Week 278 - The Siege of Bastogne Begins - WW2 - December 23, 1944

The German Ardennes Offensive, called by the Allies the Battle of the Bulge, is in full swing in Luxembourg and Belgium this week, and the Germans have the key junction town of Bastogne under siege. On the Allied side there comes a large American surrender, plans for counterattacks, and tension growing between British and American Commands. The fight in both Italy and the Philippines continues, and in Hungary the Soviets have nearly surrounded Budapest.
00:26 Intro
01:06 The Battle of the Bulge
03:54 The Malmedy Massacre
06:25 Bastogne
10:00 American Surrender on Schnee Eifel
12:06 Patton plans a counterattack
15:44 Bernard Montgomery and Omar Bradley
18:12 The Red Army advances around Budapest
21:39 Fighting in Italy and Greece
22:45 Leyte and Mindoro
25:07 Conclusion
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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
Editing and Color Grading by Simon J. James
Artwork by: Mikołaj Uchman
Sound design by: Simon J. James & Marek Kamiński
Colorizations by: Mikołaj Uchman
Source literature list: bit.ly/SourcesWW2
Archive footage: Screenocean/Reuters - www.screenocean.com
Soundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
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Truce No More
Additional sounds provided by Zapsplat.com
Additional graphics provided by Vecteezy.com
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

[@Significantpower]

Watching this unfold week by week really hammers home just how quickly the German offensive bogged down.

[@MenwithHill]

One might even say it never got bogged up.

[@WorldWarTwo]

That is the great thing about this format ! Thanks for watching -TimeGhost Ambasador

[@Yamato-tp2kf]

There it is!!! The most famous answer to give when your enemy asks to surrender!!!

[@Tommy-qc4rj]

It's like they had a flat tire 3 years ago and kept driving and driving, only they've been accelerating occasionally to try and get to their finish line. But the tires still flat, and it's only a matter of time till the wheel comes off.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

There's also the vastly improved effectiveness of the US Army's combat capabilities. There were a number of effective American ad hoc battlegroups who took the fight to the Germans. These men bore no resemblance to the sad sacks of Kasserine Pass.

[@indianajones4321]

Fun fact: Mel Brooks was a combat engineer during the battle of the bulge

[@george217]

​@@retiredbore378I thought he wrote that after seeing the British Sitcom "Heil Honey, I'm Home", but I was mistaken. It actually predates the sitcom by quite a while...

[@adarkstarz]

He was sent to the forward edge of the battle areas, helping to clear German land mines so Allied forces could advance. He said " Along the roadside, you'd see bodies wrapped up in mattress covers and stacked in a ditch, and those would be Americans, that could be me."

[@johnwright291]

Yes I have heard him talk about it in interviews. I believe he was 18 at the time.

[@rc59191]

Wait was he one of the engineers at lanzareth ridge?

[@salsheikh4508]

Mel Brooks is awesome

[@patrickstephenson1264]

Frießner: We should leave Budapest! OKH: You're fired. Wöhler: We should leave Budapest! OKH: 😒

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

I think that happened quite a lot. If only because the front situation had not changed just by getting a new boss. But I reckon the request was more the trigger that caused Friessner to get sacked then the actual cause. Plus, new guy is usually a guy that Hitler trusts, and if Hitler trusts you you can get away with more things then if he does not trust you. Turnover in German high command was insane though. Stalin was said to shoot generals that failed him but Tolbukhin and Malinovski were already commanding Fronts by early 1942 and by now built up a lot of experience. In contrast you'd be hardpressed to find a German general commanding at Army or Armygroup level at that time to still be doing so at this time.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Getting a second opinion is helpful...

[@oLii96x]

Well, at least Frießner got his leave from Budapest

[@WorldWarTwo]

Some people cannot take a hint ... Thanks for commenting, hope you liked this week's episode! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@AWPtical800]

Fun fact; some nerd named Gerald R. Ford almost went overboard from USS Monterey in Typhoon Cobra. His life was saved by a lip on the flight deck: normally it was there to save tools from going over the edge, but it arrested his momentum just enough that he landed on a catwalk under the deck.

[@Beowulf_DW]

A friend of the family (that I always knew as “Mr. Duffy”) served as a rear gunner for a bomber on that carrier. He claimed that Ford was deeply unpopular among the enlisted. All officers must be a bit distant in their dealings with enlisted, but Mr. Duffy said that Ford took it way too far. Apparently, after the incident you mentioned, a joke started going around that “even the sea didn’t want the bastard.”

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@Beowulf_DW Still not as popular as John McCain. One of his fellow pilots shot his plane with a missile on the carrier deck, causing a massive fire that almost sank the ship.

[@Arashmickey]

From what I'm reading here, the lip did save a tool from going over the edge after all.@@Beowulf_DW

[@kornaros96]

didn't that "bastard" became POTUS?@@Beowulf_DW

[@brucetucker4847]

I've heard of him: he played football for Michigan, didn't he? Maybe he was part of the plot to steal Japanese signals.

[@sandralentz7243]

this was dedicated by my nephew. What a wonderful memorial to my Dad! thank you Josh.

[@WorldWarTwo]

And thanks a lot from the whole team to Josh as well! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@Dostwyn]

Call me a pessimist, but I don't think the war is gonna be over by Christmas.

[@Soundbrigade]

Naah … Hitler will throw in the tower at 30th of February 1945. My guess.

[@dominikjanda8832]

Maybe the next one? 🤔

[@arutka2000]

​@@dominikjanda8832True. They never did specify which Christmas after all.

[@johnclarencemercado4218]

Christmas, 1950

[@not2hot99]

​@@johnclarencemercado4218Christmas, 1991

[@CaptJPurdie]

For some reason, I always thought Germany never attempted any more airborne drops after the heavy casualties taking Crete. Those 1000 paratroopers on the first day of the Ardennes offensive must've felt they were finally being thrown in out of desperation.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

I'd call this more of a commando raid then an actual airborne drop.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Skip ahead to the quote at 3:14 about the Germans wanting to cause chaos in the American rear. Sounds like they learned a few lessions from the Allied airborne approach in Normandy and wanted to do everything they could to collapse the American lines. Having groups of paratroopers running around their rear areas, even scattered and disorganized, would help with that.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

J Purdie it was at least the official stance about the use of Paratroopers after the Crete disaster (Landing right on top of defensive positions no reconnaissance had discovered before and being totally spread out over the island instead of all planning...) It could have been at least in part motivated by the general lack of Ju 52 transport planes in all needed roles, so nobody could justify reserving a couple of hundred planes for a serious division size airdrop with all needed support weapons etc... And the glider/drag plane development with Me 321&323 Gigant and such did not go well either, even with about 200 gliders built (and later a good number changed to the motorized version) they never were used as the big whoppers needed a lot of ground to safely land, basically an airfield was desirable. Still it sounds better to say "out of tactical considerations we will no longer plan any landing operations" than to say "we have not enough of anything we need, including planes to bring out paratroopers to the jump coordinates"...

[@brettbosley779]

I've heard this claim too, in a (dubious) TV documentary IIRC. There were also Fallschirmjaeger drops in Sicily in 1943, and possibly some of the Eastern Front, but don't quote me on the latter.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@brettbosley779 Smaller battalion sized drops did happen regularly. But so it did with the Allies. I see them more as commando style operations, like how the British dropped paratroopers in France in 1942 to knick the latest German radar. But actual division or brigade/regiment sized drops, they never happened after Crete. Ugly German Truths gave some good reasons for them why it was likely more then just Hitler got cold feet after Crete. And he was not around after WW2 to defend him when it became very advantageous and convenient for German generals to blame him for everything that they had failed at.

[@Doc_Tar]

Are you guys saying that between "The Great War" series and the "WW2" series you've been grinding away at weekly episodes plus specials for roughly 10 years now? What an accomplishment for all involved. I feel truly blessed at your dedication and professionalism throughout and am confident this programing will be revered and cherished well into the future.

[@Merugaf]

True dedication

[@Arashmickey]

Furthermore, the number and length of videos have only increased, especially with the inclusion of the WAH and S&T series by Spartacus and Astrid. The last time a Twenty Minuter went down was the episode for the 27th of May 1944, which lasted 'merely' 19 minutes and 21 seconds. That's why I call him Indy the Indefatigable!

[@KKKKKKK777js]

In late July/August it will be exactly 10 years since the Great war started. Which will be poetic considering the state of this war in August 1945.

[@guameldestruir6239]

From what i understand the team who did The Great War is a completely different company then World War Two (founded by Indy) Indy is the only constant between the two and TGW continued on without him in a much-diminished state.

[@secretsfullofsaucers]

@@guameldestruir6239 Spartacus Olsson was also involved in The Great War

[@moonlapsevertigo2432]

According to my dad, my grandfather was in the siege of Bastogne. He also served as a guard at some of the Nuremberg trials. He died when I was very young, wish I would have been able to talk to him about his service

[@totalwartimelapses6359]

From everything I heard about war veterans, you probably wouldn't have gotten much out of him if you talked him Seems most of them prefer not to talk about their time during wars

[@Conn30Mtenor]

Send a request for his war records at the National Archives. You can also search for the war diaries of the units he served in and then you can trace his movements.

[@rocksandoil2241]

@@totalwartimelapses6359 Only to other vets - I knew a guy with PTSD from Vietnam talking to an old "island hopping" vet. He told him only months before he died that the Japanese threw a grenade back out after he tossed it in and that was what wounded him. As Paul went to leave the old guy's wife approached him at the door and told him that in all their 50 years, he had never told her that story. They understood each other.

[@jackthorton10]

Soldiers Creed… holds true and you relay your struggle to your brothers and their brothers beyond… May their unity and integrity never be lost nor forgotten, for they have served their time in the hell of war 🫡

[@brucebartup6161]

Having once asked a British WW1 vet about his experience of trench warfare I received the word "horiible" and then the teers of a nonagenarian, b orn ion the feign of Victoria and raised as all British boys were raised from birth to believe that weeping was womanly a sign of weakness in a man..I'd say Don't ask, Be ready if they want to talk. They may seek forgiveness, or to escape the crimes committed (real, imaginary and omigod) , or for relief from the trauma of what happened. I think sometimes they just miss their buddies and being young. But for many they prefer to forget, to think only about today. Never go there, even in the privacy of their own minds. Often to protect their wives. Many rsasons for silence. Few reasons to talk. Which is fkne. THey are entitled we are obliged all the best sorry fo r thetypos, Parkinsons ghere,pretty bad noww

[@michaelmorley7719]

My father was an armored infantryman in the 7th Armored Division, having joined up with his unit just a day or two before the Germans launched the Ardennes offensive. He said that as they were moving up to the front in their halftracks, it seemed like everyone else in the US army was going the other way. He believed that the 7th Armored's delaying action around St. Vith was more important to the success of the battle than the 101st holding out at Bastogne. My father and other vets also told me that once word got around about Malmedy and Wereth, the US troops stopped taking SS prisoners.

[@merdiolu]

Fully agree. It was the eight day stand of 7th US Armored Division supported by shattered remnants of two US infantry regiments at Sankt Vith and Vielsam salients and along with V Corps defence of Elsenborn ridge that absorbed initial full force of German offensive.

[@caryblack5985]

Yes that is true. If you want a detailed explanation of the importance of the fighting in the north section against the SS panzer divisions which were the most powerful units in the Ardennes offensive read Steven Zaloga Smashing Hitler's Panzers.

[@tropics8407]

Thank you 🙏

[@ToddSauve]

Not taking SS troops prisoner had been happening with some frequency since the Normandy invasion. The Canadians, British and Americans dispensed with SS prisoners without a second thought if they suspected them of murdering Allied POWs. It got really bad in the Juno beach region where about 160 Canadians were murdered by 12 SS. In response no one even knows with any certainty how many 12 SS went to their Maker early. 🤔🤨 Interestingly, even the other German divisions in Normandy nicknamed the 12 SS as "the murder division." They were not admired even by their own side and the Canadians considered 12 SS as not very good soldiers overall.

[@gunman47]

A sidenote this week on December 18 1944 is that the German offensive in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium will begin to stall after American forces in the area began to fight back. American artillery units would finally be authorized to use the secret proximity fuses on their shells to create air bursts over enemy positions which inflicted demoralizing losses on men and equipment below. One American artillery commander even employed these shells without authorization a day or two before this date.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Why secret? Did they have a specific use in mind for those shells that they were waiting for, maybe the assault over the Rhine? If they'd already issued them to front-line units, whatever they were holding them back for must have been close to happening.

[@motherlesschild102]

@@Raskolnikov70 Probably some kind of bureaucratic "military intelligence" obsession. Could anyone really have believed that the Germans could have copied the design (including the radar necessary to make it all work), suddenly manufactured proximity fuses of their own, and deployed the weapon along with the men trained to use it in less than a year?? When everything was collapsing for the 3rd Reich??

[@aaroncolby6124]

@@Raskolnikov70they were planning to wait until after the New Year to build up a stockpile. The emergency of the offensive caused Eisenhower to authorize their immediate use.

[@FalconAnno75]

@@Raskolnikov70they were used in AA guns in the pacific and was responsible for the sharp increase in effectiveness there. So effective the allies didn’t want to use those fuses on ground based guns fearing the enemy would be able to pick up on duds or what not and reverse engineer them.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

How would you use Anti Aircraft Proximity Fuses against ground targets? Ground bursts need to be TIMED as there is no guarantee anything they fly towards to hit will give back a radar echo.

[@alexamerling79]

Happy holidays timeghost and thank you for your coverage of the war! In addition to Malmedy, the 1st SS also shot 11 African American POWs at Wereth and murdered Belgian civilians at Stavelot. Goes to show how even more brutal the Nazis were even as they were losing.

[@teniente_snafu]

In Germany there is the term "Endphaseverbrechen" - end phase atrocities. The Nazis were at their worst when they knew their gig was up. Like psychopaths running amok, they wanted to take as many as they could with them into death and leave as much suffering and destruction as possible.

[@Kubinda12345]

Especially when they were losing. E.g. a lot of political prisoners were killed right before the end of the war because the Nazis wanted to take them down as well.

[@joewilly2238]

interesting, while its nice to get a full coverage of the war, its good to know theres so much more out there that they couldnt cover or couldnt even find.

[@redgold9120]

And slaves from conquered territories were executed on the slightest pretext during the closing days of the war by the Germans , including by the civilian households who "employ" them.

[@ramonzzzz]

@@redgold9120This is new to me. From which book did you learn this, or is there some other source?

[@rose-marietrembloy243]

Can you imagine how we felt ( I was 13 ) at the time when we thought that after four years the hated occupation army was finally gone? Of course the war went on, but we saw a tiny light at the far end of the tunnel…and it suddenly disappeared. Thank you for your exceptional work, week after week we are all waiting for a new episode. My very best wishes for a very good year.

[@the_mowron]

You can't post that comment without telling us where you lived at the time. I assume Belgium, but what town?

[@Astragoth2]

92 years old!

[@orestisbe6978]

​@@the_mowronit could also be Greece.

[@the_mowron]

@@orestisbe6978 Yes, she has a good story and then leaves us with a cliffhanger.

[@rose-marietrembloy243]

I have been living in Brussels for almost 93 years. I remember everything that took place since Hitler came to power: remember that in our families there were grandfathers, uncles, cousins, friends who had fought against the Germans from 1914 to 1918, and besides those who hadn’t returned, many of them had been wounded. We children knew the meaning of what was happening with the civil war in Spain , the war in Finland, the refugees from the Baltic countries. And then after May 1940 we saw our Jewish neighbours and school friends being taken away by the Gestapo, neighbours, friends and family members hiding because they took part in the resistance movements. You can easily imagine how we welcomed the allied soldiers. After the war my sister married one of the few survivors of the battle of the Bulge, which for us has always been “the von Rundstedt offensive”. Merry Christmas to everyone and a better, peaceful year.

[@TheMasonK]

One final Christmas before peace. May we never forget the hard won peace by all the men and women who fought on the front lines, worked the factories, rationing food, etc. There’s a reason we remember them as the greatest generation. Every single human being in the allied nations played a part in winning this war no matter how small. It was their duty as citizens of the free world and they held to that duty.

[@Azure217]

Well unfortunately peace was to remain illusive in much of the world for many years to come after ww2 'ends'. :(

[@user-ur8pe7yw6m]

I know I am two months late here, but I just wanted to share a story. My grandfather was in the 26th Yankee division near Bastogne in December 1944. On the 26th of December that year , he and a few others were in an automobile near bastogne when they ran into a mine. The car exploded. My grandfather was blown ten feet in the air and survived. Having broken his back and fractured many of the bones in his legs, he limped his way to one of the other survivors and after crawling through mud to get there, he passed out and woke up in a hospital. He was awarded the purple heart and bronze star.

[@21bugger]

Thanks for the coverage of the Western front in Europe in detail. I’ve always viewed it as an open and shut case that once the allied landed, it’s a relatively quick, easy victory but didn’t realised just how involved the Western allies were to ensure that the victory came about. This is not to discount the Eastern front though which is quite simply massive!

[@TheStephaneAdam]

If I remember correctly the western allied casualties were at their worst in the last six months of the war. Or close to it.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

75% of the casualties of the Western Allies were incurred in 44/45.

[@21bugger]

@@Conn30Mtenor - that’s all over the world or just the European theatre?

[@jrus690]

It was kind of ironic how long it took for us to win this war, for it was 11 months after Normandy to get the surrender. This is a Germany without an airforce, as the Luftwaffe is basically on life support, and the panzer's are all moving around at night. The Germans did so much damage to the Soviets that they are now merely at Warsaw and Budapest.

[@WorldWarTwo]

It is, indeed, quite a complex and huge undertaking, where no side gives the other any advantage, despite the advanced stage of the war, and the -often- simplified versions presented of it. -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@Mach11976]

My Uncle Bud died at the Bulge, the only person lost in our family due to war. My grandfather's life stopped that day my dad told me year's later, I joined the Navy in 77-81 and again in 90-93. I understand now how he felt, I've lost over 9 fellow veteran's to PTS, Drug Addiction and accidental overdoses in the last 6 years since leaving Florida. God bless them.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for sharing this touching story with us all. Never Forget -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@Perkelenaattori]

Nice story about the TG army's brigadier's grandfather. I guess there were no driving time monitoring for the drivers of those supply trucks. 😄

[@Dustz92]

A couple of movie recommendations for the week: - Obviously, the 6th episode of Band of Brothers, "Bastogne", about the siege. -Unrelated to this, the excellent film "Stalag 17" by Billy Wilder, about a German POW camp in Austria with American POWs, takes place from 22-25 December 1944.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Another great one from this time period is "A Midnight Clear". Not about the battle itself but a small unit caught up in the events of it and an interesting exploration of the people on both sides just trying to survive.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@Raskolnikov70 One of my favourite novels, by William Wharton, and a good small-budget film of it came out in 1992.

[@evancrum6811]

Stalag 17 is one of my favorite movies ever.

[@gordybing1727]

I'm fond of "Imitation General" with Glenn Ford and Red Buttons.

[@brettbosley779]

A Midnight Clear featuring then little known actors Gary Sinise and Ethan Hawke.

[@Rockinbiker1946]

The videos about the Hurtgen forest battles and the Bastogne battle are of particular interest to me. My father Donald Koch was attached to the light AA unit consisting of quad .50 mounts on half tracks that were used in the Bastogne area . My father was the tech who calibrated the fire control mechanical computer for the AA mounts. He and his men were pulled from Bastogne on the last road out before encirclement leaving the half tracks to form part of the defense against German ground troops. My father carried a camera during his experiences in Europe and I have many photos from that time.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Have you donated those pictures to your local historical society? Do consider it if you haven't already, finding new stuff for the archives is pretty rare these days.

[@Paladin1873]

To enter the military right after Pearl Harbor, then participate in every operation from North Africa to Sicily, Italy, France, and Belgium, and to emerge physically unscathed, is a major accomplishment in itself. It is part of why we call them the Greatest Generation.

[@ceberskie119]

No one emerges from that much fighting unscathed...just undocumented. There was a conscientious effort by alot of militaries after the war to put a lid on the shell shock phenomenon that we now call PTSD. Needless to say the greatest generation produced alot of broken homes. And the silent generation thst proceeded them will continue to go on to do some pretty terrible things as world and military leaders. I won't argue the incredible work those men and women did against what is probably one of the most easily justifiabld conflicts in human history...but don't forget they're still human and what they experienced did not change that.

[@Paladin1873]

​@@ceberskie119 I only said he emerged physically unscathed. I haven't forgotten the potential emotional and psychological impacts, but these are harder to identify and measure. Unless the veterans are willing to discuss them, they remain largely a hidden enigma.

[@anthonygray333]

Another tidbit about Hosingen. The 28th Division’s 103d Engineer Bn was training a lot of their post Huertgen Forest replacements on how to conduct a prepared defense. The Germans unwittingly attacked right into a textbook engagement area.

[@Raskolnikov70]

That was blind luck. The US Army has never been too keen on focusing on teaching defense - 'Retrograde Actions' in their terminology - but focusing on offense instead. Which is a shame, considering how easy it is to set up blocking units and slow down an enemy advance with a very small amount of troops and resources.

[@anthonygray333]

@@Raskolnikov70 Agree. This was purely divine providence in their favor. I walked that ground in the late 90’s. Sobering.

[@george217]

McAuliffe was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, promoted to Major General and given command of the 103rd Infantry Division.

[@thehistoryvideogameandgame4730]

The citation reads as follows according to The Hall Of Valor Project’s website “The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Brigadier General Anthony Clement McAuliffe (ASN: 0-12263), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Acting Commander, 101st Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces from 17 to 26 December 1944, at Bastogne, Belgium. During this period General McAuliffe was in command of the 101st Airborne Division during the siege of Bastogne, Belgium, by overwhelming enemy forces. Though the city was completely surrounded by the enemy, the spirit of the defending troops under this officer's inspiring, gallant leadership never wavered. Their courageous stand is epic. General McAuliffe continuously exposed himself to enemy bombing, strafing, and armored and infantry attacks to personally direct his troops, utterly disregarding his own safety. Brigadier General McAuliffe's courage, fearless determination and inspiring, heroic leadership exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 101st Airborne Division, and the United States Army.”

[@thehistoryvideogameandgame4730]

He would retire in 1956 as a Four Star General, And his last duty station was as the commander of United States Army Europe

[@merdiolu]

11:20 A few things to add. 7th US Armored Division hold on Sankt Vith for almost one weeks ( town fell on 21st December but after that 62nd German Volksgranedier and 18th German In fantry Divisions moved very sluggishly and Fuhrer Belgeit Brigade could not move out of ruins of town after capturing it due to traffic jams) with support of remaining shattered regiments of 28th and 106th US Infantry Divisions and then holding crucial road intersection west of Sankt Vith ( nicknamed Fortified Goose Egg) for two more days before evacuated just on nick of time on 23rd December to safer lines formed seven miles rear west of Salm river by direct orders from Montgomery before recently arrived 2nd SS Panzer Corps overwhelmed them , were much more crucial and vital in stalling and checking German offensive in northern flank ( where main Schwenktpunkt or focus point of German offensive was towards Meuse. 6th SS Panzer Army and 5th Panzer Army focused on northern flank ) than any hold of Bastogne ( which was masked by only one German division and one extra regiment from Panzer Lehr Division at this stage of battle. Bastogne will become focus point of battle only after next week) , that implies no lack valour or insult to 101st US Airborne veterans holding Bastogne though. It was the US stand on Sankt Vith salient and them Vielsam salient for total of eight days that absorbed the main momentum of German attack. Germans realised they needed the road intersection at Bastogne only in second week of offensive by then Patton relieved the town anyway. Holding out Sankt Vith therefore denying vital crossroads for almost one week then timely evacuation of Fortified Goose Egg from only one road open towards north , stalled German attack to a crawling speed in first ten days of battle and then stopped it cold. Brigadier Bruce Clarke 7th US Armored Division holding Sankt Vith salient and Fortified Goose Egg later promoted to two star division commander rank , is the unknown hero of Battle of Bulge.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

Didn't he get fired by Hodges after Saint Vith fell and then reinstated the same day once Hodges actually learnt what had happened?

[@merdiolu]

@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 Hodges was actually living a self imposed bubble , out of contact with his field armies and had to evacuate 1st Army HQ in Spa due to Peiper's armored columns approach. When Montgomery took over 1st US Army and took over Hodges HQ in Spa on 20th December , he found a very chaotic situation half evacuation , somewhat panic everyehere. It was Matt Ridgway , 18th Airborne Corps commander who tried to relieve Clarke but he changed his mind a few hours later realising Clarke did far better than anyone could ask for and he will have no support relieving Clarke anyway.

[@motherlesschild102]

One of my Dad's friends (from the 106th) was in a hospital at St Vith until being evacuated. The Germans were throwing everything they could at this sector-including jets and V-1s.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@merdiolu I should have known that. I have Gavin's memoirs.

[@alanwatts5445]

Some very good points I was going to make. The defense of St. Vith was at least as important as Bastogne as it was nearer to German's main effort. Remembering that the Tank Divisions fought very differently than the Airborne Divisions, Gen. Clark said in an interview that, "...the 7th Armored was smart enough not to let themselves get surrounded." He explained that they wanted to retain their mobility and stay in front of the German attacks, further blunting and slowing their attacks.

[@robertbloch1063]

Your mention of John Bruder reminded me quote of Omar Bradley: "amateurs talk strategy and professionals talk logistics"

[@9wowable]

19:30 it’s so weird finally hearing the names of places I know so well and live around. Next week by Soviet’s capture my village, and Malinovsky even makes it his forward base. Surprisingly he, and the Soviets are remembered well in the village.

[@rickhobson3211]

This is the battle that changed my dad from a welder at the Seattle shipyards to a replacement, and sent him to Europe in time to be at Dachau for its liberation. Another great episode, Time Ghost Crew.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us, and thanks a lot for watching -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@thehistoryvideogameandgame4730]

Here’s a story about Joachim Peiper during the Battle of the Bulge that when I imagine it I get a chuckle out of it, On the road to the village of Habiemont, Members of the The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion blew up the bridge spanning the course of the creek that he was about to cross, Which delayed his Kampfgruppe’s advance, Apparently he was so furious that he was banging his fist against his tank and screaming “The damned engineers! The damned engineers!”

[@carpecanem611]

There is even a book by that name.

[@docvideo93]

2:40 In the many stories of the Bulge, one reason why Pieper was held up in a traffic jam that one of his advance units was held up by a single US platoon of about 20 men. The story is shared in the book "Longest Winter" by Alex Kershaw.

[@davidsigalow7349]

The growing length of each weekly episode demonstrates how, the closer one side gets towards victory and enters enemy territory, the more violent and bloody the war becomes.

[@eleanorkett1129]

Wonderful episode. I like the idea of memorializing a brave ancestor. Bravo to John Senior and to his grandson for keeping the memory alive.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Couldn't have said it better! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@captainyossarian388]

The sixth Christmas of WW2, wow, that puts it in perspective a lot better than saying 1939-1945. Also happy holidays to you all!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Indeed it does! Thanks a lot and merry Christmas to you too -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@gnoccialpesto]

As a former resident of both Belgium and Luxembourg, thank you Indy for making me laugh hysterically with your mangling of the pronunciation of every single town 🤣 You have cheered up my Christmas 😉

[@WorldWarTwo]

We will surely tell him that! Thanks a lot for your comment, and a merry Christmas to you too ;) -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@LeftToWrite006]

The late actor Charles Durning was a survivor of the Malmedy Massacre. He was shot in the hip and the bullet was never removed.

[@stonedtowel]

The dedication at the end was beautiful, have a merry Christmas WWII team

[@WorldWarTwo]

Happy Holidays! Thanks for watching :) - TG Ambassador

[@indianajones4321]

Been to Bastogne, great WW2 museums there, I highly recommend going

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks for the tip! -TomeGhost Ambassador

[@JonathanWrightSA]

29.5 minutes. This is the longest episode of the war to date, beating out the 28 minute episode about 2 or 3 months ago. I had no idea that the German advances were as extensive as they were in the Battle of the Bulge. Pretty incredible

[@Raskolnikov70]

At the beginning of 2023 a bunch of us predicted 30 minute episodes by the end of the year/Battle of the Bulge time. Here we are, and it's going to be a challenge to stop them from getting even longer.

[@barrygray3615]

This episode and the dedication at the end brought back memories of my father in law. He was in the 3089th Quartermaster Corps Refrigeration Company in Belgium as a TEC 4, Head Cargo Checker, supervising 20 cargo checkers. They unloaded the ships, I assume at Antwerp, to get the supplies to the front. He once told me a story about getting a frozen steak as a bonus and giving it to the local Belgians. Also “buzz bomb” attacks while stationed in England. We have his discharge papers, including thank you letters from General Bradley and President Truman. He was a great guy. RIP.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us, he surely sounds like a great guy, may he rest in peace -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@walhalladome5227]

The 28th of December we will go to Bastogne and visit the museum.

[@WorldWarTwo]

That's awesome, have a great visit there! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@walhalladome5227]

Thanks

[@turkey7269]

These videos make every Saturday the best day of the week. Have a good festive season all

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot, mate! Glad to see you every Saturday! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@johnrust592]

My Uncle Johnny served as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of the Bulge. He barely talked about his experiences there, but his wife did say for the rest of his life he really, really hated being cold. Certainly understandable.

[@georgebarnes9544]

Thanks Josh! Glad to hear about your grandfather's vital contributions to winning the war.

[@hypachilla1131]

It feels like such a privlidge in my life haveing been with the world war week by week for 10 years. Thanks for much for telling this story

[@WorldWarTwo]

And a huge thanks to you for watching every week! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@Kubinda12345]

I've heard about the "Nuts" answer before but I've never heard that the Germans didn't know what that means. I guess that it would destroy the point 😀

[@markreetz1001]

I don't know...the Germans asking "ist das affirmative or negative?" is a pretty good point. Like "your demands are not worthy of a clear response!"

[@El_Presidente_5337]

This is pretty wild where John Bruder was. He was in Africa, Italy, France, Belgium and I also imagine Germany at some point.

[@charlesperry1051]

My grandfather fought in Patton's 3rd army. He told some amazing stories sitting on his porch, often to the dismay of my mother! He lied about his age to enlist. Lucky for him the county courthouse (Wayne Co, WV) had burned in his youth so there were no records. I love your series and seeing where Patton's army is next. I get to see where my grandfather was each week.

[@WorldWarTwo]

This sounds like a man who could tell a few stories about his time! We are all eagerly waiting for the next episode too ;) -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@SammyNeedsAnAlibi]

Another great episode, and thank you Josh for sharing your Sea Story with us- Happiest Holiday wishes to you all at Time Chost!

[@zstewart]

"Nuts" is just one of those great iconic replies, like "Retreat hell, we just got here" was in the last war. Of course you only really get famous for a line like that if you actually manage to hold.

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

Although a much less famous line, there is another that really captures the tenacity of the defending troops in the early days of the offensive. As the 26th infantry regiment dug in on hills around the village of Dom Butgenbach, part of the defense of Krinkelt in the overall fight for Elsenborn ridge, the 26th's commander told his men, "We fight and die here."

[@Raskolnikov70]

Another famous one - "We're Airborne, we're supposed to be surrounded". No idea what the original source is, it got popular after Band of Brothers aired in 2001 but it was written on barracks walls when I went to Airborne school in 1991. It's been kicking around for a while.

[@kantemirovskaya1lightninga30]

Thank you for another wonderful episode with the poignant ending. Merry Christmas to everyone on the time goes team!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for your kind words! Merry Christmas to you too! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@ltdannichols]

That episode deserved awards. Merry Christmas to the whole crew at Timeghost.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for those kind words! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones too! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@indianajones4321]

Merry Christmas everyone!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Merry Christmas to you too! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@justonemori]

Combat Command B of the The USA 7th Armored Division, headed by General Bruce C Clarke, was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for their delaying actions at St Vith this week. Never forget!

[@mikiroony]

Happy Christmas, Timeghost army!! Ps. Great editing job at the end xD

[@WorldWarTwo]

Happy Holidays! Thanks for watching :) - TG Ambassador

[@riptide1ful]

The 28th Infantry Division, my unit, was in St. Vith.

[@JHenrySmith2]

I'm sure plenty of you folks on here know all about th e Operations Room channel here on KZbin, but for those that don't go check out their series on the Battle of the Bugle. It's spectacularly well done and gives a lot more detail that this channel just cant get in to.

[@marshalleubanks2454]

"Nuts" is basically equivalent to "Götz von Berlichingen" Any German officer would have gotten that.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

"Leck mir im Arsch", or something like that...

[@Javaman92]

This episode ended up being special for me. My dad had told me that he was in Germany at the end of WWII and that he was involved in the battle of the Bulge. He didn't talk much about the war. As I was watching this I was thinking, Dad was with the Second division and I haven't seen much of them. THEN there they were, very much involved. It... it is a small thing but then a huge thing. He died in 1981 so we really didn't get to know each other that well. Anyway. I love your program, and I appreciate the way you don't make war glamorous. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for sharing those details with us, it means a lot! Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your loved ones too! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@user-tz3po4rv7f]

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.

[@Georgiadude32]

Man, these next few months are going to be crazy. The mindset of Germans still fighting in 1945 still interests me, it’s really the most fascinating point in the war to me. looking forward to hearing this channel’s level of detail on these last months

[@oliversherman2414]

It's been a while since I commented on one of these episodes. Great video as always 👍🏻

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for your comment in that case! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@oliversherman2414]

@@WorldWarTwo No problem 👍🏻

[@javi009z]

NUTS: This considerably raised morale to men that lacked ammo, clothing, and support

[@jefffoutz4024]

But "Nuts"....... ? Nuts they had.

[@thegift20luis]

Excellent work! Always a joy to watch! Thanks for sharing friends!

[@WorldWarTwo]

And we are glad that you enjoy it! Thanks a lot for watching, commenting and sharing! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@lloydirland7006]

Great episode. Been waiting for it. My dad was a battery commander with the 7th armored in St Vith Area and all the way from Normandy to Germany.

[@MegaHello202]

Merry Christmas to everyone at time ghost, thank you for the amazing content!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Happy Holidays, thank you for watching! - TG Ambassador

[@TrickiVicBB71]

Thank you Josh for sharing your grandfather's story

[@romanlanzas508]

the end of this episode gave me goosebumps. y’all are the ww2 history goats

[@weizmeister]

Merry Christmas Indy and Team! Excellent episode as always.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Happy Holidays, thanks for watching! - TG Ambassador

[@darthcheney7447]

Merry Christmas, TimeGhost. Great job, as allways.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Merry Christmas to you too! Thanks a lot! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@Sage0130]

Great video is great as always. Just letting you guys know that you forgot to put this in the "Real McCoy" playlist.

[@brokenbridge6316]

That was a lovely tribute that guy gave to his grandfather. Great video.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

A wonderful historical coverage video and wonderful narration...merry Christmas 🎄

[@WorldWarTwo]

Merry Christmas to you too! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@podemosurss8316]

"We are the 6. Panzer Army because we only have 6 Panzers left" (German late-war joke)

[@WorldWarTwo]

"If you see a white plane, it's American. If you see a black one, it's British. If you see no plane: It's the Luftwaffe" another classic -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@aegontargaryen9322]

Another great episode. Merry Christmas to all the team and i wish you all the best for the forthcoming year

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for watching and wishing you a Merry Christmas as well and a happy new year! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@SABRMatt2010]

what an awesome story at the end...I love hearing stories of wartime from the more intimate angle.

[@ldmitruk]

If you're ever in Bastogne, I recommend at least these two things. Tour McAuliffe headquarters at the Belgium Army base and try a helmet of Airborne beer.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for the tips! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@petestorz172]

The "chemical mortar" was a 107 mm//4.2" mortar originally designed to be able to fire chemical shells (the British has a similar 4" mortar). In actual use, the chemical mortars fired HE and fragmentation shells. "Chemical mortar" was an anachronistic name.

[@Raskolnikov70]

The units were still issued chemical rounds and trained in their use, ergo the name. They just never had occasion to during WWII because nobody on any side wanted to open that can of hellish worms.

[@steved5495]

I think smoke shells counted as chemical.

[@Patrick_Cooper]

I still get chills when Indy pauses just before the end.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Same for me! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@jeffburton1477]

All this happened, more or less - Kurt Vonnegut (106th Inf Div)

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

Another famous author was involved in the Battle of the Bulge as well. William Wharton wounded by shrapnel during the fighting in the Ardennes and later wore a beard to conceal the scar. His novel A Midnight Clear, later adapted to a film starring Ethan Hawke and Gary Sinise (it is excellent), is fictional but partly inspired by his experiences during the battle.

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@ahorsewithnoname773 I mentioned that movie in another comment somewhere above. Surprised more people haven't heard of it, although it was kind of a sleeper when it was released.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@Raskolnikov70 A 20 power scouting scope is mentioned in the novel as being carried by the patrol, more powerful than binoculars of the time. In the rather low budget film an obvious telescopic sight is used - the 20 power scope of WW2 was rather large but probably they could not find one and went with the telescopic sight even though it is obviously not authentic.

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

@@Raskolnikov70 It is definitely underrated. I'm always surprised on the few occasions I see it mentioned here. I think you hit at why it isn't better known. It was a small indie film rather than a big budget production like Saving Private Ryan.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@ahorsewithnoname773 A rather sombre plot. I won't go into details for those who have not seen it or not read the novel, but the Americans are a reconnaissance squad who were selected for their high scores on the Army intelligence test (several were also part of the Army Specialized Training Program). These intelligent soldiers try to make a difference to their situation but as one of them observes, "This war is totally out of control."

[@jbart1411]

My uncle was in Paton’s 3rd army during the battle

[@Swampfox612]

One of my uncles was in the Battle of the Bulge, but his service ended when he was shot through the knee at St. Vith. This one is personal. Thanks, Indie and the Time Ghost team. merry Christmas and peace to you all.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks to him, and thanks to you for watching! Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to you too! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@pattygman4675]

Merry Christmas to Indi, sparty, Anna and Astrid and all of the TG team. And a happy new year.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot from the whole team! And a Merry Christmas and a happy new year back to you! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@TheMormonPower]

As a history buff, several times in my life, I've been in a situation where I've for one reason or another, found myself in a cemetery, and walked through it, taking note of the headstones of soldiers that fell in WWII, I noticed by far, that most of the headstones were for soldiers that died in December 1944, probably in the Battle of the Bulge. Not a scientific survey I know, but a hell of a lot of American soldiers died during this time.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Approximately 81,000 US casualties in the Bulge. I don't know how many KIA. Perhaps as many as 10,000 US POWs, including the greater part of the 106th Division.

[@bgdancer100]

This is the second time 30th ID has met and beaten the 1st SS Panzer (the other time was at Mortain in Normandy).

[@thehistoryvideogameandgame4730]

I’m surprised that Leland Hobbs didn’t receive a third general star considering at least that he was the commander of The 9th Corps after the war

[@Kubinda12345]

What was the reason for the Malmedy massacre? Or did the SS simply forgot that they weren't fighting on the Eastern Front anymore?

[@MikeJones-qn1gz]

Lack of resources, they weren’t in any position to accept prisoners being so far forward. Also the factor of they are SS and are willing to do anything to anybody they deem a problem. Just one more war crime in a long war.

[@javi009z]

Because they are the "SS" they are real a*holes

[@thehistoryvideogameandgame4730]

⁠@@emcee768however this backfires completely, Instead of instilling despair into their enemies, Kampfgruppe Peiper actions instead galvanizes the Americans across the Ardennes, And at the worst possible moment too when defeatism was spreading among the ranks

[@stevekaczynski3793]

A fair number of Peiper's troops were Romanian and Hungarian Volksdeutsche, now homeless as a result of Red Army advances, and bitter about it. This may have had a bearing on their behaviour.

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

Shortly before the massacre a U.S. reconaissance platoon of only 22 men had fiercely defended the village of Lanzerath from around 500 or so Fallschirmjäger troops. They held it for an entire day replusing several attempts to storm it, and inflicted heavy casualties on the attacking force. In the end nearly every man in the defending platoon was wounded and ammunition was spent, and they were forced to attempt a withdraw during which they were outflanked and captured. Despite the capture of the platoon however they had achieved their objective and delayed the Germans' advance in that sector for nearly a day, allowing reinforcements to be brought up elsewhere. That is sort of the backdrop for the massacre. The executed prisoners were from a different unit, but it was born of frustration of unexepected heavy resistance from scattered American units that seriously delayed the offensive timetable and allowed reinforcements to be brought up. That and the murders of the Wereth 11 set an ugly tone for the rest of the offensive, as word spread many American soldiers became reluctant to take SS men prisoner and many surviving veterans have been frank about simply shooting them unless an officer prevented it. There would also be a similar massacre of around 80 Wehrmacht troops by US 11th armoured troops at Chenogne in Belgium on Jan 1st, 1945. War is hell.

[@yes_head]

Merry Christmas TG brethren! And thanks to Indy and the gang for another great episode, especially the coverage of the Ardennes offensive (not surprised by a 4000+ word script!) This battle has taken on mythic proportions in American minds through the film "The Battle of the Bulge" (Henry Fonda! Charles Bronson! Nazis! Tanks! Explosions!), but I've been looking forward to this kind of in-depth breakdown of the entire campaign. I have to also commend you on the coverage of the Greek crisis, which I knew almost nothing about. I imagine it must have really cheesed Churchill off to have to go all the way to Greece to patch things up. But it did seem like a mess of his own doing that only he could fix.

[@martinlye2748]

Excellent as always and that is why Red Bull has wings.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for your comment! Front or rear wing? -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@ssgtmole8610]

Thank you for putting Typhoon Cobra into context for me finally. In the past, in all the retellings I have encountered the Typhoon in, Halsey's behavior during the storm has been mentioned, the weather forecasters in the fleet have been mentioned, the fleet's losses have been mentioned, refueling too, but the fact that they were attempting to support the attacks on the Philippines was not mentioned, or at least not in a way it got across to me.

[@jamescastle9606]

Crack of the lightning splitting the ground! 🎵

[@TheTurtleGamer196]

This was the first reference I saw

[@johnwright291]

This epusode drove me NUTS!!!. The capsizing of US navy destroyers really suprises me. I thought that this was extremely rare.

[@Raskolnikov70]

You'd think they could just close all the hatches and ride out the storm without any risk of sinking. Maybe the ships were damaged so heavily that they took on water somehow?

[@mikoyan29s]

Rare, but it happened due to multiple reasons. The bad weather meant that the destroyers couldn't be refueled. This meant that the ships lacked adequate ballast with the empty or near empty fuel bunkers (tanks) which made the ships more prone to rolling. Two of the destroyers sunk were prewar designs (Mahan Class if i remember right) that had, over the course of the war, received additional weapons and sensors that made them increasingly top heavy which exasperated the rolling. Realizing that the weather was worsening, many destroyer captains would ballast down by pumping sea water into their fuel tanks in an attempt to improve seakeeping. Drachinifel made a video that covers this in far better detail than I have here.

[@johnwright291]

@@mikoyan29s I live in tacoma Washington and on Christmas day 1898 a 325 foot steel sailing ship capsized and sank when a gale force wind hit it while anchored with the cargo holds empty. It had huge logs attached to both sides and one of the chains that went from the log to the deck of the ship broke and with no ballast in the holds she turned over so fast that the 21 crew members on board all drowned. Efforts to salvage the ship failed and she remains at the bottom of Tacoma's harbor.

[@DazzleCamo]

You do such a good job with pronunciation, Indy

[@Fortuna_Magica]

Its true when you study history about the wars the focus is almost always on the combat, people dont get to hear about just how much, and how difficult the work would have been bringing up supplies its nice to hear his story :-) Maybe at some point you guys can make a couple of special episodes about supplying a war :-)

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Hmm...I have lived in Mindoro - it's a small island with no cities, few roads & just a couple of ports. Apart from being close to Manila/Batangas & airfields, it has little real military value that I can see. _I was asleep for the premiere...it's 0230 here on Christmas Eve! =)_

[@WorldWarTwo]

Merry Christmas back to you from Europe! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@user-kj6sw3to4m]

I still love you Indy thank you and your team so much❤

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot for your kind words! We will let him know ;) -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@naveenraj2008eee]

Hi Indy Another interesting week. Episode getting bigger denote how much details need to cover. Happy Christmas to you and your team. Have a wonderful holidays.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Happy Holidays! Thanks for watching :) - TG Ambassador

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

I think a year ago these episodes clocked in on average to 20 minutes. Now we're close to 30.

[@Raskolnikov70]

Think you might have been around at the beginning of the year when a bunch of us predicted 30 minutes would be the default length by this time. They were running around 20 minutes then, and it's going to be a challenge to keep them at a reasonable length from here on out.

[@WorldWarTwo]

It really goes to show which drastic dimensions this war takes ... Thanks a lot for watching despite the longer format! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@Raskolnikov70 I think I've been around since mid 1942, when Fall Blau happened. Probably because of TIKHistory's Stalingrad series and for a short while the two series ran concurrent. That was when TIK still was able to do 1 Stalingrad episode every 2 weeks and before he burned out. But he finished it this month and I stayed here too. So almost 2 years on this channel I guess? The good years. When the Axis got its asses kicked!

[@jamsdiscourse9512]

Today I confused my family by seeing that this video had been posted and saying "Finally, Nuts"

[@RollTide1987]

I can't tell you how many people I know whose grandfathers were participants of the Battle of the Bulge.

[@robg9236]

If they all were really there the US would have outnumbered the Germans by 10 : 1.

[@WorldWarTwo]

To be fair, I (the man behind the reply) know none! So it must be quite impressive ;) -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@dirtcop11]

I can''t forget this day, it is my oldest daughter's 49th birthday. While that has nothing to do with WWII, I am looking forward to your coverage of Okinawa from April 1, 1945. My Dad landed on Okinawa on that day.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Happy birthday to her ! And we hope to be up to your expectations when we get there ! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

I spent some time on deployment in Okinawa while I was in the Marines, though fortunately many decades after WW2. I did get to visit some of the battlesites there including exploration of some of the Japanese tunnels as part of a tour conducted for my unit. Some of those tunnels were off limits to the general public because they were still full of ammunition and explosives, and aside from visible corrosion, almost seemed they had not changed sinced 1945. Anyhow, the hilly terrain and extensive fortifications men like your father had to fight over were nasty. I don't envy him.

[@Raskolnikov70]

@@ahorsewithnoname773 Were they doing tours of Iwo Jima then? The island is closed to the public but I had a Marine I was stationed with tell me they did private tours out of Okinawa for their units and the Japanese as well, typically for command battlefield walk-throughs and rememberance ceremonies. Apart from being very dangerous, the whole island is considered a gravesite and will never be open to public tours.

[@ahorsewithnoname773]

@@Raskolnikov70 Yes, though I didn't get to go to Iwo Jima unfortunately. But I did hear of other units doing this from Okinawa in the late 1990s. There was an article about one visit, if I remember correctly, in an issue of the Okinawa Marine. It was a newspaper that was distributed on the bases, a bit like Stars & Stripes. Some tunnels on Okinawa are able to be toured by the general public, like the former Japanese naval headquarters which was entirely underground. That was all concrete with electric lighting. Others aren't open to the general public and probably not too different from some of those you'd find on Iwo Jima. The two I was in where dug into the coral and had mud floors. I believe the Japanese had electric lighting in those as well, though not when we were in it. But they looked like time capsules. There were still crates of ammunition, rusled rifles resting against the wall, helmets scattered around, some grenades, a room in one of them had been a surgery. The mattresses had rotted away but the metal frames of the beds were still there including an IV that still hanging. The entrances were blackened from where they'd been attacked with flamethrowers, and if you dug with your boot in the dirt at the entrance you uncovered spent brass that was only an inch or so beneath the soil. It was fascinating.

[@iamnolegend2519]

Always a good job ! Thank you

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks to you for watching! -TimeGhost Ambassador

[@dansmith4077]

Excellent video

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks a lot! -TimeGhost Ambassador