The Brutal Reality of Flying the B-17

Join Letters From War Today! Mailed Version: shorturl.at/cgiuD or the Digital Email Version: shorturl.at/fkms5

TJ - another one of your gripping presentations - as a former AF Fighter pilot who was shot down I can only tell you that it gave me goose bumps to "relive" another aircrews terrifying experience to be shot out of the air - My good friend - keep up the good work - we can't forget what those who scarified so much for us did so we could live in freedom - remember what the late  George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” –

Hearing the letters reminds me of the letter reading scene from Memphis Belle as it's nearly impossible to not become emotional from those moments. The worried voices of the airmen's families are simply somber and humbling.

This is so heart wrenching to see the action while the letter was being read by the sender..... almost can't bear to watch.

How do we ever repay these men? The sacrifice of an entire generation. It’s humbling.

I like letters from war as it puts a personal aspect to war that in most cases ignored. These voices need to be heard. The bravery both in combat and at home puts meaning to the greatest generation. I have a diary from family union solider during the civil war .

A brilliant production, as always by TJ. Meticulously researched with incredibly detailed aircraft and air battles, TJ's channel is definitely one of the prime channels on YouTube for every aviation history buff such as I am. I really appreciate the hard work put into making these outstanding videos that have no peer on the internet.

I've been a subscriber for a while now, and I love your content, but you've really outdone yourself with this one ! Thank you for once again making war personal to all, not just those who lived it.

Hey TJ, this may be your most enthralling episode yet…. I haven’t seen any episodes of the series on TV yet just the clips but these guys got absolutely hammered. The letters are such a special touch, you have really bought this historic time right to the present inc how loved ones felt at home.

A wonderful presentation TJ. Thanks

RIP to my uncle Capt. Bill Huckin from Muskogee, Oklahoma. He flew 53 missions as a B-17 pilot, most flying out of Fogia, Italy for the 15th air force. When he showed me his scrap book of pictures and mission stories, I regret that I was too young to appreciate what all they represented. This generation was indeed our greatest.

To clarify: The 100th BG lost 9...of 21 total AC launched, something like 40% losses. Overall, the USAAF sent 376 and lost 60 bombers, and an unknown but significant number of AC were heavily damaged, many to the point of no longer being airworthy but managed to return to England. Those 60 bombers accounted for 557 KIA/POW losses. Aboard the returning 316 aircraft, were a further 7 KIA and 21 WIA That makes a total of at least 564 airmen no longer available either dead or captured. It is unknown how many of the WIA were still able to serve. A minimum of Sixty B-17s (plus 3 P-47 and 2 Spitfire escorts along with an unknown but significant number of B17s too badly damaged to be repairable) translates to three complete bomb groups lost, a HUGE loss form the Allies, especially considering that neither strike was particularly effective, they only managed to down a couple dozen fighters and kill around 200 people on the ground.

These stories you share are absolutely amazing. I love hearing them. The sacrifice they made I have no words to explain it. Bravery at its finest.

A friend of mine was a history teacher and a Sergeant in the Air Force reserves. He told me about a paper he read where instead of B-17's what would have happened in the Air Force used Mosquitos. 3 Mosquitos could carry almost the same bomb load as 2 B-17s but with only 6 crewmen instead of 20. The Mosquitos could outrun most German fighters and being made of wood were easier to repair. Instead of Strategic bombing of fixed structures like factories, you would do tactical bombing of rail yards, barracks, air fields, fuel depots and power stations.

You know, one of the stand out aspects of the National Museum of Naval Aviation is their bringing home the humanity behind the aviators/war. You can even tour a "Main Street" USA and catch a glimpse of how life was lived in the 40s. Many of the displays throughout have letters from home and vice versa on display. It at once offers an insight into the lives of those fighting and moves one to tears. Some are humorous while others pine for the company of the recipient. This is a fantastic project and elevates one's knowledge of the facts to one of KNOWING the story and those that lived it.

I've been a subscriber since (almost) the beginning, and I've enjoyed watching the channel grow and content mature. Onward & Upward

Great Video TJ. I love your videos because I always know it's going to not only be Interesting but fact filled. I love how you tell us about the individual crew members and pilots. Thanks for all your hard work.

This is a great concept for presenting the experience of air battle in history on YouTube. I haven't seen this sort of thing done before on YouTube. It makes history or war in detail much more vivid.

Fantastic production your video compliments and adds to Masters of the Air

Another amazing story TJ 😁👍