Fun fact at 33:58 that we forgot to mention: "A. Toffolo" is not a 1940s journalist but Anna Toffolo, who was in the Art Department for this series. The headline about Ukraine stating that "Russian Tactics Increasingly Aggressive" is a likely nod to modern events in Europe. Also, some thoughts on "Bob:" What gives him away? Was it the European-style date he wrote on the paper, his rendition of the national anthem, a lack of wounds, or a German cigarette lighter? Or was it a fatal mistake? You pick!

@iKvetch558

4 ай бұрын

I am with you, Prof...I really hope they deal with the issues of imprecision in bombing and the civilian casualties on the ground....crossing all my fingers and toes that they address them at some point.

@nigeh5326

4 ай бұрын

⁠I don’t doubt they will. The Norden bombsight was pushed as the greatest thing in the bombing war but more recent evaluation of it and bombing accuracy statistics has shown it to be nowhere near what was claimed. The Hard Thrasher KZread channel has a couple of v good videos about the strategic bombing campaign in WW2 that are well worth watching

@user-dm8ig3cn5p

4 ай бұрын

Very interesting reviews. RE MOTA Ep 4. I noted an interesting event when the underground leader was interrogating the U.S. airman. He asked the third individual to write the date down on a piece of paper. He wrote the date in an English or European way rather than the order Americans do. Was this a subtle attempt by the writers to portray this chap making an error enabling the resistance guys to detect an infiltrator? This is brilliant. National anthems, random cigarette lighters aren’t necessarily definitive but may raise suspicion. If the enemy had captured me and asked me to belt out my national anthem word perfect, I would be in real trouble. My father related an apocryphal account that the British were able to detect or confirm a German agent in the UK by which direction they looked first when the attempted to cross a road.

@davemac1197

4 ай бұрын

The other headline with "NAZI UBOAT BASE DESTROYED" is doubtful - they were constructed to be bomb proof. According to Hard Targets by Barrett Tillman in AIR FORCE Magazine, February 2015 - 'Between October 1942 and October 1943 the US Army Air Forces’ Eighth Air Force flew more than 2,000 sorties against German submarine bases at Lorient, Saint-Nazaire, and Brest, in France, and against Bremen, Emden, Kiel, and Wilhelmshaven in Germany. The missions accomplished little against the massive U-boat shelters, but the effort cost the Eighth 135 bombers (including 16 written off), for an unsustainable 5.9 percent loss rate. Shockingly, almost 1,200 airmen were killed or captured in the 119 missing aircraft.' 'The legacy and frustration of the 13-month campaign is still evident today. On the Biscay coast most of the massive shelters remain intact, with bunkers at Lorient and Brest serving the French Navy.' Other pens on the French coast at La Rochelle, Bordeaux and St Nazaire, are now repurposed for fishing and pleasure vessels, converted to industrial units, and redeveloped as cultural and tourist sites respectively.

@cutezpie26

4 ай бұрын

I think him writing the date 18 August 1943… here in the US we don’t write dates like that “August 18, 1943”… also I do believe he did say the beginning of the Star Spangled Banner incorrectly, ”… just how proudly we hailed…” when it’s, “…what so proudly we hailed.”

For some reason, hearing that Nash died in his first mission (I think it was his first mission) really broke my heart. He seemed so enthusiastic and eager to prove himself and he was falling in love. I know the love story with Helen was fictionalized, but I imagine such stories were not uncommon.

@nigeh5326

4 ай бұрын

It was a common feature of young men then and throughout history. They are at that age full of optimism about life and haven’t yet seen how life can be so cruel even to the best intentioned. As we grow older and learn and experience more of the realities of life we tend to become more cynical. At that age too we are looking for love we are primed by evolution and our societal upbringing to look for a mate to settle with and have children with. His character encapsulated the boundless optimism of youth and happiness. That he could be a man playing his part in a great crusade. Trained to be the best, to see himself and his colleagues as heroes in the mould of their predecessors who had previously gone out, fought the evil dragon and won in a noble cause. Yet like so many he is naive to the realities that the more experienced officers in the bar are aware of. You see all of that in his face, and his words. His fictional character is based on thousands if not millions of men through history. That it hits you emotionally is a testimony to the writers, film crew and actors who are bringing us this series.

@reecedignan8365

4 ай бұрын

If I remember correctly from reading it was his 3rd mission.

This episode hit me hard because it really, really made me think of my grandmother from Liège, Belgium and eventual French Resistance fighter. She was even featured in Stripes Magazine later in the war. I can see her helping airmen escape like this. She spoke many, many languages (like many Belgians), and ended up becoming an interpretor and radio operator for the US Army after D-Day, and that's how she met (and eventually married) my grandfather, a Sicilian immigrant who survived D-Day and fought all the way through W. Europe as far as Germany and even Czechoslovakia. Grandma used to have some wild stories (from the little I can remember) of flirting with German officers with my great grandmother all so they could get behind tanks and other vehicles to drop tacks! Vive la Belge, Vive la France libre!

Hey Jared, thanks for another lovely break down. Just a quickie. The blonde haired British kid that hangs out with the ground crew is (i think) a nod to a very real person. Listed on IMDB the character is called Sammy Hurley. I'm assuming this is actually Sam Hurry a kid who did spend much of his young years hanging out on the airfield with the 100bg. He ran all sorts of errands, helped out where he could, the guys even bought him new clothes and on one occasion took him to London (thats a big trip back then - it still is today!) You can read about his exploits in a book he authored called "Sam and the 100th Bomb Group" - available from Thorpe Abbots museum. That the writers of this show have chosen to include Sam really warms my heart.

Ken Lemmons repairing that Fort on the move is one of my favourite moments from the series so far. It's quite something to learn it really happend.

As a former aircraft maintainer, one of my favorite parts is that they include their stories. We are the often forgotten people who work to make sure these planes are safe for their crews. I was asked once by a young airman, while on deployment to the desert, if people would ever read about what we did here. I said no. What we do doesn’t have the action and glory people want to read about. What we have though is the personal satisfaction that when those ground troops are calling for air support it was us that made sure those planes where on station to provide it. We know what we did.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Andy here, Reel History Producer. I feel you 100% I was a Wheeled vehicle mechanic in the Army (07-19) OIF 10-11. I thought for years that no one would ever make a movie glorifying what we did to keep the fighting boys going. I'd have to do a 3 hour transmission change in 30 minutes, completely rebuild an armor panel out of scrap for an MRAP with no notice...etc. The short segments glorifying us maintainers brings a joy to my heart that I don't think can be matched. If anything, I think people like you and I can sleep peacefully knowing a bit of our story was brought to light with this series. Cheers!

@ericharmon7163

4 ай бұрын

@ReelHistory lol. Hooaahhh!! Yes! I flew as crew often on the KC 135 as an avionics tech. I had to fix things in flight, way more often than one would think, lol. That scene with Clem brought a slight tear to my eye. I've been there, crew in the seat, waiting on me to make it happen. Thanks from one maintainer to another!! Cheers

@aaronseet2738

4 ай бұрын

I wouldn't even mind an entire episode dedicated to assessing the returned bombers, determining which can be patched and which have to be scrapped for spare parts and the mountains of wreckage versus re-usable material. They have to show the sheer scale of materiel loss and what it takes to maintain a fighting air force/army.

@dons1932

4 ай бұрын

@@ReelHistory Hey Andy (or Doc Fred) - how did they get all the B17's back from Africa, or when they crash landed in other territories? I'd be super interested in how they were repaired and 'repatriated' so to speak.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

@@dons1932, most of them remained stranded there due to lack of repair resources. Hence why those sorts of missions were hardly ever done again.

"Embracing evil to defeat a greater evil" what a phrase with a deep meaning, but often used to justify no so just causes

It is ASTONISHING how much Raff Law looks like his dad. Like, I know kids take after their parents, but good lord he's the absolute spitting image of a young Jude. They should do a movie together where Raff plays a younger version of Jude's character.

@sueolson6035

4 ай бұрын

If they did, I THINK it would only be the 3rd time that ever happened. A Man Called Otto, Tom & Truman Hanks / Apple + series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Kurt & Wyatt Russell.

@sueolson6035

4 ай бұрын

Oops, Can't forget Mother & Daughter playing the same role...but on different shows. Laurie Metcalf & Zoe Perry both play Sheldon's mom at different time periods.

this episode made me cry multiple times and everytime it was for a different reason. I really liked that they didn't show us the Mission in this episode cause it let us experience the loss in a more realistic way. It's unceremonious. Incredible series

Jared I look forward to these reviews more than any others on KZread. Thanks for doing this!

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I really liked the way Egan asked Red about what happened using baseball as a code. Not just asking about Clevans but the rest of the starting line up as he described them.

@nigeh5326

4 ай бұрын

Not only walls have ears so do phones you never knew who could be listening on the line back then so you were told not to talk openly about anything that could be of use to an enemy. The Allies found that out in WW1 where the Germans listened in to Allied phone lines in the trenches. Some officers spoke openly about plans and operations giving information to the enemy. In the case of the Tzarist Russian forces they also messaged to each other without using codes over radio giving the Central Powers valuable information. As a British baseball fan I got it. But if he had been say an RAF officer using cricket references and an American Nazi spy had been listening then they wouldn’t have a clue.

@jameswg13

4 ай бұрын

@@nigeh5326 I know

@nigeh5326

4 ай бұрын

@@jameswg13 how were you listening in? 😊 Just adding further info not everyone does know

@seancunn4089

4 ай бұрын

Baseball ironically was also used to question the downed airmen when they were asked about Babe Ruth.

Seems that this series brought back Band of brothers and the pacific back in the spotlight too. That is good because it hopefully teach younger ones what war means.

Gotta say man I, thoroughly, enjoy your break downs in general, but these "Masters of the Air" might be my favorite you've ever done. Absolutely love the anecdotes and sources you bring. As soon as I finish the episode I start waiting to see when your breakdowns drop. Keep up the fantastic work!

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! "The Pacific" is right around the corner!

Enjoyable recap. My father was a pilot of a B-24D on the 1 August 1943 raid on Ploesti. Later shot down, captured, escaped and made it back to Allied lines. He told me of his many exploits and I picked up a lot of WWII aircraft trivia. One little detail that I think MOTA missed is that the aircrews did not say "Engine number three feathered." It was "Number three feathered." That is, no "engine." Thanks for your hard work.

Jared, it's always wonderful to hear your incites and bringing extra context to what's depicted on the screen. It was really cool to hear you verify that Lemons indeed did climb into a wheel well and repair an engine while the plane was taxying. But the burning question that I'm totally sure that everyone has is..... did Cleven really dance with Meatball in the officers club? haha

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

We can only hope!

Thank you for your insightful reviews! It's satisfying to find a reviewer that really does his homework and is not horribly negative when the series changes a small detail for narrative purposes (like changing the mission where Lemmons fixed the engine while the plane was taxing)

Jared, you are absolutely great! A good candidate for your review is the film Fury. Director David Ayer read “Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II” by Belton Y. Cooper. I read this book a couple of times and it is a fantastic learning experience about those who fought in the tanks in World War II. Cooper was a lieutenant responsible for maintaining and repairing tanks across Europe. David Ayer had family that fought in the tanks, and he does a great job capturing the horrid conditions of constant killing, being killed, how cheap life gets, and what it took to stay alive. Hopefully today’s kids will learn what combat is like and never let themselves be manipulated into it for any reason.

A great episode and I think a deliberate low action one that gives us the exact same feeling they had, the feeling of simply not knowing what happened to the friends and crew. Of course we’re lucky in that we know, but they didn’t, and neither will many of those watching. It really was an endless conveyer belt of missions, destruction, loss and death for that generation who served. As a British paratrooper, I know damn well my dad and his comrades trained hard and partied hard too, a tradition that carries on today 😊

In the movie "12 O'Clock High" Gregory Peck flown Piccadilly Lily

@stevedavis9466

4 ай бұрын

Yes, because Bernie Lay flew on the Lily for 5 missions and he co-wrote the screenplay for " 12 O'Clock High"

@ZackD

4 ай бұрын

The gunner on Dye's crew (#25) who didn't finish went down on the Piccadilly Lily.

I thought Egan's trip to London was really well done. It gives him reason to think in new ways about the terrible impacts of his job on the people below.

Dr. Jared, Thank you for helping me understand this episode. I have to admit, I found it slow at first without the rattle of Browning.50 caliber machine guns. I’m looking forward to re-watching it. A couple of points that hit home with me in you narrative. First, the issue of replacements coming in. You had a great point that often times, the veteran personnel would not get close to new people. My dad had told me, as a rifle company commander, he depended on his sergeants to help new men adjust to combat. One problem is summed up with the saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink”. Dad said one of the first things he would tell replacements and sergeants would stress this, too, “ Don’t smoke at night,!” The lighted end of a cigarette would be visible for hundreds of yards. This would draw both small arms and artillery fire from the Germans. As for the plight of German civilians as the war went on, I would point out the movie and book,” The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. Perhaps that might be worth a future episode of “ Reel History”.

@nigeh5326

4 ай бұрын

There were numerous things associated with smoking in war from the Crimea on. As you lit your match you would cup your hand around the match to minimise the bright light as it lit. Then when smoking you would turn the cigarette so that the glowing end was cupped into your hand rather than sticking out as it normally would. Also the 3rd light from a match was bad luck. This came from the thought that. First light as the match lights and the soldier lights his cigarette the sniper spots it. The second soldier lights his cigarette from the same match the sniper will take aim. Third man to light his cigarette from the match the sniper will shoot at and kill. A friend of mine who served in the British Army in the eighties would refuse to have 3rd light when offered because of this.

I liked the fact that we get to see how they got to spend their much needed down time between each mission. It makes the story more real. You get to see all the aspects of their lives which was so real and sad at the same time.

My dad and I were speculating about how "bob" was caught during the interview, we are from europe so we dont know much about the american national anthem and some websites speculated that he sang it to enthusiastically. But I noticed that he wrote the date in DD MM YYYY while in America they write it MM DD YYYY. I might be wrong tho. Thank you for your detailed reviews as always!

@thedoh.

4 ай бұрын

He was caught because of how he wrote the date, AND because he knew how to sing the Star Spangled Banner. Note that the other two servicemen -- the real Americans -- sorta knew the broad strokes and the tune, but didn't get much further than a couple bars. "Bob" got really into it. The resistance likely were aware of how people don't really know their own anthems like that (I certainly don't -- US or Canadian, as a dual citizen). When Bob was killed in the field, I went back and watched the interrogation again and it dawned on me that he wrote DD MM YYYY (and it looked like he wrote 1964??). It reminds me of representing an order of 3 drinks from Inglorious Basterds incorrectly, and blowing the cover. Very well done by the resistance to ferret out the spies.

@davidk7324

4 ай бұрын

@@thedoh. I concur in general but think the way Bob wrote the actual numbers gave him away -- not the order in which he wrote them. The US Army orders the numbers of the date the same as Germans: day/month/year. At least that was the case when I served.

@nigeh5326

4 ай бұрын

@@davidk7324I’m not sure if the US Armed Forces followed British and European date format then but writing day month year would be v unusual for any American I’ve ever known. I suspect it was possibly inspired by the scene in Inglourious Basterds when Michael Fassbender makes the mistake of signalling for 3 drinks in the British way rather than the German.

@davidk7324

4 ай бұрын

@@nigeh5326 I agree with the similarity to the basement bar scene in "IB." I was in USAEUR 77-80 and one of the first things we learned was how to order beer correctly using our fingers. We also wrote dates "11 February 2024" rather than the common civilian method. "Bob" would have been in the US Army Air Force for ~3 years by then and likely would have adopted the format just like I did decades later. Of course, the 1940s Army might have done it differently. Fun speculation.

@dons1932

4 ай бұрын

Im surprised so many people struggled with this. Maybe it's the writer in me. But @johnorloff3738 gives us everything we need to know (and has been doing a great job btw, exceeded my expectations mate). It was the lighter. Not only did they already set the context in a prior scene by having James Douglas show what an American lighter looks like with his 'hippo or zippo' joke whilst flirting with the Red Cross gals, but the lead up to the downed pilot's 'tests' by the resistance fighters are entirely irrelevant. Maybe they have their suspicions. Maybe not. It doesn't matter. They then go outside and he asks for a light. As soon as the individual pulls out a German lighter, he is shot. Hinting at the prior exchange and time they've spent talking to him, and whatever suspicions they might have had, the Airmen question ' what if you made a mistake?' The resistance fighter then, literally, picks the lighter up and sparks up his cigarette, retorting with 'we don't make mistakes'. Literal wink nudge wink at the viewer - and this here lighter was what sealed his fate, confirming we aren't making a mistake - wink nudge wink. Regardless of the prior exchanges.

Well done! I'm impressed with the show, they've done a good job showing the evolution of the characters in subtle but convincing ways...

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

We agree--and we are less than halfway through!

@nigeh5326

4 ай бұрын

@@ReelHistoryit’s improving in its character development with each episode I feel. The writing is better and better as it expands emotionally drawing us closer to the characters and their experiences.

The location for the exterior shots of the 'London' street and Cafe Warsaw is Hemel Hempstead Old Town High Street.

I’m pretty sure at 33:06 the point of that scene is in fact to reflect on what the results of bombings in general is. Pilots wouldn’t see the results of their work in Germany but I cannot help but view this scene as a confrontation of the reality of their job.

@johnorloff3738

4 ай бұрын

You are correct! Good insight

@omalleycaboose5937

4 ай бұрын

That's what I thought as well

Wing and a Prayer was such a great read, and gave a good look at some of what these guys survived...if they were lucky that is! Thank you for the book suggestion!

The world war ii museum is also doing a podcast dedicated to the series as well.

Awesome, I was waiting for this

Great job!

I have been enjoying watching your videos as I watch the Master episodes. It has really amplified my enjoyment of Masters of the Air. I

Another great review from the reel history crew

Another excellent breakdown. I love watching these after I've watched the episode.

Its really great to watch this show and get the episodes expanded with primary sources, thanks. My father got me into my wwii histories by giving me the norwegian translation of pierre clostermanns books about wwii air warfare, where the schweinfurt missions are described, with him being part of spitfire squadrons meeting up with the banged up bomber force on the way home. In his second book he describes a me-262 attack on bombers with rockets and cannons, and the me-262s being ambushed during lamdlng by loitering allied fighters

This was the best episode so far.

28:00 its hoaky but in baa baa blacksheep/ squadron. the mechanics sgt mclin played by jerry west elvises best friend and hutch were featured characters. often the story line revolved around them.

almost just as excited to watch this as the episode! what you have to share related to the series is great and thank you for all you do. wish i could have you as a professor!

Great breakdown! I thought this episode was done really well.

I instantly looked for your video after watching the episode. Great video breakdown Jared. Thoroughly enjoyed. Also, I think we all needed a “slower” episode.

You are doing a great job with this series. Looking forward to both the next episode and your analysis video afterwards. Keep it up!

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Much appreciated!

Thank you once again for your review. I have agreed with every point you brought up and really appreciate that perspective. Your reviews are the only ones I take the time to watch because I respect all your knowledge. Keep up the great work and I look forward to more of your reviews.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I think your analysis and review of each episode, always the best one. Clear, concise, well-researched and brilliantly communicated. I don't bother with any other "debriefs" anymore. Yours are the only ones I need. Many thanks.

@katherinehollinsworth5529

4 ай бұрын

I must add that I appreciate your respect for film-making and storytelling.

The only thing better than your reviews, is a new episode of Masters of the Air! Great job as usual Jared! I was wondering how they got back to England? Especially since those planes were so beat up. Thanks for clarifying that. As a former History Teacher and WW2 Geek. Your reviews, really fill in the holes and questions. Keep up the good work!!!

I was wondering about the night bombing raid in October of 1943 Bucky watched at the window. I knew the blitz ended in the spring of 41 and the Baby blitz would start until 44, so I was a little skeptical if there was actually a raid on London at that time. Thanks for shedding light on this.

@stevedavis9466

4 ай бұрын

My father was in London around this time after completing his 25 missions on the Piccadiliy Lily of the 351st SQ/100th BG . He reported in his diary of a bombing of London while he was there.

@richardvernon317

4 ай бұрын

57 German aircraft attacked the southern UK on the night of 7th/8th October 1943, the aircraft being a mix of FW-190's and Me-410's. 12 of those aircraft bombed the London Area. The defences claimed 3 aircraft destroyed and 3 probable destroyed. 2 Me-410's crashed on land after being shot down by Mosquitos of No 85 Squadron RAF. The following night 8th / 9th October 1943 saw 10 German aircraft attack south east England including Greater London. 4 fighter bombers and Bombers were shot down by the Mosquitos.

@wrlovin

4 ай бұрын

My dad also completed a 25 mission tour, but in the 349th Squadron of the 100th Bomb Group. He was in the original crew formation of Squawkin' Hawk...

@stevepirie8130

4 ай бұрын

Even on the last day of the war with a surrender imminent the city of Hull got bombed by Germans as they’d done throughout the years. 95% of all housing of the Humber region was needed rebuilt after the war. So despite them using a vast majority of their airpower over the Soviet Union they still had vengeance raids to the bitter end against the UK and other nations.

I probably would've waited for the series to be complete before I started watching, but with the weekly Reel History updates from Jared I have been forced into watching it on the regular weekly schedule 😂 I was a few days behind on this 4th episode, but I still greatly enjoyed watching the show and the Jared's review (aka The Professor aka The Good Doctor) back to back as per usual! 👍

I wish it wasn't so hard to find that Ken Lemmons book. What I heard you read in this video definitely made me want to read the whole book that Ken Lemmons wrote about that time. I've had Into The Cold Blue pre-ordered for quite awhile now. Definitely looking forward to reading that.

Excellent commentary and reflection. I watched this episode and you really brought out some facts I over looked. Indeed it will be interesting to see if we get some German perspective on the devastation brought about by the air warfare.

I love this episode because I was a maintenance guy in the Navy. I know how it feels to have one of your crews missing, or to get the news of thier death, and I've had that feeling in my gut. I was Parachute Rigger, and looked after my airews like a mother hen. Great job Jered. I'm so happy that you confirmed the wheel well engine fix by Lemons. Amazing! I never would have believed it.

In that episode when infiltrator was killed they showed that he had IMCO lighter (German equivalent of Zippo). I think that way film makers hints that this lighter was one of reason he burned himself.

Enjoyed the contemplation and discussion of the morality of bombing in this episode.

I may be wrong but I believe the actress Audrey Hepburn helped down airmen during Market Garden similar to the resistance in this episode.

I was stationed at RAF Base West Ruislip which hosted the U.S. Navy in NW London in 2005. During the war Polish exiles joined the RAF and flew out of airfields around there. They even fought in the Battle of Britain. One of our favorite pubs, the Coach and Horses in nearby Ickenham, had a plaque to explain that the pub had been a Polish exile favorite in WWII.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Incredible.

Its not until the characters of Rosenthal and Crosby that I feel emotionally connected…. In BoB and Pacific there was more connection across more characters a lot earlier….imho.

I think its a really neat detail that after the resistance members execute 'bob', they pick up his cigarette lighter and if you look, it is a German IMCO lighter...I'm not sure if allied nations would have had access to them like Germany had access to Zippo's but I think its a nice detail to show that when they asked him for a light, that lighter was the last strike for them to confirm their suspicions about him.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

We agree that the lighter could have been the red flag.

@MrWahooknows

4 ай бұрын

Stupid of the Germans to allow "Bob" to retain a German lighter when trying to infiltrate the Belgian Resistance.@@ReelHistory

Criminally underrated channel

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

We think so too! 😉

Thank you so much for this channel! It has truly reignited the hunger to learn history that my public education years squashed. Your commentary about the resistance has particularly piqued my interest today. You have led me toward great book recommendations in the past, so I’d love to know if there are any reads you’d recommend about this aspect of the war. Thanks again!

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Here is a very detailed, overview history of resistance: www.amazon.com/Resistance-Underground-Against-Hitler-1939-1945/dp/1324091657/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GB2T7P8SLBT1&keywords=resistance+during+wwii&qid=1707674891&rnid=2941120011&s=books&sprefix=resistance+during+wwii%2Caps%2C103&sr=1-1

@AmyEklund

4 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Great job Jared! I have loved your comments. These comments give me a fuller version of Masters of the air.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

You are most welcome.

Thank you for your wonderful background information and historical facts behind this and other series. As a viewer from the UK I find your videos fascinating and very informative. Regarding your point about whether the series will show the effect of the bombing on the German civilian population, I would like to draw your attention to a book, which you may already know about. I recommend Bomber by Len Deighton. It is fiction but it follows a bomber crew and German civilians and military on the ground during the build up to a massive air raid by the RAF. As I said, it is fiction but must have been well researched by the author as he describes the sheer horror of one air raid.

That bombing in London is also mentioned in "Contrails - My War Record," "A history of World War Two as recorded at U.S. Army Air Force Station # 139, Thorpe Abbotts..." published in 1947: "On October 8, 1943, the Germans really plastered London. The sirens wailed down the dark streets, the hollow echoes of anti-aircraft batteries were heard in the distance and the falling bits of shrapnel sounded like skeletons on a tin roof. Sleep was impossible… Major John Egan, celebrating his initial pass in England since arriving back in May, was one of the onlookers. The morning of the ninth brought him a breakfast of fried eggs and double Scotch, as well as the morning papers. The Eighth Air Force had lost thirty Forts over Bremen. A quick phone call contacted the base, and Egan heard that his friend, 'Buck' Cleven, had gone down swinging. ...Egan asked whether the team had a game scheduled for the next day. He wanted to pitch."

@ReelHistory my son today wanted this book and we watch this series he is eight and loves the B-17 and the Air War over Europe

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

That's wonderful.

I like this episode, and everything it shows. I was pretty disappointed to not see the Bremen mission from Crosby's eyes though, as his description of that mission was one of the first truly harrowing things I can remember reading as a child. Even as bad as Regensburg had been, Crosby didn't describe it nearly as viscerally.

I think in terms of Operational Security the byline of "30 Bombers Lost" would have never been published then, but months later at most. In looking at the NY Times archive for 9th Oct 1943 the byline is "U.S. Planes Down 142 Nazis in Blow". I do think for pacing and exposition from a story it there had to be a driving reason for the call back to the base so it' understandable. Thanks for all your videos!!

@davidwright7193

4 ай бұрын

Loss figures were published for Air Force ops and were generally accurate. That headline was far enough after the raid for the figures to have been compiled and distributed to the press. RAF losses were published during the Battle of Britain As were RAF claims. The claims were known to be false but were those awarded to pilots by squadron intelligence officers. By 1943 allied intelligence would have known that the 142 kills claimed by the USAF escort groups and air gunners and awarded to them was complete garbage well before that NY Times article was published.

Hopefully we see Crosby back next episode as well. Or as next episode seems to be about the october 10th mission then episode after.

Hopefully we see the raid in part five

Nice job Jared. See my other comment about Bob's discovery.

I just discovered my former neighbor was in the 100th. S/Sgt Casimir "Whitey" Raczynski. 100th, Unit 418th. When heading to training he dropped a letter to his mom from the B-17, it made the newspaper.

@Nerd_of_Anarchy

4 ай бұрын

Became a POW on the 10/10/43 raid of Munster. Mostly a Waist Gunner and occasional co-pilot, his B-17 was Stymie. They painted a Skull & Bones on it with the words "Come & Get It"

Thanks Jared for a v interesting look at episode 4 of Masters of the Air. Just wondered if you have ever visited the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial here in England? If not, do you have any plan to visit and maybe make a video about those buried there. I haven’t yet but I’m hoping to in the summer. So as to pay my respects to the brave men and women who fought for all of our freedom from tyranny. I look forward to your review of episode 5 which from the look of it will include some more amazing recreations if the air war over Europe. Cheers

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

It is on my bucket list!

Once again, and I'm not at all sure if it's just my T.V. (which is relatively new), the dark scenes such as the night clubs, indoor night scenes, etc. are so extremely dark that I can barely see a damn thing!

Dr J! during the london bombing raid scene, I found it strange that Egan didn’t do to a shelter and also that none of the windows in london were taped. I thought all windows were taped!?

@nigeh5326

4 ай бұрын

They should have been taped that was the recommendation from the government then. As for not going to a shelter it depended on where you were. There weren’t enough public shelters for everyone in some areas and some people decided they would rather stay in the building than go to a shelter especially if the weather was cold or wet. In the early period of the Blitz (1940/41) poorer people in the East End where the bombing was worst did March to the posher West End. There they protested and occupied some of the upper class restaurants and hotels where the Rich were still eating luxuries and had access to good shelters. This was when the poor in the East End had few public shelters and some they did have were inadequate. When they entered the posh restaurants and hotels they were not happy to see the rich were still eating and drinking as if there was no war. Churchill and the government on hearing of the protests and occupation of these places did take some action as they feared the communist ‘rabble rousers’ who had been behind the initial actions would incite further disturbances.

@rosshein356

4 ай бұрын

What I got from that scene was two people near the end of their respective ropes mentally who have become very fatalistic, simply living whilst they still could and not caring much for any other consequences.

You asked if the producers got lucky with the bomb raid scene in London or well researched. I've just started reading the masters of the air book and it's mentioned in the first few pages.

I suspect episode 5 will be about the Munster mission, which was a couple of days after the Bremen, and episode 6 might be about Black Thursday, which was a few days after that.

@sueolson6035

4 ай бұрын

I'm hoping my old neighbor's B-17 makes an appearance, Stymie.

I'm enjoying the series but im amazed they haven't dealt with the terrible bomb accuracy issue. It makes the 100th story even more tragic but they seem to be giving the impression that they are largely hitting their targets

Some parts of that newspaper could almost be pulled from today's headlines.

excellent channel and absolutely loving your review of each episode. On a personal note. my Grandfather and his brother both fought in World War 2. My grandfather was a dive-bomber pilot on the US Ticonderoga in the Pacific . His Brother was a B-17 Navigator and was shot down and killed over Germany. I believe he died on their 23 mission. His name was Edward Klein. Is there any resources you could point me in the direction to find out his plane number, date of death etc? It was a very emotional topic with my grandfather and never heard those details before he passed. Any help would be appreciated. keep up the excellent content on the channel.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

I find that a search on newspapers.com are the best way to find info like this.

@TheRendar

4 ай бұрын

@@ReelHistory thank you so much!

@TheRendar

4 ай бұрын

@@ReelHistory thanks for the link. I found it! Lt Edward Klein 25, B17 Navigator died August 18, 1944 from wounds received when his plane crashed while on his 39th mission. The mission he was on was the bombing of the Ploesti oil fields in Romania . His bomber group was apart of the 15th Air force flying out of Italy. Thanks again for the direction. Amazing the service and sacrifice these men were apart of.

Cannot emphasise enough that "cosmopolitan and international" London has been the Galactic capital for eons and today most closely resembles the cantina scene from the original Star Wars (coincidentally filmed at Elstree studios in Borehamwood just outside London in Hertfordshire). I've heard it said that 90% of the voices you hear on the streets are not speaking English and I believe it may be true. I always urge our American visitors to get out of London (and other major cities) during their visit or they cannot really claim to have 'seen' anything of England apart from some historic buildings and the Guards - and even the Army is today in the news as I type this because it is not what it once was.

Also of note how the newspaper says U boat pens destroyed when know full well that wouldnt have been the case

Oak leaf clusters- gold for majors, silver for lieutenant colonel. You mentioned that one of the main characters was wearing his "major's pin" on a red fez hat. A "major's pin, " the rank insignia, is an oak leaf cluster.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Of course.

Frieden, Freiheit, Glückseligkeit, Freude und Wohlstand für alle Menschen

Found your description of the Red Cross a little bit inaccurate based on my Father's experience. He served with the 672nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion in the south pacific. Training began at Fort Hood, TX , and Fort Ord, CA. There were a number of opportunities to interact with the Red Cross while they moved from Texas to California. During several stops the Red Cross was there to serve coffee and donuts the only difference being, they were SELLING them, not just serving them. From that time forward, my Father had very little regard for the Red Cross.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Wow!

Great reviews however, many of the film clips in the review are flipped, the right is left and the left is right. Wings a ribbons are worn on the left chest not the right Thank you for the review.

@ReelHistory

3 ай бұрын

Yep. This manipulation is so we don't risk getting taken down.

Congrats on getting your phD.

The change of pace at first seemed odd, but was needed. We've seen what happens in combat, so a shift of perspective was actually good. We haven't seen Clevens go down, many viewers might think him dead but I expect we will catch up the story. Egan being on the end of a bombing, watching it from the hotel and realising this is what his job does to people, like seeing the dead girl pulled from the ruined house - you can see him self moralising about it. . Yet the Polish lady has a different view, that the Germans deserve everything that happened to them, understandable given the way her country and people were savaged. It's easy for us today to sit and moralise about strategic bombing, some 80 years later - but we weren't there, it was a different world, people were different too. One thing I noticed was they didn't clarify Harry Crosby has crashed in England but was alive. People saw his plane get hit and they thought him lost, but where they landed there was no phone so by the time they arrived back by truck all their stuff was removed from their huts, thinking them dead.

What was the name of the Belgian resistance you mentioned? Charles Guiette? Gniette? Couldn't find anything on Google.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

You can find some information on him here: 100thbg.com/e-e-history-page-2/

What does your jersey say in full? Is there something beneath the 4th Div? Also, 4th Div what? I was in 2/24 WNPS CO 4th Mar Div & prior to earning the name the Mad Ghosts while I was in Iraq our Btn claim to fame was having participated in Iwo Jima.

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

It is a replica of a 4th ID baseball jersey from WWII.

How much does a pilot hat like that go for? Very cool hat!

@ReelHistory

2 ай бұрын

$150 at least.

These characters look much more polished and good looking,but I guess that's just Hollywood. However,I can already tell that this is no band of Brothers but I still very much appreciate the film, it's a true story that is re-created in detail and I very much appreciate it

@Kev_Cos

4 ай бұрын

That Austin Butler sure looks like a throwback to Golden Age Hollywood in his appearance ha I see what you mean. Not being as good as Band of Brothers is to be expected, BoB is easily one of the finest bits of Television ever made, an impossible task to follow. But this has been a very good series so far imo. Rarely get to see this side of the war, so it's refreshing to get some insight. Very well acted and produced too.

Dose anyone know where I can buys Ken Lemmon’s book

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

They are almost impossible to find. I merely lucked out.

I thought it was pretty cheap they had the Polish lady saying Egen just came over to play hero. He did fight, and it was a job that needed to get done. So why take a jab at him like that? It feels like a modern sentiment shoved in there.

At this point I’m super curious as to what episodes we will finally be introduced to the 332nd fighter group. Also I really hope they make the switch to the b-17G models on screen

People were hung on street in the show before the Belgium(?) interrogation scene - was that reality/regular?

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Public retribution was common.

@peaboss

4 ай бұрын

@@ReelHistory understood, thanks.

This was the stop and think episode. Very sad.

This was a rough one. ( I mean that in a good way. I thought it was a great episode, I mean "emotionally" rough.)

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

Surprisingly so, especially without combat scenes.

Jared can't believe you didn't tell us if the Bob shooting was something that happened! Gutted... can you shed any light

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

This was a fictionalized composite on similar instances. It did not happen with Quinn and Bailey.

@anthonycanning503

4 ай бұрын

@ReelHistory darn! Thanks Jared love from Northern Ireland

Why didn’t you talk about the German infiltration bob I really wanted to hear about that

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

At first, I wasn't sure myself what gave him away!

@Retrohertz

4 ай бұрын

@@ReelHistory Apparently he was exposed because he wrote the date in the European format - DD/MM/YYYY. At least, that was one of the reasons shown to the viewer.

@maxu8

4 ай бұрын

@@Retrohertz yea and i learned he sang the star spangled banner wrong too

I don’t think there is better value for money in war than hot meals, hot showers, and a warm bed for any enemy combatant willing to put down their arms and surrender. Sure, war is hell and cycles of revenge are common, but there is a real benefit in giving your enemy a clear path on which they can realise the doubts you are instilling in them.

Was “Bob” a real person?

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

nope, but there were definitely real infiltrators that the show wanted to make everyone aware of.

How did the resistance members know that Bob was a German?

@ZackD

4 ай бұрын

DDMMYYY

@philiparonson8315

4 ай бұрын

Pretty thin reed, DDMMYYYY, to determine a man’s life. I’m an American and I use and see both all the time. When writing a personal card or letter I use DD MONTH YYYY, in business I use MMDDYYYY. Some traits are not as universal, or parochial, as one would think.

I dont really see how you can show the bombed german civilians easily without leaving the pilots. Unless a downed pilot we are following in the story happened to see such a scene

Ok hear me out, I think there is a huge opportunity to make the most epic WW2 cinematic ever... Take Band of brothers, the Pacific, and masters of the air and cut them together chronologically!

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

We've actually talked about doing something like that.

@FallujahMarine0311

4 ай бұрын

@@ReelHistory to be honest, and I hope they are working on it, but they need a naval series to complete all this. But a complete chronological cut of all 3 current "series" would be a cinematic masterpiece.

with the amount of memorabilia you have, when are you going to open your own museum?

@ReelHistory

4 ай бұрын

I have dreamed of it!