Masters of the Air Clip 'flak stopped'

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[edruttledge]

My sixth grade teacher (this was in 1956) had been a B-17 pilot. 21 missions over enemy territory. Our days in sixth grade were filled with stories. Best year in K-12 ever. My teacher went on to become Principal and then Superintendent.

[rjpx]

"The guns...they've stopped."

"Stabilize your rear deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters."

[legiox]

Remember. The 8th Airforce lost more men than the entire Marine Corps did in the Pacific. Let that sink in.

[DD-qwfz]

Didnt expect they will go to this level of gore, the co pilots jaw and lower part of his face were blown to bits.

[DanielH.-sgoo]

"The guns - they've stopped!"
"Stabilize your rear deflectors... Watch for enemy fighters!"
"They're coming in! Three marks at 2-10!"
"It's no good, I can't maneuver!"
"Stay on target."
"We're too close!"
"Stay on target!"
"Loosen up!"
"Gold Five to Red Leader, lost Tiree, lost Dutch."
"I copy, Gold Leader."
"They came from... behind!"

Well, Lucas did take inspiration for Star Wars from WW2 aerial warfare...

[rogueriderhood]

You have to wonder how much damage was caused by friendly fire in those formations.

[lonzo]

I'm glad they are showing these air battles for all the horrors that these crews experienced. The air campaign over Europe was one of brutal attrition, and these types of scenes demonstrate that.

I took a WW2 course in college, taught by a Williamson Murray. He was sometimes featured in History channel doc films through the 1990s. He instilled in us, his students, just how utterly brutal the air war that the bombers fought truly was. One of the striking comments he made during one lecture was that a Marine fighting the island campaigns in the Pacific had a better chance of surviving the war than did the average bomber crewman serving in Europe.

In 1980, I was at a Confederate (now, Commemorative) Air Force event helping out with static displays. I was a teenager and member at the time. While standing outside of our C47 display and talking to people in line (most of whom where veterans of WW2), I had a number of these fellows tell me they were a crewman in a B17 or B24 over Europe. They would then pull up their shirt or a pant leg, or pull back a sleeve, and show me visible scars that were the result of either German fighter's rounds plowing through and exploding within their planes, or flak shrapnel doing the same. One guy barely said anything as he lifted the back of his shirt bearing an ugly, deep scar that ran diagonally across his back. It was unbelievable!

Up to that time, I had read much about WW2 as a broad subject, and particularly the air war over Germany. But it was upon talking to these guys on that day that the war and its horrors became real and personal for me. And most people alive today don't know these things. I hope this film series changes that. I'm going to wait to hear the reviews on Masters of the Air before seeing it myself. Movies and movie series too often get it wrong. However, from these scenes, it does look promising.

[chestersleezer]

Thing to consider between 1935 and May 1945, 12, 732 B-17s were produced. Of these aircraft, 4, 735 were lost during combat missions. That was 37.2% of the number made but since each B-17 carried a crew of ten that was 47, 350 airmen that were either KIA, WIA or taken POW. The 8th Air Force had the highest loses of the US military during WW II. It suffered about half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties (47, 483 out of 115, 332), including more than 26, 000 dead. The Eighth's brave men earned 17 Medals of Honor, 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 442, 000 Air Medals As for the Germans they lost around 3, 500 fighters going against the B-17's.

Yes these men did not have it as bad as the infantry fighting in Europe since they did have down time back in England but when they were flying over Germany they had to pay the way. So when the briefing started and the target was Schwienfurt they knew that not everyone would be coming home. The 2nd attack on Schweinfurt resulted in the lost of 77 B-17's out of 291 that took part that day came to be known as "Black Tuesday".

[mr.jancok]

Fun fact: frontal attack isn't just some epic Hollywood scene but an actual tactic that the German use to engage US bomber, because US bomber are heavily armed so the usual attack from behind would be a death sentence so they attack from the front not only to avoid most B-17 guns but also to maximize the damage where the engine, the pilots and the bombardier are fully exposed, also in respond to this tactic the US upgrade their B-17 with a chin turret to deter any attack from the front, you can see it on the B-17 G series

[slimj]

How the bomber crews got through the war without being completely dead inside emotionally is beyond me.

[charlessaint]

A bomber crew in the Eighth Air Force needed to complete twenty-five missions in order to go home.
The average lifespan of an Eighth Air Force bomber crew was fifteen missions.

[AmericanFlyOnTheWall]

Former Cowboys head coach, Tom Landry, was a B-17 co-pilot in Europe during WW2. I didn't know this while he was coaching. I always respected Mr. Landry, but after learning his story, my respect level for him maxed out.

[velodjk]

Chin turret was the eventual reaction to "They're coming straight for us."

[bigguy]

Ahhh the good old The old Focke-Wulf 190 'Butcher Birds' . The BF-109's you saw in the first battle scene were meant more for engaging other fighters they were nimble and delicate race horses that had the firepower to fight other fighters, but not heavy bombers to the same effect. It wouldn't be until later 1943 before they could properly engage Flying Fortresses. By contrast, the FW-190's were thick boys with powerful radial engines armed to the teeth with 20mm cannons that used high explosive fragmentation shells. Compared to the 109's race horse status, the 190 were Calvary horses who could take a lot more punishment and deal out frighteningly more punishment.

[InspirationSessions]

Can't think of anything much braver than heading out in broad daylight and freezing temperatures each day, knowing you're going to be sitting ducks for the Luftwaffe. A lot changed once the extended-range Mustangs went mainstream, IIRC. Keen to see how this series lives up to the hype, nothing will ever top BoB for me but I also find is difficult to imagine how this one will be more than just 'Memphis Belle with added gore/CGI'.

[paulgrimshaw]

The gratitude of those that came after these men can never be enough.

[membyx]

I had to rewatch this scene a few times the first time I watched the episode. Incredible scene and terrifying.

[serviceadvisormaxbyservice]

Amazing so far. My grand father was a B-17 Turret gunner. May he forever rest in piece.

[samuelcaballero]

At an air museum I used to volunteer at as a young man, there’s a book bound in leather, with gold lettering. The book had every name of those the 8th AF lost over the war. Heavy stuff

[maxoutyoutlife]

The Luftwaffe pilots learned that the best way to take out a B-17 was go straight head on with it and blast the cockpit. Can you imagine being in that? Enemy fighter comes head on at you and then filling your area (and you with) 20mm shells. I shudder at the thought. The B17 “G” model had a chin turret installed to help combat that tactic.