Stills from Spielberg's new World War II episode , The Master of Air Combat
After the classic World War II TV series "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific," the production company of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks has once again launched "Masters of the Air, the World War II trilogy." The series, an exclusive offering from Apple, aired on Apple TV Plus, the tech giant's new Netflix-style streaming service platform, which launched on November 1 last year.
"Master of Air Combat" is a story about the Eighth Air Force B-17 strategic bomber team and crew members of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), fighting bloody battles and life-and-death friendships in the European battlefield. The series aired about 8 episodes and could cost more than $200 million to produce. The first two films of the World War II trilogy, Company of Brothers and Pacific, were nominated for more than 40 Emmy Awards, 14 of which were awarded.
A B-17 heavy bomber of the U.S. Army Air Force
B-17: Symbol of Allied strategic aerial bombing in World War II
Known as the "Air Fortress," the B-17 is perhaps the most famous heavy bomber ever built in the United States during World War II. The United States used a super industrial system to greatly expand its armament during the war, building a total of 12,731 B-17 bombers, which can be said to be the main bombing force that helped the Allies win the war. More exaggeratedly, the Allies defeated Germany by bombing.
The first B-17 first flew on 28 July 1935, and since its commissioning in April 1938, the bomber has undergone several modifications around World War II to cope with the rapidly changing air battlefield and situation. The B-17 heavy bomber is 22.66 m long, 5.82 m high, has a wingspan of 31.62 m and a maximum takeoff weight of 29.71 tonnes; is equipped with four 1,200 hp Wright R-1820-97 cyclonic supercharged engines; has an extreme range of 3,219 km, a cruising speed of 293 km/h, and a maximum speed of 462 km/h.
Each B-17 had a crew of 10 men (including 5 machine gunners), had a 8-ton ammunition load, flew at an altitude of 10,850 meters, carried 13 12.7 mm Browning M2 heavy machine guns (including single and twin mounted machine gun turrets), and installed in the nose bomb bay the Norton bomb sight with gyro stability performance, which was regarded as the top secret by the U.S. military during World War II, which was also the bomber's most striking symbol.
B-17 aircraft group that carried out strategic bombing against Germany in World War II
During World War II, the B-17 was the main aircraft of the U.S. Army Air Force in the daytime strategic bombing of German industrial and military targets, and played a key role in all The allied bombing operations against the Axis powers. During the expedition to Europe, the U.S. Eighth Air Force (operational area British-European) stationed in The United Kingdom and the Fifteenth Air Force deployed in Italy (the Mediterranean, Italy-Europe), in coordination with the bomber fleet of the Royal Air Force Bombing Command, launched a day and night air attack on cities, factories and theaters spread across the Western European continent, paving the way for the "Overlord" operation launched on D In 1944 - the Normandy Landing Campaign.
Compared to other Allied aircraft at the time, the B-17 was indeed an extremely effective strategic bombing weapon, not only flying higher, but also dropping more bombs in the war than any Other American aircraft. The B-17 dropped 640,000 tons of ammunition on the continent, more than 40 percent of all U.S. bombers. In addition to the European theater, a small number of B-17s flew over the Pacific Theater, undertaking part of the bombing of Japanese ships and airfields.
Machine gunner in the cabin of the B-17
In fact, long before the outbreak of World War II, the U.S. Army Air Force was convinced that strategic bombers were powerful strategic offensive weapons. It was believed that a long-range, high-altitude bomber armed with a large number of self-defense weapons would not only be effective in self-defense, but also capable of returning to its home airfield after suffering damage on the battlefield. The wartime B-17's heroic deeds, such as being able to fly back to the airfield with an engine despite heavy bullet marks and damage to most of the wings and tail, impressed all parties involved in the war.
The B-17's solid airframe structure and widely circulated stories of battlefield survival made it a well-deserved symbol of the strategic bomber in World War II. As of September 2011, there are still 13 B-17s in the United States that remain airworthy, often soaring for airshows and special events. In addition, there are a number of B-17 airframes that are well preserved or statically displayed in museums.
On October 2, 2019, a World War II heritage-class B-17 bomber carrying 13 people crashed at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, killing seven people on board and surviving six. The crash caused the temporary closure of new England's second-largest airport. The crashed B-17, which was suspected of mechanical failure, was hit by strong crosswinds during its landing at an airshow near Pittsburgh in 1987, rushed off the runway, crashed down a hillside, injured several people, and continued to be used in repairs.
Master of Air Combat is a book of the same name
Spielberg and Hanks co-produced "Air Combat Master", based on the american war history writer Donald Miller's book of the same name, MASTERS OF THE AIR: AMERICA'S BOMBER BOYS WHO FOUGHT THE AIR WAR AGAINST NAZI GERMANY, closely follows the B-17 bomber crew fighters of the U.S. Eighth Air Force They flew every day in the cold high skies, risking their lives to bring deadly artillery fire to Hitler's doorstep, even on unobstructed sunny days.
In the European theater of World War II, the Eighth Air Force's "Air Fortress" carried out three years (1942-1945) defiant death bombings on cities such as Berlin, Dresden and Hanover, dealing a heavy blow to the Nazis. This was the most lethal operation against Germany before the Allies had invaded Nazi Germany.
But the Eighth Air Force, nicknamed the Mighty Eighth, also paid a huge price in trying to pry Europe out of the clutches of the Third Reich. By the end of the war, the Air Force had lost 5,100 aircraft and dropped 697,000 tons of bombs, while about 47,000 of the 115,000 U.S. Air Force casualties were from the Eighth Air Force.
Eighth Air Force logo
Eighth Air Force: American bomber boy who fought nazi Germany to death
The Eighth Air Force, which has a long history of operations, is one of two active units attached to the U.S. Air Force's Global Strike Command. Headquartered at Bacchusdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, it is designated as Task Force 204 of U.S. Strategic Command to support Strategic Command's various missions and to provide emergency combat readiness and readiness units to the President of the United States.
The Eighth Air Force's glorious conquest of the European continent in World War II earned it not only the nickname "The Strongest Eighth", but also formed the domineering motto of "Peace Through Strength". The Eighth Air Force is made up of more than 16,000 active Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force reserve professionals who control long-range bomber assets at bases throughout the United States and overseas. The most important of these are the 20 B-2 Phantoms, 62 B-1B Lancers and 76 B-52 Stratosphere Fortresses, which are the backbone of the U.S. Air Force's strike force today. This gives the 8th Air Force the ability to deploy troops rapidly forward and effectively threaten the enemy, to project air power forward at any time and any location, and to undertake flexible and diverse conventional operations and nuclear deterrence operations.
Member of the B-17 bombers of the Eighth Air Force in The United Kingdom
The history of the Eighth Air Force began on January 2, 1942, when it was formed at army base in Savannah, Georgia; on January 5, Major General Carl Spatz was commissioned to command the Eighth Air Force at Boleyn Base in Washington; on January 8, he announced the Army authorities' order to form the United States Air Force in the British Isles (USAFIBI); on May 12, the first personnel of the United States Army Air Force arrived in Britain to join the Eighth Air Force; and on June 15, Spatz flew to Britain. Eighth Air Force headquarters were established in Bush Park, 24 kilometres southwest of London.
The eighth air force's combat formations were: Eighth Bomber Command (established on January 19, 1942), which carried out strategic bombing using heavy 4-engine B-17 bombers; Eighth Fighter Command (formed On January 19, 1942) to escort heavy bombers; Eighth Air Support Command (established on April 24, 1942), which provided reconnaissance, troop transport, and tactical bombing using twin-engine medium bombers; and Eighth Air Command (established in 1942, Renamed to its current name in 1943), it was responsible for facilities services and logistical support.
The Eighth Bomber Command was officially launched at Langley Airfield, Virginia, on 10 February 1942 and subsequently transferred to Savannah Air Force Base, Georgia; on 23 February, the Eighth Bomber Command established a senior unit at RAF Dowhill Base to prepare for its troops to travel from the United States to Britain. The eighth bomber command was the first battle group to reach Britain as a ground support unit of the 97th bomber group that arrived at THE ROYALF's Pollybrook base on 9 June 1942.
The Eighth Bomber Command first conducted conventional combat operations on 17 August 1942 when Group 97 took off 12 B-17s from RAF Polebrook to attack the railway marshalling yard in Rouen-Sauertville, France. But in December 1942, General Spatz was ordered to North Africa to command the Twelfth Air Force (the mediterranean of operations).
During World War II, the offensive air force of the U.S. Army Air Force was divided into strategic and tactical units. The mission of the strategic air force is to attack combat forces outside the enemy's front line, such as production and supply facilities, while the tactical air force supports ground campaigns, generally by cooperating with the expeditionary force headquarters to select targets.
B-17 bomber formation over Germany in August 1943
In Europe, the Eighth Air Force was the first strategic air force of the U.S. Army Air Force (AIR Force) whose mission was to support the Allied invasion of the European continent from the British Isles. The Eighth Air Force took off from airfields in the east of England to launch a daytime strategic bombing operation against Western Europe.
In February 1943, General Spatz was appointed Commander of the Allied Air Force in Northwest Africa. In November of the same year, Spatz commanded the U.S. Fifteenth Air Force and the Royal Air Force in Italy, and in January 1944, Spartz went to Europe to take command of the U.S. Strategic Air Force. On 4 January of that year, the B-24 and B-17 aircraft groups stationed in Britain made their last mission as subordinate units of the Eighth Bomber Command.
On February 22, 1944, the U.S. Army Air Force underwent a massive reorganization of its forces in Europe. The Eighth Air Force and the Ninth Air Force (operating in the Middle East, Northwest Europe, and Central Europe) were under the centralized command of Lieutenant General Spatz to control the tactical and strategic air forces of the U.S. Army Aviation Corps in Europe. The Eighth Bomber Command was disbanded and command of the bombing of European targets from Britain was uniformly handed over to Lieutenant General James Doolittle, the new commander of the Eighth Air Force. With 26 heavy bomber groups and 16 fighter groups under its command, the Eighth Air Force will be one of the most powerful war machines ever built with a strike formation of 600 fighters. This is where the history, pedigree and honor of the U.S. Eighth Air Force air force comes from today.
General Spatz
After General Spatz returned to England and was given full command of the United States air force in Continental Europe, Lieutenant General Doolittle gave command of the Fifteenth Air Force to Major General Nathan Twenning and took over command of the Eighth Air Force from Lieutenant General Ella Eck. At this time, with the cooperation of the Ninth and Fifteenth Air Forces, General Doolittle had a total of 1300 bombers and 1200 fighters ready for combat at his disposal. Doolittle, known as the "Tokyo Raider" and former airsport pilot, personally led 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers from the aircraft carrier Hornet on April 18, 1942, to raid Tokyo (known as the "Doolittle Air Raid"), which boosted the morale of the United States after Pearl Harbor. The brave and warlike General Doolittle's instructions to the 8th Air Force were simple: "Win the air battle and isolate the battlefield." ”（Win the air war and isolate the battlefield.）
The mission of Spartz and Doolittle was to use the superior power of the U.S. Strategic Air Force to carry out a series of devastating raids on the German aircraft industry as early as possible, launching a strategic bombing operation code-named "Demonstration", supported by the NIGHT bombing by the Royal Air Force.
The B-17 fleet, which used radar guidance to bomb the German clouds in 1943
In March 1944, Spatz also proposed a plan to bomb German oil facilities, and in response to the V-1 missile bombing of Britain, he advocated the use of priority bombing tactics in June to fight back, and after receiving the authorization of the Allied Supreme Commander, Admiral Dwight Eisenhower, the 8th Air Force carried out the bombing of German priority targets.
After World War II, Eisenhower once said that Spartz and Admiral Omar Bradley were the two American generals who contributed the most to the Allied victories in Europe. In 1946, Spartz succeeded General Henry Arnold as Commander of the Army Air Force; on September 26, 1947, he became the first chief of staff of the United States Air Force, a newly independent branch of the service.
The famous red swimsuit beauty livery and battle mark on the nose of the "Memphis Beauty"
Memphis Belle: One of the most famous B-17 bombers of World War II
When it comes to the World War II story of the 8th Air Force and the B-17 bombers, it is necessary to talk about the Memphis-Belle. The legendary bomber Memphis Beauty, which participated in 25 air raids on the European continent, was definitely the most famous of all the B-17s in World War II.
Although the "Memphis Beauty" bomber is not the beauty we usually imagine, in a sense, "she" is a real beauty, just like the red swimsuit beauty in the nose painting, brave and sexy! The B-17 was named by Captain Robert Morgan in honor of his girlfriend Margaret Polk, whom he met in Memphis, Tennessee, so the Eighth Air Force painters painted unique artwork with beautiful women on both sides of the fuselage.
From World War II to the present, for many years the "Memphis Beauty" has been a big star in American movies, newspapers, and books. In 1990, a movie produced by Warner Bros. "The Heroic Years: Memphis Beauty" was very popular.
A B-17 bomber hit by German artillery fire
The reason why the "Memphis Beauty" is famous can be said to be the result of the perfection of the time, place, and people. In 1942, World War II entered a white-hot phase, and the United States sent a large number of B-17 bombers to attack Germany, but even if Germany fell into a bitter battle on the Eastern Front, the defense strength of the homeland was still terrible. U.S. military commanders limited the mission of the bomber crew to 25 times, and as long as they returned safely after 25 attendances, they could leave the battlefield and return to china to temporarily reunite with their loved ones and loved ones.
But because the Allies did not gain air supremacy in Europe, the B-17 and their escort fighters were often targeted by German fighters and ground anti-aircraft guns, many bombers were shot down, the casualty rate was as high as 80%, the chances of the crew surviving were very small, and the reality was very cruel.
But the Memphis Beauty was always the luckiest one, and not only was it not shot down, but none of its 10 crew members were killed. Moreover, in 25 combat missions, the machine gunners of the Memphis Beauty shot down at least 8 enemy aircraft and may have injured another 5; the Bombing record of the Memphis Beauty was even more prominent, dropping no less than 60 tons of bombs over France, Germany and Belgium, and hitting many German supply depots, railway transfer stations, aircraft factories and various military bases.
Crew member of the Memphis Beauty during World War II
By 1943, after 25 daytime bombing missions and the safe return of the B-17 bomber Memphis Beauty to the United States, her lucky and unusually eye-catching combat performance soon attracted the attention of the American media and became a beacon of hope in the dark days of the war. "They flew 25 missions and were not injured. This sounds so unusual to me. ”（They fly 25 missions without a scratch. That doesn't sound very ordinary to me.) and the crew also took a long vacation to travel through 32 major U.S. cities, the main purpose of which was to inspire patriotic enthusiasm among the American people and encourage the public to buy war bonds.
In the summer of 1943, three-time Academy Award-winning Hollywood director William Wheeler, together with a film crew embedded in the Eighth Air Force, obtained special approval from the military to randomly shoot real scenes of B-17 bombers on air combat missions. His "Memphis Belle" was also fully tested by the war, eventually becoming the protagonist of the most famous documentary of World War II, "Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress", which appeared in 1944.
Legendary masterpieces such as The Golden Age (1946), Roman Holiday (1953), and Biography of Binh (1959) may have cemented Wheeler's unshakable historical position as one of Hollywood's most successful filmmakers. But this birth-and-death shooting experience in 1943 left the Oscar-winning director with a more enduring memory of time.
Restoration of the Memphis Beauty bomber on display
As for the "Memphis Beauty" bomber that was baptized by the guns of World War II, it was specially sent to Memphis City for exhibition by the US military after the war, but at that time, the concept of displaying the old military aircraft was not good, and it was displayed in the open air, and under the erosion of frost, rain and snow for many years, the "Memphis Beauty" became old. So in 2014, the U.S. Air Force maintenance team started the rework. On May 17, 2018, after nearly 14 years of meticulous restoration, the "Memphis Beauty" finally reappeared, and hundreds of visitors came to visit "her" at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Ohio on the first day of the exhibition.
Many of the first people to visit the Memphis Beauty were descendants of soldiers who fought on the plane during the war. Robert Morgan Jr.' father, Robert Sr., was the pilot on board the 72-year-old and participated in all 25 dangerous bombing missions on the Memphis Beauty, but the elder died in 2004. Robert Jr. said affectionately, "'Memphis Beauty' looks pretty good, and I hope Dad can see it too, which is important to my family." Before his father died, Robert Jr. had promised to "do everything he could to keep the plane alive," but it wasn't until 14 years later that he saw results.
Descendants of the Bombing Crew of the Memphis Beauty were interviewed by the media
At the same time, although Wheeler personally produced Memphis Beauty: The Story of the Flying Fortress, it was soon overshadowed by his other, larger artistic achievements. But in the midst of bullets more than 70 years ago, the precious film films he and his team ventured out were like treasures buried by a history buff, carefully collected at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
In 2019, director Eric Nelson resurrected Wheeler's footage with a new documentary, The Cold Blue. The film is dedicated to the heroic acts of the fearless lads of the 8th Air Force, who every time they struggle to climb into their B-17 cabin and rush into the sky, they will look down at the silent Grim Reaper who is not far away...