The Real History Behind the Masters of the Air Bombing Campaigns in WWII

Apple TV’s Masters of the Air tells the story of the 100th Bomb Group, one of the most famous units of the U.S. Eighth Air Force. Their missions over Nazi Germany were real, deadly, and crucial to the Allied effort. The true history behind the show reveals a campaign marked by danger, sacrifice, and pivotal moments that helped shape the war’s outcome.

When America entered WWII, its military leaders believed they could weaken Germany by destroying key parts of its war industry from the air. This meant bombing factories, oil plants, and transportation networks in daylight, which was more accurate but far more dangerous.

The Eighth Air Force was created in Britain for this purpose. It grew into a massive force of B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators, each carrying ten men into some of the most defended airspace in the world.

Flying at 25,000 feet meant freezing temperatures, thin air, and long hours of exposure. Crews battled deadly flak explosions, swarms of German fighters, oxygen failures, and frostbite, as well as the constant fear of not returning.

In 1943, surviving 25 missions was unlikely. Some raids wiped out entire groups. The 100th Bomb Group suffered so many losses that they became known as “The Bloody Hundredth.”

Despite the losses, several breakthroughs shifted the momentum. P-51 Mustang escorts arrived in 1944, protecting bombers all the way into Germany. “Big Week” hit aircraft factories hard, reducing the Luftwaffe’s ability to fight. Finally, the oil campaign crippled Germany’s fuel supply, grounding planes and slowing tanks.

As German defenses weakened, the Allies gained control of the skies, opening the door for the D-Day invasion and the final push into Europe.

However, the cost is that more than 26,000 American airmen in Europe lost their lives. Many others became prisoners of war or suffered lifelong injuries. Even those who returned home carried emotional scars from the loss of close friends and the brutality they witnessed.

The bombing campaign did not win the war alone, but it played a major role in breaking the German war machine. The courage of the men of the Eighth Air Force, especially groups like the 100th, helped bring Europe closer to liberation. Their story is one of bravery under impossible odds, and Masters of the Air offers a window into the sacrifice that defined the air war over Europe.