My great grandfather was part of a B-17 crew. He destroyed his hearing in the process and had to have a hearing aid for the rest of his life. Glad you made a video about this :)
My grandfather was the left waist gunner on a B-17 during WW2. According to family stories, his plane was shot down during a daylight raid over Germany, and he parachuted to the ground... as the sole remaining member of the crew. Everyone else was either MIA or KIA. He then proceeded to walk his way back to the allied line, living out a normal life after the war, before sadly dying of a heart attack.
@@randomguy3690 MIA = missing in action. They're lost and haven't returned to be accounted for, doesn't necessarily mean they're dead but it could be the case and they just haven't located the body to confirm yet KIA = killed in action: They are comfirmed to have died in the middle of a battle while in combat
My grandfather was the bombardier on one of these. He said when they got their plane, they stripped out everything they didn't need. That was to make the plane lighter/faster to improve chances of survival. They were also given the choice between a very heavy warm suit or the smaller electric heated suit. Sometimes the electric suits would fail and people would get frostbite on missions. His plane was shot down over Germany, and he was captured. He lied about being a ball turret gunner instead since he was afraid that they might kill him on site for bombing their cities. His camp was liberated by the Russians towards the end of the war. Wish he was still alive because I have so many more questions.
My grandad was lucky he was assigned to a B-29 super fortress, witch was surprising to die in, and he was earlier a T-29 tank commander. He was shot, but it was in the arm and when it healed it just left a scar
My dad's uncle was a B-17 pilot. My dad remembers him as a major alcoholic who never talked about his experence in the war. He survived the war, but it was apparently very brutal for him.
Eric Taylor one of the many unfortunate things for the crewman of the b-17 is that if the electronics were shot or the turrent mechanism was stuck or locked..... For the ball turrent it was a nightmare because if they had to crashland there was nothing they could do ..... Which caused the ball gunner to be crushed on impact ......
The turret could get stuck, but this didn't happen very often. When it did they could get a parachute to the gunner and he could escape vie the bail out hatch. They could turn the turret manually if they had to.
Sure, it could have happened, but I'm not sure it ever did. There was an anthology show back in the 80's called "Amazing Stories" sort of like Twilight Zone but with lighter stories. One of the episodes, this happened. The ball turret got stuck AND the landing gear was damaged. The gunner was a cartoonist so he drew cartoon tires on the plane. The plane landed safely but the pulled the gunner out and he was catatonic. The snapped him out of it and the cartoon tires disappeared dropping the plane to the ground and smashing the ball turret. It was better than it sounds.
My grandfather flew 17s out of Foggia, Italy. Co-pilot. He said the temperatures were so cold that if you were to touch the metal with bare hand, it would stick, similar to if you attempted to lick a frozen pole. I recently got the amazing opportunity to fly in the Aluminum Overcast thanks to the EAA.
Yes he was. He was a Lieutenant (not sure which grade) at that time in the Army Air Corps. He survived WWII, also flew cargo planes in Vietnam. For a time he was a Missile Combat Crew Commander as well. He transferred to the Air Force when it was established and was a Captain at retirement. They promoted him to Lieutenant Colonel for retirement. A lot of history with him. Thanks for asking!
The Eighth Air Force would lose more than 600 airmen with 77 B-17's out of 291 lost, on October 14, 1943 during the Second Raid on Schweinfurt which would be known as ‘Black Thursday’ putting grave doubts on the future of daylight bombing raids.
Bomber crew casualties exceeded those of the Marines in the Pacific. That being said, a German fighter pilot described attacking bomber formations as the most dangerous mission they had.
Juell McDaniel Lt. Capt.. (I believe) flew 50 missions as a navigator on a B-15. He died in May of 2018 at the age of 95 in Wascom, Texas. He wanted to get to Viet- Nam, but he was too old they said. He was also at D day. It is nothing short of a miracle that he survived. They called them Lucky. . . Prayers is more like it. He didn't miss Sunday school for 60 years. A real hero. Thanks for the video!!
My grandfather was a Bombardier in the United States 8th Air Force. He took part in several bombing runs over Berlin in 1944. My hero unfortunately passed away in 2009 but my god I respect my grand-dad and all of our troops who fought. Those men are true heroes.
My departed dad fought in WW2. He told me, sometimes those bombers would land with so many holes in them, that you could see daylight in the other side. He said that was one of the times the was thankful for being a "ground pounder."
My grandfather flew these for the RAF, won the Cross of Victoria for making it back from missions that were so risky they only took volunteers. I wish he was still around to talk with me about this video. Good work Simple History
My grandfather was a co-pilot on a b-17 during WW2. I've researched his plane. He was shot down on a mission and my dad would always hear stories of how he became a POW. This is the research I've uncovered from my grandfathers time: B-17 Flying Fortress "What's Cookin' Doc?" -547th bomb squadron 384th Bomb group These are the official records of the planes final mission copied word for word: TARGET: POWERHOUSE TARGET TYPE: INDUSTRY LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY LEFT FORMATION AFTER BOMBING TARGET. MOST OF CREW BAILED OUT NEAR ABBEVILLE, FRANCE; AIRCRAFT CRASHED NEAR SAINT-VALERY-SUR-SOMME CO-Pilot Philip Bern 7 JANUARY 1944 REPORTED MISSING RESULTS: PRISONER OF WAR POW CAMP: STALAG LUFT 1 BARTH-VOGELSANG PRUSSIA (2 members of crew KIA)
Hello J. My grandfather was also a B-17 pilot with the 384th Bomber Group out of Grafton-Underwood, England. He was with the 544th squadron. He was shot down on May 13, 1944, survived, POW until 32nd of war. 2nd Lt. Charles W. Baker
Simple History You should do more WW2 videos man,I'm massive fan of your channel and I'm going to support you on patreon .(also it's a good time to make WW2 vids because the hype of Cod WW2,Try to get them views you know.... cough,do "the bloody first" infantry unit from the U.S...... trust me man you'll get at least 1 mil of views.)
My Father Sgt first Class Robert Walters(ended his army career in 1966 as a one star General)was a toggle switch Bombardier. That ment he was not an officer. Due to lack of Officers to be Bombardiers the Army Air Corps trained enlisted men to drop bombs. The name Toggle Switch was a name given to these men to make sure everyone knew they were not Officers. But my Dad dropped bombs over most of Europe and North Africa. He did 52 missions on two B-17s. Sadly Heart disease took his life age the age of 58. That makes my 60th birthday weird but I do not smoke like he did. I did smoke from age 14 to 18. I quit after the price went to 50 cents a pack in the machines! I can't believe what people will pay today to kill themselves early. I pray I will see my 75 birthday. A little more than 15 years to go!
My great grandfather was the tail Gunner on a B17. He passed away a few years ago now. 93 years old. I'm glad I got to hear his stories before he passed
Well that was interesting I learned this mostly in my Aviation class in school this year and our teacher said that 10% to 25% ( the average is usually 25 percent) of the bombers every mission were expected to either be down or be destroyed . Then you needed 25 missions to complete your tour, crazy . The example he gave us was by the time you're in your 4th mission if you had a hundred planes in every mission you would have lost a total of hundred planes by the end of the 4th mission. Man ,those guys were crazy that they were real men that dominated the sky.(I have great respect for them) I hope they lived a peaceful life after the war and to those who didn't make it I hope they went to a better place.
My father was a Link Trainer instructor at Lacklin Army Air Corps base from 1943 thru 1945. He applied to go to Europe as a Navigator on B-24's but was too old(38). Good thing---I was born in 1954.
2:00 WHEN The plane starts to fall at over 200km/h , and it starts to roll.... you are NOT gonna get out of it, and unlikely to survive. Not at those speeds with a roll. It only made fighting of both sides more fierce. "if I am gonna die, i might as well keep fighting. " from bombers falling with guns still firing, to enemy fighters losing a wing, and purposely smashing thier planes into American bombers.
My great uncle fought in World war II as a tail Gunner for a B-17 flying fortress and he's had 1 confirmed kill of a German fighter, one story he can recall is when he was being shot at and the Germans badly damaged their B-17 tail and killed their radio man. he was part of D-Day where they bombed bridges to stop troops. Just a little side note: he was also part of the 100th bomb group and he's still alive.
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Although early in the war fighter escorts were forced to turn back and leave the bombers exposed due to range limitations, planes like the P-51 Mustang, with its extended fuel tanks, were later able to protect the bombers all the way.
My next door neighbor growing up was a flight engineer on a b17 in the war. He never talked about so non of us nieghborhood kids knew. One day we were going to an airshow and they were going to have a b17 there. He called all of us kids aside and showed us a picture of his flight crew with his bomber as a tear rolled from his eye. I'll never forget that day
Amazing video. after watching "WW2 in HD: The air war" a few years ago i became fascinated by these guys struggles. Glad i stumbled upon your video. Good job. Guys watch the Fury airfight scene, it's chilling.
The name "flying fortress" was actually coined when the bomber was revieled to the public and a reporter remarked:"my God, it looked like a flying fortess"
Found my Dad’s WWII paperwork long after he died. 38 missions. He was Bombardier Navigator. I can recall him talking about his experience only twice in 50 years.
Would be cool if the Muricans would see how much effective and disciplined an army can be. The NVA was the last good Army Germany had left. The Bundeswehr is to weak.
Episode 21, season 6 of unsolved mysteries was about a man who was a bomber in ww2 who was super fun loving and kind, after the war he became an aggressive gambler who destroyed his marriage and went awol when he re-enlisted abandoning his family..... war might never change but it forever changes people
Good video. My grandfather enlisted at about the latest the US actually took enlistees instead of conscripting everyone and became a B-17 gunner. He was shot down by flak during his second mission. All crew survived but the copilot, who was hit directly. The pilot was also injured but survived the war. He evaded search teams for a few hours but ultimately he and his surviving crew were caught by German teams with dogs. He spent most of the war in several German prisons. He was moved a lot due to the Russians and US/British closing in and was ultimately liberated by the British, who gave him a British military outfit that we still have today. Gotta say I'm glad he was shot down over Germany as opposed to Japan. German prisons were no paradise but they didn't put non-Russian PoWs in death camps.
My teachers dad fought in ww2 and he was the one of 10 people on the plane he was riding that made it our alive. he made his way back by boat. (I live in NY USA)
My grandpa was in the 8th air force shot down on his 23rd mission during the first daylight bombing raid of berlin. Became a POW for 13 months until the prison was liberated by soviets. One of my favorite people of all time.
As an aircrewman during the afghan and iraq wars i have an undying respect for the men who plied their trade and gave there lives in the skies over europe and the pacific.
*Imagine being a ball-turret gunner. All alone in a glass ball miles above the ground, completely visible to enemy planes.* *Exciting and terrifying to the maximum level.*
No that is not correct,they also did target large German cities like:Hamburg,Dresden and Berlin. Killing thousands of civilians in their raids,the brits even dropping fire bombs burning down huge sections of whole citties. I am not saying the axis didn't do the same thing e.g London. History isn't just black and white or good or evil. Have a nice day :)
Mouz[]Tabasco half of yugoslavia was leveled to the ground by the us and britain in early 1945, by when almost all germans were out of the cities they bombed
My grandpa was a 2nd lt. commander of B17's over Germany, he did his 24 missions over Germany, 12 in North Africa and another 12 in the pacific in B24's. His third tour was done as an Army flight instructor for the new B29 crews. That's when he meat my grandma, she was an ex navy nurse working as a switchboard operator. His 4th tour was with the civil service working as a navy ship machinist. He retired at 52 and became a gardener!
I thought this was such a great video! When I was I little kid my great grandfather would tell me story's of WWII,he was the tail gunner to a B17 bomber.
This reminds me! You should make a video about the B-17 that went down west of Canton Island in the Pacific on October 1942 and had Eddie Rickenbacker, a famous WW1 pilot in it There's a book about it as well by Tod Olson This is the crew of castaways: Eddie Rickenbacker - the VIP Hans Adamson - the VIP's escort John DeAngelis - the navigator James Reynolds - the radioman Bill Cherry - the pilot Jim Whittaker - the copilot Alex Kaczmarczyk - the engineer Johnny Bartek - the other engineer
My great grandpa fought in ww2 as a back gunner in the b 17 he survived ww2 but he died in 2013 ( he held me when i was little/ a hero held me) he used to bomb the italian oil fields he shot down 5 planes and surprisingly he never got shot and if he did i wouldnt be alive. i thank him for his service knowing he helped win the war.
My great grandpa flew one of these. He crash landed in Germany and saved his crew. He survived the rest of the war in a prison camp and I still have his uniform.
@@crocs4304 James Bacque and the Kriegsgräberfürsorge has order not ro dig there. Dumb and laughtable is to believe that a Building out of concrete are good for keeping acid gas in it.
Richard Baal me, somehow this video remind me of the plane mission in COD 5, it's a different plane in different war but stil get goosebump when thinking of it
The only time I ever saw my grandfather cry was when he talked about the B-17 bombers he escorted in his P-47. He said he'd just be watching these guys safely above the flak as they went through black clouds of fire. All while staying on course and never budging an inch even as one after another would be plunged to the Earth.
My great grandfather was part of a B-17 crew. He destroyed his hearing in the process and had to have a hearing aid for the rest of his life. Glad you made a video about this :)
Ragnar Lodbrok glad he make It through
I knew time travel was possible... Vikings during WW2! :)
That’s cool
My great grandfather was a Dakota codetalker.
ayden bruntmyer whut?
My grandfather was the left waist gunner on a B-17 during WW2. According to family stories, his plane was shot down during a daylight raid over Germany, and he parachuted to the ground... as the sole remaining member of the crew. Everyone else was either MIA or KIA. He then proceeded to walk his way back to the allied line, living out a normal life after the war, before sadly dying of a heart attack.
Uhh I wanna say...what’s MIA and KIA?
@@randomguy3690 Missing in Action and Killed in Action
Connor Walters sup Im back
Am so sorry for your grandfather
@@randomguy3690
MIA = missing in action. They're lost and haven't returned to be accounted for, doesn't necessarily mean they're dead but it could be the case and they just haven't located the body to confirm yet
KIA = killed in action: They are comfirmed to have died in the middle of a battle while in combat
My grandfather was the bombardier on one of these. He said when they got their plane, they stripped out everything they didn't need. That was to make the plane lighter/faster to improve chances of survival. They were also given the choice between a very heavy warm suit or the smaller electric heated suit. Sometimes the electric suits would fail and people would get frostbite on missions. His plane was shot down over Germany, and he was captured. He lied about being a ball turret gunner instead since he was afraid that they might kill him on site for bombing their cities.
His camp was liberated by the Russians towards the end of the war. Wish he was still alive because I have so many more questions.
+puxorb does taking the paint off and leaving it silver help that
Simple History it does. The paint for a whole b17 was very heavy. Cant remember the numbers, but was surprising
My grandad was lucky he was assigned to a B-29 super fortress, witch was surprising to die in, and he was earlier a T-29 tank commander. He was shot, but it was in the arm and when it healed it just left a scar
@@awwk8452 To that B29s are more prone to be shot down due to the outside layer of it was magnesium which is flammable.
My dad's uncle was a B-17 pilot. My dad remembers him as a major alcoholic who never talked about his experence in the war. He survived the war, but it was apparently very brutal for him.
Eric Taylor one of the many unfortunate things for the crewman of the b-17 is that if the electronics were shot or the turrent mechanism was stuck or locked..... For the ball turrent it was a nightmare because if they had to crashland there was nothing they could do ..... Which caused the ball gunner to be crushed on impact ......
The turret could get stuck, but this didn't happen very often. When it did they could get a parachute to the gunner and he could escape vie the bail out hatch. They could turn the turret manually if they had to.
Eric Taylor i say this because i heard of some awful stories and it makes me think about this kinda stuff its ruff when you think about it
Sure, it could have happened, but I'm not sure it ever did.
There was an anthology show back in the 80's called "Amazing Stories" sort of like Twilight Zone but with lighter stories.
One of the episodes, this happened. The ball turret got stuck AND the landing gear was damaged.
The gunner was a cartoonist so he drew cartoon tires on the plane. The plane landed safely but the pulled the gunner out and he was catatonic. The snapped him out of it and the cartoon tires disappeared dropping the plane to the ground and smashing the ball turret.
It was better than it sounds.
He killed alot of children and innocent women thats why. His guilt got to him.
my dad's uncle died in ww2, he was a b-17 pilot, i was named after him
pickle thank him for his service
pickle good
Atleast he died for his country
pickle Your dad's uncle has my respect
Cool uncle and sad
can you do ww1 bomber crews?
Dylin Andrews045 Yes!
Dylin Andrews045 they did not really have one they just drop bombs in fighters, more as a scare tactic
That would be cool
German?
no American pleas
What unit do you want to see next?
Simple History I'd like to see a vide on the US Airborne Divisions please :)
us marines
Good suggestions so far, keep them coming.
Simple History mexican Eagles air squadron during world War 2
French Foreign Legion
wow. that was brutal
yes
Yes extremely dangerous
Yep. Have you seen the German Army WW2 one?
Neptune
P
My grandfather flew 17s out of Foggia, Italy. Co-pilot. He said the temperatures were so cold that if you were to touch the metal with bare hand, it would stick, similar to if you attempted to lick a frozen pole. I recently got the amazing opportunity to fly in the Aluminum Overcast thanks to the EAA.
Interesting insight! So he was an officer?
Yes he was. He was a Lieutenant (not sure which grade) at that time in the Army Air Corps. He survived WWII, also flew cargo planes in Vietnam. For a time he was a Missile Combat Crew Commander as well. He transferred to the Air Force when it was established and was a Captain at retirement. They promoted him to Lieutenant Colonel for retirement. A lot of history with him. Thanks for asking!
Thank you for making this. It is an excellent video. I will share it with him (even though I'm sure he knows it all to heart haha).
Covert K9 Your grandfathers experience is interesting. I thank him for serving.
My father flew 35 missions as a B-17 Flying Fortress tail gunner out of Foggia, Italy with the 15th Air Force, 2nd Bomb Group, 96th Squadron.
The Eighth Air Force would lose more than 600 airmen with 77 B-17's out of 291 lost, on October 14, 1943 during the Second Raid on Schweinfurt which would be known as ‘Black Thursday’ putting grave doubts on the future of daylight bombing raids.
Simple History could you do kamikaze pailots ww2 pls man btw love ypur visd keep up the good work
Simple History shoup
Simple History Two of my Great Uncles died during that raid
Simple History yo simple history, what's up. I just want to know will u do a video on the battle of castle itter? Thx
Simple History do a video on The Imperial Japanese Army or the Red Army
Bomber crew casualties exceeded those of the Marines in the Pacific.
That being said, a German fighter pilot described attacking bomber formations as the most dangerous mission they had.
So it was the most dangerous position on both sides that's interesting
Cuz them mustangs didn't play
And the young gunnas on the ball turret, waist gunners, tail gunners, top
Juell McDaniel Lt. Capt.. (I believe) flew 50 missions as a navigator on a B-15. He died in May of 2018 at the age of 95 in Wascom, Texas. He wanted to get to Viet- Nam, but he was too old they said. He was also at D day. It is nothing short of a miracle that he survived. They called them Lucky. . . Prayers is more like it. He didn't miss Sunday school for 60 years. A real hero. Thanks for the video!!
My grandfather was a Bombardier in the United States 8th Air Force. He took part in several bombing runs over Berlin in 1944. My hero unfortunately passed away in 2009 but my god I respect my grand-dad and all of our troops who fought. Those men are true heroes.
Husky Airsoft I respect him too.
What bomb group was he in? 91st?
My departed dad fought in WW2. He told me, sometimes those bombers would land with so many holes in them, that you could see daylight in the other side. He said that was one of the times the was thankful for being a "ground pounder."
My grandfather flew these for the RAF, won the Cross of Victoria for making it back from missions that were so risky they only took volunteers. I wish he was still around to talk with me about this video. Good work Simple History
My grandfather was a co-pilot on a b-17 during WW2. I've researched his plane. He was shot down on a mission and my dad would always hear stories of how he became a POW. This is the research I've uncovered from my grandfathers time:
B-17 Flying Fortress "What's Cookin' Doc?" -547th bomb squadron 384th Bomb group
These are the official records of the planes final mission copied word for word:
TARGET: POWERHOUSE
TARGET TYPE: INDUSTRY
LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY LEFT FORMATION AFTER BOMBING TARGET. MOST OF CREW BAILED OUT NEAR ABBEVILLE, FRANCE; AIRCRAFT CRASHED NEAR SAINT-VALERY-SUR-SOMME
CO-Pilot Philip Bern
7 JANUARY 1944
REPORTED MISSING
RESULTS: PRISONER OF WAR
POW CAMP: STALAG LUFT 1 BARTH-VOGELSANG PRUSSIA (2 members of crew KIA)
Jonah Bern my grandfather died in auschwitz he fell out of the guard tower
Stealthinator139 hahahah
Hello J. My grandfather was also a B-17 pilot with the 384th Bomber Group out of Grafton-Underwood, England. He was with the 544th squadron. He was shot down on May 13, 1944, survived, POW until 32nd of war. 2nd Lt. Charles W. Baker
Jonah Bern Did he made it out alive?
Vito the Russians liberated his camp and he was freed
BEEEEEE SEVENTEEN BAAWWHHMMERR
I knew I would stumble upon such a comment here :D
Surprised I found this so quickly
Mattel electronics presents
TheKiller7276 yeeeee haw
Lmao i was thiking the same thing when i read the tittle of the video.
Please submit your language captions
Simple History You should do more WW2 videos man,I'm massive fan of your channel and I'm going to support you on patreon .(also it's a good time to make WW2 vids because the hype of Cod WW2,Try to get them views you know.... cough,do "the bloody first" infantry unit from the U.S...... trust me man you'll get at least 1 mil of views.)
+HAL 9000 From 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY yes expect a lot of WW2 stuff :)
Greek
Добрый
Just kiddin'
My grandfather manned a ball turret on a B-17. Awesome video :)
My Father Sgt first Class Robert Walters(ended his army career in 1966 as a one star General)was a toggle switch Bombardier. That ment he was not an officer. Due to lack of Officers to be Bombardiers the Army Air Corps trained enlisted men to drop bombs. The name Toggle Switch was a name given to these men to make sure everyone knew they were not Officers. But my Dad dropped bombs over most of Europe and North Africa. He did 52 missions on two B-17s. Sadly Heart disease took his life age the age of 58. That makes my 60th birthday weird but I do not smoke like he did. I did smoke from age 14 to 18. I quit after the price went to 50 cents a pack in the machines!
I can't believe what people will pay today to kill themselves early. I pray I will see my 75 birthday. A little more than 15 years to go!
John Walters don’t care
@@animalanimal7939 I care, dickweed
A bomber going from sgt to general seems far stretched
well he did stay in the air force until 1966
@@kirayoshikage8579 actually he stayed in the Army. Not every Army Air Corps personal chose to go to the Air Force.
I’m gonna fly in a B-17 in September with my uncle. It is from WWII and it got restored
could you make a video about the P-51 Mustang?
1 out of 4 survival rate... Balls Of Steel.
For many bomber crewmen, literally.
This was true brotherhood here when they had to fight in a chunk of metal to a death sentence
It's amazing to see how much this channel has grown since videos like these came out
Do the WW2 Mexican Aztecs Eagles next
Lucio Gonzalez Yeah
LucarioAura Kitty yeah
LucarioAura Kitty , yes! They flew P-47s in the Pacific Theatre. 🇲🇽
My great grandfather was the tail Gunner on a B17. He passed away a few years ago now. 93 years old. I'm glad I got to hear his stories before he passed
This was great nice job
My father was a B-17 pilot. He flew 52 missions He was with the 388th bomber group. He survived the war.
Well that was interesting I learned this mostly in my Aviation class in school this year and our teacher said that 10% to 25% ( the average is usually 25 percent) of the bombers every mission were expected to either be down or be destroyed . Then you needed 25 missions to complete your tour, crazy . The example he gave us was by the time you're in your 4th mission if you had a hundred planes in every mission you would have lost a total of hundred planes by the end of the 4th mission. Man ,those guys were crazy that they were real men that dominated the sky.(I have great respect for them) I hope they lived a peaceful life after the war and to those who didn't make it I hope they went to a better place.
My father was a Link Trainer instructor at Lacklin Army Air Corps base from 1943 thru 1945. He applied to go to Europe as a Navigator on B-24's but was too old(38). Good thing---I was born in 1954.
2:00 WHEN The plane starts to fall at over 200km/h , and it starts to roll.... you are NOT gonna get out of it, and unlikely to survive. Not at those speeds with a roll. It only made fighting of both sides more fierce. "if I am gonna die, i might as well keep fighting. " from bombers falling with guns still firing, to enemy fighters losing a wing, and purposely smashing thier planes into American bombers.
Damm thats deep
Someone watched the trailer. (You know exactly which one im talking about)
Warthunder xd?
You won't get out, not when it dives at 300 knots.
*bumps a tree* Crew knocked out!
My great uncle fought in World war II as a tail Gunner for a B-17 flying fortress and he's had 1 confirmed kill of a German fighter, one story he can recall is when he was being shot at and the Germans badly damaged their B-17 tail and killed their radio man. he was part of D-Day where they bombed bridges to stop troops. Just a little side note: he was also part of the 100th bomb group and he's still alive.
Snavels what an absolute unit.
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Adolfo Estella III
Love the effort you put in! Keep doing what you do!
Great simplified vid, for those looking for some quick research! Gramps was B17 Engineer 8/12/15AAF 301st BG 419thSQ, 1942-45
Although early in the war fighter escorts were forced to turn back and leave the bombers exposed due to range limitations, planes like the P-51 Mustang, with its extended fuel tanks, were later able to protect the bombers all the way.
+SlyShadow yes correct before it was the P-47 and the P-38
Didn't Curtis Lemay implement that ?
I got to fly inside a B -17 last year; One of the best experiences I've ever had,
OMG favourite bomber in ww2
Cameron Wilson mine is B-25 mitchell
Cameron Wilson Arado Ar 234 Blitz purely because it's jet powered
b29
I have to say the Avro Lancaster, partially because RULE BRITANNIA and partially because of Squadron 611, the "Dam-Busters".
B25 Mitchell and B24 Liberator are my favorites after Horten Ho 223
My grandfather fixed radios during ww2...in California...He was still a hero to me.
Could you do a video about the Belgian army in ww1? Just a suggestion though.
Tyler Hendrix no, they didn't
But not all of belgium
they had cool uniforms though
Dr. Pepe it kinda just looked like British sliders.
I was referring to the ones they had before getting British aid. Their uniforms were black and had top hats.
My next door neighbor growing up was a flight engineer on a b17 in the war. He never talked about so non of us nieghborhood kids knew. One day we were going to an airshow and they were going to have a b17 there. He called all of us kids aside and showed us a picture of his flight crew with his bomber as a tear rolled from his eye. I'll never forget that day
Amazing video. after watching "WW2 in HD: The air war" a few years ago i became fascinated by these guys struggles. Glad i stumbled upon your video. Good job. Guys watch the Fury airfight scene, it's chilling.
Thanks!
My grand father Warren was a waist gunner on a B 17 they flew 55 bombing missions in a plane called my baby. Thanks for these videos
The name "flying fortress" was actually coined when the bomber was revieled to the public and a reporter remarked:"my God, it looked like a flying fortess"
Found my Dad’s WWII paperwork long after he died. 38 missions. He was Bombardier Navigator. I can recall him talking about his experience only twice in 50 years.
pickel,My uncle died,But not died in the WW2.But it dies on 1999.My uncle was known as a great Hero.
The b17 may not of been comfortable but it’s an amazing piece of engineering
My Dad was a tail gunner on a B-17, 303 BG. They had to fly 35 missions before they could rotate home
I owe this man who taught me all I know about war and planes
Can you do the Nationale Volksarmee (East German Army) in the future?
The True 'Murican Stfu
Would be cool if the Muricans would see how much effective and disciplined an army can be. The NVA was the last good Army Germany had left. The Bundeswehr is to weak.
Artjom Koslow That's not true !
C´mon Dude. I don´t feed the Troll.
@@ArtjomKoslow The Bundeswehr is weak for good reason.
usa: 25-35 missions is your tour of duty.
Japan: 1 mission is your tour of duty.
1 out of 4 chance of completing your mandatory 25 mission quota!?!?! Those are shit odds mate!
My great grandfather was a top turret gunner in ww2 in a B-17 and crash landed 3 times. I miss him and his sacrifice won't be forgotten.
+Spencer Salisbury :O
Spencer Salisbury mine was a navigator he made it back tho sorry for your loss
Episode 21, season 6 of unsolved mysteries was about a man who was a bomber in ww2 who was super fun loving and kind, after the war he became an aggressive gambler who destroyed his marriage and went awol when he re-enlisted abandoning his family..... war might never change but it forever changes people
The fact is our youth today could never be on these men's level.
humph. i learned more about ww2 from this channel more than my history teacher. teacher, you need to step up ur game.
+I'm Mentol get your teacher to show the video in class :)
Good video. My grandfather enlisted at about the latest the US actually took enlistees instead of conscripting everyone and became a B-17 gunner. He was shot down by flak during his second mission. All crew survived but the copilot, who was hit directly. The pilot was also injured but survived the war. He evaded search teams for a few hours but ultimately he and his surviving crew were caught by German teams with dogs. He spent most of the war in several German prisons. He was moved a lot due to the Russians and US/British closing in and was ultimately liberated by the British, who gave him a British military outfit that we still have today.
Gotta say I'm glad he was shot down over Germany as opposed to Japan. German prisons were no paradise but they didn't put non-Russian PoWs in death camps.
My teachers dad fought in ww2 and he was the one of 10 people on the plane he was riding that made it our alive. he made his way back by boat. (I live in NY USA)
RJTheDirtRacer 352 do you realise he was a mass murder that slaughtered hundreds of women and children?
My grandpa was in the 8th air force shot down on his 23rd mission during the first daylight bombing raid of berlin. Became a POW for 13 months until the prison was liberated by soviets. One of my favorite people of all time.
I love this channel I wish it was more popular
+Homeland Poultry same!
My great grandpa was a tail gunner on the plane named "Utah Man". Great video guys.
Can you do the B-29 and B-24.
Wow, those missions must have been brutal!
Who else has just watched episode one Masters of the Air?
As an aircrewman during the afghan and iraq wars i have an undying respect for the men who plied their trade and gave there lives in the skies over europe and the pacific.
Do the WWII Tuskegee airmen
*GREAT VOICE*
my great grandad died in ww2 and he didn't get to see me and my family.
Red Tails (and it’s unrealistic crews and physics and even basic bullet ballistics) starts playing
Can you do WW2 American or German tank crews?
*Imagine being a ball-turret gunner. All alone in a glass ball miles above the ground, completely visible to enemy planes.*
*Exciting and terrifying to the maximum level.*
No that is not correct,they also did target large German cities like:Hamburg,Dresden and Berlin.
Killing thousands of civilians in their raids,the brits even dropping fire bombs burning down huge sections of whole citties.
I am not saying the axis didn't do the same thing e.g London.
History isn't just black and white or good or evil.
Have a nice day :)
Mouz[]Tabasco then why are you mention it?
Tony Montana Correcting the video
Mouz[]Tabasco half of yugoslavia was leveled to the ground by the us and britain in early 1945, by when almost all germans were out of the cities they bombed
Mouz[]Tabasco the firebombing campaign was done by Bomber Command RAF just correcting a comment
Low Flyer I read it was 44 not 45
My grandpa was a 2nd lt. commander of B17's over Germany, he did his 24 missions over Germany, 12 in North Africa and another 12 in the pacific in B24's. His third tour was done as an Army flight instructor for the new B29 crews. That's when he meat my grandma, she was an ex navy nurse working as a switchboard operator. His 4th tour was with the civil service working as a navy ship machinist. He retired at 52 and became a gardener!
What about the B-24 liberator
Could you imagine working a job with a 25percent chance of survival. These guys deserve the highest honor
It honestly scares me. The odds were against my Great Grandpa surviving, and if he didn't survive.. I wouldn't be here..
+Blasty BBS what role did he have on the bomber?
Simple History cleaning lady
Tony Montana LMAO
Simple History he was a bottom turret, I believe.
I had two great grandpas and a great uncle who were Lancaster and Halifax pilots in the RCAF at the time thankfully they all returned.
I can't take that falling bomb sound seriously. Childhood cartoons made it so funny
I thought this was such a great video! When I was I little kid my great grandfather would tell me story's of WWII,he was the tail gunner to a B17 bomber.
B-17 on War Thunder is op😍
SYNDICATE ...and here comes a yak 9...and there goes your wing.
forrestgumball YOU GOT HOLE IN YOUR RIGHT WING SIR!
SYNDICATE and here comes a yak9 and a tu4,
And there goes your wing and all your crew
SYNDICATE not against those damn fw190s that always rip my tail off!
think that again after cannon buff
This reminds me!
You should make a video about the B-17 that went down west of Canton Island in the Pacific on October 1942 and had Eddie Rickenbacker, a famous WW1 pilot in it
There's a book about it as well by Tod Olson
This is the crew of castaways:
Eddie Rickenbacker - the VIP
Hans Adamson - the VIP's escort
John DeAngelis - the navigator
James Reynolds - the radioman
Bill Cherry - the pilot
Jim Whittaker - the copilot
Alex Kaczmarczyk - the engineer
Johnny Bartek - the other engineer
Can you do one about the philippines it would be amazing since its hard to find info about them
My great grandpa fought in ww2 as a back gunner in the b 17 he survived ww2 but he died in 2013 ( he held me when i was little/ a hero held me) he used to bomb the italian oil fields he shot down 5 planes and surprisingly he never got shot and if he did i wouldnt be alive. i thank him for his service knowing he helped win the war.
Any Sabaton fans in here ?
No bullets fly song
A higher call book
My great grandfather was a co-pilot on a b-17 during ww2. I wished that I could have met him.
Can you do video about Polish 303 Squadron?
I get happy when you guys upload because I learn a lot of new stuff from your videos :D
Oh man, the B-17 sounds horrible! those things were just fat targets.
WaryJT Learn more about the ball turret.Worst position.
One story goes that a B-17 crewman was trapped in the ball turret and was crushed to death when the pilot had to force a landing.
Simple History my God!
Simple History Rest In Peace ball turret guy
Simple History Yeah that's what first came to my mind.
My grandfather was a medic in the Korean War it would mean so much to me if you did a episode on it
1:00 aaaaand do not forget civilians
My great grandpa flew one of these. He crash landed in Germany and saved his crew. He survived the rest of the war in a prison camp and I still have his uniform.
90% of the US POVs survive.
The Rhein Meadow Death Camp was the thank for it.
@@spaSSkloppe Only 6000 out of the 1 900 000 prisoners died.
@@crocs4304
1.000.000 pows die in these death camps.
@@spaSSkloppe Give me a source because that claim is so dumb it's laughable.
@@crocs4304
James Bacque and the Kriegsgräberfürsorge has order not ro dig there.
Dumb and laughtable is to believe that a Building out of concrete are good for keeping acid gas in it.
My dads grandpa was in a B-17 and blew up a german battleship
Inn Gvrr wow
Hate to break it to ya, but no major german warship in ww2 got sunk by a B-17..
"major"
No warship heavier than a destroyer. Its not hard to keep track, there weren't a whole lot of them..
possible if it was a skip bombing
Great job! Huge fan of WWII aviation, especially the B-17!
AVGN!!!
pause at 2:18 for a cool action shot
Who else is hyped for COD WW2
Edit: Simple History changed his profile to a WW2 Soldier maybe he's hyped for it too
Richard Baal lol
Richard Baal i am
No I'm not it's d day and Normandy two battle that have been overused
Yellowpanzer but we've never seen them in the amazing graphics we're capable of producing today
Richard Baal me, somehow this video remind me of the plane mission in COD 5, it's a different plane in different war but stil get goosebump when thinking of it
I salute all the people who served and are serving in a army and I hope they come home soon
My grandpa’s uncle was the ball gunner of one of the b17 bomber planes. But he died when his plane got shot down. God bless him.
The only time I ever saw my grandfather cry was when he talked about the B-17 bombers he escorted in his P-47. He said he'd just be watching these guys safely above the flak as they went through black clouds of fire. All while staying on course and never budging an inch even as one after another would be plunged to the Earth.
Better cry for the children when they reach the Target.
@@spaSSkloppe The allies targeted industry, not civilians.
BEST CHANNEL EVER keep up the good d work