Battle Of The Bulge - King Tiger Tanks Then & Now

[@chuckkully636]

The reason Tiger 222 was abandoned at Stavelot is yes due to the Tank Destroyers, but also got de-tracked at that spot and could not move on. I know this because my father was the 2nd driver for Kurt Sowa. I promised to never put anything out there until he passed. Great content as always.

[@mikesmeets4418]

Ich neige dazu, Ihnen zu glauben, aber einige Beweise zur Untermauerung Ihrer Behauptung wären sehr willkommen.

[@dougkruse1301]

My dad was leave st vith eastbound in supply truck (106th infantry) when they meant two tanks at the start of the battle of the bulge. He ended up at Parker’s cross roads and escaped from there after they were surrounded. Thank you for all that you do, it is really appreciated.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Oh wow!!! I know Parker’s Crossroads well and plan to film there at some point. Great to hear your Father managed to escape from the chaos there!

[@marionjohansson4235]

That last shot, there is another house to the right with timber frame, but covered from sight by trees. I love these then and now shots. Thank you for walking them.

[@pczTV]

When I lived in Belgium 25 years ago, this same thing was my hobby. With a trusty copy of Then and Now, I’d drive all over Belgium, northern France, Netherlands, and western Germany finding all these sports of spots. Great fun

[@davidarmstrong7549]

Thank you for another great video on my favourite subject, The Battle of the Bulge and in particular Kampfgruppe Peiper!

[@briansteinmacher5811]

I like the way you reconstruct these images from the past to the present. Watching and enjoying from Northern Michigan.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you Brian! Glad you like my work. It’s a nice feeling to be able to share my passion for this era of history with so many likeminded people!

[@CAG5205]

Great video 👌🏽as always 🙏🏼20min from where I live 😉

[@Manuel1976]

Great job!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thanks!!!

[@benjohnson3022]

Such a great channel!!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!!!

[@FeckArseIndustries]

My favourite channel by a country mile. If history was taught like this in schools, we'd all be avid historians, able to genuinely connect times/dates and places today, with the past. Amazing.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you that’s very kind to say so! Hopefully it might inspire some of the younger generation to pick up a book on ww2 and take an interest! If that does happen then it’s been completely worth it!

[@lightningrider2508]

An outstanding presentation. Thank you for all you do.

[@Spearhead-lz1oq]

OUTSTANDING!

[@scottlakey1136]

Another great video you cant beat the then and now pictures.i recently went to belgium and did the battle of the bulge tour covering piepers route .ive just subscribed to your channel and look foward to more videos

[@WW2Wayfinder]

It’s a great route to follow isn’t it given how much can still be found! Glad you were able to head over and do it! Hope you were able to spend some time in La Gleize and see the King Tiger there. Thanks for subscribing and I hope you enjoy the rest of my content on here!

[@scottlakey1136]

@@WW2Wayfinder Thanks for your reply yes its fantastic to see all the places where these brave guys fought.i also went to the area where the american i&r guys slowed down piepers advance fighting the german paratroopers ive just watched the excellent video you did on that as well.I dont know if you have ever been on the leger battlefield tours?Thry are excellent im off to the dunkirk tour in a few weeks.once again thanks for your reply and keep up the passion for what you do

[@giljeep]

merci d'avoir remonter le temps pour nous, en rapport avec un film bien connu! a bientôt.

[@johnviereg3568]

This was a superb video with a narration that was clean and easy to understand and follow . Congratulations on your production

[@WW2Wayfinder]

@@johnviereg3568 thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Tondorf is an iconic spot so I’m fortunate that I was able to film there and share it with so many so we can see how it appears now 80 years on from that day in December 1944!

[@VFRSTREETFIGHTER]

Great video, thanks for making it. Keep up the great work.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!!!!

[@davidwoollands947]

We visited Bastogne for the 2nd time this Year on motorcycles - visited the King Tiger at La Gleize. Wish I’d seen these videos before we went - many thanks

[@greggriffin1]

Always enjoy your content, and never miss them. Thank you

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you Greg! Hope you enjoyed seeing this spot!

[@dannystephens9056]

Love the show keep them coming !!!!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you so much! Just put out a new one all about Audie Murphy and his Medal of Honor so hope you enjoy that one too!

[@billyskoda6839]

I stayed in Stadtkyll whilst house hunting this March.. such a beautiful and historic area.

[@zirconindustries]

Great video, spot on, even when making the model of this tank, it was always a powerful beast and one shared Oddball's views about locking horns with Tigers in general 🪖🌲

[@lappin6482]

Think you're spot on Jon, keep up the great work 🙌

[@Old.Monkey.Bones.]

Excellent job! Very cool to finally see those locations as they appear today.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! I was in Tondorf filming in December last year but sadly the files didn’t come out for some reason so had to refilm when I had the opportunity to go back again!

[@troykauffman3963]

Another remarkable then & now episode, thank you Jon. 🫡

[@StephenBaird-cp1fc]

Awesome as always

[@tommytaylor4458]

Awsome Jon!!👍👍👏👏

[@christopherbentley5216]

Excellent. I enjoy these videos ❤

[@suepalin9202]

Thanks,Jon, for another well-researched video. And I'm glad that you dodged those motorbikes!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you Sue! The road that day was busier than in 1944! Sadly I missed capturing on camera two locals riding wartime German motorbikes with sidecars but was still quite cool to see them ride up through those crossroads in the village!

[@davidk7324]

Nice work, thank you.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bcgraham3512]

This is a classic. So well done and researched. Fascinating. Thanks for all the effort you put in.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

You’re most welcome! Was great to film there and bring that iconic crossroads to life from the 1944 footage!

[@Jmp64-ns8zl]

Another home run, this one's amazing! I think you're spot on with the half-timber dwelling in the background of the KT222 still shot. The yellow looking one across from the old guesthouse building. It's a bit misleading because the top portion of the building is now clad with vertical clapboard instead of the original fachwerk (lost art). Also, the windows appear to have been readjusted somewhat, but I'd bet that's definitely the building. Great work, thanks for sharing!

[@nicensleazy1892]

think you are spot on there my friend - as always, great research work ! I'll be out there in late September.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! Hope you have a great trip there later this month. There’s several 1st SS locations in that area but none are marked so you need to go with some good books to track the spots down but worth it if you’re able to!

[@nicensleazy1892]

@@WW2Wayfinder Thank you very much. We spoke sometime ago - I'm a former professional cyclist and trained for years around these regions. I'm meeting up with dear old friend Philippe Gilbert ex Belgium national champion and we go riding together. Although not at the same pace we use to ride LOL . But your videos for me bring back so many memories of this wonderful region and the people.

[@traw63]

Hi Jon....keep the excellent videos coming. Although they aren't populating.....I'm having to look for them

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! Got several more in the pipeline that need some editing so hopefully they show in your feed but glad you enjoyed this one!

[@dankorolyk5917]

Great content as usual

[@RickJZ1973]

Awesome! Very well researched and presented. I thoroughly enjoyed watching and seeing how the locations look today. Hopefully, one day I will travel to some of these locations. Your content is sincerely appreciated Jon. Thank you very much for what you do.

[@firstcitytraveler]

Another excellent then and now. This one was more difficult due to changes you showed. Could some of these buildings have changes due to damage from US push into Germany? Thanks again for your geat work.

[@donl1846]

My dad was in the 3rd.Army, 3rd.Armored Division as a tank driver under Patton, aside from the cold winter conditions etc. the newer German tanks w/88mm gun was very feared.

[@richardyoder3646]

Another great one Jon

[@codyhollis3677]

AWSOME SHOW........

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🎖️⭐🏆🙏❤️‍🩹 Incredible. I think you're 100% correct. Thank you for sharing this

[@sabii416]

Interesting fact; Sowa's 222 was photographed in four different locations, the most famous being at the Kaiserbaracke crossroads with the fallschirmjäger riding atop. Thanks for another great Then & Now, enjoy your work.

[@WolfgangHistorica]

Great video again. Keep up the good work.

[@OMLT2010]

Sehr gutes Video, vielen Dank !

[@timothymabry6663]

Yet another great video. I was stationed at Ramstein back in 79-80 right in the thick of historic sites. I kick myself for not doing more exploring. Enjoy your time in Germany while you can.

[@dale1956ties]

Very well done as always. Thanks for posting.

[@gino7444]

Man you do an incredible job and i enjoy your video's greatly! ... i also visited all the battlefields around Bastogne and Normandy in the 80's and you take me there again.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! Hope my Normandy and Ardennes episodes bring back some great memories!!!

[@gino7444]

@@WW2Wayfinder You bet they did!

[@uk-hon5769]

I always enjoy your videos. I always learn something new!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Glad you enjoyed this one. Tondorf is for me a fascinating spot so was really pleased to be able to film there recently

[@christianb8735]

Good Job, thank you,

[@WW2Wayfinder]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it😃

[@h0use48]

Thanks so much Jon. An another excellent episode… huge fan from New Zealand

[@Perfusionist01]

Another fine "Then And Now"! It's funny how the King Tiger became so synonymous with the Ardennes Campaign considering that relatively few were employed and they had minimal tactical effect on the battle.

[@maartendezwaan9715]

Another awesome video Jon, thank you so much! I’ve just bought the book “The battle of the bulge then and now by Jean Paul Pallud! I find the Ardennes so damn interesting. Greetings from Holland

[@oldcrow-iw3kc]

Very interesting and informative . l have subscribed .

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!!

[@Dawkowski]

Good work again

[@richardgolger5808]

Very interesting again! I also think, many buildings still have the woodbeams under the redone fassades. Possibly all the Buildings on the left side of the reel are still there! Will you look for that famous crossing with the Roasdsigns to St Vith and Malmedy too? - There the Kriegsberichter had seemingly been for quite a while...

[@wildcolonialman]

Fabulous.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!!! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@wildcolonialman]

@@WW2Wayfinder Always. fabulous effort.

[@Fevebblefester]

I find I really enjoy your long format vids.

[@PelicanIslandLabs]

@10:15 I think that is the building in the pic. The current state of the building has serious decay but adding one small vertical beam matches the original.

[@paulsmyth104]

Always look forward to your videos especially the Ardennes related ones !! Keep up the good work 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@SiLLy-g00sE_AJ]

I do love your videos mate!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! Tondorf is such an iconic Battle of the Bulge spot that I couldn’t pass up the chance to film there!

[@AegeanEpiphany]

008 has the rear mounted 'Star Antenna' for the additional MW Fug 8 radio and a rod antenna on the turret right side? This may be the only video footage of a Konigstiger befehlswagen clear enough to see turret detail.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

That’s the one! It’s hard to see it but definitely there and as you say very rare to see on film!

[@ncwoodworker]

Visited Bastogne 20 years ago. Reg Jens was our tour guide. Main tour was the Bois Jacques region. Had lunch in Bastogne. But this was way before KZbin.

[@l00t3R]

Your vid content just gets better and better. This stuff blows my mind every time ❤

[@eamo106]

Brilliant, I love your channel. Maybe a comment. When you say left or right when looking into the camera,... 'point' I know when if taken on an iPhone left is right and vice versa , not sire of the camera you use in each 'take' ... so point with your free finger ?? Sorry if this is a stupid comment .. love your posts and your commitment and find your channel unique !

[@gerhard6105]

I think you are right about that last building. The camera man took all the images in that street and that crossing. Regards from the Ardennes

[@tjcurran4912]

Thanks once again, Jon, for your knowledge and attention to detail!! Your content is first rate. Looking forward to joining one of your future group-led tours. Cheers!!

[@provjaro]

Very interesting video.

[@gibraltersteamboatco888]

NICe work Thank you. 008 with a field mod MG? Commanded by Eduard Kalinowsky it had many Kodak moments, one of which ended up in AFV-G2 magazine. Sowa was leaning on the mantle, he wouldn't man a gun. I believe it is the house at 10:26, 222 shades the lower windows (the diagonals curve around them , also the gunners head is almost at the eaves), at 8:11 as it passes the half timber house you can see a 2 lower step tile roof both with the peak perpendicular to the house in question.

[@zillsburyy1]

great job. where are you from?

[@andrewwilson3775]

Kind of off topic, but would you ever consider doing a video of the operation of Luttich? Also, know as the battle of Mortain?

[@TheGV50]

This German town was basically the assembly area for the Ardennes Attack? Great Video Impressive as always!

[@sdcoinshooter]

Can you imagine being an American GI, holding an M-1 Garrand, and seeing this 70 Ton MONSTER rumbling down the road towards you? I would set records for retreat.

[@SSWiking-l4q]

America has the best record for retreats.

[@ZarathustraMG42-qo7oj]

I've lived and worked in Belgium. And I know this is about other great stories but did notice something that has made me wonder again. What is it with all the shuttered windows on houses? Never did figure out why? That was winter and summer.

[@TheGreatest1974]

I think that’s the same house! 👍🇬🇧

[@Bennie1983nl]

Going to the Ardennes in December again. Wich place would you recomment to visit? Planning to visit Stoumont & Stavelot this year We are staying in La Roche-en-Ardenne.

[@alekhaordonesa...belgatoy2359]

great issue, I also think you're right about the house where tiger 222 and Kurt the owl are depicted, because the window shape is the same size, so what about the tiger that is buried under the road in France? Didn't you go there?

[@rw9866]

pretty close I would say that based on what is left it would be the same building, I was able to see the Tiger Tank at La Gleize unbelievable to stand next to it and touch it, made me feel very small and I'm 6'4 if the Germans were able to build more of them could have been a different outcome.

[@paulb1034]

I understand that the US Army were going to remove the King Tiger at La Gleize for scrap but a local persuaded the servicemen to leave it in exchange for a bottle of cognac.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

@@paulb1034 that’s right! It was a lady in the village and fortunately the GI’s thought the cognac was more valuable! That one decision ensured 213 would be preserved for at least the next 80 years!

[@Alonenotlonely000]

Definitely an interesting premise for a video, appealing to any WWII aficionado, but after almost 80 years many structures would have either been extensively renovated or completely replaced. Comparison would be a real headache. Aside from that, in December 1944 there were no doubt quite a few old timers in that region who had seen the German Army pour through no less than four times in their lifetime - 1870, 1914, 1940 and 1944.

[@sws5833]

this was fantastic, Ive seen the footage hundreds of times over the years and its quite amazing how the old German towns have stayed basically the same over those past years, Always loved the Tiger 2 and have two 1/35 scale models, one with the number 332, inspite of the numerous breakdowns suffered by the crews they were impressive weapons on the battlefield and feared by the allies, this I know because my Grandfather was a Sherman tank commander in the Canadian Army at that time and told me about it. Thanks for the content and greetings from Canada

[@maikelvane5185]

Nice video again. I start to wonder how the Allies didn’t notice all this concentration of Germans to gather for the attack into Belgium. It is not easy to understand wartime if you haven’t lived in that era i guess.

[@falke_blade9341]

My grandfather was in both battle of the bulge and the ruhur pocket as a tiger 2 commander, his time fighting american tanks was easy but also hell, in 2015 he told me his story how himself and another tiger 2 came across an american armoured column and took shots at them, least 17 american tanks destroyed, later during battle of the ruhur pocket his tiger 2 was over run by american forces, his engine was hit and caught fire, he told his crew to bail out, when they did they were captured by american forces, my grandfathers half brother was also in the same unit as him the 506th tho he passed away in may of this year, i promised i wouldn't tell their stories till they passed away, grandfather did in 2017 his half brother this year back in may

[@nickdanger3802]

8.00 king tiger knocked out by tank destroyer

[@servicewerx6768]

If it would have been a SMASHED it may have worked but it was a glancing wimper@@@

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Very true!

[@sergiogianini8362]

In open field the Shermans wouldn't stand a chance with these frightening monsters..

[@SSWiking-l4q]

yup they sure didn't which is why the Americans would run away and call in air support. because they knew the sherman was absolute garbage! and didn't stand a chance.

[@farmrrick]

​@@SSWiking-l4qthey actually could move faster than the king tiger could traverse their turret.

[@michaelsullivan1262]

Tired of kraut krap. Allied history only.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

An interesting comment… My content on here has always been balanced between those nations in the ETO and MTO looking at locations, actions and units. I could easily stick to episodes that only focus on the Allies but then I would be including the darker side of the Greatest Generation, such as the war crimes committed during the latter stages of the Battle of the Bulge by the 11th Armored Div men at Chenogne on the 1st Jan 1945 or the huge black market racket run by GI’s in Paris and the Parisian’s hatred of the GI’s by the Autumn of 1944. If I just did Allied stories from Normandy it would be very one sided and effectively propaganda - something that does little to help in the understanding of this conflict. So I will continue to cover those topics that are interesting to a wide audience regardless of nation. This channel never has nor never will be a rose tinted view into the Second World War.

[@NDB469]

Really awesome stuff!