The Scariest Allied Exterminator with a Unique Killing Technique

[@BillHalliwell]

G'day Dark, I'm a military historian and a former member of the Royal Australian Air Force; during the 1970s. There is much talk of the so-called 'Moratai Mutiny'. Firstly, it was not a mutiny. It was a group of senior RAAF Officers, some of whom commanded Fighter Wings, who resigned their Commissions, as the USAAF elements left them behind; moving away from New Guinea and began their 'island hopping' under the command of USAAF General Kenny; ultimately commanded by Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was fully aware of Clive Caldwell's prowess as a fighting commander; sending Clive a personal letter of congratulations after a string of successful attacks on the Japanese. He was probably unaware of Clive's mounting number of air-to-air victories in the European theatre. Clive Caldwell was not only Australia's top fighter Ace he was the commanding officer of No 80 Fighter Wing, a large unit that, as the Japanese threatened Australia, transitioned from Tomahawks to Spitfires. It took much badgering of Winston Churchill by the Australian Government and the RAAF to secure the Spitfires. In all honesty, Clive said he preferred the Tomahawk. Clive must have felt a little confined in a Spitfire cockpit, he was 190 centimetres tall. The focus of the 1st Tactical Air Force, under General Kenny, left Australian Air Force squadrons in place as the USAAF moved ever closer to the Philippines and then Japan. The RAAF COs felt that after several pilots had been shot down; risking their pilots' lives on 'mopping-up' sorties was not an activity that would in any way hasten the defeat of the Japanese. By doing this General MacArthur had broken his word; having promised publicly, privately to the Prime Minister and War Cabinet, and in writing, that he would take Australian forces with him in his tactical advance upon the Japanese in the Philippines. Several senior RAAF officers formally resigned their commissions and appointments. This earned the Squadrons concerned a personal visit from General Kenny who, effectively, 'sacked' three of the resigned officers; removing them from active service. The Australian Government, rightly, strenuously disagreed with Kenny's actions over the Australian COs and set up its own, independent judicial enquiry into the reason for the resignations. Mr (later Justice) Barry K.C., and his panel, heard from, voluntary, witnesses and reviewed documents. All the RAAF officers who resigned, including those that had be 'sacked' by General Kenny were fully cleared of any wrong doing and all were reinstated without any loss of rank or privileges, Group Captain Clive Caldwell included. It was formally recorded that the resignations had occurred for the highest reasons of loyalty and duty. Clive himself would have agreed he was not a man of great tact. He was a strongly driven, highly active combat leader who rose from a lowly Pilot Officer, in 1940, to the wartime appointment of Group Captain* just four years later. He was fiercely loyal to his subordinate pilots yet he 'ran a tight ship', always insisting on frequent gunnery practice. He once said, "... any man who couldn't shoot straight should stay on the ground because in the air they are useless as fighter pilots." Early in the war he saw his best mate, shot and killed by a Luftwaffe Ace, while the Aussie was in his parachute after his Tomahawk caught fire. Clive led from the front; every opportunity he got he practiced shooting at his or his wingman's shadows on the ground. Some say he got the nickname 'killer', which he despised, because of his habit of expending any rounds he had left over after a sortie. He would shoot at any enemy movement from armour to cargo and troop trucks. He could take punishment too. On several occasions he sustained multiple injuries, grazes and many near misses from enemy bullets in the air. After VE-Day, over 17,000 RAAF personnel would be returning to Australia and the Government ordered the end of all aircrew training and began 'demobbing' RAAF members beginning with those who had served the longest. With an official 'score' of 28.5 'kills', Wing Commander Clive Caldwell left the RAAF with the confirmed rank of Group Captain upon release, as was the custom. The rumours of Clive being discharged as a Flight Lieutenant or Squadron Leader were just that; rumours. Clive began a company at war's end and successfully managed it until only a handful of years before his death of prostate cancer in 1994. His birthdate is still misquoted to this day, in some publications, due to his 'white lie' which ensured he was accepted as a trainee pilot in 1940. As a Group Captain*, Clive was entitled to a large military funeral as a final tribute from his country. He opted for a private service and a cremation attended only by family members. Bill H. * = Group Captain was equal to the rank of a 'full bird' Colonel in USAAF during WW2. P.S. Dark, your title for this video is a little too ‘theatrical’. 😉

[@g-manthenurseman7532]

Many thanks for this amazing history lesson!

[@BillHalliwell]

@@g-manthenurseman7532 G'day G-man, your welcome. Bill H.

[@ChristopherBiessener]

I agree with the comment about the title. Every one of the titles of this creator's videos is extremely over dramatic and click-baity.

[@bhut1571]

Much thanks for this info. He was an amazing fellow. Cheers from Canada.

[@lancelot1953]

Greetings from USA. Thank you for letting us know about the sacrifices that the Australian military and specifically RAAF made during WW2. Sadly enough, there are not enough media accounts of Australia's importance not only in the Pacific Theater of Operation but also in Europe, especially before Pear Harbor. Field Marshall Rommel said many "great" compliments to the difficulties the DAK encountered in its fights for North Africa. Most pilots if not nearly all pilots would avoid shooting a pilot exiting its stricken aircraft, a POW, a surrendered enemy, etc... but war has a life of its own. My uncle (US Navy officer) was tortured for one year by the "peace-loving Japanese" (to echo some modern American revisionists). He witnessed his fellow POWs many of them Australians/British soldiers being tortured, mutilated, ... even castrated. Meanwhile back home (USA), from the comfort of our Lazyboys (plush reclining chair brand), we criticize the sacrifice(s) of our elders for bombing fighting/bombing Japan. War has a life of its own . The Australian military and civilians gave the Allies a huge if not essential help in stopping the Imperial Japanese Pacific expansion and providing us (Allies) with a forward base of operation/recovery/hospitalization/... and recreation. I thank you for letting the YT community know about Australian efforts and sacrifices during this world conflict. Peace be with you, Ciao, L (US Veteran)

[@walthanas]

"He took down a Messerschitt BF 109 twin engined fighter"? The BF 109 is a single engined fighter, the BF 110 was a twin engined fighter...

[@mrbig4532]

They never put it in full production but Willy Messerschmitt did make a prototype twin me 109 but it was later in the war when they became more desperate. The intended use was to tow the big glider that Messerschmitt was building but didn’t know if it was going to work so they tried bolting several different types of planes together. In the end they put engines on the glider and never produced any twin planes in any real numbers . I only saw a blueprint of the twin 109 so I can not say for sure if it ever really existed but on some tv show on the history channel they claim it did fly.

[@paulwswift5226]

And a JU97. Like the videos but a few gremlins here and there.

[@alanjm1234]

Missed by one!

[@kevvoo1967]

110

[@discount8508]

he said he preferred the P-40 over the spitfire and liked the P-47 more than the P -51 in his book ....his shadow shooting was adopted by the RAF and the USAAF returning to base after uneventful missions to improve marksmanship

[@richardpluim4426]

George Burling was a deflection shooter as well.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

discount And he proved what a great fighter the P40 was, it was a great handling plane tight turns fast roles and rugged as hell and armed with 6 50 cal it like other fighters of the era was a low/medium altitude ighter and out performed the Hyrrycanes and was prefered by "Killer" over the $hitfire Mk VIII the high altitude merlin equipted one

[@jamesthornton9399]

I would like to know exactly what it was.

[@Kroggnagch]

To be such a badass, the enemy gives you a cool nickname like "Tiger"? Man... that's awesome

[@Cedartreetechnologies]

All that....and he survived the war!

[@patm111]

A few inaccuracies with this video, including with one of the pilots mentioned. The Heinz Schmidt shown in the photograph had 173 victories and was in JG 52 and went MIA in September 1943, 2 years later. The Heinz Schmidt from JG 27 that Caldwell is credited with shooting down in June 1941 had 6 victories.

[@rudolfabelin383]

Thanks! My research didn't get this to add up.

[@andreagentili1462]

111

[@christophercoupe5006]

Caldwell reminds me of Canadian George "Buzz" Beurling aka the eagle of Malta who also didn't use incendiary bullets and had 31 victories!!!

[@colinscutt5104]

As soon as you said Australian i knew this was going to be some Heroically mad shit

[@WW2AviationGeek]

At 11:47 you can see Clive beside one of his planes. Look at his aircraft markings: CR🎯C. You can't get more Aussie than that!!! The original Crocodile Hunter!! Good on you mate, ya Legend!

[@thomasgumersell9607]

Enjoyed your video on Clive Cadwell. Truly a masterful Fighter Piopt. One who flew with great skill and courage. 💪👃✨

[@CharlesVorsanger]

At 3:58. the Me 109 was a SINGLE-engine fighter. It was the Me 110 which was twin-engine.

[@fiddlefolk]

One bad ass Aussie!

[@ryanparker7258]

Any fighter aces from WW2 there tally’s will never be beaten , all are heroes to their countries.

[@davidsargent9359]

We’ve eve named suburbs in our capital city, Caldwell

[@docsavage8640]

@ryanparker7258 they aren't even close to the aces of WWI

[@dongorrie1828]

Their tallies.

[@misterramon7447]

@@docsavage8640 Uh, The Red Baron had 80 kills in WW1 (Rene Fonck of France had 75)... in WW2 there were 99 GERMAN Aces with 100+ kills, PLUS 35 with 150+, PLUS 15 with 200+, PLUS 5 with 250+, PLUS 2 with 300+ including Erich Hartmann the world record holder with 352 Kills.

[@Arrowheadbob]

At 13:13 the zero crashing in flames is a clip from the 1943 movie Air Force. And it’s a fairly well done miniature, not a real aorcraft.

[@annehersey9895]

The Desert warfare whether on land, sea or air seemed that the best performers were those who walked to the beat of their own drummer. I’ve seen numerous stories of airmen n SAS members in north Africa who were lone wolves, often reprimanded yet were the very best performers.

[@SteveDave29]

Twin engine ME/BF 109?? Did you mean BF 210 fighter? I'm confused.

[@lesp315]

What a character. The best of the best.

[@artawhirler]

You really got some great gun-camera footage in this video!

[@SIXPACFISH]

I looked at three (3) different sources of fighter pilot info and they all said that Hinz Smit fought in the Battle of Britain and was transferred to the Russian Front. Where he fought the rest of the war until he died. Smit never fought in Africa! I don't know who Caldwallop shot down that day in Africa. But I do know it was Not Hinz Smit. You say he shot down a BF 109 Twin Engine fighter??? How Odd! Read your script before you tape your narration, Dude.

[@senadsotonica]

There was a Leutnant Heinz Schmidt 1916-1941 that crashed in Libya. Sadly no info on him. Obviously not the man on photo, the German ace Hauptmann Heinz Schmidt b.1920 MIA 1943 Eastern Front At least the name was right 😅

[@douglassutherland4646]

@@senadsotonica😊

[@voornaam3191]

​@@senadsotonica Great comment. This is like finding a John Smith, this name is so common, and there are some versions, do you think it strange there are two fighter pilots with almost similar names? Things get funny when Americans have German family names. They could have met cousins during a war. You bet this has really happened. It is movie stuff, but statistics tell us, chances are, in trench war of WW1 you could really meet a family member. Large numbers of soldiers, such chances do increase.

[@voornaam3191]

Have the Germans has such "double" Bf109's? There was a double fuselage Mustang, wasn't it? Did Messerschmitt do the same trick? It is like the easiest way to build a two-engine version of your plane. Get a short wing in between the two fuselages, extend the controls to the other fuselage, change the tail to one tail. It is far easier than having both wings support an engine. There are good reasons for having that large engine up front the fuselage. So, having two such fuselages flying side by side, well, it may be larger then just one, it saves you trouble. So the double tails Mustang was built. And I wonder if Messerschmitt copied the idea. Why not? I would have it a go.

[@senadsotonica]

@@voornaam3191 There was also a South African, Heinz Werner Schmidt, Rommels right hand Jews fighting for the reich, italian and germans descendants fighting axis ... and the list goes on Yeah war is utter madness.

[@Li.Siyuan]

FYI - there are no 'th's, 'nd's or 'st's after squadon names in the RAF. They are usualy pronounced by calling out each number individually, thus 112 Squadron is NOT "One hundred twelfth Squadron" but rather "One One Two Squadron".

[@limes194]

I recommend reading the book "A Higher Call" about Charlie Brown and Franz Stiegler. Franz' squadron leader, Gustav Roedel, said to Franz Stigler before his first mission in North Africa: "If I ever see or hear of you shooting at a man in a parachute, I will shoot you myself! You follow the rules of war for you, not for the enemy. You fight by rules to keep your humanity." A code of conduct Clive Caldwell chose not to follow.

[@johndyson4109]

It's amazing how Luftwaffe pilots got so many more kills than the Allied pilots did... I can understand that they were required to serve longer and go on more sorties but some of them had kills in the hundreds!

[@thomaswhiddon7638]

I've heard a LOT of those were false claims and, certainly in the early years of USA involvement, American rookies were often pitted against German aces.

[@MartintheTinman]

Because they fought in the Russian front and early on the Russians had inferior aircraft

[@MartintheTinman]

Many German pilots had Spanish war experience too. So German pilots were flying against pilots that had never seen combat

[@markr.1984]

At 4:00 in the video he says the Messerschmidt 109 was a twin engine fighter! Who knew? Heck, maybe they had an extra engine hidden somewhere that was really tiny?

[@jamesogden7756]

Wikipedia research... 😅

[@misterramon7447]

@@jamesogden7756 Wikipedia got it right...I have NO idea where they dug up that second engine on a 109.

[@bicivelo]

The dude was a certified badass!!

[@Retroscoop]

3:59 A Me Bf 109 twin engine fighter..... U-huh.... Great research work again....

[@freedomzvision]

Amazing. Thank you for sharing.

[@scothayes9220]

Good show boss. Thank you.

[@jackwalker9492]

I was Infantry and relate to the tracer issue. You start shooting any distance, and the tracers are higher than the regular rounds as they have no lead core, just the chemical powder and they work both ways LOL. You have to know your rifle and use your sights or of course today, the gadgets which as so good that a 3 year old can be a marksman until the battery dies, the lens cracks or fogs up etc. Learn to shoot, then learn the gadgets both. It is getting too expensive with all this foolishness for a full spectrum war which includes draftees.

[@eddiemarsh6256]

Do you mean a BF 110, as the 109 is a single engine plane

[@iandaniel2153]

One of my Uncles was an aircraft mechanic in nth Africa, Borneo and PNG .. he would certainly have known of this man

[@knotkool1]

sigh. in capuzzo, libya, he did not take down a bf 109 twin engine fighter, the only bf 109 with twin engines was a twin fuselage that was never built.

[@toddstrickland973]

He had himself an action packed career, smiling for cameras!

[@murrayscott9546]

U can build more planes but not more airmen.

[@johnvaleanbaily246]

A Messerchmit Bf109 is not a "two engined fighter". There is no such rank as "Flight-Commander" in the RAF. There is no such plane as a Ju 97. There is a Ju 87 (Stuka). Otherwise, pretty good.

[@Troy-b1e]

Smart pilot ditching tracers … I’m a ground pounder and tracers can be the wrong way to go depending on your mission

[@knotkool1]

there were 2 aces named heinz schmidt in the luftwaffe. the one pictured and expounded on was not shot down by clive. the heinz schmidt pictured was a high scoring ace in the eastern theater who was killed a couple years later by friendly fire. clives first victory was heinz schmidt of the jg 27 with 6 kills. seems he was killed.

[@artawhirler]

4:00 I think you mean he shot down a BF "110" twin engine fighter (not a 109)

[@richosthoff7212]

Since when is a BF-109 a "twin engine" fighter?

[@markpaul-ym5wg]

Great video.Thanks DARK DOCS!

[@paulgregg722]

When referring to RAF, Australian, NZ and Canadian asquadrons, the correct format is as follows: squadrons 1 to100 examples: ‘Eighty seven squadron’, ‘Ninety eight squadron’, -‘One Hundred Sqn’ Squadrons beyond 100 examples: ‘ 0ne-One-Two Squadron’, ‘Two-Five-Six Squadron (etc). Use just numerals! Incorrect is prefix ‘Number’ eighty seven,’, ‘The eighty-Seventh Squadron and derivations!

[@paddlesmcbean2366]

Seriously, this Australian pilot was the best of the allies aces.

[@Weesel71]

4:00 " BF-109 twin-engine fighter". I don't think so. BF-110 I would believe.

[@crystalpistol2133]

Brilliant stuff...great music...

[@dodoubleg2356]

@4:00 you said he “took down a BF109 TWIN engine fighter.” Am I missing something?? 🧐

[@anthonyburke5656]

Caldwell evoked intense jealousy in the middle and upper echelons of the RAAF, more than 40 years after the end of the war there was found an internal memo in the RAAF dictating that Caldwell was never to be given a combat role or command of an operational unit!

[@theaviationarchaeologist8519]

A twin.engined Bf109????

[@PitViper329]

@4:00 A Bf-109 is a single-engjne plane.

[@earlgrey691]

'Twin' engined 109 ?

[@derekpierkowski7641]

A BF- 109 twin engine fighter? These videos are always WEIRDLY INACCURATE!. Only reason I watch them.

[@laktisandpipik9265]

They must have meant a Me110. They always get something incredibly wrong. Watched one earlier which said that Sweden "grew" iron ore. I think they're so hungry for the clicks that they don't properly edit scripts and do everything in one take.

[@mht525]

Aussie Aussie Aussie , Darwin is a city with a harbour.... 🤘✌️🇦🇺

[@rickjohnson6559]

Very good for an Aussie. Yes I am aware of their excellent drive and ability to adapt. I'm a historian. I had never heard of Australia's ace. Salut. Well done. Flying a warhawk the plane was good for it's era. One big draw back was it's wing mounted guns that a pilot had to converge as the paths of the guns crossed. Like a giant X in front of the pilot. Hard to judge at 400 mph. He was able to figure that out. I salut you sir. If you have passed RIP.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

rick The P40 or most planes of the times could not do 400 MPH unless in a dive !!! and it was heavily armed with 6 50 cal MG's

[@sunriseboy4837]

Passed in 1994.

[@MartintheTinman]

Tomahawk P-40B Warhawk was the N

[@MrMalvolio29]

Why would a British RAF Unit in North Africa during WWII on the Egypt/Libya border *choose* to switch from flying hurricanes-effective fighters at *both* high and low altitudes--to flying American Curtiss P-40s, which were effective only at lower altitudes and were difficult to land bc of their narrow undercarriages? My impression of the P-40 is that--though it *could* be a competent fighter in the hands of very skilled pilots, as the Flying Tigers of China were for a while against Japan--it was essentially a nearly-obsolete plane by the end of the 1930s, being quickly surpassed by abler, faster, and nimbler fighters such as the hurricane, Spitfire, BF109, FW190, the P38 Lightning, the P47 Thinderbolt, and of course the P51 Mustang.

[@docsavage8640]

Because they could get American parts easier

[@jayartz8562]

Because they thought the P40 was superior for the theatre. It was much better than you make out.

[@robertpatrick3350]

Because they needed the Hurricanes for another theatre

[@misterramon7447]

Better Armor plating?

[@mrj6642]

4:09 - “BF-109 twin engine fighter” -> ??

[@TomaszRakowski]

Bf100 was not a twin engine AC. Bf110 is... Also Ju97 ?

[@dsantos10]

Pulled up the wikipedia on this and the information is nearly identical

[@MrM1729]

That’s how Dark Skies does it - splice film read a script from Wikipedia

[@DaiElsan]

Twin engined Bf109?

[@LezDentz]

Was that a Lancaster being shot up at 5:35 ?

[@CharlesVorsanger]

10:21. These are 3 SBD "Dauntless" planes, NOT Japanese Zeros.

[@BeardmanVaush]

4:00 Me-110, not 109.

[@thomasb1889]

The war in North Africa has been said to be very much like naval warfare and the air fighting was very much like the it was in the Pacific carrier fights with almost all air fighting happening below 20K feet.

[@sneville44]

Can you imagine what he would of done if he was piloting a P51 Mustang?

[@RivetGardener]

Probably the same.

[@RivetGardener]

Probably the same.

[@jamieh8240]

Why? He seemed to do alright with the aircraft he was flying at the time. Apart from it's long range, there was nothing really special about the Mustang.

[@jaymareachealee3351]

Not of done. It is have done

[@Skidoodle555]

@@jamieh8240The Mustang was the best at high altitudes and very maneuverable. The long range of the Mustang carried them on Bomber escort missions all the way to the target and back. The Mustang saved the American daylight Bomber mission over Germany. The Mustang was special. Not just for long range combat ability.

[@warped-sliderule]

One bad hombre! Shows to go ya, toughness and skill can outweigh equipment limitations and numerical disadvantage. It's one thing when the enemy knows your name. It's a whole nuther level when they give you a nickname. FYI, Geneva Convention does forbid shooting parachutists from disable aircraft, but if you win the war then who's going to press the crime.

[@johnmorrison1180]

Shot down a twin engine ME 109 ?

[@justsayen2024]

What a unit 💪

[@hansart8266]

A BF 109 is a single engine fighter not a twin engine fighter. It's at 4.01.

[@colinford6456]

Suggest you get your facts correct. Caldwell never signed up with the Royal Air Force. He enlisted with the Royal Australian Air Force on 27 May 1940, his enlistment papers which he filled in and signed at the time show his actual date of birth - his age at the time did not preclude him from training or service with the RAAF as a pilot. He undertook his pilot training in Australia and was then sent to the Middle East in February 1941, arriving there early March 1941. His RAAF Personnel file covering his wartime enlistment, training and service is available online in digital format on the National Archives of Australia website. His Wiki entry contains a number of errors of fact so should not be considered a reliable source of information on him.

[@MarkThornton1]

"BF109 twin engined fighter" ??

[@GunniesLetsFlyVFR]

It's wing commander if you have 3 stripes the same size. Squadron leader when the middle one is smaller. Fyi. Great vid mate.

[@slommer5063]

It seems you put more effort into dramatics than you do into proofing your tales. Check your 4:01 minute mark; the BF 109 isn't a twin engine aircraft...

[@erictaylor5462]

4:25 I wouldn't say it was common. It did happen from time to time both sides considered it cowardly and vile. When a good pilot saw such an attack they would often pick away at the airplane that did it until the pilot had to bail out. It doesn't take a doctorate degree to know what would happen next.

[@thomasstevenrothmbamd2384]

Wow!

[@carycoller3140]

No matter what the reason or excuse any of them give on any side of that war, shooting a man who was parachuting is murder.

[@adamconroy2146]

What is a JU97?. An 87 that's ten feet longer maybe?.

[@misterramon7447]

Proof-read before posting video. The Bf 109 was a single engine single seater, The BF 110 was the twin engine multi-seat Messerschmitt fighter. The Ju-87 was the plane called the Stuka, The Ju-97 did not exist. Fieslet had that number for a Touring (basically civilian) light plane. The Zero was in the Japanese Inventory well before Pearl Harbor, as it got into squadron service in 1940, it was NOT new in 1943 though upgrades continued through the war. As a side note, it is unlikely that ALL of the zeroes in a squadron were flown by 'Aces",

[@copisetic1104]

Feckless senior brass

[@GaveMeGrace1]

Cool-thank you.

[@todaylets2583]

What a bad ass!!

[@andrzejrada86]

You got so wrong about Polish pilots that I could not believe hiring it . That group was known as " Circus of Skalski " , hand picked pilots from different Polish squadrons in Britain with great experience. They were attached to 215 Caldwell squadron , but flew independently , only 6 aircraft at any time . Within couple months they shot down 25 or so enemy aircraft's (not mentioning probables and damages )loosing only one of their own pilots Mieczyslaw Wyszkowski ( p.o..w.) . So please next time prepare yourself better !!! ❤

[@piotr7049]

Correction: They were attached to 141 Squadron led by S/L Lance Wade

[@BeardmanVaush]

9:50 Ju-87s, not Ju-97s.

[@brianmoore1164]

So, they became so silly over politics that they trumped up drinking charges to push out their greatest ace and combat leader. He wasn't just an ace, but a killer of enemy aces! Fat chair bound officers who never even heard the sound of gunfire no doubt.

[@0Zolrender0]

Is this the same Clive Caldwell that did art for TSR in the 1970's and 80's?

[@larrychew1]

Why was a a momentary clip of a Chinese Flying Tiger included?

[@misterramon7447]

The Tiger Mouth was used by many units on all sides...the Flying Tigers just got more press coverage but you can find pictures of British AND German planes sporting that Tiger/Shark's mouth.

[@bobbrown5529]

Another Aussie Legend .. I was surprised to learn that it was a common practice to shoot pilots etc who bail out . I was under the impression that you did not shoot anybody in a parachute and it was also another form of respect . This excluded the Japanese , as they routinely shoot pilots in chutes .. Looks like I maybe wrong again . Question .. a German soldier was different to a Nazi . A German soldier was a normal soldier , like the general infantry of a country . where as the Nazi / SS was a soldier who operated outside normal fields . They where the ones who dealt with the murder of the Jews and most atrocities from WW2 All countries committed various crimes but the Nazi was in a league of there own

[@terry_willis]

Not quite. IMO, a large number/% of "regular" German soldiers (as were civilians in large numbers) were Jew haters and believers in Lebensraum/German expansion and willingly fought for/unilaterally invaded peaceful neighboring countries and idolized Hitler and all he stood for (frenzied nationalism). Of course, some did not, but the aphorism that Germans are precise and good at following orders is basically true. How else can you account for the death of 100 million people and the destruction of most of Europe? What sane nation would go on the rampage and enter into a horrific war just to expand their territory?

[@herbfabian]

As far as I know it was not common in the Europe theater to shoot pilots hanging on a chute, not even in Russia! Except American pilots . But I connot judge the Pacific theater.

[@raymondtonns2521]

as were the Japanese

[@zen4men]

Communists have caused many more deaths than Facists, but as communists run media and films, people are brainwashed that Communists are Good, Facists are Bad. And they believe it. /

[@ToddSauve]

I saw an interview with American fighter pilot Chuck Yeager here on KZbin and he said he was under orders during his tours of duty in Europe to shoot enemy pilots in their parachutes. So he did. Seldom acknowledged but true.

[@Arrowheadbob]

Dhot down a BF209 tein engined fighter???

[@evilstorm5954]

Never heard of the RAF flying Kittyhawks, but the RAAF did.

[@mervynhood8194]

Op Crusader, Mates needed help, all that was needed to be said, from fellow ANZAC.

[@jacquesmerley7717]

I can find no trace of a Heinz Schmidt flying in North Africa toe. The one documented, whose photo matches the one in the clip, never went to NA but fought on Eastern front where he eventually went MIA in Ukrain 9/5/1943.

[@davidsargent9359]

Caldwell would shoot enemies in parachutes …. Depending on where they ejected

[@michaelgrie3211]

Where is irrelevant. It was a war crime any way you cut it.

[@stevetobe4494]

Ejected? They didn't have ejection seats in the Bf-109.

[@MartintheTinman]

​@michaelgrie3211 so you'd watch it happen to your friend and not do the same? BTW all of war is a crime against the powerless by the powerful. If politicians had to fight them, there'd be none

[@kevindelaney1951]

There is no such thing as a… BF 109 twin engine fighter… did you mean to say a ME 110? Which was a twin engine fighter? Let’s get it right, ok?

[@narabdela]

The usual melange of fact and inaccuracies. Does this guy ever do any quality research?

[@stevecowham1017]

There is no rank in the RAF as a 'Flight Commander'. It's a position.

[@davesalmond6726]

maybe explained at 9.47 "rear of the year".

[@LawrenceFox-jx1fq]

P40 wasn't ready for first world contemporaries ie Messerschmitt 109

[@richardpluim4426]

He was flying a Hawker huricane not a p40

[@thomaslinton5765]

How many Allies did he exterminate?

[@jerrysolomon7623]

JU 87s pretty much sitting ducks the flew so slow.

[@michaelgrie3211]

@5:28, narrator describes what can only be considered a war crime, shooting men in parachutes. Anything else he did, however heroic it may have been, is tainted by this admission. He is a war criminal, but because he fought for the Allies, he was never tried, convicted, and punished as such.

[@lw216316]

I read he was 6' 2 1/2" tall - I'm surprised he was allowed in the air force. That deal about selling alcohol seems like a really bonehead idea on his part. I wish there was more detail about how that shadow technique worked.... was he bascially just leading the target? Yea, war is like that - 2 men who don't know each other are fighting to the death... One of my favorite quotes in all the world and for all time is... "they shall learn war no more"....look that one up !

[@paulboucher806]

Was he a conscript?

[@jazzman5598]

It’s one thing to fly. But man, these guys are shooting at you……..

[@Videomorgue]

I wouldn't trust an Aussie pilot if he wasn't drunk.