Tiny M8 Greyhound Kills Massive King Tiger Tank - The Impossible Defense of St. Vith

The Battle of the Bulge was the largest American ground battle against the Germans in World War 2. However, a lesser-known confrontation during the opening days of Germany's massive Ardennes counteroffensive was the catalyst that set back the Reich's plans in the Western Theater.
Protected by several pivotal hills and close to the Ardennes forest, the town of St. Vith was the epicenter of six crucial roads and located right on the right flank of the German offensive’s advance.
For days on end, the US Army's 7th Armored Division fought an exhaustive battle against six German divisions that pummeled them with incessant fire and determination.
But despite the surprise factor, terrible weather conditions, and a lack of appropriate material, the American forces at St. Vith would not go down with a fight, refusing to give up the pivotal town so easily…
- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -

[@hicknopunk]

My grandfather was a radio operator in these operations. He spoke fluent German and would intercept messages and create bad intel for the Germans and broadcast it on a radio. It's crazy how many humans were involved in this conflict.

[@USS_Grey_Ghost]

Should have gotten the Bronze star for that atleast

[@hicknopunk]

@@USS_Grey_Ghost i really don't honestly know, he barely talked about it. I honestly wish I knew more about his service.

[@USS_Grey_Ghost]

@@hicknopunk at least you got to know him I never got to meet my Great Grandfather all I know is he was in the Red Bull division in Italy.

[@hicknopunk]

@@USS_Grey_Ghost duuuuude, you cannot be the aggressor and play the victim!

[@j.michaeljefferson60]

So many people are unrecognized in their contributions to the war effort aren't recognized by many government's and it's a shame

[@jamesbarca7229]

Just as one of the T72s fatal weaknesses is its very slow reverse speed, one of the Tiger's fatal weaknesses was its very slow turret traverse. That's what allowed the Greyhound to charge it and take it out before being blown to bits by its 88. It was the only chance they had, but it still took serious balls to pull it off.

[@richbattaglia5350]

Beautiful.

[@Ahmed-wb7ko]

The crews lucky the transmission didn't break

[@MyCarmenus]

Proof it

[@shepardpolska]

I wouldn't call the T-72s extremely low reverse speed a fatal flaw. The doctrine it was designed for simply didn't need a reverse speed, it was a tank made pretty much only to charge forward through Europe. The tank is simply used far longer then it should have, for tasks it was never meant for.

[@robertwouterlood9994]

Ah yes..deck the hall with all the balls...

[@scottb4579]

You can't have an M8 for Christmas. You'll put your eye out kid!

[@USS_Grey_Ghost]

To quote the German Central forces commander of this battle “THOSE DAMMED ENGINEERS” since they kept blowing up the bridges in his face

[@gerhard6105]

Nice video. I live in a village that belongs to St. Vith and was within the " Horseshoo" and i found several ww2 items in my house when i bought it. There are real pictures of the bombardement and afterwards from St. Vit. My neighbour, 96 and still okay, saw St. Vith being bombarded. The 62 Volksgrenadier Division went through my village. I am thinking of starting a war museum about it. The museum near the Malmedy Massacre field is now forever closed...

[@Khan-1738]

Document everything, take photos, even bad cellphone pictures are better than nothing. Drop box, imgur, even a slideshow on KZbin would do wonders with preserving this history. Better early than too late, you never know when a fire or flood can destroy everything

[@mrbaab5932]

Also cover the Massacre and advertise that it is covered.

[@panzer948]

Wow, very interesting. So sad the museum near the Malmedy Massacre is closed. I have a feeling more and more small independent museums will close as the generation and their direct offspring that remember their tells pass on. I am from USA but have been to Europe 4 times and truly enjoyed seeing so many of the small WWII museums that were in many of the smaller towns, including the one in Bastogne.

[@julianjeffbissette7238]

Hello from North Carolina. My Dad, Julian S. Bissette was at the battle of the bulge. He was a combat medic in General Patton's 664th armored tank division. My Dad was 6'6" tall and he said he had to walk through some snow drifts that came up under his arm pits and he told me that was the coldest he had ever been in his life and he said it was like being in hell if it was frozen over!! ✝️❤️🙏🇺🇲 WWG1WGA!!!

[@bobsagget823]

nobody cares

[@Daniel-deMerrivale]

@@bobsagget823 well I care, and that makes you a very silly boy doesn’t it.

[@jaex9617]

So your dad was Antifa. Neat!

[@John-qx1zi]

@@bobsagget823You care. At least you cared enough to reply, so...🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@jonlocke1624]

That is wild! I can't imagine trying to walk through that, let alone fight in it.

[@Deltron1337]

youtube has started recommending me these style videos and i cant stop watching them

[@hawnyfox3411]

' Sept' 1992, I was approaching St.Vith on my Kawasaki Z.1000-J, some distance in front of my Fireman/Neighbour (on his CB.900-F) - As I stopped to wait, my jaw "hit the deck", as I observed an M.26 "Dragon Wagon" across the road, clearly still in operational (private) useage, in a woodyard, by the adjacent house across the road - I was spellbound & dumbstruck Sadly, I was packed to the gills with luggage AND regrettably, no camera on that Sunday, heading home (to the UK) Have toured the Ardennes extensively & seen TWO large German tanks, besides the public roads. Photographed them too, both in May 1993 & again, in July 2003 - King Tiger '213' & Panther Ausf.'G' But seeing THAT "M.26" with 45ft Pine trees behind it (seemingly stacked a mile high !), was a revelation I often wonder what happened to it - or - if it was ever retired to a museum ?

[@robertwouterlood9994]

You were a bit late to help with the battle..

[@michaelcudby787]

Is the M-26 a pershing?

[@davidkinsey8657]

In 1940 the Whermacht won the Battle of France by moving armored forces through the "impassable" Ardennes Forest. It boggles the mind that in 1944 the Allies still considered the area impassable and were surprised a second time.

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

That's what happens when you listen to the British

[@tomhenry897]

No What happens when put incompetent generals in charge who lived in French mansions far from the front

[@maxfan1591]

My understanding is not that the Allies thought the Ardennes were impassable, but that they thought the Germans had no offensive capacity. They thinned their lines at the Ardennes because they didn't have the numbers to be strong everywhere. And as they had no intention of attacking through the Ardennes themselves, it made sense for that to be the place to be weak.

[@luisurdiales3091]

It's not that it's impassable, it's that it's very bad terrain for conducting armored warfare because it goes throug a forest and a bunch of rivers, which slows down any movement of vehicles and confines them to narrow corridors. Which are exactly the things that spoiled the German winter offensive. The problem for the french was being so damn slow to shift their troops around to meet the German breaktrough right when it came, which would have stalled it in it's tracks just like US forces did in 44.

[@Erreul]

@@j.robertsergertson4513 Self deprecating humour, nice.

[@johncook3817]

My father was in one of these. He was in the northern rhodesia police and they got some of these from the French for riot control. They had a problem with spares in the end so one was stripped for bits. AS THIS IS AFRICA NOTHING gets wasted so the Hull had all the holes plated over and it was turned in to a septic tank. My father said he would love to see the look on their faces at some time in the future when they would have to dig it up for some reason. I have some great pictures of him and his mates on manoeuvres!

[@the1magageneral323]

These other battles within the Bulge asides for Bastogne should educate people about the bigger battle and the stories there. ST. Vith and others helped slowed down German Armor and their attack.

[@blackcountryme]

I remember this, they German tanker's were told they could resupply when they captured American fuel dumps.

[@lairdcummings9092]

Glad to see the defense of St.Vith getting the respect it deserves. Bruce Clarke's ad-hoc defense of St.Vith was a fatal thumb in the throat of German ambitions. Even with allied (American) forces forced out of town, Clarke positioned his artillery atop the hills outside of town, and continued to deny access to the road junction. The tank kill by the Greyhound certainly happened. It is extremely doubtful that it was a Tiger I. Allied, and especially American, troops had a very bad habit of labelling *any* German tank as a "Tiger." More likely, it was a PzKw IV. ~ Source: I actually knew General Clarke.

[@germaxicus6670]

How did you know General Clarke? What was he like in person? Thanks

[@lairdcummings9092]

@@germaxicus6670 he was a colleague of my father. He was quite old, but he told good stories. No bloody stories - he also gave excellent advice, especially on how to study. I still have his pamphlet on proper study technique. Where others write entire books, he had condensed down to just a few dozen pages.

[@lairdcummings9092]

@@germaxicus6670 I can't find Clarke's pamphlet on study online, but if you look up "Gen-Clarke-On-Leadership.pdf" you will find a master class on Army leadership condensed down to just 16 pages. The man knew how to get right to the point.

[@johnbooth3073]

@@lairdcummings9092 His son was a far better General. Dad went for Rome and should have bypassed/flanked Monte Cassino . Thereby saving thousands of casualties and ended the war much sooner.

[@lairdcummings9092]

@@johnbooth3073 of whom are you speaking? To my knowledge, none of General Clarke's children advanced beyond Colonel. Further, Clarke didn't get his stars until *just* before the Battle of Bulge. Are you thinking of some other general officer, perhaps?

[@johnelliott7375]

The 28th now your talking about my home and family service to our nation. We are from Butler, Pa. and we have and are still serving in the 28th Infantry Division! Thanks for mentioning our little slice of the US we as Pennsylvanians are proud to have served since 1941 to the present in my family. Great weekend to you and may God bless your videos as they keep coming up and we keep watching, liking and being Subscription holder's. Thanks again for sharing this and giving us something to enjoy about our heritage and the present if called to action.

[@gregwunderlich4253]

I had a grandfather on each side of WWII. One died in Poland and is buried there. The other helped to develop radar. A fact that I didn't learn about until after he died.

[@cheese_walker]

interesting hope that you are doing good

[@garymcaleer6112]

When Montgomery & Eisenhower heard of the offensive, "Monty" continued his golf game, & "Ike" continued with the festive occasion he was attending. My uncle Don was one of two to survive in his company.

[@markrhodes1717]

Believe it or not, the Allies were waiting for an opportunity like this to destroy German forces which had previously been taking cover and defending German territory. With the Germans out in the open, their tanks and other equipment could be destroyed by the Allies, and when the weather broke, their far superior air assets. The location and intensity of the German assault was a bit surprising, but in the end, Hitler never even came close to taking Antwerp and dividing the US and British forces. They also left a lot of equipment, much of it destroyed, but a good percentage of which just ran out of gas or diesel. All and all, a waste of forces that would have been better spent delaying the Soviet Army.

[@aymonfoxc1442]

@Mark Rhodes Or better spent in countering troop concentrations elsewhere on the Western Front. Hindsight, however, is 20/20.

[@johnbooth3073]

@@markrhodes1717 True, the Germans lost half a million men as well as armour, artillery and aircraft. They should have committed these forces in Normandy. Allied forces faced 10times the concentration of German forces that the Russians did per square mile of front. The Germans were amazed at the difference in intensity of the Western Front compared to the Eastern Front.

[@markrhodes1717]

John Booth- The men and equipment Hitler used in the Ardennes were not available during the Normandy landing. They represented almost an entire year's production and training capacity for the SS and Wehrmacht. Hitler even used Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine who could be spared for infantry-style combat. It would have saved Germany as a whole if he had used them to delay the Soviets. The fate Germans suffered under Allied troops was far kinder than what the Soviets had in store for them. The surprise in intensity was probably due to the Allies (especially American's) high level of mechanization and motorization. Seeing all the vehicles Americans had, the Germans remarked that the Americans seemed to have brought all their automobiles with them! Re: @ayminfoxc1442. About hindsight being 20/20, Hitler had lots of foresight warning him that this was a bad idea. Hitler overrode the objections of his Generals and wrote much of the plan for the Second Battle of the Ardennes himself, even down to the timing of the artillery barrages opening the assualt. The blame and responsibility lies firmly in Hitlers metaphorical lap.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Actually Montgomery soon packed up and went back to his HQ. There wasn't anything he could though do as it wasn't in his sector. It was in the US 12th Army Group sector. Eisenhower and Bradley, however, carried on playing cards at Versailles and cracked open another bottle of champagne to celebrate another star to Eisenhower's generalship.

[@taylorbrain8023]

There is no evidence that says the tank the greyhound engaged was a Tiger II. It was most likely a Panther or a Panzer iv.

[@markrhodes1717]

Americans frequently had "Tiger fever" and identified any German tank as a "Tiger".

[@douglasmaccullagh7865]

I don't think it much matters. If that tank had gotten its turret around, the M8 would have been a burning wreck. The M8's 37mm was no longer a viable antitank gun. The M8 crew had one chance - get in real close real fast. They had the fortitude to do it and make the most of their 37mm. They deserve credit for managing their fear and making the best of a marginal chance. I don't care if the German was a Tiger, a Panther, or a Panzer IV.

[@daveybyrden3936]

@@markrhodes1717 It wasn't their fault. They didn't get proper training in tank recognition. The British were better at this.

[@daveybyrden3936]

@@douglasmaccullagh7865 You may not care about being lied to, and your time wasted, and that is your choice.

[@Ulisest91]

Butthurt Werhaboo spotted. I'm sure you take full ammo.

[@harmgregory4560]

Thank you, all Allied soldiers!💯❤

[@thomasgumersell9607]

Enjoyed your video on the battle of the Buldge. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨

[@fixedguitar47]

I work at the factory that produced the M8 Greyhound. No one knows what it was or what it was for.

[@jamesbednar8625]

Great video!!! Also, Mark Felton Productions has a video similar to this encounter. Also also, there is a story of either an M8 Greyhound or M5A1 Stuart that was able to put a few rounds of 37mm into the OPEN rear turret hatch of either a Panther or King Tiger - I forget which. Situation was kind of similar when the German vehicle was moving down a road and stopped. Rear turret hatch was opened for crew to enter/exit. There was an American vehicle in a concealed position and just happened to be in a direct line with that German vehicle. American vehicle popped off a few rounds that went through the open turret hatch and into the German vehicle, thus destroying it. The American vehicle the high-tailed it out of the area. Think I saw that story on Mark Felton Productions as well, but am unable to find it.

[@jugbywellington1134]

"M8 Greyhound vs King Tiger 1944"?

[@brianf1132]

Mark Felton is the absolute man dealing with World War II subjects.

[@bear76009]

id like to know what was going on with the guy driving the jeep that had its ass on fire in the video

[@c.j.cleveland7475]

@@bear76009 Trivia question. Do you know where the gas tank on a Jeep was? I'll give you a minute to think......................Answer: Under the driver's seat! That's enough to make your butt pucker when someone starts shooting at you! Or is that just me? 😐😯😲😳

[@daveybyrden3936]

@@brianf1132 Mark Felton is the "absolute man" for taking other people's work and repeating it, with public-domain film added on top. A clickbait merchant. If you actually want to LEARN something, go read books by real historians. A real historian would have RESEARCHED this M8 story and discovered it wasn't a Tiger.

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Uncle Dale was in the Battle of the Bulge. He was actually wounded in battle by German machine gun fire in the legs. He was from South Dakota before he married my aunt and always had a good sense of humor. He never talked much about his Purple Heart for his actions but, he suffered from PTSD which explains why he would get uptight during thunderstorms. His last request was to have his ashes scattered in the Black Hills. They are beautiful I will never forget them and, request is to be scattered in some state or national park in my state. The way I see it is that when the Lord Jesus Christ step down out of Heaven with a shout it won't matter where I am I will be kneeling before the Lord. Trust Jesus Christ.

[@anthonychavez1906]

🙏

[@stomper2888]

good old uncle dale

[@-Hesco]

@@stomper2888 uncle dale was a legend

[@daveybyrden3936]

Did you really HAVE an uncle Dale? Your post reads like religion spam.

[@titaniusanglesmith9690]

Why exactly did you start ranting about god when bringing up your uncle? Sounds like god might have helped your uncle out quite a bit by not allowing human beings to go insane enough to kill each other for land that wont benefit themselves or for that matter, it wouldnt benefit anyone that exists within their functional social sphere whatsoever. A god worthy of worship would not allow such cruelty

[@lonelychameleon3595]

Tiger II: "Nooooo you can't defeat me im the superior military vehicle I was designed by the best German minds and made with the best parts and-" M8: "Haha turret go bang"

[@stomper2888]

in reality your allied tanks are garbage compared to german engineering

[@lonelychameleon3595]

@@stomper2888 in reality Germany still lost

[@stomper2888]

@@lonelychameleon3595 Because they were out numbered hundreds to one

[@richardrose9943]

Only reason Germany was out numbered was because of idiots in command “ha let’s just attack the whole world and see what happens” jeez what happened French wine and French woman wasn’t enough y’all had to go and bang vladamera and drink her husbands vodka and you should have know the damn brits only get mad if you mess with their tea time so what do y’all do?bomb them at 2oclock sharp every day and well hell is Americans just like to fight so ya didn’t have to do much there

[@Zarastro54]

The meme would be a lot funnier if it had any truth to it. Of all the many things that could and did have the ability to take out a Tiger II, the M8 Greyhound was not one of them.

[@imsatanscott]

"Put in place several drastic measures. Back on the home front, the working week was extended to 60 hours to produce as much equipment as possible." Me working 60+ hours a week for the last 25 years - "Thanks Hitler"

[@str8ballinSA]

My grandpa was a barista in Clarke's ad-hoc defense force. He had to cook espressos and lates under fire, and more than once his milk frother was punctured by mortar and Panzerfaust shrapnel.

[@tompiper9276]

War is Hell!

[@stringlarson1247]

Thanks for creating/posting these. The info itself, plus the comments are always interesting.

[@johncox2865]

It always amazes me how little of the footage pertains to the subject matter.

[@aymonfoxc1442]

There's only going to be so much directly relevant footage that is accessible to the channel. KZbin only pays so much, so a lot of the limited footage that does actually exist is probably behind a pay wall.

[@doogleticker5183]

I lost my grandfather and great-grandfather (military action) for various degrees of freedom in Europe in the 20th century. What a sad waste...autocracies are now the norm and few can define "freedom" and show examples of it...But it is imperative to keep trying to ensure freedom of expression... weird times...

[@critterjon4061]

There’s no evidence that the m8 vs king Tiger incident ever actually happened With no there no records of any of the German units units that where equipped with the Tiger 2 being anywhere near the area where it was supposed to have occurred along with the after action reports for that day making no mentions of any one encountering a king Tiger

[@chriswilton9976]

My grandfather fought in this battle.

[@charlessedlacek5754]

You can knock out the heaviest tank with a 20mm gun, much less a 37mm gun...as long as you take out the tracks.

[@teddyeach6790]

I'm confused. The title says, Massive KING Tiger. Meaning a Tiger II. However, in the video in the "Eye of the Tiger" chapter, he says, " an American M8 armored car, that was parked in a concealed position, spotted a German Tiger I heavy tank." I'm guessing he misspoke? There were only 8 Tiger I's operational in The Battle of the Bulge, which would have made this encounter far less likely. Although, the 37mm gun that the M8 was armed with, penning anywhere on a Tiger II, I assume can only have been possible due to the fact that at this point in the war, the Germans consistency in producing quality armor plate had decreased by a large percentage, if not completely. But, when in that type of situation, and being that the M8 was reported to be difficult to drive in reverse, what options are you left with but to take a chance?

[@taylorbrain8023]

Yeah most credible historians believe it was a Panther.

[@allangibson8494]

According to the report it took three shots in the same point to penetrate the engine rear armor plate at what was basically point blank range of under 50 yards.

[@patrickdurham8393]

Everything I've read about this says there were no real time reports of these and all tales were told weeks or more after the fact with no corroboration.

[@critterjon4061]

I’m of the opinion that this event never happened to being with as there is no after action reports that document this incident as occurring. With to only original source I can find being a a report from a different unit saying that a m8 from an adjacent unit destroyed a Tiger tank with no explanation as to where or how it occurred . Not to mention if it had occurred the M8’s crew would have likely have received some kind of award

[@secretagent86]

I know this is trivial but i hear him saying. Are dun. Not are dens. I always thought the latter… maybe local area pronunciation? Thoughts?

[@r0bbrn140]

my favorite tank in ww2 the M_10 Wolverine and the T28 🇺🇸

[@cyph3r.427]

This is simply untrue. The story is a myth and was never confirmed.

[@j.robertsergertson4513]

Then why aren't you writing in German ,oh wait the Germans LOST ,huh? That's pretty good confirmation that the story is true.🤡

[@krisfrederick5001]

"There's a lot of shit headed this way..." -Band of Brothers

[@nedludd7622]

A bad film.

[@smellygoatacres]

We're losing the greatest generation. What a shame we couldn't manage to be 1/10 of what they were.

[@stanfordwillis4841]

That is the worst BS I've ever heard, how could you know how all of the other generations were ?

[@mattt525]

While its terrible that we are losing the greatest generation there is one thing for certain. Almost all of these men would be disappointed in us repeating mistakes of the past today

[@todddanforth8853]

Excellent, gripping storytelling. It is amazing that any American soldiers survived who were armed with single shot rifles. Truly heroic men in freezing, miserable condition.

[@wdtaut5650]

"Single shot rifles"?

[@MikePattison]

I just wanna know about the guy driving the jeep that was on fire at 6:34

[@dankowal5723]

I love Dark Docs: great history, footage etc, but more maps would be helpful to fully visualize the area.

[@cojaxart8986]

My father in law in that battle. He couldn’t talk aboutIt! Dark times for sure.

[@allendail9562]

This is a myth and seems to never die. No Tiger I orTiger II was lost in area where this event was supposed to have taken place . The two units with Tigers recored no loss in area on that day. SpzAbt 506 or SssPzAbt 501. The 37 mm on the M-8 could not penetrate the 80mm rear or side armor on Tigers rear plates or turrets on either Tiger varient. The third point is no photo of this supposed great feat of arm has ever surfaced. If the event happend it was a case of misidentification and a Panzer IV was promoted to Tiger.

[@rowancoggins9638]

The Allies often promoted lesser tanks to tigers through fear.

[@gruby_0924]

although yes there isn't any evidence of any tiger going down in the area from both sides reports initially i believe, the US 37mm cannon can penetrate the Tiger 1 and Tiger 2's side armor which is only 80mm, while the 37mm had the penetration capability of 87mm. Also if the armor was slighly too angled or the 37mm was using its older ammunition, it would still penetrate the weak german steel of the time which tended to crack under sustained fire.

[@DriveVibeAuto]

I’m putting your ww2 videos right up there with Mark Felton. Definitely binge worthy.

[@frankyu4967]

Amazing work and a big thanks to those involved in this channel. Also, both The Operations Room & sister channel The Intel Report had a similar productions on the actual battle instead of the Hollywood version. It’s too bad you can’t take over the History Channel to ensure WW3 never happens again. Have a great 2023 to all. Slava Ukraine!

[@billholley2446]

Pretty good summary of the Ardennes offensive. But I'm critical of labeling the whole piece over one incident at 8:45 that takes less than a minute to tell. Also, why does the video at that point show us Sherman tanks instead of the M8? Sometimes the video editing in this series is sloppy, like showing us footage from eastern front summer offensives (thick leaves, summer-weight uniforms) while talking about winter combat.

[@michaelnaven213]

Were there any Tiger I in the area? Tiger IIs perhaps but at this time in the attack no Tiger Is are in the German units attacking St. Vith. Any German tank with a long barrel was identified as a Tiger. Whereas there are verifiable reports of 37mm guns from an M8 scout car have knocked out a Tiger II from the rear at point blank range, Tiger I didn’t come into combat until after St. Vith had falled to the Germans. It’s like the appearance of the Jagdtiger in the Bulge. Records show the unit of Jagdtigers never got off the train. They were sent to Operation Nordwind.

[@michaeltelson9798]

According to Charles McDonald the use of the new proximity fuses on the artillery shells helped a lot. The units were not authorized to use them, but they were at hand. They burst near the ground, disabling German tanks by breaking tracks, sending shrapnel into the engine decks and stripping riding infantry. He was a company commander at the Twin Villages which he write about in his book “Company Commander “. He stayed in the army in the history branch and wrote what is considered the definitive book on the “Battle of the Bulge” called “A Time for Trumpets “

[@Zarastro54]

Downvote for clickbait title. It’s literally physically impossible for the 37 on a Greyhound to penetrate even the rear of a King Tiger at any range, and only _maybe_ theoretically possible with luck to take out a Tiger I from the back as described in the myth. Even in the video, you say it’s a Tiger I, so why lie in the title like that? It’s far more likely that the crew misidentified a Panzer IV with schurzen armor that made it look similar to a Tiger from the angle the Greyhound was at.

[@gruby_0924]

the american 37mm cannon can penetrate 87mm of armor at a range of 100meters, the video claims the M8 was 70 feet away from the tiger, it's unclear if he meant Tiger 1 or 2 cuz of the audio and title. However it is still possible for the US 37mm cannon to pen a KT or Tiger 1 at that range since both tanks have 80mm side armor. However i will admit the story is probably a myth, but it wouldn't be impossible.

[@Zarastro54]

@@gruby_0924 The myth describes the shot being in the “Tiger’s” rear. If it was a King Tiger, the reverse slope of its rear would have made even a point blank shot impossible. As I said, _maybe_ it could have done it if it was the flat back of a Tiger I.

[@gruby_0924]

@@Zarastro54 Tiger 1 would've gotten penned easy from the back. for the king tiger though if It was shot from the rear than you are correct the 37, would not be able to pen the king tiger unless it was below or above the KT to negate the back turret slope or the reverse slope where the engine is. Side shots would be plausible but if it was from behind then yes pretty much impossible.

[@ex-navyspook]

To contradict Churchill, this was undoubtedly the greatest battle on the Western Front; the Russians had been beating the hell out of the Germans for almost two years, at this point.

[@yessir7147]

I find it hilarious that Churchill doesn’t even consider the Pacific War as a part of WW2. “Greatest American battle” my ass. Midway is the greatest American battle.

[@brucejenner4800]

Sometimes your narrative doesn't jibe with the film footage.

[@John-qx1zi]

- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -

[@daveybyrden3936]

@@John-qx1zi So, as a "history enthusiast", did you find out what German units had tigers in that place on that day? I'd like to see what you discover.

[@BlueLightningHawk]

Gaijin made the M8 Greyhound a gift vehicle for the USA. Yet in China's tech tree it's available as a regular research vehicle. ☹

[@Shocktroop_0313]

I enjoy these videos. But the title states the M8 kills a "King Tiger" (Tiger II). But then the video (8:50) states a "Tiger I" was killed. Which Tiger tank was destroyed?

[@TTTT-oc4eb]

There were no Tigers in the area on the date, this has been debunked a long time ago. Tank Encyclopedia has a very good article about it. The Tigers in the Bulge were few (only two understrenght battalions, all in all about 50 Tigers at the start, including just 8 Tiger 1s) and easy to track.The conclusion was that "some kind of American vehicle possibly engaged some kind of German vehicle and possibly destroyed it". Fog of war. Until proven otherwise, every German tank, sometimes even vehicle, was a "Tiger".

[@codyhearne932]

This is my of a fictional story than true events. The report only said Tiger not tiger 2 and allied forces often misidentified tanks, often calling Panzer 4s a Tiger when they clearly are not up close

[@EugeneStClair-tv7dr]

There were no Tiger I or TIger II tanks in the St. Vith area although there were several Panzer IV and Stug III possibly a scattering of assault guns and armored cars. This did occur with an M8 but in more likelihood, it was a Panzer IV. It would seem in combat, with people shooting at each other with high powered weapons and explosives, one would not be too discerning about whether it was a Tiger I, Tiger II or a Panzer IV. "Hey Bill, that looks like a TIger. Nah, its only a Stug, so no big deal." That doesn't happen. Either will kill you dead. The first one who shoots usually wins. There was indeed a formal report of a M8 Greyhound armored scout car attacking a German tank and knocking it out with three rounds from their main weapon. This is concurrent with ballistic information that was collected during and after the war. It would probably take two or three rounds to penetrate German armor even from the rear. An experienced gun crew can easily accomplish this with the M8 37 mm gun. Doubtful that it was a Tiger I or Tiger II, but it doesn't matter, a point blank round from a Panzer IV 75mm gun would turn the M8 into instant scrap.

[@garrisonjoe5977]

Good video. Other than the M8 baloney. The Allied Air Forces were able to support St. Vith's defense on Dec 25 due to weather finally clearing from almost solid overcast - not the vague "finally were able to reach St. Vith" explanation given. And the narration seems to be saying "Schnee Eifel bridge" when it is in fact a high RIDGE north of St. Vith. Yeah, the cold and snow and ice was what most troops fighting in the Bulge remembered. Like many others, my Dad (82nd Airborne) would say on cold winter nights, "Sure am glad I'm not in Belgium."

[@GaveMeGrace1]

Thank you

[@brianf1132]

Hooah! Good stuff. Excellent video. Although the title doesn’t really fit the whole video.

[@jumpinjack1156]

I wanted to see more of the greyhound in action, this was no more than click bait !

[@adamsteele6148]

NUTS

[@davejones67]

You said king Tiger then in video Tiger 1….which is it?

[@solowkaver3592]

Awesome story.

[@spasticjackson9578]

Your videos are amazing !

[@stonefree1911]

Interesting story, but WAY too much fluff for the first 3/4 of the vid.....

[@tomr1630]

A Tiger I is NOT a King Tiger.

[@americanpatriot2422]

Great video!

[@geegaw14]

Story of M8 vs Tiger is at 8:50. Up to that is history lesson on the battle.

[@drmarkintexas-400]

Thank you for sharing 🇺🇲🤗🙏🎖️

[@MoosePolo]

Did he drive circles around him and shoot like Battlefield 5 🤣

[@misterpants666]

10 seconds of the actual event ? FFS ! We all know the BOB overview, its been done to death !

[@CottonFist]

Excellent channel 👍

[@hutchabilly107]

The heading of this video is completely misleading. One small mention of the M8 against a Tiger 1 (not a King Tiger). The author should change the title of the video

[@51515123]

At 6:33 the soldier driving the jeep with the back completely on fire! Thats some footage right there.

[@Imugi007]

The 101st and Bastogne get most of the media attention, and maybe rightfully so. But the men at St. Vith are heroes as well and nobody ever hears about them.

[@horrido666]

The lesson here is don't mess with a cavalry scout.

[@paulstone472]

The case of the M8 killing a Tiger exists in several different versions, depending on who tells is. Sometimes it's a Tiger. Other times, its a King Tiger. The story is based on the account of ONE eyewitness and has never been verified. German records show that there were no Tigers of any type anywhere near the area at the time of the alleged event.

[@johnskibajr5691]

Many reports of Tigers were made but in many cases the tank in question was the Mk IV. I am guessing that is what the M8 AC encountered on that day.

[@ddraig1957]

It's a great story,and it would be nice if it was true,but I'm sceptical.

[@zee_terminator2850]

Its not true, the weak 37mm on the greyhound cant penetrate either tiger variants pretty much anywhere

[@jamesellis2784]

Just looking for more drivers .cool vehicle tooooo

[@Grombrindal]

If you can't run away then charging forward is often the best option.

[@dougjackson5270]

So how was the m8 Greyhound taking out the Tiger a pivotal moment here? Not seeing it, and as usual the incident mentioned is only a minor part of the narrative.

[@gort.3296]

It was actually a Panther Ausf G with 40 mm of rear Armour Plate . Not a KingTiger.

[@carymartin1150]

Anyone know what the viewing device is that the German officer is holding at 3:45?

[@garrisonjoe5977]

Looks like some sort of simple range finder. Right hand seems to be on an adjusting dial under the viewing shield.

[@Trodpint-A]

18 critical hits through scouting and smoke

[@Groovy_Bruce]

Hold up. The M8 destroyed a tiger 1 or a tiger 2? In video you say tiger 1.

[@daveybyrden3936]

Neither.

[@mcfunny8887]

probably not true,as the rear turret of the tiger ii ausf B henschell model had a rear armor thickness was 86 mm,greyhound pens at most 61 mm

[@lyndoncmp5751]

No Tigers were involved in the fighting around St Vith.

[@mcfunny8887]

@@lyndoncmp5751 precisley

[@antman2826]

6 mins in and I haven’t even heard about this tank battle yet. 😳

[@wuffos]

8:53

[@daveybyrden3936]

Give them a break. It's hard to find details about an event that didn't happen.

[@brianedwards7142]

Picturing Nazi commanders having an arms length slappy fight. 🤣

[@erikgerhardt7335]

OK, so I enjoy most of everything you put together, but I have to cry foul on this. As a piece on the battle of St. Vith, very cool, As a piece on an M8 killing a King Tiger, that part was less then maybe 60 seconds. More importantly, you make it clear that it was a Tiger I that got knocked with three shots to the rear as opposed to a King Tiger, a different beast and potentially a much more impressive achievement. What would have been good with this title is a discussion of the Tiger II's sloping armor, and the 37mm gun of the M8. Very disappointing.

[@daveybyrden3936]

I'm sure that a Panzer was destroyed, but it wasn't a Tiger of either kind. None were in the area.

[@StephenBaird-cp1fc]

It was a panzer iv not a king tiger, the rear armour was 80 mm the same as the front of the panzer iv but sloped so the M8 37 canon wouldn't have been able to take out a King Tiger

[@sneakyfishiix8014]

Who was that guy driving that flaming willys jeep?

[@garymcaleer6112]

Good post responses here, DD.

[@adamlazic493]

Is that thumbnail taken on Kozara compared it and yes just a very old pic

[@LostCylon]

Where did I miss the bit about a M8 killing a Tiger Tank? (Time stamp please) Otherwise a great WW2 story,

[@michaelallen8276]

I am confused on the point you made about the British involvement and Montgomery’s “withdrawal”

[@inaminute9643]

I did this in Men Of War. Snuck up behind it and popped a couple of 50mm in the engine block

[@noneedtoknow07]

I have to think any german soldier seeing the destroyed king tiger might have crapped themselves out of fear of what they were getting into.

[@DadJeff-jo7pm]

The entire time of this upload, All Quiet on the Western Front has been running thru my head. Anyone else?

[@stephenvanwijk9669]

So The Battle of The Bulge was their biggest battle ….. duly noted.

[@krisfrederick5001]

Most casualties

[@yessir7147]

It wasn’t. The British are generally unaware that a war even happened in the Pacific. :/

[@johnbooth3073]

@@yessir7147 Add up all of the US casualties in the Pacific, take away the British, Indian, other Empire troops like the Australians and New Zealanders etc from the Pacific and Burma/Indian campaigns. Island hopping was not on the same scale as France, Italy , Holland and Germany as a ground war but it was intense and horrific that is true.

[@johnbooth3073]

Let’s not forget the Chinese/ Japanese war ! The Japanese killed 120,000 Chinese civilians as punishment for the Chinese looking after the pilots from the Doolittle raid. And the Americans didn’t even give them a heads up in advance of the raid.

[@yessir7147]

@@johnbooth3073 You mean the Italian campaign that the Americans led? Or the Normandy campaign that the Americans led? Or the German invasion that the Americans led? Those campaigns?

[@bluemouse5039]

A lot of people said this story wasn't true because they always hear how indestructible a Tiger was, or it wasn't a Tiger but a MKIV which looked similar but much less armored and how allied tank rounds just bounced off the Tigers armor , but the armor was only really thick in the front and sides the back not all that much and in spite of a 37mm sounding tiny it is actually quite a devastating round when used against thinner armor plate ,that's a almost 2 pound projectile going over 2000 fps, The German tanks fighting in Russia began using side skirts even in the latter years of the war as protection against the Russian 12.7mm anti tank rifles that were in large supply with Russian troops , even though that rifle was considered Obsolete by 1941 against Tank armor or that era it could still find weak areas in the side armor of German tanks and penetrate or the 12.7mm would damage the tracks or running gear with a hit, So I have no trouble believing that this armored car knocked out a Tiger tank

[@lyndoncmp5751]

There were no Tigers or King Tigers involved in the fighting around St Vith. Nearest Tigers were the King Tigers of Kampfgruppe Peiper and all their King Tiger movements and losses are well documented in the Greg Walden book Tigers In the Ardennes. None were lost anywhere near St Vith.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

And by the way, even the rear of both Tiger versions was 80mm thick and slightly sloped.

[@bluemouse5039]

@@lyndoncmp5751 Tank buster planes of that era used 37mm cannons to knock out tanks, granted they are shooting down where the armor is thinnest , but it's not outside the realm of possibility that the armored car could have got a lucky shot in with its 37mm cannon maybe setting the engine on fire that spread and destroyed the Tiger tank

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@@bluemouse5039 But it wasn't a Tiger. Nearest Tigers lost to St Vith at the time were King Tigers number 008 and 105 of Kampfgruppe Peiper, from Schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 501. Both were lost around the Stavelot and Trois Ponts area, some 30km to the north west. Source, Tigers in the Ardennes by Greg Walden page 96. 👍

[@daveybyrden3936]

You're WRONG. The Tiger's rear is exactly as thick as the sides.