WWII in HD: The Air War
For more than a year before D-Day, the US Army’s Eighth Air Force waged war with Hitler’s mighty Luftwaffe – protecting the British Isles and making small inroads towards the heart of Germany. The latest episode of WWII in HD, this time titled The Air War, (produced by Lou Reda Films and presented on the History Channel), will look at the history of the eighth Air Force with the same unapologetic realism and brutal battle footage that has defined this series. Military.com got a sneak peek of the episode and we can tell you that the film is powerful, unforgettable and required viewing for any and all history buffs!
The storyline of the European air war is masterfully crafted from combat camera footage coupled with interviews and correspondence from members of the Eighth Air Force – all voiced by Hollywood A-listers including Chris O’Donnell, Rob Lowe, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood and Casey Affleck. Among them a young Stars-and-Stripes reporter named Andy Rooney candidly speaks of his fears and anxieties as he joins bombing runs deeper and deeper into continental Europe.
WWII in HD : The Air War tells a story that seems to have been lost – the renewed pop-culture interest in WWII’s European theater brought about by Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers often portrayed the Army’s pilots as existing in a support role to those on the ground. We can only hope that programs like this can shed light on the heroic efforts and great sacrifices of those that took to the skies in the battle against tyranny.
Under the Radar is commentary. We don’t report the news; we offer our take on what happened.
9 Comments
The importance of the air war over Europe and the gallant crews that flew the missions can never be over emphasised. The losses to crews and aircraft in the initial campaign was staggering but the “Mighty Eighth” never waivered. In the beginning missions were flown without fighter cover and formations of B-17“s were decimated by the Luftwaffe and German flak. Never forget the U.S. Army Air Forces were the spearhead of the eventual invasion of Europe and was the integral and determining factor of slowing and reducing Germany’s war material production and capabilities. To all the brave young men who manned the great war birds of WW2 and faced the enemy head on this nation owes a debt of eternal gratitude.
The air war was in some ways worse then the ground war. In the ground war you could dig a fox hole to take cover or go behind a building most times. In the air war you had no place to hide or take cover, you literally had your stuff hanging out.
Should be interesting to watch, my war college paper was on the combined bomber offensive, took 8 months of research, to write the paper, plus two months to write and edit it. From what I remember we had to do it in 25 pages.
We have to understand that the German pilots were defending their Fatherland against the carpet bombing from the americans by day, and the brits by night.
A lot of German cities were destroyed and the civilian casualties were staggering, the cherry of the cake was Dresden in February 1945; A civilian city with a lot of refugees fleeing the commies, and then come the bombing mostly with incendiary bombs and a new bombing methodology. More than a 100,000 died because of th bombing, and no military installations around.
Let’s see if for one HC presents something unbias.
Bias is in the eye of the beholder. Who started the war?
And lets not forget the V1 (buzz bombs) and V2 rockets that were hurled at London only to land when they ran out of fuel.
Who started the W War II? Why Hitler and his cronies. Then the Japanease By attacking Pearl Harber December 7, 1941. we sure **** did not ask for it.
You can’t possibly be asking us /HC to bemoan the loss of GERMAN Civilians at that late point in the War? Talk about bias.…
The USAF 8th Air Force lost more men than the US Marine corp. Over 30 thousnad very young men. My cousin was B25 co pilot, didnt last long enough to get the best seat. Spent the last of the war at Moosburg.