The Most Terrifying Weapon the Nazis Feared
Vložit
- čas přidán 19. 08. 2024
- The path to Berlin was nearly clear. Only three German lines between the River Maas and the River Rhine stood in the Allies’ way. To once and for all break into Germany, the Allies launched Operation Veritable on the morning of February 8, 1945,
Assembled in the valley were nearly 250,000 British and Canadian soldiers lined up shoulder-to-shoulder. With them came one of the heaviest British artillery barrages of the war, with hundreds of vehicles of all types, along with over 1,000 artillery guns, their steel barrels aimed directly at the enemy.
The Germans were dug-in, but the Allies had a card up their sleeve: one of their most terrifying innovations that even the most battle-hardened Nazi would fear.
-
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -
A story on flamethrowers without much about them. Still, a good, albeit brief telling of Veritable and Blockbuster. My father fought through these operations (and more) as part of Canadian 1st Army. All the way from Normandy to Kleve. Among the souvenirs he brought home was my mother. That generation was tough. They (Mom and Dad) survived some of the worst that the 20th century had to offer, and when it was done, they simply went about their lives. No fanfare, no seeking fame or recognition. We could could use major helpings of their generation's strength right now.
The Canadian forces alongside their British allies were an unbelievable courageous fighting force. I know how much the British admired & thought the world of the men they fought alongside. What's a little annoying for we British is the fact the country that portrays itself above all others of being victorious in WW2. Did the least amount of fighting in the ground war. Where the fighting was it's most brutal. Canadian forces came in to the war right at the very start also. These things aren't & won't ever be forgotten. Like you said it was amazing these men just went back into civilian life with no fuss. Despite being the heroes that they were
@@DavyRoI can't comment on the level of risk or courage of the British in WWII, but they were key to Canadian 1st Army. Canadian 1st Army was a unique fighting force comprised of Canadian, British, Polish, Belgian, Dutch, Czech and at times American troops.
That generation fought the greatest evil the world had seen at the time, came home and went to work in factories and offices... no song and dance.. just dusted off their hands and got on with it...
@@DavyRo Exactly the same with the Aussies and Kiwis. They declared war on the Axis Powers with UK. A million Aussies served overseas in the military during WW2, out of a pop of 7 million. Kiwis, 140,000 out of 1.6 million.
What a generation.
@@martyn8116yes! The Aussies and kiwis are outstanding fighting men too from basically every account I've seen them in.
They truely are "The Greatest Generation". I have so much respect for them. I only wish they would have know how much they are appreciated. It probably would have looked like that in the 60s, 70s and 90s. I feel like only now with the internet do we actually have the opportunity to SEE and really learn what happened.
Thank you to all the heroes that setup a bright future for all. Let us not waste it.
I would think all soldiers fear the flame thrower.
Definitely not a good way to go is it
The 5 years that the world was just carnage must have been 😳
I know this is line of script from a ww2 film (fury) but it haunts me for some reason as it’s true
Wait till you see it
See what?
What a man can do to another man
Normal everyday men thrown in with no option or choice on the front line
For it all to end and go back to normal peaceful lives
Look at the generation now, god if it or when it happens
Yeah, the banning of flame weapons by international convention(s) was probably just old maids being fussy. After all, how bad could it really be to be BURNED ALIVE?
@@escos0410 Yes, it does make you think. My great uncle (Grandmother's younger brother) fought in Sicily & Italian mainland. The only thing he ever said was that there was a lot of cowardice.
Since reading about the Italian campaign, it was a hard grind fighting against German defensive positions. When one was taken, the Germans fell back to the next prepared position.
His family received a letter saying he was MIA in 1944. Heard nothing more until he walked into the kitchen in 1946 and gave his mother the shock of her life. He'd been taken POW.
Even the guys operating them were extra careful. They exploded easily if danaged.
I don't think the Germans could call upon "reserves" most of Germany had been stripped of fighting men to feed the meat grinder on the eastern front 😮
Reserve forces not reservists. Big difference. You have to have reserve units in waiting.
Battle of the Bludge is where they really pissed away their reserves.
Even knowing that the Russians were coming (and not happy)
One thing that made the Crocodile stand out compared to other flame tanks is other flame tanks replace their main gun with the flame thrower. The Crocodile kept its main gun and used one of the machine gun ports for the flame thrower. That really made it a formidable weapon capable of destroying entrenched positions with cannon and flame thrower. Lindy Beige has a great video on the Crocodile. He also thinks it was one of the best weapons the British had and has interesting statistics and stories about how they were used.
My father-in-law was a Marine in the Pacific. He was a TC on a Sherman. He and I used to sit up late at night with him bullshitting about our times in the Service.
I once asked him about the flamethrower Shermans. He said they were almost more afraid of the guys who rode and operated on those things!
They all thought they were all lunatics and when eating chow in the field or whatever, they would always be off by themselves.
He said a lot of the tanks leaked fuel everywhere and they really stunk up the place!
Ahh, I miss ya George!
Germans wanted to fight a war properly using tanks and Americans just wanted to use infantry and kill people. This is why Germany never bothered to fight battles.
My great grandfather was a tanker in that battle, 2nd Canadian Armored Division
There wasn’t a 2nd Canadian Armoured Division. There was the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. The only Armoured divisions the Canadians deployed were the 4th (part of the II corps) and the 5th (part of the I corps - fought mainly in Italy)
It is possible he fought in an armoured battalion attached to the 2nd Division, if that was the correct division.
Do you know the regiment by chance?
@@bradtaylor4596 All I know is that he was originally part of the 16th infantry brigade, 8th division, of no. 26 company, before being moved to the 2nd Canadian division. I assumed it was a armored division due to him being put in command of a firefly tank (have some old pictures and a few paintings he made in Holland) and fighting in the battle of scheldt in one.
After more than seven minutes of video he finally gets to the part about the flame thrower.
Dark Docs up to their same old tricks.
👍🔥🪃
He builds up the stories well, much better than most.
Thanks for the info so I didn't have to waste time
Its hard to imagine the sheer horror of a flamethrower tank attacking your position......they should have called it the dragon
the Flammenwerfer was a German invention first used in 1916 at Verdon and plans included using it in armor as far back . No solder wants to be on the receiving end of it. Remember this is British propaganda
They called the ones who didn’t make it crispy critters 😂
Listen to the atlantic wall defenders that Mark felton did it must gave been terrify in those bunkers
the dragon's breath
I’ve really enjoyed your content, but I agree with many of the most critical comments here. The title is misleading and has little to nothing to do with the majority of the content of this video.
The Germans had them too, and planted stationary flame throwers close to bunkers in Normandy and happily, the pre bombardments severed their fuel lines.
“We gonna smoke you out!”
“We’re in a tight spot”
Careful with that fire now!
How's my hair?
A 1000 gun barrage sounds like a lot until you realize that many Soviet barrages were several times bigger than that.
A 1000-gun barrage IS a lot. The concise and sober technical description of a Soviet barrage is OH SHIT!
That sounds about right.@@seanbigay1042
@@seanbigay1042The Seelow Heights barrage, while impressive on paper, did nothing because the Germans had already evacuated the forward lines
@@robotorch Hm ... Come to think of it, the Soviets tried to use one of their humungous barrages to kill Simo Hayha, the sniper they called The White Death ... It didn't work.
@@seanbigay1042 Yeah well using a machine gun is pointless, if you're trying to hit a needle in a haystack...
...but if you're goal is to hit the haystack and set it on fire? :D
Would have been good to have some maps, to show the locations etc.
This is about drama. Not about tactics, strategy , logistics Etc. Nevermind "The weapon that made the Nazis panic" (For entertainment purposes' only).
I used to live around that area & visited these towns on several occasions.
Oh, noch jemand vom Niederrhein? :)
Where were the flamethrowers only briefly mentioned? They were a two-edged sword. They were greatly feared and thus intensely targeted. Many had their flamethrowers blow up on their backs. Nobody wanted to be the person carrying the flamethrower because of the extreme danger.
For a thorough description of the use etc of tank-flamethrowers I recommend Lindybeige The Most Effective Weapon of World War Two. Excellent video, as are all Lindybeige offerings (I also recommend The Last Charge of the Calcutta Light Horse).
Nice ! @9:18 A Panzer 1 passing a “Belgian gate”. Must been may 1940
If the Nazis „totally panicked“, why did it took the Allies almost a year to get from the Normandy beaches to Berlin.
Exactly the Allies were in German soil since late 1944 yet they couldn't even capture Berlin 😂😂
@@JDDC-tq7qmThe forces taking Berlin were Soviet and Polish.
They say the Germans we're not big fans of the 50 caliber machine gun neither. I saw how it was putting in work in the movie Fury.
So you saw how it was working in a Hollywood film, did you? Did it trigger the PTSD you got from playing Call of Duty?
@Great_Sandwich first of all what are you even talking about it was a movie people watch movies and no I don't even like Call of Duty.
@@Great_Sandwich so how are things down in your mom's basement dweller
They had the mg42 which was pretty great
@Great_Sandwich oh yeah I've seen them working in real life cutting down trees
I bet Canadian Artillery guys be like "Soory" after every artillery shell they fire.
Misleading title and thumbnail clickbait.
Erm. The guy in the picture is literally carrying a flame thrower. For a video that is about the two operations, flame throwers were a key component in. What on earth is clickbait here?
Your titles are becoming ever more ridiculous and clickbaity.
Germans used them against French and British during World War One, and against the Soviet Army during WW 2?
I'm flummoxed that I have never heard of Operation Veritable. And I am a WWII buff.
It took a long time for this video to actually provide content related to the title.
Germans thought they were going against 🔥🐲 fire-breathing, swimming tank monsters
@0:25 " . . over a thousand artillery . . aimed directy at the enemy."
Indirectly.
Unsubbed, hate when channels use a pic that has nothing to do with the video. It's just like all those ads using stupid pics to get a click.
This has been a growing problem with this channel. I used to love these videos and they’re all clickbait and fluff now.
@@monkeytimestamps4915Dat's what happens - typically - when a channel breaks through that 1M viewer count.
Same unsubscribing
See ya!
This is not an airport so no need to announce your departure. Unlike today there wasn’t a camera every five feet to video the gruesomeness that you crave.
Ironically, it was the Germans that first introduced the flame thrower. The weapon that the Germans really feared was the Allies incendiary grenade.
Seven minutes in, and no.mention of any weapon.
It is awesome you spent unbelivable 30 seconds of 10 minutes long video on description of that most terrifying weapon the nazis feared. Another great part is that they used it in WW1 already so it was completely unknown to them. Soldiers from other armies probably didn't fear it as Nazis, most probably because it was special antinazi flamethrower shooting stars and stripes.
Clickbait. Not much here about flamethrowers. Also, too few maps.
Though movies depict flame throwers exploding when hit, the firearms channel Forgotten Weapons kind of debunks that and shows they were made with self sealing bladders so if struct by small arms fire a flame thrower would not explode, only if hit with an artillery shell or something to rupture the fuel bladder was there a risk of a explosive event.
The pack straps for the tanks were fitted with quick detach buckles too, so the operator can take it off in a hurry.
I guess the weapon was the Tank-Flamethrower. Still a good Video. Thanks.
The Germans used flamethrower in WW1.
They did not see that coming.
7 minutes and 30 seconds until you got to the point at hand.
Two crews that very rarely get taken prisoner. Snipers and flame thrower crews
Why is the commentator almost whispering? I'm so glad I had a course in Speech and Public Speaking! I wish it was a required subject in every high school.
Panzerkampfwagen, "tank" or "armoured combat vehicle". The modern commonly used synonym is Kampfpanzer, or "battle PANZER". NOT - "Ponzer", which belongs to "Ponzi scheme".
Hey Dark Docs. Your content is good enough to not use click bait icons. If the intended video was meant to be about the Churchill Crocodile tank then it was defiantly not the most feared weapon of the Axis that the allies had. That would be their air superiority late in the war.
7 Minutes in, and still no weapon that was special or "feared" more by the Germans than any other. BTW: NOt all Germans where Nazis and not all Nazis where soldiers...German Soldiers of WW2 would have been more accurate.
video begins at 7:30
I'm pretty sure no one's going to miss the critics who have unsubscribed LOL
Considering this is supposed to be about flame throwers and how terrified the Germans were, there is no mention that they were first invented and used by Germany in the 1st WW, (Flammenwerfer) along with poison gas. The British man portable one shown on the thumbnail was called a Lifebuoy as it resembled a life saving ring on ships and seafronts. As others have said the tank carried version of the flame thrower was carried on a number of different tank types including the Infantry Light Carrier, (Bren Carrier). I suspect flamethrowers were given by the sergeant to the soldier in the section who had p*ssed him off the most as everyone would be trying to take him out ASAP.
Would you ever consider doing a dark doc on Ancient Egypt ?
I did not realize that flamethrowers were used in ETO 🔥
crocodile tanks were used from since D-day . not from this operation as this video leads many to think
Dark Docs never claimed to be accurate with his imagery be it still or video. That said the thumbnail appears to be a prototype (and i can be wrong) of the M202 FLASH (Flame Assault SHoulder) from the 1960s. That said, severe artillery barrages were known to cause men to literally shit their pants. And flame was always scary as hell so i see nothing wrong in the historical presentation as well.
Another Shadow and an accurate presentation.
Dragon would have been a more appropriate name than Crocodile
Use to be great videos, mostly click bait and repeat information
it is flame thrower? after 8 minues you will expect some other weapon of advanced technology
A wonder weapon
Kind of a click-bait video. You're expecting to see some weird man-portable weapon, like a hand-held rocket launcher or something. And about 8 minutes in you find out that he was referencing a tank with a flame-thrower. This is an instant turn-off for me and makes me question the integrity of the video creator.
I don't watch the videos because of pictures. I watch em for the history. Still subbed!
There comes a time when new images must be hard to find, but since it's the story that matters, the rest is secondary. Title a bit misleading though.
Humans greatest fear is being burned to death. Second drowning percentage is low compared
all sizzle, no steak
This piece appears to be a short summary of Operation Veritable, not a weapon. Furthermore, we never once see the made-up, clickbait image that appears in the key frame. Channel has gone weak sauce.
250,000 soldiers shoulder to shoulder? I’ve told you 500,000 times don’t exaggerate?
Clickbaiting with the picture. Ain’t subscribing to be lied to
Seems to me the Canadians did all of the British Armies heavy lifting .
It’s INSANE!!! Absolutely & utterly INSANE!!! It’s MORE INSANE than all other INSANE actions! INSANE INSANITY it is!!!
But not really.
Awesome video !!
A weapon that anyone open the USA 🇺🇸 can purchase and own with no restrictions and not requiring an FFL.
Don't get sucked in by the advertisement for adjustable glasses. The glasses are pure rubbish.
Stop the click bait thumbnails
It is not appropriate to, finally in the last 10 seconds, reflect the video description.
The story in the video has no link with the picture in the caption.Neither the title matches the contents. When did this channel resorted to such practices?
Totally lifted from the british army documentary on the same subject-they didnt even bother to redo the diagrams
Wow, lots of filler in this one. Spinning it out in order to monetize?
They dont fear the flames they fear the burning fuel :P
Like Market Garden before it and Operation Plunder after it, Veritable was an expensive and very slow operation. Montgomery's tactics during this campaign mirrored the tactics of WWI as did the majority of the battles he fought. He tried a narrow front assault once, and that operation is well documented as a "Bridge Too Far".
Otherwise he conducted a slow grinding attacks back by a huge amount of artillery.
He took so long to build up the supplies and equipment that the Germans knew almost to the day when the attack would commence.
The Germans defended skillfully and made 21st Army Group pay dearly for every foot of ground.
The Germans did not respect Monty and his tactics. What they did respect was that the American armies to the south made much better progress and uncovered the German southern flank. That forced the Germans to fall back across the Rhine.
When that happened Monty got his "victory".
Whereas,it could be seen that Monty wanted enough material for the battle and wanted to save as many loves as possible by using artillery bombardment instead of boots on the ground. Also,the tactics towards the end of the war were successful.
I wish you could speak cooler or slower I should say cause otherwise your videos are perfect
What's this about?
Flame throwers are a nasty kunt of a weapon.
And not just for the enemy.
Facts I was in the army. I was a tank mechanic but I still wouldn't want a damn flamethrower.
Yeah this weapon made them panic and not the millions of Soviet soldiers pouring into Germany😂
How is your comment even relevant? Different place, different time, different situation. Can't two things be true at the same time? So, only ONE thing in the entire war made them nervous? (Friggin' bright bulb, over here.)
Oh yeah- America won the second war... 😂
@@Great_Sandwich, don’t worry, it’s just another Putin bot or stupid MAGA moron. I hope they’re not paying him in rubles to post this drivel. No worries though, soon even the trolls will be sent into the meat grinder in Ukraine, never to be heard from again. Turns out air soft suits don’t really protect to well against actual bullets.
@@Great_Sandwichyou're drunk or trolling, right?
@@hicknopunk You're a kid whose historical knowledge comes from playing Call of Duty, right?
So what's the weapon?
a bit click-baity, don't you think?
Slow down and turn the damn misic off!
Bernard Montgomery - NOT Bernaaaard!
Unsubbed as well. Tired of clickbait....
So 7:34 till they say anything about flamethrowers
So in reality is the only thing the German soldiers we're really scared of a was the allied soldiers not the flamethrowers like you saying that your description
Clickbait
Unsubbed. Sorry the clickbait is getting out of control
0:33 World War 1 German Army footage LOL!!!!
7:26 before we get to it..... meh
Don’t like the bait and switch unsubscribe
This guy is a Nazi sympathizer don’t watch his channel!
Come on docs. Thumbnail has nothing to do with the vid. Don’t stoop down like that.
It never ceases to amaze me if the yanks fight and succeed than its The American forces a young else it just the Allies.
most of germany faught on the eastern front anyway. seems most programs, books and videos fail to mention this which is quite funny. nationalism trumps objective truthful story telling
7:23 The weapon is the flamethrower
How do you get away with this BS ???
All that loss of life fighting Fascism only to see its resurgence in USA.
Hmmm, 7 min in until you talk about "The weapon" not cool
Downvoted for misleading title and thumbnail. Excellent doc but why not give it the title that covers what you tell??
Who are you calling NAZIs? They were mostly Germans, but they had volunteers from over a dozen countries. That is like calling the allies “ democrats” or “republicans”.
If they joined the Nazi war machine they were Nazis no matter which country they were born in. Heck, their fuhrer was born in Austria.
So they were fascists!
Misdirection and they talk about their community standards. 😮
This was a terror weapon at Normandy but once it became known it was just another weapon.
Plausible deniability, good one. Next?
Ich möchte keinen Flammenwerfer tragen, die ziehen Kugeln an😂
United States Army Air Force,
Air Force was not born yet.