BIG THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING: Huge thank you to the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas: theveteransmuseum.org/ Battle of Bodenplatte: The Luftwaffe's Last Hope: www.amazon.com/Bodenplatte-Luftwaffes-Stackpole-Military-History/dp/0811706869 Eric Mombeek: www.amazon.com/Books-Eric-Mombeek/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AEric+Mombeek The Rifle: facebook.com/@TheRifleBook/ ThuringiaThen&Now: instagram.com/thuringia_then_and_now/?hl=en
Just to get to see Lieutenant Ed Catrell reliving this after 80 years is an honor.....Trent i think you and your team make the very best WWII airpower videos ever....Congrats on that......Thank you TJ3 History..... Old F-4 Phantom pilot Shoe🇺🇸
Thank you for covering this historical day, not many historians talk about what happened... I find the events that happened in that day, of the US pilots being legends on that day!!!
Very impressed with the accuracy and great graphics used in these. Lt. Cattrell lends such an emotion to the historical tale. No one really wanted to kill anyone that’s what my father in law said who worked as a German pilot. But orders were orders. Let’s learn and not repeat the errors of our forefathers ( Donald Trump) listen up
*The Wehrmacht had a joke about the Luftwaffe at Normandy: “if you see silver airplanes they’re American, if you see brown ones, they’re British, and if you don’t see any at all, they’re ours.”*
And it was a fails claim. During the Normandy landings the Luftwaffe flew 250+ sorties against the Allies. Even at the end of the war, still another 3000 fighters were still operational and kept attacking the Allies while defending Germany litteraly until the very last day of the war until the 8tyh of may 1945.
@@opoxious1592 False Claim?? The Allies flew 14,674 sorties against the Axis on D-Day. I think that just might have given the Wehrmacht the idea that the Luftwaffe was pretty much no show on June 6th.
@@574ak49 Yes exactly a false claim. The fact of the matter is that the Lufwaffe did attack the Normandy beaches. So to be very simple. Lufwaffe planes were to see in the sky by the Allies, while being under attack by them.
You're doing great work man, greatly appreciated. I was raised by a ww2 navy vet, who unfortunately passed away in 2008. I carry his stories to pass on to my children, and the future in general. Keep at this work. Its importance can't be measured.
Lost my dad last year. The one thing that I always loved reminiscing was me and him going to movies at the theatre and watching WW2 stuff. Cannot express how awesome of a Dad he was. Sounds like you have the right idea and is really happy to hear. Keep being a good dad. Nothing else matters
When Ed talks about the german kid who got shot down with a bullet between his eyes, I certainly can feel that at that moment, there's no friend or foe in his mind. All he has was sympathy and humanity...
That definitely struck me, as well. Playing it out in my mind as he talked about it, thinking about the ultimate sacrifice that didn’t have to be made that day. Truly sobering.
Japanese pilot Saburo Sakai was shot through an eye, the bullet passed through or at least around his brain yet he still flew back to base and survived at least until a few years ago.
I agree and the pilots had respect for each other. They may have fought each other but they understood that the enemy was fighting for his Country and doing his duty just like they were. Many Heroes did great things for both sides.
TJ, you're doing a lot of people a great service by interviewing these heroes from the past, but in all honesty you're a hero too, by telling their stories, that may have never been told. I thank them for their service and my freedom and i thank you for the work you are doing.
@@TJ3 As an AIR Force Veteran i want to personally thank you for your continued telling of stories like this. There are so few of these men that flew in WWII still alive now so to hear them tell their stories in their own words is a treasure to those of us that are committed to never let their sacrifices be forgotten. This story is just one of the reasons that they were remembered as the greatest generation. We must not let their stories, accomplishments, or sacrifices ever be forgotten nor those of our brave men and women who have fought since. All of them gave more than should ever be asked of a person and did it with courage and honor. They've all earned the right to be remembered and honored forever. Thank you for helping to keep the memory of these brave souls alive. May God bless and keep watch over you on your journeys, and May God Bless the United States of America.
I consider this generation of Americans the greatest that there ever was, simply because they all seemed to have run to perform their duty when the call came out, many not even knowing what they were facing. But, many of them flocked to the recruiting offices little knowing what lay ahead.
I can’t be certain but I believe Ed is referring to my Great Uncle Theodore Smith who was shot down by flack during the battle of Bulge in a P-47. I find that incredible.
@@nelsontoondrawer7618 if you want to hopefully get an answer to your question, you have to type in the guys address (like I have with yours), so he will get the message directly on his email. I suspect that his uncle did not survive it because he’s buried there in the military cemetery. He didn’t survive the war in that area, at the very least. I hope he gives you an answer.
TJ thanks for the well spoken (non AI) narration. Also the accuracy of the script and the images. So many of these things are careless and get so many things wrong.
One tip to see if it's an AI script is no breathing in between sentances and a lot of unnecessary descriptive words. Idk why but most of the programs add large amounts of descriptive words for no reason. Instead of " it was a chilly December night as we trudged through the snow" The program would write "On this frigid December night the moon, making the snow glisten illuminated our path out of this inhospitable blah blah blah" 😂
The not breathing or pausing, that's in the past. All you have to do now is prompt it. The insufferable descriptions are still there tho. I better clear up that AI has insufferable descriptions. Accent and pronunciation is where I usually have my Spidey Sense tingle. @@HFFCANADA
Thanks TJ for your great work on this video. Ed Cottrell's personal recollections of this event were incredible, as well as those from Lothar Wolff. I really appreciated hearing stories from both sides of this ill-conceived surprise attack. I have Marnho's book and look forward to reading further details. Here's a little something to help keep up the great work!
Watched with appreciation for the service of my late friend, a P-47 pilot in the European Theater, Jerry Zwelling. May he rest in peace, and his memory be as a blessing.
Incredible work. My grandfather was a naval engineer in the Pacific. The only thing he *ever* said to me about WWII was that he helped build a bridge on Guadalcanal.
I had never heard of Operation Bodenplatte until Dogfights did an episode about it, specifically the Y29 airfield. Yes, the Allies took some losses, both in the air and on the ground, but they could easily replace them. The Germans couldn't. They lost nearly a quarter of their planes to friendly fire alone.
Amazing! The remains of the battle are still there to this day!!! I fly constantly over Europe and UK and I see many...many WWII airfields. Thinking that you can still spot a precise airplane crush site after almost 80 years is just mind blowing!! Modern generations should be more aware about all this and permanent gratitude should be given to those who died for freedom. I often think about the sacrifice of all those airmen and soldiers. May all those people rest in peace.
Wow! This video is your best from this trilogy @TJ3! It's a striking story. 11 German pilot! I knew Germans used kids at the end of the war, but this young in a plane!! What!!?? M. Cottrell as my deepest respect and reconnaissance.. It was a great interview all along, a captivating and emotional story. And you TJ, and your crew, have my sincere gratitude for making such good videos. Thank you. And if someone in the filming industry sees my comments, there is some good movie material in Ted Cottrell's story. 😅
That was a really sweet bit at the end of this story where Ed names his aircraft in honour of his new daughter. Bless ya mate. From a vet of more recent wars.
TJ, I know you don't remember me, but I used to watch your videos all the time. I was wondering if you could do a video about the German pilot that spared a B 17 F. Here's the full story. It was December the 20th 1943. A pilot by the name of Charles "Charlie" Brown was in his B17F, Ye Old Pub. Their mission is to bomb the Focke Wulf plant in Bremen. After being shot at by flak, Ye Old Pub's tail gunner was killed. With only one engine running, and a tail missing, Ye Old Pub went in a steep dive. Thankfully, after being passed out, Charlie managed to bring the Flying Fortress back up. But, unfortunately, Charlie accidentally flew over a Luftwaffe airfield. A German pilot by the name of Lieutenant Franz Stigler, saw the B17, and got in his 109. He was just one kill away from earning Germany's Knight's Cross. After catching up to the plane, he was about to pull the trigger when he realized the tail gunner was dead. 'This was no threat. If I shoot this plane down, it will be on my conscience gor the rest of my life.' He flew over to the side and witnessed the injured crews in the fuselage. Charlie turned for a quick gaze and looked again as he saw a German BF 109 flying in formation with the damaged warbird. Franz gestured that they land in Germany, he refused. Franz then told them to land in neutral Sweden, the same response was given. No. German AA crews saw the Flying Fortress, but refused to fire. It would risk the life of one of their own men, Stigler. After a while of flying escort for Ye Old Pub, Franz gave Charlie a respectful salute, and headed home. P-47s would soon intercept Ye Old Pub and guide them home. Charlie and his crew were surprised at the encounter with the sympathetic German. The story remained top secret until 1989 when Charlie began his search for the pilot who had spared his bomber. In 1990, he got a letter that read that they were the pilot who had escorted Ye Old Pub. They finally met in person and were interviewed for about 20 minutes. Franz gifted Charlie a book that read, "In 1940, I lost my only brother as a night fighter. In 1943, four days before Christmas, I managed to save a B 17 from her destruction. Charlie, to me, is as precious as my brother was. Thanks, Charlie. Your brother, Franz." He said that he never got the Knight's Cross, but he always said, he got something better. (Charlie Brown October 24, 1922-November 24, 2008) (Franz Stigler August 21, 1915-March 22, 2008) "No man hath greater love than he who layeth his life for his enemy." Videos about this story: Yarnhub: th-cam.com/video/SQe4roNR8Nc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZIK57pagF8zt-phg C-bass Productions th-cam.com/video/TSluTZGxdY0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=IY89P-GzIy8Ukv6L NEVER2YUNG4AVIETNAMFLASHBACK: th-cam.com/video/_lp9-cN_Oog/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MmXkPJXg24jWhR-q
You can read Charlie Brown's and Franz Stifler's stories in the book, "A Higher Call". It covers not just the mission itself but also much much more of their experiences before, during and after the war. I don't remember the author but it is a very inspiring true story about the triumph of the human spirit.
My Dad was at Bastogne with the 327 Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne at this time. Great job. My one quibble is the canopies of the Me-109 appear to be off. I could be wrong.
The canopies are are Erla Haube canopies. Introduced on late 109 Gs. As far as I know these video's are made with a game called War Thunder. These 109s are G14s and G10s. I have to say it's a pretty incredible game if you're into this kind of stuff. Been playing for ten years... Super cool about your dad! I hope the rest of his life was great!
Another Masterpiece! Great job and story telling. I love it when I turn on my computer and see you posted a new video. What a great story I love to see that some of these Heros are still around to tell us what it was like to be there. When Ed was talking about the young Luftwaffe pilot that crashed in front of him you can clearly see it still stirs up strong emotions even after all these years have passed. It's sad that Hitler insisted that they keep on fighting long after they knew it was a lost cause. In the end berlin was defended by kids and old men. I often wonder how things would have ended if Operation Valkyrie was successful. All these new pilots also didn't have a lot of flying time before they were thrust into combat due to the lack of fuel too. Many of the bombers were towed or pulled to the end of the runway before they started their engines just to save as much fuel possible. Plus the fuel they did get wasn't the good clean burning fuel they had at the start of the war. You can really see how bad the fuel was near the end of the war when you look at the exhaust stains on the Night Fighters and compare them to the cleaner colored Exhaust stains on JU-88's and ME-110's earlier in the war while they had much cleaner burning and better fuel. I know I keep repeating myself but TJ you keep topping yourself and raising the bar. Thanks for all your hard work. Your videos are always new and refreshing instead of just telling us the same old stories and photos we have all seen so many times before. You are the first person I know of thats broken the mold and actually surprise us with new untold ones. You have made W.W. 2 documentaries exciting again and I can't wait to see what's next. Please Keep "em Flying We've got your six.
My father was a motorcycle MP at one of those forward airstrips in Belgium, although he talked very little, I kept pressing him during the last few weeks of his life. A few years earlier I had taken him on a trip to DC to see the WWII memorial where he spent a lot of time just sitting and talking to other vets. One other thing he wanted to see was one of those damned German jets so off to the museum to see their ME-262. I only have a couple of his old photos from the war, he did go on about those P-47s and how great they were and how scary those damned jet things were coming in at tree top level. I wish he had more time or talked more. One thing he did say that I haven't been able to find any information on that must have been a surprise for the Germans coming in at tree top level was some combat engineers built AA platforms in the surrounding forests, at tree top level.
My grandfather was an artillery Captain under Patton in the 137th. Grandpa swore he was firing anti-aircraft guns at those same 262 on two specific occasions summer of 1944 during operation cobra and just about the time you're describing winter 44. Google says the Germans didn't fly any 262 in 1945 because they had all been shot down
@@aeonsbeyond I wish I had more specifics but for most of my life my father didn't talk about the war. I do know he joined in 1939 at age 16, was stationed at Ft. Knox, Ky, part of the motorcycle evaluation group, participated in D-day, and a bit about his duties with the 9th Air group in Belgium (have two photos) Told me he never set foot in Germany since in the spring he was pulled back to England for retraining. As for google, can never be sure about their information although according to another source on Marth 18th, 1945 a group of 37 Me 262s shot down 12 bombers and one fighter while intercepting a force of 1,221 bombers and 632 escorting fighters.
I am very impressed, I have been a WWII buff from a very young age, I turn 65 this Dec and thoroughly enjoyed the interview and animation of this video. Good work.
This is the very first program I have ever followed. I look forward to seeing more of these projects as they seem to cover each topic with respect and balance. -Ranger
Thanks, TJ. This documentary was absolutely fantastic! So good the ending brought tears to my eyes. Well done, the actions of those brave men needs to be remembered.
This was a beautifully produced video, and the effort and talent that went into it is clear. Also I'm very jealous of your A2 leather flight jacket, TJ.
If you get a chance, look up Guam I had a high school teacher who was in the usmc and he served as a telephone lineman there interesting stuff. Christmas dinner was 2 pieces of French toast, had to wave his hand to keep the flies off.
You’re quickly becoming one of my favorite historians. Is this an older interview or is Ed still alive? Unfortunately, he would be one of the last WWII veterans left. **Wow, I can hardly believe he’s still kicking. 102 years old. That’s amazing. Thank you so much this video! These stories are so important to tell and to hear. To anyone out there reading this, don’t do what I did. Don’t waste the time you have with your parents and grandparents. Ask them about their lives; their goals, their struggles, the things they feared, and the things they learned, ask them about everything you can. Nobody will preserve our history for us.
The book you mentioned is a great read. One thing I remember about the book was everyone on the ground was cheering on like it was a football game. What a sight that must have been
my uncle was a P-47 mechanic at a forward airfield on that day .. he said he laid in a frozen muddy ditch while they strafed the parked planes and repair areas .. at one point a nazi pilot was so close he could clearly see his facial details ..
My Father went to France on day 6 of D day he drove ambulances staff cars water carriers etc . He stayed on in Germany for a year after the war still in the army . Thank you for all you did you American allies .
Did u know that most of these semingly animated background footage is actually just recordings of a game called War Thunder? It's quite hard to notice since it looks so clean
It's ironic that an early World War 1 German pilot, Oswald Boelcke, was a big advocate for extensive pilot training. "Boelcke's Dicta" were famous training principles.
Really enjoyed watching a bit of important WWII history. What makes this story so important to me is my close relationship with it. I live within view of my house the last airfield that the 48th FG was assigned in the spring of 1945. In fact, I was stationed there with the US Army from 1970 thru 1972 . To the Luftwaffe the airfiled was called Fliegerhorst Adolf Hitler. Its Allied designation, however, was Illesheim R-10. Illesheim is a small village located in Bavaria, Germany. The 48th FG arrived in Illesheim on 29 April 1945 with its 4 squadrons (492th, 493rd, 494th and 495th) and on 03 May 1945 was joined by the 362nd FG. They flew their last mission of the war from Illesheim R-10 on 08 May 1945. In August of 1945 the 48th FG was reassigned to the US. After the war the US Army remained at this location renaming the post Storck Barracks, which is today the home of the US Army's AH-64 attach helicopter unit based at Katterbach, Germany (the headquarters.) and Illesheim.
Very nicely done. I especially like the addition of the veterans in your videos. One small point though: the map being used at 2:39 is totally off . A large portion of the Netherlands according to this map is in Belgium. Volkel (not Volke) , Eindhoven and Heesch are situated well into the Netherlands. I actually wonder what source produced this map? But for the rest; good stuff and keep it up.
My Father was living in Leiden (occupied Holland )on this day. He said that when the Germans flew over, the Dutch cheered, thinking it was an Allied strike going in. They didn't think the Germans had that many aircraft left .
Hi TJ. We have a 8th Airforce B17 pilot names Dick Nelms that is now 101 (Nearing 102 I believe in Jan). Still Very Sharp. If you haven't interviewed him, You need to! Contact the Museum of Flight in Seattle. He Volunteers here every week!! My Name is Mike Martinez (Docent at the Museum). :)
We actually interviewed him last year after I recommended him to TJ! I’m just as excited as you for when the documentary is finished. PopcornNSoda (Member of the TJ3 History team)
Good recap of this operation. Sadly, the Allies had ample intelligence to support the idea that a massive LW attack was imminent, but the higher ups misinterpreted the data.
Erich Hartmann told in his memoirs, that his last aerial contact with enemy was "different". He and hes wingman attaced to russian/american flotilla from above. They did not realised who/what was the reason. They began to fight themselves...
The respect these brave men have for one and other is amazing. If the guys who started the wars had to fight, there would be peace for us all. Im so grateful for the freedom we have because of the bravery of the Allied military.
During Bodenplatte there was one bf109 pilot that took five P-51 pilots to eliminate. Most of these P-51 pilots were already aces but this Luftwaffe pilot was amazing. The P-51 pilots said this guy was doing things with his 109 they didn't think were even possible. He would throw it into spins and cartwheels to evade them and then pull out feet above the ground. The bf109 was a difficult fighter to master but in the hands of a highly capable pilot it was very maneuverable
gave a bi-annual flight check/review to a 47 driver in KSPA 1972. Didn't get to talk much about his tour but he said the turbo was under belly and VERY loud. .
Amazing true story 👏 so brave, thanks guy's for what you did for peace in the world 🌎 🙏, it had to be done ❤ ❤ cheers from 🇦🇺 Australia, a Naval and Airforce family ,God bless you 🎉🎉 ❤❤ 😊
By the time Operation Bodenplatte went down, my maternal grandpa (1913 - 1996 / Luftwaffe) was a POW already. My paternal grandpa (1899 - 2004 / Irish RAF volunteer) remembered examples on how poorly trained the Luftwaffe pilots were in the closing stages of WW2: - "Trained" and "combat-ready" pilots having forgotten to retract their landing gear after taking off. - Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulffs "crabwalking" because their rudders weren't trimmed correctly. - Fighter-bombers "sneaking past" - with their marker lights on. - And even a white-faced, scared-to-death boy apparently reading the manual of his plane in flight and not noticing a USAAF fighter pulling up beside him. Okay, I couldn't confirm the last one but I am really glad that my German-born grandpa was able to dodge that fate 😅.
TJ are there any pictures of Feet of Heaven? I'm building a 1/5 scale P-47 radio control model and would like to decorate it as the Feet of Heaven plane flown by Ed in WWII.
It's funny that the 190 A-8 3D model now has the mountings for that X-4 missile, even though you're not able to carry it. Idk if its drag is modelled currently but lmao
BIG THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING:
Huge thank you to the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas: theveteransmuseum.org/
Battle of Bodenplatte: The Luftwaffe's Last Hope: www.amazon.com/Bodenplatte-Luftwaffes-Stackpole-Military-History/dp/0811706869
Eric Mombeek: www.amazon.com/Books-Eric-Mombeek/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AEric+Mombeek
The Rifle: facebook.com/@TheRifleBook/
ThuringiaThen&Now: instagram.com/thuringia_then_and_now/?hl=en
Just to get to see Lieutenant Ed Catrell reliving this after 80 years is an honor.....Trent i think you and your team make the very best WWII airpower videos ever....Congrats on that......Thank you TJ3 History.....
Old F-4 Phantom pilot Shoe🇺🇸
@steveshoemaker6347 thanks so much Shoe!! Hope you're well.
Excellently put together. I don't mind if you use vid game footage as long as it's in combination with real world testimony and sound analysis 👍
Thank you for covering this historical day, not many historians talk about what happened... I find the events that happened in that day, of the US pilots being legends on that day!!!
Very impressed with the accuracy and great graphics used in these. Lt. Cattrell lends such an emotion to the historical tale. No one really wanted to kill anyone that’s what my father in law said who worked as a German pilot. But orders were orders. Let’s learn and not repeat the errors of our forefathers ( Donald Trump) listen up
*The Wehrmacht had a joke about the Luftwaffe at Normandy: “if you see silver airplanes they’re American, if you see brown ones, they’re British, and if you don’t see any at all, they’re ours.”*
You beat me to it. I've read that as well.
And it was a fails claim.
During the Normandy landings the Luftwaffe flew 250+ sorties against the Allies.
Even at the end of the war, still another 3000 fighters were still operational and kept attacking the Allies while defending Germany litteraly until the very last day of the war until the 8tyh of may 1945.
@@opoxious1592 False Claim?? The Allies flew 14,674 sorties against the Axis on D-Day. I think that just might have given the Wehrmacht the idea that the Luftwaffe was pretty much no show on June 6th.
@@574ak49 Yes exactly a false claim.
The fact of the matter is that the Lufwaffe did attack the Normandy beaches.
So to be very simple.
Lufwaffe planes were to see in the sky by the Allies, while being under attack by them.
@@opoxious1592yes.....
Two Fw-190........
That's the point....
You're doing great work man, greatly appreciated. I was raised by a ww2 navy vet, who unfortunately passed away in 2008. I carry his stories to pass on to my children, and the future in general. Keep at this work. Its importance can't be measured.
@Sakai070 thanks so much!
BZ.
I wish more young people would listen to stories like this!
My son and I can't get enough of these stories. We clear anything going on and sit and watch. He loves them.
So happy to hear that!!
Lost my dad last year. The one thing that I always loved reminiscing was me and him going to movies at the theatre and watching WW2 stuff. Cannot express how awesome of a Dad he was. Sounds like you have the right idea and is really happy to hear. Keep being a good dad. Nothing else matters
Good bonding
When Ed talks about the german kid who got shot down with a bullet between his eyes, I certainly can feel that at that moment, there's no friend or foe in his mind. All he has was sympathy and humanity...
Yep. It's a pretty sobering moment.
That definitely struck me, as well. Playing it out in my mind as he talked about it, thinking about the ultimate sacrifice that didn’t have to be made that day. Truly sobering.
Japanese pilot Saburo Sakai was shot through an eye, the bullet passed through or at least around his brain yet he still flew back to base and survived at least until a few years ago.
I agree and the pilots had respect for each other. They may have fought each other but they understood that the enemy was fighting for his Country and doing his duty just like they were. Many Heroes did great things for both sides.
No sympathy or humanity for the terrorist, barbaric Nazis.
TJ, you're doing a lot of people a great service by interviewing these heroes from the past, but in all honesty you're a hero too, by telling their stories, that may have never been told.
I thank them for their service and my freedom and i thank you for the work you are doing.
I'm just thrilled people still want to hear them. Hope that never changes. Thank you :)
@@TJ3 Yes, me also.
@@TJ3 As an AIR Force Veteran i want to personally thank you for your continued telling of stories like this. There are so few of these men that flew in WWII still alive now so to hear them tell their stories in their own words is a treasure to those of us that are committed to never let their sacrifices be forgotten. This story is just one of the reasons that they were remembered as the greatest generation. We must not let their stories, accomplishments, or sacrifices ever be forgotten nor those of our brave men and women who have fought since. All of them gave more than should ever be asked of a person and did it with courage and honor. They've all earned the right to be remembered and honored forever. Thank you for helping to keep the memory of these brave souls alive. May God bless and keep watch over you on your journeys, and May God Bless the United States of America.
Thats just the one sided false victor narrative !!
I consider this generation of Americans the greatest that there ever was, simply because they all seemed to have run to perform their duty when the call came out, many not even knowing what they were facing. But, many of them flocked to the recruiting offices little knowing what lay ahead.
I can’t be certain but I believe Ed is referring to my Great Uncle Theodore Smith who was shot down by flack during the battle of Bulge in a P-47. I find that incredible.
You really should look into this because it seems too interesting to let it slip away
Did your uncle parachute and survived?
@@nelsontoondrawer7618 if you want to hopefully get an answer to your question, you have to type in the guys address (like I have with yours), so he will get the message directly on his email. I suspect that his uncle did not survive it because he’s buried there in the military cemetery. He didn’t survive the war in that area, at the very least. I hope he gives you an answer.
TJ thanks for the well spoken (non AI) narration. Also the accuracy of the script and the images. So many of these things are careless and get so many things wrong.
Agreed. Thank you. :)
One tip to see if it's an AI script is no breathing in between sentances and a lot of unnecessary descriptive words. Idk why but most of the programs add large amounts of descriptive words for no reason. Instead of
" it was a chilly December night as we trudged through the snow"
The program would write
"On this frigid December night the moon, making the snow glisten illuminated our path out of this inhospitable blah blah blah"
😂
I was just thinking about how much I like his narration and that it isn't AI.♥️♥️
@@judyleewhitaker5119 thanks :)
The not breathing or pausing, that's in the past. All you have to do now is prompt it. The insufferable descriptions are still there tho. I better clear up that AI has insufferable descriptions. Accent and pronunciation is where I usually have my Spidey Sense tingle. @@HFFCANADA
Thanks TJ for your great work on this video. Ed Cottrell's personal recollections of this event were incredible, as well as those from Lothar Wolff. I really appreciated hearing stories from both sides of this ill-conceived surprise attack. I have Marnho's book and look forward to reading further details. Here's a little something to help keep up the great work!
Thank you so very much! Enjoy that book! It's great!!
What a great service you are providing telling these men's stories.
Thank you!
To all the war veterans past and present thank you for your service God bless you all and to your family happy holidays to you all
Watched with appreciation for the service of my late friend, a P-47 pilot in the European Theater, Jerry Zwelling. May he rest in peace, and his memory be as a blessing.
Thank you for sharing your story Ed Cottrell great story and great video TJ3.
Incredible work. My grandfather was a naval engineer in the Pacific. The only thing he *ever* said to me about WWII was that he helped build a bridge on Guadalcanal.
The people who were in it - like my dad - tended to keep quiet about it.
Thanks to you. The video maker who got this and the folks who served.
Thanks!
In the mid 70’s, I was a weapons loader in the 48th TFW. We were stationed at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk county, England.
We’re still here too 💪
So ? ? ?
Thank you, Ed, for your service.
I had never heard of Operation Bodenplatte until Dogfights did an episode about it, specifically the Y29 airfield. Yes, the Allies took some losses, both in the air and on the ground, but they could easily replace them. The Germans couldn't. They lost nearly a quarter of their planes to friendly fire alone.
Yeah that was really friendly fire. With friends like that you don't know what you are in for.
Amazing! The remains of the battle are still there to this day!!! I fly constantly over Europe and UK and I see many...many WWII airfields. Thinking that you can still spot a precise airplane crush site after almost 80 years is just mind blowing!! Modern generations should be more aware about all this and permanent gratitude should be given to those who died for freedom. I often think about the sacrifice of all those airmen and soldiers. May all those people rest in peace.
I love this series of Ed and the P-47 - my favorite WW2 fighter. Thank you!!
Thank you for all you do and you're amazing archives of history 😊
Wonderful series. Thank you (and your supporters) for all you do.
Wow! This video is your best from this trilogy @TJ3! It's a striking story. 11 German pilot! I knew Germans used kids at the end of the war, but this young in a plane!! What!!??
M. Cottrell as my deepest respect and reconnaissance.. It was a great interview all along, a captivating and emotional story. And you TJ, and your crew, have my sincere gratitude for making such good videos. Thank you.
And if someone in the filming industry sees my comments, there is some good movie material in Ted Cottrell's story. 😅
Most of the Allied planes destroyed on the ground were replaced within a few days.
That was a really sweet bit at the end of this story where Ed names his aircraft in honour of his new daughter. Bless ya mate. From a vet of more recent wars.
Excellent video as always, well done!
It’s just so sad to think about the families who were forever changed by this war many before it and after. War is hell.
Indeed, this video shows The Sadness and Tragedies of War !
ME262 flew top cover as observers to report anyone that turned back
Always a good day when a TJ3 video drops! 🎉
WOOOO!
Absolutely such a fantastic story. Thank you and all the veterans
God bless these men. On both sides. Thank you for sharing your stories, so we never forget.
Excellent story with great sim-vid. Keep'em fly'in!!
TJ, I know you don't remember me, but I used to watch your videos all the time. I was wondering if you could do a video about the German pilot that spared a B 17 F. Here's the full story.
It was December the 20th 1943. A pilot by the name of Charles "Charlie" Brown was in his B17F, Ye Old Pub. Their mission is to bomb the Focke Wulf plant in Bremen. After being shot at by flak, Ye Old Pub's tail gunner was killed. With only one engine running, and a tail missing, Ye Old Pub went in a steep dive. Thankfully, after being passed out, Charlie managed to bring the Flying Fortress back up. But, unfortunately, Charlie accidentally flew over a Luftwaffe airfield. A German pilot by the name of Lieutenant Franz Stigler, saw the B17, and got in his 109. He was just one kill away from earning Germany's Knight's Cross. After catching up to the plane, he was about to pull the trigger when he realized the tail gunner was dead. 'This was no threat. If I shoot this plane down, it will be on my conscience gor the rest of my life.' He flew over to the side and witnessed the injured crews in the fuselage. Charlie turned for a quick gaze and looked again as he saw a German BF 109 flying in formation with the damaged warbird. Franz gestured that they land in Germany, he refused. Franz then told them to land in neutral Sweden, the same response was given. No. German AA crews saw the Flying Fortress, but refused to fire. It would risk the life of one of their own men, Stigler. After a while of flying escort for Ye Old Pub, Franz gave Charlie a respectful salute, and headed home. P-47s would soon intercept Ye Old Pub and guide them home. Charlie and his crew were surprised at the encounter with the sympathetic German. The story remained top secret until 1989 when Charlie began his search for the pilot who had spared his bomber. In 1990, he got a letter that read that they were the pilot who had escorted Ye Old Pub. They finally met in person and were interviewed for about 20 minutes. Franz gifted Charlie a book that read, "In 1940, I lost my only brother as a night fighter. In 1943, four days before Christmas, I managed to save a B 17 from her destruction. Charlie, to me, is as precious as my brother was. Thanks, Charlie. Your brother, Franz." He said that he never got the Knight's Cross, but he always said, he got something better. (Charlie Brown October 24, 1922-November 24, 2008) (Franz Stigler August 21, 1915-March 22, 2008)
"No man hath greater love than he who layeth his life for his enemy."
Videos about this story:
Yarnhub:
th-cam.com/video/SQe4roNR8Nc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ZIK57pagF8zt-phg
C-bass Productions
th-cam.com/video/TSluTZGxdY0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=IY89P-GzIy8Ukv6L
NEVER2YUNG4AVIETNAMFLASHBACK:
th-cam.com/video/_lp9-cN_Oog/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MmXkPJXg24jWhR-q
You can read Charlie Brown's and Franz Stifler's stories in the book, "A Higher Call". It covers not just the mission itself but also much much more of their experiences before, during and after the war. I don't remember the author but it is a very inspiring true story about the triumph of the human spirit.
There are already many videos about this story on TH-cam.
Another great video TJ! Well done as always, your narration is always top notch.
Thanks so much :)
My father, and colleagues, would never talk about their WWll experiences, so I rely on your "honest" dialogue for my education. THANK YOU 😊
Excellent video and narration about a mission with which I was not familiar. Many thanks for sharing...
Ed is such a class act. Thanks for sharing his story!
Thanks for watching!
Ed Cotrell, I salute you sir!
Yes, we must salute all those who went through the The Sadness and The Tragedies of Wars !
My Dad was at Bastogne with the 327 Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne at this time.
Great job. My one quibble is the canopies of the Me-109 appear to be off. I could be wrong.
The canopies are are Erla Haube canopies. Introduced on late 109 Gs. As far as I know these video's are made with a game called War Thunder. These 109s are G14s and G10s. I have to say it's a pretty incredible game if you're into this kind of stuff. Been playing for ten years... Super cool about your dad! I hope the rest of his life was great!
Great way yo start my week, with another TJ3 masterpiece. Keep up the great work TJ. Stay awesome!
Thanks Jester!!
thanks TJ for this incredibly thorough research, great interviews and awesome narration! all the best wishes from Germany!
Another Masterpiece! Great job and story telling. I love it when I turn on my computer and see you posted a new video. What a great story I love to see that some of these Heros are still around to tell us what it was like to be there. When Ed was talking about the young Luftwaffe pilot that crashed in front of him you can clearly see it still stirs up strong emotions even after all these years have passed. It's sad that Hitler insisted that they keep on fighting long after they knew it was a lost cause. In the end berlin was defended by kids and old men. I often wonder how things would have ended if Operation Valkyrie was successful. All these new pilots also didn't have a lot of flying time before they were thrust into combat due to the lack of fuel too. Many of the bombers were towed or pulled to the end of the runway before they started their engines just to save as much fuel possible. Plus the fuel they did get wasn't the good clean burning fuel they had at the start of the war. You can really see how bad the fuel was near the end of the war when you look at the exhaust stains on the Night Fighters and compare them to the cleaner colored Exhaust stains on JU-88's and ME-110's earlier in the war while they had much cleaner burning and better fuel. I know I keep repeating myself but TJ you keep topping yourself and raising the bar. Thanks for all your hard work. Your videos are always new and refreshing instead of just telling us the same old stories and photos we have all seen so many times before. You are the first person I know of thats broken the mold and actually surprise us with new untold ones. You have made W.W. 2 documentaries exciting again and I can't wait to see what's next. Please Keep "em Flying We've got your six.
My father was a motorcycle MP at one of those forward airstrips in Belgium, although he talked very little, I kept pressing him during the last few weeks of his life. A few years earlier I had taken him on a trip to DC to see the WWII memorial where he spent a lot of time just sitting and talking to other vets. One other thing he wanted to see was one of those damned German jets so off to the museum to see their ME-262. I only have a couple of his old photos from the war, he did go on about those P-47s and how great they were and how scary those damned jet things were coming in at tree top level. I wish he had more time or talked more. One thing he did say that I haven't been able to find any information on that must have been a surprise for the Germans coming in at tree top level was some combat engineers built AA platforms in the surrounding forests, at tree top level.
My grandfather was an artillery Captain under Patton in the 137th. Grandpa swore he was firing anti-aircraft guns at those same 262 on two specific occasions summer of 1944 during operation cobra and just about the time you're describing winter 44. Google says the Germans didn't fly any 262 in 1945 because they had all been shot down
@@aeonsbeyond I wish I had more specifics but for most of my life my father didn't talk about the war. I do know he joined in 1939 at age 16, was stationed at Ft. Knox, Ky, part of the motorcycle evaluation group, participated in D-day, and a bit about his duties with the 9th Air group in Belgium (have two photos) Told me he never set foot in Germany since in the spring he was pulled back to England for retraining. As for google, can never be sure about their information although according to another source on Marth 18th, 1945 a group of 37 Me 262s shot down 12 bombers and one fighter while intercepting a force of 1,221 bombers and 632 escorting fighters.
My father was in the 9th army that Ed said they were moving with.
Thanks!
Thank you!!
I am very impressed, I have been a WWII buff from a very young age, I turn 65 this Dec and thoroughly enjoyed the interview and animation of this video. Good work.
The animation is a video game called Wat Thunder if you are interested. It's really fantastic!
This is the very first program I have ever followed. I look forward to seeing more of these projects as they seem to cover each topic with respect and balance.
-Ranger
Thanks
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts. Along with your courage, sacrifice and service ❤🇺🇸
Thanks, TJ. This documentary was absolutely fantastic! So good the ending brought tears to my eyes. Well done, the actions of those brave men needs to be remembered.
Thanks for watching!
This was a beautifully produced video, and the effort and talent that went into it is clear. Also I'm very jealous of your A2 leather flight jacket, TJ.
If you get a chance, look up Guam I had a high school teacher who was in the usmc and he served as a telephone lineman there interesting stuff. Christmas dinner was 2 pieces of French toast, had to wave his hand to keep the flies off.
You’re quickly becoming one of my favorite historians. Is this an older interview or is Ed still alive? Unfortunately, he would be one of the last WWII veterans left.
**Wow, I can hardly believe he’s still kicking. 102 years old. That’s amazing. Thank you so much this video!
These stories are so important to tell and to hear. To anyone out there reading this, don’t do what I did. Don’t waste the time you have with your parents and grandparents. Ask them about their lives; their goals, their struggles, the things they feared, and the things they learned, ask them about everything you can.
Nobody will preserve our history for us.
Thank you for watching! And wise words.
A very professional and excellent production! Thank you!
The book you mentioned is a great read. One thing I remember about the book was everyone on the ground was cheering on like it was a football game. What a sight that must have been
Absolutely.
Wow! This one may be the most powerful yet. Getting hard to tell as there are so many fantastic records.
Another great presentation, thanks!
my uncle was a P-47 mechanic at a forward airfield on that day .. he said he laid in a frozen muddy ditch while they strafed the parked planes and repair areas .. at one point a nazi pilot was so close he could clearly see his facial details ..
Don't say 'Nazi' pilot ! A 'Nazi' is a member of the 'Natzionalistische Partei' ! Pilots were just pilots, just as soldiers were just soldiers ! -
These videos cover things that other history videos do not
My Father went to France on day 6 of D day he drove ambulances staff cars water carriers etc . He stayed on in Germany for a year after the war still in the army . Thank you for all you did you American allies .
Excellent story, and excellent storytelling. Well done.
Great visuals...nice job. Dane
Did u know that most of these semingly animated background footage is actually just recordings of a game called War Thunder? It's quite hard to notice since it looks so clean
Saw the Dogfights episode of this exact fight. Holy crap, was it insane.
It's ironic that an early World War 1 German pilot, Oswald Boelcke, was a big advocate for extensive pilot training. "Boelcke's Dicta" were famous training principles.
Really enjoyed watching a bit of important WWII history. What makes this story so important to me is my close relationship with it. I live within view of my house the last airfield that the 48th FG was assigned in the spring of 1945. In fact, I was stationed there with the US Army from 1970 thru 1972 . To the Luftwaffe the airfiled was called Fliegerhorst Adolf Hitler. Its Allied designation, however, was Illesheim R-10. Illesheim is a small village located in Bavaria, Germany. The 48th FG arrived in Illesheim on 29 April 1945 with its 4 squadrons (492th, 493rd, 494th and 495th) and on 03 May 1945 was joined by the 362nd FG. They flew their last mission of the war from Illesheim R-10 on 08 May 1945. In August of 1945 the 48th FG was reassigned to the US. After the war the US Army remained at this location renaming the post Storck Barracks, which is today the home of the US Army's AH-64 attach helicopter unit based at Katterbach, Germany (the headquarters.) and Illesheim.
Very nicely done. I especially like the addition of the veterans in your videos. One small point though: the map being used at 2:39 is totally off . A large portion of the Netherlands according to this map is in Belgium. Volkel (not Volke) , Eindhoven and Heesch are situated well into the Netherlands. I actually wonder what source produced this map? But for the rest; good stuff and keep it up.
Your videos are incredible. Thank you TJ. Terry
Great video!
My Father was living in Leiden (occupied Holland )on this day.
He said that when the Germans flew over, the Dutch cheered, thinking it was an Allied strike going in.
They didn't think the Germans had that many aircraft left .
Great video- thanks. They were the greatest generation. Coincidentally I’ve just been reading about this elsewhere.
(P.S. Subscribed!)
Hi TJ. We have a 8th Airforce B17 pilot names Dick Nelms that is now 101 (Nearing 102 I believe in Jan). Still Very Sharp. If you haven't interviewed him, You need to! Contact the Museum of Flight in Seattle. He Volunteers here every week!! My Name is Mike Martinez (Docent at the Museum). :)
We actually interviewed him last year after I recommended him to TJ! I’m just as excited as you for when the documentary is finished.
PopcornNSoda (Member of the TJ3 History team)
This video was very well done. Bravo TJ
Beautiful Man, I can hear his heart😢
thank you TJ & Ed 🙏🏾🎉
Good recap of this operation. Sadly, the Allies had ample intelligence to support the idea that a massive LW attack was imminent, but the higher ups misinterpreted the data.
Erich Hartmann told in his memoirs, that his last aerial contact with enemy was "different". He and hes wingman attaced to russian/american flotilla from above. They did not realised who/what was the reason. They began to fight themselves...
The respect these brave men have for one and other is amazing. If the guys who started the wars had to fight, there would be peace for us all.
Im so grateful for the freedom we have because of the bravery of the Allied military.
Incredible story. So cool this brave WWII veteran US pilot is still with us, and was able to recount these events in detail at age 102!
Another stellar video, TJ.
Good work telling these stories man! Great vid left a like :)
I think the same battle the show dogfights did one where a p-47 was on fire shooting down germans around his airbase.
During Bodenplatte there was one bf109 pilot that took five P-51 pilots to eliminate. Most of these P-51 pilots were already aces but this Luftwaffe pilot was amazing. The P-51 pilots said this guy was doing things with his 109 they didn't think were even possible. He would throw it into spins and cartwheels to evade them and then pull out feet above the ground. The bf109 was a difficult fighter to master but in the hands of a highly capable pilot it was very maneuverable
Great stuff
gave a bi-annual flight check/review to a 47 driver in KSPA 1972. Didn't get to talk much about his tour but he said the turbo was under belly and VERY loud. .
0:18 I was like "hey that looks like the BF 109G model from Warthunder"
Lo and behold, it was Warthunder lol
Amazing true story 👏 so brave, thanks guy's for what you did for peace in the world 🌎 🙏, it had to be done ❤ ❤ cheers from 🇦🇺 Australia, a Naval and Airforce family ,God bless you 🎉🎉 ❤❤ 😊
This was a very well told story. Thanks so much!
By the time Operation Bodenplatte went down, my maternal grandpa (1913 - 1996 / Luftwaffe) was a POW already.
My paternal grandpa (1899 - 2004 / Irish RAF volunteer) remembered examples on how poorly trained the Luftwaffe pilots were in the closing stages of WW2:
- "Trained" and "combat-ready" pilots having forgotten to retract their landing gear after taking off.
- Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulffs "crabwalking" because their rudders weren't trimmed correctly.
- Fighter-bombers "sneaking past" - with their marker lights on.
- And even a white-faced, scared-to-death boy apparently reading the manual of his plane in flight and not noticing a USAAF fighter pulling up beside him.
Okay, I couldn't confirm the last one but I am really glad that my German-born grandpa was able to dodge that fate 😅.
Due to the secrecy of the operation, German fllak crews were not informed of the operation and shot down over 250 returning German fighter aircraft.
One of Germany’s leading aces of the war was killed by German AA before the mission even started.
great as always
God bless Ed and all the fighters on both sides who fought and died in that horrible war. ❤
Sir a crisp USMC salute. Healthy Happy new year love these stories
TJ are there any pictures of Feet of Heaven? I'm building a 1/5 scale P-47 radio control model and would like to decorate it as the Feet of Heaven plane flown by Ed in WWII.
Hmmm. Good question! I was unable to locate any. The Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas might know if there is one!
It's funny that the 190 A-8 3D model now has the mountings for that X-4 missile, even though you're not able to carry it. Idk if its drag is modelled currently but lmao
huge thanks for exposing our history. your work is priceless
Another amazing video.
It's always so strange to hear how thin is the border between a young life and a cemetery.
This channel is soooooooo awesome
It speaks a lot that even during an attack they still went to give aid to the Germans who were shot down.
It's kind of gangster to calmly chill and smoke a pipe while 12 guys are running up to you to capture you. I salute that.
What “Dogfights” didn’t cover.
Uh I think they did actually
@@MattKearneyFan1they covered the battle over Y29, not the entire operation
Dogfights “Death of the Luftwaffe”