The Battle of Cap Gris-Nez and the capture of Battery Todt

[@TheAceDestroyer]

The new video is finally here! I was in Spain for two weeks and I had prepared everything to launch the video according to the usual schedule, but the only thing I hadn’t taken into account was the possibility of having poor WIFI and internet connection. And as you may have guessed by me uploading the video today, I had extremely poor internet connection which made me have to postpone the upload. But wait no longer because it is finally here… It’s all about the battle of Cap Gris-Nez and small engagement between the Canadians and the Germans during the 1944 battle of Calais. I hope you’ll forgive me for the late upload, I hope you’ll enjoy it!

[@IronWarhorsesFun]

Interesting to know if this was the end to the longest artillery duel in history? Also do you have any interesting stories on the Red Army big guns and fortresses like those in sevestapol and Leningrad? I don't see much about the siege of sevestapolnor Leningrad, they seems overlooked because of Stalingrad even though the casualties were much worse and the actual siege of Leningrad lasted for 2 years and change.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

@@IronWarhorsesFun I wouldn't know if that was the end of the longest artillery duel. I do have a great article on Sevastopol which I might turn into a script one day. For me, I usually make videos for battles which lasted only a day or a few weeks at max. So a two year campaign for me is out of the question, sadly enough I just don't have the time to study such a long campaign.

[@IronWarhorsesFun]

@@TheAceDestroyer okay what about doing your personal most interesting bits of the larger battle? That way you can make the videos reasonable.

[@xSnakeByte]

Thanks for this! My great uncle was a Major with the NNSH and was sadly lost here. Keep up the excellent work!

[@string-bag]

Thanks Ace, I had three uncles who served in the Canadian Army in Normandy and Europe until the end. All three survived.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Wow! Happy to hear that!

[@noa5641]

Wish Icould have thanked them personally. My mother and several other family members survived in hiding and some were liberated by the Canadians. They were literally starving at the end of the war simce the hungerwinter of 44. Even though she has severe Alzheimer, stange enoughshe still remembers the war like it was yesterday, the white bread and chococolate they gave her. She also still rememberes the terribly frightening sound of the V1 and V2. The liberation song We'll meet again.We remember the sacrifices of those brave soldiers to liberate Europe every year and so will our childrens children. Never forget.

[@noa5641]

I visited Cape gris Nez end of the ' 80 and exploered the area incl these superbunkers . Remember 1 of them in some part being filled up with water. Origiinal text and drawings at the walls. Very impressive.

[@dougabbott8261]

I always appreciate your attention to detail and the accurate pronunciation of the units/places in your videos. Always top notch. Well done and thank you.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate!

[@MushroomFromMars]

Glad I've finally got my AceDestroyer fix, thanks for another great video! I'm really liking going through your back catalog too. Keep up the great work.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! Happy to hear that!

[@Xylo58]

Thank you for your excellent work! It’s great to see many of Canada’s contributions recognized. 🇨🇦

[@frankymahieu4055]

well done again M. (as RCL member, I appreciate the tribute to the Canadians extra)

[@wibransaex]

Another awesome video !! Thanks for the focus on the Canadian aspect of the battle !! Keep up the great work !!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! Happy to see that you enjoyed it mate!

[@jefferyboyes]

Having just found this channel... I have much viewing ahead of me. Thank you for your efforts and enthusiasm for history. Salute!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! I'm happy to see that you're enjoying the content!

[@greglucas1497]

As always your work is right up there and excellent Happy you are back.

[@donnicoll1570]

Thank you Ace. Just love your videos. So much information and your research means we all learn.

[@Zakalwe-01]

Great story, and one I hadn't heard, given the effect it was having on Dover. Sounds like THE perfect job for a Crocodile unit.

[@michaelvine9518]

Thanks for the very informative video, the Canadian contribution is so seldom mentioned. Thanks for this

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! Very happy to see that you liked it!

[@danielgreen3715]

Always worth the time to listen to your presentations ..As for the French accent..its almost like a French Person

[@2serveand2protect]

...so!... you started to uploading again! ...GOOD! :) Nice. Thanks for uploading & have a great day everybody.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Yes! I had everything on a USB and on my Laptop, if only the WIFI and internet connection had been better in Spain...

[@kevinmorrissey2105]

Another great! Love waking up to see a new video

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! Very happy to see that!

[@Justin_Kipper]

Enjoyed the video.Your contemporary footage added a lot, letting us see both the lay-of-the-land and the strengths of the installations not always visible from historical footage. This is my only suggestion...try to always mention upfront why any particular confrontation is important. It took me a few minutes to figure out why these particular installations were so dangerous and why the Canadians were compelled to attack them from the backside. In other words, set up the plot of the video in Act I, so the pay-off has more meaning to the viewer in Act III. Good stuff, keep it up!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! Very happy to hear that! I'll keep that in mind! Thanks!

[@Paolo7219]

Another valuable video. With all the writing done on WW2, you might think that every subject worth knowing about has been covered already. Not so....

[@harveygerndt1874]

Thank you for making this video. A small correction however; it was Batterie Großer Kurfurst that could fire inland as the guns were in armoured turrets with 360 degree traverse. The museum at Batterie Todt publishes a small book on the fortifications. The German defenders were Kriegsmarine personnel not Wehrmacht. They were pretty much ready to surrender being short of food.

[@33z6i6]

So the Kriegsmarine wasn't part of the Wehrmacht??

[@harveygerndt1874]

@@33z6i6 My mistake carrying over a mistake in the video. The battery personnel were navy not army. Kriegsmarine not Heer.

[@33z6i6]

@@harveygerndt1874 No prob. Just glad someone points out mistakes when they see them. Rarely happens, especially on KZbin...

[@harveygerndt1874]

@@33z6i6 The issue is the use of the word Wehrmacht to describe the army, a common misconception. However if you talk about the Heer many readers are unsure what this refers to. As you point out Wehrmacht is all 3 services.

[@MrMenefrego1]

It would be beneficial to the world if the Canadian movie industry would make films depicting some of the heroic exploits of their military forces WWII era battles. The Canadian troops preformed amazingly well even against the SS in many engagements! They seemed damned well determined to more than do their part both during the invasion of France and, all of the subsequent battles.

[@rolandfelice6198]

Thanks for this video. I was unaware of this action and of all the forces deployed, I know the least about the Canadians.

[@carius007]

Great video, perfect way to start a Friday morning! Thank you for your work 🍺🍺

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! Enjoy the weekend!

[@MrAli171]

Just found your channel very informative cheers subscribed

[@TheAceDestroyer]

I'm very happy to hear that MrAli! Welcome to the channel!

[@russelder9743]

Wonderful camera work....I really am enjoying your channel. Hope you are doing well....stay safe my friend

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! Very pleased to hear that! Yes, were doing quite well here in Belgium. The measures are gradually decreasing, so I can visit places again. Stay safe as well!

[@justrandomcarsurbex3057]

How have I missed this channel?! Subscribed 👍

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! It means a lot!

[@xrayfish2020]

Thanks for sharing with us keep up the good work

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! I'm very happy to see that you enjoyed it!

[@NeoByteNL]

Thanks for the history lesson, love your video's. Every time I see bunkers in video's, I wish the governments of the country their in would do something to preserve them better.

[@BorisZech]

Thanks for this story. 500+ planes to bomb such a small area - shows the overwhelming force the Allies could bring to bear. A small correction: the battery is spelled „Großer Kurfürst“ - your pronounciation was spot on, though!

[@hugod2000]

Love you videos, thanks for posting.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! I'm very happy to see that you enjoy the content!

[@wiictvchannel1112]

Great video as always. It's crazy the Germans were able to fire across the channel and you don't hear about that too often.

[@wellington-yh8rc]

The south eastern corner of England was I think known as Hell fire corner due to the heavy barrages that it received from those Batteries on a daily basis.

[@redskyatnight123]

The Canadians were fucking baddass, another great video ace thanks

[@johansoons8413]

Cap Blanc nez is more fitting. Griz nez, is also correct, but the batteries are on blanc nez. white nose, not on the grey nose (what is a translation of respectfull blanc nez and gris nez.

[@WarblesOnALot]

G'day, Yay Team ! So most of the Batterie Todt was in 1944 suffering, in reality, from the infamous Singaporean Coastal Defence Malady of supposedly being unable to traverse and fire inland..? I say "supposedly" because in a Book titled "Changi Photographer..." written by the 2nd AIF POW who carried and used his folding Camera, right through his time posted to Malaya, fighting, retreating, being surrendered by the British, and captive of the Japanese until liberated in 1945...(!) ; it shows 2 views of Singapore's Coastal Batteries - in Circular Cuppolas which could traverse through 360 Degrees.... The problem with Singapore's Coastal Guns was NEVER anything to do their fictitious lack of ability to Traverse....; their difficulty was that all their Ammunition was Armour-Piercing - for sinking Battleships, and they had no Shrapnel, or even High Explosive, Shells in stock with which to effectively attack Infantry & Tanks from long range. It's rather funny that 3 years later the Germans gave themselves the same sort of problem. Such is Life, ;-p Ciao !

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Yes the majority of the big guns were put into casemate bunkers which could only traverse for a couple of degrees.

[@WarblesOnALot]

@@TheAceDestroyer Apparently the designers couldn't imagine any Enemy ever being so unco-operative as to disembark out of sight, further up the Coast, and walking around to come in the back door... "... Und ze Enemy vill be out zere in ze Boot, steaming in a neat straight line ; ready to be sunk at our convenience..., because - Teutonic Efficiency...VIKTORIE - YaaaHOO !" or words to that effect... Have a good one. ;-p Ciao !

[@TheAceDestroyer]

@@WarblesOnALot Yeah indeed! Hahah!

[@WarblesOnALot]

@@TheAceDestroyer The Germans are very big on Neat Straight Lines, apparently..., so goes the caricature anyway. Have a good one. ;-p Ciao !

[@mebsrea]

The Singapore batteries were designed at a time that overwhelming enemy air power was not much of a concern. The German coastal batteries in France were well within range of the RAF from day one; putting the guns in open 360-degree mountings with no top cover would have been suicidal.

[@nicu_danciu]

You should have come in România. Here you have a very good internet connection and a lot of free public good quality wi-fi.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Hahah! Thanks for the heads up!

[@fernandoflores4115]

💪🙏

[@pancakes3250]

Thank you. were the batteries manned by standard German troops, or pressed non german troops? You also mention there was a truce between the Germans occupying the city and the Canadians. Is this normal? Can local commanders call truce? Also, sorry, what were the guns firing at during the battle, the ones fixed, across the channel? Thank you. Very sorry, one last part. The Canadians took 1,100 plus prisoners, at almost no cost. The defenses had mines, barb wires, bunkers and i assume a trench network. Did they just surrender?

[@TheAceDestroyer]

The batteries were manned by the 242nd Naval Coastal Artillery battalion, I don't know whether the men themselves were German, I think so, but I'm not sure. The truce was established at Calais so that the German could evacuate the inhabitants of the city. In the meantime, Canadian medical personnel could evacuate German wounded. No military actions were permitted and as soon as the time agreed upon had passed, the Canadians attacked again. I think local commanders can call for a truce, it happened several times on the western front. Usually these were relatively small scale like the one at the Kall trail in the Hurtgen forest where an American Major or Captain agreed with a German Lieutenant [I believe] that the firing should cease so that dead and wounded could be brought in. I think that happened twice at the Kall trail.

[@pancakes3250]

@@TheAceDestroyer German evacuating inhabitants. Is this normal? My history is, they never cared. Fire away. Canadian personnel evacuating German wounded. They were allowed to pass the defenses for that?

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Well, in General the Germans might not have cared about the population, but in same instances the German commanders felt bad for the civilians who had to cope up with a war they never wanted. I should check, but I think the commander was stationed at Calais for the majority of the war, so it was possible he himself welt a bit like an inhabitant of Calais and that he didn't want the people of the city to suffer from the bloody war that was by then raging on close by. For the Canadians evacuating the German wounded, I'm also not that sure as not a lot is written on the whole truce thing. It's possible that the Germans scraped together there badly wounded or just there wounded and handed them over at several points for a swift and easy transfer.

[@pancakes3250]

@@TheAceDestroyer Thank you. Sorry three more questions. The air raids, can you see them coming, so you can evacuate? The batteries kept on firing, were they shooting at England? Did the Germans fight, or they surrendered? Thank you.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

No worries, it's what I'm here for. Usually you could see the air raids coming, it was more a question of if the shelter would cope with the bombardment. The batteries kept on firing, most of the were fired at England but because the chaos of the battle some fell short and landed in the ocean. Some pillboxes fought on, but most of them just surrendered.

[@ghostofmatrix]

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