U.S. Army Air Forces film about B-29 aircraft construction. A completed B-29 bomber towed out of the construction factory during World War 2. Wheels of the bomber. Workers in plant weld, bolt and do other work to complete another B-29 plane. Women and men war production workers seen working in the plant look up and smile on hearing one of the new B-29 aircraft in flight overhead. Aerial views of B-29 in flight. Wing area and tactical gear of the plane. Close-up view of revolutionary flap design that constitutes one fifth of the wing area. Flaps shown moving on the aircraft. Close-up view of landing gear descending. B-29 aircraft lands. View of guns mounted on plane. Pilots shake hands with crew member. B-29 flight crew in briefing to receive information about bombing objective over Japan. Laborers assisting with loading and unloading the aircraft. B-29 taking off and again seen in flight.
Opening scene shows a message being received on a teletype machine from the U.S. 3rd Air Division. Two Air Force officers are seen seated at desks. One is labeled "Ops-Plans." The on duty operations officer passes on the message to his staff where it goes through operation, operation planning, maintenance, ordinance and armament. Technicians preparing the guns and loading ordnance for the mission, on a B-52 aircraft. Air crew members ate seen assembled in their briefing room, Glimpse of the mission briefing officer at a podium. View of wristwatch as narrator speaks of navigators synchronizing their watches. A B-52 crew stepping from their crew bus as they arrive at their aircraft. As other crew member climb aboard the plane, their aircraft commander reviews the aircraft status, as reflected on its Form 781, with the aircraft crew chief. Crew members then begins a pre-flight walk-around inspection, starting with the landing gear and wheel wells. The last of the crew enter the aircraft via a bottom hatch, which a ground crewman then fastens from the outside. Inside, crew members are seen going through pre-flight check lists at their respective duty stations. Back at the Command Post, the duty controller receives the order via secure telephone, from 3rd Air Division headquarters, to execute the mission. He informs the Aircraft Commander and the B-52 starts its engines. View of throttles being pushed forward in the cockpit, as the aircraft begins takeoff. View from ground as the B-52 takes off and flies overhead. Glimpse of the aircraft commander in the cockpit wearing helmet and oxygen mask. Hand of radar observer is seen as he checks out his equipment. Aerial closeup of a B-52 in flight. View of radar observer placing the aircraft controls in so-called "Second Station," with the autopilot controlled by the bombing navigation computer. Inflight closeup of B-52 opening its bomb bay doors and starting to drop bombs. Glimpse of the aircraft commander in cockpit and of B-52 aircraft in flight, as narrator states they are returning to U-Tapao Airbase,or to Guam. The aircraft in the mission are seen landing back at U-Tapao Airbase, Thailand, where other B-52s are parked on the ramp. They taxi to their parking places and crew members board buses back to operations for a mission debriefing.
U.S. Army Air Force armorers ride atop bombs on trolleys, being pulled by a tug on an airfield in England during World War 2. Airmen gather around a bomb as one writes in chalk, "To Schicky (referring to Hitler family, Schickelgruber) this is only the start, Love, L.E.Z." Views of Airmen rolling bombs on carts under a B-17E aircraft. View from inside a B-17 as ground crews look up through open bomb bay doors. B-17 combat crewmen walking and riding bicycles, to attend a mission briefing. Inside the assembled aircrews are briefed by a British RAF officer, who says, "We're going to work. The target is XZ 462." He goes on providing details to be followed by aircrews. The crews leave the briefing room. Next, B-17s are seen taxiing out for takeoff. The lead aircraft is "Yankee Doodle" piloted by Brigadier General Ira Eaker. Another is "Stinky." Next is "Little Skunk Face."And the last one "Berlin Sleeper." Ground crews watch as the B-17 bombers take off and assemble into formation overhead. Views from inside a B-17 as bombs fall and its gunners fight off German fighter planes. Bombs seen falling and exploding on the ground and raising clouds of smoke. Glimpse of gunners firing at attacking German aircraft. Narrator states there is anti-aircraft fire all around them, that jolts the aircraft. The B-17s assemble in formation for the flight home. Back at the base, some wait atop the tower for the returning aircraft. General Ira Eaker, Chief of the U.S. VIII Bomber Command, steps from a returning aircraft, and greets Major General Carl Spaatz, Commander of the 8th Air Force. Final scene shows Brigadier General Eaker, smoking a cigar and surrounded by civilian and military reporters. ( Note: Reportedly, the B-17 "Stinky" crash landed in Athenry Co Galway Ireland on the 15th January 1943 with General Jacob Devers and a party of other Generals onboard, but none were injured and and all arrived safely at 2AM the same day, in Belleek, Northern Ireland.)
View of B-29 superfortress aircraft, of 21st Bomber Command,flying over Tokyo,Japan, with Mount Fujiyama clearly visible. Bombs falling from the B-29s. Near ground view of street and smoke rising from bomb strikes. In Washington, DC, General Henry (Hap) Arnold, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Air Forces, and Lieutenant General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Assistant Chief of Staff , give a sendoff to crew of a XXI Bomber Command B-29 bound for the Pacific Theater. The B-29 crew write a message in chalk on a bomb, reading: "To the Warlords of Japan. We have not forgotten--the B-29s will remind you Again and Again and Again!!!" Views of the city of Tokyo, Japan, showing streets, buildings, cars and pedestrians. Animated map fades to Saipan Island. B-29s of the 21st Bomber command,73rd Bombardment Wing, 497th Bombardment Group,landing at Isley Field, Saipan, watched by airmen at the base. Animated map showing B-29 access to Japan, itself, from Saipan.Formation of B-29s in flight, and bombs falling over Japan.
U.S. 8th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress bombers in England during World War 2. B-17 parked on an airfield shows damage caused during missions in Europe. The airplane is painted with image of Bugs Bunny and the name: "What's Cookin Doc?" Flak damage to the B-17. Damaged rudder. Flak demolished tail gun. A large flak hole on the airplane. Camera pans over several other B-17s. The first damaged B-17 shown, 41-24525, "What's Cookin Doc?" is from the 547th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group, at RAF Station Grafton Underwood. The rest of these battle-damaged aircraft are from the 91st Bomb Group, Bassingbourn, England, including: B-17: 42-3031, "Nitemare" of the 324th Bomb Squadron; B-17: 41-24524, "The Eagle's Wrath,"of the 323rd Bomb Squadron; and B-17: 42-2990, "Dame Satan" of the 322nd Bomb Squadron. (Note: Subsequent to this clip, two of the aircraft shown, "What's Cookin Doc?" and "Dame Satan" were shot down with all aboard KIA, one shortly after this was filmed.)
United States Army Air Forces Martin B-26 Marauder, a World War II twin-engine medium bomber, drops bombs over targets in Germany near the end of World War II. Captain Browning in a USAAF B-26 Marauder over Germany. POV shots from cockpit. The B-26 bomber drops bombs. B-26 landing gears lower. POV from cockpit as the B-26 lands and taxis along the perimeter strip. Crewmen on the ground directs the B-26 for parking. A Lieutenant plots out flak damage. The crewmen of the B-26 gathered around B-26 and in a jeep. An interrogating officer takes down flight data from the pilot. Crewmen inspect belt of damaged ammunition. A Lieutenant views the damaged ammunition. Note: a small bright object, possibly a foo fighter, is seen moving diagonally and downward across the frame from left to right in the first second or two of this clip.
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