The Lady Jeannette

[LethalHobo]

oh duh its in the description rofl

[LethalHobo]

I hear morgan freemans voice in my head.. is the opening music from shawshank redemption? Its gotta be thomas newman at least..

[Joshuajlawn]

I love these stories. In history, WW2 means the most to me, in terms of war. I study the Civil War, revolutionary war and every other war this nation has fought. But WW2 in my mind stands out. I suppose its because it was such a terrible conflict, not that any of the other wars we have fought weren't. Its because my Great Grandpa Hill was a flight engineer on a B-29. He entered in too late to fight. Yet I know he would have bravley fought with every other man who stood up for this nation.

[woodbinedrinker]

Judging by the names, you'd think they flew for the Luftwaffe.

[SuperPapi83]

respect to all those men and everone who helped save my country in those planes, if it wasnt for you guys i might be speaking german!

[4shacks1house]

@SuperPapi83 Like that's a bad thing...LOL....

[vroomba03]

i hate it when the press today makes iraq and afghanistan seem so horrible and then blame the army for its tactics, and call it a pointless war. More people would die in one day in WWII than all of Operation Freeedom in iraq and afghanistan. Im not saying todays war against terror isnt horrid, but our generation truely doesnt understand war like past generations, and the sacrifice it takes.

[rickd248]

Now, before you label me a racist because I don't like the man, I would have voted for Alan Keys in a heart beat. This guy can't even say his own name without a teleprompter. So far, the terroist who tried to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day is not being tried as a terroist. Three Navy SEALS are being court marshalled for slugging a terroist and he will not stop it. Hitler Nationalized companies when he came to power, for the first time in our history, it's happened here now, by Obama.

[judgedredd123]

@rickd248 How dare you compare Obama to Hitler. When you or your children and parents are sent to gas chambers or slave camps, neighbours are shipped of in the middle of the night and others found dead in the streets, then and only then you may have a point. Don't dare to belittle Hitler because you don't like Obama's politics.You insult not only the concentration camp victims, but many brave Americans that died fighting Hitler

[judgedredd123]

@rickd248 How dare you compare Obama to Hitler. When you or your children and parents are sent to gas chambers or slave camps, neighbours are shipped of in the middle of the night and others found dead in the streets, then and only then you may have a point. Don't dare to belittle Hitler because you don't like Obama's politics.You insult not only the concentration camp victims, but many brave Americans that died fighting Hitler

[rickd248]

Kildeby, if you want examples, how about calling a white policeman stupid? Then when a black army officers kills a number of his fellow troops, he says "Let's not jump to any conclusions." That sounds pretty racist to me. He had NO business making that comment about a civilian police officer, and would not have done so if the other person involved had not been black. As to people of color in the US, I know several who think he is a total idiot who should never have been elected.

[golfprobro4eagles]

You are comparing Hitler to Obama.

OMG Hitler was way better looking.

[aqinthe]

@golfprobro4eagles Hitler wore way better looking clothes than Obama. I don't like the Nazis but they were some pretty snappy dressers. When you'r military has a skull on their helmet you know there not building schools or helping people!

[slowstrummer1]

Obama and Hitler???? What are you an idiot??? You are a disgrace to your country you hick. Read a book, travel but do wake up please!!

[cdfe3388]

So I'm a hick because I read history, recognize parallels, and don't blindly accept what MTV says? I'm not saying that Obama is Adolf Hitler reborn, I'm just pointing out that there are similarities. These may turn out to be meaningless, or they may hint at a darker purpose behind our new president. But am I an idiot for recognizing these similarities, or are you an idiot for ignoring them? Or can we just disagree like mature adults without insulting eachother?

[kildeby]

Maybe you could elaborate a bit on the subject? I mean, the conditions prior to the public choosing these two candidates weren't exactly the same...

[cdfe3388]

No, but they were similar. A country facing severe economic downturn is run by a government percieved to have utterly failed. A charismatic liberal candidate with known racist views rises from obscurity with a message of "Hope and Change". Many voters are so mesmerized by his charisma that they support him without knowing much about his actual policies and plans.

Hitler was regarded as a liberal in 1931, and Obama has made racist statements in the past.

Not the same, but similar

[raphi73]

cdfe3388: "Hitler was regarded as a liberal ..."

Certainly not! His first public was disgruntled ex-Imperial Army members, the most conservative part of Germany at the time.

Hitler and his SAs were as much liberal as Charlton Heston and the NRA members...

[slowstrummer1]

Yes you are an idiot, you have not read your history. National Socialism in Germany and Obama in America are quite different things. Did you mean similar like Saturn is round like earth but are different planets? This is why we are effed in America with gong show intellectuals like yourself. Hellooooo?

[cdfe3388]

I seem to have read more history than you. Again, I say only that there are similarities. I don't go around shouting "Obama is evil!"

You insist that I must be a "dumb hick" (a very prejudicial description that demonstrates ignorance, arrogance, and unjustified hatred every bit as much as any racial slur) because I hint at disagreement with you. You seem offended because I dare to question your clear intellectual and moral superiority, your histrionic dismissal of a valid point.

[kildeby]

Please do enlighten me about how Barack Obama can be perceived as a racist. What actual quotes are we talking about, and by all means do refer to your sources.

[cdfe3388]

It's kinda hard to ignore his long close association with Jeremiah Wright. In his book (sorry, don't have it handy for direct quotes, though I HAVE read it) he repeatedly cites "being white" as a reason for disliking someone.

And let's get something straight here. I'm not chanting "Obama is evil," or any of that crap. I am uncomfortable with the similarity, but there's a difference between "similar" and "identical". I'm just saying that it is dangerous and complacent to ignore it.

[kildeby]

I would assume that any colored person in the US has the same or a similar point of view, and I can see where it is coming from. But alright, as a president, he should be the prime role model, and refrain from any such comments. I do however think, that you are making fire of what wasn't even a spark...

[cdfe3388]

Believe it or not, I actually hope you are right. I will be very happy if my fears prove unfounded. I'm not one of those dickheads who wants something bad to happen just so they can be right.

I fear any politician (of either party) who possesses his ability to convince so many people to blindly follow him. After all, isn't it the duty of any responsible citizen to question his/her government? That is my point here.

[roaklin]

Anytime a political leader rises to high office from out of no where, history has shown that to be a very BAD thing.

[meinefressenerv]

sry historyace 2 but that is bullshit..

the americans did it as well

[DeHef15]

cdfe3388,watch the behaviour of the massive crowds during a match of football and you will be terrified!

There seems to be a small piece of reptile left in the top of our spine which is causing this agressive display of power.

Hitler found the correct pushbutton to activate it,so have many other dictators sofar.

The reptile bit in all of us causes totally innocent Joe the Plumber types to turn into Nazi fanatics,provided the arguments are being received to be correct and justified.

[cdfe3388]

Keep in mind the "Prussian Clause":

If a soldier of the Imperial German Army (pre-1918) recieved an illegal or immoral order, it was his sworn duty to God and the Kaiser to disobey said order and prevent others from following it, even shooting the officer giving the order, if necessary.

This remains today in the US UCMJ and laws of many other nations as well. It was quoted at Nurnberg in 1946. "Just following orders" is no excuse. We still bear personal responsibility for our actions.

[DeHef15]

And EMS203,putting all arguments aside,i have the deepest respect for the USA crewmen who freed Europe from Nazi occupation! I have been in compulsory service at some stage,but never under fire,i might as well have shitted my pants in a B-17 over Germany!

I am from Holland,both my parents had their share of war between 1940 and 1945. Nevertheless,i still believe that German people are no different than other people,let us hope that there will never be dictatorship in Europe again!

[cdfe3388]

Of course the people of Germany are not sick murderous fascists by nature, but niether were they innocent. If anything, it's a demonstration of the terrifying, mesmerizing power of a charismatic maniac like Hitler (who bears many uncomfortable similarities to Barack Obama, but I digress) that he could get the otherwise civilized people of Germany to commit such acts. There were many good people in Germany. But you have to call bullshit on the "just following orders" mentality.

[DadsBlueAngel]

Better Germany than Japan. See Sarastarlight on YouTube.

[DeHef15]

For to those interested in the circumstances surrounding the Nordhausen (Dora) V2 factory,i have listed 5 clips in my favourites,language is German but clips say it all.

Over 6,000 V2 rockets were built there,over 20,000 convicts died in the process,they were hardly given any food or water,most had to obtain water dripping from the mine rock walls.......

[DeHef15]

EMS203,i am still waiting for YOUR list of underground factories.

The Nordhausen issue came from my side,apparently you were not aware of the actual circumstances about this factory,were you?

Were ME-109 and Focke Wulf 190 fighters produced underground? Were Tiger tanks produced underground?

Were railway locomotives produced underground? Were engines for planes and trucks (Mercedes!!!!) produced underground?

Do some reading!

[Paulelly15]

Dutch writer Harry Mulisch wrote book The Stone Bridal Bed (Het Stenen Bruidsbed) about the attack on Dresden.

Ex-pilot Stiller,who took part in the attack,now a dentist,goes to a conference in Dresden after the war.He falls in love with the DDR tourguide,she lost her family in the bombardment,sooner or later he has to tell her of his role,consequence being she will leave him.

Interesting book.

[Paulelly15]

Being insane,Speer was also a brilliant minister of armament and production,even in the very difficult year 1944,his factories turned out ME-109 fighters by the hundreds per month.

Also,he was able to have the ME-262 active in operational units.

I follow Speer about his ballbearing comments,war is not possible without ballbearings,the Schweinfurt factories should have been wiped from the earth in massive attacks.

Instead,Hamburg was attacked with 1,000 bombers.

[Paulelly15]

Speer was an insane genius,so was his comrad in crime Werner von Braun.

Speer was locked away,von Braun became a respected citizen in the USA!

Von Braun allowed his V2 rockets to rain down on London and Antwerp,Speer built them in the Nordhausen underground factory,using exposable prisoners of war,when liberated, the last survivors looked like living death,there were some Dutch prisoners as well.Nordhausen was hell on earth.Both Speer and von Braun should have been shot for that!

[Paulelly15]

Another well known picture shows a B-17 over Berlin with one of its wings shot off by fire from the ground.

What was it doing over Berlin?

Was it trying to find weapon factories in the backstreets?

Answer: it was bombing the city of Berlin at random!

With 1,000 bombers per raid the USAAF could have evaporated any given weapons factory in a single day,resources and people were wasted by bombing cities instead.

[cdfe3388]

Yes we did sometimes bomb neighborhoods like the British. Why? Apart from the obvious, political pressure. Our "precision" daylight raids usually weren't very precise and often did little if any damage to the intended target, yet dozens of planes and hundreds of men were lost on every mission. Churchill openly called it wasteful, and felt "area bombing" would deliver better results for the losses we would take. Many of our leaders agreed with him. What can I say? War is hell.

[Paulelly15]

Do agree,war is hell!

The american raids on Schweinfurt were most infamous for the heavy losses incurred,mainly because escort fighters could not accompany bombers.

Schweinfurt was known for the SKF ballbearing factories,no war without ballbearings.After the war,Albert Speer said that destroying those factories in repeated attacks would have shortened the war with one,if not two,years!

Brits did something good: Dambuster attack on Ruhr dams stopped German production for 3 months!

[cdfe3388]

Yeah, that was one of the few times the RAF hit industrial/infrastructure targets (and a badass flight, too). Some RAF/RCAF guys worked out some fairly effective ways to hit precision targets at night (nearly as accurate as our daylight strikes, i.e. better than nothing), but Harris refused to implement them, even after they had been proven effective.

Speer said a lot of things after the war, some true, some bullshit. The goals of the Schweinfurt raids were optimistic at best.

[EMS203]

You need to ask the planners what it was doing there, but lets not forget the fact that it was the center of the Reich, transportation center, etc. In 1944, it was decided to attack cities to break the will of the people to fight, that the military might revolt against Hitler (they tried) and convince them to give up. No mission EVER was "at random". I dont comment with sensebilities of 2009 on what was done in 1944.

[DeHef15]

One lesson learned from the german raids on London in 1940/41 was that the will of the people could not be broken.

Neither was the will of the russian people broken during the massive bombardments of Stalingrad.

Much later,the will of the vietnamese people was not broken during the Hanoi x-mas bombardments by war criminal Nixon.

At random means that bombs were thrown on streets below without having any specific target in mind.

Nazies were having total control over people,even in April 45.

[historyace2]

Only the Brits bombed german cities (with the exception of the Dresden fire bombings in which both U.S. and British forces attacked) It was done by General "Bomber" Harris who used carpet bombing instead of strategic bombing to try and break the will of the german people, the Americans went after targets that were contributing to the war effort in germany.

[DJInsight21]

What about Nagasaki or Hiroshima? Were they not cities?

German historians have since concluded that perhaps only about 15k people were killed at Dresden, not the inflated 200k.

Bombing from the heights B17's bombed from was nothing more than carpet bombing and they frequently hit civilian areas by mistake.

War is not pleasant, bad things were done by all sides but the American's were no angels, neither were we... nobody is an angel in war.

[cdfe3388]

Not entireley true. General Eaker supported precision bombing, but the technology was far less effective than advertised. Many strikes were inaccurate, and losses were heavy. As a result, the 8th & 15th Air Forces often had little to show for the loss of dozens of planes and hundreds of our men each day. RAF Air Marshall Harris (who had lots of political pull) called it a waste and insisted that US bombers join the RAF in his "Area Bombing" strategy. So in 1944-45, it happened frequently.

[Paulelly15]

And,cdfe3388,ever heard of Airmarshall Harris of the RAF,nicknamed Bomber Harris? He was determined to destroy german cities,he called for every single available bomber in the United Kingdom to arrange 1,000 bomber raids,on Cologne for example. He should have bombed factories because the ME-109 and FW-190 produced in those factories were now able to destroy allied bombers in big numbers! So,Harris chased his own tail,and strangely enough the USAAF did exactly the same!

[cdfe3388]

Yes, I've heard of him. In fact, I could write a Goddamn paper on Harris. Did you know what his primary contention was with General Eaker of the 8th? He insisted that all US bombers participate in his strategy instead, while Eaker was a firm believer in precision bombing. But by 1944, Harris got more and more support as the 8th & 15th AF took heavy losses but were unable to shut down German industry as promised. Thus our strategy changed for some strikes.

[ESSGoggles]

SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPP

[ia57man]

Gen Colin Powell said Americans do not fight for other's land. They fight for freedom. The only land we ask for is that little patch of ground needed to bury our fallen. This is such ground. I thank God we have such men and women in this country.

[Paulelly15]

If all bombs thrown on German cities would have been thrown on factories of tanks,planes and trucks,war in Europe could have been two or three years shorter! It would have saved countless lives in the air,and on the Western and Eastern front!

Even in 1944,bombing of cities was the common thing,the USAAF bombed Dutch city of Nijmegen by mistake,they had German town Kleve in mind,oeps,sorry,did not see that!

What a waste of lives and resources!

[EMS203]

Do some reading... the bombs WERE directed at factories, fuel plants, etc. The Germans responded by moving plants underground or splitting them up in small areas so they couldnt be ID'd from the air.

[Paulelly15]

That is a load of crap!

To which factories are you referring to,if i may ask?

Could i please have the names and locations of those factories?

Why was Dresden bomded by both the USAAF and the RAF in 1945? Surely not because of the socalled weapon factories in this city!

The big word was REVENGE,nothing to do with smart tactics to win the war.

Mercedes factory at Untertuerkheim was flattened on 5th September 1944,why not two years earlier? Destroying Cologne was of more importance,apparently.

[cdfe3388]

Yes, we usually (keyword: USUALLY) tried to hit factories, rail yards, etc. However, we also greatly overstated the accuracy of the Norden bombsight at high altitude. Why did we send up 300 planes at a time? Because we needed that much spread to have a reasonable chance of hitting the target. Why bomb from high altitude? Because going in with a heavy bomber at 7000 ft (optimal for the Norden sight) was suicide. At 25000, a heavy bomber had a fighting chance.

[Paulelly15]

You are to understand that both the RAF as well as the USAAF deliberately bombed german cities,not because of weapon factories in those cities but because for the plain purpose of killing people on the ground! I saw a picture of an USAAF crewmember having text MURDER INC. on the back of his jacket,indicating these guys were not at all happy with the tasks given to them.

You missed my point in that bombing cities from any altitude did not serve any purpose whatsoever!

[EMS203]

I thought there were no underground factories...yet 2 weeks later you refer to Nordhausen, WHICH YOU KNEW WAS UNDERGROUND. So who's full of crap?

[DeHef15]

Nordhausen was not a purpose built underground factory,it was a deserted mine which Speer found very suitable for the production of the V2 rockets.The USAAF and RAF did not know of it,and as such attempts were not made to destroy it,although at the very end the barracks for the convicts in the open air were straffed by planes,in the mistaken belief these were barracks for german solders...... .

If you have ever seen pictures of this place,incl. those of the railway yard,you will remain silent.

[chattanoogapark]

the medal of honor is so stupid..it should be given to everyone who fought in the wars

[hofnerjoe]

You bet!

[freakyflow]

there already are medals for people that have fought in wars this medal is for the ones that paid the price of war and gave there own lives to keep us save so whats so stupid about it

[av8va]

This medal is NOT reserved for soldiers who gave their lives. It's given for extraordinary acts of valor and one does NOT have to be dead to receive it.

[av8va]

Your comment shows your ignorance...and the people who have won it have done so by defending the freedom that allows people to make stupid comments.

[ia57man]

Roger that.

[cdfe3388]

You're a fucking idiot. Two thirds of all Medals of Honor are posthumous awards, meaning the medal is presented to the surviving wife/parents/children of the man who was killed.  Try reading the citation for some of them, and then tell me you think everybody should get one. Fucking shitbird...

[paulelly762]

Music is by Thomas Newman in the movie The Shawshank Redemption,i just found out.

Mort pour La France,God bless them.

[paulelly762]

Does anyone know the title of the music please?

[paulelly762]

Great movie clip on brave young men who gave their lives to free us in Europe from Nazi tiranny,RESPECT!

Just a tought: if all the bombs thrown on German cities by the USAAF and RAF would have been thrown on German factories of planes and tanks,and on bridges and railway shunting yards,would that not have saved countless lives on allied side (including Russia)by shortening the war by one or even two years?

Question keeps me busy for some reason.... .

[ev8d8]

The RAF was the one that bombed cities. The USAAF made an effort to hit factories and the like, but were very inaccurate, which led to collateral damage. And both bombed the holy hell out of railroads and bridges, saving countless allied lives.

[av8va]

You should check your history - bombing of the cities was not done exclusively by the RAF. It was American bombers that fire-bombed Hamburg and Dresden into near-oblivion (try reading the book "The Night Hamburg Died." It's part of war - it happens. It was also the 8th Air Force that LEVELED my father's home town of Wesel. It was 90% destroyed and there's even a large photo of what was left of Wesel on display in the USAF Museum at WPAFB in Dayton, OH.

[ev8d8]

I didn't even comment on this video man. I know all about American bombing of civilians in WWII, and would never deny it. Hell, we destroyed numerous Japanese and German cities for the simple purpose of destroying the will to resist.

[EMS203]

Mad69: try reading some books about the topics you ignorantly toss around (like how the Japs were getting uranium from germany for THEIR a-bomb and training civilians to fight with sticks cause they had not enough guns) or how SKorea (proper spelling)is rich, and NKorea brutalizing and starving its people.And lets remember the war on terror began w/ 9/11, NOT anything else,moron.your own country's brush with terror taught you nothing? Hate who you want, but get your facts straight

[Workinbus]

German defense minister Albert Speer, in his autobiography, states that the German inability to halt the Anglo- American bomber campaign was the single biggest factor in Germany losing the war..By early 45 Germany's transportation system had been utterly destroyed and it's fuel production cut by 91%..The German military literally ran out of fuel....

[sardosfish]

for all pilots of any nations,including germany,italy,england,US.

[diverongases]

AMERICA, thanks for all the help during our time of need and god bless you all, one day I am going to come across and have a chilli dog!

Thanks once again, lots of love from England.

[Rikki0]

@diverongases Thank you for the sentiment, diverongases. My Dad was a ball turret gunner on B-17's. He loved the British people. When you get here, I'll buy you that chili dog.

[TheTxBandit]

@diverongases God bless you England!... thanx for toughing it out long enough until America was able to stand by you!

[MrTubbymarshall]

@TheTxBandit thank you for your assistance.

[philip34471]

my heart goes out to all the breave men that went in to battle over germany to all the bomber craws that never came home and risked there lifes to feight for there countrys

[slipdigit]

Warmest Regards, lancsdude63

[krippp69]

My uncle was the tail-gunner on this flight, T/Sgt. Herman B. Krimminger, and for over 50 years we were never told by the army of the true nature of his death. Thanks to Sam Cole for finally putting all the pieces together and allowing my family to honor Herman the way he should be.

[No1Mustang83]

Freedom comes at a price in which our troops are paying for as we speak in Iraq and Afghanistan etc, God Bless them and help keep the safe, May God look after the ones who have already laid down their lives in the name of peace.

[IK1963]

France is the resting place of heros from many nations from two world wars. They are all in good company. Lest we forget.

[persluchtboy]

Dear IK 1963,

Your sure right there in lot`s off country`s in europe there are hero`s to be found, let`s not forget why they lost there live`s and remember them.

persluchtboy.

[urrachunt]

Wars such BS! :(

[Mad69sur]

They asked for it.

Idependence, indians, Mexicans-California to Texas, russia-Alaska, Spain- Florida Cuba(failed) Puerto Rico Phillipines, Japan 2 atomic bombs when war was over, Corea (50% failed), Vietnam (failed), Israel, Palestina,

Afganistan, war on terror (war about petrol and

[okcmikeict]

You write as though ignorance were a virtue. I agree America has done some awful things in the past, but you can't judge the actions of the past by the enlightened standards of today. In the 19th century, virtually all western powers were imperial in nature. The Brits subjugated people all over the world and the French, Germans, Spaniards, and others were colonial powers to a lesser degree. That was then, this is now. I'd recommend some good books, but self loathing leftists only drink koolaid.

[okcmikeict]

I screwed up the placement of my post. It was meant to rebut "Mad69sur" and his America loathing ignorant diatribe. Sorry.

[viflyer]

"but you can't judge the actions of the past by the enlightened standards of today."

And YOU talk about drinking the kool aid? Guess you don't pay much attention to our little adventure in Iraq. Look at some of THOSE numbers.

[Mad69sur]

pride recovering for the hate they gained), Irak... What´s next? Central-south american dictators trained or putted there by CIA terrorists like Ben Laen trained by CIA,"secret" fligts, Guantanamo, NAPALM bombings. Perhaps the american

[lancsdude63]

Look at the faces of these young men, imagine the fear they felt, their drawn out attempt to save a colleague. Some medals are won by moments of near madness, theirs must have taken hours of courage.

I only hope the first explosion was final.

I am inspired to think man is capable of this, and humbled to think there are so many of these stories out there.

"Freedom does not come free"

[lancsdude63]

You disrespectful ass-hole! You need information? I googled it in 20seconds. You complain you wasted 3:30? These four men sacrificed their entire lives. When their B17 was hit the rest bailed out while... no, just look for yourself, and repent. I am English, these 4 were American and heros. What are you?

[drewsadog]

You wasted 3:30 of my life. Good for the crew but you might have included why they got the Medal of Honor. That woulf be a very helpful piece of information, you agree?