The V-3 Cannon: Hitler's Unfinished Mega-Gun

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[@megaprojects9649]

Check out Squarespace: squarespace.com/megaprojects for 10% off on your first purchase.

[@greattoseeyou7673]

Me too

[@frayedaccl2145]

@Faiyaz Ahmed Did you just call Simon, the moron?

[@mustafaemad3614]

I have been campaigning for a long time for the Bar Lev Line with no success. But instead of giving up, I will be campaigning for Benban Solar Park, Aswan High Dam and of course Bar Lev Line.

[@mustafaemad3614]

I do not when the release pace become 2 videos per day pre channel, but I'll still will put my suggestion on everyone of them.

[@robwolfeauhunter8349]

Well you know Danny's going to get it for this little mishap poor poor guy

[@Loki-ke2kx]

4:25 140 kg = 430 ft Yeah.. good enough

[@-Jeremiah-]

yeah, that had me pausing to compute

[@Anaguma79]

You didn't know that 1 m = 1 Kg?

[@adamhirsch715]

How many inches are in a liter? I can never remember.

[@pauld6967]

Right,...I too had a "huh?" moment from that goof. I guess his graphics guy doesn't know to use either # or lbs. for pounds when you are talking about the unit of weight rather than the unit of currency.

[@shebbs1]

Meh, his Ametican scriptwriters and editors have trouble with metrics. He just reads the scripts.

[@0LT4R]

Fun fact - I used to live nearby that prototype installation in Wolin when growing up. See those big concrete walls at 09:00 ? If you look close enough, there's a trail post near the top of the photo - blue hiking trail, if I remember correctly. One time me and my two buddies came up with an idea to ride our bikes on that trail and that part is a bit tricky - when passing the post, you're going downhill, there's a turn right at that post and a bit of a curb you need to jump down from, just a couple of feet from that steep drop you see. It was our first time riding there and I was so frickin' thankful I checked and tuned my brakes beforehand. Didn't see the turn, jumped down the curb straight, turned and hit those breaks hard on landing. Stopped sideways, maybe about two feet from the edge of that big drop you see in the photo 😅 A bit further and I would have fallen and smashed headfirst into that bit of history. Imagine - becoming the only casualty of a failed nazi megaproject... 😆

[@colusaboy]

that's a great story and adds a lot to watching this video for me. Glad the Mega Gun Project did not claim your life.

[@ahmedeox]

"If that sounds very complicated keep in mind that they were Germans"

[@wertirwertir4235]

if you ever want to get a feel for how complicated something can be, try applying for something government related in germany, for example unemployment benefit, if you forget something from your 30 family generations or jobs you had in the last 5 years, dont worry they know, they just dont tell you, but you'll get a paper where you can explain yourself and hope that they accept it

[@jordinagel1184]

@@wertirwertir4235 not to mention that the bureaucratic lingo is infamous for its complexity

[@garlandremingtoniii1338]

Yes. Let’s keep in mind they where Germans.

[@JanusDarke]

@@garlandremingtoniii1338 That's because they are now Vogons.

[@Groovy_Bruce]

@@wertirwertir4235 lol really?

[@lloydevans2900]

What finally destroyed the V3 site was a lucky bomb drop by a Lancaster bomber, which managed to drop one of the 5 ton "Tallboy" bombs directly down one of the gun shafts. These "earthquake bombs" could do a hell of a lot of damage even when they didn't score such lucky hits, since they had reinforced steel nose cones which allowed them to dig themselves into the ground before detonating. The hit which dropped down the gun shaft collapsed more or less the entire complex, burying hundreds of slave labourers inside.

[@Cadadadry]

You're right, I've read that story decades ago, this video has nothing new to show and less than your comment. Its content is no more than a couple of pictures without any footage, let alone mister "I love the sound of my own voice and my face on the screen".

[@WG55]

I also heard that story. The shaft was open because of work being done, and the entire complex was gutted. The Allies had no way of knowing the damage that had been done, and they continued to drop bombs on the site. They didn't learn about the lucky hit until they took control of the site.

[@geoffaries]

I've visited this site and it did seemed to be more abandoned than destroyed, the guns muzzles terminated in a very thick steel plate which was set into the concrete at ground level, it may have been dislodged by a "Tallboy" aka as an earthquake bomb, the same ones which put La Coupole out of action (V2 launch complex). Both sites are viewable and quite close together, it puzzles me as to why the germans put so much effort into constructing such a massive complex when the guns wouldn't work correctly.

[@stanleytolle416]

The British developed a ground penitrating bunker busting bomb. The bomb did not need a direct hit to destroy the gun emplacement. Once it became evident the bunkers could be destroyed from the air the project was abandoned.

[@geofftownley3137]

@@stanleytolle416 Agreed and the Tallboy and Grandslam bombs were used to put La Coupole out of action.

[@KSeigY]

When you think about it, modern electric railguns are conceptually similar to the V3. Instead of sequential explosive/propellent/whathaveyou, they just use sequential magnetic fields for acceleration.

[@mandernachluca3774]

Yes, and no. The V3 operated with sequentional charges and a railgun operates with continous magnetic field.

[@olliefoxx7165]

@@mandernachluca3774 Yes but doesn't the charge increase along the length of the barrell to draw the projectile further while increasing the speed of the projectile? Leaving a magnetic charge at the base would seem to counter the travel of said projectile and in essence introduce a gravitational or frictional counter force hindering the muzzle escape of the projectile. Just a curious thought.

[@KingFinnch]

thats a coilgun not a railgun

[@nevermindmeijustinjectedaw9988]

lol maybe if you're high on xanax, sure, but for the rest of the sober world it's nothing like it

[@handgranate2008]

​@@mandernachluca37742 years later and for me the first seeing the comments you cant see your own mistake?. The main comment said the v3 used charges like nowadays railguns but the railguns use magnetic force itself but same concept, and you wanted to correct the main comment that "it uses magnetic fields instead of explosive charges" and that what the main comment said

[@HiringHamblin]

To put yourself in the mindset of late war Germany simply imagine this scenario: Your house is on fire, all the doors are blocked by flames, but the water is running so you could at least try to quench them a little. You decide that you'll build yourself a new washing machine You'll build it out of chocolate. You don't have many actual blocks of chocolate, or many bars, and those you have are a mix or milk, dark, and white. What you have in abundance is hot chocolate powder. You design a complex system of forming this powder into blocks. This is difficult because your house is on fire and your fridge has melted Eventually you've produced 30% of the blocks you need. Then you change the design and make the washing machine bigger. It's also now a kettle. And from now on you'll only use white chocolate. Then the roof collapses The end. No moral

[@magpieno9]

...It's also now a kettle..))))))

[@PersonManManManMan]

Good analogy

[@christopherconard2831]

German military technology. Always a great idea. Even better if someone would have started it two years ago.

[@mandernachluca3774]

Nice joke, very very bad analogy. It's more like: Imagine your in your house, it burns, you can't escape, however, you still have the strong will to quench the flames. You grap what you can find, you have no running water, only some full waterbottles and a cellar full of tools. You start building an effective system to quench the flames and use as low as possileof your water supply. Suddenly you realise, that your system won't be enough, so you search for alternatie solutions. You make some trial and error between suffocating flames with soil out of your cellar and chemical bombs that steal the oxigen from the flames (essentially eating fire with fire). You come to the conclution, that all your resources in your cellar are not enough.Than you decide to use some of your water, to reach other areas of your house, in the hope of finding something that could help you. Instead of finding something, you only waste resources, you realize that youre wife, wich bragged about your solutions and always had extravagant ideas wich you had to consider as well, complained again, how you were unable to safe the house. Now, having tryed everything in your might to save the house, you explain, that the two of you only can get alive out of this situation, using the water left to it's greatest effect, spraying it on your clothes and getting safely out of your house, befor dying with it. Your wife decides to stay, you leave. End of story.

[@echo_9835]

No no, there's a moral to this story somewhere...

[@GregBartoszuk]

I grew up on the Island of Wolin in the small town a couple kilometers from testing site. I still remember playing as the kid on concrete blocks shown on the pictures. It was 50 years ago. Great story!

[@magpieno9]

A10 warthog would be a good topic

[@jacobvandyk3]

Agreed

[@pbibbles]

I've recommended this several times. Let's keep it going!

[@jugs554433]

Legendary aircraft

[@joesphsakevich9959]

Definitely

[@boogerpicker8104]

Yeah along with the 90,000 other videos on it.

[@302racing3]

Something tells me this video was prematurely uploaded

[@TheOnlyDamien]

I was wondering why there were back to back uploaded videos, going to enjoy them anyways!

[@joedufour8188]

4:20 140KG(430 feet) Maybe you're right.

[@carlwheezerofsouls3273]

@@joedufour8188 140kg of feet would theoretically be 430 feet. depends on if they’re human or not.

[@BlazeInjun]

Was the V-3 Cannon made by Squarespace? Couldn't tell by the title picture.

[@robertslater8293]

I would love to see a video on Apollo 13 and the engineering required to get the astronauts home safe. It's something that's close to my heart as my grandpa was an engineer at nasa that helped design the air scrubber fix

[@christianbuczko1481]

I still find it ridiculous that even had to be fixed, they should have been interchangable. Nasa should have produced the design, and then told anyone thinking of building manned spacecraft that they had to use it or else.

[@mah6183]

Have you seen the channel Vintage Space? She covers Apollo 13 very well.

[@robertslater8293]

@@mah6183 I'll check it out thanks, though simon's voice is half of what gets me through work lol

[@colormedubious4747]

@@christianbuczko1481 Different mission requirements (3 people for a week vs 2 people for a few days), different operating environments (one filter/scrubber design had to handle ultra-fine lunar filth, the other did not), different contractors (Rockwell vs Grumman), and NASA didn't design the spacecraft. They just specified their requirements in the RFPs. TLDR: Government projects, man...

[@christianbuczko1481]

@@colormedubious4747 they didnt plan it well, and apollo 13 proved that. They were very lucky that mistake didnt cost lives, and someone should have been looking at the big picture, not focusing on it like there was 2 different missions, there was ONLY 1 mission, and that is the fuckup they made.

[@stephenphillip5656]

I visited the V-3 site at Mimoyeques a few years ago on a tour of the battlefields of N France. It is worth a visit when you can. I understand that 617 squadron hit the concrete cap of one of the barrel tops with a 'Tallboy", putting it and most of the installation out of action. If that is so, it truly *is* "sticking a dart in a line" accuracy. After the war, Churchill ordered the British sappers to destroy what was left of Mimoyeques as we had no desire to have even the *remnants* of such a weapon falling into the wrong hands - it was pointing at London after all...

[@jantschierschky3461]

Well they dropped, I believe 139 tallboys

[@kleinjahr]

Big problem with such guns is that there is no shoot and scoot option. Fire three or four rounds and your opponent knows where it is and proceeds to attack it with everything they've got.

[@ZFilms1946]

I guess the best thing you can do is set up defenses, then release a huge volley all at one time and defend it the best you can

[@almitrahopkins1873]

You also can't change the target. Its size prevents it swiveling. You can cause it to fall short or long by altering the propellant charge, but that's it.

[@PlatinumPaladin]

But when it's so far away in enemy territory, would it be that easy to find? With no smoke or propellant to trace back to its source, and if the allies didn't know the weapon existed until after the war they might not have comprehended international range artillery. @Almitra Hopkins I guess they just relied on winds to change direction. Surely they wouldn't have been using this for precision strikes, and at that range the slightest deviation as it leaves the muzzle might equate to a few miles once it hits.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:35 - Chapter 1 - The V Weapons 3:15 - Chapter 2 - The V3 4:35 - Chapter 3 - Development 6:45 - Mid roll ads 8:15 - Chapter 4 - Testing 9:25 - Chapter 5 - Mimoyecques site 11:40 - Chapter 6 - Operation Aphrodite 13:45 - Chapter 7 - A new target 15:10 - Chapter 8 - The greatest gun that never was

[@porksnorkle7056]

🤓

[@fabricebarbon5886]

Thanks

[@ChaosUnleashed265]

preesh

[@dillonshafer3895]

It’s kind of awkward to say I admired the mad bastards, if only for their engineering insanity

[@S2TB420]

I agree the navy upgrade plan plan Z 2 be precise is just mad!! Most people nowadays dont even know how close the nazi were 2 completely destroy the allies and russians Ps most german inventions and weapons are still used today i mean guided missiles were an german invention v1 v2 and rocket engines for an airfighter is an german invention so yeah they were quife far ahead of time and of themselves in the end

[@flixri726]

It should be not forgotten, that all this engineering insanity is fueled by forced labour of POW, Jews or other people the Nazis designated as Untermenschen. Thousands of people died building those absolutly senseless weapons.

[@MrHenhen5]

Not all of the scientists who worked on these were the worst nazis, the SS for example were the main ones who were behind the holocaust. A lot of these scientists probably hated what was happening but also believed they were defending their country

[@teesmith945]

The bigger, the better

[@nickpedro6676]

They had more Nobel prize winners in the 1930s than the rest of the world combined. Even today they have the highest skilled labor force in Europe. It’s no surprise that their economy leads the EU. They are very hardworking people and extremely talented. If it wasn’t for a complete madman we would all be speaking German.

[@jeffalan6339]

The videos in your series are really informative, appreciate your hard work, thank you!

[@thcdreams654]

One day we are going to find out the real guy operating this channel just has Simon held hostage in a basement. Hes forced to make videos in exchange for another dollar shave club razor.

[@aaronbasham6554]

You mean the basement above Danny's basement, right?

[@davidberryhill3247]

@Charles Yuditsky The razors are only for his head.

[@phillipdennick8509]

It's the post shave balm. The razor was just the hook the balm is the line.

[@keiththorpe9571]

He's been blinking his eyes in Morse Code for years now, sending the message: 'Please God, Help Me...And bring some razors!'

[@matthewrobinett1012]

Hahahahah

[@davidnoseworthy4540]

Simon, even though some of the topics do not pique my interest initially, I start to watch them and find my enthusiasm for the particular topic grow exponentially. Presentation does have a key role in these endeavors. Cheers to your tireless efforts in bringing excellent factual information, to those who wish to learn, one great segment at a time. Thank you!

[@boomhaueroo8703]

Kind of an odd request here... the wheel. Simple, yet quite possibly the most dynamic megaproject in history. From where we've come... to where we're going. Literally, transportation, gearing, literature, time, etc. Y'alls take would be interesting.

[@markbrisec3972]

So little is known about the invention of the wheel that it would be a 2 minute video explaining how the wheel actually works..

[@boomhaueroo8703]

@@markbrisec3972 lol. Quite possibly true 👍

[@sirridesalot6652]

Inventing the wheel probably wasn't too hard. The hard part would be inventing an axle and retaining system for the wheel. Plus you'd need fairly clear areas to even want a wheel in the first place.

[@arthas640]

The issues with that are many including the fact we know little to nothing about the invention process, that the wheel was simple to invent but the axles and carts were much more complicated, many cultures invented it independently, and that no single group invented wheels, carts or axles so much as it was steadily refined over centuries across the entire globe. Hell south Americans had wheels but rarely used them and chariots were used everywhere from Great Britain to egypt to China.

[@flashcar60]

Everyone knows the wheel was invented by Fred Flintstone.

[@user-dk3ip7gu7n]

So early the title hasn't even been finished

[@stefanschleps8758]

Thats cause 'ees doing another square space commercial, wot?!

[@edmundthespiffing2920]

It is still not corrected

[@cleverusername9369]

4:20 140 KG (430 feet) What? Slow down, Simon, you're getting sloppy

[@cattibingo]

I don't think he is capable of slowing down

[@imseti7991]

@@cattibingo six hundred shells per minute. NO BRAKES.

[@angelarch5352]

i was gonna say... hmmm, kg to feet conversion, fascinating what you can do with metric

[@climberly]

everyone knows 140 kg is 72 degrees farenheit when converted.

[@Fake.plastic.guy.]

How many calories is that?

[@TheGuit1]

The Video is not correct concerning the Mimoyecques site : it has been bombed very effectivly and there was a lot of casualties. One of the tallboy bomb that was droped managed to enter one of the tunnels where the cannons were located and slid all the way to the bottom where it exploded. This was both luck and due to the increased odds of this happening due to the intensity of the bombings of the site. The explosion caused a nearby pocket of water to flood the bottom 2 levels of the bunker (including the third level where more than 1500 forced-labour prisonniers died). It was estimated that if another (smaller) kind of bomb had made its way to the mouth of the bunker, the other tunnels and the water pocket would have hold, and the construction could have been finished. Today, you can only visit the first level as the 2 bottom ones are graveyards.

[@Sh_rib]

2 videos.... oops but a happy oops 😁😁😁

[@sandybarnes887]

Only 2? I got 5

[@crazyeyez1502]

Well, two on this channel

[@RangerOfTheOrder]

Happy little accident

[@StrangeTerror]

Shut up man! We don't want Danny to fix it!

[@rubenbraekman4515]

"This video is brought to you by Squa..." Me: "Skip... skip... skip..."

[@Hebdomad7]

Tap tap tap tap... tap tap tap ...

[@darthgorthaur258]

It's funny seeing this clone of the mighty blazing factboi doing ad reads like a robot then seeing factboi do a proper read like a human lol...also communism bad, therinos trademark wanted and COCAINE FOR BREAKFAST!!!

[@a.ftp4207]

@@darthgorthaur258 blaze 🙌🏽😂🔥

[@Strider_141]

Same here hahhaha

[@tawattwaffle0420]

Whenever a video has an ad spoken by the content creator I skip forward. As I drag by finger over to skip ahead, I note the starting time. Once I see the content has resumed I go back to the last 3 to 5 seconds to not miss anything. I have managed to get pretty quick and efficient at skipping ahead and have noticed that a large amount of the videos have roughly a 60 second ad with the occasional ad thst is about 90 seconds.

[@Fake.plastic.guy.]

Projected rate of fire was 600 per hour, not per minute.

[@joseph-mariopelerin7028]

most likely per day... ti-cul simons likes embellish the story

[@carlwheezerofsouls3273]

@John Barber supposed to be 60 an hour. not 600 per minute, this video is just so off....

[@nicolek4076]

Saddam Hussein got inspiration from this weapon and engaged Gerald Bull a Canadian misfit expert on very large guns, to build one for him.

[@demonprinces17]

And Israel bomb it

[@SinisterMD]

Wonderful video. The graphic at 4:17 shows "140 KG (430 FT)" and should be "140 KG (308 LB)" for weight accuracy. Please keep these coming.

[@postie9434]

600 rounds a minute , i think you have that a tad wrong

[@RyanKlapperich]

Only off by a factor of 60.

[@stefanschleps8758]

Yeah, he's off by two more zeros.

[@MirageGSM]

Machinegun artillery FTW :-)

[@MrSimonw58]

Buzz saw artillery

[@PantsuMann]

Hehehe Vergeltungswaffe goes BRRRRRT

[@saladinbob]

Have you done an episode on the The Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge, the longest bridge in the world? It's ridiculously long, an Gephyrophobic's nightmare come true.

[@thoriginalSpaceDiver]

If I remember it correctly the story of the bombing raids included the newly developed earthquake bombs which were effective in destroying the structures.

[@tekisasu]

I randomly came across your videos on KZbin and oh boy, I've gone through 2 pots of coffee and skipped sleeping. Your videos are utterly fascinating. Thanks for all you do!

[@stephenlane9168]

Another great and entertaining video team. Thank you 🙏👌

[@wmralder]

I'm surprised that you didn't link in the connection between the V-3 and the work of Gerald Bull. He was the one who seemed to get and use the bulk of the information captured at the end of the war and that led to his HARP research gun, his long range artillery for South Africa, and most infamously his Baghdad gun for Saddam Hussein. It's the latter that probably got him murdered, some say by the Israelis.

[@thatboomhauerguy5601]

I’m surprised as well. At least one aerodynamicist from the V3, Dr. Joachim Luckert, was sent to Canada after the war and worked with Bull on his giant cannons.

[@coralaune4006]

I wonder if Saddam Hussein's "Project Babylon" gun was a knockoff of this V-3 Cannon from back in the day?

[@wmralder]

There is a link through a guy called Gerald Bull who used what data he gleaned from intelligence on the V-3 and the Baghdad gun. Bull got the same effect by using a slower burning propellant that pushed the projectile for a longer time to higher velocities.

[@coralaune4006]

@@wmralder Thanks for the info.

[@marsrows2167]

This book is talking about it. More like V4 www.amazon.com/Siec-ostatni-bastion-polish-Woloszanski-Boguslaw/dp/838934422X/ref=mp_s_a_1_22?dchild=1&qid=1615774252&refinements=p_27%3ABoguslaw+Woloszanski&s=books&sr=1-22 Sorry no English version

[@marsrows2167]

This gun was supposed to reach New York.

[@marsrows2167]

Yes sir you are correct

[@BarnabyBear69]

Absolutely wanted you to mention this in the Rail gun video!!

[@andymcneil7085]

Fascinating stuff. Your hosting skills are, I think, second to none Simon.

[@imseti7991]

There are two kinds of people - those who watch "SR-72 The Son of Blackbird" first, or those who watch this first.

[@Saphykitten]

This is a spicy take. I like it

[@petert3355]

Dang it.... I'm one of the former and I so wanted to be one of the later.....

[@joseph-mariopelerin7028]

yes because if you do opposite, most of the time you'll realize ti-cul Simon don't really understand what he's saying...lol

[@isaacwilson5284]

And then there are the Allegedly.

[@isaacwilson5284]

@@Saphykitten you haven't been through a Blaze yet lol

[@kruemel534]

"Vergeltungswaffen weapons" would be "retribution weapons weapons"

[@victorcontreras9138]

Very good video! Interesting things I'm learning about the advanced weapons projects. Keep up the good work⚠️

[@fvckyoutubescensorshipandt2718]

4:23 140kg = 430 feet? I thought it was 308 lbs, I guess I was wrong.

[@RyanKlapperich]

No no no, 308 lbs is 436 liters.

[@delurkor]

@@RyanKlapperich Maybe they are talking foot-pounds?

[@climberly]

that and the 600 shells per minute made me scratch my head. That just doesn't sound right, and I've never heard that figure anywhere else.

[@RyanKlapperich]

@@climberly The correct figure is right on the main part of the wikipedia page. 600 shells *per hour.* I don't know how you could say "per minute" twice without thinking, "That sounds like a machine gun."

[@climberly]

@@RyanKlapperich per hour sounds more believable, not that I trust wikipedia as a reliable source of info. and I dont know either, they said it in the video, not me.

[@nova2512]

*One of the best jokes in futurama is when they are playing a WWII video game and mom’s kids are playing as the nazis. When their V2 rocket doesn’t get the job done one of them smacks his head and says “Ughh I could have had a V-8*

[@artistwithouttalent]

Hey guys I think someone goofed.

[@joeyr7294]

More and more Simon and Co. every day!!! Cheers 🍻

[@fredsmith4134]

HOW TO DEFEAT KZbin ADS. if you click on the reverse or forward buttons on the top left corner, you can skip ads, by clicking reverse then forward, the original video clip comes back without the ad. if the forward or reverse is blank, click on another video clip on the right, then click reverse arrow top left and the original video clip comes back to the same point you left off at, without having to watch thoser annoying ads

[@michaelalexander2306]

Simon, you said that V.2s fell on Britain until March 1944, it was of course March 1945. Those who criticise later Bomber Command raids, notably that on Dresden in February 1945, should bare that in mind.

[@ianmathwiz7]

Another potential megaproject video for a weapon that never was to be: Project SLAM/Project Pluto, which was an attempt to make a nuclear powered cruise missile that could stay in the air for potentially days at a time.

[@shaunoleary9774]

I've been requesting that for weeks. True doomsday weapon? check Nuclear power? Check Nuclear weapons? Check COLD WAR? Check Partially developed? Check Advanced technology? Check Russia vs. America? Check Please make the video Simon.

[@demonprinces17]

Sure

[@arbhall7572]

I had no idea any of these had actually been built and fired during the war! I thought all of these only got fired in the early 60s! Great video! Thank you!

[@brianward7550]

5:10 LOL the way he worded it almost sounds like he could be talking about the crew operating the weapon bailing out and running for their lives

[@Setola]

the next megaproject: listing all Simon's channels :)

[@sandybarnes887]

He has 11.

[@Setola]

@@sandybarnes887 he has 11 [...] until now! (quote by Homer Simpson) :D

[@leoschenk2118]

Vergeltingswaffen weapons is like saying atm machine

[@edmundthespiffing2920]

What a genius move to put the sponsor directly on the thumbnail. What a marketing GENIUS Simon is! Clearly that business degree payed off !

[@jimr9499]

I love how much there is to know about... well everything, ever, really...lol. But, in this case specifically, WWII. I already knew about the existence of the "V3" but I hadn't ever heard about the early attempts at what were essentially drones. Fascinating stuff.

[@jjlortez]

Someone done did F'd up

[@johnbrazier2272]

In the nicest possible way, this episode is missing a lot of data. The Allies knew about the V3, and the Mimoyecques site was put out of commission, permanently, on 6 July 1944 by Squadron 617 ("Dambusters") using another Barnes-Wallis invention, the five-ton "Tallboy" bomb: an "earthquake" bomb designed to travel deep into the ground before exploding. Barnes-Wallis also designed a ten-ton version the, "Grand Slam", of which 42 were dropped on hard targets and were the heaviest bombs ever dropped through the war. The first Grand Slam was tested on 13 March 1945, and promptly successfully used in an operation the very next day (now that's an accelerated development!). I believe Barnes-Wallis' of implementation of deep-burrowing bombs before exploding remained unique until the US started playing with shaped nuclear charges in the late 1970s: yes, they do exist. Why waste most of the energy in a ball when you can direct it?

[@johnnsteele2886]

John, I agree. I think that not including Wallace and not clarifying how the Brits had taken out the site before the Yanks even tried. I also found the statement that the V2 was harder to shoot down quite the understatement.

[@johnbrazier2272]

@@johnnsteele2886 Absolutely. But one thing that most people miss about the V1 was that it was actually the first cruise missile: slow, inefficient and poor control, but embodied the idea completely. And yes, I don't think a single V2 was "shot down": hard to do with a ballistic missile.

[@napalmmachete]

I do love the crazy things that come out of frantic arms races (WW2, the cold War, etc) :D

[@davidclarke5938]

Another superb presentation on a little-known subject.

[@1337fraggzb00N]

01:35 "The WuHrGaLtOoNgsWuPhAn" - Simon, translator Remember: never buy Wurgelton's Wophan!

[@kingjames4886]

"it's the gun so big it needed to be built on Simon's head."

[@nadav5426]

I heard of the V3 but didn't really know too much about it. Very informative video Simon. Side note: Did anybody else notice at 4:23 it says "140 KG (430 FT)" ? Anyway I'm surfing ur channels bro. Always something interesting indeed.

[@131311337]

You should do some of the huge construction equipment pieces. Like those massive pit trucks or bucket wheel excavators

[@nathaniel1207]

you know you're early when it lacks both a thumbnail and title

[@natehill8069]

I find it ironic that the little V-1 needed a big fixed-site launch facility; whereas the V-2 despite being 10x as big and 100x as sophisticated was launched from a portable TEL.

[@tommcewan7936]

Yeah, but the V-2 also consumed about 2/3 of Germany's entire potato crop to make the alcohol propellant, and its relatively small non-nuclear warhead could only demolish a few buildings or maybe one street for each launch. More people died building it as slave labour than were ever killed by it in action. The most effective counter-measures the British had against the V-1 and the V-2 were to use double-agents in their spy network to feed false impact site coordinates back to the Germans, so in adjusting their aim to be more accurate they would actually end up missing their intended targets; if they hadn't been able to destroy the V-3 cannons, this trick might also have worked against that, at least for a while.

[@tomhenry897]

The v1 need a long launch ramp The v2 just need to be put in a vertical position

[@JimBrodie]

RAF Woodbridge, not been there in years. Though last time i was that way i was snooping around RAF Bentwaters.

[@c62west]

AWESOME video! I had no idea the V-3 existed.

[@shanequeen5003]

Check up Gerald bull and project babalyon same type of cannon

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

*Plot Twist:* Simon hasn't got a beard, his camera is just upside down

[@bjw4859]

Great video, I have come across a few short videos dealing with the Krupp family empire, but concentrating on their roll in ww2, it looked interesting ?.

[@rvndmnmt1]

The V-1, as crude as it was, was the very first cruise missile designed. The guidance system was similar to a wind up music box. Used a drum and contacts to control the various phases of the attack. Have actually laid eyes on one. For the time ingenious.

[@mt_baldwin]

It's to these things that I point to whenever someone says that the Empire wouldn't have built the death star. Yes the death star is way, way bigger than the V3 but the First Galactic Empire is way, way bigger than the third reich.

[@r.blakehole932]

So, this weapon was so threatening that, we expended a Kennedy against it?

[@timtheskeptic1147]

HERO radio security wasn't so much of a thing then. It was almost inevitable what the results would be.

[@DerrickWhittle-mm7jz]

Nice vid have done the jiant floating icburge carrier? Love your detail.

[@Colonel_Overkill]

its actually pretty simple to do in theory. One method is to leave exposed ends in the casing of the subordinate charges and as the projectile passes the casing the hot gas pushing the charge will ignite the secondary propellant adding to the charge as a whole with a lower pressure curve than lighting it all at once.

[@eb311235]

No mention of Dr. Bull? The super gun story did not end with Germany's surrender.

[@malcolmyoung7866]

Parts of which on display at Imperial War Museum Duxford...

[@williamgolden839]

True, you could say there was some work on a V4

[@livingwithpkd8227]

I'd like to see a video on the Flak 88mm the Germans used.

[@tncorgi92]

Check out The History Guy's channel, he did that one three days ago.

[@jacksavage4098]

Check out The History Guy channel, he made a great video about it.

[@vernonrabbetts]

Whilst I understand the obsession with the Kennedy family, Mimoyeques is associated with three greater wartime legends. The bombs that wrecked the site were Tallboy "Camouflet" or earthquake bombs designed to destroy targets by actually missing them. They were designed by Barnes Wallis who pioneered Grodetic design in bombers and invented the bouncing bomb. The Tallboys were dropped by 617 Squadron, RAF, The Dambusters, in daylight using the SABS bombsight, the British Bombsight developed parallel to the American Norden. 617 Squadron were led by Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire VC, who had taken a reduction in rank ( from Wing Commander) to lead the Squadron. He had worked with Mick Martin to improve marker accuracy and would fly a single seat P-51C/Mustang III to drop the markets for this raid accurately. It was his last mission with the Squadron.

[@andrewbarten7347]

Dr Bull got closer again. Problem with a 'supergun' (good as it may be) is guns have been superseded by missiles. Reminds me of the Hedgehog and other ASW mortars. The best ASW weapons of their time but hardly saw the light of day as homing torpedoes were just around the corner.

[@keithorbell8946]

My mother’s first memory was being put under a table during a V1 raid.

[@Azaghal1988]

We're so lucky to live in a time that is mostly peaceful for us. One of my Grandmother's earlier memories was that her family saved rations for a birthday cake for her, but they had to interrupt the party because of an air raid and after it the cake was inedible because of glass shards and rubble.

[@the_lone_wanderer5240]

You seemed pretty impressed with acceleration of the aircraft when you did your video on the Nimitz class carriers so maybe you could do a megaprojects or sideprojects on top fuel dragsters? 0-330+mph in less than 5 seconds is pretty impressive

[@rogersaunders7858]

The Mimoyecques site is well worth a visit. The route to it is reasonably well marked. Much of the site is well lit but you should wear warm clothing even in summer. There are few genuine artefacts though a short section of one gun barrel can be seen. The site was liberated by a Canadian force. They received a large amount of explosive with which to destroy as much of the site as possible on Churchill's orders so it could not later be used by the Fenech.

[@ross.venner]

A mega project worthy of a programme would be the refortification of Britain in the 1860s. Now referred to as Palmerston's Follies, the defeat of France by Prussia in 1870 eliminated the enemy they were designed to deter, but had France triumphed in that conflict, who can say what Napoleon III might not have attempted. Plenty of dramatic visual imagery available on line, if Covid precludes travel...

[@4G12]

Oh, I'm afraid that this weapon is quite, operational...

[@goomy__6420]

What do you mean?

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@goomy__6420 - Star Wars reference.

[@goomy__6420]

@@AtheistOrphan totally forgot I left this comment lol

[@AtheistOrphan]

@@goomy__6420 - You’re welcome. For some reason this video popped up in my recommendations.

[@brothertheo2677]

saddam hussein's supergun was being build based on the V3 by Dr. Gerald Bull

[@marsrows2167]

Probably base on V4 found in Silesia Poland and then disappear. This book talks about it. Only polish version exists. “Sieć Ostatni Bastion SS” By Wołoszynski

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

The sidechamber gun, with detonations along the barrel as the granate passed, was an idea made by a german, who presented it to the Waffenamt, which found it unlikely to function, but he then gave it to another section, which then used a lot of money on the idea, and then gave it back to the Waffenamt, as it didn't really function. And the Waffenamt had to find out something, as much money had now been spent. And in the end they found a way to make it function in the cannon.

[@matejpavel2296]

Could you make an episode on the Mistel bombers? They always fascinated me.

[@gregwaugh8069]

The story of Port Hedland Australia. Iron Ore discovered there in the 50s. Now the heaviest tonnage private port in the world. 9 ships carrying 200 000 metric tons leave for China and Japan a day. @ 150 AUD a ton that's a significant amount. It wont fit in my calculator. There is so much Iron Ore there that it throws compasses off and at the current rate there is 500 years of high grade iron ore still to mine, then medium and low grade. There are numerous multinational companies involved in mining in the region which is called by the indiginous as the Pilbara which means "hot place". The hottest I ever experienced there is 50 degrees. I worked there for about 8 years and I don't ever want to go back ha ha ha. It would be the exact opposite of the shale sands in Canada where it gets to -40 and men and machines continue to work. It can be seen on Google earth and so can the ships lined up awaiting their cargo.

[@DJWyre]

"Yes, the early years saw the German army crush all that came before it...." *Shows German soldiers in Tiger 2 tanks, first deployed in Normandy in 1944.*

[@joseph-mariopelerin7028]

i just like ti-cul Simon...

[@heisyburger]

Would love to see a video on the Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte, I think that could be a good topic for theoretical weapons!

[@crankychris2]

A supertank so heavy it crushed every bridge it attempted to cross!

[@simoc24]

Thank you. I did not know about the smaller V3 in 1945, learn something today, thanks

[@sauvanto9316]

Megaproject: Fixing videos after upload

[@dickdastardly4236]

600 rounds per minute? I would like to see an artillery piece fire at the same rate as an AK-47.

[@longjohnston1363]

Don't ask questions. Just go with it

[@louth2882]

It was meant to be an hour 600 per hour

[@century0454]

I visited the site, its an amazing building. Sadly the top of the bunker rest on private property so only acces a few times a year.

[@baerververgaert1308]

How about doing one on the massive warships in the Egyptian fleet during the war of the second triumvirate?

[@BastuGubbar]

Did we accidentally get two videos today?

[@chiefbrody7506]

Some day those concrete pads on the side of the hill will be rediscovered. "Experts" will try to hypothesize how they were used to get water to the top of the hill.

[@Condorito380]

"It was used for religious purposes" - translation, we have no idea, or it was a sex thing we dont want to think too much about.

[@autumnVoid1138]

Awesome video 😀 ✨ , lol also love your shirt Simon 😊

[@johnfielding001]

Love your channel. Hope you don’t mind me mentioning that Joe Kennedy Jnr’s last flight was from RAF Fersfield in Norfolk and not RAF Woodbridge.

[@jareadjone5718]

WE WANT ETA WE WANT ETA

[@ianmathwiz7]

Insert "Last time I was this early" joke here.

[@rmcgreevy153]

Simon I’d love you to do a video on British Tanks of WW1