The Ambush of Tiger Tanks at Elst | September 1944

[@livethforevermore]

Just a note: At 04:48, Major Harry Parker comments that "a German Motorcycle combination came up the road from Elst, presumably to contact the tanks." Major Parker is most certainly getting confused, as the German tanks advanced up the road from Elst and the German motorcyclist would have had to have passed them to get to the British position. Unfortunately, I'm unable to confirm from which direction the motorcyclist came from, although the North, from Heteren, and the South, from Oosterhout, are possibilities. It is also entirely possible that the motorcyclist came from Elst and was scouting ahead of the tank group, rather than trying to contact it as Major Parker claimed.

[@oscarolie5743]

Heteren is west of Elst, so no option. Oosterbeek is north of Elst, so also no option. Seems most likely the motorcyclist came from Elst to scout for the tanks after what happened before...

[@July41776DedicatedtoTheProposi]

Montgomery let his greed for honors blind him to the many nazi tank brigades. He screwed up by letting his greed get in way of his judgement.

[@woodybenjam]

@@oscarolie5743 Not quite correct. From the Tigers positions, both Heteren and Oosterbeek would be considered north.

[@oscarolie5743]

@@woodybenjam I live there, so I think I know where every town is situated. lol

[@davemac1197]

Doesn't it depend on where Major Parker's ambush position was in relation to the first tank platoon? Since he was comng back from the direction of Driel and then onto the Elst-Valburg road heading west from the De Hoop crossroads, he doesn't say he passed the tanks again to the west, so he must have stopped east of the tank platoon. If the ambush position was outside Elst to the east of the tanks, then the motorcyclist coming from Elst may indeed have been coming to contact the tanks as he said, and then the tanks came back towards Elst from the Valburg direction to enter the ambush position. I have a vague memory of seeing photographs of these tanks in the ditches and a caption that they were coming back towards Elst when they were knocked out, so this is starting to come back to me as I think about it.

[@Jamie92208]

This shows the folly of tanks operating without supporting infantry.

[@6thdayblue59]

Lest we forget……. Thank you for sharing such humbling posts about those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Bless you and all who serve and have served our country x

[@SuperOllie1993]

Thank you for uploading so many videos about Market Garden and the fighting in the Island afterwards. My great-grandfather served in 396 Battery, 121st LAA Regiment and was wounded somewhere in the Island on 30th September. As he was a dispatch rider, it's hard to pinpoint where exactly he was wounded but 396 Battery was at the village of Mierlo that day.

[@elizabethrogers1152]

Thanks! Love your videos/military history

[@alexanderpippington9277]

I live in Cornwall and have visited the DCLI museums multiple times, and as well own a full DCLI reenactment uniform and have done much reading on these brave men, but this story must have slipped by me since it's the first time I've heard it. Thanks for making the world more aware of the brave fighting spirit of the average infantryman on the frontlines!

[@yveaux500]

My mother lives just down the road from where this happened. Never knew about this small battle. Will definitely be making a stop to that spot next time I visit her. Thanks for sharing.

[@Nialletto]

The problem with watching one of your videos is that I find myself still on your channel a few hours later (having ignored all my household chores)!

[@rajeshkanungo6627]

Grab a cup of tea while you are at it. The British soldiers ran on tea as they had no magic potion.

[@stuartb9194]

Great work telling the story of such a heroic and forgotten moment

[@jimmyhillschin9987]

Bloody hell. Never heard this story, amazing bravery and tactics from the DCLI. Infantry destroying five of the Germans' best tanks. Thanks for the research and for posting.

[@HankD13]

Thank you for another brilliant snippet of action. Market Garden is so full of "what ifs" it almost hurts to think about.

[@FruitFlyKilla]

Operation Barras lad. That was such an impressive military operation and will make a great video.

[@merlijnwiersma7801]

So much for the absolute superiority of tiger- and panther tanks, as well as so much for the rediculous outdatedness of the PIAT. It shows that it's not all about quality of your equipment, it's also about your implementation!

[@williamkoppos7039]

O Man never heard of this one. Bloody Piats could work, eh? Looking at Archer vs. Panther next. Subscribed.

[@billballbuster7186]

Even Tigers and Panthers need to operate with Infantry support, very unprofessional lol

[@lemmdus2119]

These are the side battles that we only learn about from the veterans. Thank you for telling us.

[@thijs6264]

This story is almost unbelievable. A light Infantry unit taking out 3 Tigers and 2 Panthers. Thats incredible

[@andysmoo3448]

That's what will happen when tanks have no infantry support. Under normal circumstances they would have had infantry support and would probably have survived and destroyed the allied force.

[@davemac1197]

Try the story of the first Tiger II to be knocked out in Normandy: At Le Plessis Grimoult on 7 August 1944, the story is that a platoon wandered into the place and came across two Tiger tanks, one being resupplied with ammunition from a truck parked alongside along with another tracked vehicle present. The platoon realised they would probably be compromised trying to slip past this scene to return to their own lines and needed a diversion to make their escape, so they fired I believe an HE shell from their 2" (50mm) mortar, a weapon normally only used at this stage of the war to deploy smoke. Lance Corporal Caswell and Private Taylor, lobbed a round into the back of the truck, and the resulting explosions dislodged the turret of the German tank and set off an internal explosion. At which point the other Tiger appears to have moved off. Perhaps the most incredible part of this story is the identity of the British unit - the platoon was from A Company, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, commanded by Major Harry Parker!

[@lazarus6125]

I love this channel. Always a good day when it uploads. :)

[@pcka12]

Just shows how tanks need an infantry screen!

[@janwitts2688]

Was the MM the only award for this action. Seems a bit light considering it was unsupported infantry that fubard a very powerful tank element. The chap lost an eye whilst performing his duty, closing the enemy to ensure a palpable hit even at the cost of his own injury and in the face of almost certain death.

[@alexcc8664]

The victoria cross is one of the hardest medals to get even harder than the medal of honour. I think it's been given out less than the MoH.

[@lemmdus2119]

He was awarded the British version of the Distinguished Service Cross.

[@bigwoody4704]

@@alexcc8664 bullshit you got ran out of every country in europe. Monty doesn't show up for hostilities at Arnhem and you tossers call him field marshall. Chicken shit carrington stops after crossing the Nijmegen Bridge 10 miles away from Frost's men going No Further after GIs lost 89 KIA and 136 wounded. But in britain they called him LORD - can't make that shit up. WWII was the end of them beating up on the unfortunates of the world

[@samuel10125]

​@@alexcc8664it's a bit too hard Jeremy Clarksons video on the Victoria Cross shows that and honestly seems a little unfair if not almost impossible to earn one.

[@alexcc8664]

@@samuel10125 too right. Most who receive it are given it after they've been killed

[@jeroenboekhoorn]

The grandmother of my wife was hiding in the cellar during the battle in Elst and she told me that she heard shouting outside in German, than in English, German again. My grandmothers house, close to the church in Oosterbeek, was also destroyed during the battle of Market Garden

[@lukeshepperd6252]

My grandad was wounded at Elst. He was in 1st Btn Hampshire Regiment

[@whya2ndaccount]

02:20: Just a FYI. In British and Commonwealth armies Company Commanders are not "Commanding Officers". The one and only Commanding Officer (CO) is the LTCOL in command of the Battalion (here 5 DCLI) / Regiment (for Armour, Artillery, Engineers and Signals units). Company/Squadron/Battery Commanders are referred to as "Officer Commanding" (OC).

[@kennethwood2089]

Such courage, such grit in the face of the enemy. The Brits in the DCLI----tough as iron nails.

[@LeonardGarcia-yn2ej]

Thank You Very Much For Sharing ❤

[@mwrkhan]

Market Garden didn't succeed, but it almost did. Literally a bridge too far, had it succeeded Montgomery would have been hailed as a military genius. Nonetheless, the allies obtained a sanitised, enemy free, 50 or 60 mile strip of land all the way up to Nijmegen which was to prove useful later on.

[@kal.50bmg32]

That Montgomery was an arrogant and incompetent moron. That´s it.

[@gordonlawrence1448]

Thanks, that was well told.

[@dreamjackson5483]

The craziest most random shit seems to happen in war. Sometimes in the movies you'd see two opposing soldiers literally bump into each other walking and surprise each other. It's wild to think that shit happens all the time. Total mayhem. Let's try keep our streak going of no world war for at least another 50 years 🙏 let's try make it 100 years anyway 😬

[@frankflegg8968]

Great video. Thank you.

[@MM22966]

That must have been hell for the Panzers. Can barely see, can barely hear anything over the engines, and the PIATS have no launch signature. Suddenly everything is blowing up around you and screaming Cornish men are charging at you from the bushes in full Leeroy Jenkins mode...

[@clementaut7287]

Great vidéo

[@bravosixfoxtrot]

the bots are getting out of control

[@KyoushaPumpItUp]

While this is heroic, it's just sad that Operation Market Garden was still an Allied loss, at least to my eyes after reading about it.

[@ghostbride8718]

It pretty much is, they ended up capturing Arnhem in april 45. It didn't really weaken the germans there and they didn't achieve much with it. Had they not ignored the intel that 2 mostly fresh panzer divisions were there, they wouldn't have done it.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Well the Germans retreated 100km and lost Eindhoven and Nijmegen. Only Arnhem was an allied loss. The other 90% of Market Garden was an allied success. It was actually the fastest allied advance against German opposition in the entire September 1944 to February 1945 period. The British 2nd Army advanced 100km, got closer to Germany and hundreds of thousands of Dutch civilians were liberated. The British started their later advance into Germany from the Nijmegen area, captured in Market Garden. Operation Aintree in October/November 1944 expanded on the ground captured in Market Garden. So I wouldn't call it an allied "loss". It just didn't achieve all of its objectives.

[@MiketheMadness]

So?

[@maverick4177]

Better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all, the only failure was that the armoured division was held up leaving a lightly armed brigade to fight on their own And heroically they fought too

[@snugglecity3500]

​@@lyndoncmp5751i swear nobody acknowledges the points you brought up. Even some contemporary historians.

[@alexbowman7582]

The cover story was two panzer divisions were refitting in the area where Market Garden was to take place but it’s more likely the Germans had received intelligence of the operation, perhaps from (a) double agent(s). In the book by Cornelius Ryan a German soldier found the plans in a crashed glider but this seems somewhat convenient. It is possible that the Germans simply worked out the plans although unlikely.

[@j.4332]

there were the remnants of the 9thss and 10th ss Pz divs refitting in the area around Arnhem..Too much is placed upon the so-called "intelligence".No commander worth his salt is going to say "oh well,we had an idea to liberate Holland,but there were Germans there so we decided against it"...sending men to fight is war.

[@ErichHiller44]

At night? And without infantrt support?!?! Wtf usually tiger crews were some of the most experienced tankers the hell were they thinking!

[@j.4332]

By 1944 they probably had few experienced crews still alive.Most of whom would most likely be used as instructors,not wasted in battles.

[@thomaseser8359]

Good example not to operate Tanks without infantry.

[@chitlika]

Panzerfaust Piats and Bazookas were the terror of Tankers on both sides especially if they didnt have an Infantry screen

[@ChrisBadams-to6pt]

One of your Photos shows an upturned tiger, generally that wouldn’t happen from Piats or mines

[@dpeasehead]

I agree. Most likely it was probably rolled out of the way by engineers after the battle.

[@davemac1197]

@dpeasehead is correct. The photographs were taken after the area was cleared of obstructions on the roads.

[@CL-kn1rq]

R.I.P.

[@Markyellowcake]

When in battle, ALL tanks are tiger tanks.

[@svengoessens7283]

Dutchie from Oosterbeek. Don't know this. Thank you

[@petersone6172]

I think this action should have been included in the film “A Bridge Too Far”.

[@skeletonwguitar4383]

Are you working on smth big or is just not a whole lot of modeen ops content rn? Miss the modern ops binging in rows

[@BARBQPUP]

So that's brincarriers and tigers?

[@tsk3392]

Met a man who came up against the first Tiger tanks in Africa. They didn't have anything to deal with them and had to run.

[@jimmiller5600]

Those five advanced tanks would have cost a lot of Allied tanks. My guess is 15 to 25 Allied tanks crews didn't have to be sacrificed.

[@scatton61]

Why isn't this a film?

[@incompetentgaming8400]

too little occurred for it to become a film

[@scatton61]

@@incompetentgaming8400 There absolutely is. It depends on the writing and that it isn't treated like a Marvel film aimed at 10 year olds

[@davemac1197]

It would be in A Bridge Too Far, if the film was 30 hours long instead of just 3.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

Hollywood would change it to Americans and the Major would be a gay black woman.

[@davemac1197]

@@goodshipkaraboudjan - I stand corrected: It would be in A Bridge Too Far, if the film was 30 hours long instead of just 3, and historically accurate.

[@---rz5th]

As some have written they never hear of this battle and have you got any otyhe evidence of this ,/

[@vulcanjoe8258]

Operation Market Garden was a honestly a shit show on both sides. But this scenario shows what happens when units can band together in cohesion and overcome the odds.

[@danielgaddis7496]

Except for the medal of Honor which you get paid for military medals are like getting a kiss on the cheek from a beauty queen.

[@oleriis-vestergaard6844]

To blame for market garden chaos is Bernard mongomery , a true believer in him self

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

Brereton, Lindsquist and Browning share more of the blame.

[@davemac1197]

@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- - correction: Brereton-Williams-Gavin-Lindquist. Browning was sidelined by Brereton in the LINNET II affair and could do nothing to alter Brereton and William's air plan for MARKET, and Gavin discarded his alternative suggestion for a parachute coup de main on the Nijmegen bridge, and then Lindquist failed to follow Gavin's instruction to send his 1st Battalion directly to the bridge after landing. Therefore: Brereton-Williams-Gavin-Lindquist.

[@terrysmith9362]

Ah another Hollywood historian

[@jnairac]

The SS were regitying . All DUTCH Waffen SS Volunteers, De Ruyter div. Dutch. NORDWEST division also Dutch SS volunteers that fired inbAir dropping British and Polish Airborne troops. The SS akso shot five events on Wounded PoW at Oosterbeek Visit the only German WW2 Cemetery in Ijsselsteijn. German Graves at Ijsseksteijn sept 1944. All DUTCH names, SS ranks and all Sept 1944

[@ToddSauve]

How was it that the major in the jeep and then the sergeant in the armoured troop carrier did not recognize that these were German tanks, especially since they were Tigers and Panthers? Was it dark out or was there very little light? Or were they drinking a lot of alcohol and their wits befuddled? That just _seems_ inexcusable, but what do I know 80 years after the fact? 🤷🙄🤨

[@nightjarflying]

They were in the middle of a well spaced out column & driving full pelt in a jeep [not a very comfy ride w lots of vibration] because it was an expose open, straight road - they did not expect to see German armoured vehicles at that spot because the van of their column had not long travelled that stretch of road. They assumed reasonably it was their own tanks - it's very hard to do a bit of tank identification from a jeep travelling at 50 mph as the world is just vibrating around you - no details are evident until very, very close. WWII Jeeps are not a comfortable ride!

[@andrewcombe8907]

Who dreamed up Market Garden and the idea that XXX Corps and its units could “race” up a narrow front in hostile territory? It was almost as if the lessons learned in the fighting around Caen had been forgotten. The Germans were masters of defensive warfare and the low lying Dutch landscape with elevated roads made for perfect ambush territory plus multiple water crossings which created choke points for advancing troops. The desire for a quick end to the war created a disastrous outcome.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Market garden could have been to eliminate V2/ V1 launching bases a uniquely british concern

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Well now. 1. XXX Corps actually DID race up that narrow road. They actually moved nearly 100km in 3 days. This was the fastest allied advance against German opposition in the entire September 1944 to February 1945 period. Look how slow the Hurtgen Forest, Lorraine and Operation Queen went in comparison. Had the Nijmegen bridge been taken by the 82nd Airborne when it should have been, the XXX Corps would have reached Arnhem on the 19th. It wasn't the road, it was the bridges not being taken by the airborne. 2. It wasn't supposed to end the war. The only goals were a bridgehead over the Rhine and to cut off the western Netherlands. The immediate next phase was for US 1st Army to move to Aachen and beyond to the Rhine so both British 2nd and US 1st Army could then advance together in tandem on the Ruhr in a pincer move. Even if Arnhem was taken the US 1st Army would still have failed to get beyond Aachen and would have still got bogged down in the Hurtgen Forest.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@Eric-kn4yn Yes. If Arnhem was taken, British 2nd Army was to advance north to the sea to cut off the western Netherlands. This would have helped with the V rocket sites and in clearing Antwerp. Market Garden was a better idea than going into the Hurtgen Forest or wasting months trying to take Metz.

[@frankpolly]

​@@lyndoncmp5751 one thing that is overlooked though is that there was no guarantee that the bridgehead at Arnhem could have been held. During market garden the Germans called upon reinforcements from all over the Netherlands and western Germany to help with the defence. Even after market garden the Germans tried to retake the Island with a considerable force of armor and Infantry. If the British had taken the Arnhem bridgehead, they would have had to fight like hell to break out of it afterwards.

[@nickdanger3802]

@@lyndoncmp5751 If 1st AB had not taken four hours to travel 4 miles/6k from LZ Z to the rail bridge arriving just in time to see it blown up or had managed to get more than 740 men to the road bridge and taken both ends, the delay at Nijmegen would have made a difference. But 1st AB didn't so it didn't matter. The forts of Metz are two fortified belts around the city of Metz in Lorraine.[note 1] Built according to the design and theory of Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières at the end of the Second Empire-and later Hans von Biehler while Metz was under German control-they earned the city the reputation of premier stronghold of the German reich.[1] These fortifications were particularly thorough given the city's strategic position between France and Germany. The detached forts and fortified groups of the Metz area were spared in World War I, but showed their full defensive potential in the Battle of Metz at the end of World War II. As Third Army supply lines became stretched, material (especially gasoline) became scarce, and Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower called a halt to the Third Army advance so that supplies could be stockpiled for Operation Market Garden. This pause by Third Army gave the Germans time to reorganize and fortify Metz, in an attempt to contain the Allied advance.[4]

[@LeonardGarcia-yn2ej]

👉👍🙋🏻‍♂️😊

[@peternuyten8146]

This happened close to were I live.

[@ronaldelliott4924]

Pride and Poor preparation trying to match the Americans move caused a disaster . Only by the Grace and Mercy of Christ Jesus did the men survive . No credit to the British.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@ronaldelliott4924 Ronald, this wasn't about trying to match the Americans. Market Garden was an ALLIED operation. It's genesis was in Operation Comet conceived at Montgomery's HQ, but planned at SHAEF by the joint planning staff, for a small-scale parachute capture of Rhine Bridges. It was cancelled as German resistance stiffened. All of the commanders were under pressure from Marshall in Washington and especially Hap Arnold to find employment for the 1st Allied Airborne Army that was made up of two British and three U.S. airborne divisions and a Polish brigade all sitting in England for whom a dozen planned operations had already been cancelled. The concept of advancing on a broad front that was only supported by Bradley (Eisenhower wavered ) was clearly impossible with the supply situation and both Monty and Patton pointed out that by trying to advance everywhere, they could advance nowhere ;their only disagreement, as usual, was who should get the supplies for a strong advance. The overall post-Normandy Breakout strategy had always anticipated a stronger left wing of the allied armies due to the desire to liberate Holland and enter the Ruhr as quickly as possible, so the idea of a much bigger and more ambitious version of Comet; in the form of Market Garden suited everyone. Again it was drawn up by a COMBINED ALLIED planning staff, though naturally under the overall direction of Montgomery who was the commander in the Army Group concerned.

[@floydfanboy2948]

Oosterbeek is pronounced "Owsterbake". Oosterhout is pronounced "Owsterhowt". De Hoop is pronounced "Duh Hope".

[@davidsike734]

It's hard to believe that it took a personal inspection B4 Major Parker recognized the 5 tanks as being German since they look distinctly different from allied tanks.

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Battle was at night.

[@richardsuggs8108]

Montgomery’s plan. Monty’s failure. Apparently ten thousand men lost.

[@ozbassman73]

Montgomery had no say in the planning of ‘Market’. The airborne component was planned by the First Allied Airborne Army under General Lewis Brereton (US) and General Browning (UK). Command of ‘Garden’ was 2nd British Army under General Miles Dempsey (UK) and was intended to be a 3 x Corps strong attack with XXX Corps the main thrust in the centre. The intended 2 x flanking Corps were reduced due to lack of fuel, supplies and trucks to transport and could only advance when possible. The failure to capture the Nijmegen bridge on the first day by the 82d Airborne (US) was the fatal decision in the operation. XXX Corps arrived at Nijmegen earlier than scheduled but spent the next 2 days fighting in the town and assisting the 82d in capturing the Nijmegen road bridge. This delay meant the 1st Airbourne Division (UK) could not be relieved in time and they were forced to surrender or retreat to the Oosterbeek perimeter.

[@richardsuggs8108]

@@ozbassman73 The 82nd was ordered to hold in place because of reported German troops being in the area. The report was wrong. The Polish troops were delayed because of the weather. I believe that Eisenhower had these lessons in mind when the battle of the bulge happened. He chose a broad front attack. Monty was a good general and no warrior wins every battle. I admire him for most of his decisions .

[@nickdanger3802]

@@ozbassman73 Montgomery had no say in when it would go off ? It took 1st AB four hours to travel 4 miles/6k from LZ Z to the rail bridge. They arrived just in time to see it destroyed. Lead elements of XXX Corps arrived in Grave at 0820 on day three and they were still 25 miles from Arnhem road bridge (Grave to Heumen to Arnhem), well over 1/3 the distance from Joes Bridge to Arnhem. When XXX Corps arrived at Grave they had averaged just over 2 miles/3k per hour in daylight. If they had maintained that pace, they would have arrived at the south side of the Lower Rhine about sundown on day three. On day four Frosts' men (740 on day one with no reinforcement or resupply) ran out of food, ammo and water and Germans had control of the north end of the bridge. There was little to stop Germans from destroying the south end of Arnhem road bridge if it seemed XXX Corps might reach it.

[@ozbassman73]

@@nickdanger3802 Montgomery’s original airborne plan ‘Comet’ was considered and then shelved in early September, and was thereafter resurrected at the insistence of Eisenhower and modified into the Market/Garden operation by the First Allied Airborne Army under General Brereton. Montgomery took no part in the planning for the Market/Garden operation and had no say as to when it would start - as it was not under his control, but rather First Allied Airborne Army.

[@nickdanger3802]

@@ozbassman73 "at the insistence of Eisenhower" Source ? "The essential plan (Comet) was not dead, however, and on the 10th September 1944, Montgomery personally briefed Browning for Operation Market Garden. The objectives remained the same, but now the American airborne divisions entered the equation, and the areas around Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem respectively became the responsibility of the 101st, 82nd and 1st Airborne Divisions with the Poles under the command of the latter. Browning, having asked Montgomery how long the 1st Airborne would have to hold Arnhem and being told two days, replied that they could hold it for four. Whether or not he then went on to add the famous phrase that Arnhem might be "a bridge too far" is a matter for debate, though Brigadier Walch, Browning's Chief of Staff who saw him immediately after this meeting, believed that he did say it." Pegasus Archive Lieutenant-General Frederick Arthur Montague Browning page

[@Blair338RUM]

Monty screwed it up again

[@rexmasters1541]

Same old worn out content and there is nothing new here.

[@Lassisvulgaris]

So your suggestion for other content...?

[@ChinaChinaChinaChinaChinaChin4]

Hi ❤