Jagdtiger Ambush 1945!

The Jagdtiger or Hunting Tiger, at 72 tons the heaviest armoured vehicle of the war and plagued by mechanical problems, nonetheless managed to spring some nasty and very costly ambushes on the advancing US Army in April 1945.
Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: KZbin Creative Commons; WikiCommons; Google Commons; Mark Felton Productions
Sources: 'Massive Jagdtiger Surrender at Iserlohn', War History Online; 'The Combat History of the Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653' by Karlheinz Munch, 2005; 'Tigers in Combat' by Wolfgang Schneider, 2005.

[@mcdazz2011]

When you consider that the longest kill shot from a tank was during the Iraq war by a Challenger, at 4.7 km (with fin stabilisers) , a 4 km kill shot during World War II is absolutely astounding.

[@ottovonbismarck7646]

*laughs in superior firepower* *cries in broken transmission*

[@PhilippBayer]

After the war A.Ernst opened a driving school in Iserlohn, where I made my driving license in 1974.

[@DaSpineLessFish]

Amazing xD

[@wardlockhart1522]

"The US column fell back and called in for air support" describe the American advance in one sentence

[@vasili1207]

Fun Fact... In 2018 there were more plastic jadgtigers built than real ones

[@TheIzroda]

"Many of the crews had previously crewed Tiger Is" The reason this unit in particular did well - the crews were very experienced, especially in the defensive use of such heavy vehicles. There are other examples with Jagdtigers crewed by brand new recruits, where the results were simply horrible.

[@thenumbah1birdman]

Yep. Iirc, otto carius recalled a time where an inexperienced jagdtiger commander panicked after recieving hits from shermans. He tried to turn around rather than reversing it with the gun facing forward, exposing the soft side armor. All crewmembers were lost.

[@awkwarddoggo05]

But the Tigers had a crew of 5 and JagdTigers had crews of 6. Did they just put any random guy to fill in the space?

[@TheIzroda]

@@thenumbah1birdman That's exactly the story I was recalling. Nice to see someone else reading these books.

[@TheIzroda]

@@awkwarddoggo05 Probably, who knows. It doesn't take that much experience to be an effective loader. Mostly the crew needs a good commander, and the rest will fall in place.

[@TheMAXIFOD]

tank crews usually didn't stay the same, Michael Wittmann had multiple loaders and radio operators, it's usually just the driver, gunner and commander that stays together due to the importance of understanding between the three, being a loader doesn't require much communication and familiarity

[@_Matsimus_]

Absolutely bloody amazing videos! Love this channel!! 👍👍

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

That is great to know

[@mauriceblondeel4094]

Tanzanla dansen

[@James-sh8mu]

I think you both make bloody amazing videos!

[@sarjim4381]

Many German units surrendered to the Allies rather than waiting to see if their positions would be overrun by the Soviets from the east. Most German soldiers knew the war was lost and they did what they could to firm up the Allied lines to keep out the Soviets.

[@valiatus6719]

Literally any allied tank in WWII: *Exists* Jagdtiger's gun: Not so fast.

[@BELCAN57]

German war weapons production reminds me of a person that has difficulty maintaining their concentration on any one subject. They built too many different arms, planes and mobile weapons. They would have been much more successful concentrating on a few things and doing those things well.

[@vvr881]

Thats Hitlers erratic mind at work. He couldnt stay long on any subject. How many instances were there where victory was at hand and he just lost interest and moved on...nut case

[@CptInside]

At the end of the war they realized that too! All expensive projects should be canceled and only necessary, easy to build, vehicles to be continuied in production. For example they planed to produce more cheaper "Jagdpanzer 38(t)" instead of bigger and heavier machines.

[@MrHFam-st4ni]

Be like the American mass production

[@feelsreeeman7992]

@@vvr881 Yup, hitler always wanted bigger and 'better' tanks, which is what cost them the war imo If they had focused on lets say the panther tanks, made them mechanically sound and easier to mass produce, they might of stood a chance

[@Blazcowitz1943]

It seems kind of funny how these near invincible tanks and tank destroyers which were extremely expensive and thirsty on fuel were developed at the time Germany could least afford them. You'd think at the height of their power and when momentum was in their favor that such weapons would make sense. You'd think that when they were on the backfoot and facing dwindling resources that they would move for more economical war production, sticking with cheaper and more proven designs rather than those more expensive and unreliable.

[@panzertracks]

72 tons is a whole lot of Jagdpanzer!! thanks for sharing, I had always seen the surrender of 512 in other channels but never knew that they where responsible for all that destruction. Great video.

[@feelsreeeman7992]

Jadgtiger, not panzer, that's a different AT tank

[@garretteugene9299]

@@feelsreeeman7992 are you stupid... panzer means tank in german. jagtiger is called the Panzerjäger Tiger Ausf. B learn your history before you comment

[@michaelhawkins1528]

Hallo Leute ich bin Deutsch. Actually 'panzer " means armour . but in this case "Der Panzerkampfwagen " It refers to armoured combat vehicle. We used the word Panzer to refer to many vehicles , as well as tanks. (Not all vehicles). Sorry for My Englisch. Greatings From Germany.

[@melle9155]

Best wishes for 2019 Mark! Keep up the good work!

[@ArenBerberian]

Its mad how his channel is growing so fast all of a sudden.

[@sarttee]

4,000 meter shot in ww2? lol wtf

[@DHMarci]

Insane. How do you even aim a shot like that with ww2 equipment.

[@HiTechOilCo]

"wtf"? When teenagers fart? Women having fits? When tanks fly? What is this code?

[@rayhan_2k841]

i believe the second longest tank kill of ww2 was from a sturer emil. it also had a 128

[@carltorjusen558]

2 1/2 miles...!

[@patrickmccrann991]

This gun was developed from the 128mm heavy flak gun in service. It was more powerful than any other tank gun of the war and could easily cover 4000 meters. Was the shot impressive? Yes, with the fire control equipment of the day, but not impossible.

[@kemal3147]

41 dislikes are from the american anti tank gunners.

[@momotheelder7124]

Pretty impressive show, I thought when 'air support' was mentioned that it was game over for the Germans but they even seemed to have done well against the P-47s.

[@MyLateralThawts]

Surrendered his unit in Iserlohn? I was born there, in a British military hospital in 1962 (during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis). I was told that at the end of the war that particular hospital was used by the Waffen SS. In other words, there were likely SS soldiers in town when the Americans arrived and they were no doubt surprised to see a well equipped Wehrmacht unit surrendering.

[@rocistone6570]

there was more to it than that. Mostly the Germans built big, heavy, complex tanks, more like Swiss watches. The Russians built big, heavy tanks that were more like tractors. Even the American Sherman, as awful as it was, was comparatively simple. 50,000+ of them were built. Against less than 2000 German heavy monsters, used in penny packets more than in concentration most of the time. It didn't require another Patton to take a good guess at how the numbers game would turn out..If the Germans had built 20,000 "Tiger" class tanks instead of barely 2000, the outcome might have been quite different. It was another case of Hitler being the Allies best "secret weapon."

[@RG-fc7ht]

Roci Stone Why does the Sherman get such a bad reputation it was superior to the rest of the tanks (non American) of the war in Ergonomics and the armor at the front was between 80-90mm on the front only 20-10mm less than a tiger 1 and the 75 was an adequate gun. Then again no tank is perfect but the Sherman did have some flaws like suspension but other than that it was pretty solid and easy to repair and use with parts that did not need to be messed with to work. So why do tanks like the Panther, Tiger series, and all those other heavier vehicles get treated like they were better when logistically and ergonomically the Sherman was superior.

[@uproar8745]

​@@RG-fc7ht Germany's tanks were better they simply just lacked industry to build them. If America was building panthers they would've built 30k(35k if the over engineering was toned down) of them which would've been equal to 100k shermans.

[@Dylan-hq4qt]

It shows the humanity of the German side during the war how he decided to surrender to spare the civilians in the town, I liked this video, great content

[@henryvonedelkase6604]

Well they were there own civilians.

[@fattmatt200]

More likely be was ordered to defend it to the last man and bullet, so couldn't retreat as he would have been executed, and he didn't want to die when he knew full well it was over.

[@lgtvflia.ruffinelli6569]

Yep. The Wehrmacht soldiers weren't the "bad guys", the SS were. They had no mercy and killed by pleasure. Once they captured some american soldiers and laughed while killing them, so some soldiers swore they would kill anyone from the SS.

[@chadhaire1711]

German Humanity?--yeah spared his German town after killing 20 million Russians and burning 10,000 eastern European towns----you stupid twit. Get the hell off this channel.

[@zxbzxbzxb1]

Only their own civilians...

[@DomPatek]

By far one of the best channels I've come across. Extremely interesting and well put together content. I will definitely be making a donation.

[@AtheistOrphan]

I would recommend everyone visit the tank museum in Dorset and see this beast up close. A great day out.

[@quinnfell3824]

Great video as usual! Thanks for your very professional video production as always.

[@expresssogc6692]

Otto Carius book Tigers in the Mud has info about the Jagtiger he commanded them late in the war. He explained that the cannon because of its length was battered about so much as a result of even a short move off road that its alignment no longer agreed with the optics and after moving its sights would have to realigned to hit anything. I would say it was only useful in a static ambush.

[@SafetyProMalta]

Awarded KC for his action as Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 1./schwere Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 519 in January 44. Apparently he lived to a very old age.

[@michaelwooding291]

The career of Albert Ernst is featured in Panzer Aces by Frank Kurowski and covers the battle for Iserlohn in much greater detail. Well worth a read.

[@charlesrandall5698]

4 kilometres equals 4,367 yards. Damn it man that's long range gunnery.

[@garyolivier792]

Great job as usual Mark. Thank you for your posts

[@haydenadams1363]

This is my favorite KZbin channel these videos are made with documentary quality every time keep up the awsome work 👍👍

[@Randy_Plays_Games]

I get so excited Everytime I get a video notification from your channel. Quality content.

[@Purpmaster]

Such a beautiful machine! 😍

[@Pommezul]

Jägdtiger was a mobile (sometimes not) pillbox

[@xl1200r]

Yet another hit mark!

[@Gow-13510]

Coh2 5 star jagtiger is OP AF

[@hampter1279]

I remember loading up world of tanks for the first time in like 2014 and seeing this tank. Played that whole game cause this was my dream tank.

[@srenfogh59]

Otto Carius fought with that Unit at the same time. Its sad to read about the last days of the war, where everything is just chaos.

[@mrackerm5879]

Mark, you have a really nice channel. Your presentations are nicely researched and very well presented. I also like that you stick to history and stay (as best I can tell) away from contemporary distractions and disagreements.

[@cubancoffee]

Coffee and a Mark Felton upload! 👍👍

[@stephenwarhurst6615]

I see a interview with a member of a Sherman tank crew that survive that Jagdtiger Ambush. He said he thought he heard Loud Thunder then a big bounce on side of the tanks turret. When they heard they were under attack they move to safety down a side street. After the heat of the battle he discover that the Thunder noise came from a Jagdtiger Shell when it missed aim hit a timber power pole then that shell bounce then hit the Sherman's turret and was embedded in the Sherman's armor. There is a Photo of that Sherman parked next to that pole with it's crew pointing at that huge shell stuck in it

[@phbrinsden]

Excellent work again Mark. Very interesting.

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

Never even heard of the Jagdtiger before. Good work.

[@vincevandergoes2362]

Fantastic work and great to hear about this unit. Made my day. Thanks Mark 😊

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

A pleasure

[@MrKnoxguy101]

Thanks Mark. Another great video on your behalf.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Thanks

[@mikehunt7977]

*MADE MY DAY BETTER*

[@theelderkine]

One of the best history-related channels on KZbin. Fantastic, as always!

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

That's great to hear!

[@alswann2702]

Thanks Mark! That looked like an STG 44 the Jagdtiger crewman was carrying as he climbed down.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

I thought it was an MG34. I'll have to look again.

[@CD318]

Excellent work.

[@bulletsalad3927]

you tell such awesome stories sir thank you

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Thank you

[@prehensileman7254]

Keep them coming Mark

[@SDeww]

better be a statue of albert ernst in the city of Iserlohn!

[@VonSpud]

Fascinating! Thanks.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

A pleasure

[@slayer9240]

Nice love the look of this tank killer . Ps good video as all ways

[@HiTechOilCo]

It's a good thing that looks don't translate into combat effectiveness.

[@sammy5555bro]

i love this channel please keep up the videos and storys

[@Spitsz01]

Great short stories Mark. Really enjoy your vids!

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Thanks for watching

[@carius007]

Cold beer and another brilliant video! 🍺 great work my friend 👍

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Many thanks for your support

[@marcusfarrell1171]

I love this channel

[@user-CB69]

This channel is an invaluable one.

[@eaglestrike6875]

Another excellent video from a superlative channel!

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

High praise indeed

[@sammni]

Haven't missed a video yet buddy. Still waiting on that Blair Mayne video ;-) lol

[@lambhdeargh]

I think he's afraid!

[@Dutchhero2]

I love how it just goes circles. 😜

[@Trek001]

Yet another great snippet of history, Mark... You may or may not know this, but in the game "Hidden and Dangerous Extended Edition" the Jagdtiger is a drivable vehicle in the downloadable extra missions - though described as a "self propelled gun"

[@kartoonz82]

Match making in world war 2 was very biased. A tier 9 tank picking up on tier 6 tanks! Thank god wargaming learnt a thing or two looking at these videos!

[@Paul-uo5gl]

I actually live in the area. You can still go to the place where the tigers stood. Where they shot the Americans is now a highway. They had a perfect situation from what you can see there. Great video

[@forstevo]

I 1st read about Albert Ernst in Panzer Aces by Franz Kurowski, which is a great book. He started out in an anti-tank gun crew, but had his most success commanding a Nashorn on the Eastern Front.

[@jimb.942]

Love your work!! Keep up the good work. Try to find accounts of rarer German weapons systems fighting the Allies.

[@taurirohtsalu4890]

Nice video, as allways

[@CroatZg]

Unbeatable!

[@WaffenSSTotenkopf]

Thats a beautiful beast..

[@yellowjackboots2624]

Another excellent episode, Mr Felton. We all marvel at the impressive distance these weapons are effective at, but what of the optics needed to service a target some 4km distant? This i feel is a part of armoured warfare which is almost always overlooked. Anyway, crack on, sir.

[@ZombieRofl]

Sick tank!!!!

[@aamirqadri1302]

Amazing

[@johnkershaw9575]

Great video.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Thanks

[@johnloewinbagano4796]

Nice 60K...subs well done

[@davidj.7227]

Imagine the coast of France and Belgium lined with those the beginning of 1944. As mobile artillery they would have been tough to knock out if they can keep shifting positions during an invasion.

[@WorksOnMyComputer]

Mark, are the models used as the thumbnail images for the videos you own builds? If so, they look fantastic. Have you considered showing them in their own channel and maybe putting up some interesting facts around the subject matter they depict? Keep up the great work on the channel. You've become one of my favourite KZbin destinations.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

No, they are not my models. Thanks for watching.

[@barnabyg6808]

What was the music used at the very start please?

[@compositesquare]

Great history, videos and narration as always. Can you do a video about Germany's nearly complete prototype E-100 tank, Maus tank and the proposed Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte tank?

[@Nyctasia]

There is also the P.1500 Ratte version, or the much misunderstood P50,000 Wasserratte, which did see service, although as it was deployed to defend Norway people have often mistaken it for the never completed Bismarck class ship Tirpitz.

[@sander6438]

@@Nyctasia the tirpitz was completed

[@cesarvieceli2958]

The p1.500 is totaly fake and although i still find the p.1.000 interesting, I could never find real evidence of it existence not even the proposal, all i know is that the popular idea that it would have a triple/double naval turret would be almost impossible since the only the turret already weight 600 tons and the guns 100 tons each meaning that only the turret and guns would already be 80/90% of the total wight of the supposedly 1.000 ton vehicle.

[@cesarvieceli2958]

@@Nyctasia excuse me what the hell is a p50.000 and since when the Tirpitz was never complete?

[@McRocket]

Another interesting video. Thank you. Imagine these behemoth's in the wide open spaces of the Russian steppes or the North African desert?

[@MT-tu8qd]

Mark, you should consider doing tours across the battlefields of Europe.

[@fishbob86]

Thank you for making all of these videos, I can't tell you how many people I've told about your channel. I would love to know more about the British advance into Germany as for me its not as well know as the American advance. After market garden I dont really know too much. Keep up the great work! And I'll continue to tell people about your channel. Thank you.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Many thanks - I will be doing some British videos re the advance into Northern Germany

[@GTFORDMAN]

a 4 kilometer tank on tank kill is impressive even by modern standards!

[@docus1min825]

405 likes and no dislikes! Well done!

[@veebuk8522]

Love your intro

[@scottleft3672]

Hard to beleive this tank will be an antique in 25 years.

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

Well done mark ( your pronunciation of German words is very good).

[@paulroberts3639]

I want one. Just so I can insist that any parking spot I see was mine all along.

[@mrgarland5210]

Nice to see that in times of war and with weapons of overwhelming power civilians were often spared the bloodshed...wished it happened more in WW2 and in today's world.

[@PiperStart]

Realising the futility of further resistance ... they surrendered their remains Jagdtigers. This was a good outcome for us all. Well done, Herr Kapitan.

[@cybercapri]

What a MONSTER of a Tank this was.... WOW, I am thankful they did not ever get to full strength, and I'd venture to say if they used Slave Labor to construct them that would explain all the mechanical issues all German Tanks Shared....

[@plozikou]

4 km... What a beast.

[@mlee6136]

I’d be interested to know how the crews could hit a target a 4km? What was the optics like etc..

[@RTEHeydrich]

Dr. Felton as far as you can discern were there jagtigers involved in the Battle of the Bulge?

[@thomasbeck9075]

That's a very interesting tank

[@soundofeighthooves]

its no tank

[@tonycrane3274]

And yet, for all it's power and armor, it only accounted directly to the destruction of somewhere between 18 and 40 Sherman tanks, depending on who you believe. Considering there were at least as many Jagdtigers that were surrendered, destroyed by their own crews or wiped out by Allied air attacks, it really highlights what a colossal failure it was. I read one accounting that a movement of the Jagdtiger even a short distance would often cause the gun to have to be re-sighted.

[@jasonmussett2129]

This must have been an absolute nightmare to fight in. Awkward to manoeuvre, I don't think many were ever built. I remember building the dragon kit, when you do you realise how difficult to manufacture the Jadgtiger must have been.

[@nomenestomen3452]

Love my Jagdtiger in WoT. It's the actually pinnacle of my tank fleet as a non-premium player. Slow as fuck but hits hard like a tier 10.

[@wd-type9643]

This is some good ass content.

[@bpmak300]

Pls do a documentary on the lone Sturer Emil that knocked out 51 allied tanks

[@avnrulz8587]

My wife's uncle served in Unna in WW2.

[@pheels]

A mobile defensive pillbox these would have been hard to knock out in an urban battlefield if supported by other arms

[@Haneix1]

What is the source on the 4km shots, I highly doubt it.

[@harisrazmi3875]

Jagdtiger means “Tiger Hunter”

[@zillsburyy1]

massive firepower!!!!!