Monty's Gamble: Allied Rhine Crossing 1945
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2022
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The Rhine river was the last major natural obstacle on the Western Front of WW2 in early 1945. The Allied armies needed to cross the symbolic river to enter the heart of Nazi Germany. While General Patton's 1st Army crossed the river at Remagen first, the actual set-piece battle of the Rhine took place further north and involved the biggest airborne operation in a single day in the entire war.
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» SOURCES
Atkinson, Rick, The Guns at Last Light: the War in Western Europe, 1944-1945, (London: Abacus, 2015)
Berkel, Alexander, Krieg vor der eigenen Haustür. Rheinübergang und Luftlandung am Niederrhein 1945, (Wesel: Wesel Stadtarchiv, 2004)
Clark, Lloyd, Crossing the Rhine, (New York: Grove, 2008)
“Diary of an Artillery Officer,” Stadtarchiv Emmerich am Rhein.
Macdonald, Charles, The Last Offensive, (Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army, 1973)
Neillands, Robin, The Conquest of the Reich, (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1995)
Zimmermann, John. “Die Eroberung und Besetzung des Deutschen Reiches” in Müller, Rolf-Dieter (ed.), Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg, 10/1, Der Zusammenbruch des Deutschen Reiches 1945, (Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 2008)
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»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: Jesse Alexander
Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
Director of Photography: Toni Steller
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Toni Steller
Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: above-zero.com
Research by: Jesse Alexander
Fact checking: Florian Wittig
Channel Design: Simon Buckmaster
Contains licensed material by getty images
Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3
All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2022
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Where did you find that the Canadian divisions were "mostly British"? What is your source for that?
My Grandfather, who was a black Canadian at the time, fought on the Rhine and gave his life for a country that his family didn’t live in. I feel honored and blessed regardless.
oh wow, do you know which unit he was in? Jesse's grandfather was in the Cameron Highlanders.
Your grandfather’s behaviour would be illegal in today Trudeau’s Canada… What an embarrassment 🙃
Respect, sir
For some reason the way I read that was like "My grandpa used to be black" and I was very confused for 0.3 seconds.
@@huntclanhunt9697 Like Michael Jackson? Hahah ;)
My Dad was with the Canadian Engineers and they built the Baily bridge at Emmerick. I still have his letter to my mother talking about it and that it was a fierce battle which he got to observe.
I hope you can upload it to FLICKR for everyone to read
Chimo!
Monty fought in the great war and had seen first hand what bad preparation and planning could do to the human body. When he commanded, he always saw to it that as much preparation as possible was done to ensure as much battlefield success could be garnered for as little as possible loss of life to his men. That's why those who served under him at the sharp end loved him.
It is interesting that General Simpson said of his time under Montys command as "never been better commanded". Eisenhower was later to realise that manpower shortages would affect US troops as well and adjusted his strategy!
Yes. The narrator deliberately cherry picked. Simpson was full of praise for Montgomery.
Sources? not that you two have a history of stooping to that
*Armageddon - The Battle for Germany,1944-45 by Max Hastings,page 50Jack Reynolds and his unit,the South Staffords,* were locked into the long,messy,bloody battle.There was no continuous front,no coherent plan,merely a series of uncoordinated collisions between rival forces in woods,fields,gardens and streets. *That is when it got home to me.What a very bad operation this was The scale dropped from my eyes when I realized just how far from our objective we've landed.* We knew what even a handful of Germans could do - they were so damned efficient.
As Bob Peatling of the 2 Para said Marshall Montgomery dropped a clanger at Arnhem *Maj. Freddie Hennessy* the operations officer of the Guards Armored Division which was in the vanguard of the push up the road, compared advancing sixty-four miles on a narrow highway over several major water crossings to “threading seven needles with one piece of cotton, *and we only have to miss one to be in trouble.”*
*With Prejudice, by Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Lord Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander AEF, Cassel & Co., 1st edition, copyright 1966 .Page 599* "Eisenhower assumed, as he and I had done all along, that whatever happened Montgomery would concentrate on opening up Antwerp. No one could say that we had not emphasized the point sufficiently by conversation and signal.
*"Triumph in the West, by Arthur Bryant, Doubleday & Co., 1st American edition, copyright 1959. From the diary of Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke, entry for 5 October 1944:Page 219* "...During the whole discussion one fact stood out clearly, that access to Antwerp must be captured with the least possible delay.I feel that Monty's strategy for once is at fault, Instead of carrying out the advance on Arnhem he ought to have made certain of Antwerp in the first place. Ramsay brought this out well in the discussion and criticized Monty freely..."
*Eisenhower's Armies ,by Dr Niall Barr ,page 415* After the failure of Market-Garden, Alan Brooke was moved to write, *"I feel that Monty's strategy for once is at fault,instead of carrying out the advance on Arnhem he ought to have made certain of Antwerp in the 1st place....IKE nobly took all the blame on himself as he had approved Monty's suggestion to operate on Arnhem"*
General Gavin of the 82nd Airborne also had great respect for Monty as a general.
My Father was in the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders and took part in this action in his own words the "most exciting and terrifying time of his life" as an Anti-tank gun commander
nice video. I am German and my grandfather was a member of the 7 Fallschirmjäger Division and fought in the Rees-Bocholt-Hamminkeln (Varsity) area until he was captured by the British end of march. I am still in contact with a former paratrooper from the 7FJD the man is now 98. He also told me about very tough fighting in the region. there were very often in panzernahkampf with Ofenrohr and Panzerfaust Greetings from Germany
Your grandfather must have been a brave man. That late in the war it must have taken some steel to keep fighting in defense of your border like that. Much respect from Colorado
They were fighting for Hitler and all he represented, not much respect for that
Two sides to a coin history is written by the victors but soldiers are men alike all brave and die the same unfortunately but still all brave combatants
Micheal Wittmann 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion stopped the allied advance in Villers-Bocage because he f-ought for the enemy to us not recognised for his military genius and bravery
Germans had a top notch military. We, the Allies, were lucky to win.
Thanks guys. Anybody who thinks history is "boring" should watch your content.
yeah, because his content is the exciting part of history
@@touristguy87 In part...but it's also how you sell it - and what's interesting for you might not be interesting for me.
@@ericgrace9995 the problem here is not about marketing, it's about your stupid comment
Not boring, but if you contact Cambridge University in the UK, they'll be happy to unwrite history for you in a way that defames the truth.
I find modern history very interesting...the only one I can think of who doesn't like it is Philomena Cunk.
My father was in the British Army in North Africa where he was captured by Rommel's forces in 1941, over a year before El Alamein.
He was a great admirer of Montgomery and would hear no words of criticism against him. He said Monty cared about his troops and was a great General. Four years later on April 29, 1945, he remembered the joy of being liberated as Gen. George S. Patton marched into the POW camp, Stalagluft VII A in Moosburg, five weeks after Patton crossed the Rhine on March 22nd 1945.
Though as Montgomery wasn't appointed in North Africa until August 1942 it is unlikely that your father, if captured in 1941, would have served under him.
then he was lucky ans Both Generals in the desert won before Monty but churchill screwed them both. By the time he was stuck with monty he had to keep his mouth shut as he would come under scrutiny
I live and grew up in Wesel at the Lower Rhine, so this Video showed a lot of the history of my home region and i know a lot of the mentioned towns and landmarks by heart. So this video resonated deeply with me. Well done, as always!
Wesel was completely destroyed by allied bombing raids an the only building remained somehow intact was the cathedral.
At Wesels Rhine promenade you can still see the ruins of the bridge, the Wehrmacht blew up, on the western bank. Its a somewhat ghostly sight and remains as a memorial of war time destruction. The one last standing pillar at the eastern bank (at the promenade) was turned into a viewing platform.
we visited the region when we filmed the more extensive documentary about the fighting on the Niederrhein which is mentioned at the end of this video, one of the locations we filmed at was the old railway bridge, we also filmed near Rees, in the Reichswald and more.
Es ist Wahnsinn wie viele Kriegsschäden bis heute dort sichtbar sind.
...MAYBE THE GERMANS SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THE CONSEQUENCES BEFORE THEY ATTACKED POLAND-(?)
do u expect any pity?
@@daleburrell6273 Maybe we should consider the consequences before attacking Russia.
My grandfather served with the Algonquins (D company) and was captured at the Battle of the Hochwald Gap during Operation Blockbuster. When he was liberated, General Montgomery showed up and gave a speech. It's nice to see some of this history being covered. Great job!
My Great Uncle, Howard Burns, was in B Coy, The Lake Superior Regt (Mot), of the 4th Canadian Armoured Div. He also fought in the Hochwald Gap. My Orthodontist flew a Short Sterling bomber carrying gliders for Market Garden and Varsity.
I appreciate how these videos are narrated; well articulated, lively, gripping but without overdramatizing.
Very professional.
Monty was an old Pauline he went to my old school. In the Montgomery room there is the map where the DDay landings were planned. In the chapel there are the names of the old boys who died in the wars. We don’t forget what it takes to fight for freedom.
My father was RN on assault landing craft moved by tank transporters from Antwerp to participate.
On the actual crossing he was injured and shipped out.
His MO told him he needed R&R so 4 weeks later he was sent to the far East Java, Sumatra and Malaya
He told me he didnt find it anymore relaxing having Japanese shooting at him than he did the Germans doing it.
Probably more dangerous in the east, as the Japanese had basically, no morals. At least if captured by the Germans, he'd have a decent chance of getting home after the war, but with the Japanese? Unlikely.
❤beautiful ❤ what a wonderful sense of humour
I said to my Cousin that if your Dad didnt lose an eye in Africa/1st Alamein he well could of perished in New Guinea from Malaria, dysentery and the Japanese
Excellent! As an American, it's refreshing and very informative to get the Canadian / British perspective on the final land battle in the west. At no time in our histories were the British, Canadians, and Americans more united in the cause of victory. Thanks very much!
When the Brits have a success, it is 'oh irrelevant' or 'Allies united!' When the Americans have a success: 'We are the greatest'. The strength of American propaganda initiated an incredible hubris that would have its reckoning in SE Asia in the following years.
@@jimmyhillschin9987 You are talking about the news media. The American people know better, at least most of them back then.
PS - The US military has still never lost a war. We had pulled all our combat troops out in 1973, two years before the South Vietnamese Army lost to the North.
@@Mondo762 You pulled out because the domestic antiwar movement had grown to such huge proportions that this illegal invasion of Vietnam eventually became politically unfeasible. Then you went on to lose in Iraq and Afghanistan. But you did once manage to defeat about 300 Cuban construction workers in Grenada. That's your only win since 1945.
@@davidbouvier8895 As I said, the US Military has never lost a war. It has always been the politicians that start and stop these engagements. Also, the US was invited into Viet Nam. We never invaded. Get your facts straight.
@@Mondo762 Nonsense. You were not 'invited' into Vietnam. As with the non-existent Iraqi WMD, a totally spurious excuse for invasion was generated. Look up the Gulf of Tonkin incident. In 1954, an international agreement was signed called the Geneva Accords. This provided for a plebiscite vote to unify the north and south of Vietnam. Because of the corrupt nature of the puppet government in the south, it became clear that the Communists would win that vote. The US manufactured the phony Tonkin incident, and went into South Vietnam to top up its puppet régime to prevent this from ever happening. "If we don't fight them in Vietnam, we'll have to fight them in Long Beach" was the ludicrously hysterical slogan of the time. Finally, years later, after a huge number of Vietnamese, a great many of them civilians, had been killed, the American public grew weary of their sons coming home in body bags and forced the government to withdraw its troops. Sure, the US military was not definitively defeated in the field. It was a political defeat. Still, a loss is a loss. You need to get YOUR facts straight.
You've really got into your stride with these videos. Just the right length and really engaging. For me the research of primary sources is refreshing, from individual soldiers and civilians on the ground all the way up to generals and Prime Ministers, rather than reliance on long extracts from secondary sources.
Probably the most moving aspect of both wars for me was all the Canadian farm boys who crossed the Atlantic to help us. All the Australians and New Zealanders who came from the other side of the world to protect the motherland and fight for the Empire. No one will ever forget that. Also, people from South East Asia, East Africa, Ghana and the Carribbean and many other places.
Politicians and opinionated internet influencers and loudmouths want to divide us all, make us bicker and gripe, and blame each other for the ills they created. We need to remember that as human beings a lot more things unite us than divide us.
You do realise that many of these troops had been born in Great Britain and most had close relatives there!
Do you realize your royals left them to there own devices as they served in Burma and the Desert. But Churchill the chode try keeping them there as the Japanese had taken Raboul, most of New Guinea and had Port Moresby surrounded as the were bombing the northern Aussie Port of Darwin. No worries the emerging World Power traveled 9400 miles to do it for you. Ask them the word they use is POMS I believe
My Father was in the US 168th Combat Engineers Battalion at the crossing of the Rhine, he stopped a shell with his Head. Don’t worry, he lived to be 91, they don’t make them like him anymore.
My dad was in the 164th Combat Engineers at Remagen.
I am a Canadian battlefield guide that lives near this battlefield and have been up there. I hope to go again this fall. If anyone has a realative who fell I can go take photos of their grave site for you.
So tough to have losses so late in the war. They did a remarkable job.
Monty gambled wrong many times. All with lives of allied soldiers and citizens in the countryside.
My great uncle died 18 MAR 1945 during this operation. 1st ID 18th infantry brigade US Army. RIP uncle John.
My Dad was on Operation Varsity, he was an RAF Pilot flying a glider. He was carrying a load of ammunition, he told me he hit a chimney on a farm house on the way down, Germans soldiers ran out of the house wanting to surrender.
when we filmed there, we heard that some farmers still have glider pieces in their barns. Hard to confirm or track down, but wouldn't be surprising.
Did he take them prisoner 😂?
I always think glider pilots must have been complete lunatics. You are basically smashing a very delicate wooden aircraft which is designed to be broken in half into the ground, with no runway in sight, just whichever field looks the least likely to kill everybody on board, often in the dark. From what I understand, british glider pilots were also expected to join the fight when they landed
@@Ukraineaissance2014 There was a shortage of Glider Pilots after Arnhem, so they approached the RAF, my Dad was a Lancaster pilot and bombing was scaled back a bit, so he volunteered. After he landed, he just made his way back and then got some leave at home. He wasn't expected to fight as he wasn't a soldier. After that he joined Transport Command until he was demobbed in 1947. It was a VIP squadron flying passengers in Douglas Dakotas and Avro Lancastrians, a Lancaster bomber converted for passengers.
@@Ditka-89 Yep, they just marched in front of him. They also carried another pilot with a broken leg.
Thanks gentlemen. The footage of Churchill crossing the Rhine, the PM seemed exhilarated, alight with joy, practically eating his cigar.
Great retrospective! The presentation and editing are done in such a way that is easy to understand as well as entertaining. 💯👏👍😀
Bravo! So much fresh perspective. So much film footage that I've never seen. And a balanced perspective to boot! Extremely relevant and informative! Thank you!
My grandfather was in the royal engineers and was in the first crossings of the Rhine in what he called flat pack boats with a small outbound motor. He was at Dunkirk and landed on d day +1 at aramanches sword beach and built Bailey bridges at Pegasus bridge. He stayed in the army after the war getting to staff sergeant and went to Hong Kong Pakistan and Singapore. He had shrapnel coming out of him for years afterwards and lived to 95. A great man and constant inspiration. RIP ronnie Stephenson
Edit. He had a great love for Montgomery and always spoke highly of him
Another "Monty Bashing", the fact is Market Garden took 65 miles of occupied Holland, Liberating almost 800,000 civilians and inflicted over 30,000 losses on the Germans. It failed to take its final objective, but was far from a defeat. Monty was careful of casualties which put him at odds with the Americans, British casualties at Market-Garden were only 15,000, over half being captured at Arnhem. While at the same time Bradley lost 56.000 at the Hurtgen Forest and Patton another 52,000 taking Metz, both were major disasters, but almost unknown due to American finger pointing at Monty. Monty crossed the Rhine with less than 7,000 casualties. In the last phase of the Battle for Germany, 22 March to 8 May 1945, the Americans and French lost 82,000, the British and Canadians only 24,000. Monty's careful planning saved the lives of his soldiers.
Correct, but many are incapable of examining facts and prefer to believe Hollywood!
Its worth noting that the Americans had priority of supplies for five months and did little with it. They had priority of supplies and focus of attack in October, November and December 1944 and still never got anywhere near the Rhine, failing in the Lorraine, Hurtgen Forest and Operation Queen etc. Then at the end of December and all through January everything had to be put on hold to help the American retreat in the Ardennes.
From the beginning of October 1944 to the end of February 1945, it was the American armies that were given prominence. The front barely moved.
The mission failed in its objective.
@@johnrussell3961
But so too did all the American campaigns that same autumn. Hurtgen Forest, Lorraine, Alsace, Vosges, Operation Queen etc. At least Market Garden took 100km of German held ground in just 3 days. It was still the fastest allied advance against German opposition in the entire September 1944 to February 1945 period.
@@lyndoncmp5751 . Monty took two USA armies across the Rhine . That meant the USA had 4 armies across the Rhine. And their roles where different. Those in the north with Monty turned south into the Ruhr.
The bulk of the supplies went to the two armies in the south. They drove deep into central and southern Germany . One of which was Pattons. Monty’s war had largely ended.
Some 40 years ago I went on vacation to France Belgium and such. My father's friend said isn't this a beautiful river! My father said yes it's a lot more beautiful when someone is not shooting at you! He was there!!!
My grandfather Was a wehrmacht soldier from1939-45.
He said they took him the best time of his live.
He recived a lot of medals Ek 1 and 2.
He said they gave you the medals and the rank because they lost so much man. And you are the next then sended as canon fodder.
There is no glory in war.
The glory is in a peacfull live
@@gabriel_swift8847
He refused to go to War at first.
So the Gestapo said we will take the 2 younger brothers then to his father.
So he showed up to save them and he was send to posen they atacked poland at first.
He was on a hors like in 1 World war sended there.
After first fight they lost all horses.
So they had to march in direction moskau on feet.
He said they made 400 km with Equipment in 2 weeks. Fight movement.
The 2 younger brothers was sended to russia in 1942.
So they also sended them to War.
We just can stop a war by nobody going there.
Thank you for covering Operation Varsity. Great and clear presentation. Loved the shots.I saw the still in colour of Churchill crossing the Rhine on the buffalo on the the cover of a Ballentine paper back years ago.Keep up the great work.
Amazing. Love underrated part of history being explained so detailed. Also congratulation for reaching 100k subscribtion!
thank you!
Excellent history and narration! Thanks for keeping history alive👍
I just noticed, congrats on the big 100k! Hopefully many more to come, love this channel!
thank you
Churchill being in near the battle gave the soldiers an insane moral boost!
Wish the leaders of today did the same for their poor soldiers.
Great video. I’m amazed at the depth and breath of your historical works in a myriad of conflicts. Well done.
I love how you include the voices of the everyday people. That's real history. Unlike these faux history channels on YT that only talks about commanders and weapon types.
Britain had one field army. Monty’s political responsibility to keep that army in the fight and secure Britain’s position at the peace table was very great. Patton didn’t have to spend a single second worrying about politics, he had the men to play toy soldiers and throw them into the meat grinder in his pursuit of fame and glory.
Yep, Patton showed at Metz that he was completely out of his depth in anything that resembled tactics that didn't involve chasing an already fleeing enemy!
Excellent video, thank you.
Another amazing documentary, guys! You rock!
Thank you for posting this, Rhine crossing video that is often overlooked by most CZcamsrs.
Varsity from what I recall was done not just for Germany but also a sort of preparation/theory testing/training for operation downfall in Japan. They were trying to build up additional airborne troops with battle experience while also using the river crossing to build up additional amphibious troops. Many of the units that were in Varsity were afterwards slated to go to the pacific for a possible invasion of mainland japan.
That's a fairly silly suggestion. There would be next to nothing that would translate from Varisty to invading Japan.
@MagpieOz You have forgotten that the British 14th Army was still fighting in Burma at the time, and had Malasia and Singapore to contend with.
@@robert-trading-as-Bob69 Yes there was a landing planned for August 1945 in Malaya I seem to recall.
@@tomriley5790Part of 298 Squadron equipped with Halifaxes were sent out to India to prepare for glider operations against the Japanese. They took part in Varsity.
Wars are won at the front lines but months of planning and logistics and Training disappear when the fighting starts @@MagpieOz
My great uncle John fought as a tank driver in the Algonquin Regiment, 4th Canadian Division during this battle. He didn't talk about the war very much, I've had to piece together a lot of the history, I know he landed in France in late July 1944, participated in the battles of the Falaise pocket, fought through the Netherlands and then into Germany. I'm not even sure what sort of tank he drove, I'm assuming a Sherman.
I may be wrong, but doing a bit of research suggests the Algonquin Regiment was part of the 10th Infantry Brigade, which served as the organic infantry component of the 4th Division. And as far as I can tell the infantry battalions didn't have any tanks directly assigned to their TO&E; they did however operate a number of Loyd and Universal carriers, as well as the usual assortment of bikes, motorcycles and trucks.
If you haven't already, you might perhaps be able to find further info about your great uncle from Library and Archieves Canada; you may be able to obtain his service file, or at least some of the battalion's records.
@@Warspite1 Thanks! This is actually helpful. It's been hard figuring out what exactly he went through, he said he drove a tank during the war, but whether or not that means a Sherman or some kind of tracked vehicle we don't know, and he said he fought with the Algonquin regiment, but whether that means attached alongside or as a part of, no idea. We know when he landed and that he shipped back to Canada in '46, and he wasn't wounded but that's about it. Other family members who fought in the war we have a much clearer picture of what they did and went through, but Uncle John just didn't talk about it. He must've seen some things.
@@angry_wizard I'm glad I could help! It could definitely be the case that he'd been assigned to another unit of the 4th and on occasion been attached to the Algonquin Regiment. If he was a tank driver then he'd likely have driven either a Sherman V (M4A4) or VC (an M4A4 with 17pdr gun). If he was in one of the divisional support units he may have even driven the M5 Stuart, or one of the specialised Crusader AA tanks. If he used "tank" in a more inclusive term he may even have operated the M10C tank destroyer, or the Sexton SPG.
@@angry_wizard - The 4th Armoured division had three brigades. An Artillery brigade with two Regts of self-propelled 25 pdrs, an infantry brigade with three infantry Regts, which included the Algonquin Regt, and an armoured Brigade, with three armoured Regts and a permanently attached Motorized infantry Regt, The Lake Superior Regt. My Great Uncle, Howard Burns, was in B Coy, of the Lake Superior Regt. This Regt was supposed to be equipped with Half-tracks, but they may have had trucks instead. Howard's original unit was the Rocky Mountain Rangers (he was from Golden).
Being called "over-rated" by amateurs, is a complement. As Bradley said: "we couldn't have done it without Monty". Americans forget that after Kasserine, the Brits were so worried about the Yanks, that they called them: "our Italians"!
That's absolutely hilarious so funny guy do tell then why the British forces were being "evacuated" from
1940 Norway,Netherlands, Belgium and France,Dunkirk
1941 Greece, Crete,Hong Kong and Libya
1942 Tobruk and Dieppe,Singapore
Or why the GIs had to cross 3500 miles of ocean so monty could cross a 30 mile channel - after 4 full years that is. If the US was bad, then the British should have stayed home and saved a bunch of Englishmen - after having already using the colonials as sandbags that is. Monty lost a lot. What he won he won with overwhelming superiority in men, materials, and air support. Then barely.. and poorly.
@@bigwoody4704 lilwoodyWhittaker..stick to licking windows
It was actually a German who described the Americans as “your Italians”.
@@bigwoody4704Wow, you have a child's view of history. A child that has been fed a lot of weird anti-British propaganda. I can never understand what's wrong with people like you. It is just genuine American exceptionalism? You can't accept anyone else getting any credit or any slight criticism?
I think you meant "compliment".
Montgomery's talent was in painstaking preparation and bringing superior forces to bear on a weaker foe, achieving victory with minimal losses. The one occasion he bucked trend was Market Garden, and looks how that turned out.
Arrogant, self aggrandising, but possessed of great organisational abilities and clearly capable of discharging the duties allotted to him.
The British could and would not accept the casualties that the U.S. forces were able to tolerate and that had a real effect on battlefield tactics.
Great work Guys. Really appreciate you making and sharing.
Excellent short documentary !
This deserves at least ten times its current views !
I think the difference between Montgomery, Patton and Bradley was that Montgomery actually cared about casualty figures, whereas Patton, Bradley and MccArthur in the Pacific didn’t, they only cared about results, if it took a division to die to seize a bunker then so be it, whereas Monty would plan, provision and the execute a plan, same result, different number of dead men and boys that wouldn’t go home to mom and apple pie or down the Dog & Duck for a pint of beer and a game of dominoes, I know which kind of general/field marshal I think was the better. What was it the American troops called Patton? ‘Old blood and guts’ wasn’t it?.
And Montgomery moved faster than Patton and took more ground.
The competence of generals is not demonstrated by achieving high casualty levels!
Monty had 4 full yrs to cross his crummy channel.....after getting driven into it. Why with his empire couldn't they do it? That's right a faltering empire had to ask a former colony they enjoyed manipulating and subjugating their Imperial whims on to cross the ocean and do it for them - you're welcome
@@bigwoody4704
Well, the Germans couldn't cross it. Neither could the Americans, without 80% British and Canadian naval support.
don't even start within 3 months there a million GIs on the continent. We had a much bigger ocean in the Pacific. And quit lumping your self together with the canadians. Why did the US give Britain 50 destroyers then or Lend-lease for that matter? Do you really want to run down who supplied what? There is a reason Churchill came knocking and it didn't resemble your carnival barking
I live in Dinslaken, here was also one of the last points of resistance against the crossing at the Flak Stellung Hühnerheide
Thank you for posting your excellent quality content.
Excellent production, thanks for the upload! 🙂
My father in law flew a glider for the U.S. Army Air Corps on his third mission of the war in Operation Varsity. We have his survival kit from that mission and inside was a note with the inscription " mission across the Rhine 24 March 1945". A tough day he wanted to remember.
I was really struggling watching this, to see what the point of the airborne assault was, after all they had already successfully crossed the Rhine in several places, had put in temporary bridges and had moved tanks across. They didn't need to drop highly specialised but vulnerable airborne troops to help them do what they had already achieved. Seems like a waste of elite allied soldiers to me.
@@catinthehat906 Hodges had already crossed the Rhine in the center at Remagen after finding an intact railway bridge. And, I think, Patton, had already crossed in the south w/o airborne troops.
@@bbbabrock
Montgomery's 21st Army Group was way to the north of Remagen. Nearly 200km north. He needed a secure crossing in the Lower Rhine area otherwise everyone would be tripping over each other to get across.
@@catinthehat906
Why is it a waste to use elite paratroopers for exactly the kind of missions they have been training long and hard for? I.e paratroop drops down on German held areas?
I'd say it was a waste to use, and lose, thousands of elite well trained paratroops for standard infantry jobs such as defending in the Ardennes. The 82nd and 101st were used as standard infantry in the Ardennes. There were enough infantry divisions in the US Army. Only paras, on the other hand, can perform parachute drops. Makes sense to use them for what they are supposed to be used for and not just throw them away in regular infantry jobs.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Idk about the 82nd. But the 101st were sent to Bastone, which would soon be surrounded for a time.
As their NOP was to fight behind enemy lines, they were trained for and used to fighting while being surrounded until relieved.
So, in the case of the 101st, they were fighting to their strengths.
This content is pure gold.
My Dad towed (C-47 pilot) double glider on 24 March 1945. 80th TCS/436th TCG. Brutal airborne operation.
Very informative and concise. Well done.
Those few historians who criticise Monty for being too methodical and risk-averse would to well to consider the seeming disregard with which US generals like Patton threw in wave after wave of troops -- both in the Pacific and European theaters. This 'meat-grinder' approach got quick results (which fed the egos of the generals), but came at a shocking price in young American lives. Only after the Vietnam backlash, did the wisdom of Monty's thinking begin to sink in with a US high command that had become intoxicated on its numerical advantage. That is: consolidate your position, secure the logistics, and let heavy artillery and air power weaken the enemy before sending in the boys on the ground.
When did Payton use human wave tactics besides Metz?
Monty = legend 👊
In his own mind.
@@22nolaand insecure British people
As always, Real Time History nails it. Perfectly made and I will watch the rest on Nebula.
An excellent video on a major battle much overlooked by most historians, thank you.
No mention of the Rhine smoke screen though.
The screen was maintained for months.
My Father (Pioneer Corps) who started as a private and ended as 'acting' major said he had 3 men killed while maintaining the smoke screen.
He added that it was by far the filthiest job he and his men ever did.
Typically British, he never spoke about how dangerous the task was.
The criticisms of Field Marshal Montgomery overlook a number of relevant matters as follows:
1. Monty had served in WW1 on the Western Front and seen the waste of lives in poorly prepared assaults. Monty was also aware of the sensitivity of democracies to unnecessary casualties.
2. The generalship of Monty saved the British in North Africa. His meticulous planning defeated Rommel at El Alamein.
3. The British, Poles and Canadians bore the harshest of fighting in Normandy and again in the Netherlands. Monty was well aware of this fact.
What a nonsense. He had all the resources, absolute air superiority and superiority against a downed enemy. In Africa and 45 on the Rhine. That was the only way he could win.
@@Dackeldomteurand yet another Wehraboo sticks his head up. battles are won with intelligence and logistics.
@@Dackeldomteur ....what an uneducated muppet!!!
When the odds were even Brooke and his buddy Bernard got Dunkirked. Germans were 30 miles from them and they RUNAWAY (must be a Monty thing) 3000 miles away into a desert. BRILLIANT,said no one ever
@@bigwoody4704 ...huh, you American!!!?
The crossing at Remagen, while not making significant gains thereafter, actually helped by serving as a distraction for Varsity/Plunder. The Wehrmacht diverted several resources from along the Rhine defense to prevent a breakout from Remagen.
That is true, however the capture of the bridge was more a embarrassment to the allies as it of course not in their plans and so recieved little support...i think
The Americans had 6 infantry divisions and 3 armoured divisions across the Rhine, with multiple Bridge s before this operation even began! They went straight into the heart of Germany!
If u look at the topographx, I have to disagree. A really tough spot to break out of it. Compare it with the Oppenheim area, flat as a pancake. I live between both and could cycle there, Remagen was partial luck, Oppenheim an obvious choice
It seems fate repeatedly robbed Monty of his glorious left hook into the German heartland. He tried flanking the main German defences in the ill advised Operations Market/Garden. Even after that failure Montgomery was tapped to be in charge of a single thrust across the Rhine and theoretically race gloriously to Berlin, however, Eisenhower had a change of heart after the Ardenne offensive and ok’d a second Rhine crossing by the Americans south of the Ruhr. The plan was further muddled when Hodges’ 1st Army found the intact bridge at Remagen and quickly established a bridgehead on March 7. Though Omar Bradley felt a breakout was within reach he was ordered by Eisenhower to consolidate the bridgehead in order to draw off reserves from Montgomery’s crossing later in March. Patton also crossed the Rhine with relative ease on the night of March 22. Montgomery’s set piece crossing finally started on March 23.
@@raywhitehead730 yes they did.
Nice Video. Can recommend the full Documentary series !
I live in Kevelaer which is about 45 kilometers off Hamminkeln. I have been to the drop- and landing zones several times. They are fantastic places. You can still very much feel what went on there. And I have a few Varsity souvenirs too. Excellent documentary by the way, I will surely check in Rhineland 45.
when we filmed Rhineland 45 we passed Kevelaer often since we stayed in Geldern and filmed in Uedemer Bruch and the Reichswald.
As a Canadian, whose father served in the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, it is highly offensive to hear the First Canadian Army described as a "mostly British" unit, when it was not. It consisted of 5 Canadian divisions, 3 infantry and 2 armoured, all of which were manned by volunteers. Not a Brit amongst them. They had the furthest inland advance on D-Day, liberated the Scheldt estuary in appalling conditions and freed most of the the Netherlands before advancing into Germany and preventing the Red Army from occupying Denmark. Not shabby, and deserving of more respect.
I am also Canadian and my grandfather was in that army. For Op Veritable many British units were assigned to the FCA, hence the designation mostly British for that operation.
My father was also in 4th. Cdn. Armoured. I wouldnt say they were mostly British although for this operation I believe a large number of Brits were absorbed as they were otherwise cut off from their command and supply lines in the south.
Yeah I thought the exact same thing, he has the nerve to call us mostly British?
@@danielvanhattem3483 For Operation Veritable it was. And I am one of "us."
As I have said before: the british think they are so great. Same thing: they always (still now) "forget" what the Indians did in the CBI theatre, what the Dutch, Danish... did on the ships in the Atlantic, and so on.
What an amazing video! The maps are awesome for understand!!
It's cool that I can see the same Jeep grill in my driveway right now. A real testament to the vehicle. It is reliable, tough, and gets where most cannot. Love it.
Monty gets some criticism for being cautious. But it was him that wanted to chase the German's down on a narrow front whilst they were withdrawing from France. Dwight wanted to build up and attack on a broad front. This enabled the Germans to withdraw and establish a well organised defence. And even build up for a counter attack (Battle of the Bulge)
The truth unfortunately does not gel with the American propaganda version of events in NW Europe.
The Battle of the Bulge would, I suggest, not have occurred if Monty's strategy had been adopted. Eisenhower's description of Monty's idea as a "pencil like thrust" is ridiculous. A 40 division attack cannot be described as "pencil like".
Eisenhowers broad front strategy was a complete failure all through autumn 1944.
Montgomery's concentrated northern thrust with 40 divisions would have ended the war sooner. Basic military doctrine when the enemy is reeling is to deliver a powerful knockout blow. Instead Eisenhower preferred tip toeing and giving the Germans breathing and recovery time.
All effort should have been placed on a concentrated advance to the Ruhr not messing around in the Lorraine and Hurtgen etc.
The Germans agreed with Montgomery.
Nick Jung,
Indeed. The Ardennes retreat occurred PRECISELY because of the wasted men and material in the Hurtgen Forest folly, which was part of Eisenhower'broad front mistake. On 28th November Montgomery actually warned Eisenhower about this weak, thinly held sector of the front. Eisenhower didn't listen.
Lot of Monty worshippers here
Monty was a planning genius. Those that don't know warfare are dismissive of logistics. Professionals study logistics not battles.
His predecessor also knew supplies where important. El Alemein was his plan. Churchill sacked him becuase it was taken too long to get all the supplies in place, Monty turned up just as the last supplies did.. He took all the credit for the success of some else’s plan.
@@johnrussell3961 Great observation nice to know someone actually read in depth history. Monty only won when he couldn't really lose. O'Connor and Auchinleck were much better commanders and had Churchill not interferred with them things would have closed up much sooner
*The Rommel Papers by B.H.Liddell-Hart page 521 Montgomery was in a position to profit by the bitter experience of his predecessors .While supplies on our side had been cut to a trickle ,American and British ships were bringing vast quantities on materials to North Africa .Many times greater than either his predecessors had ever had.* His principle was to fight no battle unless he knew for certain that he would win it. *Of course that is a method which will only work given material superiority - but that he had. He was undoubtedly more of a strategist than a tactician. Command of a mobile battle force was not his strong point* British officers made the error off planning operations according to what was strategically desirable ,rather than what was tactically attainable."
Always love your videos. Cheers
Great episode!
An awesome summary. Monty's lasy set piece battle was a text book use of paratroopos and ampbious assault. Monty constantly gets heat but his style was unlike Patton's, whose ill advised rush to liberate the PoW camp resulted in the almost complete distrution of the task force in that Monty did everything he could to keep casualties down yet still take the oibjectives.. And when teh German surrendered, they did so to Monty in the North.
And at salerno he moved with the deliberation of an overweight elephant he never moved fast anywhere , the one time he did in market garden he ignored intelligence reports that said an ss panzer division was there for r & r
Market Garden was not Montgomery's operation it was Brereton USAAF, Williams and Browning. It was in fact an American led operation
Thicko he fessed up to it after the war.When you are done cleaning your teeth with your finger try flipping thru some history books with it
@@bigwoody4704 . Stick to Hollywood redneck!
@@jamesloring7186 - so that’s about the same speed as Patton in the Argonne and Lorraine.
When I was in my teens I worked on a farm with an old boy called Jack who was Ox and Bucks. He told me another bloke was sat in his seat at the rear of the glider. They argued then had a fist fight which Jack won and then claimed his rightful place in the seat. The other guy had to settle for a seat at the front.
The glider crash landed killing the other bloke.
very interesting video, I wasn't able to watch the documentary but I am glad to see this
Full honours to all associated with this video ,thankyou for your integrity and determination to deliver the facts in a accurate and interesting format !🙈🙉🙊🌍🇬🇧🇺🇸🇨🇦🇳🇿
Lookit Winston, doing a crossing under fire, just to say he did and to cheer on the troops. The man was still a cavalryman at heart. Whatta champ!
He had a history of putting himself in danger. He even wanted to land in Normandy on D-day. Fortunately the King was able to stop that. The last thing the landing forces needed to do was protect the PM.
Lt Col Jeff Nicklin wasn't in a glider. He parachuted in and was subsequently shot when stranded up in a tree.
Fabulous thank you! Now onto Nebula!
excellent channel and production!
To be fair they had no way of knowing the ground fighting would go as well as it did. Maybe they could have gone in before dawn but there's no way of knowing if that would have been better or worse.
Overwhelming force.
Monty also had another pressing mission, to deny the Russians ground when despite being relegated to a subordinate role in the conquest of Germany by Eisenhower, General Montgomery acquitted his responsibilities in the north of the country with diligence.
After crossing the Rhine, Montgomery’s 21st Army Group separated into three parts. The First Canadian Army turned north to liberate the northern Netherlands and the northwest corner of Germany (including the principal German naval base of Wilhelmshaven); command of the US Ninth Army was passed to Bradley and sent south to meet up with the First Army and encircle the Ruhr; while the British Second Army headed for the Baltic coast.
Advancing from the Elbe, Montgomery took both the important port city of Lübeck and Wismar on 2 May 1945, just hours before the Russian troops of Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky arrived from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northeastern Germany. British troops were now deep inside the Soviet zone of occupation agreed at the Yalta Conference in February, but were unable to prevent the Soviets reaching Schleswig-Holstein, the Jutland peninsula and Denmark. Montgomery halted on a line through Hamburg (liberated on 3 May) and Lübeck. The new German head of state, president Karl Dönitz, was left stranded in Flensburg on the Danish border.
MOnty had better gone to Germany solely and not liberated the North of Netherlands. It wrecked the provinces there, cost many 1000 lives and sent the West of Netherlands in famine costing 10.000s of lives. Leaving the germans more time to root to rampage the West. Also many women got raped all of sudden after liberation. Which had the germans refrained from during the occupation.
Fantastic episode Jessie. Love the collab with other channels like MAH. More.
Thanks!
Great informational video.
Perhaps Montgomery didn't want to make a repeat of Kesselring Pass. One of the vilest lines in movies was Ted Danson's "that man is overrated". In one sentence, Spielberg made a mockery of the Canadian and British sacrifice on the left flank of the invasion. The politics of American historical revisionism leaves you disgusted.
Yes! I heard that line in Saving Private Ryan. Totally superfluous and unwarranted. And historically ignorant.
Yes, a ridiculous immature and unnecessary comment.
And to cap it all the dialogue claims "you gotta take Caen before you can take St Lo" . What utter nonsense. The two towns were separate objectives of two different armies and were in completely different directions.
Even more nauseating, the film then steals one of the real life German units that was keeping Montgomery out of Caen and shows the Americans stopping them. The 'Tiger' that comes across the bridge towards Tom Hanks has the unit markings and turret numbers and colours of a 2nd Kompanie Schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 101 Tiger. This was Michael Wittmanns unit. It fought the British at Villers Bocage. It wasn't fighting the Americans in the Cotentin Peninsula by the Merderet River.
Hollywood BS.
Kasserine Pass. Kesselring was a Feldmarshall of the Lutwaffe also known as "Smiley Albert"
Monty was over-rated. The UK. forces were absolutely critical in the defeat of Germany. It was the American logistics though the won the war in the west and Soviet numbers in the east. Also the Soviet provided little if any help against Japan. The US and the UK won that theater as well.
Rare quality set, thank you.
Thank you
🇬🇧
The 1st Canadian Army was not "mostly British" it was predominately Canadian with detachments from Britain, Poland, the US, Belgium, Holland and Czechoslovakia. (see wikipedia for order of battle in 1945).
Exactly, at this time, there were five Canadian divisions plus two armoured brigades.
Genuinely sad how offended Canadians get over the fact that, certainly for this operation, it was mostly British.
Meanwhile, thousands of Americans had already crossed the Rhine at Remagen, into Germany, beginning, 7, March! By 14 March the Americans had built and were using several bridges at Remagen. By 23 March the Americans had crossed over 6 infantry divisions and 3 armoured divisions.
Always better to have the Americans in front then behind
Yes because there was a bridge at Remagen, and the Rhine is narrower down south. It's wider around Wessel and there were no bridges left. Bridges are few and far between in the northern Rhine anyway.
An excellent presentation, thanks. 😁👌👌👏👏👏
It's really cool how this was part of your family history as well
Re. The labour camp at Rees. My father was with the 51st Highland and his diary notes "..plenty of Russian and Dutch prisoners of war marching back home - all in blue and white striped uniforms, like bags of bones".
Fascinating, thanks for sharing.
13:21 Look at that, a paratrooper wearing MRC body armor.
Thanks for highlighting that, I had to Google it to find out what that was. I guess you learn something new every day. 👍
Must be Market Garden.
11:35 the juxtaposition of both of these quotes hit hard. Both sides feeling EFFING EFFED, just doing what they can against seemingly insurmountable odds.
Thx. Enjoyed this.
What do you call a college student who joined the paratroopers to pay off his student loans?
Debt from above.
badum tss
Calling Patton Monty's rival is beyond absurd; one was fighting a war along the most heavily defended routes against the toughest formations the Germans could field in the west while the other was just driving through the countryside relatively speaking 🤦🏻♂️ And that was the case with few exceptions all the way up from Africa to Italy, Normandy and the Low Countries all the way up to the Rhine.
That Patton thought he was competing with him speaks to his immense immaturity
The American First Army was restrained by Eisenhower from breaking out of the eastern bridgehead across the Rhine until Montgomery’s Operation Plunder crossed on March 24. The crossing at Remagen drew German forces that were assigned to oppose Montgomery’s south to instead try to contain the bridgehead thereby weakening the opposition to Plunder. Though the terrain surrounding Remagen was previously deemed less suitable for advancement than the northern German plains, once they were turned loose the First Army made rapid progress toward the centre of Germany. After March 24th the 9th Armoured Division’s Combat Command B covered 108km in one day, likewise Combat Command A covered 110 km in 11 hours. All 5 American Armies were across the Rhine by the end of March.
Did any of it matter ?
Russia was on a unstoppable march to Berlin since 5th July 1943 - 23 August 1943 battle of Kursk.
Hitler was going to be dragged out of his bunker even if D-Day never took place .
Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up
I don't find that the general map is very clear regarding the units. Is it the French First Army at the bottom of the map between Strasbourg and Mulhouse? I know it is supposed to be there but I can't tell. Very interesting video nontheless, I highly appreciate your work.
French 1st was in fact stationed in and around Strasbourg. So was Patton and his US 3rd. French drove Patton nuts.
I don't generally agree that Monty was over cautious, in general he just waited until he had adequate logistics, there were plenty of occasions when he was advocting more aggressive movements.
My father crossed in a canvas storm boat. He was with the 9th Cameronians of the 15th Scottish. He recalled the river was as still as a mill pond. Mortars landed in the water but never exploded . It all went wrong the following day as they advanced to Rees.
Best history channel on CZcams.
Montgomery didn't want to waste the lives of his men.
ya right that's why 1,100 men don't come home to assuage Monty's desire for a headline and IKE let them do it. Both should have been bucked down
@@bigwoody4704 if you are referring to Market Garden, Eisenhower said "if Monty hadn't suggested it I would have ordered it"!
Indeed, and his combined British 2nd Army and Canadian 1st Army casualties in the whole of the Netherlands and Scheldt campaigns of autumn 1944 came to just over half that of Patton's 3rd Army casualties in the Lorraine.
Um no IKE went all in as both Brooke and Tedder mentioned he covered things up at the top to avoid either the Germans or Soviets knowing there was indeed a weak link in the alliannce.
@@lyndoncmp5751
'Um no IKE went all in as both Brooke and Tedder mentioned he covered things up at the top to avoid either the Germans or Soviets knowing there was indeed a weak link in the alliannce.'
Para Dave.
Total rubbish, as usual.
The Canadian first Army had mix of Canadian troops, including contingents of British, Polish, American and Dutch infantry . Not just British. Big part of the troops where still in Italy
Mainly British