To Akirameerkat - ok... of course this show would never make an episode about Japanese aces because IT ISN'T ABOUT THE JAPANESE ACES!!! It's about Americans and their stories and victories. And, yeah, it's predictable because WE WON THE WAR!!! (DUH.)
@JaleelJohanson62, it was Tojo who brought the war, of course, if the US never set the oil embargo, then the war wouldn't have happened, and it would have just been a long stand off in the pacific
@Akirameerkat True, but peace can never be contingent on continual appeasement. This was the lesson Great Britain learned almost to her peril with Hitler.
A win for the Japanese at Midway could well have changed their fortunes for the naval war in the Pacific. The damage inflicted on US warships by Kamikaze was beyond anything anyone had imagined. And when you consider a single plane and pilot could take a carrier out of the battle at some level it was a successful tactic.
@blkwtch37 Not to pick a fight but you should read a book 'Shattered Sword'. Even IF Japan had somehow won at Midway, there's no way Japan could've won in the Pacific.
The Japanese may well have been onto something with the Kamikaze squadrons though. The US commanders later admitted they didn't have an effective tactic against them. If they had used at Midway it could well have been a different result there.
Suicide pilots weren't crazy mad maybe but not crazy. They needed extreme discipline and incredible courage to carry out their task. It was their culture that gave them the mindset. The rest of us just aren't made that way. There were plenty of instances of allied soldiers carrying out a task knowing it was a one way ticket. It just wasn't a mass mindset it was due to circumstance.
Man you guys don't have a clue. The Japanese pilots that started the war were very well trained and disciplined and very skilled. They had vastly superior aircraft in the Zero in the beginning but the leadership let them down. They considered pilots expendable whereas the yanks went to extraordinary lengths to recover downed pilots. They also designed aircraft that protectwd rhe pilot whereas the Zero had no armour. Japan lost by squandering their assets.
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Allies only beat the Germans and Japs in air combat due to superior planes, and poor leadership. The German fighters were by far the most skilled pilots. The Japanese were just ridiculous and suicidal in their discipline and tactics. How do you just hold position and wait to get shot down as you watch each of your buddies go down systematically next to you? Insane.
@Vendigo13 The only dick that got sucked tonite was mine, by that cunt bitch you call your mother. Piss off you little shit talking You Tube troll. Loser
Allies just won because of their majority of planes, german ME262 and TA152 were superior to everything the allied had! And dont forget the Horten 229...
@Hoerkelis Too little, and too late were those excellent designs. The P-51D, P-47D, and P-38 could more than hold their own against the principle German fighters, the FW-190 and Bf-109. The Horton 229 IIRC never got past the experimental stage BTW. Nice idea, but never reached operational status.
Superior Aircraft eh? You do know We fought with the P-51 while The Germans had the BF-109, the FW-190 and even the ME-252. And as for the Pacific Theatre the Japs had the Wide variety of the A6Ms while we fought with the Wildcats and maybe even a few F4Us, so our planes could have easily been destroyed but the enemy Pilots had No skill. NO SKILL.
@drahon45 Late in the war after attrition took its toll, you're right. But prior to that? The IJAAF and IJNAF had a bumper crop of experienced combat pilots, and were not by any means push overs.
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compared to the german aces and for that matter any and everyone else... the yanks were and are shit useless pilots and fighters. We found the yank to be gutless and despite being overly armed poorly trained and lacking any bravery or belief in what they fight for except personal greed.
@PimpinDeezNiggahz "We" being whom? Any one of the Axis powers we helped *defeat?* Riight, that's how so many of our pilots were able to make ace; they were "useless" and lacked "...any bravery." BTW, was yours one of the countries we "useless" Yanks helped to rebuild after the war was over? Do tell.
@PimpinDeezNiggahz Right. That's why we won and the Ratzis and their Japanese and other assorted Axis allies lost the war. Real brave, those Luftwaffe and IJAAF pilots who strafed civilian refugee columns as a matter of routine and officially-sanctioned policy. Quite the set of "beliefs" those Luftwaffe pilots especially were fighting for, quite the set of utterly morally bankrupt beliefs indeed, mein herr. God pity you indeed.
I don't understand something. I thought a pilot needed a secondary confirmation of any kill before it was official. He was flying solo for all of this.
now a days that is true but back then war was ten times worse so they got xcited [guessing] about a jap goin down...its war time wouldnt u be happy [if your american] if we said we killed osama bin laden?
I fail to see your point. I kinda like seeing what's left of Bin Laden every now & then. He looks & sounds pathetic. I feel his deteriorating appearance hurts their movement, not helps it. I turned down a ride in a Hellcat trainer several years ago. I was a poor college student. I still regret it... It was bad-*ssed, doing pseudo-strafing runs over the field.
I think the only purpose of this show was just to glorify the Americans in WW2 , its always in the cockpit of F4Fs or F6F, they would never make an episode about Japanese aces, like Saburo Sakai or Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, but at least its entertainment, but is very predictable
It's all about tv entertainment targetted to the home team demographic.
Also, they only interview live pilots, except for one or two bits they covered on WW1.
Saburo Sakai was an interesting character & person, that's for sure. There's at least one reneactment vid on youtoube about one of his famous dogfights.
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yes, the documentary "dogfight over Guadalcanal" I guess its just made for a American audience. they did the same thing with the show Enterprise 360, where they just refer to the Japanese as the enemy.
I remember one epsiode where a P-47 caught fire after being shot by a Bf-109 it stayed flying the whole episode, but this show would never show an american plane go down
yes watch dogfights german top secret weapons it shows a komet 163 shooting down 2 american bombers and getting back to base safe... later it shows a komet shoot down a p38 in a dogfight
i would love to see a dogfight episode on the luftwaffe aces with 200+ victories, just for the interviews... but i by no means want to search for allies dying in the war, as my papa and grandpas brother were both in the rcaf, my great uncle was shot down in 44 in a typhoon, my papa flew spits from 41-43 than was stationed in englan to train on tiger moths and spits till the end of the war... dog fighting was machine vs machine, you werent out to shoot the guy but to take down the plane
my grandfather was a zero pilot,, he has all his stories logged in his journal.. he shot down wildcats and 1 SBD, 1 mustang in 45. .. he did it, because it was either him of the enemy who would survive. unfortunately, those of Japan's aces, have mostly died off..Sakai in 2000, I don't know if Tanimizu is still alive or not..
@Akirameerkat i totally agree with u and some other episodes show israeli aces y not pakistani aces who made record kills but ya just american heroism is always glorified buh
@khansahab846 I can believe the stories in the P51 episode, and the one in the zero killer about the hellcat, but this one in particular I feel is mostly exaggerated to the American bias. since there is no way a SBD could ever out turn a zero, it is not aerodynamically possible.
@Akirameerkat Saburo Sakai was depicted in this series Battle of Guadalcanal Mistaking the Grumman TBFs for American Wildcat fighters took fire from rear gunner and lost right eye
@hammerheadrock Quite an amazing feat he pulled after that. With a bullet on his head, one eye less, losing blood and he still made it back to base. Tough guy indeed.
@Akirameerkat It may not have appeared on the History Channel, but there's an episode of Secrets of the Dead dedicated to Saburo Sakai. It's available for view on the PBS website . You might be pleasantly surprised.
@Akirameerkat just goes to show that despite our bias in viewing the war, we Americans can still give credit where its due to a truly talented pilot and gracious human being (as he showed he was post WWII). It may not have aired on History, but let's face it, what airs on History Channel is basically popcorn fair and is pretty topical. If you want a more filling and rewarding experience, turn to Public Broadcasting (you know, the folks The House of Representatives voted to de-fund)
@Blenderhead71 I had the honor and privilege of meeting James Sweet in person while he was still alive. He was wearing his Medal of Honor on that occasion, and his humility and genuine human decency was evident to the proverbial dead blind man. I shook his hand, and thanked him for his service to our country. Speaking with him as briefly as I did was simply an amazing experience indeed.
@Akirameerkat there is no doubt there were incredible pilots in both the japanese and german airforce but why would an american company boast about them? the other problem is not to many countries want to talk about wars they lost so its not the type of program they would produce.
Sorry I didn't realize you were a fighter pilot. And he was about 50 yards behind them, and they did NOTHING to evade. It doesn't get easier than his last 4 kills.
id like to see you do that. though it was pretty easy, he was gonna run outa altitude eventualy and there were other fighters around AND the VAL has a rear gunner.
it doesnt matter staying in formation is #1... if one had broke off he would of lost any chance of survival.... a p47, p51, spifire only has a min min and a half of ammunition so for him to conserve ammunition to shoot down multiples is very disciplined...
what do you think when b-29's encountered me 109's etc. they broke formation no some were shot down the rest kept going... you break formation youve become extremely vulnerable
@mzdamx3rs More importantly, planes with turret-mounted guns were able to cover one another's vulnerable areas. The Vals, however, seem to have a communal blind spot.
pues contra avionetas japonesas lentas y sin potencia usando esa porqueria de avion pues cualquier piloto mediocre se hace as, lo mas destacable de los pilotos de la navy era su preparacion para despegue de portaviones que por cierto los constructores usaron madera para la cubierta un error muy caro , los britanicos usaron acero y los kamicazes rebotaban en las cubiertas y en la navy se iban hasta la cocina , la aviacion japonesa siempre fue de tercera categoria
yes the game is great i have everthing from it but the lame attack strategy from the ai aircrafts on bombers and tha lack of flyeble aircrafts pulls the game down. the game misses alternatives.
i mean IL-2 1946 is on steam for 9.99, not just the IL-2 game. I like it since it has all the expansions too. There are usually a few hundred on hyperlobby for IL-2, but i sure get shot down a lot.
Stop playing n00b arcade servers with tags and try a more strategical approach of full real.. try getting into a good squad, a lot of fun to be had and you'll have people to train with an critique you/tell you what you can do better.
Absolutely! That is what keeps the tension en exitement way up!
Still have to find a decent server like that where one's able to fly historical based missions but most of them unfortunately don't support engine sound mods :-\ This will be seen as a cheat...
vuetim92 most likely your gonna get shot before you burn.most fighter pilots shoot the tailgunners first. then they can hammer down that plane without the danger of getting shot themselves.
(continued from last comment) I know the European theater was just as insane and costly in the War.But I think the Pacific theater was worst.Not only did we lose the Pacific Fleet (or got hit hard, some ships were able to be recovered, but in a long period of time, but about 4,000 people were lost) and not to mention.Nothing against them, Germans usually surrended when about to lose, the Japanese did not believe in surrendering. So, yeah.Plus, we had help in Europe, not so much in the Pacific
i am not saying australians did not participate in the war... as some went to the front lines in europe and other places... but with as strong as the japanese navy before their loss at midway... apart from being caught offguard, if they could attack Pearl Harbor, I have to give them props for the time it took to go on with an attack like that. If they had won the Battle of Midway, they could have easily controlled half, if not all of the Pacific Ocean.
ya its not to hard to attack a country who isnt expecting it or at war with them... the germans killed over 50 million allied forces... japs tens of thousands... german mastermen(15 kills) had 100, 200 + victories japanese aces tens of kills... panzer SS tank aces like whitman had over 120 tank kills and 140 vehicle kills, and he was not near the highest scoring.. the germans blew up more of their tanks after having no fuel than we did...
Yes, it was. Because Guadalcanal was a huge stepping stone for the Allied advance, because it was one of the few islands big enough to hold a makeshift airfield, so the allies could then target the philipines and would not have to rely on aircraft carriers as much. (they did still use them, but why jepordize a carrier when you have a place on land to do your opporations?)
sweet i remember those battles like if they were yesterday and by the way i was a veteran i never became an ace though i shot down 3 before i was shot down and survived
hey dumbass. it only aired for 1 Seasaon! they talked about U.S,Britsh,the IAF an the GERMANS! o wait you don't get the channel so stfu! watch the damn thing or not since it's free on here. maybe you should do some reasearch on the show, that only aired for 1 season before opening your mouth.
i like to see him up against some of the luftwaffes finest,it seems like most of swetts victims were divebombers in less favorable aircraft,it is more of a turkey shoot than a clash of men and machines.
i love these stories i can set and listen to my granddaddy tell these all day long he's 89 and still has a vivid account of everything he took part in in ww 2 thx for our freedom vets we owe you alot
that is the truth i cant listen to my great grand dad who passed but was an incredible fighter who saved a whole pow camp not a large one but a small sized
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So if americans were so "splendid" pilots why even their best aces hardly made 40 killings. Even the best non-german fighter ace - Ilmari Juutilainen - shut down confirmed 94 enemy aircraft including Airacobras and Mustangs.
Ah, good old fashioned case of statistics as propaganda. Since you don't seem to know it, The US had a system where pilots were rotated out after a period of time to train replacement pilots. They didn't have to fly until they were killed or survived the duration of the war(thus having time to rack up 100+ kills).
It's easy to see which policy was better by comparing the quality of the pilots towards the end of the war. All the Axis' best pilotshad been killed by that point.
1. the average German pilot had .2 kills, it was only a few that could survive that got more than that
2. The Luftwaffe's definition of a kill was different than an American (the pilot's claims didn't have to be verified/shooting AT a plane counted as a kill)
All you guys have good points. But Timo, understand the Luftwaffe had been flying since 1938. And if you think about it, Poland, France, and others had crappy airforces. Easy kills. So next time know your stuff before shooting off your mouth, otherwise you'll just go down burning like a noob pilot.
It would be nice to have had situations the Finns and Germans had on the Eastern front. to be able to fly 5-15 minutes and find the enemy. 8th AF pilots sometimes had to fly missions of up to 8 hours to find something to shoot at.
Dam I love this series, It just surprises me that no serious game developer has caught on to this series. I mean as a gamer it would be friggin' cool as hell receiving intel from someone who was actually there. It just ticks me off this series will be written off as a history lesson where it can be so much more.
Our pilots were YOUNG men. Alot of them never drove a car. What are 20 something year olds doing today? Bragging about how good they are on video games. Men today are loud mouth pussies. Swett was probably 22 at the most considering his age during the interview.
I agree. Young men of today have so much oppertunities and they throw it all away,because it requires a little work to achieve anything. I wish I could grow balls on trees for them,because somewhere or somehow they lost theirs. To all you young pissants out there: GROW A PAIR...
i like this EPIC
minerdude888 1 week ago
Congrats for shooting down plastic flammable flying in a straight line.
Aidan880000 1 week ago
waist gunner and a centertail just dont wanna coop lol, the russian made the same mistake.
nolifemerc 1 month ago
To Akirameerkat - ok... of course this show would never make an episode about Japanese aces because IT ISN'T ABOUT THE JAPANESE ACES!!! It's about Americans and their stories and victories. And, yeah, it's predictable because WE WON THE WAR!!! (DUH.)
sereinut 5 months ago
Why was he flying alone? Fortunate for him there weren't any Zeros around. Helluva way to begin your combat career!
uwexdluci 7 months ago
How did they verify that a pilot has how many kills? Do they just take the pilot's word?
foodmore 8 months ago
"gave him a squirt" LOL
foodmore 8 months ago
Fragger vs Noobs
Spetznaz 9 months ago
MONSTERRRRRRR KILL!
Maxtrix07 11 months ago
every country has there heroes that are glorified chillout people
diddykongfu 1 year ago
mis respetos James Swett
gentitarroba 1 year ago
This is the stuff true American heroes are made of. Thank you James Swett for for your service and your courage.
mountainstandardtime 1 year ago
I love hearing the stories from these WWII heroes. Just remember that like it or not, the Japanese brought it on themselves.
JaleelJohanson62 1 year ago
@JaleelJohanson62, it was Tojo who brought the war, of course, if the US never set the oil embargo, then the war wouldn't have happened, and it would have just been a long stand off in the pacific
Akirameerkat 1 year ago
@Akirameerkat True, but peace can never be contingent on continual appeasement. This was the lesson Great Britain learned almost to her peril with Hitler.
JaleelJohanson62 1 year ago
@Akirameerkat No matter what Tojo brought the war. Can't blame anyone else for that.
dba7dba 1 year ago
Seven kills in one mission?? That´s got to be a record! The Val can´t take a serious beating, so I heard but that still needs a great pilot!
KrautGoesWild 1 year ago
Swett is a Gangsta!
AtlantaLovesEddy 1 year ago 2
A win for the Japanese at Midway could well have changed their fortunes for the naval war in the Pacific. The damage inflicted on US warships by Kamikaze was beyond anything anyone had imagined. And when you consider a single plane and pilot could take a carrier out of the battle at some level it was a successful tactic.
blkwtch37 1 year ago
@blkwtch37 Not to pick a fight but you should read a book 'Shattered Sword'. Even IF Japan had somehow won at Midway, there's no way Japan could've won in the Pacific.
dba7dba 1 year ago
@dba7dba i kinda agree with that , japan really lack the industry
grantourismo0109 11 months ago
The Japanese may well have been onto something with the Kamikaze squadrons though. The US commanders later admitted they didn't have an effective tactic against them. If they had used at Midway it could well have been a different result there.
blkwtch37 1 year ago
Suicide pilots weren't crazy mad maybe but not crazy. They needed extreme discipline and incredible courage to carry out their task. It was their culture that gave them the mindset. The rest of us just aren't made that way. There were plenty of instances of allied soldiers carrying out a task knowing it was a one way ticket. It just wasn't a mass mindset it was due to circumstance.
blkwtch37 1 year ago
Man you guys don't have a clue. The Japanese pilots that started the war were very well trained and disciplined and very skilled. They had vastly superior aircraft in the Zero in the beginning but the leadership let them down. They considered pilots expendable whereas the yanks went to extraordinary lengths to recover downed pilots. They also designed aircraft that protectwd rhe pilot whereas the Zero had no armour. Japan lost by squandering their assets.
blkwtch37 1 year ago
@blkwtch37 And with outdated tactics.
Kagetora2010 1 year ago
Respect.
offlimits2u 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Allies only beat the Germans and Japs in air combat due to superior planes, and poor leadership. The German fighters were by far the most skilled pilots. The Japanese were just ridiculous and suicidal in their discipline and tactics. How do you just hold position and wait to get shot down as you watch each of your buddies go down systematically next to you? Insane.
2SANFRANCISCO 1 year ago
seriously, how stupid you can be! amazing
Vendigo13 1 year ago
How stupid ''can you be''. Amazing. Get a life you fucking Loser.
2SANFRANCISCO 1 year ago
@2SANFRANCISCO what wrong, no dicks to suck tonight bitch?
Vendigo13 1 year ago
@Vendigo13 The only dick that got sucked tonite was mine, by that cunt bitch you call your mother. Piss off you little shit talking You Tube troll. Loser
2SANFRANCISCO 1 year ago
@2SANFRANCISCO yes you can luck my balls this time bitch, but don't forget to brush your teeth
Vendigo13 1 year ago
Allies just won because of their majority of planes, german ME262 and TA152 were superior to everything the allied had! And dont forget the Horten 229...
Hoerkelis 1 year ago
@Hoerkelis Too little, and too late were those excellent designs. The P-51D, P-47D, and P-38 could more than hold their own against the principle German fighters, the FW-190 and Bf-109. The Horton 229 IIRC never got past the experimental stage BTW. Nice idea, but never reached operational status.
Kagetora2010 1 year ago
@2SANFRANCISCO Yes and for every plane Germany manufactured we had 3, for every plane Japan manufactured we had 6.
LukeRech 1 year ago 2
Superior Aircraft eh? You do know We fought with the P-51 while The Germans had the BF-109, the FW-190 and even the ME-252. And as for the Pacific Theatre the Japs had the Wide variety of the A6Ms while we fought with the Wildcats and maybe even a few F4Us, so our planes could have easily been destroyed but the enemy Pilots had No skill. NO SKILL.
drahon45 1 year ago
@drahon45 me-262 dumbo
TheMaverick4444 1 year ago
@drahon45 Late in the war after attrition took its toll, you're right. But prior to that? The IJAAF and IJNAF had a bumper crop of experienced combat pilots, and were not by any means push overs.
Kagetora2010 1 year ago
Amazing
skele91 1 year ago
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compared to the german aces and for that matter any and everyone else... the yanks were and are shit useless pilots and fighters. We found the yank to be gutless and despite being overly armed poorly trained and lacking any bravery or belief in what they fight for except personal greed.
PimpinDeezNiggahz 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Seig Heil!
YouT00ber 1 year ago
@PimpinDeezNiggahz LOL , are you 5 years old?
4fingersinge 1 year ago
@4fingersinge what tha crap yo
TheMaverick4444 1 year ago
@PimpinDeezNiggahz
Yea, right. Now go back to bugering your neighbor's sheep you wannabe.
MIT1369 1 year ago
@PimpinDeezNiggahz "We" being whom? Any one of the Axis powers we helped *defeat?* Riight, that's how so many of our pilots were able to make ace; they were "useless" and lacked "...any bravery." BTW, was yours one of the countries we "useless" Yanks helped to rebuild after the war was over? Do tell.
Kagetora2010 1 year ago
@PimpinDeezNiggahz guess the personal greed was more than enough
hammerheadrock 1 year ago
@PimpinDeezNiggahz lol, we? You're a student, in where, nz? Is this what they're teaching in schools over there?
Mathyoo0179 1 year ago
@PimpinDeezNiggahz Right. That's why we won and the Ratzis and their Japanese and other assorted Axis allies lost the war. Real brave, those Luftwaffe and IJAAF pilots who strafed civilian refugee columns as a matter of routine and officially-sanctioned policy. Quite the set of "beliefs" those Luftwaffe pilots especially were fighting for, quite the set of utterly morally bankrupt beliefs indeed, mein herr. God pity you indeed.
Kagetora2010 9 months ago
I don't understand something. I thought a pilot needed a secondary confirmation of any kill before it was official. He was flying solo for all of this.
neomuttley 2 years ago
now a days that is true but back then war was ten times worse so they got xcited [guessing] about a jap goin down...its war time wouldnt u be happy [if your american] if we said we killed osama bin laden?
popsnacks2 1 year ago
I fail to see your point. I kinda like seeing what's left of Bin Laden every now & then. He looks & sounds pathetic. I feel his deteriorating appearance hurts their movement, not helps it. I turned down a ride in a Hellcat trainer several years ago. I was a poor college student. I still regret it... It was bad-*ssed, doing pseudo-strafing runs over the field.
neomuttley 1 year ago
I wish I could have known these Men,, your my personal hero's OOORAH and Semper Fi.
James1toknow 2 years ago
i totally agree!
popsnacks2 1 year ago
yah
James1toknow 2 years ago
lol the prop froze like i was sticking up my middle finger
popsnacks2 2 years ago 2
i like this game i cant stop play it :/
BestKringelis 2 years ago
i wonder if those japanese tail gunner got an in flight entertainment on board?
no one notice the american plane ?!
grantourismo0109 2 years ago 2
I miss this show, it was my favorite in history channel and i hope it will return in history channel asia
lebron23mvp1 2 years ago
hey das spiel ist der hammer kann man sich das eventuell auch gegenseitig schiken ich hätte das nämlich liebend gerne!!!
ich danke schon mal für antworten ;)
prediger2 2 years ago
das ist ne doku du trottel
computerfreak12 2 years ago
this guys awesome
chevyman5436 2 years ago 9
I think the only purpose of this show was just to glorify the Americans in WW2 , its always in the cockpit of F4Fs or F6F, they would never make an episode about Japanese aces, like Saburo Sakai or Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, but at least its entertainment, but is very predictable
Akirameerkat 2 years ago
It's all about tv entertainment targetted to the home team demographic.
Also, they only interview live pilots, except for one or two bits they covered on WW1.
Saburo Sakai was an interesting character & person, that's for sure. There's at least one reneactment vid on youtoube about one of his famous dogfights.
YouT00ber 2 years ago 6
This comment has received too many negative votes show
yes, the documentary "dogfight over Guadalcanal" I guess its just made for a American audience. they did the same thing with the show Enterprise 360, where they just refer to the Japanese as the enemy.
Akirameerkat 2 years ago
@YouT00ber
It's a little hard to interview "Dead Pilots". 8^p
MIT1369 1 year ago
yeah its pretty heavy on the america is great stuff.
cokehead1969 2 years ago
I remember one epsiode where a P-47 caught fire after being shot by a Bf-109 it stayed flying the whole episode, but this show would never show an american plane go down
Akirameerkat 2 years ago
yes watch dogfights german top secret weapons it shows a komet 163 shooting down 2 american bombers and getting back to base safe... later it shows a komet shoot down a p38 in a dogfight
mzdamx3rs 2 years ago
I was surprised when they they did the P-51 episode, and it showed a P-51 shot down by a zero..during one of the stories. .
Akirameerkat 2 years ago
i would love to see a dogfight episode on the luftwaffe aces with 200+ victories, just for the interviews... but i by no means want to search for allies dying in the war, as my papa and grandpas brother were both in the rcaf, my great uncle was shot down in 44 in a typhoon, my papa flew spits from 41-43 than was stationed in englan to train on tiger moths and spits till the end of the war... dog fighting was machine vs machine, you werent out to shoot the guy but to take down the plane
mzdamx3rs 2 years ago
my grandfather was a zero pilot,, he has all his stories logged in his journal.. he shot down wildcats and 1 SBD, 1 mustang in 45. .. he did it, because it was either him of the enemy who would survive. unfortunately, those of Japan's aces, have mostly died off..Sakai in 2000, I don't know if Tanimizu is still alive or not..
Akirameerkat 2 years ago
mzdamx3rs the ME-163 never shot down a p-38, it shot down a British Mossy.
Dogmeat1950 2 years ago
@Akirameerkat Maybe becuase its an American show..lol
icanmyshoetie 2 years ago
yeah, thats probably it.. why this show would never be shown in other countries except maybe israel. and the UK
Akirameerkat 2 years ago
@icanmyshoetie lol yet it shows isareli aces...n their examplary feats
khansahab846 1 year ago
@Akirameerkat i totally agree with u and some other episodes show israeli aces y not pakistani aces who made record kills but ya just american heroism is always glorified buh
khansahab846 1 year ago
@khansahab846 I can believe the stories in the P51 episode, and the one in the zero killer about the hellcat, but this one in particular I feel is mostly exaggerated to the American bias. since there is no way a SBD could ever out turn a zero, it is not aerodynamically possible.
Akirameerkat 1 year ago
@Akirameerkat Saburo Sakai was depicted in this series Battle of Guadalcanal Mistaking the Grumman TBFs for American Wildcat fighters took fire from rear gunner and lost right eye
hammerheadrock 1 year ago
@hammerheadrock I don't recall it ever mentioning Sakai, it wasn't a TBF he attacked it, was a SBD dauntless..
Akirameerkat 1 year ago
@hammerheadrock Quite an amazing feat he pulled after that. With a bullet on his head, one eye less, losing blood and he still made it back to base. Tough guy indeed.
bfahren 1 year ago
@Akirameerkat It may not have appeared on the History Channel, but there's an episode of Secrets of the Dead dedicated to Saburo Sakai. It's available for view on the PBS website . You might be pleasantly surprised.
Blenderhead71 1 year ago
@Blenderhead71 I would be if it had aired on histry channel
Akirameerkat 1 year ago
@Akirameerkat just goes to show that despite our bias in viewing the war, we Americans can still give credit where its due to a truly talented pilot and gracious human being (as he showed he was post WWII). It may not have aired on History, but let's face it, what airs on History Channel is basically popcorn fair and is pretty topical. If you want a more filling and rewarding experience, turn to Public Broadcasting (you know, the folks The House of Representatives voted to de-fund)
Blenderhead71 10 months ago
@Blenderhead71 I had the honor and privilege of meeting James Sweet in person while he was still alive. He was wearing his Medal of Honor on that occasion, and his humility and genuine human decency was evident to the proverbial dead blind man. I shook his hand, and thanked him for his service to our country. Speaking with him as briefly as I did was simply an amazing experience indeed.
Kagetora2010 9 months ago
@Akirameerkat Seeing as it is history, and has already happened, I suspect it can't help but be predictable.
williamlasl 1 year ago
@Akirameerkat there is no doubt there were incredible pilots in both the japanese and german airforce but why would an american company boast about them? the other problem is not to many countries want to talk about wars they lost so its not the type of program they would produce.
my thoughts anyway.
123456789mischief 9 months ago
what an amazing story!
popsnacks2 2 years ago
Sorry I didn't realize you were a fighter pilot. And he was about 50 yards behind them, and they did NOTHING to evade. It doesn't get easier than his last 4 kills.
c150ace 2 years ago
id like to see you do that. though it was pretty easy, he was gonna run outa altitude eventualy and there were other fighters around AND the VAL has a rear gunner.
atomicmonkey1 2 years ago
@c150ace...
it doesnt matter staying in formation is #1... if one had broke off he would of lost any chance of survival.... a p47, p51, spifire only has a min min and a half of ammunition so for him to conserve ammunition to shoot down multiples is very disciplined...
what do you think when b-29's encountered me 109's etc. they broke formation no some were shot down the rest kept going... you break formation youve become extremely vulnerable
mzdamx3rs 2 years ago
@mzdamx3rs More importantly, planes with turret-mounted guns were able to cover one another's vulnerable areas. The Vals, however, seem to have a communal blind spot.
DrThunder88 2 years ago
amazing! glad he survived the crash landing
breedingguy 2 years ago
Yeah right yeah kids he's dead ! Burned to that thing ye all call hell
RaunchyRocker 2 years ago
he downed 9 or 10 bombers on his first mission..?Wow..truely an ACE & MOH recipient.
electrochubb 2 years ago
F4F Wildcat still kicks #%& lol. Marine Air Wing ftw. But you gotta love the F4U Corsair. Remember 5 kills means you're an ace.
LilATL94 2 years ago
It's called the Medal of Honor, not the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Honestly, I don't know why every tries to give so much credit to congress, especially these days.
MuhammadIsMyBitch 2 years ago
7 kills on your 1st mission, excellent work, even if they were all slow bombers
c150ace 2 years ago
Easy meat apparently, but that's 7 bombers that could no longer threaten US forces. A lucky Val or two could sink an aircraft carrier.
ahz123 2 years ago
It doesn't matter who you're shooting at, it takes skill
BMunich16 2 years ago
What simulator do they use for this tv show? Maybe an hotted up version of Sturmovik?
anbujaked 2 years ago
CGI
BMunich16 2 years ago
pues contra avionetas japonesas lentas y sin potencia usando esa porqueria de avion pues cualquier piloto mediocre se hace as, lo mas destacable de los pilotos de la navy era su preparacion para despegue de portaviones que por cierto los constructores usaron madera para la cubierta un error muy caro , los britanicos usaron acero y los kamicazes rebotaban en las cubiertas y en la navy se iban hasta la cocina , la aviacion japonesa siempre fue de tercera categoria
soyhemorroide 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Waste of life and material!
bjvids 2 years ago
what a great pilot
princeofshit 2 years ago 3
this is just F***ING amazing.
leftywitt 2 years ago 3
You can buy the game IL-2 from steam for only 9.99. It's the most realistic WW2 flight sim to date on computer.
chrisinsocalif 2 years ago 4
yes the game is great i have everthing from it but the lame attack strategy from the ai aircrafts on bombers and tha lack of flyeble aircrafts pulls the game down. the game misses alternatives.
nolifemerc 2 years ago 3
1946 is better, more people play it online.. and you can open it up to fly all the planes in-game and even some new ones.
Pwnzistor 2 years ago 2
i mean IL-2 1946 is on steam for 9.99, not just the IL-2 game. I like it since it has all the expansions too. There are usually a few hundred on hyperlobby for IL-2, but i sure get shot down a lot.
chrisinsocalif 2 years ago
Stop playing n00b arcade servers with tags and try a more strategical approach of full real.. try getting into a good squad, a lot of fun to be had and you'll have people to train with an critique you/tell you what you can do better.
Pwnzistor 2 years ago
Absolutely! That is what keeps the tension en exitement way up!
Still have to find a decent server like that where one's able to fly historical based missions but most of them unfortunately don't support engine sound mods :-\ This will be seen as a cheat...
Anacinc 2 years ago
He's a good pilot.
historian246 2 years ago
RIP to Mr. Swett. A true American Hero!
Dietpepsivanilla 3 years ago
James Swett was my great uncle... Thank you James for being so awesome. :)
HeathFirelfyAi 3 years ago 6
This gentleman lives in my hometown and passed away recently. To you sir, "Thank You".
jeannietijerina 3 years ago 4
i would not want to be a tailgunner, most likly you are gonna burn.
VueTim92 3 years ago
vuetim92 most likely your gonna get shot before you burn.most fighter pilots shoot the tailgunners first. then they can hammer down that plane without the danger of getting shot themselves.
jpogfani 3 years ago
hmm, thats a good point lol
pureindian407 3 years ago
(continued from last comment) I know the European theater was just as insane and costly in the War.But I think the Pacific theater was worst.Not only did we lose the Pacific Fleet (or got hit hard, some ships were able to be recovered, but in a long period of time, but about 4,000 people were lost) and not to mention.Nothing against them, Germans usually surrended when about to lose, the Japanese did not believe in surrendering. So, yeah.Plus, we had help in Europe, not so much in the Pacific
WingsofGold4045 3 years ago
us australians gave em hell just as much as the americans did its just american document things a hole lot more
GEPPKAOS 3 years ago
i am not saying australians did not participate in the war... as some went to the front lines in europe and other places... but with as strong as the japanese navy before their loss at midway... apart from being caught offguard, if they could attack Pearl Harbor, I have to give them props for the time it took to go on with an attack like that. If they had won the Battle of Midway, they could have easily controlled half, if not all of the Pacific Ocean.
WingsofGold4045 3 years ago
very true!!
GEPPKAOS 3 years ago
ya its not to hard to attack a country who isnt expecting it or at war with them... the germans killed over 50 million allied forces... japs tens of thousands... german mastermen(15 kills) had 100, 200 + victories japanese aces tens of kills... panzer SS tank aces like whitman had over 120 tank kills and 140 vehicle kills, and he was not near the highest scoring.. the germans blew up more of their tanks after having no fuel than we did...
no part of the war was worse all were equally bad
mzdamx3rs 2 years ago
Yes, it was. Because Guadalcanal was a huge stepping stone for the Allied advance, because it was one of the few islands big enough to hold a makeshift airfield, so the allies could then target the philipines and would not have to rely on aircraft carriers as much. (they did still use them, but why jepordize a carrier when you have a place on land to do your opporations?)
WingsofGold4045 3 years ago
Guadalcanal was, and is in some parts, the definition of a hellhole island.
LordAkira 3 years ago
ace in a day with guns thats preety muuch a dream now with super missles, stealth,and who knows what they are cooking in those desert bases
phonix032 3 years ago
sweet i remember those battles like if they were yesterday and by the way i was a veteran i never became an ace though i shot down 3 before i was shot down and survived
jonnyromero 3 years ago
um...can you do me a favor?
YouT00ber 3 years ago
sure what do u need
jonnyromero 3 years ago
stfu, thx!
YouT00ber 3 years ago
look up richard candalaria that was one of my battles
jonnyromero 3 years ago
i was there too , you were sucking my cock during the fight remember?
ARXHMalakas 3 years ago
all i remember is ur mom freak of course i wasnt there idiot
jonnyromero 3 years ago
it says u r 25
lcc12572 3 years ago
veteran of what war?
RenerDeCastro 3 years ago
k1971 and POLMAZURKA please post a list of shows from the countries you named that feature American pilots victories. Thanks in advance for nothing.
Rikki0 3 years ago
americans owned japanese and german troops in WWII
IR0NMAIDEN12 3 years ago
was it for a female narrator, dogfights would had been a better place
alielhaddad 3 years ago
Dogfights!
A tragically one sided view of air combat!
Who cares about the russians, the polish, the germans, the japanese, the british, the french, the australians, the new zealanders....
yooo ess aye ! !! ! !
edx881122 3 years ago
No one ever remembers who finished second.
In this case we don't give a shit about losers.
Kaaaaapeshhhhhhhhhhhhhh?
transit1457 3 years ago 2
hey dumbass. it only aired for 1 Seasaon! they talked about U.S,Britsh,the IAF an the GERMANS! o wait you don't get the channel so stfu! watch the damn thing or not since it's free on here. maybe you should do some reasearch on the show, that only aired for 1 season before opening your mouth.
Dogmeat7 3 years ago
2 seasons* look some time
jrffkb 3 years ago
yeah, I agree.
RomanatorII 3 years ago
These guys are unbelievable
BradBaldwintheDrumm 3 years ago
james swett saludos desde chile.
misterswetty 3 years ago
This guy's awsome.
Redeemedsinner17 3 years ago
i like to see him up against some of the luftwaffes finest,it seems like most of swetts victims were divebombers in less favorable aircraft,it is more of a turkey shoot than a clash of men and machines.
k1971C 3 years ago
Like you've never heard of Swede Vejtasa, He flew an SBD dauntless dive bomber and shot down 3 zeros, one in a ramming attack
Redeemedsinner17 3 years ago 2
and what exactly is your point?
k1971C 3 years ago
they could've stricked back
Redeemedsinner17 3 years ago
verner voss was the best pilot i have seen in the dogfight series he was german and fought against 8 aces at once,he was a true hero in my eyes
k1971C 3 years ago
i have to agree with you in that one, and really he deserved to live
Redeemedsinner17 3 years ago
not enougt context--------why no jap fighters?
POLMAZURKA 3 years ago
They were too busy crashing into carriers.
cas343 3 years ago 2
Haha that one was funny
Redeemedsinner17 3 years ago
dive bomber rear gunners must have had balls of steel...imagine diving backwards at 500 mph
ismu34 3 years ago 3
7 kills at once!
thegarlands04 3 years ago 2
RESPECT I'm badly impressed Swett is a real hero like only the WWII had made some...few. Salute to James Swett
axellegrand7777 3 years ago 4
He shot down that 8th Val? So did he finished that with 7 kills?
Silent46 4 years ago
i love these stories i can set and listen to my granddaddy tell these all day long he's 89 and still has a vivid account of everything he took part in in ww 2 thx for our freedom vets we owe you alot
staceman32 4 years ago 5
that is the truth i cant listen to my great grand dad who passed but was an incredible fighter who saved a whole pow camp not a large one but a small sized
Tlyormartin 3 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
So if americans were so "splendid" pilots why even their best aces hardly made 40 killings. Even the best non-german fighter ace - Ilmari Juutilainen - shut down confirmed 94 enemy aircraft including Airacobras and Mustangs.
timo1595 4 years ago
Ah, good old fashioned case of statistics as propaganda. Since you don't seem to know it, The US had a system where pilots were rotated out after a period of time to train replacement pilots. They didn't have to fly until they were killed or survived the duration of the war(thus having time to rack up 100+ kills).
It's easy to see which policy was better by comparing the quality of the pilots towards the end of the war. All the Axis' best pilotshad been killed by that point.
YouT00ber 4 years ago
In addition to that:
1. the average German pilot had .2 kills, it was only a few that could survive that got more than that
2. The Luftwaffe's definition of a kill was different than an American (the pilot's claims didn't have to be verified/shooting AT a plane counted as a kill)
LtOlson 4 years ago
Correct on the first, but actually, the 2nd point is wrong, as the Luftwaffe kills had to be confrmed by ground personnel or wingmen.
geohack 4 years ago
make sense
axellegrand7777 3 years ago
we entered later in the war
Redeemedsinner17 4 years ago
All you guys have good points. But Timo, understand the Luftwaffe had been flying since 1938. And if you think about it, Poland, France, and others had crappy airforces. Easy kills. So next time know your stuff before shooting off your mouth, otherwise you'll just go down burning like a noob pilot.
PoignantFeticide 4 years ago
It would be nice to have had situations the Finns and Germans had on the Eastern front. to be able to fly 5-15 minutes and find the enemy. 8th AF pilots sometimes had to fly missions of up to 8 hours to find something to shoot at.
jp28hc 3 years ago
guys like these
are what gives the word
"hardcore"
the true meaning
airstation86 4 years ago
amen thx swett
staceman32 4 years ago
this episode was effin awesome
asscracker152 4 years ago 3
damn japs never had a chance
92Twitchy92 4 years ago 3
Dam I love this series, It just surprises me that no serious game developer has caught on to this series. I mean as a gamer it would be friggin' cool as hell receiving intel from someone who was actually there. It just ticks me off this series will be written off as a history lesson where it can be so much more.
akh32 4 years ago
Dogfights is an online game on History DOT com.
But if this was picked up by Ubisoft or another popular game developer. It would be one of the greatest games ever made.
ninboy01 4 years ago
This happened on my birthday, lol
japz0021 4 years ago
Our pilots were YOUNG men. Alot of them never drove a car. What are 20 something year olds doing today? Bragging about how good they are on video games. Men today are loud mouth pussies. Swett was probably 22 at the most considering his age during the interview.
tamapalagi 4 years ago 3
I agree. Young men of today have so much oppertunities and they throw it all away,because it requires a little work to achieve anything. I wish I could grow balls on trees for them,because somewhere or somehow they lost theirs. To all you young pissants out there: GROW A PAIR...
DEANMARITA 4 years ago 2