* This Masters of the Air episode 8 recap contains spoilers. This episode tells the story of the 99th Pursuit Squadron (a unit of black pilots better known as The Tuskagee Airmen) who flew dangerous bombing missions over the South of France in the final year of the war. We follow their tale from the perspective of 2nd Lt Alexander Jefferson (Branden Cook), 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels (Ncuti Gatwa) and 2nd Lt. Richard Macon (Josiah Cross), who are shot down and taken to Stalag Luft III.
The show is streaming on Apple TV Plus, and we've got a guide on how to watch Masters of the Air if you need any help in watching it yourself.
Meanwhile, D-Day has come and gone (with Captain Crosby missing most of it) yet the panoramic shot of the landing seen from the cockpit of Rosie's Fort is one of the many lasting images of the series...
'Can't change the weather...'
The episode begins with a look at the 15th Air Force, which is striking at the Germans from bases in Italy. The 99th Pursuit Squadron - which is made up of African American pilots — is part of that unit, although they’re better known as "The Tuskegee Airmen".
The first man we meet from the 99th is 2nd Lt. Alexander Jefferson who's keen for more dangerous assignments further into Europe. “It’s just hard when some of our guys are already out there,” he tells his superior officer, itching for a place on the front line.
Such a mission arrives in the form of a raid on Munich, which takes a heavy toll on the squadron. Colonel Davis mourns the losses and is also frustrated by the lack of recognition for the black airmen. The sheer volume of '2nd lieutenants' tells its own story in that regard. “Can’t change the weather Colonel, just get better at trying new courses to bluer skies,” the Captain tells him.
'Not a single Luftwaffe fighter in the sky...'
Back in England, Major Crosby tells us it’s 5.56am on June 3rd 1944, just three days before D-Day. The US Air Force will be hitting the German defences in Normandy, just minutes before Allied troops hit the beaches, before taking out bridges, railways and all sorts of other targets further inland.
There will be about 200 missions in total, all of which require flight plans and maps. It’s quite the "to do" list and Cros refuses to sleep until it's all done, eventually keeling over after 60 hours of non-stop work.
When he finally wakes up after three days of slumber, Rosie tells him he’s missed “so much” and that he flew three sorties. On the third, he was treated to the wonderful sight of hundreds of ships and thousands of men arriving in France. It’s one of many fantastically rendered shots that indicate why the series' post-production was so lengthy.
He hit an array of targets, all from the routes Harry plotted and the best part? “There wasn’t a single Luftwaffe fighter in the air,” says Rosie.
'Gentlemen, you're going to France...'
At Stalag Luft III, Major David "Bucky" Egan is playing an imaginary game of baseball. He’s been a POW for eight months and is “still trapped, still cold, still eating scraps, while we keep waiting for something to happen.” Yet Buck urges him to be patient.
It’s not long until Bucky’s frustrations boil over and when he refuses to pitch in when the men are pulling up stumps for firewood, a scuffle breaks out. However, that bad blood is soon forgotten when news filters through about the Allied invasion of Western Europe.
The POWs keep up to date with the Allies’ progress on their DIY radio and realise the Germans will most likely march them deeper into the Reich to use them as leverage. They decide to start preparing and getting into shape to prepare for any eventuality.
Meanwhile, the Tuskegee Airmen learn they'll be hitting a series of targets in the South of France to pave the way for Operation Dragoon, which will see Allied forces invading the country from the Mediterranean. The perceptive 2nd Lt. Richard Macon interrupts to say the targets are out of range for their P-51 Mustangs. “You’re right, it is going to be close, but it’s not possible,” says the Colonel, although Macon’s comrades look a bit nervous.
Those nerves aren’t helped when the Colonel says the airmen will be given IDs to help them blend in with the population and avoid being captured by the Nazis. They remain determined to do their duty, despite the terrible odds in front of them, yet it’s a reminder of how the US military’s command valued the lives of the African Americans in their charge.
As they approach their target, the pilots drop their empty fuel tanks to jettison weight, but come under heavy fire as they approach the radar masts. They hit their targets, but lose several aircraft, while those who bailed out are captured, including 2nd Lt Jefferson, 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels and 2nd Lt. Richard Macon, who is badly injured.
2nd Lt Alexander Jefferson soon finds himself being questioned by a Nazi who calls him ‘Jeff’ (that famous German sense of humor) but is interested in his scientific qualifications. He gets nothing out of Jefferson or Macon.
The Nazi interrogator asks why they fight for a country that treats them so badly. “Do you know any country that’s better?” comes the reply from Macon, who’s still suffering with a neck injury and must be carried into the Stalag by his two friends.
After a few weeks in the camp, Jefferson’s artistic talents come to the attention of Buck, who wants his help to chart the area as they plan their escape. When Jefferson asks why he was happy to let he and his friends bunk with them, Buck replies “I at least knew you weren’t spies.”
'Nothing will be the same...'
Meanwhile, Major Crosby is told to return to America for a month of leave and tries to engineer a final meeting with Sandra Westgate before he returns home to his wife. Whether this love affair is based in truth is unclear, but we’re not sure what Crosby's real-life descendants would make of it.
They’re unable to forge a meeting, but Sandra does send him a message saying she’s enjoyed their time together and he belongs with Jean. However Crosby says he's worried things won’t be the same when he sees Jean again. “Nothing will be the same,” comes the reply from his pal.
