The USAF Story: After War 1918-1923
The USAF Story: After War 1918-1923
ON PREVIEW CASSETTE # 210534 15 mins About the technological and general corpus evolution of the United States Air Force subsequent to WWI. A great source for rare archival material of such MSs crowds in streets of New York City, celebrating the Armistice (one man holds newspaper that reads, GERMANY SURRENDERS). TLS veteran Doughboys marching gingerly in parade. MSs US airmen receiving military awards on airfield in France. MS famed flying ace EDDIE RICKENBACKER, in uniform, smiling on airfield; MS smiling Eddie, here dressed in civvies. MS former WWI airman and eventual Mayor of New York FIORELLO LAGUARDIA marching in military parade newsreel of the inauguration of the US Air Mail service, May 18, 1918: MSs President WOODROW WILSON and his wife and other dignitaries arriving at airfield; leather-bound pilot Lt. GEORGE L. BOYLE and Officer-In-Charge of the Airmail REUBEN H. FLEET looking over flight plans; letter being postmarked & placed into sack; airmail bags being stowed onto plane; Mr. Boyle & Mr. Wilson conferring jauntily; LS Curtiss JN-4H Jenny plane taking off . Aerial of a forest fire. LS/MSs daredevil wearing symbols of a black cat & a number 13 on his outfit on Jenny in flight. TLSs antique pusher plane in flight. More great shot aerial daredevils (man jumps from one plane to another in midair, one of which says, JERSEY RINGEL). LS barnstorming Jenny Trainer doing barrel rolls in flight. Great shot from behind daredevil sitting on Jenny doing barrel rolls. Reckless yet fun MS people boarding early taxi plane; MS airplane bathroom. LS taxi plane taking off MSs Air Service (later Air Corps) trainees marching into classroom, taking seats; MSs teaching officer showing the cadets aerial photography; MSs cadets developing photo plates, technician printing contact sheets, instructor pasting photos together into a mosaic. LSs Jenny training planes taking off from airfield, in flight on practice strafing & bombing runs; MSs Army infantry in field, hitting deck, aiming rifles at passing planes; MSs horse-drawn field artillery firing at plane LSs servicemen employing hot air balloons and other semi-rigid dirigibles. MS Air Service Chief General CHARLES MENOHER and General Riis (sp), Fifth Army Corps posing for camera outside hangar; LSs air servicemen boarding Jennys, taking off, in flight during training display great newsreel early parachute test, airman leaping from Jenny in flight, freefalling, opening chute (this may very well be footage of the first successful Army test jump on April 28, 1919, Leslie Irvin being the airman). Cut to footage of another test, MS airman holding onto wing of plane, opening chute, being yanked off newsreel First Transcontinental Nonstop Flight, May 2, 1923: LS men opening numerous doors of large Curtiss airplane hangar; MSs Lts. JOHN MACREADY and OAKLEY KELLY posing for cam; LSs commercial T-2 transport plane w/ Liberty engine being rolled onto airfield (on plane, ARMY AIR SERVICE NON-STOP COAST TO COAST); MS pilots donning gear, posing again; TLS plane being fueled; MS Army officers watching on; MS propeller being started; LSs T-2 in flight, landing at San Diego airfield; MSs pilots descending plane, being warmly received newsreel of aerial bombing test on decommissioned and seized battleships (like the unsinkable German ship, the Ostfriesland), conducted by Brigadier General BILLY MITCHELL, Jun-Jul & Sept, 1921: MS Gen. Mitchell in plane on ground; LSs naval vessels sailing, emitting huge plumes of smoke and soot from smokestacks; MSs provisional air brigade boarding Martin planes, storing 1-2 ton bombs under wings, starting props; LS Jennys taking off; LSs USS Alabama, planes dropping bombs on her, explosions (nice high angle shot bomb falling from plane, hurtling towards ship). MS men arming plane with heavy bomb; LSs battleship sailing, planes dropping bombs, explosions similar tests are conducted on the USS New Jersey & Virginia in 1923: MS General Mitchell & fellow officer kneeling before plane, inspecting heavy bomb; LS USS San Miguel sailing, cut to MS General JOHN J. PERSHING, Admiral Schumacher, Asst. Sec. Of War Dwight F. Davis, & Air Chief General Patrick talking on board, eventually looking up; LSs Mitchell s air brigade in flight on precision bombing run (great shots bombs falling, hitting ships; excellent close aerials of damaged ships floating, sinking) low angle LS several Jenny planes flying in formation.