Week 272 - The Futile Fight in Hurtgen Forest - WW2 - November 11, 1944

The struggle for Hurtgen forest, one tiny piece at a time, continues. The Allies have, however, secured Walcheren Island, and also launch Operation Queen to try and reach and cross the Roer River, and further south even launch a new offensive aiming for Metz . Things are not going well for the Americans on Leyte, though, but they're even worse for the Chinese as both Guilin and Liuzhou fall to the Japanese. As for the Soviets, they are busy making big plans for a gigantic offensive to drive in to Germany when the new year comes.
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Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Marek Kamiński
Community Management: Ian Sowden
Written by: Indy Neidell
Research by: Indy Neidell
Map animations by: Daniel Weiss
Map research by: Sietse Kenter
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Artwork and color grading by: Mikołaj Uchman
Sound design by: Marek Kamiński
Colorizations by:
Daniel Weiss
Mikołaj Uchman
KLIMBIM
Carlos Ortega Pereira, BlauColorizations, / blaucolorizations
Jaris Almazani (Artistic Man), artistic.man?ig...
00:00 Intro
01:01 Recap
01:22 Breakneck Ridge on Leyte
07:10 Japanese take Guilin and Liuzhou in China
08:43 Allies secure Walcheren Island
09:56 Allied attacks in Hurtgen Forest
14:35 Patton’s 3rd Army’s new offensive near Metz
18:02 Red Army attacks toward Budapest
19:44 Soviet Plans for a Berlin Offensive
22:56 Allied attacks in Italy and a few notes
Source literature list: bit.ly/SourcesWW2
Archive footage: Screenocean/Reuters - www.screenocean.com
Image sources:
Australian War Memorial
National Archives NARA
Bundesarchiv
Fortepan: 175118, 78294
Imperial War Museums: TR 1037
Soundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
Break Free - Fabien Tell
Dark Beginning - Johan Hynynen
Force Matrix - Jon Bjork
It's Not a Game - Philip Ayers
Last Man Standing 3 - Johannes Bornlöf
Leave It All Here - Fabien Tell
March Of The Brave 4 - Rannar Sillard
March Of The Brave 10 - Rannar Sillard
Other Sides of Glory - Fabien Tell
Please Hear Me Out - Philip Ayers
Potential Redemption - Max Anson
Rememberance - Fabien Tell
The Inspector 4 - Johannes Bornlöf
Weapon of Choice - Fabien Tell
Wicked Games - Philip Ayers
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

[@WorldWarTwo]

We want to take a moment to address our special video on Western Front Tanks that came out earlier this week. Unfortunately, this video had a number historical and technical errors that weren't properly dealt with during the production process. Many of you caught them and rightly pointed them out. After discussing things as a team we decided to take the video down so that we can fix its issues and reupload at a later date. You all deserve the highest possible standard of content, and we want you all to know we're working hard on delivering exactly that to you.

[@Franfran2424]

I think many of us would be interested in some remakes of previous video topics, some were covered only as far as the war had developed by the time of recording, and a "looking-back" view as if someone wrote in winter 1945 would be interesting

[@fredsanford5954]

Thanks for the forthright response. As a way to do a correction video, you should get Indy to sit in the Chair Of Infinite Knowledge and critique/make corrections to the previous video- if only he'd done the special sitting there, he'd have known something was off.

[@barrygray3615]

Oh, I noticed it was missing and wondered if you had taken it down in response to the criticism. I look forward to watching the revised version. Keep up the good work.

[@george217]

Sh!t happens...

[@alisilcox6036]

I'd also be interested in a video about the errors and how you came to them - to me this is even more interesting than the tanks themselves as it can teach us about academic literacy, how to be critical of sources etc or whatever the issues might have been.

[@DotepenecPL]

Five years ago Indy was presenting the armistice episode, fellas. In ten months, we'll be after Japanese capitulation. It will have been 10 years since some of us embarked on this enormous journey together with Indy. Time flies. Thank you for all these episodes. Hundreds of them by now.

[@alexandrekuritza5685]

Watching Indy has become a somewhat of a sacred ritual to me, I always am eagerly waiting to see his cover of the war, and when a new video comes out, I kid you not, I drop everything to watch it.

[@Ben-fk9ey]

​@@alexandrekuritza5685Same, every Saturday night I get a cuppa tea and watch Indy and the team.

[@WorldWarTwo]

It's incredible to think it's been nearly 5 years since this journey began. Huge thanks to everyone who's been with us through these hundreds of episodes! - Jake

[@BeingFireRetardant]

​@@WorldWarTwo Perhaps the best historical treatment of the war, since the war. And that is saying something... Many thanks

[@chriscepec1655]

Been a hell of a ride. Got the Korean war next and the in-depth coverage of that 3 year war will hopefully put an end to its title as the " forgotten war "

[@dragosstanciu9866]

It was like yesterday the Germans were planning to defeat the USSR by using three huge army groups, and now the Soviets are planning to defeat Germany by also using three huge army groups.

[@Raskolnikov70]

And those Soviet army groups look very different than the German ones did back in '41. Don't think the Soviets are going to have to stop to wait for their fuel and infantry to catch up to their tanks.

[@konstantinriumin2657]

@@Raskolnikov70 Actually they will, that's why battle of berlin will begin only two months later, in late april

[@tunganhnguyen909]

Ahh I also enjoy a beautiful February day. Also wild speculation, how do you know if the Soviets will be in Berlin by april?

[@leonbaylon1893]

Spoiler alert! The Soviets will be in Berlin by April 1945.

[@aaroncabatingan5238]

Actually, Soviet 'Fronts' are the Army Group. The Soviets aren't using 3 army groups, they're using 7.

[@gunman47]

A footnote this week on November 7 1944 is that the Hungarian military attaché to Turkey, Colonel Otto Hatz, will defect to the Soviets. He would bring along with him documents about the Hungarian Army and fortifications on the Danube River. In retaliation, the Germans would put his parents and brother in a concentration camp, where his mother would die.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

The Germans tended to victimise relatives of someone they wanted to punish but they could not get to, or as a way of punishing further those they had already executed - it was often referred to as "Sippenhaft". For the most part the victims were Germans but not in this case.

[@michaelsamuel9841]

​@@stevekaczynski3793 the Soviets were the same campaign

[@ablackghostmyguy3741]

If im not mistaken on November 9th didn't the USA and soviets attack each other??

[@Petrowsky14]

20:12 Time traveler Zhukov rocking the airpods

[@soyentak5076]

In Flanders Fields In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

[@barrybence4555]

This poem always gets to me, especially when a children's choir sings it at Canada's Remembrance Day ceremonies, as they did today.

[@alexandrekuritza5685]

It seems that the men won't ever learn..

[@ZachRoberts81]

My grandfather was in the 28th fighting in the forest. After the fight in the forest, they were sent to rest in the Ardennes, a "quiet part of the front'" where they were then attacked. During the opening of the battle of the bulge, he was captured and spent the rest of the war as a POW. Thanks for covering this in more detail

[@ericrush3495]

I have a connection with the 28th I live in Waynesburg home to then Co K of 110th infantry. The forest was were the 28th earn the name The Bloody Bucket.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for sharing your grandfathers story and thank you for watching.

[@alexfrenette8565]

My grandfather was in the 112 infantry of the 28th division fought in the Hurtgen when they were sent to the Ardennes to recope he was wounded on the first day of the battle of bulge truly the greatest generation ❤

[@thedeadcannotdie]

Hans Schmidt, the lord of Hürtgen forest sounds like the most German of sentences

[@a2falcone]

Is there a more German name than Hans Schmidt?

[@morteforte7033]

​@a2falcone his name couldn't be more german if it came with a plate of Sauerbraten, Spätzle and rotkohl.

[@jamesgillen2339]

Hans Schmidt, the lord of Schmidt.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@jamesgillen2339 To be an aristocrat he would need "von" in front of the name, but Schmidt is so commonplace a name and implies an ancestor was a blacksmith that it would be incongruous.

[@nicholasconder4703]

Having lived on Marinduque in the Philippines, I can tell you that the terrain outside of the coastal plains is really precipitous, and covered with either jungle or kunai grass. With large parts of the islands being volcanic in origin, the ground tends to form gullies very readily when exposed. Added to this is the fact that the underlying soil is laterite, which means that plant root systems don't go very deep into the soil, and the exposed soil can turn greasy when wet. The jungle and kunai both provide excellent cover for any defensive position. Kunai grass is nasty - it grows to over 3m high in places and the leaves can cut your hands if you aren't careful. Because kunai contains silica, it rapidly blunts bolos/machetes when you are cutting trails. And in the typhoon season the kunai won't burn, so you cannot remove it to expose enemy positions (of course, in the dry season it burns like crazy, which can creates large grass fires that can be dangerous).Also, there are often poisonous snakes in the grass.

[@Raskolnikov70]

That sounds miserable to visit as a tourist, much less live in, much less fight a war in. Sounds pretty to look at though.

[@shaider1982]

Thanks for the info, I only know of Marinduque for the Morion masks worn during Holy Week celebrations there.

[@Neal_Schier]

Very interesting. Thanks for that. I had no idea that it was the silica in the Kunai grass that could dull sharp blades.

[@aaroncabatingan5238]

Its more fun in the Philippines. I actually live in Leyte right now, and after seeing how muddy the rural areas get when it rains, I can only imagine how difficult this was to fight in during 1944, especially because back then there wasn't a lot of infrastructure here compared to now.

[@martijn9568]

There's a reason why they call jungle a 'Green Hell'😅

[@stevekaczynski3793]

The Germans were amazed that the Americans committed so much effort to Hürtgen as fighting there gave the Germans defensive advantages and negated US air and artillery superiority. The German artillery sought to burst shells in the treetops above American troops, as the plunging shell and wood splinters could be lethal.

[@recoil53]

I don't think the British thought it was so bright either.

[@johnsowerby7182]

Hodges was a bloody fool. His plans were awful, and he had no idea how bad the forest was. A number of heavily chewed up American units would be withdrawn to the South, to the Ardennes to rest up in a quiet area of the front, after the Huertgen Forest battle.

[@P_RO_]

@@johnsowerby7182 My second cousin was there. He said they were simply getting chewed up by the Germans. The 88's were firing from behind hills and had practiced so they could hit precisely anywhere.They could not be neutralized and couldn't be assaulted from the front without catastrophic losses. The Hurtgen forest itself had zero strategic value to the Allies who could have simply bypassed it and dealt with it later.

[@stever5359]

A dear friend of mine was injured in that battle. He was wounded by shrapnel from a shell that killed his fellow soldiers sharing a foxhole. He only escaped death because he’d stepped behind some trees to relieve himself. It took him almost a year to recover from his wounds. He had a fused ankle the rest of his life. I miss him terribly.

[@bigwoody4704]

@@recoil53 well the British can hardly point any fingers,specially after Monty Garden - the Tommies deserved better.But you could not simply go around The Hurgen and enter Germany with those troops in the rear.But it did take out some troops that later were earmarked for the Buldge that Hitler had been planning for months

[@sirbillius]

Happy Armistice Day everyone!

[@finnyishere3532]

I wonder if that John McCain guy will ever have any grandsons who get into politics 🤔

[@alansewell7810]

When the histories of WWII were being written in the 60s and 70s when I read them, the narrative of the European Theater was: "Americans, British, and Canadians landed in Normandy on D-Day. After a brief setback at the Battle of the Bulge, we charged into Germany and ended the war." They neglected to mention reaching the frontier of Germany (Aachen) at the beginning of October 1944 and being held up in the borderlands along the Rhine --- and not breaking out across the Rhine into the Ruhr --- until beginning of April 1945, six bloody months later. The Battle of the Hurtgen forests was one of many battles along the border where we were worsted by dug-in Germans fighting on their home ground. Reminiscent of the 9-month siege of Richmond/Petersburg at the end of the Civil War. The Union casualties were so horrendous Mr. Lincoln would not release them to the public. He told skeptics of the war: "The Confederates are like a log burning itself up from the inside out. When the bark is reached it will collapse all at once" . So it was with Nazi Germany in those bloody last months of the war.

[@Ronald98]

👍👍👍

[@rcgunner7086]

I wonder who you read. The official US history is very clear that this campaign lasted for months and was very bloody. The Army's Official Histories (the Green Books) The Siegfried Line and the Lorraine Campaign go into great detail about them. US author Charles McDonald, a veteran of this campaign and one of the US Army's official authors, goes into great detail with his books. His text, Objective Schmidt, is still THE best account of the battle of Schmidt IMO.

[@edmundcowan9131]

I guess you never read the McDonalds classic Company Commander (1962) . It tells you all about it.

[@BlitkriegsAndCoffee]

If you were forced to condense the European campaign into a few sentences, how else would you write it?

[@alansewell7810]

@@edmundcowan9131 The public didn't read those books in the 60s and 70s. They read THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH, THE LAST 100 DAYS, and so on.

[@Crabby303]

McArthur was a blockheaded blunderbuss, incredible how he progressed so far on the back of his mothers' nagging letters to those in power.

[@petergray2712]

Blockheaded blunderbusses don't become five-star generals. Looks like MacArthur isn't the only one with a habit of underestimating.

[@Joepacker]

McArthur should have been court marshalled for his failures in the Philippines at the start of the war. The man was a egotist to the nth degree.

[@jamesharmer9293]

He wa also a massive egomaniac.

[@iffracem]

@@petergray2712 Yes, yes they do.

[@nathanzylla4961]

Now i understand why ike canned him in Korea

[@agripinaa8684]

Gotta love the Lions Led By Donkeys mini-series on the Hurtgen Forest

[@alexamerling79]

The stereotype of WWI being played out here lol

[@Valdagast]

Zhukov is a good choice. He has certainly been effective so far.

[@saltzkruber732]

A true butcher

[@potato88872]

​@@saltzkruber732of germans

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@saltzkruber732 Like he said, effective.....

[@saltzkruber732]

@@Raskolnikov70 Effective at getting lots of young men dead

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@saltzkruber732 That's literally the job of a General. War is hell.

[@alexamerling79]

I feel like the Hurtgen Forest would be more well known had it not been for the Battle of the Bulge starting a month later.

[@deeznoots6241]

Probably doesn’t help that Hurtgen forest was a pretty pointless battle that mostly just led to tons of American casualties

[@alexamerling79]

@@deeznoots6241 True. I mean american soldiers called it a death factory for a reason.

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@deeznoots6241 Bingo. There are plenty of huge battles that occurred that don't get any attention because they didn't have much of an effect on the overall war. Look at Italy right now or the entire war in China, other than the attrition to nations fighting in those places they had next to no effect on the ultimate outcome.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@deeznoots6241 Eddie Slovik would probably have been fed into this meatgrinder if he had given into pressure to join his unit, and might have become a casualty. His 28th Infantry Division took heavy casualties in the forest.

[@nesa1126]

it would be great set for the movie.

[@1509Freeze]

I live a fairly short distance from the Hürtgen Forrest in the Eifel Region and been there often. The terrain is deceptive and would be terrible to fight through. From the air recon it would seem like any hilly, wooded landscape. But its basically one ravine after another, often with a small river or a village at the center, giving defenders a huge advantage. Roads are few and very narrow, and to cap it all off large parts of the entire region could be flooded via blowing up the Rur dam. Which would make any decisive allied breakthrough pretty meaningless.

[@exharkhun5605]

Didn't the Japanese understand he was MacArthur? It's weird they didn't comply with his plans.

[@akosbarati2239]

They did a decade later, despite strong Korean objections.

[@Paladin1873]

My old high school ROTC senior NCO, MSGT Dixon, fought as an infantry platoon sergeant on Leyte. He described the longest and most miserable night of his life as taking place in a downpour while he sat alone in a foxhole, unable to see or hear anything around him, and only able to judge the passage of time by the slowly rising water around him.

[@WorldWarTwo]

This does indeed sound like a miserable night, thanks a lot for sharing the story with us ! - TimeGhost Ambassador

[@esquire1229]

At 20:15, anyone notice the Apple Airpod being worn by General Zhukov on the right? hmmmmm... ;)

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Probably earplugs - he spent a lot of time supervising artillery placement and was often present when they fired barrages, but this was a good way to develop hearing problems.

[@esquire1229]

Or he has an ear ache! I just thought it was humorous. ;)

[@mooniescreamer]

When Trumpets Fade: "... If I'm not mistaken Sergeant, the situation has presented itself..." "I was a private three days ago!" "This isn't up for discussion LIEUTENANT"

[@Shadowman4710]

Damned good movie. Pity it's largely been forgotten.

[@angusmacdonald7187]

My Great-aunt Francis (roughly 40 years old by this point in the war) was a huge Patton fan. She was absolutely convinced that if Patton had been given the fuel that the US would have taken Berlin ahead of the Soviets. This is, obviously, a deeply problematic notion, given logistics, but she is a good example of the mindset of the time.

[@tigertank06]

How so? It’s entirely possible that the western allies could have taken Berlin before the soviets.

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@retiredbore378 Even if they managed to take most of Germany, the US, UK and France would have to pull back to their designated occupation zones after Germany surrendered. This was already agreed to back in September '44 in the London Protocol. Unless the US and UK thought they were strong enough to take on the USSR, post-war Germany would have looked the same no matter who reached Berlin first.

[@akosbarati2239]

If only she had known how Patton felt about communism ahead of Nazis and talked about in interviews, which he did.

[@NathanDudani]

DeEpLy PrObLeMaTiC

[@slome815]

@@tigertank06 It might have been possible for two reasons: one, germany transfered quite a number of troops to the east during the last months of the war, if the germans still do this during some imaginary allied drive on Berlin, it might happen, but this does require the german army to basically stay passive the entire time. The other possible reason is that german troops surrendered a lot easier when fighting the western allies compared to the soviets.

[@marks_sparks1]

21:40 back row (l-r) Tolbukhin, Malinovsky, Govorov, Yeryomenko, Bagramyan front row (l-r) Konev, Vasilevsky, Zhukov, Rokossovsky, Meretskov

[@thehistoryvideogameandgame4730]

All of them would retire at the rank of Marshal Of The Soviet Union, Both Bagramyan and Yeryomenko would receive their final promotions in 1955, give or take 10 years after this photo was taken

[@901Sherman]

Truly a meeting of giants. Rokossovsky and Zhukov get the lions share of attention but IMHO, each and everyone of those commanders deserves recogniton for their own feats.

[@PhillyPhanVinny]

Yay! The 9th Army finally got mentioned! I've been calling for you guys to talk about the 9th Army for a few weeks now. They have been in France fighting since the end of September working on taking the French ports on the Atlantic that Hitler had ordered turned into "fortresses". To the German credit, they were occupying the attention of many Allied units (and still are). I had been calling for the 9th Army to be talked about because they are one of the many large American units of WW2 that are hardly ever mentioned. The coverage in Europe is always on Patton's 3rd Army (deservedly so) and then the US 1st and 5th Armies probably get the next most coverage. While the US 9th, 7th and later the 15th armies hardly ever get mentioned. The 6th Army Group under Eisenhower is another MASSIVE US army formation that never gets attention in most WW2 documentaries either. Many WW2 buffs don't even know it existed. Jacob Devers, the commander of the 6th Army Group is one of the most underrated US commanders of WW2. He should be talked about in the ranks of Bradley, Montgomery, Patton and Clark.

[@motherlesschild102]

I would be surprised if the 9th army didn't get talked about a lot more in the the coming weeks/months.

[@nicholasconder4703]

Simpson, the commander of the 9th US Army, is one of the best (and least known) US generals on the western front. I agree that Simpson deserves more credit than he is given. Unlike many of his proteges, he got along with Monty and cooperated with him. His attack towards the Rhine next year will be well planned and executed. The 7th US Army under Devers did some good work as well, but in many cases was outshone by the 1st French Army under de Tassigny. I tend to think that Patton was somewhat overrated. He was a very good tactical and operational level commander, but sometimes got too focused on a goal and wasted men's lives for no purpose. Like MacArthur, he played to the press (and pretty much had his own press corps), which gave him a lot of publicity. Whether that adulation was warranted or not is another question, and one that is still up for debate amongst military historians to this day.

[@PhillyPhanVinny]

@@motherlesschild102 Agreed, the 9th will get talked about a good amount when the battle of the bulge starts up. I feel they deserved at least a sentence or 2 over the last 2 months stating that they were in Europe fighting since the last 2 weeks of September. Anyone who doesn't know anything about the US 9th Army would think they were just created or just got to Europe now. When in reality they have been fighting modern siege warfare on the French Atlantic ports for months now.

[@PhillyPhanVinny]

@@nicholasconder4703 Agreed with most of what you posted there until the last paragraph. MacArthur was too celebrated after WW2 being talked about at the same level as Eisenhower but modern day opinions of him have gone WAY too far in other direction now. Many people think just as you stated in your post that it was weird that MacArthur had his own press corp. But that was not something unique to MacArthur or something MacArthur set up either. Every Allied army had their own press corp as did most Axis armies as well. The press corp within the armies was setup back in Washington and it was a skill of a general to create positive stories about their armies which kept up moral. It is something taught to this day within the US field general school of how to use the media as a weapon within their arsenal in many different ways. Not just to boost moral but in PhyOp ways to trick the enemy. Eisenhower and his team of American and British media members were fed lots of information talking up Patton and how he was the allies best field general and was going to lead the Allied attack into Europe. This was all part of the allied operation to trick the Germans into thinking that Normandy was not the Allies main invasion into Europe. This succeeded to astounding levels that is not talked about enough today. MacArthur was also particularly good within this area and his use of the media as a weapon is still taught today in most Western military schools at the field general level as well. Particularly MacArthur's use of the media within the Korean war to trick the communist forces into not believing that MacArthur was going to lead one of the most bold navel landings in military history that really saved the war and almost resulted in the war ending with a unified Korea under capitalist/democratic(sort of later) control. So MacArthur having his own press corp was not unique at all and was properly larger then the standard US army press corp as his theater of operation was equal to that of Eisenhower and Nimitz in technical terms if not in actual numbers or real importance. MacArthur then also had the added advantage of having all of the Australian and New Zealand media under his control as well since they were in his theater of operations. The Australian and New Zealand media members during WW2 all loved MacArthur to incredible levels. MacArthur was very good at getting people to like him that actually met him. MacArthur also gets the Philippines media in his press corp as well after the liberation of the Philippines. MacArthur uses that control to really bind the Philippines to the US by talking up Filipino operations during the Japanese occupation. That use of the media (as well as his actions and talk) really ensured that the Philippines was going to remain a Western ally during the Cold War. MacArthur, still to this day, is the highest ranking member of the Filipino military and still honored and loved by the majority of Filipino's who know about WW2. MacArthur is probably the biggest Filipino fan in human history. Nobody has said more good things about the Filipinos in their history than MacArthur.

[@CLARKE176]

The British Commonwealth, French, Poles, Czechs etc were fighting to capture those ports as well such as Calais, Boulogne and Le Havre.

[@materialdialectics]

Shortly before he died, my papere had an episode where he was screaming in panic about 'The Black Forest'. He would have been fighting with Canadian forces, although considering he was a mechanic for the RCAF we've always been a little confused as to what the circumstances were; but this is the period I had narrowed down to that must have been when where ever this trauma came from took place. He never talked about his time in the war.

[@gunman47]

With this week episode focusing on the fight in the Hürtgen Forest, it may be a good time to watch the 1998 HBO television movie, *When Trumpets Fade* , which depicts the experiences of Private David Manning and his squad of American soldiers when they engage in combat with their German enemies. The campaign levels *Death Factory* and *Hill 493* in the video game Call of Duty: WWII also depicts Private First Class Ronald "Red" Daniels fighting in the Hürtgen Forest as part of the 1st Infantry Division.

[@TheFatNooblet]

When Trumpets Fade is a good watch, however the Hill 493 mission is supposed to be Hill 400. Lots of inaccuracies in CoD WWII but if anyone has tried Hell Let Loose, there is a Hürtgen Forest map that is apparently to scale inspired by the real battlefield

[@nicholasconder4703]

Something I have always wondered is something that General Gavin once asked. Why didn't the Americans encircle the Hurtgen Forest instead of attacking it head on? Some people have suggested it is because Bradley and Hodges developed tunnel vision, and lost focus on the bigger picture. I don't know if this is the case, but usually the best strategy given defensive terrain like the Hurtgen Forest is to go around it.

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

I'm happy to see When Trumpets Fade recommended here. That is a great underrated WW2 movie. Speaking of underrated WW2 films (and fast forwarding a bit), A Midnight Clear starring Ethan Hawke and Gary Sinise is well worth a watch in December. That film is about a U.S. intel & reconaissance squad dispatched to occupy an abandoned chateau in the Ardennes in Belgium as a forward observation post, shorly before the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. It's an adaptation of a novel by William Wharton, a WW2 veteran who was wounded in the Ardennes. As most of the film is set during a period shortly before the offensive is launched (but not all of it, the last 1/3 to 1/4 of the film is set during the start of the offensive) and follows a recon squad on an isolated observation post far forward of the lines, it's not as action-packed as films like Saving Private Ryan or When Trumpets Fade, but it is an incredibly moving film and a bit of a tearjerker.

[@60smusicrules]

When Trumpets Fade was outstanding. It reflects on what the duties of a soldier truly are. Those in command don’t always see the whole picture and confusion, miscommunication can lead to disasters

[@redaug4212]

I was really disappointed with Call of Duty WWII. It had a great opportunity to follow the actual combat chronicle of the 16th Infantry Regiment in western Europe, but instead the game was a mishmash of ideas that were either grossly anachronistic or fictional altogether. Instead of a mission portraying the defense of Verlautenheide Ridge in mid-October, we got a silly story about saving German civilians from their own army in Aachen. Instead of depicting the bloody fight for Hamich in late November, where 900 men of the 16th were killed or wounded in six days, we got a generic forest mission and a fictional hill battle that's probably trying to mimic Hill 400. Instead of depicting the attack on Schoppen under blizzard conditions, which would have made for a great stealth level, we got a boring layman's portrayal of the Ardennes where GIs are just siting around in the snow until the Germans attack out of nowhere 🙄

[@rrice1705]

"The forest itself negates air, armor, and artillery superiority." Foreshadows elements of another war that will be fought halfway around the world in dense jungle/forest some 20 years later. Stretched supply chains and the effects of terrain all long the western front seem to be playing a big role here. After an absolute tear though France in August and September, the Allies have really slowed down. To Indy and the Time Ghost team, thank you all for your hard work in bringing this to life. Catching the latest is the highlight of my Saturday morning.

[@user-xg5yd3vz8w]

WW2 week per week a giant's work, thanks for doing it !

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for watching!

[@oldesertguy9616]

It's a real shame the US didn't have accurate maps of the Philippines, given that they had already been established there for 40 years. You would think that would have been a military priority even prior to the war. Dugout Doug got too complacent during his prewar time there, as apparently did other commanders prior to him.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Considering the terrain it probably would have been a huge effort to survey the entire territory. Too much for a depression-era garrison force to deal with.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@Raskolnikov70 Not to mention large numbers of islands.

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

While I'm not familiar with the particular circumstances with the Philippines campaign and their maps, I wonder if the lack of accuracy was tied to the tropical environment and weather. I spent a bit of time in Okinawa in the 1990s while in the US Marines and during that time was on training exercises at the Jungle Warfare Training Center. The maps we had were also not always accurate despite being of terrain that was part of a U.S. military training ground and despite their having been a U.S. military presence on the island more broadly since 1945. The reason was the large amount of rainfall and erosion. A lot can change in the jungle in relatively short time spans. Maybe it was also intentional. It certainly made land navigation a bit more challenging and involved a bit more second guessing.

[@tristancampbell9174]

Well a part of the problem was probably that up until the early 20th century they had mostly been concerned with massacring Philippine civilians instead of planning on defending the islands against an outside threat

[@Dave_Sisson]

Surely every colonial power takes the time to properly map its colonies? Well. the British, French, Portuguese and Dutch did, so its surprising that the Americans didn't bother to do even basic, large scale mapping of one of their most important colonies.

[@ralfgroh2719]

In my opinion, this program is by far the best source of WWII history on line. Thanks

[@alih6953]

Will you guys cover Steiner's attack in live time?

[@caryblack5985]

It did not happen

[@cpj93070]

Mein führer....Steiner....

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@caryblack5985 I think that's the joke.....

[@jarretthuffin]

As a veteran who served in 4th ID I'm very interested in watching the happenings of the 4th in Europe and their March from Normandy inland. Also the stories of the navy battles leading all the way up to the A-bombs.

[@cliffordcasnermillar4976]

I’ve really enjoyed last few weeks with regard to the Western Front. I’ve visited the battlefields around Aachen, Geilenkirchen & the Hürtgen Forest pretty extensively & I can visualize the terrain very well.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!

[@daviddavid5880]

As a casual history buff (and HUGE fan) I think I'm either attaining saturation or just becoming more mature when I say, these vids are completely fascinating... Right up until those heartbreaking casualty lists. I think that perhaps in this way you guys are doing your job to proper effect. (If I didn't get a bit nauseous at the thought of losing 4500 men I'd need therapy). Keep up this great work.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for the comment and thanks for watching. Those casualty lists aren't just numbers; they represent lives, each with their own story. They serve as a poignant reminder of the cost of conflict and the importance of striving for peace.

[@60smusicrules]

Thank you for the nod to the McCain family. Theirs is surely a distinguished military history. Sen. McCain is greatly missed here in AZ

[@MBP1918]

Incredible how the war has changed and battle lines shifted over the years

[@alexandrekuritza5685]

Today 105 years ago the first world war came to an end, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month the first world war came to an end end. Today, 79 years ago the same beligerents were fighting on basically the same ground as before, the futility and pointlessness of it all continues, I suggest that you take a moment today and go read the poem "In Flanders Fields", once again, a bit west of Flanders the sons of these men were killing each other.

[@DutchGuyMike]

"at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" AKA Freemason numbers. Both wars were highly controlled by them and funded via-via behind the screens.

[@danielnavarro537]

Allied forces continue driving deeper into Axis territories. They've achieve victories but at a heavy cost. In the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations, the Allied forces are facing stiff Japanese resistance. They are struggling at Leyte and the Chinese are facing a reinvigorated foe. While in the European-Mediterranean Theater of Operations, Allied forces are bogged down in German resistance. They are facing stiff resistance all along the Western Wall, while on the Eastern Front heavy German resistance proves hard to overcome, in Italy the Germans are making good use of the rivers and mountains to blunt the Allied advance. And lastly, far to the North, the Germans leave nothing for the Finnish and Soviets in Lapland. The Allies may have the Axis on its last legs, backing into a corner. But like a rabid raccoon in a corner, it will thrash, scratch, and bite at whomever comes at it. The Allies will have to be ready *if* an Axis offensive happens. Godspeed to those who perished. Here’s a playlist of the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest: kzbin.info/aero/PLp49DDWdnynEz4Gb7jeqoL1q8hF_fEWaJ&si=Ny7m26FREuhywOuJ

[@Bob.W.]

Every time I read about the Hurtgen Forest my estimation of Hodges sinks lower.

[@ramonruijgt4532]

It would be amazing if you could end the war at the place the peace was signed.

[@chrisvowell2890]

Unfortunately, the peace was signed in more than one place. Rennes (I believe), Luneburg Heath and then in Russia. Could be difficult!

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

Although the costs might be prohibitive I'm sure the TimeGhost team would love that, as the war ended with the Japanese surrender aboard the deck of the USS Missouri. While sailing that battleship into Tokyo Bay again would be unfortunately out of the question, it is currently docked as a tourist exhibit on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. After wrapping up their WW2 content I'd bet the team would welcome a vacation, and Hawaii is rather hard to beat.

[@ramonruijgt4532]

@@ahorsewithnoname773 yeah i mean on the ship you mention. i know it is in a exhibit

[@Orvieta]

@@ramonruijgt4532 That was only for the Japanese surrender though.

[@ramonruijgt4532]

@@Orvieta and that how ww2 ended Japan surrenders last.

[@DBMirageIX]

In aviation news this week, a certain Chuck Yeager will score his 7th victory with his P-51 Mustang around Osnabruck against an Me 262 jet fighter. He will end the war with 11.5 victories to his name. Two days later, the 8th of November, will see the dramatic death of Walter Nowotny in his Me 262. Nowotny was a celebrated Luftwaffe ace with 258 victories to his name and commander of the Me 262 unit at Lechfeld airfield, known as "Kommando Nowotny". It is unclear exactly who hit his aircraft or if it simply lost control as there were multiple P-51 Mustangs chasing him at the time. The unit was situated precisely along "bomber alley" where large flights of B-17's and B-24's would pass by on their way to and from their targets in Germany, giving the unit a modest degree of success in shooting some of them down. Nowotny's death would severely weaken the unit and it would loose any effectiveness it had had had over the preceding months.

[@jeffreyhornblower6515]

Every Canadian soul lost in the liberation of the Netherlands created a relationship of mutual love and respect between a lot of the people of Canada and the Netherlands

[@CLARKE176]

It wasn't just Canada who liberated the Netherlands.

[@jeffreyhornblower6515]

@CLARKE176 ya, i know all I was saying is the dutchs people appreciate the losses canadian suffered to help regain the freedom more than 7600 Canadians died (not casualties) in the campaign only one with more is the Uk, plus how small are population was and still is that is a large number of men to died for us at the time not the mention all the wounded over 12k

[@CLARKE176]

@@jeffreyhornblower6515 yes true, wonder what they would make of the world today?

[@danielnavarro537]

@@CLARKE176 That it is good because there is no Nazis nor a Nazi occupation of the Netherlands?

[@CLARKE176]

@@danielnavarro537 neither, how the world is still as crazy as ever for example, not knowing what a woman is.

[@Blazcowitz1943]

November 6th, 1944, American fighter ace Chuck Yeager is leading his flight of P51 Mustangs when they encounter a flight of several ME262 Jet fighters near Assen, Germany. The jets promptly use their superior speed to escape into the clouds, but Yeager gives chase and drops below the cloud cover, catching a lone 262 as it goes in for landing. He swept in and scored hits on the jet, causing it to crash short of the runway. Of the incident he famously said, "The first time I saw a jet, I shot it down," but also admitted that in catching the jet as he was trying to land, it was "Not very sportsman-like, but what the hell."

[@patrickstephenson1264]

Didn't he meet with a Wright brother after the war too?

[@derekmills3001]

In the picture at 20:17 Zhukov looks like he's rocking out with an airpod in his left ear 😂

[@patrickstephenson1264]

Lmao I had to pause the video and see what that was

[@ugh7457]

Omg yes, I'm not the only one. I was just combing through to find if it was mentioned. Kinda broke my heart as I thought I was the only one for just a split second. Lol

[@janlindtner305]

Usually give I give you👍👍👍; but you should know that you are my first historical series I followed on KZbin. Hereby thank you for four the years of weekly refreshers of my personal World history. You are wonderful, innovative, maybe a little too pop; but I love you, especially Spartacus who really must continue his herculean, and inportent work, of reminding us of the injustices, "War against humanaty", of the world on date into the future, Please, and bee so kind. Big greetings to all of you at the editorial office. Love Jan.❤❤❤👍🤟

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you so much for the lovely comment, we greatly appreciate it!

[@Davis_237]

I know the question was only rhetorical at the end, but the war was likely lost for Germany when the Allies gained a foothold in Normandy, and certainly lost after the Soviets smashed Army Group Center, at that point Germany was destined to defeat and any ahistorical victory would only prolong the inevitable, the combined Soviet and Allied war machine was in full stride and the Germans industry back was broken from Allied airraids and blockade.

[@TukozAki]

Well, "Third Reich" industrial military production of all weapons type but for the Navy peaked in 1944, as specified in last week WW2 episode.

[@caryblack5985]

True except the fuel situation was very bad and spareparts were not being made so complete airplanes and tanks were completed. Also you can build a plane in a day or a week but it takes 18years to grow a soldier. It also takes months of training to be effective.@@TukozAki

[@Raskolnikov70]

I've always argued that Germany lost the war in October 1941, around the time their panzer advances ground to a halt waiting for their logistics to catch up. Not broken by the initial "swift kick in the door" the Soviets were left hurt but intact and had the ability to rebuild. Germany with its lack of petroleum resources could only get weaker as time passed. Their loss was inevitable.

[@Ronald98]

​@@Raskolnikov70An excellent analogy!

[@dubya85]

​@@Raskolnikov70July 41 when they could not decisively win at smolensk. Glantz talks about it

[@Shanghai_cola]

I just want to say, being a german soldier in one of those pockets on western french coast must be depressing as fuck. Literally doomed

[@potato88872]

Well, compared to the eastern front was a summer vacation

[@carpecanem611]

It was still better than being on the East Front.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Hardly doomed. If they could find a way to surrender to the Canadians they'd have a pretty good chance of making it through the war.

[@Shanghai_cola]

@@potato88872 not saying its harder, just that being cut off 1000+km away from homeland with no chance to win, be reinforced or give up because higher up doesnt want must be depressing even without the typical horrors of war. Just got me thinking about them seeing them on map

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@Shanghai_cola The Germans cut off in Courland were arguably in an even worse position.

[@andrewroberts7428]

it's incredible you didn't work a hansel and gretel reference when you mentioned that time that witch who lived in that house made of candy ate all those children

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

Lebkuchen house. Gingerbread house Original story Breadhouse with sugar toppings We used to make one every year as kid🇩🇪 for Christmas period 🏠

[@seventhsamuel]

1.40- Yes Indy- I was wondering if you'd mention that lineage!

[@markmildorf2873]

My father served in the 707th Tank Battalion. It was attached to the 28th ID. Heavily involved and took heavy causalities. Ray Fleig was a LT in the 707th and is a hero worth knowing.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for sharing that with us -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@markmildorf2873]

@@WorldWarTwo Thank you for all you have done and are doing. This series will be a resource for generations to come.

[@rodeastell3615]

Great video. Now might be a good time to re-watch every Indy episode to check whether he has ever mentioned Hansel and Gretel previously.

[@mrb3nz]

this stage of the war fascinates me the most. The war looks like a forgone conclusion, but there were months of battles still left to fight. I can't grasp what the Germans were thinking at this point. Surely they knew they were defeated?

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

Naatjies are a doomsday cult

[@DutchGuyMike]

Of course, that is why they did the bomb plot against Hitler (he had like 20-30 assassination attempts, even Goebbels stated it was as if he was 'protected by a divine being'). Many knew it was over, but you couldn't desert or simply lay down your arms as the gendarmarie and especially SS if they caught would kill you instantly. This entire war (and the first) was pre-meditated, to strike down Germany's nationalism once and for all and to make the current European Union possible. The Globalist elite that controlled it all want a world government, that was hard when Germany (which was one of the most nationalistic countries and the most powerful in Europe) would have never agreed, as they were essentially forced into the EU.

[@MM22966]

When your entire outlook is based on a power-fantasy of you being king of the world for all time, you don't handle a change well. Defeat is the end of history as far as they were concerned. Most of the rational people got executed after the Stauffenberg bomb plot, and the ones that didn't kept their mouths shut.

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

The next week is going to be the most important week of the war! Sadly I had a work meeting and so I couldn't attend this session. But I will next time. Please mention the battle of Vianden! I did keep asking!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you very much!

[@nesa1126]

I often go to Batina on Danube. It has nice weekend village in forest. When Danube is really low you can see tanks in water if you are on bridge. At least, that is what several people told me. I was never there at that time.

[@konstantinriumin2657]

In War Thunder, "Battle of Hürtgen Forest" map is quite accurate representation of Vossenak that allies took in 14:04

[@LRS11B]

The 28th Inf Div, which is the PA National Guard, is actually the most decorated division in the US Army

[@stevekaczynski3793]

"One of the most decorated" according to Wikipedia. It can trace its heritage back to the American Revolution. Nearly 17,000 battle casualties in WW2, which looks like 100% or close to it, though the replacements system in the US Army meant the gaps were quickly filled.

[@LRS11B]

The 28th was decimated. They thought the forest would stop an enemy advance, but what did stop then enemy's advance was their own traffic jams as it became a horse race to Antwerp.

[@ericcarlson3746]

That was presumably chronologically the last of the Between Two Wars series

[@MsZeeZed]

4:07 - … so General McArthur could get on with the real fight, against Marshall & King 😹

[@Raskolnikov70]

He's bringing in Vinegar Joe Stilwell, due to his extensive combat experience fighting against his own allies....

[@motherlesschild102]

McArthur had his very own press corps- complete with the newspapers they worked for. A considerable advantage !

[@Doc_Tar]

It looks less likely anyone is making it home before Christmas in '44.

[@blede8649]

Those Hungarian officers did. Though they would still have to go fight in the morning...

[@akosbarati2239]

Just a constructive advice, make your American flag more visible because currently it looks more like the Árpád flag and one might mistakenly think you support the Arrow Cross.

[@Moromom22]

Not likely even if they did surrender. Wouldn't there be a few months of occupation before anyone gets to go home?

[@iamnolegend2519]

14:50 How fitting that today on Veterans Day you cover the battle of Metz. My father was there serving in the US 378th Infantry, 95th Division.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for sharing your family's connection to history and thank you for watching.

[@commanderneyo]

I remember the Hurtgen Forest. My men were singing baby shark as we drove towards the German lines in our truck with our commander busy getting the taco bell they had ordered. We were shot at a lot and swore that we had a skill issue. It truly was Hell Let Loose

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

You sound American🤗😎 Taco bell. 🤨Go get some local food, a schnitzel, eisbein with Sauerkraut, ...

[@brokenbridge6316]

I love Indy's little phone call thing at the start of these video's. They're probably my favorite part of his video's.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Just need to figure out who's calling, thanks for watching! - Jake

[@brokenbridge6316]

@@WorldWarTwo---your welcome

[@sarah_757]

I struggle to understand why MacArthur was allowed to duck things up again and again and never face consequences.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

SPOILER When Truman fired him in 1951 during Korea, it was widely thought that it was Truman in trouble, not MacArthur. Truman taking action surprised many but it was long overdue.

[@user-if4zv5nj5m]

He was really good at PR and political sides of his job

[@bigwoody4704]

Like Montgomery,McArthur rode the PR train and unlike today information coming back from the front was controlled so the got away with a lot of shit.And fellow officers hated their guts - and not out of jealousy

[@901Sherman]

Hey, at least Monty could back up the big talk (well, most of the time), had the skills that made it count (no, he didn’t win by only ‘throwing’ stuff at the enemy, there’s more to his battleplans than that) and was well liked by subordinates. Mac, OTOH, had bark infinitely worse than bite and was lucky to have far more competent people like Krueger to get the dirty work done. I mean, if you’re gonna be an egomaniac jackass, at least prove that you can back it up

[@bigwoody4704]

Monty was a propped up fraud that got ran off the continent when the odds were even.Had 6 months to plan Caen and immediately ran that into the sand

[@Catmandan42069]

happy veterans day 🎉🪖

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Another wonderful historical coverage video about WW2

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for watching.

[@AngelRoseHeaven]

I Pray this will stay on KZbin after the Live is over because I can't watch right now. I really appreciate 🙏

[@edopronk1303]

This is just a regular episode.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Never seen a weekly episode get taken down, they just get de-monitized by YT all the time.

[@oOkenzoOo]

On November 5 1944, the 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (2nd Army Corps of the 1st French Army) began its offensive towards Gérardmer in the Vosges massif, liberating the towns of Rochesson and Menaurupt. The front reached by the 1st French Army at the beginning of November started from Pont-de-Roide near the Swiss border, bypassed, towards the west, the two towns of Montbéliard and Belfort, approximately 25 km from each of them , went directly northwards through the Vosges massif, avoiding Le Thillot, and reached the Col de la Schlucht, to the north of which the connection with the American army was established. It held, with four infantry divisions and two armored divisions, a front of 115 km, extending from La Forge (10 kilometers west of Gérardmer) to the Swiss border. The enemy firmly held the crests of the Vosges. Believing that the relative inactivity of the French 1st Corps meant that it was entrenching itself for the winter, the Germans reduced their forces in the Belfort Gap to a single, incomplete infantry division. The bulk of the German forces left southern Alsace for the battle of the Vosges in the north against the 7th US Army (including the 2nd French Armored Division). In the Vosges where offensive actions were suspended, General de Lattre asked Monsabert, commanding the 2nd Corps, "to maintain an aggressive attitude there to fix the adversary's reserves." During this time, he prepared in great secret a major offensive towards the “Gap of Belfort”.

[@cpj93070]

"Liberating" from the Algerians? you sure what with there record? 😕

[@Ronald98]

​@@cpj93070What are you implying here??

[@francisdec1615]

@@Ronald98 They were as much looters and rapists as the Soviets.

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

Watched a film based on this (when trumpets fade) form HBO it’s on KZbin.

[@El_Presidente_5337]

>Be me. >2 months behind, as usual. >Just one episode away from Market Garden. >Bam. Time Chads boys are ar the Hürtgen Forest. Ever since the middle of 1943 I have the feeling that the pace of the war just goes up and up and its making no stop before its final destination, which is total destruction.

[@cpj93070]

Where have you been?

[@danr1920]

My Dad was the Battle of Hurtgen Forest. The 28th.

[@katana1430]

Part of the reason for the high casualties was the nature of the forest itself. The trees were large and high enough to set off the fuses of artillery shells, creating devastating airbursts of flying shrapnel. The negates the foxholes and trenches infantry usually uses and requires overhead cover, which is much harder to construct.

[@sonoftherabbitpeople4737]

The Germans launched Barbarossa with about 3 million men. That was more than adequate at the time. They are now defending against the Soviets with 3 million men. That force is hard-pressed everywhere. Times have certainly changed.

[@caryblack5985]

There were actually 3 milliom Germans but if you count Axis allies Romania, Italy, Finland, Hungary it was more like 3,800.000 in the invasion.

[@Blazcowitz1943]

When the Battle of Arracourt began, the Germans deliberately launched the attack during poor weather in order to negate the Allied advantage of aerial superiority. But this would also come to hinder them as the poor weather negated the biggest advantage the Tiger and Panther heavy tanks had over the American tanks, superior range of their main guns. In dense fog and rain, battle took place at ranges where the Sherman's could outmaneuver the Panzers and hit their flanks. The American forces were also better trained and had more combat experience than the hastily assembled Panzer brigades which also lacked good reconnaissance elements. It was something of a reverse of the boucage fighting the Allies had encounter in Normandy, where now it was the Allies using the terrain to their advantage against an attacking force. The battle also had a particularly interesting individual take part, Charles "Bazooka Charlie" Carpenter, an American pilot flying an L-4 Grasshopper (Piper J-3 Cub) observation aircraft named "Rosie the Rocketeer" which he had jerry-rigged a trio of bazookas onto each wing in order to attack German ground forces. He is officially credited with destroying six enemy tanks and numerous other vehicles.

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@douglaspaulhurd1174]

Any Hansel & Gretel mention is worthy of a mention of a similar tale caled Hop-o'-My-Thumb

[@m1t2a1]

Today is Remembrance Day. Lest we forget.

[@coledavis9065]

It's true, I've been with Indy since the great war.

[@IDapto77]

I served on the USS John s McCain ddg 56 in my youth. It was named after admiral McCain sen McCain grandfather.

[@hannahskipper2764]

Great episode!

[@Grenadier311]

Thanks to y'all, I have something both educational and enjoyable to imbibe every weekend. Your projects need to be archived in the Library of Congress for future generations.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Haha thanks a lot for your comment ! Glad you enjoy it ! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@welcometonebalia]

Thank you.

[@JohnBrownsArmory]

Hey Indy..... whats the plan for when "the war ends"? Will we see similar examinations of "conflicts to come"?

[@markarren7480]

They're going to Korea.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

They can jump to WW III by then

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@markarren7480 I'm really curious to see how that works out. The first year or so of episodes will be great because there's plenty to talk about, but those last couple years of the war were kind of a drag.

[@spikespa5208]

Whole lot of horrendous fighting, and stories, still to come in this tussle.

[@WorldWarTwo]

The plan is to start our series on the Korean War, there will still be episodes for this channel as well but we won't have a strict chronological telling of events as we do now. - Jake

[@davidsauls9542]

Excellent, again !

[@aaronjones8905]

It would be really interesting if you started a series of videos comparing the legacy of WWII commanders and the reality of their performance.

[@amcalabrese1]

I wonder if that McCain family will ever amount to anything

[@thcdreams654]

Keep up the great work. You guys are great.

[@WorldWarTwo]

You are great too, thanks for watching! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@holopilot2241]

Excellent work!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for watching! - TG Ambassador

[@darthcheney7447]

Getting into the end-game now. Nice set up for the Bulge.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Who speaks there who knows the future ? Thanks for your comment, see you for the next one ! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@user-gq2tg6mg2w]

Thanks!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you so much and thanks for watching!

[@FunkhousersNephew]

It's great getting more context on these Hell Let Loose maps lol I'm trying to get caught up before VJ Day!

[@bernardfinucane2061]

Note the the Maas and the Meuse are the same river. So are the Roer and the Rur, but they should not be confused with the Ruhr.

[@WorldWarTwo]

This fact is indeed true! Thanks for pointing that out! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@NigelDeForrest-Pearce-cv6ek]

Brilliant!!!

[@edmundcowan9131]

Another amazing job explaining the complex global situation.

[@reconsoldier135]

If you haven’t seen “When Trumpets Fade” I highly recommend it. All about the Hurtgen Forest

[@stevebarrett9357]

Interesting to see the 28th infantry division in this battle of the Hürtgen forest. I first heard of this division reading about another battle. They'd been put in a quiet sector of the front in order to recover from their previous battle. I can see now why they were in need of a quiet place to refit.

[@tabe8850]

8:01 that guy in back slipping. Inexperience indeed.

[@itwaswalpole]

I got nostalgia flashbacks seeing Verdun on the map

[@DarkSasori1]

Poor Mr. Sorge, such a tragic end.. I am currently reading a book revolving around his life called "Stalin's Spy - Richard Sorge", I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in his story. It is unthinkable how different history could have been had it not been for the actions of his Tokyo spy ring.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you for the recommendation. -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@sobersportsman]

We'll be home by Christmas.

[@WorldWarTwo]

The perpetual prediction of the world wars... -TimeGhost Ambassador