As a pilot, i confirm that in such circumstances the line between the sky and ground can be very difficult to distinguish. I completely agree with Herr Felton’s analysis and conclusion.
FUN FACT: Allied a/c operational losses far exceeded combat losses. When Mark got to the part with inexperienced pilot and snow conditions with limited visibility it was a no brainer for me. Added in a VIP ' schedulitis'. Just gotta get there.Another one who just had to get there...and never arrived... was British Air Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory.
Luftwaffe ace Werner Mölders also perished in a plane crash, also an He-111, in a thunderstorm. He was flying to attend the funeral of Ernst Udet, his Luftwafffe superior who had committed suicide.
I never read in WW2 books of Todts' death being nothing more than an accident. But after Dr. Felton laid out the facts, I've seen nothing to change that opinion. Good video
As an aviation mechanic, I'd look at hydraulic lines first. Then look for any tools that might have been left in the engines. This happens a lot, this is why we check for our tools five times per task.
This takes me back to when I was an apprentice at BAe 40 years ago. In one lecture I recall the instructor suggesting that it may not be a good idea for fitters to etch their name on their tools. Didn't apply to me as I was a miller.
There is no need for a mechanical fault. This kind of turn back to the same airfield shortly after take-off is notorious for pilots misjudging the airplane lift and stalling. With the weather conditions, it is also very likely that the pilot midjudged the distance to the ground.
Werner Molders and Hans Hube (among many other high ranking Germans) also died in airplane accidents. It was not uncommon, air travel was not as safe then like today. Happy New Year to Dr. Felton, his family and the MFP community!
A problem that plagued both the Axis and Allies. It seemed that at every Allied top meeting at least one officer would be absent due to a plane crash. Examples of Allied plane crashes with high rank casualties: 1940 Canberra air disaster, Major-General Herbert Dargue, Lt. General Frank Maxwell-Andrews and Wladyslaw Sikorski (Soviet involvement in the crash rumored).
From what I've read regarding the crash, I'd have to agree that it was just a freak accident caused by poor weather conditions, and other factors. As others have pointed out, air travel wasn't as safe 82 years ago like it is today.
Circling to land at 90 feet is crazy. Far too low to be safe. Standard practice is to make the crosswind turn at 500 feet. A modern pressure altimeter also has an acceptable error up to 75 feet plus or minus.
Even piloting a parachute (Modern ram air canopy), I'd be doing my turn onto finals at 300ft, ideally not much lower! Turning a HE111 at that height is as you say.....Crazy!
To bank any aircraft in bad weather at only 90 ft is foolish. Leave it to Mark Felton Productions to reveal unknown tidbits of WW ll history. Thank you again Dr Felton!
This channel is probably the only one I subscribe to that I can guarantee each and every video will have been thoroughly researched for factual circumstances, before a range of hypotheses are presented to the viewer. Excellent video as usual.
Thank you Dr Felton for pointing out an important difference between Hitlers and Stalin’s leadership styles. This does not make a mass murderer Hitler a better person (or even a better strategist as while he tolerated dissent, he ultimately ignored most of the advice due to a feeling of superiority). But is an important distinction many people are ignorant of.
Agreed. Despite a lot of other negative aspects that are definitely attributed to Hitler, he was more likely to demote, transfer, or straight out relieve an officer of duty if the officer disagreed with Hitler's ideas/plans. The officers (and others) that were ordered executed by Hitler was (typically) because Hitler suspected them of direct treason, i.e. trying to assassinate the Fuhrer.
@@BA-gn3qbThat isn’t what he’s saying. He’s noting that Hitler wasn’t the type to have someone executed simply due to an argument or disagreement, whereas many who incurred Stalin’s wrath paid with their lives.
Not all of the labour force of the Todt Organisation was 'Forced or slave'. They employed many voluntary nationalities - especially when it came to the largest structures, such as the U-boat pens.
If the He-111 attained only 90ft of altitude, she was only going about 150-160 kph, not much higher than it's straight and level stall speed of 140kph. Once you introduce a banking angle, your stall speed now decreases. With the pilot being rather green for the aircraft type, coupled with his decision to turn around just after take-off at low altitude, it's highly likely that he underestimated his aircraft's side slip rate (the moving sideways of the plane), lower stall speed and low altitude, thus entered a stall that was not recoverable at that low altitude.
Thanks Mark. I hope you can cover the accomplishments of the Dieppe Raid. Most historians only focus on the negatives. There were several successful objectives achieved during the operation by British commando units.
From a purely historical standpoint, I agree that there were several important lessons learned from the Dieppe Raid in general. I can also agree that there were a couple of relatively successful & important objectives achieved by the various commando units involved. As a Canadian, however, I agree with the reasons why "most historians only focus on the negatives" - the high cost in Allied lives (in particular Canadian) make the tactical "successes" of the mission hard to justify. From a purely "tactical" perspective none of the commandos' achievements vs. the cost should be looked at in any light/focus other than a negative one.
@@robertdickson9319 Thank you for your comment, Robert. I pretty much agree with you. The cost was extremely high. I understand that one reason for the raid was to try and show Stalin that the allies were willing to begin a western front to much the Soviets eastern front. If my info is correct over 100 German speaking spies were placed behind enemy lines during the raid. I hope Mark will cover both the failures and the few successes of the Dieppe Raid. All the best.
@@steveolive9991 US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall wanted to do a large scale raid into France called "Sledgehammer" in 1942 but he was denied by the wiser British...thank goodness. It would've turned into Dunkirk 2 at best. The US would have to learn some hard lessons in Operation Torch first and Italy later.
Lots of people love conspiracy theories, especially if it involves murder and mayhem! But the death of an important official by a combination of bad weather and pilot error is too bland for many.
And the inexperienced pilot ordered to fly in non flying weather could have been deliberately sent to his death. Or it could have just been just supervisory negligence.
@bullettube9863 Bland indeed and it also makes us more aware of our own mortality. Plus if Hitler had killed him he’d be a martyr. Instead he made one of several foolish mistakes that day.
One of your best video's to date Dr Felton. Your hypothesis certainly makes a lot of sense, bad weather and a pilot who lacks experience with an unfamiliar aircraft lead to dire results!
I visited Mr Todt's grave on Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin this summer. While there, I pondered the strange circumstances of his death. Therefore, thank you, Mr Felton for this and all those other videos this year. And a happy 2024 in advance!
I concur with Dr. Felton's analysis. As a rationalist I tend to take a skeptical view of most conspiracy theories which I enjoy studying. As usual, there is no actual evidence of foul play, and no shortage of actual evidence that all points towards the conclusion of death by accident due most likely to human error. This is a very solid examination of the facts of the case. Well done. (Edit: Typo)
I would hate to see these German pilots try and fly a tilt-rotor Boeing "Osprey" aircraft the US Air Force, Marine and Navy fly. Numerous crashes have killed many military people!
Well said. And let's remember if Hitler was disappointed in you for whatever reason he didn't have to kill you since you served at his pleasure to begin with. He just fired you and got someone else to do the job. It happened more than once. If he was fed up with Todt he'd have just fired him and that would have been the end of it.
As a rationalist surely you also know conspiracy is one of our most common behaviours. Private conversation with a doctor is a conspiracy. So is keeping secrets about Mums Xmas present. Every business has secrets. Hence non disclosure agreements. That is conspiracy.
Always interesting stories. One would think the airfield would be dilineated with lights, flares or brightly coloured flags. If it was indeed pilot- error, it is difficult to see how the number of engines on the plane would have made any difference to the outcome.
It’s a common misconception even among pilots that multi engine airplanes are like that for reliability in the event of an engine failure. Plenty of twin engine airplanes through history couldn’t maintain altitude on one engine and those that could require a lot of focus to keep under control in that situation, especially at low speed and high weight as you’d see at takeoff. The theory of insisting on three engines for travel was probably based on the notion that if one fails you’re left with 2/3 of the total power and slightly less asymmetry in thrust.
The number of engines was irrelevant in this case, but the reason this regulation existed was due to engine reliability/redundancy and did make sense at the time. Indeed, more than 2 engines were still recommended for intercontinental flights well into the 1980s - resulting in overseas routes being flown mostly by the Boeing 747, and Douglas DC-10/Lockheed Tristar "tri-jets" with their third engine mounted through the tail section.
@@jaredfreeland9153 : Curious, yet the De-Havilland, Mosquito fighter/bomber only had two engines to carry the weight of crew, fuel and bomb load. Yet it was regarded as a very successful plane. In this case the decision of the pilot to fly, only to change his mind shortly after take off seems a strange one. Landing in such conditions must surely have been more difficult than taking-off. Many years ago, I drove my car in a thick fog in London. The fog was so thick, I literally could not see the end of the bonnet of my car. I could not tell if I was on the road or the pavement. I had to put my hazard warning lights on and just crawl along at walking pace, ready to brake hard, until the fog lifted a little. I had read about such fogs in London but never experienced one up until that point. The thought of someone crashing into the front or rear of my vehicle if I simply did not move was what prompted me to move forward at a crawling speed until I found a place where the fog lifted a little. I can sympathise with that pilot, trying to land in such a fog, at a much greater speed, would have been a nightmare scenario.
The pilot over reached his ability and not wishing to disapoint his important passenger but more likely too he stuck with his flight prep until he realised too many factors were not lining up then tried to abort within poor visibility...he should have never left the ground. Great work Mr Felton.
I was thinking the same thing where the pilot didn't know where he was. The same thing happened with the 1970 Marshall University Football plane crash. It was trying to land in fog and light rain. It crashed just about a mile away from the runway. On that plane, it was determined that the instruments were working just fine.
You may not read this comment, but I have followed your videos for some time now. Your research is breathtaking, (where are your sources?). I have read a lot about the German theatre in WW2, which fascinates me. Perhaps there is a need for a huge detailed collation of chronological accounts of the European theatre for long term posterity. Of course, it will not be a best seller, but for historical reasons, there is a good argument for which you might need funding, which should not, in terms of finance, be huge (enough to give you a quality secure retirement).
From the timing, weather conditions and other factors presented, I believe that Dr. Felton's conclusion makes the most sense. Besides, as an historian, Dr. Felton has the background and experience to be able to better judge the situation based on the evidence available.
8:54 That's an awesome example of a Squaddie tan on the officer on the right! Bright white head from wearing headgear all the time and burnt brown face! Most likely, a front-line combat officer giving a situational briefing.
I almost flew into lake Erie about 50 yrs ago on a cloudy day became of the horizon between the water and the sky looked similar. I was with my cousin Larry who was an experience pilot. He said " look at your altimeter" when I did it said 400 feet but Though I was at 5000 feet I leaned a lesson.
8:55 Correction: Stalin didn't off people he argued with either, he targeted men he suspected of working against him and when he did that he also made sure to fire all of their cronies too leading to situations where entire departments were all fired, reassigned, jailed, or perhaps even killed.
Have you any idea of the amount of people Stalin had killed? If you looked at him the wrong way or didn't clap after a speech, in his paranoid mind, this was grounds for execution. If he even thought that there was a possibility of suspicion, he had that person and everyone close to them whacked. So you're comment was utterly redundant 😂
Got my PPL. Private pilots licence. You never turn back if there are problems on take-off. The parsimonious explanation, is that he stalled and spun in. Per Mark's narrative. This is all too common.
Well done. I agree with your analysis. You mentioned the pilot was banking to return at aprox. 90 feet (27.4 meters for the rest of the world). Due to engine torque and drag a plane can lose altitude when banking. Just a bad day for all concerned.
8:50 - I think this observation on Hitler's leadership style, not arbitrarily executing people disagreeing with him like Stalin, bears further discussion.
All aircraft, especially of that size, will require adequate airspeed to turn and bank, in which was highly unlikely on this flight. If you speed is to low, you trade altitude for direction, and if you fail to recognize that immediately, you'll become one with the earth
Fritz Todt wasn't the only high-ranking official of any nation involved in WW2 to die in a plane crash, it happened more often than you'd imagine. Although air travel was very safe and reliable by the 1940's as the new/old saying goes, "S**t happens!" Or as my USAF veteran brother puts it "An airplane's a machine, and machines do break!" Throw human error into the mix and anything might happen. One aside about Fritz Todt, foreign dignitaries and newsmen who met him all wondered how someone so intelligent could get mixed up with the Nazis to begin with! As far as pilots being intimidated by their passengers it used to be USAF policy (and still might be) that VIP flights were all staffed with veteran pilots, typically colonels or lieutenant colonels, who weren't far away from retirement and sufficiently "salty" enough not to be intimidated by anyone, either civil or military. If they said "We ain't flyin' today!" they meant it.
If I remember correctly,is this not part of the reason the Polish president was killed flying into Russia years back. The pilots wanted to Abbort the landing and try a different airport due to weather but we're unduly influenced to try and land causing the fatal crash.They apparently would be late for the important event if they were to fly on ,so the pilots were told to land.Its been a minute so ,I do not remember if there was absolute proof of this. Watched a documentary about the event.
Regarding the safety of 1940s flight: Guy Gibson, famous for the Dambusters raid, also took part in bombing raids on Italy, during which only two or three planes were lost. In his memoir "Enemy Coast Ahead," he compares this favourably to civil airline loss rates.
Although it happened after WWII perhaps Dr Felton could investigate the crash of a Vulcan at Heathrow in 1956. Aroused a lot of controversy afterwards due to the possible pressure placed on the captain by his illustrious passenger, occupying the rh seat, to land at Heathrow due to a reception being organised. An ACM, AOC-in-C Bomber Command himself, in the co-pilot seat; the deceased co-pilot referred to as a navigator; no bang seats for the rear crew. Had tumultuous consequences at a now infamous dining-in night at Waddington a few years later.
@@johnmacdonald5483 I remember the president of Poland being killed in a plance crash but not the circumstances involved. I DO remember a Clinton Administration cabinet member named Ron Brown, then Secretary of Commerce, being killed in a plane crash in Coatia in 1996. The flying conditions were marginal and the jet, a USAF CT-43, a modified Boeing 737, crashed into a mountainside on approach to Dubrovnik Airport. The speculation at time was since the pilot and co-pilot were captains and not colonels (which surprised commenters familiar with VIP flights at the time) they may very well have been intimidated in to flying when their better judgement should have told them not to. A captain with possibly 20 years of service ahead of him is more likely to worry about what angering a politician might do to his career than a senior colonel ready to retire would be.
An interesting take in the death of Todt and one I can get behind, but there is still that nagging doubt about Spear. He seems to be in the right place at the right time, through out his career. Don't forget that before his trial at Nuremberg, Spear was interrogated by the then OSS and allied secret service and was also one of the few main Nazi leaders to escape the death penalty. Spear was smart and well connected in the party and one of Hitlers favourite's, Todt, like Rhome, was part of the old guard and was very direct with Hitler, standing up against operation Sea lion, invasion of the UK and also building the Channels Islands as massive defensive location. A waste of resource. Any hoo, have enjoyed the videos of 2023, keep up the great works Mark. Love the 'local one's' you have done in the UK and near you, but it's the simple one's of ordinary people that I find enjoyable. My favourite was the one of the Russian Girl directing traffic in Berlin after the Russian occupation. Happy Christmas to you and all the other subscribers and looking forward to a great 2024.
People love conspiracies but they look even less liikely after the passage of time, given our current understanding of how primitive and deadly aircraft of that era were. There was a reason why Hitler insisted on three engine rule (which probably wouldn’t make a difference in this case). Not sure why a better plane was not available for such a high official.
Well, the HE-111 was actually a very GOOD airplane, popular with it's pilots and British test pilot Captain Eric Brown was impressed with the captured one he test-flew. However, you can have the best airplane in the world and if the pilot's not as well-trained in the type as he should be and you throw in marginal flight conditions then it's a recipe for trouble any way you look at it. Old aviators saying, "If the birds are walking so should you!"
@@borisgurevich5504 Certainly. As good as it was the HE-111 is no 21st Century airplane. It has no "E-Z Fly" button (quoting my USAF veteran brother) like modern aircraft do.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Got to the office, sat down, fired up my computer ready to get some serious work done..."Did Hitler Murder His Armaments Minister?" Damn it Mark.
100% he did. Hitler had the plane blown up with a bomb planted on the plane.
riveting isnt he ? LOLOL
These guys were serious about the WAR to have an entire Minister whose.focus is Armaments 😂😂....and I hear there was also Minister of WAR 😂😂
@@sarasonsalas3472 they were German, they probably had a minister for zoo animals, a minister for shoe shine, a minister of latrines...etc.
Simply unmissable!
As a pilot, i confirm that in such circumstances the line between the sky and ground can be very difficult to distinguish. I completely agree with Herr Felton’s analysis and conclusion.
Ya just look at what happened to JFK, Jr. in 1999.
FUN FACT: Allied a/c operational losses far exceeded combat losses. When Mark got to the part with inexperienced pilot and snow conditions with limited visibility it was a no brainer for me. Added in a VIP ' schedulitis'. Just gotta get there.Another one who just had to get there...and never arrived... was British Air Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory.
@@Tempestzzzz Ya Patton died in a transportation accident too! Secondary roads in Europe are "iffy" now and were probably worse back then by the way.
Not sure if proud or embarrassed by that fact @@Tempestzzzz
Luftwaffe ace Werner Mölders also perished in a plane crash, also an He-111, in a thunderstorm.
He was flying to attend the funeral of Ernst Udet, his Luftwafffe superior who had committed suicide.
I never read in WW2 books of Todts' death being nothing more than an accident. But after Dr. Felton laid out the facts, I've seen nothing to change that opinion. Good video
Congratulations on 2 Million subscribers Dr. Felton!
As an aviation mechanic, I'd look at hydraulic lines first. Then look for any tools that might have been left in the engines. This happens a lot, this is why we check for our tools five times per task.
This takes me back to when I was an apprentice at BAe 40 years ago. In one lecture I recall the instructor suggesting that it may not be a good idea for fitters to etch their name on their tools. Didn't apply to me as I was a miller.
hahahaha this is true, its why I dont write my name on my notebook for note taking either
@@stephenribchester2185
There is no need for a mechanical fault. This kind of turn back to the same airfield shortly after take-off is notorious for pilots misjudging the airplane lift and stalling.
With the weather conditions, it is also very likely that the pilot midjudged the distance to the ground.
Five times per task and still can’t find that damned spanner, another sortie cancelled, have a cup of tea
Damn kind of like a surgeon
Werner Molders and Hans Hube (among many other high ranking Germans) also died in airplane accidents. It was not uncommon, air travel was not as safe then like today. Happy New Year to Dr. Felton, his family and the MFP community!
Also General Walter Wever.
What makes you think it is safe today? Safer maybe, but not safe.
A problem that plagued both the Axis and Allies. It seemed that at every Allied top meeting at least one officer would be absent due to a plane crash.
Examples of Allied plane crashes with high rank casualties: 1940 Canberra air disaster, Major-General Herbert Dargue, Lt. General Frank Maxwell-Andrews and Wladyslaw Sikorski (Soviet involvement in the crash rumored).
@@ghostdivision7 very true. Also notable was Glenn Miller who went missing and was never found.
@@flyingsword135that is what he said though: "not as safe then like today" 😅
When you mentioned the low visibility, I immediately thought of spatial disorientation.
I'm glad we both agree.
From what I've read regarding the crash, I'd have to agree that it was just a freak accident caused by poor weather conditions, and other factors. As others have pointed out, air travel wasn't as safe 82 years ago like it is today.
“Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar,” Sigmund Freud. Sometimes a plane crash is just a plane crash. Nice one Dr. Felton sir.
If you get that cigar from a Nazi it just might not be a cigar
Circling to land at 90 feet is crazy. Far too low to be safe. Standard practice is to make the crosswind turn at 500 feet. A modern pressure altimeter also has an acceptable error up to 75 feet plus or minus.
Wasn't everything low back then due to war?
Even piloting a parachute (Modern ram air canopy), I'd be doing my turn onto finals at 300ft, ideally not much lower! Turning a HE111 at that height is as you say.....Crazy!
that picture of you saying “I’ll be back” is hilarious and nice video!
A very interesting story. Love how you find obscure World War 2 topics to cover, as well as ones that involve other wars, and more.
To bank any aircraft in bad weather at only 90 ft is foolish. Leave it to Mark Felton Productions to reveal unknown tidbits of WW ll history.
Thank you again Dr Felton!
This channel is probably the only one I subscribe to that I can guarantee each and every video will have been thoroughly researched for factual circumstances, before a range of hypotheses are presented to the viewer. Excellent video as usual.
Mark Felton always brings the heat.
“Stepped into his jackboots”: Good one, Mark. Never a dull moment in your videos.
I received your book "Never Surrender" for Christmas. I read it and learned things I did not know before. Thank you sir.
Thank you Dr Felton for pointing out an important difference between Hitlers and Stalin’s leadership styles. This does not make a mass murderer Hitler a better person (or even a better strategist as while he tolerated dissent, he ultimately ignored most of the advice due to a feeling of superiority). But is an important distinction many people are ignorant of.
Agreed. Despite a lot of other negative aspects that are definitely attributed to Hitler, he was more likely to demote, transfer, or straight out relieve an officer of duty if the officer disagreed with Hitler's ideas/plans. The officers (and others) that were ordered executed by Hitler was (typically) because Hitler suspected them of direct treason, i.e. trying to assassinate the Fuhrer.
Are you saying that Stalin WASN'T a Mass Murderer?
Because history proves otherwise.
@@BA-gn3qbof course he was.
@@BA-gn3qbThat isn’t what he’s saying. He’s noting that Hitler wasn’t the type to have someone executed simply due to an argument or disagreement, whereas many who incurred Stalin’s wrath paid with their lives.
Shut up.
I've been wondering for years when you were gonna talk about this Mark. Thank you!
Always a great day when Dr. Felton drops a new episode! ❤
Not all of the labour force of the Todt Organisation was 'Forced or slave'. They employed many voluntary nationalities - especially when it came to the largest structures, such as the U-boat pens.
It’s always a wonderful surprise to see Mark Felton has uploaded a new video! Thank you sir!
If the He-111 attained only 90ft of altitude, she was only going about 150-160 kph, not much higher than it's straight and level stall speed of 140kph. Once you introduce a banking angle, your stall speed now decreases. With the pilot being rather green for the aircraft type, coupled with his decision to turn around just after take-off at low altitude, it's highly likely that he underestimated his aircraft's side slip rate (the moving sideways of the plane), lower stall speed and low altitude, thus entered a stall that was not recoverable at that low altitude.
Always unbiased and thorough I never miss these videos. I hope Dr Felton keeps up the great work for many years to come.
100% he did. Hitler had the plane blown up with a bomb planted on the plane.
Excellent video. I appreciate Mark’s detached reporting of the facts.
Thanks Mark. I hope you can cover the accomplishments of the Dieppe Raid. Most historians only focus on the negatives. There were several successful objectives achieved during the operation by British commando units.
Why was the dieppe raid launched?
From a purely historical standpoint, I agree that there were several important lessons learned from the Dieppe Raid in general. I can also agree that there were a couple of relatively successful & important objectives achieved by the various commando units involved.
As a Canadian, however, I agree with the reasons why "most historians only focus on the negatives" - the high cost in Allied lives (in particular Canadian) make the tactical "successes" of the mission hard to justify. From a purely "tactical" perspective none of the commandos' achievements vs. the cost should be looked at in any light/focus other than a negative one.
@@robertdickson9319 Thank you for your comment, Robert. I pretty much agree with you. The cost was extremely high. I understand that one reason for the raid was to try and show Stalin that the allies were willing to begin a western front to much the Soviets eastern front. If my info is correct over 100 German speaking spies were placed behind enemy lines during the raid. I hope Mark will cover both the failures and the few successes of the Dieppe Raid. All the best.
If nothing else, the Dieppe Raid gave us lessons on what not to do for the Normandy invasion -- D-Day.
@@steveolive9991 US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall wanted to do a large scale raid into France called "Sledgehammer" in 1942 but he was denied by the wiser British...thank goodness. It would've turned into Dunkirk 2 at best. The US would have to learn some hard lessons in Operation Torch first and Italy later.
Keep 'em coming Mark! The problem with all your videos is that they just keep on...getting better!
Todt's name is also emblazoned on that massive gun emplacement in France! Thanks for the great history Mark!
Batterie Todt
Thank You Dr. Felton
Always Enjoy Your Videos
Happy New Year 🎉
Lots of people love conspiracy theories, especially if it involves murder and mayhem! But the death of an important official by a combination of bad weather and pilot error is too bland for many.
I heard it was a 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in tall white Puca rabbit named Harvey piloting the plane.
And the inexperienced pilot ordered to fly in non flying weather could have been deliberately sent to his death. Or it could have just been just supervisory negligence.
When a senior official says he wants to get back to Berlin yesterday, inferior officers do not argue! @@LaymansGnosis-kd8wy
@bullettube9863 Bland indeed and it also makes us more aware of our own mortality. Plus if Hitler had killed him he’d be a martyr. Instead he made one of several foolish mistakes that day.
A good, very informative video as always Dr. Felton! Thank you! Happy New Year!
100% he did. Hitler had the plane blown up with a bomb planted on the plane.
Another great video. I like the shorter format! Thanks Dr Mark!
What detail.Great video as always.Thanks.
Speer said that he was supposed to be on the plane too, but wasn’t, because of a long conversation with Hitler.
Mark said he overslept. Maybe he was tired after the long conversation you mentioned!
According to this video, the actual reason was because he had supposedly overslept. That alone sounds very suspicious.
One of your best video's to date Dr Felton. Your hypothesis certainly makes a lot of sense, bad weather and a pilot who lacks experience with an unfamiliar aircraft lead to dire results!
I was just looking for your video and here it is!
"Many thanks for watching."
Many thanks to you Dr. Felton for such well done and fascinating content!
Great video, Mark. This was an exceptional lesson. many thanks for your efforts.
With regards to Speer, I believe it was Alfred Hitchcock, who said “I don’t mind coincidence but I hate convenience”.
Thanks Mark Felton and a Merry Christmas. Looking forward to more awesome content from you in 2024.
Live and prosper Mark!!!!
Fascinating! Great videos as always!
'Should we wake up Albert? He's supposed to be flying back with us'
'Nah'
Have always loved all History, so it is always a pleasure to view Dr Felton's videos.
Happy Holidays 🏆🏆🏆❄️🙏🎉
Thank you for sharing
I visited Mr Todt's grave on Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin this summer. While there, I pondered the strange circumstances of his death.
Therefore, thank you, Mr Felton for this and all those other videos this year. And a happy 2024 in advance!
I learn something new every time I watch your videos!
Thanks again Mark for another intriguing video ! Wishing you a very Happy New Year !
I concur with Dr. Felton's analysis. As a rationalist I tend to take a skeptical view of most conspiracy theories which I enjoy studying. As usual, there is no actual evidence of foul play, and no shortage of actual evidence that all points towards the conclusion of death by accident due most likely to human error. This is a very solid examination of the facts of the case. Well done. (Edit: Typo)
I would hate to see these German pilots try and fly a tilt-rotor Boeing "Osprey" aircraft the US Air Force, Marine and Navy fly. Numerous crashes have killed many military people!
Well said. And let's remember if Hitler was disappointed in you for whatever reason he didn't have to kill you since you served at his pleasure to begin with. He just fired you and got someone else to do the job. It happened more than once. If he was fed up with Todt he'd have just fired him and that would have been the end of it.
As a rationalist myself, I tend to agree. Conspiracies can often intoxicate people, drawing conclusions that garner bias.
@@GatCat What this video seems is a rhetorical question that no one asked?? It is like saying "Was Hitler gay?"
As a rationalist surely you also know conspiracy is one of our most common behaviours. Private conversation with a doctor is a conspiracy. So is keeping secrets about Mums Xmas present. Every business has secrets. Hence non disclosure agreements. That is conspiracy.
Thanks for covering this I always thought this was a possibility.
Very interesting Dr. Felton. The comments that follow are also very good. Thank you.
Happy New year Dr. Felton! Great video as always.
Always interesting stories. One would think the airfield would be dilineated with lights, flares or brightly coloured flags.
If it was indeed pilot- error, it is difficult to see how the number of engines on the plane would have made any difference to the outcome.
I guess Hitler didn't trust the reliability of engines in those days.
It’s a common misconception even among pilots that multi engine airplanes are like that for reliability in the event of an engine failure. Plenty of twin engine airplanes through history couldn’t maintain altitude on one engine and those that could require a lot of focus to keep under control in that situation, especially at low speed and high weight as you’d see at takeoff. The theory of insisting on three engines for travel was probably based on the notion that if one fails you’re left with 2/3 of the total power and slightly less asymmetry in thrust.
The number of engines was irrelevant in this case, but the reason this regulation existed was due to engine reliability/redundancy and did make sense at the time. Indeed, more than 2 engines were still recommended for intercontinental flights well into the 1980s - resulting in overseas routes being flown mostly by the Boeing 747, and Douglas DC-10/Lockheed Tristar "tri-jets" with their third engine mounted through the tail section.
@@jaredfreeland9153 : Curious, yet the De-Havilland, Mosquito fighter/bomber only had two engines to carry the weight of crew, fuel and bomb load. Yet it was regarded as a very successful plane.
In this case the decision of the pilot to fly, only to change his mind shortly after take off seems a strange one.
Landing in such conditions must surely have been more difficult than taking-off.
Many years ago, I drove my car in a thick fog in London. The fog was so thick, I literally could not see the end of the bonnet of my car. I could not tell if I was on the road or the pavement.
I had to put my hazard warning lights on and just crawl along at walking pace, ready to brake hard, until the fog lifted a little. I had read about such fogs in London but never experienced one up until that point.
The thought of someone crashing into the front or rear of my vehicle if I simply did not move was what prompted me to move forward at a crawling speed until I found a place where the fog lifted a little.
I can sympathise with that pilot, trying to land in such a fog, at a much greater speed, would have been a nightmare scenario.
Whenever my German Shepard hears Dr Felton’s theme she jumps on the bed 🛏️
Great video as always Mr Felton. Even mentioned the often misconception of how Hitler treated his General staff in contrast to Stalin.
Another historic mystery solved !! Thanks & Happy New Year!! ❤❤❤
The pilot over reached his ability and not wishing to disapoint his important passenger but more likely too he stuck with his flight prep until he realised too many factors were not lining up then tried to abort within poor visibility...he should have never left the ground.
Great work Mr Felton.
You have to be the best and coolest RUclipsr out there lots of love from Turkey mate, I love your videos
Pilot error. I have flown in conditions like that - very challenging.
I was thinking the same thing where the pilot didn't know where he was. The same thing happened with the 1970 Marshall University Football plane crash. It was trying to land in fog and light rain. It crashed just about a mile away from the runway. On that plane, it was determined that the instruments were working just fine.
The pilot was attempting a manual landing.
Best wishes and seasons greetings to Dr Mark, and all his followers😊😊😊
Thank you Dr. Felton, another amazing documentary.
Loving the dramatic music snippets you drop. I get a real good kick out of it. History is mostly depressing, but you gotta laugh sometimes.
A great idea for a thriller film. Get started on the script, Mark! Cheers!
Mr Felton explanation is to me the correct one. Thank you Mark
.
Another outstanding video!
Love your show !
Mark
Since you sometimes make videos about niche stories about ww2, you should make a video about the only non commonwealth commando Anders Lassen
You may not read this comment, but I have followed your videos for some time now. Your research is breathtaking, (where are your sources?). I have read a lot about the German theatre in WW2, which fascinates me. Perhaps there is a need for a huge detailed collation of chronological accounts of the European theatre for long term posterity. Of course, it will not be a best seller, but for historical reasons, there is a good argument for which you might need funding, which should not, in terms of finance, be huge (enough to give you a quality secure retirement).
Blind flying was literally still blind in the 40's
From the timing, weather conditions and other factors presented, I believe that Dr. Felton's conclusion makes the most sense. Besides, as an historian, Dr. Felton has the background and experience to be able to better judge the situation based on the evidence available.
Thank you Mark for your insightful videos, always appreciated!
8:54 That's an awesome example of a Squaddie tan on the officer on the right!
Bright white head from wearing headgear all the time and burnt brown face!
Most likely, a front-line combat officer giving a situational briefing.
I almost flew into lake Erie about 50 yrs ago on a cloudy day became of the horizon between the water and the sky looked similar. I was with my cousin Larry who was an experience pilot. He said " look at your altimeter" when I did it said 400 feet but Though I was at 5000 feet I leaned a lesson.
Wow..
0:22 7 Feb 1942, And this was all before Stalingrad (start 23 Aug 1942), which for me was the defining point of Nazi war supremacy. A prophet indeed.
Even before Heydrich’s demise
8:55 Correction: Stalin didn't off people he argued with either, he targeted men he suspected of working against him and when he did that he also made sure to fire all of their cronies too leading to situations where entire departments were all fired, reassigned, jailed, or perhaps even killed.
Have you any idea of the amount of people Stalin had killed? If you looked at him the wrong way or didn't clap after a speech, in his paranoid mind, this was grounds for execution. If he even thought that there was a possibility of suspicion, he had that person and everyone close to them whacked. So you're comment was utterly redundant 😂
Got my PPL. Private pilots licence. You never turn back if there are problems on take-off. The parsimonious explanation, is that he stalled and spun in. Per Mark's narrative. This is all too common.
Happy and Prosperous New Year 2024 to Dr. Mark Felton
Well done. I agree with your analysis. You mentioned the pilot was banking to return at aprox. 90 feet (27.4 meters for the rest of the world). Due to engine torque and drag a plane can lose altitude when banking. Just a bad day for all concerned.
8:50 - I think this observation on Hitler's leadership style, not arbitrarily executing people disagreeing with him like Stalin, bears further discussion.
Another interesting episode from Mr Felton👍
a great very interesting video as always Mr.Felton.have a good one and Happy New Year.
Excellent video. Happy new year.❤
Professor Felton, Hope you had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year.
Another good one Mark...I tend to agree with your conclusion. Thanks !
I thoroughly enjoyed the video, thanks again.
All aircraft, especially of that size, will require adequate airspeed to turn and bank, in which was highly unlikely on this flight. If you speed is to low, you trade altitude for direction, and if you fail to recognize that immediately, you'll become one with the earth
Happy New Yewr, Dr. Felton.
Cheers from Georgia USA!
"Given the arms and industrial supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon powers, we can no longer militarily win this war." - Dr. Fritz Todt, 29th November 1941.
Glenn Miller died during WW2 when the Allied plane he was in ditched in the English Channel during cold weather.
There's an airman came forward who said he was ditching bombs returning to england on the same route and time and saw an explosion!
I love the picture at the end!❤
Another great and informative video. Thanks
I have not heard of Todt before this video. It would be great if you could do a quick or extensive bio on him.
Todt was an incredible builder.
Fritz Todt wasn't the only high-ranking official of any nation involved in WW2 to die in a plane crash, it happened more often than you'd imagine. Although air travel was very safe and reliable by the 1940's as the new/old saying goes, "S**t happens!"
Or as my USAF veteran brother puts it "An airplane's a machine, and machines do break!"
Throw human error into the mix and anything might happen.
One aside about Fritz Todt, foreign dignitaries and newsmen who met him all wondered how someone so intelligent could get mixed up with the Nazis to begin with!
As far as pilots being intimidated by their passengers it used to be USAF policy (and still might be) that VIP flights were all staffed with veteran pilots, typically colonels or lieutenant colonels, who weren't far away from retirement and sufficiently "salty" enough not to be intimidated by anyone, either civil or military. If they said "We ain't flyin' today!" they meant it.
If I remember correctly,is this not part of the reason the Polish president was killed flying into Russia years back. The pilots wanted to Abbort the landing and try a different airport due to weather but we're unduly influenced to try and land causing the fatal crash.They apparently would be late for the important event if they were to fly on ,so the pilots were told to land.Its been a minute so ,I do not remember if there was absolute proof of this. Watched a documentary about the event.
Regarding the safety of 1940s flight: Guy Gibson, famous for the Dambusters raid, also took part in bombing raids on Italy, during which only two or three planes were lost. In his memoir "Enemy Coast Ahead," he compares this favourably to civil airline loss rates.
George VI's younger brother was killed in an air crash during WW2.
Although it happened after WWII perhaps Dr Felton could investigate the crash of a Vulcan at Heathrow in 1956. Aroused a lot of controversy afterwards due to the possible pressure placed on the captain by his illustrious passenger, occupying the rh seat, to land at Heathrow due to a reception being organised. An ACM, AOC-in-C Bomber Command himself, in the co-pilot seat; the deceased co-pilot referred to as a navigator; no bang seats for the rear crew. Had tumultuous consequences at a now infamous dining-in night at Waddington a few years later.
@@johnmacdonald5483 I remember the president of Poland being killed in a plance crash but not the circumstances involved.
I DO remember a Clinton Administration cabinet member named Ron Brown, then Secretary of Commerce, being killed in a plane crash in Coatia in 1996. The flying conditions were marginal and the jet, a USAF CT-43, a modified Boeing 737, crashed into a mountainside on approach to Dubrovnik Airport.
The speculation at time was since the pilot and co-pilot were captains and not colonels (which surprised commenters familiar with VIP flights at the time) they may very well have been intimidated in to flying when their better judgement should have told them not to. A captain with possibly 20 years of service ahead of him is more likely to worry about what angering a politician might do to his career than a senior colonel ready to retire would be.
Another great video that really makes the mind think.
I love all of the videos you do. It’s always a great history lesson. Thank you for what you do sir. I appreciate your work.
An interesting take in the death of Todt and one I can get behind, but there is still that nagging doubt about Spear. He seems to be in the right place at the right time, through out his career. Don't forget that before his trial at Nuremberg, Spear was interrogated by the then OSS and allied secret service and was also one of the few main Nazi leaders to escape the death penalty. Spear was smart and well connected in the party and one of Hitlers favourite's, Todt, like Rhome, was part of the old guard and was very direct with Hitler, standing up against operation Sea lion, invasion of the UK and also building the Channels Islands as massive defensive location. A waste of resource.
Any hoo, have enjoyed the videos of 2023, keep up the great works Mark. Love the 'local one's' you have done in the UK and near you, but it's the simple one's of ordinary people that I find enjoyable. My favourite was the one of the Russian Girl directing traffic in Berlin after the Russian occupation.
Happy Christmas to you and all the other subscribers and looking forward to a great 2024.
From "click-bait" title to interesting piece of history....Mark Felton never disappoints!
Sometimes bad weather is just bad weather.
People love conspiracies but they look even less liikely after the passage of time, given our current understanding of how primitive and deadly aircraft of that era were. There was a reason why Hitler insisted on three engine rule (which probably wouldn’t make a difference in this case). Not sure why a better plane was not available for such a high official.
Well, the HE-111 was actually a very GOOD airplane, popular with it's pilots and British test pilot Captain Eric Brown was impressed with the captured one he test-flew.
However, you can have the best airplane in the world and if the pilot's not as well-trained in the type as he should be and you throw in marginal flight conditions then it's a recipe for trouble any way you look at it.
Old aviators saying, "If the birds are walking so should you!"
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 sure it was an excellent plane by the standards of 1940s. But today’s military planes can probably fly in any conditions.
@@borisgurevich5504 Certainly. As good as it was the HE-111 is no 21st Century airplane. It has no "E-Z Fly" button (quoting my USAF veteran brother) like modern aircraft do.
Always very interesting 👍👍
Anytime there’s a cord or button they say not to pull/push, someone’s gotta do it.. 😂