Hitler's Island Madness

As soon as Hitler's forces occupied the Channel Islands in 1940 he ordered a series of fortifications to defend the only British territory he ever conquered. The problem was he never stopped - pouring men, concrete and weapons into the islands. By 1944 his officers talked of the Fuehrer's inselwahn - his 'island madness' and the Channel Islands had become the most fortified place on earth.
©2012 The Clearvue Projection Partnership ltd

[@dannjp75]

My late grandfather was the driver for Moores Hotel on Guernsey, when the Germans rocked up he was forced to drive the German officers around when they turned the hotel into a headquarters. There’s still a photo of my pop in the hotel to this day..❤

[@hankbannister]

I came to Guernsey for the first time in 1983 and I returned several times, and I was overwhelmed by the warm friendship, I found. I met real friends there until today. Although I came from Germany.

[@drunkcatphil9911]

As a kid growing up in Jersey you learn about the improvised foods and meals (nettle soup and cake with 3 ingredients etc) people had to eat as the war went on and the Islands got cut off. My great grandfather was almost kill by land mines whilst heading down to a beach to go fishing to feed the family. My mum still has an original cookbook. Weirdly enough some people (mostly Americans) seem to think the Islanders betrayed Britain and welcomed the Nazis in. I’ve been asked ‘why didn’t you fight back?’ They don’t seem to understand that growing potatoes isn’t going to stop the Luftwaffe. The Islanders were more or less farmers, fishermen and milkmaids. We stood absolutely no chance.

[@willjohnson2722]

I have heard that trope in England- that Jersey people were Nazi collaborators, heard comedians make that joke on the BBC. It's not true, not funny and makes me angry to hear. My family is from Jersey, as a kid I didn't know any different, then I grew up and came to learn those gigantic sea defence walls were built by slaves who were worked to death. There's a little country lane (going uphill from Le Braye I think), come around a corner and there's a machine gun post right in your face. Always gives me a shock. I think maybe people who live there get used to it, but as I visit only a few times a year, I really see the fortifications and it spooks me.

[@Steelhorsecowboy]

Yes, that would have been madness to try to resist. Knowing the power of the Germans at the time and the desire for a propaganda point it would have made no sense. The Germans were coming in regardless of any resistance. -An American

[@gianlucamai]

Great comment tbh. Respect from northern Italy.

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

What a great post, I bet it was interesting to be a kid there mate. From Australia

[@mikeg1433]

I can assure you most Americans have no idea what or where Jersey is.

[@kevinsanderson4860]

I think it's almost humorous, to build all that just for the allies to fly over and past it

[@NathanCroucher]

haha yeah

[@ctdieselnut]

Hitler wanted to show off, so he gave the allies something expensive to fly over. He was delusional and out of touch in many ways, even when the high command gave him advice he didn't listen. Its satisfying to see someone reap what they sow. If he was alive today I wonder what he would say the reason for how heavily fortified they made these islands. At the very least he overestimated the strategic advantage they provided, and drew resources away from areas less protected.

[@seththebeatmxchine]

Yeah all that slave labor for nothing.

[@herzkine]

Shit happens, USA later gives billions and billions every year for military and some guys woth boxcutters just decide to ignore it an strike WTC and Pentagon.

[@OliverNorth9729]

Maybe it was meant to deter ship invasions. 🤷‍♂️

[@durwinpocha2488]

"A soldier is promised but two things. A uniform and a burial." An underworld soldier said, "promise those two things and all soldiers everywhere will end up fighting for you."

[@rarevhsuploads4995]

This was a very interesting documentary. The occupation of the Channel Islands is an poorly covered subject for TV so it was a welcome addition to KZbin when I saw this posted, thank you. I will be watching the others on your channel.

[@ndowroccus4168]

There are a ton of data on this second ww, on KZbin…of course not all of it just battles and horrors.

[@josemanuelcabrera786]

9i99ò8i

[@jeanlongsden1696]

they missed out on Churchill being told of how the Islanders was going without food. to which he replied "let them starve".

[@kevt3318]

Many dispute that he meant the German soldiers.

[@dovetonsturdee7033]

You apparently don't know that his reference was to the German garrison?

[@jeanlongsden1696]

@@dovetonsturdee7033 that's what you would like to think. but my grandmother and her sister was both starving here in Jersey, along with all the other Islanders.

[@OliverNorth9729]

​@@jeanlongsden1696What about fishing?

[@jeanlongsden1696]

@@OliverNorth9729 the beaches was mined. also France is only 16 miles away, so could and was reachable by rowboat by 2 Islanders who escaped in the night.

[@Urkinorobitch]

While playing Heart Of Iron III, if you set the defense points on the channel islands to be lower than adjacent regions the allies invade them and then get stuck there to be picked at slowly.

[@danielt.8573]

Hitler thought the british would react with pride when it got to their own territory but clearer minds prevailed over emotion.

[@Spartanm333]

And any invasion would have been pre-emptied by an air attack... bombs that would have killed civilians, British citizens. It was never realistic. What the British did do which isn't mentioned here, is slip commandos on and off the island at times from a submarine off the coast. Like in France, this was one way they could remain connected with local resistance and keep them supplied... like a radio. This was always surveillance though, not a pre-empt to an invasion.

[@Alkymick1]

@@Spartanm333 It didn't stop them flattening French cities though

[@Paul_Wetor]

Thanks for posting this. I've visited St. Peter Port on several cruises and once bought this on DVD, only to discover later that it was PAL format.

[@Spartanm333]

Synchronicity? l've cycled around the island of Guernsey today... 31 miles and then this pops up in my youtube feed in the evening :) Maybe it read my geo location. Many of the tunnels still exist, some are accessible. The German scars remain and there is a palpable tension inside them, the towers and the ramparts. This is relatively recent history and many of the experiencers are still here.

[@krypton1982]

"Thank You Google."

[@nieuwlanderic1113]

Qqq

[@hecateswolf6007]

Yes a synchronicity, a meaningful coincidence

[@jasontucker5153]

Hoho

[@maxvauderk816]

not synchronicity, were ...

[@robertkennedy9618]

What a great doco and I’ll bet this piece of WW2 history is not known to many. So glad I was able to watch this very well done documenting of history

[@gary3561]

Germans still use this method In building flats and many houses today. Dig foundations add steel framing then place wood either side and pour in cement. Where i live you can see it. Its a bugger to even drill a small hole in the walls.

[@henrikkristianbergman2546]

Very good video. As a WW 2 history nerd, this is a subject rarely shown, but definitely one of the most interesting part of the war.

[@-BuddyGuy]

Hitler's Island Madness sounds like a really great arcade adventure game

[@kylew2165]

To be fair, there were 50 US Rangers at Dieppe. And 5000 Canadians. And 1000 British. It is a well-known battle in Canada. A "lessons learned" battle and the precursor to the Normandy invasion.

[@kilofoxtrotdelta6112]

I've been to Jersey a couple of times as a kid, submarine pens/torpedo boat (which was down the cliff built into the bottom of the cliff below pontins holiday center), gun emplacements, and the underground hospital.

[@MrBsUkuleleChannel]

Fascinating documentary, thank you very much. I visited Jersey as a teenager and went to some of the fortifications there. It's very interesting how over defended the islands became and curious how the Nazis squandered so many resources there.

[@leonchevalier]

It's crazy to think I grew up playing in, on and around these fortifications.

[@bite-marx]

Great doc. I'm a ww2 nerd and Have never seen much coverage of this significant part of the story of the Atlantic wall and the german occupation of England. I learned a lot. I love the testimonials from those that were there at that time. I'd imagine it might be awkward for the old German soldier to return to the island and talk about those days and what he did. I often think about how they went on after the war and had regular lives and what they thought about being part of recent historys most brutal and oppressive regimes of the last 100 years- and there have been many other bloodthirsty and murderous contestants in this timeframe, but few with such cold efficiency and systematic cruelty toward their fellow man. Japan was part of the same machine. USSR, China, United States has plenty of blood on their hands too, of course. I wont get anymore into this topic. Good documentary though.

[@bite-marx]

War sucks.

[@howardsportugal]

The remnants of the occupation on Alderney are truly astonishing...it feels like the Nazis only left a couple of years ago.

[@robinfryer479]

Around just before 15minutes in, you can see a shot of the back of Longy Villas, at the top of Bluestone Hill, in ALDERNEY, which, for its size, had more fortifications per mile, than the other islands…

[@janchurch5751]

I’m not 🎱🎱🎱🥏🥏🥏 I’m going back to the office to see Q

[@workinalday4351]

Pretty cool how those islands have been fortresses that just keep getting upgraded as the centuries pass.

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Amazing documentary. It’s crazy what human beings will do to each other if given power.

[@implosion1476]

There is a pillbox / bunker overlooking the bay in my home town that has sadly become a junkie haven. Stay say love from Australia 🇦🇺 ❤

[@aliray1165]

5:07 this map confused the hell out of me till I realised we were looking from the south west of the uk

[@jurassicpark85]

I love the music in this documentary

[@rbilleaud]

From what I understand, the people of the Channel Islands still have a sour taste in their mouths about being abandoned by their own government.

[@Stripple70]

Not true. As a Guern I can assure you that we fully understand how immensely destructive the battles would have been had Mountbatten got his wish.

[@rbilleaud]

@@Stripple70 thank you for correcting misapprehension. Good to know.

[@simonyip8571]

I think that they were offered to be evacuated to mainland Britain, I might be wrong but I believe that this is the case.

[@Stripple70]

@@simonyip8571 Yessir, the islanders were offered the option of evacuating to mainland UK. My grandparents managed to get away, many decided to stay and some didn't get off the island in time, German blitzkrieg rolled fast. There is another documentary where surviving islanders talk of their experiences living under occupation if you're interested kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpice5SPd6iAj9E

[@ldnwholesale8552]

I happened upon their Liberation Day on our visit there. Well celebrated

[@steveschmitt6933]

I love that perspective of the world map threatre at 5:08 on small the English Channel really is from Europe

[@nedludd7622]

German soldiers may have felt that they were on vacation on being assigned there.

[@johnmc3862]

No women!

[@johnsmith-mq4eq]

there were lots of affairs between local girls and the german soldiers more than 300 babies were born from german lovers

[@philipfreeman2863]

I've been fascinated by world war 2. I had family who served in North Africa and Sicily and France. My great uncle served in these areas. My second cousins husband served in China as a driver delivering supplies and equipment to Chinese forces. They both didn't speak much about it. There's a lot of stories about men of color who served during that time and have never had their stories told. Hopefully one day their stories will be told.

[@Spartanm333]

Hi Philip - my grandfather was a merchant navy captain engaged in the Atlantic convoys, torpedoed twice, the second time he was one of only two survivors, barely made it with lungs full of oil although he survived the war long enough for me to meet him as child in the early 60's. My father in law also served in an advanced unit, observer core during Operation Market Garden ... epitomised in the movie A Bridge Too Far. He was dropped behind enemy lines to inform the Allies of German positions but as reported in the movie, they had radio issues and he spent 3 days with 3 other men hiding in the rafters of a building surrounded by German's. They were eventually saved by the Dutch resistance who helped smuggle them back to Allied lines, lucky to escape capture, and of course the Dutch would have been shot if captured with them. Wonderful people. Neither talked about the war or their experiences. One day when there was a memorial on TV for 60 years I think it was, I naively asked my father in law why he wasn't watching the celebration. He didn't answer me, but I was wrapped up in it and pressed him... " because it is too painful for me, in some ways the best and the worse time of my life. I lost half my crew to a tank shell on one occasion, I was only saved because I was stood behind a wall that took the blast. They were spread over the ground. But my brother and my best friend survived also which was good, but its too upsetting to re-live." I think the ground soldiers, seamen and airmen were incredibly brave on all sides, but they all left with scars.

[@simonyip8571]

Your great uncle probably served in the area between Burma and China because it was one of the few places that the western allies could send weapons, ammunition, vehicles, rations, medical supplies, fuel and other equipment to the Nationalist Army of the Republic of China. Some supplies were sent by air but much of the equipment and supplies was driven through tropical forests, semi arid areas, hills and valleys and swamplands, with the danger of being attacked by the very determined and tough Japanese front line combat troops who would never surrender and would rarely take prisoners of war. They were hated by the majority of the Chinese troops and civilians, the Koreans, Indians, etc and the western allies for their cruelty but almost everyone respected and feared their bravery, toughness and determination and they would almost never surrender and would prefer to fight to the death for their Emperor and their country. It must have been a very tough place to operate especially in the rainy monsoon season.

[@philipfreeman2863]

@@simonyip8571 That's interesting to know. He was the husband of my second cousin. He mentioned he served in China and he drove supplies in. But never mentioned much beyond that. My great uncle didn't really speak about his time in much. It was only after his funeral that I found out some of the rest of his story. He was reassigned as a replacement driver after Paris had been liberated. And.was assigned to the 761 tanks as a replacement driver for their halftracks. He basically brought up supplies to the.units on the front. The 761 was a all black tank unit assigned to Patton. And did a good job. They are just barely mentioned in most histories of Pattons.units. but they preformed well in every action they fought. So anyway uncle Calvin rest in peace. And hopefully I'll see you when I see you.

[@simonyip8571]

@@philipfreeman2863 my grandfather on my father's side was Chinese from Hong Kong and his family experienced the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong at first hand. My grandad on my mother's side was English and he and his brother were in the British Royal Navy and were sent to Shanghai in the late 1930's to protect the British embassy and they were sometimes in the middle of the fighting between the Chinese Nationalist Army and the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy and they were usually safe as long as they had big UK flags on display. The ship was a heavy cruiser called HMS Cumberland and it was so big that they could go for weeks or even months without seeing each other. They were 17-20 years old at the time and they saw some terrible sights including the dead civilians floating towards the sea along the Yangtze River from Nanking after the massacre of Nanking in winter 1937-38. My Chinese granddad was in the British merchant navy sailing to and from the USA with supplies etc so I have a personal interest in that part of the Second World War.

[@pedrocostaesilva7239]

80 000 African fought for the Nazis like hundreds of thousands of volunteers all across the world

[@fibosxpivots6238]

In Guernsey at the end of W W 2.the gestion of German bunkers was given to...a German former officer What is maybe ironic, the Fuehrer made a speech in the Berlin Sportpalast in January 1940 ( before invading France ) and he spoke of the 40 millions sq km owned.by the British , " by God's sake" as he told,. And here he succeeded in ocupying 60 sq km of.English territory !!

[@shaunryan6]

A great pity that the guns were removed would be great for tourism. You can stay in the observation tower at Corbier in Jersey.

[@josephdurling2565]

I wonder if anyone ever claimed any money from Germany after the war for the work they did

[@telsurrey1]

What a surprisingly good doc! Not much on KZbin about this occupation. I think we are not proud of this episode in our history.

[@clivechambers6624]

The same as thecfall,of Singapore.

[@michaelcampin1464]

Mary Ann beer a lovely drop of beer. Still being brewed to this day

[@David-wk6md]

Mmmmm bier good. Mmmmmmmmmmm 12 hours later. Argh! My head hurts real bad.

[@threshkinta]

As a Kidd we broke into the bunkers and had parties, haha. Serious note the German sea walls still stand and the Jersey ones keep crumbling.

[@karlkarlsson9126]

So you are the ones people hate :P

[@onlieme5919]

Brilliant documentary. I would love to go to see the concrete wall

[@dannjp75]

You’re not missing much.

[@solcutta3661]

Beautiful documentary.

[@nigellittlejohn2168]

Awesome title for a documentary, B Grade Movie, Song/Band name, ect...

[@davidcoombe8828]

Excellent and extremely informative. Thank you

[@rimshot2270]

The Allies never tried to liberate the islands because they thought it would cost the lives of too many British civilians. Instead, they bypassed and isolated them. Civilians in mainland Europe apparently merited much less concern for their welfare.

[@Spartanm333]

I agree, but you said it yourself... British civilians - Britain would not bomb it's own people and the bombing of Dresden is contentious. The German people were brain-washed and encouraged to resist the Allies and fight to the death. Hitler bragged that the 'devils' could not touch the German cities so, although terrible, the point was bigger than destroying a tank factory. It was to destroy the moral of the people and convince moderate German soldiers of rank that they should challenge the Nazis and bring forward a surrender.

[@bunzeebear2973]

@@Spartanm333 5000 military men on an island that they can't get off of all that fast means the war would pass them by. That is 5000 soldiers the allies did not have to bother with. That were stuck there with big guns and nothing to shoot at. Somebody in the German planning department did not think things through. Sure the guns can shoot 32 miles. 32 1/2 miles, not so much. Ships can go around. Or mock ships made out of wood or balloons or painted on canvas on rafts a whole fleet of them attack at the same time. They only got so many shells. From 32 mile distance on a foggy day and they can only guess if it was a real invasion by the Brits. or what the Hell was going on? Meanwhile, elsewhere in Europe there was a war happening and these guys were missing it.

[@annoyingbstard9407]

Quite rightly.

[@Spartanm333]

@@bunzeebear2973 Absolutely true, the whole endeavour seems a folly... the island is full of the remnants of concrete tunnels, barricades, towers and gun emplacements still, I cycle passed them every day. As the documentaries suggest though (there is a series of three) - there were a number of possible reasons for this... propaganda is a strong one and high on the Nazi agenda. Several 'set up' films were made on the beaches of Alderney and Sark by the Germans of beach landings, presented in Germany as an invasion of England... a lie. There is Hitler's ego (he had a territory of the British occupied) and the real possibility that one or more of the islands was to be used as a nuclear development facility (like Peenemünde), safely offshore in case of an accident... why all those miles of underground tunnels beyond the needs of a hospital or barracks? Or as they suggest, a possible holiday destination for senior German officers, once the British Isles was safely overrun... clean beaches and we do get temps as good as the South of France... and with the benefit of no French. Several historians have looked at this and as stated, Rommel didn't agree with it from a tactical point of view, so it points to another dumb decision by Adolf. Like bombing London which galvanised the Brits (and their American cousins) to attack his German cities.

[@kettledrum1978]

I mean there’s also the small part of the islands being strategically completely inconsequential, where’s you kinda had to invade France so that you could in turn invade Germany. You know it’s just kinda the way geography works.

[@darrelneidiffer6777]

Excellent job, thanks.

[@markrowland1366]

For Zanzibar , Britten gave over the isle of Heligoland near Colone. If you say The four Chanel Islands were heavily prepared for war. Think again. Seven thousand tons off munitions were set off to wreck it, maybe the greatest explosion after the atomic devices.

[@rescuepetsrule6842]

Yet more proof that Hitler was insane. No wonder the British didn't want him killed, even when men volunteered to kill him and themselves with a bomb (one German had terminal Cancer and access to the Reichstad). With a madman in charge that destroyed everything he touched, the Germans were doomed. This is a fine film with good details and great shots of the Islands and the amazing structures. TY!

[@robertmanfredthurrigl9424]

Been to both islands twice . Fist time in '93 and the 2nd time in 2011 where i bought myslef a German steel helmet in a private museum that is a bunker . I like the monolithic structures and its Brutalist style . It stood the test of time. They are monuments now to obsessed German over engineering .

[@x2lls]

I thought the only underground hospital was on Jersey? I have visited it. I had no idea Guernsey also had one.

[@DrFod]

I've been to both and the one on Guernsey is very damp and in a poor state compared to the Jersey one.

[@x2lls]

@@DrFod Thanks for that, appreciated.

[@bubbasuper8]

This is the website of the Guernsey Underground hospital: www.germanundergroundhospital.co.uk/ Recently taken over by Festung Guernsey, a local fortifications preservation group. Well worth a visit.

[@AKUJIVALDO]

@@bubbasuper8 Going by name, Germans returned LOL

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Very intresting and informative! Thanks for sharing, appreciate it a lot. Greets from the Netherlands, T.

[@bigal7864]

Thanks for this video, very interesting 🇬🇬

[@Spartanm333]

The island of Alderney (in CI) has a submerged quarry... full of German weapons and artillery also, dumped there at the end of the war. A time capsule that may one day be revealed.

[@bobdinwiddy]

@40:00 the most lucid appraisal regarding the raison d'être behind the Atlantikwall: the Channel islands were British occupied territory! Reason enough to show off… The entire magnificent structure was deadly theatre, for both sides: concrete propaganda.

[@solcutta3661]

Very very emotive evocative ending.. The lone soldier deep in reflection who toddled off, seemingly back home for a cuppa and a odd night's dreams.. And for the next week or two to have the odd days here and there reflecting befoee once again consigning it to the past before his last days were coming to a close and finally some time later slipped away in to the oblivion that awaits us all.. The oblivion that renders all our experience and knowledge, thought and emotion lost to time.. Never to be rediscovered.

[@tizzy789]

Th raid on Dieppe was a distraction to give commandos cover as they tried to get an enigma machine, well the part they did not have.

[@johnsmith-mq4eq]

These bunkers were very far sighted tourists today and for the last 60 odd years seem very interested in going to see them

[@GreasyBelcher]

5:38 After WWII Hans Speidle became commander of NATO.

[@TEKASHI-de1qt]

He may have island madness but that's no excuse for island rudeness

[@robbogsy3469]

Just came across this video,I live on Guernsey and what a great video this was to watch.I love the bunkers over here,just wish I could get into more.

[@dr.a.995]

Gotta ask mate, you “love” the remaining structures built by Nazism but defeated by the Allies because they are a grim reminder of what could have been? Or you “love” them because all things Nazi are great? Do your neighbors on Guernsey feel as you?

[@robbogsy3469]

I mean i love the history! Some bunkers and tunnels you cannot get into.There is so much history with it all it.We should never forget what went on.

[@lesleyallinson8738]

I have a friend on Guernsey shes 75 now but everything that happened on Guernsey was heroic the Guernsey people were starved and burtilized a lot of lives lost. They were in there eyes uk abandoned by us in some ways I agree with them, it seemed every few feet bunkers were put solid concrete if uk had tried to take the islands it would have just been a lost battle because the germans had taken France

[@nobbynobbs8182]

Well, apart from it being a waste of resources, it did wonders for future tourism. I count that as a double win

[@johnmc3862]

I don’t think too many people know about it.

[@joebfnl1079]

If the weather wasn't so bad all the time, I would like to buy one of these!?!.

[@osman01003]

39:17 What else to expect from Mountbatten?

[@ariadneschild8460]

I didn't know about this part of the war, hitler really was insane. What a waste of resources in the end , RIP to all who died building this white elephant.

[@steelman86]

And now the world can see what AMERICA WENT THROUGH UNDER THE INSANE tRUMP administration for four very long years of CONSTANT TURMOIL OF A MUSSOLINI/HITLER want to be here in America.,.,., lock tRUMP UP ASAP,!!.,

[@annabell3385]

@@steelman86 yeah. Totally comparable.

[@justgivemethetruth]

There is a pretty good British TV series about this history called "Enemy At The Door".

[@Almagells]

44:48 you can see soldier, with bone and skin only, they are starved to almost death! That's the reason, why they surrender without a single shot!

[@jeremymerrifield7244]

In the first 40 seconds this documentary talks of 31 people being killed and then Germany occupying British territory without a shot being fired... So how did those people die ?

[@lsdzheeusi]

“By 1944, Guernsey was the most fortified place on Earth” *Iwo Jima has entered the chat*

[@dannjp75]

Iwo Jima is considerably small than guernsey.

[@kolloduke3341]

WELL DETAILED very useful for study, the filming of the slaves on the building constructions never seen that before ,cant take in that its thought that maybe ? 500 slaves died it must have been far more than that .Unfortunatley we will never know .

[@matthewkeith8605]

That old German soldier knows what he's talking about.

[@shp1065]

I wonder how england had so many teritory but no land was near england🧐

[@kevt3318]

This particular territory wanted to be part of Britain.

[@danabrahams7892]

Amazing construction, quite beautiful in many ways

[@sarcasmo57]

When will we ever learn?

[@happyfeet4506]

The Germans never left after the occupation now there called Jersey government

[@johnsmith-mq4eq]

About 300 german babies were born during the occupation it was wonderful posting for the troops at the wars end the girls and their children went to the UK mainland I went to school in London with one of boys he was born in 1944 Some of the fathers were able to reunite in the late 40s It was 1947 before my friend met his father.

[@eloimumford5247]

I imagine the stress in the local population to see those bastards ruining their lifesyle. Great documentary.

[@solcutta3661]

Is there a documentary anyone know of that's not about armaments but about the actual life of German and English co existing at this place.. Thats what I'm especially interested in.

[@laz820]

I’ve been there looking around the ruins.

[@jonjonsson6323]

The bizzare situation was not so much that Germany did this, but why Britain and france waited from october to march basically doing nothing after they declared war, and then was taken by surprise on several places. They also underestimated a lot and totally failed to draw any conclusions of what happened before dunquerc , and basically left their islands unguarded and almost killed their own army by being incompetent of warfare.

[@petermardon2698]

Another piece of WW II history I knew very little about. Great!!

[@francisebbecke2727]

I understand there was an investigation on collaborators on Jersey. The results were placed in a 100 year file. I will be 90 years old in 2045. I want to read the file.

[@kerkiraz]

There is a lot of went on during the occupation that was not well documented and by and large brushed under the carpet at the end of the war. In Guernsey local company’s worked for the Germans with money paid in Marks. In 1946 the government of Guernsey honoured the German currency which was worthless to the value of the British pound.

[@francisebbecke2727]

@@kerkiraz Wait until 2045 and read the 100 year file.

[@kerkiraz]

@@francisebbecke2727 like I said so much was not actually recorded put on file some for very good reason.

[@francisebbecke2727]

@@kerkiraz See you in 2045, only 24 years from now. For perspective 24 years ago was 1997, a great year!

[@NetanyahooWarCriminal]

I mean, if they found nothing to report there wouldn't be a 100 year file. What exactly about it would you like to know?

[@benwilsonMMA]

This was a very entertaining documentary

[@adamcheklat7387]

How long would the Channel Islands hold out if they were under attack by the Allies?

[@Scrappy7238]

Todt = Death. How very sad , I never knew this 😪

[@anthonysodano2255]

Todt was the name of a construction company. Named after the man that created it.

[@123jessej]

35000 men never fired a shot

[@lawrencep8923]

It's so jarring seeing all these places I'm so familiar being bombed and attacked with soldiers marching up and down

[@christopherhurley223]

I almost deleted this out of my "watch later" but I instead decided I'd give it a watch.. wow. 10% of all german concrete 😭 this is remarkable.. maybe the biggest blunder I have heard of truly amazing I dont have words for how significant this idea is.. its comical

[@christopherhurley223]

Im stumped on why did they need to occupy these islands at all 1 of these grand batteries on mainland France could blow the islands off of the map. For lack of better words, this is a stupid ass idea

[@christopherhurley223]

It said they shoot over 30 miles. Its 20 miles from Calais to Dover! Wtf were they thinking 😭😭 someone please help me comprehend what the German side was thinking

[@laurahall5218]

It sounds like Hitler thought highly of England.

[@wayneandrews9298]

yes , even introduced fox hunting ...

[@johnsmith-mq4eq]

From all the written evidence he never wanted war with the british empire which he regarded as a cause for good in the world Soviet Russia was his main worry

[@bite-marx]

There were members queen Elizabeth's family who were very high ranking, well connected, enthusiastically ideolgical nazi party members. Prince Phillip's brothers, weren't they?

[@OliverNorth9729]

Because of that he lost. 😂

[@Domdeone1]

Maybe that was the madness-when Britain's territory was threatened? What Hitler did in twelve years Britain did for three hundred, the channel Islands being a part of our Empire. Did Churchill admit this at Bern, Switzerland in 1960 when he quoted 'WWII wasn't about fighting fascism, Hitler's biggest mistake was pulling out of the world monetary system we all profited from.'

[@shaunryan6]

What are you on about Britain murdered 6 million Jews?

[@Domdeone1]

@@shaunryan6 ln context we made an ally of Russia-Lenin killed 16 to 18 million Russians, Stalin estimated 36 million, that was upto his death in fifty four. How many Russians & eastern Europeans died or just vanished behind the iron curtain upto the collapse of communism in eighty nine? Estimated total upto 100 million. No mention of Britain's glorious ally?

[@kevt3318]

The difference is the islanders wanted to be part of Britian.

[@kironmanuel664]

What will the aliens from outer space think of the humans here fighting each other?Are the aliens already here?Let us know please

[@kironmanuel664]

@Paul Mcdonnell No,Aliens are here and intermingled too.

[@stephenoliver1768]

absolutey stunning.. brilliant

[@imaginedauthority9455]

Excellent

[@Almagells]

If the Normandy coast had a only half of these artillery batteries, machine guns, and soldiers, Allies mission should be disaster!

[@Almagells]

Hitler seriously had a sick in his head!

[@longhotsummer7307]

Excellent.

[@TheYeti308]

Very Good . !

[@brianlopez8855]

According to the Woke Millennials, Hitler's biggest crime was the massive carbon release from all that concrete.

[@thomasschafer7268]

Very impressive architecture. Could be a hotelnin the end 50th.

[@hazelwray4184]

... 'a hotelnin the end 50th'?

[@MB5rider81]

Good work 👍

[@pinknotthebarbie]

I have reproduction maps and details of Britain, the Germans knew, roads trains details that seem boring but perfect for invasion. They did there history

[@harrickvharrick3957]

Very difficult to understand why the Germans were taking care of workforces so badly. That's not strategical, as they won't keep up their strength and they will become worthless to you if you don't take care of them, and most important is, you need to feed them. Seems the only explanation there could be is that those in German leadership were lame folk. It seems there is a synchronicity visible in all this with how the end stage of communism looks, and even with the egoism of excessive capitalism, in which access to facility and funds are badly spread. Unequality and unfairness may be caused by differences in quality, but surely more often are caused by egoism.

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Think it's the bitter fruit of their "uber- and untermensch" doctrine. Some can only 'shine' at the expense of others. Things like decency, respect, humanity, go overboard there first. And sometimes I wonder if humanity has really made any progress yet. Greets from the Netherlands, T.

[@whydoyouneedtoknoe]

Still, when I have a plan to be executed by other people, however I feel about them, the endresult is better when they eat well and are generally treated decently. The endresult is linked to those who wanted it done by forced workers, so one would think being halfway decent to those workers makes sense.

[@smudgey1kenobey]

Amazing story. Thank you.

[@brooklyn5466]

Where did all the slaves come from?

[@KlingonGamerYT]

Dr Philp De Jersey cant make that up

[@Xsuprio]

New on the Nintendo Switch: Hitler's Island Madness!