Battle Of The Bulge - The Last Stand of King Tiger 213

King Tiger 213 is a legend of La Gleize - but how did it get there?

This video is the FULL story of King Tiger 213 as never told before. Shot completely on location in and around La Gleize, this is the first time the story of 213 and her crew has been told.

#ww2 #kingtiger #tigertank #wehrmacht #waffen #panzer #wwii #wwiihistory #ww2tanks #ww2history

Filmed using a Go Pro Hero 10 and DJI Mini 2 Drone.

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[LeveretteJamesClifford]

When I went to Fort Knox to go through the museum where Tiger 332 stood, I was very impressed. A Sherman was parked next to it and the Sherman was actually taller than the Tiger, making it seem impressive as well. When 332 was brought to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds originally, it and a Tiger E had their side compartments cut away so that people could study the insides. They both sat outside for a while before being moved in doors. Back then they retained their original paint. Then they were moved to Fort Knox next to the Patton Museum of Armor. I had hoped to see the Tiger E but it had been sent on a tour of European museums. When I walked around to the port side of 332 I was immediately taken back by the sheer amount of room that each crew compartment had. Tiger B crews had it better than any tank on the planet, and perhaps that includes now! You may know this arlready but 332 was commanded by Otto Blasé and on the road march toward La Glieze, his 332 suffered a breakdown along the road near Petit Spa. Since the 332 was in no immediate danger of capture, the crew did what they were supposed to do, stay with the tank until it could be repaired or recovered, but in this case recovery was not possible. When the 740th US tank battallion approached on another road they saw the 332 and started firing from their distance using phosphorous rounds. A phosphorus round could take out any vehicle because even though it would not penetrate, it could explode and the phosphorus now in liquid form would quickly find any openings no matter how small, and drip in. Even it that was not the case, Germans knew by this stage in the war that Americans seeing no way to get to a German tank, would fire a phosphorus round in order to mark the target for either the Air Corps fighters on Army artillery to take out. So Blasé or another crewman and yet another crewman were seen jumping out of the 332 and running. In a response to a letter that I wrote to Wolfgang Schneider concerning Blasé, he said that Blasé disappeared from the regiment during the battle and was never seen again, and did not attend any of the SS reunions later. After I searched for him online, I did not actually find him but have enough information that he may have made his way to the state of Wisconsin which has a large German descended population and is where many escaped war criminals were arrested long after the end of 20th century. I found where an Otto Blasé showed up at a Lutheran church and taught Sunday school in the 50s, then disappeared with no trace. Later, when Blasé would have been in his 60s, a Lutheran priest in Germany named Otto Blasé died and I read his obituary a few years later. After that I could not find any other references to anyone named Blasé. SO I cannot prove this but if these references were to the Blasé I was looking for, he may have wanted nothing to do with the SS and their crimes (he enlisted in the Luftwaffe but was taken by the SS in 1943 in a draft of other services officers because the SS had lost too many to replace from their ranks in Russia) and made his way to the US, where he began to see that he wanted to go to a seminary and be a pastor, returning to West Germany to do so. Like I said, this is my supposition, not fact.!

[christopherbentley]

Excellent dialogue of the history of that Tiger. Fascinating

[courtoisdavid]

En français : Merci Monsieur "WW2 Wayfinder", pour ces 2 vidéos sur les vestiges de la défaite allemande en décembre 1944 à La Gleize. Je suis un Belge francophone, un Wallon, j'ai 52 ans et la seconde guerre mondiale m'intérresse beaucoup. Et pourtant, je ne connaissais pas cet épisode de la Bataille de l'Ardenne en Belgique. (Pour info, c'est en France que l'on dit "les Ardennes" aux pluriel pour le département éponyme. En Belgique, on dit "l'Ardenne", au singulier.) Vous m'avez donc fait découvrir des choses sur mon propre pays que je ne connaissais pas. Comme mon fils de 14 ans se passionne aussi pour cette période, vous m'avez donné là une excellente destination pour une future excurtion WW2 avec lui. J'ai beaucoup apprécié la précision de vos positionnements pour les photos "Then and now", ainsi que les diverses cartes dont vous avez aggrémenté vos 2 vidéos, qui aident vraiment beaucoup à se faire un plan d'ensemble de la situation.


Dans un esprit constructif, je vous fais part du fait que vous auriez peut-être dû y ajouter un petit récapitulatif des mouvements de troupes (Tant allemandes qu'alliées.) sur une carte, pour nous permettre de mieux comprendre comment cette colonne allemande a pu se retrouver encerclée à La Gleize. Qu'en pensez-vous ?


En tous cas, un grand merci pour cet excellent travail de reconstitution. J'espère que les Belges n'oublierons jamais ce que nous devons aux Américains et aux autres alliés. Votre travail y aidera certainement, du moins pour les Belges qui comprennent l'anglais…


Bonne continuation à vous.
Cordialement,

David Courtois.

[cgpapineau]

Great video! Love the way you format it with aerial shots, maps and onsite footage. That Tiger still looks menacing, especially when the camera walks around it. The countryside is gorgeous. It is hard to imagine the vicious battle going on at that time since it looks so peaceful. After viewing your first P51 video and this one, I'm hooked! Keep up the good work.

[markholmphotography]

Another excellent video. My Dad was in the 28th Infantry Division in WW2. He was captured by the Germans on December 20, 1944. He really didn’t like to talk about his time as an Infantryman in WW2. In 1947 he joined the USAF and in the early 60s (63 -66) we lived in West Germany and my parents really enjoyed the years we spent there. I’ve been interested in WW2 history since I was a child. My Dad passed in late 2008 and I sure do miss him but he never felt comfortable talking about WW 2 - I can only imagine some of the horrors he must have experienced - especially since he experienced the meat grinder of the battle in the Hürtgen Forest.
Thanks so much for the high quality of the WW2 historical videos.

[firstcitytraveler]

I have seen other vloggers say 213 was abandoned in La Gleize, in the town. Thank you for your research and actual location of 213 at the farm. Great job aa always.

[clarkadams]

As a Soldier stationed in Germany in the 70s', I was driving one night through LaGleize as I rounded a curve in the dark rainy night, I saw a tank enting the road. I immediately locked up my brakes and swerved to avoid a collision with the tank. Only after I was stopped did I realize the tank was the WWII Tiger on display. Having gotten used to seeing armored vehicles on the streets of German villages I immediately thought I had driven into an exercise!

[courtoisdavid]

In english : Thank you Mister "WW2 Wayfinder", for these 2 videos on the remains of the German defeat in December 1944 in La Gleize. I am a French-speaking Belgian, a Walloon, I am 52 years old and WWII interests me a lot. And yet, I did not know this episode of the Battle of the Ardenne in Belgium. (For information, it is in France that they say "the Ardennes" in the plural for the eponymous department. In Belgium, we say "the Ardenne", in the singular.) So you made me discover things about my own country that I didn’t know. As my 14 year old son is also passionate about this period, you have given me there an excellent destination for a future WW2 excursion with him. I really appreciated the accuracy of your positioning for the photos "Then and now", as well as the various maps you have joined your 2 videos, which really help a lot to make an overview of the situation.


In a constructive spirit, I tell you that you should have perhaps added a small summary of the troop movements (both German and allied.) on a map, so we can better understand how this German column could have been surrounded at La Gleize. What do you think?


In any case, a big thank you for this excellent work of reconstitution. I hope the Belgians will never forget what we owe the Americans and other allies. Your work will certainly help, at least for Belgians who understand English…


Good continuation to you.
Sincerely,

David Courtois.

[darrenhillman]

Amazing and enthralling video.

Just one note - can you reduce the volume of the music which links sections, please. It is a tad intrusive.

[OMLT]

Sehr gutes Video. Ich war im August 2023 vor Ort. Für mich persönlich, ist das Museum Dezember 44 in La Gleize eines, wenn nicht sogar das beste Museum in den Ardennen. Ganz nach dem Motto KLEIN ABER FEIN !

[timol]

Very informative and a nice video staff ride. One suggestion is keeping the “maps” on the screen slightly longer and also indicating which direction the drone is looking to help us get our bearings.

[frankvandergoes]

I visited La Gleize in 1986. Today the commanders hatch is closed, back then it was open and you could climb down into the tank. Exposed to the elements the interior was gutted and rusted out.
an amazing vehicle.

[-jk-]

Great video. Also to mention, the current gun barrel of 213 is from Panther Ausf G. Not original 88 mm KwK 43.

[JimCatania-fj]

I visited the December 1944 Museum in La Gleize in July 2024 and I agree, it is EXCELLENT. It even has a personal map case of Peiper's that was found in a nearby field!

[MGC]

I really enjoy your videos. There to the point and a lot of the footage I have havent seen before. Keep up the good work.

[TXCHRISZ]

I love your videos, but yall need to do something about volume leveling on that music..it is EXTREMELY overpowering when the volume is set for listening to the dialog.

[aleccrombie]

Great video. Two new things learned. Thank you.

[RickJZ]

Absolutely outstanding presentation. Very informative and interesting. I really enjoyed hearing the story of Tiger 213. Your presentation gave a nice historical overview of how the tank ended up by the December 1944 museum. Edit to add: new subscriber. This channel is without a doubt one of the very best WW II history channel on YouTube. Keep up the great content. Much appreciated!

[mmrmedia]

Can't hear enough of this tank, I was there a few years ago and it's a great piece of history.

[echohunter]

I’ve touched that tank a few times, always amazes me, just a beast. Don’t forget, they have a militaria show/meet there in that village by the museum. People from all over Europe park their cars on the side of the road and lay stuff they have to sell on a blanket or on the hood of their car. I’ve found some amazing pieces there but nothing like the one in Luxembourg.