SS Parachute Assault - Yugoslavia 1944

The story of the daring SS parachute raid to kill or capture Yugoslav communist leader Josip Tito in 1944.
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...
Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
Help support my channel:
www.paypal.me/markfeltonprodu...
/ markfeltonproductions
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: US National Archives; Bundesarchiv

[@mikebrase5161]

I knew a guy who made this jump. He was shot in the foot. He was a Communications officer. He was captured at Nijmegen later in the war and sent to the US as a POW and came back to the US and became a citizen in the 50's.

[@chriscourson2824]

ended up good for him, I'd say!!

[@Cheeki_breeki6]

He was an SS man?

[@mikebrase5161]

@@Cheeki_breeki6 yes he was an SS- UnterStrumfuhrer.His name was Gerhard Franzky. He wrote a book called learning to walk He was shot in the foot while coming down in his chute and had to learn how to walk again hence the title.

[@dannythomson5239]

@@mikebrase5161 fantastic piece of additional info, thankyou sir! it is always worth reading comments under Dr Feltons videos, there are quite often little beautys of additional info on the videos subject.

[@scottstewart5784]

@@dannythomson5239 and from a generous and generally polite group of commenters

[@njopson9466]

My Dad was there! He was a communications (wireless) sergeant in the R.A.F. He parachuted into Yugoslavia with Randolph Churchill and had to spend a night in a tent with him. When I was a schoolboy in the 1950's he was always telling anyone who would listen about his experiences, but most of it went over my head. What I do recall was his contempt for Churchill's son, and how he and Tito had to stealthily circle round a tree to avoid being spotted by a German aircraft. He presumably was the wireless operator for the mission that rescued Tito. He died in 1993 and I only wish I had quizzed him more. I know that after Fitzroy McLean, who was his boss, published "Eastern Approaches" he corresponded with him, with, I believe some factual corrections. He never went back to Yugoslavia.

[@panicatack6318]

It's a great loss for the history of ww2 ( especially in Yugoslavia) that your father didn't leave memoirs or writings of any kind about his wartime experiences. It would be interesting to read, no doubt. As we , ex Yugoslavs , would say, eternal glory and gratitude to your father for his service and may he rest in peace.

[@muamermalik781]

Did he learned little our languagle? Can you more write his experiance here? Thank you greeting fromBosnia

[@ratkomartin2005]

Wow.All Respect and Salute for your father and other staff.Thanks to Mr Churchill who decided to help our PARTISANS. trully Heroes, contrary to all Nazi Colaborators from other side(Croatian Ustasa,serbian Cetnics,Nedic gendarms,Ljotic Fashist movement...and many others).

[@user-rx5ot7gj7k]

God bless your family and your father. I’m sure he was a great man

[@datastorage7388]

@@user-rx5ot7gj7k My father was the SS Gruppenfuhrer General who had secret mission to capture son of CHurchil and demand UK extradite churchil to Hague to stand trial for war crimes. Mission was secret that even Hitler Himmler and Goebels didn't know about it. They put tother 100,000 SS troops armed with special guns, and they used C-130 planes to drop 10,000 airbone IFVs.

[@jovicamateric7756]

I'm in Drvar right now visiting family and Tito's cave is a massive tourist attraction here. Its a pain to climb up there though.

[@davidrixon2321]

Please put some flowers on this sacred ground. I was marriedcto a Serbian and her pop survived until 1945 wgere he died from kidney disease.hiswife was tortured and spent the next 60 term in an institution. My exwifes mum was looked after in in orphanage and was a very cold and strange woman. Its the aftermath of the war that affects generations to this day. My ex never had a childhood either but a fantastic mother to our children. The best thing her parents did was to immigrate to Australia where we have a large population of Serbian people.

[@hercg1967]

Piss in the cave, just a bunch of communist, that bled the fake made up country called Yugoslavia, right up till the end of 1990s war country was poor, look at Croatia now… land of gold

[@edwardcuruvijapenrose5081]

@@hercg1967 70.73% debt to GDP, what a land of gold genius.

[@hercg1967]

@@edwardcuruvijapenrose5081 I was referring to the beauty of the country

[@milun3000]

@@edwardcuruvijapenrose5081 Good answer and he forget to mention enormous emigration to europe to find work, Yugoslavia had a economy in the 80 s a lot of countrys wish for. And in time of big earthquake a lot of coastline was destroyed Yugoslavia build it up again. People that post these comment are usually the ones that don't live in ex Yugoslavia anymore.

[@wallaceralston2057]

As an ex-paratrooper I always marveled at how the German's seemed to dive out the doors of their aircraft. We trained to go feet first into the prop blast so as not to get the risers and lines twisted.

[@louisavondart9178]

..They only had one riser, attached to their backs. That meant they couldn't steer their chute except by waving their arms around wildly. They also jumped without heavy weapons and had to recover them from containers. That cost them a lot of casualties, especially in Crete.

[@kenduffy5397]

I can see the positives of not jumping out with your “kit” as the British say. But to jump out with your weapons; is crazy! If you can’t somewhat control where you’re going to land? It most likely will be your last time alive if you didn’t get shot coming down or killed by hitting the ground? You were most likely going to get killed trying to get to your weapons, unbelievable! ​@@louisavondart9178

[@jdrancho1864]

@@louisavondart9178 I heard the German parachute design was the worst of any nation in the war. As a result, they suffered a high number of injuries on landing, reducing their battle effectiveness from the off. The Soviets actually were said to have the best parachutes.

[@devilsadvocate7389]

Tito has SS and Stalin coming for his head and he outlived both.

[@LoFiOAS1S]

Tačno, a i Staljinu je poslao pismo posle ne znam koliko pokušaja staljina da ubije tita..." nemoj vise slati ljude da me ubiju jee cu biti prinudjen da ja posaljem agente pri cemu necu imati potrebu dabih saljem drugi put" Opasan Tito bio pravi diplomata.

[@richardm3023]

@@LoFiOAS1S Talk American! Ya heathen Frenchman.

[@scockery]

And Tito outlived Michael.

[@countercuIture]

@Andrija Garovic He was being sardonic

[@stanleyrogouski]

@@richardm3023 It's Tito's famous letter to Stalin. “Stalin. Stop sending people to kill me. We've already captured five of them, one of them with a bomb and another with a rifle… If you don't stop sending killers, I'll send one to Moscow, and I won't have to send another.”

[@TheProtagonistDies]

I wouldve stayed awake in history class if Mark was my teacher

[@rijnvanessen7359]

Yes mark is the best

[@TermlessHGW]

U probably wouldn't. Wisdom and interest with things that matter come with age.

[@franciscorodriguez259]

You're right,,!!! the video would had helped alot,good day!!

[@Baddy187]

It helps Mark only does WW2, alot of people cant handle 3 hour talks about the Celts.

[@marialaden4259]

i killed the pedo historiy teacher

[@YouDingo88]

Nobody messes with Yugoslava. We prefer to do it ourselves.

[@AA-bz1pr]

Yugoslavia was bored of no one being able to destroy them... so they did it themselves

[@konstantincvetanovic5357]

A sad truth

[@Dan_Mio]

Stane Dolanc one of Yugoslav high officials and close Tito's aides was asked once by a journalist about rumors that Yugoslavia would disintegrate after Tito's death. He said: "If someone attacks us they will see how united we are." The journalist then asked: "What if no one attacks you?"

[@kieranlillis7121]

@@AA-bz1pr problem is it was an artificial creation so many issues. I did 3 tours there, beautiful country and people were great, just no to each other

[@AA-bz1pr]

@@kieranlillis7121 Its a shame we cant all get along really, but it is what it is

[@neveniusvondubowatz7705]

Dear Mark Felton. My grandma was there in the famous 6. Lička Division. She was a partisan nurse. I've heard this story many many times in my childhood. It was bloody hell. EDIT: The 6th Lička Division was part of the famous 1st Proletarian Corps. My grandfather was in the corps and met my grandmother in Drvar during the Skorzeny raid. He was wounded at the Sirmyan front in 1945., the Yugoslav partisan version of the Battle of the Bulge. Grandpa died in 1999. and grandma 2014.

[@RiamCute]

She muat be very beautiful

[@machinegun3133]

my Grandfather was in the 1st Proletarian Brigade. Bravo to your family!

[@baki4341]

@@machinegun3133 my great grandpa s brother was in the 2. Dalmatian he was a desetar

[@grale979]

I'm from drvar😁

[@panthrothundercat]

Bless your grandparents. 👍

[@NlGHTSKY]

What a coincidence, an hour ago i was asking myself if SS paratroopers ever existed. I was amazed to see that YES they did. And just now Mark Felton posted a brand new video on them !

[@slapzk5355]

The youtube god has answered your questions and prayers.

[@Szymanskill]

They had impressive kit kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJPbg36OgM2nabs

[@ih302]

Dr. Felton is as usual, Johnny on the spot.

[@alexandriac6641]

And they got completely fucked!

[@thedoctor755]

Yep, just the 500.Battalion, later reorganized as 600.Bat. (which I believe didn't get to jump at all). They all used Luftwaffe FJ equipment (camo smocks, helmets, and of course the parachutes), so in combat, they looked almost identical to their Luft counterparts. Most of the film footage Mark uses here is of the regular Fallschirmjaeger, but there's so little film or photos of the SS guys.

[@marks_sparks1]

05:10 Max Schmelling training at Stendal before Crete

[@jimmylight4866]

I saw Big Max

[@vonspajzmann2795]

Yup,thought them eyebrows looked familiar!

[@stephenbrand5661]

When I was a kid in the early 90s my mom would take me to the local library and make me read biographies about major figures from the 20th century. Marshal Tito was my favorite by far.

[@marknovak8471]

My father joined his older brother in the Slovenian mountains in 1943 when he was 16. The middle brother was KIA first battle - shot through the thigh, abandoned, found by the Germans and shot, aged 17. I've been fascinated by what those boys did all of my life since I was a little boy. My mum was Croatian Volksdeutsche & fled Croatia when Partisans took over in mid-1943. She was 8 at the time. She was shunted all over Germany in a refugee train (yep, you actually lived in the train for months at a time), watched Berlin Hamburg and Dresden get flattened. Her father joined the 13th Waffen Mountain Division and was made an Unterofficer (sergeant equivalent). His hip was shattered by artillery fire the first time he saw action & he was promptly pensioned off never having seen an enemy soldier. Had the Partisans discovered the real reason he walked with a cane and a limp they would have shot him. There's a heap of great stories that came out of that mad country. I used to talk to the old vets all the time but they're all dead now.

[@dzonikg]

@@marknovak8471 Brother off my grandmother was in partisans whole war after Germans killed his 17 years old brother and father on 21 oktober 1941..he was student off law then and his personal friends were well known partisans ...but i was younger i was not interested in that so i never ask him anything about it and he died in 2004

[@t.r.8386]

@@dzonikg is there in his biography a detail that he ordered killing thousands at the end of the war.

[@user-zr9gn4fz8s]

Just two small corrections: 1.Josip Broz Tito wasn't Yugoslav army officer of any kind (because I assume that the video refers to his career predating WW2). He was in fact an ex Austro-Hungarian corporal. He was captured on the eastern front in WW1, and returned post war to lead the communist party in Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and later Kingdom of Yugoslavia. As such, he wasn't part of Kingdom's armed forces. 2. Dinaric Mountains are not part of the Alps, but consist their own range.

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

Excellent story...told by an accomplished historian and worthy of a TV history channel mini series.

[@chuckcts-v3460]

Producers of a TV history channel would destroy all that Dr. Felton does. Also, there would be too many commercials, you would actually get about 20 minutes of programing once a week. KZbin is the best place to view/listen to what Dr. Felton has to teach us.

[@lysanderkrieg5474]

I have no idea what you are smoking, but recommend you stop it.

[@lysanderkrieg5474]

Teach us? I could learn more off of the back of a box of rice crispies than Felton could ever teach me. If he was my kids history teacher at school, I'd pull them out of class. Mark regurgitates one side of a coin. Every coin has two sides.

[@StevenKeery]

@@lysanderkrieg5474 : Yet here you are, yet again. You seem to spend a lot of time in a channel that you purportedly despise. What is this masochistic fetish I wonder, or you just don't know how to change to a different channel? Your own channel perhaps, where you can commit to the work to make it a success?

[@manfredheck3529]

@@StevenKeery Well, I share your opinion about L. Kriegs comments. However, this report shows a lot of "Wochenschau"-films about the German attack on Crete (Operation "Merkur", may 20th 1941). Probably there was not enough film material on the SS-assault available.

[@rogerhudson2814]

The SS 500 para unit were badly deployed, the local German commander attacked before Skorzeny' men (the Brandenburg unit) was ready. Drvar is a very wild area, well worth a visit . 36 Celsius in Bosnia today.

[@Xiphactinus]

Badly deployed? Good.

[@MrClajen]

To hot for me lol

[@fengkorberfer]

@@Xiphactinus Jocko?

[@charlesmartella]

36 degrees Celsius is bearable . Love from Australia xx

[@RangaTurk]

The resources that went into this operation could have supplemented the 91st Luftland Division, Panzer Training Battalion 100, and the 6th Parachute Regiment in Normandy. Air support included. D-Day was just weeks away. But yeah I guess the Italian front was important and Army Group E was just across the Adriatic getting squeezed with the recent loss of the Crimea to the Soviets.

[@diecastduderacing]

As a historian of world war 2, this is the most complete and accurate channel I’ve come across! Hats off to you and a fine production!

[@samsejdich6867]

Yes i agree

[@boskopuric4589]

Филм кључ

[@fotografdj]

you do not have a clue and you and he are communist agitators

[@renatogaucho7810]

My late grandmother and grandfather were in that battle, 1st Proletarian Brigade. She said that they were sleaping near the tito's shelter (cave) and early in the morning she was awakened by the sound of Stuka's, they destroyed centre of the town in first attack. This was a mistake because they alarmed whole brigade. Immediately after they have seen first gliders and paratroopers they started to shoot them in the air. I remember that I was joking with her about geneva convention and no shooting on paratroopers in the air. She would always say - to hell with that convention :) Nice channel Mark ;)

[@plushie946]

The Germans themselves and just about every faction in the war disregarded that convention anyways. On paper it makes sense but in reality when men and supplies are being dumped on your head, it makes no sense to allow them to land.

[@guitarjacob1237]

@@plushie946 It's not against any convention to shoot on airbourne troops. Only unarmed pilots

[@guitarjacob1237]

@@phildoddhistoriaantiqua Ever heard about like any other country ever? Soivet had concentration camps long before Hitler even thought about it.

[@guitarjacob1237]

@@phildoddhistoriaantiqua No but you can't say it was something new and unique.

[@cebeho]

Convention does not prohibit shooting paratroopers. Whether the soldier is in the air, in a bus, train, or under water, for that matter, they are legitimate targets, especially during assault operation. Go to your grandmother's grave and apologize.

[@28ebdh3udnav]

Great Job. You taught us a lot with this one. I never heard of this operation.

[@rhavenovoidderris4109]

It's so secret we barely knew it

[@jonatanvlaisavljevic5374]

Its very well known operation among the Yugoslavs, since primary school, It was called Desant na Drvar..

[@miloslazarevic1737]

You can find movie "Desant na Drvar". So old... Black and White movie

[@1nemann]

It's so weird this was uploaded today. I was literally just searching this morning if there were any SS fallschirmjäger after a fellow reenactor had brought it up. Another wonderful video.

[@laniakea777]

SS Brandenburger Brigade. Check it out. Compromised Mission.

[@Pe6ek]

You are using the word literally incorrectly.

[@koenvandam1281]

@@Pe6ek dontbelikethatplease ;)

[@robertlaube574]

Dude, why you have that B.S for a pic?

[@NlGHTSKY]

DUDE i was litteraly thinking about that too an hour ago ! Was wondering if SS fallschirmjager ever existed and BAM a mark felton video on them. I'm starting to think Mark has some kinds of superpowers

[@alfredovilla8560]

You're good Dr. Felton! When you said "elite SS paratroopers" I remember reading that they were a penal battalion and therefore not very motivated, but you addressed that point and clarified further their combat quality. Kudos to you, sir!

[@plushie946]

Their command left quite a bit to be desired, but the entire plan was flawed. Deeply so. The Nazis consistently underestimated the reaction time of the partisans but also their ability to hold a battle line.

[@vukaleksic1654]

maybe-this was the some kind part of eastern front..In YUG there was 10 german divissions, 122 divission on Russia and 12 divission in western europe..So Balkan was good mess

[@TitaniumEye]

I've read about this assault in an excellent book with maps and battle assessments. Partisans knew very well that the Germans could mount an airborne assault, so they positioned a lot of troops in and around Drvar. Along with Tito's personal guard there were elements of one of the (veteran) Proletarian divisions positioned close by, and when the Germans landed, they were rushed into the fight with the sole intention to bog them down and deny them effective maneuver - that's why the Partisans had such high casualties. In the end this was a battle of small numbers of excellent quality paratroop soldiers against numerous Partisans with very high morale and knowledge of local terrain.

[@Charlesputnam-bn9zy]

The partisans even had some light tanks of the American Stuart type. Wonder why the Allies didn't send the partisans some Locust M22 tanks (glider-borne) for evaluation.

[@DaveSCameron]

Sounds like something I'd enjoy reading, have you a name at all?. 👍

[@ulihaack2464]

The stepfather of my stepfather was there with Tito's personal guard. After the war he continued his career as professional gambler. Being a war hero he was forgiven the occasional robbery, forgery ... and never went to prison. He always carried.

[@vanjat2850]

Ofc he did, if you were with tito or commie party, you were untouchable

[@andro7862]

@@vanjat2850 Tell that to the stalinists who ended up in a gulag.

[@vanjat2850]

@@andro7862 what do they have to do with any of this?

[@saoirseoceallaigh3387]

@@andro7862 Yeah Tito was cool like that

[@yewisemountaingoat528]

@@andro7862 Tito's island to deal with Stalinists was neither freezing cold, nor some enormous forced-labor camp and above all not used to relocate large group of civilians. Therefore it's quite a stretch to call it a "gulag". Also, the Soviets dealt with the Stalinists themselves following the death of Stalin in 1953. Nobody missed them as they all either were lapdogs or opportunists.

[@manwith2dogs895]

Everytime Mark makes a YUGOSLAVIA video, everything else becomes secondary.. Air, Food, Sex, Love, everything becomes secondary.. watching the video is the most important thing. I stop everything I'm doing.. I even forget to breathe.. these Yugoslav videos are the best, I have watched them all atleast 3 times over.. thank you Mark.. PLEASE make more detailed videos Yugoslavia, because SOOOO much happened here in WW2. Explain the Chetnik. The USTASE. All the partisans, Soviet support, soo much..

[@MrSloika]

And Dr. Felton has a lot of material to work with, as Churchill once quipped, 'The Balkans produce more history than they consume."

[@altergreenhorn]

@Kafa kafica In fact you need to go in the late 19 century in those time the idea to unite small south slave tribes become a thing. It started in areas under austro hungarian empire or better in Zagreb and Ljubljana. Idea wasnt bad unfortaly the Serbian king in the 1918 didnt realy understud a concept, and take new lands as a gift to him, thats why was only a month after the merger all ready a clashes between Serbian king and Croatian & Slovenian politicians.

[@ZUGI849]

GOD DAMN YUGOSLAVIA,PRISON FOR CROATIAN NATION!!!

[@ISSH-nu7rn]

@Kafa kafica It was nation before Yugoslavia!!!!

[@ZUGI849]

@@altergreenhorn No haga waga in our clear and croatian Adriatic see!!! Adriatic see is part of land dear God gave to Croats!!! There is a one legend about CRO land,we moustly bealiv,in time when dear Lord has giving a land to nations,in one moment he sow a man still wait in front of his door!!! He asked him what's up??? He said:Dear Lord,you forgotten on us,Croats!!!! No land for us??? Dear God feels guilty,he sad,i am sorry,i'll give you piece of my own land!!!! That is thrue,there is no beaty like Croatia,bcs.of that,everybody try to take our land,but we,proud sons of Croatia,will defend it till last breath!!!!!💪💪💪👊

[@kalashnikovdevil]

Eastern Approaches, Fitzroy Maclean's autobiography is one hell of a read and has lots of details about Tito and the war in Yugoslavia, along with the formation of the Special Air Service.

[@jamesbussey2911]

It also has an excellent report of a Stalinist show trial during the purges of the 1930s in the first third of the book. The second third is about SAS operations in the Western Desert.

[@celtaclassroom7082]

Agreed - Maclean's book is an excellent read. Loved the part about his travels in the pre-war Soviet Union and how one day when he was walking in the Caucasus the KGB spies who had been trailing him came up and asked if he wouldn't mind stopping at one of the spies' homes up ahead for dinner!

[@tongobong1]

Is there the most important detail that Stalin executed the original Tito and replaced him with the brilliant Russian general? My great grandfather personally knew the original Tito.

[@mikepette4422]

@@tongobong1 oh yes of course ! yes indeed. that would explain why soviet /yugoslav relations were so warm and cordial after the war .... right ?

[@tongobong1]

@@mikepette4422 Russian Tito did a mistake dealing with Stalin so he knew that Stalin will replace him. This is why he put Yugoslavia on the line to save his skin. The gamble was successful for him.

[@dr.barrycohn5461]

Thanks for this one doc. I love how you are able to mate the topic with interweaving film material.

[@1977Yakko]

And yet another interesting example of history I knew nothing about until now. Thanks as always for the lesson.

[@antartis73]

This is a video I was hoping Mark would do.. and he has come through again! Superb

[@florencemodina6293]

Mark felton is never boring.

[@livianegidius9772]

Thank you .My grand grand father fought with him . His name was Josip Surname Broz , Tito .We engaged 33 German divisions during the war .And we won despite all odds. Ideas and longing for freedom are bulletproof .Respect from Beograd mr Felton.

[@automaticmattywhack1470]

It amazes me how little most people know about WW2. If they could only realize how much it still affects our lives today...

[@ottodidakt3069]

unfortunately so true !

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

So many wars affect our lives today. WW2 was spawned by WW1, which in turn was spawned by the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, which was probably spawned by the Napoleonic Wars, etc. Sadly, military history has fallen out of favor in history classes in favor of social economic stuff and political correct subjects.

[@automaticmattywhack1470]

@@Elatenl I think the answer is a well known saying by George Santayana: "those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it."

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@Elatenl Because what happened 80 years does affect our lives today, and lets not forget that the radical left is doing its utmost to erase our past, so apparently it IS important to them. And if it is that important to radicals to tear down statues and change the history curriculum then it should be important to us too. Because don't cry wtf when your child comes home from school talking to you about your white privilege and how you are racist. Radicals have taken over the education system because we didn't deem it important enough to bother with teaching our kids what happened 80 years ago, and now they're using it to create more radicals. “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” - George Orwell

[@EndOfSmallSanctuary97]

>tfw you're so feared by the enemy that they send multiple special forces units to take you out

[@berserk6855]

he lived chad life indeed

[@AirsoftReviewArgentina]

They failed and he lived. That's some achievement

[@projectmayhem6898]

I'd drink to that ... if I weren't such a Tito-taler. I'll show myself out now.

[@alanrogers7090]

It's amazing how many obscure, or little-known stories from the war there are. I recognized some of the parachute traing film clips showing former boxer Max Schelling as a teacher in how to exit a plane and how to roll when you actually land. Keep it up, please.

[@Nik-nd1mv]

Schmeling😊

[@thEannoyingE]

I missed this history lesson, thanks again Dr. Felton.

[@mch12311969]

I remember reading about this operation as a kid, thank you for the video Dr. Felton.

[@aleksandarnikolic7757]

Great video again. The history of Yugoslavia is my field of interest. Thank you, Dr. Felton.

[@I_Cunt_Spell]

He's a historian, not a medic, you dummy.

[@mitchmatthews6713]

Again, thank you for your programs, Mark.

[@HTN3]

More eye-opening revelations from KZbin's premier authority on the fascinating insights into the history that nobody else knows about the Second World War. Keep 'em coming, Mark!

[@damyr]

Been there, half of century later, in a different war. We also couldn't find Tito.

[@andro7862]

Best comment 🇧🇦

[@inkognitou6982]

If there were Tito, you wouldn't be there in first place..)

[@stonecold6022]

@@andro7862 Poturčeni Srbine tišina

[@stonecold6022]

@@inkognitou6982 Facts

[@Ado555555]

@@stonecold6022 and you would end up in Goli Otok with that statement above

[@zagorteneej1283]

Mark very accurate view on the particular offensive by Germans, the only thing that needs to be corrected is that initial partisan position was stormed for there was only 3 companies ( 300 men or so) guarding the perimeter, plus at that time there was a military school in Drvar, with teachers roughly (80 to 100 man) , main partisan force came from place called Trubari wich is some 20 km away from Drvar. The unit that stopped the Germans is 3. Lika Proleterian Brigade, unit that really distinguished itself during that battle. In a 15-hour battle it nearly destroyed entire SS regiment. They fought a good fight that day, I think they deserve to be mentioned.

[@ghazalibugo3043]

It takes lot of your effort and time to compile this and other videos. Thank you for sharing.

[@kevinmckenzie8789]

Great story and information. Thank you Dr. Felton!

[@KokkiePiet]

Fitzroy MacClean wrote an excellent memoir on his time in the Sovjet Union North Afrika and Yugoslavia "Eastern Approaches". A great read I can Highly recommend.

[@ottodidakt3069]

Yes have read, very good indeed !

[@NITWIT856]

Awesome thank you

[@sheilbwright7649]

The book also covers his time in pre-war USSR, insights into the purges, Stalin and his escapades in illegal tourism.

[@KokkiePiet]

@@sheilbwright7649 Correct, its a great memoir and a great bit of history

[@sheilbwright7649]

@@KokkiePiet I was thinking about how you could do a great book "The Great British Warrior eccentrics of WW2" for such a hierarchal conformist society they seem to find room for them in wartime. Alister, Jack Churchill, Orde Wingate and David Stirling immediately spring to mind but I am sure that a few moments reflection would provide an embarrassment of riches.

[@motorTranz]

Tito was like a cat with 9 lives. Thanks Dr. Felton.

[@robrob9050]

He was just lucky Belorussian

[@BigMeechEJ25]

This timing is impeccable, I just finished reading Eugene Systems post about their ongoing work for the Nemesis: Raid on Drvar DLC for Steel Division Two. This gives some nice context! Great video as always Mark.

[@araneus32]

Tito and the men surrounding him were all veterans of the Spanish civil war, where they fought in the international communist brigades. The SS troup were facing a though and battle hardened oponent

[@souvikdas5662]

Yet they managed from getting completely eliminated. The mission was somewhat success 😉

[@whydoyougottahavthis]

And most importantly, well armed and just as importantly, knew each other which makes such a difference it's not even close, it's why the U.S. Army sucked so much treating it's units like a machine, lose a part replace it, lose a man shove in a new one, you heard at the end where they withdrew them for rest and refitting, that's such a key important component of how the Germans constantly extracted more blood than they lost, just could never extract enough

[@whydoyougottahavthis]

Also no, the U.S. Army really never learned this lesson, not until the 1980's when they went through a total doctorial change and became possibly for the first arguable time a legitimately thoroughly professional ground force as opposed to naval and air which had always had the luxury of getting the best of the best to begin with, and often still do, the ground pounders nowadays couldn't be more different both in how they fight and how it's structured at the lowest levels, plus we can have blacks (and sadly women), command troops in battle now, which is good (except for the women thing, stay out of close-in ground combat

[@larsnilsson8782]

The Communist had superior numbers and prepared positions, and still took heavier casulties then the SS. Communist are only good at one thing, killing unarmed civilians.

[@nikola12nis]

@@larsnilsson8782 Both Communists and Nazis alike.

[@martinhogg5337]

Really interesting! Never heard of this operation before. Top marks as usual to Dr Felton!

[@kswan6581]

Thank you, I always enjoys your channel. I did a 6 month tour in Drvar as part of the stabilization force some years ago. As a former paratrooper, I could only imagine dropping in on such a nasty DZ. Perhaps it was a little more open in 1944. It was interesting to see the fuselage of one of the DSF 230 gliders on the outskirts of the town. Landing in one of those on such rough terrain just as bad. Very poor Recce and planning on that Op.

[@thekroop4777]

Ah Mark Felton, the best WW2 narrator and teacher out there. Awesome channel, learned more here than in any history class

[@anisahmed3890]

Hi Felton, I am watching regularly your 's short clips of WW11, really liked getting historical information. Thanks for your efforts and dedication.

[@carlosmelgarejo9736]

Great content! You're making lots of people happy.

[@rijnvanessen7359]

It would be nice if Mark felton could make an episode about South Africa's and other Commonwealth nations involvement in WW2

[@igerce]

Yes please

[@-CLUMSYDIYer-]

Maybe!

[@dannythomson5239]

the South African border war and the SADF in the 60's would also be very good.

[@-CLUMSYDIYer-]

If your going to do all of these could you do a vid on when Britain colonised 25% of the worlds land mass. PLEASE!

[@EndOfSmallSanctuary97]

I'd love to see one about the Desert Rats of Tobruk. As an Australian I really like their story.

[@tarikwildman]

Once again, extraordinary. Thank you.

[@oncall21]

Thanks for sharing as always!

[@11Kralle]

My Grandfather always told stories about hunting for Tito during WW2 - he claimed, he saw him a few times but didn't even take aim. I guess these were the kind of self-developing stories which grew and grew over the decades (from "we heard rumors Tito is near" to "I had him in a head-lock, but he slipped out"). Well-told stories though, the whole dinner table turned into a strategic map of western Slavonia until my grandmother decided to bring the cake...

[@baki4341]

Amazing stories i imagine, what unit was he a part of, maybe that could shed light on wether he actually could have came close

[@11Kralle]

@@baki4341 16. Jäger/ 721. Regiment (so it says on his certificate for the Wound-badge in black) I don't think there's much light to shed unlike you know the whereabout of Tito and my grandfathers unit. He was in an outfit that saw heavy fighting against the partisans, was for a long time stationed in Banja Luka and had to do a lot of patrols together which Croatian units, who always stumbled about each other when it came to dealing with Serbian prisoners. One could summarize his view on WW2 in one quote: "Als die Amerikaner kamen, haben wir sofort unsere Gewehre weggeschmissen und sind uns ergeben gegangen." (When the Americans came, we threw aways our weapons on the spot and went for surrender.)

[@Janjanjjaakkiiccaa333]

If you are interested more you can watch a Yugoslav war movie named Desant na Drvar.

[@d_rooster]

Thank you for a wonderful video, dr. Felton. Cheers from Ex-Yu.

[@AINTEROL]

Dr.Felton always surprises us with some detailed piece of history. Rare photos, details of missions, etc. keep your followers motivated by the way you tell us 2WW history.

[@Roller_Ghoster]

Tito was a real thorn in the side of the Germans in occupied Yugoslavia. Well done Mark for highlighting this story in a well produced video.

[@nigeh5326]

So much so that his partisans liberated Yugoslavia not the Red Army plus he irritated the hell out of Stalin after the war

[@Theanimeisforme]

@@nigeh5326 that more so the position of the area versus anything else, really quite at the cusp

[@nigeh5326]

@Kafa kafica read the history the Yugoslav partisans were the only ones to liberate their own country. Remember by then the Red Army was trying to take Germany and other Central European states. Tito’s partisans were relatively well organised, well armed and knew their own terrain. They had been tiring down relatively large numbers of Nazi troops for a long time before.

[@milantrajceski8322]

@Kafa kafica Reading your comments here i am not sure that history is your strongest subject, mauby you should stick to some cartoons instead!

[@milantrajceski8322]

@Kafa kafica I have no idea where you took the exams, obviously you haven't learned absolutely nothing

[@darthku1408]

Thanks for these amazing videos. I love history, especially WWII history due to my family's involvement in the war.

[@celticfox]

Always learn about some of the most interesting stuff from your videos. And I always think of myself as pretty well read up on goings-on during wartime. Keep up the great work, always gonna come back for more. Cheers!

[@morrisbuschmeier2047]

I am happy to listen to M. Felton, because his videos remind me oldschool documentaries used to be aired on tv once upon the time.

[@berniescheid5286]

As a Canadian stationed in Lahr Germany I ended up in Yugoslavia in 1991 after Tito died and the civil war broke out. As a young Captain I was deeply affected by the cruelty show by both sides against each other. My mission changed from a cease fire monitor to a cease fire violator monitor very quickly and I left there with a completely different perspective on humanity. To this day I think about my time there and how proud I was to have tried to help the people who suffered there. Thanks Mark for showing me how this all came about. 🇨🇦

[@borisfilipovic5253]

Stop equalizing victims and mourders

[@romanlesjak3844]

@@borisfilipovic5253 aha, so you are trying to tell the Croats were angels and all the yugoslav/serbian troops murders?

[@josephcro2138]

@@romanlesjak3844 we were to merciful. We shouldn't have let 200 000 rats escape without proper punishment

[@romanlesjak3844]

@@josephcro2138 you mean Ustasa or who you referr to this 200.000?

[@josephcro2138]

@@romanlesjak3844 I mean 200 000 rats who sowed all the death and destruction on Croatia and bosnia in the 90s. They just escaped scott free when they should've been hanged by their guts

[@D.N..]

Im always fascinated by Marks videos! WWII is so massive and complicated, a person can spend years studying the war

[@sicknote1558]

Very true

[@leonardcroft1467]

Thanks Dr. Felton Always Enjoy Your Videos

[@pasaesballard3601]

Thank You Mr. Felton once again coming from a history fanatic.

[@bigblue6917]

I did read about this raid though that was some time ago. So it is good to hear the details again. I first came to know about Sir Fitzroy Maclean through his book Eastern Approaches. An excellent book and well worth a read. He was part of the British Embassy in Moscow before the war and he would explore parts of the Soviet Union by dint of the fact that those who were following to so terrified of Stalin that no one would stop him. When war broke out he was not allowed to leave the diplomatic corp to enlist so he became an MP which now meant he could no longer be a diplomat. But it did mean he could join the British Army. He served in North Africa, Persia and then as liaison to Tito. If you get a chance then this book should be on your reading list.

[@urashimatarou9575]

Definitely second the book recommendation - not having it right in from of me, I'm thinking maybe there is some mistake in the video, though? IIRC the person identified as Maclean at 2:50 or thereabouts doesn't at all resemble pictures of him from the book. But the guy front and center with dark hair and glasses standing next to Tito (at about 9:30) *does*. In the book Maclean talks about how the partisans were fascinated by his US 1911 pistol - think I've seen some color footage on YT of him shooting it with them... The film "Force 10 from Navarrone" is supposed to be based on a novel by Alistair MacLean, but there is an account in Eastern Approaches of a very similar, supposedly non-fiction mission? - never have sorted that one out...

[@tigvi3429]

Just joining the chorus here. Mark does a fantastic job and I watch all I can find. Has he ever done a full length documentary?

[@sicknote1558]

Yeah he's been on the telly seen him in a few world war 2 documentaries like the history Channel or discovery

[@RichardHorcik3220]

I really like your programs, they are over the average. All of them, thank you. Keep posting, it does make sense.

[@manoelreinaldoreinaldo6120]

Thanks Doctor Felton, are amazing these Pictures from bootcamp .. Interesting the amount of record of the WWII

[@mudkoerfgen9843]

Awesome War Story Mark, in my humble opinion 1 of Your Best in last couple of months 👍 from Perth Australia 🙃

[@charlesmartella]

Go Mark McGowan

[@hoosierpatriot2280]

I had never heard of Tito until now. Thanks once again for educating me Dr Felton!

[@FortuitusVideo]

o_O

[@lukav3509]

bruh

[@nobodyherepal3292]

Double bruh.

[@akwida]

Check out Sterling Hayden, he has a few words about Tito...

[@RA7KO]

Triple bruh

[@yolakin8210]

Always interesting and enlightening material. Thanks Mark.

[@gavra98]

Great video, this is by far the best history channel on KZbin. Could you please do Yugoslavia’s pre war years and the beginning of the war?

[@1107053]

Thank you Mark sincerely for posting this material..my grandad was there -The Third Licka Proletarian brigade ..our beloved former Yugoslavia ❤️warm greetings from Montenegro 🇲🇪

[@robrob9050]

6th, he thanked them very well by forbidding in 1970 last Serb cultural society "Prosveta" , bunch of idiots anyway ha ha

[@DocLeQuack]

Tito the man who Hitler and Stalin couldn’t kill.

[@exploreradverturer8396]

Stalin hated Tito, he tried to take Tito out few times but after 3rd attempt Tito said that 'somebody in Moscow tried to do-away with me but failed thrice, but If, I have to take out somebody in Moscow than I can assure you I will only try once & will be successful' The message was received & understood to the concerned quarters in Moscow and Tito lived till his natural death 1980.

[@cliftonjames785]

@@exploreradverturer8396 thats badass lol

[@NoNoseProduction]

@@exploreradverturer8396 this didn't happen btw. It's just old bullshit story

[@brokenbridge6316]

A very accurate description of Tito.

[@bocko159]

@@NoNoseProductionyou are funny

[@anteandrovic]

FELTON u r a genius. FAbulous documentaries.. best ive seen on this topic...

[@awaxx7863]

Thanks for another great vid Mark.

[@altergreenhorn]

4:00 Tito is on the right side of the picture , left of him with the hand in the back is Edvard Kardelj the main brain behind Tito's way of socialisms, which was quite different than Soviets or Chinese. Yugoslavia had semi free market, citizens could freely travel, small private business wasn't unusual, etc.

[@eddyinthailand]

Great cultural scene as well! Fantastic movies, music, rock groups etc....

[@northernstar4811]

Don`t forget they had "Goli Otok "( Barren Island) gulag for those people who couldn`t keep their mouth shut all the time.

[@altergreenhorn]

@@northernstar4811 You ate fake news

[@janezjonsa3165]

@@northernstar4811 nope, Goli otok was reserved for psychopats and corrupt civil parasites. Thats whats lacking today

[@Shmerpy]

Traveled through there twice in '73-'74. Cheap wine, unbelievably littered highways and beaches, but the mountains were fabulous, as was Dubrovnik.

[@mikeohagan2206]

brilliant program, you had to have serious balls to be a paratrooper or a glider troop. very high casualty rate, on both sides, total respect.

[@ronsre-creations5289]

Another great story ! Thanks for all your diligent hard work Mark ! Always enjoy your work. Thumbs Up !

[@ITIsFunnyDamnIT]

Awesome story. I Love all learning all these stories that are so well detailed.

[@okm8750]

My great grandfather participated in this event. He was in the partisans, he survived.

[@andro7862]

Which unit?

[@miroslavradakovic5942]

My grandfather too! It was partisan unit named- VI lička division.They was located 5-6 kilometers away from Drvar.

[@okm8750]

@@andro7862 i dont know the exact unit. But i can tell you stories of my other great grandfathers. One was forced to go to the Italian army, he participated in the Battle of El Alamein, (he was an ethnic Slovene) then, he was captured by the French foreign legion. He was then given to the British and was trained by them. And sent into a prekomorska partisan brigade, and went to Yugoslavia. The 3rd great grandfather was in the Ustaše, in 1942 he went to the Partisans. He joined the ustaše because he was a Croatian patriot, he was later sent to goli otok.... The 4th was a Croatian who served in the Dalmatinska udarna brigada, he fought in battles from Split all the way to Trieste

[@andro7862]

@@okm8750 Wow that's an amazing family history. I'm sure with more details I can find their units. My grandpa never told us his unit name, but we later deduced he was in the in the 11th Udarna. The Slovene one could possibly have been in the 5th Prekomorska. Did he ever mention spending time in London, England? If he was there then he was in the 5th. The 4th great-grandfather then fought the same battles as my grandpa, though not sure if he was also in the 11th brigade.

[@okm8750]

@@andro7862 It is possible he spent his time in England. He was trained as the Airplane signaler guy. I don't know that much about the 4th great grandfather. The only thing i know is that he was in a udarna brigada, and was present during the liberation of Trieste. The only person i have a lot of details about is the great grandfather that served in the Ustaše. He first served in the Peasent's (Maček's) civil protection. Paramilitary wing of HSS, he was a officer of the Ustaše. Upon realising that Pavelić was a brutal, bad man. As i said, joined the Partisans in 1942.

[@r2gelfand]

Work has been set aside, a new Mark Felton video is available.

[@eleanorkett1129]

Thank you once again.

[@timmyjones1921]

Thanks Mr. Felton .

[@donl1846]

Fascinating as always Professor Felton and once again for me a piece of WW-II history I never knew, many thanks.

[@vincnetjones3037]

This should have been a much more detailed, accurate and interesting article... just rehashed in a poor manner. Seems to have been dashed off in a hurry to meet a target time

[@kristiangustafson4130]

I was in Yugoslavia as part of the Canadian Army in 1997. Took a trip to Drvar (we had a station there) and had a walk about Tito's Caves. A treat.

[@banskobrdo]

Yugoslavia 1997, ? No way Hose.

[@wokdemiddlepath7063]

Love your work Great content and presentation

[@mewinthedark2351]

Mark you got me addicted to your vids haha. keep it up! i love the content! i really would like to see more videos about the bloodflag!

[@Charlesputnam-bn9zy]

There was a 1973 movie about a previous (May 1943) operation to destroy Tito's main force : ''Sutjeska'' or ''The Battle Of Sutjeska'' with Richard Burton as Tito.

[@bekibekic11]

There is a movie about this event too. "Desant na Drvar"

[@Charlesputnam-bn9zy]

@@bekibekic11 I believe it's infinitely better than the shameful ''Force 10 from Navarone''. To add insult to injury, the in-uniform Harrison Ford's complete moronic mug is a sore sight for blind eyes. Wonder how he could have turned out into such a fine actor after the completely detestable Han Solo.

[@marvwatkins7029]

Tito cleverly played both the Soviets and the West to his advantage. I saw it first hand in Yugoslavian military hardware. Quite the brain and leader.

[@curseditem8354]

selling a 3 billion defunct space program to kennedy also works

[@peterprandel4669]

you saw it first hand? explain...

[@jamesmaier5544]

@@curseditem8354 wait what? 😄

[@ssyphoniss]

He was leader of the Non-Aligned movement. If it didn't dissolve, today it would include India, Africa, South America,Middle East, South-East Asia and China. That's a lot of people. I think both USA and USSR were competing to give Tito best equipment in order to gain his favor.

[@Ado555555]

It's funny how Vucic has been trying to do the same. Now he's about to recognize Kosovo :DD

[@eskimojoe37]

Again, another part of WWII history I have never heard of, thanks!

[@daviddirom7429]

4.24 Mark answers my previous question. What a guy.

[@NoYouAreNotDreaming]

My Grandfather fought in this battle...he was first in German forces but after his father told him that they will lose war and that he should switch sides he went to join partisans...he fought in this battle he protected tito..and after he didnt want to lie about what happened there he ended up in prison,gulag...Goli Otok...5 years...after that he came home and got rifle with insignia on it in gold from Tito...saying thank you for your service...

[@josephcro2138]

He protected tito and tito sent him go gulag? And then gave him a golden rifle?

[@NoYouAreNotDreaming]

@@josephcro2138 yes...not golden rifle but gold inscriptions on rifle like "thank you for your service" bullshit

[@josephcro2138]

@@NoYouAreNotDreamingthat's socialism for you

[@vlatkotemelkov3035]

greetings from Yugoslavia ! 🇲🇰

[@jackpavlik563]

Are you in a time machine?

[@vlatkotemelkov3035]

sorry my mistake Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ✌️

[@ragman2623]

@@vlatkotemelkov3035 it's called North Macedonia

[@jspec-vz3mc]

Greetings! Fyi, your country makes excellent AK's. They shoot great for the money, are are sought after in the US.

[@SuckerFreeGear]

Is it true that there have been rumors the real Tito had been replaced by the Soviets and that's why he celebrated two different birthdays amongst many other difference between the early Tito and later years Tito? My family is from Yugoslavia and I remember hearing these stories as a child, I am an American today.

[@TheGorillafoot]

Excellent video Mr Felton!

[@robotorch]

Another amazing hidden story pulled from the depths of unknown-to-most WW2 history! Totally new information to me!

[@Ye4rZero]

Tito fascinates me, Yugoslavia encompassed something like 20+ different ethnic groups & their history pre-Tito is.. volatile. He isn't hated in the region, even today (by eastern european standards) and as far as I know his 'rule' did not involve mass killings, and considering he was a Communist, that's almost shocking. And once he was gone the region descended into.. ethnic cleansing that was particularly sad. Would have been helpful if he had written down some of how he managed to do it.

[@milosjovicevic6083]

Tito was a Croatian-Slovenian man who fought against Serbs in 1914 in an Austro-Hungarian uniform. He hid it from the Serbs. Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, etc. with 700,000 troops attacked exclusively Serbia. He took advantage of the fact that the Germans and others dismembered Serbia. Many Serbs were naive and believed in his morals. But in essence, he worked against Serbia, in favor of the Croats. The Serbs lost 2 million people in WW1 and WW2, while Tito suddenly turned the Croats from a defeated side into winners. He allowed WW2 for Catholic Croats to have monstrous concentration camps for Orthodox Serbs. Then, in 1974, he divided only Serbia into 3 parts. Serbs are a people who gave several million victims for freedom. And then in 1989 the Croats returned the flags from their puppet Nazi state in 1941. The Serbs did not want to live with that. But CNN and other Western media sided with Catholics against Orthodox Serbs.

[@gregb6469]

This battle would make a good movie, with a good script and the right director and cast.

[@GrimsGoods]

How have I never heard this one? Keep ‘em coming Mark.

[@scottleppard3290]

Nicely done Mark as always.