The Battle that Saved an Army | Arras 1940 | The Tank Museum
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- čas přidán 16. 05. 2020
- Encircled by the Germans in North-West France, the Battle of Arras, 21st May 1940, was a successful Allied counter-attack which allowed French and British troops to be evacuated at Dunkirk. Curator David Willey, presents his talk on the WW2 Battle of Arras from home. For more on the Blitzkrieg see David's Tank Story Hall tour • Curator's Tank Museum ...
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My Dad celebrated his 21st birthday at Arras as a stretcher bearer in the 150 Field Ambulance 50th Division. I’m looking at his photo on the piano, in his new uniform after Dunkerque. Conscripted for 6 months , North Africa, Salerno , Anzio, the Gothic Line, Trieste.
California Dreamin' This Territorial Army Unit (Now Reserves) still exists as 250 Medical Squadron based at Wenlock Barracks in Hull, and has served in the Gulf War, Bosnia and Afghanistan.
Your Father is a hero, one of our greatest generation.
@@knightowl3577 all fathers who fought in wars are heros
Wow he crammed a lot into those six months. (joking). My thanks to your Father for his service.
My Da entered the Merchant Marine Service in'38. His line was, " It was the first good pair of boots I'd ever had ! "
Please, never apologise for going on too long. Go on longer. Wonderful stories wonderfully told. Thank you.
He gets a pass.Poor Brits don't even have Freedom of Speech.Peeps watch these videos 2 learn English Engrish
@@curtiskretzer8898 We do. What planet are you on Curtis?
@@iangascoigne8231 yeah.tell that 2 Julian Assange & Tommy Robinson
@@curtiskretzer8898 I think I get what your on about
@@georgeorwell5596 keep hope alive!(I stole that from Jesse Jamfson).🤠
Had this been delivered in a lecture hall, I think this presentation would have ended with a standing ovation! Thank you sir. Thank you Bovington. Thank you supporters of Bovington.
And not once did he stop for a sip of water for a dry mouth.
Brilliant presentation
Thank you so much for the time your taking
It was delivered in a lecture hall originally! It was a very enjoyable talk.
You, sir, should unmask.
I agree, especially with the last slide.
My Wife’s family are German, I remember talking to her Great Grandfather he was taken POW in July 44 he says the German POWs could not understand the absence of horses, he was stunned that he was facing truly mechanised opposition, from that moment he knew the war was lost..
My grandfather served in 1944-1945 in a german tank destroyer battalion.
He drove ammunition to the TDs with a donkey cart and was the staff companys blacksmith. 😅
There was another German POW captured in North Africa, and he remarked that he knew Germany had lost the war when he saw Allied vehicles idling- not worried about using fuel. The Germans were always desperately short of fuel. Of course, there were times when the German soldiers had to eat their horses.
@@NickRatnieks See! Try eating your truck. Horses FTW!!!
Alan Wayte. A very good point, If you see Germans on the move, you see horses.But not when the allies
are on the move.A very good and important point. I would have loved to have met the Interesting Man. I hope he survived it all ok.????
@@NickRatnieks That was why it was so important that the 8th Army prevented them from getting to the Middle East oilfields. Not a side-show, as some have tried to argue.
This kind of content and videos are the reason CZcams exist. Absolute fantastic History lesson, for free.
Thank you for pointing out the bravery of the common french soldier. Their spirit and bravery is often overlooked and the french forces are being ridiculed and get a bad rep.
Thanks again for this very informative lecture. Greetings from a germany
The French troops were truly the lions led by donkeys.
Probably led by pacifists is more accurate
I'm glad you mentioned that the failure of the French didn't lie with bravery of their soldiers or the equipment they had, but with how they were poorly led from on high.
Also their communication was abysmal. Although on paper the French equipment wasn't bad, they lacked a key piece of equipment. RADIOS! And when they did have radios, the French didn't trust them as being safe line of communication. You got couriers getting lost and stuck in military traffic jams going through kilometers just to pass down an order. An order isn't received until half a day later. Makes it super easy for the Germans to outpace the french decision making capability.
@@neurofiedyamato8763
That still comes as a result of failure from above, their high level commanders didn't have enough confidence in their field commanders and platoon leaders, they were more afraid of Germans intercepting their orders than they were of the same not even reaching the front. And it only got worse from there when you realize how little faith the French command hand in their men's decision-making abilities compared to how much pressure they put on their ability to just beat the enemy with superior morale.
Morale they themselves did not have, could not maintain and fundamentally lead to their surrender. The French people and army were willing to fight the war - the commanders and politicians weren't.
This guy is a sad ally apologist so of course he's gonna defend his pathetic BEF and Bagette cowards.
@@supermaster2012, you really should seek some professional help.
@@supermaster2012
The victors need no defense, now shut your trap or we'll do it again.
The Matilda 2 was a good tank. My old Army Reserve unit 1/15 RNSWL (that served as the 1st Australian Armoured Regt. In WW2) has restored one they used in the islands to our north. It is agian fully mobile.
What isn't ever talked about is the preformance of the French army after Dunkirk- there were a series of defensive hedgehogs that gave the Germans a very difficult time.
yes, in general it was not the French Soldier to blame for the defeat in May and June of 1940. They fought well and hard to the bitter end - when they had been able and allowed to do. French Army in May and June1940 experienced heavier looses in wounded and fallen than in any time one WWI compared (maybe not on single day, but for the 1 1/2 month). As the video states in the first part, the higher command levels caused the problems in not getting the nature of the campaign and in sicking to old believes. Only few commanders in French army did see this and tried to change it, like deGaulle.
I realize this is a strange response to essentially a history lecture, but...wow! Outstanding!
No it’s not. I’m right there with you.
Indeed. A great story tellee,.
I am genuinely sorry for you if this is the first and only history lecture that has enthralled you. Here's to more.
@@tamlandipper29 Uh...you have NO IDEA how boring my history teachers, at every level of my education, were 🤣
Wittering and waffling is not something DW does. This was a real treat.
Better than just about every documentary ever shown on the History Channel....
The great British soldier to emerge after Arras was General Alan Brooke, whose corps was too exposed to the north and was about to be outgunned and crushed. Alan Brooke coordinated a do-or-die British fighting retreat to Dunkirk -- and was therefore also responsible for saving the British Army. Later, Brooke was known as Sir Alanbrooke. Also, later in the war, Brooke became CIGS. That is, British "Chief of the Imperial General Staff" under Churchill in the decisive years of WW2. Tireless Alanbrooke was a great allied general.
His Diaries are published, and are worth reading.
@@richardboutland9566 strangely quiet on the 7 and 8th Dec 1941.
Really odd.
Lord Alanbrooke, actually. He was made a Baron and then a Viscount.
Alan Brooke had two famouse division generals:
Montgomery and Alaxander!
telling the french hey we let the fidge on ,so we had to leave immediately!: get rid of those germans and give us a call when you finished them off cowards.
This gentleman should be teaching at sandhurst .he makes the talk come alive , learnt more in an hour , as in the last 10 years . Nice one ☝️
As usual Mr Willey is bloody marvellous to listen to is a poetry In motion. Never tire of listening to his stories on tanks and the stories behind some of the people who lived in these vehicles for years.
Superb delivery. Thank you Sir. Many good years to Bovington tank museum.
Fabulously entertaining lecture : totally engrossing. In the spirit of A.J.P Taylor, a simple piece-to-camera. More Please !!!
A finer comparison could not have been made.
I see he has two books on Half-Tracks. I think that makes it a full track.
i was wondering too 😅👍
It's one book and a game... He was packing for war
I thought maybe it was part 1 and part 2, in which case they could have called each volume 1/4 track
@@voxromantic3340 how many of those do you need for an 8 track ?
Left side, Right side
Never apologise for 'waffling on for too long'. One man's waffle is another man's fascinating lesson. Thank you for your insight.
I think these history lectures from The Tank Museum are great! I really hope these become the norm after lockdown has ended.
I'm getting a Lindybeige vibe to the video, no jarring jump cuts, just an enthralling story.... Brilliant.
Funny, i would use that as an insult. Lindy often talks nonsense.
Lindybeige is usually misinformed and rambles on and on about a trivial thought that could have been expressed in a minute.
Hearing the extemporaneous summary of the French Army leadership dysfunction is more chilling than any account I've read in print
I've never sat through a 1hr 20 minute lecture and been alert!! Amazing!
Thank you for the content, I've found that as the quality of TV documentaries has declined the quality of online content has skyrocketed.
Keep up the good work!
Agreed, the History Channel programmes have become very poor. I watched 1 HC program excursively about the 1940/41 London blitz with extended footage of B-17s bombing Germany when they were meant to be showing German planes but the channel did not know the different - or didn't care.
In English language media, the battles of Hannut, Stonne and Montcornet always get overlooked. Would love a serious look at those.
You go to wikipedia for the battle of Abbeville that began on May 27th, six days after Sir Giffard Le Quesne Martel gave gallivanting-prone Rommel's 7th panzer a bloody nose, proving that his much vaunted ghost division was not ghostly enough.
Also on the wiki site you have links to the battle of Montcornet.
Jon-Paul Filkins
The Battle of the Ypres-Comines Canal too.
Battle of the Ypres-Comines Canal - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ypres%E2%80%93Comines_Canal)
Thank you, David Willey, for an amazing talk. My grandfather fought at Arras in the Great War with the East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) in the 18th Division in 1917. I didn't understand the significance of this tank battle, and the 24 hour halt. I agree with what you say, without the Army, recovered from the beaches of Dunkirk, Churchill may have had to sue for peace.
David Wiley is the best of museum curators, his knowledge and interpretation of military history and its vehicles is nothing less than outstanding.
One of the best yet David. Hugely interesting and informative. A perspective on Arras and its effects on the war I haven't seen before. Thank you
Hi. In my humble opinion those "quarantine talks" are way better than ordinary "stand in the front of the tank" tanks. They explain lots of interesting things in creative way. Seems like all limitations only helped You. And listening to mr director taking his thougts about hats, courage etc. is lovely. He should do more of that cos he is great in that role. Great, lovely job gentleman, my respects.
This is really very good. Thank you very much. Please define some more battles like Arras when time allows. David Willey's perspective, as a museum curator who has seen many of the fighting vehicles described in person, is quite valuable. I found this very informative.
What an excellent, detailed dive into an event we typically hear little detail of. Especially in the U.S.
The event of the Greatest army on the planet being leveled in days time is a pretty big deal that deserves more explanation than, " The French were just cowards." Thank you
There's a very strong trend that soldiers aren't cowards, their leaders are. Rommel complemented Italian troops *when properly led*. The French that fought did so valiantly.
@Fidd88 The same thing happened in the Falklands in 1982. Conscripts faced professionals, and while many of the conscripts fought with great courage and determination, they simply didn't have the tactics or the training of the professionals. In 1941, you had French generals who had spent their careers getting ready to re-fight World War 1, commanding conscripts who had been trained to re-fight World War 1, up against a German army that was determined _not_ to re-fight World War 1.
Some of the French commanders were either cowards or collaborators. (Looking at you, Huntziger). Others were simply unprepared for the challenge they faced. French politicians lacked the moral courage to keep fighting. The French soldiers were individually brave and tenacious, but courage makes for very poor armour.
@Fidd88 You're quite right. Thinking about it, I should say that the Allies prepared to re-fight _1914,_ expecting to be able to stop and hold the German army, while the Wehrmacht did indeed prepare to re-fight 1918 with tanks that didn't fall over.
@Fidd88 yep, having tried it, crystal meth is excellent for endurance.
For situational awareness... Not so much.
@Fidd88
Kind of how our “Woke” soldiers will do in their next conflict, Diversity is NOT a Strength but I am sure that everyone will be able to die for their country equally !
You never waffle on, all your associates just keep edutaining us, I always love everything I ever watch.
I like how the title makes it seem like the video is just about the Battle of Arras but then you get nearly an hour of early-war history extra as well.
David always gives awesome context.
Yet more utterly brilliant output from The Museum. Thank you Mr Willey!!
Very interesting, I hope you don’t stop these talks after Covid-19 passes
Don't worry the government and the msm want to keep us locked up indefinitely.
I think that the idea is to visit the tank museum as soon as you can. In the meantime this is helping keep me sane
@@andrewpease3688 The Tank Museum have just covered themselves in glory during the crisis.... Other Museums have gone into hiding.
I hope they continue on these lines...this guy in particular is a natural teacher!
Tough times don't last. Tough people do. Be well. Kia Hara.
This lecture has cleared up so many things l have wondered about since l was a young boy. Thank You Sir. Extremely well done. Greets from Canada 🇨🇦
Very surprised at the quality of the presentations from the Tank Museum. Mr Willey has a voice that is easy to listen to, his knowledge of the subject matter is impressive and his diction makes things clear and precise. Thank you Sir for some very entertaining lectures.
Having been a soldier, even if only in the middle east, I rarely find a reason to fault any soldiers. I do, however, find many faults in the command and military intelligence structures of most of the military's failures of any country.
We've seen recently that ' only the middle East' can also get sticky. Your hard work and courage, as part of the whole Coalition was what makes it seem less professionally significant. Thank you.
It is exactly the same with workers and managers. Why? Because a bad soldier or worker is very quickly identified and punished as their tasks are easier to understand. Military commanders and industry managers are often very good at hiding their own deficites and claiming successes even when the latter are due to somebody elses deeds. Their superiors need therefore to be very good in understanding people and sorting good subordinates from bad ones.
Really enjoyed the talk on Arras, the whole retreat to Dunkirk including the Arras battle is very humbling when you consider the BEF’s resources and equipment, very brave lads indeed.
Nice and informative video! Would really like to see some more of these videos
When talking about the political situation regarding the Munich Agreement i.e., Sudetenland annexation, I never heard anyone bring up the fact that in addition to Germany, both Poland and Hungary participated in the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, a fact that deeply impacted relationship between Poland and Great Britain and France, which could have played a part in Hitler's thinking that they would not declare war on Germany over Poland.
"In his postwar memoirs, Winston Churchill compared Germany and Poland to vultures landing on the dying carcass of Czechoslovakia and lamented that "over a question so minor as Teschen, they [the Poles] sundered themselves from all those friends in France, Britain and the United States who had lifted them once again to a national, coherent life, and whom they were soon to need so sorely. ... It is a mystery and tragedy of European history that a people capable of every heroic virtue ... as individuals, should repeatedly show such inveterate faults in almost every aspect of their governmental life."
Very subtle facts that are ALWAYS overlooked.
Without even trying, Hitler put a wedge in the Polish, France, English Alliance. Causing both long term and short term damage to all.
Trust,
Once lost or abused,
Is never ever regained.
Mario M lve been reading military books for over 45 yrs and never realise that Poland and Hungary also annexed Czechoslovakia.....
Mario M Interesting point, I wasn't aware of Poland's part in the Czech disaster.
I am perplexed why Britain didn't declare War on Soviet Russia when they invaded Poland though?
@wargent99 How was it supposed to? The Baltic was effectively closed off, now while it is true the Luftwaffe did not seriously start training its pilots in anti shipping operations until 1941, the British were not aware of that at the time. What they saw was that to get the Navy to Poland they had to enter the Baltic, through narrow, heavily mined seas, all the time at risk from submarine and air threats.
Similarly, with the Army, problem there was at the start of the war when it came to Field Army manpower France was the major partner, the BEF was a fraction of the size of the French Army. If the French were not going to move (their entire plan was defensive) there was literally nothing the BEF could do. The BEF alone was simply not large enough to do anything. Britain did not help Poland because IT COULD NOT. Not directly.
Perhaps if Churchill had done his research he'd realise the Czechs cynically attacked Teschen (then Polish) when the Poles had their backs to the wall in a desperate struggle with the Bolshevik hordes in 1920. So to suggest they are somehow the innocent party in all this is ludicrous. That said it is a shame both countries could not present a united front against Germany.
A lot of preparation went into that. Well done appreciated
I could listen to David speak about anything for any length of time. Great talk!
David impressed that you have " A crisis of brilliance" on your bookshelf, one of my favourite books on modern British art and the artists.
Thank you David for this detailed and revealing breakdown of the various elements that have been blurred out of focus over time. Very well done and most enjoyable.
'The Blitzkreig Myth' is very good at covering a lot of topics about WWII taken as 'truths' now. The fact Germany and Japan made it as much a fight as they did is really amazing. Multiple economic analysis also point to the same thing.
The quality from this channel is outstanding
These talks are a perfect complement to the equally superb videos of The History Guy. Very different in style, but both unmissable.
80 percent of the French forces brought back at great effort to the UK from Dunkirk did not 'fight on' at all. They requested a boat back home and sat out the rest of the war in occupied France. It was a huge waste of time and lives shipping most them out of Dunkirk. Arras kept Britain in the war and gave democracy some hope for eventual survival in WW2. Great vid 👍
Actually they were sent back to rejoin the fighting South of the German breakthrough, along with a couple of British divisions. However by that point France was already crumbling, there was then a second evacuation called operation Ariel, 15th to 25th June.
They were sent back to France before France surrendered, within a week in most cases. They thought they were going back to reform and fight.
@@cmck472 Never forget General Victor Fortune and his brave 51st Highlanders the much vaunted Rommel shall meet again in Egypt and later in Normandy.
There is no better CZcams channel. Absolutely top job, the quality of the material delivered is staggering.
I loved the video , so much. Definitely not boring. I really loved all the fine details . THANK YOU SO MUCH , SIR .
Another great video. Now in addition to a review of early and late WWII Tanks I am hoping for a video similar to this on all the major land battles eventually.
Thank you, I really this and honestly found it one of the most interesting and informative videos I've seen on military history. I hope many more people put the time into watching it in its entirety.
Thank you very much, very interesting. You are absolutely right, smaller initiatives in hopeless situations, can turn out imperative for the outcome by giving others new possibilities to act. 40 years ago, attending officers battle training here in Norway - we were drilled over and over again - never to stop fighting, always take initiative. This is a stunning example how important that is.
I’ve always wondered why they got away with the long thin line of penetration. This video explains just about everything. Thank you.
First post I've seen from the Tank Museum that wasn't a Chat. So many things I never knew. Enlightening!
History not to be forgotten.
Stay safe and sound Sir.
A reeking load of insane bullocks:
>>Its impossible in the Islamic Republic of the Uk, unfortunatelly.
In 2012 Dr. Hodson and Dr. Busseri conducted a correlational study that confirmed the thesis that 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 in childhood is predictive of greater 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 in adulthood, with this effect being mediated through extreme right-wing ideology.
In plain English, the abysmally ignorant, insanely delusional and ridiculously foul-mouthed 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 is quite simply 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 stupid.
@Agolf Twitter
If everything stays the same in the West, by 2080 European natives, whites, will be a minority in their homeland. Who is the racist here?
Dr. Hodson and Dr. Busseri's correlational study from 2012 is once again validated by empirical evidence:
>>@Agolf Twittler You need to respond to the statement made with a counterfactual one not some rant about some sort of loose argument surrounding birth and political awareness.>You are aware of the Nazi's views on Eugenics aren't you ?>No it was not soley nationalism to describe the rise of Nazism, but a unquie blend of socialism and nationalism.>A British nationalist is a classical liberal at heart, who strives for freedom and liberty with strong sense of traditional community.>A national socialist strives for complete ownership by the government, and strict rule to authority, something ingrained in German 'volk' mindset. >If everything stays the same in the West, by 2080 European natives, whites, will be a minority in their homeland.>Who is the racist here?
>>Its impossible in the Islamic Republic of the Uk, unfortunatelly.
𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 was the key factor in the 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭 perpetrated by 𝐍𝐚𝐳𝐢 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲.
"𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭" is a term tainted with fanaticism and extremism, because the variant of it, "𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭", describes 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐭 leaders, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 supremacists and 𝐍𝐞𝐨-𝐍𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐬.
That background shelf makes me realize my collection of military books is sadly lacking ... like French strategic leadership in 1940.
*MLG air horn noises*
VosperCDN lol I just see a mess!
Thats what I call a "Working" bookcase, as opposed to a display bookcase
C McK 🤣😂👌
Another excellent myth-busting video, did not know a lot of this stuff
Thank you
Amazing content once again from the Tank Museum and David Willey in particular. It makes me wonder who would actually click dislike on this!
Very good talk. The first part about Germany's progression into a fighting force happening in stages that were dictated by it's economy was very revealing. No "grand plan" from the outset as you say. Helped me get a better perspective of their pre-war preparations. As I learn more of these details I am continually amazed that they got as far as they did with what they had.
All by mostly bluff it would now seem .
Awesome material. I thought the Tank Museum was all about tank chats but I really really enjoyed this great piece of history. Please keep doing these !
This is the third time that I have watched this and it gets better with each viewing. A great story brilliantly told. I could watch you waffle all day!
Another brilliant talk. Detailed but still coherent and entertaining. I very much admire anyone who can speak for more than an hour and keep the story going in such an entertaining way. I hope these will continue beyond these strange Covid days.
Wow! Such an interesting perspective on the powerful outcome this minor skirmish at Arras potentially had on the entire war. I've never heard it described/narrated in quite this way and it has given me a new perspective on these final days in France before the surrender. Thank you for your hard work in producing this video!
Truly a great account of an historic and vital action. I’ve enjoyed many of your and others tank videos but this is another step up. As said before, don’t apologise for going too long. You can go on far longer. Well done
The CharB had one man in the turret. That one man had to aquire the target, then fire the gun, then reload the gun before starting the process all over again basically from scratch. The Panzer III had one man in the turret for EACH of those tasks. Having a bigger gun and more armor means little if you can't use them effectively...
Don't forget that all panzer 3 & 4 had radios, and most of char b1 didn't
The idea is to disable your target on first shot😎
@@richardrichard5409 Historic studies prooved that "ideas" never match the reallity of the battle field.
Most interesting about a battle a little less well known. It seems the RTR served it's motto well.
Thank you for these stimulating lectures.
Really enjoying these long format presentations, while I have plenty of spare time to watch them
I'd like to echo the request to keep making these longer talks available to the CZcams audience. This was exceptionally informative. I don't mind if these are delayed by 6 months or so from when first presented to the volunteers and members of the Museum
Geez I could listen to David Willey talk about war for 3 days straight ! Keep the great videos coming guys, even presentations like this after the COVID pandemic, please. Much love from France !
Absolutely brilliant presentation, Sir, that just wasn't long enough
After many decades, you have answered my questions regarding the Dunkirk evacuation. Thank you.
Suggest reading " Dunkirk : Retreat to Victory " by Major General Julian Thompson
.
Brilliant talk! Thank you. Learned a lot that I never knew before and entertaining too!
David, I've really enjoyed these more informal videos, I hope they become a permanent feature of the channel.
Excellent presentation, well done ! My father landed on the beaches on D Day + 1 and then fought all the way through to Berlin. The fighting in the Ardennes was the most difficult period for him, when during a very cold winter they were pinned down for a long time.
My brother and I have been researching this battle for our family history as a family member fell in the fallout NE of Arras shortly thereafter. Amazed to find it the subject of a feature length presentation, many personal thanks David and Bovington.
That is a lecture that should be compulsury in high school - not to mention officer training.
It is so much more competent than the education I recieved 40-50 years ago.
You might have ranted, but never mind that: There should be a place for discussion and maybe an essay after that - where the ability of the pupil and student might be able to show their ability to comprehend.
I very much appreciate the opportunity taken by the Tank Museum to add perspective (now the collection is not available).When reopened this should be a lecture running in a projection room.
Another idea: David Fletcher is quite knowledgeable: Let him make a compendium of say:
1) Why airborne and amphibious tanks do not work: Let him extrude the square root of his intimate knowledge of the mechanical disasters.
2) Why the halftrack has had its time and the consequences for the present day of the 8 X 8 vehicle.
Much of what Fletcher says in his - by the way points - are really what everybody in the trade knows, but others don't.
I'm here refering to issues such as length to with ratios of the tank tracks. The main difficulty with amphibious tanks is not water speed or weight; but that the damned thing cannot climp out of the water.
There is a lot of relevant expertise in the Tank Museum, that would be a great preparation for a visit to the tank museum.
I felt I should have been taking notes! Brilliant lecture.
That was brilliant. I always learn something in these accounts.
In so many ways this is probably the best presentation of the most critical turn in early WWII. With just the right amount of anecdotes, portraits and strategic picture it brings to life both the specific events and the whole transition from WWI to WWII war fighting. In truely academic spirit introduction/context takes something like 2/3 of the presentation. And that is exactly what makes it spectacular.
What a great presentation! I am so impressed, as I am with all of David Willey's presentations, at his depth of knowledge, and great delivery of material in an interesting and understandable way. Superb.
Love this longer form content.
One thing that isn’t mentioned - The German Panzer & mobile forces has much better communications than those opposing them. That allowed the Germans to respond much more quickly to the developing situation than their opponents could.
David Willey you are a great historian. Bask in your well-deserved glory. There is something special about historians (Willey and TIK) they seek truth, and the respect and honour of the great and brave military leaders, commanders and warriors - not themselves.
You are the perfect curator for the Tank Museam you have a passion unrivalled ! You could sit back in this time of pandemic but no you take the history online i would like to personally thank you for your dedication and professionalism thank you Sir
Outstanding Video! Thank you!
I could listen to mr. Willey for hours...
Bless you all at Tank Museum for bringing us these storys and all that knowledge around the world.
What a great explanation of what went on before the retreat from Dunkirk
To me it is waffles and cream, I have a cup of tea maybe two and enjoy the detail. Wonderful, informative and terrific all at once. Thank you
The content was fascinating as usual! Great to get the background and context for these battles, not just the straight facts and figures of "x happened". Also, I'm envious of those bookshelves!
Brilliant talk. You brought up a lot of details that I have not heard in years. Do more like this please.
I am compelled to listen to everything this man says. Always informative and entertaining
Thank you so much for the video lecture. I feel as though I'm in a WWII history master class. Your hard work is appreciated. I look foreward to these videos.
That was a very interesting and informative video, more like this please.
i love the chaos on his bookshelf
WoW David, that was the quickest two hours I sat through a podcast on You Tube ever. That shows you just how you command the room for someone like me to sit and listen! Great talk and insight into a battle that saved so many, just like those few pilots too?
Long, but very interesting, as usual.
This man tells as if he has witnessed everything.
I will watch this in stages.
An hour and 20 minutes well spent. Bought the T-shirt
So much more than the curator. Thank you David. Such a wonderful historian. Thank you
Thank you so much for not only this but all the other great content you have been posting
Facinating talks and great subject matter