Masters of the Air episode 2 recap: 'Today is tomorrow'

In Masters of the Air episode 2, the 100th set out out on a raid targeting German submarine pens in Norway, while Lt Crosby fills us in on the piece of equipment that allowed the US Army Air Force to attempt such a dangerous daytime mission. However, Lt Curtis Biddick only just makes it home...

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Spoilers ahead... following interrogation, Buck makes his way to the hospital to see his turret gunner, Sgt. Steve Bosser (Fionn O'Shea) who has severe frostbite and is now out of action. Co. Huglin is also on his way back to London after bursting an ulcer on the landing. 

Out on the runway, Bucky is toasting his fallen comrades with Lt Curtis Biddick. “I don’t feel a thing!” he says, before going all Tyler Durden and urging his pal to hit him as hard as he can. Curt does and Bucky says it felt good, before revealing he has to meet the new CO tomorrow morning. “Today is tomorrow,” says Curt. 

It’s clear Major Chic Harding (James Murray) will be a very different prospect to Col Huglin and during their meeting Bucky gets his much-sought demotion, meaning he'll be flying again. He suspects it might be something to do with his pal Buck, who put in a word for him. “If this whole thing ended and there were only two pilots left up in the air, it would only be me and you,” Bucky tells his pal. “Don’t count on it,” comes the reply. 

'The most closely held secret of the war...'

Later we’re introduced to Sgt. Ken Lemmons (Raff Law), a ground crew chief whose men are responsible for patching up the B-17s to get them back in the air. He’s chatting to some local children when a new pilot crashes nearby. It’s clear there will be no survivors. 

At the local pub later on Sgt. William Quinn (Kai Alexander) is playing dice, while the US pilots chat to a rather plummy British airman. He explains how the RAF carry out nighttime raids, which are far safer, although only allow for rather indiscriminate bombing. “As long as it’s German it doesn’t matter what we hit,” he says, before alluding to the losses the Americans have been suffering. Curt responds by saying the US airmen like to hit their target. 

It's not long before all the posturing gets out of hand and the mustachioed British pilot offers them outside. When they get there, Curt knocks him down with one punch. “They can’t hit their target at night!” he shouts. 

Lt Crosby then goes on to explain how the Americans were able to carry out daytime precision bombing due to a new piece of technology called the Norden bombsight, which allowed for precise bomb targeting. “Outside of the atomic bomb, it was the most closely held secret of the war.”

'We lead our boys through it...' 

The 100th’s next mission is the submarine pens in the Norwegian city of Trondheim, yet with Bubbles sick, Lt Crosby will be the unit’s lead navigator. He’ll be flying with Bucky, but let’s hope he has the stomach for it - Ahem - Despite another spate of illness, he eventually manages to find the target, yet Curt’s Fort takes a nasty hit and one of his engines is toast. 

The 100th do manage to drop their bombs on the submarine pens and amid all the fear and flak, there’s a moment of black comedy when Cros puts on his helmet and mistakes the vommit inside for his own blood. 

Curt is forced to drop out and return home, yet Bucky decides to wait for him and escort him back, asking Cros to come up with a new flight plan. He says they should fly into the clouds to take cover from enemy fighters and then head for the coast of Scotland. It’s clear Curt’s in for a rough crash landing, yet he just about makes it. Later on, an impressed Bucky comes to find Crosby and tells him he has the job full-time. 

At the club later on, the men drink and chat to ladies, while Buck receives a call from Curt, who’s up in Scotland necking whisky with the locals. He’s called to thank his friends for sticking with him over the North Sea and making sure they got home. The evening ends with a bicycle race around the barracks, but it’s soon interrupted by air raid sirens. It seems the Germans are hitting Norwich. 

As they watch the raid from afar, Buck tells Bucky about his childhood in Casper, where his father kept betting all their money, leaving them sleeping on park benches. “That RAF prick was right, these daytime missions are suicide,” he concludes. “But we lead our boys through it.”