I just ran across this documentary. It uses archival film, possibly colorized, to illustrate various events in WW2. I learned that German armored forces and pilots made use of pervetin, a methamphetamine, during the 1940 invasion of France and the Low Countries in order to go without sleep during Blitzkrieg. Also the Allies missed a war changing opportunity to bomb a miles long German military traffic jam backed up into Germany itself that was lined up to go through the Ardennes, opposite Sedan. General Gamelin would not believe the reports of his own scout pilots.
Netflix...Greatest Events of WW II in Colour
- Thread starter Otosan
- Start date
A couple of years ago there was a book called: 'Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich' about the drug consumption, from Hitler down to the amped-up ordinary soldiers. No wonder they did crazy thingd.
Amphetamine stimulants were not uncommon on both sides in those times, although literature suggests more use in the German army than others during WW2. Some claim that Benzedrine was widely used during and after WW2, with at least ten percent of US troops taking it at one time or another. The French army made heavy use of Maxitron at Dien Bien Phu to stay on duty during the long siege. Army medics were known to issue Dexedrine to US troops before they went out on night patrol in Viet Nam. There's a long history of "bravery aids" in war. Some British chroniclers claim that the Netherlands artillerymen at Waterloo only stood up to French assaults because they were too drunk to know any better, hence the attribution of "Dutch Courage" to their success.
The Crazy Crystal Meth Adventure of a Finnish Soldier
Aimo Koivunen skied 250 miles while tripping balls on amphetamines