Tanks

[Jon Skagfeld]

Heads up info...History Channel 1000 hrs 1 Jan 06.

Looks like it may be a good view for Armour type guys.

[Ponysoldier]

Hey thanks for the info let me see thats 1300 my time
Patrick

[John McGillivray]

If you think that the documentaries made by the CBC are bad, the ones made for History Channel in the States are much much worst.

The series “Tank” has being around for some time. It was already shown on History Television here in Canada one or two years ago.

The so called experts just repeat the same worn out, inaccurate clichés. Germans good, Allies bad.

One show deals with the great superman Michael Wittmann and his super tank Tiger. The show gives an inaccurate account of the battle at Villers-Bocage. It builds Wittmann up as some kind of super hero and over looks the true cause of the debacle. The veteran 7th Armoured Division , the “Desert Rats” had lined up their vehicles nose to tail along the side of a road and were completely unprepared for action, even though they were the tip of the spear. One 6pdr gun or one Firefly in a defensive posture and Wittmann would have been toast. The show also ignores the German act of stupidity when they sent their tanks into the town of Villers-Bocage without any infantry support. They lost six Tigers and a Panzer IV. Also there is little mention of how Wittmann died, when he led his Armour straight into an ambush on Aug. 8th, and got almost his entire command wiped out.

The show about Normandy is the worst of the lot. It makes the CBC look like geniuses.

On the positive side, there is a lot of good film footages, just don’t laugh too loudly at the commentaries.

[John McGillivray]

I just check on the History Television web site. From the descriptions of the episodes it may not be the same as the old series “Tanks” Or maybe the descriptions are wrong. We will just have to look and see.

http://www.historytelevision.ca/tv/s...ay&dateDelta=6

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by John McGillivray

http://www.historytelevision.ca/tv/s...ay&dateDelta=6

ALERT!

Oh boy, Yappy's gonna me for bringing in the New Year watching the History channel all goddam day...

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
On the positive side, there is a lot of good film footages, just don’t laugh too loudly at the commentaries.

Why the hell don't those morons call people like us to write and give those commentaries (for that matter, Ann Medina too) - we know more than any of them...

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
I just check on the History Television web site. From the descriptions of the episodes it may not be the same as the old series “Tanks” Or maybe the descriptions are wrong. We will just have to look and see.

http://www.historytelevision.ca/tv/s...ay&dateDelta=6

Yeah, John...I think it's a different production, not like the other production which you rightly decried.

[Ponysoldier]

Hey they dont know squat about history or tanks.
They might know something about the boob tube,
ahhhhh well maybe.Use some of us?? thats way
too easy. They must be blondes ( did I say that??)
Im in trouble now :dh: .
Patrick

[Jon Skagfeld]

Wow!

After 7 hours of tanks, I'm all "tanked out".

The 7 hours included "Battle of the Bulge", which had as it's only redeeming feature, Conrad leading the troops in a foot stomping rendition of "Die Panzer Lied".

Clank, clank,...I'm a tank.

[Ponysoldier]

Well you got a different feed than I had.All I got was
5 hours of band of brothers, which all in all is not bad
but certainly not tanks bummer.
Patrick

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Originally posted by Jon Skagfeld
Wow!

After 7 hours of tanks, I'm all "tanked out".

The 7 hours included "Battle of the Bulge", which had as it's only redeeming feature, Conrad leading the troops in a foot stomping rendition of "Die Panzer Lied".

Clank, clank,...I'm a tank.

Hi Jon,I too got all tanked up(to use the pun).Watched the whole series twice to the chagrin of my wife,"Is that all you're gonna do today,but sit in front of the TV?"This stuff is all new,not the previous series John is talking about in his thread.

OOH!.Got a new case of beer!!I'm off to getf tanked !!

[sapper740]

Originally posted by John McGillivray
If you think that the documentaries made by the CBC are bad, the ones made for History Channel in the States are much much worst.

The series “Tank” has being around for some time. It was already shown on History Television here in Canada one or two years ago.

The so called experts just repeat the same worn out, inaccurate clichés. Germans good, Allies bad.

One show deals with the great superman Michael Wittmann and his super tank Tiger. The show gives an inaccurate account of the battle at Villers-Bocage. It builds Wittmann up as some kind of super hero and over looks the true cause of the debacle. The veteran 7th Armoured Division , the “Desert Rats” had lined up their vehicles nose to tail along the side of a road and were completely unprepared for action, even though they were the tip of the spear. One 6pdr gun or one Firefly in a defensive posture and Wittmann would have been toast. The show also ignores the German act of stupidity when they sent their tanks into the town of Villers-Bocage without any infantry support. They lost six Tigers and a Panzer IV. Also there is little mention of how Wittmann died, when he led his Armour straight into an ambush on Aug. 8th, and got almost his entire command wiped out.

The show about Normandy is the worst of the lot. It makes the CBC look like geniuses.

On the positive side, there is a lot of good film footages, just don’t laugh too loudly at the commentaries.

John, I have no love for the S.S. They were bloodthirsty murderers of the worst order, but I grudgingly give respect for one's fighting prowess when due. Have you read the I. SS-Panzerkorps General Command's submission for his Ritterkreuz des Eisernens Kreuz mit Goldenem Eichenlaub und Schwerten?(Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords)

(Translation)

AT 0800 HOURS, A SECURITY POST REPORTED TO SS OBERSTURMFUHRER WITTMAN THAT A STRONG COLUMN OF ENEMY TANKS WAS MARCHING ON THE ROAD CAEN-VILLERS-BOCAGE.
WITTMAN, WHO WAS IN COVER WITH HIS TIGER 200M. SOUTH OF THE ROAD, IDENTIFIED AN ENGLISH TANK UNIT FOLLOWED BY AN ENGLISH ARMOURED CAR BATTALION.
THE SITUATION DEMANDED IMMEDIATE ACTION. WITTMAN WAS UNABLE TO ISSUE ANY ORDERS TO HIS DISMOUNTED MEN. INSTEAD HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHED INTO THE ENGLISH COLUMN WITH HIS OWN PANZER, FIRING ON THE MOVE. THROUGH THIS QUICK ACTION THE ENEMY COLUMN WAS INITIALLY SEPARATED. AT A DISTANCE OF 80 M., WITTMAN KNOCKED OUT 4 SHERMAN TANKS. THEN HE MANEUVERED HIS TIGER INTO AND PARALLEL TO THE COLUMN AT 10 TO 30M. AND DROVE ALONGSIDE, IN IT'S MARCHING DIRECTION, FIRING ON THE MOVE. HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN KNOCKING OUT 15 HEAVY ENEMY TANKS WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. A FURTHER 6 TANKS WERE KNOCKED OUT AND THEIR CREWS FORCED TO BAIL OUT. THE ACCOMPANYING BATTALION OF ARMOURED CARS WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE FOUR PANZERS OF THE WITTMAN KOMPANIE, FOLLOWING BEHIND TOOK APPROXIMATELY 230 PRISONERS. WITTMAN ADVANCED FURTHER, FAR AHEAD OF HIS KOMPANIE, INTO THE TOWN OF VILLERS-BOCAGE. IN THE CENTRE OF TOWN HIS TIGER WAS RENDERED IMMOBILE BY A HEAVY ENEMY ANTI-TANK GUN. DESPITE THIS, HE STILL DESTROYED ALL ENEMY VEHICLES WITHIN RANGE AND DISPERSED THE ENEMY UNIT. THEN, HE AND HIS CREW BAILED OUT. THEY MADE THEIR WAY ON FOOT APPROXIMATELY 15 KILOMETERS TO THE PANZER-LEHR DIVISION. THERE HE REPORTED TO THE 1a, TURNED AROUND WITH 15 PANZERS OF THE PANZER-LEHR DIVISION AND ADVANCED AGAIN ON VILLERS-BOCAGE. HIS SCHWIMM-VAGEN HAD CAUGHT UP IN THE MEANTIME. IN IT HE MADE HIS WAY TO 1. KOMPANIE IN ACTION ALONG THE MAIN ROAD TO VILLERS-BOCAGE. USING HIS RECENT FIGHTING AND SITUATION EXPERIENCES, HE DIRECTED 1. KOMPANIE INTO ACTION AGAINST THE ENEMY TANK AND ANTI-TANK GUN FORCES STILL IN THE TOWN.*



* Submission for the awarding of the Oak Leaves with Swords to the Knights' Cross by the chief command of 1. SS Panzerkorps "Liebstandarte" of 13 June 1944, copy from the collection of Jost W. Schneider


In the book, The 12th SS by Hubert Meyer who was the first General Staff Officer of the 12th SS 'HITLERJUGEND" it is stated on pg. 236: he (Wittman) had "knocked out 138 enemy tanks and 132 enemy anti-tank guns" by June 14.
Obersturmfuhrer Wittman was instrumental in Montgomery's abandonment of "Operation Perch."

Pretty ballsy in any man's army, I'd say!




CHIMO!