U.S. Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force, VIII Fighter Command operations in Germany during World War II. 22 April 1944: Lieutenant RA Rann of the 356th Fighter Group 359th Squadron attacks ground targets. Lt. Rann attacks German trains and a factory. Buildings and sheds at the factory. Smoke rises from the burning passenger train. Trees on either side of the tracks.
U.S. Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force, VIII Fighter Command operations in Germany during World War II. 22 April 1944: 1st Lieutenant RS Wetmore of the 359th Fighter Group 370th Squadron attacks ground targets. Lt. Wetmore strafes a Germn train. Smoke billows from the burning train. A hit German Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf FW 190 Wurger in a field. Smoke rises from the wrecked aircraft.
U.S. Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force, VIII Fighter Command operations in Germany during World War II. 24 April 1944: Lieutenant O.R. Jones of the 4th Fighter Group 335th Squadron attacks a German Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf FW 190 fighter aircraft. The U.S. aircraft in flight amidst clouds. The FW 190 in sight. The two aircraft in a dogfight. Firing and explosions.
U.S. Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force, VIII Fighter Command operations in Germany during World War II. 24 April 1944: Captain Woody of the 355th Fighter Group 354th Squadron attacks 5 German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt (ME) 109 fighter aircraft. The U.S. aircraft in flight amidst clouds. The ME 109s in flight. Captain Woody attacks the German aircraft. A ME 109 is hit, descends towards the ground. Other ME 109s in flight.
An official comes out from a building. Soldiers inspect the box in bomb blast. View of collapsed building and wreckage after bomb blast in Germany, July 1944. Soldiers find the casualties and killed people in wreckage. The German flag. Adolf Hitler attends funeral of victims killed in bomb blast. He with dignitaries, honors killed people in blast. He meets the people in funeral. (World War II period).
Germany's most famous pilot of Stuka dive bombers (Junkers Ju 87) Hans-Ulrich Rudel, seen in hospital, after being wounded in the thigh, during World War 2. His doctor visits and asks how he is doing. He replies "ausgezeichnet" (excellent). His wife comes to the bedside and speaks with him briefly. Rudel's hospital chart is seen, with his rank shown as Oberst (Colonel).This is notable, when downed in November, he had been a Lieutenant Colonel with Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" (Battle Squadron 2 "Immelmann.") Another German officer sits at his bedside and inquires about his experience. Colonel RĂ¼del explains how he was downed by flak while attacking Soviets tanks on the Eastern Front. He speaks about his comrade fliers. Next, the award of "Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds"is shown. (This award was created by act of the Reichstag, solely for Rudel, on December 29, 1944. He was also promoted to Colonel, the same day.) The film concludes with additional comments by Colonel Rudel.