Tank Chats #42 Elefant | The Tank Museum

Tank Chats playlist • Tank Chats from The Ta... Originally known as the Ferdinand, then later renamed Elefant, 90 of this heavily armed and armoured vehicle were built, seeing service in the Soviet Union, Italy and Germany.
Although deployed as a tank destroyer, the Elefant had its origins in Ferdinand Porsche’s attempt to build what became the Tiger tank.
This particular Elefant is part of The Tiger Collection at The Tank Museum, Bovington, on loan from the US Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center, VA.
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[@philippstetter5611]

I'm glad you addressed the Elefant in the room.

[@invincible6197]

Philipp Stetter that is just brilliant.

[@philippstetter5611]

Invincible thanks.

[@Adagamante]

GET OUT

[@hughmungus1743]

👌

[@TheNordhammer]

Do not know why the myth of Soviet infantry swarming Ferdinands and destroying them continues. Panzerjäger Abteilung 653's & 654's combat histories list off the causes of lost vehicle-breakdowns(engine fires),self-destruction, mines,artillery,spg/at-guns. Hauptmann Henning, acting Bataillon commander of II./ sPzJägRgt. 656 after action report - 'The initial fear that the Ferdinand would prove extremely vulnerable to enemy infantry proved unfounded in practice. As a result of the loud report produced when the gun is fired, and the psychological effect on enemy infantry of the Ferdinand, no enemy infantry approached a Ferdinand during any of the days it was committed. The doctrinal prohibition against committing the Ferdinand ahead of the infantry therefore appears to be unfounded."

[@theredelephant428]

"I told mother we saw Panthers, Tigers and Elefants. She thought we were visiting the zoo!"

[@pickeljarsforhillary102]

Lowes, tigers and brummbars. Oh my.

[@xGxPhantomZzz]

The Löwe didnt exist in real life tho

[@awfullygenericname6783]

The Red Elephant We also see a Hunting panther (Jadgpanther) and Hunting tiger (jadgtiger)

[@awfullygenericname6783]

The Red Elephant Oh yeah don't forget the Crickets, (Grille) Wasp (Wespe) and the Tortoise, leopard (leopard, leopard 1&2), Wolverines, Rhinos (Nashorn), we also see a cute little mouse too (Maus)

[@dereenaldoambun9158]

phung tran. Lmao you kill me man.

[@Tired_Sloth]

When you overengineer a vehicle to the point the henschel tiger is the simpler option..

[@Kyle-gw6qp]

The Porsche design was abhorrent!

[@tommyseabee2176]

Meanwhile 50,000 Sherman’s are built.

[@michaelstark8720]

@@Kyle-gw6qp Porsche Tiger was excellent! It was fast, powerful 88mm gun and 10 of them that remained unchained one of them destroyed 50 T-34 in one engagement. If I had to chose I would take Porsche Tiger rather than giant slow cube that Henschel was

[@gabutman6144]

@@michaelstark8720 you do realize the reason why they use Henschel tiger is because Porsche tiger caught on fire the moment that thing started to move

[@michaelstark8720]

@@gabutman6144 problems are always at beginning. Those problems were fixed soon. Porsche Tiger 10 of them that saw service preformed good and one was recorded to defeated 50 T-34. Also Germans should've use VK 3002 (DB) rather than Panther. It was by all specs better tank and lighter although only 1 was made and never saw combat. I do like Panthers and Tigers, but some tanks that never made in mass production were amazing and they don't get enough credit Porsche tiger had better design.

[@DurinSBane-zh9hj]

Caveman Henschel "I have invented the wheel!" Caveman Porsche "Too simple, I don't like it"

[@simonzprahy9270]

Caveman Porsche: "It needs a petrol-electric engine"

[@williamchamberlain2263]

@@simonzprahy9270 and fire was invented when the wiring overheated

[@t.t.6398]

This tank was donated by the Aberdeeen proving grounds tank museum to the tank museum where it is being filmed here. The tank was actually lost in the woods of Aberdeen until a friend of mine, Joe Benson, while in the U.S. ARMY on a map exercise stumbles across THIS very tank in the woods. He notified his Sgt, who notified the 1st Sgt. and so on up the line. 2 days later there were crews with chain saws clearing around the tank to recover it from the woods, recovery took about a year. This tank was also featured on the TV series Tank Restoration. It's amazing to think that had Joe not stumbled across this tank it may very well be still lost in the woods of Aberdeen proving grounds.

[@infernalzen]

thank your friend from us!!!

[@robertwittjr1198]

strange how you can misplace something that size and only 1 of 2 in the world.

[@Mr_Fancypants]

@Russ Gallagher i mean, the U.S army lost a tank that was in the middle of an open field.

[@yesman9094]

Russ Gallagher when you think that there are nukes lost in the world its not that strange that a tank can get lost too.

[@kimuvat2461]

Didnt Pentagon lose 35 000 000 000 000 $ and dont know where it went...so one tank🤗

[@NotAllBooksSmellNice]

Sometimes youre just having a bad day, sometimesyoure having a hard time getting past certain memories. sometimes you just need a semi soft spoken Englishmen to tell you about tanks

[@klobiforpresident2254]

"Sometimes you're having a bad day. Sometimes you see this thing rolling up."

[@angrymetalhead]

I hope you're doing better these days mate :)

[@thomashambly3718]

@@klobiforpresident2254 I think that would be a bad day in 1945

[@mattw785]

it's just the perfect accent for any kind of documentary

[@Methylimidazol]

German tank engineers: "Let's build more turretless tank destroyers, they are faster and cheaper to produce." Also German tank engineers: "Of course we need three engines in it. What a question."

[@jayrodmurderface]

Methylimidazol 3 engines? Try Sentinel

[@6272355463637]

They were more like: "Hey, we have those hundred hulls just lying around because Porsche thought he would get a contract, what should we do with them?" The answer was simple: "Stick a gun on them and use them until they fall apart."

[@WaffleWaffles]

Germany was on the defensive from 1942 onwards, for the most part, tank hunters made more sense. Hide in a bush on a hill and get some kills.

[@SvenTviking]

Claudius They should have made 3 late model Panthers.

[@mandernachluca3774]

More like German engineers: How about a powerful, cost effective and simple design? Porsche: Hold on, you absolutely need to adapt my new complicated resource hungry and unproven drive train. Hitler: Make sure to constantly raise armor thickness and gun caliber and maintain an ecstatically appealing appearance. German engineers: How could we possibly make this not completely useless and overengineered.....

[@rootytootypointandshootyex6141]

That moment when you tell your freinds that you have a porsche and you roll up in this

[@fatdad64able]

You know that Porsche built tractors in the 50s and 60s, don't you? Btw, Lamborghini still does.^^

[@Cjoyce789]

Bold of u to assume you’ll make it to ur friends house

[@fatdad64able]

Porsche built tractors in the 1960's

[@pinecone9619]

This thing would be a thousand times more impressive than an overpriced sports car

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

@Keniso S. Well, it's wartime. Countries all over the world stopped car production in favor of war industry. Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler all made tanks for the U.S. during World War Two. It's not that they didn't know what they were doing. It's that they wanted to help win the war. Besides, at that point, the Porsche car company didn't even really exist. Sure, he created the original Volkswagen Beetle, but the Porsche we know didn't exist until the 50s.

[@canuck_gamer3359]

This vehicle was featured on an episode of "Tank Overhaul" where the crew at the U.S. Ordinance Museum team at Aberdeen Proving Ground did a partial restoration. During the process, they discovered what they believed was a disabling shot to one of the front wheels, which likely knocked off the tread. Amazingly, they were able to recover a piece of a round still embedded in the wheel and matched it to an M61 anti tank round. This round was used by the Sherman tank with the 75mm gun as well as the M10 and others. As you can see in various frames of this video, the Aberdeen team did not repair battle damage but rather painted it with a silver paint to highlight those areas. It's a great piece of history and I thank all involved for their work!

[@Lecruque]

It’s on youtube. No interior restoration or engine rebuild though. Pitty.

[@hoodoo2001]

Nice story but just as likely these hits were "is anybody home?" shots taken after the tank was abandoned by the Germans. The M61 was I believe only used in 75mm Shermans and the M10 used the M79 AP shell.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Hoodoo Texas This is probably the same Elephant that Karlheinz Munch details being lost in The Combat History of Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, page 267. This Ferdinand was commanded by Uffz. Werner Kuhl. Kuhls Elephant came to a destroyed bridge and the driver tried to turn the Elephant around but it slid off the road into a ditch. A recovery attempt to toe it with a Tiger I of Schwere Panzer Abteilung 508 was tried but there was too much enemy firing going on so it had to be abandoned. One of the road wheels was shot up while the Germans were trying to recovery it. So it was definitely hit while already disabled.

[@edwardk779]

I was taken on a tour of APG before it closed. That was the day the Elephant was in the paint booth during the restoration. I entered the booth while the staff were eating lunch. The tank was of course disassembled for painting. Seeing the massive size of the wheels, etc. was a thrill. You could clearly see where a shell hit the drive sprocket.

[@Namtov]

I remember from the Tank Overhaul, that the pin in the tracks came out with no rust at all. The guys were pretty impressed with the german craftmanship ( Or perhaps Polish, Russian, Jewish. )

[@MattC-jg1yb]

In 2003 I was a child living on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, US and this EXACT tank was left next to a railroad track, grey and rusting. It was one of two left in the world. I'm so glad it got restored.

[@Megalexalan]

>Mid Engine - Check >Rear Wheel Drive - Check >Hybrid Engine - Check Its basically a 1940's McLaren P1.

[@noxscotchxtape]

918

[@mitchfromtheinternet297]

The petrol engine isn’t connected to the drive sprockets, they only charge the battery, so it’s more like a BMW I3 actually. The 918 and P1’s engine are connected to the gearbox obviously.

[@creepergaming3280]

But it's even worse

[@agactual2]

I could seriously listen to David Willey talk about what he ate for breakfast for 3 hours. He's both captivating and methodical in the way he presents these videos. It just works.

[@QqJcrsStbt]

Shows that you do not need to add false excitement, distracting music and childish excitement to make a watchable docu. Perhaps it is for adults?

[@edbecka233]

4:14 - "projectile case"...no.

[@veloway]

I hate to say it but I am not as excited about their modern vids as I am to David here. I rewatch his vids over and over and switch off the newer ones 90 seconds in. I wish this was not so.

[@gothamgoon4237]

The photo of the burning ferdinand at 14.58 wasn't knocked out. The engines overheated, caught fire and burned the tank out.

[@invincible6197]

roger Rumble thus, knocking it out.

[@invincible6197]

Joshua Ngau Ajang yes, as the tank will be either immobilized or on fire, both of which will cause the crew to evacuate and the vehicle to be disabled or destroyed

[@HarryBalzak]

Disabling itself is worse than being knocked out by the enemy, IMO.

[@TheIronArmenianakaGIHaigs]

I've been waiting for this "Tank chat" since it ship over from America :D

[@allzzzzz2000]

i wish more work was done on the interior...

[@datboi6776]

I love ur channel

[@bennikdk_4927]

i will my tank back !!!!

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

Go To Your Room! :-)

[@LoneWolf-kw3ol]

Quit doing pullups on the barrel you're going to sweat on it and make it rust

[@paulaslaksen132]

I saw this tank “in the flesh” at the Aberdeen Ordnance Museum in the early 1980’s. Very impressive vehicle. At that time, they also had a Tiger 1, King Tiger and JagdTiger on display. I would not have wanted to be an Allied infantryman and see any of these tanks coming towards me. I have an incredible amount of respect for those troopers.

[@laurikotivuori1585]

It's not exactly a tank

[@marcanglin7127]

I saw this machine, as well, at Aberdeen in September 1981. Plenty of good color slide photos of her. Amazing beast.

[@philosopher1a]

80 years old and still look formidable

[@Stylemaster911]

Lol, the original electric + gasoline Porche before the 918

[@piRaufasertapete]

Steve LaForce pretty advanced hybrid system to save fuel (not)

[@ApfelmannYT]

Steve LaForce porsche

[@einverdutzterherr8569]

Steve LaForce Porsche !!!! NOT PORCH OR PORSCH ITS P O R S C H E !!! It’s pronounced pɔʁʃə because it’s German

[@KnorpelDelux]

PORSCHE

[@Psiberzerker]

Mid-engine, too! Well, mid-engines.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Good example of something that was going to waste being turned into something very successful. Post Kursk the Ferdinands proved highly effective tank destroyers in the defensive warfare of late 1943 and through 1944, with many still being around at the end of 1944. The Combat History of Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653 by Karlheinz Munch is an excellent work, and an eye opener to those who think the Ferdinand was a dud. It certainly wasn't. It had a long successful combat life and was well liked by it's crews.

[@marcelb7259]

Thank you very much for this brilliant description of the Ferdinand. Cheers from Canada.

[@tegctom5532]

I really hope that the Elefant is kept here instead of rotting outside in the US again

[@Hibernicus1968]

He says it's on loan, not donated. Sure enough, it was returned to the US in 2019. Given that the US army restored it, I don't think there's any interest in letting it rot.

[@dougbrowne9890]

This vehicle, along with just about all in the US, will be stored inside from now on. They are at the Ft. Benning (soon to get a new "woke" name) Armor school.

[@VoimaVahtila]

Only germans can think of the Henshel tiger as being simple and easier to product.

[@AtheistOrphan]

I was lucky enough to visit the museum in May. The Tiger exhibition is very impressive. Highly recommended!

[@TheBlackSpider82]

David's beard is the winner in this video. Glorious.

[@nuke9918]

With a 10:1 K/D Ratio the Ferdiand was the most successfull vehicle of WW2. Nearly twice the K/d of Tiger tanks. A really impressive machine even if with mechanical troubles it did an outstanding job.

[@gunterg7309]

Seeing the inside of the tank made me heart sink

[@vtr0104]

Yeah, as I understand, this was left outside in a forest so the corrosion damage on the inside is pretty horrible :( ...

[@sshep86]

I love seeing battle scars on these tanks. Each one holding its own story. I wish I knew what it had been through.

[@JohnyG29]

Someone shot at it with a gun. The end. What a great story.

[@sshep86]

@@JohnyG29 Not a great story that. 👀

[@renster143]

This vehicle is now at fort lee VA on display very fortunate to see it in person. Always awesome to see old German technology in person

[@roberthsieh8639]

So what mos are u then? Or did u visit during an open house?

[@renster143]

@@roberthsieh8639 I'm a 91A I was a drill sergeant there on ordinance island we would take all of our new 91B ait students there.

[@bmgautomotive2340]

This is soooo good. So interesting. Love this history. Rest in peace all who fought.

[@MatSpeedle]

My grandfather was at the Anzio Landings, I wish he was still here to tell me more about what he did. I know he lost many friends there though, he would have loved to have seen this tank, he may well have seen it the day it was captured! Great Tank chat! Thanks David!

[@paulholloway1447]

Love these chats .Wonderful museum.

[@peten748]

This guy is very good. Factual, descriptive and interesting. Well done tank museum Bovington.

[@Terrados1337]

This was amazingly detailed! Thank you so much for this Tank Chats series!

[@Halinspark]

Most of what I took from this is that Porche shouldn't design tanks.

[@bogomir67]

Halinspark Actually Ferdinand Porsche shouldn't be left alone designing anything. He was notorious for not listening to caution or critique of any kind. A lot of people told him that his hull design was too complicated, but he insisted to the point that he made 100 hulls from his own money. He was lucky with the Beetle and some of his sports cars. But he still insisted on obsolete technology until he was overruled by the other part of the family (Pieäch).

[@ninoschier9528]

which kept on obsolete technology (aircooled and rear engined) until they were almost killed away themselves by thd same problem

[@CallanElliott]

Turns out sports cars and tanks are very distinct things...

[@ricardosoto5770]

All Porsche AFV sucked big.... he should have sticked to car designs.

[@DaGleese]

It begs the question why Hitler ever even listened to Porsche and kept giving him a shot with new tank designs.

[@panzerraven4135]

I spoke to a gunner of a Elefant in 1979 He served in Italy in 1943/44. He told me he got hit 16 times in one day. And it only got minor damage from it accept for the gun, they lost a track when they had to withdraw. They blew it up and surrendered to Italian partisans in 1944

[@MatE-yr5ud]

Must have been embarrassing to be captured by a country who was once your ally then turn against you because they were weak.

[@klobiforpresident2254]

A country who turned against the ally _while being under enemy occupation_ - that last part matters.

[@Galf506]

Italy should have never entered war. They went into an impossible war for them to sustain due to Mr. Big Chin wanting to recreate the Roman empire. Can't really blame the Italians for surrendering once they were occupied by the allies, I never really got what's the issue with that. Italy at that point lost the war, it was only logical for the country to split into axis in the north and allies in the south.

[@aaronschut636]

I've heard tell of tiger 1s that were hit over 200 times by shermanators and still being in serviceable order.

[@crunch9876]

Mat E kinda like the brits and Americans who where captured by French troops who where made to fight on the nazi side by the Germans after they where captured.

[@AndreHerrmann1202]

Thank you very much for the very detailed and extended tank chat!

[@robertascii5498]

I really-really like this whole series. Thank you very much!

[@michaelemberley2767]

Excellent! I really enjoyed this longer, more detailed Tank Chat. I usually find them to be far too short and this was a nice change. Keep up the good work.

[@fw1421]

It’s too bad the Aberdeen restoration crew only stripped the exterior and gave it a new paint job. The interior has really deteriorated from being on outside display for so long. These are historical artifacts and should be taken better care of.

[@thomasneal9291]

especially since it is one of only 2 left in the world.

[@CallanElliott]

Money

[@georgeh.7238]

I remember walking around this in 1982 when it was displayed at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. It had a pinkish tan color. Much better now, but the interior should have been restored.

[@CallanElliott]

@Cody Sonnet Which hard facts? Ones from the Nazis themselves? Can't call bias one way without acknowledging it in the other.

[@GoingRampant92]

Yet, we have political groups destroying pieces of history just because they don't like the portion of history they came from.

[@Trilobiteer]

One of the best tank chats yet, great information and delivery, keep up the good work!

[@TheSTUthebomb]

I love this videos! So glad the Tank Museum does these

[@AndysHobbyHeadquarters]

Very nice video , great inforamtion

[@thethirdman225]

These things were terribly difficult to move around. Given the reliability problems, it placed even greater requirements on transport infrastructure. Its enormous weight meant that it was restricted in where it could go (that even applied to the KV-1, which was about 20 tonnes lighter). When it broke down, it required _five_ Mk IV Bergepanzers to rescue it. The whole point is that on paper, it looked good with a massive gun and very thick armour but that's of no value if you can't bring it to bear on the battlefield. I agree: it was something of a failure, even at Kursk.

[@gunner678]

Xplosion51 smaller gun, same as the Tiger 1. So more reliable but not with the same reach!

[@Dreachon]

Jagdpanther carried the same gun as found on the Nashorn, Elefant and Tiger II, the 8.8cm L71.

[@johnmartin4639]

TheThirdMan german tanks did not have reliability problems...of course you'd know this if you actually did research instead of believing ignorant "authorities" such as the asshats in the video that gets many many things wrong

[@thethirdman225]

+john martin Well, at Kursk, the PzKpfw IV was about 48% reliable. The Tiger was 38% and the Panther 37% so ze Germans had plenty of reliability problems. The only reliable German tank at Kursk was the StuG III at 68% (source: "Armored Champion" by Steve Zaloga). The PzKpfw IV was generally better than that. These problems were partly addressed when the Germans did what the Soviets did and changed from straight cut final drives to herringbone in the Panther but that did not happen until late 1944. They still only managed about 50% reliability.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

It does seem like the Sherman Firefly was the smarter concept, mounting a giant gun on the mass produced, highly mobile tank that meant these 17 pdr guns could be brought to bare almost anywhere.

[@austx290]

Wow....just wow! This is the one that got me interested in tanks when I was a kid. I wanted a model of the elephant to play with. LOL I hope I get to see it in person some day. Great video! This is one of my favorite channels.

[@tonymaiullo2674]

The Tank Chats presentations are interesting and informative. Thanks for posting !!

[@mattmagee180]

It's a mid engined porsche lol

[@vaclav_fejt]

The actual Porsche in WWII was the Kübelwagen, based off the Beetle concept, which, sporterised after the war, gave birth to the Porsche sports cars. And it's obvious all German firms and brands try to stay away from their war heritage (VW, BMW, Demag, Fanta...)

[@dom69foco]

Boss made SS Uniforms. Siemens made all sorts of infrastructure, including Holocaust equipment. To be fair, all German companies will have been part of the war effort. I don't know if any refused, but they would have been put out of business.

[@kleinerprinz99]

Do they really? The all still produce war machinery.

[@kleinerprinz99]

IBM delivered the hole card computers to the Nazis to make sorting out the jews in state census much easier.

[@kleinerprinz99]

Ah yeah and British Petroleum delivered oil to Nazi Germany up to the end of the war. Curious isnt it. If you take a closer look at the war you'd notice its a war of capitalists over control of markets and resources. And everyone made deals with everyone. Switzerland being neutral in both World Wars did not hinder them from selling guns and other war machinery to all sides.

[@SirCircon]

Good stuff as always. :)

[@wojtek9395]

SirCircon hi!

[@ghu120]

Hahhaha

[@VoltigeurGT]

I see you’re a man of culture Circon!

[@whiskypapz6666]

Sports car tank destroyer

[@laszlogman2545]

Leave it to the buetacrats

[@TheFreaker86]

David Willeys and David Fletchers knowledge is amazing. I hope to get to Bovington not too far in the future to meet one of them or even both.

[@karimodang5660]

I'm loving the way he explained the history!

[@Niinsa62]

First saw this as a plastic model in a hobby shop when I was like 13 years old, a long time ago.I immediately bought and built it. No longer have it, but I still think this is some kind of steam punk super tank. It was just so overcomplicated and unreliable. Could have been totally fab, with that monster of a gun.

[@pineapledracula2273]

When germans had hybrid tanks with eco drive in ww2 😂😂😂😂

[@maddogmcfly5504]

@4121Z0N4 another unreliable porsche !!

[@Blupyx1]

Martin Maddog the only*

[@maddogmcfly5504]

@@Blupyx1 lol

[@mikek4610]

Pineaple Dracula over 90 years of tech....hybrids still suck balls

[@Gazpacho8]

"eco tank" is perhaps not the right name for a tank with two V12 gas engines in it.

[@user-gl5kf9jh1y]

❤❤ super destroyer, super video ❤ vielen dank 👍💖💖

[@danielboone4796]

Thanks for the work you put into these videos. I love this channel

[@tjnucnuc]

“Complex and fails alot.” Sounds like my BMW.

[@ResaFMkII]

I much prefer this David. A much clearer and more confident style.

[@bardstables8909]

Always has been one of my favorites. I'm fully aware of all the problems it had, but it looks so mean and tough. I think it's one I like because there were so few of them made. Had a lot of potential.

[@SmokingRun]

A truly beautiful tank destroyer!

[@MarekDohojda]

The statement that Germans chose Tiger because it was LESS complicated than this thing, is pretty much all one ever has to know.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

But the Tigers performed well overall and had an operational average not much different to the Panzer IV.

[@yatsuraboy9958]

yay a new tank chats!

[@jfrorn]

Excellent chat, thank you very much!

[@DowntheJunction]

An absolutely outstanding review.

[@georjaozoetoubasway250s5]

Amazing Elefant....i have one scale 1/16

[@mortisCZ]

Ohh mid-engine hybrid Porsche. We're getting there. :-D

[@trlavalley9909]

As an ex Tanker myself, (M60) it seems like an almost perfect Tankers Nightmare. Cramped, over complex, not able to defend itself against earth pigs. (Oops) but the thing that really got me was those torsion bars, did anyone at Porche give a moments thought to field maintenance, or the fact this thing was supposed to be out in the dirt, probably getting shot at!. Thanks so much for the Series Dave; they are Magnificent machines. Fortunately I crewed my beast in the 80s and never fired a shot in anger.

[@Ronbo710]

This is *Pure Gold* - LOVE this channel !!

[@Taladar2003]

So back in the 1940s hybrids were very heavy, unreliable and had a horrible mileage? :-)

[@wille1811]

Yes but also alot more fun :D

[@zxbzxbzxb1]

Still better than a prius ☺

[@frenchguitarguy1091]

Also the elephant couldn’t go up a hill without exploding its gearbox

[@NT-to3fd]

All About smiles per gallon

[@Kyle-gw6qp]

@@NT-to3fd *gallons per mile

[@hl6306]

A classic porsche with mid-engine, offroad capacity like canyenne, and some scratches on the driverside windshield, i wonder how long it will stay at a local dealer

[@rogerjayraphael]

Imo. This is the best by far video you've done,to date.

[@gunner678]

Great video as usual...always one of my favourites the ferdinand!

[@techpriest8965]

Pretty good use of unused hulls. Objectively speaking it is a pretty good vehicle. Assault gun/tank destroyer role was fulfilled. A++ in that department. Problem was the German logistics and supply that were overstreched as always. Happens when you fight on 3-4 fronts. As for reliabilty issues...why do people act like tanks did not require daily if not hourly maintainance regardless of the nation? German reliability became a meme more than a statistic. War machines go through enormous amount of strain. Even jets and tanks of today have very short run time before next check up and repair. Even more so because of the high-end electronics and other systems that are very fragile.

[@MrHogGamer]

Could still knock out enemy tanks very successfully.

[@Daniel-km5me]

"HANZ ZE ENGINE HAS BURST INTO FLAMES AGAIN!"

[@blackacidgaming5672]

this tank couldnt drive up a hill to get too a firing position lol

[@julemandenudengaver4580]

The Germans didnt made enough spare parts to the tanks.. the factorys where pushed to make panzers so no really roam for the parts

[@WilliamJones-Halibut-vq1fs]

The gun was based on the powerful FLAK 42 gun, much more powerful than the KwK 36 which is based on the FLAK 36

[@uncletimo6059]

Finally a good length and a PROPER video.

[@nibrashamdan9921]

Beautiful report.. thanks a million

[@Sajuuk9]

Nice long chat, love to hear about the history of these tanks\gun platforms

[@AtheistOrphan]

Now persuade the Russians to loan the Maus from Kubinka!

[@ADudOverTheFence1]

It couldn't even get out of the building it is because when the museum was built the Russians built where it's exhibited around the Maus lol

[@creepergaming3280]

Plus how you're supposed to transport it from Kubinka to Britain it's 188 tons

[@elroyscout]

@@creepergaming3280 trebuchette :D

[@elroyscout]

@@ADudOverTheFence1 simple: get a T-90 up to speed and them ram it into the side of thr kublinka tank museum. Then remove maus from the hole then drive it to bovington (chunnel for cross channel transit). There are clearly no flaws in this plan

[@AKUJIVALDO]

@@elroyscout why use T-90? T-72 is more than enough, museum isn't armored LOL

[@Stale_Mahoney]

man we can be glad this day that porsche really wanted electric drive, can you imagine if these things where more reliable and did not need work done to them and they could stay at the front lines continuously operating, things could have turned out very differently then...

[@Hotspur8383]

My Grandfather was driver of the recovery vehicle pulling the last Ferdinand out of italy. Actulay, i found a picture of him in a book about the unit 653. Tank You for this Video!

[@franciscoramoncleriguesrov7187]

Me encanta vuestro canal y trabajo. Gracias por compartir…

[@fredlast4547]

The fixed turret makes it slow to respond to attacks from the flanks. It works better as a fixed position long range howitzer, not as a dynamic front line tank.

[@t26e4]

It was a long range sniper. The fixed casement was a proven design for that defensive role. Also a "howitzer" is a plunging artillery round. The Ferdinand/Elefant had a flat trajectory 8.8cm KwK 43 --- meant for killing enemy armor. One of the best fielded during the war.

[@SDeww]

finally a good chat about tanks and not this wargaming bs!!

[@wisedonkey7644]

Amen

[@okrajoe]

Great report on a monster of a Jagdpanzer.

[@kaz5707]

Awesome! I would love to see some 30+ min videos going further in depth with some of yalls collection. This one was the best to date

[@WormholeJim]

Ugh, I hate it when I run out of copper. Always everything comes to a grinding halt until some can be pilthered from somewhere. This is why you *always* get your ressorce and production aligned first *then* go wage war.

[@colinkelly5420]

3:00 - When you tank design is even more complex and less reliable then the Tiger I... lol

[@madzen112]

David Willie is an excellent historian

[@raphaelprotti5536]

Brilliant presentation. This is a man who knows his panzers.

[@DCHZS]

5:35 😂 sounds like everyones trying to give porsche the benefit of the doubt

[@cdubsoptional7849]

Was looking for this comment

[@fwsauerteig]

The Ferdinand/Elefant had a kill ratio of about 13.5 to 1. I believe this is the highest of any afv in the war.

[@herecomesthatboy1961]

yeah but at 90 tanks that's only 1,215 tanks (which is nothing compared to the amount the allies made)if every Ferdinand got 13.5 kills, and in reality most of those 90 didn't contribute either to tank kills or losses as they broke down before reaching the action.

[@RULERofSTARS]

Thanks Muricans! Great chat again, Mr Willey

[@chelseachelseaboy]

I love these tank chats... excellent.

[@Bochi42]

I really like the Ferdinand/Elephant in a way. The same way I like the Grant/Lee because they are just interesting expedients. Only thing I can say in the Elephant's defense is once they'd built the 90 hulls it only made sense to put them to some use. I do wonder if they'd gone lighter on the armor and even just put the 88L56 on it would they have been more reliable? Or was the whole drive system just so bad that they'd have had the same problems?

[@lyndoncmp5751]

And they did well overall. Took a heavy toll of Soviet armour in the defensive fighting of late 1943 and through 1944. Many were still left by the end of 1944. It had a long and successful combat life.

[@macanix8072]

Now I know why my damn Porsche spends so much time in the shop....

[@tobiasburen8340]

Mac Anix If you had one, you don't say that. It's one of the best Sportscars. But I don't like them. I prefer british. (I'm german)

[@KellyBoganTunesmithchannel]

Thank you. Good job. Very interesting.

[@XskiXedgeX]

The production value and knowledge in these videos is bar none.

[@alluraambrose2978]

Nothing about the StG 44 Krumlauf? cause the Ferdinand had no hull machine gun, they were issued with a mp44 that could shoot round corners.

[@mbr5742]

Allura Ambrose The Stug44 was introduced after Ferdinand was upgraded to Elefant

[@alluraambrose2978]

Hitler wanted MachinePistole like the mp40, he didnt see anything in a new Assault Riffle, so the weapon we now know as the stg44, was build under fake licensing Machinepistolle 43 and 44. in 1943. But Hitler was so impressed with this weapon, he named it the Sturmgewehr. I cant find any accurate info about the Krumlauf, but you could be right with that, and could be issued after the ferdi was upgraded towards the Elefant, that being sad. Its still an Iconic weapon feature, that not allot of ppl know about, and could have been mentioned.

[@tobylacey7613]

2:07 that looks like a machine gun port to me...

[@rotorbob88]

It is; A Kugelblende to be precise.

[@linokleinmeuleman3348]

Allura Ambrose also on the mg 34 , at 60 degrees.

[@Corristo89]

Hitler loved the idea of a massive tank capable of taking out enemy tanks with one shot. The problem was that this tank destroyer (it's not a tank (no rotating turret, not intent for leading an armored assault)) didn't fit into the concept of blitzkrieg, which was based on the combination of rapidly advancing tanks and the airforce softening up the defenders from the air while providing target information. But it was good for defensive battles where the enemy was coming towards the vehicle, which was what German forces were involved in more and more as the war turned against them. These tanks in the hull-down position on open terrain would've annihilated anything the Soviets could throw at them.

[@MatE-yr5ud]

Hitler never realized it wasn’t him who conquered france but his Generals on the ground like Guderian with his revolutionary doctrine of blitzkrieg. When he strayed away from the advice of his generals and did things his way, the war started falling apart. How would an avg soldier in WW1 with no strategic training know the best actions in a entire front let alone 3. It’s madness to think Hitler fired guderian twice who was key to conquering france in 3 weeks..

[@Damo2690]

@@MatE-yr5ud There was no deliberate "Blitzkreig" doctrine, much the same way the ",phoney war" wasn't a doctrine. Its just a term people applied

[@jibbscardsandcollections3462]

Saw this at Aberdeen when i was a kid, amazing that im watching it on youtube now.

[@daneershen4138]

Excellent, informative, as always.

[@AlainHubert]

You should turn off auto-focus on your different camcorders when shooting a standing still subject. It would eliminate the slightly annoying focus hunting visible at times from some camera angles. Just a suggestion. Everything else is great ! Although the number of audible typewriter hits on the opening credits is missing one letter... ;-)

[@wetbeaver8215]

This tank is irrelefant

[@Methylimidazol]

I find it elefantastic.

[@c.9900]

Outstanding!

[@jacobkeeney7231]

Your irrelevant

[@XxSilverHawkzxX]

Anal.

[@patricky823]

It can't be irrelefant. Irrelefant has a trunk.

[@TheHelado36]

Between this gentleman and Fletcher’s mustache, no tank can match !

[@rburns531]

Thank You Very Much! Very well done! Oohraah!