Cool video. I'm going to show this to my dad. He was co-pilot in the "Feather Merchant" on this raid (381st BG (H) 352nd BS from Ridgewell) and made it back. The 8th AF lost 60 planes on this raid, 600 men. Dad was shot down on 8 Oct 43 over Bremen Germany on black Friday and spent the rest of the war as a POW. Today, he is doing well at 95 years old and still drives as good as ever. One tough cookie. They don't make men like that anymore.
Albert Speer reported an immediate 34 per cent loss of production,[28] but both the production shortfall and the actual loss of bearings were made up for by extensive surpluses found throughout Germany in the aftermath of the raid. The industry's infrastructure, while vulnerable to a sustained campaign, was not vulnerable to destruction by a single raid. Speer indicated that the two major flaws made by the USAAF in the August strike were first in dividing their force instead of all striking the
My uncle was w/ the384th BG .On his first mission over schweinfurt he was shot down ,The whole crew survived - but taken prisoner at pitchfork by locals and was a POW's for the rest of the war. He was LT.Malcolm MacDonald -navigator & his pilot was Capt. Drewry wofford- Their plane was named "Yankee powerhouse II" -17th of Aug,1943-
Uncle mac survived the war & pow camp( same camp movie "great excape"was ).the 384th bg motto was " KEEP THE SHOW ON THE ROAD"
Love these old history programs, these days they seem to favor cheap re-enactments and dramatization to actual footage, which is a bloody shame. You can't beat the old reels no matter how grainy ! There is a reason they recorded it in the first place !!!!
The Schweinfurt/Regensburg raid was ill-conceived. The more complex a mission, the more that can go wrong. Variables like the weather can also wreak havoc. Those 88mm flak guns were bad news. If I'm not mistaken, this mission finally convinced the 8th Air Force leadership that daylight bombing wasn't going to work without a long-range fighter escort. Enter the Merlin powered P-51!
@usafvet100 Three B-17s were shot down by flak over Schweinfurt, while 33 were lost by German fighters of the total lost from the Schweinfurt Task Force. The others being from the Regensburg Task Force
@VanceJoudrey Thanks for the info on losses. These brave 8th AF boys suffered more casualties than the US Marines did in all Pacific Campaigns combined. I felt their presence looking over my shoulder when I raised my hand and took the oath of enlistment. Old 57150 (firedog) from SAC and Alaskan Air Command.
@usafvet100 No problem. Yeah, we owe them a lot - at least an understanding of what happened and why. I had no idea, until a few years ago,the allies lost so many men in the air war even though I knew the general history of it - we forget that it was a close call that war but for a couple mistakes it could have gone either way.
great video. My father was on the raid in Aug '43. He flew 25 missions with the 8th AF, 100 Bomb Group from Mar 43-Oct43 and then came back later in the war to fly 27 more , mostly in Italy.
too bad history channel doesnt do this,all trhey got is pawn stars and american pickers and how its made, which are good btw, but not for the history channel
@AntoDaboss the main reason for the raid was to knock out the ball bearing factories located in the city of Schweinfurt. These factories were crucial to the Nazi war machine as virtually every major piece of military equipment required ball bearings.
that's not true! they bombed very much more than only the big factories! they bombed the small villages, and the fields and the civilians in the city! and why that?
@AntoDaboss Because at Scweinfurt there were ball bearing factories. Ball bearing are needed to reduce friction in moving parts. Alot of things needed ball bearings, planes ,trucks, tanks, etc. If they knockd that out it would reduce the number of trucks and planes etc Germany made. I hope this helps you. =-)
I can not believe there are still people stupid enough to think the Americans won the war single hand-idly.The American designed T34? I guess they stuck with the Sherman because it was superior and gave their good friends, Uncle Joe and the commies the crap?.Things have not changed much since then instead of supplying war material for the reds now you supply that shitty little country Israel with material ,money and American soldiers to die for Israel's wars.
I am currently stationed in Schweinfurt. There is really no more evidence of the war here. The only places in town are here on Ledward barracks and Conn Barracks across town. Here on Ledward all the buildings remained intact except one. The top of the building is a basketball court and it's about 1 story tall. Conn Barracks has old concrete luftwaffe bombs out in the fields still. If you look through town carefully you can see relics of the war in the archways of doors and out in the fields.
Actor Jimmy Stewart was a B17 pilot on that raid. He was already an Oscar nominated actor when he finally joined the AAF. "Finally" because he was rejected due to his low weight. He hired a body builder to gain weight but was rejected again. Third time he talked the clerk into letting him please pass. Stewarts last combat flight in a bomber was over Vietnam in a B52.
Conclusion is that it was easier to break "powerfull" Germany rather then "primitive" Afghanistan or Vietnam. Thats why every country should develop "back up systems" based on "primitive" tools to carry on even when "sophisticated" systems are destroyed by EMP , HAARP etc.
@GenStuden78, you cannot compare the war in Afghanistan or Vietnam with WWII. Just imagine if the complete Wehrmacht and her equipment (planes, tanks and so on) had been IN Germany all the time and not 2/3 in Russia and the other 1/3 on the Western front or maybe in Germany. It would have ended in a desastre for the Allies. Anyway, a war in the jungle or in mountains is completely different from a war against a middle European country! Just think about it....
I'm aware that Allies won on the Eastern Front ONLY because Russia tied down 70% of Wermacht on the Eastern Front . Even D-Day didnt change outcome of war because by 1944 Wermacht was broken already by Red Army and disater for Germans was only matter of time . Even with D-Day failure Germany was doomed already . I wanted to point that hi-tech weapon is effective( in destroying will of fight )only against hi-tech countries that depend on sophisticated systems - "Primitive" countries don't
Last wars proved that all hi-tech weapon is effective only against sophisticated countries that depend on sophisticated infrastructure.Will of fight of the so-called "modern" country can be destroyed by destroying power plants ( no electricity ,no fresh water,no fuel suplies,no transportation=food shortages). Will of fight and defence capabilities of so-called "primitive" country cant be destroyed so easy because people used to live up there without our sophisticated infrastucture
I think that the only choice for Germany was to disperse their armanent factories like Vietnamiese did during vietnam war.Schwienfurt was one big target easy to kill and find . Vietnam had "war industry" thousands af small rooms spread around of the country making weapons easy to hide and difficult to find and destroy.
Schweinfurt was strategically unimportant, the production has long been diversified ... additional bearings have been delivered from abroad thereafter, no significant halt in production was the consequence ... error ..
Thanx for posting Sky. I read a book called "Fall of Fortresses" by a guy name of Elmer Bendiner. He flew out of Kimbolton on a B17 to Schweinfurt to bomb the bearing factories.
Ich lebe in Schweinfurt, und kann euch nur sagen es lohnt nicht es zu sehen...alles was an den Krieg erinnert wurde entfernt, man versteckt sich feige alts ob nie was gewesen währe, noch vor meiner zeit gab es einen Soldaten Friedhof er entfernt worden ist. So ist es in ganz Deutschland, das einzige was übriggebilieben ist ist ein Fliegeralarm der alts Feueralarm benutzt wierd. Ihr werdet also nur enttäuscht und das in ganz Deutschland...
I was stationed in Schwienfurt about a year ago. We stayed in old nazi barracks that had been refurbished. We also use a old nazi tank range to shoot on. The Factory is called FAG.
I am from Schweinfurt an I recently worked in the factories that were bombed - there are still many huge underground shelters left, now acting as storage space. Its still the same companies here in Schweinfurt (SKF, SACHS, FAG), still producing mainly ball bearings and car-parts.
The village where I live is close to a former FLAK-emplacement - the old people here still remember the shiny silver bottoms of the US-bombers in the sun.
My father was on the first Schweinfurt raid. He was a B17 Pilot. "Hoppy" Hopkins. His co-pilot (at times) was Ray Halliday. Dad survived that raid and 24 more.
Awesome!..your dad was one lucky guy...surviving 25 missions in a B-17 over Germany...the odds were so heavily stacked against those aircrew.... We all owe alot to their courage....
That opening music took me back to my childhood...Saturday afternoons on Channel 11!
I think there are two different openings (for two seasons?)...my recollection of the other opening is that, instead of the exploding fighter before the titles, the film is of the strafing and explosion of a Japanese destroyer.
Naw--just one opening.....you can see the destroyer being hit if you watch FAST at the beginning...part of the opening is missing--it used to show several strafing runs on Japanese ships....Hoping to locate any old VHS tape with more of this series....
Great video. That shot at about 9.37 is a famous one. That B17 stayed in the air for some time with half the tail missing. The German fighters noticed it and concentrated their attacks.
I salute those young Americans. Few would get out of an aircraft diving near-vertically like that.
Wahoo!!! THANK YOU! You officially have the ONLY episode of GI Diary posted on the Net! What memories man. Thanks again man. I owe you a beer when you are in Boston!
You're welcome!... this old series had great background music. If I can find any more surviving VHS recordings, I'll upload them...these tapes were recorded probably 15+ years ago...
Cool video. I'm going to show this to my dad. He was co-pilot in the "Feather Merchant" on this raid (381st BG (H) 352nd BS from Ridgewell) and made it back. The 8th AF lost 60 planes on this raid, 600 men. Dad was shot down on 8 Oct 43 over Bremen Germany on black Friday and spent the rest of the war as a POW. Today, he is doing well at 95 years old and still drives as good as ever. One tough cookie. They don't make men like that anymore.
Merlinz68 1 month ago
As for being "hopelessly outnumbered" :Allies 376 B-17s 268 P-47 sorties 191 Spitfire sorties (459 fighter sorties)
Germans 400 mix of all fighter types mostly BF109's and FW190's
VanceJoudrey 2 months ago
Allies lost: 60 bombers, 3 P-47s, and 2 Spitfires lost 58-95 bombers heavily damaged 7 KIA, 21 WIA, 557 MIA or POW.
Germans lost: 25-27 fighters 203 civilians killed
VanceJoudrey 2 months ago
...instead of all striking the ball-bearing plants, and second, failing to follow up the first strike with repeated attacks.
VanceJoudrey 2 months ago
Albert Speer reported an immediate 34 per cent loss of production,[28] but both the production shortfall and the actual loss of bearings were made up for by extensive surpluses found throughout Germany in the aftermath of the raid. The industry's infrastructure, while vulnerable to a sustained campaign, was not vulnerable to destruction by a single raid. Speer indicated that the two major flaws made by the USAAF in the August strike were first in dividing their force instead of all striking the
VanceJoudrey 2 months ago
merci pour cette video de b17je cherchais depuis longtemps pour en trouver sur cette époque.
zephirlaguerre 2 months ago
Umm... My Dad wasn't in any wars... But I think it's Damn Cool that people had fathers that served to protect the world from a tyrant.
supermankicass 2 months ago
i was born in schweinfurt
12907bubnan 2 months ago
My Dad was a tail gunner in the B-17, lots on here not told about.
yoni0063 6 months ago
My father, Joe Barrett, was also on the "Yankee Powerhouse II" as a tail gunner. He too went to Stalag 17 where he spent the rest of the war.
He and Drew Wofford were fiends until Drew died.
ruthandjoebarrett 6 months ago
My uncle was w/ the384th BG .On his first mission over schweinfurt he was shot down ,The whole crew survived - but taken prisoner at pitchfork by locals and was a POW's for the rest of the war. He was LT.Malcolm MacDonald -navigator & his pilot was Capt. Drewry wofford- Their plane was named "Yankee powerhouse II" -17th of Aug,1943-
Uncle mac survived the war & pow camp( same camp movie "great excape"was ).the 384th bg motto was " KEEP THE SHOW ON THE ROAD"
lbcelticguy 8 months ago
Love these old history programs, these days they seem to favor cheap re-enactments and dramatization to actual footage, which is a bloody shame. You can't beat the old reels no matter how grainy ! There is a reason they recorded it in the first place !!!!
2ravens2wolves 11 months ago
The Schweinfurt/Regensburg raid was ill-conceived. The more complex a mission, the more that can go wrong. Variables like the weather can also wreak havoc. Those 88mm flak guns were bad news. If I'm not mistaken, this mission finally convinced the 8th Air Force leadership that daylight bombing wasn't going to work without a long-range fighter escort. Enter the Merlin powered P-51!
usafvet100 11 months ago
@usafvet100 Three B-17s were shot down by flak over Schweinfurt, while 33 were lost by German fighters of the total lost from the Schweinfurt Task Force. The others being from the Regensburg Task Force
VanceJoudrey 2 months ago
@VanceJoudrey Thanks for the info on losses. These brave 8th AF boys suffered more casualties than the US Marines did in all Pacific Campaigns combined. I felt their presence looking over my shoulder when I raised my hand and took the oath of enlistment. Old 57150 (firedog) from SAC and Alaskan Air Command.
usafvet100 2 months ago
@usafvet100 No problem. Yeah, we owe them a lot - at least an understanding of what happened and why. I had no idea, until a few years ago,the allies lost so many men in the air war even though I knew the general history of it - we forget that it was a close call that war but for a couple mistakes it could have gone either way.
VanceJoudrey 2 months ago
Many thanks for posting this. 17th Aug 1943?? Or another later mission?
thamesbargeart 11 months ago
@thamesbargeart Yes...the Aug 17, 1943 "Double Strike" mission....
skyraider1404 11 months ago
they lost 60 bombers because the german flak was to good for them
tesolu 1 year ago
Great episode even though is not complete. great videos skyrider.
Eurofighter19 1 year ago
This is awesome!
Retired USAF Master Sergeant and WW2 History nut!
Boostnitup 1 year ago
Was the Memphis Belle part of this raid? It looks like a lot of this footage was in the Memphis Belle documentary dvd I have.,
cadirector 1 year ago
great video. My father was on the raid in Aug '43. He flew 25 missions with the 8th AF, 100 Bomb Group from Mar 43-Oct43 and then came back later in the war to fly 27 more , mostly in Italy.
MrSpear55 1 year ago
Great Video, Thanks for posting your stuff!! It's nice to share, and it's truly appreciated by history "buffs" like me. Thanks again...
randy95023 1 year ago 2
@randy95023 You're welcome!...glad to know people enjoy watching......
skyraider1404 1 year ago
This music is wonderful.
redfoxbennaton 1 year ago
too bad history channel doesnt do this,all trhey got is pawn stars and american pickers and how its made, which are good btw, but not for the history channel
BlackPhantomJambo 1 year ago
can someone tell me the main reason why the raid happened
AntoDaboss 1 year ago
@AntoDaboss the main reason for the raid was to knock out the ball bearing factories located in the city of Schweinfurt. These factories were crucial to the Nazi war machine as virtually every major piece of military equipment required ball bearings.
skyraider1404 1 year ago
@skyraider1404 thanks alot bro...i subscribed
AntoDaboss 1 year ago
@skyraider1404
that's not true! they bombed very much more than only the big factories! they bombed the small villages, and the fields and the civilians in the city! and why that?
tesolu 1 year ago
@tesolu war is hell
mrgoodvibrations 1 year ago
@skyraider1404 Wow, really?
yoni0063 6 months ago
@AntoDaboss In Schweinfurt was Germanys main production of ball bearings, which are critical to build engines and such.
karlboro2k 1 year ago
@AntoDaboss Because at Scweinfurt there were ball bearing factories. Ball bearing are needed to reduce friction in moving parts. Alot of things needed ball bearings, planes ,trucks, tanks, etc. If they knockd that out it would reduce the number of trucks and planes etc Germany made. I hope this helps you. =-)
BlazingAngels220099 1 year ago
Okay kiddies, nice to know that we have so many expert military historians here.What really broke the back of Germany on the Eastern Front was:
#1: WhiteHall's breaking of the Enigma Code. Kursk was that close!
#2: The American designed T34
#3: The American war material which was sent by America to the Soviet Union.
Regarding America one on one with NAZI Germany, why do you think we built the Atomic Bomb? It was meant for Germany.
eagleperch 1 year ago
I can not believe there are still people stupid enough to think the Americans won the war single hand-idly.The American designed T34? I guess they stuck with the Sherman because it was superior and gave their good friends, Uncle Joe and the commies the crap?.Things have not changed much since then instead of supplying war material for the reds now you supply that shitty little country Israel with material ,money and American soldiers to die for Israel's wars.
hellspawn1488 1 year ago
@hellspawn1488 - oh yes ? good to know you have complaints....
zivtalable 1 year ago
I am currently stationed in Schweinfurt. There is really no more evidence of the war here. The only places in town are here on Ledward barracks and Conn Barracks across town. Here on Ledward all the buildings remained intact except one. The top of the building is a basketball court and it's about 1 story tall. Conn Barracks has old concrete luftwaffe bombs out in the fields still. If you look through town carefully you can see relics of the war in the archways of doors and out in the fields.
hipflexed 1 year ago
i come from schweinfurt
DarkSeitz 2 years ago
Did we know..
Actor Jimmy Stewart was a B17 pilot on that raid. He was already an Oscar nominated actor when he finally joined the AAF. "Finally" because he was rejected due to his low weight. He hired a body builder to gain weight but was rejected again. Third time he talked the clerk into letting him please pass. Stewarts last combat flight in a bomber was over Vietnam in a B52.
Retired as a decorated Brig. General.
actonbath 2 years ago
Such beautiful bombers i was very lucky to spend some time on the B-17 that was used for the movie Memphis Belle.
ARNAZ86 2 years ago
25 missions, twice over Schweinfurt. Teaching your son to deer hunt.... Priceless. Thanks Dad.... John Schimenek Jr.
jschimenek 2 years ago
Conclusion is that it was easier to break "powerfull" Germany rather then "primitive" Afghanistan or Vietnam. Thats why every country should develop "back up systems" based on "primitive" tools to carry on even when "sophisticated" systems are destroyed by EMP , HAARP etc.
GenStudent78 2 years ago
well, the difference is the political will, isn´t it?
Principe6900 2 years ago
@GenStuden78, you cannot compare the war in Afghanistan or Vietnam with WWII. Just imagine if the complete Wehrmacht and her equipment (planes, tanks and so on) had been IN Germany all the time and not 2/3 in Russia and the other 1/3 on the Western front or maybe in Germany. It would have ended in a desastre for the Allies. Anyway, a war in the jungle or in mountains is completely different from a war against a middle European country! Just think about it....
machierl 2 years ago
I'm aware that Allies won on the Eastern Front ONLY because Russia tied down 70% of Wermacht on the Eastern Front . Even D-Day didnt change outcome of war because by 1944 Wermacht was broken already by Red Army and disater for Germans was only matter of time . Even with D-Day failure Germany was doomed already . I wanted to point that hi-tech weapon is effective( in destroying will of fight )only against hi-tech countries that depend on sophisticated systems - "Primitive" countries don't
GenStudent78 2 years ago
That´s right! Cus rebels can´t be fought like regular troops! .......Regards from Germany.
P.S. Live between Regensburg and Schweinfurt lol
machierl 2 years ago
Last wars proved that all hi-tech weapon is effective only against sophisticated countries that depend on sophisticated infrastructure.Will of fight of the so-called "modern" country can be destroyed by destroying power plants ( no electricity ,no fresh water,no fuel suplies,no transportation=food shortages). Will of fight and defence capabilities of so-called "primitive" country cant be destroyed so easy because people used to live up there without our sophisticated infrastucture
GenStudent78 2 years ago
I think that the only choice for Germany was to disperse their armanent factories like Vietnamiese did during vietnam war.Schwienfurt was one big target easy to kill and find . Vietnam had "war industry" thousands af small rooms spread around of the country making weapons easy to hide and difficult to find and destroy.
GenStudent78 2 years ago
Schweinfurt was strategically unimportant, the production has long been diversified ... additional bearings have been delivered from abroad thereafter, no significant halt in production was the consequence ... error ..
Principe6900 2 years ago
i cant even imagine how it was and seeing that plane fall....
rayd408 2 years ago
Thanx for posting Sky. I read a book called "Fall of Fortresses" by a guy name of Elmer Bendiner. He flew out of Kimbolton on a B17 to Schweinfurt to bomb the bearing factories.
raherecolston 2 years ago
Good book!....I remember that from years ago....
skyraider1404 2 years ago
@raherecolston
Try reading "Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer". Outstanding story.
Eye4Lites 2 years ago
great video
TurthofChina 2 years ago
the " Black Friday " for the B-17
cherusker001 2 years ago 2
This William Wyler film of 1943 depicts the 25th. last and final mission of the Memphis Belle against Wilhelmshafen, not Schweinfurt.
t3h8d9 2 years ago
Ah, brings back memories: used to love this show back in the late 80's.
PotatoGunsRule 2 years ago
Hallo^^
Ich lebe in Schweinfurt, und kann euch nur sagen es lohnt nicht es zu sehen...alles was an den Krieg erinnert wurde entfernt, man versteckt sich feige alts ob nie was gewesen währe, noch vor meiner zeit gab es einen Soldaten Friedhof er entfernt worden ist. So ist es in ganz Deutschland, das einzige was übriggebilieben ist ist ein Fliegeralarm der alts Feueralarm benutzt wierd. Ihr werdet also nur enttäuscht und das in ganz Deutschland...
00SenjuroAkechi00 2 years ago
I was stationed in Schwienfurt about a year ago. We stayed in old nazi barracks that had been refurbished. We also use a old nazi tank range to shoot on. The Factory is called FAG.
utuberssuk 3 years ago
Do you have the rest of this episode?
totenkopf999 3 years ago
The video is from VERY old VHS tape--had some problems with the cassette, but am going to go back and attempt to reassemble the entire video....
skyraider1404 3 years ago
That would be great.Thank's.
totenkopf999 3 years ago
Interesting video.
I am from Schweinfurt an I recently worked in the factories that were bombed - there are still many huge underground shelters left, now acting as storage space. Its still the same companies here in Schweinfurt (SKF, SACHS, FAG), still producing mainly ball bearings and car-parts.
The village where I live is close to a former FLAK-emplacement - the old people here still remember the shiny silver bottoms of the US-bombers in the sun.
500m from where I now sit a B17 went down.
zigeunerjack 3 years ago 10
Thanks for the modern-day view of Schweinfurt...I would like to see the city myself.....not to mention the rest of Germany....
skyraider1404 3 years ago
that is amazing, thanks for sharing your story.
headlicetonight 3 years ago
My father was on the first Schweinfurt raid. He was a B17 Pilot. "Hoppy" Hopkins. His co-pilot (at times) was Ray Halliday. Dad survived that raid and 24 more.
agabulldog 3 years ago 7
Awesome!..your dad was one lucky guy...surviving 25 missions in a B-17 over Germany...the odds were so heavily stacked against those aircrew.... We all owe alot to their courage....
skyraider1404 3 years ago
That opening music took me back to my childhood...Saturday afternoons on Channel 11!
I think there are two different openings (for two seasons?)...my recollection of the other opening is that, instead of the exploding fighter before the titles, the film is of the strafing and explosion of a Japanese destroyer.
M1903A1 3 years ago
Naw--just one opening.....you can see the destroyer being hit if you watch FAST at the beginning...part of the opening is missing--it used to show several strafing runs on Japanese ships....Hoping to locate any old VHS tape with more of this series....
skyraider1404 3 years ago
Great video. That shot at about 9.37 is a famous one. That B17 stayed in the air for some time with half the tail missing. The German fighters noticed it and concentrated their attacks.
I salute those young Americans. Few would get out of an aircraft diving near-vertically like that.
TroyaE117 3 years ago
Wahoo!!! THANK YOU! You officially have the ONLY episode of GI Diary posted on the Net! What memories man. Thanks again man. I owe you a beer when you are in Boston!
pressrolls 3 years ago
You're welcome!... this old series had great background music. If I can find any more surviving VHS recordings, I'll upload them...these tapes were recorded probably 15+ years ago...
skyraider1404 3 years ago