Battle Of The Skies: Real Footage From WWII Bombing Missions | Battlezone | War Stories

The Battle over Europe follows the all-out bombing offensive against Hitler’s Third Reich. These authentic archive films tell the story of this campaign and the great air war that grew out of it. We hear straight from the mouths of those who experienced it and those who are never going to forget it.
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[@DaveSCameron]

Nein!

[@kratzikatz1]

Never change the ratio. That is digusting to watch.

[@bentjensen7245]

I has never understood why the Sweinfurt raids was a Mosquito raid

[@MkMk-zf5jy]

​ຝ

[@user-yw5uu5of1d]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@stulynn2005]

The men that flew with the allied forces are the reason I continue to work with warbirds. They deserve not to be forgotten along with their bravery in such an unforgiving war

[@samrodian919]

Hear hear! Their sacrifices should never be forgotten even more than 83 years on. (For American readers, don't forget we were in this 2 1/4years before you ) They should still be commemorated in 300 years. If the world as we know it survives climate change that is.

[@brianrobertson1211]

Well put

[@ianwoods8593]

Lest we forget! My father was a Lancaster pilot, his stories are both amazing and horrifying!!

[@jaksongpg]

so you got to be getting on - 70/80+. I remember talking to a WW2 Lancaster pilot in Brum in about 84. He didn't really want to talk about it though. We won't forget.

[@PimSchouten]

Bless your father Ian

[@peterivarsson6819]

May one never forget these heroes for the free world we live in!

[@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649]

That is quickly being taken away through complacency.......

[@dancarter482]

@@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649 Yeah, LOOK at us now! Make Orwell fiction again!

[@philliphall5198]

Amen 🙏

[@SharonD369]

I was born in 1969 and feel quite privileged to live in relatively peaceful time’s, reading books and watching documentaries give a really good insight but living it and surviving it ...... well only a few know what that’s like. I Bow To You All 👌👌👌

[@charlesreid3482]

I know what you mean I worked with.a polish fighter pilot from the Battle of Britain ,

[@tombombadil3185]

'54 here. My father was a marine at Tarara and Bogensville. There are repercussians that last for a generation.

[@clicheguevara5282]

My grandmother was living in Berlin. My grandfather was bombing it.

[@Antechynus]

There was conflict all over the place through the 60s, 70s and onwards. Read more history.

[@YnseSchaap]

1968 and we will get our share yet

[@xanbex8324]

In memory of RCAF Co Pilot G.S.Moreau who survived 33 missions!

[@timnorth1692]

My father was a rear gunner, Bomber command and ended up in the pathfinders, so proud of him and all of them. He ended up as a squadron leader DFC

[@pizzulo8111]

Tail gunners had massive balls. That and a tunnel rat in Vietnam are as scary as it gets.

[@timnorth1692]

@@pizzulo8111 I agree, but l will have to learn about tunnel rats

[@pizzulo8111]

@@timnorth1692 Definitely look them up. They were given a flashlight and a .45 to crawl through the tunnels to kill Viet Cong hiding in the dark. They would have the smallest guy go in because the tunnels were so small because the VC were small. A lot of them lost their lives doing that.

[@timnorth1692]

@@pizzulo8111 people do amazing things, I will definitely look this up.

[@pauldirac808]

Like tail gunners tunnel Rats needed to be men with massive balls but small in statue .

[@gregorymacaleese6372]

My Dad was with Bomber Command from 1941-42. Their losses were horrendous. As a bomardier/toggler, he survived enough missions to return to Canada where he trained bombardiers from other British Commonwealth countries. Their losses were equally horrendous.

[@freddythecat3203]

No they wernt. The average losses were 4.5% in 1942, there were obviously raids with larger losses, but the average was 4.5%. The main issue was the lack of precise targetting, which is why the RAF first switched to night bombing and second to area bombing. The first Thousand Bomber Raid sustained the loss of only 4 aircraft, because that number of planes overwhelmed the defences, and only 40 planes were lost on the trip ther and back to night fighters. The worst losses of any Allied raid was the USAAF daylight raid on the ball bearing factory at Schweinfurt in 1943, which sustained 25% losses, that was the Air Force equivalent of the Somme.

[@pauldirac808]

@@freddythecat3203 what about the March 1943 Hamburg raid off the top of my head I think it was about 17% losses .

[@davidstegne3036]

​@@freddythecat3203They had to suspend missions after that raid too restore the man power.

[@rocketeerPM2500]

😢 Lest We Forget.

[@neild3074]

Like many other comments here, my father flew 32 sorties with the 101 Spec Opps Squadran out of Ludford Magna. The 101 flew decoy above and ahead of the main group they carried more armour and 50 cal machineguns to engage the night fighters, his was one of only two 101 crews that completed their 30 missions.

[@fortunatodeguzman8017]

Thats was a stunning feat- to survive after 20.missions,sorties...According to WW.2 warplanes stat'c record- an average of 20.sorties,bombing mission were noted among Allied bomber warplanes- before they were shotdown!... Accordingly, the British airforce suffered 60% pilot casualties,total both for bomber and fighter planes!...A heart felt salute!!..and hats.off for all of you!!...With teary eyes: Be assured,your unselfish sacrifice will not be forgotten by all generations!!...

[@user-rc1ke1ef3t]

I once met Flt Lt Rusty Waughman off 101 ‘Special Duties’ squadron. I have a signed framed picture of his Lanc in my office.

[@NineInchTyrone]

Wow. Suicide missions

[@neild3074]

@@user-rc1ke1ef3t My fathers plane is depicted in the painting 'Maximum Effort by Philip E West'. You can see the designation R-Roger (my younger brothers name) and assume by the snow cover it was the very cold 1943/4 winter. My father spoke about having to join the ground crews to clear the runway of snow before they could takeoff. R-Roger was the plane dad flew most of his missions in. She was out for 3 missions when they crashed landed her on a Scottish airfield after a low level raid on Dutch dykes to flood German positions.

[@0ldb1ll]

@@NineInchTyrone After bombing raids on Germany, photo-reconnaisance planes would take pictures from very high level. They were special planes stripped of guns, radios and even the armour plate usually behind the pilots seat. This worked until they had to take pictures of bridges in Italy at low level, flying straight and level. They did this in pairs, the front plane taking the flak from the towers either end of the bridges and the rear plane taking the picture. Checkout F/O J.V. Mcdonald, 241 Squadron. Hit from both towers, he and his plane were blown to pieces and were never found. As he has no grave, apart from his medals, he ceased to exist. The life expectancy of aircrew during WW2 was not very high.

[@CoalMiner379]

Thank you to all veterans from every war for your courage and sacrifice, Welcome Home Soldiers Welcome Home! God Bless our Veterans and God Bless America!!!

[@Nitramrec]

God bless ALL survivors!

[@NostalgicNickyNYC]

My Grandpa was a B-17 navigator, which means he saw everything. The odds of him surviving were low, but he survived. People don't realize how lucky they are to be living, because if my Grandpa died, I wouldn't even be here😢😢😢😢.

[@aeonsbeyond]

My grandfather was a captain under George Patton a specialist who did 20 different jobs who launched the artillery in Falaise. The World War II generation was unique nobody and nothing was like that before or since how any of them survived I do not understand

[@tonypegler9080]

My Grandfather was a new pilot with British Airways and he was trying to land at Hamburg but was confused by the runway system. The German ATC asked dryly if he had not been to Hamburg before ? He replied "Yes, back in the '40's - but we never landed."

[@stevew6138]

Savage.

[@Coltnz1]

An oldie but goodie.

[@kevinmccarthy8746]

Hilarious, I had a uncle Vinny who was a tail gunner that survived.

[@derekfromtauranga6012]

@@kevinmccarthy8746 I love that comment re him being there before but never landed. I'm sure my late uncle who flew sorties in Lancaster bombers flew over Germany as well.

[@0ldb1ll]

When I was young, I asked my father why he never wished to visit Germany, as he had the opportunity to go on an expenses paid business trip. He said that he had seen most of it from 10,000 ft He had also been the pilot of a Lancaster bomber.

[@jaywalker3087]

My father volunteerd for aircrew in bomber Command during the battle of Britain. He lived immediately opposite Croydon Airdrome so was getting bombed regularly. He said to his brother 'I'm fed up with those barstards bombing me , so I've joined up so I can go and bomb the barstards back"! He trained as a radio operator/Air gunner before being seconded to SOE , making trips by Lysander and submarine to occupied territory. He didn't tell me any of this until the day he died! He had kept the secret until on his death bed in 2004 . The questions I wanted to ask him , but never got the chance to . I miss you dad ,

[@MrMrliamo]

Lovely story, I know the aerodrome well, my sister lives in coulsdon, I'm from the west of Ireland, I go there regular to visit my sister and family, great history in the Croydon area

[@jaywalker3087]

@@MrMrliamo I had aunts and uncles in Caulsden. Happy Paddies Day😄

[@clintgreggory2549]

It's such clear bravery against a brutal , hateful nation. I salute all the brave airmen who helped the allies win against tyranny.

[@derekfromtauranga6012]

My late uncle from NZ flew the Lancaster bombers in the RAF during WW2. He also ferried planes from Halifax in Canada for the war effort as well as a time as a flying instructor. I remember him telling me because he was very good at navigation the RAF wanted him to be a bomber navigator so he “failed” his nav exam to make sure he was the pilot. He escaped injury from all the sorties he flew but it affected him after the war.

[@redbay8527]

This was the most fascinating war footage I have EVER seen. My father served in the US Army during the Battle of the Bulge and I've seen footage from that time. But, I have never seen the likes of this video. I had no idea of the number of planes the Allies put into the air - a thousand bombers at a time????? It's unimaginable - so many planes, so many crew members - so many dead. I'm in awe of what was done and the bravery and dedication shown. It just seems impossible.

[@michaelbull9428]

With what has happened to our country it makes me wonder if all the sacrifice these brave boys made was really worth it

[@eze8970]

Yes it was, but such a terrible price to pay.

[@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649]

The worth lies in its citizenry to not let their sacrifices become a waste. But alas bravery is but a foreign word to today's Americans. Some even want socialism/communism. Of course they're all wearing black clothes, masks, colored hair, and not employed.

[@davedixon2068]

@@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649 very stereo typed opinion

[@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649]

@@davedixon2068 agree to disagree....would be surprised if their employers let them off to go bad mouth the country.

[@benjaminbauer2947]

I know that the men I served with in the last desert war don't feel that this generation deserves anything.

[@PSM-IPADZ_OX]

We will never see another war on such a scale, so well documented, the extent of the war impacting so many people and countries, so horrid, cruel and so much of deaths everywhere.

[@dizzyizzie6354]

With modern technology I think this would be recorded in real time. Documents even better as we don't quite bend rules n paperwork is required from each person/mission /resupply/equipment. I think we know almost every single artillery round, where it was fired & what it hit. Excalibur shells or other GP's guidance will have a digital map of it's trajectory, real time GPS sythetic appiture an visible light view add drones / f35 / Data link. I think it is possible to view almost the entire battle space an account for everything. Of course stuff doesn't always work that way. I think the" rules" reduce actionable abilities. 2 would a war ever be this large? I am not surd. But china / india , all Asian/ Eurasian have a lot of soldiers. Russian is supposed to hold a large military as we've learned different so far. So if u go by population, 45% are drafted is alot.

[@voraciousreader3341]

The Pacific island war and that on the Asian mainland as well as New Guinea received hardly any attention at all from the end of the war until more books started coming out around 2005, *60 YEARS* after the war ended…..I estimate that 85-90% of WWII books published during that time period were about the war in Europe. The development of the internet helped, especially since I could see the films where my dad fought in the South Pacific

[@thomasdoran2363]

Wow, Just 'WOW' - Such bravery from 'just' teenagers . . . . . and such horror on the ground Living/serving both then, and after, must have been a daily torment RIP those people who were born in such violent, tumultuous times

[@williammcnab6159]

My ex Wifes Uncle Pat was part of the Dam Busters crew on one of the Lancasters charged with the destruction of one of the major Dams controlling the Ruhr valley I believe. I met him several times and one of my regrets was not talking to him about his experiences. I was born in 1943 named after my uncle, who was killed in the Tobruk area in North Africa fighting against the Germans in that area. He was killed just before I was born.

[@dancarter482]

I met an unassuming chap on a council estate one day who'd been in tanks in the desert 'til he was wounded then sent to Europe as soon as he could walk again then ended up in Berlin after the war guarding the new border .. .. .. Just cogs in the war machine!

[@garyandrewranford]

I will remember them, always... You gallant, brave men and women of WW2

[@82luft49]

I was aware about the 50 thousand British airmen being lost, but I was not aware that 80 thousand American airmen were also lost. Just amazing.

[@samb1123]

I don't know what the percentage there was of American air crew that became casualties but the percentage of Commonwealth air crews was 66% for the war all told. A friend's father was trained as Flight Engineer on a Lancaster who was scheduled to go to Europe from Canada in 1945 when the war ended. He felt disappointed at first, then relieved as the true nature of the situation sank in.

[@hicks727]

24 million Russians (civilian and military) died in WW2

[@stevenlee798]

I've read the 8th airforce had (over 26000 ) casualties. So I'm guessing that the 80 000 would include the pacific Italy fronts plus all fighter, transport, coastal commands etc etc to make that number. About 1/3 losses when there was 2.5 million men in the usaaf in march 1944

[@noalarms4618]

@@hicks727 24 million (mostly of hunger) is probably a gross under-estimation and by far the majority sacrificed on the high altar of Uncle Joe’s paranoia, incompetence and in-humanity.

[@rockinroll817]

The Army Air Corp service had a higher fatality rate than the Marines in the Pacific.

[@julianwaugh8221]

My father couldn't fly due to eyesight problems his brother was with the pathfinders ,7 missions. Dad was running airstrips ,the RAF would be doing night bombing during the day they would " sleep" he would hear them screaming and having terrible nightmares. He snuck onto a Lancaster for a raid just so he could have a better appreciation of what the crews were going through. He told me he needed a change of underwear was in order never been so frightened in his life and these crews were doing runs day after day.

[@mariekatherine5238]

Crazy respect to all who flew.

[@MrTaylorTexas]

My grandfather's brother was a nose gunner in a liberator. They went down in the North Sea and were not found. I can only imagine what it was like back then.

[@DanMarksman]

I salut him and his friends.

[@user-ei3dq2dw6i]

Much respect to your grandfather's brother and all brave service people that gave us our freedom today

[@pauldirac808]

Thank god for men like your grandfathers brother . Respect .

[@tjotwo]

@MrTaylorTexas, my father was a nose gunner in a B-24. He came back with an alcohol addiction. The solution to the PTSD of those horrific missions was to send them to their barracks with rations of booze. Many thanks and God bless all those who laid their lives on the line for our nation. BTW, I came to the NW from Leander, Texas. Small world...

[@normannokes9513]

The merciless North sea deterred invaders but claimed so many airmen.

[@phil4986]

I have watched all of these World War 2 documentaries since I was a child sixty years ago. Now what I do, is simply turn off the sound, and enjoy the priceless video images, derived from the sound free film at the time. Most World War Two footage was never done with sound. We can never know the unreal loud sounds or awful smells or extreme cold or heat or starvation these men endured. But there is a pilgrimage, that comes from just looking into the unedited, real time footage and seeing the struggles of men trying to stop evil, from taking over the world, that is easy to make. All we have to do is open our eyes and our mind to see it. Thank you to all the veterans who fought to keep us free and all the active service members today who still do the same.

[@julianwaugh8221]

My uncle was with the pathfinders he had trained in Florida under the Arnold plan and was a check pilot for newbies he got USAF wings returning to england he survived six missions not the seventh

[@Cudabeara]

I was born in 1955. We, one of the last generations To have lived and saw the Aftermath of WWII. Driving around hospitals seeing all the wounded soldiers lined on acres and acres of rolling hills of grass, so they could get time in the Healing/outdoors. PBS’s programs are the best to Learn of our past. Replaces growing up in Neighbourhoods and the close bond Everyone had and the history classes taught on the porches.

[@denisrobertmay875]

I'm not sure that is true. Almost all the Cities I know have preserved ruined buildings, particularly churches, as memorials to the Blitz, every village has warmemorial, there are the traces of the emergency built airfields and, near me, the remains of the preparations for Overlord. The reciprocal are found on the opposite side of the channel along with the war graves. There are countless others all across Europe. I grew up during the war years in the Garrison Town of Aldershot eventually serving in August '45.

[@aeonsbeyond]

I guess you were seeing the wounded lying in the grass during the Korean War because you weren't alive 1945 I'm confused by your statement

[@shivajivythilingam8685]

Salutes and tributes to all allied forces. 🙏😪..

[@andrewhorsburgh2549]

Today's youth will never believe how much their freedom was owed to so many that are not alive today. Do we really need a world war to make them wake up to what is important.

[@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649]

The next World War will have tens of millions dead in 45 minutes, 100 million plus in 30 days.

[@aeonsbeyond]

A World War on that scale today would just crush the planet. Imagine World War II with a couple of hundred nukes going off in the background it just won't happen the same way. Someone once told me World War III will be like all the other wars ever fought compressed into a single hour

[@dennischallinor8497]

My father trained pilots during WWII in a place called Dafoe, Saskatchewan and whenever we would watch a movie about submarines he'd get so into the movie he'd say: "I'll take my chances in an airplane any day, with those bloody things if something goes wrong you're trapped like a rat!" I must say I do enjoy flying more than sailing. Once you are free of the earth the engine makes you feel so free and powerful just buzzing around up there. Bliss.

[@rocketeerPM2500]

Why even mention your 'bliss' of peacetime flying? It's quite irrelevant to the grim reality of wartime flight ops. Show some respect for the memory of those brave aircrew who died in their thousands, and spare us your trite buzzing around BS.

[@donquixote1950]

Outstanding video! Excellent video & narration. TY!

[@Nitramrec]

In the second part of WW2 my father was a simple soldier in the german supply troops. He defended his homeland and tried to survive (in which he luckily succeeded). But I don't claim he would a hero!

[@williammcnab6159]

I see your comments were edited. Why do we make War on our Brothers in Arms as Mark Knopfler sings. I hope your thoughts were along these thoughts.?

[@jamescoleakaericunderwood2503]

@@williammcnab6159 it's not the common man ... Read the poem " Wounded" from WWI.... A PIPE A FRIEND A FIRE IN GODS GOOD TIME WHEN PRESTO LIKE A BALLOON I LEAP UPON THE STAGE OF SPLENDID DEEDS.... I YELL WITH RAGE... I WALLOW IN GORE! I THAT WAS A CLERK IN A DRY SALTERS STORE!

[@anthonyduraosr.4350]

My grd father grew up philly , pa around German town pa a German family help him sister survive as kid ,s dury depression if you're dad survived surved his country cared for family that heroic he ,told, good g, people bad,G people H, dad to me

[@michaelmoore234]

Fantastic to see , real hero's , keep it up.

[@teddythewonderlizard1448]

One of the outstanding bomber pilots of the war - Leonard Cheshire - 39:02 - 39:14. A man amongst men.

[@markbirrell7662]

Currently reading ‘One who nearly made it back’ RCAF, very sad and brave men.

[@petepal55]

34:30 the guy flew two tours totalling 50 missions. That has got to be the most astounding luck I've ever heard of, titaniums not tough enough for his pair!

[@jjohnston326]

I used to fly in an group called the C.A.F in the B-17 Texas Raiders. When I was there, there was a man named JC Thompson who flew as a rear gunner on 52 missions, at which point he was finally grounded for "excessive drinking." Having seen several of his closest friends having their guts blasted across the interior of your aircraft will do that to a fella. He had a tattoo on his arm of a heart with part of an arrow going through it. I asked him about it one day, why wasn't it finished? His best friend had been giving him the tat one night, they got called up for briefing, went out on mission, only one came back. When I found out why the tat wasn't done, I was shook.

[@StihlmaddArborist]

My Grandfather and his fellow crew members flew 57 missions . Lancasters 187 squadron C for Charlie. Lest we forget.

[@jimthorne304]

Good production which avoids the trap of producing a history from the point of view solely of one country or even one part of one air force. I think many don't recognise that Germany had a very effective defence system. However, one point that I thought was omitted was that Germany ran out of fuel. They couldn't fly the aircraft that they had.

[@montyzumazoom1337]

My uncle Fred flew 27 ops. Rear gunner in a Lancaster and rear and waist gunner in a Flying Fortress. He survived the war and lived out his days in Peterborough UK

[@claytonbhowe7490]

Ya me to 1969 these were the bravest men who ever lived I salute them all

[@seventhson27]

My uncle flew two missions over Berlin. He survived and came home. He said he only lost one person. A photographer riding along. The photographer was leaning out over the bombay taking pictures when a AA went off near the plane and jarred the photographer out the bombay.

[@panhead55]

Great film sir! I love both perspectives, as this couldn’t have been easy for anyone. May God be with all…

[@stephen4121]

Britain never stood alone. We had millions of Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Rhodesians, Kenyans, Malawians, Indians, Nepalese, Fijians, West Indian and many other nations fighting with us from the first day to the last of the war.

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Thousands, not millions. Brave people, all of them, who preferred to fight rather than be oppressed.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

When Germany finally conquered France in 1940, Britain did stand alone as the only unconquered nation in Europe. The Commonwealth aid came later. It was an historical fact not a boast. Churchill said We STAND alone present tense.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

Actually those nations offered several undress of thousands not millions later in the war.

[@garymclaughin]

Glad someone mentioned the B-24 also the last year of the Battle of the Atlantic allies went on the offence with hunter killer groups of destroyers and the B-24 long range version. Good documentary. Sawadee Khap.

[@patrickkobolt3069]

I love hearing from the people who were there.

[@veronho1ness]

The Bomber Boys betrayed by their own. The attrition rate was such that you had better odds of predicting a coin toss than doing a full tour as a bomber crew member.

[@borderlands6606]

Mortality among bomber crews was higher than junior officers in WW1, and they lead men out of the trenches into machine gun fire.

[@dougclevenger6748]

Excellent !!!!!!

[@14rnr]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@garyquelch888]

Brave brave men

[@bobg6638]

History is fascinating

[@John-ws5oh]

This is really Awesome!! You can see the eyes of the men as they re experience their military service in the air. Amazing video,well done

[@rikijett310]

Outstanding movie!!!!

[@0minous187]

the shockwave from that explosion at 4:31 was awesome

[@paigetomkinson1137]

I've seen another documentary like this, exact same format and some of the same voice actors. I never realized it was a series! It would be great if there were even more of them to come! Now that I think about it, I'm sure they are chronological, following most of the same people. Wonderfully well done, in any case.

[@hali705]

the original series is called -the war years - it is a French/Canada production-there is a channel called the same-there are also episodes under the title of -the big battles. -Great show

[@haroldland4620]

superb footage thankyou

[@davidmoller6985]

Serious respect to all who served...not sure what they would think about what western democracy has become today

[@jamesbugbee6812]

Saundby was & is completely underappreciated 💜.

[@salvagedb2470]

When you see this the U.S or RAF were going against Aircraft replenished from Downed of their own , thats how it goes ..great Footage to a great vid.

[@julianwaugh8221]

The expression the whole nine yards comes from the fact that a waist gunner would have a nine yard long belt of ammo It would indicate a fierce battle if you had done the whole nine yards.

[@stevecirimele5585]

Wow I always wondered where that saying came from!

[@RedRodders]

I was waiting with a production worker for a tanker to arrive from Germany, the old chap was over his shift hours but had to wait. The lorry arrived and was unloading lethacin, when the old chap replied to the driver he only took about 12 hours to Germany and back including unloading. The driver was impressed and asked what he was driving, "A Lancaster" was the terse reply

[@ruscador1]

this was very interesting to watch thank you

[@bobmurdoch4719]

Not the longest battle. That was the battle of the Atlantic, with the most casualties being Merchant Navy ships. I am not decrying the brave men of Bomber Command. But the first casualties came on the first day and the last at the last day. Brave guys all of them. Thanks

[@romanpernal7397]

Thank you

[@jaketaylor3901]

That dogfight footage is amazing

[@joeschlotthauer840]

Thunderbolt is caught on German gun camera(?) at 40:42...

[@lablackzed]

Why you have not a million sub's is beyond me.👍

[@denniskeena5936]

The longest battle of the war was the battle of the Atlantic . Not the air battle over Germany.

[@canusakommando9692]

Exactly! Thanks for being informed.

[@sprinter1832]

Dennis Keena The ONLY battle of the war was the Battle of Britain! had we lost that,there would have been no D-Day, No US in Europe, so no help for Russia,

[@abdulqayumkhan3992]

Great Air Battle Story

[@carlosescobar6973]

Exellent!!⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@damienhudson8028]

Thanks for posting this. Great to see men on both sides speak and footage from both sides. History can be revisionist, but this video is a primary source from the decades following the end of WW2. Great to see it.

[@ChristopherMullen58]

I read the Allies dropped 500 pounders with delayed detonators to take out the firemen. Ruthlessness on both sides.

[@TheNextGoogification]

Wow what an extraordinary documentary!! Can't believe it's only got 94 comments having been up for a year

[@viktorroswell1041]

What you forget is history is non PC nowadays, those of us that remember are getting less and less when we are all gone the following generations will forget the sacrifices and the horrors of war, and guess what they will do it all over again!

[@timphillips9954]

The British technology in WW2 was on a different level.

[@garrettsmith3391]

Effective. Men on both sides fought honorably. God bless them.

[@MattKearneyFan1]

The Germans fought honorably? Sorry but they fought for no reasons other than trying to take over the world for a madman

[@redwater4778]

There is no honor in bombing civilians.

[@anthonyeaton5153]

Don't tell me the SS and the Einsatztsgrupen fought honorably.

[@billotto602]

I've often wondered why P-38's & P-51's weren't used sooner. The P-38 was used, with drop tanks in the Pacific in 42. The British bought P-51's in 1940, found that the Allison engines sucked so they stuck Rolls-Royce Merlins in them & turned them into the most awesome fighter of the whole damn war ! How many bomber crews would have survived the war ? The world wonders...

[@romanpernal7397]

One thousand plane raid….what a massive undertaking…..but needed

[@Zopf-international]

It's horrific enough, but seeing those fighters attacking head on sends chills down my spine.

[@kenmiller8370]

My dad was a flying fortress pilot on the ball bearing factory mission. He started on coffin corner when the Germans took out the inside main planes this time and then he flew up to join another group and they took out most of that group. After delivery, he made it back with all the emergency lights on. He said it was a very quiet day when they told the experienced pilots they would have to do 5 more missions before they could go home to the U.S. because they had lost so many pilots, but they got credit for one extra mission. All the early pilots had the odds against them surviving if they flew a lot of tough missions. He had been there when the army air force arrived in England and lost a lot of his friends. He felt he was truck driver delivering the cargo and getting his crew home as quickly as possible. He did not like dropping bombs on people's houses and never talked about it very much. He said that if all the leaders had to see the ugly stuff themselves and put their own life into harm's way first then wars might not be stated or would come to a conclusion quicker.

[@russellrykhus9130]

After the war the RAF conducted a study into the accuracy of night bombing. They concluded that only one out of 10 bombs dropped fell within 5 miles of the intended target. Night bombing was a waste of time and resources given the relatively inaccurate bombsites and navigation methods available in the 1940'sw.

[@itchycooable]

that was 1941/42 not the end of the war , they then brought in aids like gee/oboe and later h2s , just sayin.

[@clicheguevara5282]

The intended target was civilians and it was very effective.

[@benwilson6145]

The study was done in 1942. lessons were learned

[@redwater4778]

Maybe the bomber crews just didn't want to kill civilians and purposely missed targets.

[@stenalriksson6475]

Vad sägs om fosfor bombning av civila?

[@petersmith-cg3ry]

My father flew the Halifax Mk 3 plus with the new engines. 158 Squadron. DFC. SOME WILD STORIES So grateful for their bravery

[@Anautistictherapist]

“This is a story of an enemy who’s resources were stretched to their limits. Oh! And bombs.”

[@fidgers]

I took a ride in a b17 some years ago. While we were in flight i kept thinking, how did these guys do it? 8 hrs or better in the cold, with people shooting at them? I got to in some small way step in theyre shoes briefly to get an idea of what they saw, smelled and felt. Ill never forget it or those guys that flew the 2nd world war.

[@clarkewi]

Greatest generation.

[@14rnr]

So many souls lost.

[@aefbNone]

the plane enginesounds are stunning

[@markhonerbaum3920]

The narrative is great, familiar, the pickle misconception with the barrel, today it's a real possibility.

[@ottomeyer6928]

a nice story about the picle barrel.

[@slypen7450]

The combat footage was awesome! The casualties in Dresden were claimed to be much higher because the city was packed with refugees from Prussia and Easturn Germany.

[@jefferystutsman6419]

thats not what your mom said

[@clicheguevara5282]

My grandmother was one of those refugees but she decided to go back to her family in Berlin at the last minute. She'd ironically been sent to Dresden to escape all the bombing in Berlin (some of which was ironically being done by my American grandfather, who was in a B17 above Berlin in '45). She missed the bombing of Dresden by just a few days. Things like Dresden are why I _refuse_ to consider the Allies "the good guys". They were just less bad than "the bad guys".

[@CAGED1702]

My Mom was in Dresden on Feb. 13./14./15. 1945. She talked about it to me only ONCE! It must have been horrendous...

[@Nibby12]

Dresden supplied lots of steel to the German war effort, no German city was an innocent target.

[@clicheguevara5282]

@@Nibby12 ..and yet 95% of the people killed in those cities were innocent civilians. Justifying the bombing of cities is disgusting.

[@davidholder3207]

Another documentary showing that when a German military force had to fight on an equal footing - it failed. The allied air forces took enormous punishment before victory was won. Let us not forget those who gave their lives in the war against Facism.

[@alfredawomi2340]

Please do mention when the interviews were taken in description box.

[@borderlands6606]

The age of the protagonists suggests the mid-1960s.

[@wolfganggugelweith8760]

Those planes killed so many children and civilian people. What a shame!

[@zacharypelphrey6166]

Better than dying in a gas chamber.

[@wolfganggugelweith8760]

@@zacharypelphrey6166 Members of my family got killed in bombings and in gas chamber. You must be a very experieced man that You know that difference! Hasta la vista!

[@philliphall5198]

That’s the sad part of war , they are always setting Ducks

[@copisetic1104]

And then the P51 came in to the game, and the jig was up. Why do humans follow a crazy individual into wars like this.

[@skipellison3667]

Why do people follow an incompetent like bydon?

[@nickdanger3802]

"Inaccurate navigation and bombing, though in fact the biggest obstacle to the progress of our offensive, had not thus far been the Air Staff's main worry, for the seriousness of that particular problem was only gradually becoming realized. What was more obvious was that the total bombing effort had been disappointingly small. Bombers had been diverted-to O.T.U.s, to the Middle East, to Coastal Command. Bomber crews had been called upon to ferry Blenheims and Wellingtons out to Egypt, and force one reason and another throughout the winter little more than half the full establishment of crews had been operationally fit. On top of this, naval targets had absorbed most of the available effort. All told, it was little wonder that German industry had escaped lightly." --239-- Hyperwar Royal Air Force 1939-1945 Vol I

[@markrowland1366]

It's, the COLDEST HOUR is just before the dawn. Those who laboured outdoors never get this wrong. I had a bread round.

[@denisrobertmay875]

It always dark before dawn. It does not say which hour.

[@eddted2876]

Only brave took such bombing missions! The Nazis and Japanese had to be stopped! Amazing filming with OUT Hollywood movies!

And the winners were the shareholders and owners of the arms factories - they are still winning today!

[@tomjohnson3141]

It's interesting to watch videos detailing some of the the tools and strategies used to snuff out the life of other human beings. Humans are such peaceful, benevolent creatures.

[@fortunatodeguzman8017]

It seems your comment was laced with sarcasm,be reminded that self.defense war was being authorized by the Abrahamic God (Deutero. 20:1-20)- and the Allied Forces were on the defensive side,so was Israel for the past 74yrs against its Russian supplied attackers, so was Ukraine today- being invaded by bully Russia...

[@tomjohnson3141]

@@fortunatodeguzman8017 Sarcasm indeed Evil and brutality is part of this world, and humans senselessly introduce the majority of it. Just a sad fact of life and it will likely never change.

[@jimparis5073]

Early 2000s was a kid heard an almighty thundering! Me and my dad practically ran to the garden and a Lancaster did a low pass over our house could pretty much read the markings on the wings n stuff I was amazed. I’m now 27 and think my god I’m glad I wasn’t in Hamburg

[@jackhammer111]

There were no significant amount of long range Thunderbolts. The 8th Air Force didn't resume deep penetration raids into Germany until the Mustangs arrived. And there weren't enough of those until about April of 1944. No Thunderbolt was covering bombers to Berlin and back.

[@samb1123]

The longest Battle of World War II was the Battle of the Atlantic. It started the first day and went to the last. The Air War in the West took a while to get rolling although it did go to the last.

[@edgeofeternity744]

The two are incomparable. As was mentioned in the video, a naval commander may have 2 major battles during the entire war. Bomber command had one every single day.

[@stephen4121]

@@edgeofeternity744 Talking of incomparable, you are comparing one naval commander with the entity of Bomber Command....you don't see the issue there?

[@briancooper2112]

These men had brass balls!