The One Man Airforce

We originally did this as a short but by popular request we have now remade it as a full film.
It’s January 11, 1944, and over 140 B17’s from the 401st Bomber Group are locked in desperate combat in the skies above Germany. Bf 109s, 110s, and FW 190s swarm all over the American machines. At the head of the formation Lieutenant Colonel Allison C. Brooks can do nothing but encourage his men forward and hope. 44 P-51 Mustangs of the 354th Fighter Group race to the rescue. Lead by Major James H. Howard he spots the battle taking place through the clouds but also a second group of BF 109s far below, he’s evaluating the situation when suddenly a voice shouts over the radio “go down and get them!”
To his complete horror his entire fighter group immediately dives for the Messerschmitts. He tries to order them back but in the confusion only 3 of his fighters abort the run while the rest head straight into combat. How could just 3 of them hold off the Germans? What happens next is an incredible feat of aviation skill by Howard. Brooks later said of Howard’s defense of the B-17s, "For sheer determination and guts, it was the greatest exhibition I've ever seen. It was a case of one lone American against what seemed to be the entire Luftwaffe. He was all over the wing, across and around it. They can't give that boy a big enough award."
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0:00 B-17s Under Attack
1:38 P-51s arrive but split up
2:17 Howard goes in alone
6:27 Howard under attack
7:42 One more warbird to go
8:24 Victory

[yeet]

When all the P-51s dived for the enemy planes: now that's a real War Thunder moment. The whole team diving to get the easy kill.

[stonem]

I have his autobiography ‘Roar of the Tiger’ . When asked why he didn’t hesitate, he stated ‘when you ride the tiger, you cannot dismount’.

[AaronBrooks-mpyk]

Lt Colonel Allison Brooks was my grandfather. He was a B17 pilot in the 401st, before he was transferred to the mustang. He was piloting the lead bomber this day and would tell me about this day and Howard's flying many times throughout my childhood. He even had a painting with his bomber and Howard's P51 and a flaming 109 from this mission hanging in his study. I just stumbled on this post. My grandpa was my hero growing up. He piloted many planes, the B17, P51, A1 Skyraider and the C130, among others. He always said his favorite to fly was the P51. He retired from the Air Force with 2 stars. This brings tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for telling this story.

[survivr]

The fact that Major James Howard managed to defend the entire 401st bomber squadron against what seemed the entire Luftwaffe is insane. He deserved the Medal Of Honor for his bravery.

[bullreeves]

Truly impressive. You gotta wonder how many bombers he saved that day.

[u.nforcesalx]

You guys actually took the Time to make an actual B Model!!

PROPS TO THE DEVELOPERS NGL

[SoloPilot]

When I was a kid, one of the major model plane companies supplied their P-51B kit with "Ding Hao" decals. This is the first I've known the story behind the plane.

[JakeOrion]

"An attack by a single fighter on four or five times his own number wasn't uncommon, " wrote a fellow World War II fighter pilot in his postwar memoirs of Howard's performance, "but a deliberate attack by a single fighter against thirty-plus enemy fighters without tactical advantage of height or surprise is rare almost to the point of extinction."

Howard was also the only fighter pilot Medal of Honor recipient in the European Theater. He was also a very capable P-40 pilot (6) with the American Volunteer Group, or more famously known as the Flying Tigers in the Burma campaign.

[Flamewake]

Yarnhub has brought me close to tears more than any other channel. The consistent wonderful writing, great animation, and excellent pacing is marvelous. It's so exciting watching a channel evolve and reach new heights in the moment. I can't assume anything about the people behind this, but it really seems like y'all have fun showing off new things you learn and constantly seeking further improvement, and it's a joy to witness.

[howardamey]

Maj. Howard gained his flying skills in the skies over China with the AVG. The tactics he used were taught by Gen. Claire Chennault. Superb story with second to none graphics and animation. Yarnhub, you make for an excellent start to my weekend. Kudos and thanks for all your hard work!

[thomasgumersell]

Incredible one man wrecking crew in his P-51 Mustang. Four B-17 Bombers were lost prior to Maj Howard's involment after he began his defense of the B-17 Bombers not a single bomber was shot down. That is truly a remarkable piece of combat flying. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨

[thewhitesloth]

I honestly have no words. I've watch a lot of other war story channels and nothing comes close to what you guys make. thank you very much guys, your work is beyond words. By far my favorite youtube channel

[carsonm]

It's a small detail, but I'm pleased to notice that the oxygen tubes are modeled in this one, and not just the mask attached to nothing as previous videos have done. It's these attention to details that elevate the animation from good to great.

[RickMiddleton-]

I would like to say THANK YOU to each and every member of the Yarnhub team. The time and care you place in telling each and every one of these amazing stories is remarkable and should be applauded. The effort each of you place in retelling these amazing and impactful moments in our history is inspiring.

I myself am an Army Gulf War Veteran. You reconnect myself and countless others with our history so that we may respect, appreciate, cherish, and most of all learn from it. What all of you do brings honor to those who lived these stories, and their families. Now the families have an eternal commemorative account of their family members lives.

I hope that all of you see this, and truly know how much your dedication and hard work is appreciated and respected.

[HKBronc]

If this story was a video game, I would find it hard to believe. What an incredible pilot.

[ShawnTheDriver]

Nahhhh…this is literally the BEST video y’all have ever done. The animation was great as usual but the SOUND DESIGN in this video was freaking perfect. And we all love the endings when you fade in a real photo of the person with the animation. Superb work.

[auzztheman]

God bless all our veterans current and past.

[nolanbowen]

Thanks for this entry! Thanks for the accuracy as well. At this time the P51 B/C was in use and was able to escort the bombers all the way into Germany. The B/C had the old canopy, and only 4 Browning 50s in the wings which were prone to jam. Later that problem was resolved. Many pilots preferred them over the later D models for their crisper handling and higher speed.

[andywhite]

Fantastic story. The quality of the animation is superb and does this humble hero's story justice. I'm so glad that he survived the war and lived a long life - his actions that day almost certainly meant that many more men had that opportunity.

[Arctrooper]

This is definitely the best looking animation you guys have made yet. I was repeatedly shocked at the different shots and frames used to create the scenes in the animation. The close up and slow motion zoom out from the one B17 pilot revealing the rocket detonation in the beginning is one scene as an example. Outstanding work