That gun scene, where it was touched by bare hands, the gun was not hot. It was cold as it was not fired. The air temp was so cold his skin froze to the gun. Like how the bottom gunner got frost bite due to the ball being broken.
Side note around the 6:28 mark, it was hands touching ice cold metal, their hands would stick to it and you see the results depicted. Looks like the show is really nailing the details here.
The show is also following Harry Crosby's book "A wing and a prayer"- it's a really good read, and is probably why the narration is coming from Crosby's perspective.
I’ve read both ‘a wing and a prayer’ and ‘masters of the air’ and harry Crosby’s book is, in my opinion, a much better read. It gives you a better sense of what was happening specifically within the 100th as opposed to the whole air force.
Had the privilege of flying with numerous Bomber pilots early in my airline career. Very few talked about it . The book Bomber Flight Berlin was about one of the pilots and his crew I flew with . Sadly one of the last pilots I knew passed away in 2020 . Of the 20 pilots who arrived on SQN Nov 1941 only 3 were alive in May 1942 . John flew Wellington bombers in RCAF a true gentleman and outstanding aviator . These pilots developed naturalistic decision to a fine art .
I had a family member who was a B-17 Bombardier over Europe during WW2 just like these men. 8th Air Force, 92nd Bombardment Group of the Army Air Force. Credited with 32 bombing missions over enemy-occupied Germany and France. He flew June 6, 1944, D-Day, with a bombing mission over Normandy, France. He was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross for one of the most dangerous targets of an oil refinery in Germany. A newspaper asked how him years later, how it felt to bomb your home town in northern Germany ? He said, “well it actually didn’t bother me much, until the Nazi’s started shooting.” He passed away at the age of 99 a couple years back.
He didn’t lose the skin on his hands because the gun was hot. His skin froze to the metal instantly as it was 45° below zero. Difficult to tell from this short scene, detailed in gory detail in the book by the same name.
As previously mentioned, I fail to see the value in episode 2 of making the RAF and British in general look like pompus twats who were weak as piss and arrogant. It annoys me as, not a Brit, but as someone who appreciates all the sacrifice made in war by everyone. At this point the RAF has been through the mill under the onslaught of the Luftwaffe so why not highlight that? Pisses me off as other parts of the show are good. My pops was in the RAF as ground crew and spoke highly of the British pilots and US aircrews alike.
I hear you brother! I was expecting the old Hollywood stereotype of the British to rear its ugly head in this at some point. My grandfather was stationed in Hampshire near to a US army camp. The local pubs were always full of Americans and he said the rivalry never got beyond the odd friendly drinking contest because the pub landlords wouldn't put up with any foul language or violence, even outside. They would just shut the bar until those involved were forced to leave by those who weren't getting served then report them to the military police who had orders to come down hard on anyone pissing off the locals. That's not to say it was like that everywhere but RAF officers certainly didn't go into pubs to pick fights with the Yanks. Like you said, they were just happy to have made it home safely at the end of their shift.
There were several ugly incidents where black airmen were prevented by white air crews from entering pubs. It was quickly stopped by the landlords who closed their pubs to Americans. Often these pubs were the only ones within biking range.@@justonecornetto80
I am the grandson of a bomber navigator from the European theatre. I’ve spent a lot of time researching my grandfather’s missions, which culminated in his Lancaster being shot down and only 3 of 5 of his crew bailing out successfully. I can’t relate to these characters. They seem like well paid actors not people trying to retell important stories. It’s lightweight. But perhaps I am biased.
No, I feel you. Band of Brothers and The Pacific had realtively unknown actors which kept me in the story. And although Austin Butler does a pretty good job, I still can't help but see Elvis Presley flying a plane. Not to mention a few other actors I recognize. The acting may not be top notch, but at least the action sequences seem pretty well done.
Just finished watching both episodes at one go..... and I watched it as an educational experience more than just for entertainment..... and I liked it very much. They make me understand better how air war can be terrifying at that war... and make me appreciate their sacrifices even more. Why do some people demand deep character developments in this kind of shows? I think the war and the people who fought in it, and their experiences are the main aim in these kind of war series... not some sob stories. And the series provided that amply.
6:28 those hands are not burned from touching hot metal. Those hands had the upper layers of skin taken off from "freezer burn" at altitude 30K feet, with temps of -50 F.
One big thing this series misses is coming in as a replacement as my father did with the 305th Bomb Group in late summer of '43. Yes, the original crews had a tight bond, but if you came in as a replacement, you just reminded them of their friend that was no longer there... you were not part of that "bond". BTW. My father never spoke of his combat experiences when I was a kid in the '60's. Ever. I know all I know from the meticulous day-by-day diary he kept. He envied the existing crews bond, but as a replacement he wasn't part of that....
Two years ago, before my dad passed away, he reconnected with a fraternity brother who was in the 8th AF as a navigator. My dad said his friend wanted to be a pilot, but his IQ was too high. This guy came home and became a successful engineer.
It's the first time I see a war movie portrayed how Norden bombsight work, brilliant! And I never aware how the low temperature can hurt the bomber crew even they are not directly hit by enemy fire.
I liked it, but it's nowhere near how I felt about Band of Brothers, which is one of my favorite shows. So gritty, and raw and heartbreaking, but still full of those human moments) The main characters haven't touched me yet, except Crosby, who is very relatable, and Curt who brings a lot of life into the show. Buck and Bucky could use some depth to their characters (Austin Butler is a great actor, but he looks like a modern supermodel in WW2-clothing)
Butler filmed this only 3 weeks after finishing the show "Elvis" with Tom Hanks. I,m amazed he did not change his Elvis hair for the new ww2 show. Even the real Elvis got a military haircut when he was drafted into the army .
Band of brothers cast was superb. The irony is british seem better at playing americans than americans, seeing as most of the lead cast were british in Band of Brothers.
Norwich wasn't bombed in any major way while the 100th were at Thorpe Abbotts. The big raids on the city were in the first half of 1942. There were only 5 small scale attacks in 1943, 3 before the 100th got to the UK in June and two in October / November 1943.
@@mikedc No, they didn't fly B-17s at all. They flew P-40s and P-51s, and as part of the 15th Air Force, not the 8th, they were based in Italy, not England.
@@164DiecastVideos classic ww2 movie...Memphis belle I can watch anytime. I like Tuskegee airmen too. Not red tails. But the 90s movie on Tuskegee airmen.
Not too bad, am enjoying it so will complete the series. But for crying out loud, please get the little details right, they called out JU-88s attacking when they were clearly BF-110s in Episode 2. From what I've heard they had quite a few WW2 experts on call & that still got overlooked.
Consider this: you're a young airman on your first bomb mission, you're surprised by fighter attack and miss the correct aircraft type as it's whizzing by. Nobody's perfect 🤷🏽♂️
There is a heavy fighter version of e JU-88. E crew calling them out as JU-88 is very very likely case of e crew mis-ID them. They were coming in too fast, e only thing tat most likely they spotted was e twin engine
One of the things that made Band of Brothers so special was the way the story of the people involved was told, you come to really cared about the characters, Pacific failed in this, you never cared about the characters in the same way. Masters of the Air has so far been better than Pacific in this regard but not as good as BOB, hopefully this will improve.
From the words of the Ranger Creed stating, “I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy,” to the global recovery work of Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, the US military will go to extraordinary lengths to evacuate its wounded, and more inter- estingly, to recover its dead.
Is anyone else having difficulties listening to Austin Butler’s dialogue? I have to turn the volume up every time he talks. Every other actor I can hear clearly.
Great show already rewatched it. Just when he says he is going to fly with the 389th till the rest of the 100th gets to England. The 388th flew B-24 Liberators not b17’s. Besides that great show.
SURE HOPE THEY DON'T FLY INTO THE REGENSBURN SCHWEINFURT RAID!!! I haven't read the book nor seen any episodes. But I'm pretty sure I know what happens.
I just watched episode 2, and there seems to be a major blooper with the rank insignia worn by who the narrator is describing as a Crew Chief for the air squadrons. Just after 12 minutes into episode 2, the narrator is talking about the ground crews, and stated Corporal Ken Levins was one of the best crew chiefs there. The problem with this is the rank on the crew chief's sleeve is not that of a corporal. A corporal only has two up chevrons. The three up / three down chevrons are for a Master Sergeant. As for the show itself, it is good, but not at the level of Band of Brothers or The Pacific were. There is something about the main characters that isn't fitting with what they are actually doing. Commanding bomber raids in broad daylight, not knowing who will make it back, but they are clean shaven, well fed and too calm.
@@lordrexus Thanks for the reply. That makes sense about the O2 masks, but overall they still seem too clean to be flying WW2 bombing missions, getting their aircraft blown apart, landing without landing gear, etc. It doesn't seem to have the realism the first two series had.
*I haven’t seen it yet* but by the trailers - IDK about Austin Butler?? I think he’s a great actor - but he was a bit too.. clean? Charming? Attractive? For a guy who’s in the thick of WW2? I’m sure it’ll be great tho.
The real Buck didn’t drink or get crazy…. Unlike the real Bucky. Buck was true to his girl back home. So that’s why he seems so “clean”. He playing his part. I’m happy the director didn’t put a bunch Hollywood sensationalism crap in.
I have the greatest respect for all military personel...... but why why why do American shows/ films ALWAYS depict us brits as being pompous or stupid or weak or all of the above?? And that they won the war all by themselves. Do i need to remind hollywood that britain declared war on Germany to help protect another country in 1939? America only entered the war AFTER it was attacked by japan in 1941.....im just sick of the way brits are portrayed and i think its about time we had another series (by brits!) of our own war heroes......i did love sas rogue heroes... there are so very many to choose from! I loved band of brothers i truly did but even that show took the piss out of brits. But this new show masters of the air really shits on the RAF and of course has to have an american beat a brit......and are we truly to believe a CO would behave like bucky?? Typical hollowood bollocks.
Yep the pilots’ gear like their helmets were all specially made so their bare skin didn’t stick to their skin. If they had regular helmets they’d have stuck to their hands whenever they tried to adjust it with their gloves off. I’m not sure how cold it was during the winter months but in the summer it still went well below zero 40k feet up. For context the super tall skyscrapers in New York City are about 10 degrees cooler at the top than they are at ground level. Thats one big benefit to having outside balconies up top in the summer. All the new super tall buildings have them.
Crosby in his book, wrote about the myth of the "Bloody Hundred" being shown no mercy by the Luftwaffe because of an incident where a B-17 dropped its landing gear, which was a sign of surrender, thereby drawing a Luftwaffe fighter to fly alongside, only to be shot down. He explored this at depth. Also, Bernie Lay, author of 12 O'clock High and co-author of The Gallant Hours, was temporarily assigned to the 100th, and he used their experience in 12 O'clock High.
@Justin-nj4gs I don't doubt that, I'm sure rivalries were present. The scene was clumsy, the RAF were portrayed as pompous and weak. Americans strong and righteous, officers would definitely not behave in such a manner.
@@JustinHH22 What else do you expect from Hollywood. If it doesn't airbrush us British completely from its WWII propaganda then it portrays us all as upper class morons.
Feels a bit lightweight to me which is a huge dissapointment. Characters feel shallow with no grittiness to it. Yes, there are some traumatic scenes and probably more to come but its not...grabbing me. It feels standard Spielberg which is way overated now and if done with another Director, and retaining Hanks, it could be so much better. I'm over the constant dramtic music. I'm over the CGI. I'm over the weird continuity where a falling bomber "Stalls" yet leaves a smoke trail on the way down like it's been hit. I'm over the sub hero with air sickness. I'm over not having a standard trained set of crew just going through it - which ironically, is what it should be. It is only 2 eps in and there is time, but it alreadty feels as good as The Pacific which is decent, but not a patch on BOB. Really hope it gets better. Memphis Belle has done it better.
1. The characters feel shallow because there has been 0 time for development of said characters. I took me multiple rewatches of BoB and The Pacific to learn each and every significant Character's name. And it feels "lightweight" because this is at the very beginning of their tours. They have most likely at the maximum flown 3-5 missions, with many worse raids/missions to come I'm sure. 2. You call it overrated yet give no reasons as to why it is overrated only 2/8 episodes in. We're only 25% of the way through with each week revealing another 12.5% of the whole story. 3. The dramatic music is there to give gravity to the situation. A lot of people simply do not understand anything what the 8th Air Force and other tactical bombing units went through compared to grunts fighting on the ground. Making things intense with over the top dramatic music creates a feeling anxiety and dread as the flak starts or the first calls of enemy fighters are heard to indicate that the stuff has the fan. 4. The stalling thing doesn't make sense. I have yet to see a single bomber stall with black smoke coming from the engine that has not been hit. The only scene I remember this is when Cpl Lemmons is talking and in the background a supposed rookie crew made a mistake while turning and fell into a stall slamming into the ground, it showed a trail of smoke following what looks like the number 4 engine which yes doesn't make much sense. 5. The hero with the air sickness isn't a hero, he's just a character. He said so himself in the episode, he's just doing his job and did it well. His air sickness is very real. I have friends who suffer from this on comfortable commerical jets. Imagine what they would feel like going through flak on a rickety bomber built in the early 40s that was prone to mechanical failures which the show includes. 6. I don't understand what you mean by "not having a standard trained set of crew". Do you mean why it doesn't follow just one crew of one bomber? You do realize the show is about an entire bomber group that contains 4 bomber squadrons. If you mean that they don't seem to be doing things right, I can't tell any major faults they have shown so far. My only complaint is at the start when Bucky leaves his Co-Pilot seat to help the nose section after an attack from a 109. The co-pilot and pilot usually never should have to leave their station unless it's very necessary to do so. The engineer or the radio operator should usually be the one going to help, mainly the radio operator. 7. I agree it isn't as amazing as BoB but the Pacific was very good too not just decent. All three are great but we're only two episodes in. 8. Your point about Memphis Belle is very solid. While not accurate to the Belle's real final mission and crew, it did everything else great. However, you are entitled to your own opinion. I just felt that the criticism this early and the points you made aren't as significant as one might think.
I get this 100%. However i also believe that they want to be historically accurate with the bombing missions. The Palace of Dallas has a brutal ending which i won’t say. If you want to look it up, search the sonderkommando elbe
I get this 100%. However i also believe that they want to be historically accurate with the bombing missions. The Palace of Dallas has a brutal ending which i won’t say. If you want to look it up, search the sonderkommando elbe
I get this 100%. However i also believe that they want to be historically accurate with the bombing missions. The Palace of Dallas has a brutal ending which i won’t say. If you want to look it up, search the sonderkommando elbe
A bit disappointed in this one, for how long it was in pre production and production it feels rushed. And the CGI is a huge letdown it’s almost as bad as midway. Steven Spielberg should have taken a sheet out of Christopher Nolan’s playbook and used more practical effects instead of relying solely on cgi for all the inflight scenes. And lastly the constant shuffling of characters makes it hard to recognize any sort of connection or brotherhood that was so important to these aircrews during the actual conflict.
The cgi is really weird looking. Maybe it's just cheaper that way not sure. But I get use to it and just think of it as artistic choice. Looks a little TOO new TOO clean. Needs more grit.
Yea, same. The CGI is bad, it's hard to do CGI planes and make them look corect. They also use it in situations that don't need it. Memphis belle had real aircraft and it looked great. Should have used real planes for the close in shots with cgi accents. There are quite a few bf109s and b17s around.
There's only one airworthy B-17 in all of the UK where this was filmed. Real planes would have been fantastic, but nearly impossible to source nowadays. They did build 3 full scale models though. Wouldn't be able to tell the true stories of what actually happened in the air without heavy CGI
I've been anticipating this show for years. I waited eagerly since the teaser trailer came out to watch this. Having said that, I am beyond disappointed. The first 2 episodes were terrible and I don't even know where to start. Everything from the terrible pacing to the lack of character development, the crappy accents and the corny music have me wondering if I will be motivated enough to continue with the series.
The hairstyles are actually pretty accurate for the period. Look up the book ‘fighter pilot: a photographic kaleidoscope’ by Dilip Sarkar and look at the front cover for an example
I liked it a lot, and it is true to history this far. Hope it keeps beeing that. But a litle Political Corectnes had to be in it, very few seems to smoke. In reality most of them did. ;o)
shameful display of indiscipline and incompetence. A Bail out alarm is sounded and the crew asked whats that, do you mean bail out? They bring shame to their entire family.
Funny enough....and fun fact.....Cleven and Eagan were both around 25 in 1943..... You'd be surprised how many pilots and fighter pilots in the 8th were in their early and mid 20s and already Majors. It was one of my concerns about the show, too many of the WWII pilots and crew look way too old. Average age was like 22 or something like that. Really hammers home the point of how young they all really were.
@@callsign_scooter9602 this is something I felt like the show gets really good. Almost everyone looks like a teenager- that's the way it should be. Pilots got promoted up way faster than everyone else in the military. In WW2 it wasn't unusual at all for a squadron, group, or wing commander to be in his mid-late 20s and have rank equivalent to someone 10-20 years older than him in the infantry.
In peacetime you'd be correct, in WW2 the services were expanded to 10 times their peacetime strength or more in a very short time so all of the experienced officers in their 30s and 40s were generals. Or they'd proved unsuitable for combat and were in desk jobs back in the States. Just look at Pappy Boyington - nicknamed "Pappy" by the pilots under his command because of his advanced age. He had just turned 29 when Pearl Harbor happened and was 30 when he took command of the famous "Black Sheep". His men, mostly 19-22 years old or so, thought that made him ancient. He'd have been at least a full colonel by that time if he hadn't been such a troublemaker. The same thing happened in the Civil War - the generals (aside from the very top ranks like Lee) were mostly men in their 30s who had been captains or majors when the war broke out.
Please do some basic research first. You incorrectly mentioned the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1943. Oops the USAF did not exist until after WWII in 1947. Instead use the correct name, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), as the future USAF was a branch of the United States Army in WWII. Failure number 2. The "Bloody" 100th Bomb Group Heavy had loses much like others in the 8th Air Force. They did no stand out, but had a false reputation as such.
Just finished episode 2. I enjoyed it. I’m not an expert movie critic but I give it a 3 out of 5 stars. My question is why were US bomber pilots flying the highest risk missions? Was it because we had the advanced bomb sight technology? I’m surprised the US didn’t protest over this. Seems we were the one’s making the greatest sacrifices. Merchant marine vessels being sunk by the hundreds. Our airmen flying the high risk daylight missions. Surprised we didn’t side with Germany and tell Britain to pound sand. 😂
Your comment is so uneducated its frustrating. Yanks chose to day time raids. RAF advised against it. ‘Merica thought they knew better. Wrong. America didn’t help out of the goodness of its heart. We paid your government trillions of dollars. We actually improved a lot of your technology. Most of your equipment was crap. The best american equipment was after we assisted. P-51 after it got the Merlin engine. Sherman after we gave it our gun (becoming the Firefly) - just to name but a few. This and the above helped America become the super power it is today. As for US day raids - you did have a very good bombsight (Norton) So maybe look into some real history rather than rose tinted, biased glasses. Did you help us, sure! But it weren’t a gift and you guys got a lot out of WW2! However, to the US servicemen who volunteered we will always be grateful.
"My question is why were US bomber pilots flying the highest risk missions? " Because the top generals in the USAAF wanted them to. The British tried to persuade the Americans to switch to night bombing to save lives, but the American generals were sure their crews and planes could pull it off and thought that the much greater accuracy of daylight bombing made it worth the cost. The US Army Air Force had been purposely designed for the mission of daylight strategic bombing, which is why American heavy bombers (particularly the B-17) were much more heavily armed and armored than their British or German counterparts. The British designed bombers that could carry a heavier bomb load but could never have survived in daylight raids. The Americans also eventually developed fighters like the P-47 and P-51 that could fly long-range escort missions to protect the bombers while the British fighters had nowhere near the range to do so. If you think the British didn't sacrifice men in appalling numbers to fight the Nazis then you have a lot of reading to do about the war.
@terrym3837 Yes RAF Bomber Command had the second highest fatality rate of any military branch in WW2, behind only German U-boat crews. It was around a 45% fatality rate. Out of 125,000 RAF Bomber Command crews, 55,000 were killed. A far higher rate than the USAAF.
The more I watch it, it's gets more ridiculous on how young the higher ranking officers and enlisted are. Even the xo,a Ltc, looks in his low 30s. WHERE ARE THE SEASONED OFFICERS that's been around a long time?? They couldn't get it more accurate age wise??
I mean....Curtis LeMay was 34 and a Colonel and in command of the 4th Bombardment Wing. At the top was Brigadier General Ira Eaker only 47. Fun fact, Ira and his initial staff for the 8th weren't career military guys so he and his staff got the nickname "Eaker's Amateurs". So young guys indeed.
Um, the age range being portrayed is spot-on. The oldest guy present was Col. Harding, and he was in his late 30s. Cleven and Egan were both in their early-mid 20s, and they were squadron leaders. Most of the crews would have been 18-22 in age, with a handful of guys in their later 20s. This is actually something the show is doing VERY well. In Harry Crosby's book, he talks about how a couple of the staff officers in the group were WW1 veterans- he derides them as 'retreads' who everyone ignored/hated. There really weren't that many old men in the army air force, except for at the very top level.
Gotta also keep in mind that the Air Force expanded hugely in WW2. It had existed as a tiny little thing before the war, so they had to promote people up extremely fast. There just weren't that many 'seasoned' vets at the time.
At this time in the RAF you had Guy Gibson and Bob Braham who were Wing Commanders (Lt Col) at 23/24. Leonard Cheshire was a Group Captain (Col) at 25!!! On the fighter squadrons, a 26 year old Squadron Leader (Major) was considered too old for the job of CO. Bomber Harris was just turning 50 when he took command of Bomber Command.
Hmmmm. My great uncle was a USAAF officer and was promoted to major when he was 28. Gen Mark Clark became a 4 star general at the age of 48. So my impression is the film series is being accurate for the most part regarding average ages during WW2.
Good example of how to ruin a series The CGI is ridiculous, with glitches so terrible that you simply can't understand them. B-17 F with metal finishes to make them pass as a G showing the nose Turret machine guns that have aiming elements in CGI scenes while scenes shot with models do not.
Sorry, but you are wrong about the Tuskeegee Airmen. they are definitely in this show in order for a member of the 100th BG to meet one in POW camp and be surprised there are Black pilots in the USAAF. It's one of the more stupid parts of this worthless, stupid show. I hate being the guy who told you so, but Masters of the Air is so bad it makes The Pacific look worthwhile. I went over this morning and watched the first two episodes with my neighbor who is also in Duh Biz and subscribes to Apple TV. I should say forced myself to watch as I sat there, both a knowledgeable World War II historian with a current best-seller about 8th Air Force (Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command Against The Luftwaffe 1942-45) and as a knowledgeable screenwriter and watched them swing and miss at every damn point. I can't believe two guys as talented as Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks could make this many mistakes in one show. As an historian, allow me to say that the script typist (calling him a screenwriter is something I cannot bring myself to do) managed to write the Mythology rather than the History. And as a reader of the book (three times) I know the Actual History was there to be used, explained so well that even a moron like this guy, who obviously doesn't know the pointed end goes in front, could get enough material to get it right. And I am sure he was doing what the Tom & Steve Show wanted, since he didn't get fired. As to the acting, I was reminded once again why I don't think there are 10 male actors in Hollywood under 40 who deserve to be called such. As both an aviation photographer and someone who has flown around in old airplanes, the CGI wasn't quite as awful as "Red Tails," but it it was a close race to the finish line. We screenwriters have a rule about criticism: one bad review is one person's opinion; two bad reviews might be a coincidence; three bad reviews are a damn fact. The show has scored 3.3 out of 7 over at the IMDb. That's a whole bunch more than three bad reviews. I really really really wish I was writing to tell you all I had been wrong about this overcooked turkey.
You can keep making war movies, but the younger generation will just keep ignoring you. And for good reason, too - they actually know better. They don't have the lead poisoning the older generations have, which helps a lot when it comes to absorbing propaganda. : )
These guys are legends who went to hell and back for the United States, some weren’t able to come back. This was one of the few wars that the United States got involved in for good reason, to rid the world of evil!
@@solartrix a “just war” are you saying a justifiable war ? Yes, you’re correct. I’m not acting like US had any business of getting involved in most of the wars but these guys should get nothing but respect for what they did for the world.
Good example of how to ruin a series The CGI is ridiculous, with glitches so terrible that you simply can't understand them. B-17 F with metal finishes to make them pass as a G showing the nose Turret machine guns that have aiming elements in CGI scenes while scenes shot with models do not.
What did you think of the first two episodes of Masters Of The Air? I feel it's a show that definitely has potential! Let me know your thoughts below
Poor
I like how they tried to avoid one of the problems with The Pacific. That was, viewers couldn't name the main characters.
I think it started well. Some of the bits I have a problem with (namely inconsistent CGI) is a problem with most modern movies.
get a job then.@@emailthelee
Meh
That gun scene, where it was touched by bare hands, the gun was not hot. It was cold as it was not fired. The air temp was so cold his skin froze to the gun. Like how the bottom gunner got frost bite due to the ball being broken.
he also froze because he wet himself.
Ball turret gunner. Not "bottom gunner."
Yep. They talk about it more in the book. I am happy you called it out.
@@GCNuser123no shame in that, most of us would wet ourselves in the same situation… its natures way in getting us ready to run away from danger.
@@macjim
I pissed on myself everyday in Vietnam!
Side note around the 6:28 mark, it was hands touching ice cold metal, their hands would stick to it and you see the results depicted. Looks like the show is really nailing the details here.
Watch any doc about a 29,000 foot Mount Everest climb and how the climbers are dressed and need oxygen .
These airmen are in the same conditions .
The show is also following Harry Crosby's book "A wing and a prayer"- it's a really good read, and is probably why the narration is coming from Crosby's perspective.
Ah thanks for sharing that!
I’ve read both ‘a wing and a prayer’ and ‘masters of the air’ and harry Crosby’s book is, in my opinion, a much better read. It gives you a better sense of what was happening specifically within the 100th as opposed to the whole air force.
I would add the book: "Serenade to the Big Bird" by Bert Stiles. A look at a B-17 from his perspective as a pilot with the Eighth Air Force.
‘a wing and a prayer’ a fantastic book - has you riveted from begining to the end
Had the privilege of flying with numerous Bomber pilots early in my airline career. Very few talked about it . The book Bomber Flight Berlin was about one of the pilots and his crew I flew with . Sadly one of the last pilots I knew passed away in 2020 . Of the 20 pilots who arrived on SQN Nov 1941 only 3 were alive in May 1942 . John flew Wellington bombers in RCAF a true gentleman and outstanding aviator . These pilots developed naturalistic decision to a fine art .
Great show and honor to all of them who died and survived. True heroes.
I had a family member who was a B-17 Bombardier over Europe during WW2 just like these men. 8th Air Force, 92nd Bombardment Group of the Army Air Force. Credited with 32 bombing missions over enemy-occupied Germany and France. He flew June 6, 1944, D-Day, with a bombing mission over Normandy, France. He was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross for one of the most dangerous targets of an oil refinery in Germany. A newspaper asked how him years later, how it felt to bomb your home town in northern Germany ? He said, “well it actually didn’t bother me much, until the Nazi’s started shooting.” He passed away at the age of 99 a couple years back.
He didn’t lose the skin on his hands because the gun was hot. His skin froze to the metal instantly as it was 45° below zero. Difficult to tell from this short scene, detailed in gory detail in the book by the same name.
As previously mentioned, I fail to see the value in episode 2 of making the RAF and British in general look like pompus twats who were weak as piss and arrogant. It annoys me as, not a Brit, but as someone who appreciates all the sacrifice made in war by everyone. At this point the RAF has been through the mill under the onslaught of the Luftwaffe so why not highlight that? Pisses me off as other parts of the show are good. My pops was in the RAF as ground crew and spoke highly of the British pilots and US aircrews alike.
It's a mantra. There were mocks/jibes at the British in Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.
I hear you brother! I was expecting the old Hollywood stereotype of the British to rear its ugly head in this at some point.
My grandfather was stationed in Hampshire near to a US army camp. The local pubs were always full of Americans and he said the rivalry never got beyond the odd friendly drinking contest because the pub landlords wouldn't put up with any foul language or violence, even outside. They would just shut the bar until those involved were forced to leave by those who weren't getting served then report them to the military police who had orders to come down hard on anyone pissing off the locals.
That's not to say it was like that everywhere but RAF officers certainly didn't go into pubs to pick fights with the Yanks. Like you said, they were just happy to have made it home safely at the end of their shift.
There were several ugly incidents where black airmen were prevented by white air crews from entering pubs. It was quickly stopped by the landlords who closed their pubs to Americans. Often these pubs were the only ones within biking range.@@justonecornetto80
I am the grandson of a bomber navigator from the European theatre. I’ve spent a lot of time researching my grandfather’s missions, which culminated in his Lancaster being shot down and only 3 of 5 of his crew bailing out successfully.
I can’t relate to these characters. They seem like well paid actors not people trying to retell important stories.
It’s lightweight. But perhaps I am biased.
No, I feel you. Band of Brothers and The Pacific had realtively unknown actors which kept me in the story. And although Austin Butler does a pretty good job, I still can't help but see Elvis Presley flying a plane. Not to mention a few other actors I recognize.
The acting may not be top notch, but at least the action sequences seem pretty well done.
Just finished watching both episodes at one go..... and I watched it as an educational experience more than just for entertainment..... and I liked it very much. They make me understand better how air war can be terrifying at that war... and make me appreciate their sacrifices even more. Why do some people demand deep character developments in this kind of shows? I think the war and the people who fought in it, and their experiences are the main aim in these kind of war series... not some sob stories. And the series provided that amply.
6:28 those hands are not burned from touching hot metal. Those hands had the upper layers of skin taken off from "freezer burn" at altitude 30K feet, with temps of -50 F.
One big thing this series misses is coming in as a replacement as my father did with the 305th Bomb Group in late summer of '43. Yes, the original crews had a tight bond, but if you came in as a replacement, you just reminded them of their friend that was no longer there... you were not part of that "bond". BTW. My father never spoke of his combat experiences when I was a kid in the '60's. Ever. I know all I know from the meticulous day-by-day diary he kept. He envied the existing crews bond, but as a replacement he wasn't part of that....
Two years ago, before my dad passed away, he reconnected with a fraternity brother who was in the 8th AF as a navigator. My dad said his friend wanted to be a pilot, but his IQ was too high. This guy came home and became a successful engineer.
uh huh IQ too high. Okay
It's the first time I see a war movie portrayed how Norden bombsight work, brilliant! And I never aware how the low temperature can hurt the bomber crew even they are not directly hit by enemy fire.
I liked it, but it's nowhere near how I felt about Band of Brothers, which is one of my favorite shows. So gritty, and raw and heartbreaking, but still full of those human moments)
The main characters haven't touched me yet, except Crosby, who is very relatable, and Curt who brings a lot of life into the show. Buck and Bucky could use some depth to their characters (Austin Butler is a great actor, but he looks like a modern supermodel in WW2-clothing)
Butler filmed this only 3 weeks after finishing the show "Elvis" with Tom Hanks.
I,m amazed he did not change his Elvis hair for the new ww2 show.
Even the real Elvis got a military haircut when he was drafted into the army .
Band of brothers cast was superb. The irony is british seem better at playing americans than americans, seeing as most of the lead cast were british in Band of Brothers.
Norwich wasn't bombed in any major way while the 100th were at Thorpe Abbotts. The big raids on the city were in the first half of 1942. There were only 5 small scale attacks in 1943, 3 before the 100th got to the UK in June and two in October / November 1943.
Memphis bell meets Tuskegee Airman
So far Memphis Belle is better by leaps and bounds.
@@dgansz705 so Tuskegee airman never flew b17s into and out of Germany? Cause that did happen.
@@mikedc No, they didn't fly B-17s at all. They flew P-40s and P-51s, and as part of the 15th Air Force, not the 8th, they were based in Italy, not England.
@@164DiecastVideos classic ww2 movie...Memphis belle I can watch anytime. I like Tuskegee airmen too. Not red tails. But the 90s movie on Tuskegee airmen.
Not too bad, am enjoying it so will complete the series. But for crying out loud, please get the little details right, they called out JU-88s attacking when they were clearly BF-110s in Episode 2. From what I've heard they had quite a few WW2 experts on call & that still got overlooked.
Consider this: you're a young airman on your first bomb mission, you're surprised by fighter attack and miss the correct aircraft type as it's whizzing by. Nobody's perfect 🤷🏽♂️
How the hell can you tell that they are any kind of Luftwaffe a/c? The scene is over in milliseconds you melt…
Ju88s were adapted throughout the Second World War and played a role as daylight interceptors from time to time. Might be where they got that from.
However they do appear to have the double tail fin which was only ever on the me110 and was never adopted onto the ju88 design so your right
There is a heavy fighter version of e JU-88. E crew calling them out as JU-88 is very very likely case of e crew mis-ID them. They were coming in too fast, e only thing tat most likely they spotted was e twin engine
thanks for the video
Glad you enjoyed it!
One of the things that made Band of Brothers so special was the way the story of the people involved was told, you come to really cared about the characters, Pacific failed in this, you never cared about the characters in the same way. Masters of the Air has so far been better than Pacific in this regard but not as good as BOB, hopefully this will improve.
I think it's just gonna take time to get to know the characters and for us to form those connections!
From the words of the Ranger Creed stating, “I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy,” to the global recovery work of Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, the US military will go to extraordinary lengths to evacuate its wounded, and more inter- estingly, to recover its dead.
Is anyone else having difficulties listening to Austin Butler’s dialogue? I have to turn the volume up every time he talks. Every other actor I can hear clearly.
Always need subs, but im old😅
Great show already rewatched it. Just when he says he is going to fly with the 389th till the rest of the 100th gets to England. The 388th flew B-24 Liberators not b17’s. Besides that great show.
Well done.
SURE HOPE THEY DON'T FLY INTO THE REGENSBURN SCHWEINFURT RAID!!! I haven't read the book nor seen any episodes. But I'm pretty sure I know what happens.
this show is good..after band or brother & the pacific..we need this
I just watched episode 2, and there seems to be a major blooper with the rank insignia worn by who the narrator is describing as a Crew Chief for the air squadrons. Just after 12 minutes into episode 2, the narrator is talking about the ground crews, and stated Corporal Ken Levins was one of the best crew chiefs there.
The problem with this is the rank on the crew chief's sleeve is not that of a corporal. A corporal only has two up chevrons. The three up / three down chevrons are for a Master Sergeant.
As for the show itself, it is good, but not at the level of Band of Brothers or The Pacific were. There is something about the main characters that isn't fitting with what they are actually doing. Commanding bomber raids in broad daylight, not knowing who will make it back, but they are clean shaven, well fed and too calm.
Re them being too clean shaven. Aircrew shaved daily, as they had to be clean shaven for the oxygen masks to seal onto their faces properly
@@lordrexus Thanks for the reply. That makes sense about the O2 masks, but overall they still seem too clean to be flying WW2 bombing missions, getting their aircraft blown apart, landing without landing gear, etc. It doesn't seem to have the realism the first two series had.
*I haven’t seen it yet* but by the trailers - IDK about Austin Butler?? I think he’s a great actor - but he was a bit too.. clean? Charming? Attractive? For a guy who’s in the thick of WW2? I’m sure it’ll be great tho.
I bet he won’t feel like that at the end of the series
He was actually pretty good in the first two episodes to be fair! And yeah, he'll probably transform as the season goes on. Barry was very good in it!
He has done great so far....
@ShedFan1 - he’s okay.. feels like he’s in a different show to everyone else tho - he’s overdoing it a little
The real Buck didn’t drink or get crazy…. Unlike the real Bucky. Buck was true to his girl back home. So that’s why he seems so “clean”. He playing his part. I’m happy the director didn’t put a bunch Hollywood sensationalism crap in.
I have the greatest respect for all military personel...... but why why why do American shows/ films ALWAYS depict us brits as being pompous or stupid or weak or all of the above?? And that they won the war all by themselves. Do i need to remind hollywood that britain declared war on Germany to help protect another country in 1939? America only entered the war AFTER it was attacked by japan in 1941.....im just sick of the way brits are portrayed and i think its about time we had another series (by brits!) of our own war heroes......i did love sas rogue heroes... there are so very many to choose from! I loved band of brothers i truly did but even that show took the piss out of brits. But this new show masters of the air really shits on the RAF and of course has to have an american beat a brit......and are we truly to believe a CO would behave like bucky?? Typical hollowood bollocks.
As a fellow Brit I completely agree with your comments I actually find it quite disgusting they all fought the same war and died all the same.
Yanks didn't declare war on Germany, or Italy The Germans and Italians declared war on them!!!
“Each of these 4 main characters feel extremely fleshed out” what? Being forcibly told characters are friends shouldn’t count.
The gunner lost the skin off his hands because they flew at around 30,000 feet in unpressurised aircraft - his guns were frozen, not hot!
Yep the pilots’ gear like their helmets were all specially made so their bare skin didn’t stick to their skin. If they had regular helmets they’d have stuck to their hands whenever they tried to adjust it with their gloves off. I’m not sure how cold it was during the winter months but in the summer it still went well below zero 40k feet up. For context the super tall skyscrapers in New York City are about 10 degrees cooler at the top than they are at ground level. Thats one big benefit to having outside balconies up top in the summer. All the new super tall buildings have them.
I don't know about you but I'm Barry Keohgan-d out. Tired of his weak performances showing up in films.
Haha, and it doesn't feel like it's gonna stop any time soon!
I agree not doing much for me at the moment, will keep watching for a while
I think it's one that will get better with time. The more we get to know the characters and the more horror that we see, the harder it will hit!
Crosby in his book, wrote about the myth of the "Bloody Hundred" being shown no mercy by the Luftwaffe because of an incident where a B-17 dropped its landing gear, which was a sign of surrender, thereby drawing a Luftwaffe fighter to fly alongside, only to be shot down. He explored this at depth. Also, Bernie Lay, author of 12 O'clock High and co-author of The Gallant Hours, was temporarily assigned to the 100th, and he used their experience in 12 O'clock High.
RAF bar scene was unrealistic. Nice thick slice of cliché
Accurate actually veterans did argue with the British on many occasions
Accurate actually veterans did argue with the British on many occasions
More Spielberg/Hanks mockery of the British forces. Happened in Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers too. This follows the same mantra.
@Justin-nj4gs I don't doubt that, I'm sure rivalries were present. The scene was clumsy, the RAF were portrayed as pompous and weak. Americans strong and righteous, officers would definitely not behave in such a manner.
@@JustinHH22 What else do you expect from Hollywood. If it doesn't airbrush us British completely from its WWII propaganda then it portrays us all as upper class morons.
Technically it was the US Army Air Force. US Air Force was after 1947
Feels a bit lightweight to me which is a huge dissapointment. Characters feel shallow with no grittiness to it. Yes, there are some traumatic scenes and probably more to come but its not...grabbing me. It feels standard Spielberg which is way overated now and if done with another Director, and retaining Hanks, it could be so much better. I'm over the constant dramtic music. I'm over the CGI. I'm over the weird continuity where a falling bomber "Stalls" yet leaves a smoke trail on the way down like it's been hit. I'm over the sub hero with air sickness. I'm over not having a standard trained set of crew just going through it - which ironically, is what it should be. It is only 2 eps in and there is time, but it alreadty feels as good as The Pacific which is decent, but not a patch on BOB. Really hope it gets better. Memphis Belle has done it better.
1. The characters feel shallow because there has been 0 time for development of said characters. I took me multiple rewatches of BoB and The Pacific to learn each and every significant Character's name. And it feels "lightweight" because this is at the very beginning of their tours. They have most likely at the maximum flown 3-5 missions, with many worse raids/missions to come I'm sure.
2. You call it overrated yet give no reasons as to why it is overrated only 2/8 episodes in. We're only 25% of the way through with each week revealing another 12.5% of the whole story.
3. The dramatic music is there to give gravity to the situation. A lot of people simply do not understand anything what the 8th Air Force and other tactical bombing units went through compared to grunts fighting on the ground. Making things intense with over the top dramatic music creates a feeling anxiety and dread as the flak starts or the first calls of enemy fighters are heard to indicate that the stuff has the fan.
4. The stalling thing doesn't make sense. I have yet to see a single bomber stall with black smoke coming from the engine that has not been hit. The only scene I remember this is when Cpl Lemmons is talking and in the background a supposed rookie crew made a mistake while turning and fell into a stall slamming into the ground, it showed a trail of smoke following what looks like the number 4 engine which yes doesn't make much sense.
5. The hero with the air sickness isn't a hero, he's just a character. He said so himself in the episode, he's just doing his job and did it well. His air sickness is very real. I have friends who suffer from this on comfortable commerical jets. Imagine what they would feel like going through flak on a rickety bomber built in the early 40s that was prone to mechanical failures which the show includes.
6. I don't understand what you mean by "not having a standard trained set of crew". Do you mean why it doesn't follow just one crew of one bomber? You do realize the show is about an entire bomber group that contains 4 bomber squadrons. If you mean that they don't seem to be doing things right, I can't tell any major faults they have shown so far. My only complaint is at the start when Bucky leaves his Co-Pilot seat to help the nose section after an attack from a 109. The co-pilot and pilot usually never should have to leave their station unless it's very necessary to do so. The engineer or the radio operator should usually be the one going to help, mainly the radio operator.
7. I agree it isn't as amazing as BoB but the Pacific was very good too not just decent. All three are great but we're only two episodes in.
8. Your point about Memphis Belle is very solid. While not accurate to the Belle's real final mission and crew, it did everything else great.
However, you are entitled to your own opinion. I just felt that the criticism this early and the points you made aren't as significant as one might think.
I get this 100%. However i also believe that they want to be historically accurate with the bombing missions. The Palace of Dallas has a brutal ending which i won’t say. If you want to look it up, search the sonderkommando elbe
I get this 100%. However i also believe that they want to be historically accurate with the bombing missions. The Palace of Dallas has a brutal ending which i won’t say. If you want to look it up, search the sonderkommando elbe
I get this 100%. However i also believe that they want to be historically accurate with the bombing missions. The Palace of Dallas has a brutal ending which i won’t say. If you want to look it up, search the sonderkommando elbe
@@EstonianSharkbro did not let that slide 💀💀
Norwich is a long way from Thorp Abbott's!
Only 22 miles
A bit disappointed in this one, for how long it was in pre production and production it feels rushed. And the CGI is a huge letdown it’s almost as bad as midway. Steven Spielberg should have taken a sheet out of Christopher Nolan’s playbook and used more practical effects instead of relying solely on cgi for all the inflight scenes. And lastly the constant shuffling of characters makes it hard to recognize any sort of connection or brotherhood that was so important to these aircrews during the actual conflict.
The cgi is really weird looking. Maybe it's just cheaper that way not sure. But I get use to it and just think of it as artistic choice. Looks a little TOO new TOO clean. Needs more grit.
Yea, same. The CGI is bad, it's hard to do CGI planes and make them look corect. They also use it in situations that don't need it. Memphis belle had real aircraft and it looked great. Should have used real planes for the close in shots with cgi accents. There are quite a few bf109s and b17s around.
There's only one airworthy B-17 in all of the UK where this was filmed. Real planes would have been fantastic, but nearly impossible to source nowadays. They did build 3 full scale models though. Wouldn't be able to tell the true stories of what actually happened in the air without heavy CGI
Loads of B-17s and Bf 109s flying around isn’t there?…you honestly can’t compare those series with Masters of the Air…get a grip…
@@KA-id4wt oh is there? Where are those planes you’re talking about? Melt….
Not many details were explained.
Watching episode 1 now. 👍
Hope you enjoy!
I've been anticipating this show for years. I waited eagerly since the teaser trailer came out to watch this.
Having said that, I am beyond disappointed. The first 2 episodes were terrible and I don't even know where to start. Everything from the terrible pacing to the lack of character development, the crappy accents and the corny music have me wondering if I will be motivated enough to continue with the series.
I think we gotta give it a bit more time before giving final judgement on it!
No air crew would ever misidentify ME 110s for JU 88 especially at that close range
The haircuts throw me out of the 1940s feel .
Even the real Elvis had to get a military haircut when he was drafted into the army .
True, but he wasn't an officer.
@@myitbos1335 The Elvis haircut was not even in style for civilians in the 1940s .
The Band of Brothers officers never had a Boy band hair style .
Look up some pictures of ww2 airmen, they were certainly dapper looking gents with slicked back hair haha
The hairstyles are actually pretty accurate for the period. Look up the book ‘fighter pilot: a photographic kaleidoscope’ by Dilip Sarkar and look at the front cover for an example
I liked it a lot, and it is true to history this far. Hope it keeps beeing that. But a litle Political Corectnes had to be in it, very few seems to smoke. In reality most of them did. ;o)
Hello? They're not wearing heir eye protection? That's not realistic, it's phony.
liked
Glad you enjoyed!
I have waited years for this to finally come out. What an absolute disappointment.
I think we gotta give it time
shameful display of indiscipline and incompetence.
A Bail out alarm is sounded and the crew asked
whats that, do you mean bail out?
They bring shame to their entire family.
Love this series.
Yeah it was so good!
Right off the bat higher ranks seemed to young to be a major and such. They looked in their 20s and Lt or captain at most. That's my opinion
Funny enough....and fun fact.....Cleven and Eagan were both around 25 in 1943.....
You'd be surprised how many pilots and fighter pilots in the 8th were in their early and mid 20s and already Majors.
It was one of my concerns about the show, too many of the WWII pilots and crew look way too old. Average age was like 22 or something like that. Really hammers home the point of how young they all really were.
@@callsign_scooter9602 this is something I felt like the show gets really good. Almost everyone looks like a teenager- that's the way it should be.
Pilots got promoted up way faster than everyone else in the military. In WW2 it wasn't unusual at all for a squadron, group, or wing commander to be in his mid-late 20s and have rank equivalent to someone 10-20 years older than him in the infantry.
In peacetime you'd be correct, in WW2 the services were expanded to 10 times their peacetime strength or more in a very short time so all of the experienced officers in their 30s and 40s were generals. Or they'd proved unsuitable for combat and were in desk jobs back in the States.
Just look at Pappy Boyington - nicknamed "Pappy" by the pilots under his command because of his advanced age. He had just turned 29 when Pearl Harbor happened and was 30 when he took command of the famous "Black Sheep". His men, mostly 19-22 years old or so, thought that made him ancient. He'd have been at least a full colonel by that time if he hadn't been such a troublemaker.
The same thing happened in the Civil War - the generals (aside from the very top ranks like Lee) were mostly men in their 30s who had been captains or majors when the war broke out.
Please do some basic research first. You incorrectly mentioned the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1943. Oops the USAF did not exist until after WWII in 1947. Instead use the correct name, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), as the future USAF was a branch of the United States Army in WWII.
Failure number 2. The "Bloody" 100th Bomb Group Heavy had loses much like others in the 8th Air Force. They did no stand out, but had a false reputation as such.
Just finished episode 2. I enjoyed it. I’m not an expert movie critic but I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.
My question is why were US bomber pilots flying the highest risk missions?
Was it because we had the advanced bomb sight technology?
I’m surprised the US didn’t protest over this. Seems we were the one’s making the greatest sacrifices. Merchant marine vessels being sunk by the hundreds. Our airmen flying the high risk daylight missions. Surprised we didn’t side with Germany and tell Britain to pound sand. 😂
Your comment is so uneducated its frustrating.
Yanks chose to day time raids. RAF advised against it. ‘Merica thought they knew better.
Wrong.
America didn’t help out of the goodness of its heart. We paid your government trillions of dollars.
We actually improved a lot of your technology. Most of your equipment was crap.
The best american equipment was after we assisted. P-51 after it got the Merlin engine. Sherman after we gave it our gun (becoming the Firefly) - just to name but a few.
This and the above helped America become the super power it is today.
As for US day raids - you did have a very good bombsight (Norton)
So maybe look into some real history rather than rose tinted, biased glasses.
Did you help us, sure! But it weren’t a gift and you guys got a lot out of WW2!
However, to the US servicemen who volunteered we will always be grateful.
I will add the RAF Bomber command lost over 58000 men flying safely at night try reading up why USAAF bombed in daylight
"My question is why were US bomber pilots flying the highest risk missions? "
Because the top generals in the USAAF wanted them to. The British tried to persuade the Americans to switch to night bombing to save lives, but the American generals were sure their crews and planes could pull it off and thought that the much greater accuracy of daylight bombing made it worth the cost. The US Army Air Force had been purposely designed for the mission of daylight strategic bombing, which is why American heavy bombers (particularly the B-17) were much more heavily armed and armored than their British or German counterparts. The British designed bombers that could carry a heavier bomb load but could never have survived in daylight raids. The Americans also eventually developed fighters like the P-47 and P-51 that could fly long-range escort missions to protect the bombers while the British fighters had nowhere near the range to do so.
If you think the British didn't sacrifice men in appalling numbers to fight the Nazis then you have a lot of reading to do about the war.
What a completely ignorant post.
@terrym3837
Yes RAF Bomber Command had the second highest fatality rate of any military branch in WW2, behind only German U-boat crews.
It was around a 45% fatality rate. Out of 125,000 RAF Bomber Command crews, 55,000 were killed. A far higher rate than the USAAF.
are you gonna review the crack or what 🤨
The more I watch it, it's gets more ridiculous on how young the higher ranking officers and enlisted are. Even the xo,a Ltc, looks in his low 30s. WHERE ARE THE SEASONED OFFICERS that's been around a long time?? They couldn't get it more accurate age wise??
I mean....Curtis LeMay was 34 and a Colonel and in command of the 4th Bombardment Wing.
At the top was Brigadier General Ira Eaker only 47.
Fun fact, Ira and his initial staff for the 8th weren't career military guys so he and his staff got the nickname "Eaker's Amateurs". So young guys indeed.
Um, the age range being portrayed is spot-on. The oldest guy present was Col. Harding, and he was in his late 30s. Cleven and Egan were both in their early-mid 20s, and they were squadron leaders.
Most of the crews would have been 18-22 in age, with a handful of guys in their later 20s.
This is actually something the show is doing VERY well. In Harry Crosby's book, he talks about how a couple of the staff officers in the group were WW1 veterans- he derides them as 'retreads' who everyone ignored/hated. There really weren't that many old men in the army air force, except for at the very top level.
Gotta also keep in mind that the Air Force expanded hugely in WW2. It had existed as a tiny little thing before the war, so they had to promote people up extremely fast. There just weren't that many 'seasoned' vets at the time.
At this time in the RAF you had Guy Gibson and Bob Braham who were Wing Commanders (Lt Col) at 23/24. Leonard Cheshire was a Group Captain (Col) at 25!!! On the fighter squadrons, a 26 year old Squadron Leader (Major) was considered too old for the job of CO. Bomber Harris was just turning 50 when he took command of Bomber Command.
Hmmmm. My great uncle was a USAAF officer and was promoted to major when he was 28. Gen Mark Clark became a 4 star general at the age of 48. So my impression is the film series is being accurate for the most part regarding average ages during WW2.
Good example of how to ruin a series
The CGI is ridiculous, with glitches so terrible that you simply can't understand them.
B-17 F with metal finishes to make them pass as a G showing the nose
Turret machine guns that have aiming elements in CGI scenes while scenes shot with models do not.
You flew with the 100th then did you? You melt….
Are you one of those responsible for this aberration?
When something has such big errors it has to be said.@@alexwilliamson1486
Terrible show
Sorry, but you are wrong about the Tuskeegee Airmen. they are definitely in this show in order for a member of the 100th BG to meet one in POW camp and be surprised there are Black pilots in the USAAF. It's one of the more stupid parts of this worthless, stupid show.
I hate being the guy who told you so, but Masters of the Air is so bad it makes The Pacific look worthwhile. I went over this morning and watched the first two episodes with my neighbor who is also in Duh Biz and subscribes to Apple TV.
I should say forced myself to watch as I sat there, both a knowledgeable World War II historian with a current best-seller about 8th Air Force (Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command Against The Luftwaffe 1942-45) and as a knowledgeable screenwriter and watched them swing and miss at every damn point. I can't believe two guys as talented as Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks could make this many mistakes in one show.
As an historian, allow me to say that the script typist (calling him a screenwriter is something I cannot bring myself to do) managed to write the Mythology rather than the History. And as a reader of the book (three times) I know the Actual History was there to be used, explained so well that even a moron like this guy, who obviously doesn't know the pointed end goes in front, could get enough material to get it right. And I am sure he was doing what the Tom & Steve Show wanted, since he didn't get fired. As to the acting, I was reminded once again why I don't think there are 10 male actors in Hollywood under 40 who deserve to be called such. As both an aviation photographer and someone who has flown around in old airplanes, the CGI wasn't quite as awful as "Red Tails," but it it was a close race to the finish line.
We screenwriters have a rule about criticism: one bad review is one person's opinion; two bad reviews might be a coincidence; three bad reviews are a damn fact. The show has scored 3.3 out of 7 over at the IMDb. That's a whole bunch more than three bad reviews.
I really really really wish I was writing to tell you all I had been wrong about this overcooked turkey.
The yapping is crazy🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥
First
You can keep making war movies, but the younger generation will just keep ignoring you. And for good reason, too - they actually know better. They don't have the lead poisoning the older generations have, which helps a lot when it comes to absorbing propaganda. : )
Very ignorant comment.
Ignorant indeed.
These guys are legends who went to hell and back for the United States, some weren’t able to come back. This was one of the few wars that the United States got involved in for good reason, to rid the world of evil!
@@PuddleofOJ And when was the last time the USA fought a just war? Hmm. I'm guessing it was right about then...
@@solartrix a “just war” are you saying a justifiable war ? Yes, you’re correct. I’m not acting like US had any business of getting involved in most of the wars but these guys should get nothing but respect for what they did for the world.
Good example of how to ruin a series
The CGI is ridiculous, with glitches so terrible that you simply can't understand them.
B-17 F with metal finishes to make them pass as a G showing the nose
Turret machine guns that have aiming elements in CGI scenes while scenes shot with models do not.
Get a life….