Death Ride of the Luftwaffe - Operation Bodenplatte 1945 

That music makes me want to do a daring midnight raid on the fridge.

The Germans could have destroyed a complete airbase just by dropping Goering on it.

When your airforce was beaten so badly you assume they are enemy planes and shoot at them.

More history in 12 seconds than the history channel in the past 5 years

One of the Me109’s of the Bodenplatte campaign that attacked Eindhoven Airbase crashed near our houses just south of the Base. The pilot survived and his son attended a formal meeting about the event some years ago at a temporary fun airstrip very near to the crash site. The plane is still in the ground, almost intact, we did recover small parts of it. History is not without a sense of irony... .

Bonus: One of those experienced wing commanders leading Operation Bodenplatte was Major Gunther Specht, an ace credited with 34 victories on the western front and considered one of the best wing commanders of the Luftwaffe. He had only one eye due to a wound received earlier while attacking enemy bomber. This did not deter him and he became commander of the famed JG-11 replacing Herbert Ihlefeld (130 victories). On the morning of January 1 1945, he led JG-11 on a daring low level assault on the Asch airfield as part of Bodenplatte, they immediately came under fire from AAA and lost the edge of surprise when a dozen USAF P-51 mustangs on patrol by chance immediately engaged them. Specht was killed while attempting to crash-land his badly damaged Fw-190. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lt colonel

I have been reading and visited every museum I have come across from WW2 since I was 10. Still, Mr. Felton’s videos manages to find stories I know nothing or little about! I love this channel! My compliments Mr. Felton.

Remember when the History Channel had documentaries like this? *GOOD TIMES*

7:59, can we acknowledge these madlads just spraying brens into the air hoping to get one

Last time I’m this early the Luftwaffe still had air supremacy

I've noticed that Hitler had one massive weakness. He relied too much on sledgehammer tactics, to always be on the offensive and put little value in defensive tactics. This showed when he ordered his people to turn the Me-262 into a bomber, a roll that it was totally unsuited for.

My Dad was RCAF ground crew that day. His was a Reconnaissance unit. He was up early when the raid started and took cover under a truck. When he returned to his billet, he found his pillow blown to feathers by a 20mm cannon shell. They lost most of their aircraft but he said most were replaced in about a week.

We’ll never know how many bomber crewmen lived for decades after the war because of this diversion of resources.

305 Allied planes destroyed. That's what a week or two's production from the Allied factories?

"Ah, the Luftwaffe - the Washington Generals of the History Channel!" - Homer Simpson

I have learned so much from Mark Felton. The History Channel or the Smithsonian need to hire this man quickly! Their viewership would increase drastically, and the quality of programming would only get better! Thank you Mark for your amazing work, hopefully someone will pay attention and more people would be able to enjoy your work, as we have here!

My Grandfather first saw a ME 262, his first jet sighting, chased by two P-51’s, and outrun them. He was in Bastogne.

This is off topic but still might be of interest to some. My father was a B-24 pilot in the 15th, did 30 missions. He said something about facing German fighters I've never seen mentioned elsewhere. He remarked, "There was nothing friendly about those airplanes." I said sure, they were German, etc. He retorted, "That's not it. Our fighters were brand new, flashy, shiny. The 109s and 190s at that point ('44-'45) were filthy, grimy, spattered with oil. They had no time to clean them up. They just rearmed and refueled them and off they went again. The pilots were desperate and they fought like it."

This was the second presentation of Operation Bodenplatte havee seen on RU-vid. It is by far the best. Thank you!

"Pilot issue was the worst "- older the war gets,younger the soldiers gets committed.........great production again..honoured to be the 1st to watch it.

WWII is one of my favorite subject in history, having a grandfather that worked at Los Alamos during the war, I am also an aircraft mechanic and have worked on several warbirds on a volunteer basis and it is very rewarding. I love this channel as you often go into obscure moments in the war that are fascinating. thank you very much for putting out the content that you do!

Perfect timing while I watch and eat my lunch.

Truly tragic when you look at Germany's actions at the end of the war so many lives lost needlessly.

WW2 was amazing in every possible way you could mean that.Those aircam shots will live forever.

This was covered in the Dogfight series, quite well done too. Good video all the same. These videos are an excellent start hopefully to encourage people to pick up a book and study the wider subject. It's all there for people to discover, so don't let your appreciation of history end with a 10 minute video and Wikipedia. History is important at least an understanding of it, lest we are doomed to repeat it! Worth remembering.

Another great video Mark. I did some work on boddenplatte during my masters thesis and it never ceases to amaze me that's such a concentration fuel and pilots was wasted in such a fruitless manner

As the self appointed pubah of the Felton Fanatics, let me congratulate you once more for an amazing video!

The little I know about the Luftwaffe they were relatively honourable and chivalrous and might have balked a little at orders to shoot up crew accommodation. There's the story of the Luftwaffe fighter pilot who, having determined that a damaged Allied aircraft was no longer an active threat, escorted the aircraft back to England as far as he dared go. He credited his commanding officer who also forbad shooting enemy pilots in parachutes stating they were there to fight against machines of war, not murder helpless men.

I love you Mark. I’ve never “Felton” this way about another man. “Mark” my words, I’ll never unsubscribe.

The Luftwaffe was on the slow but inexorable downward slope the moment they were switched to bombing cities instead of airfields, the outcome of the Battle of Britain could easily have had a different outcome if they had continued daylight raids on the airfields and had not underestimated the importance of radar, but they didn’t and that allowed the RAF to regroup and strengthen, and once the USA joined the war it was a much quicker end to them being in any way an effective fighting force, although I believe that even without the USAAF the RAF and the many allied pilots and aircraft would have prevailed eventually, might have taken a good few more years, but nonetheless they would have prevailed in the air on the land and at sea. Thanks and may you all Rest In Peace, Lest We Forget. Thanks for another excellent documentary. 👍🇬🇧

Great video

7:30 Gotta love some hip fire Bren gun action😃

Even today, as a german, many details are still not known or simply ignored bei my fellow "Landsleute", my fellow citizens, of these maniac activities of the failing "Luftwaffe". So, it is important to keep a fact based history stream of these topics going. Excellent work, Mark! Keep up this very good and informative channel. One would have to read 'tons' of history books on those special and lesser known subjects, so it is good to get the most important facts and information in a nutshell. Anybody interested further in the topic can always revert to detailed books anyway.

“That plane’s ours, Hans! It must be a major operation.”

Thank you for doing this. I've been waiting for it.

In the event you see this, I love all your videos. Thank you for posting these on here. I'm learning more than I ever would because school is terrible and they never really go over things like this. Please keep it up!

That footage was amazing! I nearly forgot I was watching a RU-vid video. Excellent work as always.

The courage and skill of these men deserved a better cause.

I first learned about Bodenplatte from the game Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe. It was one of the Historical missions.

I really enjoy your videos and your narrative is excellent. Two thumbs up.👍👍

5:05 Yes!!! The Canadians (RCAF) were there and thank you for saying so.

This is officially my favourite English language channel at the moment. Thanks a lot Mark.

Thank you Mark. Great stuff as usual. Dogfights had an episode called, The Death of the Luftwaffe: The Legend of Y-29 where they featured an air battle over the slag heaps of Belgium during this operation but they never discussed the background details of the German attack. Now I know!

Mark, I love your videos. ❤️❤️❤️. I grew up just after the war, and have always been a history buff. I thought I’d seen just about every war film out there...until I found your channel. It’s like falling in love all over again. Thank you.

I read (can't remember the book) that when faced with a bad situation they were to bailout instead of fighting, they were told that Germany had plenty of planes, it was pilots they were running out of.

Great to see the old 303 Bren Gun in action again. Its been years since i fired one, before and after they were modified to fire 7.62cal rounds. A very well made weapon. Bob, New Zealand.

Excellent video.Great action footages. Fantastic editing. Classic Mark Felton.The best channel on You tube!

This event was covered in Pierre Clostermann`s book "The Big Show (Le Grand Cirque)". I highly recomend this book. Pierre Henri Clostermann (28 February 1921 - 22 March 2006) was a World War 2 French fighter pilot. During the conflict he achieved 33 air-to-air combat victories, earning the accolade "France's First Fighter" from General Charles de Gaulle. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Clostermann If i remember Clostermann`s observation of the raid it was something like this; The RAF had some planes in the air but most where returning from mission and was already empty or low in ammo. Also the amount of German planes and the heavy AA ment that allied planes had difficulties making a significant impact on the German raid.

The luftwaffe pilots were not only great airmen, but they served their country to the last bitter end, irregardless of the situation, fulfilling their duty, as do all who love their country, to make little of that is a sacrilege in anybodys country. Thanks for the post Mr. Felton, never knew the losses at Eindoven were that high, only that the Germans losses were unsustainable by that late point of the conflict, so thanks again.

What a surprise, another 12/10 awesome videos by MR. Mark Felton... keep that amazing work Man, you are da guy

If I could pay 10$ a month to have double the videos you put out I would. Love love love this channel

USAAF Cadets received 80 hours of advanced tactical fighter tactics training (this is after basic pilot training). And then two months in theater transition training by experienced aces before being sent to combat duty. US Army and Navy Cadet training was superb and quality actually improved during the course of the war. Most US aces were sent Stateside to training assignments.

I have never heard this story before today in your channel. Thank you so much Mark it gives a clearer picture of the complexity of the German plan towards the Ardennes.

THANKS AGAIN MARK, GREAT FOOTAGE MUCH OF WHICH I HAD NOT SEEN BEFOR.

Safe to assume Goering didn't win any points with Mr. H

Another great history lesson and another awesome video Mark !

Great job Mark! Love the longer format!!!

I thoroughly enjoy watching your videos Mark, looking forward to many more!

Mark does a wonderful job with these short films.

Fun fact: this battle very nearly led to the first combat between manned jet aircraft in history. Among the planes used in this offensive were a number of Arado Ar 234B-1 jet bombers, which attacked an American airfield. The nearest available air assets to intercept them were RAF Gloster Meteor F.3 jet fighters, which were vectored to the area to engage the bombers. However, the Arados returned to base before the Meteors arrived.

Your videos are awesome, while watching feel I am seeing alive the incidents which happened a long time ago before I was born maybe I was in that incedents in my previous birth, really incredible.

As usual, just awesome!! Thank you!!

Awesome content as always Mark. Keep the great vids coming

A great and very interesting Video! Thanks Mark!

Planes can be built. Experienced pilots cannot. Thanks again Mark for another fascinating fact on WW11.

Another great vid, thanks Mark.

Thank you Mark, excellent as usual

Mr.Felton. Thank you for this new offering...

Those FW-190a's were beautiful birds, especially with that winter camouflage.

Fascinating as always, Mr. Felton. - A proud patron

Evil cannot and will never prevail but that air to air combat was brutal though nice video

Congratulations! And what a superb and complete way to present it! Story is always very interesting but you make any topic fascinating! Boy I wish to attend one of your lectures! Greetings from Guatemala!

except for the element of surprise, this air battle was what the allied generals dreamed of ....a battle of attrition (for the air crews) from which the germans had no chance of reaping long term strategic value

305 aircraft destroyed - that's a few days production.

Thank You Dr. Felton!

The opening music makes me salivate like Pavlov's dog!

Thanks Mark. Good point about crew quarters being targeted, could of had disastrous consequences

I remember history channel covered this in thier dogfights episode they called “ the legend of Y-29”

Mark Felton is the king of RU-vid.

And another Gem Mr Felton Thank You!

Another great video mark. Have you ever thought of releasing your videos in audio format? Like a podcast perhaps? Im lucky enough to be allowed a radio or earphones at my place of work and listen to podcasts often. Would be great to be able to listen to some of your work, either way, thank you for the content 👍👍

Greatest history channel ever keep on

Hands down the best history channel on you tube!!!

This video just made my morning coffee so much more enjoyable cheers Mr.Felton ☕

His voice is so perfect and takes me back to school films and early videos and dare i say it, dare i even consider it . . . . . .The World at War, the standard setting and epic series . . . . . .you remind me of a young Sir Laurence. . . .

@Mark Felton Productions - Mr. Felton, as an adjunct to this video, could you perhaps tell the story of the Battle of Y-29? It's the worst disaster the Luftwaffe suffered during Bodenplatte, and is definitely worthy of a video. Thanks! 2:30 - It wasn't the handing over of squadrons which hampered the ability of the Luftwaffe to inflict damage on the bombers, it was their lack of fuel. When the Soviets captured Ploesti, in late '44, it was pretty much all over. I knew a guy, on the discussion forums of a WWII aircraft website, who was a B-17 bombardier in the 360th BS(H), 303rd BG, toward the end of the war. He said he only saw TWO German aircraft during all his missions (on different missions, not on the same day). Neither one attacked the bomber formation. Both just shadowed it then left. 4:57 - You forgot P-47 Thunderbolts. Let's get some "Jug Love" here, folks! ;)

Always the best. Thanks Mark!

The Luftwaffe only needed one plane, a JU 87G flown by Hans Ulrich Rudel!

A saying among German ground forces by 1945 on how to identify aircraft. If it’s silvery, it’s American. If it’s camouflaged it’s British. If you can’t see them at all they’re German.

It’s 01:30 am here in Jakarta and suddenly i saw DR. Felton post a new Video 53 minutes ago....

It would be interesting to hear the story of the Luftwaffe vs. the Red air force in the invasion of the USSR.

Many thanks for another excellent presentation.👌👌👏👏

Thank you Mark,very informative historical education about the Luftwaffes,last offensive in WW2.Would be interested in an aftermath prologue to May 1945 if you have footage

Great timing for the video, with the new IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Bodenplatte about to be released!

Fantastic video... This channel with its videos on ww2 and cold war... Just great...

Great videos mate!

Very interesting as always Mark thanks again

If you enjoy "novelized history" as I do, Spencer Dunmore's "Ace" is a great read, from the German perspective. "Bomb Run" is also a page-turner. They are out of print but available on flea bay.

Expected to hear the Ride of the Valkyrie, very appropriate for such a hopeless attack, trading easily replaced enemy aircraft for irreplaceable German pilots.

Damn, imagine, as a pilot, getting shot by enemy aircraft in your crew barracks instead of the air. Seems like a shit way to go. Although, dying in a fiery death in your cockpit also isn't pleasant.