THE REAL MASTERS OF THE AIR | B-17, Hell Over Europe | John "Lucky" Luckadoo Recalls

The Real Masters Of The Air. Listen to the stories of WW2 veterans.
John "Lucky" Luckadoo was a copilot with the newly formed 100th bomb group. Lucky flew a fateful mission to Bremen, Germany, that contributed to their notorious name. "Morale was low. Numerous replacements were made, earning us the title of the "Bloody Hundredth." Among all the groups, we were known to have the lowest survival rate in the Eighth Air Force." Lucky flew with the "Bloody Hundredth" throughout the rest of 1943 and finished his 25-mission tour of duty in February 1944. Out of 40 original pilots in the 100th Bomb Group, he was one of only four to finish their tours of duty. The collection of missions, actions, and personalities created a synergy making the 100th Bomb Group one of the most storied units of World War II.
Perhaps no other mission cemented the reputation of the 100th more than the Munster raid of October 10. While en route to the target, the Group experienced the most violent Luftwaffe attacks yet seen as bombers took hits from both flak and fighters. As the formation made its way to the initial point (IP), planes of the 100th were downed one by one. With the Group’s losses over Munster, the 100th was now firmly labeled a jinxed unit.
Of all the 8th Air Force Bomb Groups to fly from England in World War Two, the 100th BG gained a reputation as a ‘hard luck outfit’ for its heavy casualties. Despite the batterings it took on numerous missions, the group remained operational and struck Germany hard. Bob Archer tells the story of the ‘Bloody Hundredth’.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, there were just 155 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses in service. The raid immediately brought the US into the world war and production orders for the B-17, along with a host of other combat aircraft, skyrocketed. To maintain the massive output required, Boeing established additional B-17 production lines with Douglas Aircraft at Long Beach, California, and Lockheed Vega at Burbank, California. A grand total of 12,731 B-17s was built by May 1945 in these plants and at Boeing’s own Seattle factory.
Thousands of ‘Forts’, as the B-17 was colloquially known, were delivered to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) in Europe. Just a few weeks into 1942, hard on the heels of the Japanese attack, the VIII Bomber Command was established in readiness to coordinate activities against Nazi Germany (it was redesignated as the better-known 8th Air Force in February 1944). The command’s headquarters soon relocated to the UK to begin the preparations necessary to take the fight to the enemy across the English Channel. An armada of weapons, personnel, and everything necessary for this gargantuan organization to function effectively was speedily shipped across the Atlantic. After disembarking at British ports, airmen then traveled by train and truck to their designated base.
New airfields were rapidly carved out of the English countryside, each with the necessary hangars, hardstandings, bomb dumps, fuel farms, barracks, and support infrastructure. These facilities were constructed every few miles across the flat landscape of East Anglia and more than 100 were eventually built. Some had fighter aircraft stationed, while others were prepared for the heavy bomber units, which were in training in the USA prior to making their way to Europe. About half of the 40 UK-based groups flew the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, while others operated the B-17. Each base housed an individual bombardment group, with either three or four squadrons assigned. During the summer of 1942, as construction was completed, the streams of bombers began flying across the Atlantic via several refueling stops before finally settling down onto the freshly laid runways of their new airfields.
Watch more aircraft, heroes, and their stories, and missions ➤ / @dronescapes
To support/join the channel ➤ www.youtube.com/@Dronescapes/...
IG ➤ / dronescapesvideos
FB ➤ / dronescapesvideos
X/Twitter ➤ dronescapes.video/2p89vedj
THREADS ➤ www.threads.net/@dronescapesv...
#mastersoftheair #b17 #airplane

[@Dronescapes]

➤➤ Watch more aircraft, heroes, and their stories, and missions: www.youtube.com/@Dronescapes ➤➤ Join the channel: www.youtube.com/@Dronescapes/join ➤ IG ➤ instagram.com/dronescapesvideos ➤ FB ➤ facebook.com/Dronescapesvideos ➤ X/Twitter ➤ dronescapes.video/2p89vedj ➤ THREADS ➤ www.threads.net/@dronescapesvideos

[@geoffknights7066]

My admiration for these brave young men hold no bounds .

[@normanbernal4337]

Just so much Respect and Admiration for this gentleman who at this time in early 2024 is still able to give his recollections and memories of the duty he performed in WWII. His crisp and precise memories tell of a time in his life when in every moment of life or death while in missions above the ETO were such an impacting event upon the rest of his life. Hat's off to Capt. Lucky..(!) love the name!

[@jbstepchild]

Wow this is amazing he's a hero beyond understanding and now 100 years old super soldiers were a thing my grand papa was an this man is

[@ual737ret]

Lucky was and is truly a lucky man. He survived a hellish time in combat and now, at one hundred years old, he is the most articulate man for his age that I have ever seen. God bless him.

[@greghardy9476]

My dad was in WW II. He would have been 101 this year. He was at Normandy and the Bulge. He once told me he would not trade places with the aircrews for anything. He saw too many shot down. They had a Do-17 shot down near them while in England. They found the wreckage. He found a boot in the wreckage. A foot was still in it.

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him

[@friendlyfarmer344]

My dad was 8 years old and his father went to see believed to be a B17 that crashed just a couple miles from were we lived in France in 1944 , we were a mile away from a German Air Base. The local farmer explained that the bomber had major fire believed to be that all 7 crew member were already dead, flew extremely low so low almost hit his farm buildings. I saw 7 military cross in our local cemetery between ( Frileuse and Le Chene ) Normandy France. Before moving to Canada in 1979 we were delivering grain to elevator using those incredible German Runways I'm 56 years old my dad is 86 years old

[@adamkuperstein6289]

Respect!

[@juanmanuelpenafielbeltran5727]

"La guerra...situación en la que jóvenes desconocidos tienen que matarse entre si para complacer a viejos conocidos".

[@jbstepchild]

There was so much more to it this opinion of yours is simple not wrong but simple when your told things an shown things that affect you an your country an your told you could make the difference an taught the craziest things an given equipment that anyways there is an was so much more heart then than today

[@pontiacfan76]

Guy sounds like Walter Cronkite