211 - The Allies' Latest Victory - WW2 - September 10, 1943

[@WorldWarTwo]

Join the TimeGhost Army: bit.ly/WW2_211_PI We have a new style of thumbnails, what do you think? Thank you to everyone who joined the TimeGhost Army, so that we can bring on incredibly skilled team members like Mikolaj Uchman, our artist.

[@ZoomZip]

I prefer the older style. It highlighted what was going to be talked about and generally , aesthetically looked better. The new thumbnail looks generic tbh

[@ИльяКим-ю3е]

Charles Delestraint was communist?

[@ИльяКим-ю3е]

In 1944-1945 alberto da zara, Enrico frattini were against germans and RSI? Answer this please🙏🙏🙏

[@ИльяКим-ю3е]

In 1944-1945 gustave Bertrand was against germans and regime Vichy? Answer this please🙏🙏🙏

[@indianajones4321]

Personally I liked the older style better, but the new ones are also cool

[@luisgriffin4026]

*Italy:* "We're defeated, and done with this war. We surrender." *Germany:* "We're done, when I say we're done."

[@serdradion4010]

You are done when we say you are done. Such a bossy attitude.

[@specialnewb9821]

Should have thought of that before warring. Quit out when things get tough? Yeah their allies wouldn't like that.

[@RJPick1]

My father was one of the allied POWs that escaped from his camp in the North East of Italy and started making his way South to join up with the allies making their way up the Italian peninsula. He had been captured in North Africa in 1941 when his tank was overrun by the Germans. The German commander actually apologised for having to hand them over to the Italians after their capture! It took his group of escapees a number of months to reach the allies. This was partly because of how weak they were after a couple of years in the Italian POW camp. They were fed and housed by Italian farming families along the way but when the Germans started to arrive in the area in greater numbers they stayed away and lived off the land for fear, if caught, the Italian families would be shot. He returned several times after the war to visit the families where he had had extended stays during his escape. Eventually arriving at the allied lines, because of his knowledge of the countryside he had just travelled Southwards through, he volunteered to be involved in the push Northwards. Apparently all ex POWs including my father were denied any further involvement in the fighting and sent home to the UK. My father believed that this was because it was thought that some POWs might have been "got at" by their captors and would act as spies for the enemy. One of his co-escapees wrote a book about his experiences; Behind Enemy Lines, Gilbert Broadbent, in which my father was mentioned. However he was never very happy with the book because he said it didn't go into enough detail of how helpful the Italian peasants were to sustaining them and keeping them alive during their travels. Anyway after the war my Father lived a fulfilling and productive life dying at the age of 96 a few years ago.

[@ИльяКим-ю3е]

Alberto da zara was against germans and RSI in 1944-1945 and he collaborated with allies? Answer this please🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@BangFarang1]

I know that exhanged PoW are not allowed to go back to the battlefield by the Geneva Convension. I wonder if that does applies to escaped PoW too.

[@ИльяКим-ю3е]

@@BangFarang1 in 1944-1945 admiral Alberto da zara was against germans and RSI? He collaborated with allies??

[@jamesbinns8528]

Thank you. I love hearing stories like this---normal guys making their way, and the basic humanity involved. These kind of stories are not part of the war history books.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

POWs held by the Italians were not generally brutalised but they were underfed, often due to maladministration and even corruption. Red Cross parcels intended for prisoners often never reached their destination.

[@indianajones4321]

Also after Italy’s surrender, Japan moved to occupy the Italian concession of Tienjin in China where a battle broke out between the former allies.

[@ashlati4616]

Yeah? this channel treats the Pacific almost as a footnote though

[@indianajones4321]

@@ashlati4616 Mark Felton did a video over this battle I recommend you check it out

[@ashlati4616]

@@indianajones4321 I will check it out. For far better coverage of the Pacific War, Kings and Generals is doing week by week coverage

[@indianajones4321]

@@ashlati4616 nice!

[@seneca983]

@@ashlati4616 I'd argue the Pacific is getting a plenty of coverage compared to China.

[@gunman47]

An interesting thing to note this week on September 5 1943 is that US Army Air Forces (USAAF) Lieutenant Alex Doster volunteers and becomes the first person to test a pickup system to recover downed pilots in areas that could not be reached by air. Lieutenant Doster wore a special harness that allowed him to be picked up from the ground by an approaching Stinson aircraft and was in the aircraft within three minutes. This system would later eventually evolve into the *Skyhook* or *Fulton surface-to-air recovery system* , made famous in the 1965 James Bond film *Thunderball* and the 2008 film *The Dark Knight* , as well as in the 2010 & 2015 video games *Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker* and *Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain* .

[@indianajones4321]

That’s very interesting

[@kemarisite]

Wasn't that (or something very similar) used to evacuate the captured NVA General in The Green Berets?

[@GeorgeSemel]

@@kemarisite Yep it sure was, that when I first heard of Sky Hook!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Very interesting, thank you

[@maudrysilvain5905]

you want to pick him up too ?

[@Alex-cw3rz]

The Italian fleet surrendering is a huge deal, it's surface fleet was much larger than Germany's and now all the major Royal Navy forces in the Mediterranean can be redeployed, both to strengthen the home fleet, D-day and sending over task forces to the Japanese zone. Not forgetting the Italian Air force that was 100s of planes strong on an unsinkable aircraft carrier which had caused huge issues transporting, which those vessels and fighter aircatft can also be redeployed

[@yes_head]

Agreed. The Italian fleet was a dangerous force never really used to its full potential. Their surrender removed a huge pain point in the Med.

[@nickdanger3802]

The BPF's first combat in the Pacific was March 1945.

[@merdiolu]

The extra battleships and escorts now available from Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet , can be used both in Battle of Atlantic to reinforce Allied escort screenings and Hunter Killer Groups stronger , keep Arctic Convoys to Russia further safe AND provide extra naval gunfire support for incoming Second Front on France next year (during Normandy Landings more than half of the naval assets involved were British and from Commonwealth Navies)

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@nickdanger3802 that's why I mentioned the other taskforces as they started from this point onwards. Also Pacific wasn't the only Japanese threatre, Indian Ocean being the other.

[@thylange]

The Italian fleet suffered from a shortage of fuel. The fuel came from Germany and they had a shortage as well.🥴

[@warrenlodge6754]

My Late Grandfather was one of the British POWs that was hidden by Italian civilians. He was passed from one family to another until the Allies were able to liberate him. The Italian army are often the butt of jokes, but my Grandfather would never hear a word against the people of Italy. These folks would have ended up in a concentration camp had they been found. Thank you for mentioning that this happened.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Earlier in the war escaping POWs found Italian civilians could be more dangerous than German ones because they were more observant. An escaper's uniform thinly disguised as civilian clothes might be overlooked by German civilians, but Italian civilians might spot, it, perhaps due to greater fashion sense.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Warren thank you for sharing about your Grandfather's survival, may he rest in peace.

[@trajan75]

I wrote this in a prior post my wife's uncle Aldo Capella was in an Italian Unit that was disarmed by the Germans. He was then taken to the German concentration at Dachau. There he was worked to death, He was given insufficient food, worked about 16 hours a day and was isolated when he contracted dissentary he received no medical treatment and no food. He then either satrved to death or died of his disease. Meanwhile his brother Aldo was walking back from the Don river on his own. He was among the 10% of of his Alpine Division who returned alive. He then joined the partisans fighting the German Army in Italy. The only good thing that happened was that in 1955 he came to the US with his son and baby daughter. 20 years later I married his daughter.

[@jrt818]

All I used to know about the Dneiper was that it was west of the Don which was west of the Volga. Recent news events and your series have given me a good idea of their geography now.

[@shawnr771]

Wars highlight geography.

[@slacroix996]

Thank you, Indy, Sparty, Ingrid and staff....This is Sharon LaCrosse (Army Member of the week) and we watch and enjoy every single video you put out!!! I try to not end our evening viewing with WAH...too, too powerful a message, but so necessary since those events were critical to the war. Thank you for all you give to this story of our world. Take Care. Sharon LaCrosse

[@WorldWarTwo]

Sharon THANK YOU for your incredible support! We appreciate your enthusiasm for history, and helping us create this immense project. Please stay tuned

[@cheesedetectiverook5950]

My great grandfather was part of the 2/15 Battalion, 20th Brigade, 9th Division. The same Australian unit that landed on Lae. He never liked talking about his time with the Japanese in the Pacific when I asked him when I was a child. But the one thing that he did told me, and one of the only things I fully remember as a child, was 'Lae was the beginning of the worst things that I could have seen in the war.' I am looking forward to see you guys cover the rest of Operation Postern. Cheers and much love to your hard work covering the war!

[@cristobalsepulveda2431]

your great grandfather was amazing, greetings!

[@cheesedetectiverook5950]

@@cristobalsepulveda2431 He just did what he though was best for our country. Enlisted in 1940 and served from there

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for sharing what your great grandfather told you. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for him and everyone there.

[@cliftondean4333]

I am 75 years old. My father, as an essential civilean worker, was deferred freom active service during the war. (He was a university mathematics professor, teaching military officers before their deployment.) My un cle, his younger brother, was in the air force in Britain (and brought home a wife.) Two of my mother's brothers served in Burma. I inherited a strong hatred for the USSR--with good reason. Until I found and started following this series, I had no real understanding of the contribution of the USSR to the war nor to the terrible suffering of the Soviet civilians during the war. My history books spoke mostly of the Western allies . I'm sure that reflected the cold war attitudes. I distlinctly remember, young as I was, the Berlin Airlift to help alleviate the Soviet land blockade. Recent events in the Ukraine have not helped my opinion towards the Russian government. This series helps me understand the good and the bad history of the soviet peoples. Thank you for the history you bring to me. I wish I could afford to help sponsor your efforts.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Clifton Thank you for the heartfelt reflection and your thoughts about the war. One of the most important lessons from this war is to have respect for our fellow humans, and I appreciate you taking the time to think about your feelings in this instance.

[@carrickrichards2457]

You offer better context and global vision than any other source if seen, it is very helpful. Thank you.

[@WorldWarTwo]

We’re happy to be of service! 😄

[@petergray7576]

10:03 Hitler was warned by various German generals before Operation Barbarossa that they couldn't fight a two front war against an unbowed Great Britain and an unbroken USSR. And lo, Hitler's indecision is a direct result of this bifurcation of the war (though whether Germany had enough reserves left in the remainder of Europe is debatable).

[@Raskolnikov70]

Germany's biggest strategic mistake in all of this was not planning ahead for a potential invasion of the UK. It was nuts to think Britain would allow Germany to conquer most of Europe and not try to stop them.

[@duncancurtis5971]

He'd never visit the Russian front again.

[@dvgsun]

on the other hand many German generals supported the idea to invaide USSR, they thought it could be done.

[@90skidcultist]

To be honest, fighting the Soviet Union was just something that they couldn’t do.

[@jamesbinns8528]

In every episode that Indy talks about the eastern front, and "Hitler tells general so and so...." I think of the absurdity of mentally ill and drug-addled Hitler directing professional military leaders! Surely all the generals knew that Hitler was ignorant and was sending Germany to oblivion. Hitler must have had a butt-load of security around him.

[@derrickthewhite1]

Its amazing how the Japanese strategy seems to be mostly still intact. They've made the allies fight nine months for a few empty islands within artillery range of each other to put air bases on. At this rate, it will take over a decade to reach the home islands! I'm curious when that rate will change, and what will change it.

[@davidhand312]

Those "few empty islands" have prevented Japan from invading India. One thing I learned from previous episodes of this series is that the battle of the Coral Sea and Guadalcanal stopped the Japanese advances. I don't think the Japanese strategy was still intact.

[@joel0joel0]

the main point in war is not about how fast and how much land you occupy, but how fast and how much you destroy your enemies assets to wage war against you and oh boy if the japanese will continue to lose at that rate, their losing now, their will be soon nothing left to defend even their closest islands.

[@porksterbob]

​@@davidhand312 The Japanese wanted to invade India as a way of hurting the British. What the Japanese wanted was for the war to end with Japan in control of China as a puppet that wouldn't require many Japanese boots on the ground. Their main plan was to build a massive defensive perimeter that the Allies would have to bash against at great cost, while the Japanese resolved the war in China. Once the China situation was resolved, Japan would give back most of their gains elsewhere in exchange for an end of hostilities. The build a defensive perimeter that is super costly to attack part of the strategy is still intact. The other parts, not so much.

[@TheTruthSeeker756]

Amazing job Sir

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you!

[@Superlegend56]

5:04 jeez that breakthrough is insane

[@chazzerman286]

Might be unironically the most cursed battlemap of the war so far. Like, that just should not ever happen.

[@cobbler9113]

I appreciate this has absolutely nothing to do with the war, but I greatly appreciate we can rely on you guys to put these brilliant videos out every week even in the midst of ongoing difficult times in our lives as demonstrated this week for example, not to mention other events since you started this series. It means a great deal to me personally and others I’m sure. Another great episode as always 😊

[@Swift-mr5zi]

@@slyasleep Would you like me to explain in full?

[@WorldWarTwo]

Cobbler thank you very much for making us part of your week.

[@that_one_momo_guy]

Wait, what happened this week?

[@HenryBlacketer]

@@that_one_momo_guy The death of Queen Elizabeth the Second.

[@ziumzium5049]

@@HenryBlacketer There were as many people opening champagne bottles due to that as there were grieving. I'd say the events of a recent week in Ukraine should feed much more thought and grimness into the life of an average European than the death of some irrelevant monarch.

[@arnelandboe6553]

It’s a very disturbing feeling to hear the names of the cities in the Ukraine that are being fought over in this terrible war, and to recognize them because of the same violence that is happening there today.

[@mikepette4422]

exactly my thoughts

[@MikeJones-qn1gz]

Italy: "Thats it were done" Hitler ordering his troops to invade and occupy Italy: "We are done, when I say were done"

[@Sojju7]

Italian Monarchist troops: ‘no, we are done’

[@rodgerthurston986]

Thanks!

[@sergioguzman6722]

¡Gracias!

[@WorldWarTwo]

¡De nada!

[@Blazcowitz1943]

Thank God Karl Fairburne was able to kill General Bohm and destroy his radio guided bombs before they could be unleashed on the Allied fleet, thus ensuring the success of Operation Avalanche.

[@badmutherfunster]

😂😂😂and now he's in france

[@alect525]

Ghost of Tobruk strikes again

[@tedohio3038]

Dad was in first wave at Salerno. 36th division. Was the beginning of a long tough fight for his division. He received 2 Purple Hearts.

[@WorldWarTwo]

That is amazing, thank you for sharing about him Ted

[@Hyperious_in_the_air]

Crazy how much happening on the eastern front in this series is being mirrored right now with the invasion of Ukraine

[@alexamerling79]

Right? Its amazing how much Kharkov has been through.

[@peteranderson037]

I'ts like a mirrored reflection.

[@andrewdgw6779]

What are we up to, the 7th battle of Kharkiv in the last 80 years? Good grief

[@Tmccreight25Gaming]

Indeed, Kharkov will be liberated again! Glory to Ukraine!

[@JoesWebPresence]

I wonder if the fascists will need pushed back to the Dnieper again in the future. I also wonder if the EU has as long to go in 2022 as the third reich did in 1943.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Outstanding work that you all are doing on this channel. 👊🏻

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you! From one set of historians to another, you keep up the good work as well!

[@danielgreen3715]

Cheers Indy and Team ..Been an Eventful Week here too!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks Daniel, cheers!

[@freakshop5120]

OMG after months of binging I am caught up!!! Indy, Sparty, Anna, Astrid, Ian, et.al. Thanks, and keep it up!!

[@WorldWarTwo]

That's a lot of weeks of war in just months! Very glad you've caught and I hope you'll stick around every week to see where this war takes us. Now if I can just catch up on the comments! 😅

[@indianajones4321]

Italy: Surrenders to the Allies Italian Social Republic: I’m gonna pretend I didn’t here that

[@yourstruly4817]

"I didn't hear that, I'm off partying in Salo for 120 days."

[@indianajones4321]

@@yourstruly4817 facts

[@ИльяКим-ю3е]

Alberto da zara was against germans and RSI in 1944-1945?

[@ИльяКим-ю3е]

All italians in concentration camps refused to join RSI??

[@FlagAnthem]

@@ИльяКим-ю3е those who refused were those in the camps

[@jliller]

Alternate dialogue... Phone: Take them from quiet sectors of the front. Indy: ...but there are no quiet sectors of the front.

[@labroskouris9071]

During the surrender of Italy, some of the forces that had to surrender was the ones stationed on the island of Kephalonia. During this period my father's grandfather from his father's side was a priest in a small village a few kilometers from the capital, Argostoli. He had to hide some Italian soldiers, because their German counterparts were looking for them to kill them, I think. My great-grandfather succeeded in keeping them safe. If you want to know more about the Italian surrender, watch Corelli's mandolin, with Nicholas Cage.

[@sspirito3130]

The massacre of the Acqui division in Kephalonia is actually one of the bigges POWs massacres of the war

[@davidsnow9504]

Awesome job TGA!!!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you David!

[@pietro2546]

And here comes another turning point , thanks as always for the content this team provides

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you Pietro. How many more turning points can there be in this war? Stay tuned to find out

[@MisterShine7]

I don't know too much about WW2, but with how things have been going the past several months in the war I'm kinda amazed the Nazis somehow lasted another year and a half

[@alexamerling79]

Because their soldiers were very well trained and motivated.

[@SmilingIbis]

@@alexamerling79 It has been determined that small unit cohesion is why they could keep together until the whole place went under.

[@EnigmaEnginseer]

Never underestimate the stubbornness of fanatical madmen

[@stc3145]

@@alexamerling79 With highly skilled officers.

[@dentoncrimescene]

Well, if you've watched this series until now, I bet you've got a better knowledge than most.

[@JenniferinIllinois]

Indy's phone conversations are getting even more strange. It's almost like he's talking to Conrad or Luigi again (we know how those conversations went - hehehe).

[@Giveme1goodreason]

12:40 damn that’s my great uncles division. By this time he was long dead and buried in El Alamein. But it’s certainly interesting to see what he would have had to endure next had he came through that.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for sharing about his fate. May he rest in peace.

[@Giveme1goodreason]

@@WorldWarTwo no problems, his records show he died of war wounds in a prisoner of war camp. From what my grandmother tells me he was an extremely kind and funny man who was always entertaining people. I like to think because of his German name and heritage (Bauer from Bavaria 1st generation Australian) and ability to speak German that he’d have been well cared for by the afrika corp.

[@petertrifonov8148]

You got it all wrong for Bulgaria. The USSR declares war on Bulgaria on the 5th of September 1944. Not 4th of September 1943.

[@serdradion4010]

So true and correct. Big brains don't make such mistakes for no reason.

[@z000ey]

The fall of Italy proved to be a HUGE boom to the Partisan movements in Italian occupied zones in the eastern Mediterranean. In example, in Dalmatia it took several days until the Germans were able to start their occupying moves of the Italian zones, thus giving time enough for the Partisan movement to achieve the surrender of the Italian troops to themselves, along with large weapon and ammunition stocks. And as everyone knows, guerilla movements usually have a great want of weapons since the main way to get them is to take them from vanquished enemies. The equipment allowed large numbers of Partisans to get armed and transferred into the mountainous regions in order to join the Partisan forces and leadership, which at the time were heavily depleted and down to their knees due to the Fall Weiss and Fall Schwartz offensives (Neretva and Sutjeska). The areas that had fallen into Partisan hands soon enough got taken by the German forces (Zadar, Šibenik, Metković, Dubrovnik), still the area around Split managed to hold on for 17 days of very heavy fighting going on on the outskirts, between Sinj and Klis, vs significant German forces including large elements of the 7. SS division "Prinz Eugen". On their way to Split this division had committed war crimes upon the civilian population passing through Croatian villages even while accompanied by the Ustashas. Unable to hold on, Split fell into German hands on October 2nd, with the majority of Partisan forces able to evacuate with the new equipment, while the SS took the remaining 9000 Italian soldiers as POW and also held a tribunal where they sentenced to death cca 40 Italian officers of which 3 were Generals (and executed them promptly). German losses in retaking Split were close to 800 killed, wounded or missing in action, which goes to show how tough that win was for them.

[@ericcarlson3746]

lots of good content in the comments today!

[@TheJojoaruba52]

Thank you, as always, for another great episode in this wonderful series.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for watching, Joe

[@gunman47]

Another interesting note this week on September 6 1943 is that United States Marine and Medal of Honor recipient *John Basilone* participates in a war bond tour event in New York City in the United States, beginning a series of similar bond tour event in places such as at Newark, Jersey City, and his hometown of Raritan in the following days. The war bond tour events were partly (though not directly) depicted in the third episode (Melbourne) of the 2010 HBO miniseries *The Pacific* .

[@ericcarlson3746]

^honored, among other places, on a U S postage stamp

[@philliproberts7235]

Always thought the whole experience of the Australian 9th infantry div is a story. Rats of Tobruk, then instrumental at El Alamein now retrained as marines in PNG

[@Giveme1goodreason]

Agree my great uncle was in that division, he died in El Alamein. But it is interesting to know what was next for his mates.

[@wa1ufo]

Excellent channel!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you NH Boy!

[@lewiswestfall2687]

Great video

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks Lewis

[@mickmac2223]

This is the only KZbin series that I have given a like/thumbs up for every episode- well done Indy and your colleagues!!

[@WorldWarTwo]

mickmac we appreciate every single thumbs up you've given us! Thanks very much and stay tuned for more every week

[@geranimallapache8165]

Hello I have been following your channel for a long time and I regret that there are no official subtitles in this video and the one from last week

[@elveheim]

Another great video, keep them comming

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching as always, we will so stay tuned

[@oliversherman2414]

I love your channel keep up the great stuff!!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you Oliver!

[@oliversherman2414]

@@WorldWarTwo no problem 👍 your videos get more interesting by the episode

[@smallbutmightymma6171]

Been following since WWI amazing stuff

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for watching these great many weeks. Stay tuned every week for even more

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up for the support of your channel

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

It should be noted that the Roma is, to my knowledge, the first ship ever sunk in combat with a precision guided munition. A new era of warfare has begun, one which will change the way war is conducted as much as the tank or machine gun did.

[@ceberskie119]

It's crazy to hear these names on the eastern front...Mariupol Donbas Kharkov. History is such a wild thing in wider context.

[@alexamerling79]

Italy: "The war is over for us." Germany: "Ha!"

[@indianajones4321]

Germany: Oh I don’t think so

[@nelsongarcia152]

Thanks🙂

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you Nelson

[@Dustz92]

My movie recommendation for this week is the 1991 Italian comedy-drama film "Mediterraneo" by Gabriele Salvatores, which deals with a bunch of soldiers occupying an island of Greece and their reaction to the surrender. Winner of the best foreign picture award of 1992, it's not particularly historicaly accurate, but it's a fun film.

[@gerrytran]

Which is actually filmed on the island od Kastelorizo/Castelrosso mentioned by Indy in the video!

[@brainyskeletonofdoom7824]

Film is great, not on the historic side, bit captures the feeling of the Italian soldier quite well. The only criticism is that in reality there were a lot of "bad guys" (meaning war criminals) between the Italians as well, but at least they didn't choose total war like Germany did...

[@Italianplayercvu]

@@brainyskeletonofdoom7824 it's a nice film but i absolutely agree it doesn't talk about italian war crimes nearly as much. It briefly touch the subject in the first scenes when the soldiers are informed all fighting age greek men had been deported and in the end when as the soldier embrarks the civilians are returned, but otherwise it also dumps the blame on the germans.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[@ambersteele9312]

Just found this channel. I’ve missed these types of videos from Indiana.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Very glad you found our channel, Amber! Lots of weeks to catch up on for you, we're already in the fifth year of war with no end in sight. Welcome aboard the channel and I hope we see you each week!

[@slavchomarinov9909]

Indy, the USSR declared war on Bulgaria on September 5th 1944, not September 4th 1943 (04:50). I know, because I am Bulgarian. I realise it could be a just a glitch on your part as the month is the same, just the year different. BTW, you could consider making a special episode when the time comes on how the USSR occupied Bulgaria and imposed communism here, dispite us being the only Axis country that was belligerent in name only and did not send troops on the Eastern front. There were really a lot of machinations there and treachuries on the part of Soviet agents and Bulgarian national traitors in Bulgaria.

[@z000ey]

BTW Bulgaria actually declared war on GERMANY the very same day, meaning USSR declared on ins de facto ally :)

[@slavchomarinov9909]

@@z000ey we were in a unique situation for about a month and a half when we were in war with the whole world

[@seneca983]

Being off by a whole year is pretty big. I hope they issue a corrigendum.

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@z000ey LOL, just like that annoying kid on the playground who hits you and then screams "NO TAGBACKS!!!" right afterwards. Doesn't work that way in the real world...

[@z000ey]

@@Raskolnikov70 I would agree if Bulgaria actually helped the Axis in invading USSR. But it hadn't, and it hadn't itself declared upon USSR. Thus, even if annoying, that kid hadn't hit you on the playground. That kid hit only the Yugoslav kid like several grades ago... To be honest, USSR poised on Bulgaria like from the mid 1800's (Russia then ofc) so let's not pretend ANYTHING could have helped Bulgaria from the Russkies...

[@Lematth88]

This week in French politics. On the 4th of September, François de Menthon is made commissar at the Justice in the CFLN. Replacing the Giraudist Jules Abadie, still commissar at the National Education and Public Health. Paul Legentilhomme is made commissar at the National Defense. [Biographic infos on these two men in response]. For three weeks we are going to go into details of the Liberation for Corsica because it is not well known and is exceptional in the way it happened. (Make sure to read my previous comments on the 30th of July and the 13th of August weekly videos to know the context and troops presents) The 8th of September, the Italian general Magli with his 80 000 men on the island send orders that the Germans are now the enemy. The Germans occupy mainly the south of the Island (they came from Sardinia) and try to disarm the Italians presents. At the same time, the French Committee of Liberation occupy the prefecture of Ajaccio and “convinces” the prefect of Vichy to rally Corsica to Free France. The 8th, at Bastia, at port there is two German submarine chasers and five Marinefährprahms (landing crafts) while the Italians have two torpedo boats and one corvette. The Italian local commander agreed to a gentlemen’s agreement for the German to leave peacefully and retreat to Italy. However, near midnight, the Germans boarded the Ardito, one of the torpedo boats, killing half of the crew and captured two Italians merchant ships. In the morning, one of the Italians unit counterattacks and retakes the port, the Ardito and the two merchant ships. The German flotilla finally left the harbor under fire from the coastal batteries and both the Aliseao and the Ardito. All German ships were sunk for a total of about 160 Germans killed for 70 Italians. The 9th the village of Levie in Alta Rocca, where is located the SS Reichfuhrer headquarter, rises up against the division who leave the city. The Germans can’t hold Corsica with half of the strength of the Italians, the Invasion of Italy happening, and a very strong maquis. [not French but related] : The 8th, the Italian XII Paratroopers Battalion of the 184th Paratroopers Division "Nembo" defected to the Germans who regrouped north of Sardinia to go to Corsica. The commander of the battalion was killed by his own men the 9th near Borore when he opposed their defection. The whole division was taken out of action with the X Paratroopers Battalion and the 284th Paratrooper Cyclists Company being disbanded.

[@Lematth88]

François de Menthon is a French politician, Bachelor of Arts in 1920 and aggregated in law in 1930. He became municipal councilor of Nancy (in the East of France) between 1933 and 1935 while he teaches law in this city from 1929 and 1939. He is the president of the “Association catholique de la jeunesse française” (Catholic Association of French Youth) from 1926 until 1930. (This association was founded in 1886 by the legitimist and conservative Albert de Mun with 140 000 members in 1914. After the First World War, the association embrace social Catholicism and Christian democracy. ) Under De Menthon’s presidency this association was joined by other catholic associations like the Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne (founded in 1925 in Belgium and 1927 in France) or the Jeunesse agricole catholique (created in 1929). They are all outlaws during the Vichy regime, some of their leaders became collaborationists while other joins the Resistance. In 1935, de Menthon joins the Parti démocrate Populaire. In 1939 he voluntarily joins the Army, wounded and taken prisoner in 1940 but escapes and joins the Resistance. He is the founder of the resistance movement “Liberté” in Annecy and in October 1941 merged with “Petites ailes de la France” to form “Combat”. The 1st May 1942, he participates to a rally before the town hall of Annecy for De Gaulle, rapidly identified by the SOL (Service d’ordre legionnaire, fascist) he is attacked by its members the next day. He joins de Gaulle in London and then in Alger in 1943. Paul Legentilhomme is a military man, a veteran of the First World War, prisoner of war in August 1914 until 1918 as a lieutenant. In 1919, he joins the École de Guerre before serving in Tonkin, then in Madagascar as chief of staff. He returns to Indochina in 1931 as Lieutenant Colonel and chief of staff until 1934 where he is made commander of the 4e régiment de tirailleurs sénégalais. In 1937, he is commander in second of Saint-Cyr before being send to the Centre des hautes études militaires (a formation institute to prepare officer to be general) and comes out of it as Brigadier General the next year. He is the commander in French Somaliland in 1939 and denounces the Armistice in 1940 and wants to continue fighting with the British, however he is isolate and must flee Djibouti for London. He is promoted Major General for this action and commands the free France troops in Sudan and Eritrea under Wavell. He creates the 1st DLFL and participates in the Lebanon campaign. Wounded, he goes back to London where he is made National War Commissioner in the CNF. He is made High commissioner for French possession in the Indian Ocean after Ironclad and general governor of Madagascar until the 3rd of May. He is made Lieutenant General in March.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Merci Lematth!

[@Lematth88]

@@WorldWarTwo Just to say that all of last week videos lack subtitles (including this one)

[@stevekaczynski3793]

SPOILER The Nembo battalion will become a mainstay of the Italian Social Republic's smallish, pro-Nazi army.

[@MrXenon1994]

September 10, 1943. Corporal John Evans of the 7th Armoured Division, along with his division, prepares to land at Salerno next week. Anxious to see more combat in this long, dreadful war, he watches the progress of Operation Avalanche with anticipation before he himself is thrown into the maelstrom.

[@freetolook3727]

@8:22 Yin Yang of the two armies facing off against each other!😅🔃

[@Arashmickey]

If there aren't any quiet sectors to borrow troops from, tell the troops to start whispering.

[@WanukeX]

5:02 - It's so awful how many of these places are once again battlefields today.

[@jeffjacobs4182]

I just read Richard J Evans amazing book The Third Reich at War and it devotes a chapter about the Italian surrender and in it it describes the German reaction very well. Not to spoil anything you might cover but the German reaction was a sense of overwhelming betrayal and Wehrmacht soldiers did things like destroy historical monuments, and just in general terrorize Italian civilians. We’ll keep up the good work. And that Evans book is very good so if you’re interested in all aspects of Germany during ww2 you should try to get it.

[@merdiolu]

I have that book. Evans made ultimate scholarship work o Third Reich

[@ATINKERER]

After the Italian surrender my mom was walking through a town square past a German tank. The guy sticking out of the turret had two cigars in his mouth, and a very angry look on his face. He swung the turret so that the gun followed my mom as she walked along. My mom was terrified, just as the German intended.

[@Zen-sx5io]

@@ATINKERER Very asshole move.

[@freetolook3727]

@1:29 Hitler has got to quit taking naps. Everytime he takes a nap and wakes up, something monumental has happened!😂

[@chefboyardee2223]

He's just time skipping to get to the good bits

[@Hawaiian80882]

Awesome!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching!

[@eljanrimsa5843]

"take troops from quiet sectors to replenish their losses" ...dictators never learn...today Ukraine recaptured Izium, after advancing fast through a quiet sector, while Putin was reenforcing Kherson

[@Noone-jn3jp]

13:15 Who is General Forest Covered? I’m listening and glanced over, I didn’t read the map correctly.

[@randomperson1029]

I think the fly at 9:35 got a ticket for the live recording session. Im kinda jealous tbh.

[@andrewfavot763]

Cheers!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Cheers Andrew!

[@airplayrule]

Wow...I stumbled upon that voice who I believe to be the voice in some "Eastory" vids.

[@WorldWarTwo]

We did indeed used to work with Eastory. Now we have our own in-house maps team, and we wish Eastory all the best of luck!

[@AshleyBlackwater]

Love the little guest at 9:07 :)

[@hannahskipper2764]

Italy: I'm out, guys. Hitler: 🤬 Von Manstein: dude, we need to evacuate. How many times do I need to say it? Hitler: 🤬

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Excellent introducing

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for watching as always

[@gianniverschueren870]

Very clean tie, fresh colours. That's nice. 4/5

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks Gianni!

[@theordinarytime]

With all the going on's this week, I think we should also note that this week (8th September to be exact) sees one of the few sally forths of Battleship Tirpitz, togheter with Battlecruiser Scharnhorst and 9 destroyers in bombarding, invading and later defeating the free Norwegians on Svalbard in operation Zitronella.

[@merdiolu]

Escape and Defection of Italian Navy and its Arrival to Malta (from wikipedia) Both the Regio Esercito (Italian Royal Army) and the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) were virtually disintegrated with the announcement of the armistice on 8 September. The Allies coveted the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy), with its 206 ships in total, including the battleships Roma, Vittorio Veneto, and Italia (known as Littorio until July 1943). There was a danger that some of the navy might fight on, be scuttled or (most concerningly for the Allies) end up in German hands. As such, the truce called for Italian warships on Italy's west coast, mostly at La Spezia and Genoa, to sail for North Africa and pass Corsica and Sardinia, and for those at Taranto, in the heel of Italy, to sail for Malta. At 02:30, on 9 September, the three battleships Roma, Vittorio Veneto, and Italia "shoved off from La Spezia escorted by three light cruisers and eight destroyers". When German troops who had stormed into the town to prevent the defection became enraged by the ships' escape, "they rounded up and summarily shot several Italian captains who, unable to get their vessels under way, had scuttled them". That afternoon, German bombers attacked the ships, sailing without air cover, off Sardinia, launching guided bombs. Several ships suffered damage, and Roma sank with the loss of nearly 1,400 men. Most of the remaining ships made it safely to North Africa "while three destroyers and a cruiser which had stopped to rescue survivors, docked in Menorca". The navy's turnover proceeded more smoothly in other areas of Italy. When an Allied naval force headed for the big naval base of Taranto, it watched a flotilla of Italian ships sailing out of Taranto harbour towards surrender at Malta. On 12 September 1943 , Italian Navy with all its capital ships and most of its escorts and smaller vessels , reached Malta and formall surrendered to Allies. (which was ironic for Malta which lived under threat of Italian Navy over three years and now exacted a symbolic payback against Italian Navy) Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet commander Admiral Andrew Cunningham , sent a message to London next day that Italian Navy which threatened Malta since June 1940 , now laying anchor under guns from Malta. An agreement between the Allies and the Italians in late September provided for some of the navy to be kept in commission, but the battleships were to be reduced to care and maintenance, effectively disarmed. Italian mercantile marine vessels were to operate under the same general conditions as those of the Allies. In all cases, the Italian vessels would retain their Italian crews and fly Italian flags

[@georget8008]

Anyone knows what happened to the Italian fleet that was surrendered to the allies? Did the allies raise their flags on it and use the vessels in wartime operations?

[@Cailus3542]

The Regia Marina sailed to Allied ports, either Malta or Sardinia, and were then interned in Egypt. They didn't take ownership of the ships (they remained Italian). The Allies had more than enough ships and there was little need for the Italian fleet, which, while modern and powerful, would've been a nightmare to prepare for Allied service. The Italians had no radar, for instance. Some light cruisers and smaller units would operate alongside the Allied navies, but the bulk of the Italian fleet, including the heavy ships, would see no further part in the war.

[@andrewgarberXYZ]

I love these videos every week, but I wish that a little more attention was given to the air support that these massive land formations received. Great video guys, can't wait until next week, and the week after that!

[@mattmackie9298]

Crazy listening to the movements in Ukraine and knowing exactly where everything is happening due to the current war

[@benismann]

or u could just... watch the video itself

[@parvuspeach]

79 years later, almost to the week, same area, something akin to blitzkrieg but a diferent war

[@johnbelland5276]

At this point in the war, were there any members of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in the Soviet Union left on the Eastern Front? If so, were they just arrested and deported to Germany?

[@gargravarr2]

The entire Italian 8th army had been evacuated from the East after suffering catastrophic losses during Operation Little Saturn and its followups.

[@michaelkovacic2608]

None afaik. The survivors of the Little Saturn battle were recalled to Italy due to public pressure.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Some would end up occupying Yugoslavia. In one instance, the Acqui division would end up getting massacred by an Austrian unit they'd fought beside in the East.

[@richardstephens5570]

Most of the Italians had been sent back to Italy in the spring of 43. After the Italian surrender, a small number of Italians loyal to the Fascists remained on the Eastern Front.

[@HistoryNerd8765]

One down, 8 more to go. It's a start.

[@brokenbridge6316]

This episode was coming. And it was a good one. I Hope you all have a nice day.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you, see you next time

[@Go4Corvette]

Love your guy's videos and would love to help out, but I am retired now and just don't have the income to do it. But I will make sure to like the videos and do what I can to support the channel. Take care, and good luck to the Time Ghost Army. Mike, in the USA

[@shawnr771]

Let the ads on, in and after the videos play comoletely through. The longer the ads play the more money YT pays out. It is not very much but it adds up.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Mike thank you for your support just by watching and being a part of the TimeGhost Army here on KZbin. You help make this channel what it is just by being here, and we appreciate it.

[@cookingwithchefluc7173]

My barber is an Italian whose grandpa came to South Africa after he was captured by the British in Italy. He fought with the German Afrikakorps in Libya and Tunisia, when the Germans occupied Italy he fought with them and other German Supporting Italians against the Allies in Italy and was captured at the end of the war and came to South Africa

[@caryblack5985]

A small number of Italians supported the Salo Republic, a puppet government run by Mussolini after he lost control of of Italy and was placed there by Hitler. The vast majority ogfthe Italians laid down their arms or supported the Allies.

[@pnutz_2]

2:00 HMS Warspite, *take note*

[@joao_1986]

Really liked the use of music right at the end of the episode, i think you guys should use it more often

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you João, we appreciate your feedback

[@p12psicop]

I've been looking forward to this week. My grandfather was a sergeant in the 132nd artillery battalion in 5th US Army that invaded Italy. He was later wounded in France and received a Silver Star for valor.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for sharing about your grandfather here.

[@sj20860]

Yet another great video.

[@saltyleaf6002]

New thumbnail design is confusing, it does make the regular episodes stand out more which I can appreciate.

[@zboyet]

I feel bad for always interrupting a phone call

[@lawrencetate145]

I wonder why Clark ordered no covering naval artillery fire?

[@martimnogueira3566]

Is the fly on the book around 09:07 CGI?

[@michaelsalmon9832]

5:21 that map looks awfully familiar......

[@dauf69]

It's been a few videos without English CC, would be greatly appreciated had it been available, however cheers to the team, I know how hard you guys work on these videos!

[@shawnr771]

They worked for me today.

[@AstroGremlinAmerican]

12:25 for those of us who might not remember where Salamaua and Lae are, perhaps a brief shot of bigger map, not necessarily a zoom-in Hollywood style. Look at me trying to tell you how to do your job! Being an uncreative a-hole, I could be one of those studio bosses.😃

[@petergray7576]

The recapture of the Donbas will have a big benefit for Soviet forces: prewar Soviet centralized planning had concentrated most of the top metallurgical facilities in the Basin, including all of the USSR's aluminum smelters. Their loss severely impeded the Soviet armament industry, particularly the production of aircraft (whose airframe construction was limited to mixed steel and wooden composition versus the all metal Luftwaffe aircraft). Now the USSR can build all metal aircraft with aluminum ore imported from British West Africa, improving quality and safety.

[@nickdanger3802]

The main suppliers of aluminum were the USA, UK and, since 1943, Canada. So, in 1943, Mikoyan reported to Stalin that Canada takes supply of aluminum in the amount of 20 tons per year. As a result, over the war years Canada, delivered 35.4 tons of the metal to the Soviet Union, and the UK delivered 36.3 tons.22 Thus, in view of this situation, we can conclude that Lend-Lease provided substantial assistance to the Soviet Union. To a large extent, the country managed to organize the work of its aviation industry thanks to the aid. According to Soviet specialists, the total supply of aluminum from the United States, Britain and Canada under Lend-lease during the war amounted to 301 tons, and its total production in the USSR over the same period, including silumin - to 350.9 tons. Copper was an equally scarce nonferrous metal in military production of the country. It was supplied in large quantities for the production of military equipment, ammunition, communications equipment, nonferrous alloys, etc. There are many uncertainties in the production of aluminum, as well as in copper production in the USSR, due to the closure of official data for many years. According to the post-war statistics, the production of copper during the war amounted to 534 tons. Lend-lease from the United States is estimated at 404 tons, or at 76% of production in the Soviet Union. page 116 Food and other strategic deliveries to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Act, 1941-1945

[@Raskolnikov70]

How much would recapturing that area contribute to aluminum production in time for it to make a difference though? The factories were disassembled by the retreating Soviets in 1941 and moved eastward, then the area was fought over, then looted by the Germans, then fought over again while presumably being destroyed by the retreating Wehrmacht as part of their scorched earth tactics. Was there anything left in the area that was still usable in 1943?

[@petergray7576]

@@Raskolnikov70 The Soviets couldn't relocate their metal foundries due to the mass and bulk of their furnaces and rolling mills. Plus the Germans had a fairly easy time of capturing the Donbas after destroying five Soviet armies at Kyiv in September 1941, so the plants were still intact if idle.

[@ashcatthedude]

Helldivers sure would have been useful, don't you think Indy?

[@johndaubner973]

Why do all those those place's name's sound so familiar?

[@peterdavy6110]

‘Be pleased to inform their Lordships that the Italian battle fleet now lies at anchor beneath the guns of the fortress of Malta.’

[@odysseusrex5908]

Was that the actual wording of the dispatch?

[@nathanweitzman9531]

@@odysseusrex5908 Wouldn't surprise me if it were. The head of the RN is called "Lord High Admiral."

[@joegatt2306]

02:00 It’s funny how Indy Niedell was quick to point out, about three weeks ago, how inaccurate were the German Hs.293 anti-shipping missiles, (more of this below) and this week, not a faintest praise for the effectiveness of the second type of German anti-shipping missile, the Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X, (nicknamed Fritz-X), even failing to mention it by name. This weapon was responsible for the destruction of a modern battleship, (the Roma remains to this day, the only major warship sunk by a missile in wartime), heavily damaging of another, the Warspite, (out for 9 months) and the U.S.N. light cruiser Savannah, (out for one year) all within a space of six days. Regarding the inaccuracy of the Hs.293, according to ‘School of Advanced Airpower Studies’ by Maj. D.I. Blackwelder, two heavily depleted Luftwaffe units, (KG40 & KG100) using this missile accounted to 400,000 tons of Allied shipping losses including 1 light cruiser (Spartan), 6 destroyers (Dulverton, Inglefield, Janus, Boadicea, Vasilissa Olga & Ugolino Vivaldi), 3 frigrates or sloops (Lawford, Egret & Bideford) and many auxiliary ships and LST which included the troopship HMT Rohna with over 1,000 US troops drowned, (remaining to this day, the largest US loss of life at sea due to enemy action). Interesting fact: Using the Hs.293, KG40 registered a 31% hit rate but also a 28% dud rate while KG100 55% & 25% respectively.

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the additional information.