Masters of the Air – Review
We have had Band of Brothers and the Pacific, now we have Masters of the Air. Like the previous two series, this was based on a book, Masters of the Air, and reflects actual events and individuals.
Masters of the Air follows the trials and tribulations of the American 100th Bomb Group. You might think that being a part of a bomber crew would be safer than other ways of serving, such being in the infantry or even being a fighter pilot. You would be wrong.
The bomber crews had some of the highest casualty rates for anyone in the Second World War. When they first began bombing, they had no fighter escorts, as the they did not have the range. The B-17s were called Flying Fortresses because they were heavily armed, but they were still very vulnerable both to the anti-aircraft guns below and the Luftwaffe above.
Apart of the incredible battle scenes in this series, Masters of the Air dives into the psychology of such combat. Going on these missions with such terrible odds was very traumatic to the crews. They never knew if the next member to be killed was the guy in the next bunk or they themselves.
Masters of the Air also reflected on some of the ethical issues surrounding the bombing. Despite the plan to bomb military targets (which they did not always stick to), they often bombed the cities. One scene has some of the downed crews marching through the German cities they had bombed.
I also appreciated the episodes with the Tuskegee Airmen. This is a part of the war that I do not know very much about and would like to learn more.
I already mentioned the downed crews and numerous crews were forced to jump once their B-17 was hit. Masters of the Air follows the story of some of these men during their time in German POW camps. As a long-time fan of Hogan’s Heroes, it was neat to see them in Stalag 13.
The story is excellent because they story is true. Even with good source material, it could have gone bad. But both the special effects and the acting was extremely well done. I was eager each Friday when a new episode appeared.
I would put Masters of the Air very close to Band of Brothers in quality. I highly recommend it.
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