How the 8th Air Force defeated the Luftwaffe

Those drop tanks extending the escort fighters ranges were an ingenious invention - they were developed by a British company and were made of papier-mâché, so that when the escorts jettisoned them over enemy territory their remains were useless to the German war effort. As opposed to all metal drop tanks, which would have provided lightweight metals for the Germans to repurpose.

My father flew the B-24 in 8th Air Force, 1st half of 1944. He was shot down twice, once over England by the Luftwaffe who had followed the bombers, and once over the Continent. The Belgian Resistance helped him get back to England. He completed his 25 missions. He flew at least twice on D-Day. Once he was attacked by a jet, which failed to shoot him down. After returning Stateside he was an instructor in the B-25 Mitchell. When he first flew to England, his B-24 landed in Ireland. The crew were interned there 4 days. Another aircraft was flown in for them as their own plane had problems. The Irish let them continue on to England. Though "neutral" Ireland was helping the Allies behind the scenes. I don't know if airmen knew during the war how imprecise "precision bombing" was. He told me long afterward, "We bombed Brussels sprouts." He is buried in the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery. They would have put 2nd Lt. as his rank on the headstone, but I knew he had been promoted, and they engraved 1st Lt. on it as they should have.

Shout-out to my grandfather, who was lead bombardier in his squadron of B-24 Liberators, my grandmother for entertaining the troops, my other grandfather for building B-17s and my other grandmother for mixing the explosives in the bombs grandfather #1 was dropping on factories in Germany. They all survived the war. Bombardier grandfather survived his entire combat tour of 25 missions and lived to be 92. He only told my brother and I two or three stories, but otherwise would not talk about the war.

The Anglo-American bombing campaign caused the germans to keep a significant number of men and 88mm anti-aircraft/anti-tanks guns, as well as fighter aircraft, in Germany for air defence, depriving the German armies on the Eastern Front of those guns, aircraft and men at a critical time in the war deciding battles between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. This crucial fact is rarely acknowledge about the air war over Germany and German occupied Europe.

My son and I were standing in front of the P-51 displayed at the Smithsonian in Washington. I was expounding my limited knowledge of this machine with emphasis on the UK’s integration of the latest Merlin engine that transformed its high-altitude performance. We were aware of a slight figure at our shoulder wearing a badged WWII leather flying jacket. He commented how he had flown in the Mustang over Berlin and was a 6 kills. On discussing the UKs involvement with the drop tank innovation he delighted to tell us of his experience when releasing these units. He said that on occasion he would pull the lever to drop the tanks and only one would release. The fighter would immediately roll heavily to the side with the tank still in place he said. Everyone steered clear of each other when performing this operation… A very impressive individual.

P-47s with drop tanks could have escorted the bombers during black week. The bomber mafia resisted escorts as the bombers were "flying fortresses". The P-51 was preferred by the USAF because it was cheaper than the P-47.

I bet someone will still argue that the German soldiers (generic for soldiers, airmen, sailors etc.) were supermen until the end of the war. And their equipment was superior. Not so fast. The German military was half by horse and half by car. Only American and British militaries were fully motorized (or if you want to be extremally picky 97% to 99% motorized). The biggest success of the bombing campaign was destroying German oil/fuel.

When Doolittle took over the 8th, he changed their mission statement from "Protect the Bombers" to "Destroy Enemy Fighters." He also changed the credit for an air to ground kill, meaning a fighter destroyed on the ground was the same kill as an air to sir shootdown. Leaders such as Hub Zempke took their fighters to the ground and once the bombers turned for home the 47s and 51s beat the hell out of the German airfields.

Bomber crews were expected to do 25 missions and then would be sent home, sadly many crews never made it past 5. In 1943 the average bomber crew was expected to complete 8 to 12 missions before being shot down. Sometimes new replacement crews never came back from their first mission, they were known on the bases as "they came to dinner ", yet, they still went, brave indeed.

I just finished reading Masters of The Air great book and I couldn't put it down. I always knew General Jimmy Stewart flew with the 8th. Did not know how many combat missions he flew or that he eventually became squadron commander and also flew combat missions in Vietnam, RIP General Stewart. Recently watched the show Combat America done by Clark Gable and he also flew with the 8th. Thanks to all now serving, those who have, and those who will in the future. FLY NAVY!!!

They could have flown with drop tanks and p47s years earlier. The leadership was the problem.

Thanks for the shout-out to the Link Trainer, which my Dad operated teaching instrument flight, instrument landing, and radio navigation skills to pilots in basic training during the war. Much better to make and learn from your mistakes on the ground in a rotating (and banking, pitching and shaking) barrel than in the air in a valuable airplane. Link practice was deemed so valuable that everyone with pilot's wings-even Hap Arnold-had to re-certify on it every so often.

great video, many thanks to all those would helped to make/produce it

Great video thanks for sharing.

There’s an excellent 8th Airforce museum in Savannah Georgia. We owe those brave men big time.

Just in time for the tv series, looking forward to these amazing stories brought to life!

Great story - 💖 to those that served.

When the 51 got the merlin engine, it was game over😮

I had the pleasure of going inside of B-17G at Planes of Fame in Chino, California and man, it's small inside. Hit my head 3x before I learned to stoop while I was in there. Very cramped, gave me a new perspective on what these fine young men went through. (This specific plane did not make it into the war, by the time it was ready, war ended)

Superb video and I’m proud to say I’ve flown in Sally -B twice .