The Second Schweinfurt Raid - The USAAF's Black Thursday, October 1943 - Animated

[@southseasflying]

My grandpa was with the 353rd FG flying the P-47 escort for this mission. He snapped a photo of one of the B-17s, with the pilot waving to him. The B-17 survived that mission and made it through the war, and through a twist of irony the pilot of that B-17 wound up moving in next door to my grandpa in 1955. They were friends until the B-17 pilot died in 1999, and his son remains good friends with my dad to this day.

[@alexanderleach3365]

That's an amazing story. What's your grandfather's name and rank?

[@neilpountney9414]

That is an awesome story. Thanks for sharing!

[@southseasflying]

@@alexanderleach3365 ​ While I don't give names out online, he was a 1st Lieutenant for most of the war. Prior to the start of WW2 he was an instructor at the Cal Aero Academy, which was a civilian flight school that trained military pilots. When the war broke out the Cal Aero instructors were given the option to be commissioned into the AAF as fighter pilots since they were already fully trained in basic, advanced and pursuit pilot school. He started the war on the P-39 in a non-combat role, repositioning them from upstate NY to Alaska for delivery to the USSR under lend-lease, and was assigned the the 353rd in I think April 1943 after completing training on the P-47. He stayed with them until the end of the war.

[@MegaMRCHURRO]

@@southseasflying oh cool he trained out in Chino, CA. A lot of those hangars are still there today

[@alexanderleach3365]

@@southseasflying Amazing.

[@michaelbullock4343]

Ray Bullock was my father [rip], and I am learning more from presentations like this than I did from my dad. “All the heroes are dead,” he once said to avoid any special claim. His crew didn’t bail out on him. Enough said.

[@anonymouslyopinionated656]

clearly the old man was a legend himself.

[@benmcccool0123]

I think your father was featured in the masters of the air miniseries.

[@christopherbullock2644]

Little brother here on the 81st anniversary.

[@visassess8607]

I love how you include people from Germany's side when you can. It's great hearing more than one source of information for an event. It paints a better picture

[@ellists3163]

I would love for someone to dedicate a video series on Medal of Honor stories from the nazi and “bad guy sides” of wars. For example: people like the Von Richthofen and Otto skorzeny are good starts. I think their bravery when analyzed separate from their morals is still deserving of praise

[@0x45Swims]

@@ellists3163doesn’t armchair historian have this for Germany?

[@oldhardmanjohnson6585]

I had a high school teacher that was miraculously spared when his ball turret was blown clear of his exploding B17. He managed to bail out of the ball and was found half stuck in a muddy field with two broken legs totally covered with his parachute. He was interred at Stalag 17 until the liberation

[@ItsDatGuy969]

I thought ball turret gunners weren’t able to fit inside while wearing their parachutes

[@jonrivers7779]

@@ItsDatGuy969 somebody with better knowledge might be able to correct me but it depended on the aircraft and the stage of the war. At the start of US involvement you are right and they only had the band for protection and a parachute stowed next to the radio operator. Later I believe they were given a modified inferior parachute that had a weird harness arrangement to the legs to allow it in the turret. If the turret was shot out there was a good chance the parachute would break away or break the legs of the gunner because of wind blast. @old hardman Johnson. The likelihood is that the ball turret was shattered and wind shear grabbed his parachute bulling him backwards and breaking his legs in the process. He was probably on the ground before he could register the pain

[@timmccarthy872]

"That co-pilot, knowing he was about to die, did one of the coolest gestures I've ever seen." I'm willing to bet "cool" meant "calm" in those days instead of "proper bitchin" but it works on both levels.

[@deusvult6920]

Wtf is proper bitchin

[@RW77777777]

you just know it was 'metal'

[@chardaskie]

Any man who can die calm is a badass

[@RCAvhstape]

I hope that guy was decorated posthumously. He chose to stay at the controls so his guys could get out and gave up his life for them.

[@vcv6560]

@@chardaskie Five MOH were awarded for the Ploesti mission (Aug 1, 43), two for pilots that flew their damaged aircraft into the inferno of the refinery under attack.

[@patrickwolff2727]

My uncle was a pilot in the 95th Bomb Group in this raid. I asked him about it once. I asked him what was the hardest part? He said their training kept them focused, but watching his friends die ten at a time was tough. These were young guys (20-24 years old) that played baseball together the day before, and suddenly they were gone. Those that returned had to look at all their missing comrades’ personal effects; pictures of girlfriends & wives, ball caps, gifts from home etc., and put them in their footlockers and lock them up. Those things got shipped home as simply as we ship things back to Amazon. Truly, that generation saved the world.

[@lolmao500]

That generation is also the generation of germans that were nazis, and the generation of russians that murdered millions in the soviet union and the generation of japanese that were psychos. Sooooooo... seems to me the 1920-1930-1940s generation was the worst generation of humans in modern history.

[@g0ast]

@pyropulse Because above all else, killing the enemy is seen as part of the job. They're not looked at as people but targets. But as a 17, 18, 19, 20 year old who had other guys just like you for months through basic training, shipping out, combat, and everything else to suddenly see that now brother of yours die suddenly, that's the stuff you remember more than anything. An enemy soldier is nobody to you, that's why you don't feel a thing when he's gasping his last breath in front of you. You knew nothing about him other than he was trying to kill you first. Your friends you're fighting with though, it's like losing a family member.

[@mindeloman]

I read in one of Rick Atkinson books that all the personal affect of all US soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines went to one civilian ran and operated processing center but I can't where it was. The Midwest somewhere St.Louis, maybe. Anyway, they went through a KIA/missing service members personal effects to ensure nothing untoward was in them that could unsettle an already bereft family. Things like playing cards were thrown out. Any alcohol pornogtaphy and what have you. Any letters from home were scrutinized to make sure mothers did not receive tact letters from girlfriends/lovers or even worse, a wife finding letters from lovers. Obviously, any bloody items were tossed as well. The whole story of that center is pretty interesting.

[@smoldoggy1005]

Now the world is completely in hell and there’s no saving it since people are too stupid

[@B0BBARKER444]

@pyropulse we got us an edge lord over here boys. Real tough guy

[@allanlindsay9414]

My Grandfather Karl was a Luftwaffe flak battery captain in Schweinfurt during this raid. Most of his unit had been destroyed in the Mannheim raids In September and they had been moved to Schweinfurt area to refit as they didn't expect another raid so soon after the August raid.

[@hatersgonnalovethis]

My neighbour in the village I grew up told me this story: the village saw some air to air combat pretty late in the war the first time as it was in southern Germany and not in range of bombing raids for a long time. However one day they had an air to air combat above their village with one american pilot shot down. The local Volkssturm and FLAK helpers spread out to find the pilot. It took them two days. They found him in his hideout after he tried to steal a chicken. They hanged him at the next tree. I asked my neighbour why they did not take him a prisoner? He was very surprised by my question and said: „because he stole, of course!“. True story.

[@MrRugercat45]

Is your grandfather still alive? He like all soldiers deserve a big thank you, for their service and sacrifice. My mother was in Slovakia during WW2 and I would like to write a book about her life. Soon there will not be anyone who remembers WW2 directly. Sad, because that generation is the finest generation.

[@allanlindsay9414]

@@MrRugercat45 Unfortunately he has been gone quite a long time. I wish I had gotten him to talk about it more, but honestly him and many of his contemporaries just didnt want to talk about it that much.

[@contrapasta2454]

The bomber groups reforming around 2:56 was a hell of an animation.

[@Tam0de]

I know. At first, i didn't know what i was watching, looked to me like total chaos & confusion. Seconds later, became clear to me that it was organized chaos 😁

[@riproar11]

Seriously! It was fascinating to watch because for so many years I have always wondered how the bombers from just one base get into formation. From the book "A Higher Call" the author describes an impressive fireworks show with many colored flares while the bomber unit circled around the base until all of the forts had taken off and could join in.

[@riproar11]

@Daniel I forgot to mention that back in 2010, at the Thunder Over Michigan air show, I experienced seeing eight B-17 bombers take off and all circle over the grandstands one by one, similar to the formations the Mighty 8th did back during WWII. Yankee Lady, Nine-O-Nine, Sentimental Journey, Liberty Belle, Thunderbird, Aluminum Overcast, Texas Raiders. Sadly, 9-o-9 and Liberty Belle are gone, but five more B-17s will be airworthy maybe by 2030. Here's a video from 2010: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJPTkoeenp5orsU

[@LesAtlas]

My father was a young navigator on one of these B-17s. He flew on many missions, I think greater than the usual maximum. He never thought of himself as heroic. He never wanted to talk about it, but he quite obviously suffered from PTSD. Spaces with open skies freaked him out. And he'd sometimes wake in the middle of the night screaming about fires. The only time he mentioned something about the military was when I ended up with a low lottery number late in the Vietnam War and I seemed to have a good chance of being drafted. My father said that he had been told that WWII and what he went through was "the war to end all wars." In order to avoid the draft, my parents were getting ready to move our family to Canada. But they ended the draft just before I would have been called and we didn't move. Some decades later I traveled to Franconia in Germany, not too far from Schweinfurt, to work. I told my father, who said that there was nothing to see there since it was all bombed out. Later, in order to buy familiar American foods for Thanksgiving, I took my family to the US Military base at Bamberg. I had ID which I used to get me on base, but they (German Bundeswehr soldiers guard the entry) would not let my wife and daughter on base. My father was furious about that. I do not know what he said, but next time we went there my family was personally met by the base commander who showed us around. My father died about a decade ago. He must have been one of the heroes in these and other raids. Very nice video. It helped me know what my father went through.

[@ghandimauler]

My maternal grandfather fought with the Scottish 16th Highland Light Infantry all across Belgium, France, the Low Countries, and into Germany. After the he got back from the Occupation (he arrived back in Scotland in 1920, no jobs, no celebrations... didn't even get formally discharged), he got a couple of jobs, saved up, put himself through textile college, and then went to Canada to work in a textile mill. Dad told me that grandad never slept in the same bed all night. He got up every 2-3 hours and moved to a different part of the house. It was because, in the trenches, if you stayed in the same place all night, you got located and killed. That he did for many years (I didn't see it when he moved in with us in about 1975) but must have got past that. Grandad knew, on some level, that our German neighbours in the 1980s had nothing to do with the Germans he fought in the trenches. That said, he did the minimal politeness required and then went to his room when they visited. The memories were still there when the accent appeared. When he had a stroke and sundowner's syndrome, at night he relived snippets of the past. He was very animate. At one point, he was having a one-sided conversation about him and his friend getting back across no-man's land from a patrol. They were hiding in a shell crater and my grandad was trying to get his friend Jock to be quiet so they didn't draw the attention of the German patrols nearby. Jock was complaining he couldn't feel one of his arms. My grandad was comforting him and shushing him up so he could get back to British lines after the Germans would pass. At one point,, grandad said 'Shh, they are close. I know you can't feel your arm. It's not their anymore. Now shush and we'll get home and get you fixed up.' That was what he was doing at 17. And after you came home - no decompression time before returning to civil society, no therapy for the horrors, no veteran's affairs to any notable degree... just 'go back to work if you can find it'. PTSD physically changes the brain (it being somewhat plastic). It is a long time demon if you don't get the help or the right help. I think my grandfather living with us from when I was born to 1988 was part of what let him continue and the fact he gave back as a 60 year Mason helping his community.

[@ebonaparte3853]

@@ghandimaulerThanks for the story

[@samadams2203]

Strategic bomber crews were second only to the submarine force in casualty rates. A truly desperate role.

[@animegaming4057]

I will say, we only won world war 2 due to mass bodies we could throw at the Nazi war machine. I saw quiet a few videos on Germany like “the German war machine myth” or something to the affect of “why Germany wasn’t that strong”, but they fought the world almost single handily. Took Europe, bombed Britain, sent forces to most of their Allie’s when they failed, held the world back for several years. Germany had the tactics, tech, and the brutal know how on how to use the tools given to them. They just failed due to their own corruption, racism, and being power hungry. They could have just stopped at Europe and been just like the United States of modern times. But the leaders couldn’t stop, they wanted more.

[@coryhall7074]

@@animegaming4057 Sherman crews had some of the highest survival rates of US and Allied combat soldiers, with slightly fewer than 5% deaths across the entire US armored force during the war.

[@animegaming4057]

@@coryhall7074 oh shizz, I had it backwards, thanks for correcting me. Correcting the comment now

[@cm275]

@@animegaming4057 Single handedly? The US was committing enormous resources to fighting Japan at the same time as the Germans.

[@animegaming4057]

@@cm275 that doesn’t change any statement, what are you arguing about? The US did help win the war, doesn’t change anything about Germany fighting the world single handily? What is your argument?

[@jeremygattman4007]

My Grandfather was a left waist gunner on a B-17 with the 96th Bomber group in this raid. His plane was shot down on the return trip over France. He was captured, taken to Stalg 17B and later moved to the Mauthausen concentration camp where he remained until it was liberated. The family was able to locate the exact location of his crew's crash site.

[@B17FlyingFortress]

He was left waist gunner on B-17 42-3348 "Dottie J III".

[@tomhutchins7495]

It's hard to grasp the scale of the bigger picture from looking at individual raids. The daylight bomber campaign was a response to the problem of the Luftwaffe fighter force, and considered to be the only way to break its strength completely. This never fully worked because industry turned out to be more resilient than expected, but it did break it down to a handful of surviving units with limited ability to conduct operations (still individually dangerous but nothing like the force it had been in 1939-42). Bombing the aviation industry was used not just because it would reduce supply, but also because it was a target that the Luftwaffe could be relied upon to defend - as indeed is pointed out in the video, operations were halted elsewhere for this. If the fighters came up, they could be shot down, thus forcing them to fight the Americans was the best chance of crippling the pilot pool. The USAAF had a couple of big advantages in this strategy but also one huge weakness. The advantages were that they had powerful, long-ranged fighters, andones which were very capable at high altitudes. The Fw 190 in particular struggled at high altitude as its engine ran out of power (you lose power with altitude but can gain some back with specialised supercharging), and the Bf 109 was also running out of steam though it had a very clever supercharger which reduced the problems. Meanwhile the P-47 was designed as a high-altitude fighter and really came alive above 20,000', which was a big advantage in combat. Later, the P-51 would also receive a specialised high-altitude version of the Merlin engine that would give the squadrons the ability to pick their best performance altitudes depending on the missions they flew. However, the big challenge the USAAF had was its leadership, where the "bomber generals" had refused to accept that long-range fighter escort was necessary. They insisted the unescorted bombers could do the job, and refused to deliver the drop tanks with which the P-47s could have escorted bombers for the entire missions in 1943. The idea that the P-51 was the only fighter with the range to escort into Germany is just that - a lie spread by the generals to cover the fact that their intransigence was paid for in the blood of their bomber crews. The P-47 would have needed bigger fuel tanks than the P-51, but that technology existed, and while its range would always have been smaller than a more-economical P-51's, it would have been sufficient to get the job done.

[@BetterRedThanDead21]

Interesting, thanks for sharing this! I totally agree

[@td9302]

Yep. The Bomber Mafia is one of the saddest and most tragic stories. The idea was great and lead to Modern Warfare but resulted in thousands of unnecessary deaths.

[@fazole]

@@BetterRedThanDead21 Greg's Aurplanes investigated this in detail and agrees, if you want the evidence.

[@fighter5583]

Totally agree. The jugs were more than a match for most of the luftwaffe due its armament and how the plane was designed; it could take punishment other fighters couldn't and keep going. Although the addition of drop tanks would have decreased maneuverability, a diving jug is something you don't want to be in front of.

[@Jack-Tactical]

@@fighter5583 You drop the tanks when you start fighting. Maneuverability wouldn’t have been an issue.

[@AnthonyEvelyn]

The Schweinfurt Regensburg raids were tough missions. So many bomber crews lost. Rest in peace to those USAAF airmen who died.

[@ArchonShon]

The animations really give you an idea how complex these operation are.

[@Hongobogologomo]

Its a real testament to the importance of training. Train, train, train.

[@Loy_Otterton]

The mere fact I am the same age as the men who fought in the world wars and beyond is so strange. I certainly don't have the balls to hop in a bomber heading right past the front lines of a hostile nation.

[@ytrefugee113]

I was in the army and based in Schweinfurt from 2003 to 2008, an interesting sight in the city is ball bearings still embedded in the exterior walls of some of the buildings from these ww2 bombings.

[@wallbanger3]

I was in Hanau Germany in the Army in 78 They were still filling in Bomb craters

[@Kurogumo]

@SteuerInnenzahler That’s tough, too bad nobody cares. Maybe they shouldn’t have started a war.

[@JohnyG29]

@SteuerInnenzahler If you start a total war, you have no right to moan when people fight back.

[@marcschouten3527]

That’s interesting. I’m planning to visit Schweinfurt at some point. I was born there (parents lived in Barbados at the time but my mum is German) and have always been curious to see the city.

[@MurrayJoe]

@SteuerInnenzahler you mean like the deliberate German targeting of civilians in Warsaw, Rotterdam, London, Coventry, etc. Don’t like your civilians get bombed, don’t start a war. An estimated 12 million civilians, men women & CHILDREN, were murdered by the Nazis in concentration camps, 6 million of them were Jewish. You reap what you sow.

[@johnedwards1685]

My mum was at high school during the war. I asked her if she saw aeroplanes overhead, she said “oh all the time, day and night, it never stopped.” Looking at the forming up animation, our market town was right underneath the forming-up area. Airfields around our town were: Earles Colne, Rivenhall, Gosfield, Weathersfield and Andrews Field.

[@pigpig252]

A few years ago I read a brilliant book called Combat Crew by a B17 engineer/gunner who was a part of this raid. From his description it sounded absolutely apocalyptic to be a part of. Fantastic book, highly recommend

[@brianmessemer2973]

I was a big WW1-WW2 airplane buff as a kid. The film Memphis Belle came out when I was in elementary school. I had it on VHS and watched that film so. many. times. It almost certainly made me fall in love with Jazz, being awestruck by the incredible, indelible Harry Connick, Jr. He was just the coolest thing I'd ever seen. But it was a young and affable Sean Astin saying "Bremen!?" with a show of annoyance that covered terror in his voice. When they heard the target for their last mission, they knew their chance of survival was low. That film was (is) incredible. No CGI. No special effects, even. That take off sequence - the shots of real B-17s with engines running preparing for take-off over that tense music...is awesome. It's not some award-winning film, but for me at that tender age, wow. It really left a deep impression.

[@brutusvonmanhammer]

"These powdered eggs could gag a buzzard..."

[@capthappy8884]

Little known fact, approximately half of the b17s in the takeoff sequence are models! They positioned them on a raised runway to line up visually with the real aircraft. Couple clever false perspective tricks, and its hard to tell to this day which is which! The miniature/model work in this movie is fantastic!

[@tempest9691]

Dude same! My brother and I use make our own bomber from chairs, blankets, whatever we could find and act out the movie, pretending to shoot down fighters, even imitating the flak blowing it to pieces while we did the bombing run. I’d completely forgotten about it until I saw this comment and now I can’t stop smiling.

[@brianmessemer2973]

@@tempest9691 😊😊😊

[@capthappy8884]

@@tempest9691 my brother n I used to do something similar in car trips! We had these toy m60s with 2 handed grips at the back(like the 50s in the bombers) and ammo belts that fed thru when you pulled the trigger. they also had joints for a removable tripod that fit perfectly on our half rolled down windows. Birds were enemy fighters and bumps were flack. Our regular 2 hour car rides certainly didn't feel that long!😉

[@redskinjim]

My neighbors who are both dead fought on different sides in WW2 Wolfgang Consen was conscripted by Germany and Peter Hauck was a American at Normandy they both ended up in Fresno and lived across the street from one another and were great friends. They had cabins in Yosemite next to each other as well and were always trying to outdo the other guy.

[@myblacklab7]

War is insanity.

[@sandywinnnerman2156]

My dad was a bombardier on this mission as a member of the 349 Bombardment Squadron (H), 385 Bombardment Group (H). He completed his 25th mission February 24, 1944 over Rostock Germany and retired a Major in the USAFF Reserves. Thank you for this comprehensive and historic account.

[@DangerClose13E]

I was stationed at Ledward Barracks in Schweinfurt from '86 to '89. 1/10th FA 3rdID I was saddened to learn that all those buildings were torn down. They housed Panzer battalions during the war. Many older residents could still remember those raids. They liked to point out nearly everything BUT the factories were hit by the bombers.

[@vallewasgeddney5996]

Maybe that´s because a lot more than factories were hit that day... Regular people don´t care for factories but for war crimes!

[@nuniegomez2970]

I was at the same barracks 72-73 2nd39th field artery

[@nuniegomez2970]

Artillery

[@ericdole1879]

I remember the front gate at ledward where they had the eagle on the wall and chiseled the swastika out of the wreath

[@DangerClose13E]

@@ericdole1879 They had some type of relief sculpture over nearly every doorway usually of troops in uniform. It was interesting because in the mid 80's we adopted the "German style" kevlar helmet and the current troops matched the reliefs after that.

[@Mr_M_History]

You have no idea how much guys like me look up to the Operations Room!

[@jackmiller1561]

Love the Chinese History videos!

[@Caution2TheWind1]

Forget the channel, remember the men.

[@KorbinX]

@@Caution2TheWind1 kinda the point of their channels 🧐

[@Bornst3ll3r]

God be a man

[@cc8530]

@@Caution2TheWind1 wake up to yourself boxhead

[@NoodlesExtraMSG]

rewatching after Masters of the Air. Thanks @TheOperationsRoom ,great work.

[@MrDadMoo]

My Grandmother was a young child in Schweinfurt when this raid occurred. Her dad worked at one of the bearing factories that was bombed. She says that she vividly remembers having to go to their shelter and coming back to realize that their apartment block, near the factory, had been leveled.

[@johnhutton929]

My story bis similar to yours.

[@mailbox3982]

Did her dad survive?

[@MrDadMoo]

@@mailbox3982 He did! The whole family were able to take shelter. She had 2 older brothers that served in the Armed forces. One was on a U-Boat and survived the war. The other was in the Wehrmacht and was KIA at either Kursk or Stalingrad. I don't remember which.

[@mailbox3982]

@@MrDadMoo Well, that's nice to hear.

[@boombl443]

Oh wow . Mine was also there. Later she got bombed again in Würzburg

[@SLO-Ride]

Dad was a B17 Bombardier, with the 339th BS, 96th BG, 8th AF, out of Snetterton-Heath. He flew on every major raid conducted by the 8th.

[@Tigerheart01]

During this time, like he says, before the P-51 and other measures that make survival more possible... it was MORE dangerous to be a bomber crewman than it was a RIFELMAN in the US Army. "Chairforce" indeed... (I'm a USAF veteran).

[@MikhailVolochaev]

And this raid made it clear that bombers can't defend them themselves, without heavy fighter escort.

[@sethb3090]

It's worth pointing out as well that Operation POINTBLANK took place before there was anyone on the ground. It was a preparation for D-Day. When the invasion was finally announced to the general army (due to secrecy, minutes before they headed out) several people are recorded as saying they're glad to finally be able to do something so it's not the airmen flying out and dying all alone.

[@Michael-yu2yk]

Don't you sit in a chair if you're flying a plane?

[@Louis_Davout]

Ah the days when Air Force EM's were actually in combat; instead of just being assigned to "combat zones"...

[@td9302]

The P47 was capable enough but the Bomber Mafia "Chair force 1" insisted that the bombers would be fine without escort. They weren't. However that idea of bombers deciding a war lead to the development of the B2 Spirit which is responsible for many precision bomb in the last few decades. Crazy how things work out?

[@ColinStachowski]

What I love about this video: 1. That formation creation starting at 2:45 - so mesmerising! 2. Clouds! 3. That landscape moving below the planes. 4. Shockwaves from bomb explosions! 5. Flat spin animation at 19:10! 6. Photos at the end. 7. Everything else - well, well done, Sir!

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Thanks :)

[@AndyThomas_mrblitz]

Agreed that it's an oustanding production. Operations Room for the win! I'd like to seem them go 'operational/front' level and do Operation Bagration 1944, or Dubno/Brody in 1941.

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

My Dad's B-17 was shot down a few days before this on the Munster raid 10/10/43. They were from the 385th BG. Great video.

[@VloggingThroughHistory]

Can’t wait to watch this. My wife’s grandfather was a ball turret gunner in the 379th Bomb Group.

[@jashy798]

Can't wait to watch you watch this 🤩

[@MoritzvonSchweinitz]

It's shocking how the air war has changed in modern times, compared to these brute force stategies.

[@leerzeichn93]

To be fair the whole world was in pure war mode at that time. Every single effort was put on war production. Yes, modern aircrafts are 100 times more complex now, but with some industrial shift I can see us pumping out modern aircrafts too in record time. Long time wars are mostly won with production

[@TJ24050]

I was stationed with the 1st Infantry Division in Schweinfurt from 05-08. They dug a 500lb bomb up in 06 from some ladies back yard. The ball bearing factory is still there though. I remember as soon as I found out that I was going to Schweinfurt, I thought of this and the August attacks.

[@daleslover2771]

I was station in Bad Kissengen ( Daley Barracks) 75 /78 as a FCO on a Hawk missile site, we would go to the firing range in Schweinfurt small arms and fire all the weapons we would buy at the Rod and Gun clubs. Had some pretty good times there.

[@bigsparky8888]

THANKS FOR SERVING!!!

[@mikep4745]

@@daleslover2771 I was also stationed on a Hawk Missile site not far from BK. Wildflecken in the mid 80's. Seems like we were always in the field. Sucked at the time, but now cherish the memories in hindsight.

[@yrunaked4]

I was stationed in Schweinfurt 85-88 A3/7 ADA Hawk and B 6/62ADA before going back to state side. This was before I knew about this historic mission. Thanks for such a great video

[@daleslover2771]

@@mikep4745 oh yea Mike when I got to the site they were moving the Self propelled launcher out, which was conventual Hawk, then went to Improve Hawk , I was in the AFU platoon, we seen in 1976 182 days in the field not including Reforgers, and main battery FTXs 77 was worst 228 in the field this was the crescendo of the Cold war, 78 well we just stayed in the field, the only way we kept track was how many months we were payed in the field... No where to go but damned we had some bodashes spade games in those tents .. 😂

[@perthpete7906]

Nowadays, bearings are one of the most commonly used machine parts because their rolling motion make almost all movements easier and they help reduce friction. Bearings have two key functions: They transfer motion, i.e. they support and guide components which turn relative to one another. To this day schweinfort is still a major centre for bearing production

[@agentbarron3945]

yep, the standard "skate bearing" has so many applications. pretty much any hobbiest who needs anything to move has a drawer full of them and doesnt even own a skateboard

[@DaveSCameron]

SKF

[@perthpete7906]

@@DaveSCameron Haibike

[@DaveSCameron]

@@perthpete7906 Wunderbra ist nicht geschlossen dieses tag?

[@johnnicatra570]

Keene New Hampshire was and still may be a large maker of bearings in this country.

[@alexwilliamson1486]

In all my years I’ve never seen a better description and diagram of 8th AF ops in WW2…superb! 🙏🏻

[@barbaros99]

Brings back memories - this was the tutorial mission for 'Chuck Yaeger's Air Combat'.

[@airplanes42]

Which itself was an effort by his money grabbing second wife to cash in on the senile General's name.

[@MinecraftDog999]

There's a good chance that this is the operation my grandpa talks about when he describes a nightmare to me. He recalls a bomber circling around his home town two or three times before crashing down into a garden sink. There was recently a B-17 recovered in a swamp near his home town, with the bodies of the crew inside as well. Thank you for sharing the details of this operation with us viewers.

[@timf2279]

What was his home town?

[@BostonHarborLight]

The Greatest Generation. May they RIP and never be forgotten.

[@timf2279]

Another fantastic video, well done Sir. The 1942/43 years were just horrendous for the air crews. 25 completed missions was an impossible goal for those Valiant crews. I can't even imagine the stress day after day and on the way to the target. Sadly almost all of our WW I I veterans are gone however not forgotten.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Many thanks!

[@adambane1719]

They were nothing short of WAR CRIMES !!! Mostly bombing civilian targets with incendiaries.

[@Nickname-hier-einfuegen]

Also pretty horrendous for the civilians they killed.

[@timf2279]

@@Nickname-hier-einfuegen Sorry not really an issue from my perspective.

[@Nickname-hier-einfuegen]

@@timf2279 Not surprising, considering the American war crimes to this day.

[@Sputnikexe]

Love to see the production quality constantly improving! Great video!

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Thanks so much!

[@JUNKERS488]

Thank You for remembering these brave men and telling their story.

[@surrealengineering7884]

Very well made video! thank you. My great uncle fought in this raid, he flew a BF109 and later was credited with shooting down bombers over Stuttgart. He was never shot down and only grounded in 1945 when their division ran out of fuel. War sucks.

[@wolfganggugelweith8760]

Bravo! 💪✌️👍😎🐺

[@surrealengineering7884]

@@wolfganggugelweith8760 Can't help it, i'm proud of him. As i said war sucks and i'm pissed off that our great ancestors of Germany, UK, USA, Poland, France etc... had to kill each other over some dickhole who wanted total power of europe with total war. But! Over Stuttgart they where trying to stop a warcrime from happening. Same goes for every other city the allies purposefully bombed civilian areas in. As i've heard, this is why they where so motivated and lead suicidal charges againsed the bombers. The pilots knew these bombs could as easily hit their own homes with their families in them. In total, more people died by these bombing raids on german civilians than in Hiroshima and Nagasaki comnbined. My great grandfather among them inside the bakery of Calw, we still have his pocket watch, it works to this day. I'm not here to seek revenge or to conduct similar pointless backwards thinking. I also don't want to play down german warcrimes and the holocaust. Just wanted to share a story and what i think about it :)

[@4thamendment237]

@@surrealengineering7884 yes, war sucks. It sucks even more for the loser. If Germany didn't like these bombing raids it should have thought twice about initiating and then setting the example of how brutal war can be. What did Germany expect would happen? Live by the sword and what, then can't die by the sword? Don't poke the bear when you don't know if the cage is locked.

[@4thamendment237]

Let's not leave Japan out of it. If you don't want your people turned into smoke and charcoal briquettes on Hiroshima Barbecue Day, don't pull pranks like that Pearl Harbor stunt.

[@jakisator7333]

@@4thamendment237 so you think warcrimes are justified fighting for a just cause?

[@jasonthorpe7746]

My grandad was a B-17 tail gunner during the war and I'm pretty sure he flew during this raid. I unfortunately never got to talk with him about his experience since he died when I was pretty young but the war stories he told my mom are truly harrowing. We still have his old bomber jacket, I keep a shadowbox with all his insignia, ribbons, medals and patches in my room. We actually have his "Lucky Bastard Club" Certificate which were informal certificates given out to guys who survived a full tour of duty (25 sorties which was extended to 35 missions later in the war) and just to put it into perspective the average life expectancy of a bomber crewman was 15 missions and for tail gunners like my grandad it was 8.

[@thomasstewart4183]

Wów

[@sirmixcomps]

Cool Story Bro

[@myrealname8767]

My relative was a ball turret gunner, but was KIA on December 31st of 1944. He was 19 years old and in a crew of nine, only four survived. The surviving crew got thrown in POW camps and nearly died there but fortunately survived the war.

[@thelostone6981]

Just remember that some combat vets don’t like talking about their experiences. My grandfather was a radio man on B17s and he never wanted to talk about it. I regret asking him often because it was later, after he died,did I learn that he spent time in Spokane taking care of a horse after his tour because he had PTSD from his experiences. But I’m glad you honor him and have his insignia.

[@MagiconIce]

Couldn't you ask the US Airforce, in what missions your grandad flew, a kind of ancestor research? They surely got archives, where they keep such information and it surely is not classified or anything? Then you would've confirmation, if he was part of that raid or not.

[@TheModelGuy]

Very nicely done. An air battle is something very difficult to picture, let alone do a visual for. The book "Black Thursday" by Martin Caidin is what got me hooked on aviation. It's a must read for sure. One thing that should be noted here is that after this disastrous raid, the USAAF stopped all bombing missions into Germany for the remainder of 1943. They hit softer targets in occupied France while building the bomber force back up and waiting on the P-51 to enter service.

[@angelonunez8555]

No, they still hit targets in Germany, just not as far into Germany.

[@TS-ef2gv]

I was USAF in the '70s and '80s. One of my commanders started his service as an enlisted gunner on B-17s in the 8th AF, where he flew 35 combat missions over Europe. After the war he went to college, reentered the AF as a pilot, and flew additional combat missions in Korea and Vietnam. After over 400 combat missions in three wars and 37 years of service, he retired as a two star general in the 1980s, and lived until age 90. He seemed down to Earth (for a two star general, at least) when I crewed his aircraft, and that's how he was later described by people who knew him. When I think of the stories he could have told it makes me I wish I could have asked him about his experiences, particularly on B-17s in the 8th AF, but opportunities to strike up a casual conversation with a two star general while on duty did not often present themselves. 😄

[@justandy333]

A very good explanation of the events that day. I cannot even begin to imagine the terror each and every one of those bomber crewmen were experiencing, not just on this raid but virtually every time they embarked on a raid. Thankyou for making all the documentaries you share with us, so we can remember the terrible sacrifices made by the young men of their generation for the freedom we enjoy today.

[@josephvalvano829]

Martin Caiden wrote a book aptly entitled, "Black Thursday" about this horrible day the 8th AF endured, a great read.

[@wazza33racer]

No droptanks on the P-47's was a serious mistake, the "Jug" as it was called could easily handle the extra weight, being also capable of handling 3000lb of external load on its wings. Drop tanks are not expensive or technically challenging, it just takes someone to use their noodle, and make sure they get fitted.

[@cecielhelder5923]

This was political. They were trying to proof the point to the British that the bombers could get through. Even during the day, without escorts. Churchill wanted the Americans to stop precision bombing during the day and join the RAF at night doing area bombing. When it was clear that unescorted daytime bombing resulted in 20-30% attrition rates, USAAF restricted raids to ranges that allowed for escorts and got serious about drop tanks. Schweinfurt was a very expensive lesson and reality check for the USAAF in 1943. They were literally learning on the job. Much to the chagrin of RAF Bomber Command. They had figured out unescorted daytime raids were suicidal in 1940. They had 50+% loss rates forcing them to bomb at night. They only did occasionally bomb during the day doing precision low level raids over occupied territory with fast, medium bombers like the A20 Havoc/Boston and Mosquito aircraft.

[@deplorable_bitter_clinger7482]

@@cecielhelder5923 - Absolutely agree with both of you. Thank you for pointing this out. This is covered very well on the channel "Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles" in his video titled "P-47 Thunderbolt Pt. 6 Range, Deceit and Treachery" kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3SvkmNtbdtpb80 By mid 1944 with drop tanks, P-47 Thunderbolts could cover 80% of Germany. Also the change over to Mustangs was not all at once. The last 8th Air Force group to convert to the Mustang (besides the famous 56th which kept their P-47s and had the most air to air kills) was in December 1944. The fact that the P-47s were turned into such effective ground attack machines is a testament to the rugged design of an aircraft that was originally a high altitude fighter.

[@alantoon5708]

The P-47's at the time had provision to carry a 75 gallon P-39/P-40 type drop tank under the belly. The 108 British paper drop tank (as well as its' metal equivalent) had been approved but were not available at the time. It was not until January/February 1944 that the in theatre P-47's were equipped with wing pylons and plumbing to carry drop tanks. Higher capacity drop tanks (150 gallons) later were used, and the -25 and later had increased internal fuel. There were never enough P-38's in the 8th to make a difference and those suffered from numerous technical issues. The "Big Week" missions of late February 1944 only were possible after the P-47's had wing pylons installed. There were only three P-51 groups operational for most of the Big Week, so the P-47 carried most of the escort burden.

[@B17FlyingFortress]

Very nice video! One of the losses on this mission was also "Lady Astrid". A B-17 of the 379th Bomb Group. Piloted by Lt. Alden C. Johnson. He and 5 other of his crew were killed. The rest became POW.

[@garygenerous8982]

I’ve spent a lot of time researching this raid over the years and it always breaks my heart to think about what those boys went through. But I have to say you guys did an absolutely amazing job detailing this extremely complex and far flung mission.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Thanks and well said

[@ShirleyZhang-bt4dj]

We can never repay these guys for what they did.

[@FINSuojeluskunta]

If you think these guys had it hard, try being the guys on the ground getting bombed.

[@garygenerous8982]

@@FINSuojeluskunta based on your comment you obviously have issues with the bombing raids but I can’t tell if it’s because you are a naive idealist who thinks war can be “clean”, an even more naive idealist who thinks no cause is ever important enough to be fought for, or just upset because your team lost.

[@NebulaIsTaken]

Missions like these make me realize the revolutionary development of precision guided weapons. Instead of 300 bombers for one building, now you can send 3 for multiple buildings.

[@mikeymike9926]

Was just thinking back then bomber divisions were of hundreds of bombers, and now it’s like 10 B-52s do everything while thousands of fighters swarm you like angry bees

[@Bauhotte]

The revolutionary part isn‘t the fact you need less planes, it’s about you save innocent lives with it!

[@contrapasta2454]

You could probably target individual pieces of equipment inside the factory, if you knew where they were.

[@dpeasehead]

@Nebula: Don't be seduced by the alleged magical surgical cleanliness of precision weapons. The world has yet to see two advanced and relatively well matched adversaries going at each other with these expensive and relatively scarce devices. I don't see any first or second tier nation giving in after absorbing a few targeted strikes.

[@JeepWranglerIslander]

The number of bombers required to achieve 10% damage is astounding, and highlights how far modern weapons have truly changed air combat. Today a two ship of B-1s fully loaded with GBU-31s could complete the Schweinfurt Raid alone, destroying every target building completely, and still have a couple of bombs left over.

[@chardaskie]

Horrifying

[@Swagpapii]

@@chardaskie I think you misunderstand, what he is saying is that today precision modern weapons have made massive costly air raids like this obsolete. You can gain the same result with much less loss of human life on either side now.

[@chardaskie]

@@Swagpapii Nope still horrifying but yes at least we don't bomb civvies anymore. Just ask Obama

[@RCAvhstape]

@@chardaskie Damn right. And that's the point.

[@agentbarron3945]

@@Swagpapii and the even less horrifying part, is all those weapons are incredibly precise. they will hit what its targeted at, unless something goes really wrong there wont be a stray bomb landing in a residential neighborhood because one crewmember got mad at the enemy or because he was too late to press the button

[@Jake-rs9nq]

For reference of just how bloody this was: this raid saw more allied KIAs than all the Normandy beaches save Omaha.

[@bobjenkins9208]

Wow you did a great job with this, ive heard about this raid plenty times, you actually capture the intensity, i actually felt like i was there, struggling to get home, thanks for amazing video, as usual.

[@BhutanBluePoppy]

According to some old notes on a photo of my dad’s bombardment group, my dad may have flown this operation. He was 8th USAAF, 447th Bombardment Group, Lt George Bowling’s crew, 708th out of Rattlesden base in Suffolk. My dad flew mostly B17s & B24s & at one point was forced to ditch over occupied France. Watching the story of the bomber that had to limp home, I noted the route home was over France. I have always wondered what the circumstances were : now I’m wondering if it could have been on the return trip from this mission 👍

[@jeffblacky]

My great grand uncle was a flak gunner in Berlin - 1942 to 1945 - credited with 11 kills winning the iron cross second class and flak badge and silver wound badge. Captured in 1945 and released in 1947 , moved to US in 1952

[@nazmaster1]

11x10 110 kills impressive for ww2😳

[@VictoryAviation]

What was the reason for his move out of Germany?

[@pvt.potato1943]

@@VictoryAviation the post war shitshow that was Germany. You literally couldn't find a job because the places that had jobs were obliterated.

[@docpossum2460]

@@VictoryAviation Might not be the same as this guy's Grandpa, but a lot of German soldiers ended up moving to the US due to either economic reasons or their lives in Germany being destroyed.

[@g0ast]

@@VictoryAviation Probably because Germany wasn't the enemy by then, it was the Soviets. And Germany was in the middle of the Cold War with East and West Germany and was pretty terrifying to be in Europe around that time. Probably better to get out of Germany, still recovering from WW2 only to be threatened with nuclear war every single day after.

[@babaksanaee1460]

These videos are so great I take the time to cast them to my TV and properly watch them from the couch.

[@Captainkebbles1392]

This channel is so incredible, can't thank you all enough for the effort and knowledge you give us.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Much appreciated!

[@frogstamper]

As the years go by, and there are less and less WW2 veterans still with us to tell their stories, it's even more important we continue to remember the massive sacrifices this generation made for all of us today. Thank you for a brilliant and insightful video.

[@1977Yakko]

One of my Great Uncle's was a gunner on a B-17. He NEVER talked about it. I'm not sure when exactly he served or how many missions he did but given his silence, I can only imagine the hell he went through up there.

[@seanodwyer4322]

dan- what ahh interested in is the 2,000 airmen who were beaten too hell in 1944-1945 when they parachuted down too greatter Germany when their bombers or fighter planes were shot down - ahh never read/ hear anything about them . As a survivor of gang off 25 savage male boot attackers ahh know how they must have felt been kicked and beaten too death

[@myrealname8767]

My relative was a ball turret gunner and was KIA at only 19 years old. 4 out of the 9 crew members survived when he was shot down and the rest of the crew got put in POW camps. I contacted the surviving crew member’s families a couple of months ago and they all pretty much said the same thing. That their fathers rarely ever talked about what they saw or did. One of the family members I spoke to said that their dad couldn’t help but cry when he spoke about it.

[@wgolyoko]

Incredible work you've put into this one, great video.

[@TheOperationsRoom]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ninianstorm6494]

@@TheOperationsRoom aware USA can give everyone medicare+lower inflation so wages regain value but need to punish all those whom want to stay in Syria like Schiff/pelosi? they constant print money to occupy iraq-syria oil gold george bush 14 years ago said he wants ukraine in nato foreshadow nuland f word 2014 coup kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIW0ZHdnlpKdaJI wesley clark foreshadow reveal 2000 to 2012 all rig for kill iraq to syria kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ7Ve4V-rMeJfZo

[@mjszczepankiewicz8496]

Propably one of the toughest times for alied bombers crews.

[@TheMelbournelad]

I remember watching Memphis belle as a young kid. That b17 blowing up in front of them spray blood and guts on them, and the new crew’s radio guy he befriended screaming as it spun down, was harrowing. Only Private Ryan eclipsed it.

[@coolboyeagle9281]

My grandfather was in the mighty eighth. This was one of his stories where he was in a b24 and almost crashed into a b17 After takeoff because of the poor weather

[@lukycharms9970]

I love this channel. Everything from the demonstrations to the shifts from one perspective to another. It’s some of the best views you can really get. I just finished reading Masters of the Air and this goes along so well with the section on this raid.

[@FBT9356]

My Uncle was a tail gunner on those raids and the oil fields of Ploesti in Romania his Bomber Jacket he wore is on display at The Mighty 8th museum in Savannah Ga. What brave young men we had then !

[@Flakfire]

As a Swiss citizen, I like the inclusion mentioning Switzerland's supply of ball bearings. Although it was likely part of efforts to remain neutral (you'd probably do the same), it showcases just how complex cutting off these sorts of supplies are. Switzerland's production of ball bearings and appeasement of Germany was not popular among Swiss citizens, who were largely anti-Nazi. My grandfather still remembers when the USAAF "accidentally" bombed Schaffhausen in April 1944 - where many of those ball bearings were made. His belief is that the USAAF deliberately targeted the ball-bearing plant there and that it was sort of Switzerland's own fault as they shouldn't have been producing them for Germany anyway. I am curious if you have any interest covering some of those incidents. Violations of Swiss airspace in WWII had interesting consequences for both Axis and Allied forces.

[@VladderGraf]

I've seen a video on the undeclared air war between the USA and Switzerland during WWII. Mike Felton made a that vid, and Americans actually air raided Switzerland, and the Swiss fighters engaged US bombers. I never knew about that, but history is full of surprises.

[@demef758]

@@VladderGraf Mark Felton. Dr. Mark Felton at that!

[@VladderGraf]

@@demef758 You are absolutely right. Thanks for correcting my obvious mistake.

[@Flakfire]

@@VladderGraf We engaged the Germans as well. In BF-109s. They weren't thrilled.

[@fusiondestroyer1551]

Fellow Swiss here, from Schaffhausen actually. The Americans dropped a Fire Bomb on Schaffhausen and it killed many people, Luckily my entire family survived it. My great, great aunt got severe burns from it but lived a long life. The Bombs dropped on Switzerland and also destroyed many factories. Luckily when the bombs hit the factories, only 1 person was killed, because it was a holiday at that time. So the workers weren't there. Schaffhausen was absolutely devasted by the bombs, but you should go visit, its a beautiful little city pretty much at the border with Germany.

[@OneAdam12Adam]

My dad was in the 493rd Bombardments Group of the Eighth Air Force. I should have paid more attention while he was alive as he told his stories. He was stationed out of Debach, England

[@sr633]

Sending a B 17 on it's 25th and last mission to Schweinfurt was a cruel order.

[@tommcdaniel2208]

I can't say enough good things about this presentation. It is the clearest and most informative I've ever seen of an operation like this. Have been following ETA/USAAF operations since the sixties since my dad was a bombardier and later an instructor on the Norden. So, it runs in the family and I have an emotional involvement in what you've presented.. Ironically I ended up in the Army dealing with counter insurrection and recon. Maybe that was as easier job as I never saw 50% losses on a sustained basis. I'm subscribing. Many thanks for the quality of this presentation.

[@zacharylovelady9265]

This channel is unbelievably amazing! I don't know how or where he obtains such detailed information

[@bobjosephs8376]

My father Captain Robert Josephs was a replacement crew for those lost on the Schweinfurt raid. He flew for the 305th bomb group and the 366th bomb squadron. Among the American units who paid the heaviest price was the 305th Bomb Group, losing 13 planes over 130 men, 36 which were killed with the rest wounded or POW's. He said those who survived were traumatized and depressed and told the new guys not to make any plans because they would all soon be dead. He flew 30 missions from late 1943 till D Day and about half were unescorted into Germany. He was supposed to be in his junior year in college instead he was fighting for his life.

[@knaako9847]

Thank you so much for this documentary. I wasn’t aware how many airplanes of the allies got lost on such an air ride task. Please do more videos like this! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@johngrevas8819]

Please watch the 1984 NBC Documentary, All The Fine Young Men. You can find it on KZbin.

[@tedbaxter5234]

A great, informative animation production of the raid - never seen better! Thank you for the time and effort to produce this!

[@novacolonel5287]

My dad was 9 years old when Hamburg was bombed - like many children, he was sent off to the countryside, but returned two days after the bombing, finding the city full of corpses and burned ruins, and many of his school friends dead. Still, of course, it was necessary. Never glorify war, it brings misery and horror to everyone involved. It's nice pictures and animations to be watched on a map, but it is hell in reality.

[@hello-rq8kf]

rest in piss germswine

[@brigadist1585]

40000 Tote in einer Nacht. Necessary? Schade,dass es ihren Vater nicht getroffen hat. Sie wären der Welt erspart geblieben...

[@brigadist1585]

40000 Tote in einer Nacht. Necessary? Wie amoralisch kann man sein?

[@mcfearless9924]

Dang - I can't get the image out my head of that pilot waving to his comrade moments before immanent death! That will stay with me.

[@MagnificentGermanywithDarion]

Very well put together video of the selfless sacrifice that these men had endured. I was stationed in Schweinfurt from 88-89 5/41 FA and had learned of this history while living there.I visit Schweinfurt often these days and now I have been on the hunt for the historical sites on both sides. Thank You for again a well out together video of history.

[@christopherthompson3387]

1983-85 I was in the US Army A 5/41 FA out of Ft Knox, KY. I never left the States, but a bunch of my friends went to Germany (or, Korea). I was at Ft Sill, OK for a while. Seeing all that history in Germany must have been cool.

[@johnhutton929]

My German grandmother survived the raid of schwienfurt. My mom would later be born there and later meet my dad who got stationed there after the war. So one could say me and my siblings Were born due to ww2. My German grandfather helped design bearing tooling machines for SKF. He retired from SKF and I have the knife he was given.

[@a.w.1906]

Wow. Thats a Story worth telling it. So many of us would not exist without WW2. My Granddad came from Blankenburg Harz. War brought him to Warstein (here is a brewery with the same Name). Here he met my Grandma. He survived the Eastern Front (later he became an Alcoholican because of his awful experiences there and died from liver cancer in 1975. I barely remember him ) After War they married , settled in Warstein, build a small House and in 1950 my Dad was born. He met my Mom (born also in 1950 and the only one who eventually would have existed without war, but perhaps some Years earlier, because my Granddad came back from France as prisoner of war in 1948) in 1966, and they fell in love immediately. They married in April 1968 and in July 1968 I was born in the same Town (yes, my Dad was a fast one 😉and I was a 3 Months Child 😂) So, my Existence is only caused by this terrible war. My Mother in Law was born in 1935, came from Silesia and had to flee from the incoming Russian Troops in February 1945 to the West of Germany. Her small Family ( ->Mother, Grandmother and younger Brother. Father / Grandfather and older Brother never returned from Russia) went to a little village in the Sauerland. In 1957 she met my Father in Law , who came from Warstein, in a pub in this village. They married, also built a House in Warstein and had two daughters. The younger one, my Wife, is born 1969. So, my Wife also only exists because of WW2. Fate wants it, that in 1989 a 21 Year old stupid young man and a 20 Year old and a bit shy but beautiful young Women met and fell in Love, married in 1997, became parents of a daughter in 1999, built a small House in 2001 in the same Town like their parents and live there to this day. And of course, without WW2, our daughter would neither exist. The Fate of hundreds of Million People would have gone differently without this war. Millions, who died in War and didn't have to and Millions who live today and wouldn't live without it. I think it's very sad and fascinating at the same time.

[@abcdefghij8128]

Besatzungsbastard

[@thomasparker1789]

My mother and Grandmother also survived this raid. She was 9 years old and had to search laundry rooms in several apartment buildings to find my grandma, all while the air raid sirens were going off. They got in a bomb shelter as the bombs were falling. Their neighborhood was one that was destroyed. As an adult she worked as a teacher at the American base in Wűrzburg where she met my father. In the States she worked as a nurse for over 40 years.

[@thomasparker1789]

Cool about SKF btw; as a kid I had several of their bearings on my bookshelf

[@giulianiraymond330]

Pity they did, like all this damned generation of nazi pigs.

[@fishyc150]

My grandfather flew RAF pathfinder/ target marking at sweinfurt. All his planes of his unit came back unscathed. It wasn't till after the war he learnt that those coming after him got heavily mauled.

[@AnthonyEvelyn]

Did he fly Mosquitos? My Grand Uncle was ground crew for a Pathfinder Mosquito squadron.

[@fishyc150]

@@AnthonyEvelyn i dont know sorry. When I say "fly" he was the navigator. Richard rath got the DFC when with 10 sqn before becoming a Nav instructor then joining pathfinder in 42 or 43. All just blurred memories now 😔

[@AnthonyEvelyn]

@@fishyc150 God bless him.🙏🏾

[@TheGecko213]

@@AnthonyEvelyn Yes, Pathfinders were mosquito squadrons who were the stealth aircraft of those times. They flew very fast and low and carried minimum armament to keep them light and fast and returned without Germans even seeing them on their radar.

[@justinschnepp5419]

I was stationed in schwinfurt in the mid 2000's, went medal detecting in some woods on base and found spent .50 cal casings dated 1942, can only imagine they were from the raid.

[@chrisbingley]

The USAF refused to fly at night, believing that flying in darkness was unsafe. The RAF refused to fly during the day, believing that it made it easier for the Germans to shoot down the bombers. Whilst armchair strategists can argue over who was correct. What it ultimately led to was round the clock bombing of Germany's industrial centres. A factor that is often overlooked.

[@bullhead900]

If I may say so, I believe that the daylight bombing was done for more accuracy at the target.

[@kellyshistory306]

Not quite. The 8th actually did experiment with night bombing. The 422nd Bombardment Squadron joined the RAF on several area bombing night raids in the Autumn of 1943 as a trial run, and the 8th was modifying all their bombers to be night flying capable because they wanted to try flying part of their raids under the cover of darkness (so raids were timed to to start really early in the morning so the bombers flew to the target under darkness, or raids timed to be very late in the day so the bombers flew back to England in darkness). Had the long-range fighter escort problem not been solved, the 8th would likely have joined the RAF in their night bombing raids. Contrary to popular belief, the 8th Air Force was fine with Bombing German cities, and in fact regularly did so throughout 1943 as "last resort" targets which are clearly described as city centers in bomber reports. But the arrival of long range escorts in late 1943 and early 1944 when combined with the difficulties in modify the whole force for night bombing basically put an end to the possibility of American nighttime bombing. Microfilm reel B5053 from the Air Force Historical Research Agency in Maxwell Alabama contains a 400 page file on the American night bombing experiment.

[@TheGecko213]

@@bullhead900 The British were very accurate at night time bombing. Every Bomber raid had two or three ""Pathfinders "" bombers who flew ahead of the group with their best Navigators and dropped multiple flares on the target which pinpointed the targets for the following bombers.

[@normannokes9513]

The USAF period of training for navigators did not equip to operate at night. About 5 months against RAF 12 months plus. USAF aircraft functioned as a group whereas Raf navigators operated independently.

[@samnieves8158]

Thank you for this episode. This was my favorite episode from the World at War documentary, and seeing it from a logistics/strategic manner paints a completely different perspective. Well done lad.

[@notmyrealname1437]

One of my much older coworkers in the late 1970s was a navigator on many bombing missions over Germany and lost many of his fellow airmen. My wife's uncle also flew these missions and was shot down over Germany and taken P.O.W. He gave a talk of his experience to his church before he passed away. It was recorded and is one of my treasured possessions.

[@Merennulli]

I was too young to really know him when he died, but one of my grandfathers was part of one of the B-17 crews in 1943. I know he was a gunner, but I don't know which position. It amazes me seeing just how insane the logistics of these missions were. What little I know of his service is from a local article about his service and it doesn't even begin to show all this. Thanks for giving us a better understanding of what happened. As I get older, I really feel the loss of information about my family and what they went through and I'm glad you're highlighting these things for us.

[@historyelemental7800]

>Goes on a mission everyone knows is going to face heavy opposition. >Doesn't remember his parachute > Lives anyway

[@TheGecko213]

Not carrying the Parachute was his good Omen .

[@darkstar-28]

11:43 Goddamnit, that scene just sent me chills. By how you described, it was like being there seeing all those B-17 trying to fill up the formation while being shot down one by one. Truly terrifying.

[@johannjohann6523]

Something so simple as a "ball bearing" manufacturing plant becoming such a high level target that nearly 300 heavy bombers are sent to destroy the facility? A 2nd time. Truly the irony and horror of war. One thing I am surprised about Germany's industry in WW II was not Hitler nor the military commanders thought the effectiveness to move such industry underground to protect it, and further make it a more difficult target to locate. As the large number of anti-aircraft weapons around such a facility would surely give its importance away. Especially when Germany was limited with its weapons, or ball bearing manufacturing facilities keeping them operational would seem to be of the highest importance. Crazy. Ball bearings. Good video.

[@yankeetown3739]

Great job again as usual. I was stationed in Schweinfurt with the Is Army in the early 90’s. Older German lady was my landlord and had burn scars on her arm from this bombing. Her friend was killed. War sucks…

[@adambane1719]

Yeah war sucks ! When America goes home only will the world finally know PEACE !

[@eddiekulp1241]

My dad was a radio operator on a C 47 after the D day invasion. Said carrying mostly gasoline for Pattons tanks

[@jimwong9233]

Can’t wait to see the new miniseries Masters of the Air🤜

[@b_u_bb_l_e_s0740]

Im from that city and recently visisted one of the bunkers (i think it was bunker nr:9) where they told us some things about the raid and the building. In the second floor i believe are parts from a downed b-17 and many other things but i just lost motivation to talk about it.

[@b_u_bb_l_e_s0740]

u guys can ask me out about the bunker if u want to know anything but im going to vacations soon so dont expect me to react quick

[@limes2]

Good video, but just a little thing that's not important. You have used a modern map instead of an old one. you can see that the ijselmeer ( water thing in the Netherlands). Already has the markersmeer and Flevoland in it. Not important but thought to mention it.

[@martinarreguy2984]

The 8th and 10th suffered more losses by far than any other division. The heroics given to each other , our brothers of the sky, could never be summed up or understood in mere words. They gave so much!

[@ElsinoreRacer]

PLEASE do an episode covering the farce regarding P-47 range and the miracle of the P-51's range. The P-47 had the range for Berlin (and did so) when they FINALLY got the large-capacity drop tanks. The Bomber Mafia had decreed in the late 30's that US fighters not be equipped for drop tanks. They were only because the procurement officers went around them with handshake deals with the manufacturers. But they couldn't fake drop tank production. In spring 43 the word finally went out to jump on drop tank production. But the Pentagon or Wright Field dropped, no, LOST the ball and by fall 43 the crap hit the fan. Panic mode. Finger pointing. Cover story needed. By Dec 43 they finally started to show up. You mention this in your video, but no one talks about WHY they didn't show up. This was a gigantic eff-up that cost thousands of lives.There was a BS cover story about how it took so long to design them. It was such an obvious fubar that the British started a project to make them for the P-47s and came up with a treated cardboard version but they could only be so large. They did this in weeks. The Luftwaffe's back was broken in FEB and March of 44. The BIG Week, etc. The by FAR most prevalent US fighter? P-47. P-51s trickled in and were not a major force until spring. The whole "P-51 range saved the day" is a cover story for dropping the ball on drop tanks. I love the P-51, but it is given credit for someone else's work because it is a CYA story for some big USAAF names. I hate that this continues. It's the biggest lie about WW2.

[@stephenhosking7384]

Wow! I certainly believed for decades that the P-51 changed the balance because of its range with drop tanks. That really is a disgrace!

[@deplorable_bitter_clinger7482]

Thank you for pointing this out. This is covered very well on the channel "Greg's Airplanes and Automobiles" in his video titled "P-47 Thunderbolt Pt. 6 Range, Deceit and Treachery" kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3SvkmNtbdtpb80 By mid 1944 with drop tanks, P-47 Thunderbolts could cover 80% of Germany. Also the change over to Mustangs was not all at once. The last 8th Air Force group to convert to the Mustang (besides the famous 56th which kept their P-47s and had the most air to air kills) was in December 1944. The fact that the P-47s were turned into such effective ground attack machines is a testament to the rugged design of an aircraft that was originally a high altitude fighter.

[@Life_Is_Torture0000]

Interesting. I'd never heard that before. Even relatively realistic simulation games like 12 O'clock High seem to have bought into the whole P 51 narrative.

[@ElsinoreRacer]

@@Life_Is_Torture0000 Since I was a kid reading on this stuff, the kill tallies and the timing never made sense re P-51 deployment. Then in the late 80's I picked up a copy of "The Harmon Memorial Lectures In Military History 1969-1987." In there is treatise of Operation Pointblank. By the bye he mentions the drop tanks finally showing up and the P-47s going ape. WHOA! I have since found this KZbin on the p47 and range. VERY thorough. Enjoy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3SvkmNtbdtpb80

[@stephenskelton3861]

Great presentation

[@SmedleyDouwright]

People think of the P-47 as a "beast" at ground attack, but it was a "beast" at high altitude dogfighting because its turbocharger gave it relatively more power than the German fighters in the thin air.

[@logon235]

Joseph Heller's Catch 22 portrayed the stress these pilots and crew experienced in trying to survive till their last mission. The introduction of the P51 Mustang was a game changer. With fighters that can go with the bombers all the way, the Luftwaffe could no longer deny the Allies the skies.

[@FaithfulObjectivist]

Amazing story. Thanks for the precise and detailed presentation.

[@yaboishrub3916]

It's been 8 months sence this video was made but everytime I watch/rewatch your videos it really shows just how significant of a war ww2 was.

[@Kurio71]

Thanks for telling the story of so many brave men

[@TheOperationsRoom]

My pleasure

[@Shrike58]

My uncle flew this raid with the 100th BG, and survived. He had a lot more excitement to come!

[@viniciusdasilvavinicius7263]

Apple TV - Masters of the Air Series - Episode 3 - Regensburg Mission

[@gavin-cy]

Actually is the next ep