In all fairness tarleton beat him in the swordfight with 1 arm at the end after getting shot, Rule Britannia!

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This is a solid episode...and continues to set the tone for the main thread/theme of the show (the brutality and danger of the war in the air). Thanks for the continued review.

That was Reagan the got shot in 1981

Actually you CAN see what happened after the end of the 3rd movie because there's an animated TV show with the Doc's kids, Marty, The Delorean, The Time Train and all sort of shenanigans.

Great reaction!

My granddad was just a c47 pilot....

My uncle, Marcy Francis, 96th Infantry was killed here on April 5, 1945 after serving in the Pacific Campaign for 3 years.

Wales is great. They start off friendly, and then when they find out my grandmother was from Wales (and came to the US as a small child) they get both inquisitive and friendly.

The Norden bombsight was an analog computer that can autopilot the bomber, based on input from the bombardier.

The story is a bit choppy, because it covers more people who come and go.

They showed basic training for Doss at Fort Jackson, the same place I did basic training. All of the barracks today are 3 story brick buildings called 'starships' but some of those old ww2 wooden barracks like they show in this film are still there. Unused and mostly condemned now, the few that remain.

Yes, with the exception of episode eight, this series does get better with each episode. No, it does not rate as high as "Band of Brothers" or "The Pacific" but it's really good anyhow.

Really sad how the end came for Winters. He ended up getting Parkinsons disease and died of it in 2011 at the age of 92. His wife died about a year later and the family said she died from the heartbreak of losing her husband. There is a memorial statue called The Richard D. Winters Leadership Monument near Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy, France. If you are ever in Normandy it's a moving place to visit.

Yeah, it's not really ok to break up with your man while he's off fighting the war and she is home safe and sound. These guys are barely hanging on and you decide you are tired of being lonely so you send a dear john letter? That's the lowest of the low. 5 million ethnic minorities and 6 million Jews. That is more than the entire population of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales combined.

In Winter's book he talked quite a bit about that German soldier he shot in the field in Crossroads. The soldier was so young and was quite surprised by Winters, to the point where he didnt even realize he was in danger. That one stuck with him, and they show it extensively in ep 5.

Its worth remembering when you watch this tv series that the USAAF bomber command was dwarfed in numbers by RAF bomber command and the RAF was putting up raids almost daily that were massively bigger than the USAAF were putting up - with vastly higher casualties. Most of the US raids were matched by the RAF and the RAF would usually suffer 4 or 5 times more casualties. The schweinfurt Regensburg raid by the USAAF was a complete failure - the 500lb bombs used by the USAAF at that time were completely ineffective even if they hit their targets, while the RAF wasnt using anything smaller than a 2000lb bomb - but the RAF followed it a couple of nights later and lost 400 men killed. They did, however, destroy the targets. Also, the B17 had a major flaw - it had no machine gun that faced directly forward (although they did jury rig a gun later on a bungee but it was never effective) and the B17s cockpit was unarmoured and crowded. German fighter pilots instantly realised - as the british had against german bombers during the battle of britain - that the most effective way to attack them was head on. With the closing speeds the american gunners had almost no chance of hitting a german fighter in normal circumstances. US bombing was almost completely useless until the P51 was introduced in mid 1944 but by that time the germans had no serious fighter forces anyway. Until then USAAF aircrew took to the air completely unaware that, in reality, they were dying in large numbers and achieving almost nothing. This series doesnt mention that.

My father said he was lucky not to be assigned to the 100th when he joined the 8th Air Force early in 1944. They already had an infamous reputation as the unit that always lost men and planes and getting wiped out because the Luftwaffe always seemed to pick on them.

While they keep acting like they are being put in harms way for a bad reason (to save Ryan), if they werent doing this mission they would be fighting and dying somewhere else. The choices werent 'chill on the beach or save Ryan'. The choices were 'fight and die saving Ryan, or fight and die elsewhere in Normandy'.

Ep 3 is so good. I can't wait for the next reaction

9:45 When you said you recognize that actor he was the bad guy in The Patriot. You watched that more recently so you might recognize him from the Harry Potter movies, Black Hawk Down, Crash or many many other films. Jason Isaacs.

Too bad they don't include what the RAF did in WW2. The story of Sgt. Cyril Jackson (RAF) is almost beyond belief. His Lancaster bomber was attacked by a Fw 190 fighter. The right side engine caught on fire. The fire had to be put out so Sgt. Jackson, who was wounded by srapnel during the bombing, strapped on a parachute carrying a fire extinguisher, climbed out on the wing oc the plane, which was flying at 6000 meters, and put out the fire. He didn't make it back to the plane and had to parachute into enemy territory. He broke his ankle on landing and was captured. After spending weeks in German hospital he was sent to a POW camp where he proceeded to try to escape. He was captured on his first try but succeeded in his second. For actions, Sgt. Cyril Jackson received the Victoria Cross.

I’d give the book a read/listen. You get a lot of big picture details the show can’t give.

Life is like a box of chocolate, it won’t last long if you’re fat

Bangin good. And you're easy on the eyes.

New sub, I’m excited to watch this with you. This series is so good.

There were 4 groups in their wing. One was the lead of the formation, one was the high group, one was the low group and the 100th were the low low group. Known as purple heart corner due to its danger.

great beginning of a great series,first time watcher of this channel so have a sub!

The bomber crews had a higher casualty rate than the Marines in the Pacific.

Yes, it is a sad movie, but do not forget the great moments! The first time he heard the sweetest voice in the wide world! Soo many others. It doesn't matter about the history! "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." Thank you for sharing with us!

There's an older, lesser known war miniseries I'd recommend when you're done with this one called 'Generation Kill' about a Marine unit during the '03 invasion into Iraq

Band of Brothers and The Pacific both save a gut punch for Episode 9.

You're the best, Marley. Thanks for sharing.

I personally feel "Masters of the Air" ranks third behind "The Pacific" and in first place "Band of Brothers" but the series is still pretty good overall. Yes, there were story writing issues in a few of the episodes but the series will be referenced in years to come when it comes to wanting to get an idea of what bomber flight crews went through during the Second World War. Part of the reason why this series did not do as well as expected was that it was filmed during the 2020 Pandemic and the project ran out of money preventing it from investing in a few additional episodes. The series does get better each episode Marley. Enjoy!

Hello, check out a movie called, 1492: Conquest of Paradise. Adventure/Drama (1992). It stars Gérard Depardieu, Siqourney Weaver, Armand Assante. It portrays a version of the travels to the New World by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus and the effect this had on indigenous peoples. Directed by Ridley Scott.

I watched BOB when it originally aired back in 2001. I bought it on DVD and I've watched it many times. I didn't see The Pacific when it originally aired. I waited until I found it on DVD. An unpopular opinion, I've never heard anyone else say this. But I prefer The Pacific over BOB. Thanks for watching, especially with the historical context.

The atrocities inflicted by both sides are truly disturbing. Digging the gold teeth out of Japanese soldiers was very common. Other soldiers adorned their foxholes with the skulls of the enemy. The horrifying things that happened are barely hinted at in this series. It was much more disturbing than depicted.

The fanatical and suicidal resistance put up on Saipan, Okinawa and Iwo Jima was a major impetus in decision to use the atomic bombs. Invading Japan itself would have been complete slaughter on both sides.

"The 8th Air Force, also known as the Mighty Eighth, was a U.S. Army Air Forces command that participated in the bombing campaign against Nazi Germany in World War II. The 8th Air Force suffered the most casualties of any command in World War II, with more than 26,000 killed in action and 28,000 prisoners of war. They flew 985 combat missions and lost 6130 bombers and fighters."

Shrapnel from flack is big chunks, fighter bullets and fighter cannon blows right thru the plane. B17s lost 10 men at a shot.

A very different series, a very different war. Sleep in your bunk each night, if you were still alive. Less continuity because it covers a unit primarily. British Lancasters flew at night. American B17s flew during the day. Germans were attacked 24x7. Thule base in Greenland is still in use today. That first commander has an ulcer from the stress of sending men to their deaths.

Brutal. Not shown ... the Navy boys being slaughtered by kamikaze attacks offshore. But the last episode will be a relief ;-)

The battle of Okinawa really pushed the U.S. to drop the atomic bombs. The fighting on Okinawa was so brutal they estimated millions of people would have died in a mainland invasion. There’s multiple stories of Marines not believing the the war was over because they thought they would never surrender. Most Marines thought they would’ve had to kill literally everyone to win. Crazy to think about.

Good reaction!

14:55 "Come and get them!" = MOLON LABE (the motto of the Greek Army 1st Corps). According to Herodotus, this was Leonidas' response to the Persian demand of the Spartans to surrender their weapons. This was paraphrased at the Battle of Gonzales, when Mexican forces demanded a six-pounder bronze cannon be surrendered to them, as agreed. This is where the Texas flag of a star over a cannon with the phrase "Come and Take It" had its origin, when the Texan women of Gonzales made it to help inspire the Texan militia against the Mexican Army. Many of the lines in the movie are straight from history. "Only Spartan women give birth to real men.", "Come back with your shield, or on it.", "Then we will fight in the shade.", "Tonight we dine in Hades (Hell).", "Go tell the Spartans, passerby, that here by Spartan law, we lie", and others I can't recall right now... This primarily revolves around The Battle of Thermopylae. Thermopile = Hot Gates/Gateway.

The moment with sledge and women is touching in that it shows sledge regaining his humanity, however it’s not what happened in reality. In reality sledge determined that the women could be saved by a medic and left to go find one. Upon returning with the medic they heard a single gun shot and, much to the disdain of sledge and the medic, out walked another marine who had followed through with the women’s request to end her suffering.

My Great Uncle fought in the Pacific in WW2! He said ( as well as other Pacific Vets I spoke with)That He didn't know what "Atomic" was when he heard about the bombs being dropped! But that it did mean, that he survived the war (many of his friends did not) Once Japan had surrendered! He got through the war without physical wounds ( the effects of Malaria stayed with him for decades) Once home (self medicating) he drank heavily for a period and while drunk broke a leg after a milk truck hit him! He got married QUIT drinking, worked a Job and raised a family! My Great Uncle, a member of the Greatest Generation!

It was estimated that over 10 million Japanese civilians would have died had the Atomic Bombs not ended the war in a week. 2 Years of this episode all across Japan: suicide charges by women and children with sharpened sticks, combat, fire bombing, and starvation.

'Use your intelligence and get these men off the trail." In his book, Eugene Sledge states the insanity of encountering the Japanese POW's when 200 yards away was the front where they were just burning, hacking, shooting, bludgeoning Japanese soldiers.

Good reaction!