Masters Of The Air

[The Spin Meister]

Flying inside the Swedish Gripen, one of the world’s top fighter jets. It’s a pretty good look at functionality that I haven’t seen before.

This is a Gripen C. He wasn’t allowed near the Gripen E …. the latest version with AI controls.

 

[cntblvitsbutter]

Flying inside the Swedish Gripen, one of the world’s top fighter jets. It’s a pretty good look at functionality that I haven’t seen before.

This is a Gripen C. He wasn’t allowed near the Gripen E …. the latest version with AI controls.

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The Swedes make some awesome gear: the Gripen, the Archer self-propelled artillery, the CV90 IFV. If they had a larger manufacturing base, they could be one of the top producers of arms, like South Korea is trending to be.

Back to the OP though, I've had a lot of problems with MofA, mostly that there's so much unrealized potential. In the end though, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the entire series, and ended on a satisfying note with the POW camp being freed.

 

[ftlpsu]

Colonel Allen West & Tico Belle....she wasnt that loud we held conversations before we jumped last weekend

 

[ftlpsu]

[/IMG]

 

[Obliviax]

Spoiler Alert

So I watched the last episode last night. It was kind of frantic in that it had a lot of loose ends to tie up.

If you haven't seen the companion flick that was put out by Hanks and Speilberg, you need to. It really explains a lot of the series. The bottom line is that every single event that they showed happened. I also saw that the attention to detail was ridiculous. One example is that they found paper that was used in WW2 and incorporated it into the movie to make sure the paper stock was the same. You also may have noticed subtle changes in uniform, equipment and even the B17s. The final ones were silver whereas the earlier ones were army green. I liked that they spent some time doing the post-war stuff. Post-war is often ignored but it was an important time for the soldiers, citizens and politicians. My friend Norm said that one day the war was over. They had a lot to do to prepare for peace and were very busy. Suddenly, you got orders to go and often it was on a plane leaving in an hour. You ran around grabbing your stuff and saying goodbye to be hit by the enormity of it all on the long trip home. Guys that you got close to, and will never be matched in your lifetime, are suddenly gone. The book "A Higher Call" goes into interesting detail about the post-war life of a German fighter pilot. There were radicals ready to kill you for abandoning the Reich and there were others ready to kill you for not abandoning the Riech.

For me, the series was epic. I didn't care about character development and often get disgusted with war-flick depictions of Americans as being self-deprecating and quick-witted. Often they were shitting their pants and doing whatever they needed to survive (like stealing from the locals). This is completely understandable but some of the banter is laughable. What I wanted was to be transported into a B17 during WW2 and understand what they must have gone through. So to me, the series was a home run. But I can understand those who were looking for more entertainment may have felt it was lacking.

• Band of Brothers - to me, the gold standard of war movies. Incredible to think what that platoon went through and how they changed history. The acting was superb and showed all sides of the war.
• The Pacific - Great show and opened my eyes to how horrific the Pacific fighting must have been. There is a scene in Masters where a guy's friend gets assigned to the Pacific theater and he goes on about how lucky his friend is going to be on some tropical island with good food and native women. Far from it! Remy steals the show but it is a difficult show to watch and not for the faint of heart. Certainly not as entertaining but is immersive in how it was filmed and produced
• Masters - To me, the second best of the three behind BoB but in front of Pacific. It feels like they tried to do too much in 9 episodes and may have been better just taking one guy and walking us through his life those two or three years. But they wold have missed a lot! From a story standpoint, it felt disjointed and hectic. Like they couldn't stay on subject. Regardless, the battles and imagery were the best I've ever seen for an air war movie and it ain't close. The attention to detail was incredible.

here is the teaser for the companion movie named "The Bloody 100th". Make sure you don't miss it.

 

[ftlpsu]

Great write up as always Obliviax...I think your right on the main point that it wasn't about creating a story line from the Characters POV vs. a day in the life.. Many examples of this done quickly.. The opposite they could have dragged this on and on etc..

We the general public got to see the danger of being an airmen in Ww2 was like.. Wow.. Again as an infantry soldier I will take my chances vs. Being and Airman..

I disagree with Pacific being 2nd..but if course this is all subjective to each of us.

Weird only 9 episodes.. Could have stretched a a little no?

Two things though that you mentioned.. people can't really understand unless you have experienced it... You are scared $#'!!Ess and the comaradrie yoy have with your fellow soldier is incredibly unique and special.

 

[Obliviax]

Great write up as always Obliviax...I think your right on the main point that it wasn't about creating a story line from the Characters POV vs. a day in the life.. Many examples of this done quickly.. The opposite they could have dragged this on and on etc..

We the general public got to see the danger of being an airmen in Ww2 was like.. Wow.. Again as an infantry soldier I will take my chances vs. Being and Airman..

I disagree with Pacific being 2nd..but if course this is all subjective to each of us.

Weird only 9 episodes.. Could have stretched a a little no?

Two things though that you mentioned.. people can't really understand unless you have experienced it... You are scared $#'!!Ess and the comaradrie yoy have with your fellow soldier is incredibly unique and special.

sorry to be confusing. Masters was the second best, IMHO.

I saw a live broadcast on X with one of the writers/producers. He said that they had to make a choice on what to cover and what to leave out knowing that they only had a 9-episode contract. So they sat down and prioritized it. For example, they wanted to get the Tuskegee airmen in as it was historically significant and not only ushered in the racial aspect but the turning point the P-51 made to the air war. Things were complicated due to COVID as this has been in the making for five years. Interestingly, they cast Buck, Austin Butler, who made Elvis and won many awards before Masters was aired. So they felt that they had a prime-time guy. The actor who played Bucky is also up and coming as well as in a relationship with Dua Lipa. Overall, he said that the entire crew felt this need to go beyond making a show and do justice to the men and women of that generation.

Again, if you haven't watched the companion documentary, "The Bloody Hundredth" you need to do it. It will tie up a lot of loose ends.

 

[ftlpsu]

sorry to be confusing. Masters was the second best, IMHO.

I saw a live broadcast on X with one of the writers/producers. He said that they had to make a choice on what to cover and what to leave out knowing that they only had a 9-episode contract. So they sat down and prioritized it. For example, they wanted to get the Tuskegee airmen in as it was historically significant and not only ushered in the racial aspect but the turning point the P-51 made to the air war. Things were complicated due to COVID as this has been in the making for five years. Interestingly, they cast Buck, Austin Butler, who made Elvis and won many awards before Masters was aired. So they felt that they had a prime-time guy. The actor who played Bucky is also up and coming as well as in a relationship with Dua Lipa. Overall, he said that the entire crew felt this need to go beyond making a show and do justice to the men and women of that generation.

Again, if you haven't watched the companion documentary, "The Bloody Hundredth" you need to do it. It will tie up a lot of loose ends.

Sorry for my confusion.. I meant I disagree I think Pacific is second IMHO...

Thank for bavk drop and I will watch that part and share my thoughts..

 

[NedFromYork]

On the second episode, it's really good!

 

[johnmpsu]

I once read somewhere that you were better off being a POW in Europe because of the fanaticism of the Japanese and their strict adherence to codes of honor. I have heard stories about the Battan death march where they wouldn't hesitate to shoot or behead prisoners who fell out of line, I am familiar with the Malmedy massacre during the Battle of the Bulge, but that was the exception in Europe where it was the norm in the Pacific. It amazes me after reading about how Japan treated allied pow's how any of them could resist punching a Japanese male if he passed him on the street.

I had an uncle who was a POW in the Pacific. I don't remember a lot of details but what I do was pretty ugly.

 

[ftlpsu]

I had an uncle who was a POW in the Pacific. I don't remember a lot of details but what I do was pretty ugly.

No Fan of the Japanese by any means--I read a book "Flyboys" written by James Bradley RIP. His father was John Bradley a Marine who supposedly raised the Iwo Jima Flag--or was it the second one? Debatable that situation.

The book's first few chapters explained the Japanese code of Bushido and their history--it helped me understand their mentality-100% disagree as most do, but it helped comprehend. Also learned about Bush and him being shot down etc...interesting actually the entire book.

If you asked me hey would you rather be a POW or a Nanjing Chinese citizen or a Jew in Europe back then? 100% rather be in Europe. There are a few books on the raping of Nanjing that are raw and other areas the Japanese invaded e..g Manila etc. etc... They had no humanity at all. I cant read that stuff anymore--the atrocities are heart wrenching is all I am going to say...

 

[ftlpsu]

Sorry for my confusion.. I meant I disagree I think Pacific is second IMHO...

Thank for bavk drop and I will watch that part and share my thoughts..

Obliviax, thanks for the suggestion on the "companion documentary" it was great--filled in a lot of knowledge gaps relating to the series and my own edification. Now I understand their jumping with chutes and how they jumped carelessly and how they handled them--1-2 days training is all? U kidding oh my goodness...other gap fillers helped a lot--thank you as I didnt know a lot about the air war and learned a lot.

 

[Obliviax]

Obliviax, thanks for the suggestion on the "companion documentary" it was great--filled in a lot of knowledge gaps relating to the series and my own edification. Now I understand their jumping with chutes and how they jumped carelessly and how they handled them--1-2 days training is all? U kidding oh my goodness...other gap fillers helped a lot--thank you as I didnt know a lot about the air war and learned a lot.

Great! I’ve posted several times that the guy who hired me out of college was the lead navigator when the war ended. So I’ve had inside stories and a special interest in the bloody 100th. @SR108 ’s father was shot down in a B24 over Italy.

 

[DrJC]

Can't wait. As many know, but others don't, this is the third of the Speilberg/Hanks WW2 series. The first was Band of Brothers, which I believe is the best series of all time. The second was "The Pacific" which was about the Pacific theater of WW2. While good, it was very dark and difficult to watch. But it was the breakout of Rami Malek as an actor. He stole the show.

Also, as I've posted before, the man who hired me out of college was a man named Norman Graham from Jeannette PA. Norm was the lead navigator of the "Bloody 100th" (351st Bombardment Squadron) when the war ended. On lazy days he told us stories of:

• Two missions as a waist gunner as he got to camp as a rookie and his orders were misinterpreted (all paperwork) and the commander told him to go to a specific B-17 as a waist gunner. A couple of weeks in, the captain found the mistake and went to leadership to let them know Norm was trained as a Navigator.
• Being part of a five-plane mission to bait German Jets (ME262) into a dogfight with P-51s
• Being lead nav and how to arrange 100+ B17s in formation for a strike deep in Germany
• Navigating with as sextant and slide rule while the air battle raged
• Trying to Nav over a target while being hammered by flak and german fighters
• Shooting down a German Fighter, he believed he was the only Navigator to have a "kill"
• Getting into a physical fight with a woman who lived in Hamburg whom he met at a holiday party in the 70's after she learned he was a B17 Crew Member. She attacked him when a mutual friend told her that he was the lead nav for the 100th. 526 B-17s hit Hamburg and the surrounding area on December 31st, 1944
• Visiting a German concentration camp.

I was so blessed to be hired by him and he's inspired me every day of my career.

My uncle, my namesake, was a bombardier on a B-24. Was with the 392nd Bomber Group. His plane was called "The Shark." you can see it on Internet. Shot down on long bomb run to knock out Messerschmidt repair facilities in Norway and maybe also heavy water plants. MIA.