Masters of the Air: Did These Heroic Pilots Really Exist?

Airing on Apple TV+ from January 26, Masters of the Air is a spectacular series not to be missed at the start of the year. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, this war fiction follows in the footsteps of two previous successes: Band of Brothers (Brothers in Arms in French) and The Pacific.

The trio of producers and screenwriters John Orloff this time focused on the men of the 100th Bombardment Group of the US 8th Air Force (nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth” because of their significant losses), responsible for bombing Nazi Germany and its industrial and strategic forces. Armament sites during World War II.

If Masters of the Air is primarily inspired by Donald L. With Miller’s eponymous book, it also draws on other key resources, as John Orloff explained in an interview with AlloCiné:

“VSIt was great to find Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks after Band of Brothers. It is a pleasure to work with them. Only they can make such a commitment and do things right. But as a screenwriter, I had to do a lot of research, much more than I did for Band of Brothers. So that was a big challenge. “

Real heroes inspired the Masters of the Air series

Going beyond Don Miller’s book, the producers used all possible sources, namely history books and museums, including the Smithsonian, historical experts, but also the memories of some former war heroes and the testimonies of their families.

Among the real-life war heroes who appear in the series are Majors John Egan (Callum Turner), Gale Cliven (Austin Butler), Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle), Robert Rosenthal (Nate Mann) and Sergeant Ken Lemons (Raph Lowe).

“We had so much fun telling the stories of these real heroes”– Gary Gotzman told us in an interview, “Also, the women of Belgium and France who helped bring back more than 700 stranded pilots in London, or even the incredible one of Robert Rosenthal, the most famous pilot who succeeded in the most missions.”

But it’s not just the pilots of the US 8th Air Force’s 100th Bombardment Group who will be awarded the rank of Master. There is also another less talked about major group of pilots, namely the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American aviators who distinguished themselves during World War II:

“When we found out they were close to our guys from Stalag Luft III (a World War II POW camp where Allied Air Force personnel were imprisoned, editor’s note), it was just incredible to think we could add them. story. So we made the choice and it was incredible.”

Among the Tuskegee Airmen highlighted in the series are, in particular, Second Lieutenants Richard D. Macon (Josh Cross), Alexander Jefferson (Branden Cook) and Robert Daniels (Nkuti Gatwa).

Many casualties and young people were involved

The series focuses on recounting the exploits of these men and women who put their lives on the line during the war, as Raff Law reminds us:

“We see a different relationship between these men who come from the United States and they left everything behind, family, aspirations. They come together for the good of all. It’s about team and unity. There’s romance, there’s romance. There’s friendship, there’s tragedy, there’s everything. And they are real people. I think it’s important to remember when you watch the show that this is a ‘true story about real young people between the ages of 19 and 25 who gave their lives. line for the greater good.”

For his part, Austin Butler learned a lot while working on the series and was shocked by some of the statistics about these men who had to fight extreme weather conditions, lack of oxygen and the horror of fighting with 25,000 people. Feet Height:

“It’s a part of World War II history that I didn’t know very well, especially the statistics. The fact that 77% of the 100th Bomb Group never returned, as well as the bravery shown to get those planes back that day. Day after day, it’s just incredible. And the world wouldn’t be the same without the sacrifices they made.”

The 100th Bombardment Group flew nearly 300 missions between June 1943 and April 1945. During their dangerous missions they lost more than 700 pilots and more than 170 aircraft, leading to some of them being taken prisoner of war, before being released and ending up. the war

Comments collected by Megan Choquette on January 22, 2024 in London.

The first two episodes of Masters of the Air are available on Apple TV+, through the platform and myCANAL.

Find all the series available on Apple TV+.