The Scariest Allied Exterminator with a Unique Killing Technique
Вставка
- Опубліковано 10 чер 2024
- Amidst the heat and haze, Clive Caldwell piloted his P-40 Tomahawk over northwest Egypt near the Libyan border. It’s August 29, 1941. The war in North Africa rages on, with each side vying for control of the desert skies.
Suddenly, two Messerschmitt Bf 109s, one piloted by the up-and-coming ace Werner Schroer, swooped down in a surprise attack.
The German fighters unleashed a relentless barrage, wounding Caldwell in the back, shoulder, and leg. A second, even more powerful attack shattered his canopy, sending splinters and shrapnel right into his face. Loud cannon shells ripped through the fuselage, damaging the right wing.
Yet, even as blood murked his vision and pain threatened to cloud his judgment, Caldwell's resolve burned brighter. He refused to back down. Anger and determination surged through him as he turned his battered P-40 toward his attackers. This would ignite the legend of Australia’s greatest World War 2 ace.
He would later write in a notebook: [QUOTE] "it's your life or theirs. This is war."
-
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -
G'day Dark, I'm a military historian and a former member of the Royal Australian Air Force; during the 1970s. There is much talk of the so-called 'Moratai Mutiny'. Firstly, it was not a mutiny. It was a group of senior RAAF Officers, some of whom commanded Fighter Wings, who resigned their Commissions, as the USAAF elements left them behind; moving away from New Guinea and began their 'island hopping' under the command of USAAF General Kenny; ultimately commanded by Douglas MacArthur.
MacArthur was fully aware of Clive Caldwell's prowess as a fighting commander; sending Clive a personal letter of congratulations after a string of successful attacks on the Japanese. He was probably unaware of Clive's mounting number of air-to-air victories in the European theatre.
Clive Caldwell was not only Australia's top fighter Ace he was the commanding officer of No 80 Fighter Wing, a large unit that, as the Japanese threatened Australia, transitioned from Tomahawks to Spitfires.
It took much badgering of Winston Churchill by the Australian Government and the RAAF to secure the Spitfires. In all honesty, Clive said he preferred the Tomahawk. Clive must have felt a little confined in a Spitfire cockpit, he was 190 centimetres tall.
The focus of the 1st Tactical Air Force, under General Kenny, left Australian Air Force squadrons in place as the USAAF moved ever closer to the Philippines and then Japan.
The RAAF COs felt that after several pilots had been shot down; risking their pilots' lives on 'mopping-up' sorties was not an activity that would in any way hasten the defeat of the Japanese.
By doing this General MacArthur had broken his word; having promised publicly, privately to the Prime Minister and War Cabinet, and in writing, that he would take Australian forces with him in his tactical advance upon the Japanese in the Philippines.
Several senior RAAF officers formally resigned their commissions and appointments.
This earned the Squadrons concerned a personal visit from General Kenny who, effectively, 'sacked' three of the resigned officers; removing them from active service.
The Australian Government, rightly, strenuously disagreed with Kenny's actions over the Australian COs and set up its own, independent judicial enquiry into the reason for the resignations.
Mr (later Justice) Barry K.C., and his panel, heard from, voluntary, witnesses and reviewed documents. All the RAAF officers who resigned, including those that had be 'sacked' by General Kenny were fully cleared of any wrong doing and all were reinstated without any loss of rank or privileges, Group Captain Clive Caldwell included. It was formally recorded that the resignations had occurred for the highest reasons of loyalty and duty.
Clive himself would have agreed he was not a man of great tact. He was a strongly driven, highly active combat leader who rose from a lowly Pilot Officer, in 1940, to the wartime appointment of Group Captain* just four years later.
He was fiercely loyal to his subordinate pilots yet he 'ran a tight ship', always insisting on frequent gunnery practice.
He once said, "... any man who couldn't shoot straight should stay on the ground because in the air they are useless as fighter pilots."
Early in the war he saw his best mate, shot and killed by a Luftwaffe Ace, while the Aussie was in his parachute after his Tomahawk caught fire.
Clive led from the front; every opportunity he got he practiced shooting at his or his wingman's shadows on the ground.
Some say he got the nickname 'killer', which he despised, because of his habit of expending any rounds he had left over after a sortie.
He would shoot at any enemy movement from armour to cargo and troop trucks. He could take punishment too. On several occasions he sustained multiple injuries, grazes and many near misses from enemy bullets in the air.
After VE-Day, over 17,000 RAAF personnel would be returning to Australia and the Government ordered the end of all aircrew training and began 'demobbing' RAAF members beginning with those who had served the longest.
With an official 'score' of 28.5 'kills', Wing Commander Clive Caldwell left the RAAF with the confirmed rank of Group Captain upon release, as was the custom.
The rumours of Clive being discharged as a Flight Lieutenant or Squadron Leader were just that; rumours.
Clive began a company at war's end and successfully managed it until only a handful of years before his death of prostate cancer in 1994. His birthdate is still misquoted to this day, in some publications, due to his 'white lie' which ensured he was accepted as a trainee pilot in 1940.
As a Group Captain*, Clive was entitled to a large military funeral as a final tribute from his country. He opted for a private service and a cremation attended only by family members.
Bill H.
* = Group Captain was equal to the rank of a 'full bird' Colonel in USAAF during WW2.
P.S. Dark, your title for this video is a little too ‘theatrical’. 😉
Many thanks for this amazing history lesson!
@@g-manthenurseman7532 G'day G-man, your welcome. Bill H.
I agree with the comment about the title. Every one of the titles of this creator's videos is extremely over dramatic and click-baity.
Much thanks for this info. He was an amazing fellow. Cheers from Canada.
Greetings from USA. Thank you for letting us know about the sacrifices that the Australian military and specifically RAAF made during WW2. Sadly enough, there are not enough media accounts of Australia's importance not only in the Pacific Theater of Operation but also in Europe, especially before Pear Harbor. Field Marshall Rommel said many "great" compliments to the difficulties the DAK encountered in its fights for North Africa.
Most pilots if not nearly all pilots would avoid shooting a pilot exiting its stricken aircraft, a POW, a surrendered enemy, etc... but war has a life of its own. My uncle (US Navy officer) was tortured for one year by the "peace-loving Japanese" (to echo some modern American revisionists). He witnessed his fellow POWs many of them Australians/British soldiers being tortured, mutilated, ... even castrated. Meanwhile back home (USA), from the comfort of our Lazyboys (plush reclining chair brand), we criticize the sacrifice(s) of our elders for bombing fighting/bombing Japan. War has a life of its own . The Australian military and civilians gave the Allies a huge if not essential help in stopping the Imperial Japanese Pacific expansion and providing us (Allies) with a forward base of operation/recovery/hospitalization/... and recreation. I thank you for letting the YT community know about Australian efforts and sacrifices during this world conflict. Peace be with you, Ciao, L (US Veteran)
They get even with you in the military. The alcohol thing was probably common and he may have even been innocent, but the senior brass can't bear to witness a successful mutiny.
DING DING!! Winner, winner!! True Dat shipmate....
"He took down a Messerschitt BF 109 twin engined fighter"?
The BF 109 is a single engined fighter, the BF 110 was a twin engined fighter...
They never put it in full production but Willy Messerschmitt did make a prototype twin me 109 but it was later in the war when they became more desperate. The intended use was to tow the big glider that Messerschmitt was building but didn’t know if it was going to work so they tried bolting several different types of planes together. In the end they put engines on the glider and never produced any twin planes in any real numbers . I only saw a blueprint of the twin 109 so I can not say for sure if it ever really existed but on some tv show on the history channel they claim it did fly.
Any fighter aces from WW2 there tally’s will never be beaten , all are heroes to their countries.
We’ve eve named suburbs in our capital city, Caldwell
@ryanparker7258 they aren't even close to the aces of WWI
Their tallies.
All that....and he survived the war!
he said he preferred the P-40 over the spitfire and liked the P-47 more than the P -51 in his book ....his shadow shooting was adopted by the RAF and the USAAF returning to base after uneventful missions to improve marksmanship
George Burling was a deflection shooter as well.
discount And he proved what a great fighter the P40 was, it was a great handling plane tight turns fast roles and rugged as hell and armed with 6 50 cal it like other fighters of the era was a low/medium altitude ighter and out performed the Hyrrycanes and was prefered by "Killer" over the $hitfire Mk VIII the high altitude merlin equipted one
I would like to know exactly what it was.
One bad ass Aussie!
As soon as you said Australian i knew this was going to be some Heroically mad shit
A few inaccuracies with this video, including with one of the pilots mentioned. The Heinz Schmidt shown in the photograph had 173 victories and was in JG 52 and went MIA in September 1943, 2 years later. The Heinz Schmidt from JG 27 that Caldwell is credited with shooting down in June 1941 had 6 victories.
Thanks! My research didn't get this to add up.
Pulled up the wikipedia on this and the information is nearly identical
U can build more planes but not more airmen.
Very good for an Aussie. Yes I am aware of their excellent drive and ability to adapt. I'm a historian. I had never heard of Australia's ace. Salut. Well done. Flying a warhawk the plane was good for it's era. One big draw back was it's wing mounted guns that a pilot had to converge as the paths of the guns crossed. Like a giant X in front of the pilot. Hard to judge at 400 mph. He was able to figure that out. I salut you sir. If you have passed RIP.
rick The P40 or most planes of the times could not do 400 MPH unless in a dive !!! and it was heavily armed with 6 50 cal MG's
What a character. The best of the best.
Smart pilot ditching tracers … I’m a ground pounder and tracers can be the wrong way to go depending on your mission
At 11:47 you can see Clive beside one of his planes. Look at his aircraft markings: CR🎯C. You can't get more Aussie than that!!! The original Crocodile Hunter!! Good on you mate, ya Legend!
Enjoyed your video on Clive Cadwell. Truly a masterful Fighter Piopt. One who flew with great skill and courage. 💪👃✨
Amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Good show boss. Thank you.
You really got some great gun-camera footage in this video!
To be such a badass, the enemy gives you a cool nickname like "Tiger"? Man... that's awesome
Great video.Thanks DARK DOCS!
No matter what the reason or excuse any of them give on any side of that war, shooting a man who was parachuting is murder.
Cool-thank you.
Since when is a BF-109 a "twin engine" fighter?
At 4:00 in the video he says the Messerschmidt 109 was a twin engine fighter! Who knew? Heck, maybe they had an extra engine hidden somewhere that was really tiny?
Wikipedia research... 😅
I was Infantry and relate to the tracer issue. You start shooting any distance, and the tracers are higher than the regular rounds as they have no lead core, just the chemical powder and they work both ways LOL. You have to know your rifle and use your sights or of course today, the gadgets which as so good that a 3 year old can be a marksman until the battery dies, the lens cracks or fogs up etc. Learn to shoot, then learn the gadgets both. It is getting too expensive with all this foolishness for a full spectrum war which includes draftees.
The Desert warfare whether on land, sea or air seemed that the best performers were those who walked to the beat of their own drummer. I’ve seen numerous stories of airmen n SAS members in north Africa who were lone wolves, often reprimanded yet were the very best performers.
3:59 A Me Bf 109 twin engine fighter..... U-huh.... Great research work again....
He had himself an action packed career, smiling for cameras!
A BF- 109 twin engine fighter?
These videos are always WEIRDLY INACCURATE!.
Only reason I watch them.
They must have meant a Me110. They always get something incredibly wrong. Watched one earlier which said that Sweden "grew" iron ore. I think they're so hungry for the clicks that they don't properly edit scripts and do everything in one take.
What a unit 💪
I looked at three (3) different sources of fighter pilot info and they all said that Hinz Smit fought in the Battle of Britain and was transferred to the Russian Front. Where he fought the rest of the war until he died. Smit never fought in Africa! I don't know who Caldwallop shot down that day in Africa. But I do know it was Not Hinz Smit.
You say he shot down a BF 109 Twin Engine fighter??? How Odd! Read your script before you tape your narration, Dude.
There was a Leutnant Heinz Schmidt 1916-1941 that crashed in Libya. Sadly no info on him.
Obviously not the man on photo, the German ace Hauptmann Heinz Schmidt
b.1920 MIA 1943 Eastern Front
At least the name was right 😅
@@senadsotonica😊
@@senadsotonica Great comment. This is like finding a John Smith, this name is so common, and there are some versions, do you think it strange there are two fighter pilots with almost similar names? Things get funny when Americans have German family names. They could have met cousins during a war. You bet this has really happened. It is movie stuff, but statistics tell us, chances are, in trench war of WW1 you could really meet a family member. Large numbers of soldiers, such chances do increase.
Have the Germans has such "double" Bf109's? There was a double fuselage Mustang, wasn't it? Did Messerschmitt do the same trick? It is like the easiest way to build a two-engine version of your plane. Get a short wing in between the two fuselages, extend the controls to the other fuselage, change the tail to one tail. It is far easier than having both wings support an engine. There are good reasons for having that large engine up front the fuselage. So, having two such fuselages flying side by side, well, it may be larger then just one, it saves you trouble. So the double tails Mustang was built. And I wonder if Messerschmitt copied the idea. Why not? I would have it a go.
@@voornaam3191 There was also a South African, Heinz Werner Schmidt, Rommels right hand
Jews fighting for the reich, italian and germans descendants fighting axis ... and the list goes on
Yeah war is utter madness.
What a bad ass!!
Can you imagine what he would of done if he was piloting a P51 Mustang?
Probably the same.
Probably the same.
Why? He seemed to do alright with the aircraft he was flying at the time. Apart from it's long range, there was nothing really special about the Mustang.
Not of done. It is have done
@@jamieh8240The Mustang was the best at high altitudes and very maneuverable. The long range of the Mustang carried them on Bomber escort missions all the way to the target and back. The Mustang saved the American daylight Bomber mission over Germany. The Mustang was special. Not just for long range combat ability.
Seriously, this Australian pilot was the best of the allies aces.
there were 2 aces named heinz schmidt in the luftwaffe. the one pictured and expounded on was not shot down by clive. the heinz schmidt pictured was a high scoring ace in the eastern theater who was killed a couple years later by friendly fire. clives first victory was heinz schmidt of the jg 27 with 6 kills. seems he was killed.
It's wing commander if you have 3 stripes the same size. Squadron leader when the middle one is smaller. Fyi. Great vid mate.
Another Aussie Legend .. I was surprised to learn that it was a common practice to shoot pilots etc who bail out . I was under the impression that you did not shoot anybody in a parachute and it was also another form of respect . This excluded the Japanese , as they routinely shoot pilots in chutes ..
Looks like I maybe wrong again .
Question .. a German soldier was different to a Nazi .
A German soldier was a normal soldier , like the general infantry of a country .
where as the Nazi / SS was a soldier who operated outside normal fields . They where the ones who dealt with the murder of the Jews and most atrocities from WW2
All countries committed various crimes but the Nazi was in a league of there own
Not quite. IMO, a large number/% of "regular" German soldiers (as were civilians in large numbers) were Jew haters and believers in Lebensraum/German expansion and willingly fought for/unilaterally invaded peaceful neighboring countries and idolized Hitler and all he stood for (frenzied nationalism). Of course, some did not, but the aphorism that Germans are precise and good at following orders is basically true. How else can you account for the death of 100 million people and the destruction of most of Europe? What sane nation would go on the rampage and enter into a horrific war just to expand their territory?
As far as I know it was not common in the Europe theater to shoot pilots hanging on a chute, not even in Russia! Except American pilots . But I connot judge the Pacific theater.
as were the Japanese
Communists have caused many more deaths
than Facists,
but as communists run media and films,
people are brainwashed
that Communists are Good,
Facists are Bad.
And they believe it.
/
I saw an interview with American fighter pilot Chuck Yeager here on UA-cam and he said he was under orders during his tours of duty in Europe to shoot enemy pilots in their parachutes. So he did. Seldom acknowledged but true.
Do you mean a BF 110, as the 109 is a single engine plane
@4:00 A Bf-109 is a single-engjne plane.
sigh. in capuzzo, libya, he did not take down a bf 109 twin engine fighter, the only bf 109 with twin engines was a twin fuselage that was never built.
Twin engined Bf109?
The war in North Africa has been said to be very much like naval warfare and the air fighting was very much like the it was in the Pacific carrier fights with almost all air fighting happening below 20K feet.
Op Crusader, Mates needed help, all that was needed to be said, from fellow ANZAC.
4:00 I think you mean he shot down a BF "110" twin engine fighter (not a 109)
Was that a Lancaster being shot up at 5:35 ?
4:09 - “BF-109 twin engine fighter” -> ??
I can find no trace of a Heinz Schmidt flying in North Africa toe.
The one documented, whose photo matches the one in the clip, never went to NA but fought on Eastern front where he eventually went MIA in Ukrain 9/5/1943.
Caldwell would shoot enemies in parachutes …. Depending on where they ejected
Where is irrelevant. It was a war crime any way you cut it.
@4:00 you said he “took down a BF109 TWIN engine fighter.” Am I missing something?? 🧐
P40 wasn't ready for first world contemporaries ie Messerschmitt 109
Why would a British RAF Unit in North Africa during WWII on the Egypt/Libya border *choose* to switch from flying hurricanes-effective fighters at *both* high and low altitudes--to flying American Curtiss P-40s, which were effective only at lower altitudes and were difficult to land bc of their narrow undercarriages? My impression of the P-40 is that--though it *could* be a competent fighter in the hands of very skilled pilots, as the Flying Tigers of China were for a while against Japan--it was essentially a nearly-obsolete plane by the end of the 1930s, being quickly surpassed by abler, faster, and nimbler fighters such as the hurricane, Spitfire, BF109, FW190, the P38 Lightning, the P47 Thinderbolt, and of course the P51 Mustang.
Because they could get American parts easier
Because they thought the P40 was superior for the theatre. It was much better than you make out.
Because they needed the Hurricanes for another theatre
Bf100 was not a twin engine AC. Bf110 is... Also Ju97 ?
4:25 I wouldn't say it was common. It did happen from time to time both sides considered it cowardly and vile.
When a good pilot saw such an attack they would often pick away at the airplane that did it until the pilot had to bail out. It doesn't take a doctorate degree to know what would happen next.
JU 87s pretty much sitting ducks the flew so slow.
I read he was 6' 2 1/2" tall - I'm surprised he was allowed in the air force.
That deal about selling alcohol seems like a really bonehead idea on his part.
I wish there was more detail about how that shadow technique worked....
was he bascially just leading the target?
Yea, war is like that - 2 men who don't know each other are fighting to the death...
One of my favorite quotes in all the world and for all time is...
"they shall learn war no more"....look that one up !
He was flying a Hawker huricane not a p40
C L I V E !!!
YEAH
Shot down a twin engine ME 109 ?
Feckless senior brass
It’s one thing to fly. But man, these guys are shooting at you……..
"BF109 twin engined fighter" ??
4:00 Me-110, not 109.
A BF 109 is a single engine fighter not a twin engine fighter. It's at 4.01.
What is a JU97?.
An 87 that's ten feet longer maybe?.
follow all the dark channels This narrator is best.👍 Kudos to the rest of crew.also.👍
If I may request.. give credits to movie clips.
..shorts are public domain? ..maybe that clip will spark....a tangent🙏
So, they became so silly over politics that they trumped up drinking charges to push out their greatest ace and combat leader. He wasn't just an ace, but a killer of enemy aces! Fat chair bound officers who never even heard the sound of gunfire no doubt.
Was he a conscript?
You got so wrong about Polish pilots that I could not believe hiring it . That group was known as " Circus of Skalski " , hand picked pilots from different Polish squadrons in Britain with great experience. They were attached to 215 Caldwell squadron , but flew independently , only 6 aircraft at any time . Within couple months they shot down 25 or so enemy aircraft's (not mentioning probables and damages )loosing only one of their own pilots Mieczyslaw Wyszkowski ( p.o..w.) . So please next time prepare yourself better !!! ❤
Better you than me
9:50 Ju-87s, not Ju-97s.
😊
JU-97???
escorted by an Me 109 twin engined fighter 🙂
It’s not Port Darwin, it’s just plain old Darwin.🇦🇺🇦🇺
Actually it was called Port Darwin and so is their football club
It was a P-40 ...
Suggest you get your facts correct. Caldwell never signed up with the Royal Air Force. He enlisted with the Royal Australian Air Force on 27 May 1940, his enlistment papers which he filled in and signed at the time show his actual date of birth - his age at the time did not preclude him from training or service with the RAAF as a pilot. He undertook his pilot training in Australia and was then sent to the Middle East in February 1941, arriving there early March 1941. His RAAF Personnel file covering his wartime enlistment, training and service is available online in digital format on the National Archives of Australia website. His Wiki entry contains a number of errors of fact so should not be considered a reliable source of information on him.
@5:28, narrator describes what can only be considered a war crime, shooting men in parachutes. Anything else he did, however heroic it may have been, is tainted by this admission. He is a war criminal, but because he fought for the Allies, he was never tried, convicted, and punished as such.
I wonder? if any of my family flew with or around him? any theater
Jim T, Roy bombers EWO in ETO and?, Paul cats EWO Americas' and?, Glen P 38's not Pacific, Woodro, Woody every allied power but Pacific, and the French?
Ist doch nett mit Fräuleins Bullschitt Gschichtli Zufall güu du
The lesson here kids is, DON'T MESS WITH AUSSIES, THEY DON'T BACK DOWN. LMAO
My dads nickname in the army was killer, trust me you don't want to know how he got it.
Goes to show you how uninformed, unskilled, and unintelligent military selection boards are.
There is no such thing as a… BF 109 twin engine fighter… did you mean to say a ME 110? Which was a twin engine fighter? Let’s get it right, ok?
So... he killed 5 in one day... and you say decimated?
That means to reduce by 10%
I think you been destroyed their asses.
Not DECIMATED.
Youd have to be super brave to fly a shitty P40 over the desert at that time >_
P40 was quite good early war at low and medium altitude.
Reward factual errors with downvote if you care about history.
Third
FIRST
Seriously.
And you typed that in "CAPS" 😅😊😂
The Germans used the shadow pracice first Read "A Higher Calling"! Great Book
109 is not a twin engine fighter'
Looks Like he Lost a Lot of teeth in the war.
No such thing as 250 th squadron.
P40 Warhawk..... No such thing as a Tomahawk. Just a redesignation from another countries Service Branch.