Death of George Earl Preddy Jr - Top P-51 Mustang ace of WWII | 26.83 victories - 25th December 1944

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  • Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
  • On the evening of Christmas Day 1944, Major George Earl ‘Ratsy’ Preddy Jr. led a flight of 10 P-51 Mustangs of 328th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group on a patrol over Bonn, Germany. After being directed towards Liège, Belgium, Preddy pursued a lone Fw 190 D-9 at ground level to the SE of Aachen. Preddy was observed to fire on the Fw 190 before US anti-aircraft gunners began firing at Preddy's fighter. He was last seen in a shallow inverted dive as he bailed out and hit the ground.
    My Patreon: www.patreon.co...
    Patreon members: Ethan Esgro
    Sources:
    Death of the Mustang Super Ace by John R. Beaman Jr. with Samuel L. Sox Jr, Air War Publications.
    George Preddy, Top Mustang Ace, by Joe Noah and Samuel L. Sox, Motorbooks International, 1991, from www.preddy-foun...
    www.aircrewreme...
    www.stardustst...
    www.aviationar...
    www.americanai...
    wp.scn.ru/en/ww...
    www.flightjour...
    forum.il2sturm...
    Music: 'Race the Sun' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
    Visuals: IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles il2sturmovik.com/
    #sotocinematics #history #il2

Комментарии • 293

  • @sotocinematics
    @sotocinematics  2 года назад +15

    This video was a bit late this week, been very busy! If you would like to read the account I based this video on follow this link: www.preddy-foundation.org/preddy-bios/george-preddy/
    Historical discrepancy: the P-51s should have external drop tanks but this is not modelled in IL-2. The Bf 109s that Preddy shot down may have been Fw. Fritz Koal and Fw. Karl-Heinz Schroder of II./JG 27. Koal was flying a Bf 109G-10 (WNr.490180) "Yellow 14". Schroder in "Yellow 9" was flying (WNr.785756) a Bf 109G-14/AS.

    • @LeopardIL2
      @LeopardIL2 2 года назад +1

      That is okay.
      Great video as always!

    • @kaa8643
      @kaa8643 2 года назад +3

      always thx for the great videos! How about Wilhelm-ferdinand Galland's last flight for the next video? He was shot down by Walker M Mahurin(USAAF 8th AF 56th FG, 24.25 kills form WW2+Korean war).

    • @inkycat7167
      @inkycat7167 2 года назад

      Oof

    • @mark109s
      @mark109s 2 года назад

      Soto, my grandfather was a P 51 pilot and said anytime they saw the enemy they would drop their external tanks. Once they drop their external tanks he said the engine would hesitate for about four seconds and they would pursue the enemy. Great job on all your videos.

    • @jeanneguderian6651
      @jeanneguderian6651 2 года назад

      By December 1944 they were flying from mainland Europe…. Did they always use drop tanks in that case? I do not know, asking as legitimate question.

  • @cannonfodder4376
    @cannonfodder4376 2 года назад +38

    Mistakes are inevitable in war, that it happened in the way it did is tragic. Such is war.

  • @wakeywakey6388
    @wakeywakey6388 2 года назад +50

    Such a tragedy to be killed by your own countrymen. He was a courageous and gifted pilot. RIP Major Preddy.

    • @mitch_the_-itch
      @mitch_the_-itch Год назад

      Frustration. In War and outside of it their is always an idiot with his head up his arse just waiting to do something stupid to everyone around him.

    • @BrianWMay
      @BrianWMay Год назад

      Indeed. Several RAF Typhoons were shot down by American fighters when operating over France after D-Day. Yes, it's gutting.

  • @anselmdanker9519
    @anselmdanker9519 2 года назад

    Blue on blue, very tragic .

  • @newtneto
    @newtneto 2 года назад +1

    can you send the link for the skin pack you used for this video?

    • @sotocinematics
      @sotocinematics  2 года назад +1

      Yep its in the description, but here it is forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/54643-p-51-d-skins/?do=findComment&comment=841691

  • @genenovak2717
    @genenovak2717 2 года назад

    24.83. I victories, how is that possible?

    • @keithbird8910
      @keithbird8910 2 года назад +1

      Kills were often claimed by more that one pilot and if no certainty could be established, the kill would be divided by the number of pilots claiming it and each would be awarded a part of the kill (0.25, 0.33, 0.5 and so on).

    • @genenovak2717
      @genenovak2717 2 года назад

      @@keithbird8910 Thank You!

  • @pwpw9727
    @pwpw9727 2 года назад

    ha ha well done.. us killers

  • @jrhamilton4448
    @jrhamilton4448 2 года назад +24

    Hence the reason for invasion stripes on D day. In previous unannounced top secret missions dozens upon dozens of allied fighters were lost due to friendly fire.

    • @ancientheart2532
      @ancientheart2532 2 года назад +1

      Yep. So dang sad. RIP.

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад +3

      That is why RAF pilots avoided areas where the USArmy were operating when doing G/A

    • @raystapp4001
      @raystapp4001 Год назад +1

      Also, sometimes the P51 mustangs were mistaken for ME109s. Was told this by a P51 pilot year's ago.

    • @jrhamilton4448
      @jrhamilton4448 Год назад

      @@raystapp4001 Yes, I've heard stories about them being furious that their own flack gunners often got quite trigger happy at the sight of anything resembling an me109.

  • @orlandonavarro5674
    @orlandonavarro5674 2 года назад +9

    To make a long story short, he was shot down and killed by friendly fire... His own countrymen took out the nº 1 fighter pilot they had in Europe ! Some imbecile bastards ! How could they mistake a Mustang for a 190...?

    • @jeanneguderian6651
      @jeanneguderian6651 2 года назад +4

      German gunners had simple method for aircraft ID:
      1) Silver airplanes = American
      2) Green airplanes = British or Russian
      3) No airplanes = Luftwaffe

    • @noteimportax6477
      @noteimportax6477 2 года назад +1

      They mistook the mustang for a bf 109 not a fw 190 karma is a bi...ch aint it?

    • @popogejo7245
      @popogejo7245 2 года назад +1

      Orlando; you weren't there that day, were you? Didn't think so!!!! It's war, shit happens.

    • @noteimportax6477
      @noteimportax6477 2 года назад

      @@jeanneguderian6651 no airplanes? You forgot bodenplatte eh?

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад

      Not the No 1 that would have been Gabreski or Johnson

  • @ricardocorbie6803
    @ricardocorbie6803 2 года назад +13

    Such a Horrible death to such an awesome Man/ Warrior!! KIA by Friendly Fire 🔥 Wonder what other greatness, had he lived would he have accomplished!! Rest In Peace!

  • @chriswoodside5385
    @chriswoodside5385 2 года назад +16

    Have you ever considered doing a video on Soviet ace Ivan Kozhedub (60 kills) and the incident with the USAAF P-51s on 17 April 1945? Or the incident between Soviet and USAAF P-38s caused by Luftwaffe at Nis, Yugoslavia on 7 November 1944? These are slightly different stories that aren't well publicised

    • @sotocinematics
      @sotocinematics  2 года назад +5

      Im planning on doing the incident at Nis when the Yak 3 is released in IL-2

    • @T_bone
      @T_bone 2 года назад

      This is based on game play!?!? What game??? 😮😮😮😮

    • @PanzerLehr88
      @PanzerLehr88 2 года назад

      @Chris Woodside I can smell a Red Bolshevik Soviet Communist SYMPATHIZER in you for every German fighter loss in the Eastern Front the Red Soviets loss 20 "THE GERMANS LUFTWAFFE GOT OUTMAN AND OUTGUN. THE SOVIETS PILOTS NEVER CAME CLOSE TO THE TALENTED FIGHTER PILOTS OF THE THIRD REICH, BRITISH, AMERICANS OR JAPANESE

    • @chriswoodside5385
      @chriswoodside5385 2 года назад +2

      @@PanzerLehr88 and you sound like an American. Personally I like to hear about unusual events that happen(ed), I don't usually care what nationality is involved.

    • @darthracer777
      @darthracer777 6 месяцев назад

      @@sotocinematics If you research that 'incident' Kozhedub had with those 'P-51s', you'll find out it wasn't against P-51s. The guy was confused or it was just disinformation.

  • @linuschan39
    @linuschan39 2 года назад +9

    Your skins are amazing as usual 👍

  • @jackmunday7602
    @jackmunday7602 2 года назад +50

    They really should make a feature length film on the life and death of George Preddy. Providing Holywood don't mess it up and stick to the historic records. It could really be something special. His fantastic story has got all the right elements. Action, adventure, comedy, romance, drama and above all else, tragedy.

    • @hertzair1186
      @hertzair1186 2 года назад +15

      Hollywood will never stick to facts

    • @AceCmbatguy25
      @AceCmbatguy25 2 года назад +7

      They'll ruin it one way or another

    • @MrKen-wy5dk
      @MrKen-wy5dk 2 года назад +1

      What universe are you from?

    • @Retroscoop
      @Retroscoop 2 года назад

      Comedy ?

    • @boyteebah3794
      @boyteebah3794 2 года назад +1

      if they do, i hope they cast eddie murphy as george preddy

  • @californiajack4850
    @californiajack4850 2 года назад +9

    These are really great videos. Very well researched and put together. Thank you so much. Please do one on Klaus Mietusch of JG26 vs Bill Beyer from 361st FG on 17 September 1944. That would be a fascinating one to watch. Keep up the good work.

  • @weltonreds
    @weltonreds 2 года назад +38

    The American military have a gift for friendly fire.

    • @simpedros4766
      @simpedros4766 2 года назад +5

      World leaders

    • @Frankie5Angels150
      @Frankie5Angels150 2 года назад +3

      Everybody does. Grunts don’t know how to pull lead.

    • @swaders
      @swaders Год назад

      Guy Gibson was killed by friendly fire.

  • @didierdenice7456
    @didierdenice7456 2 года назад +17

    It didn't take long for the Europeans to notice how much the Americans 🇺🇲 were all "gun happy" shooting at just about anything that moved... without looking twice.
    A cow in a pasture... an old civilian man riding a bicycle on a countryside road...
    You know how good it feels to expand all those free ammo ! 💪💪

    • @brittongodman7769
      @brittongodman7769 2 года назад

      Is your statement on the Americans being ''gun happy'' supposed to be some type of defense for the actions of Adolf Hitler and his murderous thug regime of Nazi Socialist ?

    • @didierdenice7456
      @didierdenice7456 2 года назад +2

      @@brittongodman7769 ??? 🤨 Do you actually have anything connecting your neurones or you just let them loose ?

    • @tonyclough9844
      @tonyclough9844 2 года назад

      Americans bombed my father in Italy and destroyed the artillery, they said when the leader dropped his bombs they all did.

    • @jackd1582
      @jackd1582 2 года назад +5

      It's the same in their cinemas

    • @marchansel7296
      @marchansel7296 2 года назад +5

      My dad was 6 years old 1945 Germany..He saw alot of straffing,,cattle etc ,,even Farmers harvesting crops etc .He was to young to know if they where russian ,USAF or RAF,,But they where definetly single propeller planes he says..

  • @kienthunder4974
    @kienthunder4974 2 года назад +7

    Can you do about Heinrich Ehrler ?

  • @CollectorChronicles
    @CollectorChronicles 2 года назад +5

    The FW-190 pilot was probably like “aallllrighty then...” 🤷🏻‍♂️

    • @Krapfelapfen
      @Krapfelapfen 2 года назад

      I wonder he survived and who he is? Or died probably the same day due to hits caused by Pretty.

  • @samueledgarpegram7088
    @samueledgarpegram7088 Год назад +2

    ❤Preddy was from Greensboro, NC. There is a road named after him. My father worked some with his dad on the railroad. Mr. Preddy lost both of his sons in the war, George’s brother was a pilot also.

  • @ALA-uv7jq
    @ALA-uv7jq 2 года назад +8

    Many friendly fire incidents in WW2 by Allies. Some even claimed as victories.

    • @paulfrantizek102
      @paulfrantizek102 2 года назад

      John Godfrey was shot down by his own wingman.

  • @Slaktrax
    @Slaktrax 2 года назад +2

    The Americans seem to have a talent for friendly fire incidents 😞

  • @noteimportax6477
    @noteimportax6477 2 года назад +2

    Karma is a bit...... eh?

  • @buglover-qb1dq
    @buglover-qb1dq Год назад +1

    Knew one of these P-51 pilots back in the early 90's! I asked him if he ever got shot down? He said. No, but he had been shot up... RIP Henry Baker

  • @R.Lennartz
    @R.Lennartz 2 года назад +1

    Classis Americans shooting at everything that moved, including their own men

  • @carlcotterill6283
    @carlcotterill6283 2 года назад +1

    Bet the Hollywood film empire will change how he died if they make a film on him

  • @RogueAce93
    @RogueAce93 2 года назад +35

    He was SO close to becoming the top ace in the ETO! Imagine what he could’ve pulled off over Y-29 on Jan. 1, 1945! Sadly, it’s the unpredictable nature of war that prevented him from accomplishing that. Even more is that he didn’t get to marry his Aussie sweetheart Joan Jackson (they met while he was flying in defense of Darwin).

    • @jerryjeromehawkins1712
      @jerryjeromehawkins1712 2 года назад +7

      To his credit... he was the top Mustang ace of the war with 26.83 kills. ( .83 for shared kills )
      👍🏾🇺🇸

    • @RogueAce93
      @RogueAce93 2 года назад +3

      @@jerryjeromehawkins1712 I was just thinking hypothetically if fate, or bad luck, hadn’t intervened.

    • @haroldgodwinson832
      @haroldgodwinson832 2 года назад +3

      Why anyone would give a crap about becoming the "top ace in the ET" is beyond me. Most people involved in wars aren't looking to become the top anything. They just want to survive the horrors of war and make it home.

    • @nellyprice
      @nellyprice 2 года назад +3

      @@haroldgodwinson832 and that's why people overclaimed. Glory trumps humility

    • @haroldgodwinson832
      @haroldgodwinson832 2 года назад +1

      @@nellyprice One shouldn't talk generalities in such circumstances but I doubt most of the airmen "overclaimed" as you suggest. I suspect in most cases they actually believed they had destroyed enemy aircraft. However, a hostile air environment is no place to dither about 'confirming kills'; not if you want to stay alive that is. And the truth of it is; most people do want to stay alive.

  • @dhss333
    @dhss333 2 года назад +1

    They should have straffed the AA SITES.

  • @mickeydee3595
    @mickeydee3595 2 года назад +2

    Imagine shooting down your own top ace.....

  • @timf2279
    @timf2279 2 года назад +2

    Preddy managed to release his canopy but was unable to bail out before his aircraft hit the ground at high speed. Although the shallow angle of impact meant the crash was potentially survivable, his wounds from .50-caliber machine gun fire were mortal.

  • @sr.agrario366
    @sr.agrario366 2 года назад +1

    Extinction of a preddytor.

  • @thomaslore730
    @thomaslore730 2 года назад +4

    I thought Preddy was killed after a 0.50 cal round hit him in the head and crash landed his P-51D with him inside it???

    • @sotocinematics
      @sotocinematics  2 года назад +3

      According to the first source listed in the description, that was what they originally thought happened to Preddy but it was another pilot. It was later found from several eyewitness that he was probably wounded by the ground fire and was seen to bail out too low.

  • @KAB1983
    @KAB1983 2 года назад +1

    Ничего не понял, но было очень интересно...

  • @gisterme2981
    @gisterme2981 Год назад +1

    That's not the story told by Preddy's wingman about that day. He said Preddy crash landed his mustang. US soldiers that rushed to the crash site
    said the plane landed well enough that they thought the pilot would have survived; but Preddy was found dead in the cockpit, having been directly hit by 50cal fire. This is a well documented account of the tragedy. It's hard to imagine, but Soto Cinematics must not have done any real research before making up this story. 'Makes me wonder about the veracity of their other "last flight" accounts.

    • @sotocinematics
      @sotocinematics  Год назад

      This is not made up but based on recent research found in 'Death of the Mustang Super Ace' by John R. Beaman Jr. with Samuel L. Sox Jr, Air War Publications.

  • @walterschumann2476
    @walterschumann2476 2 года назад +3

    Would the Dora pilot get credit for 2 kills, by bringing the Mustangs into a AA zone?

    • @Solihull88
      @Solihull88 2 года назад

      I think Not, because german Fighter pilots Gott only Kills when having two wittnesses. There we're No half Kills or .25 Kills at the Luftwaffes Killcount...

  • @Dv087
    @Dv087 2 года назад +2

    A big question I'm left with is whether or not was he hit by any of the projectiles preventing him for climbing enough or deploying his parachute?

  • @vstar7196
    @vstar7196 2 года назад +1

    What I find hard to believe is the American gunners couldn’t distinguish between an FW-190 and a P-51D at tree top level. All gunners were schooled in aircraft recognition for the very reason not to shoot at American or British planes. War is hell.

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад

      Not Americans: a RAF pilot was bounced by two P38s He even did a half roll and showed them the Double Ellipse Wing of his Spitfire They still shot him down The Sqn I think it was in Italy were bloody mad To calm things down the USAAF F/G commander paid the RAF pilot a visit in Hospital .
      It happened a lot.It was one of the main reasons that the RAF were reluctant to escort US bombers as the RAF planes were cammed the US planes not painted but silver . And the RAF were often fired upon

  • @TheIndianalain
    @TheIndianalain 2 года назад +16

    Most fighter pilots were more scared by AA fire (even their own!) than by enemy fighters.

    • @nicomeier8098
      @nicomeier8098 2 года назад +5

      Most American fighter pilots engaged numerical inferior forces and later in the war a lot of German pilots with only basic training...

    • @orlandonavarro5674
      @orlandonavarro5674 2 года назад +3

      That happened to the Germans on Jan 1, '45, as their Flak defenses had not been alerted of the imminent raid so as to catch the Allies completely by surprise.

    • @shannonmonroe5873
      @shannonmonroe5873 2 года назад +2

      @@nicomeier8098And you can say the same thing about the Germans at the start of the war in Russia. Against inferior machines and poorly trained Russian pilots. So what? A kill is a kill.

    • @observergoldstein3709
      @observergoldstein3709 2 года назад +1

      @@shannonmonroe5873 u mad bro

    • @shannonmonroe5873
      @shannonmonroe5873 2 года назад +1

      @@observergoldstein3709 No just an observer ..

  • @jarikinnunen1718
    @jarikinnunen1718 2 года назад +3

    The 20 mm flak was wery effective, told one air force veteran. It was also radar assisted.

  • @Frankie5Angels150
    @Frankie5Angels150 2 года назад +1

    That’s what we call a “Polish parachute”: Opens on impact.

  • @alessandrofantini891
    @alessandrofantini891 Год назад +1

    Fly near antiaircraft is not good idea.

  • @michaelsteiner6500
    @michaelsteiner6500 2 года назад +1

    Good things happen.
    Cheers

  • @blitzblutz
    @blitzblutz 2 года назад +2

    In sports and war you have the dreaded "own goal". Almost impossible to avoid unfortunately.

  • @PaulinAsia_
    @PaulinAsia_ Год назад

    Not surprising. Americans have the worst blue on blue incidents of any country

  • @Bodneyblue
    @Bodneyblue 7 месяцев назад

    I once had a website dedicated to Major Preddy..It ran from late 1999 to around 2014 before the server that hosted it was closed down....I also flew in MS Combat Flight Simulator for years under the name of his aircraft..until again the server hosting the game closed. And have corrisponded with a number of folks on the subject...Like Sam Sox and and George's cousin Joe Noah...Joe signed my copy of his book....I also have a signed copy of the groups history book.

  • @infantryattacks
    @infantryattacks 2 года назад +2

    Excellent video. Most informative. Thank you.

  • @dogtagx2
    @dogtagx2 Год назад

    So.....can you do the research and tell the story of the gunners who shot him down?? I am a retired Paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division, 1/320th AFAR, and the 2/319th AFAR. Being an Artilleryman, it has ALWAYS been the code of “CHECK AND VERIFY” your target!! If we shoot wrong, we are Court Martialed, and if found guilty of violating our firing orders or procedures, we are sent to prison if it results in a death, or Chaptered out of the military with a dishonorable discharge is no death occurred. It bothers me, and troubles me that many of the commenters just say things like “well that was war and things like that happen” as if they are just washing their hands of the subject by stating such a remark that is Calus and uncaring. It doesnt happen as much as you think, for FRATRICIDAL INCIDENTS to happen....and when it does, there is MOST OF TIME, someone at fault who neglected to do their duty correctly.... sometimes a couple of people are derelict of performing their duty.
    To just say, “what shame, move on now, nothing to see here”, is utterly a DISGRACE to person who died because if the idiot(s) who killed them WRONGFULLY.
    The other half of this story, if you are a researcher and want to make videos of content......then I ask you to please dig into the events that led to the SHAMEFUL DEATH of America’s TOP ACE HOPEFUL, and WHY he died and what happened those who caused his death. If you DO decide to research these men who negligently killed one of America’s BEST FIGHTER ACES..... you will find a story worth telling, instead of sweeping it under the rug.
    Hu-Ahhhhh, Airborne!!
    All the way....and then some!! O7

  • @CollectorChronicles
    @CollectorChronicles 2 года назад +1

    “Hitler’s Hearse” sounds catchy. Like the name of a band.

  • @RenKnight347
    @RenKnight347 2 года назад +1

    It's unfortunate that these kinds of events take place.
    I knew that Major Preddy died on Christmas Day, 1944. I didn't know that he bailed from his aircraft at such a low altitude or that his chute deployed tragically too late.
    With this event taking place after the Normandy Invasion, I guess that I have often assumed that all Allied aircraft were painted with the "Invasion stripes" to help minimize the possibilities of "friendly-fire" incidences.
    We will never know even if they had been painted, if it may have made the difference. Those anti-aircraft gun crews likely were themselves on such the knife's edge by that point in the war.

  • @mitch_the_-itch
    @mitch_the_-itch Год назад

    6 Planes with 9 yards of ammo is truly an amazing feat in itself. The stang had no cannons only 6-12.7mm .50cal ma dueces. German planes were armored.
    Ur not using the K14 correctly either.

  • @Riccardo_Silva
    @Riccardo_Silva 2 года назад

    What a waste! Are there, somewhere, any statistics on how many US pilots were shot down by some excessively trigger-happy AA US crew? It seems to me an alarming occurrence throughout the second WW! Every country has its friendly fire accidents but US's seems to be somewhat terrific (and recurring)!

  • @MrAndrew1953
    @MrAndrew1953 2 года назад

    How bloody stupid. Never pull the trigger until you’ve identified what you’re shooting at. Shooting down one allied plane is bad- 3 is inexcusable. I hope that ground unit was severely carpeted.

  • @vanmust
    @vanmust Год назад +1

    He tried to take on a Dora???? but this was known to be a formidable version of a FW190 canons and all and faster....pretty courageous guy.....nevertheless the German was probably low on fuel and maybe trying to get to his base on an economy speed

  • @letoubib21
    @letoubib21 Год назад

    _Très typique de la perfide Albion, attaquant à l'heure du déjeuner ! Même des repas ne sont pas sacrés pour les rosbifs _*_..._*

  • @CarlCorley-x1z
    @CarlCorley-x1z 10 месяцев назад

    How about doing one on Pierce McKennon's rescue by his wingman George Green! His story is movie worthy.

  • @T_bone
    @T_bone 2 года назад +1

    This is made more tragic by the blue on blue. I wonder if the anti-air ground forces in that area had briefings as to friendly air assets operating in their AO in that time period. Fog of war and Murphy...

  • @Wadaryu1000
    @Wadaryu1000 2 года назад +2

    Thank you George Earl Preddy Jr - Top P-51 Mustang ace - RIP.

    • @Sagiterrian77
      @Sagiterrian77 2 года назад

      His brother, William, was also a P-51 pilot- killed by enemy groin fire

    • @Sagiterrian77
      @Sagiterrian77 2 года назад

      Sorry- I was in a bouncing vehicle- that’s ground fire- the same thing that got the Red Baron. How many know Predators was the top Mustang ace?

  • @lonzo61
    @lonzo61 8 дней назад

    Trigger happy AA crews. Most unfortunate.

  • @Tiagomottadmello
    @Tiagomottadmello 2 года назад +1

    👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

  • @disillusionedone9282
    @disillusionedone9282 Год назад

    So question for you all. What do you need in a pc to play modern flight sims.

  • @davidmcleod7757
    @davidmcleod7757 Год назад

    friendly fire sucks rip Preddy you seved this nation well and god bless

  • @wildcolonialman
    @wildcolonialman 2 года назад +1

    Fabulous graphics, fabulous and important telling. Remarkable man, stunningly sad demise.

  • @grizzly4736
    @grizzly4736 2 года назад +2

    Fun fact, Maj. Preddy was nursing a massive hangover when he downed those six German fighters. This man deserves his own big budget film.

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад

      Fun fact Sqn Leader A.A MacKeller got 20 in 25 days before being KIA Nov 1940 flying a 316 mph Hurricane Not a 436 mph P51D

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад

      No try to do one on Pat Pattle Ace in a day twice in an old Hurricane

  • @johngrey5806
    @johngrey5806 Год назад +1

    How do you get 26.83 victories? What is the .83 for?

    • @Bodneyblue
      @Bodneyblue 7 месяцев назад

      Shared victories..more than one pilot getting hits on that particular victory so share part of a victory...Like 2 pilots get hits on a aircraft and it goes down..they each get .5 share...and so on.

    • @johngrey5806
      @johngrey5806 7 месяцев назад +1

      @@Bodneyblue thanks!

    • @Bodneyblue
      @Bodneyblue 7 месяцев назад

      @@johngrey5806 That's ok....Been interested in Major Preddy since I was 12..I'm not 56..I built an airfix model of his aircraft many years ago..and found the story of his death saddening. At the time I had not really thought to much of the pilots of the aircraft I modeled. But being killed by your own side on Christmas Day was rather tough (though I'm not religious). He has been a part of my life in some way ever since.

  • @peterkin1010
    @peterkin1010 2 года назад +1

    Here was me thinking all Allied aircraft in the ETO had black and white stripes on both the wings and fuselage. Horrible way to go being killed in a 'friendly fire' incident.

    • @tempestfury8324
      @tempestfury8324 2 года назад +1

      The black and white stripes , aka invasion stripes, were used only during and after the D-Day invasion 6 June 1944.

  • @VC27
    @VC27 Год назад

    Blue on blue is an occupational hazard on the heat of battle.

  • @jimcurt99
    @jimcurt99 Год назад

    tragic... great video. But I'm curious- how do you get 26.83 kills? Why not just round up and make it 27?? .83 seems oddly specific...

    • @sotocinematics
      @sotocinematics  Год назад

      This number comes from shared victories i.e. 1/3 + 1/2 = 0.33 + 0.5, thus 0.83

  • @markrunnalls7215
    @markrunnalls7215 2 года назад

    My Great Uncle Jim fought in North Africa, and during El Alamein, anyway he saw first hand and I quote.. When the Germans fired, the Brits ducked, when the Brits fired the Germans ducked, when the yanks fired, every fucker ducked, they couldnt master a creeping barrage..

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад

      No Americans at El Alamein they were over in Tunisia

  • @tonydeaton1967
    @tonydeaton1967 2 года назад +2

    How do you get 26.83 victories?

    • @jackd1582
      @jackd1582 2 года назад

      Especially the ....3 ...part . I could understand. .75

    • @henryjacobsen6873
      @henryjacobsen6873 2 года назад +1

      @@jackd1582 5/6 of a kill. Or, 1/2 a kill plus 1/3 of a kill

    • @jackd1582
      @jackd1582 2 года назад

      @@henryjacobsen6873 that 3 represented 3/100ths

    • @tempestfury8324
      @tempestfury8324 2 года назад

      @@jackd1582 I/2 kill is 50%....plus 1/3 kill is 33%....which equals 83% or .83.

  • @FrLawRE
    @FrLawRE 2 года назад +1

    George Earl Preddy Jr won 26.83 victories and so was a great ace. However I'm at a loss to understand how .83 of a victory was calculated. If it had been 26.50 then logically the .50 would have been a victory equally shared with another allied fighter pilot. But .83?

    • @martincarey7954
      @martincarey7954 8 месяцев назад

      Half kill.. 0.5 and a third share .33 =0.83

  • @conceptalfa
    @conceptalfa 2 года назад +3

    So were there ever any consequences for this friendly fire????

    • @mark109s
      @mark109s 2 года назад +3

      No, they covered it up and away from the press. Can you imagine the American readers seeing that the top mustang ace was killed by his own AA guns. Friendly fire

    • @conceptalfa
      @conceptalfa 2 года назад +5

      @@mark109s didn't these guys manning the AA guns have any binoculars so they could make sure what the heck they are shooting at???

    • @conceptalfa
      @conceptalfa 2 года назад +5

      @@mark109s as well as the Mustang Merlin engines sound differently from the Mercedes once in M 109:s????

    • @mark109s
      @mark109s 2 года назад +1

      @@conceptalfa ,, I don’t know, one would think they should have!

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад

      @@conceptalfa Try focusing on a plane doing 350 mph Jinking side to side

  • @johnstanley7442
    @johnstanley7442 2 года назад +4

    Nice looking renderings, but, for future reference, or for hobbyists wanting to do a "Preddy" model, his plane did not HAVE a fin filet, which was sometimes retrofitted, in the field,
    and which had, by then, gone-on to become standard, from the factory, as the D model matured. ALSO, planes of this unit were flying WITHOUT that wire antenna shown in this video, and the usual metal "eyelet" that you'd see installed in the bubble canopy's back slope, aft of where you'd see OTHER P-51's with that sort of wire running from the back of the armor plate head rest-area
    of the armored pilot's seat back towards the vertical stabilizer. These wires were kept-taut, whether the canopy was open or shut, by spring-mounting end-fixtures on MANY D or K-
    model Mustangs, but NOT from this unit, nor on OTHER Mustangs which you'll often see incorrectly-shown mounting them, like on renderings of "Big Beautiful Doll," and so-on. Instead, there
    would be a small, Plexiglas plug covering the hole through which the wire would run, on planes so-equipped.
    This was a pretty depressing thing to have happen to your top P-51 ace, on Christmas Day, due to "friendly fire," (which ISN'T), when the Battle of the Bulge was already bad-enough, as it was!

  • @ManfredBaur
    @ManfredBaur Год назад

    Diesen feierabendpiloten hätte sogar mein modellflugzeug abgeschossen!!

  • @828enigma6
    @828enigma6 2 года назад +1

    Friendly fire, isn't.

  • @sergiofrigo4054
    @sergiofrigo4054 2 года назад

    no withe stripes on the wings is origin of the friendly fire

  • @jacktattis
    @jacktattis Год назад

    Now do one on Sqn Leader A.A. MacKeller 20 kills in 25 days KIA Nov1940 Flying a 316 mph Hurricane Mk1 not a 436 mph P51D

  • @spytrig6560
    @spytrig6560 Год назад

    In the context of accuracy, the Belgian city of Liège sounds more like Lee-ezh, as in general Lee followed by a prolonged E (of Explain) and a thick sounding Z at the end.

  • @user-yv1fh3fc8y
    @user-yv1fh3fc8y 2 года назад

    Boring commentary with a lot of dead air

  • @MrLemonbaby
    @MrLemonbaby 2 года назад

    These are very enjoyable vids, thank you very much.
    Better than twenty years ago I read every book on WWII pilots I could get my hands on. I preface with this because I can't say for certain that the story I'm about to relate was about Preddy but I think such is so, and hope, if not, to be forgiven.
    One time Preddy walked into a pub where Brit and American military often took their dates. He looked around, walked over to two ladies, whispered in their ears and they immediately walked away from their British dates and followed him out the door!
    Another time, as the stories go, it was a rule on his base that women were not allowed in a pilot's room. A general made a surprise inspection threw open Preddy's door and found him with two women! The general backed out, closed the door and was heard to mutter under his breath, "The rule is a woman, it doesn't say anything about two women".

  • @alvarvillalongamarch3894
    @alvarvillalongamarch3894 Год назад

    Such a tragic death for such a heroic airman.Bad luck flying behind a foe over a friendly aerodrome where all the artillerymen are on edge!Just plain tragedy!

  • @accadacastkr4912
    @accadacastkr4912 Год назад

    Yep blue on blue

  • @SteveAubrey1762
    @SteveAubrey1762 Год назад

    "Friendly fire" isn't.

  • @eduardodeandres3864
    @eduardodeandres3864 2 года назад +1

    rest in peace Mr brave man. We Europeans Never can pay the effort of the United States during the second war world!
    2 much respect

    • @Levium75
      @Levium75 2 года назад

      United States efforts during World War II?
      And what about the efforts of the USSR and Great Britain?
      3/4 of the ground forces of Germany fought on the Eastern Front against the USSR. Forgotten about it?

    • @tuncozbora2244
      @tuncozbora2244 2 года назад

      You are so naïve .... they came to free Europa ....

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад

      @@tuncozbora2244 Bull shit they came because Hitler declared war on Them IF he had not done that it is very likely that they would not have come across at all and concentrated on the Pacific
      No you fool you owe it more to the Brits Canucks Free French Poles Aussies Kiwis Czechs Norwegians Greeks etc who all used British Planes and were housed and fed by the Brits
      America never fed you, clothed you, housed you They were too busy making money except for the brave men who joined the RAF

  • @billk8579
    @billk8579 2 года назад

    Very good video. Terrible to have lost his life in that way. Wonder what happened to the anti-aircraft gunners. A new subscriber.

  • @attiliobarcados8178
    @attiliobarcados8178 2 года назад

    hoq can one have 24.83

  • @garyrunnalls7714
    @garyrunnalls7714 Год назад

    Kudos for getting the last Cripes perfectly painted with barber pole etc👍

  • @moisescandidof.dossantos8465
    @moisescandidof.dossantos8465 2 года назад

    Nice and sad history. The same occurred on some german pilots during Bondenplatte operation.

  • @Cuccos19
    @Cuccos19 2 года назад

    Shiny silver fighter mistaken for Axis one... interesting...

  • @TheCrimsonFckr
    @TheCrimsonFckr Год назад

    Where did you get that skin from?
    I've been looking everywhere for that version of his P-51!

    • @sotocinematics
      @sotocinematics  Год назад

      forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/76480-soto-cinematics-falling-aces-of-wwii-cinematic-documentary-series-nowotny-kittel-marseille-pattle-preddy-lang-litvyak-hafner it is under the video on this page. If you cant find it its here forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/54643-p-51-d-skins/page/5/#comment-841691

  • @larryking7
    @larryking7 Год назад

    A real sad end.

  • @brunotulliani
    @brunotulliani 2 года назад

    Excellent video thanks "mate!". God speed Mr. Preddy

  • @larsulrich3356
    @larsulrich3356 2 года назад

    american guns shooting down P-51???

  • @peregrinemccauley5010
    @peregrinemccauley5010 Год назад

    American friendly fire . Very efficient as always .

  • @t.j.payeur5331
    @t.j.payeur5331 2 года назад

    Friendly fire sucks...so does war in general...

  • @collinmccallum
    @collinmccallum Год назад

    amazing! Liked and subscribed!

  • @HansMueller661
    @HansMueller661 2 года назад

    24.83 kills? What does that mean? 24 kills and another plane which was exactly 0.83 damaged?

  • @Oct14cya
    @Oct14cya 2 года назад

    I believe he was due to go home the following week.

  • @blackdogexcavator21
    @blackdogexcavator21 2 года назад

    He was from my hometown. They named a road in his honor.

  • @troyfreefly
    @troyfreefly 2 года назад

    Major Preddy's two victories that day were actually Fw. Fritz Koal and Fw. Karl-Heinz Schroder of II./JG 27. Koal was flying a Bf 109G-10 (WNr.490180) "Yellow 14". Schroder in "Yellow 9" was flying (WNr.785756) a Bf 109G-14/AS. Both Koal and Schroder were forced to bail out when they were shot down by Preddy over the town of Adenau. Schroder was only slightly wounded and remained on operations with 6 Staffel.
    Koal was seriously wounded and did not return to his unit until March,1945. In April he added three more victories to the pair of P-51s and P-47 that he scored on September 27, 1944. His sixth confirmed victory, a P-47 was scored on April 16 , 1945. On April 30, 1945 the last six Bf-109s of 6 Staffel, JG 27 flew to Leck AFB (a small base in northern Germany near Denmark) and surrendered. My data is based on copies of JG 27 missing aircrew reports for 1944 & 45 that are in my files. In addition I received a letter from Koal in 1998 or 1999 which was later published in the book "Bluenoser Tales".

    • @sotocinematics
      @sotocinematics  2 года назад

      Interesting. I believe I saw these two and the ones named in the video listed as 'possibly shot down' by Preddy. Ill add a note to my pinned comment.

    • @randykelso4079
      @randykelso4079 Год назад +1

      @@sotocinematics You may also want to note that the source material in the pinned comment now seems to be a bum link.

  • @maureencora1
    @maureencora1 2 года назад

    Sad, Heaven is for Heroes. May He R.I.P.

  • @pgroove163
    @pgroove163 Год назад

    P- 51.. game changer

    • @jacktattis
      @jacktattis Год назад

      No it was the ever developing Spitfire that was the game changer