Battlefield Normandy - The battles for Norrey, Bretteville & Putot

Hello, welcome to The AceDestroyer and welcome to the third and final episode of the Battlefield Normandy Series. In this episode we follow the Canadians defending Putot-en-Bessin, Bretteville-L’Orgueilleuse and Norrey-en-Bessin. In the two days of heavy combat with the 12th SS Hitlerjugend, the 7th Canadian Infantry brigade managed to hold on to all three towns. Find out how in this episode…
Don’t forget to like and subscribe and do leave a comment down below.
Information:
Zuehlke, M. (2009). Holding Juno: Canada’s Heroic Defence of the D-Day Beaches: June 7-12, 1944. Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Limited.
www.canadiansoldiers.com/hist...
scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewconte...
pdfhall.com/veng-norrey-bessi...
forum.axishistory.com/viewtop...
www.royalcitymensclub.ca/uplo...
Footage:
German newsreel excerpts [ • GERMAN NEWSREEL EXCERPTS ]
British pound Caen Sector [ • BRITISH POUND CAEN SEC... ]
Above from PublicResourceOrg [ / @publicresourceorg ]
Canada Carries on - Break through [ • Canada Carries On - Br... ]
Found on Canmildoc [ / @canmildoc ]
Music: (All from You Tube audio library) kzbin.info...
Turn
Flecks of Light
Decision
Resolution

[@yannschonfeld5847]

You give a very unbiased viewpoint of any tank destroyer be it, Soviet, German, or allied. You give justice where justice is due. Fantastic and very professional work.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! That truly means a lot to me!

[@runtblitzen764]

really enjoyed this. nice to see some content that touches on the forgotten canadian contribution

[@ColinH1973]

Fantastic attention to detail Ace! Absolutely compulsive viewing. My Uncle George was in the Durham Light Infantry and was in the 2nd wave ashore on D-Day. He really respected the Canadians as real tough guys and great fighting me. Thanks again for this. Please keep up the good work!!

[@joangratzer2101]

THE 12TH WAFFEN SS KILLED A LOT OF THOSE TOUGH GUYS (18,000 CANADIAN CASUALTIES BETWEEN JUNE 6TH AND AUG.

[@mossbrg5]

I was at Bretteville l’Orgueilleuse September 15. Nice little town with beautiful church. So much suffering there 75 years ago. You would never know it now. Never forget.

[@fumblerooskie]

Isn't that where the Canadians unleashed a withering ambush on Kurt Meyer's 12th-SS Panzers, in revenge for the Germans' murder of prisoners at l'Abbé D'ardenne?

[@Mrkaycee7]

Cheers right back at you! You are appreciated and admired by me and countless other proud Canadians. Thank you for this informative three part series.

[@migjager7352]

I believe you are correct- the Czech light tank destroyed in Bretteville was a Panzer 38(t). The war diary of the Regina Rifles records for the night of June 8th-9th that a 'Sonderkfz. 140' was destroyed in Bretteville in front of the command post at 03:15 am. The Sonderkraftfahrzeug 140 was used by the German Army to designate the Czech Panzer 38 (t). This variation served as a reconnaissance armored car. I sourced this from Hubert Meyer's 'The 12th SS The History of the Hitler Youth Panzer Division, Vol. One'. Thank you for your great work. Ausgezeichnet. :)

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks for the extra info mate! I appreciate it!

[@migjager7352]

@@TheAceDestroyer You're very welcome. Your work is both enjoyable and inspiring.

[@miloburgh9955]

@@TheAceDestroyer The Aufklarungs 38T or Sdkfz 140 was not used in Normandy. It was used only in the east front by GD and 3rd Panzer Divisions. If a 38T was destroyed in that battle, then was an Flak 38T, that sometimes it is called too an Sdkfz 140. The 12SS has 12 units in June 44: forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=198957 And here is the composition of the Aufklarungs Abteilung from 12 Panzer SS: forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=162302 No Sdkfz 140.

[@jayfrank1913]

Finally, a historian who can pronounce English, German and French names correctly.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Well, I'm not a historian, just a History buff. But, yeah, I try to pronounce everything correctly.

[@jayfrank1913]

@@TheAceDestroyer I was just trying to flatter you. Your work stands up to videos done by actual historians (i.e. Mark Felton Productions).

[@TheAceDestroyer]

@@jayfrank1913 Thanks mate! It truly means the world to me! Yeah, I just wanted to have that cleared out and not to cause confusion because some people actually thought I was a historian.

[@CGM_68]

Like Re-gee-na?

[@jayfrank1913]

@TheAceDestroyer I forgot Russian.

[@Zakalwe-01]

Excellent. This really gets across the visceral, desperate nature of the fighting after the landings. All the signs are there for an impending German defeat in this theatre. You can feel the weight of force being brought to bear on them. Even the very well sourced clips show a huge, fully mechanised allied army bristling with weapons. It actually looks surprisingly contemporary. Brutal stuff.

[@lanoefitzgerald6373]

Good comment man

[@Trojan0304]

Thank you for a modern version of History Channel.

[@TheJimmyidol]

Thanks Ace love your stuff! I'm getting near 58 and became a history buff starting at 8 yrs old. Love Ww2 German army stuff. You add to my knowledge, Thanks!!

[@simonvirus6417]

Who doesn't love ww2 army stuff , only our wives mate. Lol

[@mr.b4]

Hello! And thank you again for a remarkable account-your level of detail, hour by hour narration takes us right along the front lines. The violence and disregard for human life is incredible. Fascinating battles that demonstrate why the advance by the Allies in Normandy was so slow-the Germans were not going to give ground without a brutal fight! Thanks Ace! Appreciate all your efforts to provide a clear historical record👍☝️

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks for your kind words! It really means a lot to me! Very happy to see that you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@fumblerooskie]

Wow! You are the ONLY one that I can find who has covered Putot-en-Bassin. Well done, and thanks!

[@wellington-yh8rc]

Another very good episode , thanks for the up-load .

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! No problem! Happy to see that you liked it!

[@marcinwolski1976]

As I previously said: one of the best IIWW channels I ever seen: great job my German friend! greetings from Polish mate in Australia!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! Happy to see you back in the comments! I appreciate it!

[@jeanpierrebianco5444]

Thank you for this very clear explanation. I am french and I am living in Bretteville l’Orgueilleuse and. My wife is from Brouay. We are thank full to the allied troops mainly canadians for what they did. The main place in the middle of Bretteville is « La place des canadiens » every year the are ceremonies there and in all the villages, that you talk about in the film. I go regularely see the graves of all the young boys in the war cimetery in Brouay ( the war cimetery is part of the cimetery of the village close to the Churchill ). Our children knows this history, it will Nevers Forget. So when i go on these Roads, places,fields,villages and beaches I of t’en have a thought. Thank you.

[@K_Kara]

Excellent series. As with previous videos, maps are very helpful in understanding the flow of information. It also goes on to show that Canadians have always proven to be good at fighting world wars.

[@simonvirus6417]

Your work is unmatched. You can picture the battle as you narrate it, so detailed is your effort. Amazing work, one of your best Ace Destroyer.

[@Jefferson66019]

Amazing how little I really knew Thanks this goes a long way to better understand.

[@ladislavmandelik4047]

Thanks for great series. I am amazed of number of historical footage and photos you have used. Great work.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! Glad to see that you enjoyed it! Also happy that I keep seeing you in the comments! I really appreciate it!

[@juicyj3819]

🇨🇦✊🏻. Great job with this documentary. My grandfather didn't have the balls to die on dday. But he did deploy on June 8th. As a POG he made it home the following summer.

[@christophercoupe5006]

Thank you for this excellent trilogy of docs. The details and drawings are great. My uncle was one of those machine gunners with the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa.

[@greglucas1497]

I am glad your back. Your work as always is excellent and efficient and knowledgeable. Thanks.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! Always nice to see you in the comment section as well! I appreciate it!

[@franktomas9695]

Important information history of this very dark time in the world.

[@JBonzalot18]

Another great account of the Normandy campaign. Thanks again.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! Happy to see that you enjoyed it!

[@cheapdirt07]

This is the best channel I've seen in a very long time . .even his voice doesn't get on my nerves well done you're obviously an anorak when it comes to your history ...but thank God for that. Love the editing... that even the pictures fit to the story line

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! Very happy to hear that! It truly means a lot to me!

[@tdietz021]

The Canadians do not get enough credit for their efforts in WWII. They literally just took on Panzer Meyer, Fritz Witt, Rudolph Von Ribbentroph, Mohnke, and Wunsche. All KC winners and war heroes.

[@DavidGarvinTechnophile]

At one point, the Canadian Brigade faced what was essentially a German Panzer Korps (3 divisions: 21st, Panzer Lehr and 12th SS) and successfully defeated them in a defensive battle.

[@DavidGarvinTechnophile]

@I am Jean Pierre, the Evil Puppet! False. The artillery was Canadian, mostly. Naval gunfire was probably a mix of Canadian, US and UK. But it was the Canadian Infantryman at the front line bearing the brunt of the German attacks. And it was the Canadian Infantryman who won that battle.

[@kerentolbert5448]

Meyer, the black panther. The most celebrated German tank killer.

[@frankanderson5012]

I am Jean Pierre, the Evil Puppet! Really? You're trying to turn this into 'America one the day'? I've read numerous books on about this particular often unknown and untold account of the Normandy campaign and absolutely NO mention was given to the Americans which seems reasonable since the Canadians were sandwiched between the British forces and the Americans were, at this stage, pre occupied with trying to breakout of their own bridgeheads of which the plan was the Canadians would help by holding the brunt of the German counter attack. The artillery was most definitely British and Canadian, an edge they had over the Americans as at this stage as it was more mobile, intergrated, and supporting the troops right from the beginning, the ship support Royal Navy cruisers and air support, RAF. Sorry, you're not going to rewrite history on this account. If it makes you feel any better, I do believe some of the artillery guns the Canadians were using were American types.

[@tonymanero5544]

British and Canadian sectors lost over 2,000 tanks in the Normandy campaign. A testament of brutal fighting and mediocre Allied tanks against the Panthers and Mark IV and occupational Konig Tigers.

[@combee23]

Enjoyed this a lot. Excellent work!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! Very happy to hear that!

[@gasperpoklukar8372]

I am thinking of starting to make documentaries like these and the fighting around Putot, Bretteville, Norrey and Authie was in my plan. There is no use of it now, you made a better documentary I ever could. This blows even Discovery Channel's Battlefield series out of the water. Congratulations and thank you for your hard work!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Well, you certainly should make some documentaries yourself! It's great fun. I would be your first viewer. Thank you very much for the kind words! I truly means a lot to me! Thank you!

[@gasperpoklukar8372]

@@TheAceDestroyer Oh I will, just probably not about this battle. Thank you for words of encouragement.

[@ToddSauve]

Just a few lines on this battle for my countrymen and those who are interested in this battle. In his analysis of the fighting against the Canadians of the Regina Rifles Regiment at Bretteville (which contained a number of Sherman and Firefly tanks, as did virtually every Canadian and British regiment), Hubert Meyer, the commanding general of the 12 SS Panzer division (after Kurt Meyer had been captured in September 1944) wrote later in “The 12th SS: The History of the Hitler Youth Panzer Division, Volume 1” that: “The tactic of surprise, using mobile, fast infantry and Panzers even in small, numerically inferior Kampfgruppen, had often been practiced and proven in Russia. This tactic, however, had not resulted in the expected success here against a courageous and determined enemy, who was ready for defense and well equipped. Through good battle field observation, the enemy had recognized the outlines of the preparations for the attack and drawn his own conclusions. The deployment of D Company [of the Regina Rifles] to Cardonville had prevented a breakthrough by 2./26 [of the 12 SS] from the farm south of the rail line to Bretteville, only 1,000 meters away. The anti-tank defenses all around the village were strong enough to thwart all attempts by the Panzers to by-pass the town to the south and north. The surprising use of parachute flares with glaring magnesium light blinded the Panthers and clearly outlined them to the enemy Pak [anti-tank guns like 6 and 17 pounders]. This enemy was especially strong in the defense and could not be taken by surprise. He fought with determination and courage.” [pages 186-87] One is unlikely to find higher praise from the SS than 12 SS Panzer General Hubert Meyer had for the Regina Rifles Regiment of the Royal Canadian Army! And finally, let's look at the private sentiments of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. In a rarely noted statement from him, referenced by historian Andrew Roberts in his “History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900,” 2007, on page 343, he cites a little-known quotation from General Eisenhower that “man-for-man the Canadians were the best soldiers in his army.” Also, to the best of my knowledge, the 12 SS never did manage to capture the Cardonville farm but were driven back by accurate artillery fire at the decisive moment. An excellent documentary, nonetheless. You have found your calling!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks for these great lines of extra information! I really appreciate it!

[@ToddSauve]

@@TheAceDestroyer I wish you could have plotted Cardonville farm on your maps. It is about mid-way between Bretteville and Norrey and bit to the west. By the way, the Regina Rifles had also assaulted Juno Beach just to the left of the Winnipeg Rifles on D Day. Both regiments had fought continuously and were holding the deepest incursions into German lines of all the Allied armies. Here is how Mark Milner wrote it up in his "The Guns of Bretteville" scholarly paper: "Requests for fire support from FOOs with the Regina companies were constantly interrupted when the forward telephone lines were cut by tanks and shell fire. Lieutenant R.J. Macdonald, the FOO with “D” Company at Cardonville, lost his line at 2000 hours, and a line crew was immediately sent out to reconnect him. In the event, they never did. While “A” and “B” Companies of the Reginas hunted tanks and enemy infantry in the eastern end of Bretteville, one company of Panthers slipped south of the village and took positions inside the “D” Company perimeter. There they waited for infantry from the second company of I/26 to join them from across the rail line to the south. Major Gordon Brown’s men of “D” Company were afraid to move lest they alert the Panthers, who were in fact all around them and intermingled with their 6-pounder anti-tank guns in a small orchard. In the midst of all this Brown had to wake his FOO, who had fallen into a deep sleep after days without rest. The last recorded messages from Macdonald were logged by 13th RCA at 0445 hours and 0450 hours, passed via 78th Battery, announcing that he was surrounded by tanks and needed “armour immediately.” Macdonald and his Able, Gunner J.K. Jeffrey, were later found dead in a Bren carrier, killed by machine gun fire from one of the Panthers. Either because Macdonald’s line was cut, or because he was already dead, no fire support was received by “D” Company during its uneven fight against a company of Panthers. Once the Panthers moved off, the II/26th stirred to life, surged north over the rail line and were soon swirling around the Regina company “fortress” in the farm compound. “D” Company’s desperate defence of the Cardonville farm had all the character of a last stand against overwhelming odds. Brown was now down to “45 men and two officers” and they all had machine guns “of one sort or another (several German).” Hitler Youth in their mottled camouflage uniforms lay dead and dying on the tops of walls, in windows and doorways. Grenades fell like rain and the Reginas fired like madmen, but still the teenage soldiers of the 12th SS came. When Brown eventually established radio contact with his HQ, barely half a kilometre away, his situation was grim. Lieutenant-Colonel Matheson immediately passed the radio handset to Clifford. Brown told the 13th’s CO that he believed that his FOO was dead, killed with many others in the orchard behind the farm, but wanted fire brought down immediately on the rail line just south of the farm and passed Clifford the grid reference. “Tell your men to stay in their trenches,” Clifford barked, “we’ll open fire in one minute.” While the fire orders were passed Brown informed Matheson that “D” Company could last only about 20 minutes longer. He scarcely had time to make that report before the first shells thundered in, landing just beyond the southern wall of the factory - catching the Germans in the open. “The accuracy of the shelling was unbelievable,” Brown recalled. “We were to see so many more months of fighting and see and hear a lot of artillery shells from both sides, but nothing ever impressed me as much as the one at Cardonville.” Walter Keith, who joined 16 Platoon of “D” Company in October 1944, remembers that the platoon was still talking about how that barrage creased the top of the farm compound wall on its way to the enemy." Thus the 12 SS was desperate to crush them with armoured attacks and push the remaining Canadians back into the English Channel at Juno Beach, and then attack Gold and Sword Beaches from their flanks and roll them up as well. Montgomery had concluded this during the planning stages of D Day months earlier. Thus twice the artillery was landed on Juno as was landed on any other Allied beach right on D Day. SHAEF HQ knew the Germans would counterattack at Juno due to the open terrain, and wanted to counter it with a true hail of artillery fire to strip off the accompanying infantry and blow up as many panzers as possible, while leaving the remainder to the 6 and 17 pounder anti-tank guns, as well as the Shermans and other Canadian tanks. The plan worked quite well! Here are the details of the tank battle you spoke of in the video where 7 Panthers were knocked out, 5 of them personally by Lt. GK Henry of the Canadian 1st Hussars from his Sherman Firefly. It is quite a remarkable feat and deserves one of your "Tank Battles" videos dedicated just to it! From "The Guns of Bretteville": "The final major attack on the Reginas’ position came at 1300 hours on 9 June. Panthers of the 3rd Company of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, supported by a few men from the 25th Panzer Grenadier Regiment, slipped south under the rail bridge at la Villeneuve and raced towards Norrey across a kilometre of open, slightly rising farmland. Infantry of the I/26th, still entrenched south of Norrey, were once again supposed to join in the attack and help drive the Reginas’ “C” Company from the key position in the brigade fortress. In their haste, the Hitler Youth’s Panthers soon left their own infantry behind, which was probably just as well given what awaited the German attack. After shaking out into extended order and briefly running parallel to the rail line, the Panthers turned slightly south to present their thick frontal armour to the anti-tank guns at Norrey. In doing so they exposed their flanks at fairly short range to a troop of newly-arrived Shermans of the 1st Hussars. Seven Panthers were destroyed in a matter of minutes, five of them by Lieutenant G.K. Henry and his gunner Trooper A. Chapman in one of the most remarkable - and unheralded - feats of the whole Normandy campaign. The Panther attack collapsed within minutes following the engagement of Lieutenant Henry’s Shermans. The rest of the Panthers fled while crewmen who bailed out of the burning tanks raced to find shelter. The history of the 3rd Company of the 12th SS panzer Regiment recorded that “the whole sector was under concentrated enemy fire, some of it from ships’ guns...” The fire was probably called in by Gunner E. Barton, 13th RCA, who moved forward to a vantage point, under mortar and machine gun fire, where he could direct it. When the wire to his carrier was cut, Gunner B.J. Bohn, the signaller, “ran the gauntlet” back to the radio. Historians speculate about why the infantry of I/26th Regiment never left their trenches to support this attack. The rout of the Panthers may account for that, but it is more likely that artillery fire kept them home." All told, the 12 SS lost 29 panzers around Bretteville and many, many dead infantry.

[@kiowhatta1]

I find it curious that the Panther's 75mm KwK 42 with an average muzzle velocity of almost 1000 m/s and an effective range of 2000 m which could still penetrate 100mm of armor even at a 30-degree angle was somehow missing from this engagement. What, did the Panther commanders just sit there whistling 'Panzerlied' and stare into space? The 75mm gun had a greater velocity than the mounted 88. C'mon, seriously? 7 Panthers taken out against paper-thin M18's? I don't buy it. I'm calling BS on this one. Yet the 'Tiger of Vitebsk' SS Lt Albert Ernst was involved in the Battle of Vitebsk, in which his Nashorn (mounting the Pak43 L71) Buffalo" took down 19 Soviet tanks, as well as a ground attack fighter. He also took out a JS-2 at 4,800 meters. Following the battle, he received the Knight's Cross. It is reported a Nashorn took out the only Super Pershing to ever set wheels on European soil.

[@Tom_Quixote]

In other words, the German tactics relied on the enemy being incompetent. Never a good strategy.

[@nicholaspatton1742]

@@kiowhatta1 You idiot , the shermans were in defalaid and hull down in shadow along a tree line. They were not seen. Those panthers were lost in two volleys or so. the tank battle was over in minutes. but you opened your big mouth.............

[@martynparkman8332]

Great vid Ace, many thanks.

[@Wallyworld30]

Great series you made here. Love your channel thanks.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Glad to see that you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@danielhammersley2869]

The Canadian defense here does not get enough attention in UK & US Historian's work. Superb work again, young man! :)

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! I really appreciate it!

[@bluehelech]

Another great video. Well done and cheers!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! Happy to see that you enjoyed it!

[@dougabbott8261]

Excellent depth to your videos. Great stuff.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate!

[@ioannisimansola7115]

I have been everywhere on those places some 5 years ago, had the feeling I was fighting as well

[@carius007]

I get up early, see a new upload and bam! I’m late for work! Haha, great work 🍺

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Haha! Thanks!

[@waffencamo]

Love it, thanks!

[@nothprokernov7028]

I want you to know I think this among the most awsome things ever .Viva ace destroyer

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! It truly means a lot to me! Happy to see that you enjoyed it!

[@kevindaniel7333]

Excellent! Well done and researched!

[@klo3496]

Always enjoy your videos. Very nicely done.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! That means a lot!

[@davidgrider4302]

I looked up the villages on Google Maps while watching this video. Keep it up.😎

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! That's actually a great idea!

[@robyonekenoby5647]

I too... 😂

[@franktomas9695]

Map locations are very acorate.

[@lanoefitzgerald6373]

Michael Reynolds S.S. in Normandy is very detailed on these operations and I must say bravo to your excellent depiction and narration of the three said battles.Great work!I've been studying world war two history for over 30 years and your the best!

[@richardtaylor9382]

Trying to read Steel Inferno by Michael Reynolds, about the SS Panzer Corps in Normandy. Difficult to understand without maps. Your diagrams are very valuable. Please keep making more videos of the campaign.

[@lanoefitzgerald6373]

@@richardtaylor9382 Hi sir.You should be able to pull up an atlas on your phone or maybe type in places into Google maps.I always do this so I can follow these type books easier.Of course it takes a little longer but what a reward when you are done.

[@richardtaylor9382]

@@lanoefitzgerald6373 Thanks. I know I should, but by the time you've found the place and its relationship with other important places, half the evening has gone. These videos make it much less time-consuming, and bring it all to life.

[@bradyelich2745]

Well done, Ace! You have shown often overlooked D-Day heroes and battles. To think the Regina Rifles provided their own training on a farm in Saskatchewan, reloading their training ammo and using their own trucks.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! Happy to see that you enjoyed the video!

[@danielgreen3715]

Thankyou an interesting and accurate view of a Critical Battle

[@Essexyeoman]

According to the war diaries of the Essex Yeomanry/147th they along with the 86th Field Regiment supported the 8th Armoured Brigades attack on Putot En Bessin on the 8th of June. It states little detail other than “the attack meets stiff opposition”. Great video. Very interesting

[@MrAdamF]

Great video! Thank you!😊

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! Happy to see that you enjoyed it!

[@Neptunewakes]

Hey Ace Destroyer, would love to see a similar series for the Battle of the Scheldt. This was one of the bloodiest battles the Canadians endured throughout the whole war.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

I'm currently working an a Utah Beach series, so there won't be a Scheldt video any time soon. I think I recently saw a trailer for a new movie about the battle for the Scheldt though.

[@string-bag]

Great video Ace!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate!

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Fantastic.

[@idylankeith]

Loved it, thank you

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Very happy to hear that!

[@soldieramerican5964]

Excellent!

[@rolandfelice6198]

Excellent coverage of a vital encounter. Again your faultless pronunciation leant authenticity to this video. I'm most impressed by your channel.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks again! Always happy to see people enjoying the channel!

[@militarywargaming7840]

Interesting action with great detail

[@Erniee_alcala]

GOOD JOB MAN YOU'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB!! FULLY TO DETAIL AWESOME YOU STAY RELAXED BROTHER!!! GREAT JOB MAN

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! I really appreciate it!

[@Erniee_alcala]

You're very much welcome my friend!!! :)

[@philipryan25]

Thank you, Great content

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thank you! Glad to see that you enjoyed it!

[@vonkergan7004]

Well done always enjoy your content.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Very happy to hear that! Thank you!

[@iBleedStarsAndBars]

Thank you for the videos

[@TheAceDestroyer]

My pleasure! I hope you enjoyed it!

[@MushroomFromMars]

Another great upload, can,t wait for the next one. Well researched. mapped etc, and I'm glad (for once)not to see footage from other theaters of war spliced in. Better put together than a lot of WW2 professional Documentaries.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! This really means a lot to me! Very happy to see that you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@bikenavbm1229]

thank you that gives a good idea how bloody a battle can become for just a couple of insignificant hamlets.

[@loneeagle901]

Excellent job!! :-)

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! I appreciate it!

[@ThePainterr]

....very enjoyable...keep it up mate...

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! Very happy to see that you enjoyed it!

[@planetgong23]

Superb!! Nice to see the Canadian contribution in such detail. Kurt Meyer's lads were as tough as they came, but the Canadians could be rather hardcore once their dander was up. Has been done in books but you bring it to life with great maps and well sourced footage. And yes your pronunciation gives it a dash of realism. I'm embarrassed at having corrected your pronunciation of a regiment in the other video. You got it right in this one and your German puts mine to shame. I'm always on the lookout for info on my uncle's unit, the 12th Manitoba Dragoons. They were a recce unit (he drove a Lynx scout car). Apparently landed around June 8th. Normandy was such a close quarters set piece affair I wonder where there would have been room for reconnaissance maneuvering.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thank you very much! I'm very happy to see that you enjoyed it! Well, I pronounced it right thanks to those who pointed out my mistake in the first video, so thanks for that!

[@fumblerooskie]

@@TheAceDestroyer Your mistake was hardly noticeable, and totally forgivable, since you simply pronounced it in the Latin/French style. GREAT job!

[@nateweter4012]

I’m so glad you did this. I’m currently building a 1/35 scale dio of 15/25 12th SS between Rots and Norrey.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Nice!

[@nateweter4012]

@The AceDestroyer In the unlikely event you haven't read about it, here's the story on the very famous images of 15/25 in Rots. The photos I believe are taken right after the first attempt when the Panthers of SS Panzer Regiment 12 and their accompanying infantry of 15/25 pull back into Rots to rest and try to figure out what just happened. The photos show; Hauptscharführer Wilhelm Boigk, Unterscharführer Peter Koslowski, Sturmmann Klaus Schuh, Obergrenadier Guenther Streelow, Obergrenadier Karl-Heinz Marckert, Grenadier Josef Bund, Grenadier Otto Funk, Grenadier Günther Hamel and a few others I wasn’t able to identify. One member of the forum actually owns the original tornister of Leopold Heindl who was a member of Section 1, Company 3, SS-Pz.Rgt 12. A French farmer from “outside of Caen” found it discarded and it was purchased by a forum member. The photos and Funk’s translates account paint a terrifying picture of just how badly that first attempt failed. The Panther commander of of either 326 or 328 was standing on his seat with his upper half outside the cupola to get a better view when a shell from what’s assumed to have been a 6 pounder struck just above the cupola ring cutting him in two. His upper half went cartwheeling across the road while his lower half fell down onto his gunner in front of him who had a panic attack. Something like that alone is enough to stall an attack. One of the photos from Rots shows either machine gunner Klaus Shuh or Gunther Hamel watching as another crewman from that panther attempts to wipe and clean up the blood and entrails around the cupola with a shirt. They took the wounded Panther crewmen to the cafe where they administered motor oil onto their severe burns. This was a technique discovered on the Eastern Front, no doubt by veteran memebers from 1st LAH. It was an awful battle. There are photos of Bund, Schuh and Hamel receiving Iron crosses prior to the attack and the before and after photos of their faces is night and day. Apparently either Hamel or Schuh used their Mg-42 to actually disable a Cromwell or Comet! the story is that they fired and struck a Jerry van filled with gas hanging on the side which spread to the engine compartment disabling the tank. This occurred before the famous Norrey battle. For this reason, it’s a bit confusing to see all the famous photos of the 12th SS in Normandy and some contain all smiling relaxed faces celebrating and others have such a humbling exhausted feel to them. forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=29705

[@simonvirus6417]

@@nateweter4012 Hi Nate, brilliant account of that battle and the personal effort you put in to the detailed response is truly what makes everything about WW2 with your account of the desperate and shocking gore , along with the vomit wrenching , can not fathom what these men on all sides must have endured and witnessed. Fantastic stuff mate, from Australia

[@blaircalvin5025]

Excellent series 👍

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! I appreciate it!

[@blaircalvin5025]

The AceDestroyer Terrific detail and graphics. Love to see videos on officers like Wunsche, Karl Heinz Prinz and Von Ribbentrop

[@abdurrasheed1652]

*Very good idea, to explore forgotten small level battles and extra ordinary men who fought these battles.....*

[@nateweter4012]

I’m almost certain you’re right about that Czech tank accompanying the Panthers. It’s almost certainly a 38(t) but specifically, the Flakpanzer 38(t) Ausf. M Late Production. My thinking is that it’s consistent with the way 20mm flaks and flakpanzers where employed during the later war years. Attached to infantry and panzer attack groups to provide automatic heavy caliber suppression that would outrange Allied heavy machine guns and rifle fire. By 1944, German 20mm flak weapons were extremely valuable ground role assets and of questionable anti-aircraft value due to the speed and strength of modern allied planes. The role is consistent and also, my research shows that a Battalion equipped with late production Panther Ausf A’s of SS Panzer Regiment 12 had 3 of these exact vehicles. SS Panzer Regiments all had HQ units with mobile flaks and the 12th SS and 21st Panzer Division had a good number of these Flakpanzer 38(t)’s within Panzergrenadier Regiments as well.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Great! Thanks for this addition information! I really appreciate it! Thanks!

[@davidsabillon5182]

Brother how are your videos so damn detailed!? I don't know what say man except Thank You

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thank you! It means a lot to me!

[@carius007]

I agree, just brilliant! Great job 🍺🍺🍺

[@nolank19]

Wow, this series was incredible to watch. Very in depth but still extremely watchable. Have you considered making further videos like this about other Normandy battles? Some that would be very interesting like Epsom or Goodwood?

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! It truly means a lot! Yeah I might make more on Normandy. It's a very interesting campaign.

[@ColinH1973]

Absolutely first class production. Very well put together and delivered with excellent clarity. Well done. If possible could you please do something similar for the battle of Villiers Bocage? My Uncle George was a Bren-gun Carrier driver who was badly wounded there. Thanks for all your efforts.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! It really means a lot to me! I was thinking about making a video on Villers-Bocage, so you can expect a video on it one day.

[@kerrydennison7947]

Those sherman fireflies came from an ordinance delivery unit not a normal armor unit. In fact as I understand it the leader of this delivery unit got lost and he spotted the Panthers and did not even recognize them as an enemy tank.I went as part of a military tour group back in the seventies through that village. It is very interesting the other little town just before this scrimmage started the young SS men stopped and had a photoshoot with the propaganda department there is a very nice display their showing the pictures that were sent back to Germany to be published in their propaganda magazines. And that little village of roat has not change much sent 1944. We love your history lessons here in America please keep up these series on the Canadian military.

[@olydon]

This should be taught in every Canadian High school

[@WarblesOnALot]

@wood1155 G'day, I greatly doubt that you're right..., there's buggar all Socialism taught in Schools in British Commonwealth Countries..., and while these days it's politically incorrect to persecute or discriminate against people because of who they're sexually attracted to, or the Gender-Confused..., that isn't what seems to be taking up Schoolkids' Lesson-time...; it's topics like "Coding", and "Computer Studies" and "Information Technology", "Media Studies", "Communication Technology" etc, to say nothing of "Commerce" & "Business Administration" & "EcoGnomics"....; so, the Students who are compelled to take Electronic Calculators and Cheat-Sheets of Equations into their Mathematics Examinations have very little room in their Curriculum to cover the intricate tactical manouvreings of a bunch of Imperial Cannucks weaing Tam-O'-Shanter Hats (because their great great Grandparents lost - wayback at the Battle of Culloden ?) and driving little old Bren-Gun Carriers in France in 1944 (what FOR were they driving those quaint little Tanquettes, then, there ? In 1940 - maybe.., but by '41 in Tunisia everybody else had long figured out that Bren Carriers were a very silly idea, especially when going up against German Tanks !) while battling the SS & Hitlerjugend for control of a little bit of Normandy. Even back in the 1960s and '70s, perhaps, when Television and Videogames had yet to erode peoples' Attention-Spans down to the 7.5 minutes between Ad-Breaks which is currently the norm...; this level of detailed Tactical Military History was never ever taught in Schools - except when we the students succeeded in side-tracking a War Veteran Teacher into reminiscing...(better than "Lessons") ! I had a Rat of Tobruk, a Lancaster Navigator POW, and Bomb-Defuser from the Battle of Britain..., teaching Social Studies, Maths, & Science, in that order ; and my English Teacher was on a Kibbutz during the Yom-Kippur War only 3 years before I was in his class. The sort of stuff which we get to watch on this Channel is far better quality than anything which was ever officially taught in Schools - though High School Cadets might have sat lectures half this detailed ; this is the sort of stuff one might expect from a University-qualified Military Historian. Instead, it's all being put together by one Belgian Teenager as a hobby, between his regular Study and High School Exams ! As far as I can see, he's into History..., and he doesn't waste time on Political Horseshit like whinging about "Socialism in Canadian High Schools", or blaming the Gender Confused for the point that most people in 2019 can't see the point in worrying about any intricate details of what happened 75 years ago. This is a very Niche subject, mate, not the sort of stuff which the Taxpayers want to fund anybody to teach in Public Schools. But in Belgium, growing up among the Battlefields and Cemeteries of 2 World Waauuugh(!)s, with local historical conflicts thereabouts going back 5,000 years or so, the young AceDestroyer was able to saturate himself in all this stuff the whole way through his childhood and adolescence - he's probably already put in the statutory 10,000 Hours which it takes to master any Craft - so now he's an Expert Historical Videomaker. Just(ifiably ?) sayin', Take it easy... ;-p Ciao !

[@kerentolbert5448]

American as well, since we were partners in arms and close neighbors.

[@keithm940]

As I recall there wasn't too much coverage on DDay. This is good as I never knew about the Canadian experiences at Normandy.

[@markanderson3870]

@wood1155 That's a shitty resonse. Save your smart-ass crap for4chan.

[@michaelsteiner6500]

Yes tell them that canadian troops dit not made prisoners of paratroopers and ss . Cheers

[@TwentyTwelveOrBust]

Thanks VERY much. I know My Dad who fought with the 2nd Regiment of the Regina Rifles would have enjoyed this. I am now sub'd to your channel. _ Kerry

[@Tomeohara]

Tank you.

[@hiddenfromhistory100]

I don't think this mentions (or did I miss it?) how at this time the Winnipeg Rifles had a company of their men executed by the Hitler Youth after their capture. My Uncle Lloyd was in the second group and almost shared that fate until a Wehrmacht officer stopped the second batch of our boys from being killed.

[@scubabunny81]

I would recommend you check out Stopping the Panzers by Marc Milner. He talks about the summary executions of Canadian POWs in this area.

[@paulmcewen7384]

@@scubabunny81 I just finished this book and it completely changed my thinking about the fighting in Normandy after dday. The best material on the subjects so far.

[@patrickrizzio7303]

Very Good Stuff...

[@sontungle2641]

12:21 the person who give von Ribbentrop a ride was Colonel Max Wunsche with the head bandage :))).

[@charliemorris2338]

Also,please on,"Time On Target" which the Americans were so good at.Thank you,keep up the good work!

[@casparcoaster1936]

love the details and graphics, glad, as an armchair general, to see this quality docu from the millenial madmen of the modern world... all our ww2 docus were brit till now!!

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Happy to see that you liked it!

[@richardbradley2335]

The Canadians bought up 9 Fireflys...impossible....none of my wargame lists show thats even possible !

[@randycollins87]

Thank you Canada

[@EnglishShieldwall]

Awesome video. Please could you make a video about the battle of Paderborn? There is no serious in depth coverage of this battle anywhere.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

I have a great article in a magazine on that battle. So, yeah I will probably make a video about that.

[@EnglishShieldwall]

Thank you

[@Rusty_Gold85]

So was it Ribbentrop's advice to rush in Panthers without Infantry support or the 9 Sherman Fireflies, from Elgin or the 1st Hussars , that stopped the SS cutting the Salient off and pushing back the Canadians to the Beach ? One of those key moments in History !!

[@moonuni]

Interesting battles back and forth fighting. Battle groups tenacious Canadians and aggressive German ss units.

[@kerrydennison7947]

Those five fireflies came from an ordinance replacement company that was actually out delivering the tanks to other units and they got lost and happened to run up on these German tanks. These fireflies were brand new just rolled off of the tank delivery Carrier at the beach, and from what the record show they only had one experienced person aboard each tank. Remember the fireflies normally were echelon and along with other 75 mm Sherman's and other.a one to four or five shermans troops. And it did not help the SS that one of their tank gunners panic and shot the tank in front of him which was a German tank in the turret cooking it off.

[@JV-fg9nt]

Love your videos! If you dont mind me asking where do you get all this information? A lot of research for these small tactical battles i bet.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks mate! You can check the information I used for this particular video in the description, but usually books and the internet. There are some very good sites on the Canadians out there.

[@JV-fg9nt]

@@TheAceDestroyer im sorry i didnt even see that in your description Lol! Thank you though

[@TheAceDestroyer]

No worries!

[@lanoefitzgerald6373]

Sorry I have to comment again and ask,how do you make such good videos?They must take forever.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Haha! Thank you very much mate!

[@puma1304]

something about the canadians at last! we always get overwhelmed with material about the US forces... I wonder if the canadians had the same amount and quality of supplies as the americans and if this could have had an influence on their performance... it would also be very interesting to know if the presence of quebecois had any tactical advantage while fighting in France & Belgium. Did the germans considered and treated british, canadians and americans differently would also be interesting to know, and I am absolutely sure that for the polish forces it must have been a fight with no mercy and no prisoners! too bad we also get very little information about all these other allies

[@donciers221]

I think adding map grids and contour lines will enhance your already excellent tactical graphics. Otherwise, good job. Carry on.

[@chainsawpanda2]

Can you please do the events that led up to and the final battke of the failaise pocket? I would love to see a comprehensive day by day telling of the complete battle.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

That's a very good idea! I might make that. But it won't be for the near future though.

[@DM-nz4fs]

These are such quality uploads, indeed! You'd think you were watching the actual History Channel. In fact, there are times during a video or two of yours I did think this. What a battle, and against the best, too. The Canadians more than held their own and some. You need to research the heroic actions of the ANZAC soldiers in Italy. It was the New Zealanders who finally broke the back of the Fallschirmjaeger in Monte Cassino's town. - while the Polish paratroopers took the monastery itself. My own grandfather, a sergeant in the 1st Airborne, was embedded with the Poles, along with around 50 of his fellow 1st Airborne soldiers, in order to bolster their numbers with battle-hardened, fearless paratroopers of the 156 Battalion - all of which served in the NW frontier for many years before the outbreak of the war. In fact, my grandfather hadn't been home since 1935, when he was posted to the European theatre from India.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Thanks! And thank you for the personal story! I really appreciate it!

[@Daniel_McGarry_Paolini]

These videos are excellent! Please get back into producing NW Europe '44-'45 content if you can.

[@DM-nz4fs]

On a side note, I got the 10,000th view. I like that.

[@kerrydennison7947]

It is very sad that Marshal Montgomery marginalized the contributions of the Canadian army in his biography. Apparently he did not have to answer for the lives of colonial troops versus the lives of regular British army soldiers. And it is good to see you back posting we sure enjoy your history lessons here in America🎉❤

[@gh87716]

Their contributions were for the evil jeeeews.

[@robinwaistell441]

Hello Ace Destroyer thank you I have enjoyed your coverage of the Battle for Normandy. My Father fought as part of "A" company 7th Royal Norfolks. He was involved in the Battle for Grimbosque Wood and the Orne Bridgehead." A "company was the lead company crossing the river passing through the north and south Staffords. They pushed on too far and engaged 2 companies of the Germans. "A" Company was cut off and fought untill they ran out of ammo when they were over run. My Father was taken prisoner He escaped and managed to get home in early 1945. Do you have any information regarding the 59th Division and thier fight for Normandy. Yours Sincerely R.

[@TheAceDestroyer]

Wow! What a hero! Thank you very much for the incredible personal story, I really appreciate it! I don't have any information at the moment, but I'll see what I can find.

[@robinwaistell441]

@@TheAceDestroyer Thank you for your time there are many more stories to tell sadly the people who told them are getting fewer and fewer. My Father passed away in 2014 but he was still a fighter to the last. He wouldnt have called himself a hero he just had a job to do and wanted to get home. Kindest regards R. Epron , Tilly,

[@malcolmyoung7866]

'You give no sugar with your pronouncements...'...excellent video...

[@steveswitzer4353]

nice

[@MyRammy1]

Could you do the 9th Cameronians at Etterville my Uncle was a signaler in HQ company.

[@streamofconsciousness5826]

hearing a company lost 12 guys is more impactful than a total causality number in the hundreds or thousands, that's 12 empty spots at the canteen (or where ever they are eating). You can see that and imagine the night these guys had on what was probably their first night camping since boot camp/training, Other than bombs and partisans being in France was a pretty soft assignment. Until June 6th. WW2 is getting dissected. I guess it's the only one with a non classified solid archive of records and images. Every little skirmish is going to have a 10 minute animation in a few years. and that's good.

[@Patrick_Cooper]

Why, at 62, do I still giggle at the name Royal Regina's...

[@davidwass8366]

About time you 2 grew up abit.....😉😉

[@Davey-Boyd]

@@davidwass8366 No, never grow up. Its a trap!

[@JMark-zk5pj]

It was a Flakpanzer 38t.

[@Mondo762]

Canadian Soldiers have a very good reputation. Huge respect from this American. Question - Do French-Canadians and regular Canadians serve in mixed units? Or is there a language problem which would keep them separated?

[@TheAceDestroyer]

I don't really know that. I hope someone else does, because I would like to know. Here in Belgium they mixed up the units of Flemish and Walloon. This caused severe language problems which sometimes lead to death due to a misunderstanding of orders. But, I would really like to know how the Canadians formed their units. I would think they were separated, but don't quote me on that.

[@ToddSauve]

@@TheAceDestroyer Some of the Quebec regiments were English speaking and some were French speaking. No doubt most of the men and officers in these regiments were at least a bit bilingual, but I can't say this for certain. I'm sure that orders from HQ were issued in English (and perhaps bilingually to the truly Quebecois regiments like Le Regiment de la Chaudieres) and I would suspect that the officers and NCOs had to be able to speak, read and write English in order to receive and reply to communications.

[@cgaccount3669]

As a Canadian I sadly have no idea either. But my guess is most French have a good grasp of English but troops of only French speaking people must have existed. French speaking troops on France were likely an asset. But with Polish etc fighting along side to must have been tough to communicate sometimes

[@thegreatdominion949]

Yes, there were 4 primarily francophone regiments in the Canadian Army during the Second World War (the most famous was the "Van Doos" formally known as the Royal 22nd Regiment). These regiments got nearly all of the French Canadians in the Army who couldn't understand or speak English sufficiently well. Due to attrition and the much smaller pool for recruitment, I suspect that toward the end of the war any soldier with a French surname who could speak French well enough was likely to be posted to one of these units as a replacement. It is important to note that in addition to the French Canadian population being much smaller than that of English Canada, it was generally more difficult to get francophones to volunteer to join the armed forces (there was no significant conscription for overseas service in Canada during WWII) as they were reluctant to become combatants in a war that many of them saw as being fought predominantly for the benefit of Great Britain and its empire. www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/canadawar/francophone_e.html#:~:text=During%20the%20Second%20World%20War,20%25%20of%20Canadians%20serving%20overseas.&text=Starting%20in%201942%2C%20a%20largely,the%20Royal%20Canadian%20Air%20Force.

[@paulmcewen7384]

They are segregated French and English units. The French Canadian Regiments in NW Europe in WWII were the Regiment de Chadiere and the Royal 22e regiment (the chauds and somewhat rudely the "vandoos" (vingt-deux)) The 22e Regiment is still a regular force regiment in Quebec, and is the primary jungle warfare element of the Canadian Forces. They train in French Guiana for this end.