https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/10224e7a-3b15-4164-abe0-5e0939183b5b Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Visit our website www.PeriscopeFilm.com After his beautiful wife Carole Lombard, was killed in a plane crash while working for the USO, a grieving Clark Gable couldn't face Hollywood anymore, so he joined up with the Army Air Corps. Gable famously requested that he be sent into actual combat. So naturally Hap Arnold decided he should make a movie about his combat group, the 351st Bombardment Group. Gable narrates this complete portrait of his outfit and appears in several short scenes where he interviews his comrades-in-arms. The focus of the film, though, is the group itself, especially the gunners. The film starts just after training is complete and the group flies to England to begin flying actual missions. The film covers all aspects of the lives of the gunners, from actual combat to leisure time, and from goofy hijinks to the gritty reality of seeing your buddies get killed or seriously wounded in combat. The film is quite similar to The Memphis Belle, though perhaps not as engrossing as that film. Still, the film has quite a bit of historical value as a portrait of combat and army life, and is one of the few long-length color documentaries to emerge from the war. 00:00 The film opens with 40 B-17 Flying Fortresses and 4,000 men of the 351st Bombardment Group preparing for overseas combat.1:35 Col. William A. Hatcher Jr. inspects his squadrons.2:53 The group departs.3:27 B-17s cross the Atlantic.4:33 Bombers land at their new English base.5:24 The 351st joins the Eighth Air Force.6:16 The Duke of Gloucester visits, and the RAF transfers the airfield to American forces.7:38 General Arnold inspects, instructing Captain Gable.8:24 Gunners practice identifying enemy aircraft.10:06 Major Scott delivers security lectures.11:19 A training exercise 11:48 British Halifax bombers land at the base due to weather.12:21 Colonels Milton and Burns brief on the first mission.14:51 Gunners Kenny and Phil focus on their guns and ammunition for survival.15:08 Crews don Flex Zone suits, grab coffee, and prepare intercoms.16:01 The tower signals "start engines" 16:46 Planes taxi and maintain tight formation.17:53 The "old man" initiates takeoff 8:37 Back at base, ground crews anxiously await their return 19:36 The planes begin to return, counted by ground crew.20:52 The crew signals a successful bombing run 21:31 Crews stow guns and head for interrogation. 22:53 More missions, with each swastika on the wall marking a downed German pilot.26:08 The film shows a tough raid's aftermath: wounded, and bombs returned due to weather. Various accounts of missions with many wounded airmen. 29:52 Many comrades are also KIA. 31:12 Damaged planes repaired. 33:26 Major Ace Aiken and ground crew work tirelessly to repair ships. 34:29 At the hospital, Father O'Connor celebrates mass.36:20 Decorations, including crewmen receiving DFC, Silver Star .37:33 Battle-weary men rest at a Red Cross resort.39:04 Bob Hope and Jack Pepper provide entertainment.40:08 More missions.42:56 Men prepare for combat.44:40 At 10,000 feet, they go on oxygen.Thunderbolts escort.46:46 Men joke to relieve tension.47:29 Enemy fighters attack, frontal assault. Turrets guard the rear.49:11 A German fighter hit.49:36 Crew members bail out.50:41 Two Focke-Wulf 190s are hit 51:10 Another B-17 is hit; formation closes ranks.51:39 More enemy fighters attack.52:16 They cross heavily defended flak.52:48 Another bomber is hit, out of range.53:00 Smoke screens signal the target area. A final desperate German fighter attacks.53:46 The attack begins.54:08 Bombay doors open.54:26 The bombing run is good; bombs away.54:53 The group targets its MPI, dropping heavy and incendiary bombs, causing "molten chaos." 55:25 Another group targets an adjacent airfield, blasting hangers and repair shops.55:49 A "nice pattern" of bombs is observed.55:57 Marshalling yards, chemical tanks, and factories disintegrate.56:25 The film asserts the "red, white, and blue headache" will change the enemy's mind.56:41 Bombay doors close. A last look shows smoke rising 16,000 feet.57:03 The trip home seems lucky.57:32 Enemy fighters appear.58:19 A German fighter is shot down 58:50: The USAAF formation is tighter, firing heavily. 59:29 One enemy plane is "through."59:41 Another is hit.59:49 Two more are downed by forward guns.1:00:04 One is confirmed.1:00:14 Me-110 is engaged and shot down.1:01:17 Conclusion: fighting the "American way" we "are not gonna lose." This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvLeoX9do3o Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:54:03 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/10224e7a-3b15-4164-abe0-5e0939183b5b All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.