Fliegerfaust - Nazi MANPADS

The story of the Nazi Fliegerfaust, the world's first 'MANPADS' or man-portable air defence missile system.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Plbcr; Captain Joseph Bush; US Army

[@elwildo14]

If you want to see a fully functional reproduction fliegerfaust firing, we made and tested one with all steel rockets based on the original Edit: KZbin didn’t notify us Mark actually reached out to use some of our clips in his video. So Mark, I’m sorry I missed your comment and you are more then welcome to use our footage if you ever redo the video. KZbin needs to fix its comment notification system as this could have been a big opportunity for a small page like ours.

[@GazB85]

Subscribed! 👍

[@LTPottenger]

wow

[@2cool607]

Ooo I’ll have to check it out

[@PhilipKerry]

Did you have the decency to first ask Dr Felton if you could advertise your channel on his ??

[@sebsmith5100]

What the hell? Why?

[@georgeedward1226]

I am so glad you pointed out that "manpad" immediately stirs up weird connotations of some sort of male sanitary product deployed below the belt before I could conjure up some tasteless pun. You are ahead of the curve more than you know.

[@randlemcmurphy2672]

Mark's humour ads so much to his videos!

[@HubertofLiege]

I did

[@HamburgerTime209]

This is literally a Game Grumps bit

[@blacksheep4185]

Small correction for the protocol: Fliegerfaust means not "Flying Fist" as mentioned but is better translated as "airplane fist"

[@ArminGrewe]

Same as Panzerfaust isn't really "armoured fist" but better translated as "tank fist". The German for "armoured fist" would be "gepanzerte Faust", which makes no real sense. It's not the fist that's flying/armoured, it's the fist that knocks out a plane/tank.

[@projectmungo]

Correct….afaik😀

[@magr7424]

Stimmt, bei beiden hat er ein wenig falsch übersetzt, aber das ist verkraftbar

[@Clipgatherer]

@@ArminGrewe Kind of reminds one of Bruce Lee and Kung Fu. 😊

[@MrMcMind]

​@@ArminGrewe that's debatable. The first antitank weapons were called Tankgewehr M1918... part of the new weapon group panzerbuechse. Going by this it is more pronounced that panzer refers to armour and not the vehicle itself....... especially since panzer refers to everything armoured ("gepanzert") The word panzer clearly refers to armour, or how would you explain panzerschuh, panzerruestung? (knightarmour) Also just think differently about the interaction: a fist is hitting something So a fist hitting armour and a fist hitting flying stuff fist against "Panzerung" and fist against "Pilot"

[@RNemy509]

Dr Felton injecting humor into his documentary: icing on the cake! You're the best on KZbin, Dr Felton.

[@SAUBER_KH7]

I fell over to the side laughing historically when he said it sounded like a male sanitation product. Made even more funny how he said it in a real serious tone. 😂😂🤣

[@stevepickett4453]

Dr Felton sure is , just the best , 👌

[@jc-tu6pg]

humor??

[@felixnilsson2440]

@Homegrown jones What are these inaccuracies? Would love some examples, so that I might learn the truth.

[@harveywallbanger3123]

Very few Felton viewers are wearers of man pads.

[@theprofessional155]

The fliegerfaust is actually a secret weapon you can find in Sniper Elite 4. It can destroy armored cars and medium tanks . Though it was meant to be an anti air weapon .

[@seconduser1809]

It appeared in Sniper Elite 3 as well, In the DLC missions if I remember correctly.

[@Glockodile_Dun-D]

It makes sweaty pilots on Battlefield V go REEEEEEEE

[@199019852007]

Love that game

[@jessejames8475]

As an adamant feaster of German WW2 history a big thanks to you Dr Felton!!

[@legitimate_opposition2002]

Why do I feel like you have a huge German flag in your garage….

[@jessejames8475]

Being the blood of Confederate soldiers on moms side and the blood of the Wehrmacht on my dad's yes I have a pretty vast collection of authentic stuff from the era's & then usually building WW2 models in my spare time

[@rainbowseeker5930]

@@jessejames8475 - You do well, because the Germans seem to have invented every practical and conceivable weapon during WW2 ! Incredibly smart people.

[@davidabest7195]

​@@legitimate_opposition2002you dont?

[@Canofasahi]

I can imagine that this Fliegerfaust was very effective against ground targets, soft top vehicles and the like.

[@SyntheticVoices]

Definitely. Manpads....

[@panderson9561]

This is what I was going to say. Imagine a dozen or more of those ambushing something like a truck convoy, or used against a train.

[@spateri728]

I've shot heaps of planes with it. Sounds like it basically never really got produced at all. Germany made the best weapons for the most part though. Led the way to many of today's weapons.

[@highpath4776]

@@spateri728 IF Germany had developed defensive weapons say a year earlier , it might have stood out to at least settle with a full Germany without the loss effectively at least to Russia, the Nazis probably would have gone for peace with the western powers though if they removed the air superiority of the western ones would it have been a longer war - or ended after USA Nuked Japan ?

[@spateri728]

@@highpath4776 Not sure what you mean there but I get most of it I think. Defensive weapons aren't going to get you terms and new technology without resources to build them will not help. To be fair if the Western Powers didn't wait for the Soviets to break down the Axis then maybe they would have gone for peace sooner. Tough when you have an ever increasing maniac in full control.

[@joepapp01]

I'm a pretty enthusiastic consumer of military history - and have been for decades - but I love that Dr. Felton routinely provides information and insights that I wasn't previously aware of!

[@shawndyer8140]

me too.

[@VC27]

Ditto that!

[@viewfromrowb]

Totally agree

[@teddyhammer2558]

If history channel were smart they would hire this guy to recreate their brand.

[@raypurchase801]

Dr. Felton proves a nerd can be interesting. If only to fellow nerds like ourselves.

[@stanbasov42]

I would love to get a "man pad" for myself so I can binge watch Mr Felton's videos without distraction

[@seonggi-hun7718]

haha 😂 😂

[@prince-solomon]

"without distraction" ... of course you mean in case of an air raid, right? RIGHT? xD

[@theophilus7422]

As a bit of a history nerd/geek I thought I knew just about everything there was to know about both world wars adjacent topics, then I found Mark Felton's channel. Well done.

[@stephenbridges2791]

Your content never ceases to amaze. It is incredible that many of today's weapons had their origin so very long ago.

[@kevinbarry71]

It's a stretch to call this the first such modern weapon. All they were were rockets pointed in the sky. Not that much more sophisticated than what the Chinese did hundreds of years ago. They are not in any way guidable. Or guided. Not even a proximity fuse

[@17cmmittlererminenwerfer81]

Ja. We pioneered most of the great modern weapons, including the combat use of jet aircraft, true assault rifles, submachine guns & automatic pistols, fuel injection in aircraft, night vision, and modern combined arms combat doctrines (Blitzkrieg). And let's not forget our amazing submarines. After WW2, the Americans stole the V2 and the engineering team that developed it, which then formed the core of NASA. Ever heard of Werner von Braun? Without him, the USA never would've reached the moon in the 20th century. Our German fighter aircraft swept-wing designs were also used in the F-86. Then we Germans (under what was effectively an American military occupation and dictatorship from the 1950s until the 90s) took the Sturmgewehr, butchered it to take 7.62x51 at their orders, and brought it back into production as the G3. We also took our MG42 and did the same thing for NATO, calling it the MG3. Then we put the P.38 back into production as the P1, after we removed the dirty birds from the stamping machines and replaced them with Bundesadler instead. Years later, the Americans ditched the .45 ACP and adopted our 9mm Luger (which is now the global standard pistol round), then they adopted an Italian revision of our P.38 and called it the M9. The US also tried and failed to copy our MG42, so they stole some key design elements for their M60 GPMG. The US even adopted our HK MP5, after setting aside their Thompson and that abomination called the Grease Gun. And before WW1, the Americans stole our Mauser 98 and called it the Springfield M1903, getting sued by Mauser afterwards for their theft of our IP. NATO even copied our 20 liter gas cans, and uses them to this day! Then after fighting two world wars against us, the Amis even copied our Stahlhelm helmet design in modern materials and issued it to American troops in the 1980s.

[@kevinbarry71]

@@17cmmittlererminenwerfer81 too bad you cannot win a war. And they weren't stolen, they eagerly volunteered

[@Gerhold102]

@@17cmmittlererminenwerfer81 I must congratulate you on your adoption of the English language. Rarely have I seen such accomplished usage of its grammar and vocabulary by a native German! However, your very obvious pride in German invention and technical superiority must be countered by the nefarious purposes with which they were put to use and, ultimately, the damage they caused to those countries surrounding der Vaterland and, in retaliation, to Germany itself. Weapons are designed solely to inflict injury and death on other humans (and animals). One should consider that aspect of their existence carefully before indulging oneself in pride in how they were adopted and further developed by the victors to use in the letting of blood in further global conflicts.

[@matthewwhitton5720]

@@17cmmittlererminenwerfer81 It’s quite a surprise to see an avid German nationalist strutting and preening his feathers on this channel. The enormous elephant in the room, of course, is, if your vaunted weaponry sophistication and ‘ superiority ‘ was so palpable,…why did your Nazi regime ( justifiably ) lose ? Thoroughly and completely . You were pulverized. You appear to regret that. Are you a neo-Nazi, per chance ? And, don’t be so naive and silly . The yanks would’ve made it to the moon without the Nazi Von Braun ! He was simply an additional piece of furniture to add to the already swelling US scientific and engineering elite. Did you, the Nazis, have Einstein, Bohr, Teller, or Oppenheimer doppelgängers working for Hitler ? No. With the possible exception of Heisenberg. Take your false and offensive pride ( in what, I wonder ? Murdering over 30 million Europeans ? ) down more than a peg or two.

[@1Chasg]

I was introduced to this weapon in the WW2 video game Battlefield 5. I remember it fired just as Mark described! Fascinating stuff.

[@nisx2012]

Thats where i found out about it as well. I thought it was some kind of prototype weapon they put in the game but seems it was an actual weapon.

[@blackstone1a]

That thing was a Godsend for dealing with enemy pilots. The rage of those flybois was sweet

[@brokenwrench404]

It’s also in sniper elite 4

[@filipinorutherford7818]

In BF5 that thing wipes you out of the sky!! Might be a bit OP lol.

[@r2gelfand]

You are way ahead of everybody else. I've never heard of this weapon and I have been a amateur student of World War II history for 45 years.

[@magnetmannenbannanen]

the reality is you rarely hear about the good weapons, as they became classified. for instance, the germans used uranium coated tanks ammo for the added armor penetration it gives., but you never hear about it simply because it is still being used. the germans also developed guided missiles - flown from a airplane, also something u do not hear about.

[@brandonhallam51]

And never played bf5

[@dougalbadger4918]

It’s been in a lot of video games so I found out about it a few years back from them

[@iFYMxDRKNSFALLS]

@@brandonhallam51 out of all of ww2 games and movies; Battlefield having 3 WW2 games. only 1 and fairly recent game added it. as part of their pacific DLC?

[@ljubomirculibrk4097]

Germans used radioactive sand as coating for late war mines, since they were made to be not detectable by metal detectors (celulose fiber and tar body, plastic fuses) only way to detect them was by gaiger counter. Only germans had such detectors, metal plus radioactivity.

[@blindbrick]

Yesterday I saw a "fliegerfaust A" at the War Museum in Overloon (Netherlands).

[@rvanhees89]

Hebben ze daar een Fliegerfaust liggen? Vet!

[@stuntmanscott8077]

That male sanitary product joke has me rolling on the floor, Mark you're the best!

[@BK117Dude]

As a German I‘d translate Panzerfaust as Tankfist and Fliegerfaust as Aircraftfist. Just my two cents, thank you for the steady great content!

[@kampfgruppepeiper501]

Never heard of this one! Thank you Dr. Felton for bringing history to KZbin!

[@marcoAKAjoe]

@Dave right 😂😂

[@dougalbadger4918]

The weapon had a very realistic model in the video game Battlefield 5 which is where I first found out about it a couple years ago

[@herzglass]

The frequency at which you shoot out these high quality videos is mind blowing. You are an inspiration.

[@DaveSCameron]

Sprechen zie sheiss hier!

[@manumaker0859]

0:29 damnit his dry delivery gets me every time

[@MPGunther1]

Another lesson that can only be gotten from Mark Felton Productions. Thank you Dr. Felton

[@oskar6976]

The Fliegerfaust was truly a sight to see, although rare it was as impressive as the cheap but effective Panzerfaust!

[@highjumpstudios2384]

It really wasn't though. The 20mm rockets had disappointing speeds and even worse dispersion. Although the idea isn't a bad one. That Reich failed to execute a good one.

[@asdfghyxcvbn1806]

I would say that they did as well as they could with technological limitations of the time.

[@steffenrosmus9177]

@@highjumpstudios2384 at least 2 P 51 were shot down with those according to eyewitnesses and recordings on March 2nd 1945.

[@oasis1282]

Schifffaust was better

[@agentallstar7]

@@blaise1016 dude this is not an exam. Show your work ? Look it up yourself if you don’t believe him 😂

[@SoldierPoet]

If mainstream cable channels had more shows like this, they might actually turn a real profit. Good work as always Dr. Felton. 👍

[@Jerram89]

He’s a continuation of the good days of the history channel when it was 80% WWII content

[@Reskov]

One time I was channel surfing and I actually saw Mark Felton being featured in some WW2 documentary. It was a pleasant surprise!

[@glennridsdale577]

Thank you. In almost 50 years of study I’ve never come across this.

[@MikeTheD]

Felton would make any enemy urgently grab their manpads when they saw him coming. Out of fear, but also respect.

[@cripplers8]

Best Historical Information Channel out there. Blows away The History Channel & the constant rerun AHC….. thank you Doc for another GREAT History Lesson!

[@BoomBustProfits]

Felton understands how to properly study history - in the context of the time that it occurs...& preferably from primary sources...

[@iroll]

This may be the first time anybody has ever compared this channel to the History Channel. Very good observation.

[@RoosterMontgomery]

I used to think AHC stood for the Adolf Hitler Channel, but Dr. Felton's is much better!

[@sparkyfromel]

" Blows away The History Channel "............ not too hard , primary school kids could do it over a week-end

[@randlemcmurphy2672]

@@RoosterMontgomery 🤣

[@rufust.firefly6352]

From what I have heard, although I do not remember where, the Fliegerfaust was used as a sort of mobile light artillery in Berlin, to clear out hardpoints and concentrations of Soviet troops in a direct fire capacity. Peppering enemy positions with a 20mm rocket shotgun must have been quite interesting to behold...

[@Charles_Anthony]

That would've been fun until you run out of ammo...

[@sparkyfromel]

it must also be interesting to experience Russia soldier .." chto eto bylo za khren "

[@MusMasi]

I mean when its that desperate I guess you use whatever is to hand.

[@tilohertel8523]

@jeannick guerin I read quite a lot of reports about the bitter Stand in Berlin: no Soviet commander I read mentioned something like "Fliegerfaust". Yet history is written by the winner. But having been to Berlin quite often I noticed small holes in the walls of many buildings.

[@sparkyfromel]

@@tilohertel8523 Actually been there and saw the Reichstag's facade , on Soviets and German weapons , apparently the Soviets , when they could used the panzerfaust to knock walls between cellars to progress without having to pop up in the streets

[@nethanlock5008]

That intro music is absolutely majestic🤣😍. Another class video! I still can't believe we get this content for free!😱😍

[@100Kakdela]

Wow, I am a WW2 buff and not once have I heard of this weapon. However, I do know there was a concept for a Nazi SAM system titled Wasserfall (Waterfall). Maybe Dr. Felton can do a similar video about it? Might be an interesting one, as even Albert Speer later claimed "To this day, I am convinced that substantial deployment of Wasserfall from the spring of 1944 onward, together with an uncompromising use of the jet fighters as air defense interceptors, would have essentially stalled the Allied strategic bombing offensive against our industry."

[@STUMPYELF1]

Love to see DR Felton do a video about Wasserfall!

[@Silverraptorvideos]

I always wondered when looking at the Cold War equipment for Germany why the stinger equivalent was called Fliegerfaust 2. I just assumed the first version was an early Cold War prototype that nobody talked about, like the American Red-eye. Didn't even begin to think it was a Nazi Era weapon.

[@snakeplissken2148]

in germany almost every equipment from other countries got a german name.

[@prince-solomon]

@@snakeplissken2148 at least back in the day. now we give even to our own new weapons english names (e.g.: MANTIS) , even our manufacturers take english names "Rheinmetall Air Defense" ...too bad to lose one's own cultural identity step by step to globalization.

[@mitchmatthews6713]

I always look forward to watch your videos, Mark! Thanks again!

[@michaelpopo7856]

I swear at this point Dr.Felton is just making up history. Best history channel on KZbin period of story. Love your work!

[@Armadyz]

Dr Felton is simply the best channel for history

[@rokradosavljevic5879]

You surprise me every time I get a notification from your chanel. Top work sir! Thank you!

[@SgtPepper271294]

Quick correction: "Fliegerfaust" translates to flyer's fist, flyer fist or airplane fist. Flieger is a colloquial term that either refers to pilots or fixed wing aircraft.

[@robbypu]

And Panzerfaust as Tankfist.

[@evertkets318]

Exactly my thought as well: It's not a "flying fist" or a "armoured fist" but rather a fist against "flyers" (airplanes) or against armour. Apart of that, another splendid contribution, Dr. Felton!

[@ReisskIaue]

Not just pilots but aviators as well. It is the first rank in the Luftwaffe of the Bundeswehr and the Wehrmacht as well (NATO-Code: OR-1).

[@JGCR59]

Beat me to it :)

[@SgtPepper271294]

@Tinyloonnayborxood60 not sure where that passive agression is coming from, but Mark got it wrong (ever so slightly), and since Mark is an academic, I figured he would appreciate a correction that leads to a better understanding of the given matter. Clearly you disagree, how unfortunate.

[@captainsergeant]

Learn something new every day. I had no idea this thing existed.

[@BigCatSilver]

My great grandfather was the manager of the Adlon Hotel leading up to WW2. He regularly met the top leaders.

[@DeltaV3]

Love this guys content. Just when you think you know a lot about ww2 he pulls this out the bag. 👍🏻

[@vincentyeo88]

The Terminator pulls out plenty of stunts and surprises. 🤣

[@MikeTheD]

It's his niche, and it's a good one. He finds random topics that are off the beaten path. Most other docs, it's almost like they're basing it off the last doc you watched

[@projektkobra2247]

You will never learn all there is to know about WW2.

[@MORE_BEANS_PLZ]

This is on a game actually battlefield 5

[@DeltaV3]

@@projektkobra2247 I never said I would.

[@TheGeezzer]

Very interesting mini-documentary about a weapon I've certainly never heard of before. Dr Felton _is_ the research king.

[@marcboblee1863]

Dr Felton, you have a sense of humour, appreciated the humour and the excellent video...many thanks....

[@peterfmodel]

Back in 1974 I purchased a magazine called German Secret Weapons, a part of the Purnells’ History of the Second World War magazine series. On page 30 it shows a picture of a Fliegerfaust in firing position, along with a drawing and a picture of the nine rocket ammo pouch. I always found the weapon fascinating, although the magazine claimed it was effective to 2,000 metres, which is obviously incorrect. The history of the Enzian, Feuerlilie, Rheintochter, Schmetterling and Wasserfall is equally fasinating.

[@chadthundercock5641]

Dr Felton explaining the definition of MANPAD had me wheezing 😂

[@shearwave7885]

The Germans certainly thought outside the box when it came to weaponry.

[@lkmh3223]

I almost choked at the joke at the begining, Coffee went all over my desk. That was a good way to start the episoide

[@zsmarine0831]

Never thought i’d see the day where Doc Mark Felton makes a kotex joke, damn I love this man

[@fletchkeilman2205]

Dr. Felton....super glad you studied the German language and decided to make sure you pronounce everything correctly to the best of your ability. It definitely shows, and it also makes the quality of your work superior to apart anyone who simply just studies the history of martial warfare within the last 300 years. It is greatly appreciated, and it helps as well with my pronunciation. I've studied the German language for over 3 years now, on and off. I still forget certain ways of pronouncing words, as well as proper pronunciation based on dialect or regional speech patterns.. You definitely know stuff......and I am pretty happy I've subscribed to this channel. I am constantly learning something new. If we had this channel, and your knowledge, available to us when I was in grade school, I would have definitely given it much further thought in regards to getting my second major upon graduation. But that is neither here nor there. Im happy with what I do, and I am still pursuing what does make me happy. Again.....thank you for this channel. Definitely helps with my current endeavors. Kudos to you, good sir.

[@ArminGrewe]

Well, his pronunciation is half way decent, but his translations are often a bit dodgy. Fliegerfaust isn't really a "flying fist". "Flieger" is a German term, usually colloquial, for either a pilot or a plane. The correct translation of Fliegerfaust would be something like Airplane Fist. It's the fist that knocks out an airplane. And pretty much the same applies to Panzerfaust.

[@fletchkeilman2205]

@@ArminGrewe that may be so, but it is still ten times better than any other person on this platform

[@larrybomber83]

Fascinating. I had never heard of such a weapon until now. Thank You again for another History Lesson.

[@Life_Is_Torture0000]

Every time I think of myself as knowledgeable about ww2, Dr. Felton shows up my ignorance. I can't praise his work too highly!

[@ELMS]

Your channel reminds me how much there is to learn about this war. Just excellent, Dr. Felton.

[@blank557]

Nice prez. I like the use of the clip from the excellent anti-war movie, "The Bridge", showing a teenage Volksturm using a Panzerfaust against a US Sherman tank. That's the first time as a kid I was introduced to the Panzerfaust. I highly recommend both the book and the movie, showing the German perspective in the last days of WW2. A small unit of German idealistic teenagers find out real quick war is not the noble adventure they thought it would be. They've been ordered to defend a small bridge of little consequence, their lives sacrificed by their superiors to buy some time for the retreating forces. Minor spoiler: One of the young and untrained Volksturm fires a Panzerfaust from a window in an enclosed room, with dire results.

[@danielcotts8673]

Die Brücke 1959. Black & white. Here on YT in 9 segments with English subtitles. Powerful movie.

[@letoubib21]

@@danielcotts8673 _Berhatd Wicki did be a great director _*_. . ._*

[@hoffmiermp]

This is interesting, I never knew about this weapon system until now. Thanks again Mark for yet another fascinating history lesson.

[@darrellwhittington4645]

Again SIR! you continue to amaze me ! I'm almost 73 yrs old, my father was a Sr tank commander in Patton's 3rd army,,he wouldn't talk about anything,, but got me interested in ww2 both sides,,,I've have never heard or read anything about this weapon ! I figure I got another another 27 years for you to continue to find something else to amaze me,,,I'm anxiously waiting for you !

[@timmyjones1921]

Thank You Dr. Mark Felton .

[@JB-sm4zt]

Mark regularly shocks me with new things I've never heard of before and I've been into WW2 history for at least 20 years. Guy is incredible. 👏

[@hibco3000]

For real ypu learn something new every day I guess.

[@joejoe11tennessee]

Absolutely amazing Dr. Felton. Thank you sir. War time facts from the past tying into current conflicts of today is stunning.

[@marc1829]

Similarities to Starstreak's multiple projectiles are apparent. I'd never heard of the Fliegerfaust; another great little vignette, thanks Doc!

[@ChrisWhite-pd1ej]

Wow. You really never cease to dig up some truly incredible material for viewing on a subject that has been well worked over by thousands of scholars for 70 odd years now. You really are head and shoulders above the rest. I, much more often than not usually have read about, heard about and studied about EVERYTHING involving the 3rd Reich, even the things you cover. This one though was something I had read very little about and only seen a picture or 2 of. You ALWAYS dig deeper than anyone and I have no idea where you find all the visual accompaniment. Always well done but this one was extraordinarily unique in all aspects. Thank you for doing what you do so relentlessly.

[@markcee925]

Amazing how those guys were so ahead on everything.

[@keithweiss7899]

Great video of something almost forgotten! One advanced weapon the allies did field was the VT fuse. The Americans managed to build a tube type metal detector inside of an artillery fuse! For those of us who understand how fragile vacuum tubes are, to make them survive being blasted from an artillery cannon is incredible! Taking away the need to set a timer on a fuse was a huge advantage. They were devastating against NAZI planes and troops, as well as the Kamikaze attacks in the pacific. My mom was a final inspector of them at McQuay-Norris in St. Louis. That would be a good subject for a future video.

[@dougalbadger4918]

It was added to the video game battlefield 5 a few years ago and a video showing it off got over 4 million views so I wouldn’t say “almost forgotten”

[@chrisworthen1538]

If I am not mistaken it was a joint development project with the US and UK.

[@keithweiss7899]

@@chrisworthen1538 The British conceived it, but couldn’t get it to work. Their hands were certainly full with other things, so the Americans took over development and made them work. Johns Hopkins University did the design, and various American contractors supplied parts and manufacturing. The vacuum tubes started out as hearing aid tubes produced by Raytheon, but highly modified to withstand huge G forces. It was the second most top secret weapon of WWII in the U.S. behind the atomic bomb. Up to the time my mom passed in 2011 she still would reveal little about it to me.

[@Mishn0]

@@keithweiss7899 Close, Johns Hopkins was already working on the idea before the British sent over their data. The British design was a semi-active fuse with only a receiver in the projectile. It depended on a ground based transmitter. Johns Hopkins' design what an active fuse with both the transmitter and receiver in the projectile. The British considered a transmitter that small and shock-hardened was impossible. The VT fuse that entered service was Johns Hopkins' active receiver/transmitter design. I don't know if it took anything from the British design at all.

[@keithweiss7899]

@@Mishn0 👍I was trying to spread around the credit. But I certainly agree with you!😊 The “deadly fuse” is similar to metal detectors that hobbyist use. An amazing feat of technology for the times! It’s also why Christmas light bulbs were extremely hard to find back then. Those glass envelopes were being used for the batteries inside of the VT fuses. For so many manufacturers to put in their products, but still keep it secret, is pretty incredible. I wonder if it could be done today……

[@lt.petemaverickmitchell7113]

Dr. Felton, your videos are simply priceless and incredibly appreciated!

[@MrBarrySell]

Thank you Dr. Felton.

[@affectisgood7046]

New video! Thanks for this amazing content Mark , we all appreciate you

[@jakeedmonds3625]

I never new about this weapon. Incredible video! My Great Grandfather was an Airman & B-17 crew member. I appreciate your work Mark.

[@ReisskIaue]

Your Great Grandfather would have been safe from this weapon as a B-17 flew way to high to be a target (he had to be worried about flak and fighters (both of them are bad enough in their own right) but not for fliegerfausts).

[@jdlamb4212]

My great grandfather was a pedo

[@alexmeanin8049]

Very interesting topic, performed brightly, as usual. Thanks, Mark!

[@markdahl9831]

Thanks so much Dr Felton...your content keeps getting better n better......YOU ARE THE REAL HISTORY CHANNEL.

[@dariusdalili8311]

Hi Dr. Felton, my great grandfather went missing during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Tehran and was never seen again. If you could make a video on this it would be great with your resources. Love the channel, thank you for the content.

[@Chris-jt4pl]

how many people have a grandfather that fought in some war with some spectacular story lmao you’re clearly making this up

[@Chris-jt4pl]

everybody in these comments got some great uncle who fought in world war 2 and experienced something crazy and all these gullible dudes believe it. quit lying for likes on the internet

[@idancemyassintothepaint7571]

@@Chris-jt4pl what?? There are tens of millions of people with grandfathers that fought in wars.. how is it some wild story when he's literally just saying his great grandfather died in the war??

[@dariusdalili8311]

If you don't believe it I don't care who are you anyway @Chris

[@thetruthaboutfacts224]

At this point mark is so good at what he does he could start making up stuff and I would believe him.

[@gregk7895]

Dr Felton's rate of releasing videos continues to be impressive as is their content

[@johnr.snyder813]

Absolutely amazing how you find and present your content. Thank you

[@hanzup4117]

I've been waiting for this one :) Cheers, Mark.

[@JamesThomas-gg6il]

Its absolutely scary just how far the germans got with technology and only because of bad timing did they not help with the war effort.

[@jwenting]

not just bad timing. They were also technological scatterbrains, working on dozens of competing projects at the same time leading to spreading their resources too thin for anything to be developed into a really effective weapon. Combine that with (until the very end) an obsession with purely offensive weapons, with little consideration being given to defense, and you have a recipe for disaster (this for example delayed service entry of the Me-262 by a considerable period as the RLM demanded (supposedly on direct orders from Hitler) that it be built as a bomber rather than a fighter and bomber destroyer.

[@JamesThomas-gg6il]

@@jwenting oh yes definitely and also consider his decision NOT to allow the production of the stg43/mp44( the first actual assault rifle and supposedly a term coined by Hitler) and arming his troops with that.

[@k_ir3868]

German infantry squads were all about the machine gunner. In their doctrine the rifleman was there to support the machine gunner and hold the flanks. They would have had to change that doctrine to really make the stg effective. It all came too late anyway.

[@JamesThomas-gg6il]

@@k_ir3868 thats what i was saying about bad timing.

[@JCinerea]

"Progressive male sanitary product"😂😂😂 The deadpan delivery of that phrase and the illustration was awesome 😂😂😂

[@firsteerr]

oooo i love a mark felton production !!!

[@Niels_Dn]

When they asked Hitler how many tubes the fliegerfaust should have he replied “Nein!”

[@jdlamb4212]

When they asked how far it should shoot he raised his arm out and said "over zehr!"

[@SquirrelRIP]

“Progressive male sanitary product” Oh Mark 😂 you crack me up 👍

[@jaeslow6347]

That joke was so unexpected I nearly pissed myself, gunna have to go get some manpads ready just in case for next time.

[@jacktheripper4908]

Awesome video Mark, your channel is a treasure trove of knowledge and history!

[@Janjanjjaakkiiccaa333]

When you are talking about interesting weapons maybe it would be a good idea to mention if any survived to this day, and where they are displayed.

[@vnkmy]

The translations of the “Fliegerfaust” and “Panzerfaust” are quite painful to me as a German. The first word each of the neologisms aren’t an adjective for the weapon but rather the designation for what kind of target it’s made for. So the rather better translation or word-by-word translation would be as followed: “Panzerfaust” - “Tank Fist” “Fliegerfaust” - “Plane Fist”

[@samianssi]

Mark Felton humor, rare, but brilliant.

[@egosumhomovespertilionem2022]

LOL @ "male personal sanitary product." Nicely done, Mark, without breaking your British deadpan delivery.

[@cowboymf1013]

A rather exciting topic really, a very little known device. Had to leave your War Stories channel real quick to come watch this one, cheers, Dr. Felton.

[@LUKEY_D_FRESH]

great video! is there any chance of making a video on the ruhrstahl series of rocket systems? the germans had possibly the first homing air-to-air missiles, alongside a very early implementation of infrared anti-tank missiles (which possibly saw service in the latter stages of the war)

[@MVProfits]

Another gem by Mr Felton. And I didn't think I wanted manpads before ha ha.

[@Asger21]

Yet another Gold Nugget from WW2...ofcourse from Dr. Mark Felton. Thanks for keeping me on the school bench, though I'm 62🤗

[@FR-nc3vb]

Those Germans always have something revolutionary that I didn't know anything about…

[@HeikosGarage]

Great video. Just some feedback: The translation of the Fliegerfaust isn't quite correct. Flieger in German is referring to an Airplane or Aircraft and also a rank in the Army and Airforce. So the correct or more accurate translation would be Aircraft Fist. I enjoy your content very much. keep up the good work.

[@letoubib21]

_Rosbifs and foreign languages has always been a huge problem. When Felton tries to pronounce French or Italian proper names usually my toenails start to curl _*_. . ._*

[@xwormwood]

Same is true for the translation of Panzerfaust. Its not armored fist (there is no armor at this fist), but tank fist

[@fartknockerR17]

"Male sanitary product". I love British humour (and spelling). Thanks Mark :)

[@The_dude_channel]

mark has the best background footage and pictures. The best history channel on KZbin.

[@notsosilentmajority1]

It seems like it is very fortunate that we ended the war when we did, the Germans had a lot of surprises that were almost ready. As the video stated, the Allies had air superiority and that was something that saved many more casualties and perhaps, stopped certain weapons from being completed in time for the Nazi's.

[@colbeausabre8842]

Don't be a wehraboo, the US had the BIG surprise. We dropped the first on Japan three months after VE day, How long do you think Germany and its Wunderwaffen would have lasted after that?

[@yddet4369]

@@colbeausabre8842 Yeah people still fall for German propaganda almost a century after the war, very concerning. Sure the Germans had some cool weapons but their army was overall still majorly reliant on horses for supply lines- compared to the U.S. who were fully mechanized and had semi-automatic rifles as standard.

[@BasementEngineer]

@@yddet4369 And all that made no real difference! What made the real difference was the USA supplying millions upon millions of tons of war material to the murderous Soviets who had practically unlimited cannon fodder personnel.

[@yddet4369]

@@BasementEngineer Murderous Soviets? Yeah the Soviets certainly did some horrible things but the Nazis literally planned a war of annihilation against the Slavs (Generalplan OST, as well talked about in lebensraum and Mein Kompf), if the Soviets we're at the same level as the Nazis they would've genocided all the Germans once they started winning. Plus the "Asiatic hordes" argument you're parroting has been disproven time and time again, if you want to actually learn about the Soviet doctrine you can read about "deep-battle operations".

[@BasementEngineer]

@@yddet4369 Depending on whom you wish to believe, the Soviets managed to murder 20 million o their own citizens, to say nothing of the soldiers who were murdered by communist police battalions when the regular soldiers needed to retreat or surrender. The Germans were genocided by the allies. Read "Icebreaker", "The Morgenthau Plan", "Germany Must Perish".

[@KnorpelDelux]

"Flieger" does not translate to flying...it's a rather colloquial term for airplanes

[@Mishn0]

Or pilot.

[@jerryjeromehawkins1712]

This is absolutely a new one on me Dr Felton!! As always... thank you Sir. 🇺🇸👍🏽🍻

[@TheMichael408]

Gotta love these new Mark Felton videos lately!

[@rolfagten857]

I did tell "the plastic general "about this thing once. The Germans had advanced technology in their hands that's for sure!

[@Alpvagabund]

I always loved this weapon!!! I used it all the time in BFV.

[@filippos13]

Salty infantry player?

[@Alpvagabund]

@@filippos13 Well I equal parts loved it and hated it. Once it got nerfed it kinda sucked🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@filippos13]

@@Alpvagabund Post nerf it was useless

[@nisx2012]

@@filippos13 Its not useless if used properly, shooting at the plane while its diving down.

[@irish3335]

Another unknown detail from WWII! Thanks Dr Felton!

[@Janszler]

EVERY video by Mark Felton, I'm learning something entirely new..

[@HAZRDLyrics]

Used this weapon in Battlefield V game, so effective against jets. I don’t know if it’s the same in reality but it can launch multiple mini missiles at once

[@DaveSCameron]

We use them against the rocky Estate, usually on a Frietag... Apres bier! 😂

[@covodex516]

afaik it was highly ineffective due to it's limited range, massive spread and absolutely no guidance. Hitting a plane with that would've been pure luck, the rocklets don't fly where you aim them. But yes I really liked the patch that brought the Fliegerfaust into BFV, back then it was super effective and plane-heavy maps like Fjell finally were playable as infantry. Sadly the bomber spam kiddos cried so hard for a nerf that DICE gave in and now the Fliegerfaust is almost useless; even a full hit with all rockets don't kill a fully health fighter anymore, absolute bullshit - they can oneshot everything from soldier to tank, so why would it be unbalanced for infantrymen to have an answer for it? The game was so much more fun with it; since the nerf I basically haven't played it anymore.

[@WTP_DAVE]

I thought the game made it up until i looked it up

[@jackd1582]

Tell us you didn't fully understand the video 🙅

[@hanzup4117]

"Progressive male sanitary product." Haha. I'm don't think we're too far off from those to be honest! Give it a couple of years.

[@jean-lucpicard3012]

Hey don't discount progress, in the future, swamp ass is considered archaic

[@hanzup4117]

@@jean-lucpicard3012 Haha very true!

[@JavierCR25]

“Progressive male sanitary product” LOL, Professor that’s one of the funniest lines I’ve heard 😂😂😂

[@lordnevetsz]

This is why i watch your vids mark, there is always something new. I am no expert on WW2 but I do know alot and this was a new one for me.