Avatar feed
Responses: 3
SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth
2
2
0
Thank you for the great video clip. Great old planes.
(2)
Comment
(0)
SGT John " Mac " McConnell
SGT John " Mac " McConnell
7 y
My pleasure.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
Sgt Randy Wilber
1
1
0
Well thanks for sharing SGT John " Mac " McConnell even though it was propaganda we did get some truth from PO3 Donald Murphy
(1)
Comment
(0)
SGT John " Mac " McConnell
SGT John " Mac " McConnell
7 y
Video is from the national archive and record administration. The main post came from the 8th Airforce historical society. I do not believe that all is propaganda. Some is for sure. Thanks Sgt Randy Wilber .
(1)
Reply
(0)
PO3 Donald Murphy
PO3 Donald Murphy
7 y
Prop has good and bad sides. Prop showed the Germans that they were being bombed which affected *their* morale. Showing us bombing, gave a back slap to the allied war effort and would hopefully convince tons more young men to join the nation's call. Once bombs in general started falling on the German homeland it became difficult for Goebbels to keep his grip. It would also convince the English (or more of them) to tolerate the "invasion" of their countryside, take over of towns and villages, etc.

Now...my big gripe is that following the 1975 classification revews, (admitting we were reading German codes), the movies should have been pulled and redone (like BBC's "World At War" and "Victory At Sea" were).
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
PO3 Donald Murphy
1
1
0
It was a good display but that's about it. The accuracy was nowhere near stated. Sadly, the German fighters engaging us had American gas in their tanks... Sadly also, the "stuff" we destroyed, was made good by American business the next week. By now the British knew what our goals in life were, so they wisely allowed us to kill ourselves. "No...you Yanks are doing great! You go America! Boy I sure wish we could do that daylight bombing..." Losses were also higher than reported.

Spycatcher - Peter Wright
Trading With The Enemy - Charles Higham
Flying Fortress - Edward Jablonski
Impact! - USAF
(1)
Comment
(0)
SGT John " Mac " McConnell
SGT John " Mac " McConnell
7 y
Propaganda ?
(1)
Reply
(0)
PO3 Donald Murphy
PO3 Donald Murphy
7 y
Of course. We were not going to admit to the British that they were right and we definitely were not going to admit that our loss of life was pointless. So post-mission newsreels were sent home and played to mom and pop in the movie theaters. Coordinated bombing (Brits at night, Americans at day) would bring the full receipe of attrition war to brew on the Germans, but not until fighters joined the bombers would the missions be strategically successful. Losses were reported "low" for morale purposes but that only worked when Eaker and Arnold forbade units from mingling. So the 9th bomb group at Upper Heyford was not allowed to party/visit with the 12th bomb group at Mildenhall. Neither were then able to say to each other "holy shit, we lost a hundred guys yesterday..."
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close