Masters of the Air finally

[Brokenhandle]

I read this thread with caution now, skip some reading as I'm not always current with the series.

Ryan

 

[OldSmoke]

But I gotta hunch this week they're going spend a lot of time on the Red Tails, the Tuskegee Airmen.

I’ve noticed that many of the scenes showing fighter escorts were Red Tails. I have wondered if a connection would be made.

My barber was a B17 pilot and my childhood neighbor was in Dresden during the bombing. She and dad used to converse in German. Dad was held over following the Battle of the Bulge and VE Day because he could translate.

Great series.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I’ve noticed that many of the scenes showing fighter escorts were Red Tails. I have wondered if a connection would be made.

My barber was a B17 pilot and my childhood neighbor was in Dresden during the bombing. She and dad used to converse in German. Dad was held over following the Battle of the Bulge and VE Day because he could translate.

Great series.

View attachment 690042

I've visited the Madras Maiden. I hear it is no more. Don't know how to say it, but they're rebranding the aircraft. It will now tour under another name, and dang it, I can't recall what it was.

 

[OldSmoke]

It will now tour under another name, and dang it, I can't recall what it was.

Ye Olde Pub.

 

[Smokin Okie]

The caption below Episode 7 , says Berlin becomes the 100th BG primary target. So that tells me, we're jumping from Oct 43 to the first week of March of 1944. They're gonna go right over Big Week.

The 8th went to Berlin every day in the first week of March. The Luftwaffe had quit coming up to meet them and it was deduced, that if they were gonna defend anything, it would be Berlin. They wanted to get the bf-109's and Fokkwulfs up to fight.

Dad flew four missions that week, March 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 9th. These were the first daylight missions over Berlin, the RAF had been bombing Berlin at night for a couple years.

On March 4th, Dad's crew came back across the Channel on one engine. They threw everything they could out of the plane to lighten the load. And they dropped Dad's ball turret into the Channel. Once they got across the Channel, they found an airfield right on the coast, RAF Friston. Pilot had the crew bail out and he tried to make it to the airfield but crash landed two miles short. He walked away from it. But one crew member, a waist gunner, had a chute malfunction and was KIA. The only casualty for the crew for their entire service.

 

[OldSmoke]

Wow. Amazing story.

At the Evergreen Air Museum in Madras, they have another B17 being restored. It is impressive to see the inner structures and construction of the aircraft. Especially when you consider how many were made.

 

[Smokin Okie]

Well, its all aired now, you bingers can begin binging

And Episode 9 ..................... wow ! They saved the best for last.

 

[Brokenhandle]

Well, its all aired now, you bingers can begin binging

And Episode 9 ..................... wow ! They saved the best for last.

Good to know! Can't remember where I left off. Wife just left for work and won't be home till Sunday morning so I'll be able to find time!

Ryan

 

[chopsaw]

They saved the best for last.

Sure did . Hate to see it end . These things are always pretty good , but the characters make them great .

 

[Smokin Okie]

Sure did . Hate to see it end . These things are always pretty good , but the characters make them great .

I thought they did a good job of conveying the euphoria of liberation and almost simultaneously, the euphoria of the war ending.

I can't imagine living with the threat of death every day ......... and then its over. Had to be extremely exhilarating.

My Dad said his moment came the first time he saw the US flag raised while a band played the Star Spangled Banner. That was at Camp Lucky Strike near La Havre, France. All the Stalag 17 POW's had been flown there by C-47's.

 

[JLeonard]

Alrighty...Now I just need a rainy weekend to binge this! Reading y'alls post has got me ready.

Jim

 

[chopsaw]

I can't imagine living with the threat of death every day ......... and then its over. Had to be extremely exhilarating.

Exactly . Not to mention the friends you lost . Things you went through . Live everyday for your close buddies , and they do the same for you . Then flip the switch ,,, as you were boys , go on home . I bet the relief was intense in the moment , maybe even hard to believe . Then the reality sets in .

 

[Smokin Okie]

The Vietnam vets had a tougher time adjusting than the WW II generation.

Just my view, but I think that's due to almost everyone serving in WW II. To not serve was the exception. When they came home there were other vets who had experienced war.

While the Vietnam vet was more isolated. I became draft age in 1970. I knew three people who served in Vietnam and actually saw combat. And I grew up in a small town where we knew everybody. And one of them was cousin who was a Marine. They were more isolated. When they came home, no one around them knew what it was like.

But it also could be lot of different factors. For one, just a different generation that maybe did not have it as tough growing up as the WW II generation. And it was a very unpopular war, politically.

 

[chopsaw]

The Vietnam vets had a tougher time adjusting than the WW II generation.

I agree , and the Korean war vets were lost in between .
Like your saying , It's a different view when you grow up around these guys .

 

[Oceantoad]

yep, got to finish the series this morning. Followed it up with The Bloody 100th. Both were great productions. Will watch both again.

 

[LoadToad1A7]

As I said earlier, we've only get three episodes left and we're in October 43. We've still got the transition to Doolittle, Big Week in Feb 44, daylight bombing of Berlin every day in the first week of March 44, and then the huge subject of D-Day. Then the transition of targeting from defeating the Luftwaffe to oil/fuel facilities and transportation like marshalling yards, and the 1,000 + bomber streams almost every other day. There's also controversial areas like Dresden.

But I gotta hunch this week they're going spend a lot of time on the Red Tails, the Tuskegee Airmen. They were in 9th AF operating out Italy and the 9th did some escort duty for the 8th, but they were a very very small part of the 8th AF story.

I suspect we will get an outsized view of the Red Tails. They've had an entire movie made about them. They get featured constantly. I wonder how many people know who the " Blue Nosed Bastards " were ? Or who is Hub Zemke ? How about Gabby Gabreski ? I think us older folks probably know Chuck Yeager, but his story needs to be told . There's just not enough time left.

Yes, the military was wrongly segregated. Yes, our entire society and our govt was wrongly segregated. But during the war was not a time to tackle a social issue like integration. It was hard enough ordering men to their deaths and they did not need the extra dynamic. Truman took on the issue in 1948 when he ordered the military integrated.

There's just so much more of the air war over Europe in WW II that could be told.

Hope I'm wrong, the series has been good so far.

I have met Gabby Gabreski, one of his sons was my squadron commander years ago and he would come in and talk with us. Awesome man.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

I finished up last weekend. Thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks bud! Been watching the other one Jeff mentioned.

 

[chopsaw]

Took 2 weeks , but it showed up today .
I used to build them when I was younger . Got that from my Dad who had the planes he called in forward air strikes to in Korea . P-38 Lightnings and some others I don't remember .
I have several still in boxes , but after watching Masters of the Air I had to have a B17 .
Looks like a nice detailed kit . 1:48 scale , so it's a good size model .

 

[Smokin Okie]

Tail markings says " Triangle U ", that's the 457th BG .

The 457th Bombardment Group was activated at Geiger Field, Washington on 1 July 1943 with the 748th, 749th, 750th and 751st Bombardment Squadrons assigned.[2][3] It moved a week later to Rapid City Army Air Base, South Dakota, where it began training with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber and completed the first two phases of its training there. It completed its training at Ephrata Army Air Base, Washington, then moved to Wendover Field, Utah for final preparation for overseas movement.[4] It departed for the European Theater of Operations on New Years Day, 1944.[2]

Combat in Europe[edit]​

B-17s of the 457th Bomb Group attacking a target[note 2]
The group assembled at its combat station, RAF Glatton by the end of the month. The air echelon had begun arriving at Glatton on 21 January.[4] The group flew its first mission during Big Week on 21 February 1944, as Eighth Air Force concentrated its attacks on Germany's aircraft manufacturing industry. It engaged primarily in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking ball bearing plants, oil refineries and aircraft factories until June 1944. In July 1944, the group returned to strategic targets, which remained its primary objectives through April 1945.[2] On 2 November 1944, the 457th and another group strayed from the main bomber stream and its fighter cover. Luftwaffe fighter controllers directed a geschwader of interceptors against the formation. Nine of the 457th Group's Flying Fortresses were lost to this attack.[5]

 

[Smokin Okie]

Revell once made a kit of a B-17 named " Bit of Lace " , which was a plane from my Dad's 447th BG, which was " Square K " tail marking . I can't find it now. But Airfix makes one , not sure if its " Bit of Lace " .

B-17