Hell Below - Episode 2: Hitler's Revenge | Free Documentary History

[@FreeDocumentaryHistory]

December 1941: Following the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor, five Nazi U-boats set out on a secret mission to attack ships off the shores of the United States to thwart the American war effort.

[@FreeDocumentaryHistory]

@SFM3AR15 next week.

[@Grossadmiral_Casey]

@@FreeDocumentaryHistory you sure?

[@leavycarter4696]

😊😊

[@Brock_Landers]

I've been waiting for this episode. Thank you all so very much for keeping this story alive.

[@Galland_]

Reinhard Hardegen was the longest living world war 2 u-boat captain; he died in 2018 at age 105.

[@vortex162]

Kraut doesn't wither!

[@liverpool666]

What a man

[@andyharris17able]

Thanks for telling that ..

[@AnthonyOMulligan-yv9cg]

And Gay his whole life

[@briankorbelik2873]

He, Hardegen wrote a good book about his and U-123's exploits off the US East Coast.

[@winterflame1965]

I never knew any of this had even occurred! Thank you for sharing the documentaries.

[@joanhuffman2166]

There's a documentary about a U-boat found down off the US coast. I think it was PBS.

[@mohamednasr1395]

Amazing work uncovering such a story that seems to be rarely if ever told !

[@donnied9432]

Im gonna have to watch this again. I was just listening and 2/3 paying attention through most of it. Think it deserves more.

[@seltaeb9691]

Who doesn't love subs. Merchant seaman died in their thousands, yet at the end of war weren't given any medals apart from those who died, as they were classed not in military. After a long campaign they all got them.

[@ScoobyShotU]

Lol tell you're apart of the everyone gets trophy generation without saying it 🤣

[@briangrogan2553]

​@@ScoobyShotUtell me youre a boomer without telling me. The kids never asked for those meaningless trophies.

[@howardj602]

Who doesn't loves subs? How about the families of the merchant seaman who died. My uncle was in Merchant Marine, and made several trans Atlantic Crossings and one to Murmansk. He never got a medal, or benefits either. He died before 2017.

[@heaven-is-real]

@@howardj602 My dad was in the merchant marine towards the end of ww2 and he encouraged me to join the navy

[@Wong_wong565]

😢​@@howardj602

[@howardj602]

The sinking of the Coimbra took place 27 miles offshore and 76 miles to the east of New York City. It now lies in 180 ft of water. The Narrator said that "the ship was fully lit up by the lights of New York ". Considering the distance that is hardly a possibility. The Coimbra was the subject of an effort to remove the remaining oil in the ship by the U.S. Coast Guard and The EPA in 2019. The ship had become an artificial reef and and is now a natural habitat for marine life. Six of the 36 crew survived.

[@terryeustice5399]

Great Documentary on the U-Boats attack on the East coast of USA. And the response was sad 😢.

[@1950Chimaera]

THEY PLANNED THE WAT FOR YEARS US DIDN'T EXPECT A "PEARL HARBOR" OFF THE EAST COAST. Effect, OF COURSE, BUT BY D-DAY they found out attacking civilians really hits home. Germany carpet bombed by the "SLEEPING GIANT", being awoken.

[@sergiodarosa1034]

This is my first time learning about how much success the uboats had off the coast of the united states

[@lonewolf5238]

Same here. I can't believe the damage done, the losses. The indifference to those losses to save political face is even more incredible. I gather from this documentary, that this Adm King refused assistance from the UK and Canada, sat on his hands and did nothing. That's some legacy.

[@jeremymackevincaylor5041]

It's the most I've ever seen on one show.

[@briankorbelik2873]

It was a sea debacle worse than Pearl Harbor. We (the US), acted stupidly for 6 months.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

The Torpedo Alley, or Torpedo Junction, off North Carolina, is one of the graveyards of the Atlantic Ocean, named for the high number attacks on Allied shipping by German U-boats in World War II. Almost 400 ships were sunks, mostly during the Second Happy Time in 1942, and over 5,000 people were killed, many of whom were civilians and merchant sailors. Torpedo Alley encompassed the area surrounding the Outer Banks, including Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras.

[@briangrogan2553]

There is a British cemetery on the island of Ocracoke. The locals recovered the bodies on the beach and gave them all a proper burial

[@mikemalloy1681]

I am originally from Wilmington, NC (Cape Fear region). I had several uncles that worked at the Texaco plant there and did not go marching off to war. In the 1950's my uncle Jim used to tell me stories about going fishing at Kure's Beach, on his days off and seeing gigantic explosions over the horizon during this time. It was common back then to see American bodies wash up dead of course soaked with oil from these explosions.

[@katherinecooper6159]

Some people did not 'go to wat' because their jobs were essential to the needs of our country.

[@antoniafenech8279]

Unfortunately admiral King was such an Anglophobe he didn’t want to take advice from the British on how to deal with the U boat threat. That attitude cost hundreds of lives and thousands of tons of ships.

[@georgethepatriot2785]

Well known in the UK but air brushed out in this video

[@MyVernon1]

Totally Absorbing viewing. 1st class Doc. 😊

[@FreeDocumentaryHistory]

Thank you 😊

[@billmason2785]

The British expert ..from Cambridge uk is a genius on Naval warfare

[@liverpool666]

George RR Martin

[@billmason2785]

@@liverpool666 Professr Eric Grove is who I referenced

[@rupben01]

Great documentary from an old UK sailor.. Thank you

[@MavicAir1]

Respect to the sailors in that early war disaster. Got to also respect that Whaler ship with a experienced Captain to try and run the sub down. Crazy times and so many lives lost.

[@gar6446]

Thank Admiral King, for the carnage . They were 'strongly urged' to blackout the eastern seaboard. It was ignored. They were also advised to introduce a convoy system. Again, this advice was ignored. So merchant ships beautifully back-lit by the lights, and totally unprotected were slaughtered.

[@dukeford]

King had no authority to blackout anything, and the convoy system was implemented when they had enough escorts.

[@jonathanwallace6667]

Wow, i served 12 yrs 8 on the East coast 80s and never heard of this event.

[@FGPR01BrunoCauz]

Murphy's War is an 1971 film starring Peter O'Toole and Siân Phillips. It was directed by Peter Yates based on the 1969 novel by Max Catto. The film is set in Orinoco river actual Venezuela during World War II and focuses on a stubborn survivor of a sunken merchant ship who is consumed in his quest for revenge and retribution against the German submarine that sank his ship.

[@davidlavigne207]

I highly recommend three books, "Operation Drumbeat" by Michael Gannon, "The Burning Shores" by Ed Offley, both about the U Boat offensive of the Eastern US, and " "Long Night of the Tankers" bu David J. Burceson and Holger H. Herwig, concerning the Operation Neuland. This was the war against the Caribbean, Venezuelan shipping of raw materials (especially oil tankers) being shipped to North America and to the UK. It was what nearly could have driven the British to the negotiating table IMHO.

[@dukeford]

I recommend Gannon's book as an alternative to toilet paper.

[@davidlavigne207]

@@dukeford As opposed to the book you have never written? On what basis do make such a frivolous analysis? Where is the academic proof?

[@dukeford]

@@davidlavigne207 Gannon is a hack. Sensationalist garbage. He makes a lot of stuff up, takes things out context, etc.. Obviously has some sort of warped vendetta against Ernest King His act has been called out by other historians, like Dr. Robert Love.

[@dukeford]

@@davidlavigne207 Gannon is intellectually dishonest. His "act" has been called out by other academics, for starters.

[@davidlavigne207]

@@dukeford Well then forgive my ignorance, but you could have presented such facts as proof instead of making a baseless claim as if I am some kind of a dolt. I would at least give you the benefit of the doubt and treated you with some respect. Have a wonderful Holiday.

[@rajendramangalore7218]

Excellent video

[@nigellawson8610]

The reason why so many ships were lost in American waters can be laid at the door of Admiral Ernest J. king’s incompetence? His resistance to instituting a convoy system right away was inexcusable. His reluctance to adopt the convoy system was a product of his Anglophobia. King reluctance to adopt this strategy was strongly influenced by the fact that it was a British innovation? He was unaware of the fact that ships travelling in convoy reduce the number of targets available to attacking submarines. Furthermore, even a poorly escorted convoy still offers a threat to an attacking submarine?

[@JackNiles-hc8yz]

Do you really believe that King and the U.S. Navy weren't aware of the benefits of escorted convoys? What do you think the Navy did during WWI? What was the Navy doing for most of 1941 in the Atlantic? Running bloody convoys, that's what.

[@dukeford]

King instituted convoys when they had the escorts available to do so, and not before. Operating unescorted convoys, or inadequately escorted, was asking for trouble, as the Brits and Canadians found out.

[@ngome_sam.]

Always here everyday for Episode 3 ,,,it has taken long 😚

[@romans325kjb]

Talk about unprepared. All lights on in the cities and ships. Almost unbelievable, but facts. Haven't watched this series in awhile but it is one of the best ones. Operation Drum Beat was very successful up and down the east coast, (from Canada down). As the series continues the German success does not. Enjoy. (do not get me started on Admiral King 😏👎).

[@dukeford]

Anything you have to say about Admiral King would probably be wrong anyway.

[@JR-wk9zn]

It went from good to mad, from bad to sad!!!

[@Hew.Jarsol]

HMS Bulldog captured the first Enigma codes machine. God bless the Royal navy 🇬🇧 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@MyBlueZed]

This was the NAVAL version. Polish agents provided the British with a machine in 1939. Getting the code books was the important thing.

[@jonathanparry7824]

The machine the poles provided was an old version and out of date

[@salvatorepitea5862]

Didn't the sub have anymore deck gun ammo ... I'm sure that five incher could do some kinda damage to that whaling ship

[@Baza1964]

Yes but if he turned to fire , the Whaler would have got him.

[@josephdillon7420]

This is the part our History teacher never taught us. So scary, enemy right at your back door!!!

[@666okano]

Usyks bro done the narration on this

[@hazylogic]

Haha

[@MomentsInTrading]

Really interesting 👍🏻

[@WorldGoneKrazy]

Excellent, Thank you. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@dr.ozyrak]

Breaking the enigma code was devastating for the Germans on all fronts

[@bangkokrichard]

I am 70 years old, and my father in law was a Captain on a Coast Guard ship in this era. I saw the black and white photos (Stamped "Secret") of a U-Boat he forced to the surface and sank. The Coast Guard is the least appreciated facet of WW2.

[@jon18meci]

upload episode 3

[@FreeDocumentaryHistory]

@@jon18meci the entire series is already available. PLAYLISTS Tab in the HELL BELOW folder

[@shaun1432]

How do you think this video compares to the previous ones?

[@swespeedy1]

Couldn't they fire the canon on the charging whaler? Or was it off perimeter?

[@mechanicman8687]

I read a book called torpedo alley back in the mid 90s. Sense then I’ve been interested in submarines

[@MarkElzey-xk4kj]

The propeller on front of torpedo is supposed to be spinning, its an arming safety feature designed to prevent early close proximity detonations

[@richardkeilig4062]

The merchant marine served well but paid a high price. RIP sailors.

[@narayankulkarni5378]

Sir please show us disappear of mongols emperor kublai khans naval fleet in japan islands

[@Harry-f8f]

The Norwegians had at the outbreak of ww2 the 3rd or 4th biggest merchant fleet in the world. They all sailed for allied ports in 1940. Much of the torpedoed merchants in the atlantic was Norwegian vessels. Unappreciated in the history books is a mild statement.

[@michelcharbonnier7603]

Funny to think that a Norwegian whaling boat was a more effective deterrence vs. the U-Boats in American waters than the US Navy

[@jameswoodbury2806]

Early in the war King didn't want the convoys along the East coast without adequate escorts because for the U-boats it would be like shooting fish in a barrel. This forced the U-boats to risk staying off the coast hunting single targets instead of using all 12 torpedoes at once attacking a single convoy.

[@dukeford]

There were plenty of logical reasons for letting ships sail independently instead of grouping them up in unescorted or inadequately escorted convoys.

[@geraldweissburg8618]

King should have been arrested and punished for his incompetence that bordered on treason. What a slug. Those old Navy dudes were so hard headed.

[@dukeford]

Lol.

[@CHARLESMOELLER-y4r]

WW2 NYC - the Mayor refuses to turn the lights out: TYPICAL DEMOCRAT RESPONSE - after all, they're just nameless sailors having a horrible death in Winter's north Atlantic seas so people just partied on, seeing a Broadway play, have diner T-bone steak with fresh lobster, drinks, and kick-up your sweetheart's heels. Those last shocking words were shared by our Grandmother around 1971, and she clearly was disgusted "of those people".

[@liverpool666]

Das Boot what a movie that was and is.

[@IllutianKade]

So...all of the engineering crew, except the one engine mechanic, is now blind from watching a welder unit in operation. :P

[@MyBlueZed]

25:00 Local residents would have been unable to see 30 miles due to the curvature of the earth. Not even a faint illumination.

[@TheChiefEng]

Of course this time has never become part of general knowledge in America. There was never a great interest in teaching the American public that America basically had its behind handed to them by the Germans the first few months after Germany declared war on America. The same thing basically happened in North Africa the first time the American forces encountered the Germans and this was actually at a time where the Germans were on retreat and yet, they managed to give the Americans a bloody nose the first time the two forces met. The Germans generally had the best field commanders during WWII. The only problem was the little Austrian corporal who refused to let his field commanders conduct the battles. Thank God, the little Austrian narcissist did that. Had the German field commanders had free hands, the war would have lasted much longer with much higher loss of life.

[@jimmorrison6421]

You are 150% right man every single thing you said every word

[@bluecollarnobody4217]

My question is, how do you get a sub with limited fuel capacity from Larion France, where they just conquered all the way to the coast of New York

[@josephlinck1892]

Admiral King was responsible for the USA disaster of 1942 battle of the Atlantic. Why was he so slow to use radar? Convoys ? Blackouts of our coastal cities? Lighthouses left on. And most importantly air power. He sent most of his aircraft carriers to the Pacific. Ignoring FDR’s orders for the Europe first policy.

[@John-or4mn]

for Reinhard Hardegen for a guy with a sour belly, he sure lived a long-life surviving born in 1913 and living to 2018

[@buckwheatINtheCity]

Hardigan, ironically is a Celtic name. 😮

[@shaunmcclory8117]

Imagine the nightmarish conditions they endured motoring a sub on the surface in a winter storm in the North Atlantic!? Being thrown against equipment inside the sub they must've been black &blue! Not to mention sick! I've been on a small yacht in a storm and trying to aim into the toilet is impossible! Imagine the state inside a u-boat at sea for months with 50odd men trying to do it!? They would be wading in it!

[@suzannakoizumi8605]

German U-boats were refueled at night at the Standard Oil Co (Rockefeller) in Linden, NJ. The company would schedule only German Americans, no Polish Americans, on these nights. This is true and was known by both sets of employees.

[@darbyohara]

It would be interesting to theorize how the war might have been different should the Germans had 100 or 150 u boats at the start of the war vs the 50 they actually had

[@buckshots2dabrain859]

Why couldn’t they use the uboat’s flak gun to deter the pursuing whale boat?

[@ShiaKorchin]

Yes, these submarines were very destructive!

[@dominickcarella12]

I know we were not readied with ships, but no response from the U.S. Navy?

[@kennethdeanmiller7324]

Actually, I think what it was is all of a sudden the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor & sink our entire fleet of battleships in the Pacific. But they did it with 6 Aircraft Carriers but they didn't sink any US Carriers .And we had 4 Carriers, I think. But now USA is in the War, Germany declares war on US. And the USA declares war on Japan, Germany & Italy

[@WesleyCook-eg9tn]

Norwegian whaler vs German mechanic fixing an engine in time to speed away... Yeah my money is on the German mechanic everytime haha

[@lonewolf5238]

I'm curious why they didn't turn their deck gun on that whaler. Unless they had depleted ammo there too?

[@kjemma]

The british navy chief, Admiral Jellicoe was just as inept and slow to react, nearly causing british defeat in 1917 from lack of ships. And the russians lost millions of men being outfought, outflanked and outsmarted by the germans in 41 and 42. not understanding how to fight a modern war until it was almost to late. The french still believed they were fighting a war behind fortifications in 40, and lost the whole fight fo france in a few weeks. All in all, its amazing how behind the curve so many of the socalled military "geniuses actually was. But like the historian interviewed in this video - both the american and the british, and partulary the americans reacted with extreme flexibility, grit and determination as soon as they had absorbed those first, painfull lessons. So did to some degree also the russians, although they displayed a marvellous distain from accepting common sense all through the conflict.

[@jhansenduca1478]

The sub should be an typeIXB

[@Peter-jv3vg]

The oil pollution then must have been horrendous. Now if they spill 100 gallons they go bananas.Whats up with that.

[@TootlesTart]

Thinking of the UK snuffing down every possible light, then NYC lit up clueless like a Christmas tree.

[@ziggythegreat]

refrain from shave, shower, or washing laundry. im already there

[@mrjsreadingcorner9915]

When you're a naval historian but you got to destroy Tyson Fury by 9

[@jerrywilliams9190]

Why couldn't submarines be fitted with some type of explosive device that they could send up to the surface that would explode right under the escort destroyer?

[@hazylogic]

Shut up, Jerry

[@jerrywilliams9190]

@hazylogic ditto hazy

[@saikatbaidya4999]

Why uboat not submarine....?

[@JackNiles-hc8yz]

About 90% of the YT content concerning Admiral King is misleading or incorrect.

[@evilstorm5954]

6 million? There’s that number again. I think if they got close to 1 million the US Navy would’ve woken up. Look at the numbers. Gardiner was 50k with 8 ships, the best of 5 U Boats. If all 5 did the same that’s only 250k tonnes. The Germans could keep trying but it only got harder from there.

[@kluge4206]

Pardon me if I missed it,did these subs carry more than 14 torpedoes?

[@jasonThunder-b2j]

Wolf pack r still hunting in the spirit world ❤

[@Baza1964]

King was also anti-British ,so he didn't listen to any of their advice . Costing many lives and much cargo .

[@TrooBlud34]

This probably would have been a little more interesting to watch if the submarine had been manned by adult men rather than 17 year old high school students.

[@david2727]

What? You do know that was the average age of submariner, right?

[@TrooBlud34]

@david2727 Of course I know - the same as it is today. The same age I was 38 years ago when I was in. My focus of my comment was aimed at the age of the boat commander. I should have been more clear, I'm just not very intelligent I'm afraid.

[@arthur1658]

Yeah, 20 years of age. Not 17. Infact at 17 you wouldn't be able to enlist. Until that is 1945 ,when the German army would take anyone who could hold a weapon

[@wanagi006]

@@david2727 He isn't speaking about the American Regulations of Submariners today... these were German subs...with enlisted or drafted ( FORCED to serve) kids . The third reich would take anyone with the coordination and ability to point and fire a weapon.

[@nicktynan1355]

​@@TrooBlud34And that commander(Reinhardt Hardegan) lived over 100 years, passing in 2016.

[@stuartahrens6775]

Yeah it's not good being able to help the enemy. America was in the war but not declaring war until the Japanese bombing of pearl harbour.

[@andypearson2243]

U517 sunk my dad's ship HMCS charllettown in the St Lawrence River in view of civilians on shore killing 6 ,4 more died later of injuries Sept 11-1942 Canada's 9-11 the explosion blew my dad over board or i would not be here

[@Peter-jv3vg]

Earned king loved his booze too.😮😮😮

[@Kenstout-qg9zy]

Our subs were crewed by 17 year olds what's the difference

[@jeffreyhagelin3672]

It was actually a crime that the US Navy was so unprepared for war.

[@anti-Russia-sigma]

As merchant seamen were the unsung heroes of the World Wars,you should feature them,instead of those who harm merchant seamen.

[@Patriot-hz8xk]

Look at those handsome, beautiful boys! Any girl would be lucky to have any of those guys!!!

[@Adamz678]

lol wut

[@kluge4206]

Lol,they probably had bad teeth

[@williamh3823]

1 of 4 women of german submariner's became widows

[@ronalddechosa3048]

Subs'dfnition to a coffin'once u gt inside,then its time to rest,u knw that when u board subs its btween life&death 💀☠️.,

[@hermanbotha1444]

Incredible tha the Americans just allowed this to go on and on. As if they just did't care. It certainly eroded my view of the Americans of the time.

[@JonCarter-i3k]

I'm not wanting to seem overly critical. This channel does really great sub videos, ... but it seems very out of place seeing a few of the crew wearing long sleeve dress shirts, especially plaids !! I think that I counted 5. 😶🤔 Also several of the crew had black tank tops and t-shirts. That also seems highly unlikely ! There's just NO WAY that I can believe that is realistic at all. For one thing, those plaids look very modern, and just not anything that I've seen a WW2 era German, civilian or otherwise wearing in any photo ever.

[@heaven-is-real]

Das Boot

[@wowgoml]

wow embarrassing US NAVY

[@TV-ph1tw]

SOS n SSS

[@pauljoneses8188]

This documentary starts well then it becomes poop

[@54cocacola]

Das Boot is all over the place in this episode, the nerve of you people .Get a life ....

[@grossadmiral1]

Was für eine schlechte Dokumentation!

[@willboudreau1187]

"The submarine captain did not know the depth of water off Long Island" WTF ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Horse-shiite. It's like a pilot who doesn't know his altitude. Du-oh!!!!!!!!!

[@nicksofialakis1448]

i highly admire the Germans, They are pioneers in almost every technological aspect. They created the Atom Bomb but its been ripped off and implemented by the US Z..nists, 2)The Rocket science via ancient Chinese methods. The Germans also completed the first Submarine, First Jet by implementing the multi impeller technology, Etc...

[@LongJohnLiver]

Nonsense. The US and Great Britain invented the first atomic bomb. The first navigable submarine was invented by a Dutchman named Cornelis Drebble in 1620. The first combat use of a submarine was during the American Revolution and was designed by David Bushnell from Connecticut.

[@nicksofialakis1448]

@@LongJohnLiver Don't forget that USA UK and Z are the winners and thw owners of the monopolised media of all kinds. Then A fully operational Submarine has nothing to do with numerous Concepts that the Ancient Greeks Romans Chinese later the English the French created only on paper and prototypes that fail to be fully operational and Completed!!!

[@jamesjohnson7556]

You know what annoys me about american documentary programs the bias when it comes to losses 📉 every british ship is named so but when its a american ship its simply the class of ship no mention of nationally 🙄

[@Brankolisic]

Big balls