The Other Secret Cargo That Won WW2

[@glennvogt1194]

These men that drove those trucks and kept our soldiers Supplied was Invaluable. Thanks to these brave men we kept on fighting. We weren't going to lose this war. For that I salute you.

[@davefellhoelter1343]

The Mighty Men of these places and times I knew REALLY APPRECIATED the Red Ball!

[@iKvetch558]

Fun Fact...the Allied plans originally included a 30 day pause once Allied forces reached the line of the Seine River. The idea was to stop the advance for 30 days to allow time for repairs to the French rail network, and to get more ports in Brittany opened up for ships to bring in cargo directly, instead of having to off load it over the beaches. But with the Germans running away so comprehensively at the time when the Allies crossed the Seine, Ike and other commanders believed it was better to NOT give up the chase and all the liberated territory that came with it, even if it meant they would have terrible supply difficulties later on.

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Great addition to the story

[@TurboMountTV]

Race wit the Russians for territory.

[@backachershomestead]

Logistics is everything ! Everyday there are less and less WW2 Veterans, take the time to thank them when you see them.

[@videre8884]

Do the veterans a favor by not reminding them of the terrible events. Thank them by doing something for them, but don't force them to recall these images. Believe me, you're doing them a bigger favor that way than by saying thank you.

[@backachershomestead]

@videre8884 ok, but the ones I've said that to have all,said thank you. Nobody says that anymore. JMO.

[@1738-l1j]

But the good guys lost T_T

[@vwalsh63]

Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics.

[@markbroad119]

I thank them every time I see them. WW2, Korean, Vietnam etc. I even thanked one Marine for being a Cold War vet. I said "Cold War veteran huh, well thank you for the standing around" with a smile and we both laughed after. I think he appreciated the humor.

[@johnlansing2902]

Had the honor of talking with a Veteran of the Red Ball . His left hand was screwed up from a ambush but he worked as hard and as well as any man . I asked him originally what branch he had been in . He looked at me and said “ I was in Patton’s army ! “. When I asked about Patton he started a profanity strewn description . I eventually asked why he never transferred out to which he said “ I wanted to see the god damn German tough enough to kill that SOB ! “. Greatest generation !

[@yourseatatthetable]

What they talk little about was how the allies laid a number of pipelines across the channel in order to pump fuel faster than tankers could transport it. I wrote a report on this back in high school and got one of my better grades.

[@jaimiehardy5652]

One if the greatest feats of British engineering in History. PLUTO and Mulberry.

[@TonyBongo869]

@@jaimiehardy5652there are mixed reviews on how well Pluto worked out, could you shed some light on your thoughts about how effective it was pls?

[@intercommerce]

"Pipe Line Under The Ocean"....

[@4d4Spl]

My uncle drove one of those trucks. He did some things and saw some things. Like most guys, he never talked about it.

[@videre8884]

These people don't want to remember the terrible things they saw. The best thing you can do is give them a distraction rather than trying to make them remember. Many make the mistake of wanting the vets to tell them what happened, but that would mean they would have to remember and that only leads to suffering. One memory can ruin a vet's whole week.

[@scottsmith1525]

Most of the ones that saw "some things" don't talk about it. The ones that brag about it, didn't. I thank your uncle for his service, and what he did.

[@intercommerce]

Like my friend's dad, never talked about it after...

[@chrisrh281]

Then how do you know what he did.

[@dwaynekoblitz6032]

Call these men whatever the hell you want to. I call them great American heroes!! God bless every one of them. Not all heroes shot guns. Logistics is what won every war ever. God bless America!! 💯❤️🇺🇸

[@shantanusapru]

Logistics is the life blood of any military & one of the key factors of any combat situation! To quote Gen. Omar Bradley: "Amateurs tend to discuss strategy; professionals tend to discuss logistics."

[@marxel4444]

Look at napoleon in Moscow. If you have no food and are freezing to death even the biggest achievements are nothing but a death sentence

[@shantanusapru]

@@marxel4444 Righto!

[@kennethcaine3402]

This story is incredible, I never knew how vast the operation was. These soldiers were incredible, every last one involved, Heroes.

[@brucewilliams6292]

It was good to hear about the logistics arms. Without them, there is no advance.Roll on!

[@annehersey9895]

Thanks for shining a well deserved light on this under-appreciated yet vital part of.the war.

[@moobaz8675]

Logistics, logistics, logistics. You can have the best tanks and equipment, but if there is no fuel to move, no ammunition to fire and no food for the crew, then all you have is a very expensive metal lump. Fair play to all those men of the Red Ball Express. 👍

[@reYouMad]

Respect for all the drivers who gave them all for providing 💪

[@brianmacadam4793]

The importance of logistics is crucial to any large army on the move, from a Roman Legion to Patton's third Army. I had thought that the Luftwaffe was essentially a spent force by the time of D-Day, it had to deal with the Eastern Front, pressure coming up through Italy, AND the unrelenting pressure from Allied bombing, Americans during the day and the RAF at night. Air attack against the Red Ball Express cannot have been high prioity on the limited resources the Luftwaffe had at hand.

[@julieputney4317]

Thank you for honoring the men of the Red Ball Express 🇺🇲

[@kevincutway]

One thing visible in one of the photos used in this video was the pipe line that was built to supply fuel to American and brittish military vehicles . That pipe line was placed on the ocean floor . It's an excellent subject for a video

[@tomschmidt381]

I was surprised to learn that the Pluto pipeline that Churchill championed did not actually deliver much petroleum to Europe. It seemed like a really good idea to me.

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

@@tomschmidt381 I believe there were 5, some dealing with land vehicle fuel and some dealing with aviation fuel, all in the British sector. The US decided to build a factory in London to manufacture Jerry Cans rather than have any association with anything British, sending vast numbers of full jerry cans rather than other loads on trucks going across the channel.

[@charliebecker2216]

I have seen a video about and like the idea. I want to know more how they made it with no / limited fittings.

[@terrierkeeper]

I believe they made a movie about these people, Red Ball Express (1952) starring Jeff Chandler. It was a good film, informative, honest though nothing spicy. I liked it.

[@DinHamburg]

it s here on KZbin

[@terrierkeeper]

@@DinHamburg Great. Lot of good films are here on KZbin. Enemy Below staring Kurt Jurgens and Robert Mitchem along with Battle of Britain are among my favorites.

[@DinHamburg]

@@terrierkeeper Malta Story - which also a movie about logistics

[@Braveheartman1]

I have no idea how the military was supplied so well with fuel, food, medicine, and medical care during WWII. When it comes down to it, the “supply line” is what won the war. Hitler ran out of everything, including soldiers.

[@matthewshannon6946]

@Braveheartman1 If you saw "Private Ryan" they were unloading crates of glass eyes on the beach, sorted by color. Amazing!!

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Our troops were all eating Christmas dinner on Christmas day. Turkey shipped from the US to the UK to France to every unit. Just for Christmas.

[@billpetersen298]

This is also when Canada industrialized too. Building serious numbers of trucks tanks planes guns etc.

[@billsmith5109]

Canada built more trucks than Italy, Germany, and Japan put together. U.S. truck production swamped that. Military governments make irrational decisions. No one will tell the dictator the truth, it’s dangerous. Truck building potential, or lack thereof, by itself should have been an adequate data point to show that that particular alliance could not win.

[@88porpoise]

When the US Army ran on its Deuce and a Half, the British Army rolled forward on the Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) trucks. To put it in some perspective, Canada built more trucks than Germany did in WWII. That said, it wasn't exactly what industrialized Canada, these were in large part made in existing Ford, GM, and Chrysler factories in Canada.

[@alangalloway8700]

Beginners talk tactics, professionals talk logistics!

[@golfhound]

"An army travels on its stomach." Napoleon. that also means supplies, ammo, clothing, medical, etc. Patton's advance went to fast that Bradley had to cut off all of his supplies and give them to Montgomery because he was bogged down in Holland. When the US Army advanced into Bastogne in mid December Eisenhower had to decide what supplies were most needed - food and ammo, NO WINTER CLOTHES. Which is why the men in Bastogne suffered and froze so much. It also happened to be the coldest winter in the past 30 years. The supply corps in all branches of the military are perhaps the most under appreciated as they are not in the front lines. But armies can't move with them.

[@RalfP-v3s]

everyone should have a. look about the history of the jerry can too

[@josephbingham1255]

4:34 Years ago I met a member of the Red Ball Express. A black man that laughed when he told of how easy it was to slip into Paris for a good time.

[@MostlyPennyCat]

How they are accepted and welcomed in the UK and Europe sowed the seeds of the civil rights movement in the US

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

Son of a military trucker (vet) here... "Bullets don't fly without supply!".

[@patricklemire9278]

A logistics organization that dabble in warfare is the perfect Get there firstest with the mostest is how wars are won. Hail the Red Ball Express.

[@janlindtner305]

Great and under appreciated contribution to the end of the war👍👍👍

[@muctop17]

Guns wins battles, but Logistics wins the war !

[@earlharris571]

How logistics have changed over the last eight years. Now we use containers, roll on, roll off trucks, all supported by attack helicopters and A-10.

[@annehersey9895]

Unfortunately,, the purpose for not having the African Americans in combat positions stemmed more from the continuing apartheid coming from the South where the Whites were worried about hundreds of thousands of Black men coming home from war knowing how to shoot a gun really well!

[@kjhnsn7296]

Or deciding that the Germans were not his true enemy.

[@Charles-k9g5y]

Part of the reason that the allies didn’t head for Baghdad during the first gulf war. Didn’t have the logistics in place to support an invasion

[@kdeuler]

Great episode! Thx.

[@mrc4910]

Well done as usual. Thanks!

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Fascinating story I was not aware of this story Great video I really enjoyed it

[@charliebecker2216]

Napoleon said it best armies March on their stomach. Look at what happened to him and hilter when the Russia winter hit.

[@hippomancy]

the Panzercorps were scary as hell, but they were "defeated" by logistics. lack of support, over-extended supply lines. Contributed to their defeat in Russia, and then again when facing the Americans. the Red Ball was an answer to a problem evident since before Alexander of Macedon

[@JohnNickels-g3b]

One of the Red Ball Express companies was in my Battalion in 1970s and still drove 2.5 ton trucks, orders for one day then changed, So I was in the Red Ball Express. Question, Panzers ran on diesel or composites from coal, US used Gasoline, German armor could not use US fuel other than denying it's use how could the Germans use gasoline?

[@neilbarron858]

German tanks ran of petrol. Only the Russians used diesel

[@JohnNickels-g3b]

@@neilbarron858 Thanks

[@88porpoise]

@@neilbarron858 Not just the Soviets. Early war, British infantry tanks generally used diesel. The Japanese and Italians also used diesel power tanks. And the American M3 and M4 also had diesel variants as well as various other vehicles like the M10. Diesel Shermans were primarily used by the US Marines and Soviets. So, really, everybody but the Germans used them to some extent.

[@matthewshannon6946]

There was a short lived comedy about the Red Ball" in the mid '70s. I think it was called "Roll Out". Damn funny!!

[@jefferyroy2566]

@@matthewshannon6946 "Roll Out" starred Garrett Morris of SNL fame, Ed Begley Jr. and a mostly black cast. It ran for 12 episodes from Oct. 1973 to Jan. 1974. Larry Gelbart from M*A*S*H the TV series was head writer. I wasn't watching much TV during that period, and a show with that many African-Americans might have been preempted in the South, no matter how many college students and staff lived in Gainesville, FL (my hometown at that time).

[@billhart9832]

Now, at age 65, I have learned where the phrase "Toot Sweet (sp)" that I would hear as a boy from my WWII veteran Uncles came from. Though too late, it's nice to see the African American soldier's contributions recognized.

[@robertbenson9797]

Excellent episode about one of the most overlooked parts of the Allied advance across Europe. I would disagree about the statement that the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions were rushed into Bastogne. While both divisions played a large part of blunting the German advance, the 82nd Airborne, which gets overlooked for their contribution, was located in the northern shoulder of the Bulge. It could be said the two Airborne Divisions anchored both ends of the front during the Bulge.

[@gregorywillis2770]

🇺🇸😎👍🏾Thank you for highlighting the achievements of African-Americans in WWII.

[@jessestout8646]

Really good video!! 👍🏻🙂

[@jimmiller5600]

After the war the VA benefits led many vets to college. Unless they were black, who were often denied admission to state colleges, ruining a chance to integrate them into the middle class.

[@jefferyroy2566]

Well, at least one comment so far has acknowledged the role black GIs played in ensuring victory in Western Europe. Thank you.

[@M2020-s5x]

That’s a good point of college segregation impacting the black veterans

[@SimonHollandfilms]

really good story of hidden history

[@robertwilkinson8421]

Super video on a part of the Military, whatever Branch, that is mostly overlooked, yet so vital. Logistics.

[@gersonhay984]

As long as Patton had his Supplies, Patton moving Forward.

[@JohnnyRep-u4e]

Logistics, Logistics, Logistics.

[@garyszewc3339]

The father of a friend of mine drove the Red Ball. He passed a couple years ago.

[@johnmasters4670]

Dad was proud to have driven the Red Ball.

[@kbslow4053]

Railways actually refer to something being speedy as highball. Redball would indicate that the train has a stop signal

[@marxel4444]

THE RED BALL EXPRESS! I still remember playing the mission in COH. The allies were so concerned with getting the supplies off the ships and onto the shore that they REALLY struggled to get it from said shored inland to the advancing troops. You can really see how important railways are in delivering cargo, men and material! After D-Day it was the men who drove the trucks as part of the RED BALL EXPRESS that kept the army going. Before D-day it was the Merchant ships keeping england in the fight. The merchant marines did their duty! Mariners died at a rate of 1 in 26, which was the highest rate of casualties of any service.

[@shmavitz]

From the thumbnail, I was like, wtf they need all those toasters for?!

[@jeya9139]

thanks for all red bull drivers forgotten heroes

[@billybaxter6333]

We also have to note the laying of an undersea pipeline from southern england to Normandy. Not sure but perhaps the first time it was done?

[@mrow7598]

And Gen Swartscroft ran into the same supply issues during the Iraq War. The Abrams and Bradley's advanced faster than the supplies could keep up.

[@jefferyroy2566]

That was the late General Norman Schwarzkopf, translated from the German to mean "black head," usually referring to dark hair.

[@robertmonfort]

Amateurs talk tactics; professionals talk logistics ✅

[@captainredpill1782]

From what I have heard from various sources the allied forces had major logistics problems in western Europe. What I have to say could have been somewhat of a solution to this problem. 1) If they hadn't already done so they could have made Paris their logistics hub for the front. 2) Both France and England could grow hay. 3) The allies could have set aside some roadways dedicated to horse-drawn wagon traffic. These roads would run from Normandy to Paris. They could have pulled loads of comestibles, medical supplies, water, small arms ammo, clothing, etc. Their horses would not likely have been subject to German artillery and aerial attacks. That kind of alteration in logistics would have lessened the severity of overall petrol shortages and vehicular wear and tear.

[@88porpoise]

1) Not really sure what this is supposed to do. 2) and 3) Far easier said than done. To do so you would need large numbers of trained horses, wagons, drivers, ferriers, veterinarians, etc. For an army not designed around that doing so on a scale that makes an impact would be extremely hard. Horses also would require tons upon tons of fodder and you aren't growing enough food to sustain them in a war zone and if you were to try you still need to grow and harvest and distribute it and supply them in the meantime.

[@glennrishton5679]

@@88porpoise To what you were saying about horses and fodder reminded me of reading about logistics in the Civil War. I've forgotten the exact numbers but an example given of the difficulty with supplying horses with sufficient food at the front required horse drawn wagons but those same horses pulling the wagons needed some 25% of the load they were hauling. So supplying fodder by wagon was a low yield effort.

[@AcM.5233]

My Grandfather was one of those Jeep Drivers. He got the Jeep from Normandy, handed off the Jeep, then ran down to jump in another one because so many GI's didn't make it. He did it so many times, that word for back to Patton. Add my Father told me, after Patton kept losing drivers, he called for his Lt. to find that "Crazy Georgia Irish Boy". From that point until the end of the war, he was Patton's Driver. Pretty cool. I have a few photos of him with Patton in his Jeep

[@andysvehiclehistorychannel]

My favourite bit of the war the Supply Lines

[@appaloosa42]

Dad always felt cheated of the opportunity to contribute because of his deferment: blind Left eye, a year too old to volunteer, sole support of his mother… and making grillwork deck plating for LST’s.

[@junestanich7888]

Would love to see something on Pattons Engineers, my father was there and I’m trying to find out more about his service. Thanks for this!

[@scottw5315]

Truck encyclopedia has the US truck, car, motorcycle and artillery tractor production at 3 million for WWII.

[@steamfan7147]

Yes, in fact we supplied trucks for our own use, plus the Brits and the Russians.

[@user-rw9wi4go9l]

Those Red Ball express guys held the supplies thar won the war!

[@daystatesniper01]

Great video but i still find it very shameful that black men were relegated to drivers as the brass thought they would be crap fighters FFS thank God times have moved on

[@jamessimms415]

Societal Norms of the time, you’re extrapolating Societal norms of today onto a time 80 years ago.

[@JP-zw1qh]

Imagine if that brass was still around today 😂

[@reesbritton6623]

Welcome to the American right…

[@reesbritton6623]

@@JP-zw1qhcould you imagine??? 🙄

[@kjhnsn7296]

The brass rightfully questioned if once armed those same blacks wouldn't deal with their true enemy. That is the REAL reason.

[@d.b.1858]

Those behind the scenes that made it all happen are underappreciated. But nothing would have been achieved and no heros would have been made.

[@adamstrange7884]

Logistics when used wisely win wars!

[@saltymethods2637]

Very cool documentary.

[@StatmanRN]

“Amateurs discuss tactics. Professionals discuss logistics.”

[@jorgschimmer8213]

„Soldiers winning battles, logistics wins the war!“ 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@jameshammons2826]

Project pluto was amazing

[@TerryElrodAB]

Correction at 15:12 in the video: John Eisenhower was never President of the United States. He did serve as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium under President Richard Nixon. It was Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War 2, who also served as President of the U.S., from 1953 until 1961.

[@jamessimms415]

I think you misunderstood what was said. He said John Eisenhower was the son of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander of Allied forces & later President

[@mr.bianchirider8126]

My dad said the slogan for the Red Ball Express was ‘You call, we haul, and man, that’s all !

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

In Belgian La Gleize still stands a Tiger 2 which ran out of fuel, trying to reach Allied Depots. Its Crew sold it to an owner of an Inn, before walking back!

[@maureencora1]

I Liked the Jeff Chandler Movie "Red Ball Express"

[@andrewfischer8564]

great movie jeff chandler

[@rolandbevan7088]

The cat's eyes at night was a single light under the floor of the truck shining on the white read cover on the 'Crown and pinion of the rear wheels. This was the only light that the driver could see, except the first vehicle who followed the lead jeep.

[@kevinbutton4580]

Army logistics today is crazy...an abrams turret got delivered to a ship at sea on accident means if there is a will there is a way

[@snuffle2269]

Nice story but the Red Ball moved only 20% of the ton-miles but that was important to take the fuel, ammunition and food the last distance. The rails carried the loads as fast as the railroaders could repair them (including rail destroyed accidentally by the army air corps in Allies hands). The locomotives and knock down rail cars arrived at the beaches and later when Cherbourg was taken and safe for the ships to pull up to the docks. Patton took Antwerp but it was useless for almost a month because Montgomery failed to secure the long estuary from the sea to the city. The railroad men there were pounded by German V1, artillery and Luftwaffe the whole time losing lots of men and equipment. My uncle was with the 729th Railway Operating Battalion landing at Cherbourg then track to Antwerp then on to Krefeld where the railroad bridge to cross the Rhine at Wesel was prepared as well as staging. He was awarded the Distinguished Service medal, Legion of merit, Bronze Star and Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf clusters.

[@scottpecorino6320]

good movie Red ball express

[@henrycarlson7514]

So Wise , Thank You .

[@Doc.Holiday]

I just purchased two of those “Jerry Cans” for overlanding. $90 USD EACH.

[@mzimmerman1988]

You show a lot of Jerry cans but I was under the impression that the allies did not start using them till later in the war ?

[@graemewatson2296]

Great guys. I find it impossible to imagine the mindset of the Racially Predicted. Evil. As a New Zealander who grew up (born 1950) IN NZ, you couldn't wish for a better friend than a Maori guy. I'd back them up any day. They would definitely back me up, without question. Great friends. If anything, I admired them more than the European late arrivals.

[@christiantroy3034]

I was a refueler operator, A Sgt offered me a hair cut and screwed it up, I heard “oops”, after some kind words to the sgt I asked the 1st Sgt to finish the hair cut, from then on on our 3 month operation (cold war) I was known as the cueball express

[@sslaytor]

Watching this leads me to wonder when the tanker truck was invented as I don't recall any WWII footage of them?

[@oliverherzog7702]

There are litterally some in the video. But like the kc Tanker aircraft the versatility of multi use crafts made regular truck to be the predominant crafts available. And since containerisation did not exist. The packages were sized to be handable for one fit perso, so it was the reason the petrol can came to existence.

[@tonyleukering8832]

"Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics." -- Gen. Robert H. Barrow, USMC

[@bobechs7905]

How in theTruck-God name of Jeff Hunter did the Transportation Corps Museum wind up in charge of the operation? (4:53)

[@jdgower1]

I think it was Pershing that said, "Infantry wins battles, but logistics wins wars." Just look at Ukraine in the early days of the Russian invasion to see how that works.

[@mingfanzhang8927]

Good morning 🌞☀️😃

[@mingfanzhang4600]

😊

[@luckent47]

Ain't got no gas in it

[@Bill-yy3ck]

I wonder how many of the 5 gallon cans were used to move 400,000. tones of fuel?

[@215618680]

Today we could not produce that many trucks, ironically, due to new parts supply-train issues and recalls.

[@donxz2555]

The concrete sectional floating harbour ‘Mulberry’ and undersea pipeline for fuel made resupply possible

[@Lord_Legolas_Greenleaf]

I remember this movie: "Red Ball Express" (1952) but not much of the details.

[@DinHamburg]

its here on KZbin - not a bad one, i must say

[@mgunny05]

Logistics….the difference between a “click” and a “bang”!

[@unr74]

The logistician draws a line the strategist cannot cross.

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

*It was the P-38 **_can opener_** ... that won WW2*

[@TheKMG365]

Logistics is the pacing function is warfare. Amateurs talk strategy, experts talk logistics.

[@CoaxDog]

The U.S. Military is a massive logistics organization that dabbles in combat.

[@intercommerce]

"Coffee for Drivers" LOL "Amphetamines for Combatants" more like it😮

[@edvoon]

Interesting to see that by that time the Americans had already fully switched over to the superior “Jerry can” copied from the Germans for fuel storage.