How a B-17 Gunner Did the Impossible

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ย. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 834

  • @TJ3
    @TJ3  10 หลายเดือนก่อน +36

    Download Warpath now! bit.ly/ITBMTJ3History - And play Tank Tower 2 mini-game: tanktower2-warpath.lilith.com - Don't forget to use code SNIPER24 for in game resources!

    • @WildmanTrading
      @WildmanTrading 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Weird you didn't sponsor wart hunder, the game you got the footage from?

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

    • @nebraskatpp
      @nebraskatpp 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Can you download War Thunder game to a Meta Quest2 Virtual Reality system?

    • @ericsahagun5344
      @ericsahagun5344 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Okay when the guy playing the turret gun was narrating I found myself captivated with this story When you the host kick back in I'm going oh my god I hope he doesn't talk very long and thank God you didn't I know this is messed up for me to say but Christ if you're going to be a narrator you got to be good at it otherwise I don't see how you're going to last and I'm sure you you do One people to subscribe ask somebody who they think is a good narrator and who captivates them and practice to sound like them Oh my god I'm sorry!

    • @ericsahagun5344
      @ericsahagun5344 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I got it Don't talk like your narrating talk like you're talking to your friends You know more natural Good luck!

  • @Ps119
    @Ps119 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +44

    In peacetime this guy would be such a bad fit he would be chucked out but in war he was exceptionally good. Just goes to show that the peacetime military does not necessarily foster the guys they really need when bullets start flying.

  • @user-vp1sc7tt4m
    @user-vp1sc7tt4m 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +58

    My Dad was a rear gunner on a B-17 during WWII. He never talked about his experiences but definitely lived with PTSD after. Great to hear about "Snuffy" and his accomplishment and more so, his commitment to everyone on that plane, real caring guy with the courage and willingness, and smarts to get them back to safety. Connects me with my Dad because I know he was there in this during the war and he also had the heart Snuffy had when it came to others.

  • @arthurhouston3
    @arthurhouston3 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +760

    Had a good friend who was belly gunner b17. 32 missions. Died 2009 late 80s. Ask him why 32 missions he could have come home after 25. He said we had not won the war.

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

    • @jackdundon2261
      @jackdundon2261 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +71

      That's a hero. May he rest in peace. (all my WW2 /Korea vet family and friends are gone. And the Vietnam boys are getting thin.

    • @denniscrabtree2170
      @denniscrabtree2170 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +86

      My neighbor flew 35 missions as a pilot captain of B17s. Never lost a crew member. After returning from his 17th mission, his badly damaged plane was replaced. Received Distinguished Flying Cross. He was over 90 when he passed. He's one of the finest men I've ever known!

    • @Rob-157
      @Rob-157 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +20

      God bless him. What a badass 👍

    • @LegendStormcrow
      @LegendStormcrow 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

      My grandfather was an under water welder. That generation was brave and tough.

  • @texasrex2557
    @texasrex2557 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +76

    My Pa was a tail gunner in a B24. "Nobody's Baby" Last mission he was about to go on, the CO called him off the plane at the last minute along with the Coms crewman. Said they could skip this mission to use the last of their shore leave before discharge. The plane never returned from the mission.

    • @C25-150
      @C25-150 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Talk about dodging a literal bullet

    • @skillsphere9245
      @skillsphere9245 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      This is shocking but not surprising, 50% of the bombers where expected to not return home
      A simple coin toss.... 50/50 gruesome
      I think most accepted to die once they stepped inside the airship.

    • @MrAkaacer
      @MrAkaacer 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@C25-150 You can look at it that way, or perhaps the plane would've survived if he had gone. I prefer to think that people affect outcomes.

  • @briansteffmagnussen9078
    @briansteffmagnussen9078 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +239

    Snuffy experienced more combat on this single run than many other have experienced on their whole tour.

    • @craighanson-rc1md
      @craighanson-rc1md 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      times are different it's amazing what people went through in WW1 or WW2 & how many came back mentally scarred uncertainly but able to pull through while people today go through far less & suddenly have all sorts of mental issues. I mean in WW1 & WW2 you served for years usually unless seriously hurt while since vietnam especially in combat a unit will deploy for a set period like 12 months or so then rotate out for a while & yet many complain about it. I have a buddy who's in the navy & complains every time his ship sails & he's on rotation & it's like dude you picked the navy you are mostly on ships & it's clearly based on rotation you deploy for "see patrol" for X number of months usually like 6 & travel the world then your on land for about 6 months doing various things like training & whatever while another group sails the ship on another patrol or the ship is upgraded & repaired. I always give him a hard time about complaining & if he hates it so why not move on he's done it for like 12 years. Of course once on the cruise & travelling the world he's loving the navy again.

  • @alkitzman9179
    @alkitzman9179 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +317

    You just never know until it actually happens in combat. Those who will come through and those who will not. Actions speak way louder than words . Snuffy you saved 6 of your crew with your actions. A salute to Pvt. Smith

    • @nigeldepledge3790
      @nigeldepledge3790 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      I think he was a Staff Sargeant . . .

    • @davemccage7918
      @davemccage7918 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

      Average hight of a man in 1942 wasn’t 6’. In fact 6 foot still isn’t average in 2024.

    • @56bturn
      @56bturn 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

      Some Medal of Honour recipients are barely thinking when they do it. They're just doing what they gotta, often in a desperate attempt to survive, or haul fellows out of the fire.

    • @dennisbitton8264
      @dennisbitton8264 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Drbe

    • @dennisbitton8264
      @dennisbitton8264 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Sq 26:06 ​@56btur8thn

  • @bulletsunderpressure
    @bulletsunderpressure 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +24

    I love how tough this guy is despite never getting along with his superiors. I dont care what anyone says, there are times it helps to have a outside man like this. Just make sure you dont wrong them personally and you should be good.

  • @goldminer7735
    @goldminer7735 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +77

    My dad knew him. Heard about him since I was a child. Impressed you have the correct 306th TriH tail mark. My dad was in 306th as Navigator.

    • @YnG-Aido
      @YnG-Aido 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Cheers to both your father and grandfather a true generation of heroes they both are

  • @rambladesmanmoe6291
    @rambladesmanmoe6291 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +89

    Two of my uncles were ball turret gunners on B-17’s. Both completed their required number of missions. I wish they were still around to hear their stories

    • @Soundbrigade
      @Soundbrigade 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

      We never asked …. 🙁 My father (Swedes we are), was travelling with the German soldiers through Sweden during the war, watching them with a rifle in his hand. He also stood watch when Sweden (so disgracefully) left out all the Baltic solders to Stalin’s murder-machine, collecting letters those poor souls had written to their relatives and posting them.
      But I never interviewed my father about those events and now it’s too late.

    • @caderiddle5996
      @caderiddle5996 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Now that’s a heck of a legacy to leave!

    • @vipergtsmre
      @vipergtsmre 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      2 in the ball, and both survived the war?? That's a miracle. My Gramps was MSgt Engineer and Waist Gunner in the B17. 301stBG 419th. He got home too, somehow. 2 BS, but no MOH

  • @fractalelf7760
    @fractalelf7760 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

    I was born 20 years after WWII, and it makes me happy younger people are still showing an interest in the history of service our forebears went through for us.

  • @jackka82
    @jackka82 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +19

    I was in the Army and I still remember one of the sergeants in my unit who had been deployed a bunch of times remark with a smile, it’s usually the garrison s****bags that end up excelling in combat, and sometimes model soldiers crawl up into the fetal position and start crying when s**** hits the fan.

  • @gregc.8040
    @gregc.8040 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +128

    Never judge a man before you know what kind of man they really are. Thank you Maynard H. Smith and all who served and serve. He got mad at the fire and pissed on it.

    • @peteryoung1461
      @peteryoung1461 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      That raging fire really pissed him off ...literally!!!

    • @rg20322
      @rg20322 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      He seemed like a total ahole but I don't hold that against him. S

  • @Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu
    @Minong_Manitou_Mishepeshu 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +61

    They have Snuffy's medals and uniform at a military museum in Frankenmuth Michigan.

  • @drone6675
    @drone6675 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +39

    Man saves entire bomber and crew (don’t be a quitter), gets KP. Army gonna army.

    • @raymondclark1785
      @raymondclark1785 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      When I was in Labrador we lost our water system. Only food handlers could take showers.
      We had officers volunteer for KP to take a shower and free up airmen to repair the pipeline 😊

  • @DavidKutzler
    @DavidKutzler 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +46

    I'm old enough to have watched Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes with his weekly feature, "A Few Words with Andy Rooney." I remember when he did a piece on the events surrounding the medal ceremony for "Snuffy" Smith. He described Smith as "a classic screwup."

  • @bigblue6917
    @bigblue6917 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +106

    I have read of men like him. troublemakers who become heroes. It's like if they are not taking anything from their own side they are definatelly not taking anything from the enemy.
    For some time I thought one of the worse positions on the B-17 was the ball gunners, stuck out there in such an exposed place. But I have since learnt that because of the armour plating and the protection from the machineguns it was second only to the co-pilot seat as one one of the safest positions in the aircraft. The worst place to be was where the navigator sat. Through the interrogation of captured German pilots it was revealed that the ball gunner caused so many problems for the fighter pilots that they would avoid attacking them is possible.

    • @stevemitz4740
      @stevemitz4740 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      With a tin-foil skin "protecting" you, [from 50 cal. & 20mm rounds] everyone was "Unprotected!" So live with it!

    • @onenutoo
      @onenutoo 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

      One bad thing with the ball gun is if they are not out of it when they crash land, they are now a smear where the plane crashed.

    • @amartyaroy3754
      @amartyaroy3754 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Not to mention the entire system worked on hydraulics if that was out, you are definitely stuck inside @@onenutoo

    • @bigblue6917
      @bigblue6917 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@onenutoo Sorry I'm a bit late replying to your comment.
      Like you I thought the ball gunners position was not a place to be in the event of a crashlanding. But I have since learnt that not only did this never happen there was a way of getting the ball turret back inside. I follow a TH-cam channel "WWII US Bombers" and one recent video shows how they could get the gunner out of the ball turret even if it lost power.
      th-cam.com/video/nPk5C50ajho/w-d-xo.html
      I hope you find it interesting.

    • @onenutoo
      @onenutoo 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@bigblue6917 thank you

  • @joesc641
    @joesc641 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +27

    Snuffy was a badass! It's still hard to believe, after receiving the Medal of Honor, they would bust him down to a private. He had to screw up pretty bad. With that being said, I was a Vietnam combat vet (1969-70) and would have been happy with a guy like snuffy having my back.

  • @Fitn3ss
    @Fitn3ss 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    My father was at RAF Portreath on May 1St 1943 and remembered the arrival of the damaged 42-29649. He was part of the 519th Advanced Support Group stationed there to service aircraft coming through from the U.S.A enroute to North Africa as part of Operation Torch. His recollection of the incident was that the B-17 was severely damaged and landed wheels down on the short paved runway 26 but with the brakes shot out could not stop before reaching the end of the runway that ended in the sea! So the pilot made a hard left turn into an ancient stone wall next to the runway which stopped the aircraft dead. He didn't mention the aircraft breaking in two but with that damage and a Roman wall I wouldn't be surprised. He was part of the recovery crew and he told the story often. He said "it took the pilot 1 minute the put it in there and 6 weeks for us to pull it out! A great story well told by you. Thank you so much.

  • @overlycreative1
    @overlycreative1 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +35

    If you read the written story in the voice of Andy Rooney, it brings Mr Rooney's way with words to life. His familiar meter and pauses emphasized where needed and gave an entertaining and often somber recount of events. These events were no less. Thank you to Maynard Smith, a brave man who thought of his fellow man before himself. RIP to you all and especially you Mr. Rooney, you supported the troops and certainly earned your awards of the Bronze Star Medal and Air Medal for your service as a war correspondent in combat zones during the war. You were my hero in life and a real man's life to live up to.

  • @jbman413
    @jbman413 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +138

    It never ceases to amaze me that our forefathers flew around the world using a wet compass. I stand in awe of thier achievements.

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

    • @james-faulkner
      @james-faulkner 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      According to this and many other similar stories, not so well. Don't forget to be amazed by the ones that navigated water and land just using a compass and those that didn't even have that.
      I have never heard of a "wet compass". That must be a term adopted by those that have never used a compass or plotted grid coordinates.

    • @snakeinthegrak8969
      @snakeinthegrak8969 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Teach them how to use it and a map, or become part of the problem.

    • @glacier6996
      @glacier6996 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      LMAO @@james-faulkner It is you who are the ignorant one.. Aircraft use naval compasses.. All of which were filled with alcohol or some form of light mineral oil.. Hence the term wet compass.. Its amazing how you dont know what you dont know because you dont even know you dont know it......

    • @james-faulkner
      @james-faulkner 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@snakeinthegrak8969 What is it you want jbman to teach people to use? His wet compass?

  • @LancelotChan
    @LancelotChan 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +186

    Thanks for the story. It's important to learn that not every hero we had was the typical type. Everyone we looked down upon, could be a potential hero.

    • @SoloRenegade
      @SoloRenegade 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +19

      it's not uncommon for the outcasts to become heroes. Many Medal of Honor recipients were disliked (often unfairly) by the other guys in the unit.

    • @78tag
      @78tag 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +21

      Absolutely - guys like Smith might not give a sh*t what you think but he doesn't care what the enemy thinks either.

    • @Dave5843-d9m
      @Dave5843-d9m 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

      @@78tagMost well known leaders were of this type. Many bordering on psychopathic but fully under control.

    • @todydn
      @todydn 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      ​@@Dave5843-d9mi hate to say it but thats what i see in trump and what we need

    • @PhysicsGamer
      @PhysicsGamer 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      @@todydn Nah, Trump's just selfish.

  • @robgilmour3147
    @robgilmour3147 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    love this guy, "got mad at running out of stuff to extinguish the fire so i peed on it"

  • @moss8448
    @moss8448 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +39

    Remember Andy Rooney saying something about Snuffy going to be awarded the MOH and they found him on KP duty at the base prior to the ceremony. My kinda guy.

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

    • @samuelschick8813
      @samuelschick8813 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

      "“Take me to the Brig. I want to see the “real Marines.” Chesty Puller USMC

    • @moss8448
      @moss8448 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@samuelschick8813 classic line

    • @KenMikaze
      @KenMikaze 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@samuelschick8813 "What the hell is a flying Marine doing, peeling potaters?" Chesty Puller USMC after finding out Snuffy in KP duty.

  • @nigeldepledge3790
    @nigeldepledge3790 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +51

    IMO, everyone who flew a mission in the ball turret of a B-17 deserves a medal . . .

  • @davidbigbee3556
    @davidbigbee3556 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    Well told. I had to read about Maynard Smith every year for my promotion exams (WAPS testing) for 24 years in the USAF. This is the most comprehensive study I’ve ever seen. And even we were taught that he was a troublemaker and pulled KP a lot.
    Excellent download!!!

    • @jonderek4647
      @jonderek4647 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Yes, the MOH and AAF & AF silver star winners were part of our PFE reading material for promotion. Got to meet Levitow while I was attending NCO Academy and Roy Benavitez while at SNCO Academy. Now there's a story you want to hear! This CMSgt salutes them all!

    • @tommyjenkins7453
      @tommyjenkins7453 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I was just complaining about not being taught enough Air Force history while in service 72-80,,made SSGT first try line #52 had to get out because I became a single Daddy (divorced) couldn't stay in back then as a single parent with primary custody,,, Congratulations on your 24

    • @davidbigbee3556
      @davidbigbee3556 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@tommyjenkins7453Thanks Brother and thanks for your service!

  • @martingannon132
    @martingannon132 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

    This is just proof that it takes all different kinds of people to make things happen. I think that Mr. Smith is a true hero and he deserves to be treated like one. RIP Mr. Smith!!!

  • @harryshriver6223
    @harryshriver6223 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I love this story, Maynard Smithy sounds like someone who I would have been friends with most definitely. A real character, on KP then recognized with the CMH. Huuah to Snuffy Smith and RIP 🙏 🪦

  • @billotto602
    @billotto602 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    I remember hearing about him from a TV show with Andy Rooney. You can never look at a guy & figure him out at first glance if he's an American. We have a way doing the impossible with nothing sometimes. RIP Snuffy & God bless you sir ! You make me proud to be an American ! 🙏♥️🙏♥️🙏♥️ 🫡 🇺🇸

  • @paulocarvalho6480
    @paulocarvalho6480 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    Clawing himself out of the belly turret, fighting the enemy, helping the injured rear gunner, fighting the fire, all this two, three, four times, back and forth, only tells me he didn't have nerves of steel, he had nerves of diamond grade toughness. Had he got out of the turret sooner, maybe he could have prevented the other men from bailing out. The title of HERO is very well deserved.

    • @waynemyers2469
      @waynemyers2469 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Personally, I think he would have jumped out of the plane too but those gigantic testicles wouldn't fit through the hole in the side of the plane.

  • @Chainyanker007
    @Chainyanker007 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +21

    Smith looks like a hardass, served him well, lol. Glad he survived the war, even though he got busted to Private. Medal of Honor recipient, wow, what a character.

    • @stevemitz4740
      @stevemitz4740 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      I bet the guys who bailed out at first sign of trouble, never had disciplinary problems! (I bet they were "good" "boys!"

    • @skullsaintdead
      @skullsaintdead 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@stevemitz4740what if they were? Does their fear & sacrifice mean any less?

    • @stevemitz4740
      @stevemitz4740 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@skullsaintdead My point was more directed to the meek & mild type who never step out of line & never accomplish much! I.E like comparing roudey Donald Trump to the polite & evil Biden/ Hunter crim cartel!

    • @robgilmour3147
      @robgilmour3147 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@skullsaintdead bailing out on your own in a fight? definitely means less

  • @electricnut8489
    @electricnut8489 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

    He certainly deserved that Medal Of Honor. What a fighter.

  • @Paladin1873
    @Paladin1873 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +20

    The future Queen's visit to the 306th BG was not until 6 July 1944 when she christened one of their aircraft which had been named "Rose of York" in her honor. Fun fact: the fictional 918th Bomb Group featured in the book, movie, and TV series 12 O'clock High was patterned after the 306th BG. The group number was created by multiplying 306 x 3.

  • @ahhamartin
    @ahhamartin 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    If you get to see the photos of when he was found peeling potatoes on KP, look closely and you'll see the wool wrists are clearly burned off his leather jacket. He's still wearing the same one he wore on the mission (it was of course quickly replaced on the photo ops).

  • @Preciouspink
    @Preciouspink 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    Thank you for noticing this seldom talked about (anymore) man. We (ought not) judge this man harshly,as none here,would choose (or survive) the circumstances of this man’s life,no doubt.

  • @emrakultheaeonstorn7430
    @emrakultheaeonstorn7430 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    Good ole Snuffy Smith! You know they had to go get him from the brig to tell him he won the Medal of Honor

  • @samuelschick8813
    @samuelschick8813 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +41

    Airman: " Snuffy, you have any plans for tonight?"
    Snuffy: " Yea, peeling potatoes."

  • @genreynolds6685
    @genreynolds6685 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    One quibble in a good presentation (liked.). In side views of your B-17s you can see through one waist window and out the other and the top views show the guns directly opposite. In B-17Fs, the waist guns were staggered so the two gunners wouldn’t bang their elbows into each other as they swiveled with their guns. The Es had the guns directly opposite. To my understanding the B-17E was not deployed to England by 1943, being relegated to the Pacific. It was B-17Es which attempted to bomb the Japanese fleet at Midway. Anyway, that is my recollection but if you have records that show I am wrong, please advise in the comments and I will apologize.

  • @karlmcgaugh1929
    @karlmcgaugh1929 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    This was the best story I have seen on TH-cam. Your use of old news print and audio is outstanding. This documentry tells how every person is valuable and the selfless act of saving your shipmates is eternally inspiring. God was watching and it was good.

  • @Grommok
    @Grommok 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    A true hero indeed. Snuffy RIP you were a real one.

  • @macmacmac4622
    @macmacmac4622 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +16

    I come from the same hometown as Snuffy. This story nailed it.

    • @Americal-v6r
      @Americal-v6r 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I'm in SW Michigan. If I ever get to Caro mich I will check out snuffys History. Never knew he was from Michigan.

  • @joeboyd4064
    @joeboyd4064 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Dad was in the 8th Army Air Corp in 43/44 out of Chelveston (Shelveston?) as a bombadier/navigator! Just as he got almost 24 missions under his belt they changed it to 32 missions before he could come home!!

  • @randallshughart
    @randallshughart 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

    So funny. I live 5 mins from St Nazaire. And believe it or not, the submarine base is still standing. Part of it has been turned into a museum, and the rest is a night club!

    • @milferdjones2573
      @milferdjones2573 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The Sub Pens were only penetrated in a few cases by special British Bombs most survived.

  • @6258RB
    @6258RB 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    I have an uncle that is 99 that was a belly gunner still living Earl Estes is his name, he still gets around doesn't drive anymore but did a little over a year ago.

  • @davetessmer6424
    @davetessmer6424 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    If not for one little piece of metal, I would not be here. My dad was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 and took a piece of shrapnel thru the knee, rode all the way back to England and was taken to the hospital. Next mission the plane got shot down and his replacement killed and the 4 survivors were POW the rest of the war. I've tried to have as much guts as my dad but probably could never reach that peak. Love you dad.

  • @jackreacher8858
    @jackreacher8858 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    30 mins. fighting for survival in a flaming bomber . Surely a movie here . The last 30 mins will have people clinging onto their seats .

  • @TheAirplaneDriver
    @TheAirplaneDriver 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    I served with a number of guys that had stood before a judge and were told to join up or go to prison. It was pretty common in the “old days”. They did their part like everyone else.

    • @timtheskeptic1147
      @timtheskeptic1147 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Damn, when I was in boot (2007) the RDC asked "who was sent here by a judge?"
      Two people answered affirmative and they got sent home. Apparently 'serve time or serve' has been illegal (wink) since forever.
      (No clue if they had to do jail time upon return)

    • @TheAirplaneDriver
      @TheAirplaneDriver 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      @@timtheskeptic1147 I went in 1971. It was not at all uncommon….legal or not. My guess is that judges applied that technique depending on the crime and the perceived quality or potential of the man. One of my best friends was arrested in Texas for stealing cars and I do think his time in the Navy was better for him than time in prison. It’s actually not a bad idea. Lots of kids need that kind of discipline in their lives. I also served with bank managers and college professors….all went into the Navy rather than get drafted into the army.

    • @timtheskeptic1147
      @timtheskeptic1147 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @TheAirplaneDriver one of my uncles was one of those guys and was one of the first SEAL members.

    • @TheAirplaneDriver
      @TheAirplaneDriver 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@timtheskeptic1147 Very cool.

    • @milferdjones2573
      @milferdjones2573 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@TheAirplaneDriver The police Boot camp idea were a failure because they failed to follow up with several years in the service. And yes service in often was way better than prison although the military when not short handed would rather avoid the extra trouble they cause and not all reform instead ending up in Military Prisons.

  • @thomaslemay8817
    @thomaslemay8817 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +17

    The B17 first entered service in 1935 , however, production was limited until 1941 . So the type was approaching 6 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. His plane might have been newly produced, but it was not a new design.

    • @charlesbronson7618
      @charlesbronson7618 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      For a plane 6yr old design is brand new...

    • @glacier6996
      @glacier6996 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      @@charlesbronson7618 not in those days... 6 years was an eternity in that era for aircraft design.

    • @samuelcolt502
      @samuelcolt502 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      It was highly upgraded from the prototype. It's probably a B17F, or at least an E, with more guns and more powerful engines.

  • @ashhawk2346
    @ashhawk2346 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

    The bendy flight path is also so that it makes it difficult for enemy flak to calculate an intercept trajectory for their munitions.

    • @genreynolds6685
      @genreynolds6685 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Not at that scale. Evasive action is on the scale of the flight time of a flak shell to the altitude, about 20 sec at 20,000 feet. You wouldn’t see those zigs and zags on the route map.

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

  • @sergioleone3583
    @sergioleone3583 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    Thanks for yet another excellent piece on our nation's aviation-military history. As others have noted, it's good for people to understand that not every hero is the "hollywood" type, but as often as not is a flawed individual who stands up to exceptional/excruciating circumstances sometimes even helping/saving those who may not even like them, maybe not even out of altruism, but out of just inherent grit, or that once in a lifetime moment of exceptionalism.

  • @brianv1988
    @brianv1988 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    Wow what a magnificent story of heroism the guy definitely deserve that Medal of Honor and much more

  • @ODST626
    @ODST626 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    That's some main character energy right there

  • @CameronMcCreary
    @CameronMcCreary 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I remember Andy Rooney when I was a kid. He was on the show "60 Minutes" for years.

  • @Applelajcik
    @Applelajcik 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    amazing stories that deserve more recognition and really make you realise how just will to live, a huge ego and a bit of luck can drive you forward to doing incomprehensible things

  • @DaleWilliams-zc5te
    @DaleWilliams-zc5te 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    There's little glory in war. There is honor for those doing what they can for their fellow combatants.

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

  • @prutz9092002
    @prutz9092002 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +35

    DUUUUDE! Keep these stories coming. You're quickly becoming a WW2 go-to when I'm looking to slack off at work and shouldn't be on TH-cam haha. The graphics and narration are a unique perspective and it just plain....works. Good on ya! Keep it up!

    • @TJ3
      @TJ3  10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      Haha thanks man!

    • @lobsterbisque7567
      @lobsterbisque7567 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Same here! I usually finish my work 2hrs early😆😆😆

  • @jimwiskus8862
    @jimwiskus8862 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +16

    What an amazing story! We all have our own quirks, I speak from experience. When push came to shove, Medal of Honor recipient Smith, was there and then some. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a happy and safe new year, that goes for all of those who view this channel. See you in the next episode.

    • @covertops19Z
      @covertops19Z 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @jimwiskus8862 Maynard Smith was not a "winner" of the Medal of Honor, he was a recipient..The Medal of Honor has never been a contest.

    • @jimwiskus8862
      @jimwiskus8862 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      You are right, thank you! I fixed it. 😊

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

  • @randalltaylor3700
    @randalltaylor3700 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    Lol. They couldn't find Snuffy for his award ceremony, he was pulling KP

  • @JA-ov5sb
    @JA-ov5sb 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    My dad was Merchant Marine during WWII and his ship was full of 55 gallon drums of aviation fuel and ammunition being taken to Okinawa during the time that battle was ongoing. That was also the time of most Kamakazi activity against shipping. One of the gunners aboard ship was just like Smith, always in trouble and usually on extra duty punishment of some type. However, during one of the Kamakazi attacks my dad's ship was targeted and this gunner got into a gun duel with a kamakazi headed right at him also firing guns at the ship as he tried to crash his plane into it. My dad watched from the railing (no place to run to anyway) as they fired at each other until he saw rounds hit the cockpit when the plane was about 200 yards out. The plane came on and seemed like it was gonna hit the stern but at the last minute nosed right and hit the water about 20 yards from the ship. If it had hit the ship and cargo chances are the explosion of aviation fuel would have went up like a mushroom cloud killing everyone and I wouldn't be here typing this. So I owe my existance to another troublemaker who stood firm when he had to.

  • @theprinceofbadpuns3198
    @theprinceofbadpuns3198 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    My grandfather was in the Medical Corps as an oral surgeon/dentist. He didn't see active combat but dealt with the broken men who weren't killed in combat. He would never talk about any part of the war. But he did give me many bits and pieces of what he was issued, and many happy memories are still with me today. He's been gone nearly 40 years, and I remember him as if I saw him yesterday.

  • @scottdewey03
    @scottdewey03 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Hi. I'll just note: I'm a "history Ph.D," which might include people some of whom tend to look down on what you're doing because it's not "academic enough." But I definitely DO NOT look down on what you're doing, which is bringing back to life, and to proper appreciation, interesting stories that are interesting and significant in their own right, but which also help to illuminate the wider story of the war in the air. [And, you've also clearly done a lot of solid, time-consuming research to tell these stories.] So, thanks for your good efforts (including the account of the Marianas Turkey Shoot that I was just watching earlier), and keep up your good work!

    • @longforgotten4823
      @longforgotten4823 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      This master student of History agrees. I think this type of work augments the work of academic scholars and allows the public to engage with historic events. Well done.

  • @davidhohlen310
    @davidhohlen310 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    I think he should be called a Pit Bull! A very awesome story of the war! He didn't like rules apparently, but cared for them all!

  • @joelpiva1541
    @joelpiva1541 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +29

    An incompetent officer who was responsible for the death and capture of many good men isn't identified and probably not punished. I'm a combat veteran, and the only friends I lost were under similar circumstances.

    • @milferdjones2573
      @milferdjones2573 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      In this case they were identified and actually were a very competent officer before the incident. Here their gear failed them and they made understandable mistakes trying to navigate by seat of pants with failed gear. At end of this show is request I think by the commander that Bomber Command replace the bad compass rigs with a new vastly superior compass system that is available.

  • @jimmyroy3340
    @jimmyroy3340 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    Funny, never seen this channel before tonight and the 1st story I watch is about a trouble maker made hero from a town 10 minutes from my home. Caro Michigan is a beautiful little town🙏🔫🇺🇸

  • @sjb3460
    @sjb3460 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +16

    I served in the National Guard for 21 years. I learned in Basic Training ( I enlisted age 32) that you cannot predict which person is made of iron and which one is made of shit. There are obvious indicators for each kind and those personality traits are usually reliable. Sometimes the the strongest person turns out to be the class clown. You never know.

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

    • @bluskytoo
      @bluskytoo 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      i saw that during Desert Storm and was surprised. The loud guys crumble and the quiet ones become leaders. Not in all cases but enough that i noticed.

  • @DEP717
    @DEP717 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Neat to see Andy Rooney as the reporter covering the story. Rooney later became a legendary Commentator on the U.S. News Program 60 Minutes.

  • @Pulsed101
    @Pulsed101 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    What an amazingly well told story. Loved it, cheers to you.

  • @ardmore0017
    @ardmore0017 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Glad to have taken part in this as a B-17, it was my first time flying it in a TJ3 video, awesome story and well filmed

  • @taboovsknowledge1603
    @taboovsknowledge1603 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    I draw houses as an architect. I drew a house for a man and his wife. He said he was a ball gunner in a B-17 in WW2.
    I said, "You look like a ball gunner" He smiled, and took it as a complement.

  • @Echo30Mike
    @Echo30Mike 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Having a 4 star general salute you ( when you're maybe 15 ranks lower than him ) must of made him feel 7 foot tall.

  • @Absaalookemensch
    @Absaalookemensch 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    Quite a few screw balls in civilian life performed outstanding at war.
    Pappy Boyington, leader of the Black Sheep, had a hard time fitting in during peace time.

    • @petermcgill1315
      @petermcgill1315 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Audie Murphy…? It’s the famous names that give a face to all of those injured from war.

    • @Absaalookemensch
      @Absaalookemensch 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@petermcgill1315 He actually adapted well after the war, wasn't a drunk, didn't get into fights, etc. He had his demons, but it didn't change his personality.

    • @petermcgill1315
      @petermcgill1315 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Absaalookemensch maybe my memory has let me down.

    • @Absaalookemensch
      @Absaalookemensch 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@petermcgill1315 No worries. That's why Audie Murphy has such an untarnished reputation. Like Alvin York and Desmond Doss, they were noble people in real life. Though Alvin York was a bit of a hellion before the war before he was saved.

  • @tedthesailor172
    @tedthesailor172 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    A fascinating story. I don't believe there is such a thing as a "typical" hero. The only things that typify heroes collectively are exceptional courage and forbearance, and Snuffy clearly had both in spades. The peripheral characteristics that give rise to these traits can often make the individuals insufferable to other, lesser, mortals. Heroism isn't a popularity contest...

  • @facitair
    @facitair 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

    I do enjoy your videos TJ! Your doing a great job at documenting interesting WWII history. As a WWII aviation enthusiast I would like to thank you for taking the time to share these stories with us.

    • @TJ3
      @TJ3  10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you!

  • @pilsplease7561
    @pilsplease7561 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    A family friend flew the most missions out of anyone in ww2, Something like 90 missions he was shot down like 4-5 times and was the sole survivor in 3 of them he survived one because he was in the ball turret in the tail and fell asleep and the plane crashed on landing and the ball broke off the plane and rolled out into the field next to the runway and they pulled him out without a scratch. He shot down like 6 planes as well as a gunner.

  • @jgonzalez101
    @jgonzalez101 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Wow, such an amazing heroic story! Just goes to show you can't count anyone out who doesn't or isn't willing to quit.
    One Member of the Greatest Generation during WW2!

  • @harveyhams1572
    @harveyhams1572 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Sgt. Snuffy Smith. Rumor he was on K-P when they were looking for him to give him The Medal.

  • @sblack48
    @sblack48 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    The losses in those days were horrendous, especially for tail and ball turret gunners. So they were recruiting anyone and everyone.

    • @Pylon360
      @Pylon360 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?
      I think the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) weaponized could pull a premium. From sink holes to aerial drone attacks to tapping into popes and releasing toxins, or surfacing toxins with its own pipes, all together could shut down the sinister illusion of conventional warfare.
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      public class Main {
      public static void main(String[] args) {
      String sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option? I Think The TBM, Tunnel Boring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium, From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.";
      System.out.println(sentence);
      }
      }
      -----------_-------_----_--_----
      Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare.
      sentence = "Is The Sink Hole A Option?I Think The TBM ,Tunnel Borring Machine Weaponized Could Pull A Premium,From Sink Holes To Arial Drone Attacks To Tapping Into Popes And Releasing Toxins Or Surfacing Toxins With Its Own Pipes All Together Could Shut Down The Sinister Illusion Of Conventional Warfare."
      print(sentence)

  • @diverengrsl17k22
    @diverengrsl17k22 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    TJ3 History :
    You did a fine job accurately researching the background and history about Maynard "Snuffy" Smith. The most prominent historians of the Eighth Air Force, such as Roger Freeman and Martin Caidin, among others, have provided similar accounts at one time or the other. "Snuffy" Smith was what one could call an unlikely hero, a complete contrast to what we seem to hold up in our collective imagination as to the character of a supposed hero. It was Smith's innate stubbornness, his absolute refusal to accept the status quo and narrow, singular focus, that saved the day. What may appear to be less than redeeming features in an individual under most circumstances can often turn out to be otherwise under other conditions. This is part of what we call "the human condition".

  • @robdondorf9570
    @robdondorf9570 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Andy Rooney, from the news show “60 Minutes,” was a war correspondent with Stars and Stripes during WW2. I first heard the legend of Snuffy Smith from him during one of his segments. Heroes come in all colors, shapes and sizes!

  • @patrickgroll2046
    @patrickgroll2046 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This is superb. One minor thing: neither the dorsal turret nor the ball turret could rotate/slew anywhere near fast as you show in the video.

  • @zzzbetty2915
    @zzzbetty2915 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    The Maynard Smith from Minnesota is a different Maynard Smith. This Maynard Smith is from the Thumb in Michigan...and you for got the theft charges prior to enlistment

  • @charlesarmstrong5292
    @charlesarmstrong5292 21 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Wow! now thats a real hero. What incredible bravery and presence of mind.

  • @hiturbine
    @hiturbine 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    Could be mistaken, but as I understand it - a B-17 did not take-off or land with its ball turret manned. It was entered once the bomber was safely airborn.

    • @williamh3823
      @williamh3823 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      2 ball turrets..early models were coffins for the user as they had no way to enter the fuselage to escape loss of landing gear etc

    • @Netseer2000
      @Netseer2000 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@williamh3823 In Latter models the ball turret still had to line up with its entryway. Damage to the turret at times did not allow exiting. That combined with an unavailable landing gear when the bomber must land ends up crushing to death the belly gunner.
      The 1985 "Amazing Stories" TV series episode 5 titled "The Mission" is about a ball turret gunner trapped in his turret in a bomber with a damaged landing gear. The crew comes up with a plan to give him a chance to survive but it fails. The crew is out of time and starts landing, and then a miracle occurs.

    • @mikeb5063
      @mikeb5063 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@Netseer2000 should have had a door in the ball that led outside, worst comes to worst you bail

    • @Cplblue
      @Cplblue 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@mikeb5063ball turret was too cramped to wear a parachute.

    • @mikeb5063
      @mikeb5063 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Cplblue make the door bulged out so you can fit inside with a parachute

  • @kf4293
    @kf4293 25 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Guy I worked with when I was young was a WWII vet. He was a machinist, but towards the end of the war, he'd gotten pulled onto bombers as a gunner, flying on strafing missions. Not sure where he was stationed (don't remember) but they got bombed and/or shelled pretty regularly after D-Day once he was in Europe. Once he got home, he married his sweetheart, and on their honeymoon, they were in a motel, that was near train tracks. A freight train passed in the night, and the noise sounded enough like a raid that he rolled out of the bed, and under it, without waking up, all to surprise of his new bride.

  • @rvnerd7671
    @rvnerd7671 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    Great stories about even greater men. Well done, Sir!!!

  • @Chief-Solarize
    @Chief-Solarize 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    His military career sounds like mine minus the medal of honor. I like to tell people I was promoted 5 times. They think I was an E6. Actually I was demoted twice. I love the military and the guys who can stay 20 years. I couldn't do it.

    • @cindyhawkins6238
      @cindyhawkins6238 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks for your service. My dad was top turret on B-17, 94th Bomb Group, 331st. Rougham Airfield, Bury St. Edmonds, England. He was also a Pearl Harbor survivor serving at Wheeler field. The greatest generation for sure.

  • @robertlyndon9510
    @robertlyndon9510 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    Now there was a man of Irish attitude. He would do all that needed to be done but would not bend to the self entitled rank and file BS. He stood alone and faced off all those that threatened him. A true centurion.

  • @debrareplogle651
    @debrareplogle651 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    An amazing aaaount, Rhank you for sharing. You never know what a person can do until they are in action to choose, he chose to stay and fight and defend his crew and air ship.

  • @stevesmith8693
    @stevesmith8693 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Having the last name Smith myself. I like to think that every Smith is family! And it's cool to hear story's Like these. Even tho the chances he was family are very low. It's still cool to hear the family name attached to the medal of honor

  • @71Splinter
    @71Splinter 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I am from a city North of Brest in England, Portreath is a car drive from where I live, amazing that such a story happened so close to home, incredible man.

  • @imalright2837
    @imalright2837 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I wish people still told stories with that old timey smooth and savory cadence

  • @JUNKERS488
    @JUNKERS488 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Off to a Great start the New Year with this one TJ. Finding the old News Paper articles was awesome. I'm really looking forward to see what you have for us this year. Thanks for all your hard work. Please "Keep "Em Flyin." We've got your six.

    • @TJ3
      @TJ3  10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Same to you!

  • @garrettkessler1895
    @garrettkessler1895 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Honestly.....i don't know how the ball turret gunners had room for their balls doing that job. Nothing but mad respect here.

  • @glynjones9988
    @glynjones9988 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The commentary states that Andy Rooney was present at the airfield when Smith's plane returned.
    Rooney was at Thurleigh, Bedfordshir, base of the 306th Bomb Group to which Smith belonged. It was one of Rooney's favourite locations, having good road connections to London.
    However, Smith's plane landed at another airfield in Cornwall, more than 300 miles away.

  • @mikelastname
    @mikelastname 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I really enjoyed this video - nice speaking cadence, good use of existing and new material/media, great story flow as well. The subject matter was interesting, but you elevated it to enthralling.

  • @MichaelWilliams-mo1vv
    @MichaelWilliams-mo1vv 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    We were told at the beginning of the video that private Smith was already 31 and 5' 6"when he enlisted yet at 3:46 he's 22 and a few seconds later (4:26) we hear he's 5'4"!

  • @Hawaiian80882
    @Hawaiian80882 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    read his story while in Elementary school....in the 1960's....thanks for posting bro!

  • @davidraymer397
    @davidraymer397 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Can't judge what a man is like until you place him in that kind of stress.

  • @philgiglio7922
    @philgiglio7922 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Remember andy Rooney doing a report on this incident...in his usual droll style

  • @SuperHahaha1313
    @SuperHahaha1313 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I really appreciate the war thunder visuals. Great looking graphics.