for the Allies would have been Rommel advancing to the Suez Canal. However, Rommel missed that opportunity when he had to stop and switch to the defensive after the first Battle of El Alamein. At this point, since the Allies still hold Gibraltar, Suez, and Malta, and are reading the German codes, they can resupply more effectively than Rommel can. Even though Rommel had performed well repeatedly against numerically superior Allied forces, he couldn't drive his tanks forward without fuel. With each passing week as the lines remain static, the Allied advantage in troops and supplies grows. For the Axis to control the Mediterranean Sea they needed to take both Suez and Gibraltar to close it off to the Allies at both ends. Since the Germans have no signiticant amphibious strength the only way to take Gibraltar was by moving a ground army from France through Spain, and Franco refused to allow that. Even though fascist Franco owed a debt to the Nazi Germans for helping him take power in Spain, he was determined to keep Spain out of this war after being wrecked in its own civil war just a few years earlier. Also Franco could look at a map and guess his chances of being invaded by the Allies if he were to come in on the Axis side. That would have ended Franco's dictatorship quickly, instead of letting him cling to power for life as he did until 1975. After Operation Torch puts an Allied army ashore next to Spain, there is no further possibility that Franco would enter the war for the Axis. Also of course Rommel might have performed much better if the Germans didn't have close to 200 divisions fighting in Russia and around 50 divisions to garrison France from an Allied invasion. North Africa was a sideshow for the Germans, pretty much a half-hearted German effort to bail out the incompetent Italians.

[@rashkavar]

The coverage of the Battle of Stalingrad has been absolutely fascinating. Given the scale of this war, the enormous offensives - the German conquest of Poland and Denmark within a few weeks, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France within a few months, a good chunk of the Western Soviet Union in a similar timeframe "last year" ...and then, the infamous turning point, where skirmishes happen house to house and room to room carry the fate of the world on their shoulders. (Yes, I know that's a melodramatic way to put it, but in a massively mobile war where the day's conquest could easily be in the hundreds of square kilometres of territory on a given front, it's astonishing seeing Stalingrad where each side was fighting tooth over individual districts of a city that could have fit dozens of times over in the lands that fell on the first day of most of Germany's major offensives. The shift in scale is *staggering.* )

[@benismann]

stalingrad lasted longer than denmark for sure. I wonder how many more nations it outlasts

[@DAni14787]

Queen Six, this is King Six. Enemy tanks sighted leaving the depot. We're commencing our attack. Out.

[@gunman47]

A fellow fan of Call of Duty 2 I see. The Diversionary Raid level begins...

[@georgewilliams8448]

Thank you for another informative and well presented video! I look forward every Saturday morning as I am sure I will be treated to another Ghost Army video!

[@jacksoncz8536]

Reminds me of Blackadder over the Top, they will never expected it for the 26th time

[@onardico]

So, there were four major germans assault at stalingrad? One in september, two in october and the biggest one in november?

[@caryblack5985]

The one in November was not the biggest by any means. The September and October were the largest.

[@onardico]

@@caryblack5985 Seriously? November was the last attempt before the winter. I though cause this the assault were more strong I've read that the bloodiest day in stalingrad died some 3000 germans and 5000 soviets. You know something about this?

[@caryblack5985]

@@onardico Yes the strongest push was in October 14- about 19 when the Germans went all out after that they were somewhat weakened. and did not have as strong divisions and the same number of tanks. See the following kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmOui5p-g8ugfM0

[@onardico]

@@caryblack5985 thank you

[@markwheeler202]

My dad served on the Gearing-class destroyer USS Benner DD-807 from February 1945 until April 1946. She was named after Second Lieutenant Stanley G. Benner, who was awarded the Silver Star "[f]or conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while in command of a platoon during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Lunga Area, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, October 24, 1942." He was killed in action three days later, 79 years ago this week.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for sharing this story with us! It never ceases to amaze us how many of those impacted by war - both directly or indirectly - are willing to share their part of the tale.

[@fumblerooskie]

Two U-boats were also sunk off the coast of Newfoundland on Oct. 30, 1942, by the RCAF, and another was sunk by the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean.

[@ScooterWeibels]

Wouldn't the Germans been better off to go around Stalingrad and then lay siege to the city. That would be the classical way of taking the city. Just waiting it out, but I guess the Germans did not want another Leningrad type siege.

[@auguststorm2037]

The issue is the Eastern flank of the city is protected by the Volga river

[@HaloFTW55]

“Why don’t we just swim across to encircle them?” -Hans before being sent into the city of Stalingrad itself.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Even if they had the forces to do it, it would have been a bad idea because they'd be exposing themselves to being surrounded and cut off from the east. And the forces necessary would have been massive, way more than the Wehrmacht could ever hope to field in 1942 even if they stripped every other theater to do it. Not only do you have to surround the city facing inward, you've got to set up a 2nd defensive ring facing outward to stop the enemy from breaking your siege or reinforcing the defenders.

[@michaelschmid9567]

the Wehrmacht did not had the capabilities to do so

[@danielmocsny5066]

Read about what the Western Allies required to cross the Rhine in 1945, and that was against a collapsing German army. The Allies had been preparing for the Rhine crossings for many months in advance, and had enormous logistical advantages by then which the Germans did not have in 1942. And the first Allied attempt to cross the Rhine and hold a bridgehead failed in Arnhem during Operation Market Garden, despite superior Allied forces. This is not to say the Germans couldn't have been smarter about Stalingrad, but it wasn't as simple as just crossing the Volga and going around the Russians. Also at Leningrad the Germans could never capture all of the Lake Ladoga shoreline east of the city to cut off Russian resupply entirely.

[@rabihrac]

I agree that Pearl Harbour mega episodes are groundbreaking! And this is the first time for me that the suspense of the Pacific War surpasses the suspense of the European War, not to mention the north African war. Oh! And we hear the name of Mackensen (Panzer Corps) who was so famous in the Great War (14:47). Keep up the great work, Indy and crew!

[@martinkosmicki3921]

I thought I knew WWII until I discovered your KZbin Channel. Love the ebb and flow on your animated maps.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you! Glad you learned something new

[@robertjarman3703]

Steiner´s Attack will surely give the Germans the victory in Stalingrad right?

[@der_kluger_gunther8391]

meanwhile steiner: but i'm in the caucasus lol! seriusly he was with army group A in the caucasus, close enough tho.

[@brickproduction1815]

I was at Stalingrad as well and thr fighting is brutal... RO2 memories revived

[@loetzcollector466]

It is crazy to me that the Japanese, the first race on earth to learn the lesson of machine guns and barbed wire would attack this way.

[@shocktrooper2622]

Remember, they concluded that while MGs were a powerful defensive tool They over came them with an emphasis on aggressively closing the gaps and breaking into the enemy defensive works. Against troops with low morale, and troops unpredictable, these attacks work. Against troops dug in, with good supply and warning? It is suicide

[@robertkras5162]

Kamikaze, likewise - take a plane filled with explosives, fly through ack-ack, and dive into a capital ship... there's no going back.

[@huguescahuzac6396]

very interesting and well done series, well documented with moving maps, videos.

[@gianniverschueren870]

Loks a great tie, especially with more detailing underneath the jacket. 4/5. Also, is anyone else not been getting the Patreon mails? Haven't gotten one in weeks.

[@gunman47]

As a fellow Patreon member here, no we have not been getting the notification directly from Patreon for the weekly video for four weeks already. So the World War Two team has for the time being sent out notifications through email via MailChimp instead. So do check your email in this case.

[@gianniverschueren870]

@@gunman47 thanks. No luck I'm afraid

[@KitagumaIgen]

It is a really nice shirt+jacket+tie-combo though...

[@davidmicheletti6292]

All you stories are spot on.

[@evancrum6811]

A day late here. Outstanding as always

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you!

[@EricKL97]

For any Call of Duty fans here - chronologically, the other day was the first appearance of the man, the myth, the legend, Captain Price, in WWII. In the Call of Duty 2 mission "The Diversionary Raid", set on October 29th 1942

[@MRFlackAttack1]

Looking forward to hearing about the Battle of Oivi-Gorari over the next two weeks

[@jacobdavies5656]

Love the new animations for the naval battles

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks!

[@billymcmedic4221]

6:28 151st brigade mentioned, the DLI strikes forth

[@michaelconnors7668]

Field Marshal Rommel is at his residence at Semmering Pass (Austria) on 24 October 1942 when he receives the first call from the hos(G) (he's at Werwolf (Vinnitsa, Ukraine). The hos(G) will call a second time just after midnight on 25 October 1942 when the decision is made for the Field Marshal to return North Africa. I'm not sure Rommel was confined to his bed at Semmering Pass because he was in Berlin on 30 September -- 1 October 1942 to receive his baton. See Domarus, Speeches, Vol IV, p.2691. Domarus continues: [The Hos(G)] was more interested in the coming twentieth anniversary of the “march on Rome” than in the situation in Africa. After all, he intended to make his presence felt at this great anniversary of Fascism. He dispatched a special “Delegation of the National Socialist Party,” consisting of Ley, Reich youth leader Axmann, Reich leader of students Gauleiter Scheel, Gauleiter Hanke, and other dignitaries. Ley was charged with a handwritten letter for the Duce, which Ciano [on October 29] called “laudatory and sugarcoated.”

[@tylerfoss3346]

Michael Connors , thank you for these great details!

[@michaelconnors7668]

@@tylerfoss3346 Thank you,

[@verdiss7487]

>Indy talking about repeated suicidal bayonet charges against enemy positions fortified with machine guns and barbed wire Hey, I've seen this one before!

[@johnlenin830]

In the winter of 1945, Churchill wrote letters to Stalin asking him to launch an offensive to alleviate the situation of the British-American armies in the Ardennes, here is Stalin's answer, quote: "We are preparing for an offensive, but the weather now is not conducive to our offensive. However, taking into account the position of our allies on the Western Front, the Supreme Command Headquarters decided to finish the preparations at an increased pace and, regardless of the weather, to open broad offensive actions against the Germans along the entire central front no later than the second half of January. You can rest assured that we will do everything we can to assist our glorious Allied forces." On January 12, 1945, 8 days ahead of schedule, Soviet troops launched the Vistula-Oder offensive, going on a broad offensive on the entire Soviet-German front, and in the spring of 1945 "ally" Churchill instructed the joint planning staff of the British War Cabinet to develop Operation Unthinkable - a plan of attack on Soviet troops in Poland.

[@tams805]

Oh come on. We're at 1942, not 1945.

[@asdafkgmify]

In retrospect it would have saved half of Europe a few decades.

[@cell4224]

It would have had the opposite effect, continued the existence of the soviets for even longer by giving it purpose. Vietnam is a great example of this, without western intervention the socialist takeover & democratization would likely have taken only a few years and not 2 decades.

[@johnlenin830]

@@asdafkgmify It was the Soviet Union that made the greatest contribution to the liberation of Europe from Nazism, without the victories of the Russian people at Moscow and Stalingrad, the Allied landing in Normandy would have been impossible. The vile Churchill abandoned this plan because it was explained to him that it would not be possible to defeat the Red Army on the ground.

[@asdafkgmify]

@@johnlenin830 and then it enslaved half of Europe. Secondly it wasn't just the Russian people who fought and died. And finally Soviets attacked Poland in 1939 so GB is well within their rights to declare war on them.

[@zaboomafool1911]

I think Montgomery got a hold of a death note, that's why the general died of a heart attack

[@GuitarCoverErik]

German General* He was not a SS General.

[@tylerfoss3346]

Outstanding work! Great episode! Bravo!!!

[@ewok40k]

Bloody Santa Cruz... Out of 6 USN fleet carriers (Saratoga, Lexington, Enterprise, Yorktown, Wasp, Hornet) on start a war, only 2, Saratoga and Enterprise survived first year! (and then on to end of it) With Saratoga off to repairs, Enterprise was left only operating CV for a while, leading to joke/meme of "Big E versus Japan" Preaparing mentally for more brutal naval warfare in the Ironbottom Sound. Japanese are not done yet...

[@danielmocsny5066]

It's good for the Allies that by this time the Japanese carrier fleet itself was mostly sunk or damaged also, and further hampered by the loss of aircrew and a slow replacement pipeline. The Japanese navy will never again have the ability to seriously consider fighting Allied land-based air power with their own naval air power, whereas the USN will become so strong that it will be able to send its carrier fleets against any Japanese land air base no matter how strong, such as even the fabled Truk, and eventually the Japanese home islands. This means all the Allies have to do to take control over a large area of ocean is to capture an island and put an air base on it, whereas Japan will not be able to control the ocean even within range of its own air bases.

[@evanulven8249]

"Enterprise is now the only carrier in the Pacific." *Gray Ghost Intensifies*