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Forgotten stories, extraordinary lives and untold moments from World War II. Bringing history to life! Daily.

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💥A 380mm rocket. A weapon built to demolish buildings. And a city fighting for its freedom. This rare footage shows a German Sturmtiger firing during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, followed by an explosion among the city’s buildings. Built on a Tiger I chassis, the Sturmtiger (or Sturmmörser-Tiger) replaced the tank’s turret and 88mm gun with a massive armored superstructure housing a 380mm rocket launcher. Its purpose was to destroy fortified positions and buildings that conventional assault guns struggled to knock out. Only 18 production vehicles were built. A prototype was sent to Warsaw in August 1944, bringing this extraordinary weapon into action against the Polish uprising. That’s the vehicle you’re seeing in this archival footage. The Sturmtiger weighed around 65 metric tons and carried a crew of five. Its ammunition was so cumbersome that a small crane helped load the projectiles aboard. Help us tell the story of WWII. Follow Vanguard WWII

💥A 380mm rocket. A weapon built to demolish buildings. And a city fighting for its freedom. This rare footage shows a German Sturmtiger firing during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, followed by an explosion among the city’s buildings. Built on a Tiger I chassis, the Sturmtiger (or Sturmmörser-Tiger) replaced the tank’s turret and 88mm gun with a massive armored superstructure housing a 380mm rocket launcher. Its purpose was to destroy fortified positions and buildings that conventional assault guns struggled to knock out. Only 18 production vehicles were built. A prototype was sent to Warsaw in August 1944, bringing this extraordinary weapon into action against the Polish uprising. That’s the vehicle you’re seeing in this archival footage. The Sturmtiger weighed around 65 metric tons and carried a crew of five. Its ammunition was so cumbersome that a small crane helped load the projectiles aboard. Help us tell the story of WWII. Follow Vanguard WWII

27,742 views

One of the Tiger IIs in this footage had only a few days left! Tondorf, Germany, mid-December 1944. The 70-ton King Tigers (Koenigstiger) of the 501st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion crawl through the village’s narrow streets toward their assembly area. They are preparing for Hitler’s last great offensive in the West. The most clearly visible tank is 222, commanded by Kurt Sowa. His battalion had been assigned to support Joachim Peiper’s armored battlegroup during the coming drive through the Ardennes. Once the offensive began, 222 crossed into Belgium. It was later photographed carrying German paratroopers toward Stavelot. On December 19, as the Tiger emerged near the bridge over the Amblève, American armor-piercing fire struck its right side. The tank stopped and was abandoned. This German footage captures the moment before the illusion collapsed: massive armor, powerful 88mm guns and crews moving west with apparent confidence. Ahead waited narrow roads, broken bridges, mechanical failures, fuel shortages and determined American resistance. The King Tigers looked unstoppable in Tondorf. The Ardennes would prove otherwise. Follow Vanguard WWII for more!

One of the Tiger IIs in this footage had only a few days left! Tondorf, Germany, mid-December 1944. The 70-ton King Tigers (Koenigstiger) of the 501st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion crawl through the village’s narrow streets toward their assembly area. They are preparing for Hitler’s last great offensive in the West. The most clearly visible tank is 222, commanded by Kurt Sowa. His battalion had been assigned to support Joachim Peiper’s armored battlegroup during the coming drive through the Ardennes. Once the offensive began, 222 crossed into Belgium. It was later photographed carrying German paratroopers toward Stavelot. On December 19, as the Tiger emerged near the bridge over the Amblève, American armor-piercing fire struck its right side. The tank stopped and was abandoned. This German footage captures the moment before the illusion collapsed: massive armor, powerful 88mm guns and crews moving west with apparent confidence. Ahead waited narrow roads, broken bridges, mechanical failures, fuel shortages and determined American resistance. The King Tigers looked unstoppable in Tondorf. The Ardennes would prove otherwise. Follow Vanguard WWII for more!

35,945 views

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.

50,897 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

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💢The Oder front, early February 1945. Soviet troops have reached the river and established bridgeheads on its western bank. German forces counterattack, trying to drive them back across the last major river barrier before Berlin. This footage captures a remarkable concentration of German equipment: Sturmgeschütze III (Assault guns at the beginning of the footage) brand-new Panther Ausf. G tanks, Sd.Kfz. 251/21 half-tracks mounting triple antiaircraft guns, 88mm guns firing at ground targets, assault rifles StG-44, Panzerschrecks, Panzerfausts, and Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyers. Look closely at the Panthers. Their striking diagonal camouflage uses the familiar German three-color combination of dark yellow, olive green, and reddish brown - colors hidden here by the black-and-white film. These tanks belong to the 25th Panzergrenadiere-Division, fighting around Ortwig in the Oderbruch. Watch the infantry sheltering behind the cemetery wall as a Panther passes. Look at the bandaged men, the mud, and the soldiers riding into action on the tanks. The newsreel also includes men of SS-Fallschirmjäger-Bataillon 600, formerly 500, serving on the Oder front. On May 25, 1944, the earlier battalion had landed by parachute and glider at Drvar, Yugoslavia, during Operation Rösselsprung, an attempt to capture or kill Tito. Tito escaped, and the raid failed in its central objective. Now, the unit is fighting on Germany’s doorstep. The footage combines scenes from different locations. The SS paratroopers and the Army Panthers should not be mistaken for a single formation. Taken from Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 752, the film ends with the narrator insisting that Germany will force a decisive reversal in Europe’s fate. But despite repeated counterattacks, the Germans failed to eliminate the Soviet bridgeheads. In April, the offensive against Berlin would begin. Follow Vanguard WWII for the history behind the footage.

58,307 views • 1 day ago

🇺🇸 He was only 23. His airplane became his coffin. November 5, 1944. Manila Bay, Philippines. Loyce Edward Deen was a 23-year-old American sailor serving as a turret gunner aboard a TBM Avenger of Torpedo Squadron 15 (VT-15), operating from USS Essex (CV-9). During an attack against Japanese warships, his Avenger came under intense antiaircraft fire. A shell exploded in the rear turret, killing Deen instantly. His pilot, Lt. Robert Cosgrove, managed to bring the damaged aircraft back to Essex. But when the ground crew approached the Avenger, they discovered a terrible sight. Deen was still inside his shattered turret. His injuries were so severe that removing his remains was considered impractical. The Navy made an extraordinary decision. After a solemn ceremony on the flight deck, attended by his fellow sailors, the Avenger was pushed overboard with Deen still inside. His airplane became his coffin. Loyce Edward Deen is believed to be the only American serviceman of World War II deliberately buried at sea inside his aircraft. The entire ceremony was captured on film. Eighty-two years later, these images remain deeply moving. Rest in peace, Loyce. Your sacrifice has not been forgotten. 🎥 Authentic USN footage, November 5, 1944 🇺🇸

🇺🇸 He was only 23. His airplane became his coffin. November 5, 1944. Manila Bay, Philippines. Loyce Edward Deen was a 23-year-old American sailor serving as a turret gunner aboard a TBM Avenger of Torpedo Squadron 15 (VT-15), operating from USS Essex (CV-9). During an attack against Japanese warships, his Avenger came under intense antiaircraft fire. A shell exploded in the rear turret, killing Deen instantly. His pilot, Lt. Robert Cosgrove, managed to bring the damaged aircraft back to Essex. But when the ground crew approached the Avenger, they discovered a terrible sight. Deen was still inside his shattered turret. His injuries were so severe that removing his remains was considered impractical. The Navy made an extraordinary decision. After a solemn ceremony on the flight deck, attended by his fellow sailors, the Avenger was pushed overboard with Deen still inside. His airplane became his coffin. Loyce Edward Deen is believed to be the only American serviceman of World War II deliberately buried at sea inside his aircraft. The entire ceremony was captured on film. Eighty-two years later, these images remain deeply moving. Rest in peace, Loyce. Your sacrifice has not been forgotten. 🎥 Authentic USN footage, November 5, 1944 🇺🇸

174,250 views • 5 days ago

🇬🇧🇺🇸 Patton, Bradley, and Montgomery, in color, in Normandy, while the battle was still raging. July 7, 1944. At Montgomery’s tactical headquarters near Blay, west of Bayeux, three of the Allies’ best-known commanders gather before the cameras. Montgomery directs Allied ground operations in Normandy. Bradley commands the U.S. First Army. Patton is preparing his Third Army for combat; it will become operational on August 1. The footage captures more than a meeting of generals. Montgomery also presents decorations to American soldiers and generals, with photographers and cameramen crowding around to record the ceremony. Beyond this headquarters, the fighting continues. Allied troops are struggling through the hedgerows, and the battle for Caen is far from over. The breakout that will send Patton’s columns racing across France still lies ahead. Preserved in the wartime color films of George Stevens and his team, these images offer something photographs cannot: gestures, expressions, and brief exchanges between men we usually encounter frozen on the pages of history. For more WWII footage and the history behind it, follow Vanguard WWII.

🇬🇧🇺🇸 Patton, Bradley, and Montgomery, in color, in Normandy, while the battle was still raging. July 7, 1944. At Montgomery’s tactical headquarters near Blay, west of Bayeux, three of the Allies’ best-known commanders gather before the cameras. Montgomery directs Allied ground operations in Normandy. Bradley commands the U.S. First Army. Patton is preparing his Third Army for combat; it will become operational on August 1. The footage captures more than a meeting of generals. Montgomery also presents decorations to American soldiers and generals, with photographers and cameramen crowding around to record the ceremony. Beyond this headquarters, the fighting continues. Allied troops are struggling through the hedgerows, and the battle for Caen is far from over. The breakout that will send Patton’s columns racing across France still lies ahead. Preserved in the wartime color films of George Stevens and his team, these images offer something photographs cannot: gestures, expressions, and brief exchanges between men we usually encounter frozen on the pages of history. For more WWII footage and the history behind it, follow Vanguard WWII.

96,512 views • 8 days ago

‼️A 56-ton Tiger tank drives straight through a house. The building collapses around it. The Tiger keeps going. This spectacular footage comes from Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 659, a German wartime newsreel released in April 1943. The Tiger I was the Wehrmacht's new heavy tank, armed with the formidable 88mm KwK 36 gun and protected by armor up to 100mm thick on its frontal hull. During this carefully staged demonstration, the Germans put the Tiger through a series of trials designed to impress observers and cinema audiences alike. The tank crushes trees, negotiates difficult terrain, demonstrates its firepower and finally drives through a building, bringing much of the structure crashing down around it. Armaments Minister Albert Speer attends the demonstration. The message is obvious: Germany has developed a powerful new weapon. And the Tiger was indeed a formidable fighting machine. Its combination of firepower and armor made it a dangerous opponent, particularly in long-range engagements. But there was another side to the story. The Tiger was expensive, mechanically demanding and difficult to recover when immobilized. Its weight complicated transportation and bridge crossings, while its thirst for fuel placed additional pressure on Germany's increasingly strained logistics. Still, more than eight decades later, this footage remains an extraordinary demonstration of the sheer physical power of the Tiger I. Follow Vanguard WWII for more stories of World War II.

‼️A 56-ton Tiger tank drives straight through a house. The building collapses around it. The Tiger keeps going. This spectacular footage comes from Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 659, a German wartime newsreel released in April 1943. The Tiger I was the Wehrmacht's new heavy tank, armed with the formidable 88mm KwK 36 gun and protected by armor up to 100mm thick on its frontal hull. During this carefully staged demonstration, the Germans put the Tiger through a series of trials designed to impress observers and cinema audiences alike. The tank crushes trees, negotiates difficult terrain, demonstrates its firepower and finally drives through a building, bringing much of the structure crashing down around it. Armaments Minister Albert Speer attends the demonstration. The message is obvious: Germany has developed a powerful new weapon. And the Tiger was indeed a formidable fighting machine. Its combination of firepower and armor made it a dangerous opponent, particularly in long-range engagements. But there was another side to the story. The Tiger was expensive, mechanically demanding and difficult to recover when immobilized. Its weight complicated transportation and bridge crossings, while its thirst for fuel placed additional pressure on Germany's increasingly strained logistics. Still, more than eight decades later, this footage remains an extraordinary demonstration of the sheer physical power of the Tiger I. Follow Vanguard WWII for more stories of World War II.

65,813 views • 6 days ago

🇬🇧 How did British infantrymen camouflage their firing positions during World War II? This fascinating British Army training film demonstrates urban concealment techniques for an infantry section armed with rifles, a Bren light machine gun, and antitank weapons. Using shadows, rubble, blankets, and carefully disguised openings, the soldiers turn ordinary buildings into concealed fighting positions. The lesson is simple: finding cover is one thing. Making sure the enemy never spots you is another! 🎥 Imperial War Museums. Follow Vanguard WWII for more WWII stories

🇬🇧 How did British infantrymen camouflage their firing positions during World War II? This fascinating British Army training film demonstrates urban concealment techniques for an infantry section armed with rifles, a Bren light machine gun, and antitank weapons. Using shadows, rubble, blankets, and carefully disguised openings, the soldiers turn ordinary buildings into concealed fighting positions. The lesson is simple: finding cover is one thing. Making sure the enemy never spots you is another! 🎥 Imperial War Museums. Follow Vanguard WWII for more WWII stories

41,129 views • 5 days ago

🇺🇸 A young woman from Nashville, Tennessee, survived the attack on Pearl Harbor from the cockpit of a training plane. She was just 22. If you’ve seen Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), you may remember the civilian flight instructor suddenly surrounded by Japanese aircraft. Her name was Cornelia Fort, a strikingly beautiful young woman and a skilled pilot. The woman behind that scene was real. On December 7, 1941, Cornelia was giving a flying lesson over Oahu when a Japanese Zero came dangerously close. She seized the controls and narrowly avoided a collision. Then she saw smoke rising over Pearl Harbor. Cornelia brought her student safely back to the airfield. She had become one of the few American pilots to witness the opening attack from the air. In September 1942, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, becoming one of the pioneering women entrusted with flying military aircraft across the United States. They served as civilians, delivering planes needed for the war effort. On March 21, 1943, another aircraft struck the BT-13 she was ferrying over Texas. Fort’s aircraft crashed, killing her. She became the first American woman pilot to die in the line of duty flying for the U.S. military. She was 24. Hollywood preserved a moment of her life. Her name deserves to be remembered, too. Follow Vanguard WWII for more overlooked stories of World War II. See the first post for real photos of Cornelia.

🇺🇸 A young woman from Nashville, Tennessee, survived the attack on Pearl Harbor from the cockpit of a training plane. She was just 22. If you’ve seen Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), you may remember the civilian flight instructor suddenly surrounded by Japanese aircraft. Her name was Cornelia Fort, a strikingly beautiful young woman and a skilled pilot. The woman behind that scene was real. On December 7, 1941, Cornelia was giving a flying lesson over Oahu when a Japanese Zero came dangerously close. She seized the controls and narrowly avoided a collision. Then she saw smoke rising over Pearl Harbor. Cornelia brought her student safely back to the airfield. She had become one of the few American pilots to witness the opening attack from the air. In September 1942, she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, becoming one of the pioneering women entrusted with flying military aircraft across the United States. They served as civilians, delivering planes needed for the war effort. On March 21, 1943, another aircraft struck the BT-13 she was ferrying over Texas. Fort’s aircraft crashed, killing her. She became the first American woman pilot to die in the line of duty flying for the U.S. military. She was 24. Hollywood preserved a moment of her life. Her name deserves to be remembered, too. Follow Vanguard WWII for more overlooked stories of World War II. See the first post for real photos of Cornelia.

119,708 views • 15 days ago

Watch the antennas. Then watch the turret numbers. This German wartime footage shows Tiger I tanks advancing across muddy fields on the Eastern Front in early 1944. Around 16 seconds, a command Tiger carries a distinctive star-shaped radio antenna: the Sternantenne. Its markings point to schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506. Around 27 seconds, a whitewashed Tiger passes the camera with "C11" on its turret: a tactical number used by the Großdeutschland Division’s Tiger battalion. The likely setting is the Kirovograd sector of Ukraine, where both units fought during the winter of 1943–44. January 1944 is a strong possibility, though the exact filming date remains unconfirmed. Two small details offer clues to a battlefield hidden behind the footage. We share WWII stories like this every day. Follow Vanguard WWII so you don’t miss the next one.

Watch the antennas. Then watch the turret numbers. This German wartime footage shows Tiger I tanks advancing across muddy fields on the Eastern Front in early 1944. Around 16 seconds, a command Tiger carries a distinctive star-shaped radio antenna: the Sternantenne. Its markings point to schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506. Around 27 seconds, a whitewashed Tiger passes the camera with "C11" on its turret: a tactical number used by the Großdeutschland Division’s Tiger battalion. The likely setting is the Kirovograd sector of Ukraine, where both units fought during the winter of 1943–44. January 1944 is a strong possibility, though the exact filming date remains unconfirmed. Two small details offer clues to a battlefield hidden behind the footage. We share WWII stories like this every day. Follow Vanguard WWII so you don’t miss the next one.

154,440 views • 1 month ago

🔥 Wunderwaffen / Wonder weapons It dropped its wheels after takeoff, attacked American bombers at nearly 600 mph... and returned to earth as a glider! The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was the only rocket-powered fighter ever used operationally. Developed from Alexander Lippisch’s tailless designs, it entered combat with JG 400 in the summer of 1944, tasked with intercepting the Allied bombers pounding Germany. Often called a “jet fighter,” the Komet actually used a Walter rocket motor. Unlike the Me 262’s turbojets, it carried both its fuel and its oxidizer, rather than drawing oxygen from the atmosphere. Its performance was extraordinary: roughly 960 km/h (600 mph), an initial climb rate approaching 5,000 metres per minute, and just 7½ minutes of powered flight. To save weight, it took off on a jettisonable two-wheeled dolly. Once its propellants were exhausted, the pilot glided home and landed on a retractable skid beneath the fuselage. Well, in theory, anyway! ⚠️But the Komet’s greatest danger could come from within. Its T-Stoff oxidizer and C-Stoff fuel reacted violently on contact. Leaks, engine malfunctions or a rough landing with residual propellants aboard could cause catastrophic fires and explosions. Chemical burns and serious landing injuries added to the risks. Even its speed worked against it: pilots had only seconds to aim their two 30 mm cannon during an attack. On the glide home, they were vulnerable to Allied fighters. An astonishing aircraft, but a deeply flawed weapon, with only a handful of aerial victories (Just nine) to show for its promise. Follow Vanguard WWII for more stories behind WWII’s extraordinary machines.

🔥 Wunderwaffen / Wonder weapons It dropped its wheels after takeoff, attacked American bombers at nearly 600 mph... and returned to earth as a glider! The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was the only rocket-powered fighter ever used operationally. Developed from Alexander Lippisch’s tailless designs, it entered combat with JG 400 in the summer of 1944, tasked with intercepting the Allied bombers pounding Germany. Often called a “jet fighter,” the Komet actually used a Walter rocket motor. Unlike the Me 262’s turbojets, it carried both its fuel and its oxidizer, rather than drawing oxygen from the atmosphere. Its performance was extraordinary: roughly 960 km/h (600 mph), an initial climb rate approaching 5,000 metres per minute, and just 7½ minutes of powered flight. To save weight, it took off on a jettisonable two-wheeled dolly. Once its propellants were exhausted, the pilot glided home and landed on a retractable skid beneath the fuselage. Well, in theory, anyway! ⚠️But the Komet’s greatest danger could come from within. Its T-Stoff oxidizer and C-Stoff fuel reacted violently on contact. Leaks, engine malfunctions or a rough landing with residual propellants aboard could cause catastrophic fires and explosions. Chemical burns and serious landing injuries added to the risks. Even its speed worked against it: pilots had only seconds to aim their two 30 mm cannon during an attack. On the glide home, they were vulnerable to Allied fighters. An astonishing aircraft, but a deeply flawed weapon, with only a handful of aerial victories (Just nine) to show for its promise. Follow Vanguard WWII for more stories behind WWII’s extraordinary machines.

44,867 views • 17 days ago

🎥Remarkable footage of Tiger I tanks from schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (Otto Cairus' unit) operating in the northern sector of the Eastern Front in 1943, filmed for Die Deutsche Wochenschau. ▶️These are early-production Tigers, with S-Minenwerfer antipersonnel mine launchers visible at the rear. The system consisted of five launchers: two at the front, two at the rear, and one on the left side of the hull. Electrically fired from inside the tank, they launched fragmentation mines to repel enemy infantry approaching at close range. The two rear launchers sat on brackets extending beyond the hull.

🎥Remarkable footage of Tiger I tanks from schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (Otto Cairus' unit) operating in the northern sector of the Eastern Front in 1943, filmed for Die Deutsche Wochenschau. ▶️These are early-production Tigers, with S-Minenwerfer antipersonnel mine launchers visible at the rear. The system consisted of five launchers: two at the front, two at the rear, and one on the left side of the hull. Electrically fired from inside the tank, they launched fragmentation mines to repel enemy infantry approaching at close range. The two rear launchers sat on brackets extending beyond the hull.

29,107 views • 12 days ago

German night fighters under American inspection, spring 1945! This color footage, attributed to Fritzlar airfield in Germany, shows abandoned Luftwaffe aircraft, including radar-equipped Messerschmitt Bf 110s and a damaged Bf 109. The Bf 110 G-4 night fighters carry the distinctive “stag’s antlers” antenna arrays of the FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 airborne interception radar. The radar operator used target range and direction information to guide the pilot toward enemy aircraft at night. The aircraft whose victory markings are examined appears to be Bf 110 G-4 “9W+BO,” generally attributed to 6./NJG 101. Its tail carries ten markings representing claimed victories: nine British aircraft and one Soviet aircraft. Follow Vanguard WWII for more WWII archival footage and the history behind it.

German night fighters under American inspection, spring 1945! This color footage, attributed to Fritzlar airfield in Germany, shows abandoned Luftwaffe aircraft, including radar-equipped Messerschmitt Bf 110s and a damaged Bf 109. The Bf 110 G-4 night fighters carry the distinctive “stag’s antlers” antenna arrays of the FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 airborne interception radar. The radar operator used target range and direction information to guide the pilot toward enemy aircraft at night. The aircraft whose victory markings are examined appears to be Bf 110 G-4 “9W+BO,” generally attributed to 6./NJG 101. Its tail carries ten markings representing claimed victories: nine British aircraft and one Soviet aircraft. Follow Vanguard WWII for more WWII archival footage and the history behind it.

30,830 views • 16 days ago

🇺🇸🇯🇵 What if a modern U.S. aircraft carrier had arrived off Hawaii the day before Pearl Harbor? The Final Countdown (1980) turns that alternate history premise into one of aviation cinema’s most memorable encounters: two F-14 Tomcats facing Japanese Zero fighters. Transported back to December 1941, USS Nimitz carries enough firepower to change the course of the Pacific War. Captain Matthew Yelland, played by Kirk Douglas, faces a question no commander’s training could prepare him for: should he intervene? Then comes the order: “Splash the Zeros.” Six years before Top Gun, the Tomcat was already a movie star. Real Navy aircrews from VF-84 (the Jolly Rogers) flew the F-14s, while modified T-6 Texans portrayed the Japanese fighters. Behind the fantasy was demanding aerial choreography: fast jets, much slower propeller aircraft, and camera crews trying to capture both in the same frame. A B-25 camera aircraft eventually helped make the aerial choreography work. The scene delivers the spectacle. The premise leaves you with the question. If you commanded USS Nimitz (CVN-68), would you change history? Follow Vanguard WWII for military history and the stories behind its most memorable screen moments.

🇺🇸🇯🇵 What if a modern U.S. aircraft carrier had arrived off Hawaii the day before Pearl Harbor? The Final Countdown (1980) turns that alternate history premise into one of aviation cinema’s most memorable encounters: two F-14 Tomcats facing Japanese Zero fighters. Transported back to December 1941, USS Nimitz carries enough firepower to change the course of the Pacific War. Captain Matthew Yelland, played by Kirk Douglas, faces a question no commander’s training could prepare him for: should he intervene? Then comes the order: “Splash the Zeros.” Six years before Top Gun, the Tomcat was already a movie star. Real Navy aircrews from VF-84 (the Jolly Rogers) flew the F-14s, while modified T-6 Texans portrayed the Japanese fighters. Behind the fantasy was demanding aerial choreography: fast jets, much slower propeller aircraft, and camera crews trying to capture both in the same frame. A B-25 camera aircraft eventually helped make the aerial choreography work. The scene delivers the spectacle. The premise leaves you with the question. If you commanded USS Nimitz (CVN-68), would you change history? Follow Vanguard WWII for military history and the stories behind its most memorable screen moments.

29,595 views • 16 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 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 for more extraordinary WWII stories.

87,846 views • 2 months ago

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.

63,697 views • 2 months 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 • 2 months 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 • 2 months 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.

51,145 views • 2 months ago

▶️At Kursk, Tigers attacked from the north, too! On July 5, 1943, Tiger I tanks of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 went into action on the northern face of the Kursk salient, with XLVII Panzer Corps of Walter Model’s Ninth Army. Their mission: break through Soviet defenses so the panzer divisions could drive south. They initially supported the 6th Infantry Division, advancing alongside the 20th Panzer Division in the Podolyan–Butyrki sector. From July 6, they supported the 2nd and 9th Panzer Divisions as the offensive pushed toward the heights of Olkhovatka. But the early gains never became the breakthrough the Germans needed. Successive defensive belts, mines, artillery, and Soviet counterattacks wore down the assault. Even the massive Tigers could not open the road to Kursk alone. ⚠️The barbed wire along the sides of the Tigers was intended to prevent Soviet infantrymen from climbing onto the tanks and destroying them with explosive charges! 🎞️ Footage: excerpt from Die Deutsche Wochenschau, the German wartime propaganda newsreel.

▶️At Kursk, Tigers attacked from the north, too! On July 5, 1943, Tiger I tanks of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505 went into action on the northern face of the Kursk salient, with XLVII Panzer Corps of Walter Model’s Ninth Army. Their mission: break through Soviet defenses so the panzer divisions could drive south. They initially supported the 6th Infantry Division, advancing alongside the 20th Panzer Division in the Podolyan–Butyrki sector. From July 6, they supported the 2nd and 9th Panzer Divisions as the offensive pushed toward the heights of Olkhovatka. But the early gains never became the breakthrough the Germans needed. Successive defensive belts, mines, artillery, and Soviet counterattacks wore down the assault. Even the massive Tigers could not open the road to Kursk alone. ⚠️The barbed wire along the sides of the Tigers was intended to prevent Soviet infantrymen from climbing onto the tanks and destroying them with explosive charges! 🎞️ Footage: excerpt from Die Deutsche Wochenschau, the German wartime propaganda newsreel.

16,752 views • 18 days ago

9 October 1941 Elements of the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler capture the Ukraine port of Mariupol.

9 October 1941 Elements of the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler capture the Ukraine port of Mariupol.

29,103 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.

170,921 views • 10 months ago