Some years ago, my church was recognizing people who served in the military and this little old lady, who was in her nineties, stands up when the Air Force was called. She had served as a test pilot to, in her words, "make sure the planes were safe for all you boys to fly". She got the longest, loudest applause and a lot of hugs. Especially from the other WW2 vets.
She deserved every bit of praise, Both of my Grandfathers served in WW2 and survived, but they were both mentally scarred from their experiences... Neither of them liked to talk about their service and would only speak about it when they were very drunk... RIP to both of them...
Nice story, but the WASPs did not act as what we refer to today as "Test Pilots." What she was probably referring to was taking repaired planes up in the air for check flights which WASP pilots did as a matter of course as did thousands of male pilots. A dangerous, but standard job. It may seem like a minor quibble, but accuracy must always be sought after or one runs the rick of embellishment.
My great grandfather (RIP) worked in the Ford Plant, on those bombers. He was so good at making planes (and because he had a flat foot) he was given leave from serving in the Armed Forces, and spent the war helping create the Flying Fortresses!
My dad piloted a PV-2 patrol bomber in the Aleutian Islands. They went out to patrol the Pacific for Japanese vessels, subs, and zeros. He passed away in 1966 when I was only 5, so I never got the chance to ask him about the war, but I have a great group photo of him and his crew posing in front of their bird!
Something like a third of American males summoned to medical boards for possible induction into the armed forces in WW2 were turned down - many because of health conditions brought on by widespread poverty in the Great Depression. Casualties did result in standards being relaxed - a bomber gunner named John Cadden later recalled that being colour blind did not seem to matter. Gunner trainees would be shown coloured balls of wool and coached with statements like "Come on, you know that's not the red one."
My grandfather on my mother's side flew F6F Hellcat fighters. His unit arrived in the Phillipines the day Japan surrendered. My grandfather on my father's side was an aircraft mechanic on Hickam Airbase at Pearl Harbor and witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, so i can rightly say my grandparents witnessed the beginning and the end of the war first hand.
This is exactly what I say whenever anyone talks about how amazing it was that Germany fought a two front war, or that they lost because they had to fight a two front war. Like, are you serious? They fought on the same continent, we fought on opposite sides of the planet!
@@30AndHatingIt when you get down to it, technically every belligerent in WW2, except the Soviets, was fighting a two-front war (or even three front if you want to consider the Pacific, China, and Burma/Indochina as distinct theaters).
@alexhussinger3550: The British, Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, Indians, and other British colonies were fighting Africa, Europe, the Pacific, and Burma. One thing I learned from this series is how much French and British colonies supported the Allies efforts.
Great episode! As an Aussie, it’s just insane how America industry spooled up to a war footing eventually supplying (I believe) 2/3 of all allies war materials. The more I read/watch about war - it’s always the logistics and the resources that matters greatly.
For years from my youth on like everyone else i was fixated on the usual "planes, tanks, fighting, etc". Production numbers and all were nice but easy to overlook without a knowledge of the field. Then it clicked and there was a new aspect to study. The Willow Run plant mentioned in the video..."Architect Albert Kahn designed the main structure of the Willow Run bomber plant, which had 3,500,000 square feet (330,000 m2) of factory space, and an aircraft assembly line over a mile (1600 m) long. It was thought to be the largest factory under one roof anywhere in the world" and the Richmond shipyards in California are two great example of just how fast the US was capable (in those days) of plotting, planning, building, and operating on a speed and scale that is impossible today.... 'The four Richmond Kaiser Shipyards built 747 ships in World War II, a rate never equaled. Compared to the average ship built elsewhere, Richmond ships were completed in two-thirds the time and at a quarter of the cost. The Liberty ship Robert E. Peary was assembled in less than five days as a part of a competition among shipyards. By 1944, the yard routinely needed only a bit more than two weeks to assemble a Liberty ship. By the end of the war the Richmond Shipyards had built $1.8 billion worth of ships"
Helps that the US didn't have to make arrangements for air defence of their factories like nearly all other powers did. But still, the numbers are astonishing when you dig into them. What really amazes me is the sheer number of workers that had to be trained for their new duties. And the difficulties it must have presented to quality control efforts.
@@visassess8607 It's been a while, but I don't remember there being a particular focus. It was mostly a broad overview of the causes, the participants, and our involvement. We spent significantly more time on the interwar years.
The production numbers are awe-inspiring. As an American, I feel a great sense of pride when I see these figures. The war’s conclusion is written in those tallies.
let imagine a modern beligerent( could say russia) use a nuclear weapon to end a war how could that be writen in history as a good thing the good guys did ...
@Jessica Lacasse One of the most ridiculous things about the air war in Europe was that both the British and the Germans thought they could bomb the other's civilian population into capitulating, when in reality, it just strengthened the resolve of BOTH.
@@jessicalacasse6205not all of those were bombers and the American air force at the end of the day was fighting for the better side despite their strategic thought.
To Command the Sky by Stephen L. McFarland is a good book about the sheer production power of American industry in decimating the Luftwaffe over Europe. Just an unstoppable tsunami of American built planes.
My grandmother made bombsights for B-17s during the war and was so proud and impressed when she brought home $ 20 she made in a day. Incredible teamwork won that war. Let's be a team again!
Thanks for your support and your longtime viewing! Nothing we do would be possible without the support of viewers like you and of course our TimeGhost Army members!
I love all your weekly episodes and the specials, but this one is very close to my heart. My father joined the AAC in October 1939 and was an aircraft mechanic and a glider pilot ( temporarily). Eventually heading to the PTO on November 1944 with a night fighter squadron. He stayed in for 20 years and is and always will be my hero.
Andrews Airforce Base outside of Washington DC is named after Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews who died in a plane crash in 1943 in Iceland. He was one of the founding members of the USAAF and in January 43 he was made commander of all United States forces in the European Theater of Operations replacing Ike.
@@nomadmarauder-dw9re SHAEF is not the same thing. Supreme Headquarters ALLIED Expeditionary Force Is all the Western Allies. Commander of all United States Forces in the European Theatre was earlier and was only US forces.
@@nigeh5326 I know that. I used it as shorthand for ...you know. My point being that nobody replaced Ike as C.O. because he hadn't been made C.O. yet? Pardon me if wrong. Gonna Google.
@@nigeh5326 well, it seems that the European Theater of Operations was later changed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations and your guy took over because Eisenhower was promoted to SHAEF. Or SCAEF. Whatever.
@@nomadmarauder-dw9re sorry I can’t follow your point. General Andrew’s replaced Ike as head of US forces in the European theatre. Ike moved on to command Allied forces in N Africa and Italy until becoming Supreme Commander of SHAEF when that was established. Basically Ike was commanding US, British, Empire and Commonwealth forces (including French, Polish, Czech forces in Western Europe) after leaving his post commanding just US forces in Europe. Ike’s skills as a commander and ability to handle politicians such as Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin along with egotistical commanders such as Montgomery and Patton were his great strength.
My Dad was a basic instrument flight instructor on the Link Trainer-the world's first successful flight simulator, used by all the Western Allied air forces in the war-at a small Army Air Forces base in Cortland, Alabama. He taught basic instrument flying-dead reckoning, radio beacon navigation, landing with your instruments alone to guide you. His stories gave me a window into how the Army Air Forces trained so many competent pilots in such a brief period of time. It's not the aces that win the war of attrition, it's the quality of the average Joe. My Dad helped many a Joe to learn how to hit for that high average. (Of course, asked once upon a time how many lives he thought he had saved by teaching those cadets how to fly by their instruments, he just shrugged his shoulders and asked if we had any more beer. It was that kind of war.)
The World At War (1973) episode on the British-US offensive against Germany showed film of a German night fighter trainee operating a kind of machine simulating a night fighter attacking a bomber - it looked a little like a slot machine game of the kind I played in the 1970s. So they had their training aids too. But basically their training was outclassed, and crucially, they more and more lacked the fuel to conduct enough training flights to grow competent.
@@stevekaczynski3793 you are right, they ran out of fuel for (and safe places to train) their new pilots. Dad also flew back seat in a Vultee Valliant ("Vultee Vibrator") when the cadets practiced instrument landing with a canvas awning surrounding the front of the canopy so that they could not cheat. His job was to make certain that they did not fly into other planes, trees, or the ground. In Alabama, he did not also have to be on the lookout for Messerschmitts or Focke-Wulfs. Come visit the Air Force Museum in Dayton some time. We can show you Dad's "Office," and share some of his many stories.
@@WorldWarTwo careful, I got more. Dad told me that the Air Force valued instrument flying skill so much that everyone in the service who wanted to keep flying-all the way up to Hap Arnold-had to periodically recertify on the Link Trainer. Which meant that every so often the flying career of anyone with brass on his shoulders was temporarily in the hands of an enlisted man (Link instructors were typically corporals and sergeants), You can about imagine the kinds of convoluted, extensive, difficult flight plans these instructors would come up with, just for the fun of it. So, the room would be humming along with instruction, when suddenly you would hear a loud "Bang!" as the canopy of a Link Trainer flew open, followed by heavy footfalls and a string of curse words, as another colonel, or major, or general finished his recertification. Everyone would look up, flash a knowing smile, and go back to work.
Good episode. Another facet of the U.S. huge growth in military aircraft and people was huge expansion of airfields for all of those new units to form up and train before heading overseas. The Army Corps of Engineers' Lucius Clay working with the Civil Aeronautics Administration launched a construction program for ~ 450 military and dual use airfields starting in 1940-41. Many regional airports today started life as one of Clay's projects.
My dad joined the Army Air Corps in 1939 because there weren't many jobs around where he lived. He was at Hickham Field in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. He was a mechanic but flew new B17 and B-25 bombers from the mainland to Hawaii and trained pilots until they could get enough guys over there, then went back to ground maintenance.
Its truly mind boggling to read about us military production and evolution in just a couple of years. The numbers are ridiculous. They went from essentially a territorial defence force to the mightiest military in human history. It makes me feel proud of a country I'm not from.
And, digressing, the mobilization for WW II should serve as a model for the response to climate change. Detroit and foreign automakers should be told that there will be no more ICE cars sold in the US (Except, possibly, Alaska) in three years. Heat waves, floods, and hurricanes are becoming more severe and common at an accelerating rate We need action NOW, and Norway has shown it can be done. By comparison, the conversion to production of tanks,, air craft and massive numbers of combat and cargo ships was far more complex and drastic.
Great content, the German manufacturing dispersal created massive logistical headaches, not only were there not enough engines but getting them to the airframes was increasingly difficult because of train losses in the east. Many airframes captured at wars end had no engine, the few that did had no fuel.
During WWII, San Antonio became a center of the USAF with the establishment of Randolph, Brooks, Lackland, and Kelly bases being founded and expanded. Lackland is still where all airmen are trained and Randolph is the head of AF education and training.
Great video on the USAAF. It really shows the industrial capacity of the United States to massively increase its air force in such a short period of time. It is even the more impressive considering the number of American carriers and the amount of aircraft that were carried in them.
It's not just the planes. The U.S. also developed an excellent pilot training program to ensure there would be skilled pilots to fly all those planes the factories churned out. The lack of an adequate pilot training program really hurt the Axis. The Germans had to keep their top aces, with their _incredibly_ high scores in combat to the end of the war because they couldn't spare them. The Japanese had arguably the best combat pilots in the world at the start of the war, having not only had probably the most rigorous and demanding program, pre-war, to weed out all but the most talented flyers, they also had combat experience from their war in China. But as the pacific war ground on, and they started losing those pilots in combat, they had no way to replace them, while the USAAF, and the USN churned out a steady stream of new, competent, well-trained pilots, right to the end of the war.
@@jtgd The planes that the US produced in 1939 and 1940 were barely satisfactory to get the job done. The best fighter that the US produced, the Curtiss P-40, was not good enough for the west European air war, according to the RAF. Because the British started to buy US planes in 1940 and asked certain specifications, US industry got a kickstart even before the US got into the war. Needless to say that the US accomplished an enormous achievement, both in materiel and in organisation.
As I have said in previous episodes I'm very proud and honored that my grandfather flew a B-17 in late 44-45 and survived. I saw his pilot logs and while not many fighters there was still a lot of flak.
SPOILERS With some exceptions the Luftwaffe was not very active in daytime by then, although night fighters continued to take a toll of RAF bombers during the hours of darkness. One exception will be a raid on Kassel at the end of September 1944, where the US 445th Bomb Group apparently will take a wrong turn, with no fighter escort and will be attacked by a Sturmgruppe of heavily armed FW190s, with most of the group being shot down.
My father, who will be 100 in July flew P-47s, and then P-38s with the USAAF 5th Air Force, 49th Fighter Group, 9th Fighter Squadron in New Guinea, The Philippines, Okinawa, and on to Japan. He was one of the fighter escorts for the Japanese surrender envoys on their flight between Japan and Ishima.
Equally impressive were the logistic efforts. Getting raw materials to factories, turning those raw materials into tanks, ships, planes etc in minimum time was awe inspiring. Then men like the Red Ball Express kept troops supplied regardless of weather or any other obstacles.
A year later and I'm just now getting to this video thinking the same exact thing. How many aircraft and personnel were produced on the naval air wing side on top of the USAAF.
This channel is by far, my go to channel on RUclips for 2023. I discovered the week by week in June, and it took me until October to get fully caught up. I still have many special episodes to watch, but RUclips's algorithm now puts your channel in the top of my recommended videos- likely because I thumbs up every one I remain fully awake for (so I don't lose my spot). Great job, great channel, as in depth a weekly summary as one could hope for for within an 18-30 minute presentation. I thought I was done with WWII history. Ha.
My mother use to see whole formations of B-24s flying out of Willow Run when she was a child. I have watched three heavies and two little friends flying overhead from the Yankee Air Force on Memorial Day and the 4th of July, which was impressive enough. I can't even imagine what whole formations must have been like!
My grandfather served just over 32 years in the USAF from the early 50s to the 80s. He retired a Chief Master Sgt; deciding not to go for Chief Master Sgt of the Air force, which would have required him to stay in for another couple years. He was the greatest man I ever knew and had the best stories of his time in the USAF; including once when the plans for the defence of Alaska were lost and he was nearly blamed by the major responsible. Luckily he got wind before hand and got the news to the general in charge of the command he worked in.
Even more so, in my mind. Building 100 escort carriers alone. All those Essex carriers and their air wings. Really just building the docks to build the ships, that's a lot harder than turning car factories into airplane factories.
The whole production of the war effort in the U.S. was unbelievably huge. From rapidly-built cargo ships to cigarettes, to boots/shoes, to aviation fuel, to toilet paper, to jeep tires, to tinned coffee. Mind boggling. And then get it all overseas.
North American built the Mustang for the RAF. The British procurement people had asked if North American could build more Curtis P40s. North American told the procurement team that they had a new design and it was built in absolutely record time- an almost unbelievable achievement after the British buyers expressed a positive interest. Mustang I believe was also a name endowed on it by the RAF. The RAF cannot fly an aeroplane unless it has a name- and if they don't like the name- they change it! Think Boston.
@@jdcole333 Even the P-40F Kittyhawk fitted with the same Packard-built Merlin engines could never match the performance of the P-51D. The latter had better aerodynamics and flew faster.
To me, the importance of the air wing for the allies in WW2 cannot be underestimated. I just read "Wings of War" by David and Margaret White which details the rise of the P-51 Mustang. Perhaps the single most important airplane of the conflict, it allowed the bombers to finally do their job in making D Day and the destruction of the Luftwaffe possible. Unfortunately it is also a tale of feet dragging and political pork - unsurprisingly perhaps. But ultimately a great success story. Enjoyed the video as always.
The P47's took out the cream of the luftwaffe and could have escorted all the way to Berlin but bomber command was loathe to eguip them with the necessary drop tanks wanting to prove that the bombers always get through
So what I'm hearing is... TimeGhost Rome Documentary coming 'soon?' 😮 Love the dedication and quality material this team puts out. Been a fan since "1915" over at the Great War.
My uncle was a B-17 pilot in the 324th Bomber Squadron of the 91st Bomber Group (H) when the plane he was piloting was shot down over the English Channel just off the coast of France while returning from an unescorted daylight bombing run targeting the Sotteville marshalling yards in Rouen, France on March 28, 1943. He and his crew were all lost. The 324th is best known for the Memphis Belle.
It's cool to hear about the USAAF since they were always overshadowed by the fact that they were a branch of the army. I'm surprised we didn't talk about the Japanese though. Both in numbers (I expect they fought against the RAF in Singapore and India, USAAF in China along with the USN and USAAF in the Pacific), and the fact that I'm sure the USN faced the same issues but required different solutions. Hope to see a special part 2 about them sometime.
The challenge was different in the Pacific. The Zero was probably the greatest fighter of 1942, but it was also extremely vulnerable and Japanese tactics evolved slowly, while the USN learned comparatively quickly. Even the much-maligned F-4F Wildcat started showing a favorable exchange with the Zero towards the end of 1942, thanks to good training and tactics. Japanese pilots, especially in the navy, were elite, but there were very few of them. They took horrendous losses at Midway, over Gaudalcanal and New Guinea. Japan simply couldn't cope with the needs for replacements and so they ended up curtailing training and cannibalizing training shools for pilots that were by 1944 vastly inferior in capability to USN pilots. By contrast, the USN was training tens of thousands of pilots a year to a an increasingly high standard. On the whole, naval fighters can't perform at the same level as land-based fighters, as they need to be a lot more rugged to withstand the rigors of carrier operations. The Seafire (a navalized Spitfire) would outperform any USN fighter (including he Corsair), but was often bent badly on landings and accident rates were atrocious. The Zero was performant because of its extremely light weight, but this did start carrying a heavy cost in pilot lives due to lack of protection and it also meant it was very hard to improve engine performance. Japan tried to build new engines and better fighters, but by then the quality of fuel they had available was really bad (almost unrefined) and engine failures were constant. USN fighters were heavy, but had big, powerful 2000+ hp engines that made them considerably faster and with good tactics (finger 4 formations + zoom and boom tactics) as well as heavier armament and good pilot protection and recovery, they would go on to slaughter the Japanese IJN and Army fighters. It didn't help that the IJN and Army hated each other and the air defense of Okinawa and later Japan proper was nothing like as sophisticated or capable as that of Germany, with bomber and fighter losses over Japan being only a tiny fraction of those over Germany.
We trained our carrier pilots on the Great Lakes, where as the Japanese had to deal with being in a war zone. The History Guy has an episode about the ferry boats that were converted into mini carriers and used for training.
Good episode. Although the US was slower to bring production online, every fighter produced for main use in WW2 was in the pipeline before WW2 began. Many of the design request had been sent out in 38. By 1941 they were in production or being tested by the USAA or the Navy/Marines. The French and Finns were using US manufactured aircraft. These were slower aircraft than used in the latter part of the war, but absorb a lot punishment and make it back.
That's such an important point. No design that was new and designed during the war made a difference. It was updates of the existing designs that decided the war.
As a pilot of 30 years and someone who holds THE GREATEST GENERATION in the highest regards I found this presentation both informative and insightful. Thank you and to your team for this seemingly non-ending endeavor....I realize this is not the end....and certainly not the beginning...but perhaps, this is....THE BEGINNING OF THE END....God Bless!
3:45. Indy's statement that the B-17 was the only US combat aircraft to "make it" until 1945 was not correct.. The P-40 Warhawk and F4F Wildcat were still in service through the end of the war, though production stopped in 1944 and May 1945 respectively. The B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, and P-38 Lightning were in service for the entirety of USA's portion of WW2, having started service in Dec 1939, Feb 1941, and July 1941 respectively. As B-17 production ended in April 1945, "make it" could not be interpreted as "in service and in production from Sep 1939 to Sep 1945".
The Consolidated PBY Catalina also remained in service for the whole of WW II and one is credited with the U.S. Navy's first air-to-air kill of a Japanese aircraft, a carrier-born Mitsubishi A6M Zero on the 10th December 1941 when it was attacked by three of the Japanese fighters. Not a bad show for a slow, lumbering aircraft. They carried out a number of other roles for the US, British and Canadian forces being used for anti-submarine warfare, bombing and even night time torpedo attacks.
Last semester I showed my class the Jimmy Stewart Army Air Forces recruitment video. Then had them analyze it for ethos, pathos, and logos persuasion techniques. I hadn’t intended for the entire class to wish they could go back in time and join up on the spot
You were teaching them about important, unappreciated factors usually excluded from most histories of combat. Eighty years after the events, there is still a vast amount of relevant detail yet to be explored. PS Indy mentions much of it whilst looking at the [intended] invasion of Japan's home islands.
American war production was in a class all its own. However, one must never forget a large part of that success was due to the fact our factories were not under constant enemy bombardment. Conversely, if I recall correctly, German war production peaked in Dec. 1944. Just imagine if German factories weren't being bombed around the clock. Sobering.
German economy was not inflatable like the US one. Germany had nowhere to scale, they just reschuffled their resources. Higher production of fighters and thus higher consumption of materials meant cutbacks elsewhere.
@crassgop No, the number of planes they could produce with bombing, despite being smaller than the number they would have been able to produce if they had not been bombed, was still too large to keep fueled.
Great episode. The mobilization of American industrial might was astounding. It would have been a far different world had the US persisted in its neutrality.
Glad to see videos like this giving some credit to the American war effort. I noticed on a lot of social media sites like Reddit or Twitter people trying to downplay the American contributions to the war. This channel has really dispelled that revisionist history. America was clearly very important to the Allies winning this war.
One thing that is notable amongst the major warring parties is the steep technological curve that seems to transpire in the late 30s then shoots up again in the early war years as innovations and standardisation But then the rise of the jet engine by the end of the war and Rocketry pushes Mankind into the Space Race all in such a small space of time! Cheers Indy always interesting
My father ex RAF Fl/Lt Colin Bell now aged 102 was sent by the UK RAF to the USA in 1941 to be trained as a pilot. He was stationed at USAAF Napier Field, Dothan AL and qualified on the T6 Texan just before Pearl Harbor. About to board the Queen May in NY bound for England he was returned to Napier and promoted to a USAAF advanced single engine flying instructor on the T6 ( his certificate, which I have, was issued by the USAAC). He spent two years in the States before returning to the UK and converting to the RAF twin engine DeHavilland Mosquito bomber. Posted to 608 Squadron in Norfolk England with the elite Pathfinder Group He flew 50 missions over Nazi Germany, 13 over heavily defended Berlin including one where he was pursued by a radar equipped Me 262 Swallow jet fighter , which was detected by my father's countermeasures. Possibly one of the first aviation electronics engagements. You can see my father at San Antonio four years ago about to board Rod Lewis's DH Mosquito fighter bomber. Lewis Air Legends RUclips Colin Bell 19:19 .
Hi Indy These specials are nice watch. The numbers are huge and so many aircraft and mind boggling. What books you kept in your table? During this episode filming. Thanks for another special.
Great episode guys! One error at 9:23 ish. Your background for Aircraft Production is mislabled. It should read 1944 instead of 1941? When Indy says this year, I think he he means 1944. Keep up the great work!
5:40 You don't mention that US did have the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics N.A.C.A.(which became NASA). which came up with many aeronautic innovations that we used by used civilian and military aircraft designers. One of those was the laminar Flo wing used on the P 51.
The NACA was created, as was the stimulation of a civil airline industry ( Government subsidies of "Air Mail" services), as a result of the Great War where European advances in aviation had outstripped the US( The British, French, Rußians and Germans had set up similar bodies in the previous decade). The American Expeditionary Force airmen had depended on mainly French aircraft and in 1919 Alcock and Brown flew the Atlantic in production Vimy Bomber.
Not even to mention that parallel to this build-up, the 5th, 7th and 13th Air Forces, the US Navy Carrier Air Wings and the USMC Air Wings are also increasing and begin to overpower the Japanese Naval and Army Air Forces. Plus the planes that go to the other Allied powers as part of the lend-lease program.
My father attended US Army Air Corps flight school in 1934/5, later stationed in the Philippines. He joined the USAAF, eventually commanding a bomber group in 1945. Flying specially equipped B-17's, they made it to Okinawa on the day Japan surrendered. He flew POW's from Japan to bases in the area. He went on to an illustrious career in the Air Force.
My father was a “weather observer “ and followed the advance from Australia northward through the pacific until the end of the war. He survived several air raids and ship bombardments . He went from airfield to airfield and wrote that Henderson Field was “very bad for your health and a hard place to get some sleep!”
I had an Uncle in 8th AF. He flew 27 B-17 missions over Western Europe, including D-Day and Operation Cobra. I have a copy of a log created by a SGT listing every mission they flew. Fascinating reading.
Absolutely awesome episode. Your videos like this are why your site is my default explorer launch page. Any chance we'll see similar ones on Navy & Naval aviation? Or do you have recommendations on some of your peers that have made them already you could recommend? I know the Chieftan's two parter on the Development of US Armored Doctrine is a great watch.
My great uncle was a navigator in one of those B-24 Liberators. Him and his crew pulled off two tours over Germany without a loss. However, his participation in the fire bombing of Dresden would haunt him to the end of his life.
The Axis powers greatly underestimated the possibilities of the US to step up production in the war. Even as Pearl Harbor was a major blow to the Navy, the US made up for it within a short time. Same goes for airplanes, tanks, guns and last but not least transportation with the famous Jeep. It is truly remarkable how the US switched their economy to war production within a very short time - and they had definitely more resources than the axis powers had.
it would be great to have a special on smaller, often exiled, allied air forces. Tchecoslovak, Polish, French, Canadian and Indian air forces for instance
Great to see those copies of 'Action Stations'. Books offering detailed information about Britsh wartime airbases, as they were then, and in the 70s and 80s. True nerd stuff. Love you guys.
A sad day. I thought you guys were dedicated to staying viewer funded. I did think that the fundraising video that came out earlier this month would be enough to keep you guys comfortable and efficient, but it turns out we just can't compete with internet ads.
Here's to hoping that Curiositystream will sponsor an episode on the "Forgotten Fifteenth". My grandfather would never talk about it other than it was hell. He ended up with a DFC and Bronze Stars.
Time to pick the nits. IMHO when referring to the United States of America it would be PC not to refer to the USA as America because people in Canada and Cuba will occasionally point out the USA is not all of America. Out of necessity it is OK to refer to people from the USA as Americans until someone comes up with something better than United Statesers.
Would love to see a special like this and the Luftwaffe one about the Japanese aviators in the Pacific and how they went from dominating the region in their zeroes to desperate kamikazes.
The expansion of the USAAF caused some concern for those in charge of the ground forces - basically there were concerns that anyone with ability was being attracted to it, or to the Navy. Among the ground forces, the tank corps, artillery and engineers also tend to cream off potential recruits with ability, while the infantry - the ones who actually had to fight to take territory - were last in line. This was not a uniquely US problem - there were complaints in Britain that the RAF and the Royal Navy creamed off the best recruits. In Germany there was however a reverse process, with surplus Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine personnel being increasingly turned into scratch infantry formations. As for the Soviets, sailors were often given rifles and used as infantry, frequently being regarded as something of an elite.
A friend of mine worked in one of those underground aircraft factories. He told me that one of the prime sources of aluminium came from all the Allied bombers shot down. Oh, yeah, and since these factories were underground, the bombers were blowing to bits were mostly women and children as well as pubs, churches, museums, hospitals and residential areas in general. 'Cuz they couldn't hit shit from 25,000 feet using a bomb sight that had far more hype than accuracy. Sad but true. The biggest "military" advantage from these raids was, as pointed out, the attrition factor. The Germans were fast running out of pilots to pilot the planes my friend was making.
I want to really thank you guys for something. I am 70 and hard of hearing. I watch on my computer or phone but some things I watch, even with both volumes to the top the sound level is still hard to make out all the words. I NEVER have a problem with your stuff. You never know how the small things you do impacts people a lot. I got my hearing loss the best way=from the Grateful Dead to Neil Diamond concerts and literally every band in between them but you guys make it easier for this old gal to hear your great product!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 and DUH! To you too! I DO have the CC on but it’s nice when they are loud enough I don’t need it and cc doesn’t always get things right . If you can’t be anything but a hater , I feel sorry for you!
Personal comment. A few month back I mentioned they should do more about how it effected individual soldiers and ppls lives. Welp the awesome team commented and told me about a video series that I was basically asking bout and didnt see. Took a bit to go threw n catch up parents get it. But it was amazing thank you ❤.
Brilliant engineering, daring, a massive manufacturing base and a massive source or potentially talented airmen. We had it all in possible resources and found a way to make then work. My father, the first in his Irish immigrant family to attend college, left Syracuse University to become a Navigator and top tarreta gunner in a B-17 in the 8th Air Force based in England
It was a shame the Allison engine got overshadowed by the Merlin, the only reason it wasn't as good at altitude was the lack of two speed supercharger. The P-38s had (enormous) turbochargers on their Allisons and worked great as high altitude interceptors
Mig21 The Allison had a single stage single speed,supercharger as did the first merlin up to the 20 series, the 20 series added a second speed to the still single stage supercharger, the most used version in WW II in late 1942 early 1943 the LATER 60 series Merlin was developed with the two stage two speed supercharger, this is the slobbered and drooled over version, BUT NOT all merlins were two stage supercharged as 99% of people believe, RR used 3 different superchargers on the Merlin and PACKARD had their version of the two stage two speed, intercooled version used ONLY in the Mustangs, The V1650-3 or-7 or-9 or -11. versions !!! ALl merlins were NOT created equal !!!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Most likely impacted the work of mechanics and stores/logistics people in very unhelpful ways. Just as well the pilots benefitted . . .
There was a similar situation in the US tank forces. Armed with 500 light and obsolete tanks. In 1945 produced 100.000 tanks of all models and the best, the M26 Pershing tank and Super Pershing, which were inferior only to the Soviet IS-2 and IS-3.
My dad quit high school and joined the USAAF in 1939. He was stationed in Georgia when Pearl Harbor was bombed, having luckily chosen that assignment over Hickam field. He was in the 8th Air Force and landed in Casablanca in Dec. '42 or Jan. '43 having made sergeant by that time. He spent the rest of the war in Africa and Europe, eventually getting home sometime in '46. I still have his uniform and a German/Italian Africa Campaign medal he picked up someplace as a souvenir.
@@martijn9568 I don't think so. Saw a vid on these like a week ago. The Wildcat was used on escort carriers because they were too small for the newer planes. The P 40 was highly exported and used around the world. There is a guy who flys the old planes. He says the P 40 is the best handling warbird. The P 40 can defeat Me 109s at lower altitudes. I think they built like 12-14,000 of them during the war. I priced one several years ago and they were like $79,000. Contrast to Mustangs which are in the millions. Who would'nt want an AVG P 40? With leather jacket.
Excellent- any chance you could give some details on the 'Jabo'/.fighter bomber campaign by the US Air Force (And maybe the Brits) as its frequently referred to in German sources but I am not clear which planes etc were deployed and how the statistics-if available-stack up. Thanks for all you do- Tom
ERROR: British policy was "no drop tanks over Germany" to keep valuable metal from the Axis (did not apply to bombs?) One use Paper drop tanks were used for long range fighter escorts. Mustangs had only slightly longer range than P47 but much better gas mileage, cost per plane, time to build plane (4 mustangs per P47).
There is an excellent book " Bomber Mafia" by Malcolm Gladwell which described in details the development of the precision bombing and all the losses which came with it like the raid on the Schweinfurt ball baring plant. And since you are talking about the US Air Force , please make a separate video about the operation " Frantic Joe" about transit bombing from Italy to Soviet Union and back
The parts must have all been present for that to happen - a formidable logistical achievement in itself but probably not something achieved in just an hour.
@@stevekaczynski3793 You missed the point !!!! Willow Run turned out a B24 every hour, 24/7's not just one !!! DUUUUHHHH!!!!! Ford built over 1/2 of all B24's built plus they supplied major components to other factories building the B24 !!!
I don't know about the Americans, but RAF Bomber Command's "Bomber" Harris favoured attacking German cities. Sometimes oil and fuel targets were destroyed or damaged as an incidental part of this.
My grandfather was a mechanic at Wright field from 38 to 42. Before being shipped to Australia. His stories were fairly interesting. Like the time when then col Lemay nearly blew up a hanger full of aviation fuel because he was smoking when he entered the hanger.
My Grandfather worked at Willow Run during the war. He was 4F so he couldn't enlist. Also, we have a family legend that he passed down saying that in Aug '44, Willow Run produced more Bombers than both Germany AND Japan combined THE entire war. Can you confirm this? Cause if true....Woh! Great job as always Timeghost.
This is an excellent summary with all the major points addressed. One little remembered fact is the US government commissioned a panel of industry experts to prepare a list of vital targets that might cripple German war production. Many of their recommended targets such as oil, nitrogen, and steel were postponed and emphasis was placed initially on destroying the Luftwaffe in the air, on the ground, and in the factories. Postwar analysis indicated this had been the wrong approach. The 1943 dambuster raids and ball bearing and oil production attacks were moves in the right direction but they ended up being too little in scale to achieve the desired results and followup raids were delayed or cancelled. In retrospect it's always easier to identify such miscalculations, but so many factors go into making these decisions that it is doubtful the air war could have been waged any better than it was.
Some years ago, my church was recognizing people who served in the military and this little old lady, who was in her nineties, stands up when the Air Force was called. She had served as a test pilot to, in her words, "make sure the planes were safe for all you boys to fly". She got the longest, loudest applause and a lot of hugs. Especially from the other WW2 vets.
Respect
thats awesome
She deserved every bit of praise, Both of my Grandfathers served in WW2 and survived, but they were both mentally scarred from their experiences... Neither of them liked to talk about their service and would only speak about it when they were very drunk... RIP to both of them...
@@kskeel1124 Wow. Thank you for sharing that. RIP to both of them, indeed.
Nice story, but the WASPs did not act as what we refer to today as "Test Pilots." What she was probably referring to was taking repaired planes up in the air for check flights which WASP pilots did as a matter of course as did thousands of male pilots. A dangerous, but standard job. It may seem like a minor quibble, but accuracy must always be sought after or one runs the rick of embellishment.
The flip from no spending to outspending the Manhattan Project just on the B-29 alone is striking.
What I find interesting is that B-52 Stratofortress is already in the works and took its maiden flight in 1952.
My great grandfather (RIP) worked in the Ford Plant, on those bombers. He was so good at making planes (and because he had a flat foot) he was given leave from serving in the Armed Forces, and spent the war helping create the Flying Fortresses!
B 24s not B 17s
My dad piloted a PV-2 patrol bomber in the Aleutian Islands. They went out to patrol the Pacific for Japanese vessels, subs, and zeros. He passed away in 1966 when I was only 5, so I never got the chance to ask him about the war, but I have a great group photo of him and his crew posing in front of their bird!
@@ridethecurve55 hi 👋
Something like a third of American males summoned to medical boards for possible induction into the armed forces in WW2 were turned down - many because of health conditions brought on by widespread poverty in the Great Depression. Casualties did result in standards being relaxed - a bomber gunner named John Cadden later recalled that being colour blind did not seem to matter. Gunner trainees would be shown coloured balls of wool and coached with statements like "Come on, you know that's not the red one."
Henry Ford also poured money into Germany to help Hitler with the war.
My grandfather on my mother's side flew F6F Hellcat fighters. His unit arrived in the Phillipines the day Japan surrendered. My grandfather on my father's side was an aircraft mechanic on Hickam Airbase at Pearl Harbor and witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, so i can rightly say my grandparents witnessed the beginning and the end of the war first hand.
Eric
Hey Eric, thanks for sharing!
We appreciate your family’s service!
The insane part of this is that the US was fighting a whole 2nd air war in the Pacific against Japan at the same time.
This is exactly what I say whenever anyone talks about how amazing it was that Germany fought a two front war, or that they lost because they had to fight a two front war. Like, are you serious? They fought on the same continent, we fought on opposite sides of the planet!
@@30AndHatingIt Sounds like Nazi sympathizers to me.
😖😣😩😫😭☠️
We were lions then.
@@30AndHatingIt when you get down to it, technically every belligerent in WW2, except the Soviets, was fighting a two-front war (or even three front if you want to consider the Pacific, China, and Burma/Indochina as distinct theaters).
@alexhussinger3550: The British, Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, Indians, and other British colonies were fighting Africa, Europe, the Pacific, and Burma.
One thing I learned from this series is how much French and British colonies supported the Allies efforts.
Great episode! As an Aussie, it’s just insane how America industry spooled up to a war footing eventually supplying (I believe) 2/3 of all allies war materials. The more I read/watch about war - it’s always the logistics and the resources that matters greatly.
For years from my youth on like everyone else i was fixated on the usual "planes, tanks, fighting, etc". Production numbers and all were nice but easy to overlook without a knowledge of the field. Then it clicked and there was a new aspect to study. The Willow Run plant mentioned in the video..."Architect Albert Kahn designed the main structure of the Willow Run bomber plant, which had 3,500,000 square feet (330,000 m2) of factory space, and an aircraft assembly line over a mile (1600 m) long. It was thought to be the largest factory under one roof anywhere in the world" and the Richmond shipyards in California are two great example of just how fast the US was capable (in those days) of plotting, planning, building, and operating on a speed and scale that is impossible today....
'The four Richmond Kaiser Shipyards built 747 ships in World War II, a rate never equaled. Compared to the average ship built elsewhere, Richmond ships were completed in two-thirds the time and at a quarter of the cost. The Liberty ship Robert E. Peary was assembled in less than five days as a part of a competition among shipyards. By 1944, the yard routinely needed only a bit more than two weeks to assemble a Liberty ship. By the end of the war the Richmond Shipyards had built $1.8 billion worth of ships"
Helps that the US didn't have to make arrangements for air defence of their factories like nearly all other powers did. But still, the numbers are astonishing when you dig into them.
What really amazes me is the sheer number of workers that had to be trained for their new duties. And the difficulties it must have presented to quality control efforts.
What do Australian schools teach about WW2?
@@visassess8607 It's been a while, but I don't remember there being a particular focus. It was mostly a broad overview of the causes, the participants, and our involvement.
We spent significantly more time on the interwar years.
@@visassess8607 the Australians won the war singlehandedly
The production numbers are awe-inspiring. As an American, I feel a great sense of pride when I see these figures. The war’s conclusion is written in those tallies.
Thank you
just lucky strategic bombing of civils aint a war crime ...
let imagine a modern beligerent( could say russia) use a nuclear weapon to end a war how could that be writen in history as a good thing the good guys did ...
@Jessica Lacasse One of the most ridiculous things about the air war in Europe was that both the British and the Germans thought they could bomb the other's civilian population into capitulating, when in reality, it just strengthened the resolve of BOTH.
@@jessicalacasse6205not all of those were bombers and the American air force at the end of the day was fighting for the better side despite their strategic thought.
To Command the Sky by Stephen L. McFarland is a good book about the sheer production power of American industry in decimating the Luftwaffe over Europe. Just an unstoppable tsunami of American built planes.
My grandmother made bombsights for B-17s during the war and was so proud and impressed when she brought home $ 20 she made in a day. Incredible teamwork won that war. Let's be a team again!
great vid, thanks for all the specials and content over the years.
Thanks for your support and your longtime viewing!
Nothing we do would be possible without the support of viewers like you and of course our TimeGhost Army members!
I love all your weekly episodes and the specials, but this one is very close to my heart. My father joined the AAC in October 1939 and was an aircraft mechanic and a glider pilot ( temporarily). Eventually heading to the PTO on November 1944 with a night fighter squadron. He stayed in for 20 years and is and always will be my hero.
Thank you. Thanks for sharing you personal family story.
Andrews Airforce Base outside of Washington DC is named after Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews who died in a plane crash in 1943 in Iceland.
He was one of the founding members of the USAAF and in January 43 he was made commander of all United States forces in the European Theater of Operations replacing Ike.
Eisenhower wasn't made SHAEF until later.
@@nomadmarauder-dw9re SHAEF is not the same thing.
Supreme Headquarters ALLIED Expeditionary Force
Is all the Western Allies.
Commander of all United States Forces in the European Theatre was earlier and was only US forces.
@@nigeh5326 I know that. I used it as shorthand for ...you know. My point being that nobody replaced Ike as C.O. because he hadn't been made C.O. yet? Pardon me if wrong. Gonna Google.
@@nigeh5326 well, it seems that the European Theater of Operations was later changed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations and your guy took over because Eisenhower was promoted to SHAEF. Or SCAEF. Whatever.
@@nomadmarauder-dw9re
sorry I can’t follow your point.
General Andrew’s replaced Ike as head of US forces in the European theatre.
Ike moved on to command Allied forces in N Africa and Italy until becoming Supreme Commander of SHAEF when that was established.
Basically Ike was commanding US, British, Empire and Commonwealth forces (including French, Polish, Czech forces in Western Europe) after leaving his post commanding just US forces in Europe.
Ike’s skills as a commander and ability to handle politicians such as Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin along with egotistical commanders such as Montgomery and Patton were his great strength.
My Dad was a basic instrument flight instructor on the Link Trainer-the world's first successful flight simulator, used by all the Western Allied air forces in the war-at a small Army Air Forces base in Cortland, Alabama. He taught basic instrument flying-dead reckoning, radio beacon navigation, landing with your instruments alone to guide you. His stories gave me a window into how the Army Air Forces trained so many competent pilots in such a brief period of time. It's not the aces that win the war of attrition, it's the quality of the average Joe. My Dad helped many a Joe to learn how to hit for that high average. (Of course, asked once upon a time how many lives he thought he had saved by teaching those cadets how to fly by their instruments, he just shrugged his shoulders and asked if we had any more beer. It was that kind of war.)
Knobbe
The World At War (1973) episode on the British-US offensive against Germany showed film of a German night fighter trainee operating a kind of machine simulating a night fighter attacking a bomber - it looked a little like a slot machine game of the kind I played in the 1970s. So they had their training aids too. But basically their training was outclassed, and crucially, they more and more lacked the fuel to conduct enough training flights to grow competent.
@@stevekaczynski3793 you are right, they ran out of fuel for (and safe places to train) their new pilots. Dad also flew back seat in a Vultee Valliant ("Vultee Vibrator") when the cadets practiced instrument landing with a canvas awning surrounding the front of the canopy so that they could not cheat. His job was to make certain that they did not fly into other planes, trees, or the ground. In Alabama, he did not also have to be on the lookout for Messerschmitts or Focke-Wulfs.
Come visit the Air Force Museum in Dayton some time. We can show you Dad's "Office," and share some of his many stories.
Thanks for the personal story Thomas!
@@WorldWarTwo careful, I got more. Dad told me that the Air Force valued instrument flying skill so much that everyone in the service who wanted to keep flying-all the way up to Hap Arnold-had to periodically recertify on the Link Trainer. Which meant that every so often the flying career of anyone with brass on his shoulders was temporarily in the hands of an enlisted man (Link instructors were typically corporals and sergeants), You can about imagine the kinds of convoluted, extensive, difficult flight plans these instructors would come up with, just for the fun of it. So, the room would be humming along with instruction, when suddenly you would hear a loud "Bang!" as the canopy of a Link Trainer flew open, followed by heavy footfalls and a string of curse words, as another colonel, or major, or general finished his recertification. Everyone would look up, flash a knowing smile, and go back to work.
Good episode. Another facet of the U.S. huge growth in military aircraft and people was huge expansion of airfields for all of those new units to form up and train before heading overseas. The Army Corps of Engineers' Lucius Clay working with the Civil Aeronautics Administration launched a construction program for ~ 450 military and dual use airfields starting in 1940-41. Many regional airports today started life as one of Clay's projects.
Loomis
Thanks for the support and the extra info, Edward!
My dad joined the Army Air Corps in 1939 because there weren't many jobs around where he lived.
He was at Hickham Field in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked.
He was a mechanic but flew new B17 and B-25 bombers from the mainland to Hawaii and trained pilots until they could get enough guys over there, then went back to ground maintenance.
Its truly mind boggling to read about us military production and evolution in just a couple of years. The numbers are ridiculous. They went from essentially a territorial defence force to the mightiest military in human history.
It makes me feel proud of a country I'm not from.
And, digressing, the mobilization for WW II should serve as a model for the response to climate change. Detroit and foreign automakers should be told that there will be no more ICE cars sold in the US (Except, possibly, Alaska) in three years. Heat waves, floods, and hurricanes are becoming more severe and common at an accelerating rate We need action NOW, and Norway has shown it can be done. By comparison, the conversion to production of tanks,, air craft and massive numbers of combat and cargo ships was far more complex and drastic.
Great content, the German manufacturing dispersal created massive logistical headaches, not only were there not enough engines but getting them to the airframes was increasingly difficult because of train losses in the east. Many airframes captured at wars end had no engine, the few that did had no fuel.
Thanks for the support! It’s details like the one you described that demonstrate just how much of war of logistics that WW2 was
@@WorldWarTwo Yep. There is one God of war. Hi's name is Logistics!
During WWII, San Antonio became a center of the USAF with the establishment of Randolph, Brooks, Lackland, and Kelly bases being founded and expanded. Lackland is still where all airmen are trained and Randolph is the head of AF education and training.
Hi 👋
Before WW2 even....My late uncle trained at Randolph in 1937...now buried at Ft. Sam Houson
Great video on the USAAF. It really shows the industrial capacity of the United States to massively increase its air force in such a short period of time. It is even the more impressive considering the number of American carriers and the amount of aircraft that were carried in them.
And the quality. They weren’t shoddy planes that barely got the job done.
It's not just the planes. The U.S. also developed an excellent pilot training program to ensure there would be skilled pilots to fly all those planes the factories churned out. The lack of an adequate pilot training program really hurt the Axis. The Germans had to keep their top aces, with their _incredibly_ high scores in combat to the end of the war because they couldn't spare them. The Japanese had arguably the best combat pilots in the world at the start of the war, having not only had probably the most rigorous and demanding program, pre-war, to weed out all but the most talented flyers, they also had combat experience from their war in China. But as the pacific war ground on, and they started losing those pilots in combat, they had no way to replace them, while the USAAF, and the USN churned out a steady stream of new, competent, well-trained pilots, right to the end of the war.
This plus mass production of the pocket/light carrier (CVL) allowed the Americans to just steamroller the Pacific
@@colinmerritt7645 See this en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_carriers_of_World_War_II
@@jtgd The planes that the US produced in 1939 and 1940 were barely satisfactory to get the job done.
The best fighter that the US produced, the Curtiss P-40, was not good enough for the west European air war, according to the RAF.
Because the British started to buy US planes in 1940 and asked certain specifications, US industry got a kickstart even before the US got into the war.
Needless to say that the US accomplished an enormous achievement, both in materiel and in organisation.
As I have said in previous episodes I'm very proud and honored that my grandfather flew a B-17 in late 44-45 and survived. I saw his pilot logs and while not many fighters there was still a lot of flak.
poor ww2 allied air crews, they received a lot of flak for what they did.
SPOILERS
With some exceptions the Luftwaffe was not very active in daytime by then, although night fighters continued to take a toll of RAF bombers during the hours of darkness.
One exception will be a raid on Kassel at the end of September 1944, where the US 445th Bomb Group apparently will take a wrong turn, with no fighter escort and will be attacked by a Sturmgruppe of heavily armed FW190s, with most of the group being shot down.
Thank you for sharing your family story
My father, who will be 100 in July flew P-47s, and then P-38s with the USAAF 5th Air Force, 49th Fighter Group, 9th Fighter Squadron in New Guinea, The Philippines, Okinawa, and on to Japan. He was one of the fighter escorts for the Japanese surrender envoys on their flight between Japan and Ishima.
Equally impressive were the logistic efforts. Getting raw materials to factories, turning those raw materials into tanks, ships, planes etc in minimum time was awe inspiring. Then men like the Red Ball Express kept troops supplied regardless of weather or any other obstacles.
Those numbers are even more astonishing when one considers that they (apparently) don't include United States Naval/Marine planes & pilots.
Ken
A year later and I'm just now getting to this video thinking the same exact thing.
How many aircraft and personnel were produced on the naval air wing side on top of the USAAF.
This channel is by far, my go to channel on RUclips for 2023. I discovered the week by week in June, and it took me until October to get fully caught up. I still have many special episodes to watch, but RUclips's algorithm now puts your channel in the top of my recommended videos- likely because I thumbs up every one I remain fully awake for (so I don't lose my spot).
Great job, great channel, as in depth a weekly summary as one could hope for for within an 18-30 minute presentation. I thought I was done with WWII history. Ha.
My mother use to see whole formations of B-24s flying out of Willow Run when she was a child. I have watched three heavies and two little friends flying overhead from the Yankee Air Force on Memorial Day and the 4th of July, which was impressive enough. I can't even imagine what whole formations must have been like!
Went to an air show there, years ago. The sheer scale of the place is amazing!
Thanks! You earned it
My grandfather was a radio operator on B-17 during the war. He flew on mission in Italy and Southern Germany.
Thanks for sharing! We appreciate your grandfather’s service!
My grandfather served just over 32 years in the USAF from the early 50s to the 80s. He retired a Chief Master Sgt; deciding not to go for Chief Master Sgt of the Air force, which would have required him to stay in for another couple years. He was the greatest man I ever knew and had the best stories of his time in the USAF; including once when the plans for the defence of Alaska were lost and he was nearly blamed by the major responsible. Luckily he got wind before hand and got the news to the general in charge of the command he worked in.
The US navy has an equally impressive expansion
The army too. Considering it was smaller than Portugal in 1940.
The entire US military basically exploded im size during world war 2.
At wars end 3/4 of all warships in the world were American. Spruance's 4th/5th Pacific fleet was bigger than the rest of the world's navies combined
Even more so, in my mind.
Building 100 escort carriers alone. All those Essex carriers and their air wings. Really just building the docks to build the ships, that's a lot harder than turning car factories into airplane factories.
The whole production of the war effort in the U.S. was unbelievably huge. From rapidly-built cargo ships to cigarettes, to boots/shoes, to aviation fuel, to toilet paper, to jeep tires, to tinned coffee. Mind boggling. And then get it all overseas.
Difference is the US Navy was already one of the best in the world
North American built the Mustang for the RAF. The British procurement people had asked if North American could build more Curtis P40s. North American told the procurement team that they had a new design and it was built in absolutely record time- an almost unbelievable achievement after the British buyers expressed a positive interest. Mustang I believe was also a name endowed on it by the RAF. The RAF cannot fly an aeroplane unless it has a name- and if they don't like the name- they change it! Think Boston.
Structural wise, it's almost an exact copy. The early ones with the Allison engines and the regular canopies looked alot like the 40's.
@@jdcole333 The Mustang had a laminar flow wing and other developments such as the cooling making it a newer generation fighter to the P-40.
@@jdcole333 Even the P-40F Kittyhawk fitted with the same Packard-built Merlin engines could never match the performance of the P-51D. The latter had better aerodynamics and flew faster.
@@NickRatnieks Why I said structural and the cooling aspect did not come along until the Merlin was introduced.
@@TheEulerID Not disputing that at all, but the P-51's bones definitely came from the P-40.
"Big Week" was actually intended to draw the Luftwaffe fighter force into combat in the air. This was successful.
To me, the importance of the air wing for the allies in WW2 cannot be underestimated. I just read "Wings of War" by David and Margaret White which details the rise of the P-51 Mustang. Perhaps the single most important airplane of the conflict, it allowed the bombers to finally do their job in making D Day and the destruction of the Luftwaffe possible. Unfortunately it is also a tale of feet dragging and political pork - unsurprisingly perhaps. But ultimately a great success story. Enjoyed the video as always.
The P47's took out the cream of the luftwaffe and could have escorted all the way to Berlin but bomber command was loathe to eguip them with the necessary drop tanks wanting to prove that the bombers always get through
@@kenneth9874 Early on US fighters were not built to take drop tanks, that is on fighter procurement.
So what I'm hearing is...
TimeGhost Rome Documentary coming 'soon?' 😮
Love the dedication and quality material this team puts out. Been a fan since "1915" over at the Great War.
That would be great!!!
My uncle was a B-17 pilot in the 324th Bomber Squadron of the 91st Bomber Group (H) when the plane he was piloting was shot down over the English Channel just off the coast of France while returning from an unescorted daylight bombing run targeting the Sotteville marshalling yards in Rouen, France on March 28, 1943. He and his crew were all lost. The 324th is best known for the Memphis Belle.
It's cool to hear about the USAAF since they were always overshadowed by the fact that they were a branch of the army. I'm surprised we didn't talk about the Japanese though. Both in numbers (I expect they fought against the RAF in Singapore and India, USAAF in China along with the USN and USAAF in the Pacific), and the fact that I'm sure the USN faced the same issues but required different solutions. Hope to see a special part 2 about them sometime.
The challenge was different in the Pacific. The Zero was probably the greatest fighter of 1942, but it was also extremely vulnerable and Japanese tactics evolved slowly, while the USN learned comparatively quickly. Even the much-maligned F-4F Wildcat started showing a favorable exchange with the Zero towards the end of 1942, thanks to good training and tactics.
Japanese pilots, especially in the navy, were elite, but there were very few of them. They took horrendous losses at Midway, over Gaudalcanal and New Guinea. Japan simply couldn't cope with the needs for replacements and so they ended up curtailing training and cannibalizing training shools for pilots that were by 1944 vastly inferior in capability to USN pilots. By contrast, the USN was training tens of thousands of pilots a year to a an increasingly high standard.
On the whole, naval fighters can't perform at the same level as land-based fighters, as they need to be a lot more rugged to withstand the rigors of carrier operations. The Seafire (a navalized Spitfire) would outperform any USN fighter (including he Corsair), but was often bent badly on landings and accident rates were atrocious. The Zero was performant because of its extremely light weight, but this did start carrying a heavy cost in pilot lives due to lack of protection and it also meant it was very hard to improve engine performance. Japan tried to build new engines and better fighters, but by then the quality of fuel they had available was really bad (almost unrefined) and engine failures were constant.
USN fighters were heavy, but had big, powerful 2000+ hp engines that made them considerably faster and with good tactics (finger 4 formations + zoom and boom tactics) as well as heavier armament and good pilot protection and recovery, they would go on to slaughter the Japanese IJN and Army fighters. It didn't help that the IJN and Army hated each other and the air defense of Okinawa and later Japan proper was nothing like as sophisticated or capable as that of Germany, with bomber and fighter losses over Japan being only a tiny fraction of those over Germany.
We trained our carrier pilots on the Great Lakes, where as the Japanese had to deal with being in a war zone. The History Guy has an episode about the ferry boats that were converted into mini carriers and used for training.
Good episode. Although the US was slower to bring production online, every fighter produced for main use in WW2 was in the pipeline before WW2 began. Many of the design request had been sent out in 38. By 1941 they were in production or being tested by the USAA or the Navy/Marines. The French and Finns were using US manufactured aircraft. These were slower aircraft than used in the latter part of the war, but absorb a lot punishment and make it back.
CJ
That's such an important point. No design that was new and designed during the war made a difference. It was updates of the existing designs that decided the war.
Thanks for your support and your added insight!
As a pilot of 30 years and someone who holds THE GREATEST GENERATION in the highest regards I found this presentation both informative and insightful. Thank you and to your team for this seemingly non-ending endeavor....I realize this is not the end....and certainly not the beginning...but perhaps, this is....THE BEGINNING OF THE END....God Bless!
Hi, there is a mistake when showing the aircraft production figures at 9:28. It says 1941, but should probably be 1944.
3:45. Indy's statement that the B-17 was the only US combat aircraft to "make it" until 1945 was not correct..
The P-40 Warhawk and F4F Wildcat were still in service through the end of the war, though production stopped in 1944 and May 1945 respectively. The B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, and P-38 Lightning were in service for the entirety of USA's portion of WW2, having started service in Dec 1939, Feb 1941, and July 1941 respectively.
As B-17 production ended in April 1945, "make it" could not be interpreted as "in service and in production from Sep 1939 to Sep 1945".
DC 3, T 6.
The Consolidated PBY Catalina also remained in service for the whole of WW II and one is credited with the U.S. Navy's first air-to-air kill of a Japanese aircraft, a carrier-born Mitsubishi A6M Zero on the 10th December 1941 when it was attacked by three of the Japanese fighters. Not a bad show for a slow, lumbering aircraft.
They carried out a number of other roles for the US, British and Canadian forces being used for anti-submarine warfare, bombing and even night time torpedo attacks.
Last semester I showed my class the Jimmy Stewart Army Air Forces recruitment video. Then had them analyze it for ethos, pathos, and logos persuasion techniques. I hadn’t intended for the entire class to wish they could go back in time and join up on the spot
You were teaching them about important, unappreciated factors usually excluded from most histories of combat.
Eighty years after the events, there is still a vast amount of relevant detail yet to be explored.
PS Indy mentions much of it whilst looking at the [intended] invasion of Japan's home islands.
Interesting history of the US-airforce ✈️
American war production was in a class all its own. However, one must never forget a large part of that success was due to the fact our factories were not under constant enemy bombardment. Conversely, if I recall correctly, German war production peaked in Dec. 1944. Just imagine if German factories weren't being bombed around the clock. Sobering.
Many German factories were built underground later in the war and which made them impervious to bombing.
German economy was not inflatable like the US one. Germany had nowhere to scale, they just reschuffled their resources. Higher production of fighters and thus higher consumption of materials meant cutbacks elsewhere.
German production increased all during the bombing. Their big problem was they had no gas and no pilots.
They had metals scarcity. Jet engine production was delayed due to scarcity. The 262 could take out any P 51.
@crassgop No, the number of planes they could produce with bombing, despite being smaller than the number they would have been able to produce if they had not been bombed, was still too large to keep fueled.
Great episode. The mobilization of American industrial might was astounding. It would have been a far different world had the US persisted in its neutrality.
Thank you!
You can say that again!
Glad to see videos like this giving some credit to the American war effort. I noticed on a lot of social media sites like Reddit or Twitter people trying to downplay the American contributions to the war. This channel has really dispelled that revisionist history. America was clearly very important to the Allies winning this war.
It's the influx of Russian bots probably. Chinese bots too.
One thing that is notable amongst the major warring parties is the steep technological curve that seems to transpire in the late 30s then shoots up again in the early war years as innovations and standardisation But then the rise of the jet engine by the end of the war and Rocketry pushes Mankind into the Space Race all in such a small space of time! Cheers Indy always interesting
Hi 👋
My father ex RAF Fl/Lt Colin Bell now aged 102 was sent by the UK RAF to the USA in 1941 to be trained as a pilot. He was stationed at USAAF Napier Field, Dothan AL and qualified on the T6 Texan just before Pearl Harbor. About to board the Queen May in NY bound for England he was returned to Napier and promoted to a USAAF advanced single engine flying instructor on the T6 ( his certificate, which I have, was issued by the USAAC). He spent two years in the States before returning to the UK and converting to the RAF twin engine DeHavilland Mosquito bomber. Posted to 608 Squadron in Norfolk England with the elite Pathfinder Group He flew 50 missions over Nazi Germany, 13 over heavily defended Berlin including one where he was pursued by a radar equipped Me 262 Swallow jet fighter , which was detected by my father's countermeasures. Possibly one of the first aviation electronics engagements. You can see my father at San Antonio four years ago about to board Rod Lewis's DH Mosquito fighter bomber. Lewis Air Legends RUclips Colin Bell 19:19 .
Hi Indy
These specials are nice watch.
The numbers are huge and so many aircraft and mind boggling.
What books you kept in your table?
During this episode filming.
Thanks for another special.
Great episode guys! One error at 9:23 ish. Your background for Aircraft Production is mislabled. It should read 1944 instead of 1941? When Indy says this year, I think he he means 1944. Keep up the great work!
Hmm
5:40 You don't mention that US did have the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics N.A.C.A.(which became NASA). which came up with many aeronautic innovations that we used by used civilian and military aircraft designers. One of those was the laminar Flo wing used on the P 51.
The NACA was created, as was the stimulation of a civil airline industry ( Government subsidies of "Air Mail" services), as a result of the Great War where European advances in aviation had outstripped the US( The British, French, Rußians and Germans had set up similar bodies in the previous decade). The American Expeditionary Force airmen had depended on mainly French aircraft and in 1919 Alcock and Brown flew the Atlantic in production Vimy Bomber.
Not even to mention that parallel to this build-up, the 5th, 7th and 13th Air Forces, the US Navy Carrier Air Wings and the USMC Air Wings are also increasing and begin to overpower the Japanese Naval and Army Air Forces. Plus the planes that go to the other Allied powers as part of the lend-lease program.
My father attended US Army Air Corps flight school in 1934/5, later stationed in the Philippines. He joined the USAAF, eventually commanding a bomber group in 1945. Flying specially equipped B-17's, they made it to Okinawa on the day Japan surrendered. He flew POW's from Japan to bases in the area. He went on to an illustrious career in the Air Force.
My father was a “weather observer “ and followed the advance from Australia northward through the pacific until the end of the war.
He survived several air raids and ship bombardments .
He went from airfield to airfield and wrote that Henderson Field was “very bad for your health and a hard place to get some sleep!”
I had an Uncle in 8th AF. He flew 27 B-17 missions over Western Europe, including D-Day and Operation Cobra. I have a copy of a log created by a SGT listing every mission they flew. Fascinating reading.
Thanks for sharing your uncle's personal experiences during the war with the rest of us.
Absolutely awesome episode. Your videos like this are why your site is my default explorer launch page. Any chance we'll see similar ones on Navy & Naval aviation? Or do you have recommendations on some of your peers that have made them already you could recommend? I know the Chieftan's two parter on the Development of US Armored Doctrine is a great watch.
I would like to see the sequel to this covering the American Naval Airforce with its comparison to the Japanese one.
My great uncle was a navigator in one of those B-24 Liberators. Him and his crew pulled off two tours over Germany without a loss. However, his participation in the fire bombing of Dresden would haunt him to the end of his life.
Indy your excellent staff have made another great video!
The Axis powers greatly underestimated the possibilities of the US to step up production in the war. Even as Pearl Harbor was a major blow to the Navy, the US made up for it within a short time. Same goes for airplanes, tanks, guns and last but not least transportation with the famous Jeep. It is truly remarkable how the US switched their economy to war production within a very short time - and they had definitely more resources than the axis powers had.
Almost all Soviet locomotives were American. Most trucks too. I think about 25% of the tanks.
Your specials are always good.
Thank you! We appreciate you ❤️
Dissapointed it wasn't the finnish episode yet but always enjoy watching your videos anyway so not complaining.
We've now released our Finland special episode! Check it out when you get a chance 🙂
As always most important content presented in captivating way. Imo the statements of the last two minutes are the most valuable and important ones.
next series: the roman republic and empire, week by week..?^^
it would be great to have a special on smaller, often exiled, allied air forces. Tchecoslovak, Polish, French, Canadian and Indian air forces for instance
Great Idea! 👍🏻
The smooth sequeway into the ad surprised me lol. Great job Indy and team.
Ah, brilliant stuff, as usual!
@Cainsy Thank You! You’re brilliant!
Great to see those copies of 'Action Stations'. Books offering detailed information about Britsh wartime airbases, as they were then, and in the 70s and 80s. True nerd stuff. Love you guys.
Go to: curiositystream.com/WORLDWARTWO and use code WORLDWARTWO to save 25% off today. Thanks to Curiosity Stream for sponsoring today’s video.
2:45 Ohhhh. Perhaps a hint of what you'll do after the WW2 history is complete? Would love a 'The Rise of the Roman Empire' series by y'all.
A sad day. I thought you guys were dedicated to staying viewer funded. I did think that the fundraising video that came out earlier this month would be enough to keep you guys comfortable and efficient, but it turns out we just can't compete with internet ads.
Here's to hoping that Curiositystream will sponsor an episode on the "Forgotten Fifteenth". My grandfather would never talk about it other than it was hell. He ended up with a DFC and Bronze Stars.
+ . . . v.
Time to pick the nits. IMHO when referring to the United States of America it would be PC not to refer to the USA as America because people in Canada and Cuba will occasionally point out the USA is not all of America.
Out of necessity it is OK to refer to people from the USA as Americans until someone comes up with something better than United Statesers.
Would love to see a special like this and the Luftwaffe one about the Japanese aviators in the Pacific and how they went from dominating the region in their zeroes to desperate kamikazes.
Excellent episode.
Thank you Curiousity Stream.
1:27 please do a video on the “organizational shake up”
The expansion of the USAAF caused some concern for those in charge of the ground forces - basically there were concerns that anyone with ability was being attracted to it, or to the Navy. Among the ground forces, the tank corps, artillery and engineers also tend to cream off potential recruits with ability, while the infantry - the ones who actually had to fight to take territory - were last in line.
This was not a uniquely US problem - there were complaints in Britain that the RAF and the Royal Navy creamed off the best recruits.
In Germany there was however a reverse process, with surplus Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine personnel being increasingly turned into scratch infantry formations. As for the Soviets, sailors were often given rifles and used as infantry, frequently being regarded as something of an elite.
Without air or Naval cover the ground troops were pretty useless !!! !
So many videos and I haven't spotted a single verbal mistake bravo!!!
Well thanks to the production
Yes, thank you Curiosity Stream and thank you Indy and Co. You are always interesting.
A friend of mine worked in one of those underground aircraft factories. He told me that one of the prime sources of aluminium came from all the Allied bombers shot down. Oh, yeah, and since these factories were underground, the bombers were blowing to bits were mostly women and children as well as pubs, churches, museums, hospitals and residential areas in general. 'Cuz they couldn't hit shit from 25,000 feet using a bomb sight that had far more hype than accuracy. Sad but true. The biggest "military" advantage from these raids was, as pointed out, the attrition factor. The Germans were fast running out of pilots to pilot the planes my friend was making.
I want to really thank you guys for something. I am 70 and hard of hearing. I watch on my computer or phone but some things I watch, even with both volumes to the top the sound level is still hard to make out all the words. I NEVER have a problem with your stuff. You never know how the small things you do impacts people a lot. I got my hearing loss the best way=from the Grateful Dead to Neil Diamond concerts and literally every band in between them but you guys make it easier for this old gal to hear your great product!
annehersey turn on the cc closed caption !!! DUUUUHH!!!!! And read what is said !!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 and DUH! To you too! I DO have the CC on but it’s nice when they are loud enough I don’t need it and cc doesn’t always get things right . If you can’t be anything but a hater , I feel sorry for you!
Personal comment. A few month back I mentioned they should do more about how it effected individual soldiers and ppls lives. Welp the awesome team commented and told me about a video series that I was basically asking bout and didnt see. Took a bit to go threw n catch up parents get it. But it was amazing thank you ❤.
I love your content Indy, Sparty and crew. Indy you really missed your calling as a rapper because you have the perfect hand gestures for it.
The path not taken...
Brilliant engineering, daring, a massive manufacturing base and a massive source or potentially talented airmen. We had it all in possible resources and found a way to make then work. My father, the first in his Irish immigrant family to attend college, left Syracuse University to become a Navigator and top tarreta gunner in a B-17 in the 8th Air Force based in England
Hi, excellent USAAF development summary. Where can the ACTION STATIONS books be purchased???
It was a shame the Allison engine got overshadowed by the Merlin, the only reason it wasn't as good at altitude was the lack of two speed supercharger. The P-38s had (enormous) turbochargers on their Allisons and worked great as high altitude interceptors
Mig21 The Allison had a single stage single speed,supercharger as did the first merlin up to the 20 series, the 20 series added a second speed to the still single stage supercharger, the most used version in WW II in late 1942 early 1943 the LATER 60 series Merlin was developed with the two stage two speed supercharger, this is the slobbered and drooled over version, BUT NOT all merlins were two stage supercharged as 99% of people believe, RR used 3 different superchargers on the Merlin and PACKARD had their version of the two stage two speed, intercooled version used ONLY in the Mustangs, The V1650-3 or-7 or-9 or -11. versions !!! ALl merlins were NOT created equal !!!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Most likely impacted the work of mechanics and stores/logistics people in very unhelpful ways. Just as well the pilots benefitted . . .
Thank you for marking the sponsorship time clearly.
There was a similar situation in the US tank forces. Armed with 500 light and obsolete tanks. In 1945 produced 100.000 tanks of all models and the best, the M26 Pershing tank and Super Pershing, which were inferior only to the Soviet IS-2 and IS-3.
My late father served in WWII as an Air Force engineer operating a bulldozer helping to make runways in the South Pacific.
Aloha! Quick question…what’s with the “Action Stations” books? Your sets are so nicely done that I assume you and Astrid were making a point.
My dad quit high school and joined the USAAF in 1939. He was stationed in Georgia when Pearl Harbor was bombed, having luckily chosen that assignment over Hickam field. He was in the 8th Air Force and landed in Casablanca in Dec. '42 or Jan. '43 having made sergeant by that time. He spent the rest of the war in Africa and Europe, eventually getting home sometime in '46. I still have his uniform and a German/Italian Africa Campaign medal he picked up someplace as a souvenir.
Amazing life story. Thanks for sharing your father's personal experiences during the war.
P 40 and P 38 were produced throughout the war as was the F4F Wildcat, as well as the DC 3. I would guess the T 6 trainer.
Roger
Didn't the P-40 production stop in late 1944, same for the F4F?
@@martijn9568 I don't think so. Saw a vid on these like a week ago. The Wildcat was used on escort carriers because they were too small for the newer planes. The P 40 was highly exported and used around the world. There is a guy who flys the old planes. He says the P 40 is the best handling warbird. The P 40 can defeat Me 109s at lower altitudes. I think they built like 12-14,000 of them during the war. I priced one several years ago and they were like $79,000. Contrast to Mustangs which are in the millions. Who would'nt want an AVG P 40? With leather jacket.
Excellent- any chance you could give some details on the 'Jabo'/.fighter bomber campaign by the US Air Force (And maybe the Brits) as its frequently referred to in German sources but I am not clear which planes etc were deployed and how the statistics-if available-stack up. Thanks for all you do- Tom
Tom
ERROR: British policy was "no drop tanks over Germany" to keep valuable metal from the Axis (did not apply to bombs?) One use Paper drop tanks were used for long range fighter escorts. Mustangs had only slightly longer range than P47 but much better gas mileage, cost per plane, time to build plane (4 mustangs per P47).
There is an excellent book " Bomber Mafia" by Malcolm Gladwell which described in details the development of the precision bombing and all the losses which came with it like the raid on the Schweinfurt ball baring plant. And since you are talking about the US Air Force , please make a separate video about the operation " Frantic Joe" about transit bombing from Italy to Soviet Union and back
Thanks for the reading recommendation!
Building a B-24 every hour is incredible.
Hi 👋
The parts must have all been present for that to happen - a formidable logistical achievement in itself but probably not something achieved in just an hour.
@@stevekaczynski3793 You missed the point !!!! Willow Run turned out a B24 every hour, 24/7's not just one !!! DUUUUHHHH!!!!! Ford built over 1/2 of all B24's built plus they supplied major components to other factories building the B24 !!!
Love a well researched video on why 8th Airforce didn't go after petroluem from DAY 1.... easiest way to win.
I don't know about the Americans, but RAF Bomber Command's "Bomber" Harris favoured attacking German cities. Sometimes oil and fuel targets were destroyed or damaged as an incidental part of this.
My grandfather was a mechanic at Wright field from 38 to 42. Before being shipped to Australia. His stories were fairly interesting. Like the time when then col Lemay nearly blew up a hanger full of aviation fuel because he was smoking when he entered the hanger.
will you talk about the US Navy planes as well? Like carrier based planes
My friends Grandmother was trained as a manual machinist. Rosie to the core, We are a blessed people.
Another outstanding video ! Thanks
My Grandfather worked at Willow Run during the war. He was 4F so he couldn't enlist. Also, we have a family legend that he passed down saying that in Aug '44, Willow Run produced more Bombers than both Germany AND Japan combined THE entire war. Can you confirm this? Cause if true....Woh! Great job as always Timeghost.
Would there be a future video that focuses on the 5th Army Air Force?
I would love to see something like this on the massive build up of the US navy.
Douglas
Dugout Doug? He didn’t do much if at all to assist the Navy in any capacity during that time.
Thanks Indy!
This is an excellent summary with all the major points addressed. One little remembered fact is the US government commissioned a panel of industry experts to prepare a list of vital targets that might cripple German war production. Many of their recommended targets such as oil, nitrogen, and steel were postponed and emphasis was placed initially on destroying the Luftwaffe in the air, on the ground, and in the factories. Postwar analysis indicated this had been the wrong approach. The 1943 dambuster raids and ball bearing and oil production attacks were moves in the right direction but they ended up being too little in scale to achieve the desired results and followup raids were delayed or cancelled. In retrospect it's always easier to identify such miscalculations, but so many factors go into making these decisions that it is doubtful the air war could have been waged any better than it was.
Colonel ?
@@HannahRoot55 Yes, 30 years in the USAF.
@@Paladin1873 Where are you From ?🤔
@@HannahRoot55 I generally avoid giving out such details on open forums.
@@Paladin1873 doesn’t matter, just wanna know you, 😒
Awesome episode. As always, thanks for putting in the time to make something great.
Thanks for your support!
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