{"id":32710,"date":"2024-01-26T13:24:31","date_gmt":"2024-01-26T12:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=257870"},"modified":"2024-01-26T16:12:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T15:12:55","slug":"masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth\/","title":{"rendered":"Masters of the Air real history: the true story of the \u2018Bloody Hundredth\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The successor to big-hitter WW2 dramas Band of Brothers and The Pacific, Masters of the Air centres on the American bomber boys who came to England in 1943 to fight Nazi Germany. How real to life are the triumphs and disasters seen on screen? Historian and author Donald L Miller helps us uncover the true story <\/p>

By Kev Lochun\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 26 January 2024 at 12:24 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Arriving in England in the spring of 1943, the US Eighth Air Force\u2019s 100th Bomb Group quickly earned an unenviable nickname thanks to their staggering losses \u2013 the \u2018Bloody Hundredth\u2019.<\/p>\n

Their story \u2013 and how their sacrifices, amid flak, frostbite and fretful firefights, were crucial to bringing about D-Day<\/a> \u2013 is told in Masters of the Air<\/em>, the long-awaited follow-up to WW2 drama series Band of Brothers<\/em> and The Pacific<\/em>, streaming weekly on Apple TV+ from 26 January 2024.<\/p>\n

Masters of the Air<\/em> is based on the true story told by historian Donald L Miller in his 2006 book Masters of the Air: How the Bomber Boys Broke Down the Nazi War Machine<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n<p>The reputation of the Bloody Hundredth amongst the rest of the Eighth Air Force was the stuff of legend, and men who belonged to the unit were admired in one moment and pitied in the next.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t that their losses were particularly egregious compared to other bomb groups. But when they did lose, they lost big, with just a handful of missions accounting for a disproportionate percentage of their casualties through the war.<\/p>\n<p>Harrison Salisbury, a journalist for the <em>New York Times<\/em>, said \u201cthat to hold a card to the Eighth Air Force is to hold a ticket to your own funeral,\u201d Miller told us in an exclusive interview soon to appear on the <em>HistoryExtra<\/em> podcast. \u201cSeventy-seven per cent of men who flew for the Eighth Air Force were casualties by the end of the war. Suicide missions, that\u2019s what they were.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Eighth Air Force lost more than 26,000 men during the <a href=\"\/period\/second-world-war\/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-second-world-war\/\">Second World War<\/a>, compared to 19,000 among the US Marine Corps during the entire Pacific campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman reprise their roles as executive producers for <em>Masters of the Air<\/em>, while actors Austin Butler and Callum Turner star as two of the Hundredth\u2019s most lively characters: best friends Gale Cleven and John Egan \u2013 known as Buck and Bucky respectively (which surprisingly is not as annoying on screen as you might think).<\/p>\n<p>The ensemble cast also includes Barry Keoghan, recently seen \u2013 in totality \u2013 in class-warfare thriller <em>Saltburn<\/em>, and <a href=\"\/period\/21st-century\/best-historical-episodes-dr-who-ranked\/\"><em>Doctor Who<\/em><\/a> superstar Ncuti Gatwa.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-257885 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010106-4449b5a-e1706269441341.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"Barry Keoghan as Kurt Biddick in Masters of the Air\" title=\"Barry Keoghan as Kurt Biddick in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-copy\"><i class=\"icon-arrow icon-camera-circle\"\/> Barry Keoghan as Kurt Biddick in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple)<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"im-image-caption\"\/><\/div>\n<h2>Is <em>Masters of the Air<\/em> a true story?<\/h2>\n<p><em>Masters of the Air<\/em> is very much a true story. All the lynchpin moments were based on real, harrowing events.<\/p>\n<p>The story largely draws from Donald L Miller\u2019s 2006 book <em>Masters of the Air: How the Bomber Boys Broke Down the Nazi War Machine<\/em>, though his account is broader than the Bloody Hundredth that is covered in the TV show, covering the exploits of the entire US Eighth Air Force in the Second World War.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read more | <a href=\"\/period\/second-world-war\/timeline-important-dates-ww2-exact\/\">WW2 timeline: 20 important dates and milestones you need to know<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When did the 100th Bomb Group arrive in Britain?<\/h2>\n<p>The 100th Bomb Group and their 35 B-17 Flying Fortresses arrived in England in May 1943 and were stationed at Thorpe Abbotts in East Anglia, some 90 miles from London. They were among the 350,000 American airmen deployed to the region in wake of victory in the North African theatre, and the January 1943 Casablanca Conference, at which the Allies agreed that the only outcome to the war they would accept was the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers.<\/p>\n<section class=\"highlight \"> <div class=\"highlight__content editor-content\"> <h4>WW2 | The Big Questions<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Member exclusive |<\/strong> Historian and broadcaster Laurence Rees explains major moments of the global conflict in this five-part series.<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/tag\/ww2-the-big-questions\/\">Listen to all episodes now<\/a><\/h4>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <div class=\"highlight__image-container\"> <div class=\"highlight__image\"> <div class=\"img-container img-container--highlight-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2020\/06\/Pod-Big-Qs-WW2-Sq-02ae4d2.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2020\/06\/Pod-Big-Qs-WW2-Sq-02ae4d2.jpg?quality=45&resize=410,410 410w, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2020\/06\/Pod-Big-Qs-WW2-Sq-02ae4d2.jpg?quality=90&resize=205,205 205w, \" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) 615px, (min-width: 768px) 410px, (min-width: 576px) 205px, calc(100vw - 20px)\" width=\"556\" height=\"556\" class=\"img-container__image img-fluid wp-image-256460 alignnone size-highlight_image img-container__image\" alt=\"Pod Big Qs WW2 Sq\" title=\"Pod Big Qs WW2 Sq\"\/><\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/section> <p>By the time they arrived in Britain, the Hundredth had already had an inauspicious start. Their training in the United States was disjointed, and the crews were unruly and overconfident as a result. The full extent of their ill-discipline came out during a training exercise prior to being deployed in England: they were due to fly from Nebraska to California, but a number of the crews went AWOL en route.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey were hellraisers,\u201d Miller told us. \u201cA lot of the guys just went to their hometowns to see their girlfriends. One of them went up to Milwaukee and dropped the wrench out of the plane.\u201d The tool almost hit someone on the ground, Miller explains, and could have caused serious injury.<\/p>\n<p>Their embarrassed commander, Colonel Darr Alkire, was replaced, and the entire unit was sent for remedial training. \u201cThere was talk of not sending them to England at all,\u201d says Miller, \u201cbut the need was desperate.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Becoming the Bloody Hundredth<\/h2>\n<p>The 100th Bomb Group earned the name \u2018Bloody Hundredth\u2019 simply because it suffered a string of significant losses in just a handful of fraught and furious missions.<\/p>\n<p>It began with the Hundredth\u2019s very first combat mission to Bremen in Germany on 25 June 1943; 17 B-17 aircraft left Thorpe Abbotts, each crewed by 10 men \u2013 a pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, navigator, radio operator and five gunners. At this early stage in the campaign, the Eighth Air Force favoured the precision bombing of targets with military or economic value; that day it was Bremen\u2019s U-boat pens.<\/p>\n<p>They flew in daylight. A risky endeavour, you might think, and you\u2019d be right. The RAF had already abandoned daytime raids, replacing precision with indiscriminate night-time bombing runs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe RAF called it area bombing; a less-elegant term for it would be slaughter bombing,\u201d Miller says. But at night, there was less flak (anti-aircraft fire) and less chance of interception by German fighter aircraft.<\/p>\n<p>Three B-17s \u2013 30 men \u2013 failed to return from Bremen. The loss of so many comrades so early proved sobering.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFlying in daytime was perilous business,\u201d says Miller. \u201cYour chances of surviving in the first year of operations was about one in three. And when you got to 15 missions, statistically you were a dead man.\u201d The men of the Eighth Air Force weren\u2019t eligible to be sent home until they had competed 25 missions, a bar that was later raised to 30.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-257886 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010104-2ed7a7d-e1706270584446.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"Two airmen stand on a crate while their comrades cheers in a still from Masters of the Air\" title=\"The men portrayed in Masters of the Air were based at Thorpe Abbotts in East Anglia for the duration of WW2 (Photo courtest of Apple TV+)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-copy\"><i class=\"icon-arrow icon-camera-circle\"\/> The men portrayed in Masters of the Air were based at Thorpe Abbotts in East Anglia for the duration of WW2 (Photo courtest of Apple TV+)<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"im-image-caption\"\/><\/div>\n<p>Greater losses were to come on 17 August 1943, during a \u2018maximum effort\u2019 mission involving the bulk of available B-17s in England to bomb two targets: a Messerschmitt aircraft factory in Regensburg and a ball-bearing plant in Schweinfurt. The Hundredth committed 21 B-17s, all bound for Regensburg, flying in \u2018Purple Heart Corner\u2019 \u2013 the lowest spot in the formation of a B-17 combat wing, and the one that was most vulnerable to German fighter attacks.<\/p>\n<p>That mission, the Hundredth lost nine crews, with Cleven\u2019s B-17 barely limping to safety. Hit by six shells, the electrics were fried, the engine was on fire, and several crewmen injured \u2013 one had had his legs sheared off above the knees. Cleven\u2019s co-pilot was adamant that they should sound the alarm to bail out. In the TV show we hear Cleven remonstrate with him: \u201cYou son of a bitch, you sit there and take it.\u201d The real-life Cleven, Miller notes in this book, said exactly the same.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI carried two rosaries, two good luck medals, and a $2 bill off of which I had chewed a corner for each of my missions,\u201d Egan later wrote, in explanation of how he\u2019d survived. \u201cI also wore my sweater backwards and my good luck jacket.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cleven was recommended for the Medal of Honor, the United States Armed Forces\u2019 highest military decoration. He didn\u2019t get it, but was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He didn\u2019t collect it.<\/p>\n<h2>The Bloody Hundredth\u2019s \u2018Black Week\u2019 of October 1943<\/h2>\n<p>What really cemented the name Bloody Hundredth was the \u2018Black Week\u2019 of 8-14 October 1943, during which the Eighth Air Force fielded more than 1,000 bombers in a series of raids over Germany.<\/p>\n<p>A return raid on Bremen on 8 October cost the Eighth 30 bombers, including that flown by Cleven. His loss was keenly felt amongst the Hundredth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCleven, the impervious, the invincible, was gone,\u201d navigator Harry Crosby (another of the major characters to appear in <em>Masters of the Air<\/em>) wrote in his 1993 memoir. \u201cIf he couldn\u2019t make it, who could?\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-257887 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010101-079bbe7-e1706270110218.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air\" title=\"Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-copy\"><i class=\"icon-arrow icon-camera-circle\"\/> Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple)<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"im-image-caption\"\/><\/div>\n<p>Two days later, the Hundredth raided Munster. This time the target was the city centre; there was not an economic or military target in sight. The rationale was that by targeting the homes of railway workers, they were disrupting Germany\u2019s railways \u2013 but to others it was seen as something of a revenge mission.<\/p>\n<p>The Hundredth committed 18 B-17s. Five aborted over the sea, leaving 13 to reach continental Europe. Only one made it back, the remaining 12 shot down in as many minutes \u2013 including Egan\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>Yet there was little unusual about the losses experienced by the Bloody Hundredth, with Imperial War Museum curator Hattie Hearn noting that the unit was <a href=\"\/history\/100th-bomb-group-the-legendary-bloody-hundredth-of-the-second-world-war\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">not \u201cstatistically noteworthy\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey won numerous awards, but other groups won more. They didn\u2019t fly the most missions, drop the most bombs, or even suffer the most casualties.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Following the devastation of the Munster mission, the pilot of the sole B-17 to return \u2013 a newcomer called Robert \u2018Rosie\u2019 Rosenthal \u2013 headed straight to the operations officer at Thorpe Abbotts and exclaimed, \u201cAre they all that tough?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rosie, rounding off the quartet of main characters in <em>Masters of the Air<\/em>, would in fact tough it out. He became a leadership figure for the Hundredth in the void left by Cleven and Egan, and flew 52 missions before the war was out \u2013 even though he was shot down twice himself.<\/p>\n<h2>Buck and Bucky: who were the real Gale Cleven and John Egan?<\/h2>\n<p>Debonair, dashing and exuding Hollywood swagger, <a href=\"\/period\/second-world-war\/real-gale-cleven-buck-masters-of-the-air\/real-gale-cleven-buck-masters-of-the-air\/\">Gale \u2018Buck\u2019 Cleven<\/a> (played by Austin Butler) and <a href=\"\/period\/second-world-war\/real-john-egan-bucky-masters-of-the-air\/real-john-egan-bucky-masters-of-the-air\/\">John \u2018Bucky\u2019 Egan<\/a> (Callum Turner, who recently starred in <a href=\"\/period\/20th-century\/the-boys-in-the-boat-true-story-real-history\/\"><em>The Boys in the Boat<\/em><\/a>) were the emotional heart of the Bloody Hundredth.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-257878 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersoftheAirPhoto010405-e0bb4e1-e1706266232774.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"Callum Turner as John Egan and Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air\" title=\"Callum Turner as John Egan and Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-copy\"><i class=\"icon-arrow icon-camera-circle\"\/> Callum Turner as John Egan and Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple)<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"im-image-caption\"\/><\/div>\n<p>Though they were bosom buddies even before they arrived in England \u2013 they met during training, which is when Bucky christened his new best friend \u2018Buck\u2019 \u2013 they could not have been more different.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCleven was big, strong, powerfully built guy,\u201d says Miller. \u201cCame from oil country in the Northwest. His father was an alcoholic, he had a haunted childhood and pretty much raised himself to be self-sufficient. Didn\u2019t drink, didn\u2019t smoke, had a girlfriend, was loyal to her, didn\u2019t hit the pubs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s hanging around with his opposite, John Egan. John is from a little town in Wisconsin, although he\u2019d never know it because he spoke like he was from Fifth Avenue in New York. He loved New York, he loved the Yankees, he loved the nightlife, he loved the big plays. He was in the pubs every night, chasing a pint, chasing a girl.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut they were inseparable during the war, because they were both great leaders, and they were both great fighters.\u201d Egan, in particular, was so close to the men of the unit that he personally took on the responsibility of writing letters to the families of the crewmen who perished.<\/p>\n<p>Cleven and Egan were shot down within two days of each other during the Eighth Air Force\u2019s Black Week, but both were able to bail out and parachute safely to terra firma.<\/p>\n<p>Egan was swiftly captured and handed over to the Luftwaffe. Several weeks later, after a 300-mile ride across Germany in a cramped and fetid boxcar that had once carried livestock and bore all the aromas to prove it, he was deposited in Stalag Luft III \u2013 the same internment camp that witnessed the <a href=\"\/period\/second-world-war\/five-myths-of-the-ww2-great-escape\/\">Great Escape<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He found Cleven already there waiting for him. Buck greeted him with a grin: \u201cWhat the hell took you so long?\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read more | Who were the <a href=\"\/period\/second-world-war\/real-john-egan-bucky-masters-of-the-air\/\">real John Egan<\/a> and the <a href=\"\/period\/second-world-war\/real-gale-cleven-buck-masters-of-the-air\/\">real Gale Cleven<\/a>?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What was it like inside a B-17 Flying Fortress?<\/h2>\n<p>The men of the Bloody Hundredth flew B-17 Flying Fortresses, lovingly known as \u2018Forts\u2019. Once assigned, each 10-man crew went to war in the same B-17 \u2013 unless it was undergoing repairs \u2013 which they gave names like <em>Rosie\u2019s Riveters<\/em> and <em>Alice From Dallas<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=298%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=598%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=90&resize=298%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=45&resize=598%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=353%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=90&resize=353%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=403%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=90&resize=403%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=553%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=90&resize=553%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=406%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=90&resize=406%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-257879 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010114-9a88d77-e1706266411674.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"Barry Keoghan as Kurt Biddick and Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air\" title=\"Barry Keoghan as Kurt Biddick and Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-copy\"><i class=\"icon-arrow icon-camera-circle\"\/> Barry Keoghan as Kurt Biddick and Austin Butler as Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple)<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"im-image-caption\"\/><\/div>\n<p>But as formidable as the B-17s had the potential to be, and as hulking as they appeared up close, flying inside a Fort did not offer as much protection as its name suggests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe attacks are simultaneous, you\u2019re getting hit from all sides, and you\u2019re inside a plexiglass and aluminium tube,\u201d says Miller. Neither of these materials were particularly resistant to shell fire.<\/p>\n<p>Though individually protected by 12 machines guns, the B-17\u2019s real strength came in numbers, through a formation known as the \u2018combat box\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>The idea was to keep the bombers close together \u2013 almost wingtip to wingtip was the ideal \u2013 so tight that the German fighters couldn\u2019t get between their arcs of fire. If the box was broken, then without a friendly fighter escort the Forts became vulnerable to being picked off.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the reasons the Hundredth took those losses was there were large gaps in their flight formations, and the Germans penetrated those gaps,\u201d says Miller. \u201cThey went right into the formations. These were close in combat operations, as close in as an infantry battle.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>How accurate is <em>Masters of the Air<\/em>?<\/h2>\n<p>You might be forgiven for thinking that it was much safer dropping bombs from high above rather than fighting on the ground, but the reality was that in mid-air there is nowhere to hide \u2013 especially in the light of day \u2013 and <em>Masters of the Air<\/em> goes to great lengths to depict those hard truths.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s this sense that you\u2019re in a cage,\u201d says Miller of the B-17, adding that Spielberg built three Flying Fortresses for the filming of <em>Masters of the Air<\/em> \u2013 and that the third had to be built with a wider interior so the cameraman could get inside. \u201cYou can\u2019t get out. You\u2019re trapped. Whatever happens to you happens to you. And there\u2019s not much you can do about it. You can\u2019t run.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=90&resize=299%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=45&resize=599%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=90&resize=354%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=90&resize=404%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=90&resize=407%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=90&resize=555%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-257888 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-183e788-e1706271704819.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"The airmen of the 100th Bomb Group in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress in Masters of the Air\" title=\"The airmen of the 100th Bomb Group in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple TV+)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-copy\"><i class=\"icon-arrow icon-camera-circle\"\/> The airmen of the 100th Bomb Group in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress in Masters of the Air (Photo courtesy of Apple TV+)<\/span><\/figcaption><span class=\"im-image-caption\"\/><\/div>\n<p>Pilots were prohibited from taking evasive action from flak \u2013 they had to fly straight through it. But it was not just anti-aircraft fire and German fighters that crews had to fear. Nothing could really prepare them for the experience of fighting at 25,000 feet, in below-freezing temperatures of -50\u00b0F, where the air was so thin you had to breathe supplemental oxygen. The elements were every bit as dangerous as the enemy, and if you were injured, there was no medic to call.<\/p>\n<p>Men lost hands, feet, noses, and buttocks to the biting cold. \u201cThey weren\u2019t warned about the dangers of frostbite,\u201d says Miller. \u201cGuns would jam, and the guys, in the fury of combat, would pull off their gloves and with their bare hands, to try to clear the jam. And of course, your flesh sticks to the metal of the guns, and you just pull raw flesh away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, oxygen deprivation was a present risk that claimed lives.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a something like a ping-pong ball inside the hose [of the breathing apparatus] that you could see, that bounced up and down. And you knew then that you\u2019re getting oxygen,\u201d says Miller.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut sometimes you don\u2019t have the opportunity in combat, under attack, to look down. Your oxygen might be closed off. Closed off by what? By freezing. Especially if you vomited into the mask \u2013 your vomit would freeze and clog the air passages. In 30-45 seconds, you pass out. And in a minute and a half, you\u2019d be dead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s an exchange at the end of episode one that distils this horror in the face of the unknown. Cleven has just returned from his first mission; Egan, who came to England ahead of the rest of the Hundredth, has already flown twice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve been up. Two missions. You didn\u2019t tell me it was like that,\u201d an ashen Cleven admonishes his friend. Egan\u2019s face is still: \u201cI didn\u2019t know what to say.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>How did the bomber boys help win WW2?<\/h2>\n<p>Ultimately, the air war in WW2 was not won by any single strike against a key target, but by the pernicious bite of attrition \u2013 and because the B-17s were used as bait.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t knock an oil facility out in a day or a week,\u201d says Miller. \u201cYou knock it out in 23 or 24 missions.\u201d Victory became very much a case of the Eighth Air Force being able to replace its losses before the Luftwaffe could replace theirs. It was a case, Miller says, of German industry being \u201cdefeated by a thousand cuts\u201d.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read more | <a href=\"\/period\/second-world-war\/luftwaffe-creation-when-nazi-air-force-successes-failures\/\">The making and breaking of the Luftwaffe<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The other factor was the development of the P-51 Mustang \u2013 a fighter that Miller describes as \u201calmost as fast as a jet\u201d and a \u201ctechnological impossibility\u201d until the moment it was developed. It prompted a change in tactics from General James Doolittle, who took over command of the Eighth Air Force in the months before D-Day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe saw a plaque on the fighter commander\u2019s wall that said the first duty of a fighter pilot is to protect the bombers,\u201d says Miller. \u201c[Doolittle said] that ain\u2019t true, the first duty of a fighter pilot is to go after and kill the Luftwaffe. And that\u2019s what they did. When they saw the Germans coming up, they left the bombers, the bait, and they went after the Germans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They proved incredibly successful, and by the time it came to the invasion of Normandy they were masters in the air.<\/p>\n<h2>How did the men of the Bloody Hundredth keep on flying?<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cHow in the hell did they get back in those planes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is a question Miller asks aloud during our conversation, as we discuss the myriad threats and perils of the air war, acknowledging that combat fatigue \u2013 the euphemistic term for what we would today describe as post-traumatic stress disorder \u2013 was rife amongst bomber crews.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think a lot of it had to do with shame, the fear of not flying, the fear of letting down your comrades,\u201d he offers in explanation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re flying for country, but they\u2019re also flying to get home. The only way to get home was to continue to kill and get to 25 and get released from the operation.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"highlight \"> <div class=\"highlight__content editor-content\"> <h4><a href=\"..\/membership\/opinion-ww2-drama-masters-of-the-air-perpetuates-americas-myth-of-the-good-war\/\">Opinion: WW2 drama <em>Masters of the Air<\/em> perpetuates America\u2019s myth of the Good War<\/a><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Member exclusive |<\/strong> Dr Sam Edwards considers how America views the Second World War and its role in the conflict<\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"..\/membership\/opinion-ww2-drama-masters-of-the-air-perpetuates-americas-myth-of-the-good-war\/\"><strong>Read now<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <div class=\"highlight__image-container\"> <div class=\"highlight__image\"> <div class=\"img-container img-container--highlight-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-d455b74.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-d455b74.jpg?quality=45&resize=1025,1025 1025w, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-d455b74.jpg?quality=45&resize=820,820 820w, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-d455b74.jpg?quality=45&resize=615,615 615w, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-d455b74.jpg?quality=45&resize=410,410 410w, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/MastersOfTheAirPhoto010301-d455b74.jpg?quality=90&resize=205,205 205w, \" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) 615px, (min-width: 768px) 410px, (min-width: 576px) 205px, calc(100vw - 20px)\" width=\"556\" height=\"556\" class=\"img-container__image img-fluid wp-image-257797 alignnone size-highlight_image img-container__image\" alt=\"Masters of the Air. (Photo by Apple TV+)\" title=\"Masters of the Air. (Photo by Apple TV+)\"\/><\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/section> <p><strong><em>Masters of the Air<\/em> is available to stream on Apple TV+ from 26 January, with new episodes airing weekly until 15 March.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What happened to John Egan and Gale Cleven while they were imprisoned at Stalag Luft III? How likely were you to avoid capture if you were shot down? Find out in the full interview with Donald L Miller, coming soon to the <em>HistoryExtra<\/em> podcast.<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> The successor to big-hitter WW2 dramas Band of Brothers and The Pacific, Masters of the Air centres on the American bomber boys who came to England in 1943 to fight Nazi Germany. How real to life are the triumphs and disasters seen on screen? Historian and author Donald L Miller helps us uncover the true story <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":32711,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"16"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/01\/masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth.jpg",620,413,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/01\/masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/01\/masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/01\/masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth.jpg",620,413,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/01\/masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth.jpg",620,413,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/01\/masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth.jpg",620,413,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/01\/masters-of-the-air-real-history-the-true-story-of-the-bloody-hundredth.jpg",620,413,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The successor to big-hitter WW2 dramas Band of Brothers and The Pacific, Masters of the Air centres on the American bomber boys who came to England in 1943 to fight Nazi Germany. How real to life are the triumphs and disasters seen on screen? Historian and author Donald L Miller helps us uncover the true…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/32710"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}