Quotulatiousness

June 7, 2024

Battlefield Normandy – The battle of Authie D-DAY + 1

Filed under: Cancon, France, Germany, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The AceDestroyer
Published Dec 20, 2018

June 7, also known as D-Day +1 marked the first battle between the Canadians and the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend during the Normandy campaign. When the Canadians attacked Authie, the German 12th SS counterattacked and a large tank on tank battle commenced. The first encounter between the two divisions was immediately a bloody one. The battle unfortunately had a barbaric end as members of the SS murdered several Canadian POW’s in cold blood. Here’s the battle of Authie.
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June 6, 2024

The reason Germany failed on D-Day (Ft. Jonathan Ferguson)

Filed under: Britain, Cancon, France, Germany, History, Military, USA, Weapons, WW2 — Tags: , , , , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

Imperial War Museums
Published Jun 5, 2024

Adolf Hitler was looking forward to D-Day. His plan was simple. Reinforce the western defences, launch a furious counterattack, and “throw the Allies back into the sea”. After that, he could turn his full strength against the Soviet Union and end the war. For Hitler, the outcome of this campaign would be decisive.

In the previous episode of our D-Day series we looked at the air battle for Normandy. This time IWM Curator Adrian Kerrison covers the fighting on land. Why were some beaches bloodier than others? Why did German counterattacks fail? And why did it take so long for the Allies to breakout?

To help us answer some of those questions we’ve brought in the Royal Armouries’ Jonathan Ferguson to look at some of the most important weapons of D-Day.
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80 years ago

Filed under: Britain, Cancon, France, History, Military, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 03:00

Battlefield Normandy – The Battle of Juno Beach 6 June 1944

Filed under: Cancon, France, Germany, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The AceDestroyer
Published Nov 18, 2018

Hello and welcome to the first episode of my Battlefield Normandy series. This part is all about the landings at Juno beach on June 6 1944, and what happened on the first day of the Allied landings in Normandy. In this episode we will take a look at all the landing beaches and the subsequent fighting. You can find the maps on my Facebook page. The next episode will be about the battle of Authie on June 7, when the Canadians first met the 12th SS Hitlerjugend. I hope you’ll enjoy this video and find it helpful.
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June 5, 2024

What Troops Ate On D-Day – World War 2 Meals & Rations

Filed under: Food, History, Military, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

Tasting History with Max Miller
Published May 21, 2024

D-Day Scrambled Eggs and Bacon served with toast and D-Day Lemonade

City/Region: United States of America
Time Period: 1944

The food in the final days leading up to D-Day was a definite improvement over the sad, dry sandwiches some soldiers had been getting. All-you-can-eat meals of steak, pork chops, sides, lemon meringue pie, ice cream, and even popcorn and candy during movie screenings kept the sequestered troops well fed. The last meal served before the landing was breakfast in the very early hours of the morning, said by many to be scrambled eggs and bacon.

This meal was made in the south of England, but the bacon was from the U.S., so American-style bacon is best here. The eggs don’t taste bad, but the texture is not like fresh scrambled eggs at all (more like tofu). The bacon is real, though, and that really saves the dish. Powdered eggs can be found online and at camping stores.

    No. 749. Scrambled Eggs
    Water, cold … 2 1/2 quarts (2 1/2 No. 56 dippers)
    Eggs, powdered … 1 1/2 pounds (1/2 3-pound can)
    Salt … To taste
    Pepper … To taste
    Lard or bacon fat … 1 pound (1/2 No. 56 dipper)

    Sift eggs. Pour 1/3 of the water into a utensil suitable for mixing eggs. Add powdered eggs. Stir vigorously with whip or slit spoon until mixture is absolutely smooth. Tip utensil while stirring.
    Add salt, pepper, and remaining water slowly to eggs, stirring until eggs are completely dissolved.
    Melt fat in baking pan. Pour liquid eggs into hot fat.
    Stir as eggs begin to thicken. Continue stirring slowly until eggs are cooked slightly less than desired for serving.
    Take eggs from fire while soft, as they will continue to thicken after being removed from heat.

    No. 750. Diced Ham (or Bacon) and Scrambled Eggs
    Add 3 pounds of ham or bacon to basic recipe for scrambled eggs; omit lard. Fry ham or bacon until crisp and brown.
    Pour egg solution over meat and fat. Stir and cook as in basic recipe. Additional fat may be needed if ham is used.
    TM 10-412 US Army Technical Manual. Army Recipes by the U.S. War Department, 1946

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May 26, 2024

Evolution of The Churchill Tank | “No Damn Good”?

Filed under: Britain, History, Military, Weapons, WW2 — Tags: , , , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The Tank Museum
Published Feb 17, 2024

Designed by a company that had never built a tank before with the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, looking over their shoulders and plagued by mechanical teething troubles, the Churchill tank had unpromising beginnings. Despite this, it became one of the most successful British tanks of WW II: heavily armoured, not fast but with superb climbing ability, the Churchill served not only as a gun tank but the basis many of the specialised vehicles that helped the British and Canadian Armies ashore on D-Day.

00:00 | Intro
01:20 | History – What was needed?
03:38 | Design, Weaponry and Armour
08:44 | Up-gunned and Upgraded
13:59 | A Look Inside
17:51 | Combat Performance
20:23 | Multi-use Platform
23:10 | Conclusion

This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.

#tankmuseum

March 14, 2024

Book Reviews – Juno Beach and the Canadians

Filed under: Books, Cancon, France, Germany, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

WW2TV
Published Dec 5, 2023

A short live show where I talk about my favourite Juno Beach and Canadian focussed Normandy books

WW2TV Bookshop – where you can purchase copies of books featured in my YouTube shows. Any book listed here comes with the personal recommendation of Paul Woodadge, the host of WW2TV. For full disclosure, if you do buy a book through a link from this page WW2TV will earn a commission.
UK – https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/WW2TV
USA – https://bookshop.org/shop/WW2TV

March 1, 2024

Was JUNO BEACH The Deadliest On D Day? | Canadian Army | Normandy WW2

Filed under: Cancon, France, Germany, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

The History Explorer
Published Oct 27, 2023

During the invasion of Fortress Europe the casualty figures sustained on Omaha beach were terrifying; approximately 2,500 US casualties were sustained of which around 800 were killed, depending on which source you use. The ratio was said to be 1 in 19 soldiers would become a casualty.

But it was at Juno beach where the fighting Canadians landed that the casualties were 1 in 18. The fighting on Juno beach resembled modern urban warfare – silencing fortified residential houses, clearing rooms and bunker busting. So was this the more deadly beach? This is the story, of Juno beach and the brave sons of Canada.

On June 6th, 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Armoured Brigade were tasked with establishing a bridgehead on the beach codenamed “Juno”. This was an eight-kilometre long stretch of beach between Sword beach to the East and Gold beach to the West.

Come with me as we walk the beaches and take a look at what made this beach so well defended.
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July 28, 2023

Ideology and Mediocrity: Inside the 12th SS Division Leadership

Filed under: France, Germany, History, Military, WW2 — Tags: , , , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

OTD Military History
Published 27 Jul 2023

Historian Dr. Philip W. Blood discusses how the leadership of the 12th SS (Hitler Youth) Panzer Division were a clique of ideological motivated Nazis and most were promoted into their positions because of their loyalty to Hitler and Nazism and not because they were good soldiers.

Check out my full conversation with Philip Blood at the link below.

Waffen-SS Fantasies and the Commodification of War Crimes
https://youtube.com/live/vdZf_2tooSM
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July 26, 2023

Bombing France into Freedom – War Against Humanity 105

Filed under: Britain, France, Germany, History, Military, Railways, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

World War Two
Published 25 Jul 2023

The destruction of German cities has shown how difficult it is for the heavy bombers of the RAF and USAAF to hit small targets with precision. Things will be no different when these big beasts go into action to support the D-Day landings. Thousands of French civilians will pay the price for the flawed logic of Allied bombing.
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June 23, 2023

The Combat Engineers of D-Day – WW2 Special Documentary

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

World War Two
Published 22 Jun 2023

How do you blast through the obstacles and minefields on the beaches of Normandy? How do you get thousands of tonnes of tanks, guns, and men into the fight? And what about reopening the shattered French ports? You need men who are as skilled in construction as they are destruction. You need the engineers.
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June 11, 2023

The Invasion of Normandy begins! – WW2 – Week 250 – June 10, 1944

World War Two
Published 10 Jun 2023

The Allies’ gigantic amphibious invasion of France begins and by the end of the week they’ve carved out a decent-sized beachhead. Meanwhile in Italy the Allied advance takes Rome. The Soviets are launching new attacks of their own — now against the Finns, and the Japanese at Kohima … have just plain had enough.
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June 7, 2023

German Counterattack – D-Day [Part 4]

Filed under: Britain, Cancon, France, Germany, History, Military, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

World War Two
Published 6 Jun 2023

When the amphibious landings begin, they run straight into Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. Eisenhower has predicted a third of his troops may fall. While they land, the news breaks across the world.
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Piercing the Atlantic Wall – D-Day [Part 3]

Filed under: Britain, Cancon, France, Germany, History, Military, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 03:00

World War Two
Published 6 Jun 2023

With wide gaps struck in the Atlantic Wall, it is now up to the Allies to secure the beachheads and move inland. There they will face off with new German defenses, and the Norman geography.
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A Harbour goes to France – Mulberry Harbours – Normandy Landings

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military, USA, WW2 — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

British Army Documentaries
Published 24 Jun 2020

Mulberry harbours were temporary portable harbours developed by the United Kingdom during the Second World War to facilitate the rapid offloading of cargo onto beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. After the Allies successfully held beachheads following D-Day, two prefabricated harbours were taken in sections across the English Channel from UK with the invading army and assembled off Omaha Beach (Mulberry “A”) and Gold Beach (Mulberry “B”).
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