MASTERS OF THE AIR Part Three | TV Reaction | First Time Watching

[@mwhyte1979]

As a retired AF vet I can tell you that the names Regensburg and Schweinfurts still resonates with the USAF.

[@Jen-Mom]

❤

[@stevedavis9466]

My father flew on this mission on the Piccadilly Lily of the 351stSQ/100thBG. When AF pilots would meet my Dad and he told them where he served and when, they all want to know if he was in this mission and the 2nd raid on Schweinfurt. He completed his 25 missions on OCT4 and missed the 2nd raid on Schweinfurt . His diary entry for AUG17 of this mission is a sobering read.

[@mwhyte1979]

@@stevedavis9466 my deepest respects and admiration for your father's service. Him and his fellow Airmen left some seriously large shoe's for us future generations of Airmen to fill. I'm so far liking this show and I'm wondering how it's going to let folks know that there was worse day's than this one.

[@stevedavis9466]

@@mwhyte1979 may this nation never stop producing young men like this....

[@mwhyte1979]

@@stevedavis9466 Amen!

[@TheFalconerNZ]

'Although the briefing officer was probably just trying to inspire the men, it wasn’t the biggest air armada in the history of mankind, the R.A.F did three 1000 bomber raids in 1942.' (From another reaction to this episode). In case missed the Resistance fighter was warning Flanders that to escape through the underground he would have to dress in civilian clothing to blend in thereby making 'Out of Uniform' making him a spy. 6:56 This was a common problem with the Belly Turret & some men even died when the plane was forced to crash land wheels up & they were unable to get them out, fortunately this was rare.

[@iKvetch558]

Oof...this raid is famous for the losses...hope it was not too tough for you two. One quick thing I noticed, it seems like they do not make it clear that the reason why the Regensburg flight had to take off no matter what is due to them needing to fly all the way to Africa in daylight...or they would get lost. It was not any decision by LeMay that sent them up...that being then Colonel Curtis LeMay...it was the fact that if they did not they could never get safely to Africa. It is not a hugely significant issue, I just happen to know a LOT about LeMay, so I know that he was following orders and did not make the call himself...he flew the lead plane for the entire Regensburg force. They also show the air to air rockets the Luftwaffe used being used very wrong...but again, it is not a very significant error. My assumption is that the CGI for the real rockets would have been much more expensive.

[@WilliamCooper-l6f]

Total USA airmen lost in combat during WW2 over Germany or Europe, was 38,418 and 14,533 in the Pacific region taking out the rest of the Japanese Navy, reclaiming Islands and bombing mainland Japan. These are only those in aircraft and nothing more. Bombers had a crew of 10. About 25% of these aircraft were destroyed before they could return home.

[@leizimmerman6184]

Curtis LeMay was flying with them. He was CO of 3rd div. Boerne Lay was up too.

[@callsign_scooter9602]

Cool thing, there were some airmen who were able to escape from other groups (avoiding spoilers, but to me this show is like the Titanic, but for those who don't know, I'm keeping this as vague as possible) and they were asked to help make new manuals on Escape and Evasion. I'd imagine the forming of SERE school.

[@MikiJohnson13]

Obviously things have really changed and come a long way but as someone who was stationed at Miramar(88-92) in an F-14 squadron in the ordnance shop, I will always have a special place for military aircraft and it's necessity. The good news for you guys, due to working around jets, I have terrible tinnitus so I have to keep my tv on all night for background noise. Guess what gets played on constant??? I must certainly be helping your numbers. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Jen-Mom]

😊❤

[@hanscombe72]

That view out of the nose and cockpit was horrifying. Just wreckage falling down. Bombers exploding and of course that crew member falling. Little things like that burn into your memory.

[@Jen-Mom]

😢

[@aaronwalters6134]

While a bold choice for LeMay, in all fairness he flew lead plane to Regensburg.

[@RedSinter]

Life expectancy was 6 weeks 7 out of 10 died, and more pilots and crews died in 9 months, 25,000, in 9 months than all the Marines in their 3 years in the Pacific Theater. They were literally falling out of the sky. There incredible and terrible sacrifice is what created the Air Force. They were the Army Air Corps or the Brown Shoes as they were called. My father was the crew chief for LaMay. I have, or had a picture of my father in a pub with a odd look on his face and a thousand yard stare. Till on a trip back home to Texas where I learned these facts from a DVD on the Air War from the Nimitz War Museum of the Pacific, recently renamed. Then I realized it was the shock of realizing the losses and the deaths of those he knew. Oh, and 99% of those who bailed out were never found as most were lost in the channel.

[@przemekkozlowski7835]

Kurt's death was apparently made less gruesome for the show. Witness accounts have him and three other crewmen trapped in the front of the plane by a fire. The men might have been on fire when the plane crashed and they died. :(

[@Jen-Mom]

😢

[@jacobcorcho2518]

Watching him get burnt up like that would've been a bit too traumatizing and graphic for the audience. So going for a still tragic but heroic death trying to get the wounded Dicky down safely, was the next best thing to do for his death. Rest in Peace Lt. Biddick

[@kuyag68]

LeMay had to make the decision to go first if they were going to make it to Africa before it got dark.

[@Vipre-]

Historically Curt Biddick's plane was lost due to an oxygen fire which trapped him, his co-pilot, and the top turret gunner on the flight deck. All three and one other crew member died while the other six made it out.

[@aaronin93309]

I thought his body was found hanging in a chute 3 weeks later.

[@tracyfrazier7440]

I don't remember if Reel History said three weeks or three months but definitely hanging from a tree. @@aaronin93309

[@SheriffsSimShack]

"13:17 nothing every happened here" Africa was up until the germans withdrew in 1943 a warzone. These kids would have seen all kinds of planes.

[@donaldshotts4429]

The Afrika Corp surrendered in Tunisia May 43 if I'm not mistaken so Algeria was probably pretty clear

[@vkolo3388]

When the series is over here are a few good things to watch. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIfInnupZ7uiZ9k Best 1hr summary of the 8th Air Force from 1984' The Memphis Belle - Real WW2 Documentary kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYC0c59mbrZ6ic0 I highly advise a trip to Dayton! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJS1iYKaptyrrac

[@williambranch4283]

Young pilots get one month of survival training in the woods including interrogation.

[@Jen-Mom]

Ah ok. ❤