Every 10 years or so, Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks get together and release a masterful World War II miniseries. First, there was Band of Brothers in 2001. Then, there was The Pacific in 2010. And now, starting on January 26, 2023, they will release a 9-episode miniseries called Masters of the Air. The Masters of the Air miniseries will focus on the American daylight precision bombing campaign using B-17 Flying Fortress bombers against Nazi Germany in World War II. Using the story of the 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the US Army Air Force’s 8th Air Force, the show will star Austin Butler as Major Gale Cleven and Callum Turner as Major John Egan.

Of course, I am excited to see the story, learn more about the history of the air campaign, and see the leadership lessons captured on film. The trailer is below:

100th Bombardment Group (Heavy) Short History

The 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy), was an US Army Air Force unit that was part of the Eighth Air Force. The unit trained in Washington, Utah, Iowa, and Nebraska before deploying overseas. Flying B-17 Flying Fortresses, the unit crossed the Atlantic in May 1943 and was stationed at RAF Thorpe Abbotts, England. On 25 June 1943, the 100th Bombardment Group flew its first combat mission in a bombing of the Bremen U-boat (submarine) yards. Over the course of the war, the 100th flew over 300 combat missions and earned two Distinguished Unit Citations at Regensburg on 17 August 1943 and Berlin on 4/6/8 March 1944. Known as the “Bloody Hundred,” the group suffered tremendous losses in combat, with 177 aircraft missing in action. The 100th Bombardment Group, flew its last mission on April 20, 1945. In December 1945, the group returned to the U.S., where it inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey,

Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany

The show is based on Donald Miller’s excellent book Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. Donald Miller is the New York Times bestselling author of ten books, the John Henry MacCracken Emeritus Professor of History at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, and one of the most respected authorities on World War II, the Civil War, and Modern US History. Masters of the Air is a deeply personal account of the American bomber boys in World War II. The book reads like fiction as Miller guides readers through the perilous journeys of bomber crews soaring through the flak-filled skies over Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden. Operating at 25,000 feet in thin, freezing air, these elite aviators faced unprecedented assaults on both body and mind. The air campaign was marked by intermittent periods of inactivity and anxiety, interspersed with short bursts of fire and fear. Unlike infantrymen, the bomber boys slept on clean sheets, sipped beer in local pubs, and danced to Glenn Miller's swing music. However, their chances of survival were far lower than ground soldiers, with a one-in-five likelihood of making it through their tour of duty, consisting of twenty-five missions. In fact, in 1943, the Eighth Air Force suffered more casualties than the entire U.S. Marine Corps. From 1942 to 1945 the Anglo-American bombing campaign against Nazi Germany emerged as the longest military campaign of World War II, constituting a war within a war.

Episodes

Apple is going to release a new episode every Friday for eight weeks. Mark your calendars:

• Episode 1 and 2 — January 26, 2024

• Episode 3 — February 2, 2024

• Episode 4 — February 9, 2024

• Episode 5 — February 16, 2024

• Episode 6 — February 23, 2024

• Episode 7 — March 1, 2024

• Episode 8 — March 8.2024

• Episode 9 — March 15, 2024

Other Resources

If you can’t wait for the show to come out, check out these movies about the air campaign against the Third Reich: Twelve O’Clock High, Memphis Belle, or Red Tails. My favorite is Twelve O’Clock High.

Besides Masters of the Air, you can read Into the Wild Blue by Stephen Ambrose, Bomber Command by Max Hastings, I Could Never Be So Lucky Again by Jimmy Doolittle, Mighty by Sacrifice by Jim Noles, or The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell.

I also found The Mighty Eighth Podcast helpful to get a better understanding of the history.

Conclusion

Interested in doing an exciting workshop which uses real leadership case studies to improve your team’s self-awareness, leadership skills, and teamwork? Then bring your team to Savanah, Georgia and use TFCG’s Masters of the Air Leadership Workshop at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. Or bring your team to the US Air Force’s Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Or schedule a 2-hour keynote speech. All three options are a great opportunity to help you enhance your team’s skills. Hit the button below to learn more:

In the meantime, go on the offensive and watch the Masters of the Air starting on January 26, 2024.