Cool German Training Video: Men vs Tanks

[theFightingSeabee]

Here is something to watch while you wait for CM:N.

http://www.allworldwars.com/videos/Close%20Range%20Tank%20Fighting/1943%20OKH%20Training%20Film%20Close%20Range%20Tank%20Fighting.html

It's a german training video from 1943, showing infantry how to deal with Russian tanks.

[Blackcat]

A very good find, an an impressive training film.

One thing though. When CMBO came out Battlefront assured us that smoke grnades were little used by infnatry in 1944/45. In this film we see German infantry being trained in 1943 to use smoke grenades to hinder tanks vision and facilitate a close quarter attack.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

IIRC the whole smoke debate hinged on the assumption that while it happened, we players would be horribly gamey and overuse smoke.

In this case, a training-film does not widespread useage make.

I would love to see WP though.

Amusing that even as early as WW2 those Harvards were standing in for WW2 combat planes.

Hadn't heard of Flare Guns being used in an AT role before. Interesting but obvious, in hindsight. If you've got a gun for projecting a big fat flare, you might as well put it to other uses as well.

[Sivodsi]

Amusing that even as early as WW2 those Harvards were standing in for WW2 combat planes.

.

It's a real German training film from 1943, so there would be plenty of captured Soviet gear to use, but what on earth would Harvards be doing in there? Are you sure that's what they are?

[Elmar Bijlsma]

I think they are ex-French BT-9s, which in truth are more Yale then Harvard.

*edit*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A4nner_gegen_Panzer

I think wiki might actually be incorrect, observe the non-retractable landing gear. But the two are so closely related as not to matter, really.

Compare:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-6_Texan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_BT-9

[JonS]

Those are some very tidy trenches.

[Lee]

Cool video, but what's with the stupid Russian voice added in?

Anyone know where a version can be seen without the added voice?

[theFightingSeabee]

Captured by the Russians and dubbed?

[Kanonier Reichmann]

The ripping sound made by the properly emplaced HMG42 is damn impressive. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of all those shellbursts impacting on the ground in and around you. Definitely brown corduory pants stuff that.

Regards

KR

[souldierz]

That's a nice piece of propaganda film:).No German casualties and it seemed to be a fairly organized clean and proper kind of war.The music they use for these old black and white war clips or reenactments really don't do it justice, i Mean, is that not one of the most annoying and out of place tunes or what ?

In one scenario they throw something called blinder grenades and it makes the tank crew bail out of a perfectly good tank.Then they kill the crew one shot each with the heavy MG and hand gun lol.What expert marksman they are and those powder puff grenades seem more capable then the anti tank mine.What are those blinder grenades suppose to be made of?

The procedure seems reasonable, obstacles and smoke to slow down and blind the enemy while moving in to place a charge, but I don't think it played out as neat and tidy in the real war(it rarely does) as portrayed.Recruits who watched this video and told themselves this ought to be a piece of cake, were probably in for a harsh wake up call when in the field near the steal beasts.I don't think one bullet was directed at the Germans the whole time and the tanks seemed to be deaf, blind, a bad shot and dumb all together.

I bet the Hitler youth would eat this stuff up:D

[Michael Emrys]

I bet the Hitler youth would eat this stuff up:D

They probably cheered and clapped at the end.

Michael

[JonS]

That's a nice piece of propaganda film:).No German casualties and it seemed to be a fairly organized clean and proper kind of war. ... snips ... I bet the Hitler youth would eat this stuff up:D

There is also a distinct lack of a love interest and abysmal development of the story line, but, ah ... it's a training film, no?

I was actually surprised how 'gritty' they made it. Dirty uniforms, dirty faces, some attacks failed, etc. Overall it shows a series weapons - including improvised ones - that can be used, shows some techniques, shows the steps required (inserting fuzes, etc), emphasises how close you need to get, shows blind spots and that getting overrun in a trench is no big deal, and so on.

*shrug* As a training film I thought it quite good. It's certainly comparable to some I've seen that were made in the 1990's and later.

[Stoppelhopser]

In hindsight I agree with souldierz.

I'm sure many young men of all sides came to their first battle with some very wrong assumptions...

But I also agree with JonS. I would not show defeat, squashed-by-tracks mates and terror in a movie for young soldiers. I'd show how you are able to defeat opposition easily. Thats the whole point and plot of training movies. - And of Hollywood war movies, too. Haha...