Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and now Masters of the Air

[Oldfishguy]

“Masters of the Air” will be released in a week on Apple TV. I’m looking forward to it, but not . . . these series are pretty brutal.  The previous two are on HBO with this new one on Apple.  Spielberg and Hanks produced so I expect the same graphic scenes of war. 

The Band of Brothers had great story telling.  While The Pacific followed the Marines in to the Pacific islands and the brutality of that part of the war.  Some great lines in that series mostly dealing with just how tough the Japanese were and would not give up.  After watching that series there should be no doubt about why the atomic bomb was used.

Masters of the Air will be the 8th Air Force bomber group in Europe during WWII.  I’m not sure there will be any big stars at the end as I think the survival rate for the 25 missions was like 14%.  But I know I’ll subscribe to see the series.

[Jess from VA]

Probably the best and most accurate movie about 8th AF in England during WWII is 12 O'clock High.

Those guys got clean sheets and beds and good food every day, and suffered the highest loss rates of any other military service during the war.  

The Eighth AF suffered about half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties (47,483 out of 115,332), including more than 26,000 dead (more than the US Marines in the Pacific).  Seventy-seven percent of the Americans who flew against the Reich before D-Day would wind up as casualties.

I believe that the strategy of flying B17s in tight formations with multiple gunners on each plane without adequate fighter coverage was defective.  

You could not get me in this thing (while conscious).

[carolinarider09]

Probably the best and most accurate movie about 8th AF in England during WWII is 12 O'clock High.

I was not there but, from what I have read and seen, it was very real.

I have always liked that movie. 

[RP#62]

I went to a lecture once by guys who were there and they mentioned 12 O'Clock High and the movie Command Decision (1948) as the two that they thought most accurately portrayed the bombing campaign in Europe.

-RP

[3fan4life]

The Eighth Air Force Museum is just off of I-95 in Pooler, GA.

I've been there once and it was a great experience.

You need 3-4 hrs to REALLY take it all in.

If you're going by there and have the time it is well worth the stop.



https://www.mightyeighth.org/

[Oss]

one of the best experiences of my life was experiencing a flight with my brother on a  b17 from the collings foundation that took off and landed at Cape May Naval air station. The next month she sadly crashed and killed 7 of the 11 on board in connecticut as there was a multiple engine failure She almost made it down safely but hit the lights at the end of the runway and veered into the de icing building

The noise and smells were so viceral. There is no sound like the thrum of those engines.   I saw one fly over my house years ago and jumped on the valk to follow it to westchester airport  Then I learned about the foundation and their restored planes

There is a reason 17-21 yr olds were the ages of most of the crew during the war.

I could not get into the ball turret even if offered the opportunity  I could barely go thru all the stations on the plane during flight  Jess you might be the max height to fit in there

[f6john]

I don’t like tight places, but at least those guys got to fight back a little. God bless every one of them who put it on the line for the rest of us. I hope to get to see the series as I was mesmerized by the other two. My father who was a Marine in the Pacific never cared for war movies, saying it glamorized war too much which could be favorably argued, but with films like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers it gives those who never served and faced enemy fire a glimpse of what it was really like.

[Skinhead]

What I find interesting, is that those heroes weren't really given a choice, they were ordered to .... and just followed orders (for the most part).  If given a choice, I wonder how many would have still done those undesirable jobs.  I can't imagine anyone wanting to endure the conditions that the airman, grunts, and combat personnel had to endure, I'm just grateful those those people existed and sacrificed for us all.

[Ramie]

Sounds like the release date is still up in the air!

[Oldfishguy]

January 26th release

https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/5/23903600/masters-of-the-air-apple-tv-plus-date-images

[carolinarider09]

January 26th release

https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/5/23903600/masters-of-the-air-apple-tv-plus-date-images

Thanks.

[Robert]

Ive heard many stories of the reasons why they put them in tight formation and had no fighter escort, but does anyone know the truth to why they thought that was a good idea, or why they had to do it?

[carolinarider09]

I am not an expert but I believe, based on what I have read in the past, the formation was for defensive purposes because of the lack of or the limitations of the fighter aircraft to provide protection for the long trips into German territory.   

The formations provided a large number of weapons in a small area which could help by destroying or damaging enemy fighters. 

I cannot easily find the range of the fighters that were initially available to help guard these formations and it is noted that the addition of the P-51 did provide long range fighter support.  But that was after 1941 and I don't know how fast they got added to the battle.

[Jess from VA]

Yes, tight formations and 10 50 cal Brownings per plane was because the bombers had more range (gas) than any fighters until late in the war. 

The Army Air Corps thought they could win or shorten the war by taking out essential infrastructure and demoralizing the civilian population.  That only partially worked.

In one raid alone, 15AF lost 60 planes and 600 airmen (10 per plane).

Our fighters got better and were able to defend the bomber missions all the way out and back, and at the same time we depleted the Reich of both their fighter aircraft and good pilots (which could not be replaced).

 

[Willow]

I watched the series Pacific.  It was well put together and hard to watch.  I think it was realistic.  It made me reluctant to publicly claim that I'm a Marine.  What those WW II Marines went through in the islands was more horrible than any since have had to endure.

[Skinhead]

What those WW II Marines went through in the islands was more horrible than any since have had to endure.

I agree.  The only ones that had it worse were the POWs.

[Jess from VA]

And people claim our use of two puny nukes on Japan was inhumane.

Iwo Jima (and all the others) prove otherwise.  If we had the weapons (we didn't) we should have nuked those islands too. 

It shortened the war.  It was estimated the invasion of Japan would cost us a million lives. 

[Oldfishguy]

The final 9th episode of “Masters of the Air” just aired on Apple TV.  I’ll give it a B grade.

Not nearly as good as Band of Brothers, and just different in so many regards to the Pacific series. 

With Masters of the Air there just didn’t seem to be much character development and it just jumped in to the fight.  It seemed to me a bit Hollywood in many regards, a lot of one liners sounding cliche in many regards.  And then, the lead guy was the Elvis actor last year.  He still seemed to be Elvis in persona and voice in this series.  He was a distraction with his $500 haircut in that environment; I literally could not stand him in this series.

The good.  It brought to life . . . the death of many American young men in air combat, less we forget.  The flying footage was CGI created, but I’m guessing fairly accurate.  Many of the main series characters are real people and missions were real too.  A historical drama in a way. 

But just too much of a Hollywood feel to it for me.

Also on Apple TV is a 1 hour special on the “Bloody 100th”. I think that was what it was called.  Watch that 1 hour special first.  They interview many of the airmen that had actor portraials in the “Masters” series. 

[MarkT]

Masters is executive produced by Spielberg & Hanks.  Both did the same for BOB & The Pacific.  I would expect high quality with them involved.  I have the Masters series in my library now.  Haven't watched it yet.