202 - Kursk, When Titans Clash - July 9, 1943

[@WorldWarTwo]

Join the TimeGhost Army: bit.ly/WW2_202_PI This is part one of a two part weekly episode, stay tuned for more! We're only able to tackle huge events like this because of all of you in the TimeGhost Army, so go sign up!

[@alexmclean760]

38 mins late lol my bad

[@VindicAlpha]

@@alexmclean760 Same. Damn it.

[@guillaumedeschamps1087]

Curse my lateness!

[@greg_mca]

Can the week by week regular episode playlist be updated again please. The episodes after mid march are out of order and there's a WAH episode in there for some reason

[@caryblack5985]

After that joke I am not surprised you hung up.

[@rickhobson3211]

I think that this is the battle that really let the Germans know the jig was up. Really curious to see how it develops!

[@420JackG]

I'm pretty sure that after Stalingrad, the route at Midway, and the loss of N. Africa (and the utter collapse of the Italian Army) that the handwriting was on the wall plain enough for anyone with the sanity to read it.

[@eluc_s2510]

@@420JackG Not much sanity to go around in the Axis powers

[@102ndsmirnov7]

@@420JackG I doubt the Germans had much faith in the Italians and I don't think they cared much for what happened in the pacific. Most German Generals probably knew the war was lost by the end of Stalingrad at the latest.

[@lllordllloyd]

@@projectpitchfork860 Yes, Kursk itself wasn't too bad, but the series of massive blows the Red Army delivered... almost continuously... afterward, were devastating. But as the OP said, clearly many on the German side suspected Kursk would NOT be decisive, but just expose the Germans' weakness.

[@jtgd]

@@projectpitchfork860 yeah, but the Russians can replace those losses. The German much less so

[@Rbdpng]

It's crazy to think but when this war started, I had just graduated high school and was just starting university. Now I am an Aerospace Engineer working full time more than 500 miles from where I was born and raised. Reflecting on the huge milestones I've seen come and go in that time really puts the length of this conflict into perspective. Thank you for this incredible living exhibit.

[@stormstaunch6692]

@Christopher DeHart I can relate. I’ve been following this channel ever since I was a 12 year old. Now I’m going to be going to 11th grade next year, and by the time this series is over, I’ll be old enough to vote. It’s cool how time passes.

[@pbibbles]

When I was going for my BS in mechanical engineering some friends and I took a class called "Gas Turbines." We assumed that it was based on ground-based electrical-energy producing gas turbines. It turned out to be an aerothermodynamics based on jet aircraft. At first we were disappointed, but as class went on we all turned out to love it. I went on to take gas dynamics too, and loved it as well. Unfortunately, that was as deep as my school went with aeronautics/aerospace. Are you satisfied so far with your experience in aerospace, or are there any regrets about feeling pigeonholed?

[@SMichaelDeHart]

@Christopher DeHart may I ask where you're from?? I'm in southern West Virginia. My parents were from southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia. I've got family in West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.

[@Rbdpng]

@@pbibbles I certainly don’t feel pigeonholed. Airplanes and rocket have always been my passion (well that and history). If you want to work with either then a BS in aerospace is your ticket in

[@Rbdpng]

@@SMichaelDeHart amazing last name! Very rare to see a DeHart. I was raised around Charleston SC and now I live in northern VA

[@gunman47]

A footnote this week on July 5 1943 is that the town of Boise City in Oklahoma in the United States is mistakenly bombed by a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) B-17 Flying Fortress bomber during a training mission. The mistake happened because the pilots mistook the lights centred around the town’s main square as their practice target when they became disoriented during their practice mission. Fortunately, no one was injured with little damage as the main square was deserted when it happened and only practice bombs were used.

[@TrickiVicBB71]

I remember that from History Guy

[@totalwar1793]

Imagine some guy getting hit on the head by a practice bomb lol

[@420JackG]

Oh gosh, that's right. I've driven through there and I think there was a plaque or something.

[@davidwright7193]

So the bombs landed as close to the target as was usual for the USAF….

[@WorldWarTwo]

Dickson Phua Fascinating piece of historical trivia, thank you

[@bobthebros8585]

The battle is raging once again

[@chazzerman286]

Some trivia on Kula Gulf: the Niizuki of radar-carrying fame was commissioned into the IJN on March 31st 1943. It sank approximately 14 weeks later making it one of the shortest-lived warships in all of WW2.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks Chompsky, great piece of info

[@mjpraetorian4386]

​@@davidw.2791 Finished in 36-8 period sank in 40-41

[@mjpraetorian4386]

@@davidw.2791 Ah no wozz. Thank the Sabaton History channel for it.

[@febrian0079]

The time when Zhukov said "it Zhukin time" and Zhuked the German army was one of the moment in military history

[@Spiderfisch]

But it only happens next year

[@WorldWarTwo]

Please refrain from using the verb 'Zhuked' because I feel bad for laughing at it. Also no spoilers

[@pocketmarcy6990]

He Zhuked the German army back in November as well

[@leeboy26]

Not before he punched the Sith Inquisitor in the stomach whilst shouting 'Not today'!

[@ziashaikh2683]

It's Zhorphin time!

[@janiceduke1205]

"The German army is a machine, and machines can be broken! " Konstantin K. Rokossovskiy ​💯​✨​ (December 21, 1896 - August 3, 1968)

[@33z6i6]

Like the 5th Guards tank army? ;)

[@atheistyoda8915]

That reference, I understood.

[@gratius1394]

​@@33z6i6 Batov's boys did their part and their sacrifice is remembered.

[@Warmaker01]

@@33z6i6 Like the Hammer & Sickle being waved over Berlin.

[@33z6i6]

@@Warmaker01Oh, thats still a long way of burning T34...

[@lawrencehudson9939]

Your narration of the beginning of the Kursk battle was excellent teaching me much. The detail of battery mounting in Ferdinans and Tigers was an issue I had not learned from any of the armor channels on these tanks. Well done I always like learning.

[@morteforte7033]

All the problems with the panthers didn't help either...from the start of the offensive to two days later, they went from 184 operational panthers to just 40.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

@@morteforte7033 All weapon systems, especially tanks, have a teething period where all the various systems have a had a chance to be used and their flaws made known in operational conditions. The Germans were as aware of this fact as anyone but they still went ahead. Insane.

[@tigertank06]

Could the Germans have won at Kursk?

[@morteforte7033]

@@Conn30Mtenor very true, but I ponder if 184 proven panzer IVs, or a mix of those and tigers,would have had far more impact than the unproven Panthers. The fascinating part of history, how strange consequences change events.

[@morteforte7033]

@@tigertank06 like many other battles during the war,I figure they could have....but I doubt it would have changed their ability to win eventually.

[@Sean_Coyne]

Coincidentally, almost to the day, the last Royalist army was destroyed in the Battle of Langport on 10 July 1645, during the first English Civil War...by the New Model Army.

[@420JackG]

That's the series we really need

[@420JackG]

@@davidw.2791 that makes it even better

[@kevinsullivan2341]

@@420JackG Audio only, but I highly recommend Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcast. I apologize for the months of your life it will take up

[@901Sherman]

It's a helluva journey....and to think we're barely at the halfway point. Glad to see this channel's going strong as always(;

[@Zen-sx5io]

There's a lot more of hell to go through.

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

We're actually past the halfway point by about 10 months. Which is still crazy to think about. Seems like yesterday I was getting recommended the Great War series.

[@AwoL205]

halfway point in actual time but it's already over for the Germans at this point and it all starts to dawn on them, if not by now then within the next few weeks for sure

[@AtomikNY]

@@AwoL205 Depends on which German you ask. Hitler reportedly didn't acknowledge that reality until the final days of the war.

[@himoffthequakeroatbox4320]

When Italy collapses the Allies will be in through the back door and it's game over. Christmas at the latest.

[@dougedsall3317]

The Panzerjäger Ferdinand did not have a mounted machine gun at this time, but the crews were issued with a loose MG 34, and MPs for defense of the vehicle. The Ferdinand has numerous pistol ports around it's fighting compartment for using these in addition to the hatches. Glad you guys mentioned the mines; the majority of the lost Ferdinand's were directly to mine damage or artillery fire Karl Heinz Munch has written good combat histories with the individual losses tallied. Also worth remembering that huge numbers of early StuG and other Panzerjäger also lacked mounted MGs

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for the info, Doug

[@lordbeaverhistory]

The Majority of the Ferdinads were blown up by their crews because the engine broke down, while driving a normal road or climbing a minor hill

[@limonade7050]

Imagine being a German soldier on the eve of the offensive. Suddenly, 2 hours before you are set off to attack, the enemy starts an artillery barrage against your forces. Basically yelling you: We are ready and waiting for you.

[@greg_mca]

It's 2nd Marne all over again. And like 2nd Marne, they had to go forward anyway

[@lordbeaverhistory]

Its a quote from "Generation War" (Unsere Mütter unsere Väter): "They know that we are coming Wilhelm" "I know"

[@thanos_6.0]

Man! I can't believe we are already at the Battle of Kursk. THE turning point in the war in europe, where the axis armies went on full on defense from now on. It feels like yesterday, when Germany invaded Poland and started this horrible war. As always, I am very glad to support you via the Timeghost army.

[@worldwidewonders681]

I mean the turning point was already years earlier

[@102ndsmirnov7]

I'd say Stalingrad was the real turning point. Kursk was just a nail in the coffin.

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

"went on full on defense from now on" Operation Doppelkopf and the Ardennes Offensive would like to know your location. Yeah, they weren't successful in their goals but they were still times when the Germans went on the attack.

[@zoomertoast3703]

@@102ndsmirnov7 I'd say the turning point of the war happened between late 1942 and early 1943 with Stalingrad, Guadalcanal and Operation Torch/Second battle of El Alamein being decisive allied victories in all three major theaters.

[@akhashdhillon2159]

I dont think that there ever was a turning point. Germany and the USSR were bound to get into a conflict at somepoint and they choses the best time - when the USSR was at its weakest. And look how that went.

[@petorian343]

So this episode was delayed to immerse us, and show how much Operation Citadel was itself delayed, right?

[@elektrotehnik94]

Comment of the day :D

[@larslundandersen7722]

It was probably just delayed, because they wanna space out videos just a little bit. The Special video, the WAH video and now this dropped within what 24 hours. It is good channel maintenance to let them get some attention, before another video is released. Although i get what you were trying to say ;)

[@WorldWarTwo]

Yes that is correct. We are continuing in Michael Haneke's traditon of breaking the fourth wall 😂

[@elbeto191291]

I like Eriksen's paragraph quoted by Indy on this one; romantizing in some kind the, IMO, "weird beauty of both German and Soviet war machines deploying" while reminding the reader that this is war and soldiers on both sides were getting wounded and dying by the thousands. Such a nice episode this one, I find myself astonished by the sheer scale of the Battle of Kursk

[@squirreljenkins1542]

The air battle alone is utterly insane.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for watching, elbeto

[@tapeesa2866]

Can’t wait! One of grandfathers fought in this battle, he piloted an IL-2

[@WorldWarTwo]

Tapeesa Thank you for sharing about him.

[@razorboy251]

Everyone always focuses on Midway as the great Japanese naval defeat but the events of this week illustrate just how effective and professional the IJN continued to be.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

Indeed, but it was, like the German army, a sharp scalpel made to perfection that once blunted in a war of attrition would never regain its former sharpness. The IJN never managed to recover from its losses and with the loss of each ship with its finely honed crew, the replacement and its never crew never became as good as what had been lost. And for every new ship that the Japanese managed to build and crew the US would produce and crew a multitude. 1943 saw the USN with only the Saratoga as its only operational aircraft carrier, by the end of the year they already had more then before the war and by 1944 it became a torrent.

[@stefanjoeres7149]

Sure but Midway was a huge battle stopping Japanese offensives actions in the Pacific and condemned them to a battle of attrition. No matter how good and effective they were, they had lost the initiative. Midway is an incredible example of how important intiative actually is.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Quite a succinct analogy, thank you.

[@tigertank06]

@@blockmasterscott And if the Japanese hadn’t?

[@rawchicken3463]

Some people were waiting nearly half an hour for this to start, wow

[@WorldWarTwo]

Our audience is steadfast, patient, and awesome.

[@Shymenyou]

New Model Army, those intro punts get better and better!

[@MightyAvengingLeo]

It's a really good bad pun.

[@bishop6218]

Indy already knows he's gonna burn in hell for that

[@WorldWarTwo]

😁

[@mjkelly9999]

The opening phone calls have been excellent. This episode is one of the best. (good writers!)

[@ericcarlson3746]

"the Great War" would have been better with Indy fielding a fake phone call every week from the tsarina Alexandra!

[@stokerino1905]

It's his exasperated gesture after putting the phone down that makes it. 😂

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you Marcus!

[@jmac5303]

Indy did yell him to do better last week.

[@Jorlaan42]

I legit had to pause for a moment after that new Model army joke, that got me.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching, glad you liked it

[@thornshar]

I choose to believe that the "New Model Army" joke was about the British rock group as well as Cromwell's military. Indy seems the right age to have heard of them. :)

[@pauleohl]

For the benefit of those that did not understand the introductory phone call about Walter Model needing a new army, Oliver Cromwell's army that won the English Civil War in the 17th century was called the New Model Army.

[@ias400]

Right, a new model army. The axis better hope it has more PUNch than the first one.

[@antonytye3484]

As much PUNch maybe, the original NMA had a fair punch and was groundbreaking and very effective, which is all that could be hoped for.

[@Masada1911]

This is going to be a big one

[@Crash103179]

Trivia: USS Helena is the last US surface combat ship larger than a destroyer sunk by the Japanese until USS Princeton during the battle of Leyte Gulf 10/24/44, 15 months later.

[@aaroncabatingan5238]

That sounds fantastic, unless if you're Japanese.

[@HaloFTW55]

I hope we get a special for the Battle off Samar. "Hold on boys, we're sucking them into 40mm range!"

[@volksgrenadier3231]

You forget heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis sunk by japanese in July 1945

[@Crash103179]

@@volksgrenadier3231 Yes! Besides 4 escort carriers built on merchant hulls, the Indianapolis was the only other large American combatant actually sunk after the Princeton.

[@senorpepper3405]

​@@volksgrenadier3231 leyte was before that

[@merdiolu]

Allied air commanders continued to make economical investments in their use of air power for the maintenance of air superiority. Spaatz and his subordinates in the NAAF made efficient use of their assets. While heavy and medium bombers struck airfields, often escorted by Spitfires from Malta or P-40s and P-38s from North Africa, fighter-bomber sorties patrolled the island for the hidden landing grounds used by Axis aircraft to avoid these potentially devastating raids. The difficulties experienced by the defending Axis air formations have been well documented. The German fighter force made one final attempt to intervene. General Galland attempted to concentrate three fighter wings on a single airfield in an effort to hit Allied bombers en-mass. While there was an element of risk involved, he felt that some effort had to be made instead of allowing fighter strength to dissipate. The result was extremely heavy air fighting. Technical Sergeant Robert S. Lash, a clerk flying his first mission as an observer with the 2nd Bombardment Group described the air battle on Independence Day 1943. During the raid on Catania aerodrome: “[F]ighters were raising hell. On several occasions I would be safe in saying that every plane [B-17] was sending bullets at fighters - most vivid 4th of July I’ve ever seen, with tracers all over the sky, a formation of bombers, fighters darting in and out and black puffs all around. The fighters followed for 40 minutes, then it ended rather abruptly.” On 5 July, the German concentration meant that the Gerbini complex of landing grounds became an ideal carpet bombing target as the whole plain was covered with aircraft. The ensuing air battle was a disaster for the Luftwaffe. The formation of fighters that managed to intercept the bombers turned out to be too small to deal with escorting fighters. Luftwaffe fighter commander Ulrich Steinhoff, who had already lost a pair of Bf 109s to bombing, was shot down by a Spitfire near Mount Etna. NAAF records indicate that while 100 German fighters were encountered during this first wave, a second wave bombed Gerbini without notable interference. Allied raids stretched Axis fighter defences to their limits. The Regia Aeronautica also suffered heavily during this period. For instance, on 5 July Allied efforts caused the deaths of two of the three leading Italian aces, Franco Lucchini and Leonardo Ferrulli. Super Aereo (Regia Aeronautica high command) statistical returns for the 18 May to 9 July period indicate that Italian bomber strength dropped by 122 aircraft while fighter strength also dropped by 39 aircraft. Bomber serviceability tumbled from 41 to 34 percent while fighter serviceability decreased from 55 to 51 percent. Although these statistics do not precisely reflect the Regia Aeronautia’s losses, they do illustrate that Italian airmen were also subject to the punishment unleashed on Axis airfields in the region. Weeks of air bombardment resulting in both aircraft/aircrew losses and significant damage to bases and technical installations added up. Luftflotte 2’s chief of staff later reported: "In the last few weeks before the landing all the aerodromes, operational airfields, and landing grounds on Sicily were so destroyed in continuous attacks by massed forces that it was only possible to get this or that airfield in running order again for a short time, mainly by mobilizing all available forces, including those of the German and Italian armies." Consequently, Axis aircraft were increasingly forced to turn to semi-permanent and improvised landing grounds in attempts to conceal their aircraft. Energetic resistance from Sicilian property owners and a lack of support on the part of Italian authorities led to difficulties in preparing these temporary sites though. The Germans reduced single-engine fighter strength on Sicily from 185 to 100 by 9 July in order to conserve strength for the landings themselves. At the same time they also withdrew Fw 190 formations from Sicily, thereafter using the island only as an advanced landing ground. Aircraft serviceability was also an issue. Serviceability rates of Sardinian-based fighter-bombers dropped from 55 to 35 percent, meaning fewer would be available for transfer to Sicily when the invasion came. In Sicily, Lieutenant-Colonel Steinhoff observed that “unserviceable aircraft were ruthlessly cannibalized, for the spare-part situation was truly catastrophic.” After the war, Field Marshal Kesselring conceded that by the time of the Allied landings on 10 July the Luftwaffe was unable to effectively intervene on the battlefield. Eagles Over Husky - Alexander Fitzgerald Black

[@emmano6340]

Fascinating !

[@merdiolu]

The margin of air superiority that the Allied air forces achieved paid immediate dividends in the protection of the convoys carrying the troops, supplies, and equipment for the landings in Sicily. The interconnectedness of these two tasks is best illustrated by the role of AHQ Malta, under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Sir Keith Park. While originally fielding five Spitfire squadrons, this number was increased to over 23 by the arrival of Tactical Air Force Spitfire squadrons in June. Among these units was No. 72 Squadron RAF and Flying Officer George Noel Keith. Keith became the first of his squadron to shoot down an enemy aircraft from their base in Malta. On 18 June 1943, Keith shot down German ace Major Gerhard Michalski. The Major was Gruppenkommandeur of II/JG 53, a fighter unit based at Comiso airfield in southern Sicily. Michalski suffered a broken ankle and wounded leg as he bailed out of his stricken Bf 109. He survived the descent and paid a visit to an Axis hospital in Ragusa. This significant increase in fighter strength allowed the island to provide daylight escorts for all convoys within a 50-mile radius. In total, the island’s fighters escorted approximately 2,000 ships during Operation HUSKY. Prior to the landings two-thirds of the island’s fighters were tasked with escort duties while the remaining one-third provided escorts to Strategic Air Force bombers hitting airfields in southeast Sicily. Thus, Malta effectively illustrates the connection between convoy protection and the air superiority battle. Spitbombers also supplemented the heavier raids by striking landing grounds and lines of communication. Malta was the assembly area for convoys prior to the landings. On 9 July there were no attacks on Allied convoys off Malta during daylight hours. As twilight fell, Malta-based night fighters maintained a screen between enemy airfields and shipping in the Sicilian Strait. These aircraft were managed by ground-controlled interception stations in Malta and aboard headquarters ships. Before the convoys reached Malta they had to make a long passage from embarkation ports as far away as the United Kingdom and the United States. Thankfully, the Allies had turned the Battle of the Atlantic to their favour during spring 1943. Although sinkings by Axis submarines in the Mediterranean occurred the most significant threat to the convoys perceived by Allied commanders was Axis aircraft. Air planners had written the air superiority campaign directly into the Coastal Air Force’s employment policy: the extent to which the enemy would be able to make attacks on HUSKY convoys would “depend on the weight of our attack on targets in Sicily, Sardinia, and Italy.” Day and night fighters, anti-aircraft guns, barrage balloons, and ground-controlled interception defences were improved all along the North African coast. AHQ Eastern Mediterranean was responsible for all convoys within 40 miles of the African coast on the eastern side of an imaginary line joining the Tunisian frontier to Malta, while the Coastal Air Force was responsible for all convoys to the west of this line. AHQ Eastern Mediterranean escorted its four primary charges, a pair of assault convoys and a pair of follow-up convoys carrying British Eighth Army to the waters around Malta, without significant incident. It was also briefly responsible for the Canadian 1st Infantry Division’s convoys from the United Kingdom while they were off Tripolitania. US Seventh Army’s convoys came from as far away as the United States and were escorted by the Coastal Air Force aircraft. While Axis bombers made attempts to interfere with these movements, they failed to disrupt the assembly. Eagles Over Husky - Alexander Fitzgerald Black

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for providing the additional information.

[@WorldWarTwo]

merdiolu Thanks for always bringing great context to our episodes

[@nikolajmadum8381]

Fantastic and captivating episode as always from you Indy :) I always been fascinated by the Battle of Kursk, it was a truly titanic battle.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks Nikolaj

[@MikeBison_]

I hope you guys talk about the ‘upgrades’ the Ferdinands get following the end of Citadel, and how the Germans made the incredibly intelligent decision of sending the newly upgraded Elefants to mountainous and rainy Italy

[@angeledduirbonesu1989]

My grandfather was an Italian soldier defending the beach in south Sicily. Died few years ago, age 90. Can't imagine what he was thinking those days

[@coryhall7074]

My great uncle landed on southern Sicily with the US 45th division. He died many years ago when I was very young, he drank so much from the war. Crazy to think our families might have been forced to fight each other.

[@angeledduirbonesu1989]

Ones he told me that their gun had only 7 shells. Shei shot them all against the first assault wave, then finished all the ammo of their rifles and immediately surrendered. Americans took them pow and send them for a while outside italy. We still have pictures of my grandfather taken by american soldiers during the prison time.

[@coryhall7074]

​@@angeledduirbonesu1989 Do you have any idea where on Sicily he was stationed? My uncle came ashore near Scoglitti, I don't know what wave he was in.

[@matthewcreelman1347]

I imagine he was thinking some variation of "holy mother of God, there's so damned many of them! So many ships, so many planes! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. How do I say 'I surrender' in English?" So, something like "santa madre di Dio, ce ne sono così maledettamente tanti! Tante navi, tanti aerei! Merda, merda, merda, merda, merda. Come si dice 'mi arrendo' in inglese?"

[@angeledduirbonesu1989]

@@coryhall7074 I can ask my aunt if she knows, she has all his photos. I'm sure he ones told me that he saw weeks (or months?) before the invasion the Italian King inspecting some areas of Sicily. Hope this info can help you out.

[@Nerathul1]

I feel like we never go more than two weeks before someone important dies in a plane crash. Those old planes were absolute deathtraps.

[@nivlacyevips]

They should have known what comics of the 1980s knew, just make the whole plane out of the same stuff the black box is made of.

[@the_mowron]

25,000 men died in aircraft accidents in the US army air corps during the war. The planes were rushed into production and the pilots were rushed through training. I'm sure the situation was similar for the other nations involved.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@the_mowron I read somewhere that 9,000 British aircrew members died in flying accidents during training. Most of them would have ended up in the meatgrinder of Bomber Command if they had survived training, but they did not get that far.

[@AtomikNY]

Also, the percentage of planes being shot at during the war was much higher than the post-war era. My grandfather's plane was shot down over Poland. Thankfully the Red Army found him before the Germans did.

[@TheBucketSkill]

LoL im just imagining a DC-3 crashing

[@lllordllloyd]

Great work on those maps, fellows. Truly excellent.

[@WorldWarTwo]

lllordllloyd Thank you. The team works their butts off. Please join the TimeGhost Army so they can afford new butts for the next round of maps! www.patreon.com/join/timeghosthistory

[@LuGer212]

no matter how much I love to read about the 2nd world war, no matter how much I try to educate myself about it - when it comes to gripping, engaging delivery of the subject matter: Indy & team are the apex. much love from the Landsberg/Ammersee region over to you guys!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Lu Thank you for your very kind words of support. We appreciate it.

[@paauggie]

Absolutely fantastic - first time i've seen your channel and just brilliant to watch - liked and subscribed - thankyou for posting.

[@Ronald98]

You 100000% should watch the Stalingrad coverage and the Pearl Harbor mini series that they did, if you think this is amazing, then wait till you see those two! i highly recommend them!

[@420JackG]

Oh buddy, you are in for a treat. It really is a mind shattering binge watch... I always thought I understood the war, having grown up with access to lots of primary source material 'from the horse's mouth' as it were, but these guys remind me on a weekly basis how truly miniscule my knowledge is.

[@WorldWarTwo]

paauggie Thank you and WELCOME!! I'm always happy to greet a newcomer to our channel. Thanks for taking an interest in history & I hope you'll check out all our episodes and series up to this point in the war. We're already at July 1943, you have lots of content to catch up on if you want!

[@bcvetkov8534]

I'm ecstatic to finally be here for the battle of Kursk. I had no clue this was happening at the same time as operation Husky either. Which is incredible. When I talk to my other history nerd friends we constantly debate the importance of certain battles. D-Day was big but Kursk was a whole new beast. I personally believe this was the most important battle in the war especially in the Eastern front. Not just because it was the largest tank battle in human history up until that point but because of how the Germans finally realizing how blatantly screwed they were in the long haul. The Germans fought their asses off here and would eventually score a 4:1 ratio of kills against Soviet armor and it still wasn't enough. If that wasn't enough to achieve victory, God help the other fronts. Ya know!?! Thanks again to Indy and the team for covering this.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Bcvetkov Thank you. Always will be debatable what the ultimate 'turning point' in the war was, but either way we're glad to bring this episode to such an immense audience of history enthusiasts. Thank you for watching

[@conceptalfa]

You're real, real good om the WWII history, projecting it in such an increadibly interesting way!!! 👍👍👍

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you! 👍

[@Lematth88]

This week in French politics: The 3rd of July, admiral Robert yields, Martinique joins Free France. Robert stays at port and is the de facto governor while the CFLN sends a new governor for the Antilles and for Martinique, Henri Hoppenot. Hoppenot is a french ambassador. Secretary in 1917 in Rio de Janeiro’s ambassy under Paul Claudel (future poet and playwright). In 1933, he is councilor at the ambassy of Peking/ Beijing, in 1938 he is the Deputy director of the division Europe at the Foreign Affairs. After 1940, he is named by Vichy as a Minister Plenipotentiary in Metevideo in Uruguay. He was first for Giraud in the end of 1942 before changing sides and joining De Gaulle at the beginning of 1943. He then became Director of Civilian Services of the Military Mission in the United-States. In June, he was named representative of the CFLN in the US. The 7th of July, colonel Pierre Bilotte of the FFL (Free French Forces) is nominated secretary in the Military Committee. Bilotte is an officer captured in June 1940. He manages to escape in February 1941, and he joins the USSR, interned until Barbarossa, and became the Free France representative in Moscow. He is exchanged against Russian refugee in London and becomes the Chief of Staff of De Gaulle as a colonel.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Merci Lematth

[@rwm2986]

Well worth the extra day's wait - thank you!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you RWM!

[@BestOfKillieFc]

80 Years later the 2nd battle of Kursk takes place

[@pauls1883]

Absolutely love this channel.

[@WorldWarTwo]

We absolutely love you too, Paul. Thanks for exploring the war with us

[@oliversherman2414]

I love your channel keep up the great stuff!!!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks!

[@oliversherman2414]

@@WorldWarTwo no worries mate 👍 Can you do a special episode about neutral Sweden during WW2? I'm half Swedish and would like to know more about what they were up to at the time

[@smudgetheignored]

My great uncle served on the USS Strong. Unfortunately I believe the Strong holds the record for the longest unguided torpedo strike. Luckily he survived the sinking.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for sharing about him

[@pocketmarcy6990]

“It’s over Model, I have the high ground” ~Konstin wan Kenossovski

[@alexandersturnn4530]

It's very possible that my Great-Grandfather died in this battle. We don't know for sure, since my Grandmother was born in 1941 and didn't remember him at all and her family never got any reports on his exact fate...but since he died in Summer 1943 on the Eastern Front, it is likely he fell at Kursk during Operation Citadel.

[@Zen-sx5io]

What side did he fight on?

[@dros1161]

@@Zen-sx5io Read his name xd

[@Zen-sx5io]

@@dros1161 I did, but I wasn't sure.

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

Aww, sorry to hear it. You must be a young pup if grandma was born in 1941.

[@kemarisite]

@@Zen-sx5io between the somewhat Germanic name and the reference to the "Eastern front", seems safe to assume German.

[@jedawgs]

Been waiting for this battle for years

[@WorldWarTwo]

We're glad to have you here with us as we explore it.

[@hannahskipper2764]

Germans: Holy shit. This is really happening. Russians: Holy shit. This is really happening. Japanese: hehe. We have radar now. Americans: Well, damn.

[@jacquesfuller2087]

In 1942, operation Torch and the battles of Stalingrad and Guadalcanal raged in three different parts of the world. Now in 1943, operations Husky, Zitadelle and the battle of New Georgia take course in , roughly, the same corners of Earth!

[@brokenbridge6316]

Yeah know I once saw a video on a little talked about aspect of the Battle of Kursk. The Battle in the Air. Most people don't focus on this. Needless to say at the end of it the Soviets suffered a lot. German losses were apparently manageable. But since the Soviets could replace their losses more easily than the Germans it was in the long run a greater loss for the Germans. Nice video.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching, Broken Bridge. We'll have to wait and see how the battle shakes out before we can make any judgements of airpower…

[@brokenbridge6316]

@@WorldWarTwo---Your welcome. And okay. I just thought I'd mention that video I saw. Thought it would add something nice to the comments section.

[@Crimethoughtfull]

You can't blame the phone for that horrendously awesome Dad Joke...

[@rachelskit]

I’ve been waiting three years for this episode!!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for joining us, Thomas! I know the entire TimeGhost Army has been looking forward to our coverage of this, but we can't do it without your support! Join the TimeGhost Army today and help us make more of those specials! www.patreon.com/join/timeghosthistory

[@wekurtz72]

I know you guys hear this a lot, but thanks for another excellent chapter in the most comprehensive and entertaining resource for World War II ever created.

[@WorldWarTwo]

WE Kurtz We appreciate every kind comment we receive, no matter how repetitive it may be. This channel and you in our audience are unique, and it means the world to us having such a kind, caring audience. Thank you for the high praise and for exploring the war with us

[@constpegasus]

The final effort before the unending retreat.

[@ypaulbrown]

Always fantastic Program....thank you so much......from Florida....Paul

[@ekszentrik]

This trainwreck operation with to 1939 eyes eye-watering numbers is the definition of "mission creep" and "sunk cost fallacy".

[@christopherbellamy7700]

im still chuckling over the "New Model Army"

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks Christopher, glad you liked it

[@gianniverschueren870]

From afar this tie kind of looks like a painter's pallet... Quite something. 3.5/5

[@WorldWarTwo]

Gianni Your tie appraisals make my day. This intern always looks forward to your comments. Thanks for being here as always

[@harpercharlie]

Awesome coverage! Thanks Mr. Neidell and team.

[@StalinTheMan0fSteel]

Rokossovski was released from prison (like many other officers) at the beginning of the war under conditions, his "probation" was based on his performance during the war! But every Soviet commander understood that failure would likely result in being reclassified as a traitor, and that included their families as well. Stalin saw that as an added incentive to get the most of of his soldiers. "Takes a brave man to be a coward in the Red Army" was one of Stalin's quotes.

[@Jwoods026]

Thank You TimeGhost Team for putting out great content. It feeds the"Beast" hungry for information on the minute details of this atrocious, yet interesting war.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Jwoods Thank you for watching. And the whole team really appreciates your kind words of support, please stay tuned

[@morteforte7033]

Stalingrad blunted the sword, Kursk broke it.

[@chrisschumacher8553]

The thing about Citadel is that they always try to walk it in.

[@HilaryGillesHMG]

Love the content fun little fact I might be mistaken but is that a captured Soviet La-5 Fighter plane at 7:30 it has German markings but it looks just like An La-5.

[@moss8448]

history being discussed in this manner is the way it should be

[@WorldWarTwo]

We're glad to have so many others who want to explore the history with us. Thanks & stay tuned

[@moss8448]

your presentation is not only informative it is entertaining, that in and of itself, is priceless; making history entertaining teaches

[@PhillyPhanVinny]

Erickson may have a way with words but I'd still take Glantz and House over him. They may seem more boring because they are former military men writing the first history of the Eastern Front of WW2 from a Western point of view with access to the Soviet/Russian archives. But that is also what makes their works so important. Since they were some of the very few neutral Western historians who got access to the Russian WW2 archives before Putin closed the archives off to anyone but "historians" who support a very pro Soviet/Russia view.

[@Southsideindy]

But… but… I obviously use many many sources to write this, beyond Glantz, House, and Erickson. I would cancel this show Tomorrow before I’d use a single source for anything- especially a major battle- no matter who or what that source is. Glantz is great; he is. But using only him or only anything (and we use primary sources too) would seriously compromise this channel.

[@dovantien713]

​@@Southsideindy I don't think he is saying to only use one source in his comment at all. He is just praising the work of guys like Glantz and House. And I agree with what Vinny said there. Glantz is the ultimate expert on the Eastern front of WW2 in the English language. He was already a WW2 expert before having access to the Soviet/Russian archives. But him being one of the very lucky few people from the West to view those archives just puts him in a class all of his own. Glantz also has the experience of being a military officer (a Colonel in the US Army) and speaks and reads both Russian and German which I think just gives him so much more insight into the European front of WW2 than any other historian. Every other historian is basing their work on what others have written before them when it comes to what other sides were thinking during the war. Glantz has the abilities to know via primary sources what all of the Western Allies were thinking (which is common for most Western historians), he can do the same for the Germans which is rare but not unheard of. But being able to say he can do this for the Soviet archives and has actually seen the archives and is not basing his work off of someone else's work is the ultimate rarity when it comes to WW2 history. The man is just insanely valuable when it comes to WW2 history. He shouldn't have to be one of the view people to have the access he had but Putin as many people are now beginning to understand is crazy and cut off access to the Soviet/Russian WW2 archives shortly after her came to power. Now only people Putin's administration approve of can view those archives which is just insanely dumb. We are talking about 80 year old history that has no security risks for anything happening today. Mu ultimate fear is that Putin and his henchmen are changing their archives to make the USSR/Russia look better in WW2 then the archives actually showed. Because the work Glantz and House did in the 90's while it did correct many of the inaccuracies we in the West had viewed of the USSR during WW2 it also opened up Russia to lots more criticism of how they were handling the war and did show the importance of Lend Lease to the USSR right from the start of the war. Since most historians only ever looked at Lend Lease from the military aspect of things sent to other nations when things like food, medical and logistics equipment and supplies were just as vital to the war effort as the military equipment were. Last example I'll give, is more then 60% of the fuel that the USSR used for their airplanes came from the United States. This was because the fuel the USSR had was not the best kind of fuel to be using on air-planes and the fuel the US supplied (not just to the USSR) gave their piolets a big advantage over Axis planes fighting on the Eastern Front of WW2.

[@AtamiskxIx]

What an episode! Worth the wait and break in the streak! Job well done all!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Atamisk Thank you for your very kind words, your patience, and support.

[@JHF_Gaming]

15:45 "It's over Adolf, I have the high ground." -- J. Stalin😀

[@stefanronda3092]

Thank you for your knowledge and works

[@WorldWarTwo]

Stefan Thank you for watching

[@airborngrmp1]

"New Model Army..." Obscure history puns are the best.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Especially when you get them. English or Scots might have had an advantage with that one over Americans, for example.

[@airborngrmp1]

@@stevekaczynski3793 Hey now, some of us Americans have some basic education... s/

[@JeanLucCaptain]

The most insane part is the tanks got so close in the dust storm they were basically 2 armies of "DRIVER GET ME CLOSER, I WANT TO HIT THEM WITH MY SWORD!"

[@luciusdomitiusaurelianus5334]

OMG! IM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE

[@bobharvey6957]

What an episode, can't wait for the one of next week

[@WorldWarTwo]

Stay tuned, bob

[@bobharvey6957]

@@WorldWarTwo btw i haven't seen any new posts on the day by day instagram for a few days, is it normal ?

[@user-lq5yx1ke5k]

Nice homage to Glantz & House with the title :)

[@WorldWarTwo]

😉

[@AstroGremlinAmerican]

Excellent reporting of the battlefield action, heightened by the vest fighting desperately against the loud tie.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Astro Gremlin Thank you for watching

[@angelonunez8555]

Interesting observation--the aircraft shown at ~7:30 in German markings is actually a Soviet-made La-5 fighter.

[@martijn9568]

I noticed that too. It also wouldn't be the first time on this channel that you could make a video about just the short clip of archival footage. Sometimes they also make small mistakes only a knowledgeable person would see. For example I noticed they had once used a clip containing Lavochkin La-9 Soviet post- war propeller fighters. I suspect it was probably mislabelled in the archive by someone as a fighter from WW2. Still not a huge mistake, but it is there.

[@tzacher2001]

Fantastic episode!

[@danepatterson8107]

Kursk had no chance for German success. For those in doubt, wait until August and watch until January of 1944

[@WorldWarTwo]

No spoilers, Dane

[@maciejniedzielski7496]

Epicness of the episode beyond ALL

[@jerrycoob4750]

The Battle of Kursk: Well and truly a week of reckoning for the Germans.

[@MakeMeThinkAgain]

We need a Prokorovka special from The Chieftain. From Indie's account, it sounds like neither side was all that impressive aside from numbers of AFVs involved. Besides the token Panzer Vs and VIs, the German's mainly had the same tanks they started the war with plus some self-propelled guns. And the Soviets were even less impressive. This reminds me of the Battle of Midway where the US Navy stopped the Japanese advance with obsolete or near obsolete aircraft.

[@nikitaponomarenko1263]

What a great episode! What a hook at the end planted

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching, Nikita! Stay tuned

[@janahabermann1418]

Battle of Kursk 1943 ❌️ Battle of Kursk 2024 ✅️

[@orderoftheyawgmoth]

Dear Indy and the rest of the group, I thank you for the journey thus far. I've enjoyed your coverage and I've also enjoyed your mythbusting moments. One of the myths busted in your first episodes was the Polish cavalry attacking German panzers with their sabers (something I heard many times in my youth). Thank you for burying the myth. Another often heard myth concerns the huge tank battle of Prokhorovka which is about to become relevant next week. According to old lore in my youth, hundreds of Soviet T-34s charged across the open steppe against hundreds of German Tiger, Panther and Ferdinand tanks smashing them to pieces in a massive and confusing tank melee while taking relatively low losses themselves thus making the battle a spectacular Soviet victory. As I've grown older more information has been released and the picture of this battle has dramatically changed. According to new info there were no Panthers let alone Ferdinands present at Prokhorovka. Ferdinands were sent exclusively to Model's Army Group Center and most of the Panther tanks had broken down. Also there never were "hundreds of German Tiger tanks" present at the battle, only like 5 (the rest were being repaired). The biggest news according to new studies is that the battle of Prokhorovka was not a smashing Soviet success but a massive debacle instead. Modern sources claim that German tank losses were relatively low with only scores of them being destroyed whereas Soviets were the ones losing hundreds of T-34s in the battle. Dear World War Two team, after openly addressing and busting so many myths along the way I kindly ask you to address the myths associated with the tank battle of Prokhorovka as well. Please note that some of the sources you use repeat the old lore and have many mistakes in them which should be corrected. For example Antony Beevor claims German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop's son Rudolf was commanding a platoon of 7 Tiger tanks. This is not true, he was commanding 7 Panzer IVs. Thanks and greetings from Finland. See you next week when the tanks clash at Prokhorovka.

[@caryblack5985]

I would disagree with debacle. The Germans destroyed more Soviet tanks but failed in all their other aims. While Manstein was still trying to advance Model was not only thrown back but the Soviets launched their counteroffensive.

[@WorldWarTwo]

orderoftheyawgmoth Thanks for your kind words and yes, stay tuned to see how we tackle Prokhorovka. 🇫🇮

[@merdiolu]

Hunting of U-Boats in South Atlantic and Bay of Biscay by Allied Aircraft (3 - 9 July 1943) Oskar-Heinz Kusch, new skipper of U-154, conducted an aggressive patrol in Caribbean. In late May he intercepted convoy BT 14, northbound from Bahia to Trinidad and attacked it on the surface at night. He claimed sinking three freighters for 21,500 tons, plus possibly a 6,000-ton tanker and damage to an 8,000-ton tanker. His confirmed score was one 8,200-ton American tanker, John Worthington, sunk and two American ships (one tanker, one freighter) for 15,800 tons damaged. When Kusch reported that his Metox was “permanently out,” U-boat Control authorized him to slowly withdraw from American waters on a homebound course. In the meantime, Control directed Siegfried Kietz in U-126, which was severely damaged by an air attack off Freetown on June 15, to meet Kusch in U-154 and return to France in company. These two veteran boats with green skippers met near the Azores on June 29, where Kusch missed a fast freighter with two torpedoes. A Leigh Light-equipped Wellington of RAF Coastal Command Squadron 172, piloted by the Rhodesian Alex Coumbis, got U-126 or U-154 on radar in the Bay of Biscay in the early hours of July 3. Coumbis lined up and initiated attack with two depth charges against a U-boat that proved to be Kietz in U-126. Nothing more was ever heard from U-126 that sunk with all hands. Kusch in U-154 witnessed the attack from close quarters. Incorrectly surmising that U-126 had dived to safety, Kusch reported the attack to be “unsuccessful.” The U-154 then proceeded to Lorient alone, arriving safely three days later. The U-628 and U-648, commanded by Heinz Hasenschar, age twenty-six, and Peter-Arthur Stahl, age twenty-nine, respectively, sailed in company from Brest on July 1. On the afternoon of July 3, a B-24 Liberator bomber of RAF Coastal Command Squadron 224, piloted by Peter J. Cundy, sighted Hasenschar in U-628 on the surface in Bay of Biscay. This aircraft carried a load of experimental thirty-five-pound ASW contact bombs (to be dropped in one stick of eighteen) and, consequently, only four depth charges. On the first at tack into heavy flak, Cundy dropped the stick of bombs and one depth charge. The bombs fell wide; the depth charge “bounced off the conning tower” into the sea. Although his plane was riddled with flak and his gas tanks were leaking dangerously, Cundy made a second pass and dropped the remaining three depth charges. These fell nearby, exploding simultaneously, engulfing U-628 in a “gigantic fountain” of water. The boat was destroyed and sank quickly. Cundy’s aircrew reported thirteen Germans in the water and “several bodies” but only one of the swimmers had a life jacket. There were no survivors. Stahl in the U-648 was apparently unable to assist the U-628 survivors and proceeded onward to a refueler and the Americas. However, owing to the U-tanker shortage, he was diverted to be a provisional refueler and never came close to American waters. The new Type IXC 40 submarine U-536, commanded by Rolf Schauenburg, age thirty. Owing to the loss or aborts of U-tankers, U-boat Control was compelled to assign U-536 to a provisional refueling role, along with two other new IXC40s that had sailed from Kiel in late May: the U-170, commanded by Günther Pfeffer, age twenty-eight, and U-535, commanded by Helmut Ellmenreich, age twenty-nine. The skippers of these three new IXC40s were directed to abort war patrols and to give all possible fuel to Erwin Bartke’s new Type XIV tanker U-488. This added fuel enabled Bartke to refuel ten more Type VII U-Boats near the Azores. After giving U-488 as much fuel as they could, the three new IXC40s set off for France in company. While they were crossing the Bay of Biscay on July 5 with flak guns manned, a B-24 Liberator bomber of RAF Coastal Command Squadron 53, piloted by the New Zealander W. Anderson on Musketry/Seaslug patrol, found and attacked all three boats. On the plane’s first attach run, the boats put up a wall of flak, dodged wildly, and escaped undamaged. On the second attack in the face of more heavy flak, the depth charges failed to release, but the plane machine-gunned Schauenburg’s U-536. On the third run, all three boats dived and Anderson dropped eight shallow-set depth charges on Ellmenreich’s submarine U-535, which sank with the loss of all hands. Anderson nursed the badly damaged B-24 back to base. The new VII U-951, commanded by Kurt Pressel, age thirty-two, making his first patrol. A B-24 Liberator bomber of U.S. Army Air Forces ASW Squadron 1 , based in Morocco and piloted by Walter S. McDonell, spotted her off Cape St. Vincent , Portugal on July 7. Attacking into flak, McDonell toggled seven depth charges that destroyed U-951 and all forty-six crew. The flak smashed into the cockpit area of the B-24, wounding four airmen, all of whom recovered. Hitler's U-Boat War , Clay Blair Jr

[@merdiolu]

The Type IXC German submarine U-514, commanded by Hans-Jürgen Auffermann, age twenty-eight, which sailed from Lorient on July 3. On the sixth day out, July 8, a B-24 piloted by the renowned U-boat slayer of RAF Coastal Command Lt. Terence Bulloch (he already sank three U-Boats during the war so far) , temporarily attached to RAF Coastal Command Squadron 224, sighted U-514 on the surface amid a flotilla of Spanish fishing vessels near Cape Finisterre off Spain. Bulloch fired three rocket salvos. Contrary to doctrine, Auffermann dived, whereupon Bulloch dropped a Fido homing torpedo that apparently went astray. Looking down at the roiled water, Bulloch thought the U-boat might be surfacing and dropped a brace of shallow-set depth charges. These may have hit the errant Fido torpedo previously dropped or the hull of U-boat herself or both. In the event, nothing further was ever heard from U-514 that sank with all hands. The new Type VII submarine U-232, commanded by Ernst Ziehm, age twenty-eight, also on his first patrol as part of wolfpack Geier 3 off Portugal. A B-24 Liberator bomber of U.S. Army Air Forces ASW Squadron 2, based in Morocco and piloted by James H. Darden, spotted her on the surface off Lisbon on July 8. In three attacks into heavy flak, Darden dropped six depth charges that destroyed U-232 with the loss of all forty-six crew. The flak severely damaged the B-24 and slightly injured one gunner. The veteran Type VII submarine U-435, commanded by Ritterkreuz holder Siegfried Strelow met her end while patrolling off Portugal as part of wolfpack Geier 2. A Leigh Light-equipped Vickers Wellington bomber of Gibraltar-based RAF Coastal Command Squadron 179, piloted by E. J. Fisher, located her off Portugal and sank her with four depth charges on July 9. There were no survivors. The U-Boat attacks on two major convoys off the South American coast in June 1943 , northbound BT 18 and southbound TJ 1, within the space of about twenty-four hours, caused great consternation in Allied ASW headquarters in that area. Reacting to what was perceived to be a massive U-boat onslaught, US Fourth Fleet commander Admiral Jonas Ingram beefed up the air and surface escorts of the convoys in those waters and greatly increased aircraft hunter-killer patrols. The result was that the five Type VII U-Boats of the foray to Brazil in June and July had a ghastly time. In addition to the nearly unbearable tropical heat and constant worry about fuel replenishment, the VIIs were almost continuously harassed by aircraft. One skipper tersely described the intense hunter-killer activity to Control as: “Air like Biscay, day and night.” Only one of these Type VII submarines sank a ship. She was the veteran submarine U-590, with a new skipper, Werner Krüer, age twenty-eight. In a daring attack near the mouth of the Amazon River on July 4, Krüer got the 5,300-ton Brazilian freighter Pelotaslóide, which was escorted by two Brazilian sub chasers. When Krüer reported this sinking, it prompted a saturation U-boat search by Catalina flying boats of U.S. Navy Squadron VP 94, based at Amapá, an airstrip just north of the mouth of the Amazon River. One of the Catalina flying boats found and attacked U-590 on July 9. Krüer’s 20mm gunners returned fire and hit the cockpit of the aircraft, killing the pilot, Frank F. Hare, and wounding the radioman. The copilot, J. P. Phelps, attempted a second attack but was repelled and aborted to Belém. Responding to this alert, another Catalina of Navy Squadron VP 94, piloted by Stanley E. Auslander, attacked U-590 and sank her with a salvo of six depth charges. There were no survivors. US Navy awarded pilots Hare and Auslander DFCs, Hare’s posthumously. Hitler's U-Boat War , Clay Blair Jr.

[@ewok40k]

It is amazing so late in the war USN still is not aware of the long lance torpedo performance. Helena paid price for this...

[@cmleoj]

(Checks the comments section before watching episode:) “I’ve never seen such obsequious and fawning comments before.” (Watches episode:) “WOAH! THIS WAS A GOOD ONE!!!”😀

[@WorldWarTwo]

cmleoj Our audience really is that kind, enthusiastic, and wonderful. And they're not without their criticisms too, believe me! But our audience truly helps make this a collaborative effort of love. Through direct support of our channel on Patron (btw please join the TimeGhost Army www.patreon.com/join/timeghosthistory 😉 ) , but also through their thorough personal knowledge of the war. We often get corrections made here in the comments, but always in good faith and always with the understanding that we are making this series together. It's a pretty great feeling. Thanks for watching.

[@SMichaelDeHart]

I think it may have been Spartacus, but when Indy opened with his phone joke, you could hear someone snickering behind the camera...that made me laugh more than Indy's joke, lol.

[@Southsideindy]

It was Sparty! He was running the camera.

[@SMichaelDeHart]

@@Southsideindy you could definitely hear it...I got a kick out of it!!

[@creatoruser736]

A word about those Tigers on the bridges. MHV did a video where he talked to a historian who interviewed Wehrmacht veterans and one of them talked about that. He said what actually happened was they were in a rush to get the tanks across and didn't have time to set up the bridges that could support a Tiger's weight so they used lighter ones. That obviously didn't work and the bridge collapsed under the weight, but they didn't want to report that they lost a tank through their own bad actions and possibly get court martialed so they lied and reported that the bridge had been hit by artillery fire.

[@cde9952]

This might be the case for a single bridge, but most bridges the Soviets had pre-registered artillery fire on and pounded the Germans.

[@danielgreen3715]

There's an awful lot to be said about Minefields and Defence in Depth With Anti Tank Guns and Infantry especially when they are Dug in as well as they are..Takes a great deal of effort to Advance into Mutually supported Fire Zones As im sure Feldmarschall Model and the 4th Panzers are finding out!!

[@2Links]

1:40 One might even say they Doolittle damage I'll see myself out

[@secretsfullofsaucers]

Kursk! Been looking forward to this! Also enjoyed the joke at the start :)

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching, we know this is one our entire audience has been looking forward to.

[@TheThecoolcat101]

So much action. So much death in the first few days of Kursk

[@merdiolu]

Memoirs of Brigadier Francis de Guingand , Eighth Army Chief of Staff We have decided to move Army Headquarters to Malta for opening phase of HUSKY and as , by the end of June , nothing more could be done , we sailed from Alexandria at the beginning of July. Montgomery still at Tripoli was to join his HQ in Malta early in the month. A few of us travelled in a cruiser with Admiral Ramsay and his Chief of Staff. The Royal Navy as is their custom , were most hospitable and gave up their cabins fort he soldiers. It was a pleasant journey , enemy aircraft were kept out of the way. On arrival at Malta we went up to the buildings which had been taken over for our mess and I went to have a look at headquarters offices which had been established in deep underground tunnels that had been proven so valuable to the island dur,ng the dark days of Axis blitz on Malta. I found most of the Army staff already installed and cordial relations had been established with the Naval and Air headquarters. It was hot in Malta at that time but down in the tunnels it was cooler but rather damp. Excellent operations rooms had been constructed. For instance in the naval operations room you could see the hour by hour progress of invasion convoys , the position of H.M. ships and any incident caused by thr enemy was immediately posted up. The Air Operations room was equally impressive , fighter control , bombing operations and enemy activity were all to be seen at a glance. In the Army rooms the things were quiet fort he moment , just great maps of bridgehead area , the beaches and objectives marked , and the various flags and tapes ready to show the progress of our assault forces when the moment arrived. Then there was another room which dealtwith the “ferry service” which would operate after the landings. Here would be controlled the flow of units , vehicles and equipment belonging to the three services. Once we set up in our new offices there was little we could do but wait. One by one convoys sailed from their various ports , and were dully plotted on the charts. Enemy submarines accounted for three ships during their passage but otherwise our losses up to rendezvous South of Sicily were very slight. Army Commander (Montgomery) arrived on 3rd and by the afternoon of July 9th all the Chief Commanders were there, from Eisenhower downwards. Another visitor was Mountbatten who as Chief of Combined Operations , had come to see how the new amphibious techniques to fare. One afternoon I went with Montgomery to be shown by RAF Air Marshall Park set up fort he initial phase. It was most interesting to see how a very great air force was housed in Malta. Great ingeniuity had been shown in building the airfields. All Malta personnel were itching to have revenge against their late oppressors. For the last week or two , very heavy bomber attacks had been made against enemy air forces and thie airfields in Sicily and obviously great damage was done. But the enemy was obviously endeavouring to conserve his fighters until D-Day on Sicily started , had withdrawn some air squadrons to Italian mainland and in anycase , would not come up and fight. This we felt at the time was alittle disturbing , as it might mean that we should be opposed by a strong air force during landings. In the event however our fears were unjustified and Air Marshall Teddler and Allied pilots under his command , had seen to that. During last two days the inhibitants of Malta saw many visible signs of impending operations. Troops being got ready , and then embarked into various types of landing craft.. Vehivles being waterproofed and shipped aboard LST’s and other vessels. We were visited by an American journalist who offered Montgomery 25.000 pounds on account for his diaries. Alexander with an echalon of the 15th Army Group staff had arrived and I had various talks with General Richardson , his Chief of Staff. There was little we could do but try to fill in time and so speed on the vital hour. The Army commander gave his usual pre battle talk to the staff and radiated his usual confidance. He did predict however some difficult fighting ahead. During July 9th the various convoys which had sailed from so many ports arrived at their rendezvous with clock like precision. Both Royal Navy and US Navy had done their work well and I am told that sight to the east and West of Malta was really impressive. Admiral Ramsay spent the day cruising amongst the armada in his makeshift flagship which in peacetime had been employed in onion trade. Now all hope for deception was coming to end since the enemy must know more or less where the blow would fall. About 06:00 pm I strolled along to have a chat with Admiral Power , the admiral commanding Royal Navy forces in Malta. He had shown himself a true friend of the Army and we liked and admired his breezy and cheerful character. Out came a bottle of gin and we drank to success of landings. A little bit later disturbing news about weather began to pour in. A “Force 6” wind was blowing in and a heavy sea running which made a lot of troops seasick. It would alşso delay the marrying up of less seaworthy landing craft with its bigger sisters. The Commanders in Chief met and decided to let things take their course. There was nothing else to do , postponement would have been impossible at this late stage and the resulting distruption would have been worse than any caused by storm. Operation Victory - Freddie de Guingand

[@WorldWarTwo]

merdiolu Thank you

[@merdiolu]

@@WorldWarTwo you are welcome. Brig. Freddie De Guingand , Monty's Chief of Staff memoirs are the best

[@javi009z]

A T-34 had to get within 500m of a Tiger then fire at it's weak side armor. A Tiger can penetrate a T-34s front armor with a range of 2000m(2km)

[@caryblack5985]

Correct but many T34s and few Tigers.

[@lycaonpictus9662]

The Tiger tank is quite possibly the most overrated tank in the history of warfare. It was too late to the war for it's designated role, too few in number to ever really affect the outcome of any campaign or battle, a fuel hog deployed at a moment when Germany was most desperately short of fuel, and plagued by maintenance issues that put the tank out of action as much as hostile fire. Mass produced medium tanks > overly-engineered heavy tanks

[@VRichardsn]

7:30 Wow, this really looks like a captured Soviet La-5 with Luftwaffe markings.

[@mikeoffthebox]

Worth waiting, to get all the salient points covered....

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you Mike

[@ProphTruth100]

worth the wait

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching, Jacob

[@DaiElsan]

While this is firmly a land battle, just what did both airforces do to support the troops and machines on the ground? Considering how intense these opening stages have been, very little is being said about the roll of the airforce, either in the vital role of reconnaissance, attack and defence. From the beginning of Kursk the German's must have realised they had bitten off more than they could chew.

[@ericlawrence8753]

Should win a award.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you Eric

[@briceoka5623]

Next week is the last week of german offensive (in the strictest sense of the term) of the war. It's going to be one sided for 2 long years now. I have to say, I am not so well informed about what happens between the end of Kursk and D-Day on the eastern front so I am excited for the journey

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching, Brice