The Bobruysk Offensive and the Destruction of the German Ninth Army

[@garymiller_85]

I know you get told this all the time, but Prit Buttar really is one of the best guests you have on. Engaging, articulate, and passionate on an area of the conflict that not many have a great deal of knowledge on. Fantastic.

[@bufatutuagonistes8876]

I was just about to add a similar comment. This man is highly intelligent, well-organized, extremely knowledgeable, and knows how to make it interesting. Thanks Dr. Buttar and Woody.

[@KrisV385]

Prit is the man! God Bless Woody for having him on so much!! WW2TV the best in the business!!

[@Chiller11]

Another fantastically engaging presentation by Dr. Buttar. He’s one of those people like Niels Henkemans, like Steven Zaloga, like Michael Neiberg with complete mastery of their subject. The information they draw from memory is so extensive it continually amazes me.

[@DanielHammersley]

Prit is the diamond rockstar of WW2TV, hands down & bar none. Absolute gold every time he's on! Thank you again, Woody for having him on!

[@jimgrundy1278]

Another masterclass from a real master. There are some people you just sit back and listen to; the depth of whose knowledge there for all to see. Prit Buttar is one such man. Thank you both.

[@jimwalsh1958space]

the wonderful prit delivers another masterpiece. thank you WW2TV

[@AdarshKumar-lh3wo]

What an amazing lecture. Prit Buttar is a superstar

[@nicu_danciu]

Prit Buttar is my favorite historian! Thank you for inviting him!!!!

[@sleepygrumpy]

Prit is a national treasure -- thank you again for bringing him on, this is outstanding content

[@fitzyirl]

Another outstanding show from Prit Buttar. I enjoyed a glas of Balblair while watching.

[@WR25_JL22]

fabulous stream, extremely well detailed and excellently narrated by Prit.

[@davidlavigne207]

I had to delay my comments until I returned from work, but MAN did Prit bring home the enormous scale of this offensive! I also couldn't believe how Hitler and the OKH just never seemed to learn the lessons of the past two years. Allowing no flexibility to the Commanders on the spot is simply a recipe for disaster. It's obvious that they never read Sun Tzu. I shall look forward to the book release.

[@williamknight6600]

I love Pritt’s badger pictures in the background.

[@kevinpascual]

Wonderful discussion. I think Bagration is incredibly downplayed given the events that happened earlier in June '44. I think public consciousness should be aware at the gravity of the crisis when Army Group Center effectively gets destroyed.

[@marchuvfulz]

Pit is such a good presenter. Thanks very much.

[@adambrooker5649]

Another excellent video, love Pritt

[@Bratstvoijedinstvo1945]

Another fantastic presentation from Prit, though I would contest the idea at the beginning that a withdrawal to the Berezina would have changed the outcome of Bagration. Here is an extended quote on the proposed withdrawal from an article addressing the German defeat in Bagration: "The troops would have had to surrender relatively well-prepared positions that they had occupied for many months and pull back to river lines, which were completely unfortified and offered little natural impedi- ment to the enemy. As precarious as their positions along the balcony may have been, to abandon them offered no safety and indeed exposed them to further dangers. All that would have been accomplished was that the Ger- mans would have been 25-50 miles further west when “Bagration” was launched. This would have been at best a tactical victory (the first blows would have fallen on empty positions) and the shortening of the lines may have permitted the formation of a small reserve, but the strategic situation would have remained unchanged. The Germans would still have been fac- ing a powerful enemy, but this time along a less defensible line. With- drawal from the balcony would thus not have altered the strategic realities at the front, but rather, given the chronic German failure to prepare adequate defensive lines to the rear, would have placed the units in extremely dangerous and unfortified positions. This is not to suggest that the river lines were less advantageous than the balcony, as clearly they would have been powerful positions had the Germans the time and inclina- tion to develop them, but the rivers did not offer a strategic solution to the immense difficulties facing Army Group Center. The hope of a with- drawal before “Bagration” was a chimera which would not have given the Germans the ability to effectively counter the Soviet attack and most likely would not have resulted in a significantly different outcome." The article goes on to highlight the profound material differences between the Red Army and the Wehrmacht. (For example, a single Soviet rifle corps had roughly the same number of combat personnel as the entire 9th Army!) The article is "Explaining Defeat: A Reappraisal of 'Operation Bagration,' 1944" from the Journal of Slavic Military Studies. A fantastic read if you can access it, as it really highlights the magnitude of Soviet preparations for Bagration and their skill in employing concentrations of force in this offensive. Thanks again for having Prit on. I eagerly await his coming book on Bagration!

[@jorgeantoniochangparedes43]

Congratulations to Prit Buttar and we expect this new book impatiently

[@jorgeantoniochangparedes43]

To understand the facts of summer 1944 in Belarus we must check the victoriuos defensive battles of the fall of 1943 in the same frontlines and the sense of security they created on the commanders of Army Group Center

[@somehowitinerary]

Excellent work! I enjoyed the glimpses into the lives and personalities of the commanders involved-sometimes a commander's disposition can affect the entire battle.

[@scottmihalsky3612]

Another superb show thank you.

[@DanielORORKE-m6f]

Great to hear Pritt is coming out with some new books.

[@ВячеславФролов-д7я]

From the IL2 manual I've seen some time ago, I remember that attacking a column at an angle meant to be a defense against AAA fire. It was stated that, if attacking along the column, the AAA won't have to calculate much lead, thus, losses would be high. If attack comes from an angle to the column, with IL2s coming from the opposite sides from it one by one, AAA will have little trigger time on every aircraft and will have to find a correct horizontal lead, thus, reducing its ability to shoot down planes

[@exharkhun5605]

Absolutely fantastic. Loved this presentation. Napoleon invaded Russia on June 24, Barbarossa started on June 22, Fall Blau started on June 28 . It's often no coincidence that large offensives start on or near the same day, but it's not (only) for historical reasons. It's not a 1:365 chance, it often narrows down to only a few weeks (days really) that are viable. In Russia, you're always bounded by the spring and autumn Rasputitsa's. So the only feasible period to start is at the end of spring, that gives you all summer. Then there's a small period between autumn and winter. The only randomness are delays and weather and that kind of stuff. On the other hand, if you're always bound to a small number of days it may be beneficial to choose one with historical symbolism.

[@WW2TV]

I think that's it. It was obvious that June was a sensible time to launch, and once they agreed on that, they made an extra effort to start on the date of Barbarossa

[@farizdbro9903]

If I recall correctly the invasion of the Soviet Union was delayed by the invasion of Yugoslavia which the Germans hadn’t planned on doing.

[@WW2TV]

Yep

[@abrahamoyevaar2226]

As Salaam alaykum Woody and Pritt. Thank you for this presentation of a still relatively unknown campaign. Thank you from Australia. X warahmatullah barakatuh. Abe

[@vladimirpecherskiy1910]

Well, I newer heard about that "attack from the right" for air to ground attack. Though I seen quite a bit materials on it. Actually all soviet materials from 1943 made a particular point on "point to and attack particular target, do not attack column as just a column". Last thing (exactly like gunning along road) was found particularly ineffective. That sort of common misunderstanding geometry of attack, when people think it can gun along road. When in reality plane coming in particular angle (from 15 to 30 degree) and gunning basically at one point. What Prit might refer to is particularly attack tanks with a guns. That was recommended from the side with simple point of side armor been much thinner and target projection - wider.

[@WW2TV]

Thanks for the clarification

[@farizdbro9903]

A very good book on the battle for Berlin is A. Stephan Hamilton’s “Bloody Streets”. He also did “The Oder Front”. Would be great if he could be a guest on the channel.

[@AdamWarne-tx7wu]

Would love to see Prit discuss Manstein, Model, Zhukov et al.

[@WW2TV]

Zhukov for example has definitely come up in Prit's previous shows

[@AdamWarne-tx7wu]

@WW2TV his views on Zhukov, Manstein and Model in particular always raise interesting points. I was thinking a deep dive into the estimate Prits research on these officers might make for a very informative show?

[@jacnah63]

excellent show, fantastic presenter - well worth watching/listening

[@mjinnh2112]

And to think the US took on Gehlen as an intelligence expert for his knowledge of USSR! On another note, one of the most fascinating questions is about Prit's research. Maybe just have him come do a show on that alone? Or a panel with others? "Historiography week"?

[@whitby910]

Thank you.

[@KG-1]

Have to read Pritt's books along with David Sahels'. Surprised there seemed to be a lack in this discussion on knowing about Soviet mine-roller T34s. No flails, yes, but Bagration was one place where the Soviets made extensive use of mine-roller tanks, mounted to front of T34s. The Ukrainian Army in the current conflict has brought back their use.

[@davidk6269]

Prit Buttar is the best! ON a lighter note, does anyone else see the resemblance between Prit Buttar and Laurence Olivier's character Szell from the film "Marathon Man"? My teeth hurt just thinking about it. ; )

[@jasonmussett2129]

I think it was Directive 52. Awesome as always👍

[@Kosigan86]

Thanks!

[@georgepress1261]

Can’t wait for his book.

[@Waterflux]

Another excellent addition to the ongoing Bagration series, Woody and Dr. Buttar. I think an absurd aspect of the Bagration consists of rather dysfunctional German chain of command. What a disconnect between Berlin and Belarus! Yes, I also think that the Germans could have put another dent on the Soviet advances had the AG Center been better led and were given tactical flexibility. By contrast, the Red Army forces assigned for the Bagration were let by among the best front commanders the Soviets had to offer---i.e., Rokossovsky (1st Belarussian Front), Chernyakhovsky (3rd Belarussian Front), etc. This is a completely crappy predicament for the Germans.

[@Waterflux]

From a cynical point of view, one can argue that German soldiers actually faced two enemies: (a) the Red Army of course; (b) the German higher-ups (i.e., Hitler--OKH--HG Mitte). How would it feels like to realize that your higher-ups are just as detrimental to your survival as the Red Army troops?

[@hugod2000]

Prit Buttar is a superb historian.

[@PalleRasmussen]

Damn too late. Was listening to Jackson Crawford talk of The Saga of Heidrek and Hervör. Missed Seth earlier cause I was listening to Adrian Goldsworthy. Oh well, looking forwards to Prit.

[@KMN-bg3yu]

Its really quite simple folks, whenever you see a Prit Buttar video pop up you watch it

[@scottgrimwood8868]

Prit was outstanding as always. He is the best scholar on the Eastern Front in WW2!

[@robertkalinic335]

A bit about IL2, keep in mind there are various videos and guides how you should shoot that thing down for sims without depleting your ammo or to shoot it down at all. For cas it carries kinda low bomb weight and cockpit visibility is huge step up from submarine. The magic that made il2 shine was its low cost and ridiculous durability. You have to put yourself in the shoes of germans seeing that thing coming, bombing you and leaving while you are hitting it and doing everything correctly, it just keeps chugging along disrespectfully. Once you however know what you are dealing with, their usefulness vanishes.

[@Duncomrade]

@MilitaryAviationHistory did a great video on Soviet air support

[@Andrew-ps4in]

Prit is very good I will buy books on Amazon

[@richardschaffer5588]

Brilliant! It looks like Overlord greatly facilitated Bagration, the threat of a 2nd front causing the Nazis to shift assets West, where they were destroyed on the ground in Normandy and in the air the Reich. This is probably more important than Lend Lease, as the Panzers and Luftwaffe were the assets which enabled the Wehrmacht to hold off Soviets numerical superiority. According to John Gunther in “Inside Russia Today” stainless steel dental work was common in the post war USSR.

[@WW2TV]

Yep, I've been pleased to look at the two operations in parallel

[@richardschaffer5588]

@@WW2TV You’re my hero Woody👍 Your guests actually know they re talking about! I’m learning that it is crucial to think of the way events happened in time as well a space e.g. the invasion of Sicily affected the Eastern Front.

[@RT-far-T]

The smallest amount of Wermacht men and materiel on the Ostfront was 75%, following DDay. It didn't affect things in the East all that much. Is it our egos that make.us want to think it did?

[@ReichLife]

@@RT-far-T Except it did affect massively, as it reach critical mass. Redeployment to the West denied Ostfront forces which had in 1943 time and time again prevented Soviets from achieving any success of kind which Bagration did, as mobile reserves were always there in sufficient numbers to check Soviet breakthroughs before those started endangering entire corps worth of German troops. But by summer of 1944 that was no longer the case, as Overlord forced Germans to redeploy basically half of it's Panzer forces to the West, giving Soviets ground for Bagration.

[@abrahamoyevaar2226]

The Berezina bridge; Built by Dutch Engineers in 1812, following another corporal.

[@LostBeagle]

I saw all this on Combat! with Vic Morrow and Rick Jason. Their squad destroyed the entire German Army

[@tomcolvin8199]

Great show.

[@onepointfive5710]

56 is LVI

[@lascargroup]

I'm glad that he's cutting down the myth of the Soviet deception. I suspect that is really exaggerated. Especially considering what we know of how bad German intelligence was.

[@jorisgeerts6550]

Has anyone read the book "Bagration 1944"? I'm looking for some reputable works on the subject :).

[@WW2TV]

By Zalogo? If so it's very good, but only 64 pages or something

[@robertkalinic335]

Hitler commands as dictator but Stalin... absurdly funny yet dark things happening there feel like he is more pirate captain than head of state.

[@kepple83]

Read David glantz battle of Belarusian it covers part of this

[@rossbrook5919]

Suberb knowledge

[@kiowhatta1]

It’s staggering to realise that in less than 12 months time the German army will effectively cease to exist. I know historians are contemptuous of alt history discussions, but I wonder what could have been done post Kursk to delay or even force a stalemate on the East.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

The German 9th army at around 335,000 men and 600 tanks was as formidable as the 6th army.

[@andyzx9682]

first class ... again

[@RT-far-T]

The Germans now suffering was the Red Army suffered in 41/42. Inflexible orders from the top, leading to massive encirclement and defeat.

[@tonyb8660]

There is so so much outright, flagrant, stinking like grandma's socks 'documentabots' out there, when quality comes along it gets attacked.

[@tonyb8660]

I was trying to say thanks here😅

[@jonny-b4954]

My lord. Every single comment is about Prit haha. Seriously has me wondering if bots?

[@YankeePhan1234]

Steel Division 2 has readied me for this 🤣

[@brucealbert4686]

Trust Rokossovsky over Zhukov

[@robertkalinic335]

Ok but why exactly?

[@sonnyb7612]

Prit doing a book about the battle of Berlin would be great. Soviets took 80,000 dead and 300,000 total casualties taking that city and area around it. Would be great to hear of individual battles of this unit fighting that unit for a couple houses like Stalingrad. I remember hearing the Hitler Youth troops and others fought caused alot of casualties fighting for the airport there.

[@WW2TV]

Yep, that's what he is working on now

[@sonnyb7612]

@@WW2TV Awesome. I'll be on the lookout for it.