B-24 Liberator - .50-caliber Machine Gunship Heavy Bomber

[@jdiluigi]

My grandfather was in B24 crew during the war. Him remembering taking the train to base was the last conversation we had b4 dementia took completely over. Thank you for sharing history with the world.

[@moosenbeans903]

He was a hero

[@MagravatorMag]

My Uncle was a gunner on a B-17. They flew over Germany and they got shot up a lot. He was impressed at the beating their plane took. I am too. It always brought them back.

[@mikeypiros6647]

WE GOT A FAKE PRESIDENT WHO HAS DEMENTIA,I HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR PUTIN THAN I DO FOR SLEEPY CREEPY JOE AND HIS WOKE MILITARY AND ADMINISTRATION !

[@bilbobaggins8553]

@@mikeypiros6647 why not make this opinion somewhere it will be appreciated and so more people will see it.

[@ifv2089]

@@mikeypiros6647 true

[@Crazcosmopwnu]

My grandfather was a ball turret gunner on a B24 named "Maxwell House" and the stories he told were amazing! Based out of Italy he said it felt like he could reach out and touch the alps every time the flew over. His bomb group was one of the first to encounter the new German jets and they had no idea what they were. When they got back on the ground and gave their debriefs, they were sent in for psych evaluations after saying they encountered propeller-less aircraft that flew faster than any aircraft they'd seen. The aircraft was shot down by German flak which critically damaged the fuel tanks, killed the nose gunner, and blew the ball turret's glass out and bent one of the guns over his boot. After freeing his foot he had the other crew crank the turret up and they all bailed out except the pilot who managed to land the plane in a field. Locals picked up the crew and brought them to the plane where it was half buried in mud and foaming from the beer they had on board to chill it for the base. I could never imagine the fear and anxiety the crews must have felt going up in those tin cans and commend them for their massive bravery and sacrifices!

[@stedyone1090]

My father flew the B24 on 25 missions and also was attacked by German jets. He said they were so fast his gunners didn't know how to lead them. They were all heroes. Thank you for sharing

[@robertcornelius3514]

And knowing that most pilots were only 21 years of age. Amazing

[@fawnlliebowitz1772]

Interesting, my father was a bombardier 455th BG 720 squadron out of Italy as well. He did his 35 missions and got to go back to the states.

[@Skinny_El.Funky6.9]

My grandma told me a story about an american bomber wich she described to me (B24 by the details), that did an emergency landing in a field. For context, Im romanian, and this story took place in 1944, bombers were bombing the oil plants in Ploiesti and our capital Bucharest. My grandma told me how one morning she was woken up by loud noises, so she went outside where she saw all the people look up at the mayhem in the sky, after some time, one bomber flew low with a thick trail of smoke after it and landed in a large wheat field. My grandma went there with the rest of the kids and some adults and saw how the airmen climbed down from the plane, some had bottles of what she said might have been Cola, and waited for germans to pick them up. All that while some kids wanted to get closer, but the adults didnt let them, she saw how the airmen where ocasionaly pointing at the locals while chatting. After an half an hour, some germans in a truck came and picked them up. And the next day they took the plane. This is one of the stories she told me from the war, she also told me how the germans were with the locals, later on the battle for my town between the germans and russians, and the russian ocupacion. She was 7 years old in 1944.

[@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper2154]

My uncle was also a ball turret gunner. His B-24D was named "Our Belle" S SGT LOWEN E ZEINER 830 AAF BOMB SQ 458 AAF BOMB GP 15 AIR FORCE KIA 7/30/1944 He was 22 years old.

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

Henry Ford was the reason the B-24 was so successful. When approached to take on manufacturing the B-24 he took one look at it and said he would once he had his engineers simplify the design. He simplified the landing gear system IIRC it from 124 separate components to less then 50 that was easier to manufacture was just one of the changes made.

[@tomriddle5564]

Good thing Henry Ford decided to help. As you recall he Praised, met and received a medal of some sorts from Hitler prior to the war. Charles Lindbergh as well. He was a smart man. But that didn’t make him a good man. He was still an unrepentant rascist anti semite and all around nazi cuddler.

[@paulpowell4871]

My Best Friend Growing up was named Richard Benigno. His dad would never really speak of his times in WW2. After he passed I looked through his stuff with his wife. He was on a B-24 called Bodacious Critter and was shot down. He was a Navigator from Brooklyn, Benito Benigno. He was in the famous Stalag 17 and knew the writer that would make it famous. His wife Violet as well as his family thought him dead until an article was written by an american writer with a caricaturist in the Al Hirschfeld style drew each of the men he met at the time. the article with the drawings made it to the NYT and so Violet and the Family knew he was alive. I have one of his SIlver set of Wings sitting with his photo in my Curio. He was similar in style , looks and demenior of perhaps Gene Kelly. Gentle and smiling. A man I will always Admire.

[@stedyone1090]

My father was a B24 squadron leader in England for 25 missions and saw God on every long mission over France and Germany. He lead the group in accuracy and he got the DFC. Fighter and flack and even jets shot at him. He kept his group in a tight formation with more guns to bear against attacks. The Germans preferred loose formations. Takeoffs with full fuel and bombs were the most dangerous 😳 especially in the English fog. Freezing temperatures and many many hours to and from the target was grueling. When he landed and climbed out of the plane his crew always carried him to the jeep. He couldn't walk !! He stayed close to his crew until he passed. They were all HEROES !!

[@williamchick6649]

Your father was a brave man, like all of the bomber crews from Britain and America and all the other countries that took part in the bomber offensive over Europe. I wish I could have Shaken his hand and said Thank you.

[@stedyone1090]

@@williamchick6649 Thanks Chief. Yeah. He wanted to fly fighters but he was too tall for the cockpit. 6 foot 2 inches and 160 pounds and too big for a fighter. UGH Crazy Yes they were all heroes. Before he passed he was fortunate enough to take the controls again and fly a restored B24 from Chicago to Indianapolis. They actually buzzed Mieggs Field on Lake Michigan Chicago 😳. He also paid to have his name painted onto the outside of the Liberator. I was able to ride along and explore during the 2 hour flight. How those men went on 10 and 12 and 14 hour missions with electric plug in warming suits and oxygen is mind boggling. They suffered huge losses without without fighter cover. They saw their friends in fellow planes go down and were asked for a full effort to go back up the next day. SUPERHEROES.!!!

[@allover5622]

My father said it was a lot less misserable on the b28 than the b24 on long range missions. Wish I would have asked more questions when I could.

[@stedyone1090]

@@allover5622 So. He flew both??

[@billyboy1441]

your father is a true hero.

[@fordson51]

The B-24 deserves to be remembered as a Legend from the war. It flew more dangerous missions in the war than the B-17, most we still talk about and examine to this day. Not to mention the forgotten missions, like how modified variants flew as fuel tankers over the Himalayas to supply Chinese forces against Japan. The Lib deserves all the credit and then some.

[@AwesomeNinja1027]

It was also overshadowed by the B-25 midrange bombers.

[@thurin84]

no mission where someones shooting at you is really any more dangerous than other missions where someones shooting at you.

[@AwesomeNinja1027]

@@thurin84 I agree

[@scrubbygoat]

Sorry, I disagree with you. The B-24 did not fly more dangerous missions than the B-17. My father flew a B-17 with the 2nd Bg and he also flew a B-24 with the 376th Liberandos. He preferred the B-17. Something about B-24's had a tendency to blow up then go down. The B-17's usually just went down.

[@AwesomeNinja1027]

@@scrubbygoat I think that the B-24 had probably little armor plating as compared to the B-17. When the Germans realized that they couldn't completely damage the aircraft itself. They went for the engines. That's what I think. Although I don't know if I am accurate about it.

[@robertjames8220]

My father-in-law captained a B-24 stationed in Italy from late '43 through the end of '44. I still have the two Air Medals and the DFC he earned. He's been gone for a long time, and he never talked much about his war years -- until one evening when we were visiting, and after dinner, he just started telling stories. He went for over 2 hours, and I learned things about how our air forces worked that I'd never heard of. (I've since confirmed almost all of his stories.) They were grand stories, and I remember all of them. He never told stories again, and he died the following year. I think his favorite story was about how he and his crew picked up their aircraft and flew a training flight from Florida to Cuba. They got off base for a couple hours that night, long enough to buy a few cases of hootch (he remarked it was cheaper to buy that stuff than water!) and then sneaked them back onto the plane the next morning. They carried that booze all the way to Cerignola, Italy.

[@stedyone1090]

Great story. My father was a squadron leader of B24s out of England for 25 missions and also got the DFC. The 8th Air Force suffered heavy losses over Germany and France. He bombed the submarine pens and ball-bearing factories and even Hitlars Eagles Nest in Austria. The stories of maximum effort were unbelievable. They were all heroes. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@richcook2007]

He knew his time was limited. He had to tell them.

[@talcoge67]

I only found out about 4 years ago my dad was a gunner in the B24. He flew out of England for the 8th Air-Force and never said a word! I found all of his missions including Mission summaries from Jimmy Doolittle himself. My father was truly a great man!

[@bluetrue6062]

Brave men fought in these planes. They made great sacrifices.

[@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper2154]

My uncle, the ultimate one. July/1944. He had just turned 22.

[@garykubodera9528]

This was the first plastic model of a millitary plane I built as a kid back in the early 80's...still one of my favorite planes to this day. If you ever get the chance to fly in one take your kids or grandkids for an experience you all will never forget! 😃 A disabled US Army Veteran!

[@AriCat777]

I had a 1/72 scale model I spent alot of time making sure it was just right, I loved that model and thought of it through the video. I got to see one in person at an airshow in Fayetteville AR. Very good memory. Thankyou for your service, I'm an Army Veteran as well.

[@rob5944]

Hi, I used to build kits around that time too, including a Mitchell (of which I was especially pleased with) and Lancaster (painted black underneath). I've recently done a Hurricane MK1 my son bought me, it features in my Battle-of-Britain tribute I've recently created on one of the walls of my man-cave! My father served in the RAF from 1940-46 and often spoke of the Liberators and Black Widows at one the bases he was posted to, albeit he was in fairly ordinary roles.

[@garykubodera9528]

@@rob5944 I really like the Black Widow! There are a few good videos on KZbin about that plane as well. Enjoy your day!

[@garykubodera9528]

@@AriCat777 Thanks for your kind words!😃

[@adameckard4591]

I built this kit in the 60's, the Memphis Belle too.

[@thomashoermann316]

My father was a B-24 pilot and squadron operations officer in Italy in 1943 - 1944 (461st BG(H), 15th Air Force). There will always be a respectful debate over the strenghts and weaknesses of the B-17 and B-24. But it's generally conceded that the B-17 was much easier to fly, especially in formation. Which is why, as the 461st Commander told his men "The best pilots are assigned to fly the Liberators!"

[@stedyone1090]

My dad flew 25 missions out of England as a squadron leader. Every maximum effort mission was a fight to the target and back. He also kept his formation tight to help when fighters and jets came in. So many stories of bravery. He stayed close friends with all his crew until he passed. They were all heroes

[@airplayn]

The reasons the air crews loved the B-17 was because it was built like a brick and could take a phenomenal amount of damage and still get them home. The B-24 was just the opposite. The get all that bomb load and performance better than the B-17 they had to built a light and somewhat fragile structure that wasn't able to sustain much damage.

[@stedyone1090]

@@airplayn Churchill flew in a B24 . Guess nobody told him. LMFAO

[@airplayn]

@@stedyone1090 They had to use the B-24 because the B-17 didn't have the speed or the range. Many B-24 were built as cargo versions, the C-87A: VIP version was executive seating for 16 passengers was probably used and not really a B-24, people just confuse them.

[@randallparker8477]

My father was a lower ball turret gunner on B-24's in WW2. He loved/hated the machine. He was shot down over Romania and was captured and interned at Stalag Luft 1 in Barth, Germany in 1943 until liberation by Soviet forces.

[@dovidell]

the ball turret on the B 24 was retractable unlike that of the B 17

[@Glen.Danielsen]

And there was the PB4Y. You are the consummate writer, narrator, and storyteller. You and Dr. Mark Felton rule the genre! Love your channels! 💛🙏🏼

[@jagsdomain203]

I remember watching them fight fires. They few out of Ryan field in Hemet CA

[@Glen.Danielsen]

@@jagsdomain203 Interesting, Jerry. I remember too watching Chuck Henry on L.A.’s Channel 7 News in 1977 interview a pilot who flew converted B-17’s fighting fires.

[@jagsdomain203]

@@Glen.Danielsen Thats cool. Goos old channel 7 there was 1 year we had PBY, B17, B24 along with S2 and the C119. The Catalina crashed that year so they pulled the WW2 planes The B17 ended up in Chino. Do you remember the name of the weatherman that was on TV for ever? He was an actual meteorologist

[@Glen.Danielsen]

@@jagsdomain203 I do remember Ch. 7’s weatherman then actually! It was Dr. George Fishbeck. Marvelous man. He helped me with a high school project by sending me a 500 millibar map! And yes, a C-119 firefighter had an awful mishap. Another pilot told me: the plane had a problem and belly landed in a field or meadow. Nose of aircraft was chewed away in a grinding effect, taking both pilots with it. I’m not sure if they withdrew the Boxcars or not after that.

[@timhoran3887]

The airport I group on used TBM & TBF torpedo bomers for agricultureal spraying and fire fighting till the government said no more single engines......loved playing those TBMs....

[@Idahoguy10157]

The US Navy flew the B-24 and it’s PBY4 variants for maritime patrol and anti-submarine work in WW2. The navy continued operating it’s variants until after the Korean war. While immediately after WW2 the Army discontinued and scrapped it’s B-24 fleet. Civilian companies used modified navy variants for forest fire fighting dropping water until recently.

[@boobah5643]

The PBY-4 was a Catalina variant. You're thinking of the PB4Y (Patrol Bomber 4 from Consolidated; manufacturer 'C' was Curtis)

[@hddun]

Good information Robert. I am always interested to know what became of many of the airplanes of that WW2 ended. To me, these planes have a longer life like in this case than was planned...

[@Idahoguy10157]

@@hddun … the FAA permanently grounded the fire fighting versions. I think the only B-24’s left flying are operated by historic groups. The youngest would by 76 years old

[@martinmiller1087]

In the late 1980s, I had the opportunity to board and photograph a PB4Y variant, outfitted for dropping retardant on wildfires. It was parked on a ramp, adjacent to the runway at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska. It was on contract with the Bureau of Land Management and was also used by Alaska State Forestry on wildfires in their protection areas. ... Later that summer, I observed it dropping retardant from a very low altitude, on a remote State wildfire. Alas, no camera with me on that wildfire and it was before cell phone camera technology.

[@akaz678]

My great uncle was an in-flight mechanic on the B-24's in Europe. I didn't hear many of his stories but I remember him telling us how he would crawl through the wings and was able to change spark plugs in the air. He would never fly again when he returned to the states post war and drove everywhere. He passed in 2001.

[@uberduberdave]

The photo of the plane with the polkadots is a formation guide ship, usually a "war weary" plane with guns removed and used setup formations prior to going into combat. The garish paint job was to make them easy to see. Jimmy Stuart flew B-24s in the war.

[@chriscase1392]

I was about to make the same comment but you beat me to it. A truly novel concept. I wonder if it worked well.

[@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper2154]

I thought it was sponsored by Wonderbread , like Ricky Bobby......

[@uberduberdave]

@@chriscase1392 They saved quite a large number of crews from dying in mid air collisions, a hazard of forming up early in the air campaign. If you think of how quickly they recruited young men from all walks of life and trained them to fly bombers over Germany from an island country known for some very nasty weather, the formation ships were an absolute must.

[@wes11bravo]

Ha! I was going to ask about that. I had a book about WWII aircraft and it featured pictures of these oddly painted B-24s that they referred to a "lead ships". I wonder if the guys who had the most missions got to fly these as a seniority type thing - seems like a pretty good gig for a B-24 crew.

[@chriscase1392]

@@wes11bravo I remember reading somewhere that crews who were close to the required number of missions, especially nearer the end when the number of required missions had been substantially increased, usually drew this duty. And got credit for a mission. I could be wrong though.

[@rvaughan1523]

One of the greatest comment threads I think I’ve ever read though! Thank you to all your family members that served in the war and shared the stories you shared here! I get teary eyed imagining the scenarios and the struggles they went through during this time in history! Love any information about these classic war birds! Thank you Dark Skies for your in-depth look at the Liberator!

[@stedyone1090]

Thank you for your comments 🙏 Yes I too am teary eyed recalling my father and his heroic efforts flying the B24

[@jimbraslow1774]

You should explain why that B24 was painted like that and it's purpose. I think it was called the circures plain . Flying out of Italy the center B24 in the middle of the box formation was the most important and protected. It carried the beer so it would be cold when returning to base.

[@BeatlesUS99]

My grandfather suffered from chronic illness and couldn’t be stationed to the front after he enlisted, but was a skilled mechanic. He subsequently spent about three years in San Antonio repairing and maintaining the B24s everyone headed to the front used in training. Thanks for your great video on this great plane!

[@lancerevell5979]

Those mentioned M-1919 .30 cal. guns were soon replaced with M2 .50 cal. guns. At a local airshow some years back, I toured inside The Collings Foundation's B-24, the last remaining flying B-24. A catwalk ran the full length of the bomb bays. I'm a big guy and had no problem fitting in it. I could not enter the tighter B-17.

[@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper2154]

I flew on Witchcraft and walked thru the bomb bay during flight. After takeoff and trimmed a 1000 feet, the ten passengers were instructed to move about the plane and experience every position.

[@lancejohnson1406]

You're forgetting Diamond Lil of the Commemorative Air Force. I have been aboard both.

[@wbertie2604]

The section on armament failed to touch on the variety of options (e.g., not all had ball turrets) or even correctly describe who was assigned to the guns.

[@glennpowell3444]

For anybody wondering the B24 shown in the thumbnail with bright polka dots painted on it was a formation aircraft to help other bombers assemble over the uk prior to beggining their run to germany.Several separate bomb groups would assemble as one big formation.The formation plane assisted and then would land again.

[@sb5838]

Thank you, never knew.

[@vinniethefinger7781]

The more you know.

[@tomredd9025]

Always enjoys these videos. But you left out an important part of the B24 story. Henry Ford announced that he would build a plant in Willow Run, Michigan which is about 50 miles or so from Detroit. He also claimed that he would put out A BOMBER AN HOUR!!! Hilter laughed that it was ridiculous to build a complex bomber every hour. Towards the end of war, the Willow Run plant was putting out a bomber in less than an hour. I think it was around every 53 minutes a new B24 would roll out of the plant. I am so proud to be from Detroit, the "Arsenal of Democracy!"

[@markjosephbudgieridgard]

Love the B24 absolutely beautiful and so versatile..... What's not to like..... The British hurricane and the American B24 two amazing aircraft that didn't get the credit they deserved due to the spitfire and the B17...... British came through the battle of Britain due mainly to the hurricane and the kriegsmarine must have absolutely hated the wonderful B24.... God bless all the aircrews in WW2 these guys were so brave RIP 🙏

[@Bob.W.]

Thx. My uncle died in a b24 on a raid on Munster on Nov. 5, 1943. The plane went down in the North Sea near Goes Holland. They found it about 10 years ago.

[@jonsm114]

Flew on Collings foundation B24, Witchcraft…..in 2010. Flight time over one hour and was the thrill of my life. Mounted my .50 MG on the port side waist gun position and fired 400 rounds of blanks while flying over a mock WWII battle at the Thunder over Michigan air show at Willow run.

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

For the last 10 years of his life, I lived next to a Liberator pilot. In fact, his wife, and flying Liberators, were the only two subjects he talked about. I miss that guy.

[@daffidavit]

My dad's brother, "Jim" was a nose gunner on a B-24 during WWII. There were five brothers and two sisters on my dad's side, including my dad. Jim's brother, "Pete" was a "top" tank commander during "Operation Torch" under General Patton. My uncle Pete earned the Silver Star for saving many American troops behind his line for feinting the Germans with only 4 tanks by hiding behind a sandhill and maneuvering as if they had ten tanks instead of four. My dad was a flight engineer on a PBY during WWII while sub-hunting German U-boats along the coast of Florida. I can't say which of the brothers I'm more proud of because my dad is my "Dad". But my uncle Pete was a tank commander and he was the one who earned the "Silver Star". Sorry if I'm bragging, but I am. I'm so proud of my family history during WWII. They are all heroes to me.

[@chriskinney8947]

My grandfather was in the b24 in India, thanks grandpa and all the other grandfather's for everything you did for us. The world could use more people like them right now

[@kristensorensen2219]

One of my neighbors flew two tours in Europe but never told us. His obituary told of his heroism.

[@icecoffee1361]

My great uncle Harry Dawe was in RAF coastal command and unfortunately lost his life as did 5 of his colleagues after a mission in the bay of biscay his plane crashed near Tavistock on 30th October 1942, the plane’s serial number was FK242 & the call sign was k for king full story in the local news. I went to Tavistock on the 8th April 2017 for a ceremony with other families of the dead airman 😔 which was held where the plane crashed.

[@schoolminer]

My father was a wireless air gunner in 206 squadron and had his 21st birthday in a Lib inside the Arctic Circle. Lost his crew near Norway while he was in hospital with pneumonia.

[@icecoffee1361]

@@schoolminer sad about your grandads crew mates but a lucky escape that he was ill with pneumonia.

[@davidpaulmosley]

I’d be interested in a video about the liberator’s big brother; the PB4Y-2 Privateer. It was an improved version of the liberator with a more conventional rear tail section, longer fuselage, and electronic warfare capabilities

[@kiplingslastcat]

My Grandmother was a Rosie in a factory near Dallas, Texas where she made Liberators and later on Mustangs. Makes me proud, ya know?

[@RuralTowner]

Used to have a part timer @ work...1st name Jimmy (don't think ever got last name)...whom was just over 80 yrs old as of '05 when I started that served aboard the B-24. Don't remember if he said that he was ever deployed did serve aboard one of these. Last time he was working w/ us was around 08 or 09. In the Winter (at least what gets called Winter here in the SW corner of the states) he would wear a jacket but not long pants, saying as long as his upper body was warm he was warm. Haven't seen him in years & am sure that by now he has passed away, but will always remember his cheerful demeanor.

[@elithornton6276]

My stepfather was a navigator on b24 and survived RAID ON PLOESTI

[@aerialcat1]

An interesting aside is the story of Ford’s Willow Run facility built specifically to make B-24’s, by the end they were turning out one per hour.

[@User31129]

I grew up just miles from there! Of course I'm talking about the 1990s well after, but I was certainly taught the history of the place. Grandfather also flew in them in the South Pacific. He didn't know his unborn son would go to college just down the road from where they were built 35 years later.

[@corporalvideo26]

My Dad served in the 13th Air Force in the Long Rangers. I wish that I knew more of what he did but I do know that he was a waist gunner. He didn't talk about his service in the South Pacific.

[@marvwatkins7029]

My uncle was a bombardier on a B-24 but his "ship" was shot down over the then-Yugoslavia. Documentaries proved than when they would crash "land" into water, the design of the overhead wings would snap off easier than a B-17 and thus the plane would sink faster, thus making it less likely for crew to survive.

[@SPak-rt2gb]

Only two flying today

[@troygroomes104]

I know of 7, the 5 others are PB4Y's

[@aaronhunt1634]

That was superb! Thanks for that. Always loved The Lib ince making the Airfix model of one in the 1970's. As for which is better? Why not think of them as the right and left hand? Good for each purpose but great when combined. Great video, sir. Always interesting stuff in your films.

[@jeremycox2983]

The B-24 is my favorite heavy bomber of the WW2

[@tklube308]

Great job again as usual. The B-24 has always been my favorite bomber.

[@landbonker9320]

i love everytime i watch these, they're short but great! keep it up man

[@williamscoggin1509]

My mom was a Rosie the riveter in fort Worth Texas. She worked for Consolidated and helped on B24s and also be B17s that were subcontracted to them. She out lived three husbands, the last of which was a Belly Gunner and then a Waist Gunner on B2's. 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@alward9901]

B 24 was flown by Jimmy Stewart inWW11 and he went on to & stars in the movie Stratgic air command .

[@alimtimm7355]

Simply a beautiful plane. I love it’s spacious interior and impressive size and speed.

[@johnthomas5176]

My Dad served as a ground crew chief with the 5th USAAF in the south PacificTO. He told me that the air crews hated the 24 because it was difficult to fly and all the controls were hydraulically operated versus the 17's systems which were electric. That means one round into the 24's hydraulic systems and it would become almost uncontrollable after all the hydraulic oil leaked out. The 17 could be shot all to hell and all the crew had to do was splice the control wires back together and keep on flying. They would use crash axes most of the time to accomplish this. PS I still have his crash axe, one of the few things he brought home from his travels thru the Dutch East Indies, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines and finally Japan.

[@rustyheckler8766]

It wasn't just the wing snapping that earn the 24 her unfortunate rep. 24s also had a bit of instability that forced the pilots to constantly work the rudder to keep straight level flight, often pilots would have to work in a rotation to keep from tiring themselves out on the longer missions. The wing snapping is a result of the higher wing loading, more force on the wing that isn't built that much stronger than a B17 wings, well, you can do the math, also with the latter point about the instability the 24 at high altitude had a bad tendency to go into a spin with the loss of an engine if the pilots weren't on top of things right away. Reason for all of this, the 24 didn't get to have as many iterations as the B17 before the war, in fact the B17 had its issues too but thankfully for it, it was built before and had a good 4 years of refinement before the 24 left the blueprints. 24 had to be rushed into service and refined later, and I am not sure if all her design shortcomings were ever resolved. Where the 24 won was in her size, range, and load. The 24 won the strategic bombing war, B17 wasn't enough and the B29 came in way too late to have much of an impact outside of the Japanese theater. Probably the worse thing was she was one ugly duckling, not going to sell many war bonds with the 24 on a poster. This is why we all know about or at least seen a picture of a B17.

[@andrewostrelczuk406]

Just wondering if you might wanna know the real reason for the Folding Wing problems! My Father worked for Ford at the Willow Run manufacturing facility. So Did my Uncle. Dad worked in a quality Control position as an inspector. After reports came back from England about the wings folding up and killing the crews something had to be done. The result was that the inspector was Fired and the fiefdom of the plant manager was secure! It was at this time that my father was moved into that position where he inspected the Riveting of the wing Spars it’s in a tight spot and was quite difficult to get to see what was going on in the small space. My dad had already been told that he was going to be next to be fired if any other planes failed. So In order to avoid this he had an inspection mirror made. And on his First day in that position he halted 3 aircraft from flying in a final test before turning them over to the WASP female pilots that ferry the aircraft from Willow Run to England. As luck would have it, that day that he started the new position, and stopped the planes. 2 pilots were killed on the way to Nova Scotia, with the wings folding up and crashing. There was a big Stink with the planes not being Cleared to fly and some one (my Dad in this Case) was going to pay! The Plant Management awaited his Arrival and the workers were all a Buzz about what had happened and were expecting to see a show of his firing. He had kept the mirror hidden and knew he was right and the proof was missing Rivets in the Wing Spars! The plant manager was like a King and had his henchmen ready to go to work on my Dad in short order. My Dads Saving Grace was a full bird COL in Uniform that had appeared without notice and stepped up at the probably last minute. A Surprise to the plant Manager! He knew something about that moment was bad news for him! The Army COL stepped up and in no uncertain terms made it known that he was now in charge and the Plant Management was on notice. He also had a couple of MP’s I believe with him. Or some other staff. He stopped the plant men from even coming close to the 3 aircraft and told them to Stay out while he and my dad were in the aircraft. Obviously my dad showed him the missing rivets and the mirror was used to see the lack of them. To say that my Dads life was in danger would be an understatement. But upon exiting the third plane he was trying to sell my dad on a position in the fledgling Army Air Corps! He had already signed up for the Coast Guard and was shipping out in 3 days from that time. So the lack of Rivets is why the plane preformed the folding wings trick! I’ve got a few more details but it’s not really needed to add to my dads story! I highly doubt that any of it was Fabricated by him. And I have other Stories from this time of his life! Only in the later years of his life did he speak about them freely and also remarked that they (the Government) couldn’t stop him from talking about it after so many years! Maybe he had to Sign a NDA ( Non- Disclosure Agreement) A new Young Marine I know had to sign one for 70 years a couple of months ago. So you be the judge! He (My Dad) lived to a bit over 92 years of Age. He sadly passed away on Dec 30 of 2015 RIP Dad see ya some day again, if you’re my example... give or take 40 some years!

[@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper2154]

@@andrewostrelczuk406 great story . Thanks for sharing.

[@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper2154]

Beauty is in eye of beholder. I love the suspended fuselage, twin rudders, twin wasp turbo supercharged Pratt & Whitney 14 cylinder engines. My uncle was a ball turret gunner on one. I flew on one to honor his memory.

[@danbenson7587]

Rusty, you’re on the mark. The B24 structure was more efficient (lighter) than the B17’s, but less robust. For instance, The B24’s spar was aluminum caps and web, the B17s was steel truss. The B24’s performance came from the Davis airfoil and higher wing loading, both made the B24 less forgiving than the B17. Last, as you mentioned, everybody was going up a learning curve on the B24. The B17 was adored because of its looks, like the Spitfire versus the Hurricane or P51 vs the P47. When a closer study is made, a different picture gels. Arguably, the B24 closing the Atlantic gap was more important than the strategic bombing.of 44 and 45. Cheers

[@gunfisher4661]

I heard all that and the fact that the 24 did`nt have as much altitude in flight as the other bombers in a video earlier today and that`s why they were deployed mainly against the Japanese as they did`nt have as much AAA .

[@Hi-lb8cq]

my grandfather served with the 464th bg 779th bs in italy during ww2 and was a top turret gunner and a flight engineer on a B-24....his name was william torrez or bill torrez later in life

[@vidiottheowl2825]

FINALLY somebody talks about the b24

[@topturretgunner]

The B-24 Liberator was an outstanding example of the collaborative war effort of American industry. Ford Motor Company built B-24’s produced in Dearborn MI at Ford’s Willow Run farm often powered by 14 cylinder Pratt & Whitney engines built under license by the Buick motor company. Many B-17’s were similarly powered by Wright Cyclone engines made by the former Studebaker car company. Obviously the war was a team effort. There are many examples of how this country’s industry contributed to the winning of WWII.

[@hardkoreboy]

My great-uncle Eric Endler was a Liberator pilot in the South African Air Force. He was shot down over Yugoslavia and killed while on a supply mission supporting the Warsaw uprising in 1944. The men who got into those planes, time after time, had some serious guts.

[@jlewis8060]

A friend of mine's father was a navigator on a B-24 in the European theater. I have fond memories of having dinner with him and his stories which would always begin with "I was a navigator on a B-24, not that glory puss the B-17".

[@iamTexan]

This is my favorite plane.

[@redhedkev1]

My father was a tail-gunner. 15th air force. Flew out of Northern Italy. 459th BG, 759th Bomb Squadron. Shot down twice, MIA once. Brod Yugoslavia, a marshaling yard, and a river bridge were the targets. January 22, 1945. He was 19 years old then. Watched his copilot freeze to death in a tree after breaking his leg and going into shock.

[@miguelnascimento4647]

Probably the work horse of the bombers flight units. The B-17 take the fame, but the Liberator make the work. The must difficult part of the work.

[@jamesrice6096]

My; ncle was a B-24 tailgumner who flew out of Africa and Italy. He spoke of when he'd fired so much that the guns ran dry saying " you never heard such a dead sound..."

[@SouthernGreyShark]

TBF, the B-24 was a newer plane design by 4 years. That was a lot back then. Both were great bombers.

[@Euragone68]

My biology teacher in high school Flew the B-24 during WW2. He told me several stories on Ploesti bombing raids and one where his ship ended up in lead after the previous ship took a direct hit from flac! The B-24 is still my favorite Heavy Bomber of WW2!

[@michaelmcginnis9391]

The B-24 was a significant help in winning the Battle of the Atlantic. Her long range abilities helped close the mid-Atlantic gap in convoy air cover.

[@radarmike6713]

The Liberator truly earned their name. They helped liberate the world. Without their roles they performed. The allies would have failed.

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

The M1919 gun was .30 caliber. The B24 used the M2 .50 caliber.

[@donaldreach760]

Liberators were built in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at the Willow Run field. Our Yankee Air Force maintains the original hangar and displays several unique aircraft there. Our C-47, "Hairless Joe", makes the run to Air venture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, every year.

[@K3Flyguy]

Armed with a dozen 50 cal. Machine guns!!!! That's a very serious bit of armament.

[@chriscutress1460]

My Uncle flew a B-24 out of India during WWII. Their nickname for the B-24 was the Flying Porcupine due to the many heavy guns mounted about it's fuselage. He told me seeing Japanese fighter aircraft in the distance was not unusual but the Japanese pilots never attacked the B-24's due to the heavy protective armament they were equipped with. He was the last pilot of his command to fly a mission during WWII and actually landed after the war was over.

[@dougmccoy1260]

My dad, radio man and waist gunner. 308th group in China. Chennaults forgotten warriors. Georgia Peach, Kings X, Tough Tittie, Miss Conduct were some of the planes in the squadron. Best of the web has a lot of the nose art. We have his patches including the flying tiger patch. He flew the hump many times.

[@stephenbesley3177]

My father worked on RAF B24s in the far east. A fine aeroplane deserving more respect than it gets compared to the B17

[@EricDPeterson56]

My Dad flew as a crewmember in a Navy PB4Y1 patrolling the Bay of Biscay from 43-44. To my knowledge, his crew is the only one that ever shot down a German FW190 using a depth charge.

[@bernard8272]

My mother worked at the Willow Run plant that made these and she remembered Henry Ford visiting the plant in the mornings. Being petite she could crawl into the wings and rig the ailerons. After she passed I found a little gold bomber pin in her jewelry box. That generation had a pride in what they did that we don't have today.

[@redred222]

i like how the b17 got all the coverage but this was better and did more missions and dropped way more bombs

[@lamwen03]

B-17s came back with massive damage. B-24s did not. "Chicks did scars, and glory lasts forever".

[@hijinxvr1027]

I will always favor the B-24 as the best bomber of WWII, only for the reason that my Grandfather was the radio officer of a B-24 crew. Love and miss u Grandpa!!!!

[@vudu5vudu]

No. 24 Squadron of the RAAF served in the Pacific theatre against the Japanese, and undertook operations during the Battle of Rabaul, New Guinea, New Britain and Borneo. My Grandfather was a spotter in Northern QLD Australia. I was fortunate enough to enjoy his company. Thanks to all who served. For I remain an Australian.

[@toonmag50]

My first airfix model aircraft , bought as a child was a Liberator. This ,due to the fact that my uncle ,in the British combined services, fighting the Japanese in n India and Burma,always mentioned "the lib" and his experiences associated with it . My second model was a Spitfire- naturally.

[@randymcgaugh8194]

The fact that more B-24's were made than B-17's tells it's own story. B-24's were a better bomber across the board. There were plenty of B-24's that returned to base shot up. Many took tremendous damage and still flew. My father was flight mechanic on "Our Hobby". 15th Air Force, 461st Bomb Group (H), 735th Bomb Squadron. Crew 22. 33 Combat missions out of North Africa and Italy. Ploesti was the called the graveyard of the 15th AF for the high number of losses every time they hit it.

[@wbertie2604]

More B-17s were made than any other WW2 USA aircraft, or USA military aircraft ever. More IL-2s, 109s, 190s and Spitfires were produced, but probably top ten for any nation in WW2.

[@johnnicatra570]

Worked on the Collins Foundation B+24 which was in the Indian Air force.B-24 guys called the B-17 a good medium bomber.

[@coreyandnathanielchartier3749]

The Davis airfoil was the future for fast, efficient aircraft. B-29 used it as did others. I always thought that the fuselage of the Liberator was a bit short for the wingspan. Maybe caused the yaw/roll coupling. Privateer was longer and a single tail. The B-17 was a tough bird that had structural redundance built in with it's truss spar. P-51 was also known to break up after being hit with 'a few cannon shells'. B-24 did fine work in strategic bombing, starred as a anti-submarine warfare bomber, and even as a fast transport. I personally knew two old B-24 pilots, one who was my primary private pilot instructor at the age of 90. Flew the Pacific theatre. Once had a flak shell enter the bombay and blew out the upper fuselage behind the top turret. Said half the crew were so shaken up they wouldn't fly again. He landed what was left of the old bird. The other pilot taught Auto Mechanics at the VoTech I attended in 1975-76. Great guy. He flew over Europe.

[@vincentgrove8787]

My father flew out of Attlebridge England as a bombardier for over 30 missions. His fellow crew members referred to the B17 as the “Hollywood Bomber”

[@abbeyhall4624]

Whatta beastie... one heck of a workhorse. Now I know more about this plane, thank you.

[@dsbmwhacker]

My Dad flew 36 bombing missions over Germany as a B-24 Navigator. He had many stories of close calls, damaged shot up aircraft and emergency landings. Luckily, against all odds, he returned home unscathed.

[@michaelvangundy226]

Uncle Dean flew one. He was so proud of flying one of the first tricycle gear. He called dad a tail dragger. After that he flew a storm chaser for the weather service. Hurricane chasing from Florida. He started as a barefoot farmer ploughing behind a draft horse. We will never see that kind of change in one lifetime again.

[@HoneyWineHandyMan]

I had a model of the B-24J that I built when I was a kid. Maybe 13. It was far too advanced for me. But I did it! I think that model started my love for this aircraft. Probably my favorite bomber of WWII

[@randyhager2054]

I work at the factory in Texas that built these things. Boy have things changed in 70-75 years.....Like the name(s) on the doors!

[@topturretgunner]

Correction Dark Skies. The M-1919 Browning was a 30 caliber machine gun. The Liberator was equipped with M 1921 Browning M-2 50 caliber machine guns (12.7mm) the number varied in later models or with field modifications.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

The wing would receive more damage from enemy fire because it carried the engines, but compared to what? All multi-engined aircraft had engines on the wings and one of the best ways to bring them down would be to shoot out the engines.

[@lamwen03]

The point is how much damage can the wing sustain before it fails. The B-24 didn't have nearly the ability to absorb damage and continue to operate as the B-17.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@lamwen03 then why does our presenter say "the wing was prone to receiving more damage from enemy fire"? He says nothing about the wing absorbing more or less damage before failure than other aircraft. He might mean this but he doesn't say it. He says the wing was prone to receiving more damage, which as I pointed out is unremarkable as the wing carried the engines and fuel tanks both of which are prime targets from enemy fighters.

[@lamwen03]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 Because he says it wrong. Not his first one, either. The Davis wing was a very high-performance design, and had the vulnerability associated with it. It had a wing area of 1048sq. ft, compared to the B17's 1420. One guess as to which one could absorb the most damage and still function.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@lamwen03 that's an assumption too far. How do we know what he meant to say? We can't, we can only go with what he said. Surely a larger wing would be more prone to receiving more enemy fire? A smaller wing can have a more denser structure and can ge more robust than a larger wing with a less dense structure. The reverse is also true a less dense structure can allow shells through before their fuses have time to operate. This was noted during the Battle of Britain where canon shells that would explode with the fuselage of a Spitfires would pass through that of the fuselage of the Hurricane before exploding. I do agree that his script writing lets him down as ge makes many errors, but we can only address what is I his presentations and mot what we think should be there.

[@maxsmodels]

The B-24’s disadvatange over the B-17 (real or imagined) was that it was not as rugged.

[@christopherelliot4964]

My father too piloted a 24....the big boxcar...he always said...it flew smooth and handled easily...

[@swwy5]

Dad was in the Army Air Corps in the South Pacific during WWII. His first ride on an aircraft was in a B24, flying from New Guinea to Australia. There were several other GIs making the flight. They all boarded the aircraft and remained in the tail. With the tricycle landing gear, the tail of the B24 then settled to the ground. The crew moved as many as they could forward until the nose wheel came back down. Many of the new passengers were even more concerned about the upcoming flight.

[@User31129]

Your Dad may have known my Dad's-Dad. He lived 1925-2002. South Pacific B24s and B25s. He apparently forged his birth certificate in order to enlist at 16. Im not sure what his mom and dad thought about his strong sense of patriotism lol.

[@CrippledEagle]

My first cousin 1st Lt Earl E Evans was a co-pilot on a B-24 with the 15 Army Air Force based in Italy. His B-24 was shot down over Yugoslavia on the way to Polesti, Rumania. They bailed out only to be bayoneted bye German troops. 18 May, 1944.

[@danf321]

At a recent Collins air show I went inside both their B-17 & B-24. All I remember is the B-24 had almost no space to walk the length of the fuselage on a scary little catwalk. The B-17 seemed to have all sorts of room to walk the same.

[@avshutsach]

The B-24 was built in San Diego California next to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and San Diego International Airport. The factory building still exists and is owned by the US government and is currently called the NAVWAR building. The building complex is scheduled to be rebuilt as the old factory is not suitable for its current purpose. It will be a shame to see it come down, but you needed a tram just to get from one end to the other in a timely manner as the complex is nearly ¾ of a mile long and the building is around ⅔ of a mile long and the building is not known for comfort.

[@randymcgaugh8194]

The B-24 was built at numerous sites throughout the war. Ford built one every 55 minutes at the Willow Run plant.

[@davidholmgren659]

18000 B24's...that's 72000 engines! That's a manufacturing miracle! And a statement of economic might.

[@demian7567]

I got to fly on one of these thanks to the collins foundation. It was an experience I'll never forget. It took balls to go to combat in that thing!

[@eiserntorsphantomoftheoper2154]

Me too. 2012 Melbourne Fl.

[@josephburke7224]

As a percentage of sorties flown in combat. The 17 and 24 return to base is near the same. The 24 slightly higher. But not really enough for either to stand out. The designer said when he saw Fords early completed model. The angle of the wing was 5 degrees off in how it mated to the fuselage. He told Ford it would cause stability problems in flight. Ford had changed it for ease of production and never corrected it. It should have flown with a nose down attitude. The Catalina with the same type wing flys nose down and was exceptionally stable.

[@allmac7504]

Tendency to lose its wings…lol master of understatement

[@pietrokania8684]

9:32 To be fair... I believe any aircraft have a tendency to lose its wings after a couple of well placet cannon shots...

[@igameidoresearchtoo6511]

Yeah but it differs on how _many_ well placed shots.

[@robertheinkel6225]

With the higher wing loading, any damage could become catastrophic.

[@Liberator74]

Great plane & we were honoured to have WW2 crews come to the Beast f Bourbn & the Norman Landberg memorials in England.

[@longrider42]

It was B-17's at Midway, and B-26's. I have studied the Midway battle for many many MANY years, since I had an Uncle who was a radio operator on Midway during the battle. He said it was very loud :)

[@HollywoodMarine0351]

I also noticed when it was mentioned but doesn’t surprise me since Dark series videos always make mistakes.

[@longrider42]

@@HollywoodMarine0351 Plus, after looking it up, the B-17G carried 12 .50 caliber machine guns. The B-24 also had 12 guns. Dark Skies really is pretty bad for its facts.

[@HollywoodMarine0351]

@@longrider42yup! I watch Dark series videos for entertainment. For facts I watch: Mark Felton Productions, Johnny Johnson, Not What You Think, Simple History, TJ3 History, The Front, Yarnhub, and The History Guy.

[@wbertie2604]

@@longrider42 B-17G could be up to 13. I'm not aware of any B-24 carrying 12, though; B-24D - 3 in nose, two in waist, 2 in tail, 2 in ball, 2 in top turret: 11 total. With nose turret, you lose the two additional nose guns, but the central one goes from 1 to 2, so 10 total.

[@dwilson21267]

My great Uncle was a the pilot of one of the B-24's named Lady Luck. He and his plane would not make it to the end of the war. A dive team recently dived the wreck.

[@thurin84]

the b-24 wasa good airplane. it did what it was designed to do and did it well. it just didnt have the survivability to combat damage that the b-17 did. and i know which feature id choose if my life was on the line.

[@lamwen03]

"Chicks dig scars". But you gotta get back with them.

[@stephenwalton9646]

“Gear up, flaps up, blow up.” A major design flaw that took a while to figure out was B-24s exploding shortly after takeoff. The fuel tanks vented internally into the bombay area where the flap motors provided sparks. A friends dad was walking aft in one and found himself somehow falling through the air. The bird had exploded. He was the sole survivor. This design flaw plagued the fleet for almost eight months until the simple fix of venting the fumes externally was figured out. Many good men died because of the error. But there was a war on.

[@ronheil6558]

My Grandfather was a crew member on a B-24 called Lady Grace. They were a part of Carpetbagger.

[@dennissmith8947]

The colorful Lib in the thumbnail pic is a retired older-model war-weary B-24 now acting as a squadron or group formation ship (to visually aid in assembling formation after takeoff).