My father, who passed away at 100 years old last year, was a 21-year old bomber pilot in World War II, flew 50 missions like these.

@mikealvarez2322

4 ай бұрын

I honor your father and all those who served with him. My Dad was born in the US (his father was in the cigar manufacturing business in Cuba but was sent to one of the company's plants in Tampa). He grew up in Cuba and had dual citizenship. He showed his birth certificate at the US counsel's office around mid December, 1941. He wanted to join the Army and of course there were no objections to his immigrating to his birth country. Long story short, he left his new wife in the care of her family. He never got to fight the enemy as he was severely wounded in a training accident (almost lost both his arms and was never able to completely straighten them out). It took over a year for him to get his wife over here permanently but he did so all us kids were born in the greatest country on earth. The rest of the extended family stayed in Cuba until the Communist took over. Your Dad, my Dad, and that entire generation were true heroes. I honor them all. BTW, my late father-in-law was a waist gunner on a B-24 Liberator, but that's another story.

@gtaclevelandcity

4 ай бұрын

Jesus, 50 missions? I'm surprised your dad's fortress could even get up in the air with his giant brass balls onboard. Much respect.

@Rveaper

4 ай бұрын

Rip

@ChienaAvtzon

4 ай бұрын

50 missions? Your father was a true hero!!!!

@Matty_th

4 ай бұрын

Wow!!!! God bless him! ❤

As a pilot myself, I love that they made this series. At 25:00, his hands stuck to the gun because of how extremely cold it was up at altitude; the metal on the .50 cal machine gun was well below freezing.

Such a deep series. Love how they focus on the toll these missions take on these airmen.

Bucky To buck: You don’t drink you don’t gamble you don’t smoke, you don’t even Like sports “ You: he’s perfect 😂

@Centane

4 ай бұрын

I wouldn't complain! 😂

@neutchain7838

4 ай бұрын

Yeah that made me chuckle. :) A lady's perspective on things. Most guy would found that behavior rather weird or at least unusual. Especially in the forties during wartime.

These air crew had a higher casualty rate than the Marines in the Pacific.

I’m glad this series exists. My grandfather was a bombardier with the 8th Air Force during WW2. He never talked about his experiences to me when I was a child. To see this and know that he went through things like this just makes me appreciate him even more.

That high in the sky the bomber crews had to deal with -40 Celsius temps, causing skin to stick to metal if they touched it with their bare hands. Frostbite was a real issue, especially with the early thermal suits not being reliable due to shorts in the heating coils.

I love Kamila's desire to learn more by reading the books; signs of true intelligence. Great intelligence, a kind heart, and a charming personality, all wrapped up in a beautiful package. Out there in this world is a very lucky young man. I'm 77, so that leaves me out.

@cleekmaker00

4 ай бұрын

One of the books she should try is Edward Jablonski's "Flying Fortress". It's the seminal work on the B-17, and the 100th is featured prominently in the book.

You might want to add Memphis Belle (1990) to your list of war movies. It's a fictionalized account of the crew's 25th and final mission making them eligible for rotation home. The Memphis Belle's crew was the first to complete the 25 mission requirement.

@Ambaryerno

4 ай бұрын

They were actually the third. The first bomber to complete 25 missions was a B-24 named Hot Stuff, operating out of Naples, which completed its 25th mission in February, 1943. She would eventually complete 31 missions. The first 8th Air Force bomber to reach that milestone was a B-17 called Hell's Angels. She completed her 25th mission on May 13, 1943, four days before the Belle, and would go on to complete a total of 48 missions, having never lost a crewman. Hot Stuff was to be sent home for a war bond tour, however she crashed en route in Iceland on May 3, 1943, with the lost of all hands except the tail gunner. Among the dead were General Frank M. Andrews, commander of the Eastern Theater of Operations. His death in the crash cleared the way for Eisenhower to assume command. After Hot Stuff's crash, the Army selected Memphis Belle for the war bond tour, apparently because Hell's Angels name was...less than pleasing to the War Department. Additionally, the Belle happened to have a film crew aboard for her final mission, which recorded footage that became part of a famous documentary about the Strategic Bombing Campaign.

Amazing series so far. Ive been waiting for this for years! His hands froze to the metal , it is so cold up in the sky , they are up in the sky 20,000 feet , it was not the heat. My mothers Uncle was a Ball Turret Gunner (under the belly of the bomber) in the 381st bomb group 532nd Squad. My mothers uncle went in on a bombing raid March 24th 1944 into Germany and became a POW that day due to having 2 of the 4 engines were knocked out and some of the nose damaged. This damage kept them from keeping up with the rest of the Bombers heading back over to England. So while my mothers uncles B17 pulled out of formation the pilots kept control of the Bombers and limped it across Germany then through France ( which was still being held by the Germans ) but could no longer fly anymore due to the damage sustained. They nursed the bomber as far they could hoping they can get across the channel and back to England ( which some B17’s that were heavily damaged did make it across) but to no avail on this day . So they had to crash land in the French countryside , the French resistance got their before the German Patrols and quickly rounded up whom they could , 4 of the 10 man crew escaped with them and hid for months , the other 5 were captured eventually including my mothers uncle. He spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft 1 POW CAMP. You also need to realize that the German Fighters had 20 or 30 MM rounds being shot at those bombers , where as we were only shooting back at them with 50 caliber rounds , if the bombers got hit with those 20 mill rounds it would go through like a hot knife through butter. God bless these young men who fought and died for this country

@Ryan_Christopher

4 ай бұрын

“.50-caliber” not “50-caliber.” The gun calibers are in inches so remember the decimal points unless you mean whole inches (like in naval guns). 0.5 inch = 12.7 millimeters of bullet diameter, less than half the size of a 30-millimeter cannon round.

"How do they know they are under way...." Radar, radio listening, and observers. The guns were controlled with mechanical computers.

Sounds like you need to watch Memphis Belle.

@mikealvarez2322

4 ай бұрын

I agree along with The Tuskegee Airmen or Red Tails. Red Tails is more entertaining but like a lot of Hollywood movies is short on history (most laughable is the air combat between P-51 Mustang and German jets plus the endless supply of ammo on these planes.)

At this point it was the Army Air Force. It was formed as a support element for the Army after WW1. Aircraft back then were very short ranged so it made sense for them to be a special branch of the Army like how the cavalry and artillery are a part of the Army as well. During the 1930's and 40's aircraft became much more long ranged so many nations like the British and Germans had their own independent Air Forces. The US had more of an emphasis on heavy bombers like the B-17 and B-24 so they took heavy losses over Europe due to their lack of fighter protection so far into Germany. That was later changed and after WW2 the US Air Force was made its own branch independent from the Army. Side note: I actually had a great great uncle who served with the 8th Air Force, 390th Bomb Group that flew many missions alongside the 100th Bomb Group. He was KIA over the channel on his way back from a raid into Germany. He was a tail gunner on a B-17F.

I am SO glad to see you doing this series. When I saw it in my YT feed...I had to stay up and watch. I loved your reaction to BoB. Haven't seen your reaction to The Pacific. I would place this show between BoB and TP....closer to BoB...but not quite there (what could be). It IS different. Air combat was different. I've already seen many in the comments note how the "mighty 8th" (of which the 100th bomb group was a part) lost more people than ALL of the marines in the pacific. These planes look "big" on the ground....but... I was blessed to go inside one at an airshow years ago...they are very very cramped. And the lower ball turret position...nope....NOPE. They do a great job showing just how difficult it is to be inside one of these aircraft...even when people aren't throwing flak and sending fighters after you. Eagerly anticipating your reaction to the next episode. (The honor you show those who fought in this conflict and the mature reaction is why I LOVE what you are doing). Thank you again.

Thank you for this reaction. Two similar movies I recommend are the Memphis Belle (1990) and Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

Love this series. Hoping they next take on the idea of fighter pilots in the future. The air is so cold up at that altitude your hands will stick to naything metal if you are not wearing your gloves. You might enjoy "Tora Tora Tora" from 1970. It is an incredibly well done movie showing both the American side as well as the Japanes Side during the Pearl Harbor attack. The directors who collaborated on the production were an American as well as two Japanese directors. As well as being the first international production.

The 'Ah-ten-Hut' at 17:09 is me, great watch along!

I love your reaction to this masterpiece, hope you can finish all the eps cuz it's so good. I respect the fact that you seem so relax and calm watching it and not talking too much like others, it means you're into it. Can't wait for this ep 2 reaction

Have a great week Centane !

Bucky’s girlfriend was in Yellowstone’s 1883. She was absolutely amazing.

I love this series so much, the series finale is so good and sad at the same time

The Strategic Bombing Campaign in Europe was its own brand of Hell. The American bomb groups suffered the highest casualty rates of any American combat units in WWII, as much as 50% or MORE. Life expectancy of a a bomber crew was about 6 weeks. The 100th Bomb Group, which this series follows, was dubbed the Bloody Hundredth for the casualties they sustained. They're still in existence today as the 100th Air Refueling Wing, and in fact they're the ONLY unit in the US Air Force that are still permitted to display their WWII-era tail badge, the "Square D." The tail gunner FROZE his hands to the guns. At the altitude they're operating at the air temperatures can fall into DOUBLE DIGIT negatives, so even though the guns can get hot from firing them, that heat dissipates FAST. If you've seen A Christmas Story when the kid gets his tongue stuck to the flagpole? That's what you're seeing there.

Awesome reaction of my favorite episode of Masters Of The Air!!!!!!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

As for coming down.... Only the takeoff part of a flight is optional, so far there has been no documented event of a plane stuck up there. There are also a lot more of them on the bottom of the ocean than ships in the sky. :) Good vid, lots of reversals which were really funny. "at least they have a nice view...oh..." :)

To get a good explanation as to the ins and outs of an 8th AF Mission, watch the documentary "Target for Today". It's an actual Mission flown in October 1944 that the 100th took part in.

This may be my new favorite show of all time or tied with them.

The Germans had a radar system in occupied Europe which could basically track the bombers from the time they got up in the air. It wasn't shown in the series, but it took a long time for the bombers to climb to altitude and get into formation. All the while they were being tracked. The book "Masters of the Air" is about the Eighth Air Force, of which the 100th Bomb Group is a small part. Another war series you might consider is "Rogue Heroes" about the formation and deeds of the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS) in North Africa.

Just an FYI. This is the Army Air Corps. The actual US Air Force wasn’t established until after the war.

thank you so much for watching this 🎉

I looked up the movie Test Pilot. It was a top earning movie back in 1938 starring Clark Gable, Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy. Gable and Tracy best buddies who are are a pilot and mechanic. After reading the description, I would say that definitely fits Buck and Bucky.

Yes so happy you are reacting to this.

one of the best books from the bombers crews is called, Flying Fortress

25:00 the gun is cold. Very cold. They are flying so high that skin will basically stick to any metal it touches.

Beautiful Centane prepares the handkerchiefs

I just finished the whole series. Shedded a few years myself

Great reaction Centane like always. A heads up dont watch the end credits it may spoil future episodes. Keep up the good work.

Can confirm. Manitowoc, WI is a real place. There are 10 men per bomber. Tuskegee Airmen (1995) and Red Tails (2012) would also be good watches in connection to this series.

Keeping with the war history theme, I really wish you'd watch "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima". Both directed by Clint Eastwood and shot at the same time telling opposite sides of the same battle. Another lesser known great movie: "The Great Raid" (2005)- Set in WW2 Philippines, Story of the largest POW rescue mission in history, starring James Franco.

22:39 How, you ask? All you have to do is look up and spot the contrails of all the planes.

They knew they were on the way because firstly engine noise and the planes were being tracked by radar as well

The 8th Air Force lost more men in the entire war than the Marine Corps did fighting the Japanese in the pacific. Those bomber boys really went through hell.

Please watch Shogun, it´s amazing.

Sorry haven't been watching been studying, Intro still slaps got to put a note on that Let's Goooo.

Just something to remember. Each B-17 had a crew of 10.

WEstern Europe is cloud covered about 3/4 of the days

They had a higher casualty rate than the Pacific infantry. 😢 It can get to -45C in the bombers.

Did you see Austin in "Once upon a time in Hollywood"?

@Centane

4 ай бұрын

Haven't seen that one no 👀

@HollywoodMarine0351

4 ай бұрын

@McShaganpronouncedShaegen… I watched it the other day and I pulled a “Pointing Rick Dalton” GIF. 😂

@McShaganpronouncedShaegen

4 ай бұрын

@@CentaneI knew from that point on he was going to be a force in Hollywood.

This is a different kind of series. Gives a fuller picture of war.

Perfect timing señorita! Skål 🍻

@Centane

4 ай бұрын

🥳🥳

The girl playing bucks main squeeze plays Nami from One Piece the live-action

All I can say is have tissues handy. Historically the 8th Air Force lost 26,000 men with another 26,000 taken prisoner throughout the war.

late here. the movie. ' 12 O'clock high ' features actual , real combat footage

Please react to the movie The Crucible, with Winona Ryder. It's about the witches of Salem and it's so damn good.

Meatball? Wasn't that 'Pappy' Boyington's dog.

Oh you poor girl. You have entered a rabbit hole from which there is no return until you reach the other side... Enjoy and keep tissues handy Good lawd I am an idiot! Marj, the blond with Buck, looked familiar and sounded familiar. It just hit me like a brick to the head. She was Elsa in Yellowstone prequel 1883.

Was that Freddy Mercury aesthetics (short black hair + shaved beard + mustache) so popular in the 40's? Sorry to be skeptic, but I never saw a WW2 series having so many characters using the same style of hair + mustache. Was that an air-force thing?

Over 4700 B-17 bombers were lost in action in Europe. The Brits lost over 3200 Lancaster bombers. 8000 planes lost and that not including other bombers and smaller aircraft. And, this is just over easter Europe.

This is not a perfect series, but I thought its narrative storytelling was far superior to the Pacific, and I’m engaged almost the entire time unlike when I watched the other show. It’s just unfortunate that Band of Brothers was lightening in a bottle, I don’t think that magic will ever be recaptured.

The book is real history... not cute guys and wicked banter. The air war over Europe was vicious, and nearly was stopped by the grievous losses. The crews figured during 1942 and 1943 that they had a 1 in 5 chance of survival. Only the addition of new bomber groups, bad weather that prevented missions in the winter of 1943 (that allowed the massive increase of available aircraft and crews), and the miracle of the P51 Mustang long-range fighter escort kept the 8th Air Force in the daylight bombardment business.

@ChienaAvtzon

4 ай бұрын

Shhhhhhh, you will ruin the twist for her

The Greatest Generation. They won WWII then came home and rebuilt it, giving us the world we have today.

Have you ever reacted to the Kings choice. I know its a Norwegian war film.

If you love Austin Butler you will love him even more in Dune part 2. ;)

More books they used to make this series include a wing and a prayer by Harry Crosby , Luck of the draw by Frank Murphy and Red tail captured, Red tail free by alexander jefferson

Mazderz uf dee Eair!

Hi! I did a short from this video. Where can I send it to you?

You haven't finished the matrix trilogy yet

Isn't there enough wars and senseless killings going on in the world right now without us watching this and considering it as entertainment. We need content that takes us away from the real world for awhile.

But I just don't understand I am always pushing cold watching an empathetic person like you watch programs like this. I wouldn't expect you to like things like this 🙂 I hope you don't get nightmares because of it! Peace!

How dare the young German AA-gunners and fighter-pilots to defend their homeland, cities, people and families? Official statistics of West German government 1956 put the death toll due to Allied air raids at 635.000 civilians. And by the way - even in France more than 67.000 people (men, women & children) were killed by Allied (British & US) bombing raids. It's called "collateral damage"! I love movies and shows with pilots and aircrafts, but as a German my point of view to the excessive bombing of civilians is a bit different ;) I think the bomber crews were brave soldiers, but no heroes!

It always feels so fake when modern day people are trying to play people from the past. I like the much older series and movies better. That still could have people from that time in them.

Just finished episode 2, very disappointed. .

@thatperformer3879

4 ай бұрын

Episodes 4-6 are amazing, 3 is by far the weakest in the series. I’m looking forward to the finale.