This film shows numerous types and models of World War One aircraft in operation. It opens showing Allied airplanes preparing for a maximum air campaign in the battle of Saint Mihiel. View from inside a hanger as its flap opens and men push a Sopwith Camel airplane out onto airfield. Map of St Mihiel. American planes warm up on flight line in predawn, with flares burning at wingtips. Huge numbers of allied airplanes are marshaled on airfields throughout the theater of operations and begin taking off. Among them is a French Morane-Saulnier low wing monoplane. German fliers are seen loading small hand held bombs into the cockpit of their Albatross aircraft. Soldiers in combat on ground in "no man's land" during the battle of St. Mihiel. They take refuge in large shell and bomb craters and try to advance running between them.. Germans fliers dropping bombs, by hand, from airplane. Numerous Allied and German airplanes in aerial dogfights. American planes over clouds. American Observation balloon attacked in sky. Balloon in flames, and trailing black smoke as it falls to the ground. French flag flies at an airfield, where a nosed-over airplane sits, by a hangar, as airplanes fly overhead. Aircraft taxiing about in close quarters at airfield. Large formations of American airplanes flying overhead in a grand formation, following the Armistice, November 11, 1918 Then the film shifts dramatically from World War One to the post-WWII year of 1947. It illustrates the dramatic advances in warplanes since WWI by showing U.S. B-36 bombers and straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet fighters is formation.
U.S. Air Force McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II fighter aircraft, tail number 63-3688, takes off away from the camera. A Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighter jet takes off toward the camera . F-105 aircraft dives over dirt target area and another makes high speed low pass over encampment in snow, leaving cloud of condensation behind. An F-105 climbing out at high speed. Another F-105 flies low over an Army M113A2 Armored Personnel Carrier driven on road in desert. Glimpse of an F-101 Voodoo aircraft maneuvering overhead. View from inside reconnaissance aircraft making a low level night flight. Camera on aircraft. Photo interpreters in control room. A C-130 lands on a dirt runway. Fully armed combat troops rush out of the aircraft. Aerial view of C-133 Cargomaster airplanes operating on dirt airfield. One takes off, raising a cloud of red dust, and maintains low, flat, flight path, with very little rate of climb. Views of F-105 aircraft in formations and one flying over snow capped mountains. Several C-130 Cargo aircraft flying in trail formation, low over jungle terrain. Closeup top view of an F-105 hooked up to a refueling tanker aircraft. Next, it is seen dropping away from the refueling boom. Armorers loading tactical aircraft with missiles, bombs, and rockets. Bombs and rockets mounted beneath wings of an F-105 and an F-4 aircraft in flight. Ground crews tending to F-101 Voodoo aircraft in a cold arctic environment. An F-100 aircraft illuminated by the sun while in flight. A pair of F-4 aircraft in flight. A formation flight of three F-105 aircraft flying over an island fort in the sea.
Aircraft of the U.S. Army Air Forces Fighter Group operating at Alto Airbase, Corsica, in World War 2. P-47 aircraft of the 66th Fighter Squadron, comes down for landing. Pilot walking out on wing of a 64th Fighter Squadron P-47,named the "Lady Jane." He examines flak hole in the wing. Pilots at Red Cross coffee truck discuss recent mission. Red Cross girl in the background.
Two American Army Air Force pilots (Captains) walk up street in small German town. They take pictures from bridge. They walk through old stone arch, and pass by two German youths who watch them.
Gun camera views from U.S. Army Air Forces aircraft in flight strafing various lines of communication in Germany, including roads, railroads, and waterways.
From "The Last Bomb", shows U.S. Army Air Forces conventional bombing of Japan in 1945, during World War 2. Map shows take off points in Saipan, Guam and Tinian. Guam Island shores. Houses and mountains in Guam. Civilians in village. U.S. military equipment, ammunition, vehicles and aircraft parked at airfield. Men around tents. Men at airfield engaged in morning activities. B-29 aircraft parked and others taxi at airfield. Technicians work on aircraft engines. Men manning B29s. Men board B29s. Sign reads 'Headquarters XXI Bomber Command'. General Curtis LeMay around chart planning raid on Japan's industrial areas. Other officers in room. Officer stand up as General Curtis leaves. Officers discuss the plan of attack. Bombs including GP bombs transferred at airfield. Submarines speed up in water to take up positions. Officers at headquarters in discussion. Officers talk on phone. Officer around flight status panel carry out visual progress of the flights. Officer marks positions. Time table for statistics of each wing on wall. B29s taxis for take off at airfield.
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