Forgotten WWII Trenches & Bunkers In The Reichswald Forest

[@RWGeorge]

Nice video. Thank you for the close-up view "in the trenches" and commentary.

[@orangehandbag2764]

I was stationed in Germany in the late 80’s and we went metal detecting in the Reichswald one weekend.We found an MP44 ,a live panzerfaust ,gasmasks and helmets were just lying around under the leaves.We only had cheap metal detectors but I bet there is plenty of stuff buried there.

[@williamneil8862]

yeah, glad you raised the point: no metal detecting in this video. Looks like very fruitful ground.

[@DaanVidsNl]

Is it allowed to metal detect there?

[@justin54790]

@@DaanVidsNl I don't think so it's a war place we're people died

[@EthanolEnthusiast]

@@DaanVidsNl Probably not, if you have any decency leave it all be and have some respect.

[@MycreepyProjects]

@@DaanVidsNl als de boswachter je pakt kun je een hoge boete krijgen en al je detectorspullen innemen, met een beetje pech ben je je auto kwijt. als je ook nog eens scherpe munitie hebt ookal is het maar 1 kogel komt de politie erbij en kun je mogenlijk gaan zitten voor wet wapen en munitie. duitsers maken geen grappen

[@chad1able]

Thank you for showing the WW2 history of that area. Amazing stuff.

[@samvissers]

These trenches where dug out just before ww1 started.

[@arkansaswookie]

Thanks for the adventure and the in depth history. The sound effects add to the experience. Well done. Cheers.

[@demiurgiac]

Just finished " Hunters from the Sky" which covers the battle starting on Feb. 8,1945. Great to see what I read about. Next best thing to an actual visit.

[@TheMaryk82]

Nice Video, thanks for this ! we live on the other side of the forrest and we found huge trenchsystems, dugouts, foxholes, positions,some are still in really good condition.. also found some hidden bunkers, but still looking for some more..just trying, to imagine the complete complex of systems.. through the reichswald forrest area ..

[@christianibarra9438]

Such an amazing experience! Sounds like machine guns going in the background

[@AndroidWizard420_04]

I heard it too

[@chrisgibson1030]

My Grandfather who was a member of the King's Royal Rifles fought here. He captured around 30 Nazi soldiers hiding in the trenches with only a bren gunner in support while under sniper fire.

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Wow amazing, thank you for sharing!

[@TheHazzer07]

My father was there to

[@VanlifewithAlan]

Very interesting - I am in the Groosbeek area now so this gives me a good orientation!

[@ayescot]

Thanks for mentioning the Black Watch who you say we’re tasked with taking Pyramid hill My father Francis Fraser was there with the first battalion BW from October 44 through to March 45 He was in a slit trench forward of the company and brigade on the Dutch side of the stream with his friend Bruce McPherson. Bruce was killed by a sniper on a hill like or maybe it was Pyramid Hill. My dad jumped up and ran like a rabbit ( the flight or fight reaction). I think that was 23rd October 44 and they were still fighting hard in March 45 at Hassan Railway station. We will remember them.

[@EinMensch5000]

Extremely Interesting, will explore it soon.

[@БахридинБуриев-ц3й]

Спасибо за интересную экскурсию...

[@sprayhawk808]

Really enjoy these videos. I've had similar/limited time to explore bunkers and remnants near Dillingen / Merzig.

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Thank you!

[@kampfoppa9961]

Ja , danke dafür , nicht alle wußten das es auch in den Wäldern an der Niderländischen Grenze harte Gefechte gab , aber wie man sehen kann holt sich unsere Natur alles wieder . Gutes Video , da bekommt man Lust drauf selber dort mal hinzufahren und es selber zu erkunden. Die Stelle als Quadrat war eine Sammelstelle der Munition . Die tieferen Stellen waren in der Tat Mörserstellungen , diese lagen tiefer damit der Abschuß nicht so schnell vom Boden aus erkannt werden konnte . eS müssten eigentlich davon noch mindestens 5 jeweils kommen und immer etwas versetzt nach vorn und hinten. 100 m hinter der Linie ist kein Command Center , es müsste wenn dann ein Kleiner Beobachtungsposten oder Gruppensammelpunkt gewesen sein .

[@MrROsbama]

Very very interesting ! WW2...the eternal dramatic story... ;-/ Multi layers defence...nice and interesting exploring ! Your effort is great and...good luck further... ! I want much to see next episode ! From today I'm one of your subscribers...even I'm on the...Eastern Front... ;-) Merry Christmas !

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Thanks!

[@cherudge]

I was literally just plotting where my grandfather bombed in their Lancaster from his log book. I always thought he just bombed the Ruhr, some synthetic oil plants and “Dresden”. I had no idea he was involved in this battle.

[@Gitarzan66]

I think that last part was where they stored the extra fox holes until they needed one in a different location.

[@TheBudman52]

thank you for the narration in english !!!!!! i am an ignorant american I am sorry

[@robdekluiver4850]

Heel interressant, bedankt!

[@djongtm1040]

Wonderful job !!

[@heimdallwg2112]

someone was shooting at you the whole time. Great video

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Indeed it sounds like that!

[@rzr2ffe325]

Thanks. Great work

[@Soundmane]

Great Video!

[@ayescot]

Got the date wrong, Bruce was killed 25th October 44. Black Watch Roll of Honour web site records those killed and where buried. It also indicates inadvertently the battles, for instance 1st Battalion last men at Hassum Railway Station in February 44 and at Speldrop Klien Esserden in March 44( apologies For my previous error). Thanks for posting although it is now 6 years since you posted. Thanks again

[@TheHazzer07]

My father was there in 1944

[@SandmanFLSRQ]

Excellent work, Sir. Perhaps this video would have benefitted from some aerial shots where tree cover would have permitted. I'm very interested in the distance relationship between this area and Nijmegen and how it so directly contributed to the failure of O.M.G. Looks like your patreon supporters should be raising some money for you.

[@Thepoacher58]

The worrying thing for me would be the presence of mines, my 96 year old neighbour served here as a 21 year old 2nd Lt in charge of 30 mine detection dogs and their handlers clearing Schu mines under heavy fire to enable the allied forces to advance, No picnic I should imagine.

[@troproductions625]

Mooie video, complimenten! Waar heb je geparkeerd om je wandeling te starten?

[@thepinpointersww2md]

Top video bedankt voor die goede info

[@Cowboys-bm4wh]

You mean you couldn’t fit in the little hole to enter the bunker? 🤣😂 jk thanks for sharing this video very interesting. Please keep sharing.

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Yeah need to lose some weight fast!

[@sssillys9219]

Super leuke en interessante video. Willen binnenkort zelf een kijkje gaan nemen daar, heb je tips voor beginpunten of de mooiste routes?

[@paulklinkenberg]

NB: the (remains of the) concrete bunkers in the video were part of the German defence line near Kranenburg in WW1 (not WW2 !). Raised in 1917 and demolished/ blown up in 1922 by the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. All the zig-zag (and still deep) trenches are also constructed in WW1.

[@janbaserullut1212]

Well, there is a reason the fire department is surrounding forest fire there - there is allways a firework of old mines, ammo and other explosives that will explod. On the other side of the Rhine - Diersfort Forest and the Highst before Brunen/ Hamminkeln you can find more mudded stuff ... take care not to blow up ...

[@GodisGracious1]

beautiful

[@justindoonerwind6076]

Great Vids. Do you ever take a metal detector??

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Metal detecting really isn't my thing.

[@tracymesser296]

OMG there must be all sorts of stuff in these woods!!!

[@veterangunner8198]

My great uncle died in Rheichswald 15.2.45 serving with the welch regiment driving a tank, he is buried at the war cemetery nearby think they drove through the centre section, is there anything of interest for me to visit in April in that area ie the forest please, im from Cumbria in UK, thank you🙏

[@TheHazzer07]

My father was in the reichsfeld forest in 1945 with the 51st lowland

[@sf14031952]

The big square pits , look like 88 mm flick gun pits , which the Germans used as tank busters

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Good suggestion, I hope to find a map one day of the intentions of the Germans, but doubt it exists.

[@CGM_68]

@@TheBattlefieldExplorer I found some here, not sure how accurate they are. But they may be of interest to you. ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/veritable-1945-51st-highland-division-reichswald-forest.74787/

[@martyt8551]

My dad was there in WW2 with the Somerset’s.

[@eaglesfly5236]

What background audio file did you use for the battle sounds?

[@bryanowen9828]

Needs to be metal detected ☝️ great vid

[@lassesc]

Interessant, thanks!

[@gerardritzer]

these hills surrounding the city of Nijmegen together with the riversMaa,l waal is why Nijmegen is hard to take . The natural defenses was already discovered by the romans

[@leonvisser]

is hier veel gevochten? Mooie video

[@Rickkert2000]

Extreem veel

[@md.monjurulalamrana7982]

Never forgetting the history of vision with human being...! m.m.a.rana

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Montgomery showed the Americans how to get through a forest here, unlike their Hurtgen Forest struggles.

[@urbextaskforce7257]

Nice video, good story telling. however I would like to speak a word of concern. I have walked many of the paths in the 5200HA large forest and seen most of the trench systems and bunkers. parts of it are from WW1 and parts are from WW2. DON'T BE FOOLED going of the path into the train between the trenches as I have seen you do on this video. you were afraid of braking a leg over the foxholes well let me tell you this. This area is the most fired upon area by artillery during the allied western campaign. Last week I was back on Pyramid hill. on a distance of 150 meters away from the post war tower at the top, 15 meters of the path we found a live 155mm British HE artillery round, IT WAS JUST COVERED BY 3 CM OF GROUND AND SOME LEAVES !!! Fuse still intact and for some reason did not go of. Like said don't be fooled in taking of the path and venture into the forested open areas as you are directly risking your life and can definitely loose much more then just braking a foot or a leg! Area still is not completely cleared and still littered with left over unexploded ordinance and Artillery rounds and plz do not try to move them or pick them up. Why are they dangerous? nigelef.tripod.com/wt_of_fire.htm

[@glennclark4212]

Why can I hear gun fire..? Did u edit into the vid..?

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

I did not edit the video but it was hunting season when I was in the forest

[@glennclark4212]

The Battlefield Explorer wow that is strange I can hear noises... Gun fire explosions machine gun fire etc... Am I the only 1 that can hear this..? Residual sounds left over from the war..?

[@glennclark4212]

The Battlefield Explorer what I can hear is much more than hunting season noises.. Can u not hear this when u watch this back? I can hear war noises soooo clear it’s very strange

[@AnnRose142]

@@glennclark4212 I noticed that too.

[@glennclark4212]

Ann Rose Thank u for replying glad I’m not the only 1 that heard it 👍🏻

[@hey_joe7069]

If trees could talk!

[@haraldhickertz5859]

Hello, I think that the bunkers that are being reported on here come from a completely different time. They belonged to the empire

[@veterangunner8198]

Many were ww1 era apparently

[@GymChess]

If you'd keep quiet only for 10 seconds you'd clearly hear machine gun fire in the background as well as rifles. It sounds like the war is still going on for crying out loud. I can even make out bullets ricocheting all over the place.

[@chuckvan1568]

Remarkable condition? All the fortifications/bunkers were completely destroyed and exist now as overgrown rubble.

[@RSparrow3936]

Its sad. Id love to check them out

[@AnnRose142]

@@RSparrow3936 I live in this area and a few bunkers are still intact I witnessed a demolition of one a few years ago but there still are a few in my village but you can't get into them anymore because they are overgrown. But you still can see them in the landscape.

[@tylerjerabek5204]

Of course they’re overgrown, it’s been 75 years now of natural regrown but it’s amazing that you can still follow them easily

[@chuckvan1568]

@@tylerjerabek5204 Perhaps, but not remarkable condition. They're destroyed!

[@R89-g4y]

Very nice video! Whats is the adress/ Google maps location of the start of this path?

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

It is near Eethuis De Diepen goo.gl/maps/Niv4wEyAnnueeHKn9

[@thorstenguna608]

@@TheBattlefieldExplorer Betty very nice Video! Is it gar away from the eethuis?

[@NiekEdeling]

Interesting video.. and how Dötsj can joe zound 🙂

[@richardhuffman1099]

I can see Ferder up the hill

[@richardhuffman1099]

I can still here gunfire

[@shauntemplar.26]

would many of the trees have been here then in 1940s?

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Yes and no, by the beginning of Operation Veritable in February 1945 this hilltop would have been shelled so relentlessly that very few trees would remain.

[@TheIngsten]

very interesting but the coordinates not realy working :D

[@TheBattlefieldExplorer]

Yeah sorry about that.

[@TheIngsten]

@@TheBattlefieldExplorer i think by help of google maps it is : 51.73868 N , 5.95677 E

[@mariomobiel]

Hi, Kun je mij een privé bericht sturen?

[@richardhuffman1099]

19ferty 8 19 ferty 9

[@lig85]

GRAFWEGEN