Billotte: ambushes and wrecks entire tank column Wittmann: “write that down WRITE THAT DOWN”

This guy inspired Micheal Wittmann at Villers-Bocage. Great story! I'm surprised we don't here more about this action.

@whoareyou1034

5 жыл бұрын

I did see many parallels and I wondered if he did.

@Wallyworld30

5 жыл бұрын

@@whoareyou1034 I would bet he knew all about this action. Then try and teach it to all tank commanders just in case they find themselves in the same situation.

@steveswitzer4353

5 жыл бұрын

@@Wallyworld30 Umm the french lost and they all went into pow s camps til 44

@Wallyworld30

5 жыл бұрын

@@steveswitzer4353 That's correct and did you know Grant was buried in Grant's Tomb?

@chumccurry1765

4 жыл бұрын

There was another video about this action, uploaded about one year ago.

Had no clue the French did so well. Thanks.

@Bagration421

4 жыл бұрын

Mike Lameyer The French done well during ww2 despite the surrendering condition in 1940 take a look at Dunkirk, Bir Hakeim, Normandie Niemen, 2 DB (« deuxième division blindée ») French SAS ... Of course for now the popular aspect is to say « French surrender » but you can’t take that seriously unless you have serious lack of knowledge (or something else ...). You can take a look here if you want it’s a KZread channel made by a French who translate some nice videos of the French army, you can really learn alot there : kzread.info/dash/bejne/iWp4r9SJlrC9oKw.html kzread.info

The French could have used a few more Pierre Billottes. Or radios in their tanks.

@tucoramirez4558

4 жыл бұрын

The French could have used a few more flexible and open-minded leaders when French pilots reported German tanks going through the Ardennes. The pilots and their reports were duly ignored or dismissed as "impossible!". Had they sent everything they had to bomb and strafe the small stretch of road going through the Ardennes they would have stopped the German invasion dead in its tracks. History would have remembered the bold but daring sickle cut through the Ardennes as a fool's gamble which led to a fiasco rather than a brilliant move. In fact just stalling the Germans another day might give the French (and other allies) enough time to move their troops to where they are most needed (the best and most numerous troops were facing the north) and enough time to regroup and form a defense line - for which there was no time in real history. Destroying the bridges at Sedan would have stalled the German invasion enough for the allies to regroup, transfer troops were they were needed and dig in. As it were the bridges were virtually intact when the Germans used them to cross rivers. As for "radios in tanks". The Germans rarely came up any large allied tank formations anyways for the simple reason they were a great distance (in 1940's terms) away all preparing for an invasion coming solely through the lowlands - which btw *was* the original Halder plan most of the German high command believed was more realistic (von Manstein's drive through the Ardennes was firmly opposed at first and only won because Hitler believed it was clever and creative). Therefore having radios in the few tanks which were in the area to face the invasion wouldn't have made any real difference. The French tanks ran on high octane fuel, which unfortunately couldn't be found in any gas station back then. Therefore the tanks which could have been driven to the battlefield where they were desperately needed simply sat where they were because no fuel could be found for them. Had they been designed to run on common diesel they could have siphoned that off any trucks or smaller cities with enough diesel machines. Tanks are only as useful as their operational range and operational capabilities. Having radios in the French tanks would not have remedies this. Last of all the Germans had virtual air superiority. This meant many French tanks driving to the battlefield were mercilessly attacked and either knocked out or forced to stop and repair. Again had the French tanks all come equipped with a radio would have been utterly irrelevant given they were given very little air cover from their own air force. Radios in the tanks wouldn't have remedied anything I just brought up which are were crucial factors.

@TemplarX2

4 жыл бұрын

The French would have won just like WW1 if they had stopped the Germans at Ardennes. This was the nature of such war. You lose the initial engagement you lose the war and quickly. You stop the initial thrush, you win but slowly.

@chumccurry1765

4 жыл бұрын

Quetzalcoatl Yeah, very possible.

@mrkojak-ci1zm

4 жыл бұрын

To bad the gap in the Maginot line was leaked. Could've been a great stop

@jacqueschevaux7654

3 жыл бұрын

il y en avait des radios!(du moins pour les chefs de brigade) encore un exemple d'histoires inventées ( par les anglo -saxon) allez a SAUMUR au musee des blindés vous verrz

_"If I had 10 divisions of those Billottes, our troubles here would be over very quickly"_ (Colonel -Kurtz- De Gaulle _ May 1940)

@gosforthlad

3 жыл бұрын

Apocalypse Maintenent !

And it was hard to do, because of the cramped one man turret. This guy was a true tank ace. He didn't sit behind an 88mm gun in a bush, and kill people for fun.

Wow! How did I miss this hidden gem? Never heard of this before, quite the tenacious tank commander to go after so many tanks alone. Great work and thanks for sharing 🍺🍺

@kermittfroggy2975

2 жыл бұрын

When you go out and Yolo you are reprimanded.. So this was discouraged.. He probably knew that but did it anyways.. badass

YES you did it ! You started a new series .....I like this....best of luck ...

The inexperienced Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland fought this battle. A great board game of the battle is GD '40. Thanks AceDestroyer for highlighting a battle for France where the French capability could shine and show what a "Strange Defeat" it was for the French and what a "Strange Victory" it was for the Wehrmacht...

This informative snippet of the Char 2 tank is informative and knowledgeable. Always great and thorough and easy to understand.

@christianbriancon108

4 жыл бұрын

Char b1 not char 2. The char 2c was a massive tank from WW1

As a 12 year old many years ago, I bought a model of the M3 Lee tank. My 12 year old self thought it was cool that the tank had two cannons! Surely that meant it could engage two tanks at the same time! Probably in the only time in the war, Tank Ace Billotte did just that when he initiated his engagement with the German tank column by simultaneously killing the head and the tail of his enemy!

Thank you 👍🏻🇫🇷

En complément le récit par Billotte lui-même : "" Il est presque 6 heures du matin, ce 16 mai 1940. L’opération de contre-attaque se déroule pour reprendre le village de Stonne. Les fantassins du 3e bataillon du 51e régiment d’infanterie suivent les chars. La troupe progresse d’ouest en est. Billotte dirige son char lourd B1 bis « l’Eure » (No 337, en tête de sa compagnie. À bord, quatre hommes forment l’équipage normal du char. Le conducteur René Durupt, tient les commandes. Comme il convient sur ce type de char, celui-ci est aussi pointeur et tireur du canon de 75 mm ainsi que tireur à la mitrailleuse basse. Pour sa part, la tourelle est armée d’un canon de 47 mm SA 35 et d’une seconde mitrailleuse (les 2 mitrailleuses sont des Châtellerault M, 7,5 mm). Cette opération offensive prend de court les hommes du régiment d’élite « Grossdeutschland » et de la 10e panzerdivision présents à Stonne. Le char surgit dans le village par son extrémité ouest, à travers les herbes. Crevant les grillages des jardins, il rattrape la route devant l’église. Il tourne sur sa gauche pour suivre la route principale lorsqu’il se trouve face à face avec une colonne de blindés ennemis à 50 mètres devant lui. La route légèrement descendante et la hauteur de son char lui donnent l’avantage d’une certaine élévation. Il peut voir l’ensemble des engins de la colonne répartie en deux rangs, car certains sont placés sur la partie droite de la route quand les autres utilisent dans le même sens sa partie gauche. L’ennemi se trouve de face, un Panzer IV en première ligne. Cet ensemble de chars est immobilisé, la plupart des soldats allemands étant occupés au pillage des maisons du village ; ce point nous fut précisé par le pilote de char Guy Loizillon, (41e BCC, char « Villers-Marmery », No 374). Heureusement, le blindage du char B1 bis, en alliage spécial d’acier-chrome-molybdène-cadmium est très épais, supérieur à celui des chars ennemis. Son blindage atteint 60 mm Sous une pluie nourrie de projectiles (cent quarante impacts) son épiscope détruit, et utilisant les seules fentes de visées, le char B1 bis fonce droit devant. Billotte ordonne à Durupt, son pilote : « Tu prends les pairs, je prends les impairs ; ». Le pilote oriente correctement le char et fait feu. Billotte utilise son canon et sa mitrailleuse sous tourelle : un obus perforant d’engagé dans le canon, il ouvre le feu. Tous deux tirent immédiatement à vue sans aucun réglage et neutralisent les uns après les autres les treize chars allemands. Billotte précise (« Le temps des armes », P. Billotte) : « En une dizaine de minutes, les chars de tête de la colonne ennemie se taisent à tour de rôle ; je vois fuir les chars de queue... » Au passage il détruit encore des pièces antichars des mitrailleuses et de nombreux fantassins ennemis. Poursuivant en avant, il traverse le village. Après deux cents mètres de ligne droite, il suit le virage à gauche et continue dans la pente donnant vers les Huttes d’Ogny au loin. Cent mètres à peine, puis les tankistes s’aperçoivent que d’importantes troupes ennemies sont massées dans la plaine en contrebas. Le char « l’Eure » fait alors demi-tour et remonte à Stonne qu’il retraverse totalement dans l’autre sens. Après tant d’émotions, son équipage, réalise à la vue des épaves l’ampleur de l’exploit qu’il vient d’accomplir. » hal.univ-lorraine.fr/tel-02139128/document

Wow, tenacious tanker! 👍😳

This is an excellent channel deserving way more subscribers, thank you for this video

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! That truly means a lot to me! Glad to see you enjoyed it!

Great video...I have read a bit about this ... your map put this much more in perspective and the picture of this famous French tanker is much appreciated.

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Also very happy to see that you enjoy the map input.

An excellent account of an often overlooked battle. Billotte's ride was wild indeed and is similar to Wittmann's rampage through Villers Bocage four years later. I will be visiting Stonne next week as part of a guided tour, so thanks once again for an "Ace" podcast!

The 3,7 cm Pak was given the name „Panzeranklopfgeraet“ (tank-knocking-machine) by the german soldiers. No match to Billotte. A brave soldier, cunning and quick. Saludos.

Another excellent video, thanks!

I am subscribed and enjoy all your productions. Thank you.

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Happy to hear that! Thank you very much!

Awesome video! I always enjoy your videos. Thank you.

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Very happy to hear that! I have more of these Tank Battles videos coming! In two weeks I'll release Sergeant Harris' amazing feat of knocking out 5 Panthers in 5 shots.

@whoareyou1034

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheAceDestroyer Nice! I cant wait for that! I am genuinely happy. History is so interresting and these small parts of it make it even more so.

Great work thanks 😁👍👍👍

KZread brought me here, this is the first of your video I see and it is pretty nice. Good job, thanks !! Subscribed.

@TheAceDestroyer

4 жыл бұрын

I'm very happy to hear that! Thank you and welcome to the channel!

😎😎 thanks ace! Yet again good video brother..

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Cheers mate!

I may be in the minority, but I consider the Char B1 as the best looking tank of WW2, along with the British Matilda.

A few more of his calibre and things may have been different, brilliant video

My Grand Father - frontline artillery observer in the 91ième d’Infanterie (“Sans peur et sans reproche” - “Fearless and beyond reproach”) - participated to the battle of Stonne, May 14 to 25 1940. It is one of the few occasions where the French divisional artillery succeeded in unleashing murderous barrages on the enemy positions. The German losses were so appalling (3,000 KIA, 15,000 WIA) that multiple cases of summary executions of French prisoners were observed. My Grand Father was seriously injured on June 7, by a Stuka bombardment. Tagged as “hopeless” on arrival at the field hospital, he died after a long night of agony.

Good historical story, ty

MERCI

Another great video

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Another excellent and informative upload, pal! That was a great lesson in how the French did manage to give the nazis a nice bloody nose. It's a shame it wasn't emulated through the whole front and invasion. History could've been a little different, but I doubt it - as the Germans still had a powerful air force that couldn't be stopped at the time. Good job, great work and research yet again, indeed!

@RoulicisThe

5 жыл бұрын

Their Air force was the only thing allowing the germans to take out a B1 french tank, as the armor was far too thick for even the heaviest anti-tank weapons the germans got at the time, and with his 2 canons, especially the fixed 75mm one on the front, they could basically OS any tank they could oppose it. So, everytime they spotted a B1, they only had 2 options : rearrange a 80mm canon (an anti-bunker canon) so that it could shoot at it, and pray that it would touch the vent on the back of the tank, as it was the only place it's shots could penetrate. Or, call the airforce so they could send an air-strike on the tank with a bomber. It is also said that, during the French campaign, these tanks left such an impact on the german's Infantry that they were afraid of seeing one come to the battlefield, same as the soviet's "Tiger" on the eastern front later on, because the tank had a reputation of being near-indestructible. After they won their campaign on France, they used the B1 incredible armor to strenghten their own tanks

@jacqueschevaux7654

4 жыл бұрын

les panzers de gunderian c'etait le fer de lance le reste du manche etait pourii! (recit general allemand hoeiss je crois)contrairement a ce que l'on raconte il y avait la radio dans les chars francais en plus j'ai regardé un documentaire de la bbc 5 fois plus de chars chez les allemands et pareil que les anglais c'est archi faux les documents officiel au service des armees c'est france 5850 chars allemagne 3800 uk 1950 je comprends pas qu'en 2019 on continu a inventer n'importe quoi non pour humilier la france mais pour en retirer une gloire nationale chez les anglo saxons qui deviennet de nos jours des pays populistes qui pensent a leurs electeurs! non on a bien perdu la guerre en 1940 mais c'est pas a cause de l'armee c'est a cause de la situation politique en france (dans les annees 30 la francea ete a 2 doigts de la guerre civile ) c'est a cause de nous meme je viens de lire un article tres interressant sur atomic foudation grace a curie notemment la france avait en 1938 la possibilté d'avoir la bombe atomiqueet en plus comme le pays manquait de ressources d'energie d'avoir des centrales nucleaires pour fournir de l'electricité.On imagine que la guerre du troisieme reich n'aurait pas duré longtemps C'est vraiment triste car en france mis a part de gaulle napoleon et clemenceau on arrive pas a avoir un leader politique qui entraine le peuple et serve rellement la france

@lapinmalin8626

4 жыл бұрын

@@jacqueschevaux7654 la majeur partie des char Français c'était pour le soutiens d'infanterie et donc avec du petit calibre en tourelle mais avec la ligne maginaut ou aurait largement pu arrêter l'armée Allemande si on avait pas eu des crétins de généraux :)

@MrMorvana

3 жыл бұрын

@@jacqueschevaux7654 La radio dans les tanks français, oui et non. Certaines variantes l'ont eu, oui, mais elle était de si mauvaise qualité et si mal placée qu'elles étaient inutilisables... (J'ai même lu qu'elle avait parfoit été démontée pour servir ailleur, tellement elle était inutile dans le tank.) Mais la plupart du temps il n'y avait pas de radio dans les tanks français pas parce qu'on était trop c.. pour en mettre, mais parce que dans notre doctrine l'idée était d'avoir plein d'infanterie avec le tank, une radio dans le tank n'était donc pas nécessaire. Tout dans la conception de nos tanks était tourné sur cette philosphie du combat. Or lorsque le front se fait enfoncer, c'est très difficile d'avoir cette situation... Donc lorsque nos tanks, parfois supérieur à ceux de l'ennemi d'un point de vue purement technique, se sont retrouvé engagés, ils ont vraiment été mis en difficulté par l'absence de communication, de bon poste d'observation, etc...

actually it's the german, who call it "the verdun of 1940" ;)

Your site a huge change relating the poor french armement , very refreshing. Thanks.

Great job, congratulations for your accurate prunonciations in english german and french, so rare....

Do you know the battle of bir hakeim ? A video about it could be great

Brilliant

Heard of this guy in a LEGO video! The bulletproof Frenchman.

French quality

Great history !

I subscribed, great video

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate! I appreciate it!

Fascinating 🖖🏼

nice clib, never heard of these events...on small remark (again) go easy on the knocked out's... but hey great job!!

Very interesting, I was always under the impression France got crushed with no victories at all

@ph390

4 жыл бұрын

the problem is that anglo american historians have always wanted to ridicule the french ... but the reality is quite different ... we can add in 1940, the sacrifice and bravery of the french to protect the english retreat in dunkirk or the battle of the Alps against the Italian which was a French military victory in June 40 a few days before the armistice ...

@jpc7118

3 жыл бұрын

Search battlefield report of Montcornet 1940, Narvik (Norway) 1940, Stonne 1940, Bir hakeim (desert) 1942, Mount Belvedere (Italy) 1944, Dragoon Operation (1944), Colmar 1944-45, Nordwind (last german ofensive against french in december1944 and January 1945 to take back Strasbourg)...

@jpc7118

3 жыл бұрын

@STORM13NOTE I didn't do an exhaustive list cause it would be too long.... but as you chose to speak about the battle of the Alps, you could have spoken that non only french troops didn't loose territory but they did took some italian forts, some french units attacked italian forts with less troops than the defenders but succeeded tot ake the italian forts even.... most french troop were BCA...

Wasn't there another part of this Stonne fight where 2 French 25mm ATG's were in the same hairpin turn where the German 37's were, and took out two PZ IV's? The day before?

@TheAceDestroyer

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, I believe so.

The same Billotte made it again 4 years later in 1944 in eastern France within the Free French 2 Armoured div this time, destroying several Panthers.

For all Billotte's undoubted skill and courage - which I am not in any way trying to impugn - this battle shows the fundamental weakness of the French forces. Billotte was a captain; he shouldn't have been killing dozens of tanks single-handed, he should have been commanding his unit to kill dozens of tanks. But because they didn't have any real communications, and because the unit commander had to function as commander, loader, AND gunner, the best they could manage was to trundle along in a line behind their CO.

I love your videos but i wish they were longer and more detailed. Great work though!

@cgaccount3669

5 жыл бұрын

I do and I don't. Sometimes I don't have time to watch a long video.

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Happy to hear that! I like to stick with the 5 to 20 minute video's. For me that's the perfect length for a video. I could make some longer video's if I have time this summer.

Why didn't the Allies learn positive lessons from this action concerning the armour protection and gun velocity of the Char B1 ?

@augustlandmesser1520

4 жыл бұрын

One-man turret of Char B-1 on open field situations, when tanks are not just sitting ducks, had huge tactical disadvantage since it have commander(observer)/gunner/loader in one person - compared to three-man in Panzer-III's. But bigger turret means heavier mass, slower speed, less radius, higher fuel consumption, complexed maintenance - if you want to keep same armor protection. So designers had to make some compromises suited to reality of battlefield and logistic requirements.

@FairladyS130

4 жыл бұрын

Indeed, why didn't they? It's a simple and obvious formula .

@Arltratlo

3 жыл бұрын

they have no radios to tell the story!

@FairladyS130

3 жыл бұрын

@@Arltratlo Obvious fixes, add radios and improved turret. It already had crucial protection and firepower.

@MrMorvana

3 жыл бұрын

@@FairladyS130 Yes and no. The B1 was probably the better tank even in 1940, but it was build for a trench warfare, which didn't happen... And it had MANY problems for the movement warfare (the hull gun was like an arty gun, almost unusable against tanks, the one man turret made it really hard to upgrade the 37mm gun, no radio or bad radio, bad visibility, low autonomy...). It was the perfect tank, for another war ! If the battle of France had been like Stalingrad, with only small movement and a lot of infantry, the B1 would have been legendary.

Thanks for sharing, I had never heard of this tank battle and the great success of the French forces in it. Not much is ever said about the opening battles of the war and the French fighting seems to just be a footnote saying there was resistance but the NAZI's rolled over them. All you ever hear about is Dunkirk and how the Maginot line failed.

@jacqueschevaux7654

5 жыл бұрын

il ne faut pas écouter les gens qui connaissent tout 3 choses ont précipié la france dans la défaite 1 les britanniques se sont enfuis a dunkerque(contre les ordres de l'etat major francais) ce qui a laissé un trou béant par ou les allemands se sont engoufrées 2les politiques francais etaient tous trés agés memes gateux( PETAIN) totalements a coté de la plaque 3 il y a eu une campagne inouie de falwk news LA CINQIUEME COLONNE

@Masahiko55

4 жыл бұрын

Hannut Gembloux Monthermé La Horgne Flavion Landrecies Stonne Montcornet Crécy Abeville Lille Dunkerke Amiens Péronne Canal de l'ailette Longpré/Hangest Péronne Aisne Juniville/Perthes Moselle Verdun Saumur Maginot Line Alps + french Airforce

@mikecimerian6913

4 жыл бұрын

French troops did the rear guard action at Dunkirk. They provided time for the evacuation. For anyone unfamiliar with rear guard action, one cannot leave his position unless relieved. An officer had authority to shoot on the spot anyone leaving a position without orders. This was to the death.

@lapinmalin8626

4 жыл бұрын

Say the Maginot line was a fail it's a lie German never crossed Maginot line

@vidiljulien8260

4 жыл бұрын

One of the reason of this is To cover an inept english commander who fled during a crucial moment when the french général wanted To countercharge. Leading To the destruction of most of the french élite troups defending britains during the battle of dunkirk. Making this evacuation the finality of à stupid order.

Wittmann: I defeat the Allies in Villager-Bocage Allies: I know but he can (Points out Char B1"Eure" in the battle of stonne)

Nice video.

@TheAceDestroyer

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Happy to see that you enjoyed it!

What a guy!

French butter knife cutting through fridge cold german butter

One at least of the cannons Billotte obliterated without using his own weapons but the tank itself. Pause for an instant and think about this.

During the fighting for Stonne, a French tank was feared and nicknamed by the Germans the “Butcher of Stonne”. This is the B1-bis tank of Lt Doumecq the "Riquewihr" (in May-June 40 the French tanks all have a name of various origins "Indochina Verdun, "The invincible" ect..) of the 49th BCC of the 3rd DC. During the fighting on May 17, the village changed hands no less than 6 times!! The "Riquewihr" sets off to attack the village, near the road a column of German riflemen opens fire on the tank. This is a stupid act because they do not have adequate weapons or equipment to fight against this steel behemoth!! But this attracts the attention of Lt Doumecq who heads towards the German column. The Germans are trying to take cover in the ditch on the side of the road. Nothing to do, the tank takes them in defile and advances inexorably strafing and crushing the Germans who have no cover, it is carnage.

A tank got missing... When suddenly 3 months later in Berlin: "Hey look what's this"

Love every single one of the tank destroyer videos, but, as an old man (avec cancer de la brain, nes't pas??) high on pain killers and og kush, I have never actually gotten to play a video game with tanks, and hence, as a stoner arm chair general, have much fun watching these, my dad's older brother fought in eastern France, Dec. '44, and especially since these unique true stories, but, but THE Graphix are attrocious, (green units, on green background, may have to bust Tank Destroyer back to buck private!!!!!!) sad, since these are world class, exceptional research, in every respect, but, as a yank, I have to replay the audio, cuz can't quite get the accent, we are only taught Amurcun in school, but, I always dig any Euro trash accent of any kind, being somewhat maxed out on Brits (WaW, Larry O Liverier, c. 1973, mais oui!), and even a yank can never take a USA accent seriously, in the AoT (Age of Trump)

@Impl0ze93

4 жыл бұрын

What a tirade ! I had a good laugh thanks mate

Finally a French good story line .

Meanwhile, German tank commanders: "HaXXOr!"

B1 Bis was a beast.....for tank warfare in the 1930s.....after 1939 it was outgunned and too slow.

@depotixxcoulouarn7334

4 жыл бұрын

Actually the 47mm on the b1 bis was a good canon, it has a pretty high velocity for its time and could knock out every german panzer, this tank was designed to be slow but well amoured. If you want a quick tank there was a few like the "Char de cavalerie Somua S35" or the "H35/39"

No one is going to mention the 2 dead tank crew at 5:40 with the one on the right missing his head

@teecar9868

4 жыл бұрын

6:17.... He's not missing his head, Look closer, you can see his neck. He's bent over and his head is behind the other guy's.

What are some heroes stats

The Char B taking all those hits is prescient of the KV1s near Leningrad in '41. The Germans came to match these with the Tiger I and Panther, then got carried away with overbuilding with the monster Tiger II.

@Wallyworld30

5 жыл бұрын

How many Panzers did that KV1 kill during that action?

@terraflow__bryanburdo4547

5 жыл бұрын

@@Wallyworld30 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinoviy_Kolobanov Kolobanov killed 22 and a couple of anti tank guns before running out of shells. Several other KV1s destroyed an additional 21. His tank took 156 hits, none penetrating, and no Soviet tanks were lost in the battle.

If the French had utilized these tanks to their full potential (with radios) and as independent armored divisions and working in close coordination with the air force, the German offensive in the west would have failed.

@thibaudduhamel2581

5 жыл бұрын

They had independant armored units operating during the battle (the DLM light armored divisions and DCM armored cavalry divisions). I'm afraid the french would have lost the war in 1940 even with better coordination. The people of France and the conscripted men were simply not willing to risk a repeat of the horrific casualties of the first world war. The war had to be quick, one way or another.

@jacqueschevaux7654

4 жыл бұрын

personne ne parle de la cinquieme colonne? c'est ca qui a précipité la france dans la défaite!

@jacqueschevaux7654

4 жыл бұрын

il y en avait des radios !qui vous a dit le contraire?y etiez vous ? pour affirmer cela la, defaite de 1940 c'est pas du a ca peu d'annees avant la france a faillit connaitre une guerre civile: c'est totalement dechiree et sans aucun leader politique squ'elle s'est lance dans cette guerre 5apres avoir suivie les britanniques qui n'en avait rien faire et se sertvaient de la france comme terrain de bataille

@stormbringer2840

4 жыл бұрын

@@jacqueschevaux7654 Est ce que huntziger faisait partie de cette cinquième colonne ? Parce que vu ces action il était soit profondément incompétent soit un traitre .

@erichvonmanstein1952

4 жыл бұрын

French Air force was too weak to defeat Luftwaffe.They had just limited amounts of modern planes and inferior in numbers.

Come play this out in Post Scriptum! Free weekend on Steam!

At 5:40 are this 2 dead germans or french And is one to the right missing head

Thank you for this, I was always of the opinion that the Char Bs were rubbish.

@Bob.W.

4 жыл бұрын

Most historians have stated they were the best tank fielded by either side at this time of the war. This action demonstrates that.

My grandfather was with the BEF he a had a lot of respect for the French arme. He said he owed his life to a French officer at Dunkirk. However his view was clouded during the British occupation of North Africa with us troops. Colonial French displayed fervent anti allies feelings to the extent that. People got killed. Ditto northern France after D Day.

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Oh wow! Thanks for the personal story! I really appreciate it! I have heard many stories of the bravery displayed by the French during the Dunkirk evacuation, but I didn't know it was that bad during North-Africa and Normandy.

@thibaudduhamel2581

5 жыл бұрын

The AceDestroyer many french people were outraged with the british attitude at the beginning of the war. They felt they didn’t do enough to help in 1939, and then too promptly turned tail and ran. Not even mentioning the shelling of the french fleet at anchor in Mers el Kebir and the british led invasions of parts of the french colonial empire, like Syria and Madagascar. That’s why when the allied landed in french North Africa, all british troops and planes were disguised as americans, with huge american flags and roundels painted on the planes and vehicles.

@DM-nz4fs

5 жыл бұрын

@@thibaudduhamel2581 It was a mass tactical retreat in the face of overwhelming firepower in all branches of the military. If the British didn't pull its forces back to the mainland, it would've found itself under the rule of the Nazis within a year. There was nothing to be done for France, and Europe as a whole, when the Nazis started their mass invasions of every single nation in Europe, including Russia. To send armies in '39, '40 against such a well oiled, well armed, powerful military force is suicide. It's much better to retreat, regroup, retrain, rearm, and and then get stuck in. To be fair to the British, they more than made up for having to retreat and leave France to its fate by sending thousands of SOE agents and SAS and commando troopers in to wage a clandestine campaign against the Nazis and Germans. It worked a treat. France became a vast no-go area for every single German or Milice traitor.

Billottte possibly the French Abrams? Narragansett Bay

1st Company, 8th Panzer Regiment of 10th Panzer Division.

Great story which you don't hear from the battle of France in 1940 its mostly the Germans whom one the battle and it showed they didn't get it all there own way. Just like at the Battle of Arras the Germans found it hard to pen the Matilda 1 and 2 tanks and is the reason behind Hitler wanting better tanks which came in the shape of the Tiger 1 and bumping into the Russian T34 and KV1 tanks on the Russian front spawned the Panther tank and later Tiger 2. Fun fact the German 3.7cm Pak 36 the German army dubbed the door knocker after the Battle of France.

please do one about 'Steamroller farm' - Tunisia. Churchill tanks ambush a German column

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

I haven't heard of that one. Thanks for bringing it to my attention! I really appreciate it!

@LordGeorgeRodney

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheAceDestroyer thank you! keep up the good work sir!

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

@@LordGeorgeRodney Thanks mate! I appreciate it!

comeon man, turn off your hacks!

Were German designers already upgrading , or did this push the need to upgrade , what happened to captured char b tanks

@TheAceDestroyer

4 жыл бұрын

I believe that the Germans mostly used them as beach defenses. I believe one was put somewhere along the Belgian coast, I forgot where though. Others, including other French tanks were salvaged and the turrets were incorporated in bunkers.

@mickjenner6697

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheAceDestroyer I've seen a Renault as a coastal , thanks for quick reply , really enjoy your work , very well done and clear to follow , I like how it's about battle and not political propaganda and such

@TheAceDestroyer

4 жыл бұрын

No worries @@mickjenner6697, always happy to help when I can. Thanks! It means a lot!

A legend of the battle of France. In real, Billotte was followed by Malaguti, far from a few minutes. When Malaguti arrived in the street there was still some panzer to fight and Billotte was aleady gone, so Malaguti had to finish the destruction of the panzer. Malaguti stated in his report: "Billotte drove along the panzer column at good speed" and only hit the panzer without aiming. The panzer were parked so close to each other that they didn't fight. 1 vs 13 is false = 2 vs 13 And it's not an epic fight = the panzer didn't fight and the crew escaped. This realistic version of history from After Action Report has been published by Yves Buffetaut in the 1990' in the military press publication Militaria HS.

@davidrakija6088

9 ай бұрын

You forget that Billotte's tank received 140 impacts !

@BFVK

9 ай бұрын

@@davidrakija6088 And what ? A battle field is full of weapons. It's doesn't change the fact: 13 vs 1 is FALSE.

So the French had a war winning tank. They only needed some maintenance guys who knew how to keep a tank in service, some drivers who did not drive into ditches, couple dozen tank commanders who knew what they were doing and then throw in a few dozen radios. Top it off with a strategic understanding of armor tactics and the French win the war.

Patron?

It is a shame you did not provide more info about this battle. What happened the day before? the day after-

@TheAceDestroyer

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I might make a video on that if I get the chance to film there. I really wanted this video to be a smaller one (below 7 minutes). It surely is a very interesting battle and 'm keen on learning more about it myself.

@Wallyworld30

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheAceDestroyer Great idea, please make a part 2 to this video.

@samstewart4807

5 жыл бұрын

@@TheAceDestroyer I was not really aware of this battle. It looks like the Germans took a beating and still won? I would like to see how the entire battle went and why the french lost it.

post scriptum players where you at ?

G'day, Yay Team ! Well done mate..., I've long known that the French Tanks were considered to be better than those of the Germans in 1939-'40, but never heard it summed up more succinctly, "The French Tanks had bigger Guns and thicker Armour..., the Germans' Tanks had Radios and better Mobility...." (they were faster and had better off-road capability). So, here we find a situation whereinat the Streetscape renders Mobility to become a null-issue - and Radio merely permits distant Commanders to realise who is no longer answering...; and when they can't run around to avoid being shot up, by anyone who has a bigger Gun, sitting behind thicker Armour..., then the early Panzerkampfwagonen were not really fit vehicles - from within which to chastise Der Fuhrer's Enemies... As it turned out. Happy Oestara Festival ! ;-p Ciao !

@Wallyworld30

5 жыл бұрын

Agreed, that Char B1 had the perfect setup. Unfortunately for France this was just the rare exception rather then the rule that their tanks had the upper hand.

@WarblesOnALot

5 жыл бұрын

G'day, Too true..., and pretty much any Tank which relies on movement rather than Armour will have a problem any time it can't run away. Such is Life, Have a good one... ;-p Ciao !

@thebog11

5 жыл бұрын

You forgot one advantage: the German tanks had 2 or 3 man turrets, while the French tanks nearly all had 1 man turrets.

@WarblesOnALot

5 жыл бұрын

@@thebog11 Thanks. Well, yeah, but in this case the number of people in the Turret was irrelevant... What mattered was that the faster lighter and more manouvreable German Tanks couldn't run away from being shot to bits by a more heavily-armoured French Tank which they couldn't seriously damage, that was equipped with a bigger Gun as well. Having 3 Germans in the Turrets of the Panzers merely meant MORE burned Mincemeat in each burning Turret, rather than scattering the Barbeque all over the lower "Fighting Compartment". Such is Life, Have a good one. ;-p Ciao !

@Wallyworld30

5 жыл бұрын

@@thebog11 True, the 1 man turret made the machine very inefficient to put it mildly. The lack of radios doubly so.

the Chubby One

Why did he turn? He easily could go straight to Berlin...

Proof the French could've actually won against the Germans, or at least ruined their shit to some degree, if they had the right tactics.

@antera1524

4 жыл бұрын

Won? No, they couldn't, even with different tactics, they showed a too much important weakness in their supplies, even if they managed to hold the germans in the ardennes they couldn't hope to sustain more german attacks, even in Belgium their defences started to crumble under the germans attacks.

@gobanito

4 жыл бұрын

The French airforce was also in the midst of a major equipment overhaul at the time. There was also a prewar rivalry between the French Airforce and French army that helped hamper their ability to coordinate attack and defense. But if the French played their cards right in the prewar years and adopted Estienne's concept of concentrated armor and airforce in joint operations (which he proposed in 1919) its possible that by 1940 the German attack would have turned into another stalemate on the western front. and as we've seen in World War 1, the longer the war drags, France gets stronger, while Germany gets weaker.

@dawatitest1dawati286

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, France with help of Britain could have won... In fact that what France and Britain were counting on when they declared war on Germany. As strange as it may seem France was considered at par or even stronger than Germany at the beginning of WWII.

@jpc7118

4 жыл бұрын

@@antera1524 It's in fact not true. In gembloux 2 french elite tank units (DLM) stopped and puished back 4 pz div, easily, with no air support and no artillery support when German were totally dominating in the air. The initial Dyle Plan had the very strong 7th armoured army behind the french 2nd and 9th reserve C armies, near Sedan and in front of the Ardennes. This 7th armoured army which had about 1/3 of the french B1bis and Somuas was there in case of a german movement from the ardennes. In fact, French observation planes found the german pz div in the ardennes, in long columns as the way was very tight. But the 10th may, there was applied a variant of the Dyle Plan : the Dyle-Breda plan (Breda, name of a dutch city in the extreme south west of Netherlands). The variant was needing a french motorised army which could go fast to the north to join the Dutch army retreating there to keep Netherlands in the war. It wasn't a military decision, it was a political one. UK king was directly linked with the duth royalty, they put pressure on french gov which ordered stupidely to french army to sent her last reserve : the 7th armoured army. When German atatcked the 2nd and 9th army, they broke the line after a fierce but short fight, because the french soldiers of these army had been informed that till the very first fight, the 7th elite army would come to save the day... When the soldiers of this 2 weak armies saw they wouldn't be helped against the elite of the germans Pz Div, they felt betrayed, lost their moral (I recall that the 2nd and 9th armies had also lost more than half of their anti-tanks guns and of their AA guns, sent to reinforce french and belgian armies and BEF in Belgium) and finally, and suddenly, the frontline collapsed. The presence of the 7th army fast in Breda didn't change anything there : the Dutch had already ceased the fight BUT the absence of the 7th army in front of the ardennes changed everything and permitted the german breakthrough.

@antera1524

4 жыл бұрын

@@jpc7118 I'll stay with the original question: could the french hold the ardennes? Even though the french tank crews and their materials were very effective, when a tank has no fuel, it has no fuel, it wont keep going on because of patriotic duty or because his friends needs its help, even if the 7th army stood its ground, the germans would have passed through, because the ressuplie couldn't make it to the front, it was slowed down by waves of fleeing citizens swarling the roads and drowning the military convoys in the crowd, by the time they would have arrived the tanks would have been out of gas for long and abandonned, the panzers would have rushed through the line and thus made the line colapse, sending more and more refugies on the road, blocking more and more the suplies trucks, the 7th army wouldn't have lasted long, even if they certainly would have taken far more germans down with them. And the lack of air support was really an issue: at Hannut, the french showed their supperiority against the germans on the grond, but the stukas made them retreat... Now the question I'm asking is: had the Giraud been ordered to stay near Verdun and thus inflicting more casualties to the germans given the opportunity to the allies armies to retreat from belgium and winning the battle afterwards? I think this is interesting and would appreciate to have someone's mind on the issue.

Is it just me or does anyone think 'Dalek' when they see a tank?

What a shame that the french high commands were stuck in WW1 and in their ego, in terms of manpower and equipment the french army was a real contender, they just needed agile and pragmatic thinking on their high command for quick response and mobility.

So the tank was not so bad after all

Bilotte - What that's all ? Only 13 ! Where are the rest of the panzer division ?

@TheAceDestroyer

4 жыл бұрын

Well, 13 is quite a feat in only one engagement. von Ribbentrop at Kursk knocked out 14 Soviet tanks in one engagement while there were (according to him, many more tanks to shoot at). Billotte basically knocked out everything in his way. Stonne is small hamlet with narrow streets, the Germans had already lost quite a few tanks in the preceding fighting for the village and it was only one hamlet on the front line of the German Panzer division. The rest of the Panzer Regiment was either at the base of the hill or fighting elsewhere.

Vive la France

Probably tweeked bro

There must be a lot more to this battle if this village exchanged hands 17 times no wonder the Krauts compared it to the eastern front . If the French would have had a few more Heroes like this guy Hitler might have lost his confidence in attacking Russia especially if the French were not defeated by the end of the summer

@davidrakija6088

9 ай бұрын

Of course ,here is another example During the fighting for Stonne, a French tank was feared and nicknamed by the Germans the “Butcher of Stonne”. This is the B1-bis tank of Lt Doumecq the "Riquewihr" (in May-June 40 the French tanks all have a name of various origins "Indochina Verdun, "The invincible" ect..) of the 49th BCC of the 3rd DC. During the fighting on May 17, the village changed hands no less than 6 times!! The "Riquewihr" sets off to attack the village, near the road a column of German riflemen opens fire on the tank. This is a stupid act because they do not have adequate weapons or equipment to fight against this steel behemoth!! But this attracts the attention of Lt Doumecq who heads towards the German column. The Germans are trying to take cover in the ditch on the side of the road. Nothing to do, the tank takes them in defile and advances inexorably strafing and crushing the Germans who have no cover, it is carnage.

the french Wittman😊 this is the first time i have heard of the french fighting well

@Khrist75

5 жыл бұрын

Did you have heard about Charlemagne, François 1er or Napoleon Bonaparte ?? Asshole !!!

@Stratigoz

5 жыл бұрын

Do not base your history knowledge upon internet myths, memes and stereotypes then man.

@capoukaverne

4 жыл бұрын

totally stupid french bashing...are you so idiot? maybe want to speak about dunkirk (how french force resistance stoped germans and allow the BEF to go back in england? they didnt fight well your you?), "cadets de saumur" who sacrifice themself, bir hakeim (who allow the Victory of el Alamein) or normandie niemen escadrille? do not confuse our high command that was really bad and our brave French soldiers who for the most part fought fiercely. Germans lost 50 000 soldiers (kia) and 1000 planes...there werent there for battle of england just remember that

Make for a great movie. To bad the French got such a bad rap. I know the French gave the germans what for before they did surrender.

It is a shame how badly the french Generals did. in ww2

@thibaultletricheur1884

4 жыл бұрын

Yes the general were bad, noneless the plan Dyle ( Maginot Line, ressources, and a containment of the german army in Belgium) was very good ( but Belgium destroyed it with it's "neutrality in 1936). There also an other reason, since the Revolution (and a certain Napoléon and later his nephew) in France, the republican were and are still afraid of the army "la grande muette", The great mute. This paranoia could be seen during WW1 when Joffre need to "beg" the governement for credits and subsides for the war effort. But in WW1 there was Clemenceau who sided with the military " I always do the war" Before WW2, the military were opposed ideologically to "pacifism", for example since 1930, Aristide Briand proned leniency toward Germany, even after the rise of Hitler, this policy continues. It was one of the reason that France fell, his politics.

Char B1 OP, please nerf? Or how ever you would say that in German. Char B1, high caliber guns? Not really....more like the German armor wasnt that thick at that time.

schiebe *BOOM BOOM BOOM* *We lost, head back to base.* Wor tonder

Wow guys.... THE QUESTION IS : HOW MANNY TANK DESTROYERS HAD THE GERMANS THERE???? I'm courious because the Germans don't buid the tanks to fight other tanks. Excepting here the late war tanks and the tank destroyers. So Gudarian say that the tanks sude overwhelm the infantry defencive positions. And the truth artilery and the stukas sude destroy the tanks. So blitzkrieg doctrine don't use tanks to battle tanks guys........ Com one!!!!!

Poor French tanks, if they were just utilized like this, they might have repelled the Germans

I'd hate to be the one to do it but 1:50

I srsly love that channel but calling out that germans come with modern Tanks vs outdated french is joke that i expected from someone who is second grade and never touch even the primitive history book, 60 % + of the german Panzers were Panzer II which is STOP GAP model from 1934 hitting the production lines around 1936 .... Sooooo Good info bro in first 1 min i hear more bullshit than history channel in last 11 years.

@TheAceDestroyer

4 жыл бұрын

I'm sorry to hear that sir! At the time I had just read that the French Char B1 was designed in the 1920's from the knowledge of WW1, so I kind of thought it was outdated. It shouldn't have happened, I know and I apologize.

lol 13 tank kills.... in a 32t tank against 10t tanks.... good, but the real tank aces have only German first names...lol