Too bad the show didn't accurately reflect that by Munster the target criteria changed from ineffective factory raids to just flat out terrorism.

I think they might make it about the navy since Spielberg and Tom hanks worked on the greyhound movie.

It would make sense to end the series showing all fractions of the war, from Europe, the pacific, air and now navy.

How did officers and commanders order bombing runs or other radio calls on specific locations? For example, if an officer wants to take out a machine gun bunker, how do the radio men tell the pilot where to drop the bomb. I know it’s probably coordinates but how would a pilot or bombing crew know where those coordinates are? With no electronic devices how would a plane crew know when or where to drop a bomb?

"Great episode" being arguable. Unfortunate the US Air Force won't teach new recruits about it anymore.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219944554

My paternal Grandfather (passed away 2005) was a medic in the 30th Infantry Division, 118th field artillery. On my visit home I got out the crates of his WWII souvenirs for a closer inspection of all he left us and discovered this little MOTA crossover so thought I'd share. The SHAEF newspaper has four pages all in different languages. It was folder up in a tin container along with a Kriegsmarine newspaper that looks to be from 1939. Getting proper storage and preservation for them sorted out because theyre very worn and frail. There's a bunch of other stuff of course but mostly army focused and scavenged German items so I'll look for other subs to share those on.

Anyone know of a compilation of just the bombers / air battle scenes?

My thoughts about MotA and areas I thought were a bit pointless and what they could have been improved with.

1. Crosby's Affair with Sandra

Why it didn’t work: The subplot likely intended to add emotional depth or show the personal lives of the airmen, but it lacked relevance to the main narrative. It felt disconnected and didn’t contribute to the central themes of camaraderie, sacrifice, or the challenges of aerial warfare.

What could have been done instead: Replace this subplot with a focus on the relationships within the squadron—friendships, rivalries, and the bonds formed under extreme pressure. More meaningful moments, like shared fears, letters home, or grappling with the loss of crewmates, would resonate more strongly with the audience.

2. Lack of a Clear Journey from Struggle to Dominance

Why this is an issue: The series skips over the critical turning points in the air war. As you mentioned, it goes from the early days of heavy losses to near-total dominance without showing the gradual shift in tactics, technology, or morale. This lack of progression makes it harder for viewers to feel the stakes or the ultimate payoff of victory.

What could have been added:

• Early struggles: Show the intense fear and high casualty rates during the first bombing raids, when American crews faced formidable Luftwaffe resistance and struggled with inadequate tactics.
• Turning points: Highlight key developments like the introduction of long-range escort fighters (e.g., the P-51 Mustang) and improved bombing strategies. Emphasize how these changes tipped the scales over time.
• Final dominance: Gradually build up to the point where the Luftwaffe could no longer challenge Allied bombers effectively. This would create a sense of accomplishment and a narrative arc that feels earned.

3. Tuskegee Airman

• Why it didn’t work:

Including the Tuskegee airman felt unnecessary and out of place, as it had no direct connection to the core narrative of the American airmen. It seemed like an attempt to diversify the storytelling but lacked context or payoff within the broader story.

• What could have been done instead:

Focus on more compelling secondary stories, like:

• The perspective of British civilians on the ground who witnessed the bombers flying out and returning—or failing to return.
• The collaboration between the USAAF and RAF, which could explore the different strategies and mutual learning between the two air forces.

4. The Missing "Turning Point"

Why it’s important: The turning point of a war is often its most dramatic and inspiring moment. The lack of focus on this transition robs the series of its emotional impact and sense of progression.

What could have been emphasized:

• Missions like the bombing of Schweinfurt and Regensburg (high-loss missions that shaped future strategy).
• The first successful raids with fighter escorts deep into Germany, which marked a shift in power.
• The evolving Luftwaffe tactics and how the Americans adapted to counter them, showing the intelligence and resilience of the crews.

General Improvements

• Mission Variety: Show a wider range of missions—bombing industrial targets, railways, oil refineries, and other key infrastructure—emphasizing their role in crippling the German war machine.
• More on Strategy: Dive into the debates between military leaders about the effectiveness and morality of strategic bombing. Highlight the human cost of these decisions.
• Emotional Stakes: Spend more time on the personal journeys of the airmen—how they changed from rookies full of bravado to hardened veterans grappling with loss, trauma, and the morality of their actions.

Conclusion Removing distractions like Crosby’s affair and the Tuskegee airman, while adding a clearer narrative journey from early losses to eventual dominance, could have made “Masters of the Air" a much stronger and more compelling series. These changes would not only improve the pacing but also provide a richer emotional and historical experience for viewers, grounding the story in the bravery, sacrifice, and innovation that defined the air war.

I'm reading Erik Larson's "The Splendid and the Vile" and in the early days of the Battle of Britain the Brits had incredible success taking out German bombers. My question is: Was any consideration given to just focusing on air interdiction (building primarily interceptors and not bombers)? Would it have worked in the long run?

Why didn’t they sail an aircraft carrier and use that to support the campaign against Berlin?

Does anyone else feel that death was fairly sanitised in MotA? Deaths were seen to be quite quick, and fairly painless.

I think of this with the scene of the Ball Turret gunner trapped as the plane fall out of the sky. Once the other crew member gives up trying to rescue Babyface, and escapes, the bomber immediately explodes. It seemed more likely that the poor gunner would be stuck trying to escape for a considerable time until the B-17 hit the ground.

I'd expect that happened very often, and I was surprised that wasn't explored more. I think we saw one crew member falling to their death. To me, this is one of the most terrifying aspects of the bomber campaign. Not a quick death in an explosion, but a long, terrifying fall out of the sky either trapped in an aircraft, or blown out of a disintegrated aircraft. Aircraft falling out of the sky was often seen from a distance in the show.

Perhaps this kind of death in a tv show is just simply too much for an audience, as opposed to a quick death in an explosion.

The bombers seem dumb as a concept. They can’t do shit against fighters, why not use longer range fighter escorts?

I need something to watch with my dad who is a retired Air Force pilot. We both really like Band of Brothers/The Pacific/Saving Private Ryan, and I heard about this show and became interested. However, I am a bit skeptical - I feel that new shows seem to have some odd forced agenda or overly unrealistic content that pulls you out of the show. Obviously theres always a bit of flair and exaggeration with most media - but I really just want a show that tries to be a respectful and honest adaptation of the history it is representing.

So is this show worth watching?

Awesome miniseries so far!

Was just re watching masters of the air and asked myself how accurate the top town view of the cities that are being flown over are for the time periods. Were the street layouts accurate for example? Would love to hear if anyone has any information about this.

Does somebody know if there is a website or something where we can peek into the logbooks of these great airmen?

Not sure why, but I watched it today and I feel right about it

https://youtu.be/sSXiny5mEpg?si=8KrN5E1wJi0b2MrV

Hello,

I'm about to finish watching Masterd of the air and I loved that show (more than the Pacific tbh but less than BoB which is in my top 5 favourite series of all time).

I also live reading on WW2 but never really on aviation during that want and want to read a book on the WW2 aviation combats, men etc.

Which book would you recommend between Miller's, Crosby's or any other author ? Specifically I want to read about how it was like being a crewman on a large plane in the European theater during WW2 (I'm less interested in 1 man fighters). Doesn't necessarily have to be the 101th doesn't even need to be US Air Force.

However I'm more interested in reading stories from "within the cockpit" than just a high level account on "X squadron hit Y targets during that day" etc

Thank you,

I am just starting this show and I am really enjoying it, but uh…does Buck sound like this the whole time?

I want to preface by saying that I do enjoy the show, overall. I have watched it quite a few times as there are a lot of elements that I think make BoB and The Pacific so good as a show, such as the score or cast of "side" characters (this is a loose term in such a large ensemble cast, but you know what I mean).

I'll admit I enjoy the first 5 episodes much more than the rest of the season. But the score is fantastic. I understand the argument about "forcing" into scenes to get emotion, but I think that's what a score is meant to do. I really like the cast of side characters, even with limited screen time (similar to BoB, I love Luz, Liebgott, and Toye). I really enjoy the characters of Brady, Douglass and Blakely. I think they all deliver really strong scenes when given the chance.

But I think the show would've been a much bigger success if it had an entirely different creative direction. Let's say it was a 12 episode series, with anywhere from 4 to 6 different arcs following different air regiments and different missions.

The bloody 100th could be a longer arc, maybe 4 episodes long. MOTA was strongest in the beginning, and with some rewrites, could tell most of the story without as much fluff and maybe just focus on the Regensburg mission or something.

Other arcs could include Midway, or Doolitles Raid, or the Red Tails. These are only a few to name but I hope you get my point. I think that this show could've been a much bigger success if it didn't just focus on the 100th/Crosby so much, and more of the Masters of the Air throughout the entire US military during WW2.

Thank you for your time. Just a late night thought I had while sleepless at a hospital, I hope it can spark some fun discussion.

Great show. Bit rough on the Poms though. Made them all to be stuck up Englishmen. Little on the nose. And as for the quote from the Pommy officer ‘over sexed, over paid and over here’. That was an Australian quote and not English.

This was a fantastic insight into the Yanks in the European theatre. Fantastic watch. Loved it.

https://preview.redd.it/n9tzvj2x8u5e1.jpg?width=2437&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36db776cf53cc5c2df8c28b339382d2b0a227d0e

I've recently started watching MotA and loving it so far. But something has been bugging me in E5 and I think I've noticed it too in previous episodes. Namely, far away formations of what I assume to be more bombers? Now, the story focusses on the Eight Air Force Division, which in E5 takes off with 17 bombers. Now, what I don't really understand is that the focus and the success of the mission seems to be tied to these 17 bombers while there appear to be way more bombers in different squads far off in the distance? What purpose do these bombers serve in this whole thing? Are those bombers from another division and are these british or american? Is what we are seeing with the Eight Air Force Division just a small part of the big picture? I'm no expert on WW2 history, I just like watching WW2 themed media, but I'm not understanding this bit. Would love some insight / explanation on this.

In the screen you can clearly see a large formation of bombers way off in the distance flying at a much higher altitude. What am I looking at here?

My great grandfather (bottom row, second to the right) was a gunner with the 576th of squadron of the 392nd bomb group. They flew out of Kings Lyn near Norwich, England.

They flew over 30 missions, including D-Day, and were shot down on their final one during a supply drop to paratroopers in Holland. Miraculously, no one was killed during the crash.

Watching Masters of Air has created an even deeper admiration I have for my grandfather and his enduring bravery. These bombers were truly badass.

Pretty sure this has been asked before, but I am doing some research for an older friend whose family member, Cole Berggreen, was a B-17 pilot and crew member. Cole was shot down in Poland and managed to escape. He wrote his flight history down but didn't talk much about his service through the remainder of his life. Is there a database or organization that may have some more detail on his missions?

https://preview.redd.it/nguacx5ddw4e1.jpg?width=1585&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7d0b39ea1cc2a536a154887d82a3e83d740968e

https://preview.redd.it/sfdzaq5ddw4e1.jpg?width=714&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82ad446826faa0146ddddaff41f62fd7d580e5e3