in the voice of the guy who narrated Dog Fights: "The German ace pulls into a steep climb trying evade Andersons guns, but Anderson pours on the coal. The packard merlin's TWO THOUSAND HORSEPOWER kicks in, its super charger screaming, and the mustang easily matches the me109s climb. The me109 stalls, Anderson lines up the shot and pulls the trigger. The Mustangs six 50 cal machine guns roar to life spewing hundreds of rounds of hot lead into the German plane. Anderson rolls to the left to avoid the carnage and watches the German ace plunge from the sky." how'd i do?
@@MrSGL21the only thing, at that time, the mustang's merlin engine is rated at about 1765 hp only not 2000. Also, p-51 Bs n Cs have only 4 MGs. Twas the p-51Ds bubble top that has 6 .50 cal MGs
I Flew in Chuck Yeager's command in Vietnam. Chuck and Bud and I became fairly close for a number of years. Chuck got me on at Edwards and some hot rides there as well. Chuck always said that Bud was the best pilot that he had ever seen. They taught me a lot.
Is that Edward's air force base I hauled has wasted outa there was experience earned respect to drop off empty picked up full never let me down on weight never my respect 🙏
It's 21 May, 2024. Just this minute I received news of the passing of Clarence Elim ''Bud'' Anderson. What a life, what a story, what a true hero. Though I never knew you, your story has truly had a profound effect on me. My hat is off, may the winds be fair for you, deepest condolences to your family and may your memory of service to this country last eternally. Rest in Peace Bud Anderson for you surely have earned it.
After watching I wonder if Bud might had known my father. He was in the 325 ft - 18 th. sq. flying over North Africa in a P40 and then in Italy flying P 51s. over Europe. Was almost shot down when two ME109s came down on him and blow up a ammunition box on his wing still had control of the plane, he said that he put his head down and flew straight into the sun and made it back to base. He scored 18 kills in the war and then came back home and became a test pilot flying the P-80s and the G-suits. Really enjoyed the video. Thank you so much.
In the 90's my brother built a 1/5 scale radio control Old Crow. I found Bud's address and sent him photos. We then exchanged several letters. One day in the mail was a large box. Inside the box was 5 signed copies of Bud's "To fly and fight" and an 8 x10 signed glossy of Bud on his P-51D. I didnt ask for this special gift from Bud. He did it all on his own. An absolutely wondeful human being.
Bud Anderson was one of the best, if not the best fighter pilots in the ETO, and he lived to tell about it !!! and as of today 11/9/2023 he is still alive !!!
@FlitzerFlash never was in the air Force but th Navy so you might no more than me, the fact he survived being shot down and is almost 100 makes him remarkable no matter where he may be ranked. I salute all flyers who served in any USA war.
I love the P51 mustang but man do I wish the P38J Lightening got more love. That plan is so cool, plus it was the plane of choice for America’s top ace pilot of WW2.
It is by far my favorite plane of WW2 also. It was the only fighter already being produced at the beginning and was still being produced at the end. It also has the distinction of having shot down the most enemy planes of the war. How can everybody not love this beautiful, fear inducing, " Oh shit, it's a P- 38" work of perfection? Give'em a few beers, then they'll love her..😱🫡🤤😴
The lighting had its glory but it was designed to boom and zoom and if you you could maintain your energy the o38 was great if you employed the immelmen
28 Kills Gabreski! The P47 thunderbolt IMHO the best fighter America made. Especially the P47m , faster than the P51, could roll better, up high wasnt even a contest . 475 MPH level at altitude, many crews tweeked and claimed 500mph, better rate of climb and even had two more .50 cals, more ammo, was air cooled and could take punches other aircraft could not. I believe P47s also had more kills than all others except the Hellcats. Had they simply got the big drop tanks the P51s may not have gotten their jobs as long range escorts. I do believe that the p47m had a price about a third higher, P51 was around 50K and P47m cost around 80k. Lots of great planes in the hands of the greatest men at this time.
Everyone wanted to F4 phantom in the Vietnam era but the more skilled pilots opted for the Crusader , why it was a kick ass and take names fighter and had a big afterburner and 4 20 mm cannons on the front end man ...the warriors want a platform they can fight with
I've read that German 109 pilots would sometimes fly inverted after being hit because that allowed them to fall out of the cockpit when bailing out and avoid hitting the tail, which was a problem.
I figured the same. He was getting ready to bail, possibly because he was wounded, or simply because he realized his bird was too badly damaged to continue the fight. I wonder if it was pilot language meaning "You got me, I surrender" but Bud Anderson didn't get it.
It's been said that the 109 cockpit was quite compact and confining compared to allied aircraft cockpits, so turning upside down would make it a lot easier to get out! 😅
@@motard499I remember reading that German test pilots,really had a hard time figuring out how the US pilots where able to move in such large cockpits, of "Captured" American planes, The P-51 large cockpit fit made them uncomfortable and the P-47 (Thunderbolt) was even worse and considered wasted space, not to their liking.The British Spitfire, they felt fit with what they thought a fighter should be
Bud Anderson: American Badass. Thank you, Bud, for your dedication to our country, and your courage. You will never be forgotten. We Love you Bud!!! I have models of Old Crow at home, and on my desk at work. People I work with always ask about it, and I am always proud to tell the story of Bud Anderson!
I do the same thing when I build my rc airplanes. I usually use his last B he flew with the red and yellow checkered nose and Malcolm canopy. Also my P39Q I built has his same tail number that he originally flew before the P51B.
I met Bud Anderson at the Reno Air Races two years ago. He was frail but in good spirits. I bought an autographed poster of his and got to shake his hand. I was very honored to have met him before he passed. What an amazing man. I still have that poster on my wall.
I joined the USAF in June 1972 as an armaments technician working on B-52's, F-111's, and F-16's and as an avionics tech on F-111's. Retired after 22 years. Loved military jets but never flew them.
I get bored flying but I love working on aircraft models especially inventing new ones such as what I make out of aluminum pie pans!(RC motor systems readily available for paper airplanes. Thank you sir for your service.
Thanks for the video. I've read "To fly and fight" several times. I contacted Jim and got the new copy signed to me and he added the quote from dogfight coms "can't talk, gotta shoot!" It'a great book, quite humorous at times, and very sad and somber in others. The vertical dogfight is the first memoir of the book. Bud had his editor type up and shape the book as he talks, mannerisms and all. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone that's into military history, military aviation. It will not disappoint!
Outstanding video. I am honored to know Col. Anderson, having done a few air shows with him. He is one of the most humble men I have met. He is warm and welcoming to anybody who asks for his time. I really appreciate this video. I'm going to text him and let him know that I watched it.
Col Anderson was the keynote speaker at a Dining Out I attended. He spoke about his experiences in the ETO, and his sometimes hilarious relationship with Yeager but towards the end of his comments he told us how after a mission in November 1944 he mentioned to his Crew Chief with a chuckle that he felt kind of naked in a dark green airplane against all that gleaming snow. Then he paused and gathered himself, having become obviously emotional, and then said with a firm voice (I'm paraphrasing) "I know sometimes pilots forget how hard their mechanics work to keep their planes ready to go but I'm going to tell you how I learned that lesson I came out the next morning to find my Crew Chief and two young mechanics standing next to my gleaming silver Mustang. They all had bloody hands. They had spent all night scrubbing the paint off Old Crow with gasoline soaked rags loaded with sand just because I made an offhand comment. I could not have survived combat without their dedication." And as he told us this he had tears streaming down his cheeks. And then he gently chided our officers saying "You pilots take care of your enlisted folks because you can't do what you do without them." and the 300 or so E's in the room erupted in a standing ovation.
I love this man! I cannot believe the amazing heroic power all these brave WW II veterans possessed but Bud Anderson just tops them all! Another fantastic and well-produced TJ3 episode............TJ is absolutely ready for prime time!! Jim C.
Johnson's 5th kill, the one that made him an ace, was a German pilot who'd been in the east and had over 200 kills, Johnson never even knew that until the 90's when the Air Force's historical department uncovered the information while doing research and sent him a letter informing him of it. I myself believe Johnson was the best of the USAAF fighter pilots in Europe, given his number of victories and the circumstances under which he got them, being there early when the Luftwaffe had their most skilled and experienced pilots still flying who'd been not only in everything from the Spanish Civil War and the Battle of Britain but also having been the pilots who'd gone through their early training program which was almost to the level of an astronaut, and the fact that victories were also harder to come by during that period because early on the fighter's were ordered to stay with the bombers to protect them and weren't allowed to take off and chase after the Germans after they'd disengage. Not to take anything away from Anderson but he got into it just as Doolittle took over the 8th Air Force and cut the fighter's loose allowing them to chase down the enemy fighter's, that and the fact that the guy's like Johnson had pretty much killed off the bulk of the experienced German pilots at that time meant between those two very important points Anderson was flying a different game than Johnson did, yet Johnson still ended with more victories than he did, pretty good for someone that couldn't hit the target sleeve during gunnery qualification until his very last chance which very well could have sent him back to his original assignment of being a bomber pilot. Johnson did embellish one story about his experiences, the June of 1943 incident when he was limping home and was attacked by the FW190 thought by some to have been flown by Egon Mayer, he was indeed attacked while limping home after having almost been blasted out of the sky earlier and it was actually witnessed by another 56th FG pilot who saw it from a distance but was out of range to have engaged the FW190, and by the time he got close enough it'd left, according to his account it only made one pass on Johnson and fired only a short burst then apparently ran out of ammo and left, I'm inclined to believe that version for two reasons, if you look at the official USAAF battle damage assessment photos of his plane after landing there's barely any 8mm holes in it, you can clearly see the 20mm holes in it including the 3 in the razor back area directly behind where he was sitting along with the blown out section of his canopy obviously done by a 4th 20mm hit, but the most compelling evidence is the history of that aircraft, there's a sight I found that lists every single United States military aircraft of WW2 by serial number, along with listing the aircraft type and variant as per it's serial number it also has the aircraft's history listing information available like units it was assigned to and the pilots who flew it along with thing's like "destroyed" if so during battle or "scrapped" in some cases if too heavily damaged after making it back, if one did, it even listed the nickname for an aircraft if indeed it had one, mind you this is directly from the official US government records and not something someone compiled after doing research. After finding that site I clicked on Johnson's Wikipedia page which I knew had the serial number for each of his 4 different P47's he flew in combat, I looked up the serial number for his first P47 and indeed it listed his unit as having received it along with him as the pilot and even it's nickname which I believe for his first one was "Penrod and Sam" although I may be wrong on that point, it listed the date in June of 43 it was damaged after him being attacked but afterwards also said "Rebuilt and reassigned to the 9th Air Force". Aside from the pictures of it after he brought it back, which was a miracle after the damage it took from the 20mm shell's, but clearly show that there isn't "Over 200 holes being able to be counted just from standing in one spot", and there's not 8mm holes "From wingtip to wingtip" but also if there had been as he described there'd have been so much damage done to frames, ribs, spars and other parts of the structure under the skin that there's no way they'd have wasted their time attempting to repair it in the field, it'd never have been fixed with THAT much damage done to it and reassigned to the 9th Air Force, one thing US forces didn't lack in Europe was replacement aircraft, not only wouldn't they have wasted all the time it'd have taken to repair it had it suffered the 3 attacks he claimed it did, which would have amounted to the same amount of work as a modern restoration, they also wouldn't have risk a pilot putting them in something that'd already suffered that much damage, there's no way, with the exception of units in the Pacific at the beginning of the war who were fighting pretty much cut off and couldn't get replacement aircraft and parts those aircraft were treated as disposable, too much damage and they had any good parts stripped off of them and they were scrapped, in Europe they never had the replacement issues that the units in the Pacific did early on, they'd never have wasted their time repairing something that would have been damaged to the level Johnson claims that P47 was, there's no way, they'd have simply scrapped the thing. Edit; his first P47, the one he survived the attack in, was nicknamed "Half Pint", not "Penrod and Sam", that one was actually his last one.
Hans Phillip (sic) was Bob Johnson's fifth kill. Phillip had 208 kills before his death. I also agree that Johnson was the best fighter pilot of the war because he only needed 91 missions to shoot down 27 aircraft and all of his victories were fighters.
@@williamwalker3974 Actually 26, in the 90's the Air Force also informed him that they dropped his official kill from 27 to 26 because it was discovered that a probable of his was credited to him as a kill due to a paperwork screw up where another pilot in his unit named Johnson was the one whose victory on the same day had been confirmed and the confirmation had accidentally gone to him, they adjusted his score from 27 kills and 4 probables to 26 kills and 5 probables. Although German records show that every one of his 5 probables are indeed kills the USAAF and these days the USAF will not accept enemy records for confirmation or denial of claims, when people accuse the US military of having handed out kill confirmation like candy (the vast majority of the time it's someone in England making that accusation) I cite the Air Force dropping a man's official score 50 years after the war because of the discovery of a clerical error and their refusal to use enemy records when tallying scores as examples of how strict the US military has always been when it comes to awarding victories.
I enjoyed Bud Anderson's story so much I am getting his book from my library to read. I can hardly wait to read it. Thank you for all you do to get these stories.
We just got the news: Bud died on Friday the 17th, age 102, an irreplaceable loss among his friends. There are now nine remaining U.S. aces of WW II. Long ago I asked Bud about practicing for a vertical fight, and he said it had not occurred to him. Obviously he was a fast learner!
It’s literally amazing to see real gun cam footage mixed with accurate re-enactment under the sound of Bud’s own voice describing his actions, like Hemingway recounting a bullfight.
"To Fly and Fight" is one of my favorite books. I love how Bud goes into detail about the K14 Gyro Reflector Gunsight and how he flew the F82 Twin Mustang.
Wow. That wasn't so much a dog fight as it was a ballet. Such masterful maneuvers from both pilots. And if they really were that sparing with the gun bursts, both waiting for a clear shot, neither needing to feel out the trajectory with their tracer rounds, it really seemed very much like a dance. A dance of death but still a dance. Even among all the death, suffering and violence in war torn Europe of the 1940's, there are still moments of beauty.
My dad considered Bud a legend and a god. Lol when he would talk about dogfights or escort missions, they always would boil down to what Bud did. In my dads study at home Buds portrait with the d model sat behind his chair. It would be the first thing you seen when you walked into that room
What may have saved Bud was the type of engine in the 109, as many variants of the DB605 where used in the war, and special boosted versions gave a dramatic increase in the 109s performance, especially climb rate. German pilots often successfully performed a spiral climb against the heavier US fighters that the American aircraft could not follow. They also knew not to attempt to dive away, as again the heavy US fighter would out dive them. By the account of this fight, it appears this pilot was flying an earlier non boosted 109, and that is why we even know anything about Bud Anderson.
it makes me so happy to see someone telling the stories of the men who fought in WW2. My Dad was a WW2 Navy Vetetan who thought the P-51 Mustang was the prettiest aircraft that he had ever seen. Thank you for everything you do to make these videos.. Cheers and Subscribed
It wasn't the aircraft, but the pilot. The P51 was very formidable, but so was the 109. With closely matched aircraft, the victory usually goes to the pilot who can fly it to its strengths.
Old Crow was my very first model airplane. I needed a bit of help with the decals, but at 7 years old, I thought that was a cool name for a fighter. I have enjoyed every Bud Anderson story since. RIP Old Crow
Had the pleasure of seeing both variations of buds Mustang at a show in 2022, he even made an appearance. I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to meet him but I wish I did.
I JUST WATCHED THIS AND REALIZED THE FIRST DOGFIGHT DESCRIBED IN THE VIDEO HAPPENED EIGHTY YEARS AGO, MAY 27, 1944. TODAY IS, MAY 27, 2024, MEMORIAL DAY. THE SYNCHRONICITY IS NOT TO BE MISSED. THEN I FIND OUT HE DIED TEN DAYS AGO (January 13, 1922 - May 17, 2024). WE SALUTE YOU, SIR. REST IN POWER, SIR, AND REST IN PEACE, BRIGADIER GENERAL CLARENCE "BUD" ANDERSON, SIR. (RING THE BELL! ANOTHER ANGEL JUST GOT HIS WINGS!!! ATTA BOY CLARENCE, ATTA BOY.)
i was waiting for this video! I heard this story in the mid 80's and was totally amazed. He did a video that was sponsored by Shell. I met a ww2 b17 pilot that was shot down bombing berlin on march 6th, 1944. Head on pass and he was leading 1000 plane raid. 6 got out and he spent rest of war in a pow camp.
Great history recap! I met Col Bud in 2018 and have stayed in contact with him since then. I've passed this on to his son Jim, if you haven't already done so. Keep up the good work.
Bud was our speaker several times at our Friends of the American Fighter Aces air combat symposiums. He recalled his missions with chilling details. Fellow aces Kit Carson & Rich Peterson also told us about their combats with 357FG. Kudos to your excellent channel. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Bud was one of the greatest of the greatest generation. People have no idea what it took to fly in combat and maintain energy in the bird. God Bless you Bud!
The beautiful details of the aircraft of both USAAF and Luftwaffe is just fantastic, as are the air battles. Back in the late 1960's when I was a young teenager making model planes, these simulations would have blown me away. Thanks again, TJ, for presenting us with these incredible videos.
Really nice guy I met him 2 years ago, he lives in the area. He signed a copy of his book for me. He just turned 102 on 14 Jan . The local air museum has a cafe named Old Crow for him.
Im beyond envious that you got to meet Bud, but i appreciate yhe fact i get to gly with you and can enjoy the results of your exceptional talent. Stay awesome TJ!
Yeah, that Dogfights episode did a far better job at conveying the mechanics of the engagement - and in a way most people would understand. While this video had the camera footage, I could not help but be distracted at the inaccuracy of certain things (Bud's Mustang had a Malcolm hood, and no silver outline framing the canopy, for starters). The 109s depicted are also incorrect, and the visuals seem random and at times contrary to what was being stated in the audio. Honestly, a bit of a hot mess.
Great stories! Bud Anderson is an American Legend. They usually say it's not the fighter aircraft, it's the pilot. That's not always true, not according to Old Crow and the P-51
Now this is one hell of a video! You did a far and away, better job of telling Bud Anderson’s story than the episode of “Dogfights” that showcased his career. Kudos to you.
So true about details we remember in stressful situations. Having been involved in racing cars, motorcycles, and skiing. I remember in detail my close calls and crashes. Flying RC model planes I do have a P-51D named Old Crow.
Awesome video! There was a brief period initially that “Old Crow” in the new bubble top “D” model was green and grey. Later, his loyal maintenance crew removed the paint down to bare metal in one night with gasoline and rags, peeling off most of the skin off their hands with it.
My cousins that's a corporate pilot his boss bought the old crow and i got to sit inside and take pictures with it, its such an amazing plane. Idk if he owns it anymore or not my cousin changed jobs
I highly recommend Bud Anderson's book. That was the first book in a series of autobiography and biographies including several P-47 accounts and David McCampbell's book about the Pacific theater and Hellcat combat.
No only was this a well researched and presented doc but the graphics were fantastic also. I also appreciated your correct pronunciation of German words and aircraft! Excellent job!
Didn't fly, I was on the ground and had support from our fighters in the sky, love all of them and big huge thanks for all they did for us.👍👍 Out standing video and live footage, wish I could see more of them
Bill, When I was on the DMZ use to see the B 52's dropping their load, it would make a mile long +++ 300 ++ line or wall of black dirt and smoke, was so nice to see how much they could destroy with 3 52's in one pass, still have the photos Thx if that was you 👌👌
I'm a Vietnam Vet and was a turbine engine mechanic on Army helicopters. Afterwards I continued as an A&P and met a retired USAF Lt Colonel who flew F-86s with Yeager out of Torougiere Air Base, France in the 1950s. They flew the squadron to Libya for bombing and gunnery practice and won with the best score. On the way back, Chuck decided to fly over Switzerland up around 50,000'. The Swiss sent up their fighters to intercept the invaders but the Vampires were out of steam at 45,000 and stalled out. On landing back at the base they were called to see the base commander who had gotten a complaint from the Swiss. Yeager just shrugged it off and said, "The winds aloft forecast must have been off as it blew us off course." There were also many stories of my friend flying F-105s out of Thailand. He completed his 10o missions bringing the ships home 99 times. Once the North Vietnamese got him and he ejected into the jungle canopy, where he stayed until the Jolly Green plucked him out of danger while under fire from soldiers on the ground. He also flew F-100 and F-111. He flew the Shah of Iran in the F-111 (Reza Palavi was also a jet pilot) and was asked to buzz an Island in the Gulf at supersonic speed. Windows were shattered in a palace located there, but the Shah just chuckled and said, "That ought to wake up the servants there." I have some photos. Jim in his F-86 in France, a selfy sitting in the F-105 on the way to deliver a load. and there is an interview of him after his rescue from the jungle. The story I liked the best was about when he was an F-111 squadron commander in England. One quiet Sunday morning an Inspector General showed up for a quickie inspection of the men's quarters. All was going very well until the I.G. decide to open one wall locker. Inside was a local girl, sans any clothing. The door was closed and the I.G. continued on. Jim told the nearest men to "Get that b**ch out of here RIGHT NOW!" Out the front door she went, trying to get back into her clothes, horns beeping at her from passing cars. Jim is still with us and I saw him last fall at 92.
In Microsoft WWII combat flight sim back in the early 2000’s, I had fun purposely fighting against known ACE’s in the program. Beating them just took a bit longer, but tested my skill levels in the sim. Spitfire & Mustang were my favorites against the German fighters. Never did get any good fighting the zero in the Pacific theater, busting one controller while attempting a snap role with a zero on my 6 in a F4U Coursair, of course shot down. The computer eventually became obsolete, ending my fun. Those who did it for real, have my deep respect!
Thank you so much for this, & moreso, for helping our next generations appreciate what our "Greatest Generation" did for us. My Dad & 4 of 5 uncles served in WWII (the 5th in Korea), & their mothers, fathers, & sisters served & sacrificed so much at home. I chose a career to teach history to honor of them & all our generous ancestors who deserve so much of our humble gratitude.
I wonder if the ace pilot Mr Anderson shot down was either Heinz Deuschle who was wingman for Horst Carganico commander of I. Gruppe of JG 5, who was also killed later the same day (27.05.1944) attempting a forced landing presumably after his plane was damaged. Carganico was credited with approximately 60 aerial victories. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst_Carganico
I believe based on my research, it was Rudolf Phillip. I would have included this. But I could find no existing photos of him. He had 9 kills at the time. KIA May 27th 44.
Thank you for this video so much, very entertaining dog fight story, I’m surprised bud Anderson Is still alive today! Keep up the awesome work and don’t get discouraged.
This was in May 1944. The Bf 109s appearing after the summer, G14, G10 and K4 were much better climbers than the G6 and would not have stalled earlier than the P-51.
@@TJ3 Even the G6 should have been able to outclimb the P-51, but maybe this was at a height the Bf 109 wasn't at its best. This could also have been a G6 without MW-50. Climb rate (and acceleration) was always one of the main strenghts of all Bf 109 variants, with its very good power to weight.
Heinz Knocke is dead, but i have his book: "i flew for the furher" those are his memoirs, and very fascinating, you could make a couple of vids out of that
I read that book when I was a teenager in the late 50's. Great stories and reinforces the reality that there were bold fighter pilots on both sides of WWII.
It’s amazing how far video game graphics have come! I remember watching DogFights as a kid and at the time that was amazing looking stuff. Now it pales in comparison to War Thunder, a video game and don’t get me started with DCS, that is just black magic.
@@TJ3 You and your team have done such a good job with these. My dad thought this was something the military channel or history channel made. He was shocked when I told him that video game footage was used. Watching these with him was a blast, it was like watching DogFights from old VHS recordings with him all over again.
Just my opinion. Capt. Anderson and company ( Olds. Yeager, etc) are the baddest human beings to ever occupy this earth. Incredible , incredible stuff.
As former military myself (not a combat vet, though) I must respectfully disagree. the rarest and greatest virtue is moral courage. Most who have physical courage do not have it. Very few have it at all. Military or civilian. Omer Goldmanmis a good example
@@paulnejtek6588 moral courage is fhat like when in sports your team almost beats a superior team ? JUST wondering! I know what you mean! Thanks for tbe imput,
@@michaelterry4394 what did they do? Not saying they didn't. Just curious. Not sure who said it, but someone said this about sgt. Maj. Justin LeHew. He's a Navy Cross winner. His decision to put his career on the line for what he thought was right is far more impressive than the physical courage required to win the Navy Cross. Also, I should say that I hardly hold MYSELF up as an example of courage. Rather, I do look at ppl like Omer Goldman as true example of courage. Ppl like that don't get the credit they deserve. At least partly because ppl be are too busy praising war heroes. Not that it takes no courage at all to do as they do but most....uhhh. gotta roin more soon. I
Chuck Yeager was Bud Anderson's wing man, not the other way around. He was often cited for saying Anderson was the better pilot. They both became test pilots after the war. I met Anderson as a kid when he was having dinner in Illinois with a Thailand squadron member near the end of the Vietnam War. Man could drink!
I'm sure the reservations are made, but I'm hoping that he's still with us. He was at a car show at the Lincoln, CA airport on June 11, 2016 and I'm still kicking myself for not having gone up and introduced myself to tell him what a great man I think he is.
I just found your channel and I'm really enjoying the content. Me personally, I've always loved the P-38 Lighting. She's my secret mistress to the P-51 Mustang. I'd say you make a good case for both planes. If I were doing night missions I'd take the Mosquito. But if it were day missions I'd take the P-38.
Correct, correct, not so correct. Aircraft taking part in the Defense if the Reich could have literally any colour. The Germans experimented with just about every colour there is including pink, but the majority of aircraft ultimately either had yellow, white, green or red on the nose or rudder with the final aircraft built in the last weeks of the war being sent up with no ID bands or some even no paint at all and just being sent up in their bare metal with some sealant over the panels
You Say "Only" 22 Due To Prolonged Adolescent Society In Which We Live Today. My Uncle Was An Officer In The Army During WWll (Born In 1921) And My Grandfather Was In The Navy (Born May 15, 1913). They Were Rough, Tough And Strong People In That Generation. Most People Were Married With Children, Homes At 22. They Thought You Were Old At 25. If You Weren't Settled In With Life Around 25, They Thought It Was Something Wrong With You 😂🤷🏿♂️.
The Messerschmitt was almost certainly an ordinary G-6. The Mustang had about a forty mile an hour advantage over this plane, at this altitude, when the Messeshmitt wasn't using it's emergency boost system. The Me 109G-6AS was for high altitude squadrons. Walter Oseau was in "Green 13" when he was killed. He dodged four P-38s for twenty minutes before they got him.
There is no aircraft designated ”Me 109”, which is actually a nickname that was given to the Bf 109 by pilots that flew the type in combat as well as ground crews that served the aircraft. So it was probebly a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 thar you are refering to. Messerschmitt Bf 109: ”There exists to this day some confusion as to the correct nomenclature to use with the regards to the 109. During the Second World War, this type was known to Allies almost universally as Messerschmitt Me 109. This was not the correct terminology and it was always intended to be designated correctly by the Germans as the Bf 109. This stemmed from the fact that its design originated in the days of Bayerishe Fleugzeugwerke AG, and hence the ’Bf’ abbreviation was correct for the ’109, just as it was for other contemplary types from that company, such as the Bf 108 single-engine light transport and touring monoplane and Bf 110 twin-engine destroyer/heavy fighter. After the passing of Bayerishe Fleugzeugwerke in July 1938 and its replacement by Messerschmitt AG, all subsequent types that originated with the new concern were designated ’ME’ - such as the Me 262 late war twin-engined jet fighter. Data plates on Bf 109s almost always refere to the aircraft as a Bf 109, although it is interesting to note that on some original German documents of the Second World War period the term ’Me 109’ was occationaly used.” During the spring of 1937 the first Bf 109 B-1s were delivered to the Luftwaffe fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 132 ’Richthofen’ under the command of Oberst Gerd von Mossow. It was the start of a long and very hard-fought career. This was the first production model of a fighter which, more then any other aircraft, the name Messerschmitt is associated.” Sourse: Haynes Messerschmitt Bf 109 1935 onwards (all marks) Owners’ Workshop Manual, written by Paul Blackah and Malcom V. Love Paul Blackah was closely involved with the restauration of Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 ”Black 6”
Film is indeed blurry,but if you pause the gun camera footage and look ahead and to the left of the fireball I believe you will see the farmers horse and cart
If I recall correctly, many of the pilots of the 357th Fighter Group of the VIIIth USAAF were former pilots of the Royal Air Force Eagle squadron, made up from Americans who had voluntarily joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the start of the war in 1939 or later in 1940, some of them having flown and fought during the Battle of Britain in 1940. My country is forever indebted to those brave men who put their lives on the breach and defended her in her most desperate hours. England and Great Britain will never forget them or the pilots of orher nations who fought for Britain in those darkest days.
I thought this was going to be cheesy. Low budget history channel stuff. You did a great job. It was way more than that. The writing was good. Good job
The right man at the right time with the right plane and talent… But Anderson is an Air Force legend as part of the greatest generation because they paid the greatest price for our freedoms, and I salute you my brothers, and those who gave their lives… Amen
One of the top pilots in WWII said the P-51 was a great plane, and the fastest propeller driven fighter. However, he said he could maneuver the P-40 much easier, but it had a weak engine.
Nobody answered your question so 7 mo. later I will. A " turning fight" is when 2 planes( enemies of each other) are situated one behind the other. We'll call German plane A, American B. So B is behind A. Different planes had different turning abilities. Some tighter than others, some faster. Some could even turn faster and tighter to the left than the right. Knowledge of these types of inabilities and flaws could give a pilot the edge in a dogfight. I've read that the ME-109 couldn't turn to the left as good as to the right. So both planes, say, are turning left. A wants to outturn B so as to shake him off and eventually get behind HIM !!. If B could turn tighter than A, that would, within a short distance, put his nose ahead of A giving him the opportunity to put some shells into him. They would be executing a turning fight then. Thank you for letting me talk about war topics for a little while. I enjoy it. ✌️
Please consider supporting me on Patreon so I can continue to make these videos. Can't keep going without you guys! Patreon.com/TJ3History
1:02
This is great work
in the voice of the guy who narrated Dog Fights:
"The German ace pulls into a steep climb trying evade Andersons guns, but Anderson pours on the coal. The packard merlin's TWO THOUSAND HORSEPOWER kicks in, its super charger screaming, and the mustang easily matches the me109s climb. The me109 stalls, Anderson lines up the shot and pulls the trigger. The Mustangs six 50 cal machine guns roar to life spewing hundreds of rounds of hot lead into the German plane. Anderson rolls to the left to avoid the carnage and watches the German ace plunge from the sky."
how'd i do?
@@MrSGL21the only thing, at that time, the mustang's merlin engine is rated at about 1765 hp only not 2000. Also, p-51 Bs n Cs have only 4 MGs. Twas the p-51Ds bubble top that has 6 .50 cal MGs
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
I Flew in Chuck Yeager's command in Vietnam. Chuck and Bud and I became fairly close for a number of years. Chuck got me on at Edwards and some hot rides there as well. Chuck always said that Bud was the best pilot that he had ever seen. They taught me a lot.
Awesome!
@@TJ3 It really was!
You were very lucky, two of the best stick and rudder men ever to fly and you got to pick their brains!
met him at a Walgreens in San Antonio when I was a kid.
Is that Edward's air force base I hauled has wasted outa there was experience earned respect to drop off empty picked up full never let me down on weight never my respect 🙏
It's 21 May, 2024. Just this minute I received news of the passing of Clarence Elim ''Bud'' Anderson. What a life, what a story, what a true hero. Though I never knew you, your story has truly had a profound effect on me. My hat is off, may the winds be fair for you, deepest condolences to your family and may your memory of service to this country last eternally. Rest in Peace Bud Anderson for you surely have earned it.
RIP Bud, we lost him this year one of the last we have of that generation. Im happy he was able to live a full life after the war.
Bud Anderson was from my hometown of Modesto, Ca
“I have him, he must know that I have him” …Bud’s narration gave me the chills!!! I need this book like yesterday!
The German pilot's life must have flashed before his eyes at this moment...the die was cast, his fate was sealed
After watching I wonder if Bud might had known my father. He was in the 325 ft - 18 th. sq. flying over North Africa in a P40 and then in Italy flying P 51s. over Europe. Was almost shot down when two ME109s came down on him and blow up a ammunition box on his wing still had control of the plane, he said that he put his head down and flew straight into the sun and made it back to base. He scored 18 kills in the war and then came back home and became a test pilot flying the P-80s and the G-suits. Really enjoyed the video. Thank you so much.
In the 90's my brother built a 1/5 scale radio control Old Crow.
I found Bud's address and sent him photos.
We then exchanged several letters. One day in the mail was a large box.
Inside the box was 5 signed copies of Bud's "To fly and fight" and an 8 x10 signed glossy of Bud on his P-51D.
I didnt ask for this special gift from Bud. He did it all on his own. An absolutely wondeful human being.
Treasured for life
It's still an awesome warrior even after what he endured and went through that is the definition of a hero in my book
Bud Anderson was one of the best, if not the best fighter pilots in the ETO, and he lived to tell about it !!! and as of today 11/9/2023 he is still alive !!!
Truly amazing and the good dont always die young lol God bless Bud Anderson,
@@michaelterry4394Most amazing is Gen. Anderson's continuing service through the development the 'Century Series' fighters. WOW
Chuck Yeager thought the same of Bud. ;)
@FlitzerFlashthank you for being a friend! Do you pill the wings ofc of fliesToo, lol he was obvious Quite GOOD!
@FlitzerFlash never was in the air Force but th Navy so you might no more than me, the fact he survived being shot down and is almost 100 makes him remarkable no matter where he may be ranked. I salute all flyers who served in any USA war.
He’s a wonderful man that I was fortunate enough to spend time with several years ago. You’ll never meet a more gentle kind and humble person.
I love the P51 mustang but man do I wish the P38J Lightening got more love. That plan is so cool, plus it was the plane of choice for America’s top ace pilot of WW2.
It is by far my favorite plane of WW2 also. It was the only fighter already being produced at the beginning and was still being produced at the end. It also has the distinction of having shot down the most enemy planes of the war. How can everybody not love this beautiful, fear inducing, " Oh shit, it's a P- 38" work of perfection? Give'em a few beers, then they'll love her..😱🫡🤤😴
The lighting had its glory but it was designed to boom and zoom and if you you could maintain your energy the o38 was great if you employed the immelmen
28 Kills Gabreski! The P47 thunderbolt IMHO the best fighter America made. Especially the P47m , faster than the P51, could roll better, up high wasnt even a contest . 475 MPH level at altitude, many crews tweeked and claimed 500mph, better rate of climb and even had two more .50 cals, more ammo, was air cooled and could take punches other aircraft could not. I believe P47s also had more kills than all others except the Hellcats. Had they simply got the big drop tanks the P51s may not have gotten their jobs as long range escorts. I do believe that the p47m had a price about a third higher, P51 was around 50K and P47m cost around 80k.
Lots of great planes in the hands of the greatest men at this time.
Everyone wanted to F4 phantom in the Vietnam era but the more skilled pilots opted for the Crusader , why it was a kick ass and take names fighter and had a big afterburner and 4 20 mm cannons on the front end man ...the warriors want a platform they can fight with
I remember in the Dogfights series Robin Olds said down low it could fly with anything
I've read that German 109 pilots would sometimes fly inverted after being hit because that allowed them to fall out of the cockpit when bailing out and avoid hitting the tail, which was a problem.
I figured the same. He was getting ready to bail, possibly because he was wounded, or simply because he realized his bird was too badly damaged to continue the fight. I wonder if it was pilot language meaning "You got me, I surrender" but Bud Anderson didn't get it.
@@Rumblegrumbler He probably knew it, but it also could have been a ruse. Best to keep firing.
It's been said that the 109 cockpit was quite compact and confining compared to allied aircraft cockpits, so turning upside down would make it a lot easier to get out! 😅
That's how the star of Africa got it...Marseilles
@@motard499I remember reading that German test pilots,really had a hard time figuring out how the US pilots where able to move in such large cockpits, of "Captured" American planes, The P-51 large cockpit fit made them uncomfortable and the P-47 (Thunderbolt) was even worse and considered wasted space, not to their liking.The British Spitfire, they felt fit with what they thought a fighter should be
Bud Anderson: American Badass. Thank you, Bud, for your dedication to our country, and your courage. You will never be forgotten. We Love you Bud!!! I have models of Old Crow at home, and on my desk at work. People I work with always ask about it, and I am always proud to tell the story of Bud Anderson!
I always use Bud's Old Crow in all my Mustangs. No matter if it's in IL-2 or War Thunder.
What a legend.
Awesome!
How many times have you been shot down..or are you set to ‘Invincible’?😉😉
It's not a video game man have some respect
You no idea what those guys want through ..all you know is when your get your next kill streak and bag of chips
I do the same thing when I build my rc airplanes. I usually use his last B he flew with the red and yellow checkered nose and Malcolm canopy. Also my P39Q I built has his same tail number that he originally flew before the P51B.
I met Bud Anderson at the Reno Air Races two years ago. He was frail but in good spirits. I bought an autographed poster of his and got to shake his hand. I was very honored to have met him before he passed. What an amazing man. I still have that poster on my wall.
I joined the USAF in June 1972 as an armaments technician working on B-52's, F-111's, and F-16's and as an avionics tech on F-111's. Retired after 22 years. Loved military jets but never flew them.
I get bored flying but I love working on aircraft models especially inventing new ones such as what I make out of aluminum pie pans!(RC motor systems readily available for paper airplanes. Thank you sir for your service.
Thanks for the video. I've read "To fly and fight" several times. I contacted Jim and got the new copy signed to me and he added the quote from dogfight coms "can't talk, gotta shoot!" It'a great book, quite humorous at times, and very sad and somber in others. The vertical dogfight is the first memoir of the book. Bud had his editor type up and shape the book as he talks, mannerisms and all. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone that's into military history, military aviation. It will not disappoint!
Yep!
In deed
Bud Anderson....Stuff of a legend. SO HUMBLE.. SO COOL! A warrior with honor and dignity. We shall honor him....From San Juan..Puerto Rico USA.
Outstanding video.
I am honored to know Col. Anderson, having done a few air shows with him. He is one of the most humble men I have met. He is warm and welcoming to anybody who asks for his time.
I really appreciate this video. I'm going to text him and let him know that I watched it.
Please tell him that I would like to speak with him if he is willing. He has had some very difficult times in his lifetime!
I knew him well and you are absolutely correct. He was very humble. He and his wife were exceptionally close. He was devastated when she passed!
Col Anderson was the keynote speaker at a Dining Out I attended.
He spoke about his experiences in the ETO, and his sometimes hilarious relationship with Yeager but towards the end of his comments he told us how after a mission in November 1944 he mentioned to his Crew Chief with a chuckle that he felt kind of naked in a dark green airplane against all that gleaming snow.
Then he paused and gathered himself, having become obviously emotional, and then said with a firm voice (I'm paraphrasing)
"I know sometimes pilots forget how hard their mechanics work to keep their planes ready to go but I'm going to tell you how I learned that lesson
I came out the next morning to find my Crew Chief and two young mechanics standing next to my gleaming silver Mustang. They all had bloody hands. They had spent all night scrubbing the paint off Old Crow with gasoline soaked rags loaded with sand just because I made an offhand comment. I could not have survived combat without their dedication."
And as he told us this he had tears streaming down his cheeks.
And then he gently chided our officers saying "You pilots take care of your enlisted folks because you can't do what you do without them." and the 300 or so E's in the room erupted in a standing ovation.
One of my most prized possessions is my signed copy of "To Fly And Fight", originally from the library of Astronaut Jim Lovell!! Two bad asses!!!!
Very cool!
Can you please tell Robin Olds’ story from beginning to end? It’s just as amazing as this story.
Coming soon.
Awesome video
Is he still alive?
Robin Old is a BAMF!!
@@jthomas4361 Robin Olds Died on 14 June 2007. Google it
I love this man! I cannot believe the amazing heroic power all these brave WW II veterans possessed but Bud Anderson just tops them all! Another fantastic and well-produced TJ3 episode............TJ is absolutely ready for prime time!! Jim C.
If you haven't already covered him, please do a video or two on Robert S. Johnson a P47 pilot from Lawton, Oklahoma. His stories are legendary.
Johnson's 5th kill, the one that made him an ace, was a German pilot who'd been in the east and had over 200 kills, Johnson never even knew that until the 90's when the Air Force's historical department uncovered the information while doing research and sent him a letter informing him of it.
I myself believe Johnson was the best of the USAAF fighter pilots in Europe, given his number of victories and the circumstances under which he got them, being there early when the Luftwaffe had their most skilled and experienced pilots still flying who'd been not only in everything from the Spanish Civil War and the Battle of Britain but also having been the pilots who'd gone through their early training program which was almost to the level of an astronaut, and the fact that victories were also harder to come by during that period because early on the fighter's were ordered to stay with the bombers to protect them and weren't allowed to take off and chase after the Germans after they'd disengage.
Not to take anything away from Anderson but he got into it just as Doolittle took over the 8th Air Force and cut the fighter's loose allowing them to chase down the enemy fighter's, that and the fact that the guy's like Johnson had pretty much killed off the bulk of the experienced German pilots at that time meant between those two very important points Anderson was flying a different game than Johnson did, yet Johnson still ended with more victories than he did, pretty good for someone that couldn't hit the target sleeve during gunnery qualification until his very last chance which very well could have sent him back to his original assignment of being a bomber pilot.
Johnson did embellish one story about his experiences, the June of 1943 incident when he was limping home and was attacked by the FW190 thought by some to have been flown by Egon Mayer, he was indeed attacked while limping home after having almost been blasted out of the sky earlier and it was actually witnessed by another 56th FG pilot who saw it from a distance but was out of range to have engaged the FW190, and by the time he got close enough it'd left, according to his account it only made one pass on Johnson and fired only a short burst then apparently ran out of ammo and left, I'm inclined to believe that version for two reasons, if you look at the official USAAF battle damage assessment photos of his plane after landing there's barely any 8mm holes in it, you can clearly see the 20mm holes in it including the 3 in the razor back area directly behind where he was sitting along with the blown out section of his canopy obviously done by a 4th 20mm hit, but the most compelling evidence is the history of that aircraft, there's a sight I found that lists every single United States military aircraft of WW2 by serial number, along with listing the aircraft type and variant as per it's serial number it also has the aircraft's history listing information available like units it was assigned to and the pilots who flew it along with thing's like "destroyed" if so during battle or "scrapped" in some cases if too heavily damaged after making it back, if one did, it even listed the nickname for an aircraft if indeed it had one, mind you this is directly from the official US government records and not something someone compiled after doing research.
After finding that site I clicked on Johnson's Wikipedia page which I knew had the serial number for each of his 4 different P47's he flew in combat, I looked up the serial number for his first P47 and indeed it listed his unit as having received it along with him as the pilot and even it's nickname which I believe for his first one was "Penrod and Sam" although I may be wrong on that point, it listed the date in June of 43 it was damaged after him being attacked but afterwards also said "Rebuilt and reassigned to the 9th Air Force".
Aside from the pictures of it after he brought it back, which was a miracle after the damage it took from the 20mm shell's, but clearly show that there isn't "Over 200 holes being able to be counted just from standing in one spot", and there's not 8mm holes "From wingtip to wingtip" but also if there had been as he described there'd have been so much damage done to frames, ribs, spars and other parts of the structure under the skin that there's no way they'd have wasted their time attempting to repair it in the field, it'd never have been fixed with THAT much damage done to it and reassigned to the 9th Air Force, one thing US forces didn't lack in Europe was replacement aircraft, not only wouldn't they have wasted all the time it'd have taken to repair it had it suffered the 3 attacks he claimed it did, which would have amounted to the same amount of work as a modern restoration, they also wouldn't have risk a pilot putting them in something that'd already suffered that much damage, there's no way, with the exception of units in the Pacific at the beginning of the war who were fighting pretty much cut off and couldn't get replacement aircraft and parts those aircraft were treated as disposable, too much damage and they had any good parts stripped off of them and they were scrapped, in Europe they never had the replacement issues that the units in the Pacific did early on, they'd never have wasted their time repairing something that would have been damaged to the level Johnson claims that P47 was, there's no way, they'd have simply scrapped the thing.
Edit; his first P47, the one he survived the attack in, was nicknamed "Half Pint", not "Penrod and Sam", that one was actually his last one.
Who was kill 5?
Hans Phillip (sic) was Bob Johnson's fifth kill. Phillip had 208 kills before his death. I also agree that Johnson was the best fighter pilot of the war because he only needed 91 missions to shoot down 27 aircraft and all of his victories were fighters.
@@williamwalker3974
Actually 26, in the 90's the Air Force also informed him that they dropped his official kill from 27 to 26 because it was discovered that a probable of his was credited to him as a kill due to a paperwork screw up where another pilot in his unit named Johnson was the one whose victory on the same day had been confirmed and the confirmation had accidentally gone to him, they adjusted his score from 27 kills and 4 probables to 26 kills and 5 probables.
Although German records show that every one of his 5 probables are indeed kills the USAAF and these days the USAF will not accept enemy records for confirmation or denial of claims, when people accuse the US military of having handed out kill confirmation like candy (the vast majority of the time it's someone in England making that accusation) I cite the Air Force dropping a man's official score 50 years after the war because of the discovery of a clerical error and their refusal to use enemy records when tallying scores as examples of how strict the US military has always been when it comes to awarding victories.
@@dukecraig2402 Johnson was actually outpacing kills per sortie vs Erich Hartmann but was rotated home as was protocol.
I enjoyed Bud Anderson's story so much I am getting his book from my library to read. I can hardly wait to read it. Thank you for all you do to get these stories.
We just got the news: Bud died on Friday the 17th, age 102, an irreplaceable loss among his friends. There are now nine remaining U.S. aces of WW II.
Long ago I asked Bud about practicing for a vertical fight, and he said it had not occurred to him. Obviously he was a fast learner!
Rest in peace Brigadier General Anderson, Thank you for your service Sir.
Thank you for that information rest in peace warrior you will never be forgotten
It’s literally amazing to see real gun cam footage mixed with accurate re-enactment under the sound of Bud’s own voice describing his actions, like Hemingway recounting a bullfight.
Thanks :)
I doubt Hemingway would have sounded that bad. This guy is 99% dead!
"To Fly and Fight" is one of my favorite books. I love how Bud goes into detail about the K14 Gyro Reflector Gunsight and how he flew the F82 Twin Mustang.
Chuck Yeager the legendary American fighter pilot and test Pilot said before he died that Bud Anderson was the best that he had ever seen in his life.
Wow. That wasn't so much a dog fight as it was a ballet. Such masterful maneuvers from both pilots. And if they really were that sparing with the gun bursts, both waiting for a clear shot, neither needing to feel out the trajectory with their tracer rounds, it really seemed very much like a dance. A dance of death but still a dance. Even among all the death, suffering and violence in war torn Europe of the 1940's, there are still moments of beauty.
My dad considered Bud a legend and a god. Lol when he would talk about dogfights or escort missions, they always would boil down to what Bud did. In my dads study at home Buds portrait with the d model sat behind his chair. It would be the first thing you seen when you walked into that room
What may have saved Bud was the type of engine in the 109, as many variants of the DB605 where used in the war, and special boosted versions gave a dramatic increase in the 109s performance, especially climb rate. German pilots often successfully performed a spiral climb against the heavier US fighters that the American aircraft could not follow. They also knew not to attempt to dive away, as again the heavy US fighter would out dive them.
By the account of this fight, it appears this pilot was flying an earlier non boosted 109, and that is why we even know anything about Bud Anderson.
it makes me so happy to see someone telling the stories of the men who fought in WW2. My Dad was a WW2 Navy Vetetan who thought the P-51 Mustang was the prettiest aircraft that he had ever seen. Thank you for everything you do to make these videos.. Cheers and Subscribed
It wasn't the aircraft, but the pilot. The P51 was very formidable, but so was the 109. With closely matched aircraft, the victory usually goes to the pilot who can fly it to its strengths.
The effort expended toward this tribute is greatly appreciated.
Old Crow was my very first model airplane. I needed a bit of help with the decals, but at 7 years old, I thought that was a cool name for a fighter.
I have enjoyed every Bud Anderson story since.
RIP Old Crow
Had the pleasure of seeing both variations of buds Mustang at a show in 2022, he even made an appearance. I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to meet him but I wish I did.
I JUST WATCHED THIS AND REALIZED THE FIRST DOGFIGHT DESCRIBED IN THE VIDEO HAPPENED EIGHTY YEARS AGO, MAY 27, 1944. TODAY IS, MAY 27, 2024, MEMORIAL DAY. THE SYNCHRONICITY IS NOT TO BE MISSED. THEN I FIND OUT HE DIED TEN DAYS AGO (January 13, 1922 - May 17, 2024). WE SALUTE YOU, SIR. REST IN POWER, SIR, AND REST IN PEACE, BRIGADIER GENERAL CLARENCE "BUD" ANDERSON, SIR. (RING THE BELL! ANOTHER ANGEL JUST GOT HIS WINGS!!! ATTA BOY CLARENCE, ATTA BOY.)
i was waiting for this video! I heard this story in the mid 80's and was totally amazed. He did a video that was sponsored by Shell. I met a ww2 b17 pilot that was shot down bombing berlin on march 6th, 1944. Head on pass and he was leading 1000 plane raid. 6 got out and he spent rest of war in a pow camp.
Great history recap! I met Col Bud in 2018 and have stayed in contact with him since then. I've passed this on to his son Jim, if you haven't already done so. Keep up the good work.
Thank you!
Jim and General Anderson are good men. Kind and humble, and very intelligent
I have both read books and watched shows about Bud Anderson. He was a true hero! Bud... Thank you for your service and rest in peace!
Bud was our speaker several times at our Friends of the American Fighter Aces air combat symposiums. He recalled his missions with chilling details. Fellow aces Kit Carson & Rich Peterson also told us about their combats with 357FG. Kudos to your excellent channel. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
One of the best air combat analysis vids I've seen, kudos
Bud was one of the greatest of the greatest generation. People have no idea what it took to fly in combat and maintain energy in the bird. God Bless you Bud!
Exactly. Nowadays fighter pilots literally are invisible to the enemy and can go Mach 3. It's nothing compared to have a 1 in 4 chance of SURVIVAL
Marseilles nailed 16 ac in one afretnoon....not even heart manner did that....all witnessed/ documented; so who's the badass now???
The beautiful details of the aircraft of both USAAF and Luftwaffe is just fantastic, as are the air battles. Back in the late 1960's when I was a young teenager making model planes, these simulations would have blown me away. Thanks again, TJ, for presenting us with these incredible videos.
Really nice guy I met him 2 years ago, he lives in the area. He signed a copy of his book for me. He just turned 102 on 14 Jan . The local air museum has a cafe named Old Crow for him.
I've had the honor of meeting this man several times...what a life!
Thank you for preserving the history of our heroes they must not fade into Oblivion
Another amazing video! So glad I get to help film these, and then learn so much when they come out!
Thanks for the help!
Im beyond envious that you got to meet Bud, but i appreciate yhe fact i get to gly with you and can enjoy the results of your exceptional talent. Stay awesome TJ!
He's incredibly well spoken and coherent for someone who should be in their 90s
@@Xer0280I think Bud is actually past 100 years old. All yhe more impressive
@@The1trueJester what
@@Xer0280He is nearly 102. Was just with him last month in Texas. He flew in from California (he wasn't piloting the plane).
This dogfight was my favourite part of the Dogfights pilot episode. Especially the music that played during that first desperate climb.
Yeah, that Dogfights episode did a far better job at conveying the mechanics of the engagement - and in a way most people would understand. While this video had the camera footage, I could not help but be distracted at the inaccuracy of certain things (Bud's Mustang had a Malcolm hood, and no silver outline framing the canopy, for starters). The 109s depicted are also incorrect, and the visuals seem random and at times contrary to what was being stated in the audio. Honestly, a bit of a hot mess.
Truly, The Greatest Generation. The world will never see such men again.
Great stories! Bud Anderson is an American Legend. They usually say it's not the fighter aircraft, it's the pilot. That's not always true, not according to Old Crow and the P-51
Now this is one hell of a video! You did a far and away, better job of telling Bud Anderson’s story than the episode of “Dogfights” that showcased his career. Kudos to you.
Thank you :D
So true about details we remember in stressful situations. Having been involved in racing cars, motorcycles, and skiing. I remember in detail my close calls and crashes. Flying RC model planes I do have a P-51D named Old Crow.
Awesome video! There was a brief period initially that “Old Crow” in the new bubble top “D” model was green and grey. Later, his loyal maintenance crew removed the paint down to bare metal in one night with gasoline and rags, peeling off most of the skin off their hands with it.
That is a true Gigachad! God Bless you, skyhunter! Long live the King!
Great graphic’s and fascinating story about an American Ace ❤ Thank you for sharing 🇺🇸
Thanks for watching!
Well worth the listen. Had me on the edge of my seat for much of it, well done!
My cousins that's a corporate pilot his boss bought the old crow and i got to sit inside and take pictures with it, its such an amazing plane. Idk if he owns it anymore or not my cousin changed jobs
I highly recommend Bud Anderson's book. That was the first book in a series of autobiography and biographies including several P-47 accounts and David McCampbell's book about the Pacific theater and Hellcat combat.
No only was this a well researched and presented doc but the graphics were fantastic also. I also appreciated your correct pronunciation of German words and aircraft! Excellent job!
I wish I could write a grant for you guys this is terrific way to bring history to life
Didn't fly, I was on the ground and had support from our fighters in the sky, love all of them and big huge thanks for all they did for us.👍👍 Out standing video and live footage, wish I could see more of them
Bill, When I was on the DMZ use to see the B 52's dropping their load, it would make a mile long +++ 300 ++ line or wall of black dirt and smoke, was so nice to see how much they could destroy with 3 52's in one pass, still have the photos
Thx if that was you 👌👌
I'm a Vietnam Vet and was a turbine engine mechanic on Army helicopters. Afterwards I continued as an A&P and met a retired USAF Lt Colonel who flew F-86s with Yeager out of Torougiere Air Base, France in the 1950s. They flew the squadron to Libya for bombing and gunnery practice and won with the best score. On the way back, Chuck decided to fly over Switzerland up around 50,000'. The Swiss sent up their fighters to intercept the invaders but the Vampires were out of steam at 45,000 and stalled out. On landing back at the base they were called to see the base commander who had gotten a complaint from the Swiss. Yeager just shrugged it off and said, "The winds aloft forecast must have been off as it blew us off course." There were also many stories of my friend flying F-105s out of Thailand. He completed his 10o missions bringing the ships home 99 times. Once the North Vietnamese got him and he ejected into the jungle canopy, where he stayed until the Jolly Green plucked him out of danger while under fire from soldiers on the ground. He also flew F-100 and F-111. He flew the Shah of Iran in the F-111 (Reza Palavi was also a jet pilot) and was asked to buzz an Island in the Gulf at supersonic speed. Windows were shattered in a palace located there, but the Shah just chuckled and said, "That ought to wake up the servants there." I have some photos. Jim in his F-86 in France, a selfy sitting in the F-105 on the way to deliver a load. and there is an interview of him after his rescue from the jungle. The story I liked the best was about when he was an F-111 squadron commander in England. One quiet Sunday morning an Inspector General showed up for a quickie inspection of the men's quarters. All was going very well until the I.G. decide to open one wall locker. Inside was a local girl, sans any clothing. The door was closed and the I.G. continued on. Jim told the nearest men to "Get that b**ch out of here RIGHT NOW!" Out the front door she went, trying to get back into her clothes, horns beeping at her from passing cars. Jim is still with us and I saw him last fall at 92.
Thank you . That was a great read
In Microsoft WWII combat flight sim back in the early 2000’s, I had fun purposely fighting against known ACE’s in the program.
Beating them just took a bit longer, but tested my skill levels in the sim.
Spitfire & Mustang were my favorites against the German fighters.
Never did get any good fighting the zero in the Pacific theater, busting one controller while attempting a snap role with a zero on my 6 in a F4U Coursair, of course shot down.
The computer eventually became obsolete, ending my fun.
Those who did it for real, have my deep respect!
Thank you so much for this, & moreso, for helping our next generations appreciate what our "Greatest Generation" did for us. My Dad & 4 of 5 uncles served in WWII (the 5th in Korea), & their mothers, fathers, & sisters served & sacrificed so much at home. I chose a career to teach history to honor of them & all our generous ancestors who deserve so much of our humble gratitude.
I wonder if the ace pilot Mr Anderson shot down was either Heinz Deuschle who was wingman for Horst Carganico commander of I. Gruppe of JG 5, who was also killed later the same day (27.05.1944) attempting a forced landing presumably after his plane was damaged. Carganico was credited with approximately 60 aerial victories.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst_Carganico
I believe based on my research, it was Rudolf Phillip. I would have included this. But I could find no existing photos of him. He had 9 kills at the time. KIA May 27th 44.
Thank you for this video so much, very entertaining dog fight story, I’m surprised bud Anderson Is still alive today! Keep up the awesome work and don’t get discouraged.
This was in May 1944. The Bf 109s appearing after the summer, G14, G10 and K4 were much better climbers than the G6 and would not have stalled earlier than the P-51.
An interesting point!
@@TJ3 Even the G6 should have been able to outclimb the P-51, but maybe this was at a height the Bf 109 wasn't at its best. This could also have been a G6 without MW-50. Climb rate (and acceleration) was always one of the main strenghts of all Bf 109 variants, with its very good power to weight.
Salute and respect to these brave souls.. Our RNZAF used to operate P-51D Mustang planes.. thanks from NZ 👍🇳🇿✈️
Heinz Knocke is dead, but i have his book: "i flew for the furher" those are his memoirs, and very fascinating, you could make a couple of vids out of that
Lol well you'll love my video in a couple of weeks then! Already ahead of you ;)
I read that book when I was a teenager in the late 50's. Great stories and reinforces the reality that there were bold fighter pilots on both sides of WWII.
It’s amazing how far video game graphics have come! I remember watching DogFights as a kid and at the time that was amazing looking stuff. Now it pales in comparison to War Thunder, a video game and don’t get me started with DCS, that is just black magic.
Agreed!
@@TJ3 You and your team have done such a good job with these. My dad thought this was something the military channel or history channel made. He was shocked when I told him that video game footage was used. Watching these with him was a blast, it was like watching DogFights from old VHS recordings with him all over again.
@jdawg1712 awesome! Hope you guys keep enjoying it :)
Just my opinion. Capt. Anderson and company ( Olds. Yeager, etc) are the baddest human beings to ever occupy this earth. Incredible , incredible stuff.
As former military myself (not a combat vet, though) I must respectfully disagree. the rarest and greatest virtue is moral courage. Most who have physical courage do not have it. Very few have it at all. Military or civilian. Omer Goldmanmis a good example
Just the small matter of them not having many kills.
I think Adolf Galland with some 300 PLUS KILLS, MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY DONT YOU.
@@paulnejtek6588 moral courage is fhat like when in sports your team almost beats a superior team ? JUST wondering! I know what you mean! Thanks for tbe imput,
Moral Courage example Jim Brown BILL Veek Ted Williams just to name a feww with moral courage evev Bobby Knight! ,
@@michaelterry4394 what did they do? Not saying they didn't. Just curious. Not sure who said it, but someone said this about sgt. Maj. Justin LeHew. He's a Navy Cross winner. His decision to put his career on the line for what he thought was right is far more impressive than the physical courage required to win the Navy Cross. Also, I should say that I hardly hold MYSELF up as an example of courage. Rather, I do look at ppl like Omer Goldman as true example of courage. Ppl like that don't get the credit they deserve. At least partly because ppl be are too busy praising war heroes. Not that it takes no courage at all to do as they do but most....uhhh. gotta roin more soon. I
Chuck Yeager was Bud Anderson's wing man, not the other way around. He was often cited for saying Anderson was the better pilot. They both became test pilots after the war. I met Anderson as a kid when he was having dinner in Illinois with a Thailand squadron member near the end of the Vietnam War. Man could drink!
Absolutely amazing!
Fantastic video, and there's a special place in Heaven for Bud and his compadres ❤
I'm sure the reservations are made, but I'm hoping that he's still with us. He was at a car show at the Lincoln, CA airport on June 11, 2016 and I'm still kicking myself for not having gone up and introduced myself to tell him what a great man I think he is.
You forgot about the Merlin Rolls-Royce engine that was put in the P-51, But it was a great story !
I just found your channel and I'm really enjoying the content. Me personally, I've always loved the P-38 Lighting. She's my secret mistress to the P-51 Mustang. I'd say you make a good case for both planes. If I were doing night missions I'd take the Mosquito. But if it were day missions I'd take the P-38.
Just a minor detail: yellow fuselage bands were for the Russian campain, white for the European, and multi colour bands for the Reichs defence.
Correct, correct, not so correct. Aircraft taking part in the Defense if the Reich could have literally any colour. The Germans experimented with just about every colour there is including pink, but the majority of aircraft ultimately either had yellow, white, green or red on the nose or rudder with the final aircraft built in the last weeks of the war being sent up with no ID bands or some even no paint at all and just being sent up in their bare metal with some sealant over the panels
This man was only 22 years old in 1944. What were you doing when you were 22? Bud Anderson died in 2024 at age 102. Incredible life lived.
You Say "Only" 22 Due To Prolonged Adolescent Society In Which We Live Today. My Uncle Was An Officer In The Army During WWll (Born In 1921) And My Grandfather Was In The Navy (Born May 15, 1913). They Were Rough, Tough And Strong People In That Generation. Most People Were Married With Children, Homes At 22. They Thought You Were Old At 25. If You Weren't Settled In With Life Around 25, They Thought It Was Something Wrong With You 😂🤷🏿♂️.
So happy to see this one coming out. Wife and I love it. Was a bit toasty when I saw me lol
Haha heck yeah!
Wow, this is so cool‼️ Bud Anderson what a great fighter pilot
The Messerschmitt was almost certainly an ordinary G-6. The Mustang had about a forty mile an hour advantage over this plane, at this altitude, when the Messeshmitt wasn't using it's emergency boost system.
The Me 109G-6AS was for high altitude squadrons. Walter Oseau was in "Green 13" when he was killed. He dodged four P-38s for twenty minutes before they got him.
There is no aircraft designated ”Me 109”, which is actually a nickname that was given to the Bf 109 by pilots that flew the type in combat as well as ground crews that served the aircraft. So it was probebly a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 thar you are refering to.
Messerschmitt Bf 109:
”There exists to this day some confusion as to the correct nomenclature to use with the regards to the 109. During the Second World War, this type was known to Allies almost universally as Messerschmitt Me 109. This was not the correct terminology and it was always intended to be designated correctly by the Germans as the Bf 109. This stemmed from the fact that its design originated in the days of Bayerishe Fleugzeugwerke AG, and hence the ’Bf’ abbreviation was correct for the ’109, just as it was for other contemplary types from that company, such as the Bf 108 single-engine light transport and touring monoplane and Bf 110 twin-engine destroyer/heavy fighter. After the passing of Bayerishe Fleugzeugwerke in July 1938 and its replacement by Messerschmitt AG, all subsequent types that originated with the new concern were designated ’ME’ - such as the Me 262 late war twin-engined jet fighter. Data plates on Bf 109s almost always refere to the aircraft as a Bf 109, although it is interesting to note that on some original German documents of the Second World War period the term ’Me 109’ was occationaly used.”
During the spring of 1937 the first Bf 109 B-1s were delivered to the Luftwaffe fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 132 ’Richthofen’ under the command of Oberst Gerd von Mossow. It was the start of a long and very hard-fought career. This was the first production model of a fighter which, more then any other aircraft, the name Messerschmitt is associated.”
Sourse:
Haynes Messerschmitt Bf 109 1935 onwards (all marks) Owners’ Workshop Manual, written by Paul Blackah and Malcom V. Love
Paul Blackah was closely involved with the restauration of Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 ”Black 6”
I just bought his book. Can't wait to read it when it comes in the mail
Film is indeed blurry,but if you pause the gun camera footage and look ahead and to the left of the fireball I believe you will see the farmers horse and cart
This is the most amazing channel on TH-cam.
Once again another fine video about the Greatest Dogfight of the P-51 Mustang in WWII.......Thanks my friend........
Old Shoe🇺🇸
Thanks Shoe!
If I recall correctly, many of the pilots of the 357th Fighter Group of the VIIIth USAAF were former pilots of the Royal Air Force Eagle squadron, made up from Americans who had voluntarily joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the start of the war in 1939 or later in 1940, some of them having flown and fought during the Battle of Britain in 1940. My country is forever indebted to those brave men who put their lives on the breach and defended her in her most desperate hours. England and Great Britain will never forget them or the pilots of orher nations who fought for Britain in those darkest days.
Your vids are EVERY bit as GREAT and ENTHRALLING as the old Wings Channel "Dogfight" ones! BRAVO!
I thought this was going to be cheesy. Low budget history channel stuff. You did a great job. It was way more than that. The writing was good. Good job
That wonderful Rolls-Royce Merlin (Packard) engine from the Spitfire saved 'Old Crow'.
thank you. you have no idea how great your work is to people like me.
YaYyyyyyy I was here 24:41 (I think)
Great job TJ3. Really appreciate the detail to the dogfights.
“The footage in 1944 was not quite high resolution” hahah
Amazing story and a special pilot and man.
The right man at the right time with the right plane and talent… But Anderson is an Air Force legend as part of the greatest generation because they paid the greatest price for our freedoms, and I salute you my brothers, and those who gave their lives… Amen
An absolute amazing man !
And to live that long.... such a full life.
I have a model of his airplane.
This is the second time I've watched this. 😊😊
What detail.
I was reading the label on the plane that says the weight capacities and specs .😯
One of the top pilots in WWII said the P-51 was a great plane, and the fastest propeller driven fighter. However, he said he could maneuver the P-40 much easier, but it had a weak engine.
Superb cgi used in this to support great narration and storytelling by Bud and Old Crow 👍👏👌
5:16
"What's a turn fight?"
Lol great video TJ absolutely loved it
Nobody answered your question so 7 mo. later I will. A " turning fight" is when 2 planes( enemies of each other) are situated one behind the other. We'll call German plane A, American B. So B is behind A. Different planes had different turning abilities. Some tighter than others, some faster. Some could even turn faster and tighter to the left than the right. Knowledge of these types of inabilities and flaws could give a pilot the edge in a dogfight. I've read that the ME-109 couldn't turn to the left as good as to the right. So both planes, say, are turning left. A wants to outturn B so as to shake him off and eventually get behind HIM !!. If B could turn tighter than A, that would, within a short distance, put his nose ahead of A giving him the opportunity to put some shells into him. They would be executing a turning fight then. Thank you for letting me talk about war topics for a little while. I enjoy it. ✌️