USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Produced in 1947 by the Department of the Air Force, this film regards the role the United States Army Air Force (USAAF, U.S.A.A.F.) played in the months before the D-Day invasion. Some astounding aerial bombing runs and aerial combat footage.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Opening Titles
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Panning high angle LS sprawling, manicured corporate grounds of airplane factory in Germany. German male factory workers working on assembly line, inspecting propellers, building German Army Luftwaffe Heinkel He 111 medium bombers. Stoic white male supervisor standing on factory floor, turning to wall clock. Numberless wall clock, Nazi swastika emblem on plane tail rudder in foreground. Heinkel He 111 bombers and fighters rolling from assembly lines or being rolled out of hangars. Side view TLS Junkers Ju-87 Stuka fighter plane rolling from hangar.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Dusseldorf and Essen, Germany steel foundry, bomb shells being molded, produced, manufactured; MS white hot sheet roll of steel rolling along machine.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
German railroads, locomotive trains delivering goods such as petroleum.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Bombs stowed on cart train, being transported along tarmac, past U.S. B-24 Liberator; TLS U.S. Army General Dwight Eisenhower (Dwight D. Eisenhower, Dwight David Eisenhower, Ike) smoking cigarette, talking with U.S. Army Air Force General Carl Spaatz (Carl A. Spaatz), standing on tarmac. Lt. General James Doolittle (James H. Doolittle) talking on tarmac. US Lt. General William Kepner (Bill Kepner, William E. Kepner) posing.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
US airmen arming fighter planes for mission. Airman loading bullet bandolier into fighter. LS/TLS/MSs 8th and 9th Air Force pilots gathered by fighter plane, listening to General Pete Quesada (Elwood Richard Quesada) speak. Young white male USAAF lieutenant pilot wearing leather bomber jacket, officer's cap, smoking cigarette.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
U.S. military lorries (trucks) driving along rural road. U.S. airmen arriving at airfield via overloaded lorries, alighting truck. TLS airmen wearing flight gear standing and talking before B-25 Mitchell dubbed, "Kill-Joy." Panning TLS U.S. Army Air Force Generals Carl Spaatz and Hoyt Vandenberg walking briskly along tarmac with fellow U.S. Army Air Force officers.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
U.S. B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell and B-17 Flying Fortress bombers taxiing along runway; panning LS/TLSs B-17 Flying Fortress, B-26 Marauder bomber planes taking off. Air to air shots of bombers in flight. U.S. P-47 Thunderbolt taxiing on runway; side view MS fighter plane taxiing, nose cone art of scantily-clad brunette white woman. Excellent low angle TLS P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes taxing during takeoff, flying over camera. TLS U.S. P-38 Lightning fighter plane taxiing along several parked P-38 Lightings. MS white male solider sitting, flashing light to signal fighter to take off; panning TLS/LSs P-38 Lightning fighter planes taking off, flying over camera. Rear view MS mechanic sitting on wing of fighter waiting to take off, several other fighters in waiting line ahead. Panning U.S. P-51 Mustang fighter planes taking off.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Air to air shots of U.S. B-17 Flying Fortress bomber planes in flight, close formation; some shots feature black smoke from flak explosions dotting scene. Air to air shot of four P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes in flight, tight formation.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
MS air raid siren German Army Luftwaffe pilots racing for fighter planes; panning MS German Luftwaffe officer hobbling to fighter with aid of walking cane. German pilots donning flight gear, climbing into cockpits of Junkers Ju-87 Stuka fighters. MS propeller spinning. Luftwaffe Junkers Ju-87 Stuka, BF-109 Messerschmitt fighter planes taking off.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Air to air shot of four U.S. P-51 Mustang fighter planes in flight, dropping bombs, rolling out. Air to air shot of several P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes in flight, rolling out. Excellent MS bomber gunner firing .50 caliber machine gun during flight. Excellent air to air shots of four P-51 Mustangs rolling out, dive bombing, firing machine guns. Great subjective POV footage of USAAF fighters engaged in aerial combat with German Luftwaffe fighters, Messerschmitt and Stuka being shot down, exploding, nose-diving out of control; explosions, enemy pilots bail out, etc. Air to air shots of P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang in flight. Aerial shot of Messerschmitt being chased, shot down, exploding in field; massive explosion. Air to air shot of P-51 Mustang hitting barrel roll.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Air to air shots of U.S. B-26 Marauder bomber planes in flight, dropping dumb bombs; aerial shots of numerous bombs falling from bays, exploding on ground; large scale bombing mission. MS cracked windshield glass of bomber cockpit; seems to be two bullet holes. Bombs falling.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Air to air shot of U.S. P-51 Mustang fighter plane on controlled freefall amongst clouds. Air to air shot of P-51 Mustang flying very low to ground, farm field. Excellent subjective POV aerial combat, German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf-109 being hit, exploding. German Junkers bomber being attacked on ground by strafing U.S. fighter; USAAF planes strafing and bombing Nazi German industrial factories, manufacturing plants, hangars, radio communications towers, railyards, transport and freighter ships, and other key positions; strategic bombing raids; some shots feature attacking plane sweeping through smoke and fire of explosions; crippling the German war machine; some truly massive, spectacular explosions; tactical strategic air war offensive.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Numerous air to air shots of P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt and P-38 Lightning fighter planes in flight.
USAF Story: Prelude to Invasion, 1944
Closing credits.