Gun camera footage from German aircraft.

[strawberry 9]

I haven't seen this kind of footage very often. Definately not fun to watch but it shows a glimpse of what Allied Airmen went through.

 

http://youtu.be/vfYMtSiFuIc

 

[SergeantMajorGray]

Warning don't read the video's comments.

[aef1917]

Warning don't read the video's comments.

 

Don't ever read the comments. On anything.

[Wharfmaster]

We often forget that the life expectancy of a WW2 aviator (both sides) was very short.

 

 

W

[cutiger83]

We often forget that the life expectancy of a WW2 aviator (both sides) was very short.

 

Very true...

 

While I also normally bypass comments because basically the people who post don’t know what in the heck they are talking about, I have to agree that the Luftwaffe was a very good air force. It is true that most of the top 200 WWII aces were from Germany. The first American ace does not appear until over 200 people down into the list. Now granted Wikipedia is correct when it states “Fighter aces in World War II had tremendously varying kill scores, affected as they were by many factors: the pilot’s skill level, the performance of the airplane he flew and those he flew against, how long he served, his opportunity to meet the enemy in the air (Allied to Axis disproportion), and the standards his air service brought to the awarding of victory credits.” Wikipedia also states “Additionally, national policies differed; German and Japanese pilots tended to return to the cockpit over and over again until they were killed, while very successful Allied pilots were routinely rotated back to training bases to educate cadet flyers.”

 

There are varying factors to determine aces but my point is that we should not discredit the abilities of the Luftwaffe in WWII.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_flying_aces

[Jack's Son]

I'm not going to watch again.

[strawberry 9]

Sorry, not sure what the comments say because I don't read comments often. Hope everyone understands that I was just posting the video and not ascribing to anything said in the comments section.

[cutiger83]

I'm not going to watch again.

 

 

I don't understand why people won't watch again. Unless you look at war from all sides, how will you understand the sacrifices made?

 

When I see this, I see the punishment these planes could take and keep flying. Even the Luftwaffe talked about how much it took to actually bring down a bomber.

 

...Kat

[littlebuddy]

Im now wondering, if any of the Mustangs shot down in the footage are of a certain pilot I have been researching ???

[namvet]

I can't read German anyway. it's graphic enough. but soon the hunter became the hunted.

[Sabrejet]

Very distressing viewing. None of us can imagine the sheer terror the ten young crewmen inside each bomber must have felt as it was being raked by cannon fire. War is hell. However, both the USAAF/ allied air forces and the Luftwaffe used similar gun-camera footage to train their pilots. Aerial combat was a strange thing. Memoirs by WW2 fighter pilots usually talk about just "taking out the plane" in an impersonal way, as though there was no-one actually flying or crewing it. I suppose it made it somehow easier to bear?

[Jack's Son]

I realize that this is war, and both sides had similar goals. Somehow this video was not to my liking, I guess I'm loosing my bloodlust.

[littlebuddy]

I realize that this is war, and both sides had similar goals. Somehow this video was not to my liking, I guess I'm loosing my bloodlust.

 

No JS just that you and everyone else (I hope ) understands how fragile life is

 

LB

[strawberry 9]

When we see footage of "the other guys" getting shot down I think most of us just see the aircraft. This is along the same lines as what Saberjet was saying. When we see our aircraft being shot down we automatically think of the crewmembers flying the plane. Like in all wars I suppose, not seeing the enemy as a person is a way to cope with the violence.

[Jack's Son]

Hey, now if it were the Tax Collector.....that I would watch over and over!!

[doinworkinvans]

I think its a fantastic video of something we rarely think about and I thank you for sharing it! Its a side of war we dont want to think about or admit, but it does help me/us (those who didnt serve) that war really is hell.

[vostoktrading]

Hey, now if it were the Tax Collector.....that I would watch over and over!!

 

Or the MeterPerson (metermaid?)

[38Driver]

Im now wondering, if any of the Mustangs shot down in the footage are of a certain pilot I have been researching ???

Your pilot was on the deck when they got bounced. Based on the film I don't think any of the US fighters seen were actually shot down. The first 51 took one hit and the Jug looked like it took a strike on the left wing. The 38s were clearly bounced on the deck so probably 9th AF birds. The target 38 really bent his bird to get out of the line of fire. The 2nd 51 took a couple hits, but nothing that would confirm it went down.

 

If the German pilots were awarded kills based on that film I'd be surprised.

 

A couple of the solo 17s appear to have already been abandoned as the ball turret guns are pointed straight down which would indicate the gunner has vacated the turret as to get the hatch to open inside the plane the turret was rotated that way.

 

We tend to romanticize and glorify the airwar but it was a really bloody business.

[littlebuddy]

"A couple of the solo 17s appear to have already been abandoned as the ball turret guns are pointed straight down which would indicate the gunner has vacated the turret as to get the hatch to open inside the plane the turret was rotated that way "

 

 

I had a very similar thought regarding that observation, there seemed to be no evasive maneuverers taken at all ???

 

LB

[Kadet]

Rest assured, these were terrifying encounters for both sides. What you can't see in the footage is the wall of lead being hurled back at the German fighter pilots by the bomber formations. Not only the one being attacked, but others in the formation. The Luftwaffe discovered that the most effective and safest way to attack a bomber was from directly in front and above...12'oclock high in USAAF parlance. The closing speed of the two aircraft in this scenario is incredible though.

[Sabrejet]

Some of the most gut-wrenching footage is that taken by Signal Corps cameramen on board US bombers during missions over Germany. We've all seen images of B-17s tumbling out of the sky as though in slow-mo, whilst desperately counting the 'chutes which we hope will appear....or the sight of a B-24 taking a direct hit in its wing which breaks off and then the plane begins cartwheeling inexorably towards the ground. As far as I'm concerned, the young airmen who put their lives at risk day in and day out were the bravest of the brave...real heroes...both USAAF by day and RAF by night. Their combined losses were horrendous. We owe them a debt of gratitude and honour their memory by collecting and preserving their remaining medals and artefacts.