B-17 Flying Fortress. The workhorse of the American mighty bomber force. Upscaled video in HD

[@Dronescapes]

Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions: kzbin.info/aero/PLBI4gRjPKfnNx3Mp4xzYTtVARDWEr6nrT

[@kentmiller3633]

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS EXCELLENT VIDEO, I JUST ADDED MY OW PERSONAL COMMENTS, ON VETERANS DAY, 10 NOVEMBER, THURSDAY, 2022

[@geoffreyokellopanywar3502]

@@kentmiller3633 to

[@BenjaminRoeder-nv1xu]

😊 My favourite bomber.

[@russyeatman5631]

Nice job. However mistitled. Arguably the B-24 Liberator was more of a "workhorse" of USAAF / USN / RAF than the B-17 - Longer range, bigger bomb load, used in more roles (anit-submarine patrol in Atlantic by RAF, anti-submarine & recon in Pacific by USAF, and USN). RAF used B-24 for anit-sub because of longer range than Lancaster or Halifax. B-24's flew out of North Africa to targets the B-17s in England could not reach. Liberators were faster than Fortress as well. Downside was "wing-over" design which made them prone to break-up on "crash" landing.

[@christopherstone9046]

Lava 3b​@@kentmiller3633

[@kjhenriksen9967]

i just shed tears looking at this video. i am 86 years old this week. i was alive and 8 years old and read the news papers every day praying for those brave b-17 crews. a very sad feeling today at 86 years old is the state of america and the leaders giving away our great country . not keeping us first. as i weep now, i pray for every person who has died for us . be carried into the arms of heaven

[@PibrochPonder]

I 100% agree with your comment. What is going on is treasonous.

[@doomhippie6673]

Who are they giving it away to? I wonder as the United States are still the most powerful country in the world.

[@bikecontroller3268]

As Spike Milligan said , in disgust " I died in the War for people like YOU! "

[@billotto602]

I'm only 65 but I was raised by a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge - to love & honor my country. I cry with you sir. I lost a son & his best friend in service for their country. I fear for our great nation. 😢 🫡 🇺🇸

[@dicksatan6444]

GAVE away to corporations, yeah?

[@garyk8558]

My dad did 35 missions to Germany and back he was a member of The Lucky Bastards Club he was a radio operator and machine gunner i tried to take him up when the Wings Of Freedom was here he would not go he passed away a week later RIP Dad i miss you

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@everyteam8336]

@@Dronescapes my great uncle Arnold "Ray" Welch was also a radio operator on the Blue Grass Girl. Their crew flew their last mission to Berlin and was heading back to also become one of the Lucky Bastards Club when over the UK their plane caught fire (not from enemy fire and they think it was maybe a flare gun that started a fire in the rear.) My uncle did not survive the crash. Bless your father and all the crews.

[@Twinhit]

The Lucky Bastard's Club is with the 91st Bomb Group (H).

[@garyk8558]

@@Dronescapes thank you so much for the Blessing he was a great dad. He kept them a complete diary of every mission. I cherish it and I have it.

[@CharlesMillan-sh9ps]

I tried to take my uncle when he was about 94 to see a B-17 that was at a local airport . My uncle very quickly said no thank you .

[@johnburrows1179]

I had the opportunity to see a B17 at an air show. And I was able to go inside and fly in one. The men that flew in these had balls of steel. What hit me was how tiny it was inside. You couldn’t stand up, you had to crouch all over. The tail gunner had to crawl back to his gun position. The belly turret, forget it. No way in hell would I get in that space. Once we took off there was a constant rush of air through the plane. 30,000 feet at -40f?? Just the cold alone would have been crippling, forget AA and fighter planes shooting at you. I honestly don’t know if I could have done it. I served in Vietnam 1st Cav, 68-69. I’ll take the ground any day. These guys were incredibly brave. And to have to do 25 missions? Wow. My hat off to anyone who ever flew combat in these planes. Salute

[@RivetGardener]

And how thin was that skin? Poke a hole with it easy....jeesuz. As a former combat veteran Airborne Infantry paratrooper I would not want to have ridden in those bombers.

[@scottstuart7847]

My grand uncle Ernie was a ball turret gunner during ww2. He was shot down twice and lived. He second time down was so far into Germany it took him a month to fight his way back out with nothing but his 1911 and because he was sole survivor that time a little extra ammo from his fallen crew members. He was never captured and when he got back to polebrook he found out they thought he died. Instead of going home or sitting in a hospital he ate a good meal and crawled right back into the bottom ball turret and continued dropping bombs over the nazzis. Ernie made it home after the war and lived a long life.

[@JJ_5289]

Thank you for your post. In general people back then were a lot tougher than most people today. Most men who served in ww2 were terrified but you would never hear them complain about their situation. Now, people complain about any situation where they have to face the smallest amount of adversity

[@johnburrows1179]

@@JJ_5289 oh I agree wholeheartedly. Anyone who’s been in combat was terrified trust me. I was scared shitless all the time, and I was on the ground. I didn’t have that additional worry of my plane being shot out from under me on top of everything else. Those guys were special. Tough as nails. Hell, I notice the difference with my sons generation and how they act. Not all of course. But these young guys today get a flat tire, and their world is falling apart. Everything affects them. I swore every day that if I got home, everything else in my life would be a breeze. Still, I remember how it was when we got short in time to go home. You’d have 30 days left in country and you’d pray please don’t let me buy it two weeks before I go home. But I can’t even imagine these guys having 24 missions under their belt, and knowing they have one more bombing run? Just incredible guys they were

[@stevenklinkhamer9069]

That was very well said my friend. My hat's off to you. 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam? They were it. Thanks for your service. Your the man, along with all these other brave men, who served our country gloriously, during times of open warfare.

[@jefferypitts343]

In 2012 my 11 year old son and I had the chance to go up in the Memphis Belle from the 1991 movie, he and I were cleared to fly any position except the ball turret, it was both the most thrilling and frightening experiences of my life, up front ,the Norden was still in the plane, we both got to see what it was like, clear blue sky's no fighters,no flak ,no frostbite, unless you catch a flight, no one can appreciate the jobs these air crew perform, I imagined 20 year old kids flying these, at altitude, -30 temp, oxygen masks,heated suits, flak suit, fighters, flak, no escorts, and combat boxes, I am forever in debt for those brave men.

[@scottrobertson1235]

-50 below temp!

[@Scott-f7d]

MY Dad Ralph K Stadler was a pilot of a B17 in the 15th Air Force. They were all Heroes!!!

[@lookronjon]

Good show. My stepfather was a B-17 pilot. He was shot down over Austria and was a pow. 23 years old on his 23rd mission. He was the only one to survive. He flew B-29’s during Korea.

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@jamesmcgrath4789]

My father , John M. McGrath was a B17 pilot , 100th bomb group, 349th squadron. They flew 20 missions out of Thorpes Abbotts , England. Shot down returning from the 20th by a FW-190 into the Baltic Sea. Captured and prison camp in Sagan , Germany until evacuated on 1/27/45 into a blizzard and minus 17 degrees to another prison camp. Liberated by Patton's Army in April of 1945 .

[@lexloose2112]

I'm nearly 60 now, I watch all these documentaries and salute all who gave all. Its only now I think that people realize what war is. All the young hero's of the ww11 are mostly gone now. I used to drive trucks form a living and used to deliver to old soldiers home at Chelsea , I would be hours late getting back to base but I could not leave these guys telling me their stories and my firm never once questioned why I was 3hrs late back after delivering to the old soldiers home at Chelsea. I treasure those days nearly 40yrs ago.

[@Dronescapes]

👍🙏

[@aldolajak1267]

To anyone who has commented here, or just fondly remembers that their grandfather, father, brother, uncle, etc was a gunner, bombardier, pilot, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer, radio operator, etc, on one of these majestic birds of FREEDOM during WWII, ................never, ever forget, and never, ever let your and their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews, etc, etc, etc, .....forget that they were all bona fide heroes who pledged their very lives in defense of freedom. We are ALL honored by their service.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

Yes, and I totally agree with you 100%. Now look at what we have to contend with. It's just shocking what our Beloved Country has come to. It really makes me want to cry. My Dad fought in WWll, God Bless him. RIP Dad.

[@davedobbs5477]

My father was a medic at a b17 base .it was the 452 . they got slaughtered in 1944.my father saved many air men.i read about it in the book -b17 mission.he never talked about what he did but I know it was horrible

[@jonnyblayze5149]

Nah. They were brave, they were Patriots, they were tough as nails but they werent heros. The heros didnt come home. We dont have any live heros.

[@julieparshall6096]

I work with Yankee Lady, and all I have to say is nothing.... there are no words to describe how I feel about her. My experiences with her are extremely rare for today's world. She is a G model and still in great condition for an 80 year old plane. I can't help but stare at her. Even though she entered the war too late you can't see past her legendary life as a B-17. I am beyond grateful I had the opportunity to take her controls at 3,000 feet and to spend lonely nights with her in a old 1943 hangar

[@aliciagomez5623]

Grande hombres de seguro ss americano

[@jmw9904]

In 17, I got to fly on her in Reading, Pa.

[@QuinnChada]

Could I have a picture of her?

[@QuinnChada]

I've flown in Sentimental Journey

[@christopherclaxton9132]

@@aliciagomez56230

[@terrybickford4453]

With everything in me, I have more respect for these men then anyone. I work for HFD 25 years, I’ve seen a lot, but these men did more for us, than anyone could. And they gave everything, with fear and determination to still accomplish what needed to be done. May God bless all of them and their families, and I know that he does and has.

[@refuge42]

You have summed up their story beautifully. I lived in Germany in the late 60s, my dad was in communications in the Air Force helping the Germans integrate their communication systems with NATO. As a preteen I barely understood what was going on but the concept of collective defense has proven itself in 74 years. The Russians won't touch NATO and everyone wants to join. An organization that started with 12 countries is now headed to 32 and the theft of another country to satisfy Putin's little boy wish list of recreating the USSR is actually backfired on him. I personally thought this documentary was superb. Especially how it picks up with the disastrous Scheifort/Regensburg raids, leading to focus on the marshalling yards, and then D-Day. The p-47s with extra tanks, the p38s, and eventually carpet bombing. They also managed to make it real with B-17 airman telling their stories. It is especially strange because our country has become so hate-filled at the two parties and don't seem to understand what our ancestors fought and went through. I think the focus on isolationism and the nationalism with an icing of religious fundamentalism all fuel by Fox News so they can make money, is in the process of destroying our country and we had better wake up soon. Much as I hate to say that.

[@jonnyblayze5149]

Thats subjective

[@MrEric2cu]

There's a good reason those brave men and women were called the, "greatest generation."

[@robertheymann5906]

Crawled through a B-17 that was in a hangar at Burbank Airport getting some repairs and heading to a museum in Washington state. I was shocked at how confined the interior was as getting to the tail gun area was a low hands and knees thing with ammo belts running the length of the fuselage. Those guys had balls

[@TheReal_DirtyB]

Sounds a little far fetched buddy

[@sharonwhiteley6510]

I can't imagine how scared these young men had to be. Yet flew for freedom knowing what the outcome could be. They should never be forgotten

[@mrguitar5051]

I will never FORGET the Fight they put on to support us the children of the future in WWII! I always think of being next to them as a force to help them get the strength to keep fighting!!!!!!

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

There is a book with interviews of the crew of 999. Check it out.

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

Actually it was 909.

[@bikecontroller3268]

And now the country (UK) is just being given away. What a waste.

[@rogernam2092]

Yes ..we never forget these brave boys,killing hundred thousands of our women and children,premeditated…!

[@grantsmythe8625]

I know that we've lived in the Jet Age since 1945 but for me, few jets can compete in beauty with the old piston-engine aircraft, like this B-17. It's beautiful.

[@Dronescapes]

No many jets can compete with these beautiful planes, some do, but many do not.

[@skeetrix5577]

@@Dronescapes lol your comment sounds silly "many jets can compete well some but actually many do not" lol wut?

[@lobsters12111]

@@skeetrix5577 they obviously meant “not”

[@nmr6988]

@@skeetrix5577 you apparently are not a perceptive reader.

[@flyoverdispatches5655]

ME-262 That's a Sexy Aircraft... Menacing looking... and 4 30mm cannon in the nose, its seriously out to ruin your day. I knew a Lt. Col growing up and he was a B-17 pilot. He told me he looked on in horror as this plane was climbing as fast as most planes dive. Scared the crap out of everyone... Of all the interesting aircraft he had to fly against, he said worst of all, by far.... Flak.

[@robmclaughjr]

My USAF veteran father was inspired by his uncle who died in the USAAF in Europe. He loved the B-17 and gave me books and a model of the B-17 as a boy. So I grew up loving the B-17 and having great respect for those airmen and officers who served in them. Like the British and the Germans, the US learned from mistakes, but improved their technology faster and better than the others. Those lives were not wasted, they gave us many years of peace and founded the modern airline industry in terms of managing huge numbers of aircraft, radar technology, and many other technologies perfected during WWII.

[@Johnny-kq9wb]

Shades of 12 o’clock High, used to never miss that tv show!

[@thunder1836]

Interesting documentary, in fact one of the best I've ever seen. My father was in the 385th Bomb Group and flew in most of the missions mentioned. Most interesting is a photo of my father pointing at the bullet holes in his aircraft @ 6:47. Well done, great video.

[@TheStickinator]

One thing that amazes me is during peak production 16 B-17s rolled off the production line every day.

[@bawillard2578]

Women built them. Lets,not forget

[@beautifulfouse]

So much has been promoted in the USA about the B 17, when I was a Kid in the 60s everyone that talked war stories raved about this plane, so much other great planes from other countries was totally ignored if not omitted. But i'd like to take this opportunity to make people realize how effective British planes were actually top notch, yet they were ignored. The best one was the British Lancaster, faster, could carry much more bombs and had many advantages. The idea here is to get people to look at our whole world, after all it was WORLD war II.

[@larrybruns5051]

Just so you know, the Lancaster is not forgotten here. I know of that plane.

[@scottunderwood5439]

Nice to see that shot of "Fuddy Duddy" . I painted it around 2007 ... havent seen it for years now . I forgot how pretty it looks . Truly an awesome Warbird . Keep em' flying !

[@jleechadwick]

My father was the bombardier on one of those. He was stationed in England with the 8th Air Force (Army Air Force then). They went on a lot of bombing raids over Germany.

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

I always loved the looks and style of the DC 3, the B 17, and the Connie's & Super Connies. They are my three favorite body styles.

[@captainadams0677]

The quality of some of these photos is insane!

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

I always thought that the B17 was a really cool looking aircraft. I bought an Airfix kit of one when I was 10 years old and loved painting and assembling it.

[@DaevaGlow]

My grandpa was in the 8th Airforce and part of the 95th bomb group, he and his crew made 13 missions. But on the way back after the 13 missions they were shot down over France on December 30, 1943. The whole crew bailed out and all survived. My grandpa and three of his crew went into the French Underground and were in until the end of January 1944. My grandpa wrote a book on this event and helped found a group called AFEES (Air Force Evasion Escapee Society).

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@markandrews200]

I have toured several B-17s. I have done multiple photographic walk arounds and detail photos. Great references for model builders.

[@Dronescapes]

Very cool!

[@peternewman1179]

What bravery and balls those young B-17 crews had flying those missions! They were the true bad asses any Mafioso, or motorcycle gang possess! A grateful nation thanks them all for saving the world!!

[@daverosinski3663]

I got to fly in Aluminum Overcast 6 years ago when it stopped in Romeoville, Illinois. It was something I'd always had a hankering to do. It was loud, windy, and very satisfying. I hope to do it again some day.

[@flyoverdispatches5655]

Wasn't it AWESOME?? I got to fly in the Radio Operators position on The Liberty Belle many years ago.. Everyone got a turn going up to the nose etc, 1hr 15min flight. Leaned out the nose over the Snake River. Felt like I could just fall out if that bombsight wasn't there to hold me in... The BEST $400 I ever spent Sadly The Liberty Belle crashed in a cornfield after taking off at an airshow... Total Write Off. broke my heart

[@wai-sunchia6190]

I had goosebumps! What a magnificient aircraft. We shall never see another one like the great Flying Fortress. SALUTE!

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Great vid on a fantastic plane. Salute to all the heroes who flew them, from a very gratefull Dutch man. Greetings from the Netherlands 🌷, T.

[@Dronescapes]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@cpj83]

Great airplane, without a doubt. However the B-24 Liberator was the workhorse. Delivered more ordinance than the Flying Fort. Both excellent airframes and both pulled their weight in the war. The Libby just pulled a little more.

[@jetpigeon8758]

Both had poor bomb loads when compared to the British Lancaster, and in the case of the B-17 a pathetic 8000lbs.

[@dukecraig2402]

@@jetpigeon8758 The B17 had a maximum internal bomb load of 12,600 lbs as per Boeings specs, Wikipedia is very wrong about that in what it lists, and it has a maximum bomb load of 17,600 lbs when using it's external wing racks, and it could carry that 17,600 lb maximum load without having to have it's defensive guns stripped out unlike the Lancaster which had to not only be highly modified to carry more than it's 14,000 lb maximum internal load it had to have it's pathetic .303 defensive guns stripped off of it to do it, and Lancaster's didn't fly missions into Germany with their maximum internal load of 14,000 lbs despite people claiming that they did, they didn't for the same reason that B17's didn't fly missions into Germany with their maximum internal load of 12,600 lbs, because of it's adverse effects on speed, range and altitude with altitude being the biggest reason, they flew similar missions with approximately the same bomb loads as a B17 did and once again for the same reasons, a B17 with it's turbo charged engine's could fly 5,000 ft higher than a Lancaster with an identical payload and that's because of the Lancaster's single stage superchargers on it's engine's, every 5,000 ft decrease in altitude doubled the chances of being hit by ground fire, meaning that you had twice the chances of getting shot down by flak delivering the same amount of bombs in a Lancaster than you did in a B17. It's because of British bombers .303 defensive guns that it switched to night bombing after it's early attempts at daylight bombing, their maximum effective range was 400 yards and as soon as the Germans caught onto that they'd simply engage an RAF bomber at 700 yards with their cannons and break off at 400 yards meaning they could attack with impunity. Lancaster's didn't have a copilot meaning that if something happened to the pilot there wasn't another qualified flight officer to take over, they also suffered far more from fatigue from having to fly without any assistance. The bomb bays of the Lancaster couldn't be accessed by the crew in flight because the roof of their bomb bay was the floor in the fuselage directly above it, for that reason the bombs couldn't be accessed to disarm in the event that due to battle damage the bomber had to belly land if it couldn't lower it's landing gear, that made it much more unsafe than a B17 that the crew could disarm the bombs, it also could disarm them in the event it had to jettison it's bomb load meaning it wasn't dropping live bombs on an unintended target. Only one engine on a Lancaster had a generator and one engine had a hydraulic pump, take either one of them out and everything like the gun turrets, landing gear, flaps and anyone of a number of systems wouldn't work, where a B17 had a generator and a hydraulic pump on each engine capable of supplying enough electricity or hydraulic pressure to run every system on it. Also because of it's bomb bay design the crew of a Lancaster was limited to a hatch that was notoriously difficult to get through when bailing out, unlike the B17 where the entire crew had easy access to the bomb bay in the event they had to bail out making them much more survivable. Then there's accuracy, the RAF claimed a 36% bombs on target average with their target being an entire city wherein the 8th Air Force had a 32% bombs on target average but their targets were factories and sometimes individual buildings, that means that while the RAF was putting 36% of their bombs in an entire city the other 64% were falling in the countryside maybe killing some cows, but the 8th Air Force was putting 32% of their bombs on factories and individual buildings with the other 68% falling well within the surrounding city. Take away the fairy tale false narrative about bomb loads that's all based on false information spread around in the comments section of KZbin videos instead of reality and things aren't looking too good are they? Only specially modified Lancaster's with no defensive guns could carry those large bombs, B17's have almost identical empty and maximum take off weights, meaning B17's could just as easily have been modified to carry those large bombs but they didn't do it simply because they saw no need to do it, those large bombs were rarely used and when they were used they rarely produced the desired results, they never knocked out any of the hardened sub pens or the reinforced concrete domes over the V2 launch sites, that's why they didn't bother to ever modify B17's to carry them.

[@kenneth9874]

@@jetpigeon8758yet another brit with inferiority issues, the capacity was relatively close but the lancaster couldn't survive at all In the daytime due to pathetic protection and altitude

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

The B24 had more range but the B17 could take more punishment.

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

@@jetpigeon8758 The Mosquito had a decent bomb load too and with good range.

[@jimfinlaw4537]

Excellent video on the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. The first hand accounts from these brave men are heartbreaking. My father was a Second Lieutenant in the USAAF during WWII and he was a 24 year old instructor pilot flying in B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-24 Liberators and Martin B-26 Marauders at MacDill Field in Tampa, Florida in 1944. He also flew a B-17E and the YB-40, (which was the gunship version of the B-17) when he was stationed at the gunnery training school at Buckingham Field in Ft Meyers, Florida in autumn of 1944. The YB-40 was built by Lockheed Vega and it had guns that ranged from 30 caliber all the way up to the 40mm bofors guns that were fired from the waist positions. Dad said the YB-40 was a very heavy airplane, it was very heavy on the controls and he said it flew like a hog, because it was so much slower than a regular B-17. Its total armanment was 30 guns of various calibers. The gunnery students loved it, but it was eventually converted back to a regular B-17G. All told, my father flew the E, F and G model Flying Fortresses. The most famous B-17 my father flew during the war was the Memphis Belle when it was assigned to the Training Command at MacDill Field in Tampa, Florida after it had completed its war bond tour. Dad had 5 instructor flights in the Belle before it was rotated out of the Training Command and placed in storage in Oklahoma. It was 63 years later it was transported to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. And yes you guessed correctly that I and many other volunteers and staff members helped restore this old gal to what you see today. Took us three months just to restore its landing gear because no one ever drained out the old hydraulic fluid out of the main gear struts when the plane was retired. I had to remove 63 years worth of microbial growth from inside the struts, which was indeed a mess. Fortunately, we were able to save the origional struts and neutralize the corrosion the microbial growth from the hydraulic fluid had caused. Had to fabricate a new squat switch bracket because some vandal stole the original one off the plane when it sat on Mud Island in Memphis. Working on the Memphis Belle was truly an honor and a labor of love because of what this iconic plane represents, including all the brave B-17 crews that sacrificed so much for our freedom.

[@milla698]

The B17 wasn't just a bad ass plane it was a beautiful bad ass plane

[@delta30024fly]

I went to the Warner Robbins aircraft museum and I was very surprised at how small the B17 actually was, and the same with the B29, in documtaries they look massive, the 17s were not pressurized, in winter in Europe at 25000 feet the temperature inside the plane would be 20 - 30 degrees below zero, hats off to these brave men that flew those missions.

[@ronaldsmith4153]

The B 17 had a crew of 10 and we lost 4500 B 17s during WW2. It was a workhorse and the most dangerous plane to fly in during the war.

[@davidproudfoot6390]

Absolutely great video, it's a great credit to the brave Heroes that flew in those aircraft and save the world❤❤

[@al.march.7457]

These guys are real heroes! There is not enough words to express what this brave men went through! I'm really shocked!!! Rest in peace.

[@asullivan4047]

Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent photography job enabling viewers to better understand what the orator is describing. Special thanks to veteran ( B-17 ) crew members. Sharing personal information pertaining to daily activities/experiences. Pertaining to ( B-17 ) squadron life.

[@steveclark5357]

these men are the real superheros of my life, they lived, they died, they gave their lives for the united states of america,to heck with the marvel superheros of today, these brave men made our world possible today, without these brave superheros we may now today be speaking german or japanese , capital letter notation of those nations is meant in respect to my father whom defended our the world from fascism in ww2 and the korean war

[@jonnyblayze5149]

Nah, you wouldnt be speaking GERMAN or JAPANESE youd be dead. Or never even born.

[@tomlee432]

You know i crack up ever time i hear about an enemy making a statement that Americans don't want to fight. Well no shit!!! What sane person wants to. But this and many more engagements should have taught then and today , sure we don't want to fight but when you ask for it, we will more than live up to the challenge. And these incredibly brave men have shown then and today that we will fight, and not stop until it's done. God bless all of America's fight men and women.

[@kenneth9874]

The US insisted on bombing in the daylight so that they could destroy the luftwaffe to enable the landings in normandy

[@cq7415]

Very good. Nicely presented and lots of actual footage. Thanks for sharing.

[@aguyinnc2865]

Amazing Brave Men flying Amazing Aircraft fighting for Freedom. God Bless all the crews that made Victory possible.

[@martinrichards2680]

A s a child my Father said we would be talking German if it wasn't for the brave men and women who fought the fascists. He took me to the American war cemetery near Cambridge England when I was around 10. I have always been grateful for what they gave for our freedom. Thank you

[@markvickers3488]

I met a guy in '85.He had been 17 years old, & a door gunner in a B - 17. He survived in one piece. He said it was terrifying. They couldn't get real r/t fighter cover till the P - 51 Mustangs (with RR Merlin V - 12s ) came out in force. For months & months, their casualties were horrific. Then they started to improve.

[@Dronescapes]

Thank you for sharing your memories Mark!

[@jonnyblayze5149]

@@PAIN-JUNKIE and we care why?

[@billsohi4613]

My grandpa served in RAF did many night missions in boeing yb-40 Flying Fortress given by americans in ww2 he died in 2020 during covid he was 96

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him!

[@rickclark4112]

Just simply mind blowing to me....All the respect and thanks to all who served over the German skies....Hats off to ya!!!

[@Noel-s1c3p]

We thank you for your service,. and we do indeed appreciate you all for your service ✌️👍✌️

[@iansmith8358]

War is horrible for anyone involved,these brave men who flew on both sides have my admiration and prayers forever,god bless🙏🙏

[@vaughnmojado8637]

They sure were some beautiful planes. Bless those who perished and those who survived. And bless those German pilots that fought fair that didn’t shoot our wounded.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Dad was in WW2, I love this stuff.

[@donf3877]

I wish there was more (or any) information on the B-17 in the Pacific. My father was a belly gunner on a B-17 stationed on Iwo Jima. All you ever hear about Iwo, it was an emergency field for B-29's and a fighter base. Nothing about the B-17's stationed there.

[@l8tbraker]

My dad was a B-17 (and B-29) command pilot. His heavy bomber group of specially equipped B-17's only reached Okinawa literally on the day of the official surrender. So they missed the "Big Show". He did fly missions from Japan where he ferried US POW's to other bases. He was on LeMay's staff after the war and was an observer at the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946.

[@dukecraig2402]

Dig around online, you'll be amazed at the official government documents that have been put online. My mother's 1st cousin was a navigator on a B24 that was shot down and killed during the war that we really didn't know much about, several years ago I sat down only with his name and unit and my smart phone, two days later I could actually tell you the serial numbers of every one of the engine's on his plane along with the serial numbers of every .50 cal gun on it, I found aerial photos of the bridge they hit on that mission with images of the bombs from that run actually exploding and taking it out, maps and the after action reports that say his bomber was struck by an 88 shell at 23,000 ft approximately 2 seconds after they released their bombs, I even found out that he's buried in Arlington National Cemetery and we never knew that, we had no clue that we had a family member buried in Arlington. It's amazing what you can find out if you start digging online.

[@flyoverdispatches5655]

WHOAH!! Observed the Crossroads Test. That must have been spectacular to witness. I love fireworks m-80's, M-240's etc, and I can't even fathom how loud that must have been. Epic.@@l8tbraker

[@buzaldrin8086]

@@flyoverdispatches5655 Dad witnessed only the Able test, an air drop from a B-29, which burst in above the fleet. I have high quality large format B&W photos of the test he passed along. The bomb missed the target ship by a significant distance. But with anuke that doesn't matter too much. The Navy was less than impressed with the damage that the air burst caused to the ships.

[@darrencsturgis]

With all due respect, Thank You!

[@Frederick-in2rz]

All those men and Women, were heroes, They probably don't think so. But they were. God bless them, they fought for freedom and democracy. They should be forever remembered.

[@FriendlyRider88]

The ole B-17s gave the saying can take a licking and keep on ticking a whole new meaning can't believe some of them made it back from from battle on just one or two engines with big huge holes all through the plane just blows my mind how strong and well built things where during that time period in history

[@hankthepatriot3733]

I just watched the 1st mission highlighted (ball bearing factory) in the Apple+ series "Masters of the Air" 🤯 (Which made me search for more info on these INCREDIBLE aircraft! And brought me here!)

[@danielstucky3794]

I love the story of Charlie Brown and Hanz Stigler.I never heard about that story until I started listening to the band Sabaton,and their song "No Bullets Fly".

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

You should read the incredible book called,"A HIGHER CALL" Mr. Stigler was a good man, and he had compassion for our injured men in their destroyed B-17 that had to have had the Holy Spirit watching over it, for what it went through. You can't believe it until you read and see it. This book brought me to tears for our men, and what they had to endure during that time. I am proud of all of them, and may they all Finally Rest in Blessed Peace. ❤️🙏

[@Puppy_Puppington]

30:27 what a great story teller. Man, it’s important to remember not all the German soldiers wanted to kill pointlessly or had anything to do with the concentration camps. That’s awesome that many had humanity and honor. Let him live.

[@jcceloto]

FROM BRAZIL TOTAL RESPEITO Feitos Magnífico Eternamente Honrados pelo supremo sacrifício. 🇺🇸🇧🇷🇺🇸🇧🇷🇺🇸🇧🇷

[@stevenklinkhamer9069]

A beautiful plane design. Did what it was designed to do. Did it very well. Could take a lot of punishment, and deal a lot of punishment out. And it looked cool as can be doing it.

[@mclarenscca]

My favorite bomber since I was a child!

[@Roxbury_NJ]

Mine too!!!

[@oscarpellicer-zz7qm]

Excelente. Tremenda Historia. De los B17. Hay alguna Historia como esta de los B29. Saludos desde Barquisimeto Venezuela.

[@georgeleinberger8670]

My father enlisted at the beginning of the war and wanted to be a gunner on the B-17. He was denied because he did not meet the minimum vision requirements and was subsequently assigned to the ground crew. He said that he lost many friends in those bombers and to this day I am thankful for those thick spectacles. This was a wonderful documentary that pays tribute to many brave men. One thing that puzzles me is the lack of credit given to the advent of the P-51 Mustang and their contribution to the B-17s success.

[@antonioperez2623]

A fantastic video of the 8th AF bombing campaign. These are valuable history lessons no longer told.

[@Sheila-G]

My great uncle was a rear gunner in B17 took a rocket and KIA his crew were captured, two others died. The aircraft was later recovered and recommisioned he was found by locals and is buried in an allied cemetery. He was only 19...war sucks

[@Dronescapes]

Bless all of them

[@jamesferris4573]

The Boeing B-17 was always my favorite bomber from WWll because it was so rugged and brought it's crews home so many times when it seemed that the plane was beyond flying. My fathers next oldest brother was an excellent airplane mechanic and was a crew chief for a P-51 Mustang with the 8th AirCrew stationed in England. He said that the Mustang belonged to the pilot when it was in the air and it belonged to him when it was on the ground. He had a crew under him but he was responsible for everything on the plane. He brought home many photos of his P-51 Mustang that he was in charge of and also B-17's with massive damage that had brought their crews, or at least some of their crews home safely. I realize that this program was dedicated to the B-17 and rightly so but the P-51 Mustang did contribute more than was mentioned.

[@stevemoyer2273]

Lived near a SAC base when I was a kid. Built a B17 model, took it to school for a report. Teacher was not pleased when I talked about the machine guns, crew size, bomb load, etc. Two kids came up to me after class and told me their fathers had flown B17s in Europe during WWII. They never really knew much about the plane.

[@Roxbury_NJ]

My dad was a bomerdia, I think I also built that model in the 1970's & showed it to him, he had amaseing srories.

[@charliewebster8555]

I went through a b17 in Fla. I had to grasp that so many men flew on those planes. The bomb load seemed little perhaps a pallet size. 12 o clock high was a tv show that encapsulated what it seemed like, but going through a b17 brought it all together.

[@juliusdream2683]

The picture is from an incident that happened during WW2. There’s a book called a higher calling. It’s an incredible book and the incident proves not all the Germans were Nazis.

[@MGower4465]

Nope, likely not even a majority. The Nazis were a political party, and while membership was compulsory for those in leadership, most of the fighting, and dying, was by Germans who had no ties to the Nazi party. Amusingly, before Hitler's rise, the word Nazi described a clumsy, awkward person of low

[@flyoverdispatches5655]

My Father was drafted at 17 into the Wehrmacht. Invaded Poland, but protested because my family is originally Prussian, so these were basically his old neighbors... Got labeled a "resistor".. Invaded France, learned to make KILLER Crepes.. But the Army rarely forgets.. The "Resistor" got shit canned to the Russian front for 3 years. By the end he could speak German, English, Russian, Ukrainian and French. was in the south, watch the giant Dora shell Savastapol. said it was a very beautiful city, and Dora was a useless monstrosity that took 500 people to operate... Dad wasn't a Nazi, he was a Sergeant...And a Combat Engineer, Came to the USA and served 25 years in the U.S. Merchant Marine as a Chief Engineer.. but not a Nazi. Nazi's were socialists. Dad was an engineer.

[@kevanhubbard9673]

Very small inside these B-17 aircraft but they look big on the outside so you might be expecting an Airbus A-380 within, you'd be very wrong!

[@johnponsonby2574]

We need more stories about the B-24 Liberators.

[@Lassisvulgaris]

B-24 is like Halifax to the Lancaster, always in the shadow....

[@the1magageneral323]

Here's a toast to the host Of those who love the vastness of the sky, To a friend, we send a message of his brother men who fly. We drink to those who gave their all of old, Then down we roar to score the rainbow's pot of gold. A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force! Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun; Here they come zooming to meet our thunder, At 'em, boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!) Down we dive, spouting our flame from under, Off with one helluva roar! We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey! Nothing will stop the U.S. Air Force! Salute to the WW2 Army Aircorps!

[@sharkman8405]

Actually, the Consolidated B-24 flew more sorties than the B-17 and more B-24's were built. But, since the B-17 was built by Boeing, it gets more hype.

[@flyoverdispatches5655]

It was a total media darling for sure and compared to the B-24 it was very handsome. It had a face for the pictures so to speak

[@caribman10]

The B-17 did what it was designed to do. The problem was that it wasn't designed to do what it needed to do. "Military theorists" actually thought bombers could outrun fighters, or could defend against them without fighter escort. In fact, not only were they wrong in both cases, the "theorists" left out a central thought: the bombers had to fly out and back in one hop. The interceptors could take off, attack, land, refuel and take off to attack again, which they did. That, and the B-17 was limited by the mission length/fuel fraction/power equation; if you gave it more power to fly faster, you couldn't fly the mission.

[@uberduberdave]

To quote a B-17 pilot upon learning at briefing that the target would be a second trip to Schweinfurt: "That Goddamned killer town..."

[@henryhorner3182]

Despite the superiority in every respect of the Consolidated B-24, the Boeing B-17 got most of the credit.

[@kenneth9874]

?

[@galaxyminer9900]

What is the source of the background music for this video? Fantasric and moving! Yhanks

[@jessicabuckman9675]

The Boeing B-17 was one hell of an airplane, unlike the B-24 Liberator, The B-17 was more likely to get it's crew home alive. The worst job in a B-17 was the Ball Turret Gunner. If they couldn't retract that turret back up into the airplane, there was a horrible death waiting.

[@dukecraig2402]

With apologies, but everything you've said is wrong. First is the myth that the B17 was more survivable than the B24, for years historians only compared the record of the 2 planes using statistics from the bombing campaign in Europe and didn't do enough research to factor in certain things. The biggest mistake was them using the records for missions that mixed B17's with B24's, since the B17's could fly about 2,000 ft higher than a B24 that carried a heavier bomb load on the same mission the B24's would be given the "tail end Charlie" position in the formation, this not only put them at the back which no matter what the bomber type denied them the advantage of being in with the rest of the bombers where their inter locking fields of fire from their defensive guns helped to protect them, but also as any German fighter pilot would tell you the tail end Charlie's in any bomber formations were the first one's they'd attack and for that very reason, combined with them being 2,000 ft lower than the rest of the bombers removed them even that much more from the defensive fire of surrounding bombers, for years researchers never took this into account and only used the raw numbers that made it appear that B17's had a higher survivability rate. When the 8th Air Force realized the mistake of mixing bomber types on missions and rearranged everything so that only B24's flew with B24's their survival numbers are almost identical, actually they're within 1%. In the Pacific the survival rate of the B24's was actually so much higher than B17's that the B17's were removed from service in the Pacific early on and moved to Europe. Next is the myth of the ball turret gunners, on both B17's and B24's statistically the ball turret gunners had the highest survival rate of anyone else on the crew, most likely because of the fact that they were almost always the smallest person on the crew coupled with their seating position made them the smallest target and the least likely to get hit, but for whatever the reason they had the highest survivability rate of any crewman on a bomber irregardless of what type of bomber it was. Also is the myth of them not being able to get out if the ball if it couldn't be retracted, first off the ball turret on the B17 didn't retract, they only did that on the B24 and that was because the B24 had a much lower to the ground fuselage so the turret retracted only for the reason of ground clearance when taking off and landing, the fact is the gunner couldn't get in it when it was retracted, it had to be extended for them to get into it or out of it. For safety reasons on both the B17 and B24 the gunners weren't in the ball when taking off and landing, from inside the plane the ball would be rotated to where the guns would be horizontal for taking off or landing, then after approaching where enemy fighter's could be encountered from inside the fuselage the gunner would turn on the power to the turret and rotate the guns straight downward, on the B24 he'd also have to lower it, this would place the hatch facing upwards and in the proper position for the gunner to be able to open it and climb in and get into the seat, aside from rotating on it's vertical axis the seat remained in the same position no matter how the turret was moved around, after climbing in the gunner would typically move the guns to an almost horizontal position while scanning for enemy fighter's, this would put the hatch directly behind him, when getting out of the turret whether it would be because they where no longer in enemy airspace or to prepare to bail out the gunner would rotate the guns facing straight down which put the hatch directly above him and inside the fuselage so he could open it and climb out into the fuselage, to prepare for landing from controls inside the fuselage he'd stow the turret with the guns in a horizontal position, and of course on the B24 retract it into the fuselage. But the turret only retracted on the B24 and that was only for ground clearance for taking off and landing, once retracted the gunner couldn't get in or out of it, it had to be lowered for him to do both, also in the event of power being lost to the turret it could be raised or lowered manually for the sake of landing.

[@lloydpergande3286]

My grandfather made 35 missions as a ball turret gunner. He was 562nd and 563rd. Out of knettishall.

[@jasonciccarelli4217]

What music was used for this. I love this music in this video

[@ArminHartinger]

After some searching around, I believe it is by the artist Brunuhville. Tune might be "The Wolf and the Moon" but it's not an exact match. Maybe someone else can pinpoint it more exact? At any rate, Brunuhville makes epic music it seems.

[@club110healthfitnesscenter2]

My Father, Captain George E Kyser, was one of the Pilots who flew that mission and many more. Here’s a news article of that mission.

[@localkiwi9988]

The B17 served it's purpose. Compared to the British Mosquito and Lancaster it was a poor design for a four engine bomber. It could only carry a 4000lb bomb load and had a crew of 10. The Mosquito could carry virtually the same load and get there twice as fast with a crew of two, and also travel the same distance. The lancaster could carry a bomb load of 14000lb, and on occasions uo to 22000lbs loads that the B17 was incapable of carrying. It also only had a crew of 7 and travel a greater distance than the B17. This therefore makes the British bombers a far better performer than the B17.

[@chriscole540]

The mosquito and Lancaster were all you say, but it had a weak chin and couldn't take a hit. It was a bleeder that could be taken down by a few well placed shots, thus hiding behind darkness. It didn't matter the tonage of bombs because the B17 could place all bombs on target where the Lancaster invented carpet bombing. Some of the configurations of the Lancaster made it near impossible to get out when going down thus the nickname the flying coffen. RAF bomber command lost well over 58,000 men faster and more than any nation in the ETO for a reason. Those who flew both preferred the B17 for its accuracy, survivability and it's ability to take a tremendous amount of damage and still get you home. The Germans used a combination of planes carrying bombs, flak and anti air cannons to try and bring the 17 down. The Germans would drop bombs on 17 formations. When that didn't work they would make suicide runs by crashing thier planes into the 17. The Lancaster was the George Michael's of the ETO but the 17 was the Led Zeppelin in the ETO both made music but mamma loved on George and hated Zeppelin. So stop hating and give the bruiser the recognition it deserves. Stop the hate.

[@localkiwi9988]

@@chriscole540 Where is the hate in my comments? I expressed my opinion and i will stick with it. What plane in the war didn't have a weak chin? The B17s like the Lancaster's were death traps for the crews. 4735 B-17s were shot down and 3932 Lancaster's were shot down. The B-17 suffered horrendous losses in late 1942 and in 1943. Spitfires and thunderbolts escorted them but could only go a certain distance before turning back. The losses where that bad the Americans where going to suspend all bombing. They had a life saver in the P-51 that started escorting them all the way in late 1943 which reduced losses dramatically.. Lancaster's did their raids at night and had no escort. . The Mosquito was the most successful and safest fighter bomber of the war. Having one of the lowest percentage rate losses out of all planes. Being able to carry about the same bomb load as the B-17 and get there about 150 mph faster than the B-17, i know which plane i would rather be in. I have no hate for the B-17, if anything , i have the upmost respect for the 8th Airforce and RAF Bomber Command. They where all brave men who flew those bombers.

[@icenewzealand6774]

​@@chriscole540 Lancaster also had to strip their defense guns to pack the extra load (which the b 17 was actually capable of too) Lancaster had a machine gun that fired "rifle bullets" being 303* , compared to the 50 cal turrets on the b 17 . Lancaster were quite glorious , I'll them that anyday, But b 17 more than lived up to its hype , They were capable of taking the large load of a Lancaster, as well as packing its external racks on the wings without stripping any defensive guns to do so. There's also the "Davis wing" issue, the Lancaster had one hydraulic coil generator on one engine to power its electrics, if shot ,your flying dark without radio and electrics etc, whereas the b 17 had a hydraulic coil on all four engines ,all capable of powering its electrics if one goes dark , It was an amazing bomber and could take an awful lot of punishment.

[@richardmcnally2056]

Excellent vid. Deepest respect for the airmen

[@FloydGriswould-jy9ei]

I lost a brother in a 17 in 1944. He was a small young man as I'm sure most of the boys were. That is why they were able to get around one another inside of the Fort. I was inside of one at an airshow, and I would have been rejected to some kind of ground duty. Guess that is what I was Anyway. Radar tec on an F102 Delta Dagger.

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@flyoverdispatches5655]

sorry for your loss and your sacrifice is appreciated by a grateful nation

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

Since both Connie's are so very close in looks, I counted them as one (1). I don't know if they are to be counted as separate numbers. If they are, please accept my sincere apologies, because I would never want to snub one.

[@billmcginnies1002]

God bless those brave men. Rest In Peace.

[@paulrourke4785]

Try actually doing an episode on the most produced bomber of WWII the B-24, that also went into service with the RAF first.

[@Dronescapes]

Here you go: Consolidated B-24 Liberator | Great American Aircraft | Upscaled kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGirf4Spbc2CeKs

[@dozerboy67]

The B17 Flying Fortress is and always will be my favorite WWII strategic bomber. The men and women who designed and built this iconic aircraft; as well as the men who flew and manned it, are true American innovators and not to be melodramatic but heroes as well. It was true then just as it is today that big guys like me will never be pilots or aircrew, mostly because of space considerations on aircraft, much to my chagrin! That’s why little pygmies like Tom Cruise get to pilot F18’s 🤣 just kidding! God bless anyone in uniform! 🇺🇸🇺🇸⚓️⚓️💪👊

[@jonathananderson3990]

All of them hero's not to be forgotten

[@kayumaz748]

Can you idenitfy that painting at 7:24 for me? A beautiful picture

[@douglaslindstrand4361]

Bomber crews were the bravest of the brave, being shot at at 20,000 feet and no place to hide.

[@millny123]

Looking for some info. The B17 flew in formation so to offer max defence to each other, How did they not shoot each other planes.

[@protonneutron9046]

The "oddest" thing during the entire daylight campaign was the lack of attention paid to power plants. There is no explanation within ANY US Army Air corps documents from the war as to why they didn't simply concentrate on electrical power plants as a primary target. No base load electricity and no ball bearing plants, air craft manufacturing plants, no synthetic fuel plants, none of those could operate.

[@jimbluma2558]

This could be due to many war critical industrial plants in Europe at the time having steam engine driven line shafts overhead to power the machinery as a backup if the electrical power was lost. They left these old systems in place because electrical transmission and generation infrastructure was highly vulnerable as you suggest.

[@protonneutron9046]

@@jimbluma2558 no. That wasn't the case at all in Germany.

[@dukecraig2402]

Nothing diesel powered generators couldn't take care of. If you think you've struck on some idea that completely went over the heads of the people running the bombing campaign that picked the targets you're gravely mistaken, they had access to far more information than you do and you can bet that the suggestion of hitting power plants was discussed and other higher priority targets were chosen. I mean seriously, do you really think that's something that just slipped by the people who studied infrastructures and picked targets? You're probably going to find out something like the bulk of it was hydro power from dams, look at all the agony the RAF went through on that one with minimal results, and any sources of power other than hydro electric were probably deemed easily repaired or by passed like I said using local generators. The targets that interrupted the German war efforts more than any others was railroad marshaling yards, not only did it interfere with the movement of goods and troops anything caught in them when they were bombed was destroyed, once they caught onto that they started hitting them more and more.

[@jeremiahjohnson6661]

They chose not to run drop tanks on their current fighters at the time because they didn’t think they would need escorts, not having fighters with the range needed was used as an excuse

[@rickygonzalez4549]

I was not even born during that era but went i grew up and was in high school love history my favorite and I read about the frying fortress Awesome flying Bird 👍👏

[@Joop.23-2-63]

Livin' near the german border, a little town called Vriezenveen, both my parents, born in 1919, told me very often that they could hear them bombers comin' for at least half an hour and after they were on way to bomb the huns the sun was blocked by the contrails. An hour later they could hear them bombs exploding some 100+ miles away. Must have been something as a youngster in the US of A a bricklayer, farmer, ect. and a few weeks later a tailgunner, radio operator..... Glory to all those who set us free from the krauts and nazi-scum in any possible way......

[@Roxbury_NJ]

My dad was a bomberdia, in 1958, he went to neibors perty, two guys (knowingly) questioned him about bombing a certain city, He was proud & stated it. The hostess started crying & beating him. she was german & lost her parents on that raid. He never went to another neighborhood party.

[@Joop.23-2-63]

@@Roxbury_NJ During wartime shit happens.......

[@tonyadeney1245]

Long way to go without fighter escort during daytime - recommend The Tuskeege Airmen movie - from wiki - late 1943, P-51Bs and P-51Cs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force and the USAAF's Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped Allied air superiority by 1944. The P-51 also used by Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean, Italian, and Pacific theaters. - Mustang pilots claimed to have destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft.

[@mgytitanic1912]

So in 2- 3 years of warfare in the ETO, the 8th Air Force lost nearly as many men as the RAF in 5 years. That's insane.

[@DrMackSplackem]

@1:29 "Today's mission will be a rough one". Mission accepted; I'll take the second one from the right.

[@activitiesbrookmont2388]

Walter Gygrynuk was a B17 Tailgunner Alaska He was my uncle and never complained. But I can only imagine how strong & brave They all must have been! 😎♥️Anna Penrod Yes! Backbones of Steel!

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him!