The 100th Air Refueling Wing (100th ARW), nicknamed the Bloody Hundredth, is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Third Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. It is stationed at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, United Kingdom. It is also the host wing at RAF Mildenhall. The 100th ARW is the only permanent U.S. air refueling wing in the European theater, operating the Boeing KC-135R/T Stratotanker. During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy), was an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed at RAF Thorpe Abbotts. Flying over 300 combat missions, the group earned two Distinguished Unit Citations (Regensburg, 17 August 1943; Berlin, 4/6/8 March 1944). The group suffered tremendous losses in combat, with 177 aircraft missing in action (MIA), flying its last mission on 20 April 1945. One of the wing's honors is that it is the only modern USAF operational wing allowed to display on its assigned aircraft the tail code (Square-D) of its World War II predecessor. The 379th Bomb Wing used its Triangle-K tail code until deactivated in 1993, but when reactivated as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing was assigned a rotating mix of flying squadrons who used their parent unit's tail code. The Triangle-K is retained as an unofficial unit insignia.

‘Masters of the Air’ – Interview:

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The 100th Air Refueling Wing (100th ARW), nicknamed the Bloody Hundredth, is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Third Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. It is stationed at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, United Kingdom. It is also the host wing at RAF Mildenhall. The 100th ARW is the only permanent U.S. air refueling wing in the European theater, operating the Boeing KC-135R/T Stratotanker. During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy), was an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed at RAF Thorpe Abbotts. Flying over 300 combat missions, the group earned two Distinguished Unit Citations (Regensburg, 17 August 1943; Berlin, 4/6/8 March 1944). The group suffered tremendous losses in combat, with 177 aircraft missing in action (MIA), flying its last mission on 20 April 1945. One of the wing's honors is that it is the only modern USAF operational wing allowed to display on its assigned aircraft the tail code (Square-D) of its World War II predecessor. The 379th Bomb Wing used its Triangle-K tail code until deactivated in 1993, but when reactivated as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing was assigned a rotating mix of flying squadrons who used their parent unit's tail code. The Triangle-K is retained as an unofficial unit insignia.

The Bloody Hundredth

The Bloody Hundredth is a compelling and sobering documentary directed by Laurent Bouzereau and Mark Herzog that offers a poignant companion piece to the Masters of the Air miniseries. It features 100th Bomb Group veteran Major Robert Rosenthal posthumously, and producer Steven Spielberg, whose interviews add a depth of reverence to the heroism of the 100th Bomb Group, also known as “The Bloody Hundredth.” With a masterful blend of archival footage, interviews with real-life veterans, and historical analysis, The Bloody Hundredth serves as a testament to the courage, sacrifice, and complex legacy of the men who served in one of the most famous bomber units of World War II.

The Emotional Gravity of The Documentary

At the heart of The Bloody Hundredth is its focus on personal narratives, a hallmark of Spielberg and Hanks’ previous World War II projects like Band of Brothers and The Pacific. The documentary opens with sobering statistics and historic visuals of the brutal air war over Europe, but it quickly narrows its lens to the deeply human stories that highlight both the extraordinary bravery and the unimaginable trauma experienced by the bomber crews.

Interviews with historians and members of the 100th Bomb Group, along with insights from Tom Hanks, who has been a passionate advocate for preserving World War II history, bring a layered and emotionally charged narrative to life. Hanks, known for his involvement in historically significant storytelling, articulates the weight of these men’s sacrifices, while Steven Spielberg provides context on the cinematic challenges of recreating their story faithfully.

Tom Hanks (L) and USC Shoah Foundation founder Steven Spielberg attend the Ambassadors For Humanity Gala Benefiting USC Shoah Foundation Honoring Rita Wilson And Tom Hanks at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on November 5, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Narrative Structure and Direction

Laurent Bouzereau and Mark Herzog have a gift for pacing that keeps the viewer engaged while never downplaying the harrowing realities faced by these servicemen. The documentary doesn’t merely recount missions; it delves into the psyche of the airmen, portraying their camaraderie, their fears, and the constant specter of death. A standout segment features Lt. Robert Rosenthal, one of the most celebrated pilots of the 100th Bomb Group, whose heroics and resilience serve as a symbol of the extraordinary determination and complexity of these men.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rosenthal (June 11, 1917 – April 20, 2007) was an American lawyer and Army officer. A highly decorated B-17 commander of the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, Rosenthal was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross and two Silver Stars. Although bomber crews were initially only required to complete 25 combat missions in a combat tour to earn the right to rotate home, Rosenthal flew a total of 52 missions and was shot down twice. After the war, Rosenthal served as an assistant to the U.S. prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials.

Bouzereau and Herzog also use Rosenthal’s story as an anchor, with riveting accounts of his most dangerous missions and reflections on the burdens of leadership. This storytelling choice gives the documentary a personal focus that enhances its historical breadth, ensuring that viewers not only learn about the overarching strategies and outcomes of the bombing campaigns but also feel the personal stakes involved.

Robert Rosenthal in "The Bloody Hundredth" (2024) Photo Credit: © Apple TV+
Archival Footage in "The Bloody Hundredth" (2024) Photo Credit: © Apple TV+

Comparisons with Masters of the Air

When comparing The Bloody Hundredth to Masters of the Air, one immediately notices the symbiosis between the two works. Where Masters of the Air dramatizes events with a focus on character-driven storytelling, The Bloody Hundredth provides a more factual, reflective exploration of the real heroes behind those dramatizations. The two pieces complement each other, with the documentary offering a grounding that enriches the fictionalized yet historically based series.

A companion documentary titled The Bloody Hundredth, narrated by Tom Hanks, tells the story of the 100th Bomb Group that inspired the stories in Masters of the Air. It was released on March 15, 2024, on Apple TV+.
Genre: War drama, Created by John Shiban, and John Orloff, and Based on "Masters of the Air" by Donald L. Miller, and Developed by John Orloff, and Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, and Tim Van Patten, Starring: Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Barry Keoghan, Nikolai Kinski, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sawyer Spielberg, Isabel May, James Murray, Nate Mann, Kai Alexander, Laurie Davidson, Joanna Kulig, Louis Hofmann, Jamie Parker, Bel Powley, Sam Hazeldine, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, Ncuti Gatwa, Jerry MacKinnon, Josh Dylan, and Narrated by Anthony Boyle, with Theme music composer: Blake Neely, and Country of origin: United States, and Original language: English, with No. of episodes: 9, and Executive producers: Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg, with Cinematography by Adam Arkapaw, Jac Fitzgerald, Richard Rutkowski, and David Franco, and Editors: Mark Czyzewski, Carmen Morrow, Mark Sanger, Spencer Averick, and Billy Rich, with Running time: 48–77 minutes, and Production companies: Playtone, Amblin Television, and Apple Studios, and Original Network: Apple TV+ (2024)

Masters of the Air benefits from Miller’s detailed research, and while the series takes creative liberties for dramatic effect, The Bloody Hundredth brings us back to reality. Hearing firsthand accounts or watching interviews with Rosenthal and other veterans bridges the gap between the audience and history, reinforcing the authenticity of the experiences portrayed in the miniseries.

The inspiration for the major Apple TV+ series, streaming now! The riveting history of the American Eighth Air Force in World War II and the young men who flew the bombers that helped beat the Nazis and liberate Europe, brilliantly told by historian and World War II expert Donald L. Miller. The Masters of the Air streaming series stars Austin Butler and Callum Turner, and is produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, the legendary duo behind Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Masters of the Air is the deeply personal story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep. With the narrative power of fiction, Donald Miller takes you on a harrowing ride through the fire-filled skies over Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden and describes the terrible cost of bombing for the German people. Fighting at 25,000 feet in thin, freezing air that no warriors had ever encountered before, bomber crews battled new kinds of assaults on body and mind. Air combat was deadly but intermittent: periods of inactivity and anxiety were followed by short bursts of fire and fear. Unlike infantrymen, bomber boys slept on clean sheets, drank beer in local pubs, and danced to the swing music of Glenn Miller’s Air Force band, which toured US air bases in England. But they had a much greater chance of dying than ground soldiers. The bomber crews were an elite group of warriors who were a microcosm of America—white America, anyway. The actor Jimmy Stewart was a bomber boy, and so was the “King of Hollywood,” Clark Gable. And the air war was filmed by Oscar-winning director William Wyler and covered by reporters like Andy Rooney and Walter Cronkite, all of whom flew combat missions with the men. The Anglo-American bombing campaign against Nazi Germany was the longest military campaign of World War II, a war within a war. Until Allied soldiers crossed into Germany in the final months of the war, it was the only battle fought inside the German homeland. Masters of the Air is a story of life in wartime England and in the German prison camps, where tens of thousands of airmen spent part of the war. It ends with a vivid description of the grisly hunger marches captured airmen were forced to make near the end of the war through the country their bombs destroyed. Drawn from recent interviews, oral histories, and American, British, German, and other archives, Masters of the Air is an authoritative, deeply moving account of the world’s first and only bomber war.

Archival Footage and Visual Storytelling

One of the documentary’s greatest strengths is its use of archival footage, seamlessly woven with modern interviews and voiceover narration. The black-and-white images of B-17 bombers lumbering through icy skies, juxtaposed with the vibrant, often somber memories of surviving crew members, create a vivid contrast that underscores the passage of time and the enduring impact of the war.

Archival Footage in "The Bloody Hundredth" (2024) Photo Credit: © Apple TV+
Archival Footage in "The Bloody Hundredth" (2024) Photo Credit: © Apple TV+
Harry Crosby in "The Bloody Hundredth" (2024) Photo Credit: © Apple TV+

Themes of Sacrifice and Legacy

The documentary’s examination of themes like sacrifice, brotherhood, and the moral complexities of strategic bombing is both thorough and nuanced. It doesn’t shy away from discussing the controversial aspects of the bombing campaign, such as civilian casualties and the ethical dilemmas faced by those in command. The balance between honoring the heroism of the 100th Bomb Group and acknowledging the devastating human cost of their missions is handled with care and respect.

A scene in "Masters of the Air" (2024) Photo Credit: © Apple TV+

The insights provided by Spielberg and Hanks add another layer to these discussions, as they contemplate the responsibilities of storytelling and the ethical considerations of war. Hanks, in particular, reflects on the ways in which our collective memory of World War II has been shaped by both personal testimonies and cinematic portrayals.

(L-R) Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman attend the world premiere of Apple TV+'s "Masters Of The Air" at Regency Village Theatre on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Winter/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images

A Lasting Tribute

The Bloody Hundredth serves not just as a historical document but as a powerful act of remembrance. It ensures that the legacy of the 100th Bomb Group will continue to be honored by future generations. The documentary succeeds in making history feel alive and relevant, demonstrating the enduring importance of these stories.

The 100th Air Refueling Wing (100th ARW), nicknamed the Bloody Hundredth, is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Third Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. It is stationed at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, United Kingdom. It is also the host wing at RAF Mildenhall. The 100th ARW is the only permanent U.S. air refueling wing in the European theater, operating the Boeing KC-135R/T Stratotanker. During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy), was an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed at RAF Thorpe Abbotts. Flying over 300 combat missions, the group earned two Distinguished Unit Citations (Regensburg, 17 August 1943; Berlin, 4/6/8 March 1944). The group suffered tremendous losses in combat, with 177 aircraft missing in action (MIA), flying its last mission on 20 April 1945. One of the wing's honors is that it is the only modern USAF operational wing allowed to display on its assigned aircraft the tail code (Square-D) of its World War II predecessor. The 379th Bomb Wing used its Triangle-K tail code until deactivated in 1993, but when reactivated as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing was assigned a rotating mix of flying squadrons who used their parent unit's tail code. The Triangle-K is retained as an unofficial unit insignia.

The Bloody Hundredth is available now with a subscription to Apple TV+

Genre: War drama, Created by John Shiban, and John Orloff, and Based on "Masters of the Air" by Donald L. Miller, and Developed by John Orloff, and Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, and Tim Van Patten, Starring: Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Barry Keoghan, Nikolai Kinski, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sawyer Spielberg, Isabel May, James Murray, Nate Mann, Kai Alexander, Laurie Davidson, Joanna Kulig, Louis Hofmann, Jamie Parker, Bel Powley, Sam Hazeldine, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, Ncuti Gatwa, Jerry MacKinnon, Josh Dylan, and Narrated by Anthony Boyle, with Theme music composer: Blake Neely, and Country of origin: United States, and Original language: English, with No. of episodes: 9, and Executive producers: Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg, with Cinematography by Adam Arkapaw, Jac Fitzgerald, Richard Rutkowski, and David Franco, and Editors: Mark Czyzewski, Carmen Morrow, Mark Sanger, Spencer Averick, and Billy Rich, with Running time: 48–77 minutes, and Production companies: Playtone, Amblin Television, and Apple Studios, and Original Network: Apple TV+ (2024)

Masters of the Air is available now with a subscription to Apple TV+

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