Thank you for uploading this documentary. I have to disagree with Mr. Clarkson on one small point. As an American I knew about this action since I was about 10 (I was born in 1964). Many from my generation here know/knew about it. The Gift Horse (1952) played regularly on television, 2 to 4 times a year. Loved that movie.
I think that many of the British specops succeeded, not because they were based on profound plans, but rather because they were based on borderline idiocracy, no sane man would come up with plans like that, only the British are so stuborn in their behaviour, that they can make the irrational look so profound. A simple rock on a parking place just seems an insult to these heroes. 611 rocks of determination thrown at a wall of aggression. Let us pause our hasty, modern lives for but a few moments.
Why didn't they think to use the Bouncing Bomb that the Brits used to take out dams to destroy the dry dock gate? The guy who designed the Bouncing Bomb ended up designing the Tallboy, the bomb that eventually took out the Tirpitz, so the Bouncing Bomb already existed at the time. It would've saved putting Allied lives in danger...
Bombing was ruled out. At that stage in the war (early '42) the RAF didn't have the accuracy to bomb the facility without endangering the whole town (as it was quite a few civilians were killed in the raid). Highly unlikely that bombing would have been as effective. The commandos blew up gun emplacements and drydock facilities.
Don't forget also that Bomber command had the worst casualties of any British force in the war anyway- more likely to die than a WWI infantryman.
'alter the balance of power in the North Atlantic' might be a better description, and it'd do it mainly by messing with the Brit convoys- Churchill said that the only time he worried about losing the war was when he was reading merchant shipping losses.
The best RAID of W.W.II has been made in Alexandria (Egypt) the 21 december 1941,by italian special elites truops of Italian Royal Navy named DECIMA MAS.They (DECIMA MAS)destroyed the best british royal navy ships.
@Ubaldo421 Errrrm no. You've got a lot of nerve coming on this video and posting that bull crap; just remember it was your people and nation that got thumped and then switched teams.
Most bombers allied and axis didn't enjoy killing (oddly:OOO) so they didn't always drop bombs on their targets, same with soldiers, they didn't always shoot other soldiers but rather aim their way.
@Cokecakepopcorn Hmmm. There are many incidents of Germans bombers having excess and then deliberately dropping their load on civilian buildings. The church in my local town was blown up by a stray German bomber who could easily have let lose on a field but instead decided to blow up the Orthodox church. Pricks.
Why a pilot want to kill innocent people? you wouldn't get the same hype of being in war as you would with a soldier shooting and stabbing the other side, so don't see a reason at all that a pilot would but meh.
Also...you asked the pilot of this German bombing if he actually went to blow up the church? or could the of bomb like many have,just missed the target.
But I am sure this could of happened of course, but every side/country did bad things
@Talbot6832 second reply- In world war one,(this was the English, just for a example) there was a 15 year old who got his way into the army and was in the trenchs with all the other soldiers, I think it was the caption that did this, but he actually punished the teenager for sneaking into the army, by tying him to a pole in the every morning above the trench, so when both sides got back to fighting the kid would of been ripped apart,
lol, I think he's just saying it would be devastating if 1 side had accurate bombs as they said in the video only 22% of bombs landed within 5 miles of their targets.
But I'm not exactly sure what a "tom cruise" missile is. I don't think humans make good bombs.
another reason why the RAF couldn't bomb the port was because the Luftwaffe ruled the skies in the early years of 2w
myth1032 3 months ago
Thank you for posting this in non-stretched form, in higher quality.
TheJoePepper 3 months ago
British commandos best force ther was at the time (and still is infantry wise)
doriftomasta 6 months ago
Thank you for uploading this documentary. I have to disagree with Mr. Clarkson on one small point. As an American I knew about this action since I was about 10 (I was born in 1964). Many from my generation here know/knew about it. The Gift Horse (1952) played regularly on television, 2 to 4 times a year. Loved that movie.
jlastre 6 months ago
First reaction (for real) what? that voice, no... Oh come ooon XD
autoloadable 6 months ago
I think that many of the British specops succeeded, not because they were based on profound plans, but rather because they were based on borderline idiocracy, no sane man would come up with plans like that, only the British are so stuborn in their behaviour, that they can make the irrational look so profound. A simple rock on a parking place just seems an insult to these heroes. 611 rocks of determination thrown at a wall of aggression. Let us pause our hasty, modern lives for but a few moments.
RzzRBladez 6 months ago
@RzzRBladez Your comment needs a big thumb-up, but it wont let me do it for some reason. so just so you know, I thumb-up your comment :-)
momlulu66 6 months ago
Why didn't they think to use the Bouncing Bomb that the Brits used to take out dams to destroy the dry dock gate? The guy who designed the Bouncing Bomb ended up designing the Tallboy, the bomb that eventually took out the Tirpitz, so the Bouncing Bomb already existed at the time. It would've saved putting Allied lives in danger...
leananshae 8 months ago
@leananshae
Bombing was ruled out. At that stage in the war (early '42) the RAF didn't have the accuracy to bomb the facility without endangering the whole town (as it was quite a few civilians were killed in the raid). Highly unlikely that bombing would have been as effective. The commandos blew up gun emplacements and drydock facilities.
Don't forget also that Bomber command had the worst casualties of any British force in the war anyway- more likely to die than a WWI infantryman.
2210ethan 7 months ago
@2210ethan aha... that explains it... thanks!
leananshae 7 months ago
The soundtrack is good... emotionally evocative.
leananshae 8 months ago
Hang on... how could ONE battleship cause the British to lose the war in the entire Atlantic?
I don't know if that was dramatization or some logic I'm missing but that makes no sense.
PrUnEJuIcEtHeThIrD 8 months ago
@PrUnEJuIcEtHeThIrD
'alter the balance of power in the North Atlantic' might be a better description, and it'd do it mainly by messing with the Brit convoys- Churchill said that the only time he worried about losing the war was when he was reading merchant shipping losses.
2210ethan 7 months ago
jeremy should host more WW2 docs
108Dax 9 months ago
@LovelyElbe11 .. i must say.. your telling the truth, but then u must also know, how the world works... history is made by the victor..
teddythebenny 10 months ago
Wait Jeremy Clarkson in a ww2 documentary??? now i have seen everything:D
TheIcelandicPatriot 1 year ago
Great documentary and interesting subject; thanks for posting.
Splitskirts 1 year ago
clarky!!
FaTmaN9009 1 year ago
I can headbutt my way through an oak door .............I would be a dribbling cabbage after but I would get through I'm sure.lol
blobby1972 1 year ago
this guy is also the host of Top Gear
stevensw 1 year ago
An old bloke who lived near me was on that raid ,he had to sell his medals when thatcher got in ,in the 80s cos she cut the pension.
jrobertsoneff 1 year ago
@jrobertsoneff
Thatcher never cut pensions ?
hetrodoxly 5 months ago
The best RAID of W.W.II has been made in Alexandria (Egypt) the 21 december 1941,by italian special elites truops of Italian Royal Navy named DECIMA MAS.They (DECIMA MAS)destroyed the best british royal navy ships.
Ubaldo421 1 year ago
@Ubaldo421 Errrrm no. You've got a lot of nerve coming on this video and posting that bull crap; just remember it was your people and nation that got thumped and then switched teams.
Talbot6832 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Se på mine video. Du vil sikkert bli sjokkert
MrMagiskMann 2 years ago
22% of the bombs drooped from planes, land on 5 miles of the radius... just thing, if Hitler have access to tom cruise missiles.
deepakjindal070 2 years ago
Most bombers allied and axis didn't enjoy killing (oddly:OOO) so they didn't always drop bombs on their targets, same with soldiers, they didn't always shoot other soldiers but rather aim their way.
Cokecakepopcorn 2 years ago
@Cokecakepopcorn Hmmm. There are many incidents of Germans bombers having excess and then deliberately dropping their load on civilian buildings. The church in my local town was blown up by a stray German bomber who could easily have let lose on a field but instead decided to blow up the Orthodox church. Pricks.
Talbot6832 1 year ago
@Talbot6832 That would make no sense at all....
Why a pilot want to kill innocent people? you wouldn't get the same hype of being in war as you would with a soldier shooting and stabbing the other side, so don't see a reason at all that a pilot would but meh.
Also...you asked the pilot of this German bombing if he actually went to blow up the church? or could the of bomb like many have,just missed the target.
But I am sure this could of happened of course, but every side/country did bad things
Cokecakepopcorn 1 year ago
@Talbot6832 second reply- In world war one,(this was the English, just for a example) there was a 15 year old who got his way into the army and was in the trenchs with all the other soldiers, I think it was the caption that did this, but he actually punished the teenager for sneaking into the army, by tying him to a pole in the every morning above the trench, so when both sides got back to fighting the kid would of been ripped apart,
Cokecakepopcorn 1 year ago
@deepakjindal070 Just think, if Churchill had access to Harrier jump jets. What the hell are you talking about?
FactualTruthProvider 2 years ago
@FactualTruthProvider
lol, I think he's just saying it would be devastating if 1 side had accurate bombs as they said in the video only 22% of bombs landed within 5 miles of their targets.
But I'm not exactly sure what a "tom cruise" missile is. I don't think humans make good bombs.
OlderG0ds 1 year ago
excellent and informative documentary
5*s thks for sharing
redriot74 2 years ago 10
Comment removed
redriot74 2 years ago
Thx for uploading.
Great documentary.
Few documentaries manage to be that entertaining while delivering a lot of information.
Are u planning to upload Clarkson's documentary on the Victoria Cross as well?
Molo9000 2 years ago 11
Please find the exact title and I will try to get it
2bn442RCT 2 years ago
It's "The Victoria Cross: For Valour" by Jeremy Clarkson
Molo9000 2 years ago
Ok I found it
2bn442RCT 2 years ago
How can you get things like that?
I suppose it is a secret so I won't pry!!
alanheath 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@alanheath What secret? It's really funny....
Ubaldo421 1 year ago