Masters of the Air

[Edbert]

Apologies if I offended.

I do not think there's a "difference which one you read".

What matters is the volume of the reading and the myriad of disparate opinions/viewpoints/experiences one considers.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

To be honest, haven't B17 films been done to death?

How many other films you claim the B-17 have been done to death? I only count one - Memphis Belle; although it is loosely based on real life but hyped up for Hollywood.

How about a Band of Brothers style series about B-24s?

For me, they were the work force of USAF.

That will not happen. This is Tom Hanks third and final series after BoB and The Pacific
Faster than B17, longer range, and more bomb capacity.

Less guns.
More B24s produced. More lost.
B24 crews were the true Masters of the Air.

I disagree up to a point. Yes, the B-24 has a longer range and carry a larger load of bombs but…. (there's always a but LOLZ) the Liberator isn't like the B-17 where the Fort can fly home with half a wing, and 3 engines - read A Higher Call. The Liberator couldn't try even on a prayer. Too fragile of a bomber than the iconic B-17 Fortress.

B-24 crews are the true Masters of the Air? No. Both the B-17 AND the B-24 crews are true Masters of the Air.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Apologies if I offended.

I do not think there's a "difference which one you read".

What matters is the volume of the reading and the myriad of disparate opinions/viewpoints/experiences one considers.

Read Big Week.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Keep in mind… during the early bombing runs; bombers were spread out. Once they reached their targets, the Luftwaffe would meet up with them and attack them from all directions thus causing the bombers to take evasive actions and not complete their bomb runs. Some return loaded or were shot down. When LeMay (or Eaker I forget which) took command, he saw the flaw. He ordered his bombers to close up tight, fly straight - yes thru flak and Luftwaffe fighters and DO NOT take evasive action. Drop their bombs and return home….. all WITHOUT a fighter escort. Yes, there were losses.

Later on, Bomber crews demanded fighter escorts on their bomb runs into Germany and they got it. They started using P-47 Thunderbolts. The trouble with P-47 is range. They can go as far as the German border then turn back before losing fuel.

Eventually, a brand new fighter was introduced, the P-51 Mustang which has much better range and faster than the Thunderbolts and escort the bombers deep into Germany AND engage the Luftwaffe fighters.

So my point is the statement claiming the crews of the B-24 Liberators were the "true Masters of the Air" is irrelevant. Again, read the book Masters of the Air. It gives a deeper historical element of the Bomber war.

 

[Rob]

Read the book The Last Mission. It's about the last B-29 Raid on Japan before the war went nuclear.