As World War 2 was in its final stages and the Allied forces were approaching the heart of the Third Reich, dozens of German cities were being raised to the ground as part of a strategic bombing campaign.

To press for unconditional surrender and put a final end to the war, the legendary James Harold Doolittle was ordered to assemble one of the largest bombing raids ever seen in the European theater. The Allies intended to pummel the city of Berlin into submission. As commander of the Eighth Air Force, he put together an unprecedented air fleet of more than 2,000 aircraft and 15,000 men.

Allied air raids had so far been pushing deeper into Germany, encountering less and less resistance. But on February 3, 1945, all hell broke loose over the skies of Berlin, and the Luftwaffe committed what few aircraft it had left to protect the city.

Machine-gun fire, flak guns tearing through metal, aircraft colliding with each other, and the smell and sight of smoke suddenly filled the sky. It all marked the beginning of the end for what American bomber crews called “Hitler’s town.” Some were even hoping to get lucky enough to drop a surprise on the man himself...



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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.