Upcoming Apple TV+ World War II Drama 'Masters of the Air' Depicts the Bloody Hundredth

Though we've certainly seen our fair share of World War II dramas in recent years --- one of which, World on Fire, is currently airing right now --- it doesn't seem like the entertainment industry is running out of ways to tell this story anytime soon. Perhaps that's a good thing, if only because attention must be paid to the many incredible acts of bravery and self-sacrifice that made the Allied victory possible. Apple TV+'s upcoming drama Masters of the Air is centered on one such group, a squad of American pilots whose heroism ultimately helped change the tide of the war --- and played a key role in thwarting Hitler's Reich for good.

Based on the meticulously researched book of the same name by Donald L. Miller, Masters of the Air is set to dramatize the story of the 100th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force, which began hitting targets inside Germany in early 1943. Known as the Bloody Hundreth for the high number of killed, wounded, and missing in action the unit suffered during the war, only four of the original 38 co-pilots assigned to this group completed their assigned twenty-five mission tour. The group lost 732 airmen in less than two years, with over 900 more taken prisoner. The average age of pilots in this group was just 25 years old.