Inside The Chieftain's Hatch: M8 Armored Car

[@kentw.england2305]

My father served in Europe in WWII in one of these, replacing a radioman who was killed. They started out with Morse code, but that was too slow, so they upgraded to voice radios before they got to Germany. He was in a reconnaissance battalion that had M8s, half-tracks, and jeeps. Some of the battalion records are on the Internet with a few photographs. He is still with us, 98 years old.

[@Jreb1865]

Hope he still is...

[@Beer4Breakfast]

Did he make it to 100?

[@lemonhead1442]

@@Beer4Breakfast hope he did that’s rude to ask

[@korbetthein3072]

@@lemonhead1442 Not really. Once someone reaches 90 or so it's actually not rude to ask if they're still living.

[@lemonhead1442]

@@korbetthein3072 f u

[@CharlesvanDijk-ir6bl]

"Just drive along till they start shooting at you." Patton explaining the art of reconnaissance. This is just the vehicle they were looking for.

[@rbaxter286]

Yeah, that sounds like the Patton who got cashiered by Bradley for sacrificing his men for a photo op in Sicily ..., even after he was warned by subordinates not to do it ...

[@Easy-Eight]

"No track tensioning, which fills me with sadness."

[@astrokaizer]

"My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined"

[@slitor]

He can adjust the tire pressure.

[@machinenkanone9358]

@@slitor ahhh...an optimist. Very good.

[@machinenkanone9358]

@Kevin Olschesky yes I think a lot of us tend to romanticize military service and it's really just a bunch of hard work isn't it?

[@MWSin1]

There's also no door glass regulator handle, so 0 for 2. How did the military authorize such an under-equipped vehicle?

[@bobthrasher9799]

I had use access to one of these through an employer during the early 1980s...it had a big block V8 Chevy engine. The biggest problem we had was even with a giant radiator, a reverse draw flex fan and a couple of electric fans the vehicle over heated regularly as there was not much air flow. I regularly drove this thing on the Nimitz Free through Oakland, CA...had some fun with the Highway Patrol regularly...they also went through brakes fast as it weight about 9 tons and did not stop easy...great memories and fun

[@dwightstjohn6927]

used to see a four wheel model?? on the LA freeways all the time in the early seventies, apparently 'street legal" but that thing woud have weighed another fifty percent more than the M8 easilly. Calif. was obviously a little more flexible back in the day.

[@kelharper7971]

If it had a "big block Chevy" then it was a modification made after the war. Chevy didn't even have a V8 until the 1950, and that was a small block. The big block didn't come until the 1960s. If it was a gasoline V8 and original it would be a Ford or Cadillac, most likely. A big gas straight six is more likely.

[@bobthrasher9799]

@@kelharper7971 the Chevy engine was an addition in 1983 as the Straight 6 Ford that it came with was shot...and was unrebuildable...The V-8 pushed that baby around easily...

[@justforever96]

@@bobthrasher9799 Well that would be why it overheated so much. An engine like that produces a lot more heat than it was designed to dissipate, even with a larger radiator, etc. It was probably also driving a lot faster than it was meant to if you were cruising on freeways. It was meant to do about 40mph or less at like 3,000 rpm. Or less. So I wouldn't blame the vehicle for that really. The brakes wearing out will also be a lot worse at those speeds.

[@monteengel461]

@@kelharper7971 Yes, the original motor was a six (GM, I think).

[@brianlaneherder3666]

"Reality has a way of not caring what the paper specifications say." Amen, amen, and amen.

[@hellavadeal]

When you a little infantry man with just a riffle, all Germen tanks coming down the road looked like a tiger.

[@forexdragon]

I love your spelling

[@L3GHO5T]

There’s a story where one of these m8’s ambushing king tiger and detonated its ammo rack

[@samholdsworth3957]

Get close enough...

[@ronanzaid2154]

Sorry to be offtopic but does anybody know of a method to get back into an instagram account? I stupidly lost the login password. I appreciate any tricks you can offer me

[@braydenthomas6193]

@Ronan Zaid Instablaster :)

[@DeeEight]

First point... There's a good article on the M8 vs mystery tank on the tanks encyclopedia. One of the Tiger IIs lost the day this is supposed to have happened is listed as mechanical damage in german records. If you're a crew in a Tank, with a V12 engine behind you growling away, would you even necessarily notice you'd been hit in the rear hull if the weapon doing it was firing a projectile that weighed less than 1 pound ? The Chieftain mentioned in one of his Q&A videos (the question regarded rear view cameras) that in Iraq he heard a "bang" of an explosion behind his tank that his crew didn't notice, stuck his head out the hatch to look back and saw that the infantry were all shooting at something and one of the humvees was on fire and thus it warranted further investigation. I think his orders went "driver halt, gunner traverse right 90". Second point... There's many articles and videos explaining that in post war testing of late war production Panthers by the USA & Britain and 1944 testing by the Soviets of captured Tiger IIs ( in comparison to captured Tiger Is and early production Panthers) that both showed the quality of steel used in the armor plates was rather poor (due to lack of critical elements used in the steel alloy composition not being available in 1944/45) and non-penetrating hits often resulted in bad spalling and cracking of the plates. A scab of tank armor blowing into a V12 engine could likely mechanical kill a tiger II without necessarily sounding like it was a shell impact. Not to mention the plates themselves weren't all uniformly 80mm thick (the +/- tolerance allowed by the german defence ministry was such that plates could be up to 5 mm out of spec in either direction so 75 to 85mm). Also remember those penetration charts everyone loves to point at used a standard of testing where 50% of the shots would penetrate X amount of armor... but they don't account for the lucky shots that over-penetrate the 50% values nor do they account for the fact that depending on WHEN the test was done, the quality of target plate material might have varied a lot. Third point... There IS a Tiger II tank on display (Tiger 213) outside a museum in La Gleize, Ardennes, Belgium only a hundred yards or so away from where it was captured after being knocked out in the war. While its been cosmetically restored and the engine and transmission are still inside its said that most of the torsion bars are broken in the suspension, and the interior is described as 'rough'. When it was captured the treads were a wreck and the gun tube had been sheared off. I'll provide links to a video of the Tiger II and the article on the different versions of M8 vs Tiger story and the one of Tiger II which also shows a B&W photo of 213 when it was captured. tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2-greyhound-vs-tiger-st-vith/

[@handsomerob1223]

This is a very rational/plausible rationalization for all the random ass story’s of how grandpa saw his platoon knock out a tiger II or panther.

[@lairdcummings9092]

I'll chime in here. My father worked, for a while, for US Army's Ballistics Research Laboratory (before moving over to Human Engineering Laboratory). I have, sitting beside me, a hunk of armor from an M-113, with a .50 AP(T) slug halfway through it, a gift from the Old Man. Explaining it's provenance, the Army would frequently test against *sample plates,* rather than actual vehicles. Where the target vehicle was rare, they would much more frequently use sample plates. If, and this is speculative, the Army was testing against a sample plate, they would have ordered an 80mm plate from a mill, and would have received a properly formulated and heat treated (if specified) plate, as opposed to whatever random quality that Germany's industry was producing at the time. Further, the tests were always conducted at at least minimum safe ranges. The story, as was related to me by none other than General Bruce Clarke, was that the armored car closed to basically spitting distance before firing. Range matters a lot. Now, none of that is proof, one way or another, but the old General certainly believed it, and as an important armor commander, I'm fairly sure he was aware of the penetration tests.

[@Jim-qz6vp]

this is the first link Ive seen on youtube in years, amazing its still up.

[@badcornflakes6374]

​@@Jim-qz6vp Same. Now KZbin is full of bots and you can't even leave links anymore...

[@mashbury]

I drove a M8 for a few years here in the UK and found it a lovely thing to drive . Road work was fun and even overtook a convoy of Saxon,s on Salisbury plain once ( they looked a bit shocked as we flew by ) Cross country was as good as could be expected and we made it around Bovington cross country course easy.. Reference to the front prop shaft question. We used to take the front prop shaft off to save a bit on fuel and road noise so I’m guessing the owner might have done something similar. Only major problem was the time the brake system failed and I ended up driving from Poole to Torbay in the pissing rain at night on engine braking and hand brake .. not fun ☹️

[@rbaxter286]

Thank you for the front shaft question's possible answer. It provided an answer based on Reality, instead of just pure personal assertion! And, it asks the question just how good was the car in total, in real off-road, as opposed to simulated off-road, if the front axle was not considered worth the extra traction vs noise/maintenance/fuel use, even though you don't remove the mass the remaining drive train components STILL represent. Seem to recall the opposite was cited as a reason why the M3 series of half tracks were better off road than the Sdkfz's, the former having a powered front axle.

[@Roadk1ll21]

Oh bugger, the track tension is on fire. Another great vid and I look forward to more.

[@gordonlawrence4749]

Good one dude made me laugh my ass off.

[@Sagetower7]

Hahahahaha

[@Captainkebbles1392]

That's a real problem putting out

[@shellcatcher905]

My grandpa was a crew member on the M-8 towards the end of the war. Thanks for this video!!

[@Fish-kz8xw]

The story of the Virgin Tiger II and the Chad M8 Greyhound.

[@Tntexplodeslol]

I see even you watch mark productions, chad

[@Napsoundz]

Tiger in the background in black and white video , growing tension music starts to play.

[@daveybyrden3936]

It never happened. It's an urban legend. I remember when it was a Tiger I, but it's grown in the telling. I mean, I'm sure that M8 crew shot some kind of Panzer, but I'm equally sure they couldn't identify its type.

[@Fish-kz8xw]

@@daveybyrden3936 yeah I think because of the lack of information on German tanks during that war they probably misidentified it.

[@MrWWIIBuff]

@@Fish-kz8xw Not to mention Tiger syndrome.

[@gpeters111]

A little disappointed that there was no "Oh Bollocks the tanks on fire" would have been fun to see how long it took you to get out. Just kidding, another great video

[@tobywenman4769]

Maybe there wasn't one as it's not a tank? If so we need an "oh bollocks the armoured car is on fire" segment

[@jamestheotherone742]

@@tobywenman4769 Ok how 'bout, "Oh Noes! The truck is on fire!"

[@abk4202020]

He's an American now

[@Akm72]

Oh my God, my M8 is on fire!

[@TidusleFlemard]

@@Akm72 if your mate is on fire, you could always piss on him if you don't have water on hand tho :p

[@endlesnights3817]

I'm confused about how to tension these tracks. This doesn't make any sense to me. But in all seriousness, I'm glad to see some more armoured car love. German Rads next maybe

[@luksweam]

He's a tank guy. Tanks got tracks. Tracks need tensioning. He's got "a thing" about the ingenious ways how this is done on various models of tanks. But this is not a tank. It has no tracks nor track-tensioning device. No track tensioning = no love. Sad face. ;)

[@stevepirie8130]

You have to tighten the tracks tension to prevent tracks slipping off the road wheels, etc and damaging both the tracks and the rest of the tank. Normally done with a tool that makes one of the main wheels push or pull. That is how tension is controlled. Too tight can be as bad as too loose as under pressure it could snap a link and come off.

[@jakej8891]

r/whoosh

[@samsonite4371]

Someone missed the joke

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

@@luksweam "but in all seriousness"

[@NessNik]

I love it, no music. I can now hear you speak wit 100% clarity. I truly enjoy learning about obscure armored vehicles. Thank you

[@madogthefirst]

A better way to operate the mg is to have someone else get out while you stay nice a safe in your armoured car.

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Or they stay nice & safe while every one inside dies from hitting a land mine...

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

Preferably the co-driver since he has nothing better to do than read maps & uhm *censored*

[@honorguard7616]

@@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785 radio?

[@squattingfrog222]

madogthefirst what if the whole crew operates the machine gun so that you all die as a pile of mush conjoined together forever💕

[@88porpoise]

The best way is to get some poor footslogger to hop up. His buddies get the extra firepower and you stay inside your armoured box

[@monteengel461]

My Dad trained on the M8 in the Mojave Desert in 1943. Later he was a motorcycle messenger in the 629th a tank Destroyer Battalion.

[@vectorvitale]

Motorcycle messenger! Very cool! How did that work for him?

[@monteengel461]

@@vectorvitale He survived. His TD battlion landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day+4. The army took away their motorcycles when the weather turned wet/freezing in the Fall of '44. He drove a jeep afterwards. He had 5 battle stars on his ETO ribbon.

[@kaybevang536]

Monte Engel how fast did it go

[@patrickmcleod111]

**It makes perfect sense that he was trained on the M8 in order to learn how to ride a motorcycle and deliver messages! How else would one learn those 2 skills?!? Obviously you first must learn how to operate a 6 wheeled armored personnel carrier, in order to learn how to ride a motorcycle AND how to drop off messages? I can remember when I first decided to buy a civilian street bike in the 80s. In order to get a motorcycle license, the dept of motor vehicles mandated that I first pass the motorcycle written quiz, which was an M8 Greyhound disassembly/reassembly test, followed by the M8 driving course.** Then they issued me a motorcycle license, AND a pre-approved job at the USPS as a mail(message) carrier! {Sarcasm}😂

[@therealboofighter]

So, he figured that he had to much armour around him in the M8 so he moved to a motorcycle?

[@Jimbo898]

My father used one of these in WW2, he was part of a reconnaissance troop for the 8th armored division, during the Ardennes offensive.

[@j.4332]

I hate saying things like this,but the 8th armoured was still in UK and didnt land in France until January,when its first combat was at the end of January in the Saar region.

[@macdam11]

Great video! W.r.t. 8:30, you want to use rainwater as it generally has lower amount of calcium in it than tap water therefore you dont get too much calcification going on in your radiator (which would be bad). In addition to be cleaner than water from springs (which could contain calcium and other stuff you dont want in your radiator). That`s also the main reason why you want to use rainwater for cleaning your car instead of tap water to prevent white stripes on your car

[@JoeWalker98]

Plus means the crew aren't gonna procure drinking water from anywhere to put in it

[@DevilDaRebel]

That’s exactly what I thought. Rain water is filtrated through condensation naturally.

[@DrLoverLover]

@Qwerty no it doesnt

[@nomadmarauder-dw9re]

See, I knew I was right. Don't wash your vehicle.

[@NotTheCIA1961]

I freaking love the M8... it's such a sleek looking armored car.

[@xboxgorgo18]

Looks a bit cramped for today's tall Americans. It looks more built for when Americans were shorter.

[@Mr-Trox]

@@xboxgorgo18 That's a thing with a lot of older armored vehicles like this. The average height of people has gone up about 4 inches or so since the 30s. A tanker from then would look tiny if you put him in an Abrams.

[@ChenAnPin]

I remember when those side skirts over the wheels were an "optional" armor upgrade for the M8 Greyhound in Company of Heroes. As if they made a significant difference.

[@cstraws]

My Dad was a radio operator in an M8. 9th Armored Division, 89th Recon. that went a cross the Remagen Bridge. Like the men from that era he didn't talk about his war time life. He did come home with a 9mm Luger with holster and extra magazine and large swastika banner.

[@american_cosmic]

I just put together a Tamiya-brand 1/72 model kit of one of these babies... I just knew you would have a video covering it, and here it is! Thanks for the info - I love your channel!

[@jimbo9305]

Assistant driver doesn't have much to do? Hey look at that .50 cal missing an exposed gunner!

[@jamestheotherone742]

Or, "Hey Joe, Get out and go see what that is in the ditch over there." Or, "Hey Joe, top needs a guy for KP." Or...

[@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785]

LOL!

[@themechanic.9545]

Driver: Dammit! Flat tire! Assistant Driver: Finally... something that I am capable of doing!

[@SaifoDevast]

Trust me.. Driving this vehicle is much more work than driving cars of today... It was usualy really hard

[@douglasmaccullagh1267]

Oh, I wish I could afford an.M8. Thank you for the look around the machine.

[@flufflepuffle6229]

What I believe about the Tiger vs Greyhound story is that the tank was a regular Tiger I that was moving to catch up with its unit (which had moved through the area a day or so before) after whatever cause for the Tiger's pause (I think the tank crew had been waiting for a replacement part for the tiger's engine). Greyhound is sitting in a bushy area, spots the lone tiger. Waits for tiger to pass, then starts its engine and rolls up on the tiger's rear. Pops a 37mm cap in the tiger's back, tiger is like "wtf was that?", greyhound keeps smacking 37s into the rear armor until it gets a lucky shot in, and the tiger is disabled. La-dee-da, legendary story.

[@Joesolo13]

Yea, 37mm could penn 61mm at 500 yards, the story's more believable than some give it credit for

[@whispofwords2590]

Maybe it was panther rather then a tiger? I dont see how a regular tiger 1 could be mistaken for a king tiger.

[@OOZ662]

@@whispofwords2590 Given literally everything with a gun tube and Germanic markings was mistaken for a Tiger I in the early years of the war, anything's possible when human perception is involved.

[@whispofwords2590]

@@OOZ662 I wouldnt go that far with it...the reason so many tanks where mistaken for tigers is likely to do with them having a similiar shape to the more common panzer types. Even through a periscope perception wouldnt be so bad as to mistake tiger one for a tiger 2, the two tanks looking nothing alike, especially given the soldier who witnessed the incident seemed to be out on his own rather then inside a vehicle.

[@roonbare2769]

Bullshit story based on "Tiger fright".... Allies were so terrified of it, everything was a tiger. Most that were produced and destroyed we know exactly where they were / are. Fort Bennington etc.

[@68RatVette]

Thanks for the great video on this useful Recon M8 (and utility M20) vehicle. Your egress from the driver compartment reminded me of the old days and the CFV turrets. Kinda like on-post housing where they calculated the bare minimum, then gave you 80% of that.

[@cudathehawgjetfixer7520]

I've always liked the M8/M20 Grayhounds, they look like someone would have fun "6" wheeling out in the back 9 mudding, and if anyone gave you some attitude you could literally blow them away! Cant wait for your next tour!

[@justforever96]

You have more wheels, but you have to remember it also weights many tons with all that armor plate. So in reality it probably isn't even as good as a regular 4x4 pickup with decent tires offroad. The military definitely seemed pretty disappointed with 6x6 for armored vehicles (pretty good for trucks though), and went for 8x8 in most cases afterward.

[@The_Cookie_Crumbles]

No annoying music in the background... amazing

[@captbrody5036]

As much as I love tanks, I have come to love armored cars and fighting vehicles even more. This is one of my favorites as is the Ferret Fighting Vehicle.

[@aewhatever]

Thanks for sharing. I have known about the greyhound for quite a while. rarely is it seen in any documentary footage. Glad to see someone do a video on it. Again thanks.

[@martij30]

I really like this new format of "inside the hatch". Great video with a lot of interesting info and historical notes!

[@rgd963]

FROM My patient from the VA in 1983 stated the M8 came up point blank (3 -8 feet) to the rear and Pounded round after round in succession at one of the Tail pipes where it came out of the rear Plate.the ground was Muddy and the King Tiger was made even slower and could not turn fast at all.It The M8 so close it was under the Limit of the King TIGER gun Depression, barrel was hitting the M8 turret.

[@billknoderer8202]

With a 2 stroke diesel, there’s no vacuum available for the hydrovac, so in order to work properly, there would need to be a belt driven vacuum pump somewhere on the conversion motor. Only a gas powered motor can create enough vacuum for a fluid brake system.

[@GrumpyIan]

I miss his "Oh bugger the tank is on fire." test

[@mwhyte1979]

I was thinking the exact same thing. I love watching him trying to get in and out of these small space.

[@ke2395]

In all honesty, if even a Panzer 3 with a 57mm cannon hit this armored car, nobody would be crawling out in one piece, if at all. It is after all a reconnaissance vehicle that goes in and out of trouble fast while putting up some defense and not meant to head on attack any armored vehicles or engage fortified enemy infantry positions.

[@elektrofumigator]

@@ke2395 Panzer 3 never had 57mm cannon mounted

[@ke2395]

@@elektrofumigator You are correct I was wrong, the Panzer 3 didn't use a 57mm gun. The Panzer 3 used a 37mm or a 50mm main gun. The 50mm would still take out an armored car with ease.

[@joegoetz8884]

My father crewed an M8 in France and Germany. He was in Troop A, reconnaissance platoon, 107th Cavalry. While he talked a bit about the M8, he never ever called it a “Greyhound”. I ever learned that name until much later, reading about them. I first read the story about the M8/Tiger kill 20yrs ago, but the story I read differed...in the story I read, a Tiger 1 was traveling on a sunken road, when an M8 on the berm above the Tiger shot down at the engine deck. My Dad had never heard the story until I told him. I can believe it...guys like my Dad were prewar Horse cavalrymen. They really carried the traditional cav esprit de Corp. Dad fought in the battle of Falaise Gap, in the hedgerow country. He had good things to say about the 37mm canister round for taking out German positions hidden in the hedgerows. Chieftain, I think he would disagree with your statement that the M8 “isn’t a combat vehicle...”

[@kiloalphasierra]

It was supposed to be a scout vehicle. The guns are only to make enough noise and distraction to get it out of trouble and allow the crew to report what it sees. Though like just about everything else with armor and weapons the army used other then tanks it got misused in rolls it was never intended for.

[@ScottKenny1978]

That's the version of the story I heard, too. 37mm shots to the top of the engine deck.

[@kiloalphasierra]

eddie money it was adopted as a scout vehicle for Cavalry because the Tank Destroyer Force realized its was completely obsolete as a TD even as it was being designed. It was never procured and fielded as anything other then a scout vehicle.

[@misdangered4326]

Greyhound was the British name for the M8.

[@dapsapsrp]

Your dismay over the lack of a track tensioning system gave me a hearty chortle.

[@GARDENER42]

Please pass on our thanks to Rock Island Auctions for giving you access to some of the interesting stuff that passes through (noises off & all...). You definitely need to get together with Ian McCollum some time.

[@rossfromfriends8468]

Chieftain and gun Jesus mights be too much knowledge for one building

[@redenginner]

GARGLER42 You got your wish, they did an overview of all the guns on a Sherman.

[@danielaramburo7648]

You can find Gun Jesus sleeping in a French tank.

[@Frostfly]

Watched 10 episodes of "The Tick" Season 2. enjoyed it. Laughed harder at "no track tension, which fills me with sadness" well delivered.

[@adamdubin1276]

Best blooper reel yet. Loved hearing about this piece of history. Also TOG II* still needs a video.

[@HATECELL]

Having first gear back right makes a lot of sense. My dad has a dumper with the same gear layout. They took a regular 4 speed and mounted it the wrong way around because the vehicle is rear engined

[@blaster112]

The only Chieftain vid i'd click on faster is for the T95/T28

[@Vegalyp]

A fellow man of culture I see

[@blaster112]

@@Vegalyp I mean just part 1 would be interesting, considering they managed to lose it for 28 years...

[@Vegalyp]

@@blaster112 Not to mention the interesting decisions made to develop that beauty to begin with. "We're discontinuing the heavy tank program. They are too slow, heavy, and large to be transported anywhere close to the battlefield." "Okay, but what if we halved the speed, doubled the weight, and made it twice as wide. Would that be a good use of time/resources? Also, then we would lose it for 30 years." Don't get me wrong, it's one of my favorite tanks and is awesome. But the development history probably has more than a few "But, why though?" moments to it.

[@Birdy890]

@@Vegalyp My understanding of those things was they needed something that would break through the Siegfried line which is why it's so heavy and essentially useless as anything but an initial assault vehicle. Crazy that they could lose such a giant vehicle though.

[@Vegalyp]

@@Birdy890 That was indeed the original intention. But it's ironic that they tried to go with the T28/95 so soon after the US military began to stop development of their heavy tanks because they were unable to be transported by anything but a select few things. And, despite being built to get through the Siegfried Line which was a very real problem in the Allies' minds, it was even heavier than the things the US had axed. There's quite possibly no way that this vehicle could have ever made it to the Siegfried Line. Even if the US had a dock that could transport it via crane, there might not have been a dock in Europe or the Southeast Pacific that could have even jnloaded this behemoth. Not to mention if there was even a railcar/flatcar that could have lugged this thing to the battlefield. I love it to death, but it seems wildly impractical in the best of scenarios when you could have spent the same resources just fielding more artillery and howitzers to do this things job.

[@JimFortune]

6:42 You could probably tension the fan belt if you really need to....

[@tonymirarchi]

Or check the tire pressure.

[@stevefreeland9255]

I frequently find myself pulling on my fan belt ... is that wrong?

[@donjones4719]

The engine diagram even shows where the adjustment screw is. Maybe the page for the track tensioner is just missing. ;)

[@andrewshepherd1537]

"rate of lay is dependent on stamina and technique" And level of panic, don't forget that one

[@LN997-i8x]

A Detroit? I bet that thing sounds terrific going down the road at full clip! Although, everyone within a 5 mile radius will know you're coming...perhaps not the best for a recon vehicle.

[@blxtothis]

27’ turning circle, that’s pretty impressive for a 6 wheeler!

[@Independentfellow]

The Brits are hecking good at naming military vehicles. “Sherman, Alecto, Crusader, Greyhound, Saladin, Chieftain, etc.”

[@newtracetriad]

Was there any specific reason the 37mm was kept for the armoured car role? You'd think that something like an integrated .50 cal or 20mm would have yielded far more utility.

[@Mishn0]

Probably because that was what it already had before it was demoted from "tank destroyer" to "armored car". They just didn't want to spend the time and effort to convert.

[@rapter229]

Because it could penetrate twice as much armor as a 20mm gun, and had a much larger HE round, which is of huge utility.

[@jamescameron2490]

Plus, the Army had a lot of 37mm guns.

[@kiloalphasierra]

It was perfectly adequate for a scouting vehicle even in 1945. A lot of armored scout cars throughout the war had nothing more then standard rifle caliber machine gun/s or maybe a .50 cal.

[@chrisgibson5267]

" The best patrols I had were the ones with the cleanest guns. Even worthwhile targets were only reported and not engaged; that is the business of others....." Oberst a.D. Fabian von Ostau on Germon reconnaissance tactics. Simply put. Please remember to keep your eye on the Squirrel.

[@Chilly_Billy]

Glad to see this video. For some reason I've always liked the Greyhound.

[@Mishn0]

My dad used to be in these in the Philippines and in Japan during the occupation.

[@jasonalmendra3823]

Filipino here. Thanks guys.

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Mr.@@jasonalmendra3823 Now if only our government would you as well as a Puerto Rican, if not as a full citizen...

[@paulfrantizek102]

Loved these ever since I built the old Monogram kit as a kid.

[@slitor]

In lieu of a track tension system...maybe adjust the tire pressure?

[@jic1]

I think it would be pretty much the same for every wheeled vehicle that doesn't have some sort of central inflation system: 'Remove valve cap, attach air line, stand to the side at the greatest distance possible in case the darn thing blows up on you.'

[@stefanavic6630]

Yeah you're right, when you think about it, really, after all you're just kind of... increasing the tension in the inflatable rubber doughnut roller system thingy? You know?

[@kelharper7971]

@@jic1 I take you you have never filled a tire in your life, huh? The tire is not going to blow up.

[@jic1]

@@kelharper7971 I frequently fill tires, and no, I've never had one blow up on me. But is it something that can happen, and is it dangerous if it does? Absolutely: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg433.pdf

[@qunt2742]

I think the outtakes are my favourite part of these videos, we need more.

[@daniellocke9534]

I have the same M-8.I bought it from Ray Bentley In 1990.Ex Guatemalan army!

[@wildancrazy159]

I know it's been a year, but how much did it cost and do you still have it? Thanks you if you reply..

[@daniellocke9534]

20000$ I still have it!

[@damienkendrick1457]

You bring happiness with how you talk

[@CallanElliott]

0:56 *Locust vid flashbacks*

[@robertascii5498]

Very interesting. I really enjoy these vids, and the other commentators regarding various military vehicles. Thanks!

[@benrogers5058]

*saw RIA* "Where's Ian!!!"

[@a1phamalestud]

Gun Jesus is Ian and tank Jesus is David fletcher

[@themechanic.9545]

Same here... Expected Ian to show up...

[@gastonbell108]

Was gonna say. I can only assume Ian sleeps at Rock Island in case anything fascinating shows up on the block.

[@patrickmcleod111]

@@gastonbell108 No, no no.... Rock Island is Ian's summer home. He lives at the James Julia auction house!

[@danielaramburo7648]

@@gastonbell108 Ian! Wake up! A French machine gun just showed up.

[@mikewilburn5884]

Concerning the story about the greyhound vs tiger. Even if it was a stug or pz4 it is still badass. Thank you for your channel, I appreciate it.

[@jamestheotherone742]

I remember playing on/in one of these at the 3rd ACR museum on Ft. Bliss when I was a kid. I wonder how these were used operationally given their configuration. Did the TC sit down in the "co-driver's" seat to use the radio? Or was it used by a dismount scout? Any books or accounts with details on how the recon troops used these?

[@hardknoxgames]

They were all hooked into a vehicle intercom and the Commander could talk through it onto the radio (all of them carried 2 radios--tuned to platoon and company, --some carried a third to higher-higher).

[@jamestheotherone742]

@@hardknoxgames That makes sense. Thanks.

[@monteengel461]

The vehicle commander rode in the turret.

[@adamskinner5868]

really enjoy these quick looks at so interesting old vehicles and the fact that there's no track tensioning needed doesn't bother me at all.

[@kendog84bsc]

YEEES! The SWAT armored car from Die Ha-*KABOOM*

[@SquishyZoran]

I’m glad I’m not the only one to notice that

[@chrisgibson5267]

I seem to recall there being at least one shown on TV in the 80's fitted with a ram intended to force entry into "crack houses".

[@hardknoxgames]

The one in Die Hard was an M8 with an armor plate attached to the top in place of a turret. There is also a Greyhound in a couple of the New York scenes in Mathew Broderick's Godzilla. I suppose the NYC National Guard must still have one.

[@fire304]

@Cheiftan why did US armor have sirens? It appears not to be found on any other nation.

[@wallaroo1295]

I would *love* to see you do a video on the V100 Commando - a favorite of the US Army MPs, and revived in the ASV.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

I've waited for this for so goddamn long.

[@Skyhawk996]

"Oh my god the tank is on fire" The driver accepts his fate.

[@thomasmaloney843]

Dad's favorite vehicle in WW2. He used it in both the ETO and on Luzon. They used to have impromptu races with these things for recreation...or you could listen to Tokyo Rose on the radio.

[@neilwilson5785]

Really interesting. I always wince when seeing how thin the armour is. The BT-7 left the same 'chill up and down the spine' feeling. No real protection, and hard to get out. Brr!

[@donjones4719]

I wish that instead of thickness he rated the armor by what caliber round it could withstand; common 7.92 from a rifle or MG42 (AP rounds in the MG42). Also so the 13mm machine gun in attacking aircraft. The M8 is at best OK with the first, but he covers many other lightly armored vehicles.

[@robertroy7818]

I need a full video series of the Chieftain trying to start talking and being very patient as someone with air tools in the background prevents him from doing so.

[@avnrulz8587]

Oh my God, the M8 is on fire...

[@markfryer9880]

Yes that was sorely missing from this video and I used the word sorely as I suspect that the Chieftain would have been in that state had he tried it out.

[@BranMakMorn1]

Thank you for this video and the insight concerning this vehicle.

[@nomar5spaulding]

I love the delivery of that line about the track tension.

[@16Tango]

There was a WW II Vet in my dads church that was in a recon unit in the European theater. He said he hated the M8, they got stuck when off the hardball a lot. RIP Redd.

[@Topfblende]

"Speed of lay is dependent on stamina and technique." It sure is. Heh Heh Heh...it suuuuure is.

[@kengilbertson1004]

My favorite WW2 vehicle....thank you!!!!!

[@AmazingAce]

In alternate universe... "And this right here is the M8's track tensioning system"

[@dse763]

You mean that M8 ? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howitzer_Motor_Carriage_M8

[@colbeausabre8842]

@@dse763 No, the Armored Gun System en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M8_Armored_Gun_System

[@oisnowy5368]

At 19:39 on around and below the pedal ... is that spilled coffee, rust or dried blood?

[@aluxtaiwan2691]

26:40" you know I had to do it to 'em" AGAIN

[@BAZZAROU812]

Lol

[@BAZZAROU812]

Tank fest when everyone was walking through his shot while interviewing people.. People are clueless..

[@MFitz12]

You could tell right at the start of the video, looking at the (raised) engine deck this example has the 4-53N conversion.

[@Whiskey11Gaming]

I don't believe this video could have been filmed recently... I'm 99.9999% sure The_Chieftain is still stuck in the M22...

[@danielaramburo7648]

Come on guys, help me get unstuck. His crew: no raise, no rescue.

[@matthewsay3756]

6:45 poor chieftain, no track tension today boys, the track tensioning lesson is the best part of the video :(

[@cameronmcallister7606]

"What does the co-driver do?" "I bring snacks"

[@wildancrazy159]

"Snackos"! For jeannie...

[@jeffyoung60]

The M8 Greyhound looks impressive and a lot of people liked it. It really wasn't meant to be an armored fighting vehicle after all was said and done. Its best use came as an armed reconnaissance vehicle. It wasn't even suitable for screening duty, as the M3 and M5 light tanks had been relegated. The all-around armor was thin, suitable enough against .30 caliber rifle and machine gun rounds and shrapnel. But the lack of a turret armored roof was a significant liability as it was for the American tank destroyers. Overhead shrapnel bursts could be quite deadly. At least there was a foul-weather overhead canvas tarp for the turret which must have been frequently applied in the rainy and snowy weather of Western Europe. The best advantage would be the sense of safety buttoned-up in the M8 when crossing into enemy territory with the possibility of ambushes and sniper fire. You would not have this sense of safety in a scout jeep or truck. Still the M8 would be vulnerable to every other kind of weapon above .30 caliber, especially from close-range Panzerschreck bazookas and Panzerfaust bomb dispensers. Probably the safest thing to do would be to keep on the move, making it harder to target the M8. So far there appears to be no biographical or autobiographical account of G.I.s who manned the M8 during WW2, which is a shame because WW2 veterans are becoming scarcer by the day. Most of the M8 crewmen from WW2 have taken their war experiences with them to the grave and we shall never know. If there are any remaining, living M8 crewmen, their stories need to be recorded now or be lost forever.

[@ditzydoo4378]

The M8 Greyhound, my favorite off-road recreational vehicle ever. No tracks to tension don't be sad, one can always amuse ones self by checking the lug-nuts and tire pressure. ^_^ Seeing your antics at attempting to get out probably made you thankful not having to demonstraight the, Oh bugger the armored-car is on fire! moments. Too bad these were never up gunned to a 57mm/6 pounder during WWII. It would have made it a proper mobile anti-tank gun/scout car. It wouldn't have been that hard to put a modified turret on the standard M8 race-ring. The Detroit diesel sounds very healthy, nice upgrade. *(edit)* corrected grammatical errors. What can I say I make boo boo's faster than I can fix'em.

[@TheChieftainsHatch]

There was an upgrade to a TOW anti tank missile, does that count?

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@TheChieftainsHatch That will do, TOW makes everything better leveling all playing fields. Though I wonder if Ordnance test & eval ever toyed with a single, or multi barreled recoilless system like a wheels Ontos atop the turret, now that would be overkill. ^_^

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@TheChieftainsHatch Oh, by the by Chieftain. A good source of information on the M6 cannon using 37mm ammunition is TM 9-1901, pages 61/62. The tables found on Wikipedia appear to be based on the early steel shell casings with a 2550/2600 fps values for the M51 APC. After 1943 only brass casings were in use for all rounds including the M51 APC round which had a velocity of 2900 fps and the ability to penetrate 2.3 inches of homogeneous steel at 1000 yards.

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@TheChieftainsHatch I was watching The History Guy's" The Tank Duel at St. Vith, Belgium, March 7th 2017. According to him the battle occurred on 18th Dec 1944 during the battle of the bulge at St. Vith. The M-8 belonged to Troop B of the 87th Calvary Recon Squadron. The incident was witness by an Infantry Captain who filed an after action report. The M-8 spotted the Tiger Tank (probably a Mark-I) on a sunken road, rolled up behind stopping at a range of 25 yards and put three rounds of AP into it's rear. The tank caught fire, its crew (Mein Gott Das Tiger ist Flamen!) bailing, abandoning the vehicle.

[@BeingFireRetardant]

@@ditzydoo4378 All my favorite werfers get flammen...

[@BigTArmada]

Can't get enough of these

[@winstonchurchill237]

What's better: m5 stuart or m8?

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

What are you trying to do, when and where are you trying to do it?

[@torbai]

It depends. According to the field manuals, Car, Armored, Light, M8 has much better on-road speed whereas Tank, Light, M5 can reach locations that Car, Armored, Light, M8 cannot go. Both vehicles were used in cavalry reconnaissance squadrons. Three or four cavalry reconnaissance troops with Car, Armored, Light, M8, and one light tank company with Tank, Light, M5.

[@Cal94]

M8A1 Scott. :P

[@JohnDoe-ff2fc]

What's w/ the German tanker atop the vehicle ( 4:33) and the Iron Cross marking (05:27) ?

[@ALRIGHTYTHEN.]

Captured and used by the Germans would be my guess.

[@immikeurnot]

2 stroke diesel engine. Neat. MiG-21 in the background, too.

[@barrybend7189]

Is there a company that makes the frame for the M8 Greyhound?

[@smallwonder843]

Sir Nikolas, are there any possibility that you will make a tour around sdkfs 234 wariant?

[@createdeccentricities6620]

Isn't the vehicle shown in the photograph at 4:34 in German cammo? The soldier looks like he's wearing the black panzer crew uniform. Unlike the captured M8 at 5:26 this example seems to have no obvious balkenkruz, though.

[@jameshorne9351]

I think you are correct. It was probably the only photo he could find with out storage bins & holding mines...

[@DC9622]

I thought you would have told the story of the M8 against the Tiger. “ The only excitement there had been when an M8 armoured car from Troop B destroyed a Tiger tank.” (I think this must be one of the great understatements of the battle) “The armour car had been in a concealed position near the boundary of Troop B 87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron and Company A, 38th Armoured Infantry Battalion, when the Tiger approached the lines at right angles to move along a trail in front of the main line of resistance. As the tank passed the armoured car, the later slipped out of position and started up the trail behind the Tiger, accelerating in an attempt to close. At the same moment the German tank commander saw the M8,and stated traversing his gun to beat on it. It was a race between the American’s, who were attempting to close so that their 37-mm gun would be effective on the Tiger's thin rear armour , and the Germans, who were desperately striving to bring their 88 to bear. Rapidly the M8 closed to 25 yards, and quickly pumped in t h e e rounds; the lumbering Tiger stopped and shuddered; there was a muffled explosion, followed by flames which billowed out of the turret and engine ports, after which the armoured car returned to its position.” Taken from THE BATTLE AT ST. VITH, BELGIUM 17-23 December 1944, 12 July 1948. cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getdownloaditem/collection/p4013coll8/id/362/filename/351.pdf/mapsto/pdf

[@Shepard_AU]

You forgot the part where the Tiger crew casually said ''oh bugger, the tank's on fire''.

[@DC9622]

Gmanmovies09 so true. The Chieftain needs to do a Film on the Tigers at Bovington, applying his famous ‘oh bugger the tank is on fire’ test.

[@KnowYoutheDukeofArgyll1841]

@@Shepard_AU I'd expect it to be (war comic style) "Gott in Himmel, the tank's on fire!"

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

The rainwater recommendation for the cooling system is due to the fact that rainwater is Ph neutral, not acidic and not alkaline either. Most potable water is slightly alkaline, which is what causes the furring up of your washing machine or kettle, I'm guessing the cooling system was susceptible to getting blocked by limescale.

[@linusorm]

Is the Steel beasts T-72 video in progress?

[@TheChieftainsHatch]

I'll get there eventually. Still need a good T-72 commander to give me a hand, though.

[@ladamyre1]

Rope seals. Back then many liquid systems were sealed with rope seals. Hence the recommendation for rain water as coolant: the seal for the drive shaft of the water pump was made out of rope, which would swell and do a fair job of sealing the water and keeping it from leaking out too fast. The engine, transmission, transfer case and differentials were also sealed using rope seals.

[@shcomptech]

It could have done with a hull MG, I think the Staghound had a hull MG. More armoured cars please.

[@neilwilson5785]

Yes, more armoured cars.

[@lordllewellynofdarkdelight2613]

Watching you drive off at the end is most satisfying.

[@USAAmutual45]

It noteworthy to me that this vehicle, planned as a tank destroyer, has a coaxial 30 caliber, but the later M10, M18 and M36 didn't, which was one of the design choices that really annoyed me on those vehicles.

[@lavrentivs9891]

How come? The tank destroyers are after all basically self propelled AT guns with the same assignments as a towed AT gun.

[@LokkieF]

Relax, man...

[@kirotheavenger60]

It didn't have the co-ax when it was a Tank Destroyer. The co-ax was added when it was redesigned as a recon armoured car. As for why the Tank Destroyers don't have co-axs, they're anti-tank guns, not tanks.

[@Kastev30]

@@lavrentivs9891 Because even back in WW2, Infantry have and always will be the bane of tanks. Tank vs tanks are nowhere near as common as tanks vs infantry, and vs infantry you want stuff that fires fast and can suppress enemy infantry. Look at Israel and their doctrine for tank design for the past 30+ years. They stick MG's everywhere on the hull they could possibly fit

[@lavrentivs9891]

@@Kastev30 Tank destroyers/self propelled guns aren't tanks though and are not designed to do the same things as tanks.

[@kelharper7971]

Assistant drivers and bow gunners were actually mostly carried because it was useful to have an extra guy when doing maintenance, posting pickets, sending a scout to walk ahead in poor visibility or to direct the tank/AFV when backing up, maybe taking turns driving to help fatigue, etc. This is the real purpose of an assistant driver: because its difficult to drive a tank singlehandedly, and an extra crewman for odd duties is a big help. The purpose of the bow gun was mostly to give the guy something to do in combat, although all it was good for mostly was laying down supressive fire when advancing on enemies, preventing the enemy from rushing you wit infantry, and perhaps making enemy armor flinch a bit by spraying them wit MG bullets (in theory; tanks in 1940 were often small and quite light and filled wit vision slits and gun scopes, etc, and you can make it very difficult for them to fight back if they are afraid to go near the visions slits. Even later tanks had vulnerable points, and no crew was complacent about being under direct MG fire. No-one though "hah, they can't hurt me with all this armor on!" because they knew that a lucky bullet could indeed cause serious damage. Picture a MG round going right down the gunners scope of a Panther, for example.) So anyway, that is why they carried the assistant driver, even if there is no obvious task for him. There is an interesting editorial I read once called "The Case for the Bow Gunner" by a US tank crewman around the time they were debating ditching the 5th crewman as redundant. He lists all the ways in which the extra man is useful and why he thinks they should keep them. Obviously they didnt listen to him, but it is interesting reading. Maybe Google can find it.

[@blue2sco]

Was that Forgotten Weapons putting you off in the background?

[@HBK-6S]

Despite the US Army report stating that a Tiger II was destroyed by one of these, there were zero Tiger IIs attacking St-Vith on the 18th of December, much less any Ferdinands. The first Tiger IIs to show up near St-Vith were vehicles of the sPzAbt 506 on the 21st. The first tanks (specifically Panthers of the Fuhrerbegleitbrigade) didn't show up close to the town until 9pm in the evening on the 18th.