Vanguard WWII - by Cadet's banner

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

@Vanguard_WW2 • 29,442 subscribers

WWII history from unexpected angles. Forgotten stories, extraordinary people & the human side of the war. New posts daily. Created by Yannis Kadari

Shorts

The German "Panther" was one of the most formidable tanks of World War II. Powerful, fast, and armed with a devastating 75mm gun, it could destroy most Allied tanks at long range, but mechanical problems and complex maintenance often limited its impact. Rare footage of German Panther tanks in action.

The German "Panther" was one of the most formidable tanks of World War II. Powerful, fast, and armed with a devastating 75mm gun, it could destroy most Allied tanks at long range, but mechanical problems and complex maintenance often limited its impact. Rare footage of German Panther tanks in action.

49,986 views

The famous American author and war correspondent Ernest Hemingway, seen here at Mont St. Michel after Patton's Normandy breakout at Avranches in early August 1944. Just a few weeks later, Hemingway would be with the first units to enter Paris, he headed straight for the Ritz Hotel and ordered the first of 51 dry Martinis!

The famous American author and war correspondent Ernest Hemingway, seen here at Mont St. Michel after Patton's Normandy breakout at Avranches in early August 1944. Just a few weeks later, Hemingway would be with the first units to enter Paris, he headed straight for the Ritz Hotel and ordered the first of 51 dry Martinis!

45,475 views

It's so hot here in France that we've started cooking on our panzer.

It's so hot here in France that we've started cooking on our panzer.

12,579 views

7 March 1945 Germany's great bulwark in the West, the river Rhine, is breached as units from the US 9th Armored Division capture the intact Ludendorff bridge at Remagen. Infantry will be pushed across in force the following day to strengthen the bridgehead.

7 March 1945 Germany's great bulwark in the West, the river Rhine, is breached as units from the US 9th Armored Division capture the intact Ludendorff bridge at Remagen. Infantry will be pushed across in force the following day to strengthen the bridgehead.

16,662 views

Videos

Anya Rossi

sweetdream.ai

SweetDream.ai•Sponsored•Livecam

Watch Anya Live

Anya is streaming live right now! Join her private show and enjoy exclusive content.

Exclusive private shows

1.2k viewers online

Private Show

Join now for exclusive access

Free preview available • Premium content

July 1943: Tiger I tanks of the 505th Heavy Panzer Battalion (schwere Panzer-Abteilung) advance on the northern front of the Kursk salient during Operation "Citadel". Notice the barbed wire wrapped around their hulls, a distinctive field modification used by the 505th to discourage Soviet infantry from climbing aboard and attacking with grenades or explosive charges. The battalion did not fight alone. Its 31 Tigers and 15 Panzer IIIs operated alongside German infantry and armored formations of the 9th Army, including elements of the 2nd Panzer Division. Original German wartime footage and commentary.

July 1943: Tiger I tanks of the 505th Heavy Panzer Battalion (schwere Panzer-Abteilung) advance on the northern front of the Kursk salient during Operation "Citadel". Notice the barbed wire wrapped around their hulls, a distinctive field modification used by the 505th to discourage Soviet infantry from climbing aboard and attacking with grenades or explosive charges. The battalion did not fight alone. Its 31 Tigers and 15 Panzer IIIs operated alongside German infantry and armored formations of the 9th Army, including elements of the 2nd Panzer Division. Original German wartime footage and commentary.

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

63,188 views • 15 days ago

It was Fighter Command’s worst day of the Battle of Britain. It was also the day Britain finally unleashed the Poles! On August 31, 1940, the Luftwaffe hammered airfields across southeast England. Fighter Command lost 39 aircraft, 31 in the air and eight on the ground. Ten pilots were killed or fatally wounded. That afternoon, No. 303 Polish Squadron flew its first operational combat patrol. Its pilots claimed four "One-O-Nine" destroyed and two more probably destroyed. They had already fought over Poland and France, but language barriers and British doubts about their readiness had kept them waiting. Forty-two days later, No. 303 had been officially credited with 126 victories, the highest claimed total of any Fighter Command squadron during the battle. The precise wartime tally remains debated. Their extraordinary impact does not! 🎬 Video excerpt from Battle of Britain (1969), directed by Guy Hamilton. Follow Vanguard WWII - by Cadet for more extraordinary WWII stories.

It was Fighter Command’s worst day of the Battle of Britain. It was also the day Britain finally unleashed the Poles! On August 31, 1940, the Luftwaffe hammered airfields across southeast England. Fighter Command lost 39 aircraft, 31 in the air and eight on the ground. Ten pilots were killed or fatally wounded. That afternoon, No. 303 Polish Squadron flew its first operational combat patrol. Its pilots claimed four "One-O-Nine" destroyed and two more probably destroyed. They had already fought over Poland and France, but language barriers and British doubts about their readiness had kept them waiting. Forty-two days later, No. 303 had been officially credited with 126 victories, the highest claimed total of any Fighter Command squadron during the battle. The precise wartime tally remains debated. Their extraordinary impact does not! 🎬 Video excerpt from Battle of Britain (1969), directed by Guy Hamilton. Follow Vanguard WWII - by Cadet for more extraordinary WWII stories.

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

87,755 views • 25 days ago

Normandy in color in 1944. At the beginning, a U.S. Sherman can be seen fitted with a deep-wading kit, the tall intake and exhaust trunks allowed the tank to move through water after leaving its landing craft. The footage then shows the immense effort required to sustain the invasion: landing craft approaching the beaches, barrage balloons overhead, men unloading supplies, and equipment pouring into Normandy. The colors were captured on wartime film stock. The narration and musical score also belong to the original production, offering us a rare contemporary view of the American forces establishing their foothold in France.

Normandy in color in 1944. At the beginning, a U.S. Sherman can be seen fitted with a deep-wading kit, the tall intake and exhaust trunks allowed the tank to move through water after leaving its landing craft. The footage then shows the immense effort required to sustain the invasion: landing craft approaching the beaches, barrage balloons overhead, men unloading supplies, and equipment pouring into Normandy. The colors were captured on wartime film stock. The narration and musical score also belong to the original production, offering us a rare contemporary view of the American forces establishing their foothold in France.

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

50,869 views • 16 days ago

Liberation of Paris - 19-25 August 1944 A German Somua 35 and Hotchkiss H35 or H38 beutepanzer tank filmed from an apartment window as they cruise through empty streets. These tanks had been captured from the French during the Battle of France four years earlier.

Liberation of Paris - 19-25 August 1944 A German Somua 35 and Hotchkiss H35 or H38 beutepanzer tank filmed from an apartment window as they cruise through empty streets. These tanks had been captured from the French during the Battle of France four years earlier.

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

78,352 views • 1 month ago

The general sitting quietly in this Jeep was a genuine badass: only days earlier, he had fired a machine gun at German troops until the weapon jammed. On August 6, 1944, Brig. Gen. Raymond S. McLain,newly appointed commander of the U.S. 90th Infantry Division, was travelling forward in a staff car to contact his leading units when he was ambushed by a sizeable German force. McLain remained in the vehicle and returned fire with a machine gun until it jammed. He then turned the car around, reached the nearest American unit and organized an attack that reopened the road, allowing the rest of the column to advance. His actions between August 6 and 8 earned him his second Distinguished Service Cross. In this NARA footage, McLain watches Allied vehicles entering Alençon, Normandy, in August 1944. Several belong to General Leclerc’s French 2e Division Blindée (2nd Free French Armored Division), recognizable despite being largely equipped with American vehicles. Leclerc’s French 2e DB liberated Alençon on August 12, 1944. McLain’s U.S. 90th Infantry Division followed closely behind, consolidated the French gains, cleared the Forêt d’Écouves and held the Alençon bridgehead. A former Oklahoma businessman and National Guardsman, McLain would later become the only U.S. National Guard officer to command an Army corps in combat during World War II. For more extraordinary WWII footage and forgotten stories, follow Vanguard WWII - by Cadet. 🎞️ NARA

The general sitting quietly in this Jeep was a genuine badass: only days earlier, he had fired a machine gun at German troops until the weapon jammed. On August 6, 1944, Brig. Gen. Raymond S. McLain,newly appointed commander of the U.S. 90th Infantry Division, was travelling forward in a staff car to contact his leading units when he was ambushed by a sizeable German force. McLain remained in the vehicle and returned fire with a machine gun until it jammed. He then turned the car around, reached the nearest American unit and organized an attack that reopened the road, allowing the rest of the column to advance. His actions between August 6 and 8 earned him his second Distinguished Service Cross. In this NARA footage, McLain watches Allied vehicles entering Alençon, Normandy, in August 1944. Several belong to General Leclerc’s French 2e Division Blindée (2nd Free French Armored Division), recognizable despite being largely equipped with American vehicles. Leclerc’s French 2e DB liberated Alençon on August 12, 1944. McLain’s U.S. 90th Infantry Division followed closely behind, consolidated the French gains, cleared the Forêt d’Écouves and held the Alençon bridgehead. A former Oklahoma businessman and National Guardsman, McLain would later become the only U.S. National Guard officer to command an Army corps in combat during World War II. For more extraordinary WWII footage and forgotten stories, follow Vanguard WWII - by Cadet. 🎞️ NARA

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

69,288 views • 1 month ago

Paris - 25 August 1944 3:30 PM: German General Dietrich von Choltitz is arrested at his headquarters in the Hôtel Meurice by French troops. Choltitz was taken to the Préfecture de Police. There, he signs the preliminary surrender act alongside French General Philippe Leclerc and French Resistance leader Henri Rol-Tanguy. Choltitz is then driven to Leclerc’s official command post at the Gare Montparnasse. At the train station, the surrender terms are finalized, additional copies signed, and Choltitz drafts the formal cease-fire orders that will be dispatched to his troops across the city. Choltitz is widely lauded as being the general who refused Hitler's order to destroy landmarks in Paris. Many bridges and buildings were wired with explosives but the insurrection meant that his troops were unable to move freely around the city. Choltitz had built a reputation as a city destroyer, notably at Sevastopol. He issued an order for a long range artillery train to be brought towards Paris, but the train was blocked by resistance action. Would he have carried out the orders if he had been able to? Let us know what you think. .

Paris - 25 August 1944 3:30 PM: German General Dietrich von Choltitz is arrested at his headquarters in the Hôtel Meurice by French troops. Choltitz was taken to the Préfecture de Police. There, he signs the preliminary surrender act alongside French General Philippe Leclerc and French Resistance leader Henri Rol-Tanguy. Choltitz is then driven to Leclerc’s official command post at the Gare Montparnasse. At the train station, the surrender terms are finalized, additional copies signed, and Choltitz drafts the formal cease-fire orders that will be dispatched to his troops across the city. Choltitz is widely lauded as being the general who refused Hitler's order to destroy landmarks in Paris. Many bridges and buildings were wired with explosives but the insurrection meant that his troops were unable to move freely around the city. Choltitz had built a reputation as a city destroyer, notably at Sevastopol. He issued an order for a long range artillery train to be brought towards Paris, but the train was blocked by resistance action. Would he have carried out the orders if he had been able to? Let us know what you think. .

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

42,712 views • 1 month ago

It had been bled white. In less than three months, the Wehrmacht in Normandy was gutted. Between June and August 1944, German forces in the West suffered roughly 240,000 casualties. Around 23,000 to 30,000 were killed. Tens of thousands more were wounded. And more than 200,000 were listed as missing, the vast majority of them captured. Entire divisions simply disappeared. Of the 1,500 tanks and assault guns committed to Normandy, fewer than 200 made it out. Some units that entered the battle with full strength left with a few hundred men. In just 80 days, the Wehrmacht in the West lost more men than it had in entire earlier campaigns in North Africa or Italy! The divisions that should have stopped the Allies in France were broken, captured, or annihilated in the hedges, the fields, and the Falaise Pocket.

It had been bled white. In less than three months, the Wehrmacht in Normandy was gutted. Between June and August 1944, German forces in the West suffered roughly 240,000 casualties. Around 23,000 to 30,000 were killed. Tens of thousands more were wounded. And more than 200,000 were listed as missing, the vast majority of them captured. Entire divisions simply disappeared. Of the 1,500 tanks and assault guns committed to Normandy, fewer than 200 made it out. Some units that entered the battle with full strength left with a few hundred men. In just 80 days, the Wehrmacht in the West lost more men than it had in entire earlier campaigns in North Africa or Italy! The divisions that should have stopped the Allies in France were broken, captured, or annihilated in the hedges, the fields, and the Falaise Pocket.

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

42,888 views • 1 month ago

🇺🇸🇺🇸 An American Warrior At 5.55 pm on December 21, 1945, General George S. Patton's heart stopped due to a blood clot caused by his automobile crash injuries sustained in Mannheim on December 9. His wife Beatrice had flown in from the States to be at his side. She was initially unsure as to whether her husband's body be taken back home. France offered to provide a resting place in Napoleon's tomb at the Invalides in Paris, but she eventually made the decision for him to be laid to rest at the head of his 3rd Army men and he was buried at the American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg, on Christmas Eve 1945.

🇺🇸🇺🇸 An American Warrior At 5.55 pm on December 21, 1945, General George S. Patton's heart stopped due to a blood clot caused by his automobile crash injuries sustained in Mannheim on December 9. His wife Beatrice had flown in from the States to be at his side. She was initially unsure as to whether her husband's body be taken back home. France offered to provide a resting place in Napoleon's tomb at the Invalides in Paris, but she eventually made the decision for him to be laid to rest at the head of his 3rd Army men and he was buried at the American Cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg, on Christmas Eve 1945.

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

170,868 views • 9 months ago

🇺🇸 17 December 1944 SS troops murder eleven African-American POWs in the Belgian village of Wereth. The men were from the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion that had held out near St. Vith before being overwhelmed. Check out our pinned thread that on this unit that played a vital role during the Battle of the Bulge.

🇺🇸 17 December 1944 SS troops murder eleven African-American POWs in the Belgian village of Wereth. The men were from the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion that had held out near St. Vith before being overwhelmed. Check out our pinned thread that on this unit that played a vital role during the Battle of the Bulge.

Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life!

150,263 views • 9 months ago

🇺🇸 An American hero 26 January - Holtzwihr, Colmar Pocket, France. A diminutive 19-year old recently battlefield-commissioned 2nd Lt named Audie Murphy clambers onto a burning tank destroyer, which can explode at any moment, and uses its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. Alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, he kills dozens of the enemy and halts their attack. He holds the position for almost an hour, fighting off constant attempts to eliminate him. Hit in the leg, he fights on until his ammunition runs out and then makes his way to his company. Refusing medical aid, he returns and leads a counter attack, forcing the enemy to withdraw. He will receive the Medal of Honor and will end the war as the most decorated American serviceman. Extract of a loose interpretation of the action in the 1955 movie "To Hell and Back", starring Murphy.

🇺🇸 An American hero 26 January - Holtzwihr, Colmar Pocket, France. A diminutive 19-year old recently battlefield-commissioned 2nd Lt named Audie Murphy clambers onto a burning tank destroyer, which can explode at any moment, and uses its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. Alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, he kills dozens of the enemy and halts their attack. He holds the position for almost an hour, fighting off constant attempts to eliminate him. Hit in the leg, he fights on until his ammunition runs out and then makes his way to his company. Refusing medical aid, he returns and leads a counter attack, forcing the enemy to withdraw. He will receive the Medal of Honor and will end the war as the most decorated American serviceman. Extract of a loose interpretation of the action in the 1955 movie "To Hell and Back", starring Murphy.

Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life!

122,339 views • 8 months ago

24 May 1941 - Battle of the Denmark Strait HMS Prince of Wales, Hood, Suffolk and Norfolk take on the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. On the Hood, Vice-Admiral Holland, aware of his ship's vulnerability to plunging fire, closes the range, but a salvo from Bismarck straddles her and one of the 15-inch shells penetrates and blows up a magazine. 1/2

24 May 1941 - Battle of the Denmark Strait HMS Prince of Wales, Hood, Suffolk and Norfolk take on the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. On the Hood, Vice-Admiral Holland, aware of his ship's vulnerability to plunging fire, closes the range, but a salvo from Bismarck straddles her and one of the 15-inch shells penetrates and blows up a magazine. 1/2

Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life!

50,333 views • 4 months ago

Growing up, I loved "This is Your Life", especially when those under the spotlight were war heroes. Major General John Frost was the focus of the 6 April 1977 episode. He had led an operation to capture German radar equipment at Bruneval in 42, then saw action in North Africa, Sicily and, of course, Arnhem where his battalion held out against all odds until they were overwhelmed. "This is Your Life" had many war hero guests, including SOE and Resistance members, ace pilots etc. It was a different time where our national heroes were lauded - I miss it.

Growing up, I loved "This is Your Life", especially when those under the spotlight were war heroes. Major General John Frost was the focus of the 6 April 1977 episode. He had led an operation to capture German radar equipment at Bruneval in 42, then saw action in North Africa, Sicily and, of course, Arnhem where his battalion held out against all odds until they were overwhelmed. "This is Your Life" had many war hero guests, including SOE and Resistance members, ace pilots etc. It was a different time where our national heroes were lauded - I miss it.

Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life!

98,797 views • 10 months ago

Once the guns had fallen silent.... In the months after the war, German women worked clearing the rubble away in war torn Berlin. These "Trümmerfrauen" (brick women) were paid a small salary for what must have been exhausting work at a time when many German men were either too old, infirm or POWs. Rubble that could not be recycled were taken to sites and formed "Schuttberge" (rubbish mounds). 1/4

Once the guns had fallen silent.... In the months after the war, German women worked clearing the rubble away in war torn Berlin. These "Trümmerfrauen" (brick women) were paid a small salary for what must have been exhausting work at a time when many German men were either too old, infirm or POWs. Rubble that could not be recycled were taken to sites and formed "Schuttberge" (rubbish mounds). 1/4

Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life!

60,467 views • 7 months ago

British actor Dirk Bogarde talks about his experiences after entering the recently liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in mid April 1945. He served as an intelligence officer with the 21st Army Group.

Sensitive content

This media may contain sensitive content.

British actor Dirk Bogarde talks about his experiences after entering the recently liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in mid April 1945. He served as an intelligence officer with the 21st Army Group.

Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life!

46,263 views • 5 months ago

Images of the Liebstandarte SS Adolf Hitler independent motorized infantry regiment in the Dunkirk sector of northern France, late May - early June 1940. Men of the LSSAH 2nd battalion, commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Wilhelm Mohnke murdered 80 British and French POWs in a cowshed near the town of Wormhoudt on 28 May 1940. #WW2

Images of the Liebstandarte SS Adolf Hitler independent motorized infantry regiment in the Dunkirk sector of northern France, late May - early June 1940. Men of the LSSAH 2nd battalion, commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Wilhelm Mohnke murdered 80 British and French POWs in a cowshed near the town of Wormhoudt on 28 May 1940. #WW2

Vanguard WWII - by Cadet

66,095 views • 9 months ago

30 November 1939 Stalin attacks what he dubs the Fascist regime in Finland just days after a Soviet red flag operation near the border. Helsinki will be bombed twice on this day. The Winter War will last three and half months and Finland's David will give the Soviet Goliath a costly lesson in resiliance and tactical innovation. The world will learn a new word - Molotov Cocktail.

30 November 1939 Stalin attacks what he dubs the Fascist regime in Finland just days after a Soviet red flag operation near the border. Helsinki will be bombed twice on this day. The Winter War will last three and half months and Finland's David will give the Soviet Goliath a costly lesson in resiliance and tactical innovation. The world will learn a new word - Molotov Cocktail.

Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life!

52,657 views • 10 months ago

December 24, 1944 - the day the sun came out Christmas Eve for the Americans fighting in the Bulge, and especially those besieged by the Germans in Bastogne, brings an early present as the skies at last clear and allow Allied aircraft to operate again.

December 24, 1944 - the day the sun came out Christmas Eve for the Americans fighting in the Bulge, and especially those besieged by the Germans in Bastogne, brings an early present as the skies at last clear and allow Allied aircraft to operate again.

Vanguard WWII by Cadet - bringing history to life!

38,385 views • 9 months ago