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@Ap3xx_

2 жыл бұрын

Can't wait for the new German Rhinemetal knives!

George Preddy fought over our hometown of Darwin, Nothern Territory, Australia against Japan in WW2! All my kids have learnt to drive on the old airstrips dotted around Darwin from these guys. Much Respect to the 'Yanks' that protected Australia during those years😎🇦🇺🙏

He's from my hometown of Greensboro, NC. My grandmother was a school friend of his before the war.

@digidanshow

2 жыл бұрын

It's sad the only local recognition of him is the I-40 off ramp.

@Houndini

2 жыл бұрын

@@digidanshow He deserves a lot better than that. At least 1 biggest landmarks bridges in the state.

The time he got the " ace in a day" ...he had a hangover from drinking the night before. Also, he had gotten his orders to go state side when he decided to fly one more mission and yes that was the day he was killed.

@francescoguzzetta

2 жыл бұрын

He probably butchered few teens with little training and no experience, possibly flying older planes, sent to fight by nazi regime at the end of the war. No surprise he could do it despite the hangover...

That was a pretty cunning move by the FW190 pilot.

@Houndini

2 жыл бұрын

My guess 1 of Germanys very best pilots To of survive that long in the war. Them Pilots flew countless more hours than there counterparts. A lesson we learned again in Vietnam about seat time & a whole lot more training saves life's. As kid living in the 1960's Southern coalfields of WV our terrain was very close to Vietnam's It was common daily for F-4's come barreling across sky low & fast & pop the sound barrier only to shake the earth over our house. I think Sunday was the only no training flights day. As a adult in early 80's working main top of WV mts driving huge rock trucks, The 2nd seat guy the navigator I found out set there on them fighters sometimes would wave at me as they coming in that low flying over myself you could see them pilots that good. After they was gone you would hear the sound. That started my hobby of aviation.

@azspotfree

2 жыл бұрын

It worked well too. Preddy was probably fixated on the kill to raise his score rather than avoiding that field of AA fire. I read it was cloudy or hazy too that day. The anti aircraft crews denied responsibility after the incident. They said they couldn't make the planes out in the haze. They only knew the field was being fired on. War is dangerous business to be sure.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

@@azspotfree :You contradict yourself, 1 minute you say he wanted to pad his kill numbers, then you say it was overcast and couldn't see, the AA crew said they heard and saw the 1st plane, an me109, they heard the 2nd, assumed it was a 2nd me109 and just fired at the sound, being they sounded simmular, and realized when his Mustang came out of the clouds but it was too late as they fired the quad50, which was about 100 rounds. So your rediculas comment that he was careless was stupid!

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

@@azspotfree :By the way, the AA crew said they were NOT advised there were friendly fighters in the area, they said if the knew, they wouldn't have fired blindly into the cloud cover!

@azspotfree

2 жыл бұрын

@@glennfalzo3718 Soulnds like I'm clearly an ass**le

There are many many tragedies that took place during the Second World War. And for me, one of them is the death of George preddy. Preddy was known for his diminutive size and comically large ears. This combination earned him the moniker "Mouse." Despite these shortcomings, Preddy was incredibly generous and charitable. During the Great Depression in the 1930s. A fellow school friend became Orphaned after the death of his parents. After much convincing, preddy was able to persuade his parents to take the boy in. Preddy would share his room with the boy, for the next six years until he came of age. His compassionate nature remained strong, even in the chaos of War. In 1943 Preddy and the 352nd fighter Wing were sent to England. Quickly he and the rest of his group soon became smitten with their host nation. During lulls in the fighting, he and a group of friends would load up trucks, jeeps and any other vehicle they could get their hands on, with ice cream, chocolates, sweets and other goodies. They would then drive from town to town, Village to Village and distribute them to the local population. In his diary Preddy noted how touched he was, at the delighted smiles of British children. As for many this was the first time they had ever sampled ice cream. His tragic death is incredibly moving, as he was accidentally killed by The Very men he was trying to save. Had he survive the war, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have been America's highest scoring fighter Ace. Surpassing the record of Richard bong, with 40 aerial victories. Especially when you consider that just a week later, the Luftwaffe launched operation Bodenplatte. One of the largest concentration of German aircraft, ever seen on the Western Front.

@DwayneEagle114

2 жыл бұрын

Yes it wrenches my heart too I have models of all the aircaft types he flew really depressing war is ugly though I wish those ground flak crew faced some sort of punishment .

Respect to the ace for his skills in aerial combat and sad that his life ended this way.

I'm genuinely sad at hearing this, rest in peace George

Fantastic pilot. Goes to show how dangerous flying combat is - esp. back in those days where IFF was barely in it's infancy and AA gunners' Mark-1 Eyeball was prone to mistakes.

Despite how technology has advanced, blue on blue engagements still happen even today. Good story

Ironic that in his early career he was nearly killed by a fellow American P-40 pilot only to be killed later on by American ground fire. Seems his biggest threat was not the enemy.

His quote was very cool and thank you for making these videos u don’t understand how it brightens my day I hope u have a good holiday:)

Thank You for sharing your video ! Hope you and your loved ones have a great and safe holiday season, Cheers, Tony

American forces in WWII led the Allies and Axis forces in friendly fire incidents. The American 'shoot first ask questions later' mindset and poor training led to this outcome. Things were not much better in Afghanistan or Iraq either.

@truthbetold8610

2 жыл бұрын

Or Vietnam. The "C" company I was in was fired on by "A" company, The ARVN's called artillery in on us, two Air Force F 100's strafed us, the Navy shelled our position with 8" guns firing air bursts over our heads, who needed the enemy?

@krixpop

2 жыл бұрын

@@truthbetold8610 The Japanese took "friendly fire" to extremes in ww2 ...

@lokiwiseyt8608

2 жыл бұрын

Sometimes it had to be done like for example a p51 known as bad angel (I forget who the pilot was) shot down an American DC3 loaded with Americans because the DC3 pilots had gotten lost and were about to land at a Japanese airfield another example is the battle of long tan if the kiwis hadn’t shelled 11 platoon position during the battle then 11 platoon would’ve been wiped out

@kingtigertheheavy2708

2 жыл бұрын

Shoot first ask questions later belongs to the Japanese. I don't need to state why. And the US had one of the best training programs for their troops. Plus the video has proof that the US had some of the best training programs

@hinterkress

Жыл бұрын

@@kingtigertheheavy2708 Let me guess King Tiger, American by any chance? I don't know much about the Japanese military but American troops have been accused of more friendly fire incidents than any other combatants, from (at least) WW2 to the present time.

Given his record in the P-51, you have to wonder just how many more he would have had if he hadn't been killed. It's just crazy that a fellow pilot collided with him and then it was friendly fire later that killed him. So very sad. Great video. I only just discovered your recreations, but I'm enjoying them so far.

Thanks for watching guys! Hope you enjoyed this recreation. If you have any feedback or ideas for new videos, please comment them! Thanks!

@mattheweagles5123

2 жыл бұрын

Have you covered Op Jericho? Also Op Chastise (but don't dwell on the dog).

@dovidell

2 жыл бұрын

movie stars that went to war in WW2 ( and other conflicts )

@steadmanuhlich6734

2 жыл бұрын

TO TJ3 HISTORY: I have enjoyed a the videos I have seen so far on your channel. I think you do a very good job of narrating the key facts about the pilots, and I like your mix of archival photos and flight sim footage too. There are so many great stories that can be told about the war and the people who fought. I have subscribed to your channel and have been sharing your videos to two Facebook groups that are focused on WW2 fighter planes and pilots. See my comment below for name of group. Keep up the good work!

@TJ3

2 жыл бұрын

@@steadmanuhlich6734 thanks! Glad you enjoyed them!

@gilbertjamessalud3145

2 жыл бұрын

Hey tj3 do another video about a enemy bf109 spared a b17 bomber please?

A great way to start day is watching a new Tj3 new videos.

Six Bf 110's were hardly "a superior opponent" for three P-47's. As early as in the Battle of Britain, the two-engined heavy fighters had proved to be no match for single-engined ones, and the Thunderbolts were much better armed than Battle of Britain Hurricanes and Spitfires.

@jeffhubbard4688

2 жыл бұрын

G'wan then. Show us how it is done.........

@joro5748

2 жыл бұрын

@@jeffhubbard4688 I didn't mean to detract from the merits of this ace, I just wanted to call into question evaluating the Bf 110's as a superior opponent, especially at this stage of the war.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

Remember, they had a rear-facing gunner that was very accurate!

@kingtigertheheavy2708

2 жыл бұрын

Tough armor ain't gonna save you from 8 50.cals

Excellent work in the quality of the graphics and depiction of the air war for the P-51 ace. Looking forward to the next upload, keep it up. Very entertaining ☺️

Very Good video and excellent summary of this pilot, the fog of war is absolutely real 👌

Great video, and the thumbnail had a decidedly contemporary quality about it, as if George could be alive today. Forever young.

Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

Sadly his younger Brother was also killed in a P-51, they both have a Highway in N.C named for the 2!! Rest In Peace Ancient Warrior!!

@chpman2013

2 жыл бұрын

Died the same way, too, shot down by ground fire (although, it was enemy ground fire as he was attacking an enemy airfield)...which highlighted the most glaring weakness of the P-51.

@lotharroberts5978

2 жыл бұрын

@@chpman2013 What was the most "glaring" weakness of the P-51?

@chpman2013

2 жыл бұрын

@@lotharroberts5978 it could not take much damage from ground fire. In fact, one solid hit on it's Packard Merlin engine would be enough to disable it. Most of the P-51's that were downed were downed by ground fire.

@ricardocorbie6803

2 жыл бұрын

@@chpman2013 Yessssss that radiator was located underneath the belly of the aircraft, n it being liquid cooled!!

@ianfarr-wharton1000

2 жыл бұрын

My grandfather (Edwin Farr-Wharton) shot down one of George Preddy buddy's in a Mustang in Darwin Australia, The piolet flow his Mustang in a no go zone and was told many times to get out of the area, but didn't so the Australian AAA shot him down. Yeah Edwin Farr-Wharton shot down a lot of Japanese and German aircraft and one USA Mustang, that's war for you.

Most best fighter pilots had from the factory what money & training can't do. Born natural ability for there jobs. Excellent Eyesite & Quick natural reflexes..

Preddy nice story thanks for sharing

8:53 shows a short nose FW 190 A type radial engine, not a Long Nose Dora

Has an Australian ,Thank you for your service. The time you spent in Australia. A great Hero.

I have heard stories that during Operation Bodenplatte ( 1st Jan 1945 ) , not only were a sizable number of German planes downed by their own anti-aircraft batteries , who were not informed of the operation , but that several allied planes were hit by overzealous friendly anti-aircraft batteries intent on hitting the German planes

When I was 11, I was talking to a friend's father about the Bf-109 model I was building, and he said "I remember the Me 109. We were in Germany in a convoy, and an Me 109 came in on a strafing run. They had those quad guns front and rear of the convoy, and they swung around and opened up. They didn't realize there was a P-51 hot on that Me 109's tail, and they blew him right out of the sky." This shocked me, because as a kid I had never heard of friendly fire incidents. I also asked him about where they stayed, and he said that when it was time to stop for the night, they'd just find a house to stay in. "What if there were Germans inside?" I asked him. "We'd just pull out a .45 and start shouting 'Raus raus!', and maybe shoot at the ceiling." It was the only time I ever heard him talk about his experiences during WW-2.

@joangratzer2101

2 жыл бұрын

I HEARD GEORGE WAS A TRIPLE ACE.

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

This man was a great pilot. Shame he had to die so tragically.

Cool video and voiceover

Great video as always. Learn something every time I watch one. By the way I ordered a set of knives from Kamikoto for my wife's anniversary. She has a culinary arts degree and is pretty good with a knife, I think she will like these. : ) Thanks for the video and the promo code! First time I've ever used a promo from a KZread channel..

Love your presentation here! He grew up near my grandparents in Greensboro, NC. I keep thinking his first name was "Richard." Don't know why...

I saw a replica of his Mustang at a great museum called Fantasy of Flight.

Pretty Awesome but it's sad because he was killed by friendly fire

Hey!! Shout out to my hometown, Greensboro NC!

Do videos on Richard Bong & Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. Great video I enjoyed it a lot.

He has a DVD called, Preddy, the Mustang Ace, WWII’s highest scoring P-51 Mustang Ace. Its a great video, bought it in the 2000’s for about $ 20.00.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

I have it...EXCELLENT!!!

I share a birthday with Maj. Preddy who is my second favorite fighter pilot behind my dad who flew in Korea and Vietnam.

I met the Bride of a USMC fighter pilot who had been downed by friendly fire. He was returning to base after an attack. The anxious ground crew AA opened fire at the next plane inbound. As the waterlogged pilot slogged onto the beach from the surf, he was met by Marines with rifles. He slugged the nearest one and yelled "Make sure you know what the hell you're shooting at next time". Or something to that effect. He continued storming up from the beach as the Marines stood there dumbfounded. Such is war.

i love you make the history of Saburo Sakai

I live in a smol village near Koblenz. Didn't expect that.😅

I think you should follow this one with the 352nd’s squad leader, J.C. Meyer. His story is just as extraordinary, especially his actions during the Battle of the Bulge.

If not for that tragic accident of war he might have become the top-scoring American ace in the European Theater.

@joangratzer2101

2 жыл бұрын

I HEARD GEORGE WAS A TRIPLE ACE.

You should follow that with his brother who was also a fighter pilot and who was ALS shot down by friendly fire

One thing I find interesting would like to see sights like yours, also cover the officers that controlled it all and made a major contribution to the war over the years. Their history before, during and after the war. People like Sir Keith Parks, Colonel Robin Olds, Adolf Galland. And yes even test pilots like Chuck Yeager. But then on the British side of that, you would have to include Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown. Funny most don't know much about the Russan ones there as well?

Butch O’Hare was shot down by a nervous TBM back seater when he joined up on it in his F4F...the airport west of Chicago is named for him.

Hey TJ3, have you read Top Mustang Ace? It tells the whole life story of George Preddy! Totally recommended!

@TJ3

2 жыл бұрын

I have not, I'll check it out!

@steveperreira5850

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip! I will look that book up.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

I have a video Documentary of George titled "George E. Preddy, THE Mustang Ace"! it's older, VHS, had his wingman's comments on what he saw happened.

awsome nc boy

He is buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery next to his brother.

Just read his biography again. Preddy and Meyer were polar opposites in temperament and command style. But to best demonstrate what the pilots of the 352nd thought of Preddy as a person, when Meyer went Stateside for his leave and Preddy temporarily took over the squadron the pilots warned each other not to screw up for the Major or else the pilots would go after the guy that messed up. They didn’t want any black marks against Preddy while he was leading the men.

WOW

i cant imagine shooting a human up with 50 cal bullets , what a horrible way to die. if he was hit in the chest it was instant death

His wingman, Raymond Mitchell, was a very dear friend of mine and flying nearby when Preddy was shot down. Good old Blue Nose Bastards

@skipperclinton1087

2 жыл бұрын

J, from the looks of your pictures you don't look even close to having a "Dear friend" that was a wingman to Preddy. So I call BS on your comment!

@dr1Voss48

2 жыл бұрын

@@skipperclinton1087 So I’m 27 myself and, must’ve been 15 years ago now, in the small Virginia town I’m from I saw an older gentleman wearing a P-51 hat. So I sat down with him and began asking questions and he was gracious enough to answer me. We developed a friendship from there and attended WW2 weekends together in Edinburg before they closed that down. So smoke that, Skipper

@rupertwilliams891

2 жыл бұрын

So 15 years ago you supposedly had a chat with a WW2 pilot, and he told you he was flying nearby at the time?! Please excuse me while I laugh :-) Major BS is what I say........why do people like you come out with such BS? I just cannot understand what you get out of this?

@dr1Voss48

2 жыл бұрын

@@rupertwilliams891 He and I often attended sporting events and had lunch and conversed. Had a lot of good laughs with Ray and miss him dearly (he passed away several years ago). Frankly, I couldn’t be bothered to give two shits about your beliefs, worthless existence, or your rudeness. You can keep that to yourself. I’ll keep the memories I had with a wonderful pilot who flew on Preddy’s wing.

@skipperclinton1087

2 жыл бұрын

@@dr1Voss48 So I'm not the only one that's called you out on your comment as Rupert Williams said basically the same thing. There are a lot of WWII Vets that embellish the truth just like in every war the US has been involved in.

I didnt know about this home town hero

Preddy's brother also got into the war late as a pilot. He was also killed/

A hero of mine… During WWII General George S. Patton had successfully stormed across North Africa conquering Nazi aggression. His successes had hurried him to the invasion of Sicily. There Patton had called for fresh Airborne troops from North Africa to help in his surge into Sicily, this decision proved to be fatal. The United States Navy was docked on the coast of Sicily and had been strafed and bombed by German Luftwaffe (Air Force) JU 88s. Shrouded at night the called on American C-47 transports caring airborne rangers from the 504th were mistaken for German Ju-88s. The American Navy opened fire on the American incoming C-47 transports, 23 C-47 transports were shot down, 37 C-47 transports were badly damaged, and 318 American servicemen were killed by the “Friendly Fire” tragedy. All this happened at the order of General George S. Patton. One can only ponder the feeling from the gripping bad news General Patton had received from his hasty order, as he was solely responsible for the death of 318 US servicemen. Why didn’t General Patton resign in disgrace, or hide in shame embracing alcoholism? Obviously he didn’t have time for that, as his response was “Victory is the only redemption!” General Patton pressed on to be a Great Victorious American General. Yes, General Patton is a hero of mine, not because of his accomplishments, but because of his attitude. What kind of man says such a thing in the face of such failure? “Victory is the only redemption!” What an inspiration…

" I hope you enjoyed this historical recreation " !!, when you know before the story starts , that the hero gets killed by his own people , how ironic is that !!!

At the time Allied troops landed in France, most german Pilots where young and unexperienced (expereinced Pilots were at Eastern Front). They must fly without time to rest. Reinforcements if they where able, had often been young boys not older then 20 Years. Over all a german "jagdflieger" had an average life expectancy of 10Battles. Many died during take-offs and landings, due to accidents or were shot down in the process by allied planes...

Hmm, another account that I've read says that Preddy crash-landed and would've survived had he not taken hits to his body, and that he died on his way to the hospital.

MAJ Preddy was suffering from a severe hangover when he flew his six victory mission. Apparently the night before there was a large party at the base as it was not believed that there would be a mission the following day..

@skipperclinton1087

2 жыл бұрын

And what's your point? The hangover didn't kill him, friendly fire did in the end. Hangovers will make you wish you were dead but usually you're not that lucky.

@4vepvik781

2 жыл бұрын

@@skipperclinton1087 😂😂👍🏽

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

@@skipperclinton1087 Showes his willingness AND his expertise as a fighter pilot! Could you have done the same? He was in a crap game, the mission was scrubbed, he stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, then woken up after only a couple of hours sleep and told the mission was a go. After drinking ALL night and having a bad hangover, he went up anyway. That's the kind of Fighter Pilot he was!

Yay early!!!

can you pls bring back the youtube live streams

@TJ3

2 жыл бұрын

I may be creating another TJ3 channel just for live streams. Stay tuned!

Gee...what a life...

IIRC; Preddy was stood down on Xmas Eve and Xmas Day and therefore was still intoxicated when his orders were rescinded at short notice. He vomited before strapping in to the P51... but he never quit. Whether we care to admit it or not Britain owes so much to aggressive young pilots like Preddy, America didn't have to sacrifice all those boys to contain the Nazis in Europe, Hitler was no threat to the US even though he declared war . Japan should have been their only focus. If the tables were turned and America was under imminent threat of being over-run by a hostile neighbour (Mexico for example) I don't think Britain would have sent her boys to die 'over there'. This is a long version of thank you.

Ironic, the iconic US fighter of WW2 is the P51 Mustang, that ONLY came into existence because the British purchasing commission ordered it AND it was designed by a German refugee from Nazi Germany, then, only became good when the British installed a Merlin in lieu of the Allison engine it was initially built with AND started to improve the visibility by changing the canopy and cut off the fastback. The “feedback” trickled back to the makers.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

So What the Hell does that have to do with George Preddy. STICK WITH THE VIDEO INFO AND KNOCK OFF THE B.S.!

P47 against Bf 110s, seriously? A 10 year old could do that.

Please do video on P51 Mustang pilot Wiliam Overstreet, Jr. who pursued an ME 109 under the Eiffel Tower and shot it down over the streets of Paris

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

There's also Major William Shomo, a p51 RECON Pilot im the PTO who shot down "7" Japanese fighters in the same amount of time as Maj. Preddy, no where near the high kill numbers though.

Most sources I've read say that he bellied in his Mustang but had been hit in the leg which cut his femoral artery. US ground troops reached him while he was alive but bled to death on the ground before effective medical help could reach him.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

My research showed also he bellied in, but the shot WAS in his chest, if memory serves me, when the men arrived, they found him dead from a chest wound. I believe as others here, had he survived the war, he would have more then likely surpassed Richard Bong's total and become the highest scoring American Ace, and that also comes from experts in aerial combat.

@JeffBecker805

Жыл бұрын

The pilot who bellied in was later shown to be Donald Emerson from the 4th Fighter Group. There's an update about Preddy's death on the Preddy Memorial Foundation website that claims Preddy's aircraft and two others were hit by AA and that Preddy bailed out but was too low for his parachute to open.

I would like to see a video story of Old 666.

friendly fire ? obviously a total lack of training in aircraft recognition , for your average soldier manning A,A guns , basicly just blasting away at any aircraft that passes over you , when its a good 50/50 chance its one of your own , is just "plane" crazy ! especially if the plane you are firing at are not attacking you directly !

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

And an Fw190 looks NOTHING like a P51 Mustang!

It didn't take long for the Europeans to notice how much the Americans 🇺🇲 were all "gun happy" shooting at just about anything that moved... without looking twice. A cow in a pasture... an old civilian man riding a bicycle on a countryside road... You know how good it feels to expand all those free ammo ! 💪💪

I wonder what happened to the ground gunners that shot him down accidentally

His total kill score at the time of his death was 26.83

@rimshot2270

2 жыл бұрын

Counting ground victories?

@troygroomes104

2 жыл бұрын

@@rimshot2270 air to air 25 kills, and 2 that where shared

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

@@rimshot2270 :NO, ALL aerial victories!

@rimshot2270

2 жыл бұрын

@@glennfalzo3718 Thank you.

#1 rule...never chase an enemy plane. Never ends well.

It is not 'Squad" mates, it is Squadron Mates. There is a difference and thank you for a great video

@Galm02

2 жыл бұрын

What is the difference?

@BARelement

2 жыл бұрын

@@Galm02 ^ yeah I was gonna ask the same… Some ppl just wanna ruin ya day idk.

@youngguns1319

2 жыл бұрын

A squadron in 2 or more fighter aircraft. A squad is a smaller group of soldiers like around 6 or so.

George Preddy was not only one of the highest-scoring P-51 aces, he was THE highest-scoring. In addition, his P-51 didn't explode upon hitting the ground as is shown in this video. The plane actually came down fairly gently--it was the gunfire which struck him that killed Preddy.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

I remember reading his Mustang was NOT severely damaged.

@anridapu

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. Also the gun crew that hit him was a quad 50 set up on a half track, not a singular unit.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

@@anridapu :I have a video "George Preddy:Mustang Ace"! In the video, they had an interview with one of the "AA" crew who shot him down, he explained what happened. He said when they ran over to his Mustang, they saw who it was and that he had died. So the reports of his plane "Exploding" are NOT true. They also interviewed his wingman, Lt. James Cartee, and his CO, John Meyer, Meyer said he never met a pilot like him, He called him "The Pilot's Pilot", if he got you in his sights, you were dead! He also said, of I remember correctly, had he had servived, he would have no doubt became the leading Ace in the ETO and possibly of the war (U.S.).

"It was often difficult to compete with German aces". It wasn't even fn close. And the pilot of this story it's terrible how he died.

Had he survived the war his name probably would as famous as Chuck Yeager

Another reason German pilots racked up such high kill numbers was the target rich environment on the eastern front flying against inferior aircraft. Basically shooting fish in a barrel.

@Dalesmanable

2 жыл бұрын

That may have been true for the first half of the Eastern Front, but for the second half the Russian fighter planes were the equal of, often better than, the German fighters. See eg the Yak 3.

@tonydeaton2890

2 жыл бұрын

@@Dalesmanable well, again, most of the Russian fighters shot down, even later in the war, weren't Yak-3's. The Yak-3 was a true 400mph performer and was a match for most German aircraft. You could debate pilot ability all day long. What stunted German success was America and Britain's entry into the war.

Pilot was lucky if he survived in training. Lucky if he had enemy in gun sight. Lucky if stay out of enemy gun sight. He was very lucky if he avoid crashes and came home in one piece. Less than 1/100 pilots came to ace.

Is that Pewdiepies ancestor in the photograph?

War kills good men.

I had read about this a long time ago. It was one of the saddest and most tragedic events of the war. The guy was an incredible pilot and to go down the way he did was such bullshit. I have no idea what those idiots on the ground were thinking. They could plainly see a P-51 on the tail of the 190, which anybody with half a brain would know had a much better chance of shooting it down. Why in the hell did they keep firing, especially when their fire started hitting the P-51. It is so hard for me to understand what those morons were thinking. He had a really good chance of passing Johnson, who was back in the states, and Gabreski, who was a POW at the time. Just one more kill, which would have been the 190 he was chasing and he would have passed Johnson for second. I know there wasn't a lot of German aircraft left flying around at that time, but you have to believe he would have gotten at least one more after that to pass Gabreski and be the top scoring ace in Europe. Six in one day. Wow that is an amazing accomplishment. The 352nd Fighter Group or better known as the blue nose bastards, was the 4th ranking group with 519.5 ariel kills. Along with Preddy, the group also had Lt. Col. John Meyers who was the 4th leading ace in Europe right behind him with 24 confirmed kills. Gabreski and Johnson, the #1 & #2 leading aces in Europe both flew with the 56th Fighter Group. The wolfpack was the top ariel killers in Europe with 647.5 confirmed kills. That group had 5 pilots with 20 or more kills totally 119.5 just between them.

@angelonunez8555

2 жыл бұрын

Actually, the 354th FG (9th AF) had the greatest number of aerial victories (701, I believe).

@t74guard78

2 жыл бұрын

@@angelonunez8555 I read that on one site but I have read the 56th fighter group on dozens of sources. So I figured it would be best to go with what the majority says. The results of the many outweigh the results of the few. I feel safe sticking with the 56th.

@angelonunez8555

2 жыл бұрын

@@t74guard78 It seems unlikely to me that the 701 claims number would be an error after so many years. The many sources you've seen---do they give totals for the 354th? If so, what are they? If not, they're probably ranking the fighter groups only of the 8th AF.

@t74guard78

2 жыл бұрын

@@angelonunez8555 Well I think the same for all the sources I have read claiming the 56th was the highest air to air killer in Europe. I saw the 354th claim the one time on the 354th site. Haven't seen it anywhere else. I didn't see any lists, just different sources saying those things. Like the 357th was second on a site talking about them. Same with the 352nd being third. I am pretty sure what I read and saw was in all of Europe and not just the 8th. Not 100% sure but pretty sure. I mean if it said just the 8th i would know for sure. I just remember "in Eruope." It has been a while since I looked into any of that. I do know that the 354th didn't have even one 20 kills aces where as the 56th had 5 of them. Including the highest and second highest aces in Europe. I think Eagleston was the top ace with the 354th with 18.5. I think the 354th did things backwards compared to everybody else. I mean instead of going from the P-47 to the P-51, they went from the P-51 to the P-47. I have seen Eaglston's P-51 and P-47. I know the 354th had somebody with like 17, 16, 15 and 3 guys tied with 14 kills. But nobody came close to having 5 20+kills aces like the 56th. I know that doesn't reflect on how many the whole group got. The 357th like I said had the second most and they didn't have a 20 kill ace either. Leonard "Kit" Carson was their leading ace with like Eagleston, 18.5. The 352nd had the 3rd and 4th leading aces. What happened to Preddy was a major tradegy being killed by friendly forces on Chistmas day 1944. He would have most likely taken over the lead for top ace in Europe if he wasn't killed. Just 2 more and he would have. The FW190 he was chasing when he was hit by friendly ground fire would have been one of the two needed. Anyway it doesn't really matter. Obviously both groups knew how to shoot down Germans and did it very well.

@angelonunez8555

2 жыл бұрын

@@t74guard78 I've seen the 354th FG claims total in three or four sources and they all say 701, so I believe that in order for the 56th to be crowned as #1, its score would have to exceed 701. As I see it, all US 8th AF (and the 354th) were quite effective, once the P-38 groups converted to P-51s. This includes the low-scoring groups like the 356th and the 361st, whose relatively small scores were (in my opinion) mostly the result of not being in the right place at the right time often enough, especially late in the war when many of the Germans were little more than sitting ducks. The 357th did especially well during this late-war period.

I read the history book a few years back of this great warrior and it's very tragic the way his life ended. Had he been able to go on he would have been the top scoring ace of the ETO and maybe the US overall. You read about top Japanese and German aces in WWII with 300+ kills but most of their kills were scored against far inferior aircraft. You take an ME109/FW190 or A6M Zero against a biplane or Brewster Buffalo and it's not even a contest, closer to an easy kill, not even close to skill level. More like shooting fish in a barrel. The credit should be given to those brave pilots that flew biplanes against modern WWII fighters knowing their chances were none. Preddy flew inferior against superior aircraft and won. P40 vs A6M and once he flew better aircraft he kicked butt!

Just wondering how could this guy get shot down by friendly fire over a American base? Did they even look at the markings on the plane's wings? A Mustang looks nothing focke-wulf 190. This is mainly stupidity more than friendly. An unnecessary action.

@BradBrassman

2 жыл бұрын

Trigger happy.

@seankay8137

2 жыл бұрын

Three P51's including George Preddy's plane were chasing a lone German plane over the base. They had the situation totally under control until some gun ho imbecile gunner on the ground decided to join in. He missed the German plane and hit the three following P51's including George's aircraft. George actually managed to land his plane but died shortly afterwards from a bullet wound to the chest. I hope the gunner on the ground felt the guilt of what he had done for the rest of his life. I'm not sure what happened to the other two planes. You're correct, it was stupidity that cost this man's life, not friendly fire.

@boarzwid1002

2 жыл бұрын

Sean Kay I would assume that both planes were going 280 300 MPH , and the AA gunners were using little or no a leed on the 190 but was right on for the p51 , he and the others flew into the AA cone of fire, I would assume that some AA gunners got their ass kicked after

@gwtpictgwtpict4214

2 жыл бұрын

Any fool can distinguish a P51 from an FW 190 in a picture. Now try it when they're screaming across your airbase at 300+ mph and a couple of hundred feet off the ground. Note, you're probably looking at the incoming aircraft basically nose on. You can't see the markings. Not saying the lads on the ground weren't at fault here, but friendly AA fire knocking down friendly aircraft was a fairly common occurence.

@boarzwid1002

2 жыл бұрын

GWTPict GWTPict no shit Sherlock

Any way you look at it, Preddy's death was worse than Richthofen's. No one walks away from Ma Deuce.

How do you get .83 kills?

What? the death of an anonymous soldier, sailor isn't?

🍻

Not being a gamer , what gameis this made from?Thanks

@TJ3

2 жыл бұрын

IL2 Sturmovik Great Battles Combat Flight Sim

..So..Sorry, I don't hear well..How was Lt. Preddy actually shot down? Was it by that ground gunner with the Browning M2 .50cal mach. gun?? Couldn't quite comprehend. Could someone explain please? Merry Christmas Eve/ Day tomorrow! !

@TJ3

2 жыл бұрын

I believe it was an accidental round from a 50 cal fired at the FW190 that hit him in the cockpit.

@samburkes7552

2 жыл бұрын

@@TJ3 Thank you much. One 600+gr. round from one of those guns can have a devastating effect on a human!! Thank you!

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

According to my video "Preddy:The Mustang Ace", one of the men on the scene said it was a Quad .50 anti-aircraft battery.

Too similar to Butch O'Hare's tragic death in the PTO.

Not really friendly when your the one thats burning

How does someone have .83 air victories?

@JeffsAirplaneCabinet

2 жыл бұрын

George had a shared half kill and shared one third kill in his claimed victories.

People tend to forget that the Japanese pilots started their war in 1937, and maybe even earlier in Manchuria. Hence, lots more practice.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

Remember the "Flying Tigers", WE HELPED CHINA, sadly, look at what China is doing now!

@davidhull1481

2 жыл бұрын

@@glennfalzo3718 There is an entire generation of Chinese people who revere the Flying Tigers, Roosevelt, and American people for the help given. If you don’t know them, that’s partly on you for not looking.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidhull1481 :Dave, that wasn't my point! I wasn't refuring to the people, the government!

@davidhull1481

2 жыл бұрын

@@glennfalzo3718 I didn’t know the government needed more fur.

@glennfalzo3718

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidhull1481 Fur?

My grandfather (Edwin Farr-Wharton) shot down one of George Preddy buddy in a Mustang in Darwin Australia, The piolet flow his Mustang in a no go zone and was told many times to get out of the area, but didn't some the Australian AAA shot him down. Yeah Edwin Farr-Wharton shot down a lot of Japanese and German aircraft and one USA Mustang, thats war for you.

If he took a 50 cal in the chest he was instantly killed.

Okay survey, Your choice, P-47, or P-51?