The White Lily of Stalingrad
Lidya Litvyak made history by becoming the first woman pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft.
Also known as Lilya, she was a skilled pilot during WW2. Taking part in the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk she saw intense action in her short career. Lydia’s fame grew. Her commanding officer said of her “She was very aggressive, a born fighter pilot”. With her striking looks and fame in defending Stalingrad she was given the name, “The White Lily of Stalingrad” by her comrades. On February 1943 she was promoted to a junior lieutenant and chosen to join a group of elite pilots that were permitted to search for targets under their own initiative. These "free hunters" were made up of only the most experienced pilots. In recognition of this status she had a white lily painted on the side of her plane.
Finally she was shot down while engaging several fighters and went missing leaving a mystery that would not be solved for many years.
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When a Ball Turret Gunner Saved His B-17
It’s May 1, 1943 and in the ball turret of his B-17 is gunner, Sergeant Maynard H. Smith. Known to the crew as Snuffy, Smith was not a tall man which was an essential requirement for a ball turret gunner.
Due to faulty equipment the B-17’s find themselves unexpectedly low over occupied France. Set upon by German guns and FW 190s, the B-17 was damaged beyond repair and on fire. 3 of the men bailed out over the English Channel. What happened next was a feat of bravery and endurance that saved the plane and the remaining crew. Tending the sick, defending the plane with the waist guns and putting out the fire at the same time, Smith showed true grit in this incredible episode of WW2. This earned him the medal of honor, but despite this, the unruly and unpopular Smith found himself demoted.
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When an Axeman Fought a Tank
Born in Ukraine in 1919, Ivan Pavlovich Sereda became a cook in the Red Army, assigned to the 91st Tank Regiment, 46th Tank Division. When a German tank rolls into camp it's just the cook who is left to face it. Undeterred Sereda grabs his trusty axe and goes to work on the war machine. With a mixture of subterfuge and using what he had to hand, the cook incredibly decided that the axe was the right anti tank weapon for the day, much to the shock of the Germans inside.
An amazing story of bravery, a David and Goliath story for the modern age, it's a tale of overcoming incredible odds and having fearlessness and determination win the day.
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Soldier Worth a Million Men
It's April 1918 and in the trenches of Northern France the Battle of the Lys, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ypres is underway. 22 year old Aníbal Augusto Milhais from the Portuguese Expeditionary corps finds himself in the midst of the battle. What happened next was an incredible display of courage and bravery that saved the lives of many of his companions both Scottish and Portuguese. After they retreated he continued fighting on alone until he ran out of ammunition. He was given a commendation which described his action as being worth a million men. After which his nickname became "Soldier Millions".
Yarnhub uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. “Unreal® Engine, Copyright 1998 – 2023, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved.”
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6 Hours in Hell - Roy Benavidez
1968 in Vietnam and Master Sergeant Roy Benevidez undertook an incredibly brave rescue of a special forces team that had been surrounded by an NVA Infantry Battalion of over 1000 men. Armed with just a knife and his medical bag, Benevidez threw himself into the thick of the action and conducted a rescue attempt that resulted in him saving the lives of at least 8 men.
When presented the Medal of Honor by President Reagan, the President turned to the press and said, "If the story of his heroism were a movie script, you would not believe it".
Yarnhub uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. “Unreal® Engine, Copyright 1998 – 2023, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved.”
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Tirpitz vs Tallboy
Wing Commander Tait’s briefing before the raid was short. The objective was the same as before, target and sink the Tirpitz.
Operation Catechism was an RAF air raid with specially adapted Lancaster bombers of the RAF’s elite 617 and 9 Squadrons attacked Tirpitz in a remote fjord in Norway, it resulted in the final destruction of the fearsome German battleship Tirpitz.
Tallboys released, from 14,000 feet accelerated to 750 mph approaching the speed of sound. Minutes later the Tirpitz – pride of the Kriegsmarine was no longer.
Yarnhub uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere.
Unreal® Engine, Copyright 1998 – 2023, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved.
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When a King Tiger was rammed by a Sherman
When Lieutenant John Gorman of the 5th Guards Armoured Brigade was riding on board the Ballyragget, near the village of Cagny in Northern France, he was confronted by a group of German tanks including the feared Tiger 1 and the King Tiger. He would later write in his book about the encounter, “It was horror personified.”
Determined to take down the King Tiger but knowing that the gun of his Sherman is near useless against it, Gorman turned to his driver and ordered “Ram it!”
Yarnhub uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. Unreal® Engine, Copyright 1998 – 2023, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved.
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