I've been on those airfields where those young men were stationed...
I've been in Nissen Huts where they lived, in the conditions they were in when they were just boarded up in June of 1945.
I've stood in front of the Map of Northern Europe, where the coordinates of their last mission flown, was still there and covered up in 20 years worth of dust, because it was the first time the briefing room had been opened since it was locked up in 1945.
Been in Buildings that still had the pictures hanging on the wall, left there from 1945, in what were squadron HQs and Wing HQs
Seen left over B 17s remains still in the junk yard from WW 2.
also know of the many young men, that were killed trying to meet that 25 mission mark, to qualify to go home instead of risking life and limb every day they had to climb into those bombers and bring the war to Germany. The most damaged B 17 Video filmed ever, and this A/C made it back to England from Berlin.
Knock Out Dropper, 1st B17 to complete 50 missions and 75 Missions in the 8th Air Force. 303rd Bomb Group. RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire England. 1943/44
Most of these guys were only 17 to 22 years old.. from Pilots to Gunners, to Bombadiers and Navigators. Over 10,000 of these young men went down over the skies of Europe. In 1943 in the 8th AF, based in England, the life span of the average B 17, from the day it rolled off the factory floor, to the time it went down in combat over occupied Europe was only 7 weeks.
Think of this, when you see video of the Knock Out Dropper, making 50 and 75 missions, before any other B17 in the ETO. Several more from the 303rd BG, made that many missions and were survivors of the first B17s to be sent to the ETO. Not many other groups could say that... most had lost ALL of their original B 17 contingent from when they first arrived there.
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
I live near Savannah GA which is where the 8th Air Force was started up. We have the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum here in Pooler, GA right off I-95. I’m a WW2 aviation nut, so I’ll be watching this one for sure. I pray they get the history correct/true!
For liberals and anarchists, power and control is opium, selling envy is the fastest and easiest way to get it. TRR. American conservative. Never trust a white liberal. Malcom X Current NRA member.
From 63 to 66, I lived in the area that all of these bases were in the area of Huntingdon and Cambridge. Of all the books I've read about the 8th Air Force in my life, since the early 60s, this one is definitely the most hardest hitting and difficult to read, as the tales can be down right heart wrenching.
Most recent one I read ( I'm on about page 177 right now ). One of the first half dozen A/C to finish their required 25 missions, one of the Squadron Commanders, needed one more mission to go home. So he rode in the co pilot spot on one of the B 17s. The regular co pilot, manned the left waist gun, to let the commander finish his last mission. The Squadron Commander was set to be married the next day to a Nurse stationed at the base hospital, to celebrate the end of his tour, when 77% of the men were dying before their 25 missions were up.
After hitting the target, on the way home, that squadron was attacked by FW 190s. The B 17 was in a lead position, and the FWs hit it by 6 a/c doing a head on attack. A 20mm cannon shell hit the frame of the cockpit, and decapitated the Squadron Commander. Several other crew men were also killed. The B 17 still managed to make it across the English Channel.
Their hydraulics were shot out, their communication were knocked out, the landing gear did not extend. They had to do a belly landing. His fiancé was waiting on the tarmac for the B 17s return. The wounded pilot decided to belly land the plane on a nearby airfield, so that the nurse would not see her 'husband to be', dead and headless.
The book is pretty gritty. If the movie follows it, it might be a little tough to view it.
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
Drifting off topic...it's what I do. There is a 3 part fictionalized true story on Prime, called Generation War. Follows the lives of four German citizens through the war on the Eastern Front. Superb cinematography, authentic historical detail. The bad, it's not dubbed in English, ya gotta read subtitles....still...it is the best war movie I have ever seen, bar none. But, like most vets, I'm anti war.
Well this is a fine pickle we're in, should'a listened to Joe McCarthy and George Orwell I guess.
I've yet to run into a vet thats anti war. Kind of interesting I suppose.
I've run into those that said its horrible and a shame but it has to happen at times. And thats the real truth, much as any of us would prefer not, none of us are anti war.
Originally Posted by Seafire
All I had to see was B 17s.. I'm there....
I've been on those airfields where those young men were stationed...
I've been in Nissen Huts where they lived, in the conditions they were in when they were just boarded up in June of 1945.
I've stood in front of the Map of Northern Europe, where the coordinates of their last mission flown, was still there and covered up in 20 years worth of dust, because it was the first time the briefing room had been opened since it was locked up in 1945.
Been in Buildings that still had the pictures hanging on the wall, left there from 1945, in what were squadron HQs and Wing HQs
Seen left over B 17s remains still in the junk yard from WW 2.
also know of the many young men, that were killed trying to meet that 25 mission mark, to qualify to go home instead of risking life and limb every day they had to climb into those bombers and bring the war to Germany. The most damaged B 17 Video filmed ever, and this A/C made it back to England from Berlin.
Knock Out Dropper, 1st B17 to complete 50 missions and 75 Missions in the 8th Air Force. 303rd Bomb Group. RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire England. 1943/44
Most of these guys were only 17 to 22 years old.. from Pilots to Gunners, to Bombadiers and Navigators. Over 10,000 of these young men went down over the skies of Europe. In 1943 in the 8th AF, based in England, the life span of the average B 17, from the day it rolled off the factory floor, to the time it went down in combat over occupied Europe was only 7 weeks.
Think of this, when you see video of the Knock Out Dropper, making 50 and 75 missions, before any other B17 in the ETO. Several more from the 303rd BG, made that many missions and were survivors of the first B17s to be sent to the ETO. Not many other groups could say that... most had lost ALL of their original B 17 contingent from when they first arrived there.
Interesting watching the video that it came apart in flight not far out of Berlin and all 5 live crew members were captured and became POWs..
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
' From the trailers I've seen, the flying sequences look like a video game IMHO. Same thing as with the ships in Greyhound which was also on Apple TV. I guess the younger generations are just used to seeing video games.
Real airplanes fly and look like real airplanes:
From the Battle of Britain movie (1969). Admittedly, some of the special effects look a little hokey nowadays but the movie was made back in 1969; no CGI back then. But, the flying sequences look great, IMO.
Apple TV+’s highly anticipated limited series “Masters of the Air” takes flight in first teaser trailer Premiering globally Friday, January 26 on Apple TV+, new series from executive producers Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman stars Austin Butler, Callum Turner and more.
Today, Apple TV+ unveiled the first teaser for its highly anticipated, nine-episode limited series, “Masters of the Air,” hailing from executive producers Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, and written by John Orloff. Starring a stellar cast led by Academy Award nominee Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook and Ncuti Gatwa, “Masters of the Air'' will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024 with the first two episodes, followed by one new episode every Friday through March 15, 2024.
Based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air. Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of “Masters of the Air.” Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.
“Masters of the Air” is enormous in both scale and scope, and depicts a unique and crucial time in world history. A genuine cinematic achievement, the series shot on locations ranging from the bucolic fields and villages of southeast England, to the harsh deprivations of a German prisoner-of-war camp.
Hailing from Apple Studios, "Masters of the Air" is executive produced by Spielberg through Amblin Television, and Hanks and Goetzman for Playtone. Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey co-executive produce alongside Playtone’s Steven Shareshian. In addition to writing, Orloff co-executive produces. Graham Yost also serves as co-executive producer. Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Cary Joji [bleep], Dee Rees and Tim Van Patten serve as directors.
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 392 wins and 1,631 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
About Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*
For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.
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