Stop data brokers from exposing your information. Go to my sponsor aura.com/TJ3History to get a 14-day free trial and see if your personal information has been compromised.
TJ3 YOUR VIDEO ARE THE BEST ON UA-cam and thanks for all of your excellent research that goes into your video's So sorry i am a day late..... Old F-4 2 Shoe🇺🇸
Hey guys! I absolutely loved this story and uncovering all of the crazy details. I hope you enjoy it too. Some notes: First off, I know my German pronunciations are a work in progress. I think I got the cities right here, but I am aware that Knoke's last name is pronounced differently in German. However, it was pretty tough for me to say it right without sounding stupid. So I just pronounced it in the English style. Also, on B-24 "Maisie" there were no existing photos I could find of this bomber other than her name. So we created some nose art ourselves for her. Other than that, this should be pretty accurate! Also, there were some really cool details I couldn't fit in here - so make sure to join my Patreon so you can get those bonus stories! JOIN HERE: Patreon.com/TJ3History
The name Maisie is interesting. I suspect it may have been named after The "Maisie" movies Ann Southern made (a couple before '41 and many later. This comes from remembering "The Lady Be Good" another B24. Lost (Apr '43) in the Libyan desert til 1958, after a raid on Ploesti. It had been named after the musical Lady Be Good, the pilot attended before shipping overseas.
It's fascinating to see the story from two sides' perspective, and somehow the german's ace realization that the victims were not that different from himself that it could be his turn soon, restored a bit of my faith in humanity. At least he's not some cold blooded killing machine.
The american bomb crews realization that they killed all in all at least 2 million civilian victims by there bomb-raids didn't restored any faith in humanity for me. They appear to be the cold blooded killing machines you consider always the enemy to be. Nothing changed to this day.
@@paul8158The Germans killed many civilians as well. Germany started WWII and if not for the Allies the Nazis very well could still be in power. Does “Thousand Year Reich” sound familiar? garys5175 is correct. War IS Hell and I wish it upon no one.
WW2 was total war. Civilians manufactured war materiel making them targets as much as their factories. The raids were huge because bomb aiming technology was inaccurate at best.
@@paul8158 there is injustice all over even in nature. Humanity and nature just does what does. It’s horrible innocence suffer. Innocent victims of all ages.
my grandfather who served with the 464th bomb group in italy and was a top turret gunner and flight engineer was always mad that the B-24 didn't get recognized more and that the b-17 was always talked about like the B-24 never existed...thank you for talking about the B-24...please make more videos about the b-24 and the missions they flew...there is barely any decent videos on youtube talking about the B-24 during ww2
my dad flew B-24s out of Italy, his theory on the glory of the B-17 over the B-24 was that the press and media stayed in England where the pubs were , hotels and no mud.
@@God-Bless-Texas very cool, my dad was in the 464th as well also a nav. He was in the 742d sqdn. and his ship was Twin Tails , he was on Tuckers crew.
My wife's grandfather was a bombarder for the B-24. He stated the B-24 was used more during the war so it had more shot down then the B-17. So they used the B-17 in movies because it didn't have so many losses.
My Dad was shot down while navigating a B-24 and bombing Romanian refineries. He was taken prisoner after parachuting from the flak riddled disabled plane and spent time in a pow camp until Romania released all prisoners when they realized Germanys war effort had failed.
My father also was shot down on a high-altitude mission over Ploesti, Romania in August of 1944 and ended up a POW in Bulgaria. He was a Liberator pilot in the 376th BG (H), 512 Squadron. Do you know the group with which your father flew?
American bomber crews at that time used to joke that they had "fighter escort all the way to the target - Hurricanes and Spitfires until they got over the Channel, then 109's and 190's all the rest of the way."
Knoke's Book is by far one of the best flying stories I've ever read it is super underrated in my opinion and has so many great perspectives on major events of the air war.
Knocked was a true Nazi; one of few in the Luftwaffe, having joined in 1937...members of the Nazi Party were barred from joining the Luftwaffe in 1938. I found Knoke to be arrogant and didn't enjoy his book. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Willi Heilmann's account "I Fought You from the Skies"...Heilmann admirably demonstrates loyalty & patriotism for his countrymen while hating those controlling the government
My Grandfather was in the RAF and flew in Liberators from North Africa and Malta (where he met my Grandmother). I honestly don't know how he managed to do it. Basically whether you survived or not in bombing runs was a 50/50 at best. It would have been psychologically brutal.
If you’ve never been to Malta, and you like history, you need to go. Watch some documentaries about its strategic importance since forever. The siege of 1563? Was really something. I spent three months there for work in 2006. I spent 20 years working and living on board private yachts as Chief Engineer. The boat I was on in Malta was 260 feet. I’ve traveled the world and Malta is one of my favorites!
I was stationed in the US Army Berlin Brigade in the 80's where Rudolf Hess was imprisoned at Spandau prison in West Berlin. He was its only occupant when he died in 1987 and the prison was then torn down.
A late friend of mine was a B-24 waist gunner. His plane made a forced landing in Turkey during the Ploesti Raid and the survivors were interned. Like many Liberator crewmen, he was not a great fan of the aircraft. It was faster than the B-17 and could fly further, but it had a lower operational ceiling and was not as rugged or well-mannered as the Fortress. I don't know how much the loss of Robert Post affected the decision of war correspondents to fly on Liberators, but I do know the B-17 groups were located closer to London and were easier for reporters to visit than the B-24 groups.
Great video. Once I saw the paint scheme on that 109, I knew who the ace was. You should do one on how Heinz Knoke came up with the idea of bombing the bombers. That is... dropping 500Kg bombs on the bomber formations to break them up.
@@TJ3 Thanks TJ. I loved reading Heinz Knoke's book (one of the best WW2 pilot memoirs I've read) and was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was part of this video. Keep up the good work!
This was the third mission flown by American heavy bombers into Germany. The cost was five B-17s and two B-24s, both from the 44th BG. The Germans lost two Bf-110s and one FW-190, but in one of those 110s, one of the leading German night fighter aces at the time, Ludwig Becker, was killed. US gunners claimed 21 fighters destroyed, as well as a number of probables and damaged. German pilots claimed at least 12 American bombers, but probably more than that.
The B-24's had a couple of problems. The first was that they were difficult to fly in formation. The second was the wings tended to break apart from a good burst of machine gun or cannon fire. An interesting fact is that the Ford Willow Run B-24 bomber factory could turn out a complete bomber in 56 minutes. My uncle flew B-24's in the China/India/Burma theatre of the war, for a time flying supplies over "the Hump".
My great uncle was a B24 pilot also and flew “The Hump”. I had the privilege of flying with him in small planes and attending an air show at Oshkosh with him when he was in his 70’s. I have a photo of a newspaper article about his having received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service. I also have photos of him and me beside a Cessna 152 we flew together when I was a very young man and he was around the age I am now.
@@davidzakrzewicz707 I am glad to hear that you had some flying time with your GU in small planes. I only got to go up once with my uncle in a small plane.
It appears you have done a bit of due diligence here as opposed to the standard shoot and die stories. Thanks for these depictions that define WWII by the personal stories. It was after all, real men, not just someone manning the planes and carrying the rifles who ultimately were successful in crushing the evil that the entire world faced during these dark times. How many of us today would willingly face certain death to carry out these missions without their cell phones?
Man that quote hit hard. I “knew” I would die with my comrades in Iraq and still don’t understand why I made it home without them. I try to live the best I can so that I can carry their memory forward. We will reunite with all warriors in Valhalla. Semper fi!
Very good video. Piecing together the entire story from various sources was really well done. These people were extraordinary, the remarkable thing was that they didn't consider themselves to be. Absolutely "The Greatest Generation".
Having read his biography as a teenager, when I saw the quick picture at the beginning I thought, "That looks like Heinz Knoke!" A highly interesting personal account of his war and has a fine studio portrait of him with his decorations. Thanks for an interesting story I knew nothing about! 👍😎
EXCELLENT and OUTSTANDING video. Your are paying tribute to the heroes who paid the ultmate sacrifice for their country. THANKS very much. Greetings from Mexico City.
My Father in Law was a Bombarder on a B24 Liberator called the House of Rumors . He was lucky and completed all his missions over Germany . He didn’t like talking about it much , only the training he got while he was in the States . I can’t imagine these brave men having to deal with each mission only to have another soon after ! They , being every man & woman who served , wether Army, Navy or Air Force in WWII , both in Europe or in the Pacific , all were truly the greatest generation ! What strikes me is how young they were ! God bless them all !
Another Great video and Story I didn't know. Thanks TJ. I recommend your channel to everyone I know. It just keeps getting better and better you can tell you are very passionate about History. Happy Holidays Buddy. Already Looking forward to what you got for us next time. Please "Keep 'em Flyin"
That long tapered Davis Wing of the B-24 made it a more efficient but less rugged aircraft. B-17s came back with incredible damage. Similarly, the initially criticized B-26 Marauder medium bomber was toughly built and had the highest survival record of the mediums and possibly all the bombers. Great graphics, even of the crew. They continue to improve.
You tell superb stories about WWII. I can't get over the pathos. You humanize the individuals concerned. They have good and bad traits. As all people have. Your stories/histories compel me to keep their memories alive and to pray that they all rest in peace.
Interesting perspective by the German pilot, who actually landed and was able to see both ends of the story .. I am sure he saw many people die from the same bomb group that drop bombs on many people he probably knew and yet he still at the compassion to go down and try and save lives once they crashed.
That write up on Bob Post is typical of wartime "Reporting". By all actual accounts, he was very unhappy about flying in general and was in no way "Eager to be on the most dangerous mission". In point of fact, like any one with any sense, he was frightened. Despite wartime propaganda, it was a pretty well known around the airfields that casualties on the heavy bombers were heavy and Post, with the curiosity and nose for detecting BS of a good reporter would have sniffed this out in no time.He knew perfectly well that he stood a significant chance of getting injured or killed even if they didn't get shot down.
RAF Bomber Command couldn’t sustain the heavy loses that daylight bombing brought. And switched its campaign to night bombing. On the other hand, Americas massive resources and manpower was capable of fighting a war of attrition, and they came out on top. With growing confidence in fighter planes such as the P-51 Mustangs, the USAAF was able to not only drop bombs with precision, but also force the German Luftwaffe to combat in their airspace.
@@jeremypnet Yes, specifically I mention the P-51 Mustang. Of course I’m referring to the USAAF raids deep into nazi Germany, such as Leipzig, Magdeburg, and Schweinfurt. But the American Eighth Airforce raids were two fold,- 1) Knock out Germany industry/destroy its industrial base. 2) Bring the Luftwaffe up to fight, to kill-off it’s seasoned pilots. RAF Bomber Command had a different more controversial strategy, of during the night destroying German cities (firestorms) in order to de-house the working population. IMO the one complemented the other. Remember the British had similar done to them during and after the BoB. It was called, “around the clock bombing.” It was thought it would destroy German civilian morale, but it didn’t.
@@jeremypnet Incidentally the Pacific USAF used the same strategy as RAF Bomber Command, firer bombing Japanese cities (wooden construction), as Japanese manufacturing was “cottage industry based,” making bombing difficult to pinpoint. The USAF also hoped (as with RAF-BC) to destroy the Japanese moral. That didn’t work either! Hence the use of the Atomic Bomb.
Excellent production. Everything is so well done. Interesting and entertaining is always a good combination. And the effective use of CGI really makes this a cut above.
Hess's flight is not the actions of a deranged officer disobeying orders. He specifically knew who he was to meet, was allowed to fly in British airspace, similar to a Junkers Ju88 R which arranged to be met by two Spitfires and landed at an RAF base, handling the boffins the latest German night radar. Both Hess's Me 110 fuselage, and the Ju 88 r used to be at RAF museum Hendon but have since be moved to other Imperial War Museums. I Flew For The Fuhrer was in a pile of books in the place my band rehearsed in, around 1990. so i nicked it and it started an enthusiasm for Luftwaffe planes, pilots etc ever since, instead of just the RAF and Allies.
Why is it that English speakers tend to ignore the last syllable in names? Heinz Knoke is not Heinz 'nok', but Heinz 'knoh- ka'; two syllables and a clear kn.
I enjoyed this video very much. Good computer-generated footage of the aircraft and the combat sequences (other than the minor issues addressed by other), making my quibbles even less consequential. They have to do with the Bf-109 of the Luftwaffe protagonist. First, the intake air filter. That appears to be one of those developed specifically for use in North Africa, where the dust is thick and incompatible with extended engine life (what hotrodders who have run on California's dry lakes without air filters would refer to as a Boraxo overbore). You probably wouldn't find a European based aircraft equipped with that. The second gripe was the tailwheel not being articulated, meaning it didn't pivot (like the front wheels on a supermarket basket) when the aircraft turned while taxying on the ground. Minor crap at the most, and a Great video in spite of it. Overall rating, 99.2!
I saw this also and thought that the video was done of an F-2 or F-4 with the tropical filter. Then when you hear the passage read from Knoke's book he describes the tracers from the two 20mm cannons and 13mm machine guns... that is not an F model. While the most maneuverable of the series the F was graded down because of the fire power being a single 20mm through the hub. See... all those years building models still comes in handy. More likely a G model and that would be consistent with the time and unit composition. I would venture to say that most people today have no clue about these events much less comprehend him landing near the crash site and attempting to help the survivors and civilians.
Pre WW2 the USAAF at Maxwell Field was dominated by the Bomber Mafia who were advocates of daylight precision bombing with heavily armed and armoured bombers that flew in tight formations to defend each other. They advocated that the fighter aircraft was redundant and heavy bombers can win a war without the costly ground fighting seen in WW1. The early raids and HUGE losses of the 8th Air Force on raids proved that a policy of Air Supremacy was the best way to destroy the Luftwaffe and bomb targets. The Bomber Mafia were very scornful of the RAFs nighttime area bombing strategy, until they found in the Pacific that daylight high altitude bombing was impractical due to the Jetstream. William P Acker gets relieved of command and Curtis Le May decides to use area fire bombing on Japanese cities to get results
Great video! One tip, if there is an e on the end of a German word it's pronounced a, as in ah but without the h. Knok-a. Plus Bf 109. Keep up the good work! Thanks from Australia!
Really sad about Post's father looking in vain for his son's remains after the war. Brings in focus the devastating losses suffered by those at home, especially parents losing children.
Great video. Love your works! Have a question though. Knoke's Bf-109G has 2 wing-mounted 20 mm cannons, right? Not seen in your video. Correct me if I'm wrong.
The problem with the Liberator was the wings. They were high aspect Davis wings, structurally high-lift, but over-long, hit by cannon shells they would fold, not so the B-17. The 17s wings were 40% stronger by virtue of span and depth and stood up well when hit by multiple cannon shells.
I love how some of the German squadrons would land in a field and stay in tents and operated like wolf packs. No base or air strip. Just them, their planes, and the ground support..
The American bombers seemed to have more bail out options than the British bombers. Being able to bail out of the bomb bay seemed to be an advantage over the Lancaster whose bomb bay was enclosed.
The P47 with drop tanks could escort the bombers. Bomber comand thought the bombers could and would always get through so the air corps wouldn't let the P 47s use the drop tanks the British had available. Greg's planes and automobiles channel on UA-cam has proven that beyond any doubt. Nothing like a pilot flight engineer giving the throttle settings for the range to drive a point home. Lol
Well it was actually Scotland 🏴 not England 🏴 that Hess flew to. You coulda said the UK 🇬🇧 and still been correct tho. But I’m just nitpicking, TJ I fucking LOVE your work, your content, and all that you are doing to preserve history. I have a MASSIVE amount of respect for you bro please keep right on doing what you’re doing.
Why is the story repeated starting at 21:56? Only then do we find out who survived the crash and that Post, the main character in the story, died. It would have been better if these two separate narratives had been combined into one chronological narrative.
I probably won't see masters of the sky as I don't have apple plus..my grandfather was a top turret gunner and flight engineer on a B-24 during ww2 with the 464th bg 779th bomb squad out of Italy
There is a group with the borders of the UK that believe a very different story behind Hess. It was believed that Hess did this misson on his own and Hitler knew nothing oof this. If this was the case hess would have had to fly to the UK directly for this. Instead they said with evidence they have that Hess landed, what I believe they said was Denmark but they could have mentioned another country. This was for fuel and other neccessities he needed. This alone suggest he did not do this on his own and the German Air Force was in on it and very liely Hitler also knew of this. He then reach an area in the UK where an allegded Duke was living but he denied Hess's story. What is not revealed to the public was a certain Prince George also lived in the area and was at his home at the time. He was also a suspected supporter of the Nasi's and was King George's younger brother. Prince George did die iduring WW II and it was in a plane crash where there was one survior. The crew man did try to hide from the British officials but was caught. His own sister told the story of him being in a room with men dressed in suits and she said she thinks he was forced to sign the offical secrets act. He never spoke of the incident again. Now there were many royalties that supported the Nasi's and to list some was Prince Bernnard of the Netherlands, King Edward of the UK there is even film that was released about years ago of a Young Princes Elzibeth and Margret playing with their mother in the 1930's on the palace grounds giving the facist salute. King Edward advocated the crown to his brother who took the name George and was the father of Princess Elezibeth who became Queen. It was know to the people in general of their leaning. Prince bernnard was instrumental in forming the Bilderberg Group and he owned a lot of property in Bariloche, Argentina. If you want more info on Bariloche maybe you should research this. It is possible that the story of Hess is much different than what you think. Also the death of Heinrich Himmler might be suspicous as his body laid on the floor of house in Germany for three days before anybody was allowed to view or examine it and this was after he was interrogated. It sound very strange but he was in charge of the secret police and therefore knew of many secrets.
Stop data brokers from exposing your information. Go to my sponsor
aura.com/TJ3History to get a 14-day free trial and see if your personal information has been compromised.
He's very motivational.
😊
TJ3 YOUR VIDEO ARE THE BEST ON UA-cam and thanks for all of your excellent research that goes into your video's
So sorry i am a day late.....
Old F-4 2 Shoe🇺🇸
@@MYJEWISHLAMPSHADESI 9 pmI.
@@steveshoemaker63479
Thank you for using IL-2
Hey guys! I absolutely loved this story and uncovering all of the crazy details. I hope you enjoy it too. Some notes: First off, I know my German pronunciations are a work in progress. I think I got the cities right here, but I am aware that Knoke's last name is pronounced differently in German. However, it was pretty tough for me to say it right without sounding stupid. So I just pronounced it in the English style. Also, on B-24 "Maisie" there were no existing photos I could find of this bomber other than her name. So we created some nose art ourselves for her. Other than that, this should be pretty accurate! Also, there were some really cool details I couldn't fit in here - so make sure to join my Patreon so you can get those bonus stories! JOIN HERE: Patreon.com/TJ3History
The name Maisie is interesting. I suspect it may have been named after The "Maisie" movies Ann Southern made (a couple before '41 and many later.
This comes from remembering "The Lady Be Good" another B24. Lost (Apr '43) in the Libyan desert til 1958, after a raid on Ploesti. It had been named after the musical Lady Be Good, the pilot attended before shipping overseas.
well done and great story. Reminds me of the book a higher call that was amazing.
Off topic, Ann southern when older. Lived in sun valley Idaho. She was one customer of my wife.
It's fascinating to see the story from two sides' perspective, and somehow the german's ace realization that the victims were not that different from himself that it could be his turn soon, restored a bit of my faith in humanity. At least he's not some cold blooded killing machine.
The american bomb crews realization that they killed all in all at least 2 million civilian victims by there bomb-raids didn't restored any faith in humanity for me. They appear to be the cold blooded killing machines you consider always the enemy to be. Nothing changed to this day.
@@paul8158 war is hell
@@paul8158The Germans killed many civilians as well. Germany started WWII and if not for the Allies the Nazis very well could still be in power. Does “Thousand Year Reich” sound familiar? garys5175 is correct. War IS Hell and I wish it upon no one.
WW2 was total war. Civilians manufactured war materiel making them targets as much as their factories. The raids were huge because bomb aiming technology was inaccurate at best.
@@paul8158 there is injustice all over even in nature. Humanity and nature just does what does. It’s horrible innocence suffer. Innocent victims of all ages.
As I'm rapidly approaching 50 years old I can say this with confidence. Young man you do excellent work.
Thank you!
'approaching' 50 years old? dude, your still young, Robert at 'approaching 69/70.
my grandfather who served with the 464th bomb group in italy and was a top turret gunner and flight engineer was always mad that the B-24 didn't get recognized more and that the b-17 was always talked about like the B-24 never existed...thank you for talking about the B-24...please make more videos about the b-24 and the missions they flew...there is barely any decent videos on youtube talking about the B-24 during ww2
Truth for me? I would rather be infantry in the Somme than be in a bomber in WW2. Your grandfather had balls
my dad flew B-24s out of Italy, his theory on the glory of the B-17 over the B-24 was that the press and media stayed in England where the pubs were , hotels and no mud.
My dad was a navigator of a B-24 in the 464th. What squadron was your dad in!
@@God-Bless-Texas very cool, my dad was in the 464th as well also a nav. He was in the 742d sqdn. and his ship was Twin Tails , he was on Tuckers crew.
My wife's grandfather was a bombarder for the B-24. He stated the B-24 was used more during the war so it had more shot down then the B-17. So they used the B-17 in movies because it didn't have so many losses.
My Dad was shot down while navigating a B-24 and bombing Romanian refineries. He was taken prisoner after parachuting from the flak riddled disabled plane and spent time in a pow camp until Romania released all prisoners when they realized Germanys war effort had failed.
Much respect to your father for his service !
He was the pilot?
That’s cool, my friends great grandpa was a waist gunner in a b24 that was bombing Romanian refineries, what bomb group was your father in?
My father also was shot down on a high-altitude mission over Ploesti, Romania in August of 1944 and ended up a POW in Bulgaria. He was a Liberator pilot in the 376th BG (H), 512 Squadron. Do you know the group with which your father flew?
Did he know the fate of the rest of his crew?
American bomber crews at that time used to joke that they had "fighter escort all the way to the target - Hurricanes and Spitfires until they got over the Channel, then 109's and 190's all the rest of the way."
Black humour at it finest 😁😁
The B17s Crews Joke was the B24s were our escorts.the jerrys always picked on them.
Knoke's Book is by far one of the best flying stories I've ever read it is super underrated in my opinion and has so many great perspectives on major events of the air war.
Agreed
Couldn't agree more! Excellent book.
Definitely agree. The book was amazing and such a page turner.
Knocked was a true Nazi; one of few in the Luftwaffe, having joined in 1937...members of the Nazi Party were barred from joining the Luftwaffe in 1938. I found Knoke to be arrogant and didn't enjoy his book. However, I thoroughly enjoyed Willi Heilmann's account "I Fought You from the Skies"...Heilmann admirably demonstrates loyalty & patriotism for his countrymen while hating those controlling the government
My Grandfather was in the RAF and flew in Liberators from North Africa and Malta (where he met my Grandmother). I honestly don't know how he managed to do it. Basically whether you survived or not in bombing runs was a 50/50 at best. It would have been psychologically brutal.
If you’ve never been to Malta, and you like history, you need to go. Watch some documentaries about its strategic importance since forever. The siege of 1563? Was really something. I spent three months there for work in 2006. I spent 20 years working and living on board private yachts as Chief Engineer. The boat I was on in Malta was 260 feet. I’ve traveled the world and Malta is one of my favorites!
@@lowandslow3939 TY
I was stationed in the US Army Berlin Brigade in the 80's where Rudolf Hess was imprisoned at Spandau prison in West Berlin. He was its only occupant when he died in 1987 and the prison was then torn down.
how old was he?
A late friend of mine was a B-24 waist gunner. His plane made a forced landing in Turkey during the Ploesti Raid and the survivors were interned. Like many Liberator crewmen, he was not a great fan of the aircraft. It was faster than the B-17 and could fly further, but it had a lower operational ceiling and was not as rugged or well-mannered as the Fortress. I don't know how much the loss of Robert Post affected the decision of war correspondents to fly on Liberators, but I do know the B-17 groups were located closer to London and were easier for reporters to visit than the B-24 groups.
Great video. Once I saw the paint scheme on that 109, I knew who the ace was. You should do one on how Heinz Knoke came up with the idea of bombing the bombers. That is... dropping 500Kg bombs on the bomber formations to break them up.
It is funny, because that is literally the very next entry in his journal after this mission on February 26th.
@@TJ3 Can you make a video about it ?
@@TJ3 Wow, very interesting indeed.
@@TJ3 Thanks TJ. I loved reading Heinz Knoke's book (one of the best WW2 pilot memoirs I've read) and was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was part of this video. Keep up the good work!
@@patm111same! I just finished Knoke’s book and couldn’t believe how good it was.
This was the third mission flown by American heavy bombers into Germany. The cost was five B-17s and two B-24s, both from the 44th BG. The Germans lost two Bf-110s and one FW-190, but in one of those 110s, one of the leading German night fighter aces at the time, Ludwig Becker, was killed. US gunners claimed 21 fighters destroyed, as well as a number of probables and damaged. German pilots claimed at least 12 American bombers, but probably more than that.
The production of these episodes are absolutely outstanding.
The B-24's had a couple of problems. The first was that they were difficult to fly in formation. The second was the wings tended to break apart from a good burst of machine gun or cannon fire. An interesting fact is that the Ford Willow Run B-24 bomber factory could turn out a complete bomber in 56 minutes. My uncle flew B-24's in the China/India/Burma theatre of the war, for a time flying supplies over "the Hump".
My great uncle was a B24 pilot also and flew “The Hump”. I had the privilege of flying with him in small planes and attending an air show at Oshkosh with him when he was in his 70’s. I have a photo of a newspaper article about his having received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service. I also have photos of him and me beside a Cessna 152 we flew together when I was a very young man and he was around the age I am now.
@@davidzakrzewicz707 I am glad to hear that you had some flying time with your GU in small planes. I only got to go up once with my uncle in a small plane.
I agree, the B24's Davis wing was far more susceptible to combat damage.
One of the best bits of research I've seen on a topic I've read/studied for 40 years. Excellent work.
Another exception telling of a war time story I havnt heard before. Keep up the great work TJ!
Thank you!!
Thanks for doing this story, I’ve read Heinz knoke’s book and made a model of his Bf 109. Sad to hear about Robert post, may he rest in peace.
It appears you have done a bit of due diligence here as opposed to the standard shoot and die stories. Thanks for these depictions that define WWII by the personal stories. It was after all, real men, not just someone manning the planes and carrying the rifles who ultimately were successful in crushing the evil that the entire world faced during these dark times. How many of us today would willingly face certain death to carry out these missions without their cell phones?
I am getting the impression some of us may face this choice again fairly soon, as a new evil is growing across the world, including here in the USA.
Man that quote hit hard. I “knew” I would die with my comrades in Iraq and still don’t understand why I made it home without them. I try to live the best I can so that I can carry their memory forward.
We will reunite with all warriors in Valhalla. Semper fi!
Very good video. Piecing together the entire story from various sources was really well done. These people were extraordinary, the remarkable thing was that they didn't consider themselves to be. Absolutely "The Greatest Generation".
Yes, the generation that Trump (Vietnam draft dodger) is reported to have said were losers during in his visit to Normandy.
Loved the perspective from both sides, probably one of your best videos. Great story, great job TJ! 😁👌
Having read his biography as a teenager, when I saw the quick picture at the beginning I thought, "That looks like Heinz Knoke!" A highly interesting personal account of his war and has a fine studio portrait of him with his decorations. Thanks for an interesting story I knew nothing about! 👍😎
EXCELLENT and OUTSTANDING video. Your are paying tribute to the heroes who paid the ultmate sacrifice for their country. THANKS very much. Greetings from Mexico City.
My Father in Law was a Bombarder on a B24 Liberator called the House of Rumors . He was lucky and completed all his missions over Germany . He didn’t like talking about it much , only the training he got while he was in the States . I can’t imagine these brave men having to deal with each mission only to have another soon after !
They , being every man & woman who served , wether Army, Navy or Air Force in WWII , both in Europe or in the Pacific , all were truly the greatest generation ! What strikes me is how young they were !
God bless them all !
Another Great video and Story I didn't know. Thanks TJ. I recommend your channel to everyone I know. It just keeps getting better and better you can tell you are very passionate about History. Happy Holidays Buddy. Already Looking forward to what you got for us next time. Please "Keep 'em Flyin"
Thumbs up . RIP Robert Post ; war history is filled with men having a vision of their death.
That long tapered Davis Wing of the B-24 made it a more efficient but less rugged aircraft. B-17s came back with incredible damage. Similarly, the initially criticized B-26 Marauder medium bomber was toughly built and had the highest survival record of the mediums and possibly all the bombers.
Great graphics, even of the crew. They continue to improve.
Those graphics are from the game, War Thunder. I find the game a bit arcadish, but the modeling is pretty good.
You tell superb stories about WWII. I can't get over the pathos. You humanize the individuals concerned. They have good and bad traits. As all people have. Your stories/histories compel me to keep their memories alive and to pray that they all rest in peace.
Heinz Knoke's autobiography, "I Flew For The Fuehrer" is a really good read.
Agreed
Read it about 30+ years ago, great read.
My dad flew in B-24's as a navigator. He loved the 24 saying, it always brought me home'...
Thank you very much TJ for these awesome videos..Keep up the good work and god bless you in this journey .
Thank you!
BTW Black and white TV wasn't in common use in USA until 1947 - after WW2 was over. I do enjoy your Histories.
Your war thunder custom missions look more fun than the regular Gameplay
The Writing 69th included the famed "Most Trusted Man in America," Walter Conrite, and the nearly as famous Andy Rooney.
That quote sent shivers down my spine
Interesting perspective by the German pilot, who actually landed and was able to see both ends of the story .. I am sure he saw many people die from the same bomb group that drop bombs on many people he probably knew and yet he still at the compassion to go down and try and save lives once they crashed.
The production of these episodes are absolutely outstanding.. The production of these episodes are absolutely outstanding..
That write up on Bob Post is typical of wartime "Reporting". By all actual accounts, he was very unhappy about flying in general and was in no way "Eager to be on the most dangerous mission". In point of fact, like any one with any sense, he was frightened. Despite wartime propaganda, it was a pretty well known around the airfields that casualties on the heavy bombers were heavy and Post, with the curiosity and nose for detecting BS of a good reporter would have sniffed this out in no time.He knew perfectly well that he stood a significant chance of getting injured or killed even if they didn't get shot down.
RAF Bomber Command couldn’t sustain the heavy loses that daylight bombing brought. And switched its campaign to night bombing.
On the other hand, Americas massive resources and manpower was capable of fighting a war of attrition, and they came out on top.
With growing confidence in fighter planes such as the P-51 Mustangs, the USAAF was able to not only drop bombs with precision, but also force the German Luftwaffe to combat in their airspace.
The Americans couldn’t sustain the losses either. Without the long range escort fighters, P-47 and P-51, they would have been forced to stop.
@@jeremypnet
Yes, specifically I mention the P-51 Mustang. Of course I’m referring to the USAAF raids deep into nazi Germany, such as Leipzig, Magdeburg, and Schweinfurt.
But the American Eighth Airforce raids were two fold,- 1) Knock out Germany industry/destroy its industrial base.
2) Bring the Luftwaffe up to fight, to kill-off it’s seasoned pilots.
RAF Bomber Command had a different more controversial strategy, of during the night destroying German cities (firestorms) in order to de-house the working population.
IMO the one complemented the other. Remember the British had similar done to them during and after the BoB.
It was called, “around the clock bombing.” It was thought it would destroy German civilian morale, but it didn’t.
@@jeremypnet
Incidentally the Pacific USAF used the same strategy as RAF Bomber Command, firer bombing Japanese cities (wooden construction), as Japanese manufacturing was “cottage industry based,” making bombing difficult to pinpoint.
The USAF also hoped (as with RAF-BC) to destroy the Japanese moral. That didn’t work either! Hence the use of the Atomic Bomb.
Fantastic story, well told. Very plausible origins of heavy bomber superiority race.
Excellent production. Everything is so well done. Interesting and entertaining is always a good combination. And the effective use of CGI really makes this a cut above.
I took a ride in a restored liberator and it was amazing. You wouldn't believe how thin the metal was in those planes. A tin can is stronger.
As always, very comprehensive.
26:34 una de las frases más impresionantes que he escuchado de un aviador de la segunda guerra mundial
Nice video. Lovely to hear both sides as it is quite rare to hear it.
Hess's flight is not the actions of a deranged officer disobeying orders. He specifically knew who he was to meet, was allowed to fly in British airspace, similar to a Junkers Ju88 R which arranged to be met by two Spitfires and landed at an RAF base, handling the boffins the latest German night radar. Both Hess's Me 110 fuselage, and the Ju 88 r used to be at RAF museum Hendon but have since be moved to other Imperial War Museums. I Flew For The Fuhrer was in a pile of books in the place my band rehearsed in, around 1990. so i nicked it and it started an enthusiasm for Luftwaffe planes, pilots etc ever since, instead of just the RAF and Allies.
Heinz Knoke's book is a fascinating read, he survived some shocking injuries in a crash.
The gameplay at the opening of this video is gorgeous. Hard to believe. Plus the speeds are correct.
INCREDIBLE story!. great effort made in the creation of this video. i love the detail in every aspect
I just read the book of hanz Knoke, man what a considence haha great video as always!!! i love it
you should read a higher call. its amazing.
@@MysticalDragon73 thanks man, who's the writer? To read the right one haha
Very well done. You have talent for telling a story I've never heard.
Why is it that English speakers tend to ignore the last syllable in names? Heinz Knoke is not Heinz 'nok', but Heinz 'knoh- ka'; two syllables and a clear kn.
Its amazing these young men fought so hard. Wounder what they would think of the state of this country now. Brass balls these men had.
I enjoyed this video very much. Good computer-generated footage of the aircraft and the combat sequences (other than the minor issues addressed by other), making my quibbles even less consequential. They have to do with the Bf-109 of the Luftwaffe protagonist. First, the intake air filter. That appears to be one of those developed specifically for use in North Africa, where the dust is thick and incompatible with extended engine life (what hotrodders who have run on California's dry lakes without air filters would refer to as a Boraxo overbore). You probably wouldn't find a European based aircraft equipped with that. The second gripe was the tailwheel not being articulated, meaning it didn't pivot (like the front wheels on a supermarket basket) when the aircraft turned while taxying on the ground. Minor crap at the most, and a Great video in spite of it. Overall rating, 99.2!
I saw this also and thought that the video was done of an F-2 or F-4 with the tropical filter. Then when you hear the passage read from Knoke's book he describes the tracers from the two 20mm cannons and 13mm machine guns... that is not an F model. While the most maneuverable of the series the F was graded down because of the fire power being a single 20mm through the hub. See... all those years building models still comes in handy. More likely a G model and that would be consistent with the time and unit composition. I would venture to say that most people today have no clue about these events much less comprehend him landing near the crash site and attempting to help the survivors and civilians.
The irony is Robert Post’s most famous and enduring story is not one he wrote but one in which he’s the main character.
Full of authentic, heart wrenching emotions, this voice of the German pilot 😎
Daylight bombing was suicidal. Unfortunately it took a long time for the stubborn US command to realize this.
Pre WW2 the USAAF at Maxwell Field was dominated by the Bomber Mafia who were advocates of daylight precision bombing with heavily armed and armoured bombers that flew in tight formations to defend each other. They advocated that the fighter aircraft was redundant and heavy bombers can win a war without the costly ground fighting seen in WW1. The early raids and HUGE losses of the 8th Air Force on raids proved that a policy of Air Supremacy was the best way to destroy the Luftwaffe and bomb targets. The Bomber Mafia were very scornful of the RAFs nighttime area bombing strategy, until they found in the Pacific that daylight high altitude bombing was impractical due to the Jetstream. William P Acker gets relieved of command and Curtis Le May decides to use area fire bombing on Japanese cities to get results
This bomber was scary looking intimidating.. they say was a reliable safe unit …
Great video! One tip, if there is an e on the end of a German word it's pronounced a, as in ah but without the h. Knok-a. Plus Bf 109. Keep up the good work! Thanks from Australia!
Fantastic video. Thanks for producing.
Really sad about Post's father looking in vain for his son's remains after the war. Brings in focus the devastating losses suffered by those at home, especially parents losing children.
Flying a large, slow and bomb laden aircraft into enemy fighters and heavy flak took serious danglers.....
Outstanding detail in this video.
My father was a crew-chief on a B-24 called "Smooth Sue."
Great video. Love your works! Have a question though. Knoke's Bf-109G has 2 wing-mounted 20 mm cannons, right? Not seen in your video. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Love the work you do!
Please make a video about the Finnish ace ilmari jutilainnen
The problem with the Liberator was the wings. They were high aspect Davis wings, structurally high-lift, but over-long, hit by cannon shells they would fold, not so the B-17. The 17s wings were 40% stronger by virtue of span and depth and stood up well when hit by multiple cannon shells.
My only gripe if you are showing the tropical/desert version of the 109, wouldn’t a European theater pilot be flying a non air filtered 109?
Scotland actually he was trying to meet ,a scottish lord Duke of Hamilton and his plane ran out of fuel near Fenwick just outside Glasgow
Thats because the B-24's wings broke off way to damn easy.
Well, none of them were "supposed" to be shot down.
I love how some of the German squadrons would land in a field and stay in tents and operated like wolf packs. No base or air strip. Just them, their planes, and the ground support..
Thats nuts! Great story.
The graphics are superb
The American bombers seemed to have more bail out options than the British bombers.
Being able to bail out of the bomb bay seemed to be an advantage over the Lancaster whose bomb bay was enclosed.
Great story.
And the award for best squadron name ever...The Writing 69th.
The P47 with drop tanks could escort the bombers.
Bomber comand thought the bombers could and would always get through so the air corps wouldn't let the P 47s use the drop tanks the British had available.
Greg's planes and automobiles channel on UA-cam has proven that beyond any doubt. Nothing like a pilot flight engineer giving the throttle settings for the range to drive a point home. Lol
Did the Germans report any losses that day from that mission? Also, were any other B-24s lost?
Excellent video.
Where did you get the audio for the Heinz know quote?
Many premonitions of death in war seem to be accurate!
The B-24 was a great Aircraft made by Ford.
it was built by many places not just ford.
Well it was actually Scotland 🏴 not England 🏴 that Hess flew to. You coulda said the UK 🇬🇧 and still been correct tho.
But I’m just nitpicking, TJ I fucking LOVE your work, your content, and all that you are doing to preserve history. I have a MASSIVE amount of respect for you bro please keep right on doing what you’re doing.
Why the me109 has the sand filter on in the video?!?
The Me109 of minute 1.23 baptized "Lilo"was of Heinz Knoke, a war ace, Lilo was his wife. He wrote a book titled "Flying for the Führer.
Why is the story repeated starting at 21:56? Only then do we find out who survived the crash and that Post, the main character in the story, died. It would have been better if these two separate narratives had been combined into one chronological narrative.
I probably won't see masters of the sky as I don't have apple plus..my grandfather was a top turret gunner and flight engineer on a B-24 during ww2 with the 464th bg 779th bomb squad out of Italy
My son was shot down in his B-24 last week on war Warthunder.
There is a group with the borders of the UK that believe a very different story behind Hess. It was believed that Hess did this misson on his own and Hitler knew nothing oof this. If this was the case hess would have had to fly to the UK directly for this. Instead they said with evidence they have that Hess landed, what I believe they said was Denmark but they could have mentioned another country. This was for fuel and other neccessities he needed. This alone suggest he did not do this on his own and the German Air Force was in on it and very liely Hitler also knew of this. He then reach an area in the UK where an allegded Duke was living but he denied Hess's story. What is not revealed to the public was a certain Prince George also lived in the area and was at his home at the time. He was also a suspected supporter of the Nasi's and was King George's younger brother.
Prince George did die iduring WW II and it was in a plane crash where there was one survior. The crew man did try to hide from the British officials but was caught. His own sister told the story of him being in a room with men dressed in suits and she said she thinks he was forced to sign the offical secrets act. He never spoke of the incident again.
Now there were many royalties that supported the Nasi's and to list some was Prince Bernnard of the Netherlands, King Edward of the UK there is even film that was released about years ago of a Young Princes Elzibeth and Margret playing with their mother in the 1930's on the palace grounds giving the facist salute. King Edward advocated the crown to his brother who took the name George and was the father of Princess Elezibeth who became Queen. It was know to the people in general of their leaning. Prince bernnard was instrumental in forming the Bilderberg Group and he owned a lot of property in Bariloche, Argentina. If you want more info on Bariloche maybe you should research this.
It is possible that the story of Hess is much different than what you think. Also the death of Heinrich Himmler might be suspicous as his body laid on the floor of house in Germany for three days before anybody was allowed to view or examine it and this was after he was interrogated. It sound very strange but he was in charge of the secret police and therefore knew of many secrets.
sand filter on the 109? and no bulges for the mg131s, and mg151gun pods?
At this time Knoke flew a Bf 109 G-1 without bulges and gun pods. The well known Bf 109 G-6 "Beule" (bulge) he flew later in the war.
At 18:00 knokes narration clearly states “13mm guns and two cannons”
It gets really hard to get models specifically right in my simulators.
Good video, thanks! But the air filter does not look correct for the Europe theatre. 👍
Nice vid
Why would the 109 ve a tropical variant? Pretty sure those didn't operate around that area.
Dump doesn't just have specificity, he has the choice of crimes to choose from, as does the jury. 💙
Great video
nice video