The Unexpected Luftwaffe Exterminator You've Never Heard Of
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- On a daring daylight mission across the Western Front in 1942, a Luftwaffe pilot got separated from his formation.
But he was not worried, as he was piloting a Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Known as the 'Butcher Bird,' this plane was lauded for its speed, agility, and lethality, proving superior to the early variants of the Royal Air Force's Supermarine Spitfire.
For almost a year by then, this German fighter plane had instilled dread among the Royal Air Force's highest ranks, causing a spike in casualties among their most esteemed wings.
The German pilot knew any ordinary RAF pilot faced with confronting his airborne menace would likely lose the ensuing dogfight.
But that day, he was pitted against no ordinary pilot - he was up against the legendary Johnnie Johnson.
Johnson, whose skills in the cockpit were renowned across the world, had an uncanny ability to predict enemy movements and an astounding victory score.
The solitary German pilot was about to discover what made James Edgar Johnson the highest-scoring Western Allied fighter ace against the German Luftwaffe.
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As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -
At the very end, the two pictures of him as an old man sitting on the wing of a Spitfire, and as a young man sitting on the wing of his Spitfire with his dog and his entire life in front of him really gets me. Life passes by in a flash. Treasure each moment and live it to the fullest, like he did.
The past is only a memory, the future is always out of reach. All you have is right now.
I agree 100 percent.
I had aunt's and an aunt and uncle who were young and alive and in service in Britian in 39-45. Irish, Australian, Canadian. None were locals, yet became so. ✌️
@@realtech9345
I've heard that phrase for years and would even tell my kids that.
I just don't know if it was Churchill that said that or Teddy Roosevelt.
I believe it was the latter.
Do you know ??
@@bigdeal6852 I do not. It is the basis of the spiritual teachings (not religion). This video inspired me and that just popped in my head. On a spritual level we are all connected to the creator source, we are one with each other and the creator. In saying that, the true inspiration was the source of all regardless of who was quoted saying it. Live life and love others! Have a great journey!
My grandfather downed 35 German planes in WW2. He still holds the record as the worst mechanic the Luftwaffe ever employed.
A few errors, such as describing the Hurricane as having an elliptical wing, inventing the rank of ground captain, showing footage of Typhoons when talking about Spitfire IX's, but otherwise good. I also appreciate that the video is free, and you've taken the time to research and produce it! Thank you.
I agree with you about the errors. Dark Docs is riddled with them. They go to all the trouble of finding some good clips, then just throw them into the narration at will. The sad thing is that future aviation enthusiasts, and historians will take on a few of these errors as fact.
Did it say "ground captain" or "group captain"? Either way, I thought that's what was meant.
He is just reading what was written. Also when you see other aircraft in this and other videos about combat it's just taking up time until the end of the videos.
always errors with this bloke
Exceptional eyesight and a keen sense of instinctual awareness, made for a Superb fighter pilot!! It’s a fact his AC was hit only 1,, single bullet such was the mettle of the man!! Outstanding combat leader!! Rest in Peace,, JE,J❤️🫡🫡🫡
Johnson also had plenty of experience hunting and shooting long before he took to flying. Being good at shooting is a big part of what led certain aces to quite high scores during the war. Johnson, in particular points out "deflection shots" (several mentions in "Wing Leader"), which is to say proper compensation for the relative motion using "leading" of the aim, to get bullets onto enemy craft.
@@crtune correct! He was a master of the deflection shot!! Thanks sir!!
Please note that it was the Spitfire that was equipped with the eliptical wing, not the Hurricane. Your series of videos are outstanding !
"Your series of videos are outstanding!" No, they're not. He gets details wrong all the time (you just pointed out one of his many errors, there were more in this episode), shows images of stuff that has no relationship to the subject of his videos, and he has a blatant disregard for the truth. The only reason that I watch anymore at all is to be entertained counting the number of factual errors that he spouts with authority. Otherwise, I avoid him. I would recommend that you don't believe much of what he says because most of it is wrong.
@@ronaldschoolcraft8654 His "errors" are deliberate. Pointing out mistakes counts as engagement as much as praising comments do. It's all for the algorithm, and now you and I have helped him out.
@@RamblerReb Oops.
@ronaldschoolcraft8654 I'm sad that I have to agree with this comment. I've been a subscriber to a few of his "Dark" channels for a few years now. When I first subscribed, the channels were high quality, but afterwards I slowly started noticing minor errors here and there. Since then, I've noticed more and more errors as have other viewers/commentors.
I came here to point out the same thing. It seems there’s more and more of these mistakes in this channels videos of similar nature.
I've read books 📚 about this great fighter pilot and I wholeheartedly think, that "James Edgar Johnson or Johnnie Johnson" was one of the greatest Allied pilots, as well as being One Of The RAF's Finest, to ever fly a plane. Pure Natural Genius. 👏🙏
What a hero. Johnnie Johnson is a true testament to the adage that perseverance overcomes all obstacles.
Two more of the RAF's highest scoring aces in the Battle of Britain were Eric "Sawn Off" Lock, and Brian Carbury, a New Zealander. Eric Lock was known as "sawn off" due to his rather short stature. By complete contrast, Brian Carbury was well over 6 foot in height, and only just managed to fit into a Spitfire....Brian Carbury survived the war, but unfortunately Eric Lock did not...
Johnson was so respected and loved by his Canadian pilots that they presented him with honourary "CANADA" shoulder flashes. He also had a Canadian maple leaf painted on his Spitfire.
We stand together, forever. It's a long time to contemplate.
Good eye lol computers sound like machine’s as well lol
Yeah, that was my first Airfix kit. GREEN maple leaf, JE-J markings.
@iskandartaib Yes the original Airfix Mk 1X spitfire. We've all made that one 😊 Wing commanders were entitled to "personalised number plates". JEJ for Johnson and Bader had DB.😅
The Canadian military of WWII is long gone, Canada can't even support a training mission in Poland and the Baltics....pretty pathetic actually!
I think you meant Group Captain not Ground Captain. That being said, your videos are informative and enjoyable.
Why is this not a movie?? Talk about an epic journey - and to survive essentially the entire war is an amazing tale! I think Hanks and Spielberg have one more in them, no?
Well said sir or madam.👍I don't agree with Tom Hanks playing the part of Johnnie though ha. Surely that part should go a fine young British actor, more appropriate.😊
They specialize in American WW2 vets. Peter Jackson would be a good choice to do that.
@@leslieirvine1961 Not that Hanks needs to be in the movie, but surely can finance it!
@mikemontgomery2654 Hello Mike. Yes they do, just look at saving private Ryan, fine epic film. Peter Jackson is a good call, again just look at the lord of the rings films, fine epic films. Surely there is a fine British film director 🇬🇧 🎥 out there? No disrespect to the aforementioned, of course. 👏
@@leslieirvine1961 absolutely! I’ve got no disrespect towards Tom and Steven, I just don’t believe their interest is on the British side of the war, keeping it limited like they did in Band of Brothers. I still think Peter Jackson would make a fantastic movie about Johnnie, as I’m sure he would’ve done with the dambusters, had he been allowed to proceed with it.
momentary lapses and slips of the tongue, thus are legends and myths .... none the less, a great story.
...it's the narrator that keeps you on the edge of your seat. 🙏🙏🙏 thank you.
It was the Spitfire that had the elliptical wing, not the Hurricane. However, an excellent tribute to one of the greatest heroes of the greatest generation.
From what I gleaned over the years a big part of it was his extreme aggression...he was never tired or fatigued...unlimited energy. Remember reading, in a fight he was slamming the controls so hard he broke a rod which was unheard of .....Ginger Lacey was the same, super aggressive guys.
No mention of Pat Pattle, the South African ace whose tally was higher than Johnson's, but not as well documented (lost records, lack of documentation, postwar discrepancies). And Pattle achieved these kills in only 8 1/2 months while flying Gladiator biplanes and Hurricanes.
Thats because most of Pattles kills were against Italian aircraft, and this guy specifically says Johnsons has the highest allied kills against the Luftwaffe.
@@dave4728 That makes me wonder who was the highest scoring Luftwaffe ace against the Russians, against the British Commonwealth, and against the Americans.
You forgot George "Buzz" Beurling of Vancouver B.C. who was a Spitfire ace who was based in Malta and had over 31 kills and 27 of them within a 2 week period!!!😮
Nice footage of the Tempest... even though it was called a Spit mk9😂
I believe most of that footage is Typhoons with the squared off wing tips. Tempest had a wing nearly identical to the Spitfire but that chin scoop really sets it apart from the Spit.
Thought I was only one
@@jamesmartin7282 Correct.
Hollywood couldn't write a life story like that. Only comes in second to Bob Hoover in amazing life stories.
The Johnsons in our family hail from the isle of Skye, Scotland. Thank you for a wonderful documentary.
Very impressed you found so much Tempest footage, you don't see that bad boy much.
A great pilot and thoroughly nice bloke, not a peacock like say Bader. All his kills were fighters too, perhaps the hardest prey for a fighter pilot.
What's with all the Typhoon shots? Totally irrelevant or what?
Excellent ty ..surprised he wasn’t presented with the VC
A lot of references to the Spitfire while showing Hurricanes. Otherwise an outstanding video and I still learned a lot. Thank you!
There’s a reason you see a lot of Spitfires models with the the “JE-J” lettering on them.
I would love to have seen the look on the first 190's pilots faces when they encountered their first MK9 Spitfire. Looked like the outclassed MK5's, but it didn't perform like one. :) It was also the biggest produced Spitfire variant of the war.
10:18 That's a Hawker Typhoon. Not a Spitfire.
What a fantastic bloke and a legend of a man 😊
A True Pilots' Pilot.👍👍
The Fat Electrician did an awesome piece on Bader!! Good stuff!!
"His Spitifire took a hit at the wing root, but the supercharger kept him safe."
What? That makes no sense whatsoever.
It's very interesting for me to watch this program, as at least 4 times in it I could see a Spitfire with a Polish checks markings from a RAF, Polish Sqadron 302, City of Poznan, code letters WX F.
Thank you very much for that. Best Regards Tom
Geoffery Warens (wife's uncle) was first RAF pilot to fly with contact lens. Lost in Channel during WWII. Call sign "Strafer".
10:17 - That's a Typhoon! Looks like LOTS of Typhoon footage. Unfortunately, this seems to be par for the course for Dark documentaries these days...
Ironically the RCAF turned up their noses at most of these aces and they ended up serving with distinction in the RAF instead including the last Canadian killed in Ww2 Robert Hampton Gray who sank a Japanese destroyer in his Corsair at Onagawa bay on July 9th 1945 and was awarded the Victoria cross posthumously
I'm sure Erich Hartmann would have been impressed with his 352 victories. Johnson was the highest scoring Royal Air Force fighter pilot of World War II. He flew 515 sorties and scored 34 airplanes destroyed, 7 shared destroyed, 3 probables and 10 damaged. When you consider that the RAF was fighting Germany since the Battle for France, there were probably 100+ German aces
who dwarfed Johnnie Johnson's score.
Awesome story.
Proud Canadian! Awesome hero who inspired many others.
Don't show me Hawker Typhoons when you're talking about Spitfires, Yo!
34 victories ... impressive.
"Thank You" for my FREEDOM and Rest in Peace...
For being unknown he seems fairly known!
Flying a spitfire solo??…….err, it can only be flown that way, it has one seat!
127 Wing, not 172, jeez...
If they have a story about Douglas Bader it is also an amazing story of overcoming great challenges.
Amazing video. Just thought I'd point out that some of the footage is showing a Hawker Typhoon when hes talking about the Spitfire.
Well done, a great review of JJ. Why not title this post as Johnnie Johnson the Ace that terrorized th Luftwaffe ? It would get more clicks !
The FW190 was initially, definitely superior to early model Spitfires. However over time, later model Spitfires had virtually caught up to the FW190.
He wasn’t unknown he’s very popular here in the UK I always read about him. Top scoring ace against 190s and such a brave, aggressive pilot skill full and dare I say it better than Marseille he was that good.
Thanks for this ✈️
Ok if you think Johnny Johnson was some unknown ace you don't know history
I have read "Thunderbolt!" by Robert S. Johnson several times, and of course love it! I will now acquire "Wing Leader" and read it. Thankyou.
Superb vid! Thanks
Hmmmm .... lots of video of the tempest
Not a spitfire mkIX
Yep, this channel always includes some random unrelated clips. But theyre still nice to look at. I think i spotted a Skua @5:15 😂
Yes I kept seeing Tempests.
Excellent stuff bro
One imho I have is that a good pilot in a mediocre plane can hold his own or defeat a mediocre pilot in a better plane.
Thank You!
Good to know he fought with the Canucks. The Canadians are a tough bunch
@2:00 The iconic eliptical wing was on the Spitfire not the Hurricane.
Wasn't this the Airfix model in the 1950s and 1960s? That had the JEJ identification letters, and the blurb that came with it said it was Johnnie Johnson's Spitfire, as I recall.
Yes, you are correct, Mk9 in light blue plastic.
Also the life size kit that James May, of top gear, made a replica of.
Would like to hear more stories specific to Canadian fliers.
Now that`s a title no true brit could resist to click (:-)
good info in spite of multiple errors. they desperately need better editing. BK
Excellent as always. Just an FYI this man was a Canadian volunteer. Love the show, keep it up ❤
Johnson was British. Born in Leicestershire. He commanded 127 wing RCAF, which is why some people think he was Canadian.
@DrivermanO What's the diff ? We all bleed red.
@@murrayscott9546Were you drunk when you wrote this 😂?
Johnny Johnson was a close good friend to SQD LDR Geoff Gordine. My family member.
RIP of them both. Amen.
man's got that aerial sharingan
Informative video but so many times the aircraft shown were Hawker Typhoons.
Whether it's mispronouncing Bader, claiming pilots eject from Spitfires, or constantly confusing footage of one type while dicussing another (to identify just some of the errors in this video alone), this channel continues to create the impression that it is written by someone who knows almost nothing about aviation or history. If I was Johnson I'd be grateful for the tribute, but embarrassed by the execution.
When starting out, you'd be forgiven for a few mistakes, as I hope we are - but when you have over a million subscribers you must be in a position to have a pro check your work!
If you go to Wikipedia and read the subjects he covers while watching the video, you can see a lot of similarities.... 🙄🤷
I should have read your comment before posting mine!
I've read his autobiography a fee times, its great and some of this video must have been plucked from that, which is good. Lovely to see some real film of the man too. Too much film of Hawker Typhoon or Tempest which I don't think he flew unless I,'m corrected
@@raafdocumentaries it wouldn't be DD if it wasn't on par with the average 7th grade book report.
You have a lot of shots of the Typhoon as a Spitfire. Otherwise, pretty good.
Good retelling, but the "iconic elliptical wing" belonged to the Spitfire, not the Hurricane. Your informative videos would be enhanced by ensuring that, when a plane type is mentioned, that plane type is shown in the accompanying video.
I read an account by a 2nd cousin who was stationed at malta during the seige there. He watched as a british pilot on a photo mission engaged two german fighters. without weapons he downed both german fighters just by out flying them until they crashed. Unfortunately this pilot did not survive the war.
After reading some comments it is obvious that despite the well intentions of this video it is largely inaccurate.
Unknown Ace ??? Johnny Johnson is one of the most famous British aces of ww2.
Many of your "Spitfire' scenes are in fact Hawker Typhoons. Accuracy matters. I think Johnson was truly an excellent pilot. I can sympathize with his shoulder pain! The top American ace over Europe was Francis Gabreski in a P-47 Thunderbolt with 28 kills by July of 1944 when he crash landed and was captured for the duration of the war. At that time he had only one victory less than Johnson who had been flying in combat since at least the 15th of January 1941, while Gabreski's first combat flying was February 3rd of 1943, nearly two years less time. It's impossible to say how many more Gabreski might have scored had he not crashed landed. After the war, he went on to fly in Korea and scored 5 more victories in jets against North Koreans and Russians. But this video is about Johnson and not Gabreski!
Douglas Bader needs a movie! Spielberg, are you here?😉
He has one Reach for the Sky..
The video reels do not match the narrative. When the spitfire MK IX was mentioned Hawker Typhoons / Tempests video was shown !
Never heard of him before!?
My fathers ex boss was BA Grace who started off in Hurricanes in England then flew the kittyhawk 82 squadron raaf which he started in Bankstown Sydney nsw he & mates Clive Caldwell & BobbyGibbes took part in decimating the Japanese !! In New Guinea I loved these guys they flew the mark8 spitfires called the grey nurse squadron!!!!
Nutty video 😮NUTS
In 1.37 he has a ‘Canada’ flash on his shoulders. My dad had the same. I am confused, was he RAF or RCAF? My old man was Irish and volunteered in 43 and served as a tail gunner in Lancasters for his tour and a bit more. But I can never figure out if he was RAF or RCAF because in the photos I have he has the ‘Canada' flash but 50% of the time he was in RAF squadrons.
My father, Ray A Johnsen was a navel officer on a troop ship at utah beach , on D Day, he was 1000 yards off the beach, and He was also called Johnny Johnsen, like this man from Britian...
Johnnie Johnson was THE most respected fighter ace of WW2 so where you get your claim from is mystifying . I unknowingly restored his mini moke in the 1980's .
The real Johnny Johnson. At least two other RAF pilots where known as Johnny Johnson.
the hurricane did not have an elliptical wing. You are thinking of the spitfire.
The actual flying was very tiring
Johnny Johnson, unknown fighter ace? Nope. Any casual enthusiast of WW2 fighters has heard of him.
Spitfire mk . Shows Hawker Typhoons in flight?
Background music unnecessary
He wasn’t a ground captain he was a group captain
Literally the ghost of Kyiv but ww2
13:18 - Ground Captain. 😂😂😂😂 That would be Group Captain. Not actually in charge of a Group, though - during the Battle of Britain Groups were commanded by Air Vice-Marshals (like Keith Park). Group Captains would be in staff positions, or Station Commanders.
And talk of Spitfire 9s, while showing film of Typhoons... 😳🙄🥺
I wrote a paper and did a presentation in High School about Douglas Bader.
Hate to be picky, as this is a good video, but some of those Spitfire IXs look like Typoons..?!
Richard Bong USA Army Air Corp had 40 confirmed kills; and recall there was a British ace that had more kills than Jonny's 38; think maybe 42 ? Many of the German ace kills were against old outdate aircraft in Spain civil war, and in early stages of war when other countries were not ready for war, also, their system kept the aces flying, ours was to get them back to train other pilots, or take a 6 month brake etc. With our system, we kept producing almost endless stream of pilots while Germany and Japan by last years of war had very inexperienced pilots left.
Yes, that's right.
#
@2:08. Nope, no elliptical wing on a Hurricane.
No, the Spitfire had the elliptical wings
Why is the piece titled The Unknown Ace....., when in fact Johnson is well known among history buffs who follow WW2 aviation? Click bait!
A great true story, but let down by bad scripting and a largely inappropriate and irrelevant choice of stock aircraft footage.
I clear back when I was in HS (1969-1973) I was told his name was pronounced Douglas "BAH-der", not "BAY-der".