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YESSS, FINALLY!!! - Masters of the Air - The 8th Air Force, Spielberg, Hanks, Goetzman (Crew behind Band of Brothers, Pacific)

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1978horn
1978horn

Loving this show because it feels like it connects me with my grandfather. He flew the B-24, but I’ll take what I can get. One of my biggest regrets in life is not talking to him more when he was al

4th&Five
4th&Five
kevwun
kevwun

Covid screwed Greyhound.  It's an excellent movie.

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RPM

RPM 26146

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7 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

What did the green flare mean?

Found this:

What were the flares used for on B-17s?
Answer: Flares were used as signaling devices in special circumstances. The 398th B-17s had a standard Very pistol installation in the overhead panel of the pilot’s compartment. The Very pistol was originally invented by Edward W. Very in 1877 and had long history of use for military and nautical signaling, particularly at night and in low light conditions. A B-17 crew member could load a Very pistol with a cartridge, connect the muzzle of the pistol into the discharge socket with a twisting motion and fire a flare into the air above the airplane. A number of flare colors, including red and green, were used for different purposes. Lead crews could use flares to convey prearranged signals to their formations while in flight. Firing red flares was a serious business, especially when used during landing after returning from a mission because this signal meant there was trouble on board, such as wounded. [Contributed by Wally Blackwell, December 2003]

The following three quotes about flares were excerpted from Thirty Four to Go by Ernest H. Walthall, First Officer.

"All signals to start engines, taxi and takeoff were with lights and flares from the control tower. Radio silence as much as possible during the entire mission." ..... "Ahead we could see the group forming and we also spotted our squadron leader firing green-green flares. It only took a few minutes to get into formation and the group leader stated the group would leave on course, climbing in ten minutes, this meant that those who were late arriving would have to catch up or it they could not find the group, would have to go to war with someone else." ..... "It was normal peel off and landing. Some of the planes were shooting flares while in the traffic pattern. Green flares were unofficial, but meant someone had completed their tour of duty, but red meant that someone was wounded. Yellow serious damage to the aircraft. The ground crews were out watching on the ramp, hoping their planes were not damaged much."
Some examples of flare use by the USAAF from
FAQs about Army Air Force Terms in WWII

 

https://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/use-of-flares-for-signalling.39544/

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That brief shot of the dogfight was nuts.

It was called a furball for a reason.

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The Ace of Aces

The Ace of Aces 5099

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I didn’t love this episode. In a short nine episode series doing 10 minutes in a POW camp and then having them just randomly show back up at base later on feels like wasted time and an entire episode was cut. The dogfight was great but about 15 seconds. 

It doesn’t help Austin Butler’s character portrayal is the least impressive and most boring on the show imo. I couldn’t give less of a shit about Buck and Bucky because we have no full believable backstory.  

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8 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

I didn’t love this episode. In a short nine episode series doing 10 minutes in a POW camp and then having them just randomly show back up at base later on feels like wasted time and an entire episode was cut. The dogfight was great but about 15 seconds. 

It doesn’t help Austin Butler’s character portrayal is the least impressive and most boring on the show imo. I couldn’t give less of a shit about Buck and Bucky because we have no full believable backstory.  

Username does not abide.

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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45383

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47 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

I didn’t love this episode. In a short nine episode series doing 10 minutes in a POW camp and then having them just randomly show back up at base later on feels like wasted time and an entire episode was cut. The dogfight was great but about 15 seconds. 

It doesn’t help Austin Butler’s character portrayal is the least impressive and most boring on the show imo. I couldn’t give less of a shit about Buck and Bucky because we have no full believable backstory.  

Some episodes are used to set up others.  BoB had Crossroads right before Bastogne and it doesn't feel nearly as heavy in comparison.  I'm guessing this last episode is like that.  We shall see.

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The layers of humanity and sacrifice/ horrors of war are on full display in this series.  Eps 6 & 7 were incredible.  They just keep gently turning up the intensity a notch at a time, even when you think it couldn't get better.

So damned good.

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On 3/2/2024 at 10:04 AM, GreenspointTexas said:

I wish this show would never end

So no "Greenspoint"  LOL.

 

I agree.  I am hooked too.

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mchookem

mchookem 15732

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i mean it's a true story based on a first hand account. i'm not sure how much character development they had time for when their only purpose was to fly, bomb the shit out of something and then pray to get back alive. lather, rinse, repeat. 

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41 minutes ago, wackawacka said:

i am hooked but there is no plot development except dying in bombing runs. maybe starting in ep 6 or 7. definitely no character development. 

still hooked though.

Survival mode after being shot down, then POW camp after almost being executed..

The guilt/ relationship of extra-marital affair borne of extreme emotional ties

The golden ticket turned in out of commitment to bigger goal.

I'm not sure what series you're watching...

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wackawacka

wackawacka 165

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7 minutes ago, slorch said:

Survival mode after being shot down, then POW camp after almost being executed..

The guilt/ relationship of extra-marital affair borne of extreme emotional ties

The golden ticket turned in out of commitment to bigger goal.

I'm not sure what series you're watching...

that is the first five minutes in a Kdrama!

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10 minutes ago, wackawacka said:

that is the first five minutes in a Kdrama!

Again, what the fuck are you watching?

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atomheartbevo

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Everybody’s favorite historical accuracy checker Youtuber. 
 

TLDW, at least 16% of US airmen who bailed out were shot at, but probably much higher because the survey only covered those who weren’t killed

 

Yeah, exposure bad.  Lots of injuries due to it.  They should have been wearing goggles in the show, but gotta at least see the actors’ eyes

 

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F250

F250 28597

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1 hour ago, slorch said:

Again, what the fuck are you watching?

He isn't wrong. The interesting character development has been limited to Crosby and Rosie. Unfortunately, a lot of screen time has been dedicated to Buck and Bucky but the actors are about as interesting as cardboard cutouts. Better actors would have breathed life into these characters. They are ruining the curve.

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I guess IDGAF about the individuals. I enjoy the overall storytelling and wartime dynamics that through the early episodes, I thought were complete ‘meh.’ The last 2 episodes made me want to watch more. That in and of itself is rare these days. 

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NWBuck

NWBuck 8536

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On 3/2/2024 at 10:43 AM, The Ace of Aces said:

It doesn’t help Austin Butler’s character portrayal is the least impressive and most boring on the show imo. I couldn’t give less of a shit about Buck and Bucky because we have no full believable buckstory.  

Fixed 

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Bateshorn

Bateshorn 9853

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My only complaint is I wish they had introduced the struggles of the escort pilots sooner.  Trying to dogfight in a plane that can get to Berlin, but will kill the pilot if you dive (P-38), or trying to dogfight in a plane that can mostly go toe to toe with a BF-109 and FW-190, but is on fumes (and couldn't climb) trying to get to and from the bomb site (P-47).  Everyone remembers the salad days of late 1944 when P-51s scoured the skies clean, but those early pilots in late 1943 were fighting both the machines they were flying and the Germans, while desperately trying to keep the B-17s in the air. 

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Bateshorn

Bateshorn 9853

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Also: Like The Great Escape and Stalag 17 exist, you don't need to spend a lot of time on the prison camp element. I guess you could make it darker and more death-y, but that's a pretty well worn path in American Cinema. 

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Pescado_Rojo

Pescado_Rojo 19282

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2 hours ago, Bateshorn said:

My only complaint is I wish they had introduced the struggles of the escort pilots sooner.  Trying to dogfight in a plane that can get to Berlin, but will kill the pilot if you dive (P-38), or trying to dogfight in a plane that can mostly go toe to toe with a BF-109 and FW-190, but is on fumes (and couldn't climb) trying to get to and from the bomb site (P-47).  Everyone remembers the salad days of late 1944 when P-51s scoured the skies clean, but those early pilots in late 1943 were fighting both the machines they were flying and the Germans, while desperately trying to keep the B-17s in the air. 

This could be it's own miniseries 

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Captainant

Captainant 27195

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If y'all are into follow-along podcasts, the National WWII History Museum has been doing an excellent companion podcast with the series. This one is for episode 6 and has an interview with the actor that played Crosby

 

Really great and insightful stuff, one interesting detail was that this was filmed during the height COVID, and so it really made real the sense of losing anyone (from filming, not dead) at the surprise drop of a hat, and that they made full size replica B17 interiors that were winched 50 feet up in the air for filming and stayed there for hours with actors inside. Theres a lot of actual brotherhood and bonding that happened during the boot camp and filming that really comes through on screen

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wild_turkey

wild_turkey 3127

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i am hooked but there is no plot development except dying in bombing runs. maybe starting in ep 6 or 7. definitely no character development. 
still hooked though.

Plot development?! You realize this is a true story about American bombers in the biggest war in history? What exactly are you looking for?
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18 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

Harry Crosby got laid more often in last week’s episode than most of those dudes will in their lifetime.

and with much hotter tail than they ever will.

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atomheartbevo

atomheartbevo 89285

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Would have really liked to have seen Greyhound on the big screen.  Speaking of Hanks, Saving Private Ryan is on Apple TV through the end of April.

My dad got Apple TV for Masters of the Air, but has watched Napoleon, Greyhound, and Saving Private Ryan, and a few other things, and mentioned that he liked Apple’s historical shows.   

I told him if he liked historical dramas, he should check out For All Mankind.

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2 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

The first episode didn't really catch my attention.  Guess I should give it another shot?

It started slow for me too.  It gets there in a hurry after that though.

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Buzzrock

Buzzrock 14790

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I’m certainly not shy about bagging on shows that miss the mark for me, but I’m not getting all the complaints for these last couple pages. I think the actors are all doing a fine job and the story is hitting the right beats. For instance I’m fascinated by Sandra Westgate’s character even though there’s a good chance we never find out what she was doing.

I wasn’t feeling the CGI early on but that has totally fallen away. Badass show.

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Js1

Js1 84934

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Just now, Buzzrock said:

I’m certainly not shy about bagging on shows that miss the mark for me, but I’m not getting all the complaints for these last couple pages. I think the actors are all doing a fine job and the story is hitting the right beats. For instance I’m fascinated by Sandra Westgate’s character even though there’s a good chance we never find out what she was doing.

I wasn’t feeling the CGI early on but that has totally fallen away. Badass show.

Same. I’d watch a show about Westgate. I don’t think I’ve looked forward to a show every week as much as this one 

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atomheartbevo

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1 hour ago, Buzzrock said:

I’m certainly not shy about bagging on shows that miss the mark for me, but I’m not getting all the complaints for these last couple pages.

Honestly, I don't have a problem with the complaints, because I feel like there were some editing issues going on with this last episode - three very different plot lines (Harry getting laid, the POW stuff, and Rosie's storyline).  Feels like there was some stuff left on the cutting room floor, or they just didn't know what to do with these three plot lines. 

1 hour ago, Buzzrock said:

For instance I’m fascinated by Sandra Westgate’s character even though there’s a good chance we never find out what she was doing.

I'm not far enough into Crosby's book, but he suspected something was up with her because of how hard it was to get ahold of her, etc.  I don't know if it's Bletchley Park stuff or what, but the promos for this week make me think otherwise.

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atomheartbevo

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Speaking of uneven editing, after a rewatch, I was pissed at how Bailey and the other guy being on the run and getting back wrapped up so suddenly.  Those dudes were on the run and in hiding across Belgium, France, and Spain for four months or so, and a lot of people helped them out.

Give me a spinoff series about Westgate, another series about the Belgian and French resistance helping downed American airmen, and another series about the Red Tails/12th/15th Air Force in the Mediterranean .

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aggie08

aggie08 21150

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1 hour ago, Buzzrock said:

For instance I’m fascinated by Sandra Westgate’s character even though there’s a good chance we never find out what she was doing.

 

1 hour ago, slorch said:

Same as Buzzrock.

Was wondering if she was a spy.

Nah.  Just horny.

I can only assume that you guys aren't watching the previews for next week segments? Not a lot of room for interpretation with what they imply she's doing.

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