Film opens showing a large formation of U.S. Army Air Forces B-17 bombers flying high overhead as they return to bases in the United Kingdom, during World War 2. Closeup of one plane shows Triangle tail code of the 97th Bombardment Group, and tail number 42-23383. View looking past tail tunner turret towards numerous aircraft in a formation. Scene shifts to view from a B-17 of black flak clouds from German anti-aircraft guns. A B-17 in flight with flak damage to a wing, and another with a destroyed left tail stabilizer and elevator. Closeup of feathered right inboard engine on a B-17 in flight. More views from behind the formation, and looking straight up at passing B -17s overhead. View looking down at a B-17 approaching for landing. Closeup of both right engines feathered on a B-17 in flight. (Narrator states an aircraft named "Stella" had three engines inoperative and was unable to reach the field to land.) Army Air Forces controllers communicating by radio with crews of aircraft. View from ground of the B-17 ("Stella") coming in for a crash landing in an oat field, with landing gear not extended. Closeup from cockpit, of number 3 engine running and number4 feathered. View from inside the aircraft as it crash lands. View of it in the field. It displays tail number 42-5910 and a "G" tail code in a white triangle, identifying it as belonging to the 40th Bombardment Wing, 305th Bomb Group at RAF Grafton Underwood Trucks are seen carrying mechanics and technicians to the crash landing site. Next, the B-17 is seen surrounded by repair crews. It is sitting in a cleared area and its landing gear is intact. Closeup of the aircraft's flak torn fuselage. A severely damaged gun turret on the ground next to the aircraft. Section of cockpit sitting on the ground. Views of mechanics working in their portable shops as they make repairs to the B-17 aircraft. Machinist running a lathe in one of the portable shops.View from ground of the mechanics at work on the aircraft's engines, as engineers employ earth-moving equipment in the background to create a temporary runway to facilitate takeoff. Closeups of the earth-moving equipment at work. More closeups of mechanics working to restore the aircraft. Some work on an engine suspended from an A-Frame. Closeup of two mechanics, one of whom displays images of a Lockheed P-38 lightning fighter aircraft and a B-26 Marauder aircraft on his jacket. More views of eath-moving operations. Closeup of a mechanic being moved by crane as he guides a propeller into place on the B-17. Closeups of mechanics affixing propellers on the plane. View of engineers employing surveying instruments as they ready the emergency strip for the B-17's takeoff. Closeup of the aircraft ("Stella") surrounded by seated mechanics, as she is about ready to fly again. View from behind spectators, including local English people, as the aircraft engines start. The repaired B-17 taxis onto the improvised air strip, and raising lots of dust as she takes off. Glimpse of local people waving as the aircraft becomes airborne.
From "The Last Bomb", showing U.S. Army Air Forces bombing targets in and over Japan during World War 2. B-29s taxi on airfield and take off from runway. Crew in cockpit of aircraft. More B-29s taxi on runway at Tinian airfield. B-29s leave flight lines at Saipan airfield. B-29s taxi and take off from runway. Last B-29 takes off from Saipan airfield. Controller in tower talking into radio. Controller in Guam attends phone call. Take off times of each wing are noted by men at desk. Man attaches copy on report board. B-29 in flight over Pacific Ocean. Crew inside the plane. Navigator marks the chart. Aircraft makes run over Iwo Jima Island. Bulldozer leveling the surface at Sulfur island of Iwo Jima. P51s parked at airfield. Officers discuss around chart. P-51s warm up in flight line. P-51s taking off from airfield. Group of P-51s in flight. Controller at Guam talks over phone. Officer marks positions of each wing on mission board. P-51s fly low over water. Pilot of P-51 speaks. Crewman's hand at instrument panel. P-51s in flight behind B-29s. Smoke marker is dropped from an aircraft. Groups of planes separate. B-29s defend against attacking Japanese planes. A Japanese plane drops phosphorous bomb which explodes in the way of formation of B-29s. P-51 peels off to attack Japanese plane and protect B-29. P-51 fires at Japanese plane. Japanese plane is hit and goes down in flames. Formation of B-29s heading for mission. B-29s dropping bombs on Tokyo.
A U.S. and Royal Air force training film on Fighter Tactics against B-29 aircraft, similar to those of allied U.S. Army Air Forces B-29 Superfortress in United Kingdom. A UK Royal Air Force (RAF) officer addresses a group. Models of B-29, C-47 Skytrain and C-82 Packet aircraft on desk. B-29 stationary and crew lined up in front of a plane for inspection. A pilot inspects the crew in front of a plane. Crew gets into the bomb bay of B-29. The guns being revolved, top turrets, side turrets, tail guns all being tested on the ground. A pilot hold hands out of window and signals to ground crewmen. The engines starting. The engines starts. B-29 taxis out from taxiing area. A tail section of B-29 and 15th Air Force insignia on tail. Large letter 'W' on tail. B-29 takes off. Aerial formation of B-29. An English officer addresses the group then goes over to wall and points out B-29 group tactical formations on bombing runs. The chart and pattern for B-29 formation. RAF pilots sit and listen to a briefing officer. (World War II period).
Bombings in Tokyo, Japan during World War II. A bomb truck backs up to a United States Army Air Force ( USAAF ) B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber at an airfield on Saipan, Mariana Islands during the preparations for Tokyo bombing. A soldier writes 'Only the Beginning' on a bomb. The soldier wheeling a bomb cart to the underside of the aircraft. An airman on the top of the aircraft. A Commandant briefing the members of the 21st Bombing Command. Mission leader United States Air Force Brigadier General Emmett O'Donnell and Commanding General of 21st Bombing Command Brigadier General Haywood Hansell, Jr., look at a document and discuss on the airfield. USAAF pilot Robert Morgan, who piloted B-29 Dauntless Dotty, with another crew member. The men beside the B-29 Dauntless Dotty which would lead the team. B-29s lined up on a runway. B-29 Dauntless Dotty takes off. Several men on the airfield watch. A man beside a camera mounted on a tripod takes pictures. The B-29s take off one after the other. They head towards Tokyo. A map shows the flight path from Saipan island to Tokyo, Japan over the Pacific Ocean. Aerial view of Tokyo. The B-29s drop bombs over target areas. Explosions occur in the bombed areas. The B-29s drop more bombs over industrial targets. Explosions occur. The B-29s head back to Saipan after the bombardment. U.S. Army tents in Saipan. Japanese aircraft drop bombs over an airfield in Saipan. Thick clouds of smoke rise from the bombed areas. Wrecked B-29s in view. Flames and smoke rising from the bombed areas. Wreckage of the Japanese aircraft shot down in the raid. Men extinguishing fire. A B-29 taking off from the airfield.
D-558-2 Skyrocket with a B-29 Superfortress in flight over Muroc Air Force Base (soon after renamed Edwards Air Force Base). A B-29 Superfortress in flight. A Skyrocket is attached to the belly of B-29. Insignia of United States. A chase plane flies on the left side of the B-29. The posterior part of D-558-2 and B-29. Jet is turned on and the Skyrocket is still attached to B-29. Vapor comes out from the jet line. U.S. Navy Skyrocket emits much vapor while still attached to B-29. The Skyrocket with B-29 in flight. The Skyrocket detaches from B-29 mother ship and is in flight. It flies over the mountains. The Skyrocket makes pass from the landing field. (Note: the Superfortress bomber seen here has the big WASP Major engines. So it is probably a B-50 - perhaps XB-50.)
Formation of U.S. Army Air Force B-17 bombers over Emden, Germany, during World War 2. They are under fire by flak and German Luftwaffe fighters. B-17 belly gunner firing at attacking German fighter plane which explodes. Scene of a waist gunner firing from inside a B-17. Bombardier crouched over bombsight in nose of B-17. Bombs exploding on targets below. View from inside of bomb bay doors opening on a B-17. Bombs away view of bombs falling from open bomb bay. Scenes of smoke rising from explosions on ground. German aircraft being shot down. Aerial view of Emden, Germany. Several views of B-17s with bombs dropping from them. B-17 with Square B tail code of the 95th Bombardment Group. Black smoke from antiaircraft firing (flak). German fighters attacking B-17s. A new group of P-47 fighters arrive for aerial dogfights to protect the bombers. Waist gunner firing at enemy German aircraft. B-17 is hit by a German long-range antiaircraft rocket and explodes.
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